TITLE: "Average Joe" Part 5
AUTHOR: Elise D.
FEEDBACK: Gimme gimme. Just be gentle.
SUMMARY: Season Seven, Spike heads to L.A. to visit some old friends.
SPOILERS: Spoiler free, do I get a cookie? Zero spoilers for Ats. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, that wacky stuff ain't even happening. So the details are so vague, they're almost new.
RATING: PG-13.
DISCLAIMER: Nobody buys me good presents, so I steal other peoples.
NOTES: Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback for the last chapter. Spoiler news and current episodes leave me kinda bummed, but I'll keep on truckin' down the highway of Spike - no matter where it takes me.

---

"We've come up with a handful of barrier spells, containment spells, and little tricks, but so far, no big gun. Sorry," said Willow, as she went over her notes from the storming session she'd had earlier with Wes, Lorne and Fred.

"We could have come up with more, but this whole non-corporeal thing is really causing a problem," confirmed Fred.

Buffy smiled at the apologetic strange girl, and took a cleansing breath. God, this was hard. Where was the miracle? There was always something that solved the problems. Ten bucks says it was something simple, like Slayer lint. Stuck in her dryer the whole time, right under our noses! Oh, she needed a break from the brainwork; she was getting slaphappy and starting to sound like Andrew.

"Well, can you think of some way of giving the First form? I mean, you did it with the demon that was trying to kill me last year, would that work?" she asked.

"I wish it would, but no," said Willow with a frown. "The First is so much more powerful, we're dealing with a completely different entity on this one. I might be able to work with it though; it could come in useful for something. Even if it's not long term, or a complete transformation…we'll work on it, right?" rambled the witch, as Lorne gave a nod, and Fred scribbled down notes for later use.

"That's good. That's stuff we can use. We're running out of time now. Things have been too quiet, and I don't like it. Wes? Giles? Anything?" she asked, turning to face the Watchers, who were sitting at the table with Andrew and Dawn.

"Well, we've compared notes, but unfortunately there really isn't any new information at this point," said Giles, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"However," said Wesley, picking up from where Giles left off, "we do have several volumes that I managed to procure, and we may have something to offer when we've gone through them?"

"Good. That's good. Okay, get to the research guys; I'm counting on you. Angel? Faith? Gunn? Up for some patrol with the recruits?"

"Hell yeah," said Gunn pushing away from the wall. "I was not built for research."

"Amen," agreed Faith with a wide smile. "I'm just itching to get down and kick some," while Angel silently made his way with them to the door.

Buffy smiled, and headed down to the basement to get the girls. This was going to be hell of a learning experience for the potentials. This was her best idea, ever.

---

Patrol with the potentials had been a bad idea, Buffy noted to herself as she staked one of the vampires that had appeared out of nowhere. It's not that they were out-numbered, but the ratio of experienced fighters to vampires was pretty hairy, and having to keep an eye out on the girls was really starting to distract her.

"Gunn! Faith!" she called, giving an approaching vampire a roundhouse kick. "Get the girls out of here!"

They both nodded, and started ushering the girls away from the fight, while Buffy jumped deeper into the fray with Angel. Patrol had been her worst idea ever.

---

Spike heard her before she saw her. All quips and punches, she was like nothing else in the world. No way Faith could ever measure up, at least in his eyes.

As he approached the clearing, he could see that she and the grand poof were making short work of half a dozen vamps, and fairing well. So, instead of joining in, he took the time to appreciate the poetry and fluidity of her movements. Bloody perfection, she was.

Now it was two against one for the Slayer, while Angel tackled one himself. Nice odds. He strolled over to where Buffy was getting into a tight spot, but he didn't worry. Instead, he simply hopped up onto a nearby headstone, to watch her work.

"Need a hand, love?"

"Nah," said Buffy between punches, "I got this." And she smiled at him, she actually smiled as she back-flipped and staked a vampire on her landing. She spun around to finish of the second, only to face Angel, through a pile of falling dust.

"Buffy! Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes giving her the once over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, dusting herself off. "I had that one, you didn't have to worry."

