Chapter 5

The early morning sun woke Buffy from a surprisingly quite sleep, free from dreams of the dead girl and weeping woman. She was lying on the couch and Kira was asleep on the floor next to her. The TV was still on and the morning news was playing. Kira had come home the night before told Buffy everything about Spike and her Great-great-grandmother, Cecily. Buffy had found the story fascinating, and in some ways did not surprise her that Spike had once been a very loving person. Kira also explained how she had met Spike; he had shortly been in Scotland and had a run in with Kira's father, Thomas. Spike had been held captive at the Erskine family mansion. Kira had been ordered to make sure he didn't try to escape, and while she sat for long hours with Spike Kira had learned much of his past, and why he had killed Cecily and the others he had known when he was human. Moved with pity and maybe something of a crush, Kira freed Spike brining down the wrath of her family on her. That was where Kira getting married had come in, and eventually led to her escape from the mansion just as Spike had a few years before.

"Good morning," Kira said from the floor.

"Morning," Buffy said looking down at her. "Hungry?"

"Starved." Kira replied sitting up against the couch.

Slowly Buffy peeled herself off the couch and took a few cautious steps towards the kitchen, "how does Cheerios sound?"

"Delicious!" Kira exclaimed. "I love Cheerios! You can't get them very easily in Scotland. When Billy lived there he always used to go by them for me from the Airforce base about an hour from where we lived."

"Well we have plenty of them here." Buffy said sliding into the kitchen and pulling the mustard yellow Cheerio box out of the cupboard.

"Oh, about that." Kira began. "I don't want to impose on you here. So, I thought maybe you could help me look for an apartment close by. My family kind of has a lot of money, so it's no big deal."

"Yeah, we can go look today, but you can stay here too if you want. Up to you." Buffy said pouring the Cheerios and milk into two bowls. "Enjoy," she added passing the bowl to Kira.

"Thanks." She said.

"Its perfect!" Kira exclaimed twirling around in her new apartment. Buffy had located the ad that morning for an apartment just down the road from where she lived and after quick showers Kira and Buffy went to check it out. A half an hour later the apartment was Kira's. "And it's pretty close to the Bronze so I can get there to practice with the band easily. We're playing there again tonight by the way. I want you to come, I've got a song I want to sing for you."

"All right," Buffy said. The apartment was magnificent. With one master bedroom, a walk in closet and bathroom, and a large living room/dining room. The kitchen faced three wide floor length windows that looked out onto a peaceful garden.

"I'll be moving in today if that's ok." Kira told the landlord. The woman looked like she was in her forties and the easy smile on her face made Buffy feel safer about Kira living there.

"Certainly, and if you would like my son Andrew can help you get everything moved in." the landlord, Mrs. Sanders replied.

"That would be very helpful and appreciated." Kira said a bright smile growing on her face.

"Well, I'll leave you to get settled in. Andrew is down in the office when you need him." Mrs. Sanders said as she left the room.

"What are you going to move in?" Buffy asked.

"Well all of my stuff is in a storage unit about five minutes from here. When I ran away I kind of brought my whole apartment from Scotland with me."

"Oh, well shall we call Xander, Willow, and Giles to help as well?"

"Yeah I guess I should meet them since they're your best friends and such. And Giles is your watcher. My watcher, uh. died."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Its ok. But yes I do want to meet all of them. So while I go get my stiff from storage call 'em up and have them meet us here in a half an hour."

"Sounds good."

"Hey!" Xander called as he, Anya, Willow, and Giles came in through the open door to the apartment Buffy had specified.

"Hi," Kira said coming out from behind a mound of boxes to greet them.

"You must be Kira." Giles said offering his hand. Kira took it and instead of the traditional handshake curtsied over it. A flustered look came over Giles' face and his ears turned red.

"It is only proper respect for an English lord." Kira replied smiling.

"Yes, well you needn't do that every time we greet.

"No of course not," Kira replied. "So you are Xander, and Willow." Kira said shaking hands with both of them.

"And this is my girlfriend Anya," Xander said indicating the pretty girl attached to his side.

"Pleased to meet you," Kira said.

"As am I." Anya replied.

"Oh hey guys," Buffy said coming out of the bedroom where she had been unpacking boxes full of sheets and blankets. "Let's get started."

Three hours later the whole apartment had been filled with Kira's stuff, with the gracious help of Andrew, and all the boxes had been broken down and taken out to the recycle. Buffy couldn't imagine how Kira had managed to fir everything in just twenty boxes, but Kira then informed them that the boxes had been enchanted to have as much room as needed to fit its contents. That had led to a long conversation between Willow and Kira about how exactly one would perform such a spell.

Finally it was six o'clock and Kira had to leave to get to the Bronze to set up for her band's performance later that night.

"By the way," Xander asked. "What is the name of your band? I missed it the other night."

"Oh, Thorn." Kira said.

"Thorn?" Giles asked curious.

"Yeah, see all the songs I write talk about the things in life that are the 'thorn in you side'. So hence the name."

"Wow, you write the songs?" Willow asked.

"Uh-huh. Then Jordan, the lead guitarist but music to the lyrics."

"Huh," Willow replied.

"Well I have to go, but I want y'all to come tonight and listen. I've got a special song to play for Buffy. Bye!"

"She's a lovely girl," Giles said as the door closed on Kira.

"Really nice, and sweet, and she does magic." Willow added.

"Very nice, said it seemed I was a very important part of the whole group." Xander commented.

