ImitorVitaProAmor19 Disclaimer: All characters and places, etc... belong to Joss and all those lovely people involved with making our fav tv show.
We only chose to borrow these characters for a bit to do what we enjoy doing. All that we own is our lovely plot! No
copyright infrigment is intended in any way shape or form.

With that out of the way...

Title: Imitor Vita Pro Amor (Imitating Life For Love)

Authors: Peroxide Pest and Nocturne Wytche, AKA Celeste and Debbie

Spoilers: All Seasons

Dedications: Well, I'd like to say thanks to all those wonderful S/B writers out there that have inspired me and my sister to come

outta our shells and see what y'all think of our lil fics. We'd probably like to thank each other for putting up with each other and

the sort, and of course for being so good at writing together, you can barely tell where one of us begins and one ends. Also, to
our sister, Keren, who still loves Angel, we forgive you :P Lea, thanks for all the help and support, blessed be sister.

Summary: A few unsuspected visitors come back to good ol' SunnyD and cause some more havoc in our favorite slayer's life.
She must also decide where her feelings for Spike lay. A run in with a demon changes things for Spike. S/B

Rated: R just to be safe

Note: songs come into a lot of play in the next few chapters, just to let you all know. Sorry if it becomes a nuisance, but hey
its the music of our character's hearts :P Or something to that affect... Plus, it leads to plenty of s/b romantic tension, which we
all love! Also, no copyright infringement intended on these beautiful songs, that are the backgrounds to the soul of this story :)

P.S.: We've also come to notice that Spike purring...is a GREAT thing :P *EG*
P.S.S Due to 2 mentions we've fixed the format so its easier for you all to read and enjoy, and we're such sticklers to please
our fans; its fixed :P enjoy!

Without further blabbings:

Imitor Vita Pro Amor

Part 19

He cracked the door open just enough to slide through, closing it quietly behind him.
"You really don't want to be in here, right now."

Angel's voice was punctuated, and Spike squinted into the farthermost recesses of the room, making out the dark lump of giant that was his grand-poof. "Damn right I don't want to be in here right now. But I don't want Buffy in here so you can make with the bloody lectures and the…" Spike paused to arraign his face into a giant frown and did a fair imitation of his sire's broody voice. "I'm better than you because I'm a selfless prance who thinks that makin' everyone miserable is better than takin' any risks," lecture you like to give her."

Angel growled. "I'd stop boy, because really don't want to have to kill you. You know what? On second thought, keep going. I would LOVE to kill you."

"Your threats haven't gotten any bloody better with age," Spike snorted in unconcerned response, plopping down on the couch next to Angel. He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth, before realizing that he was supposed to be quitting (right?). He paused, debating whether or not he could sneak it, before seeing Buffy's face. He growled and pocketed the smoke in annoyance.

"She's making you quit," Angel commented seemingly out of the air.

"Yeah. Bloody girl could ask me to shop at Gap or sell my car, an' I'd do it."

"She has that effect on people."

"You would know."

There followed, a decidedly uncomfortable silence between the male vampires. Angel, knowing his grand-childe was waiting for him to make the first move so he could respond appropriately, sighed and eventually found voice to say what was on his mind. "It kills me every time I see her."

There was another pause as Spike regarded the older vampire's admission. "And I think it's killin' you even more that it doesn't ache as much for her when she sees you in return."

Angel growled. "It's not like that at all. I left in the first place so she could move on."
"Keep tellin' yourself that, poofter. You're still convinced you're the love of her bloody life, and you're actin' like a wet puppy 'cause she doesn't feel that way anymore. She's not all teary-eyed and whimper-voiced just 'cause you show up. And now you're wondering what the bloody hell went wrong."

"I'm not."

"You're not the all important Angel anymore, is what you are. She's been goin' forward with life, you know. Like you wanted her to. I wish you'd stop actin' like a wanker about it, because this keeps goin', and she'll start to feel guilty for not hurtin' like you still hurt. She'll feel guilty 'cause she isn't in as much pain as you are. She's that kind of person."

"She is. But I'm not. Hurting about this. I'm happy that she's over me."

"So says the rain-shelter that's your brow, mate."

Angel glared. "I can still kill you, you know."

"You ever notice how repetitive you can be, Angelus? Let it bloody go. We both know you wouldn't kill me."

"I hate you."

"I hate you more."

"I doubt it."

Spike decided to leave it at that. "So you're not over her, then?"

"I don't think I ever will be."

"I can see how that's possible." Spike sighed and leaned his back against the couch. "I can also see how much it'd bloody hurt if you weren't over someone who was over you."
"The worst part of it is what she's moved on to."

"The Commando Kid left, mate."

"You mean Riley?"

"Yeah. He hightailed it when she wasn't needy enough."

"I knew that boy was stupid."

"Finally, something we agree on."

"But I didn't mean him." Angel turned to his childe, eyes flashing yellow in the dark room. Angel regarded Spike seriously. "How long?"

