"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me Spike" Giles murmured as
he flicked through a dusty volume dedicated to shapeshifter's.
"Alright I'll tell you again for the bloody hundredth time. I met this
woman right, we danced and we kissed right and it felt like.I dunno.like I
should be with this woman for the rest of my un-life". Spike paced up and
down the room. This had been bothering him ever since he had left The
Bronze last night. In the end Spike had decided to consult Giles, which
meant taking a morning walk.
"You said that about Dru" Buffy grumbled as she picked at her fingernails.
She was annoyed that Spike had interrupted her morning slayer-watcher talk.
All right slayer-ex-watcher-who-still-helped-a-lot talk.
Spike threw her a look that could've curdled milk and turned back to Giles,
who said, "Now you say she had told you earlier that she was a shapeshifter
and she was in Sunnydale looking for her soulmate?" Spike nodded. Giles
sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Spike added, "she knew some serious stuff about Angel too". He took great
pleasure in watching Buffy visibly stiffen.
"Like what?" Buffy asked in a sharp tone.
Spike grinned. "Oh I dunno stuff about his sister, how he killed his
family". Buffy shuddered and Spike grinned again.
Giles looked up. "Good Lord". Both Spike and Buffy looked round at him and
he cleared his throat. "Well in this particular volume it states
that.uh.well all shapeshifter's have one true soulmate and when they are
with this 'soulmate', they experience feelings such as the ones you were
describing, Spike".
"But Spike's a vampire, he doesn't have a soul!" Buffy exclaimed.
"First prize for the Most Obvious Exclamation of the Year award goes
to.Buffy Summers!" Spike growled.
Giles nodded, "yes that is true, however from what Spike' told us this
Skylark has been looking for her soulmate ever since her initiation
ceremony. That's almost 300 years ago. And it's possible that Skylark's
soulmate is William, formally Spike when he was human." Giles looked at
Spike and Buffy did likewise. "Therefore this could be providing the proof
that vampires still have some little part of their former self in them".
Spike sniffed and looked indignant. "Well their sure aint no William left
in me, I can tell you straight!"
Giles sighed. "Spike, don't you see, there must be for Skylark to be in
love with you and for you to be soulmate's".
Buffy giggled and Spike glared at her. Giles shut the dusty volume he had
been reading and placed it back in its rightful place on the shelf. Spike
sat down on the couch and put his feet on Giles' coffee table. Giles
cleared his throat and eyed Spike's muddy boots on his antique mahogany
table. Spike rolled his eyes and got up.
"S'ppose I'd better be getting back to my crypt anyway. Dun't want word
getting out I'm hanging round with the slayer". Spike strode to the door
and lifted his duster over his head.
"I heard word had already gotten out" Buffy chided. Spike scowled and
stormed off into the morning sun. Buffy turned back to Giles, but before
she could open her mouth there came the sound of sizzling and cursing
before the front door banged shut.
