Title: Lessons to Learn Chapter Nine: Something There

Author: SlayrGrl55 (aka Anna)

Rating: PG

Pairing: B/S

Spoilers: Lessons

Feedback: pretty please?

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' or 'Beauty and the Best'…yet ~laughs deviously~

            Spike sat lifelessly in a plush high-back chair in the sitting room. Buffy kneeled before him with a washcloth and a basin full of water. Scattered around the room were Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya and Dawn. Soaking and then ringing the washcloth, Buffy tentatively touched it to Spike's bare chest. He flinched but let her clean his wounds. Slowly she looked up and met his gaze.

            "Thank you." She said softly.

            Untrusting of his voice, he nodded in reply, and she continued to clean and bandage his wounds.

            Miles away, a mother frantically searched for her daughter in a desolate part of the woods.

            "Buffy!" she called out, but no one answered. She moved on, confident that she would rescue her precious baby girl. "I'm coming, dear!" she said to no one but the wind. Bruised and humiliated, Joyce Summers continued her endless search as snow began to fall.

            Upon awakening Buffy went to the window in her room and drew back the curtains for much-needed light. Expecting to see a barren forest, Buffy was amazed when she saw a field covered with white, crisp snow.

            "Oh my god!" she shouted. It barely ever snowed in Sunnydale, California and it was simply a dream come true for there to be more than an inch of snow outside. Buffy quickly dressed, her mood much better than the night before, and she rushed out of her room. I may be stuck in some weird alternate universe but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy some snow, right?

            Spike was spread lazily across the chair in the sitting room where Buffy had left him the night before. He was tired and he didn't intend on moving until they went home. He was barely conscious when he heard laughter come wafting in from an open window.

Curiosity got the best of him and much to his own dismay he got up to investigate. He leaned against the window frame and watched delightedly as Buffy thrashed around in the snow, making silly snow angels and then running off to make another one ten feet away. He wondered why she was in such a good mood and then remembered that she had never seen this much snow, it was a new experience for her. He chuckled, shut the window, and left the room.

He entered the kitchen and announced, "What's a bloke got to do to get some coffee in this soddin' place?"

Dished rattled and pots shuddered in fear, but the stove spoke up. Everyone knew the Master was brutal to those who spoke out of turn or to those who angered him. But maybe the stove was fearless, or maybe just purely insane.

"Sure Blondie Bear, I can make you some coffee." Okay, so the stove was purely insane.

Spike's head reeled around and his eyes were wide with fear as he looked at the stove. "Harmony?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"Oh Spikey, I always knew you were smart! Like all those times we played 20 questions…" but Spike didn't hear the rest of her sentence because he had turned and ran out of the room screaming bloody murder.

He was already in the West Wing when he stopped in front of a window and saw Buffy again. He wanted so badly to go out and be with her, but that would have to wait until dusk. He would have to settle for seeing her at lunch.

The table was set and Spike escorted Buffy into the dining hall. He pulled out a chair for her and then sat down in his own. The soup was served but then they were left to dine alone.

"So, luv, any ideas about where we are? Or how to get home?" Spike asked.

"I've got nothing." She answered.

He nodded and took a sip of his wine. "Have fun today? Playin' in the snow?"

She grinned at him. "Yes. Lots. I've never been able to play in the snow before. It was great." Why does he keep looking at me like that? With so much…love. No! Not love. Evil, heartless creature, remember? Snap out of it Buffy. She chanced a look in his direction and saw that he was in fact still watching her. If he only knew what that look did to me…

Darkness fell and Spike stood out on the balcony watching the stars of a sky he was unfamiliar with. He was torn out of his thoughts when a snowball hit the left side of his face. He turned and saw Buffy ducking behind a bush. So she's in a playful mood, eh?

Spike leaped over the railing on the balcony and landed in a crouch. Quickly picking up a handful on snow, he molded it onto a snowball and took off after her. He rounded the corner and she appeared out of nowhere, throwing two snowballs at him.

"I may not have my slayer powers but I still have wicked aim." She said and then took off running. He wiped the snow off his face and threw his snowball at her retreating form. It hit her in the back and she tripped, falling into the snow. He caught up with her and stood over her.

"You may have wicked aim but you still run like a girl." He retorted. She jumped up shoved a snowball in his face. She laughed and turned to run when he caught her wrist. He pulled her back to him and threw a handful of snow down the back of her dress. She screamed and thrashed playfully but he lost his footing and started to fall. He fell backwards and she went with him. They landed in the snow and she was on top of him.

There's something sweet

And almost kind

But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined

And now he's dear

And so unsure

I wonder why I didn't see it there before

            But their positions didn't stop the fight. She slapped him on the chest. "Why'd you do that?" she asked playfully.

            "You hit me first, pet." He rolled them over so he was sitting on top of her. "Looks like this slayer has a death wish." The statement would have been threatening had it not been for the goofy grin plastered on his face. He held a rather large snowball in his hand and looked at it thoughtfully, as if weighing his options.

She looked this way

I thought I saw

And when we touched she didn't shudder and withdraw

No it can't be

I'll just ignore

But then she never looked at me that way before

            Buffy was smiling at him but then she noticed the snowball. "Spike…" she started to get nervous. "You don't want to do that." She reached to grab his arm but he pulled away.

            "Aw, is the big bad slayer afraid of a little snow?"

The snowball loomed over her. She stared indignantly at him, although she was having the time of her life.

            "Okay, I'll put the snowball down. But only 'cause you're all defenseless… and because I'm hungry." He stood up and extended a hand to her. She took it and stood up, brushing the snow off of her dress.

            "You know, running in a dress, and not to mention these shoes, is harder than it looks. And it looks pretty hard." He offered her an arm and she slipped hers through it.

            "So, dinner milady?" he asked properly, giving her another one of those smiles.

            Her knees practically gave out underneath her. "That would be wonderful, kind sir."