"How long, what?" Spike returned, genuinely confused. Angel had a bad habit of asking stupid questions whenever it came to Buffy. Actually, Spike considered his grand-sire stupid all of the time anyway, but he got down right ignorant when the Slayer was involved.

"You and Buffy…" the older vampire trailed off, as if the thought were too painful to finish.

"Well, aren't we the big ball of clarity tonight? How long me and Buffy, what? How long 'ave we been working together? One and a half years. How long me and her been friends? Six months. How long I've been invited into her home? Since the time you tried to send us all to hell. Reinstated four months prior. How long I been a part of the gang? Officially? Three and a half months. How long you've been depraved? Too long to be healthy." Spike knew exactly what his grand-sire was getting at, but he didn't want to talk about it, especially not with him. Because then Angel would only dredge up painful truths about how undeserving of someone like Buffy Spike was. And since Spike was an expert at avoiding questions, that was good enough for him for now.

Angel growled in annoyance at the impudent vamp. He'd really thought he and Spike could have a serious conversation for once, grand-sire to childe. But apparently, the question proposed was one the younger vampire wasn't too comfortable talking about. "Don't pretend you don't understand what I'm asking, William."

Spike flared indignance at Angel's use of that infamous, patriarchal, condescending voice coupled with his human name. "Oh, so now we're getting all into the dominant Alpha male thing, then? Puffin' up'n tryin' to be the Big Bad again, Angelus? I don't bloody well know what the hell you're talking about. You come here all mighty on your high horse'n askin' all sorts of fuddy-duddy questions. Then you expect everyone else to immediately know what you're talkin' about. My advice? Talk in complete sentences. 'How long' and 'you and Buffy' don't constitute as such. If I went up to a bloke on the street 'n asked him, 'How long?' followed with, 'You and Buffy… he might think I was crazy. Or you, actually. Yeah, I think he'd think I was you."

Angel sighed. "You're babbling."

"Oh, lookie, another nonsensical sentence." Spike glared and looked away, growling internally.

"You only babble when you're avoiding something, Will."

"Now that? That was a complete thought. You're improving. Good show."

"Spike, don't make me kill you."

"Well now you're just being stupid again."

"Boy, don't tempt me."

"And the evolution of Angelus takes a giant leap backwards, ladies and gentlemen. Apparently, devolution IS possible."

"Spike, do you EVER know when to shut up?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

Angel sighed and tried to calm himself down before he lost his temper. He should have known Spike would push and push until he was threatened with intense bodily harm and in worse cases, death. "How long have you loved her?" Angel ground out, finally. There, he had said it. The rest was up to the annoyance he called family.

Spike didn't act at all offended at the question, which when combined with Angel's condescending voice, sounded more like an accusation than an inquiry. Angelus had expected the boy to rage and deny every word of it, just because he was Spike and that was what he did with everything. But instead, the younger vampire just shrugged one shoulder haphazardly and looked downward, contemplating how to answer. "Too bloody long," he admitted after a while.

"And how long has she…"

"She never!" Spike responded, protesting Angel's second accusation vehemently. He would not let Angel take that tone about Buffy. That, condescending, betrayed, disgusted tone. He had no right to flaunt it in her face, and Spike would send either or both of them to hell before he let his giant poof of a grandsire use that tone of his to hurt her, again. The blonde refused to let Angel make her withdraw herself into shame and self-loathing just because he could, with his holier-than-thou attitude and his, "I'm your first love" trump card.

"Look Angelus, no matter how much I care for the girl, she'd never act on it." Spike held his arms out. "Look at me, big, murderous monster, right? You know she's too good for that. A second time, anyway."

"You think that?" Angel growled. "Maybe she thinks it too. But the rest of us, Spike? The rest of us aren't a part of the little bubble you and Buffy have put around yourselves to keep you safe from the big bad world. The rest of us are part of the world where the vampire loves the slayer, and there's a possibility she loves him, too. The rest of us are in the world where it' so fucking obvious that even Giles sees it, and apparently, has come to terms with it."

Spike scoffed. "Well everyone else's livin' in my fantasy apparently, why the hell aren't I?"

Angel shook his head. He couldn't believe he was doing this. "Don't tell me you haven't seen it, William. You two act like the world's foremost lovers, and apparently, you haven't even touched each other yet."

"There's always been fire," Spike responded, trying to act indifferent to his grand-sire's insight. "But she'd never love me."

Angel stood up. "I wish I could borrow your bubble, Spike," he said softly, regarding the younger man. And he did; he really wished he could pretend like Spike and Buffy, pretended and be completely oblivious to what was obviously happening around them. He wished that he could be blind and not see it as it made its way across the horizon in a painstakingly slow process of three steps forward and two backwards. He wished he could ignore it, like everyone else was trying to do. But it took a fool not to see it, immediately. Then again, Spike had always been a fool when it came to love.

Angel decided it was time to impart some of his own hard won knowledge on the childe he had abused more than instructed when the younger had been in need of tutorials on being a vampire. The lessons had changed over time, but Spike still needed a boot of wisdom now, as he had back then. Perhaps, a different kind of knowledge, but the kind THIS Angel was willing to share, this time around.

