From the End to a New Beginning – Chapter 6________________________

Buffy & Giles wore twin expressions of shock & surprise.

Buffy's jaw slumped down further as she stared at him, speechlessly; eyes wide open in shock.

If she was a cartoon, Spike thought, her jaw would have hit the floor and he would have to roll it up.

He almost chuckled at the thought.

Giles wasn't fairing much better than Buffy.

He was having a hard time trying to process Spike's words & when he opened his mouth to say something, anything in response… he found that he couldn't.

His jaw was working, but his voice wasn't.

He alternated between standing and sitting on the couch.  Spike figured the count was up to about 25 times in the past few minutes since he had told them, that Giles had stood up and then sat back down.  He had also figured that Giles had cleaned his glasses at least 50 times and had cleared his throat a good 15 times in the last now, three minutes since he had made his announcement.

Spike was sure Buffy was gonna collapse, she was swaying, so he tried to approach her but she put out her hands and he knew she was gonna be fine.

"Well… well this is… a… unanticipated development," Giles finally got his throat to work.  "May I ask, how?"

Spike shrugged and nodded.

"Well…according to Angel's new "team", when you and I clasped hands while my soul, the sunlight & that champion's amulet were doing their job," he nodded towards Buffy," some of your slayer qualities got transferred to me.  The amulet cleaned the demon right out of me, but left me with your strength, healing abilities, senses, & calling."

Buffy stared down at her left hand… and then at his right one… before blinking back her tears and looking up at Spike.

"You're… alive."

Spike gave her a loving smile, before giving her his old smirk and saying,

"Havin' a bit of problem working through that one are ya luv?"

Buffy glared at him through her tears.

Giles smiled to himself.

He knew exactly what Spike was doing.

Pissing Buffy off was the quickest way Spike knew to get her to push past overwhelming emotions.

She stepped up towards Spike, her hands tightened in anger, & he winked at her, defusing her anger.

She shook her head… he always could get to her.

"So… you're like me, now?"
"Pretty much… I do seem to be all about the slaying of evil demons… oh wait…. I was doing that before," he said with a roll of his eyes and an evil smirk.

"You so want me to hit you, don't you?"

Spike gave her a wide smile & then blew her a kiss.

"What can I say? I missed you luv."

Buffy shook her head and laughed.

Giles smiled…and so did Spike.

Buffy stepped up to him and placed her hand on his chest.

She felt the fall and rise of his chest as well as the beating of his heart when she pressed in gently.

"I don't think I'm gonna get over this anytime soon."

"You?  After a century plus without, I'm still getting used to it.  It's weird ya know, but strangely… kind of fittin'."

Buffy nodded.

When she was silent, Spike said,

"Told you I was you in a dead shell."

Buffy raised her eyes to him before quoting,

"And you wouldn't be able to touch me… because this… with you… is wrong… I know it.  I'm not a complete idiot.  You think I like having you in here?  Destroying everything that was me, until all that's left is you in a dead shell.  You say you hate it, but you won't leave…"

Spike gave her an awed stare.

Giles sat and watched them both silently, they had clearly forgotten about him, and he figured that his role had already been played.

He got up silently and went to the door, unlocked it, and closed it quietly behind him before going to tell the rest of the Scooby gang, Spike's news.

Neither Spike nor Buffy saw him leave.

In truth… they had forgotten that he had been there in the first place.

After having Spike stare at her for a few minutes, Buffy gave a confused,

"What?"

Spike shook his head as if to clear it before replying,

"I told you that over two years ago… and you remembered it almost word for word."

'What did I leave out?"

Spike stepped up and traced her cheek with his hand.

"I love you…"

Buffy finished his quote,

"No… look at me.  I-LOVE-YOU! You're all I bloody think about… dream about.  You're in my gut…my throat…I'm drowning in you Summers…I'm drowning in you."

"Remember my words, huh… I never thought you listened to me."

"I listen,"

"So I see."

Buffy blushed and looked down.

Spike smiled at her and chuckled.

"Blushing slayer… kind of what I like to see."

Buffy turned away from him and walked around him until she was directly behind him.

"Checking me out slayer, you can't have forgotten what I look like already, have you?  It's only been a few months."

Buffy said nothing, but seconds later, Spike was picking himself up off the floor a few feet away as Buffy delivered a twisting kick to the back of his head and sent him sprawling.

As he picked himself up he said,

"What the bloody hell was that for, luv?" his eyes narrowed, confused at why she was attacking him.

Buffy turned to face him and he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You told me I didn't love you."

Spike's gaze softened and he ventured closer, no longer pissed off at the attack, realizing the reason for it.

He cupped her cheeks with both hands gently, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, and said,

"I'm not gonna apologize luv.  I wanted you safe…and you are.  You'd have stayed with me until the end if I hadn't said it.  Wouldn't you?"

