Disclaimer: don't own them, Joss does

OLD FRIENDS, NEW ENEMIES (1.01.11)

Spike's standing on a rooftop looking down on the street the warehouse was supposed to be near. "How the Hell am I supposed to know who you are, pet?"

Autum walks out of an alley with Mitch

"Bingo." Spike spots a girl who is dressed in an outfit that is clearly meant to come off, "Who else but you, pet?"

Autum hands Mitch a wad of cash, his pay for the week, "This is all I've got. I can get you the other hundred next week."

"Ok, see yah then, boss." Mitch winks to her as he disappears in the crowd.

Spike sees the hand-off, "Naughty little girl, now aren't we?" He gracefully jumps off the roof and follows the girl.

Autum's phone rings, she flips it open, "Hello? Bessy? Bessy… calm down. What happened? Bessy? Bloody Hell!" She hangs up the phone and punches a pole.

Spike flinches when the pole dents.

Autum dials a number on her cell.

A phone rings in a dead woman's hand.

"Come on, come on!" Autum screams into the phone. She hangs up and runs over into an alley.

Spike follows her just in time to see her disappear up the fire escape. Once she reaches the top he follows.

Autum runs as fast and as hard as she can, praying that Bessy was fine.

Autum bursts into an apartment and sees someone's feet from on the other side of the bed. She runs around to kneel by the dead girl, her back to the window. "Bessy? Bessy?" She feels the girl's wrist and pulls the cell phone out of her hand. "Dear Lord."

Spike jumps down on the balcony and sees the girl leaning over a dead woman. He pulls out his cell phone.

The phone is ringing at the Hyperion, Buffy answers it, "Hello?"

"She's dead."

"Moon?"

"Bessy, the friend. She's dead and…" Autum turns around. For the first time Spike can see her face. "Bloody Hell."

Autum looks around the room. She sees a gun in the corner, "Oh God." She scrambles into the kitchen, "Sammy?! Sammy?!" She opens up closets and cupboards. In the cupboard under the sink she finds a small boy. "Sammy, come out of there." She pulls the boy up into a tight embrace. "It's ok. Everything's alright." She grabs the phone.

"Spike? Spike! Are you there?"

"I'm here… I've got to go." He hangs up

"Spike?" Buffy hangs up and sighs.

Spike stands on the balcony in shock as he watches Autum hang up the phone.

"See? Everything's just fine." She kisses the little boy's head.

Sammy looks up at her, "Where's Mommy? She said to be quiet and stay hidden."

"Mommy's ok, she was playing hide and seek and had to go on a holiday is all." She grins teary eyed at the boy in her arms.

"Oh, ok."

"So," she puts him on the ground, "hows about we go to my place, hmm?" She puts her hand out to Sammy in an offer, "Maybe Connor will come over soon and we can all play trains." Sammy takes her hand and smiles. "We just have to stay a while because I need to talk to the police when they come." She sees Spike through the window.

Spike stiffens when he sees Autum coming over to him with the boy in her arms. She opens the window and steps out onto the balcony with him.

"Hello, William."

"Hi, uh… how're you?"

"How long have you been watching?" She looks right into his eyes, still the same bright blue eyes. He grin sheepishly.

"Oh... I uh…"

"It's alright you know," she nods at him, "I'm fine."

"Right… good… that's good." Spike looks down.

"Sorry."

He looks up, "For what? Oh! The biting thing." He looks back down.

"No, the not telling you thing."

"Or the vamp thing, yeah?" He looks up at her again, hurt.

"I'm not a vampire, Spike." Spike flinches when he hears her use that name. She laughs, "I watch too, you know."

"So, Connor, he's…"

"Just temporary. He goes to Princeton… or Stanford, or something like that in a few weeks."

"And you?"

"Wouldn't you love to know?"

"So, kid?"

"Bessy's, but you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. Hey there." He says to the kid.

"I'm Sammy. Is that William?" he asks, turning to Autum.

"Yes it is."

"Did you really fight with Slayers?"

"Yeah, I did."

"You killed two of them."

"Did, didn't I?"

"Was it fun? I hear Slayers can be a bitch."

"Sammy!" Autum exclaims in shock.

"Hope doesn't like me to use bad words."

"You should save it for when you're eight." Autum tells him.

"Hope?" Spike asks, looking right at her.

"Times change. But I still don't like to be found. I've learned well when to hide."

"Hiding would be good now. The Slayer's a tiny little thing, but she packs a wollop."

"Now is when I need to make my presence known."

"It's insanity!"

"May it were. Insanity inflicts us all, kitten. Some more than others, look at you."

"What the bloody hell do I have to do with any of this?"

"You've died for love, twice. If that's not slightly crazy, I don't know what is. You're a romantic, always will be. With your little box of poems. You're an idiot. You're an idiot because you believe in a perfect love. You're a gullible fool to believe you've found it. And more so thrice over."

Spike steps back, insulted, "I damn well won't let you…" Autum motions for him to stop talking.

"Kitten, don't fret. It's simply who you are. Now go home and dream of pretty things, like a good boy."

"I see pretty things when I sleep." Sammy informs them. Autum kisses his forehead.

"Yes you do," she agrees, "close your eyes, love. Let the stars whisper you their lullabies."

"I like the stars."

"I know you do. 'Til next time, kitten. Though I can't promise I won't kill you if you get in my way. Great to see you again, William." She jumps over the edge of the balcony with the boy. Spike looks over and can't see them anywhere.

"That's not good." He hears police sirens and leaves. Autum pulls herself and Sammy back up onto the balcony from beneath it. She rocks him as they wait for the police to arrive.