Angel's eyes were full of pity. "Be careful, William. What you're getting into? It WILL destroy you when you have to give it up. And you know you'd have to, one day."
And true to form, Angel watched as everything he said went in one ear and out the other. Spike just snorted in response as he stood up. "Can't lose what you never had, Cream Puff." He paused, debating whether to elaborate on that, but ultimately deciding that his time talking with his family was done. "'m gonna go get Buffy now, so she can clear herself up in your eyes, wash away your lil fears that she's hooked up with another demon. Girl's got a right to defend her good name. You stay here. Brood for a bit. Yank out whatever's gotten shoved up your arse, or work out your frustrations on the punchin' bag. Somethin', I don't care what. But when she comes in and talks to you, you respect the lady. She's not the same girl she was when you off'n robbed the cradle three years past, grandpapa. You give her her dues, you hear?" He narrowed his eyes at his elder. "And if you make her cry, I WILL kill you."

Spike whirled and strode out without a backwards glance.

Spike appeared from the back room unscathed and strode up to the table with a set chin.
"Wow, Chip-less, you're still in one piece." Xander gave Spike his best shit-eating grin. "Is he? Alive? Er… undead?" He set his book down and looked hopefully at his former vampire nemesis, recent vampire pool pal. "Please say no, please say no..." he chanted under his breath, hands clenched into fists.

"He's alive," Spike responded, sounding, not too surprisingly, unhappy about the fact as he plopped into his seat. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Harris."

Xander unclenched his hands and shrugged indifference. "Well, I guess that's the problem with that pesky immortality thing... no death..." he responded with a thoughtful frown before sticking his head back into his book before Buffy could chide him for his continued hostility towards her first love.

Spike allowed his eyes to sparkle a bit at the boy's enthusiasm. Hell, he could be vice-president of the "Angel is a Poofter" club. Spike supposed everyone knew who the president himself would be. Deciding Angel still needed some time to cool off before he told Buffy to talk to grand-poof, the vampire picked up his book and stared straight down into the yellowed pages, his mind musing more over what Angel had said, than on the actual printed words themselves. 'Living in their own bubble...' Spike snorted at the very thought. Even in their supposed bubble, Buffy didn't love him. When would he learn that she never would?! But... there had been kissing in their bubble. Kissing could lead to more kissing… and maybe love. He growled and subdued the prancing romantic within, telling himself they needed to get to work on finding a demon fitting the description of the one Buffy had seen in her dream. Nibblet was the important thing now.

Buffy ignored Xander's hostility towards Angel, because she was used to it, and knew any protests on her part in favor for her ex would simply fall on deaf ears. Her eyes fell on Spike instead, and she wondered what had been said between the two vampires, grateful that they hadn't seen fit to come to blows. Curious, she contemplated asking him outright what had gone on, but was pretty sure, if she knew him, and she did, that she wouldn't get a solid answer from the younger vampire. He seemed confused and more than slightly irritated, not paying any attention to the book in his hands no matter how hard he tried to. She supposed she would have to talk to them both.

Studying the one that she had come to know as friend over the last year and a half, Buffy raised a brow, wondering what he was thinking about right now. "Spike..." She nudged him, gently bumping her shoulder against his. His eyes darted in her direction before returning futilely, to the text.

"Yeah, Slayer?"

"What…"

"Go, speak to him." Spike stated calmly. Too calmly. He rolled his eyes, aching for a cigarette. He hated to chance sending her in there to Peaches because he knew there was a high possibility, in spite of everything he'd attempted earlier, that the older vampire would hurt her again. But, he supposed, those two needed to talk. And Angel needed a good, swift arse kicking, but that may have been asking for too much. "Go on, Buffy! Untwist his knickers...we've got work to do!" he urged, annoyed.

Buffy sighed, hearing as well as seeing his barely contained frustration quiver just below the surface of what he thought was a cool, indifferent demeanor. Little did he know that she saw right through it, and was nonplussed by his annoyance. "Okay, I'm going. Just get yours untwisted too, will you?" she countered, standing up quickly and stalking towards the back room. As she grew nearer to her final destination and it began to sink in that she was going to talk to Angel about her non-relationship with Spike, her heart began to pound faster and louder in her chest with its nervousness.

Just what the hell was she going to say to Angel? She opened the back door and jumped slightly at the sound of his fist connecting with the punching bag. She stepped further into the room, closing the door quietly behind her. The click caused his eyes to flicker in her direction, but his fists never wavered from course. "Hey..."

He growled, hitting the bag as hard as he could again before turning to her quietly, huge dark eyes regarding her with all their sorrowful familiarity. "Hey Buffy..."

"So..." She averted her eyes, darting them all over the room in an attempt to forget the look in those eyes. She finally rested her gaze on the couch, satisfied with looking at anything but him. "Uh..."

