Buffy was tired of walking. She sat on a grave and let her feet sway. She wasn't ready to go home right yet. She was all too confused.
"So this is what a Slayer does," a British voice said mockingly.
Buffy rolled her eyes, "I've had a bad night. Let's not start."
Spike rolled his eyes, "I've had a loony bint tantrum and a little wanker power trip. What have you got."
"An ex with the new love of his life."
Spike raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you need this as much as I do," he said offering her a bottle.
Buffy eyed the bottle skeptically.
"C'mon Slayer. I promise no kittens. Just a little drinking."
Buffy smiled. He had no clue what he was talking about, people did that a lot they just said things when she was around.
Buffy shrugged, "I guess drinking in the cemetery with a vampire would be the perfect end to my day."
She took a swig and let the warm liquid swarm down her throat. She closed her eyes while the liquor eased the tightness in her muscles. It made her stomach tingle.
When she opened her eyes she saw Spike looking at her with approval.
His eyes were midnight. She never noticed the way his eyes were so dark when there was no light. They were dark, with the shine of a flashlight. She could feel the beams.
"Pull up a tombstone and join the mopey party," Buffy said brightly.
Spike took a swig from the bottle.
"How's the little one doing?" Spike asked.
Buffy shrugged, "She's okay. She is so happy that she is going to get better. Today she was telling Willow and Xander…"
"What is a Willow and Xander," Spike interrupted.
"They're my friends."
"Did you purposely seek out friends with names odder than yours."
Buffy laughed, "Well Xander is actually Alexander and Willow isn't that an abnormal of a name."
"Willow," Spike said as if he was trying out a name, "Were her parents hippies?"
Buffy couldn't imagine anything further from reality, "No they are classic Hellmouth parents. Oblivious to a fault."
They passed around the bottle again.
"So Slayer, what happened with the ex?"
Buffy rolled her eyes, "He's back. Some girl made him happy. The bitch Queen of my high school. I mean they are together. He loves her."
"Still in love with him?"
Spike asked her idly. He leaned against the gravestone and reached up to twist a curl of her hair around his fingers.
"No. I was forced to get over him a long time ago, but she succeeded where I failed."
"Wasn't meant to be luv." Spike said softly. His
He was so close.
"Its just that Angel…"
Spike's lazy motions suddenly disappeared. He pulled away from her.
"You're talking about Angelus?" Spike asked through clenched teeth.
Buffy wanted to smack herself.
"You dated Angelus. Christ Slayer do you know what you are? You're supposed to kill vampires."
Buffy suddenly got angry.
"Maybe I should start right now," she said reaching for a stake.
"You have to be the most peculiar girl. You're chosen, but you decide to make-out with vampires? Is this some kind of turn on?"
"No I'm just a groupie for the Order of Arelius. I was thinking of going for Dru next." Buffy said her voice dripping with sarcasm
They were standing toe to toe.
"You're stupid, that is what you are."
"And you're jealous. Just because you're not the first."
Spike grabbed her roughly and shoved her head to the side.
"Looks like I am," he said menacingly.
It took Buffy a moment before she realized what he was saying. She raised a hand to her neck. It felt odd. For the first time she felt only the soft skin of her neck. There was no Angel or Dracula. There was no imprint of even the Master.
Spike pushed her away and took another swig of the tequila."
"I don't care though. Be a vamp toy. So Angelus is in town? Looks like Dru will get better."
Buffy glared at him.
"What luv, don't you remember the reason I'm in town. I'm going to get Dru better and leave this awful place. Well after curing the other Slayer and killing the Annoying One. Our deal had nothing to do with Angelus."
Buffy really wanted to hit him. Instead she took the bottle and drank a considerable amount of the amber liquid.
"I'm not a vamp toy," she muttered.
"Right. You seem to just love it that I get all close to you and then you just happen to let me kiss you. What is it about vampires that turns you on?"
"You stupid.." Buffy felt her anger explode, "It isn't vampires that turn me on, its you."
Buffy had gotten used to seeing him shocked, but this was new. It seemed that all of the ability to move had been drained from his body.
"You are admitting that," he asked.
"Would you believe me if I told you that the only reason that I'm here is to take care of you?"
Spike smiled a lewd smile, "If that means that you're going to make me hot chocolate and put Wheatabix in my blood count me in."
His voice was velvety soft, there were great implications to what else he'd like for her to take care of.
Spike was before her and everything seemed pretty good. The alcohol made everything tingle.
"So Slayer, since we both had bad days, I've got a great way of forgetting," he said arching his eyebrow.
Buffy smiled, "Well I know this crypt nearby. I think we can think of something."
*****
"There is something wrong," the Anointed One told his minions.
He looked up at the ceiling of the sunken church. His hands rested on his knee. His eyes were squinted deep in thought. He seemed to be listening to something that none of the other vamps could hear.
Everyone feared this child.
"The new Slayer thinks she is in control. She is plotting to overthrow me. However she knows little."
The little child smiled a smile that was disturbingly out of place.
"I remember when father had to deal with her. This one is very cunning and very good."
The Anointed One shrugged.
"It matters not. I know how to do this. I will be victorious."
The Anointed One looked to the nearest minion.
"Bring her in."
The minions brought in a dreamy figure. Once in the room the woman gave a deranged smile.
"Lookie, the child has such pretty colors," Dru said coming up to the Anointed One.
