***
Making her way around the kitchen, after getting ready for bed, and noting the raised voices coming from Buffy's room, Leia pulled out a carton of juice and was pouring herself a glass when she heard a creak behind her. She spun around, spilling most of the juice on the counter. Then she let out a sigh of relief, and rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's you."
Spike shut the front door behind him and walked into the kitchen.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him, mopping up her juice in annoyance.
He didn't answer her for a moment. Instead he stared at her from behind; looking at her long, smooth, lily-white legs barely covered by a baggy black t-shirt.
"Spotted some Korvlak demons dead near the cemetery. Came to tell Buffy."
"Yeah well, we already fought that fight." As she turned to face him, he saw a bruise under her left eye. She hardly even looked at him, as she threw away the empty carton of juice and got another one out of the fridge. Spike craned his neck and licked his lips as she leaned up to get a piece of fruit out of the cupboard and he saw the underside of her bottom, and the faint purpling of bruises on the insides of her soft thighs.
She could feel the heat of his gaze on her and gritted her teeth. She didn't like him, she had decided the other day after the meeting. He was rude and impertinent, and he had no respect for anything.
Again she turned round. And he wasn't that good-looking, anyway. He needed his head deflating.
From where he was leaning casually against the table, he took slow steps towards her. "We weren't properly introduced the other day," He drawled lazily, looking her up and down in an idle but suggestive way that made Leia feel uncomfortable. Shaking it away with a toss of her head, she tilted her chin in the air defiantly. "Leia, was it?"
She looked at him with ill-concealed irritation. "My name would be Leia, yes."
Spike moved closer to her, and the silence of the room became deafening with intensity. Again she was reminded of a predator. "Leia, eh?" Spike murmured, staring into her eyes. Their bodies were nearly touching. "Parents big fans of Star Wars, luv?" He asked teasingly, almost condescendingly, reaching forward and fingering one of the dark strands of hair.
Leia had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. This guy was such a jerk! Running her tongue over her teeth while she considered her options, she realised she could have some fun with him. Her anger turned to amusement, and a slow smirk spread across her lips.
She lifted his hand out of her hair slowly, and, still smirking, she dropped it like a dead weight. "No, my parents were pretty big fans of Leia, the Shamirian War god, actually." Smiling sweetly and tipping her head to one side, she carried on lightly, "Spike, eh? Parents big fans of cheap porno's, luv?" Widening her smile innocently, she patted his shoulder and slid out past him, taking care not to touch him as she left.
He stood there with his mouth open, until he heard a stifled giggle come from the doorway. He looked up and realised Angel was standing there and had seen the whole thing. He was also smirking; Spike wanted to punch the smarmy grin right off his face. Spluttering, Spike remained there, still unable to say a word. He was gobsmacked.
"She shot you down good," Angel cackled. "Bet you never thought you'd find someone with a faster mouth then you, eh, porno boy!" Snickering now and shaking his head in amusement, Angel left the room.
Rage and embarrassment forming inside him, finally Spike managed to recover from his speechlessness, only to blurt out furiously, to an empty room, "What a bitch!"
***
After about an hour, Buffy lay on her back staring at the ceiling. "This is ridiculous!" She burst, piercing the silence.
"Really?" Leia entered, reading a book. "And why is that?"
Buffy jumped, sitting bolt upright on her bed. She snapped on the light hurriedly. "Jesus!" She put a hand over her chest queasily. "Leia, you scared me."
"Sorry," Leia shrugged, leaning against the wall in the doorway. "I just wanted to check you're alright."
"I'm okay," Buffy rested against the bedstead wearily. "Got a huge bump, but I'll be okay." Suddenly she remembered and everything flooded back to her. "Oh, god, Leia, I am so sorry about what happened earlier."
Leia looked at her quizzically, a little surprised. "But why on earth should you be sorry?"
"I was totally zoning," Buffy said fretfully. "If I had been concentrating on what we were doing it never would have happened. I would have known he was behind me, and I wouldn't have flaked out and left you on your own…" She raised her head and stared at Leia unhappily. "I screwed up."
Leia shook her head, and smiled at Buffy. "It happens sometimes, if you've got a lot on your mind."
"Leia!" Buffy scowled. "Stop being so…"
"So…?" Leia prompted.
"Nice!" Buffy exclaimed. "After the way I treated you, you should have left me for demon meat." She looked at Leia squarely. "And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, either. Angel told me you had a talk about what happened. The way we were treating you was terrible. And then I got myself knocked out and left you to face five Korvlak demons," She said wryly. "Some friend I am."