"Buffy, I wanna be straight with you," Angel started, cutting off the uncomfortable silence with his usual precision. "I don't like the idea of Spike being so close to you. He's dangerous."

Her indignance flared at his comment, far outweighing the awkwardness she'd felt seconds before. "I'm a big girl," she stated defiantly, looking straight at him. "I don't need someone to hold my hand all through life and tell me what's good for me and what's not. I've taken care of myself before, you know."

"I know you have, but Buffy... you can't blame me for being worried. And confused. Very confused about this whole situation. I thought the exact reason you left me was because I'm a demon. A vampire," Angel stated, frowning until his brow folded over his eyes.

"Whoa..." Buffy crossed her arms and regarded him skeptically. "YOU left ME." she snapped. "Remember?"

"Well, yeah. But I did it to give you a normal life!" Angel responded. "A husband, children, stability..."

"Yeah, because all those things are right up a slayer's alley..." Buffy shot back, eyebrow arched high and arms still crossed. Angel's subconscious alarmingly reported to him as it studied her, that she was picking up his grand-childe's mannerisms.

"It's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"What I want, and what I'm allowed Angel, are, and have always been, two very different things," she answered coolly.

"So... you're saying you do you want Spike?" Angel felt sick at the very thought.

Buffy's heart stopped. "Huh?"

"You heard me." Angel said. "Is he what you want now?"

"That's not what I said at all! And even if it was, what would it matter?" He noted that she was almost as gifted at dancing around questions as Spike was.

"What does it matter?! What matters is that he's a ruthless, violent, evil, demon!" Angel countered, snarling. "He's a killer! I've seen him do it, countless times. I've seen him enjoy it."

"He's not like that, not anymore," Buffy defended, shaking her head.

"Why? Because he thinks and you think he loves you?! C'mon Buffy, open your eyes!" Angel couldn't believe how unrealistically she was behaving.

"Why can you be good and he can't, Angel? Just because you have a soul?! Spike lost that chip in his head, and the only thing stopping him from becoming a monster again is his free will. He's gone from killing humans to killing demons because he can, and he wants to!" Buffy argued.

"And what about when he gets bored with killing demons? What about when he suddenly feels like a nip of human blood? What about when changes his mind and suddenly decides to kill you, and Dawn, and the others?" Angel's anger was growing into a hysterical rage any denialist would be proud of as he tried to rationalize everything that was going on here.

"He won't kill us. He loves us. All of us," she said it quietly, refusing to meet his eyes yet again.

"How can you be sure? How can someone without a soul love, Buffy?" Angel frowned, doubting it was possible.

She shrugged. "He loved Dru. For more than a century."

"Drusilla was his sire," Angel stated. "He was supposed to fawn over her."

"It doesn't matter. He really loved her."

"What is wrong with you!?" Angel growled, his frustration growing to an almost immeasurable level. "Can't you see how wrong this is?!"

"Wrong?! Spike loves me, he's changed his whole life around to help me, because he loves me! How is that wrong, Angel? He won't turn on me, he won't. I know it in my gut. My instinct says so."

"How can you know this?!" Angel needed a real, believable answer, demanded one that could put his teetering foundation of belief back on solid ground.

"Just… because!" She held back the urge to just slug him and blinked back sudden tears of frustration from her eyes, refusing to let him see her cry over this. She would never let Angel's hold on her make her ashamed or sad again. She was in control of herself, now.
Angel lowered his voice, reading the war that was going on in her mind over the entire situation. "Please... Buffy..."

"Spike doesn't have a soul, you're right about that. He's still a demon, and he doesn't have that chip in his head anymore, but he's still...he's here, helping me, in love with me, even if he knows I can't love him back." Her eyes grew icy. "Angelus could never have loved me..."

Angel felt like he'd been taken down by a preemptive strike directed straight through the heart. He growled, feeling slightly betrayed, but even more so, feeling envy and jealousy at the truth behind her words.

"Evil...Angel... when you were evil, you were bent on killing me, destroying everything I ever loved. Spike's changed his mind about what he wants to do with his life, even though he still feels like he's evil. I don't understand how it is, but it is." Buffy finished, releasing a shaky breath and wiping the mist from her eyes. "You loved me Angel... and maybe you still do. But when you were evil, you never loved me. That just proves to me, that as sick and twisted as you think Spike may be, his feelings are genuine."

Angel remained silent; trying to push back the raw emotion he felt to absorb everything she said. He mulled it over in his mind several times. When he finally spoke, there was still anger in his voice. As controlled, as he liked to be, he could not help that. "Buffy, just because I made mistakes, doesn't mean you have to compare me to Spike."

"You asked me to," Buffy shot back. And he realized she was right about that. He had asked her to. "You and Spike? You're nothing alike, Angel."

"He's a soulless killer. A monster."

"You don't need to be soulless to be a killer," Buffy replied, shrugging. "Look, I..." She paused to frown. "I loved you Angel, with all my heart, but I've moved on. I tried with Riley and it wasn't right." She paused. "A part of me will always love you, but I know we're never going to be together. But just because that part of me still loves you, I don't think it's right that you use it to influence me, day after day, whether you meant to or not. I shouldn't live my future based on what we had. Please don't use our love against me."

