A/N Thanks for the reviews; hopefully I can clear up, a few things for anyone who wants to know, Spike's ascension would be sort of Cordelia style ascension, but not to anywhere good, he struck a bargain with the powers that be, so he could be returned to earth, but only on a temporary basis, his transformation into godhood was set by the PTB's as a timeline for the scoobies to find a way to stop it, so that he can stay, for this to happen, Buffy will have to make some kind of choice or sacrifice, he took the chance that if he failed to stop his ascension, the price would be a one way ticket to hell. The PTB's would never be so kind as to just drop something in your lap, they would make you work for it; (that's my take on it anyway) the pendant is tied up in saving him, as they are connected. Spike really does not want to become a God of some hell dimension, which is where he will be sent, if they cannot reverse his changes. He wants to be with his Buffy LOL. I don't really know if this explanation helps matter or makes them worse! Oh well!

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Chapter 14

Several hours had passed since their stop at the gas station, it was pretty quiet in the van, that was the problem, apart from the driving shifts that each took turns with, there was just too much time on everyone's hands. Spike sat in one of the chairs, his eyes closed. Even though his relationship with Buffy was more than he'd ever hoped for, he still felt slightly depressed; the PTB's really had a twisted sense of humour, if they even had one at all. Being here with Buffy and being finally accepted by all; meant so much to him. He glanced over at Buffy who was sitting next to Giles while he drove. It would be Willow's turn to drive next, although he's never been in a car with her behind the wheel, Xander had sung praises about her driving skills. Buffy had still been a bit humpy that no one would let her drive. Dawn and Willow were getting rest while Xander watched the mini TV with headphones, so as not to disturb them.

Andrew was sitting across from Spike at the table, reading the latest edition of Cult Times. Spike watched Andrew as he scanned the pages. Andrew looked up as he felt someone watching him. He blushed as he saw it was Spike. Spike sighed inwardly, he was gonna have to nip this in the bud, without hurting the boy's feelings, he had a quick glance at the others, as they all seemed preoccupied with other things, he decided now would be the only time.

"What are you reading mate?" asked Spike.

"An in-depth interview with the actress who played Princess Leia, in Star wars," said Andrew enthusiastically.

"She was quite a hot chick, took Dru to see the premiere of it, but all the silly bint prattled about was the pretty stars," said Spike.

"Dru? One of your formers?" asked Andrew.

"For about a hundred years, what about you?" said Spike.

"Oh me, I've never really had a girlfriend or other, Warren, he er..." Andrew trailed off.

"He used you didn't he?" asked Spike.

"How did you know, did you read my mind or something?" asked Andrew sharply.

"Maybe, look have you ever thought that what happened with him, well he was a real bastard by all accounts, it may have just confused you, I have noticed that you're not happy unless you have a strong male to follow. But even if that is your bag, it's nothing to be ashamed of, but I like the female of the species myself," said Spike

Andrew looked at Spike.

"I know what you are talking about here, you think I have the hots for you, look I know you and Buffy are pretty tight," said Andrew.

"Well yeah, guess I am not handling this conversation as well as I thought well as I thought," replied Spike.

"I'm not as stupid as everyone else around here would like to believe, I have even summoned demons in my time," said Andrew proudly.

Spike ignored the latter half of his statement.

"Why work for the whelp then?" asked Spike.

"Because he took me in when no one else would, I am alone, I have no-one," said Andrew.

Spike looked at him sympathetically

"I know how that feels, any crumb tossed to a starving man; I know what it's like to be on the outside," said Spike.

Andrew looked at him, surprised.

"But you are always so cool and mysterious," said Andrew.

"Window dressing," Spike admitted.

"I know I can't be anything else to you, but I suppose I could use more friends," said Andrew nervously.

Spike looked at the vulnerability in Andrew's face, he could see it had taken him a lot to admit his fears. Spike smiled at him warmly and put out his hand; Andrew shook it enthusiastically.

