Disclaimer: I own nothing; "I use them all in fantasies and sometimes for chores," (Quoting Nauti Bitz)

Thanks to every one out there who has reviewed my story. Really appreciate it, you light up my day. He he. I know it's been kinda slow lately. I've been taking exams. They're all coming, I promise.

Buffy crept out a few hours later and headed for the Magic Box. She was going to have to tell her Watcher eventually and now was the time. The only person she was dreading telling more than Giles was Xander, he was going to go ballistic. Buffy pushed open the door and called out, "Giles?"

Buffy thought for a second that he wasn't there and relief washed over her until she saw his head appear from under the counter, "Buffy, good. I wanted to talk to you about maybe improving our training regime. I think we need to try more on concentration." Giles noticed the look on her face, "Buffy what's wrong? Did something happen? Is Dawn all right?"

Buffy indicated the chair at the table and her Watcher came and sat down next to her without hesitation. "Giles . . . Dawn is fine." Buffy didn't know exactly how to phrase this, "I had an accident last night. I was fighting with a vamp and I had an accident."

Giles had gone very pale, "What happened?"

"I let my guard down. I slipped up and the thing staked me." Buffy hesitated blushing furiously, "With my own stake."

Giles stood and automatically cleaned his glasses, "How did you get away?"

Buffy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she really did not what to talk about this with her Watcher, "It was Spike, he came along and killed the vamp and helped me."

Giles worry seemed to turn rather quickly to suspicion, "Were you badly hurt? If so he'd more likely want to kill you than help you."

"I would have died Giles," the older man stopped pacing and looked at her in horror. "It wasn't like it slashed my arm or something. It stabbed me deep in the stomach and I would have died, but . . ."

Before Buffy could continue Giles threw his arms around the tiny Slayer and hugged her, "Thank God he was there. Why didn't you call me from the hospital? I would have been there straight away."

Buffy hugged him for a second and then spoke again, "I didn't go to the hospital."

Giles went back to looking confused "But weren't you in need of medical attention?"

Buffy gave a small chuckle, "Just a little. Spike took me to see a guy. He said that the guy was a balancing demon. Whatever kind of demon it was it healed me."

Giles could see something in Buffy's face, "Why would Spike choose to help you when you weren't, I assume, up to offering him payment?"

Buffy took a very deep breath, "Well . . . you have to promise that you wont freak out," Giles nodded and Buffy tried to calm herself a little, "Well . . . Spike is in love with me."

Giles sat, or rather collapsed, into his chair in shock. Buffy closed her eyes unconsciously expecting a shouting match to start. If she had wanted one she would have been disappointed. Her watcher seemed to be absolutely paralysed by what she had just told him. It took the older man a few seconds to say anything, "Well . . . Spike? Spike! In love. . . with you? Are you sure? How could . . . This is . . . Oh dear God . . .Vampires can't feel love."

Buffy cut her Watcher off, "Look I know that this is kind of weird and I get that. But Spike says that he is in love with he and me has not given me any reason to doubt his sincerity on that account. Saving my life goes right to the top of the list of proof. Vampires might not usually be able to feel love, but none of us can deny that he's a very unconventional vampire."

Something in Buffy's tone stopped Giles, "What are you. .? Are you saying . . . Buffy, do you have feelings for him?"

Buffy cringed; she was trying to phrase it in her head to not sound too bad. Like it or not she was about to tell her Watcher that she ahs feelings for yet another vampire, this time one that didn't have anything resembling a soul. "I don't know exactly what I feel but I, yes I do feel something."

"Buffy he's a demon. How can you . . ." Giles' voice trailed off and Buffy knew that he was thinking about Angel, and how that situation had gone.

Buffy stood and paced a little, "I know that this is a lot to absorb. I . . . It's not like he has a soul to lose. Not that . . .Giles." Buffy took a breath and knelt in front of her Watcher, her father, "Whatever I feel for Spike, I'm with Riley. I need him. He's everything I have ever wanted. A normal guy."