"God, no. I don't want that. I'll always love you, Buffy." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I love you, and it makes me worry. Look, I know Spike."

"You know William the Bloody. I know Spike. The person he is now." Buffy brushed back her hair. "He's totally different, Angel. He's changed; he's trying to be good. He can love, and he does love. Just like you can. Believe that, please. Trust my judgment."

"Buffy... I want to... I do..." Angel revealed to her, though so much doubt coursed throughout him that it almost made it impossible. "It's just..." He ran his fingers through his hair again, a habit borne of frustration. "It's hard to trust, knowing what I know."

She quirked a brow at his admission. He knew something she didn't? "What, Angel?"

He almost didn't know how to respond. How could he tell her that he didn't exactly trust her judgment because right now, it was clouded with emotion? With an emotion that never made things clear, at that. Inwardly, he knew he had to reveal the reason behind his doubts regarding her judgment about the situation. It was a biased judgment. Deliberating the things he could say in his head, he caught her eyes once more, and reminded himself that this girl, that had made him feel human, should know exactly what he thought. "I know that you love him." He said it so quietly Buffy had almost missed it completely.

Buffy had the decency to look slightly surprised at his ruminations before she sighed and sat down, folding her hands into her lap. "No, I don't."

"Buffy…" Angel's tone pleaded with her to give him the truth. They owed each other that much.

She folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. She did owe him that much. "I care about him."

She said it so softly Angel's heightened hearing almost missed it. "How much?" he asked, avoiding eye contact with her as he let himself come to terms with hearing the truth about what a blasted part of himself already knew was real.

"That, I really don't know. In fact, I avoid thinking about it all together." Her eyes searched his, knowing there would be disapproval there, perhaps even anger and loathing. She saw a strict resolve instead, like he was holding himself in check for her benefit. She felt an extreme respect and gratitude for him at that moment, for doing this for her, as much as it obviously pained him. She reached out to him. "Angel, I…"

"No, don't apologize," he stopped her. He could handle this. He had to. And Spike was right. She didn't need to cry any more than her calling had already warranted. Life was already hard enough, ten times more so when topped off with the duties and sacrifice of a slayer. If he loved her, he didn't need to add to that already overflowing plate of suffering and forfeit. He paused, searching for something to say to respond to her slight admission. "He makes you laugh." It was the best he could come up with at the moment.

Her brow furrowed, and she looked at him a little strangely. Of all the things she had expected him to say to her, that had probably been at the bottom of the list, right before, "I give you two crazy kids my blessing."

"He made you laugh," Angel repeated. "When we were researching just now… It's…it's good to see you laugh like that." He seemed almost awkward in approaching this, like he'd stumbled upon some vast, unknown territory of unmarked wilderness and was feeling his way through it not only blindfolded, but deaf as well. He fidgeted a little. "Does he make you happy?"
She didn't know how to answer that double-edged question, and instead, shrugged one shoulder, much in the same manner, ironically, as Spike himself. "He's been a good…"
"Buffy, I thought we were being honest."

"Okay, he's more than a friend. I haven't thought about it much more than that. Usually, when I think along those lines, it stops, right there. Because going further would be too much thinking on things that I shouldn't be thinking on. He's more than a friend. Period."

He heard the 'but' tone in her voice, could read it like it was the written word of the divine lying upon the page of her face before him. "But he does make you happy," he finished for her, answering the question she had rather gracefully, if not consciously, slid around and avoided.

She frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know. I've never really been really sad when he's been around. Lately, anyway. Sure, I've been exasperated, and annoyed, and embarrassed, and angry, but I've never been sad."

"Do you think you and he could ever…"

Her head shot up, and she looked at him, surprised. "No! Of course not. It's wrong," she muttered hastily, shaking her head.

He frowned. "Buffy…"

She sighed at his ability to weed out the lies she told to both him and herself. "Okay, I thought about it, a few times, maybe. But that's all I did. I played the 'what if' game, but, who hasn't? Right?"

His lips formed a line, and there was more reluctant resignation in his eyes now, instead of barely contained annoyance. "Yeah." He wondered how he was going to ask his next question. "So one day, you don't think that…" he trailed off listlessly.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Do you feel like you could love him?"

"I don't think it would be hard to," she revealed, quietly. "He's a good man, past that rough exterior."

Angel bit his tongue. Spike had always been different, he reminded himself. And if any a vampire could be defined as a 'good man', he supposed it would be his grand-childe. "So what's keeping you and he from trying, now?"

Her eyebrows quirked in utter amazement. It sounded like he was TRYING to push them together. Though she supposed, his had been a valid question. If she thought that maybe one day she could be with him, what kept her from trying in the here and now? Because perhaps, there would be no 'one-day' for her in the near and distant future. This, today, tomorrow, might BE her one-day, if the record on slayer life spans held true. It was a valid question posed from Angel. This might be her moment of happiness, and she could be wasting it away. What exactly was it that kept her from Spike, besides her own fears and the fact that society dictated that slayer and vampire were to remain as enemies and just enemies from now until eternity?