She didn't say anything, but he saw the 'yes' in her eyes.

"I know you would have… so I said what I had to…I made a choice."

"It wasn't your choice to make."

"You made it my choice when you gave me the amulet…called me a champion…and when you told me that you loved me."

"Stupid feelings…"

Spike laughed and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

Buffy hugged him hard.

"I can't believe your here.  I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and it's going to be another damn dream."

"I'm here…slayer…I'm here."

After a few minutes silence… Buffy chuckled.

"What's so funny?"
"You're gonna have to come up with a diff. nickname for me now."

"Why?"

"Didn't you just tell us you were a slayer too?"
"Oh…right…bugger."

Buffy laughed out loud.

"So…if you're a slayer… who's your watcher?"

"At the moment…. Wesley."

Buffy laughed hard with glee.

"It's not funny."

"Oh yes it is… I've done the time… now it's your turn.  Serves you right.  Wesley makes Giles look like Disney World."

They looked at each other.

"You do realize that Giles is gonna give you all sorts of tests, right?"

He nodded.

"I know…he's probably conferring with Wesley right now."

Buffy nodded, giggling at Spike's sudden 'O Dear Lord' expression.

Spike started looking up at the windows and high beams in the training room.

"What are you doing?"
"Looking for a mode of escape when Watcher and Watcher Jr. come thru that door."

Buffy chuckled and looked around for the first time since they came into the room.

"When did Giles leave?"
"I don't know."

"I wonder why he left."

Spike winked at her.

"I think we got a little intense for him luv.  Not to mention that we both forgot he was here."

"I didn't forget…"

At Spike's raised eyebrow she rolled her eyes and said,

"Okay…maybe I did… a little bit... but if he asks I'll deny it."

Spike laughed.

"Don't worry…I'll back you up."

"You always do," she said softly, stepping up towards him again.

Spike had been trying hard not to press her, but couldn't help himself.  He had to know.

"You meant it right?"

Buffy looked at him blankly.

"Down there… you meant it right?"

Buffy's gaze softened and she gave him a slow smile, coming towards him and caressing his cheek like she did after she gave him the amulet months ago.

"Can't you tell already?"

"When it comes to you love… no.  I'm already convinced I'm dreaming this whole bleedin' thing."

"The whole what?"

"Me, dying…me, sent here…. you, here…me, slayer…me stuck with Angel…hold up… wait… no, that parts a bloody nightmare."

"You have been behaving yourself, haven't you?" Buffy said, smiling.

Spike's wicked smile was proof enough to her that he hadn't been.

"What did you do?"

"You'll only get mad…so I think I won't be telling you."

Buffy shook her head.

"Come on Spike…spill."

"It was only a few things… no need to get your knickers in a twist about it.  Besides…he's fine and undead… and all poofy still."

"Stop stalling."

Spike was silent.

"You know…if you don't tell me…I'm just gonna ask Angel…and you know how much he's gonna exaggerate if I give him half the chance."

Spike sighed…defeatedly.

"I didn't harm him…much."

At Buffy's look, he defended himself by saying,

"I'm a slayer and he's a demon.  As you well now know by now…sometimes I can't help myself."

"I'm not buying all of that William.  You messed with him cause you wanted to."

"True."

"What…did…you…do…Spike?"

"Only the minimal amount of torture…not the poking with painful stuff kind…so you can stop with the I'm –gonna-stake-you look you've got going on.  Not to mention the fact I'm human now…and a slayer…so staking me means you'll be killing an innocent."

"You are anything but innocent Spike…. come on…I want to know details…what have you done to Angel?"

"Mostly pranks…but there was one mea…"

Spike stopped… hopefully she wouldn't ask.  He silently begged and prayed.

Unfortunately for him… it didn't appear that anyone was listening.

"There was one what?"

Spike sighed… she was gonna kill him when he told her.

He braced himself for her anger and decided to stop dithering like a Nancy Boy.

"We were in the middle of training and …"

"Angel's training you too?"

"What, you think you're the only Slayer that gets a vampire champion to help your skills out?"

Buffy held her hands out and gestured for him to continue.

"Okay…as I said, we were in the middle of training and he was bugging me.  So…I picked out a stake I had fashioned…well…I had a demon I know fashion for me…and I executed a move, after he had pinned me, and I tossed a stake at him."

Buffy gave him an odd look.

"Well…since he's walking around out there…I'm guessing you missed. Gotta hone them skills Spikey.  With all those demon years under your belt there's no reason for you to be acting like a rookie."

"I didn't miss, Slayer.  Got him dead in the heart."

"How the…."

"It wasn't real wood luv…it was plastic wood grain.  Looks real…. hurts like hell too, I remember…but it won't dust you."

