A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, everyone. I've had real life to contend

with as well as the Buffyverse, which I seem to live in most of the time.

I have a couple of things to say- First, a MAJOR 'Thank You!' to

everyone who has been so wonderful and reviewed with encouragement

and advice.

Thanks to: Invisible Sun, BunnyKat, Professor Weasley, Cordy, Sparky, fashiongrrl, idontknow, la, Rachel, basketball-slayer and ginmar. You are all my very favourite people in the world!

To answer a few questions:

Cordy-I may try to work Tara into it, but as I am so mad about Oz and love

him and Willow to bits, it may be difficult.

BunnyKat and Professor Weasley- B/R??? B/R???? Are you nuts? I don't like Riley either, but I wanted him to be a betrayer like in BtVS, rather than evil. He's not cool enough to be evil. This is S/B all the way, baby!

WARNING: This chapter contains swearing. Not much, but this is rated PG-13, so don't say I didn't warn you.

* * * *

Riley, Graham and Forrest overtook Buffy's coach roughly half an hour after the gang had left the inn. They pounded past on a side road at full tilt as Buffy and her friends continued along the main road at a fairly leisurely pace, and kept going until they were surrounded on all sides by tall, intimidating trees.

Riley, in the lead, slowed his pace and the others followed suit. He licked his dry lips nervously as he came to a halt, the surrounding area silent and hostile. He swallowed hard, looking all around him through the thick undergrowth.

He parted his lips and drew in a breath preparing to whistle, a signal he had used many a time before now.

The piercing sound echoed eerily around the three men, and the expressions of all three betrayed their unease. They still had no idea how Spike heard the sound when he could be miles away, in any part of the forest.

There was a soft whispering breathing through the leaves all around the trio of waiting men. Their horses picked up on the tension and sensing fear, became nervous and would not remain still. Graham patted his horses neck soothingly, but his hand was shaking.

"Do it again," Forrest said gruffly. Riley licked his lips and tried again. This time, there was a definite movement through the trees and as the three men peered towards it, a voice spoke out from behind them.

"Looking for me, boys?" Spike was standing in the clearing, his sword in his hand and a deceptive smile on his face.

Riley whirled his horse around to face him. Spike was still waiting for an answer.

"Yeah," He muttered, almost incomprehensively. Spike did not question him further though. He swung his gaze to Graham and Forrest, then back to Riley. Then he waited.

Riley's throat was tight and dry.

"There's a coach coming."

Spike raised an eyebrow, as one might do when regarding something with a fleeting, mild interest. Riley continued hurriedly.

"Five passengers and the driver. Three are rich."

"How rich?" Spike shot back at him, so quickly he barely had time to register the question. Riley paused. Now was his chance. He could say they were fairly rich, but not that well off, not enough to spark Spike's interest. He could deal with Forrest and Graham later, and save Buffy now. He could-

"They're heading to the Wyndam-Pryce Estate," He blurted out, staring at the floor. When he looked back up, Spike's mouth was curling up at the corners, into a genuinely stunning smile. When he smiled, William the Bloody could be mistaken for a gentleman, a man of honour, even a choirboy. But a closer look into his bright blue eyes would only serve to prove this as a man who would never go near a church, unless it was to burn it down.

Spike shook his head, laughing softly and drew a cigarette he had rolled earlier from his pocket. He put it to his lips and lit it, and when he looked up, the impression he gave was now one of something more friendly .

"How long till they get to Rollingate Hill?" he asked. Riley, busy looking intently at the leaf-covered ground, pretended he couldn't hear, and didn't answer. Forrest glanced at him, and spoke up instead.

"Not for another couple of hours. They're going pretty even," He said.

Spike nodded, more to himself than to the others. Forrest felt a glow of self-satisfaction well up in him. It wasn't often he took the lead instead of Riley. He couldn't resist speaking up again.

"You've got time,". It was the wrong thing to say.

"I'll be the fucking judge of that," Spike snapped, his smile gone, a scowl firmly in place. Spike did not like people trying to tell him how to do his job. He shot a glare at Forrest, who redirected his fearful gaze to the forest floor.

The was a long pause. They made a strange picture; three tall, strong young men on horseback cowering before one relatively average-height, slim man on foot. Silence reigned.

Eventually, Spike sighed and drew cigarette away from his mouth.

