AN: Ok, here is the next part J Thanks so much for the feed back! Please keep it up, I haven't decided yet who will actually get together Would it be gratuitous to have both couples hook up? I will have to see where this story takes me, anyhow, Disclaimer, still isn't mine, I am in negotiations for Spike, he just doesn't know it yet :D hehehe
Feedback!! Please, I am a slave to it. (Well not really, but if sounding desperate gives you more reason to respond, then I am all for it)
Spike spun and kicked the fledgling on his right towards Buffy's waiting stake. He turned and punched the other on his left, kneeing him in the stomach and whipping out a stake while the vamp was preoccupied, he plunged it in through the back. Spike had decided that since he could fight only demons he might as well do it with the winning team. Especially after the run in he had had with the demon at the bar, he felt he was making good use of the old saying, 'keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.'
"Well Spike, guess that's all for tonight. Riley is meeting us at Xander's, he wants to meet Sarah too."
"Not that poof wad." Buffy punched Spike's arm.
"No dissin' the honey."
"Come on, you bad mouth Dru all the time."
"That's because she is a psycho hoe, and not to mention Harmony."
"Bash Harm all you want, just stop with Dru."
"I will think about it."
"Just because it hurts me to hurt you, doesn't mean I won't."
"Whatever Spike, you are all talk." With that, Buffy walked past Spike before he had a chance to reply.
****
There was a knock at the basement door; Xander got up to get it.
"It must be Riley, Buff's boyfriend."
"Riley? I thought his name was Spike?"
"Spike, and Buffy, oh no. Not until pigs fly," Willow exclaimed
"Or someone casts a spell." Xander mumbled.
"But it's just that with the way they acted, with the bickering and all, they seemed like a couple."
"They always have acted that way," Xander opened the door to let the tall well-built figure of Riley Finn in.
"Hi," he waved a bashful hand at Sarah; "I'm Riley."
"And I am Anya, and Xander's mine." A red head from behind him said stepping forward and attaching herself to Xander's arm.
"Anya, sweetie, Sarah is my cousin, cousins don't get together anymore, that whole in breeding thing went out centuries ago."
"Oh, well, still you are mine. So when is everybody going to leave, I want to have sex." Xander's face flushed scarlet, he pulled her off into the laundry room to give her another talk on the things to say and more specifically not to say around people.
Fortunately, the entrance of Spike and Buffy diverted the rest of the group's attention.
"Ready to go Bronzing you guys?" Buffy walked over to Riley who leaned over to kiss her.
"Definitely."
A gagging sound came from somewhere near where Spike stood.
Everybody else gathered their stuff and walked out of the basement into the deceivingly calm night.
***At the Bronze****
Buffy Sarah and willow sat at the table, Anya and Xander were dancing, Riley's beeper had gone off soon after they had arrived. He had left after making the appropriate excuses for Sarah's benefit, while Spike had taken up residence on a barstool as he nursed a tall glass of beer.
"No way, he didn't say that!" Sarah's laughter rang out in affirmation of Willow's shock, Buffy soon joined in.
"That is so like him, think Will, this is great black mail material." Willow's expression took a turn for the devious. Before any plans on their friend could be made Xander and Anya walked up to the table
"Hey guys, I think we are going to call it a night, " Sarah got up to leave with them, "you don't have to leave Sarah."
"No don't you need to finish your story, plus I am sure there are a few we could tell you," the wicked glint still evident in Willow's eyes.
"Yeah don't worry we will walk back with you or you can stay in our dorm if you need to, there is plenty of room."
"Well ok, thanks guys," Sarah smiled at her new friends, it was nice to talk to people her own age for once, and Karen had made it hard for her to keep friends. She had always been too busy around the house and watching Toby. Not that it mattered; not many people wanted to be her friend. Her dreamy eyed looked always freaked them out.
Xander and the lusty eyed Anya had left with their hands entwined, after they were gone the girls had continued to swap stories on Xander. As the time passed the conversation topic changed to that of the other male that Sarah had met that day.
"So where did he get the name Spike?"
Buffy plastered a grin on her face and replied, " We were in a band together, he was the lead singer, it's kinda a long story how he got the name Spike..."
"Yeah boring too." Willow chimed in.
"Luv, come on you got her interest now," Spike swaggered over to the girls," besides you tell the story so well."
"Spike, I think you've had too much, why don't we walk you home?"
"Awww, but Slayer, it was just getting fun." Buffy elbowed him at the use of her title; Sarah raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"You ready to go Sarah?" Willow asked getting up.
"Yeah."
******
The walked across the cemetery, Buffy really didn't want to take Sarah with her on patrols, but she didn't have a choice. She still was having hopes of running into no baddies. Willow had run into Tara right after they left the Bronze. The two had gone off together after making some excuses to the rest of the group. Buffy wondered what those two really did together; their departure had whittled the group down to three, Buffy, Sarah and Spike. Spike was not making it easy for Buffy to keep the whole demons of the night thing under wraps, she wasn't sure if was him being his usual obnoxious self or the alcohol. A drunk Spike was one that often said things more bluntly than Cordelia.
"Well Spike it looks like Sarah won't be meeting your friends tonight," Buffy said as casually as should could as they slowly approached the mausoleum Spike liked to call home.
"I know, such a pity," Sarah's eyes widened at Spike's remark, however her reaction went unnoticed by her companions. Buffy and Spike were back to back in fighting stances.
"You feel them too."
"Yeah all around us."
"Ambush," Buffy growled out. Sarah did not notice Buffy's glance towards her until she yelled, "Sarah!"
The brunette's face whipped up meeting the sight of Buffy and Spike circling, along with glowing yellow eyes emerging from the surrounding areas of darkness.
"Sarah---" Buffy's words were cut short with a vampire's heavy blow to her face, however it did little but anger her. She quickly ducked and swept the offending demon's feet from beneath him with her right leg, as soon as he hit the ground Buffy leapt upon him and drove a wooden stake though his heart. Buffy stood and turned to help Spike with the others in the ambush, not even bothering to brush the dust from her clothing.
Sarah's thoughts had been taken off those of her personal trauma to the she was presently in. She felt she should be more scared than she was, however she had the oddest feeling that all would turn out all right.
*****
The creatures ignored William, and he was glad for that. He watched as one chased after a chicken, they certainly were odd little creatures. William turned around in the pit he had been deposited in, there was a huge chair to his back and he looked out a window onto a blue sky. An Owl flew in the window and over William's head, who turned around to look at this new comer instead he was met with the scrutinizing gaze of a man.
"Who have we here? A bit old I must say..."
"W-William, sir."
"Ah, William," the man pulled a crystal ball out of the air, making William's eyes go wide,
"And let's see who is going into our little Labyrinth for you?"
The man's eyes narrowed at first as he stared into the crystal, suddenly they widened and he frowned.
"I see, William, my lad, stay here the Goblins shall not harm you," he waved his hand in the air, " you must be hungry, I shall be back shortly."
William turned to where the man had gestured; a plate of food stood there, William turned to thank the man but all he saw was the white owl gliding out the window and over the maze.