Part 24:

"So, should I be prepared for stakes coming my way?" Spike asked, trying to hide the nervousness, which the slayer could easily detect in his voice.

"I'll protect you," Buffy said, smiling brightly at the vampire.

"Oh, I feel so much safer with the slayer protecting me," Spike deadpanned, winking at Buffy. The slayer squeezed Spike's hand, though the vampire thought that action might have been more for Buffy to feel safe then for him.

Buffy and Spike entered the library, Drusilla still hanging limply in Spike's arms. Almost at once, six heads looked up from a square table where they sat researching. "Probably thinking of ways to stake me," Spike muttered under his breath, still slightly nervous. He was a master vampire, yet the Scoobies made him tremble. And it wasn't that they were such great demon fighters, though Buffy had told him tales of their great battles that left him fairly impressed. It was more the fact that he knew how much power they held over the slayer. If they didn't accept him, Spike couldn't blame the slayer for also turning away from him.

"Buff," Xander said, the first one to speak to the slayer, "Do you know that there's an annoying dead guy behind you?" The slayer took a deep breath, however, Xander spoke again, "and he appears to be holding a…damsel in distress!" Buffy's raven haired friend looked wearily at the girl Spike was holding, and then took a few steps backwards.

"She's dead," Buffy said, and then rephrased the sentence, noticing the confused and rather strange looks she was getting. "I mean she's undead. Listen, Spike and I have decided to try to have a relationship. I know it will be hard, and I know that Spike doesn't have a soul, like Angel did, but I think…" The slayer stopped speaking as a head poked out of Giles' office.

"Did someone call me?" Angel asked. However, no one had time to respond, as, in a flash, Angel had Spike pinned against the wall. Drusilla had fallen into a puddle on the floor, although no one noticed, as they were all too busy staring at the two vampires.

Both vampires had switched into game face and were speaking to each other, however not in English, but in a series of growls and snarls, accented by a few punches (mostly from Angel to Spike, as Angel was in the dominant position). After a few moments of this, Buffy spoke the question that was on everybody's mind.

"What the hell is going on here?" The slayer asked angrily, her eyes flashing with confusion and anger.

The two vampires immediately stopped what they were doing, (whatever that was?), and Angel backed away from Spike, coming over to Buffy and standing only a foot away from her, ignoring Spike's angry and jealous growl of protest.

"It's how vampires communicate with each other. Most of the time we speak like humans, but for vampires that are related, sometimes a language that our order made up is spoken." Angel explained, his voice soft and gentle when speaking to Buffy, contrasting against the hard tone he used when talking to Spike.

"Angel, I just want you to know, I didn't realize that you knew Spike-I didn't even know he was a vampire…" The slayer began to explain.

"I know. He told me everything."

"Everything," Buffy squeaked.

"Not everything. But I figured out most of it." Angel said.

"Are you angry?" The slayer asked.

"I love you Buffy. But I'm not angry at you. You've done nothing wrong. I'm angry at William, for lying to you, and for coming with the intent of killing you. But I think that we've worked out some of our issues. Vampires aren't into talking as much as into…" Angel trailed off and, without warning, lunged at Spike, knocking him onto the library floor. Spike retaliated quickly, flipping Angel and kicking him swiftly in the groin. The pair continued fighting brutally. However, it seemed to Buffy that they weren't intent on killing each other, but were simply working out their issues. Therefore, the slayer took that opportunity to talk to her friends, who were watching the vampires with interest.

"Hey," Willow said, waving at the slayer. Buffy smiled and pulled up a chair next to Willow. Oz, who was sitting on one side of Willow, scooted over to allow Buffy to sit next to her red headed friend. The slayer leaned her arm on the table and realized, for the first time, that Tara was sitting on the other side of Willow.

"Oh," Buffy said in surprise. Tara waved shyly and Buffy smiled back warmly.

"Oz and Tara both volunteered to help research," Willow explained. The slayer's brow furrowed in heavy concentration, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, she was thrown across the room, Angel landing on top of her.

The petite slayer shot up and marched across the room, stopping only when she was within inches of Spike's face. Buffy held Spike's eye contact for a moment, and then turned and did the same to Angel, who had walked over to the pair.

"I've had enough! It was all of the good when you two had your "issues" to work out," Buffy said, making quotes with her hands as she spoke the word issues, "But the second I get tossed across the room you end up dealing with a very grumpy slayer."

"Sorry Buffy," Both vampires murmured in unison, both looking apologetic.

"Okay, now I know that things are a little weird," the slayer began, her voice soft as she was speaking to her friends and Angel, "but I love Spike. I don't think I can live without him. And if we're going to try and have a relationship again I'll need all of your support," Buffy paused, making eye contact for a moment with Spike, who traced his upper teeth with his tongue in that obnoxious way that made Buffy know he was thinking about her with a less than appropriate amount of clothes on. However, the slayer couldn't help but smile.

"We should work on getting Drusilla back to wherever she came from," Willow suggested. Her soft voice, filled with strength and support for her friend warmed the slayer's heart.

"I guess that means we start researching," came Giles' voice, looking at Buffy, a smile on his face. Xander stared straight into the slayers eyes, an unreadable expression on his face. Then he spoke words that almost brought the brightest smile yet to the slayer's eyes.

"Research. I hate research. Can't we just "poof" her? She's dead anyway?" Xander suggested, making a staking motion with his hand.

"At least the world's not ending," Cordelia pointed out helpfully. Angel opened his mouth, as if to say something, but was cut off as Drusilla woke up.

"Sparks of blue call to me," The raven-haired beauty spoke, standing and beginning to twirl. Buffy walked over to Spike and took his hand in hers as the pair watched the old love of Spike's un-life twirl like a child. "But it's so funny," Drusilla continued, as if actually talking to someone.

"What's funny?" Spike asked softly.

"Miss Edith isn't wearing the blue dress I put her in. She's too busy tying her bonnet. And I think…the parade…is going to be rained……..out…." As Drusilla spoke her voice became softer, until she was speaking barely above a whisper. Then she once again collapsed onto the ground, falling into the same position she had been in previously.

"So," Oz said, preparing to speak the longest string of words he had said all day, "anyone else thinking this vamps making the kind of sense that isn't?" Oz was met by a chorus of agreeing nods. "Alright then…research…" The werewolf said, as he wandered off in the direction of Giles office.

"Research," Buffy agreed softly.

No one noticed that lurking behind a stack of books, Principal Snyder was watching them all with interest…

We love because it's the only true adventure.

-- Nikki Giovanni