"Look, all I want to know is, are they worth me riding like hell to set up an ambush? It's a risky time to rob someone, in broad daylight. They're rich, ok, but only three out of five. Is that enough?" He asked, his brow creasing.

Then-

"She's beautiful," Riley said, softly. So softly Spike only just caught it. But he did, all the same. And he burst out laughing.

Riley looked up angrily. The tension had passed and Spike was now almost bent double with laughter. To his extreme and lasting annoyance, Forrest was also sniggering and trying to mask it by coughing. Graham remained, as ever, passive and blank.

"What?" Riley demanded. "She is! She's a great girl too, I liked her-" No sooner the words were out of his mouth then he regretted them. This was what Spike had been looking for, a reason beyond business to go after these rich young travellers. Now he had it-not only a beautiful girl, but it would piss Riley off too.

Spike was not one who was in it only for money, although that was pretty much all his job consisted of. Excitement was needed to liven things up, and Riley had been boring Spike for a while now. To annoy him and see him pissed off was enough reason for Spike to carry through the robbery.

"All right, you've convinced me. I'll be waiting for them." Spike grinned widely, and Riley turned away in disgust.

"Come on," he muttered to his companions. They began to nudge the horses away, when Spike called after them.

"Finn!"

Riley stopped and turned in the saddle.

"Yeah?" he asked. Spike gave him a hard look.

"You're not going to need to give me any more warnings. I think I'll manage without you. Don't come back." He said. Riley was about to turn away when Spike raised his voice one more time.

"Oh, and if in the unlikely case of you being disloyal to me, you might perhaps harbour some secret thought of going to the authorities and telling them everything, you might want to remember this; you were an informant, Finn. If I went down for any reason, I'd take you and everyone else with me. You could hang for what you've done."

And then Spike melted into the foliage and disappeared entirely from view. Pale and visibly shaken, Riley galloped the entire way home, urging his horse as fast as it could go.

* * * *

About an hour and a half later, Buffy's coach stopped for Xander to go haring into the undergrowth, to relieve himself yet again.

"Hurry up! The driver called after him. " This is the fifth time! I'd rather be back at the inn by tonight!" The gang all laughed along with him. He had been excellent company on the drive. Drivers did not usually spend their time talking to their passengers, but as proven by Willow, Buffy and Oz's friendship with Xander and Anya, this group of young adults did not tend to observe the rigid rules of the class system.

As the laughter came to an end, the driver's expression turned serious.

" Joking aside, it ain't pleasant to be on these roads at night. Even during the day you've got to be on your guard. Thieves, all sorts. William the Bloody's about, they say. Working these very roads."

Buffy frowned, scrunching her nose.

"William the Bloody? What kind of a name is that?" She asked. The driver shrugged.

"Self-explanatory, ain't it?" He said. There was a beat while he let his words sink in before continuing. "William the Bloody is a highwayman. Spike, he's most often called these days. Dangerous, very dangerous. Got a gang, but he don't need 'em, not really. They're only their to save his skin if he ever got caught. He could blame it on them and get away scot-free, no trouble. Could talk his way out of anything, so they say."

Buffy, Willow, Oz and Anya reflected on this.

"So they say," Anya stressed, breaking the silence. "He can't be that bad. He might not even exist," She continued sceptically.

There would have been more on the subject, but Xander arrived back, and after demanding to be filled in on the gloomy topic, dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"As long as nothing bad happens between here and the Wyndam-Pryce estate, we'll be fine."

Willow and Buffy both turned to him, furious.

"Are you out of your mind? What did you say that for? Now something bad is gonna happen!" Buffy said.

" What do you mean? Nothing is gonna happen," Xander said, shocked at their reaction, and trying to defend himself.

"Not until some dummy says 'As long as nothing bad happens…'" Willow threw in angrily.

"It's like the ultimate jinx!" Buffy said, glaring.

"What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?" Willow huffed, as she and Buffy both turned away in disgust at his apparent stupidity.
"Well, you don't know," Xander muttered to himself. "Maybe this time will be different," He sulked.

Two miles down the road, Spike waited in the wayside for their carriage to appear.

* * * *

A/N: Don't kill me, please! Our heroes finally meet Spike next chappy! I promise you won't have long to wait! Also, Spike won't be as mean as he seems. Dashingly bad, yes, but not mean. This chapter was really hard to write as I was trying to set up suspense for the long-awaited meeting. I don't know whether I pulled it off, but bear with me until next chapter! Review as always, pretty please!

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