"Well I did. And why didn't you think to help, dammit?" Angel growled, spinning around to face Spike. "You just sat there and watched her take on both vampires!"

"What?" Spike replied indignantly, waving his hands in mock surrender. "She was handling it! Said so herself!' "She was going two against one, Spike!"

"Yeah, she was. And she could handle it. Oh, and she is standing right here," said Buffy, putting her hands on her hips. God, men! It didn't even matter if they weren't human - they were all the same. It was getting old.

"Buffy, I was just concerned," said Angel wincing slightly. He knew that pose. It meant trouble, and he really couldn't go back to L.A in an ashtray. Cordelia would kill him. "I didn't mean anything by it," he added, with the hopeful "don't kill me" face he managed to perfect after years of sharing an office with Cordy. His foot-in-mouth disease was going to get him in an awfully large amount of trouble, if he wasn't careful.

"I know," sighed Buffy. "But I've been doing this for long enough, I know my chances. Spike knows too, he's patrolled with me enough. You've got to trust us, k?"

"Well, I do trust you, so I won't be so presumptuous next time, promise," Angel said, with a crooked smile.

"Good," said Buffy, returning the gesture and ignoring the implied dig at Spike. "Why don't you go and check on Faith and Gunn? They're probably dying, stuck with the girls for this long?"

"Sure," Angel said with a nod. He gave a brief glare at Spike, before disappearing behind is billowing coat, and into the darkness.

"Bastard did always know how to make a good exit," sighed Spike, hopping down from the headstone. Damn. He was alone, with one part of the ultimate love. This was not how he had planned his evening.

"Tell me about it," snorted Buffy, remembering a similar sight, only a few years before. "So, are you two gonna be this petty the whole time he's here? Or does it wear off after a couple of days?"

"It's a permanent thing, I'm afraid. Though, I'm pretty sure you already knew that, didn't ya?" replied Spike, with a tilt of his head. Why was she being so pleasant and…chipper? It had the feel of cushioning. Like bad news was coming, and she didn't want him to go completely barmy.

"Yeah, I did," Buffy, laughed. "C'mon. Walk with me for a bit."

"Where we going, exactly?" asked Spike as he jumped into step alongside her.

"Nowhere, just thought we could both use a couple of minutes away from it all."

"You're not wrong about that, Slayer. Not wrong at all. In fact, I was thinking of moving out for a while. Make the homestead a little more lighter in mood?"

Buffy stopped in her tracks. What the hell?

"Nu-uh, I'm not buying it. Why now? You haven't cared about bothering the potentials…or Xander, before. And I'm sure you'd like a chance to needle Angel and Giles a little more. I don't get it."

Spike shrugged and kicked at the dirt, concentrating on the little pile he was digging up with his toe. How could he put it, without sounding like a complete prat? No matter what he said, he might come across as a jealous ex-lover. Pissed off at the old boyfriend moving back into his territory. Only, it wasn't his territory anymore, was it? And he had to face that. Hell, he was facing that, and this new and improved Buffy was just making it harder.

"S'not that. I just figured it would be easier on everyone if I weren't there for a while. I know you asked me to stay, and I know you expect me to…"

"Be taken for granted?" Buffy asked, her brow furrowing.

"What? No. I just…what?" asked the confused vampire, stopping to stare at Buffy. What the hell was she going on about now?

"I've taken you for granted. It sort of hit me, while you were gone."

The what now? Was she admitting to being a cold-hearted cow? This was all very confusing to him.

"But I let you…"

"Oh God, no. Do not get all apologetic on me. I've got this great speech in my head, very noble and stuff. Just lemmie get it out, okay?" At Spike's confused nod, she started walking again, and continued.

"You're a very important part of the team, and you should know that. Well, you probably do, because you're cocky like that, but that's not what I mean. I just...Oh God, I forgot everything I was going to say. I just want you to know that going to L.A. is appreciated, and sticking around means a lot to me. Well, to all of us."

"Um, thanks?" he said, being at a total loss for words.

"No problem," replied Buffy, giving Spike a hesitant pat on the back. "Good to have you back. Oh look, vampires!" she called out, thankful for the distraction.