She was stunned by all the questions that her ex-lover's initial inquiry had posed, and turned to face him, her eyes, wide and luminous with surprise, seeking his dark, sad ones for answers. The look that passed between them asked the question, because words were obviously not needed here. Angel shrugged, revealing to her that he was fully reconciled to the strange hand that fate had seen fit to deal him at this point in time. "He makes you happy," he stated simply.

She smiled faintly, and some of the shadows lifted from both their countenances. She hugged him, a tight embrace which he returned readily, closing his eyes at the memory that touch evoked. She sighed against him, and closed her eyes. "What do I do now?" she asked, her voice muffled by his coat.

He patted her gently. "You'll figure it out. You always have."

Spike growled and tossed another book aside, raising a cloud of dust into Cordelia's face. "Watch where you're throwing the must factories, blood breath. I'm trying to concentrate here," she snapped, fanning the air in front of her face.

"And we all know how hard you have to work to get THAT done," Spike sniped back, picking up another book and earning a glare from the former cheerleader. "What the hell are we looking for exactly? The only bloody description is "wrinkly demon" from Buffy's damn diary… how many 'effin' demons out there fit that mold?"

"Hey, I happen to know exactly what we're looking for. I saw it in my vision."

Spike rolled his eyes at Cordy. "Great. The very life of my Nibblet is in the hands of a Sunnyhell cheerleader. Witness my jumping for joy."

"Hey, I happen to be a LINK to the Powers That Be, Mister-Impotent Vampire. At least I HAVE a purpose. And stop referring to Dawn like she's a cheese cracker."

"Those are NIPS, you bleedin' idiot."

"Oh whatever."

Xander looked at Spike. "You see what I had to put up with?"

"And I thought Dru was bad."

"HEY!" Cordelia protested.

"Yes, as interesting as your banter is, I think some of us would like to actually return to the task at hand. I'm sure Dawn will appreciate it later," Giles cut in, giving Spike a stern look. Chastened, the vampire looked back down at his book, but not before flipping Xander the single fingered salute when the boy was about to tease him for succumbing to Giles's "school marm" voice. Xander just smirked instead and resumed reading.

"Ooh! Oh! Is that it?" Willow exclaimed suddenly, amidst the chaos of the research table. She dropped a huge tome in front of Cordelia and pointed to a rather unflattering image in the far left corner. "A… Vidartha demon? It says he sucks out life forces for the energy. Like a big…thing that sucks energy. And it says he can control it, in its different forms. It's got to be him, right? I mean, look… wrinkly."

Cordelia studied it. "No, I don't think that's him…"

Everyone looked at her incredulously.

"Yeah, kidding. That's definitely him. Wrinkles and all."

"Say anythin' in there bout minions or the lot?" Spike leaned over, taking a look at the dusty volume.

Willow skimmed the description of the demon. "It doesn't really say..."

"Well he must be weak or something. If that electric demon has any particular part in this..." Giles looked over Willow's shoulder.

"Maybe now that we know what kinda demon he is, we can find some more information in other books," Xander thumbed through another large demon guide.

"Way to go Mr. Unambiguous," Spike snorted, with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

"Look Chippy, just cuz I said you were my pool partner doesn't mean I still won't stake you," Xander threatened, half-heartedly.

"You didn't have the stones to do it last night did you?" Spike raised a brow, unimpressed.

"If you two are finished with your shallow banter, can we get back to the whole, Dawn's life is in danger thing?" Willow interrupted, looking at both with her 'disapproving' expression. Both dropped their heads slightly.

"Sorry."

"Sorry, Red."

Suddenly, Tara let out a small yelp. "I…think I f-found something...maybe?"

"What is it?" Giles stepped around the table to peer over the blonde witch's shoulders.

Anya leaned over to see what Tara had found. "Looks like him again..."

"Says that the Vidartha demon lives on peoples life forces, energies... It's lived for over a century undisturbed, it's very concealed. Not many instances of its attacks were ever reported because once the life force was drained from the victims, they disappear. So most cases just get written up as missing persons..." Tara paraphrased, her heart filling with fear for Dawn. "In a weakened state, having not fed off many life forces, it seeks help from its minions..." Tara continued. "It ends there though. No description of any electrical minions..." she paused. "But, it does say that it is easy to kill, if you can get to it. Vidartha appears as a wrinkly, purple scaled demon with 6 arms, 2 of which are tentacles."

"Ugly bugger..." Spike muttered.

"Aren't all demons?" Gunn replied indignantly.

"Hey!" Spike growled.

"Yeah, hey! Helllooo!! Ex-demon here!" Anya waved.

"Sorry, gotta get used to this..." Gunn shook his head. "Angel's one thing, y'all are another..."

