The group had just left the cafeteria knowing where she would be now. Fred walked up front with Spike, Angel and Cordy somewhat beside and behind them and everyone else behind them. Like a triangle with two people as a point. It had been pretty much silence until Fred started fidgeting.
Spike smiled, "Nerves Fred?"
Fred nodded, "Well...I mean I have strength and it's good to know how to use it but...Buffy could hit me."
Spike shook his head still smiling, "No she won't. Believe me by the time she leaves you'll both be giving me bruises."
Fred shook her head, "I couldn't do that."
Spike stopped as they reached the glass window. He watched in adoration as Buffy worked the bag a little bit and he wasn't the only one. He finally stared at Fred and replied, "You can Fred and you're going to have to. There's one thing a slayer lives by, you do what you have to do. Buffy knows that more then anyone in the world but her problem was she never let anyone help. You still need to get it done but unlike her you have to know there's others around for you. Plus Angel is still going to want to play boss."
Angel glared over at him, "I was waiting for you to bring that up."
Spike smiled and walked around to the doors. He put a finger over his lips making sure they would be quiet before opening the door without making a sound. Buffy appeared like she didn't notice him but when he was about to attack her she spun around and planted a kick to his stomach. He was expecting though so he turned and smacked her in the face. Buffy reeled back a little bit causing Spike to smile.
He winked at her, "You're not at your best, I don't know if we should do this now."
Buffy shrugged and without thinking she slammed her fist which connected with Spike's cheek, "I don't know. I feel pretty spry."
Spike nodded and turned to the door, "I brought the gang. They freaked when you weren't in your bed."
Buffy smiled and glanced at them all as they walked single file into the room. "Did they freak because I wasn't there or because you were?"
Spike smiled and shrugged, "Maybe because of the cute little note you're in the habit of writing."
Buffy nodded, "Wierd thing too. I only said to bring one girl and now we got to work everyone into our workout. This sucks because you know how much I like attention."
Spike smiled back at her, "I tried to make them go away but they followed anyway."
Buffy nodded, "So who would of been our lucky girl?"
Spike made an over dramatic gesture which signaled Fred to walk over. Cordy had to push her so she'd know Buffy was talking about her. Fred nervously walked up to Buffy and Spike. Buffy glanced around the room, "Okay we're going to have to do this with an audience. You mind?"
Fred shook her head and then buffy looked to everyone else stopping her gaze on Cordelia, "Take a seat and I'll be right with you."
Everyone moved around to get comfortable but Buffy already started talking to Fred, "Okay first we're going to test your strength and maybe lose some of this nervousness. You up for it?"
Fred shrugged, "Guess I am."
Buffy nodded and moved to a more open space in the giant training room. Fred and Sike just followed. Buffy finally looked Fred over, "Next time wear something you can move in."
Fred nodded, "So...Am I going to have to give Spike a bruise today?"
Buffy smiled, "Maybe, I know I will."
Spike winked at her as Fred continued her questions, "I don't know if i want to do this."
Buffy nodded, "Kool. Make up your mind now because I could still make it to Hawaii."
Fred glanced at Angel's desperate look and then at Spike's which was the same one. She took a deep breath, "Okay nevermind. I can do this."
Buffy nodded, "Are you sure? This is serious Fred." She nodded quickly. "Good. Now I want you to hit me."
Fred looked from Spike back to Buffy unsure. Spike smiled, "She's been hit so many times it won't even hurt."
Buffy nodded, "Plus I won't let you hit me."
Fred nodded, "Okay." She took a deep breath and clenched a fist. She swung at Buffy not actually expecting to connect with her face. Buffy's head flung back but she stayed stable. Fred shook her head, "I didn't mean...You said you wouldn't let me..."
Buffy put up a hand to stop her, "Fred calm down. You have to know anything you're going to be hitting is evil and now I want you to treat me that way. Don't ever be sorry and always hit as hard as you can. Was that your best?"