The child smiled, "I win."
"So this is what a Slayer does," a British voice said mockingly.
Buffy rolled her eyes, "I've had a bad night. Let's not start."
Spike rolled his eyes, "I've had a loony bint tantrum and a little wanker power trip. What have you got."
"An ex with the new love of his life."
Spike raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you need this as much as I do," he said offering her a bottle.
Buffy eyed the bottle skeptically.
"C'mon Slayer. I promise no kittens. Just a little drinking."
Buffy smiled. He had no clue what he was talking about, people did that a lot they just said things when she was around.
Buffy shrugged, "I guess drinking in the cemetery with a vampire would be the perfect end to my day."
She took a swig and let the warm liquid swarm down her throat. She closed her eyes while the liquor eased the tightness in her muscles. It made her stomach tingle.
When she opened her eyes she saw Spike looking at her with approval.
His eyes were midnight. She never noticed the way his eyes were so dark when there was no light. They were dark, with the shine of a flashlight. She could feel the beams.
"Pull up a tombstone and join the mopey party," Buffy said brightly.
Spike took a swig from the bottle.
"How's the little one doing?" Spike asked.
Buffy shrugged, "She's okay. She is so happy that she is going to get better. Today she was telling Willow and Xander…"
"What is a Willow and Xander," Spike interrupted.
"They're my friends."
"Did you purposely seek out friends with names odder than yours."
Buffy laughed, "Well Xander is actually Alexander and Willow isn't that an abnormal of a name."
"Willow," Spike said as if he was trying out a name, "Were her parents hippies?"
Buffy couldn't imagine anything further from reality, "No they are classic Hellmouth parents. Oblivious to a fault."
They passed around the bottle again.
"So Slayer, what happened with the ex?"
Buffy rolled her eyes, "He's back. Some girl made him happy. The bitch Queen of my high school. I mean they are together. He loves her."
"Still in love with him?"
Spike asked her idly. He leaned against the gravestone and reached up to twist a curl of her hair around his fingers.
"No. I was forced to get over him a long time ago, but she succeeded where I failed."
"Wasn't meant to be luv." Spike said softly. His
He was so close.
"Its just that Angel…"
Spike's lazy motions suddenly disappeared. He pulled away from her.
"You're talking about Angelus?" Spike asked through clenched teeth.
Buffy wanted to smack herself.
"You dated Angelus. Christ Slayer do you know what you are? You're supposed to kill vampires."
Buffy suddenly got angry.
"Maybe I should start right now," she said reaching for a stake.
"You have to be the most peculiar girl. You're chosen, but you decide to make-out with vampires? Is this some kind of turn on?"
"No I'm just a groupie for the Order of Arelius. I was thinking of going for Dru next." Buffy said her voice dripping with sarcasm
They were standing toe to toe.
"You're stupid, that is what you are."
"And you're jealous. Just because you're not the first."
Spike grabbed her roughly and shoved her head to the side.
"Looks like I am," he said menacingly.
It took Buffy a moment before she realized what he was saying. She raised a hand to her neck. It felt odd. For the first time she felt only the soft skin of her neck. There was no Angel or Dracula. There was no imprint of even the Master.
Spike pushed her away and took another swig of the tequila."
"I don't care though. Be a vamp toy. So Angelus is in town? Looks like Dru will get better."
Buffy glared at him.
"What luv, don't you remember the reason I'm in town. I'm going to get Dru better and leave this awful place. Well after curing the other Slayer and killing the Annoying One. Our deal had nothing to do with Angelus."
Buffy really wanted to hit him. Instead she took the bottle and drank a considerable amount of the amber liquid.
"I'm not a vamp toy," she muttered.
"Right. You seem to just love it that I get all close to you and then you just happen to let me kiss you. What is it about vampires that turns you on?"
"You stupid.." Buffy felt her anger explode, "It isn't vampires that turn me on, its you."
Buffy had gotten used to seeing him shocked, but this was new. It seemed that all of the ability to move had been drained from his body.
"You are admitting that," he asked.
"Would you believe me if I told you that the only reason that I'm here is to take care of you?"
Spike smiled a lewd smile, "If that means that you're going to make me hot chocolate and put Wheatabix in my blood count me in."
His voice was velvety soft, there were great implications to what else he'd like for her to take care of.
Spike was before her and everything seemed pretty good. The alcohol made everything tingle.
"So Slayer, since we both had bad days, I've got a great way of forgetting," he said arching his eyebrow.
Buffy smiled, "Well I know this crypt nearby. I think we can think of something."
*****
"There is something wrong," the Anointed One told his minions.
He looked up at the ceiling of the sunken church. His hands rested on his knee. His eyes were squinted deep in thought. He seemed to be listening to something that none of the other vamps could hear.
Everyone feared this child.
"The new Slayer thinks she is in control. She is plotting to overthrow me. However she knows little."
The little child smiled a smile that was disturbingly out of place.
"I remember when father had to deal with her. This one is very cunning and very good."
The Anointed One shrugged.
"It matters not. I know how to do this. I will be victorious."
The Anointed One looked to the nearest minion.
"Bring her in."
The minions brought in a dreamy figure. Once in the room the woman gave a deranged smile.
"Lookie, the child has such pretty colors," Dru said coming up to the Anointed One.
The child smiled, "I win."