Less Than Expected
Spoilers: Spike gets back the use of his legs but doesn't strike up the deal with Buffy that we all know. Instead he reveals to Angelus and Dru that he can use his legs. Angelus never learns about Acathla. He makes life hell for Buffy, she still can't kill him, and things just get harder.
1 Buffy sat on a large tombstone studying her nails, her legs swinging back and forth idly. "Maybe a nice burgundy this time," she said to herself as she studied the chipped magenta polish on her middle finger. She studied it from a different angle. "Then again, burgundy is so last fall." She contemplated them again. She looked up casually as she heard the scratching sound coming from the ground beneath her feet. She hopped up and stood by the tombstone.
With a roar a shaggy brown head filled with dirt popped from the ground and began to pull itself out from the freshly turned earth. A male with a good nine inches of height on Buffy stood staring down at the petite girl in front of him. The smell of her warm blood put him into a frenzy. "Took you long enough you moron," she said to him and he let out a growl and jumped towards her.
She easily deflected his weight and sent him sprawling onto the ground. He angrily got up and began again. "I'm not really in the mood for this game." She glanced over to his headstone, "Trent." The vampire, not seeming to hear her lunged for her, his hunger driving him mad. Before he got a finger, or rather claw, on her, a hard wooden stake had been driven into his heart. He gave her a surprised look and turned to dust.
Buffy brushed off her denim jacket. "Ok, that was four, that's enough for tonight," she said aloud and turned and started out of the cemetery. Her retreat was quickly forestalled as a male figure stepped from the shadows and into the dim light of the moon overhead. Buffy took a preventive step back, her defenses up.
The red cherry of the cigarette dangling from the figure's mouth lit up as he inhaled. He flicked the cigarette to the ground and stepped further into the light. "'Evening love," a thick British accent drawled. Buffy furrowed her eyebrows as the moonlight washed over the pale chiseled features of Spike.
She let out a tired sigh. "Spike can we try to kill me another night? I want to go home and bathe and then sleep until forever," she said with annoyance. Spike just chuckled. "Not in the mood for a fight? Well, you must really be out of it Slayer." He took a step closer to her.
Spike looked at the small blonde in from of him. He couldn't help but notice the way her tight jeans clung to her behind. Or the way her black shirt plunged suggestively into her cleavage. He shook his head. It was just his carnal vampire hunger talking.
If Spike was checking out Buffy, then she was definitely doing the same. She hated him. How could someone so evil look so good? Angel was handsome, he was the perfect romantic hero. Spike had something different. His whole presence reeked of silky sexual danger. A girl had to be a fool not to be attracted. Every girl wanted a bad boy at some time. She shook her head in disgust. What was she saying? He was evil!
"No matter though," he said, breaking the silence with the voice Buffy had grown to loathe. She raised an eyebrow. "As I told my friend Trent over there," she nodded her head to the spot she had dusted her latest vampire, "I'm not in the mood for games Spike." Spike just laughed, which infuriated Buffy more. Spike was dangerous. Just because he hadn't shown an interest in offing her lately, didn't mean he had abandoned the quest altogether.
In fact, she could count the times she had seen him on one hand. And the times he had wanted to fight.well.she couldn't even think of a time at the moment. She had been too busy worrying about Angelus to pay attention to Spike's shenanigans lately. Angelus kept getting worse. Taunting her every second, daring her to kill him. She really did want to, it was just that, she never had the chance. Spike's voice brought her back to the present.
"Well Slayer? Aren't you going to ask me what the hell I want?" Buffy eyed him suspiciously. "If it isn't a good slaying then you're talking to the wrong girl," she answered testily. Spike grinned. Oh, how she wanted to punch the face that held that smirk! "Always so witty, don't lose that Slayer." Buffy was about to answer but he cut her off.
"I have a proposition for you Slayer," he said, losing the evil twinkle in his eyes. Buffy tossed back her blonde hair. "Get away from me Spike, I don't want to hear this bull." She went to move around him but he stopped her. "It's about Angelus," he said, watching her reaction. Buffy recoiled. What could Spike want to talk to her about that had to do with Angelus? Spike never had anything good on his mind, and now was no exception.
Nonetheless, she had to know, after all, it was Angelus. "Spit it out then Spike, and hurry up, I'm all dirty and gross." Spike's face stayed serious. "I think we can help each other," he said after a pause. Buffy had to laugh. "Me? You? Together? Helping each other? You guys have got to be stupid if you thought I would fall for that!" She laughed again. "No way Spike. You've definitely gone off the deep end." She tried to move past him again but his arm shot out to hold her still.
