Title: Long Way From Home - Chapter 2 - First impressions.

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Summary: Having left Willow and Oz to catch up with each other, Buffy settles down near the river until it gets dark. As she gets up to leave someone tall, blond and English knocks her onto her ass.

Timeline: Buffy and Willow are students at the University of Oxford, Spike is a part time masters student and fronts a band with Oz. Set in England, Buffy is early 20s Spike is late 20s - everyones human.

Series: Part 2 of ?

Pairing: Buffy and Spike. Everyones Human AU.

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: everyone else owns Buffy and all associated with her.

Feedback: always welcome so email me - webmaster@talesoftheslayer.com

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Buffy took to walking through the park and letting her feet wander wherever her mind lead them. Listening to the gravel scrunching underfoot she did a circuit of the parks perimeter, following the little tributary river that ran under the now barren trees, leading her feet to the Thames.

On reaching the bank of the wide river she found a bench to settle on and watched people walking past, groups of friends laughing in the fading sunshine and couples feeding the ducks. A few swans looked at her with interest before moving on as soon as they realised she had nothing good to offer them.

Losing herself in thought as she watched the university boat teams rowing along the river she stared contemplatively at the still surface of the water, almost feeling the turbulent undercurrent hidden below. The narrow bows of the boats sliced the water, barely making a ripple before the splash of the oars that followed.

When she finally looked up she hadn't realised how dark it had become. Glancing at the bridge off to her right she saw the streetlights flickering on, turning from pink to orange as the bulbs warmed up.

Gathering her books Buffy stood and gave a quick look to the bench she had been resting on, seeing the flyer that Oz had given her sitting there. Picking it up she read it as she walked hurriedly towards the park gates. Willow was bound to want to go to the gig and that mean she would have to go with her, Buffy thought of a million things that she would rather do on a Friday night.


Running always cleared his head; he inhaled sharply as he hit the gravel hard underfoot. The light was fading fast and the air smelt like rain was coming, the comforting scent of damp earth, like after a thunderstorm - he'd always loved that smell.

Slipping on his earphones as he ran it was a race to make a couple of laps of the park before the gates closed and he was trapped. Spike liked that feeling, racing against more than just the clock. He could easily run the streets but it thrilled him to run hard and fast for the sake of freedom.

Levelling out his breathing as his pace quickened he wondered if he could fit three laps in tonight. It was near dark already and at this time of evening it was usually empty, so the paths should be free of obstacles.

He watched the trees that lined the avenue to the river pass him quickly and turned the volume up a notch, nothing like running and punk to make you feel alive.

Rounding the corner he had settled into his stride and was moving swiftly along the path. Struck for a moment at the sight of the moon rising over the river Spike turned blindly onto the broadwalk.


And that's when he hit her, without warning Buffys reverie over a good Friday night in was rudely interrupted by Spike knocking her to the ground.

She landed awkwardly and felt a jolt run up her spine as pain exploded in her ankle. There was damp coming through the backside of her jeans and she struggled to sit up.

"Bloody hell, you alright?" A hand was in her face, offering to help her up. Buffy squinted in the half-light and followed the arm up to its owner but couldn't make anything out. Letting her eyes fall back to the ground she looked at his legs, they were good legs.

Deciding it was best to help herself up Buffy felt pain shoot up her shin as she tried to put weight on her ankle. It was killing her as she hobbled to the nearest bench.

"No thanks to you. That's for sure." She watched him like a hawk as he collected her books off the ground and paused to read the flyer.

"Said I was sorry didn't I?" He placed the books down beside her and watched as she rubbed her ankle, face screwed up in pain and golden hair reflecting the pale moonlight.

Keeping her face hidden from him she was struck by his accented tones, he seemed to manage to put such a force of emotion into every word and something about his accent made her head spin. She told herself it was purely because she so rarely heard it, most of her friends and tutors were American or from other European countries - she hardly knew any English people at all at college.

"Here." Kneeling in front of her Spike slipped her trainer off.

Buffy couldn't bring herself to protest as he seemed genuinely sorry and she felt guilty since she hadn't been looking where she was going either. Feeling like she was in a daze Buffy looked him over.

He was dressed in dark shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt she let her eyes roam over his lean arm muscles. They danced under his tight pale skin as he worked to massage her ankle; whatever he was doing it felt good.

When he looked up at her she took in the angles of his face. His hair looked blond but more so than hers, it was gelled but messy like he had just got out of bed, little waves fell down onto his forehead and she could see dark roots showing. A fine sheen of sweat caused his high sculptured cheekbones to glisten in the moonlight and his whole face softened as he smiled up at her.

"I think you're alright now." Slipping her trainer back on Spike stood up and stretched his legs, all the while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the girl. Her figure was slim but well toned, she had a pretty face with large eyes and glossy red lips that smiled up at him as he watched her.

"Best be off. They close the gates soon, you'd better hurry unless you want to be stuck in here all night with the nasties." He sniffed as he stretched one last time and then started off at a sprint.

Buffy sat there for a few minutes staring in the direction he had run, then looked at her watch. 7:25pm.

"Willow!" Buffy scrambled her stuff together and started home.