Leia paused for a moment, then sighed. "Buffy, I would've been acting the same if it'd have been someone else in that position, I'm sure. I'm not exactly going to be mad at you for being human, am I?"
Buffy opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, thinking. Finally she said meekly, "Do you forgive me?"
Leia nodded. "Yes. I just…well, I want to find out what this prophecy means, once for all."
"It doesn't matter," Buffy stood up and walked over to her. "You understand? Whatever this prophecy says, from now on, me and you are a team." Leia regarded her, still unsure. "Leia, I mean it. I believe what my own eyes tell me from now on. No piece of paper is going to change my mind about you. If anything, you should change your mind about me," Buffy wrinkled her nose, "Since I've totally forgotten to even thank you for what you did…" She timidly reached out and wrapped her arms around the girl. Leia sighed and hugged Buffy back.
"Thank you," Buffy whispered.
"It's okay." They stood back, straightening themselves up. "After all," Leia's face creased into a grin. "I still owed you one for saving me from that vamp in the mall."
"Not quite the same," Buffy told her, but she smiled back, happy and relieved.
"You really should rest," Leia said, a glint in her eye as she backed out the door. "It's been…an eventful night."
"Yeah," Buffy sighed. "Lying there unconscious really took it out of me."
"Mmm," Leia suppressed a grin. "I was thinking more about what happened after…"
Buffy groaned and flopped onto the bed. "You're not telling me that you know what happened with Angel."
"I wasn't sure that anything had happened, persay," Leia admitted. Then she grinned. "But now I am."
Buffy tossed her a look.
"Don't worry," Leia appeased her. "I wouldn't read you…I could hear you and Angel talking from down stairs." Then she corrected herself. "Well, I could, until Spike came in and filled the room with his fat head."
Buffy snorted, unable to stop herself from giggling. "I take it you're not Spike's biggest fan?" She asked, getting under the covers.
"No," Leia grumbled. "He's, like, a total deadbeat. Plus, he's actually dead."
"Why was he here, anyway?" Buffy asked.
"To tell us about the Korvlak demon corpses he found." Leia rolled her eyes. " I told him we'd already fought them."
"You'd already fought them," Buffy corrected her.
"Ugh!" Leia gritted her teeth, not paying attention to what Buffy said. "He's just so…annoying, and perverse and he thinks he's so good! Walkin' like he's all that, talkin' like he's all that, and wearing that stupid coat."
"One that you have an almost carbon copy of," Buffy reminded her.
Leia glowered at her. "Well, I had it first," She mumbled.
"Breathe," Buffy instructed. "It's not good for you to get so worked up when there aren't any evil demons in the room to pound on."
Leia took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she shook her head. "He just bugs me. You've got to admit everything I've said is true. He really gets to me."
"Could be true," Buffy said diplomatically. "Or…maybe he's getting to you in a different way."
Leia shot her a look. "What."
"Well, y'know…" Buffy replied innocently. "Maybe you are really digging that walk, that talk…and that coat."
"What!" Leia shot up out of her seat in alarm. "Are you out of your mind?"
Buffy held up her hands. "Just a suggestion…"She murmured.
Leia fixed her with a look. "Well don't be getting any ideas. I am about as attracted to Spike as I am to that old wardrobe over there."
"Okay," Buffy grinned. "I get it, I get it."
"Yes, you better." Suddenly Leia smirked. "And since you're wide awake, young lady, you can tell me all about what happened with you and Angel right now."
***
A few weeks passed. Riley came back into town and Buffy told him that she needed a break, time to think. He was hurt, but she assured him that she was just really busy with the new "mission". Of course, when he offered to help, she had to decline. And she also had to tell him Angel was back in town.
She thought he had probably put two and two together but he was too nice a guy to assume anything unless she told him. She also knew that if both of the men were working side by side with her on patrol, she might go crazy. Angel was a too valuable part of the team not to have around her, anyway. So it was him, and not Riley, who accompanied her on patrol some nights.