"Doesn't mean that I won't still have a few jokes at your expense from time to time," growled Spike.

"Looking forward to it," grinned Andrew.

"And if you repeat this to anyone, I will bite you," said Spike

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They all lurched forward in the van as it came to a halt on the side of the road.

"What the bloody hell was that," exclaimed Spike.

"We appear to have a flat tyre," said Giles.

Willow sat up.

"Great news," Willow replied.

"Let me get the spare off the back, I am handy with a tool," said Xander.

All eyes turned to him.

"In the mechanical sense," Xander blushed.

"Have you ever changed a tyre before?" asked Spike.

"I've seen it done enough times," Said Xander getting out of the van.

Several moments passed, No Xander.

"Should we send out a search party?" asked Buffy.

Xander popped his head back in.

"Houston we have a problem, just checked the cavity for the spare, there isn't one," said Xander.

"Well we have two gods on board, couldn't the pair of you magic up a new tyre?" asked Dawn, looking at both Willow and Spike.

Willow and Spike looked at each other empathetically.

"Do I look like the Goodyear blimp?" asked Spike sarcastically.

"I don't think it's that simple Dawnie," said Willow.

"Well maybe it would help if we knew where we are, let's look on the map and try and figure out the location of the nearest gas station," said Giles.

After several moments of deliberation, they decide they were almost out of the state of Iowa, a little way from a town called Council Bluffs.

"Bleedin' Iowa, we'd better not bump in to captain cardboard," said Spike.

"That's not very likely, he and Sam are probably off on some secret mission or other," said Willow.

"What for? To look for his missing personality?" asked Spike.

Buffy turned round in the seat.

"Just drop it okay," said Buffy, glaring at Spike.

"Well nothing is going to be achieved by sitting here, who's going to get us a wheel?" asked Giles.

"Spike and I will go," said Buffy.

Giles looked at the others appealingly.

"Ok, I'll go with them," said Xander.

"Yeah, we don't want a repeat of earlier," said Dawn.

Spike pretended to look shocked.

"I don't know what you mean nibblet," said Spike.

Buffy grabbed spike and hauled him out of the RV,

"I love it when you play rough," said Spike suggestively,

Xander rolled his remaining eye.

"If we are not back in an hour presume I am either dead or insane," said Xander as he watched Buffy and Spike walk away, hand in hand.

"Thought you were already insane," mumbled Andrew.

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Spike, Xander and Buffy walked along the road, although Xander was feeling the effects of three's a crowd syndrome. He sighed as he listened to the pair whisper sweet nothings to each other like a pair of lovebirds, he was feeling slightly sick.

Buffy looked at Xander.

"You're awfully quiet Xander, why aren't you joining in the conversation?" asked Buffy.

"How do you reply to you have the sexiest blue eyes or you have the most pert pair of.."

"Xander!" Buffy cut him off.

"Oh thank God! A gas station," said Xander.

"And we are going to pay for this how?" asked Buffy.

Xander reddened.

"Dammit I left Giles's credit card back at the RV, how much do you guys have on you?" asked Xander.

Buffy looked in her wallet; there were only a few bucks and some loose change. Xander came up with the same.

"Hang on children, let's not panic, you two wait here," said Spike.

He disappeared across the street and entered what looked like a bar,

"Oh great, when the going gets tough the tough get wasted," said Xander.

"Have a little faith in him Xander," said Buffy folding her arms defensively.

Xander was getting restless, he looked at Buffy and disturbed a dreamy expression on her face.

"Penny for them," said Xander.

"Huh?" said Buffy, waking from her daydream.

"Your thoughts," said Xander.

Buffy just shook her head and smiled.

"They are too precious to put a price on," she said

"So it's working out with soul boy then?" asked Xander.

Buffy looked at him,

"Better than my wildest dreams, it's just this thing hanging over us that stops it from being perfect," said Buffy.