She angrily shrugged him off. "Come on Spike, I'm not stupid or interested, now get out of my way or I'll have to make you." They both knew this was an idle threat. Buffy was in no mood to fight and wouldn't unless provoked. Spike had no intention of doing the provoking. "Just listen 'ere Slayer, we both hate Angelus, we both want him dead, so why can't we help each other out? It sounds like a good team to me, two against one is better than just you isn't it?"
Buffy studied his face and was slightly surprised to find he was dead serious, excuse the pun. "Spike, you and I will never be a team." She was a stubborn one wasn't she? "You won't even hear me out?" Spike asked, turning on the smooth charm only he possessed. She put a hand on her hip. "I'm listening," she said, losing patience. She had no idea why she was giving Spike the time of day, heaven knows he deserved nothing but the stake that was stored in her left pocket.
"I say we beat Angelus at his own game. He's obsessed with you Slayer, you and I both know that. He thinks he owns you and he's quite full of himself, thinking he's got a Slayer in check. So, my proposition is, we make him crazy with jealously, knowing I've got what he thinks is his will make him insane. Then we lure him into a trap and stake the bastard. Snap, he's gone, you're free of him, and we all go on our merry way." Spike finished speaking and looked down at her, waiting for a response. Buffy started at him skeptically.
"No way will it ever be that easy, and besides, what's in it for you?" Spike knew this question would come up and had just been delaying the inevitable. "You've seen how Dru's infatuated with the poof, I want him gone, Dru's mine and I want her back." Buffy refused to let this touch her heart. They were both blood sucking vampires for goodness sake.
She chewed on her upper lip. On the one hand it would be stupid to trust Spike, after the many times he had tried to kill her. Then on the other hand, Angelus would never expect it, Buffy could finally kill him and be done with it. This was a problem.
Spike looked happily at Buffy. She was thinking about it, and that was a good thing. "Slayer, I know my promise ain't much to you, but I won't kill you or even try to hurt you. And none of your friends neither," he added as an after thought. He hoped she would take the offer. He wanted to get rid of Angelus almost as much as he wanted Dru back. And besides, one came with the other. Buffy studied him for a long silent moment. "What do I have to do?"
Spoilers: Spike gets back the use of his legs but doesn't strike up the deal with Buffy that we all know. Instead he reveals to Angelus and Dru that he can use his legs. Angelus never learns about Acathla. He makes life hell for Buffy, she still can't kill him, and things just get harder.
1 Buffy sat on a large tombstone studying her nails, her legs swinging back and forth idly. "Maybe a nice burgundy this time," she said to herself as she studied the chipped magenta polish on her middle finger. She studied it from a different angle. "Then again, burgundy is so last fall." She contemplated them again. She looked up casually as she heard the scratching sound coming from the ground beneath her feet. She hopped up and stood by the tombstone.
With a roar a shaggy brown head filled with dirt popped from the ground and began to pull itself out from the freshly turned earth. A male with a good nine inches of height on Buffy stood staring down at the petite girl in front of him. The smell of her warm blood put him into a frenzy. "Took you long enough you moron," she said to him and he let out a growl and jumped towards her.
She easily deflected his weight and sent him sprawling onto the ground. He angrily got up and began again. "I'm not really in the mood for this game." She glanced over to his headstone, "Trent." The vampire, not seeming to hear her lunged for her, his hunger driving him mad. Before he got a finger, or rather claw, on her, a hard wooden stake had been driven into his heart. He gave her a surprised look and turned to dust.
Buffy brushed off her denim jacket. "Ok, that was four, that's enough for tonight," she said aloud and turned and started out of the cemetery. Her retreat was quickly forestalled as a male figure stepped from the shadows and into the dim light of the moon overhead. Buffy took a preventive step back, her defenses up.
The red cherry of the cigarette dangling from the figure's mouth lit up as he inhaled. He flicked the cigarette to the ground and stepped further into the light. "'Evening love," a thick British accent drawled. Buffy furrowed her eyebrows as the moonlight washed over the pale chiseled features of Spike.
She let out a tired sigh. "Spike can we try to kill me another night? I want to go home and bathe and then sleep until forever," she said with annoyance. Spike just chuckled. "Not in the mood for a fight? Well, you must really be out of it Slayer." He took a step closer to her.
Spike looked at the small blonde in from of him. He couldn't help but notice the way her tight jeans clung to her behind. Or the way her black shirt plunged suggestively into her cleavage. He shook his head. It was just his carnal vampire hunger talking.