Luckily they had had a breakthrough. The parchment that Angel found was about the Elkean scrolls, and it told them that the last part of the scroll, the part that they needed, was written in a specific dialect. In fact, the languages changed through out the scrolls for reasons of security. It was the only security measures the Elkeans had back then, Giles explained. Knowledge. Unfortunately, the last part was written in a language Giles couldn't read. Now they knew what language it was, they would need to find a decoder of some sort. That was where they had drawn a blank. But now it seemed like that too was going to change. Buffy and Leia had gotten split up the night before on patrol and Leia had overheard some vampires talking about a vault they were going to rob. It was apparently in the sewers right where they were standing. It had been constructed recently by the vampire Master of the coven in New York, who was thinking about taking over here as well, and had brought a couple of dozen of his minions and fledglings with him. On the way, he had killed some priests and a museum curator. According to the vampires Leia was eavesdropping on, there was some incredibly valuable stuff among what they had been carrying. A stone tablet with etchings on it was particularly mysterious. Of course the Master had stolen everything and brought it with him. Knowing the value of his new goods, he had ordered them to construct the vault to store it in. These vampires had been among those building the vault, and seem pretty confident they could sneak in. Unfortunately, Leia had decided to dust them before they could get much further, taking the map they were holding as well.
It was a long shot, but the tablet sounded like the description of the decoder. If not, there may be other items in the vault of use. They figured it was worth a look, anyhow. So Buffy was on her way to the Magic Box where she was meeting Leia, Angel and Spike. Not knowing how many vampires they would be expecting down there, Giles told them to take Angel and Spike for strength, rather then risk it just the two of them.
The door jangled as she walked in, and Leia was sitting on the table, with Spike and Angel standing behind Giles as he gave her some last minute prepping.
"Also look for any books that might be down there," Giles told her anxiously. "I, ah, I'm not sure what the decoder does exactly…how it works, what it entails…"
"Doesn't sound like you know much, Giles," Spike interjected from behind him. "With respect."
"Shut up," Leia said, shooting him a poisonous look. "We need all the information we can get."
Spike made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Touchy, touchy," He mocked. "PMS, Slayer?"
"No." She shot back. "I'm feeling a little stressed because I've been informed I have an allergy. It makes me grouchy."
"Really, an allergy to what?" Giles asked, cleaning his glasses.
"Oh, nothing serious." Leia smiled at him sweetly. "Just an allergy to blonde blood-suckers. Especially if it's dyed blonde: makes the suffering that little bit more acute."
Giles suppressed a smile. Spike glared at her. "I don't have an allergy to you," He hissed. "I just don't like you."
"Ay yay yay!" Leia widened her eyes in mock surprise. Then she narrowed them and replied tartly, "Well, there is that side to my allergy."
"You know what-" Spike began, getting up so they were face to face, but Giles cut them off.
"That's enough, you two," He reprimanded sternly. "Buffy's here now, and we need to go over the final details of the plan."
"Yeah, so belt up Slayer," Spike said childishly, turning his back on her. She rolled her eyes.
"You have the map, Leia?" Giles asked her.
She handed it over, trying to ignore Spike's eyes on her as she moved past him to give it to Giles.
"This map isn't very clear," Giles muttered, observing it from all angles.
"I know where it is," Angel offered.
"And Leia does, obviously," Giles took his glasses off, dangling them between his fingers carefully. "What about you Buffy?" She shook her head. "Spike?"
Spike reached for the map, and looked at it for a second before replying, "No."
"Well, we already agreed you should split up, though it looks like it'll have to be in two groups." Giles nodded. "Are you all clear on what you have to do? Remember not to underestimate this Master. He might be very powerful. My contact in New York has not yet informed me with anything of interest however, so you'll just have to be cautious." He sighed, and looked first at Buffy, and then Leia. "Understand? Cautious."
"Don't worry Giles," Buffy told him brightly. "Caution's my middle name!"
Giles groaned.
"We'll be fine, Uncle Rupe," Leia said, giving him a hug.
"Promise?"
She nodded and he sighed as he looked down at her. Spike, rolling his eyes, elbowed past them and stalked out of the shop. Giles disentangled himself, and patted both Buffy and Leia's shoulders. "Off you go, then."
"Just getting some more weapons," Leia told him, heading over to the box behind the bookshelf. She came back with the axe she intercepted from the Korvlak demon strapped across her back, and a sword in her hand.
"What?" She asked them. "You never can have too many weapons."
"Stakes?" Giles checked.
Grinning, Buffy and Leia both lifted up their shirt sleeves to display a stake on each arm, and then turned round and lifted up the back to show two more by their waist.
"Buffy showed me how to do it," Leia said happily. "Now we match!"
Groaning again, Giles watched the two Slayers exit as Buffy dragged Leia from the shop.