Fred nodded and Spike smiled, "Looks like science girl packs a punch."
Buffy nodded, "Yea she hits harder then kennedy does and she was all 'Look at me I'm the best slayer of all.' You sure showed her."
Fred smiled, "Thanks."
Buffy smiled back and then got back down to business, "Do you have any experience with fighting or do your boys here keep you out of the violence part?"
Fred shrugged and without looking at anyone from L.A she answered truthfully, "They are really over protective."
Buffy nodded as a hint of jeaousy ran through her eyes. She shrugged it off and smiled, "That's okay. We'll just have to start from the beginning."
Fred stood up straight and nodded, "Yes maam."
Spike burst out laughing, "You call her maam again and she'll show you slayer power."
Buffy nodded, "I have a name and I don't like authority names. Got it." Fred nodded. "Okay good. We're not going to start on fighting right away because you'd get very hurt so we're going to do defenses for a while. Defense is the most important part in a fight." She turned to Spike. "I want you to punch me."
Spike nodded and after a few seconds of hesitance his fist went for her face. She grabbed his fist, stopping it seconds before it connected. Fred smiled, "Wow."
Buffy ignored and continued the lesson, "If I didn't know how to stop him I could be on the ground right now. I'm going to teach you to do the same."
Fred smiled, "How?"
"We're going to slow mo fight. I know immature but effective. I'm only going to attack you okay? Don't get all scared because I won't actually hit you. I want you to duck, move, stop or even counter the move. Before we start I need you to throw any insecurity you have out the window. I'm not glass, you won't break me. You ready?"
Fred nodded nervously, "As I'll ever be."
Buffy turned to Spike, "If I get carried away or I'm about to hit her you step in. Even if she looks like she can't move in time. Cool?"
Spike nodded and watched intensely as both woman took a deep breath. Buffy Slowly drew her fist to the right side of fred's face which Fred easily side stepped. Buffy then threw another punch to the left which fred again side stepped. Buffy smiled and then sent a centre punch which Fred ducked. Buffy didn't wait for her to stand up again as she crouched down and swung her leg out from underneath her. Fred jumped up quickly and the second she was standing straight Buffy spun around planning for her arm to connect with fred's face but fred moved back, grabbed her fist and pushed her backwards sending buffy to the floor. Everyone sat in amazement as buffy winced to get up. Even buffy was smiling at the surprised look on Fred's face.
Buffy nodded and walked back up to her, "Very good."
Fred nodded, "I didn't mean to do that. Kind of just happened."
Buffy smiled, "Yeah that would be your instinct."
Spike smiled obviously remembering something, "Please tell me you aren't still using the same instinct speech because if you ask me way over done."
Buffy looked at him surprised, "You remembered that?"
Spike nodded, "You threw me into a headstone. Fellow doesn't forget things like that."
Buffy nodded, "At least I made sure you were okay. It was all part of the training."
Spike smiled, "You just wanted on top of me."
Buffy shrugged, "What can I say? When I get worked up I go all the way."
Spike shook his head smiling. Fred glanced at the jealous look on Angel's face and interrupted them. "Are you going to throw me into a headtsone?"
Buffy shrugged, "Depends what happens when we go patrolling tonight."
Angel finally spoke, "You're already taking her patrolling?"
Buffy nodded, "Yea. I'm going to be there and I need to know where she is in a real fight."
Angel shrugged, "Isn't it a little too soon?"
Buffy shook her head, "Look Angel I know how to train my girls. I was hoping we could all go, you know an actual patrol. You guys have been stuck in this building writing files and figuring out who to trust for so long that I doubt you've actually been out on the street this whole year."
"Fine. You're training her."
Buffy nodded and stared to fred, "So you're going to work the bag a little with Spike while I go eat something. I haven't had anything in me all morning."
Spike smiled, "You sure you don't want company?"