Buffy was about to open her mouth to shout at him for pulling such a mean prank on Angel but stopped and stared at him instead.

After a few moments of her silent stare, Spike couldn't take it anymore.

"Please just yell at me…when you stare at me like that, I know I'm gonna be sore for a few days to come.  If you yell at me a little…then you'll get some of it out…and I won't be a giant bruise for the next few weeks."

"How would you know how bad it hurts?" Buffy asked him, ignoring what he had just said.

Spike gave her a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look for a second before he was able to control his expression and said,

"Oh…well…cause he almost passed out after I was doing it and then he did pass out as I was putting him to bed, once he found out I didn't stake him with real wood.  I figured it must hurt really bad to make him pass out like he'd been in a tanker all night."

"No Spike… You just said, 'it hurts like hell too, I remember'.  Who the hell tossed one at you?"

Spike looked away.

Buffy was on him in seconds, pushing him back against the wall hard.

"Answer me.  Who?"

"Stop threatening me…I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"
"Cause it's in the past Buffy.  All that matters is now and future."

"Why won't you tell me? "  She asked after a few minutes of staring at him silently.

Spike leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers.

"There's other things I'd rather be doing," he said, looking at her lips.

Buffy leaned up a little and licked her lips which all the sudden felt oh so dry.

Spike caught the gesture and chuckled, leaning in closer.

"Like what?" Buffy said, voice soft and filled with some excitement.

"Like welcoming you back…like this…" Spike said, leaning closer, his lips inches away from hers.

Buffy and Spike were just closing in the ever decreasing gap between them, about to kiss…when the door to the training room came flying open and they both jumped a foot away from each other like naughty children.

Xander came flying into the room, followed by the rest of the Scoobies and the LA gang who didn't want to miss what was gonna happen next.

"You're a what?" Xander shouted, glaring at Spike.

"Aww watcher… you told them already… I wanted to have been there to watch his eyes bug out and see him almost swallow his tongue.  Shame on you to deny me the right."

Buffy inched closer to Spike and said,

"Are you looking at him… hell you might get your reaction anyway."

Spike smiled wickedly before saying to Xander,

"I know you're a little slow, Whelp…but I'm gonna say this slowly so even you can get it.  I am now a Slay-er.  You know…one whose solemn duty is to hunt down and rid the world of demons, vampires, and all sorts of nasties.  Just like Buffy… only male."

"But that's not possible…you're an evil soulless demon."

Spike gave him a look.

"I think your having a problems working through things.  Tell you what… I'll help you out.  Now…here's how Spike's story goes:  I was once an evil, soulless demon.  Then I got a chip.  Worked with you lot for many and many of years, although at first…it was a right buggerin' nuisance.  Fell in love with the slayer…and being good…suddenly…wasn't so bloody hard…it was knowing what to do about it that gave me all my troubles…that and keeping it to myself. Got a soul…there for I was just a demon…having worked out the evil bit and the soul taking care of the soulless bit.  Then… I sacrificed myself to save all of your bloody hides…and end up here… demon wiped completely out…and endued with slayer strength and abilities. While here…I train with both Wesley and Angel, and learn all the good slayer ways so I can do my duty."

Buffy laughed, as did Dawn and most of the two crews, at his whole explanation.

Xander rolled his eyes before asking,

"So…you're a slayer now too?"

"Kewpie doll for the one-eyed Monkey."

Buffy reached over and whacked him in the back of the head.

"Be nice."

"Do I have to?"

"Unless you want to get beat down," she replied cheerfully.

Spike shrugged and then leaned closer to her, his voice low and sexy as he told her,

"I'm ready for a bit of the rough & tumble whenever you like luv… day or night."

His voice made Buffy shiver and she bounced over towards her friends as quickly as she could, without appearing to be trying to escape from Spike's nearness.

Spike laughed.

Buffy threw him a 'Hush-up-they're-gonna-know' glare, but Spike ignored it.

He was sauntering across the room after her, intending on driving her mad until she gave in to him when a load roar seemed to shake the whole building.

Spike froze.

Everyone else looked puzzled and they all filed out into the lobby.

The roar came again, and this time was accompanied by a name,

"SPIKE!!!!"

All eyes turned to him.

Spike gave a nervous like smile and then walked over to Gunn, who he pulled to the side.

"I think we forgot about something," he told him.

"I'm thinking we did too." Gunn agreed.

"Not again… you two…" Fred started only to stop and shake her head.

"What's going on?" Dawn and Buffy said at the same time.

Fred shook her head and said,

"I would explain…but it's better if you see.  Besides… I wasn't in on this one…so I'm as lost as you are. What did you do this time?" Fred turned to Gunn and Spike to ask them, and just saw them head out the door, running.

