Chapter Eighteen



After dinner was cooked, served and eaten, Buffy left the house to go patrolling. Buffy walked along Main Street, all was pretty quite like any town should be.
Buffy left the main part of town and headed slightly north, toward one of the larger cemeteries. This cemetery was old and the graves were sunken in; there was rarely any demon activity this far away from town but you could never be too careful.
Buffy arrived at the cemetery; all was quiet. Now this cemetery is the sort of cemetery that appears in all those horror movies, Buffy thought as she looked around. Few headstones could be seen from where she stood, most were sunken into the ground since the coffins had rotted. The wind blew through the skeletal tree branches, rattling them; the half moon cast pale shadows upon the ground.
We have the spooky setting, where are the spooks? Buffy wondered, jokingly, to herself as she looked around her. Behind her, a stick cracked under someone's (or something) weight. Buffy pulled a stake from her pocket and tensed as the footfalls came closer.
Buffy whirled around and wasn't the least (well maybe a little) bit surprised to see Spike standing behind her. Buffy lowered her stake.
"What a big disappointment. I was expecting something scary and this is what I get." Buffy muttered and put the stake back in her pocket.
"Hey, I'm scary; just ask anyone." Spike growled, defending himself.
"I would, Spike, but I'm not in the mood to have a conversation with a bunch of new born kittens." Buffy muttered.
Spike's face grew dark. "Are you saying the only thing I can scare is a bunch of kittens?" Spike growled, lowering his voice.
Buffy shrugged. "Are you following me now?" She asked, walking away from Spike.
"No." Spike said and followed her. "I just thought you'd like to know that I've had more reports that something is going to be coming to our little town." Spike told her.
Buffy stopped and turned around. "Oh? And who told you this information? A bunch of drunken vampires?" She asked.
"Slayer, I'm the best information source you've got. I suggest you listen to me. That demon we saw the other night, not just anyone can summon a demon like that." Spike said, making sure Buffy was listening to him.
"What are you saying Spike? Some big and powerful demon summoner is coming to Sunnydale. Oh no, whatever can we do to stop it?" Buffy said, faking surprise.
Spike growled but Buffy just laughed. "Oh come on Spike, you forget that I know that you can't fight me. Just try to stop being all scary. You're not the Big Bad anymore." Buffy said.
Spike watched as the Slayer walked away from him, leaving the cemetery. "You just wait Buffy!" He called after her. "I'll prove to you that I'm still the Big Bad, even if I have to make you say it." Spike lowered his voice.
"In fact, I don't think that's such a bad idea." He added.

Spike walked in to Willy's Bar and sat down at the counter. Willy turned around and looked over at him.
"Bad night Spike?" Willy asked, attempting to keep good-natured.
Spike nodded. "It's the Slayer. She says I'm not scary anymore. Can you believe that? I'm still plenty scary." Spike muttered.
Willy nodded. "Sure." He agreed and poured Spike a shot of booze.
"I mean, sure I can't bite people or fight or anything but I can still scare people." Spike continued as he downed the shot and put the glass back on the table. Willy poured him another shot; Spike downed it and set his glass down again.
"The least the Slayer can do is show me a little respect; I mean, after all I have always tried to help her when I could." Spike muttered and downed another shot.
"Yeah sure Spike, you're a respectable vampire." Willy said and continued to fill Spike's glass.
Spike raised his head and growled. "That's the problem, I don't want to be a respectable vampire." He growled and drowned another shot. "How do I make the Slayer see that? How do I make her see that I am still the Big Bad?" Spike asked.
Willy poured the vampire another shot as he thought about Spike's question. "Well, if you're in the violence type of mood, you could hurt one of her friends. She seems real close to her friends." Willy suggested.
Spike looked up at him, the first affects of drunkenness coming over the vampire. "You forget I can't hurt anyone." The vampire hissed.
"Yeah, sorry." Willy said and moved to pour Spike another drink but the vampire snatched the bottle away from him. "You could hire a hit man…er…vampire." Willy suggested.
"No, that's no good. I have to show Buffy that I am still the Big Bad, not a person who can hire someone else to be bad." Spike grumbled as he took a swig from the bottle.
"Jesus Christ." A teenage vampire in a 'Woodstock '99' T-shirt grumbled, he was seated beside Spike. "You sound like Willa Ford. 'Oh I wanna be bad' please." The vampire muttered.
Spike turned to face the vampire. "Did anyone ask you?" Spike roared. The vampire slowly shook his head. "I didn't think so, take a hike." Spike commanded and shoved the vampire off the barstool. The vampire stood up and ran out of the bar.
Spike growled and turned his attention back to Willy, taking another swig from the bottle. "I like the idea of getting through to Buffy through one of her friends." Spike muttered.
Willy nodded. "There you go. Find someway to hurt one of her friends and show Buffy what you're made of." Willy agreed and began whipping off the bar.
"Good idea." Spike agreed. "I'll go to her house. Right after I finish my drink." He added and took a long swig from the bottle.