Giles knew that he should say something. He had wanted to talk to Buffy about this for months. Her treatment of Riley. She might need him, but . . . over the past few months Giles had doubted whether or not she truly loved him. Even now. Giles wasn't sure whether or not to bring it up. Whether Buffy loved the soldier or not, there was no doubt that he loved her, and that Buffy clung to him. What if that was enough? For both of them? Then again, from what Buffy was saying now, it would appear not. Whether Buffy knew it or not, she was pulling away from Riley. Slowly and probably painfully for the boy, but she was pulling away none the less.



Buffy sat with Spike at the Bronze. She had a feeling that he was trying to work himself up to telling her something. She could tell that he was nervous. This was his fourth beer and his hands were still shaking, "You know there are quite a few American beers that are highly underrated. This unfortunately is not one of them."

Buffy reached across the table and took one of his hands, "Hello? We didn't come here to discuss the fine choice of hops. You wanted to talk to me about something. I get the feeling that it's quite important and that you're nervous. Don't be. Just tell me."

Spike smiled at her, perceptive little chit. He was nervous. She might hate him after tonight. But it didn't change the fact that he had to tell her. It might help to save her life. " Wanted to tell you pet. . . about the slayers."

Buffy frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean the two that I killed pet."

Buffy felt her stomach clench. She didn't want to know about this. She didn't want to hear. Not after last night. Didn't he understand that? "Spike. . . I don't want to talk about. . . that. It was nearly me last night. I can't. . . "

Spike took both of her hands in his, "I have to tell you because you have to know. This isn't something that you can hide from. Last night you slipped up ad made a careless mistake, I know that. But sooner you later you . . ." Spike voice trailed off for a second, "Sooner or later you'll become like them."

Buffy didn't understand, "You mean I'll die? I know that. But someday, a long time from now please."

Spike gripped her hands tighter, "I don't mean you'll die pet. I mean; you'll want to." Buffy looked at him in confusion, but he just ran his thumbs over her hands, "Just listen to me pet. I am begging you."

Buffy was surprised at the seriousness of his tone, but she could see that this was important to him so she nodded.



China. Boxer Rebellion.

People were screaming outside. Spike could hear them, their pain. But it wasn't that that was his concern. The scent of their blood hung in the sir, but he barely noticed. It was the girl in front of him. Her blood was calling out to him. It was screaming louder than the people out side. Spike felt her fists and feet connecting with his body. She was small, but her attacks packed a punch that was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He allowed her to beat him. He had to wait for his opening. Until the moment when her defences down. Unfortunately it didn't come. She did something worse. She cut open his face. With a growl Spike kicked and punched at the Slayer. She had come close to staking him moments before, and now she reached for her stake and Spike saw his moment. Grabbed her arm and wrenching it behind her he sank his fangs into the column of her throat. The blood that washed through his mouth sent him high almost immediately. There was unbelievable power in it. He turned the girl round. She spoke in what was obviously Chinese, but in reply Spike threw her to the floor and said, "Sorry love. I don't speak Chinese."

Spike stood watching her for a few moments. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was dead but she still seemed to radiate power. It was only the sound of his lover that drew him out f his reverie. "Oooh Spike, look at the wonderful mess you've made. That's a slayer you've done in. Naughty, wicked Spike."

Spike was practically flying on the slayers blood and his own adrenalin as he walked over to the vampiress and put an arm round her waist, "Did you ever hear them say, 'The blood of a Slayer is a powerful aphrodesiac?' Here now have a taste."

Drusilla licked Spike's hand, which was still covered in the blood from the Slayers throat. She moaned and gripped Spike's back.

Spike threw her against one of the columns and pinning her arms above her head kissed her.

Buffy felt as though she was going to be sick. She hadn't wanted to hear this at first in relation to herself. Now she wished she hadn't heard it because of him. She had known about it all before of course, but. . . the way he told it. . . he had gotten off on it. . . like the vampire almost had last night. Buffy stood and turned, "I. . . I. . . I'm sorry. . . I have to go."

Buffy turned and ran. But Spike wasn't done yet. She had to know. He followed her outside.