Buffy took off after them, as did the others, but at a slower pace.

As they got closer to the source, Buffy could tell that the one yelling was Angel.

'What on earth did Spike do to him?' she wondered.

For a moment, she got lost, but then she heard Angel's loud shout,

"SPIKE…LET…ME…. OUT!!!"

And knew the way to go.

She burst in the room, almost running full tilt into Spike and Gunn who were standing a few feet inside…eyes glued to the sight before them.

Angel stood inside a dome like contraption, with crosses covering wooden shape so he couldn't touch it to get out.

But the worst part was that Angel was covered with what appeared to be some sticky white substance, probably a floury-based glue, and tons of feathers.

Buffy took one look and covered her mouth and immediately closed her eyes…trying with all her might to block out the sight in front of her.

The rest of the crews had caught up to her a few moments later…but they were nowhere as disciplined as she was trying to be.

Fred and Wesley were the first two upon the scene.

They burst out laughing…and Angel's glares didn't do anything to help them stop.

Gunn and Spike were chuckling hard by now as well.

Dawn and Willow were the next two to enter the scene…they looked and promptly fell to the floor in uncontrollable giggles.

Giles, Lorne, and Xander were the last to enter the room.

Lorne shook his head, although he did chuckle.

"Swe…Spike…you've done it this time.  He's gonna kill you when he gets out of there Honey."

Spike turned and winked at Lorne, before giving Buffy a slight glance before turning back to watch Angel glare at him with murder in his eyes.

Giles was to next to react as Xander looked on in shock.

He clasped his hands over his mouth in an attempt to keep his emotion in check…but it was a dismal failure.  He burst out laughing, tears streaming from his eyes at the sight of the master vampire in a cage, covered in flour and feathers like a boy being hazed into a fraternity.

Xander blinked repeatedly at the sight before his eye…for a moment, he thought he was having a hallucination…but…as he took in the others in the room… he figured what he was seeing was true.

Angel really was in a cage…looking like a big chicken.

Xander started to chuckle…but then he glanced at Angel again and his laughter became louder and he fell to the floor, clutching at Willow and Dawn who were trying to pull themselves back up and failing miserably.

Buffy slowly opened her eyes…hoping against hope that the image was gone.  But to no avail…and as much as she tried… she couldn't hold back her giggles.

She clutched her stomach as she burst out laughing…as hard as the others.

Long minutes passed before she could control herself long enough to look up at Spike, who was smiling as he watched her laugh.

"Is this what you meant by harmless?" she asked, voice still shaking with laughter.

Spike had the decency to look a little sheepish before saying,

"Well…he's fine…really.  Just a little more…shall we say feathery than usual?

That set the group of them off all over again, while Angel fumed inside his cage.

Long minutes passed again before Fred said,

"Let him out boys."

"I ain't goin' near that cage… I helped set it up… he's gonna try and kill me," Gunn said, moving as far away from the cage as he could get.

Angel growled at him.

"See."

"It would serve you right," Wesley said haughtily.

"Oh your just still sore cause of what we did to you.  If ya hadn't gotten in the way you'd have come away un-pranked."

Wesley rolled his eyes.

The group chuckled again.

Fred turned to look at Spike.

"Then it's your responsibility.  You did it… you go get him out."

"Well see… I would…but I've got this deep pressing matter at home," Spike said, inching toward the door.

He didn't make it through it though… Buffy grabbed hold of him and pulled him back in the room.

"Aww come on Slayer… it was a good prank."

"When are you gonna grow up?"

"How about when you stop running away from your feelings."

"We're not talking about me now Spike.  Look at what you've done to poor Angel."

Spike looked over at his ex-grandsire and promptly burst out laughing again.

"It isn't funny," Buffy told him.

Spike noticed that she refused to look over at Angel.

He placed his hand on her head and turned it to look towards Angel again.

She promptly started laughing again.

"I rest my case."

Buffy spread out her hands….

"Okay… it is funny.  But you can't leave him like that."

Spike sighed… Buffy was wearing that determined look.  He knew he couldn't resist it.

"Alright… but if he kills me I'm gonna haunt you."

"I'm willing to take that chance."

Spike rolled his eyes and started walking towards the far end of the wall where the rope attached to the cage was waiting for him to pull on so he could free Angel from his cross prison.

"Wait…before you let him out… I gotta go get it.  I'll be right back."

Xander bolted from the room, leaving the rest of them to wonder what the hell was going on. 

But no one wanted to get close to the pissed off vampire, even to help him out… and Spike was in no hurry to let him out…so they didn't move.

A few minutes passed and then Xander came skidding into the room.

He smiled once more at Angel and said,

"Okay now…. smile," before snapping off a few shots of Angel in his current predicament.

TBC…