"Well, it amazes me how any of you deal with the poofter on a regular basis," Spike crossed his arms, his eyes sliding towards the training room door.

"Better him than a Billy Idol wanna-be," Cordy snipped back without missing a beat.

"Say now..." Willow pouted. "Leave the poor…guy er...vamp... well, leave our friend alone!"

Cordelia stared at Willow wide-eyed. "God, I like how the good old Sunnydale crew can't even tell the difference between soulless bloodsuckers and friends now."

"Well speaking for Spike, more so than any others, I suppose. He's proved his loyalties more than once, Cordelia, I assure you it's perfectly fine," Giles explained lightly, as if her sarcasm were of no consequence. "Now, please... I know we all have our differences..." the watcher surveyed the room. "Well, quite large differences at that..." he corrected. "But I know we all care for Dawn, so please, let's concentrate!"

"Uhh..." Tara frowned, having flipped a page. "I think we better get Buffy out here..."

Spike didn't like the shy girl's expression. Tara was a very timid soul and the expression on her face was total fear; something people like her usually kept to themselves. "What is it, Wicca?"

Giles, who now hovered over Tara's shoulder, look bothered as he studied the section she was referring to. "Spike... go get Buffy."

"Bugger all..." Spike muttered, pushing himself up from the table. He turned, his duster whisking out behind him. "'Nother Armageddon at hand I'll bet..." he mumbled irately, stalking over to the door.

Not bothering to knock, he barged in, swinging the door open with a whoosh. "Slay..." he was cut off by the overwhelming feeling that slammed into him as he studied what he saw. He was sure if his heart could function, right now it would stop, wither up unto itself, and die. Leaning there against the doorframe for support, the vampire felt an indescribable burning within him, and he remembered it from when he'd been mortal; when Cecily had rejected him. Fighting to remind himself that this was to be expected, he shook off the damned emotions that he wasn't supposed to feel. After what seemed an eternity to him, he got hold of the reins to some degree and shoved under them the mortal he once was, along with the emotions he wasn't supposed to have. As a vamp, he headed straight towards the woman in the room, reminding himself that he was beneath her.

Within a few more moments, the feeling had passed enough for him to speak. He felt the burning inside him turn to flames of anger, something he was better acquainted with. "Hate to break up the lovers' reunion and what all, but we got trouble the two of you might wanna hear 'bout." Spike raised his voice to a cool level of irreverent detachment.

Buffy jumped at the sudden, familiar voice. She turned to see Spike leaning against the doorframe, looking rattled and furious. For a moment she wondered what had brought that expression on his face, but suddenly realized that the scene between her and Angel on the couch didn't look promising. *Oh...so not of the good Buff. Talk to him...* she told herself. "Spike..."

"The Wicca's found something; think you might wanna get out here before Nibblet's life is in anymore danger," Spike interrupted, cutting her off completely before turning to Angel. "So save the kissing and making up for later, Romeo."

"Spike," Angel said his grand-childe's name calmly, flatly, to show that there was no emotion behind it. He didn't want to rattle things between him and Buffy, more so than already, in any case.

"Spike..." Buffy started also, getting up off the couch and walking towards him.

"Yes, you're both very articulate, my name IS Spike... I'm surprised you remembered," Spike quipped, pushing himself from the door. "Now, if you'd hear what I'm sayin'..."

Angel looked at Buffy with a guilty expression. He gave a half smile of support before leaving the training room, having to push past Spike who was still blocking the doorway.
Buffy looked towards Spike. "Can we talk a second?"

The vampire almost heard the plea in her voice, but decided he wasn't of the right mind to deal with her, his sire, and the thought her and his sire together at the moment. He could handle Dru leaving him, and could handle the Initiative neutering him, but he could not handle loving someone who would never love him in return, or who couldn't seem to get over her first love. "No time, Slayer. Platelet's in danger." Spike turned his back on her.

"Spike! Please!" Buffy's heart hammered. *God, what was going on with her?!* She felt panicked. "I need to talk to you."

Spike turned his head back slightly, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Save it, Slayer." he turned back around, walking out of the doorway. "I don't really fancy hearing anything you have to say about you'n Peaches right now."

Buffy felt her heart clamp around itself rather painfully and she fought back tears. She clenched her fists at her side and took a deep breath before stomping out of the room. If he wanted to be that way, that was fine. Dawn was in danger; Spike problems could stand to wait until later.

The gang looked up at her as she entered the room.

"So what's going on?" she crossed her arms, feeling cold. Her eyes drifted towards Spike who sat at the table, fingers drumming on the surface impatiently. His eyes deliberately avoided her.

"We've discovered what kind of demon is after Dawn," Wesley reported, happy to finally speak up.

"What is it?" Buffy asked, getting in business mode.

"It's called a Vidartha demon," Giles started. He then went on to explain what they had discovered up until Spike left the room. "The bad news is, once the demon is has consumed enough life force and energy, it is restored to its full power..."

