* Part 2

Ariara punches the vamp directly in the midsection. The vampire recovers quickly much to Ariara's surprise. She does a roundhouse kick connecting with the vamps face. The vamp stumbles as he covers his face. Ariara takes advantage and sweeps the vamps legs out form underneath him. The vamp falls to the ground and Ariara reaches into her pocket and brings out a stake. She slams the stake into the vamp taking out all her rage on this one vamp even though she isn't sure if this is the one that killed them. She grins as a confuse face surfaces on the vamp's face as it turns to dust. Ariara takes pride in herself but just as she is about to finally head home, 3 vamps was enough for one night, a vampire lifts her off the ground by her spine she struggles to get loose but she can fell the vamp's grip tightening and tightening. Just as the black is about to enclose her the vamp drops her and she falls to the ground. As her eyesight clears she sees a man fighting the vamp that previously had her in a death grip. The man holds a blade in both hands and goes for a vicious downward stroke. The vamp looks up abruptly form his place now on the ground. The vamp rolls, just out of the way of the sword flying for his head. It gets up behind the man kicks the blade out of his hand. Ariara starts to get up but is rendered helpless by the pain shooting through her head, all she can do is watch and pray the man will be ok. Just as the vamp is about to grab the blade the man pulls out a stake and throws it. The stake lands deeply embedded in the vamp's gut, just below the ribs.

"Damn it!" the man mutters as he strolls over to the vamp and gives the stake a powerful twist. The vamp screams out in agony as the man plunges another stake directly in his heart. The man watches the vamp turn to dust as he brushes himself off. He turns around and walks toward Ariara. Ariara finally gets a good look at the man. He is medium height and has a muscular build and he looks somewhere in his middle 30's. He looks just like a normal only thing distinguishing about the man is the peroxide blond hair, the black duster, and the scar above his right eyebrow. The man comes closer to Ariara and Ariara can feel a tingle go down her back as the man gets closer. Mr. Jones told her to go with her instincts and she knows what that tingle meant. Ariara jumps up just as the man steps in front of her. Despite the pain coursing through her head she steadies herself.

"Woh, there you has a pretty big grip on you there maybe you should sit back down."

"Why so I can be easier prey for you?" Ariara takes notice in the sound of the man's, he was British.

"Easy now." the man holds out his hands but Ariara takes this as a threat and draws her stake. "Wow, come on if I wanted to bite you don't you think I would've done it by now?"

"Explain yourself."

'The names Spike. Nice to meet yah." Spike offers his hand but Ariara just glares at him, she really didn't like vampires. "Ok well I am here to help yah."

"Now why would you do that?"

"Cause I use to help out a Slayer and I thought I might lend you a hand."

"If you only helped that one Slayer why help me?"

"Your different you got a strange passion for this."

"Ok, so why are you helping a Slayer if you are a vampire?"

"I got this chip in my head that the military put in there a long time ago. Makes it so I can't hurt humans only things that are evil. Inless I want a brain-splitting headache."

"Ok…Chippy I'm leaving now to go back to the Watcher's Council. My advice is not to follow cause even though I won't stake you…yet I'm sure there are plenty of people there who certainly would be willing to." With that Ariara turns around and walks back to the Watcher's Council building. As soon as she knows Spike is out of listening distance she lets down her shield of protection and stuffs the stake back in her pocket. She stumbles farther as she grips her pounding head. Why was I so mean to him? He did save my life. I know because he is a vampire and all vamps are evil bloodsucking fiends. He was kind of cute though. Ariara thinks to herself as she grins.

***

Ariara jumps and grabs the shingles to the third and final floor she has to climb. She swings herself onto the shingles and steadies herself. She inches along till she finally gets to her window. She climbs in and looks around and nothing seems to be different. Just as she sits back down in a chair, Ashford walks in.

"Are you still reading that book? I thought I told you to get some rest. Oh well the Council is ready to see you now."

"Really? Ok would you mind if I changed?" Ariara says as she remembers all the dirt and vamp dust she is probably covered in.

"Of course." Ashford nods to her as he leaves the room. Ariara goes over to her bag and grabs a large red sweatshirt with an angel on the front. She lifts up her shirt and winces. Bruises run up and down her back. I'm sure they'll heal in time.