"So you like her?" Buffy asked.

"Oh yeah," all three said in unison.

"So she ran away from home?" Giles asked.

"Yeah," Buffy replied.

"And her mother was a siren, interesting." Anya said.

"Well perhaps we should all go get something to eat before we go to the Bronze tonight?" Giles said addressing everyone.

"Sure," everyone replied.

"Hey Spike!" Buffy said perkily plopping down on a chair next to him. "What you got there?"

"What'd you eat this morning for breakfast?" he retorted.

"Cheerios. Is that a Shirley Temple? Hey can I get what he's having. Thanks! Kira's playing again tonight. She's gonna play a song for me. Cool huh?"

"Very," Spike said shaking his head at Buffy's heightened happiness. "They're starting right now."

"Oh goodie! Hey Xander! Hey Willow!"

"Hey Buffy, Spike." Willow said joining them at the table.

"Hey Buffy. Spike." Xander said following Willow's lead and sitting down at the table.

"One Shirley temple," the man said placing Buffy's drink on the table.

"Um, this is really good." Buffy said to Spike.

"I like it cause it looks like blood." Spike replied trying to deter Buffy.

"Yeah your right it does. Cool!" Buffy said gleefully drinking her blood colored drink.

"Is she drunk?" Spike asked Willow.

"Not on alcohol, on something though." Willow replied.

The band began to play a warm-up and Kira came out on stage. She had curled her hair so it hung in loose red curls around her face and shoulders. A bit of white color around her eyes brought the mix of blue and green in them and her lips were dusted a cherry red. The Bronze was warm so she had donned a blue, that matched her eyes, halter top that crisscrossed over her back and slimming black pants that stretched nicely over her shapely legs.

Seeing the love-struck look on Spike's face Buffy pretended to wipe drool from the side of his mouth and said, "now Spike don't droll in public its not polite."

Angrily Spike turned to throw a retort back at Buffy but Kira began to sing and everyone in the room turned their full attention to her.

The band played for awhile, songs they hadn't played the night before, and the crowd swayed in time with each song. After what seemed like eternity for Buffy Kira moved to the front of the stage and her eyes moved to find Buffy's. Kira found Buffy sitting with Willow, Xander, Giles, Anya, and Spike and smiled.

"We've got a special song coming up for one of my good friends. I wrote it for a good friend of hers that had to leave a few years ago. I would now like to play it for her."

Spike turned to Buffy and saw a single tear fall from her eye down her cheek. "Hey, its ok." He said softly touching her hand with his.

"I know," Buffy said just as the song began to play.

'I was lost

And you were found You seemed to stand on solid ground I was weak And you were strong And me and my guitar We strummed along, oh Sweet misery you cause me That's what you called me Sweet misery you cause me I was blind But oh, how you could see You saw the beauty in everything Everything and me I would cry And you would smile You'd stay with me a little while Sweet misery you cause me That's what you called me Sweet misery you cause me And in my heart I see, oh What you're doing to me And in my heart I see, oh Just how you wanted it to be Sweet misery Oh, whoa Sweet misery you cause me That's what you called me Sweet misery you cause me And in my heart I see, oh Just how you wanted it to be Sweet misery I was weak And you were strong And me and my guitar We strummed along.'

The song ended and by then Buffy had tears streaming down her cheeks, but she smiled anyway. Seconds after the song ended Spike had wiped the tears from he face and no sign of her weak moment showed on Buffy's face.

Kira came forward again. "Now, the new addition to our group, Sara will sing for the rest of the night. Thank you."

The music began again and the crowd began dancing as if nothing had happened.

Off the stage Kira slowly made her way over to Buffy. "Hey," she said. "How'd you like the song?"

"It was great!" Xander said. "Who did you write it about?"

Everyone turned to look at Xander as if he had grown a wart on his forehead.

"I wrote it for Angel while I lived down there. I couldn't sing it that often though cause he cried every time I did."

Buffy just smiled. Xander looked as if he had been struck with an axe.

"Wanna dance?" he asked Anya and swept her out onto the floor before she could respond. Giles had been swept away with some pretty, but older woman his age and Willow went to talk to some people she knew from school. Buffy looked glum, but content, and Spike looked restless.

"Would you like to dance?" Kira asked him and he looked at her in surprise and shock. "Well?"

"Why not," he said and stood. Carefully he placed his leather duster on his chair to reveal the black T-shirt he wore beneath it. Kira quickly moved out onto the dance floor. Sara saw Kira and smiled at her mischievously, she ended the song short and the band began to play a slow, love song seeing what Sara had seen. Kira stuck her tongue out at all of them and mouthed unreadable curses.

Turning around to face Spike, Kira's eyes glanced up into his light blue ones and her heart fluttered involuntarily. Shaking the feeling off Kira cautiously placed her arms lightly on Spike's shoulders. In response he placed his hands on her hips and they began to sway to the music. Spike's heart seemed beat faster and he found himself breathing, even though he needed to perform either of those tasks to live. As the song came to its height Kira lightly drew herself closer to Spike and rested her head on his chest. Spike pulled her closer to him and they touched ever so slightly. Spike could feel Kira's heart beating against his chest and he was violently reminded that she was human and he was a demon.

Luckily as that thought passes through his head the song ended and Spike pulled away from Kira quickly and disappeared into the crowd. This time however, Kira was not going to just let him walk out. Without a second thought she followed him and scooped his leather duster up on the way out the door.