"What's the worst that could happen, you could have your very own hell god, couldn't be any worse than Glory," he grinned

Buffy looked at him shocked.

"Living dimensions apart, long distance relationships never work out," said Buffy.

Spike came out of the bar at a run.

"Move it!" he yelled at the surprised pair.

"No not there, the gas station!" he said as they started to run off in the opposite direction.

Spike caught up with them and pulled them into the sales office.

"Get down!" he told xander and Buffy.

"What?" asked Buffy as she and Xander crouched on the floor beside him.

Xander peeped over the top to see several excited women emerging from the bar, looking in all directions.

"You were running away from that?" asked Xander, looking at Spike as if he had gone mad.

"Kind of a one woman man," said Spike looking at Buffy.

Seeing her flushed and panting as she got her breath back, reminded him of the last time he's seen her like that, their eyes locked and he leaned in for a kiss.

"Ahem!" coughed a mechanic in greasy overalls.

Spike and Buffy flushed guiltily, the three of them rose from the floor.

"My friend here had lost her contact, we were helping her look for it," said Xander lamely

Spike took the matter in hand.

"Our RV's gotta a flat," said Spike reaching into his back pocket pulling out a thick wad of bills.

"Where'd all that money come from?" asked Buffy wide eyed.

"Did you conjure it up," asked Xander quietly.

"In a manner of speaking," said Spike.

They settled the bill for the new tyre and walked back to the RV.

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"Any one want to play I spy or charades?" asked Andrew

The other occupants of the vehicle groaned.

Willow gave Andrew her "Evil Willow" look.

"Just trying to pass the time," said Andrew petulantly.

"Could they take any longer?" complained Dawn.

They all jumped as someone knocked on the back door of the van.

Giles opened the doors, and Spike stood there, a big grin on his face.

"Mission accomplished, now everyone get your asses out of here so we can fix this thing and be on our bleedin' way," said Spike.

"How'd you pay for it, you left my card here, didn't bother sending anyone to give it to you as I thought you'd be back for it," said Giles.

"No need, Spike here knows how to make money," said Xander, more than a little impressed.

"But that's impossible, everyone knows that money can't be..." said Willow.

Spike cut her off, looking very uncomfortable.

"Ah yes, want to help with a levitation spell here Red as we have nothing to jack the van up with," said Spike hastily.

Willow jumped out of the van with the remaining occupants. She mumbled a few words and the van started to rise. The van was soon fixed and they were on their way. They drove down Main Street, out of Council Bluffs.

"Oh look there's that bar you went in," said Buffy.

"Dance for dollars?" asked Dawn

"What?" asked Buffy.

"That's the name of it," Dawn informed her sister.

"Spike! You didn't," said Buffy.

"Well, it got us our bloody tyre, didn't it," said Spike

Xander was hunched over his shoulders shaking with laughter, Dawn gave him a cheeky look.

"I have $5, wanna give us a twirl Spike?" asked Dawn grinning.

"I knew you hadn't made money," Willow.

"I had, just not in the way you all assumed," said Spike raising an eyebrow at them all.

Andrew got out his video camera.

"What's that out for?" asked Willow.

"Just in case Spike decides to take Dawn up on her offer," said Andrew.

There were collective sighs in the van.

"Buffy you're quiet, you're not pissed at me?" asked Spike.

"How could I be? As long as it was looky and no touchy, you're mine," said Buffy, kissing him in front of everyone.

Buffy's hands rested on the waistband of his jeans, she frowned as she pulled a dollar bill from beneath the edge.

"Looks like I forgot one," said Spike sheepishly.

For such a small woman, Willow drove the van well, everyone relaxed, Xander sat up front with Willow, while Giles got some rest,

"So when do you think we'll be back in Sunnydale then Wills?" asked Xander.

"Sometime tomorrow evening, as long as there is no more incidents," said Willow.

TBC

A/N really sorry that it has been so long since updates, I had major writers block and have been ill too.