"Lemme guess. Another Armageddon, end of the world bit?" Buffy quipped wearily. She was tired of everything trying to end the world.

"Well, yes... in time, but I'm afraid that's not even the worst of it..." Giles took off his glasses.

"What's the worst of it?" Buffy asked, dreading the answer.

"Buffy... the power that lives within Dawn alone is enough to not only restore this demon to full status, but quite possibly it will make him immortal as well..." Giles's hand shook, reaching into his pocket for a tissue, anything to clean his glasses with.

"Destroying the world from there would be quite simple."

"Bloody hell..." Spike growled, standing. His nerves were shot and he began to pace.

"So all we need to do is keep Dawn safe and go slay this demon," Cordy stated. "Not too difficult!"

Everyone groaned.

"Bollocks..." Spike patted his pockets. "I need to step outside." he sighed, feeling his pack of smokes.

"Spike... dear... its daylight still," Anya frowned, pointing to the thin veil of light that could be seen behind the store's curtains.

Spike growled, the sound rumbling low in his chest. "Then to bloody hell with you lot…" He pulled the cigarette to his lips and lit without giving a second look to Buffy. He knew if he did, he'd put the damn thing out right then and there.

Buffy ignored Spike and concentrated on a plan of action. "So what about the demon that attacked Spike?"

"We find it and put its lights out permanently," Xander offered.

"I can't pull Dawnie from school, the social workers are still hounding us..." Buffy began to panic. She could never be calm when it came to Dawn.

"So we wait till after school, and take her somewhere she'll be safe," Angel spoke up. "In the meantime, Wesley, and Gunn will start looking for this minion." He offered, looking at the two of them, who nodded.

"Guess Ahn and I can start looking too," Xander offered.

Buffy smiled at her friends. "Thanks guys." she turned to Willow and Tara.

"Guess you want us to look for some type of spell?" Willow smiled.

"Anything, even a protection spell..." Buffy pleaded.

"I'll continue to research," Giles nodded, putting his cleaned glasses back on.

Buffy checked her watch. "Dawn gets out in an hour, so 'll go pick her up then. Come sunset, Spike, Angel and I will start looking too."

"I suppose Fred and I will have to help Giles..." Cordy grumbled, looking dejectedly at the stack of still unread volumes on the table. She hated books. Fred smiled and patted the actress on the arm.

"Actually Cordelia, I need you to get a list of all the power sources and supplies in Sunnydale," Buffy told her. "It's time we put this demon's lights out for good."

Dawn groaned as the lunch bell rang for a second time, sounding the end of the period. She gathered her trash into her brown bag, before tossing the whole thing into the trashcan. The few the friends she ate with everyday had run off to their lockers together before class. She'd grabbed her school bag earlier, opting to take it with her so she wouldn't be late for her next class. Her teacher was a real brute.

Stepping out into the hallway of the school, she strolled down towards her class, ignoring the bustle of kids grabbing books from lockers. She opened a doorway to the staircase and found it quite empty, since most kids were still at their lockers. She took the stairs up, her footsteps echoing in the empty hall.

Her heart pounded, realizing just how alone she was. She sighed, shaking her head. She really needed to stop worrying bout being alone. It always seemed like an instinct to her to look over her shoulder. She supposed it came from being stalked as first; the Slayer's little sister and then the Key, for her entire existence. Dawn had to remind herself that it was daylight, she was in school, and no one would be looking to hurt her...

As if on cue, the lights went out and the area grew completely dark, except for a thin sliver of sunlight coming from the small window a stairwell below.

Dawn gasped, gripping the banister of the staircase with fear. She didn't feel good about this at all…

A siren rang, and she knew it was the signal for the teachers to evacuate the building. She started back down the stairs, two at a time, towards the first floor exit. Reaching the small window near the lower stair well and she squinted in the dark, out trying to find the door.

The area suddenly filled with a bright light and she heard the sound of live electricity buzzing, like wires had been cut. It sounded close by, perhaps at the staircase she'd just come down from. She grabbed the door handle in the dark, pulling on it sharply. It was locked.

Dawn's heart pounded in fear, realizing that the only other exit was back where she'd come from. The room grew deliriously brighter and she turned to face light, instinct telling her to run, but ration trying to tell her it was probably just some faulty wiring. Her eyes widened upon seeing a hulking form of pure electrical energy standing right in front of her. She screamed, trying to back away, but only succeeding in thumping into the wall beside the door.

The minion tilted it's head to the side a bit, as if reading her, or studying her. She regarded it wearily, hands pressed up against the cool wall behind her, waiting for it to kill her. The demon, after a moment, seemed satisfied with what he had found, and zapped a small bolt of electricity at her, stunning her.

The force slammed her head back against the wall with a painful thud, and she sunk to the floor, with a little moan, unconscious.

The minion's electrical power dimmed slightly, allowing for gray, alligator skin-like arms to reach down and pick her up. It turned and headed for the basement, where it would escape through the sewers to its lair. It buzzed happily; sure that its master would be beyond pleased with the energy that emanated from this one.