Buffy smiled and walked to the door, "I'm sure a few seconds after I leave this room someone will come looking for me. Don't worry about it. Just work on Fred's right punch. She punches hard but sloppy."
Spike nodded and watched Buffy take off. He then turned to everyone else, "So who wants first crack?"
Cordelia instantly stood up, "I'll be back in a bit."
Angel looked over to her, "Try to talk her into...talking."
Cordy nodded and walked out of the room after buffy. Spike smirked over at fred, "So do you want to work the bag or something real?"
Fred pointed to the bag knowing someone could get hurt, "I pick the still one."
Spike shrugged, "I figured."
He positioned fred directly in front of it. She smiled, "I've never done this before."
Spike smiled, "First time for everything. Now picture the bag as an actual vampire that is still but you can't stake yet. I'm going to do the moves first and you're going to mirror them on the bag. Know what I'm talking about?"
Fred nodded, "At least this is less dangerous."
Spike winked at her, "Wait until tonight." Fred cringed as Spike set himself in fighting stance beside her. He did a simple right punch which Fred easily mimicked. It continued like this for a while.
-Cafeteria-
Buffy was already gathering her food at that little buffet place when Cordy finally caught up to her. She tried to smile, "I was calling your name all the way here."
Buffy shrugged, "Sorry, I must be really hungry."
Cordy nodded and walked with her to a table. Buffy took a sip from her bottled water as Cordy spoke, "So how are you?"
Buffy smiled, "Peachy keen. You should eat Cordy. You were sleeping for the longest time. Must be hungry."
Cordy shook her head, "No I totally binged last night. Are you always this hungry?"
Buffy looked down at her tray which contained two plates which were all full. "When I get ancy or just had a work out I get hungry. Plus I know how to work it all off!"
Cordy nodded, "Makes sense."
Buffy sighed and took another sip of her water, "Stop playing nice Cordelia. I'm not goin to say anything to anyone. I can deal with things on my own."
Cordelia shok her head, "Buffy...This is big though. It probably involves one of them."
Buffy shook her head, "I've dated other vampires since them Cordy and plus...I don't think I want to go back there."
Cordy shook her head, "So...what? The oracles took something from you, they took your ability to completely love anything but demons and vampires. How can you just sit here and rationalize that?"
Buffy sighed and slammed her fork down, "They've taken my life away from me Cordelia. There's nothing worse then that."
Cordy leaned back in her chair, "What do you mean?"
Buffy picked up her fork and moved her salad around on her plate, "I made a deal with the oracles a long time ago. Willow was kind of sick and her being a goddess was kind of over powering her so I needed a favor. It's a big favor but this magic was killing her so I exchanged my mortality for Willow's."
Cordelia shook her head in sadness, "They made you immortal? Wh...How can they do that?"
Buffy smiled and took a few bites of her food, "We're toys Cordelia. We're pawns in their chess game. They play us to their advantage just to laugh at our mistakes. They do what they want as long as we win on checkmate day."
Cordelia sighed, "This just proves that Spike and Angel should know all of this. Buffy you can't deal with all this alone. You gave up something huge just for my life and..."
Buffy stood up and grabbed her water, "Don't kid yourself Cordy. You love Angel and he loves you back. You don't want me to go to them, you want me to go to Spike. Don't ever just sit there and try to manipulate me like that again or I'll put you back in that coma."
Cordelia stood just as angry, "This isn't about me Buffy! I don't care who you tell..."
Buffy shook her head, "Liar. I don't care that you two are all in love okay, I really don't but don't ever think that you especially can get me to talk about my feelings. I'll be gone in a few days Cordy. Deal with keeping your mouth shut until then."
Cordy started to walk away but when she was about 20 feet away she yelled back to buffy, "I may not be able to tell anyone about what you gave up for me but nothing's restricted me from telling anyone about you being immortal." Buffy's glare sent Cordelia running back to the training room. Buffy grabbed her water bottle and ran after her.