If Spike was checking out Buffy, then she was definitely doing the same. She hated him. How could someone so evil look so good? Angel was handsome, he was the perfect romantic hero. Spike had something different. His whole presence reeked of silky sexual danger. A girl had to be a fool not to be attracted. Every girl wanted a bad boy at some time. She shook her head in disgust. What was she saying? He was evil!
"No matter though," he said, breaking the silence with the voice Buffy had grown to loathe. She raised an eyebrow. "As I told my friend Trent over there," she nodded her head to the spot she had dusted her latest vampire, "I'm not in the mood for games Spike." Spike just laughed, which infuriated Buffy more. Spike was dangerous. Just because he hadn't shown an interest in offing her lately, didn't mean he had abandoned the quest altogether.
In fact, she could count the times she had seen him on one hand. And the times he had wanted to fight.well.she couldn't even think of a time at the moment. She had been too busy worrying about Angelus to pay attention to Spike's shenanigans lately. Angelus kept getting worse. Taunting her every second, daring her to kill him. She really did want to, it was just that, she never had the chance. Spike's voice brought her back to the present.
"Well Slayer? Aren't you going to ask me what the hell I want?" Buffy eyed him suspiciously. "If it isn't a good slaying then you're talking to the wrong girl," she answered testily. Spike grinned. Oh, how she wanted to punch the face that held that smirk! "Always so witty, don't lose that Slayer." Buffy was about to answer but he cut her off.
"I have a proposition for you Slayer," he said, losing the evil twinkle in his eyes. Buffy tossed back her blonde hair. "Get away from me Spike, I don't want to hear this bull." She went to move around him but he stopped her. "It's about Angelus," he said, watching her reaction. Buffy recoiled. What could Spike want to talk to her about that had to do with Angelus? Spike never had anything good on his mind, and now was no exception.
Nonetheless, she had to know, after all, it was Angelus. "Spit it out then Spike, and hurry up, I'm all dirty and gross." Spike's face stayed serious. "I think we can help each other," he said after a pause. Buffy had to laugh. "Me? You? Together? Helping each other? You guys have got to be stupid if you thought I would fall for that!" She laughed again. "No way Spike. You've definitely gone off the deep end." She tried to move past him again but his arm shot out to hold her still.
She angrily shrugged him off. "Come on Spike, I'm not stupid or interested, now get out of my way or I'll have to make you." They both knew this was an idle threat. Buffy was in no mood to fight and wouldn't unless provoked. Spike had no intention of doing the provoking. "Just listen 'ere Slayer, we both hate Angelus, we both want him dead, so why can't we help each other out? It sounds like a good team to me, two against one is better than just you isn't it?"
Buffy studied his face and was slightly surprised to find he was dead serious, excuse the pun. "Spike, you and I will never be a team." She was a stubborn one wasn't she? "You won't even hear me out?" Spike asked, turning on the smooth charm only he possessed. She put a hand on her hip. "I'm listening," she said, losing patience. She had no idea why she was giving Spike the time of day, heaven knows he deserved nothing but the stake that was stored in her left pocket.
"I say we beat Angelus at his own game. He's obsessed with you Slayer, you and I both know that. He thinks he owns you and he's quite full of himself, thinking he's got a Slayer in check. So, my proposition is, we make him crazy with jealously, knowing I've got what he thinks is his will make him insane. Then we lure him into a trap and stake the bastard. Snap, he's gone, you're free of him, and we all go on our merry way." Spike finished speaking and looked down at her, waiting for a response. Buffy started at him skeptically.
"No way will it ever be that easy, and besides, what's in it for you?" Spike knew this question would come up and had just been delaying the inevitable. "You've seen how Dru's infatuated with the poof, I want him gone, Dru's mine and I want her back." Buffy refused to let this touch her heart. They were both blood sucking vampires for goodness sake.
She chewed on her upper lip. On the one hand it would be stupid to trust Spike, after the many times he had tried to kill her. Then on the other hand, Angelus would never expect it, Buffy could finally kill him and be done with it. This was a problem.
Spike looked happily at Buffy. She was thinking about it, and that was a good thing. "Slayer, I know my promise ain't much to you, but I won't kill you or even try to hurt you. And none of your friends neither," he added as an after thought. He hoped she would take the offer. He wanted to get rid of Angelus almost as much as he wanted Dru back. And besides, one came with the other. Buffy studied him for a long silent moment. "What do I have to do?"