A/N: Oh, finally I have a computer. It isn't very good. And I don't have Internet access on it, but it's something, at least. I'll still just be able to post on the weekends, but now I can write during the weeks! I'm so happy!!! Also, I want to say thank you to those who reviewed, I really appreciate it and I hope you'll keep reading! Much of love from me. mell

Chapter 6

She walked with hesitant steps in the direction in which he'd gone minutes before. She didn't really feel like talking to him, but at the same time she knew that they'd have to work together to get back, or else she would be stuck in this dimension for an unknown period of time, maybe forever.

The narrow corridors that went in straight lines though the building led to many different rooms and staircases, and she feared that she might end up someplace where she shouldn't be. The whole building - no, the whole city- was crowded with vampires, and she had no chance of fighting them all. The only thing she could do was to attract as little attention as possible and find the annoying vampire that seemed to have vanished into thin air. But at least it gave her some time to think.

Buffy knew that she didn't love him, she was sure of that, but still there was something there. Something made her eyes linger on him when he wasn't looking her way, and something made her trust him even though it didn't make any sense to do so. And something made her care.

Of course she couldn't tell him this, he's misunderstand and think that she felt the same way about him as he did about her (which she didn't, she was sure about that), and he'd think he had a chance. For the hundredth time she wished she had never seen the demon that had made them end up in this horrible dimension. Once they got back home she could ignore him and avoid him, she wouldn't have to feel his eyes on her or hearing him trying to convince her that there was something between them.

But the fact that she'd hugged him and cried against his shoulder only half an hour or so earlier still remained. It had been very innocent, but she'd seen his face when she'd let go off him. She knew that it had meant something to Spike. And some part of her felt like it had meant something to her too. She had felt truly safe and sheltered for the first time since her return, and while he'd held her it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. But the moment that she'd stepped away from him she remembered who and what he was, and she couldn't understand why she'd done it. But at the same time she'd wanted to wrap her arms around him again and just forget about everything around them, about their past and about what they both were, but she couldn't and he'd walked away before she'd gotten the time to talk to him, to explain. She didn't actually know what she would've told him, but she was sure she could've come up with something, even though she wasn't sure about what to tell herself.

"-for about three months," Buffy suddenly heard a vaguely familiar voice say from inside one of the rooms. She paused outside the door and tried to hear as much as possible of what was said.

"The Mayor was the one who decided that we'd put the headquarters here, since it was on top of the hellmouth and all," the voice continued, and Buffy searched frantically in her memory to try to remember who it belonged to.

There was the sound of constant walking in there; either the room was very big or someone was pacing back and forth without stopping.

"No one's tried to open it?" she suddenly, and to her great surprise, heard Spike ask.

"Open what?"

"The hellmouth," Spike said impatiently. "I'd think that that would be on the top of the Master list of things to do."

"The Master?" the other man asked confusedly. "Who's that?"

Before Spike had the time to reply Buffy pushed the door open and stepped in. The sight of Spike pacing over the floor without even looking at her as she came in and Vin turning to stare at her in surprise met her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said calmly and positioned herself in the middle of the room, which wasn't big at all. It was barely larger then her bedroom, with a small couch and two comfy-looking armchairs and a large round table covered with what looked like ancient books of the kind that Giles had, with titles such as 'The old myths of Vampires', 'Vampires in history' etc. Vin really seemed to like his own kind.

"That depends," Vin replied with a mysterious grin which gave her the creeps.

"Depends on what?" she asked.

"Depends on whether or not you can be trusted," he said coldly with a glance over at Spike who still hadn't looked at her. "Can you?"

The whole situation confused the hell out of her, but she refused too let him see it, she needed to look like she was in control. But she really didn't know what to answer, or what he meant.

"Why do you have to trust me?" she asked coldly and wished that Spike could give her a hint of what the hell was happening, but the vampire ignored her.

"Because, some things aren't meant for human ears," Vin said with a cryptic smile.

The slayer rolled her eyes and scowled. "And what would that be? Just give me an example."

The bulky vampire chuckled and shot an amused look at Spike who was looking out through the springs between the heavy curtains and out the window at the setting sun. His face was grim and cold, and there was no evidence on it that suggested that he was even listening to the conversation. Buffy watched him silently, and somewhere deep inside of her there was a sting of guilt. She knew that she was somewhat, or completely, responsible for his brooding and for some reason (probably the same as the reason why she'd broken down and searched for comfort in his arms) she felt bad about it. She wanted to walk up to him and say the right words that would make him cheer up, but the trouble was that she didn't know which words to choose. The slayer couldn't explain her earlier behavior even to herself, much less to him.

With a sigh she turned her attention back at Vin.

"Tell me why I should trust you," Vin demanded calmly and gazed at her expectantly. His eyes were almost constantly on her, and it made the young woman feel slightly uncomfortable.

Frantically she tried to come up with something, the truth that she needed all of the information she could get in order to get back to her own dimension didn't really feel like the way to go.

"Because." she started, hoping that the words would just come to her, but it didn't seem like she was having that sort of luck. "Because I tell you that you can. And because I'm not stupid, I know that you could kill me in a second if you thought that I've spread out whatever it is that you were going to tell Spike."

That wasn't exactly true, and she watched him tensely, hoping that her words had been enough to convince him. She had no idea about what they had been talking about, she didn't even know if it was that important. But her curiosity and her will to get home made her feel like she couldn't waste any chances.

Luckily the vampire seemed to approve her argument, because he shrugged and turned back to Spike again, although he still kept an eye on the blonde young woman.

"Where was I?" he asked absently and looked like he was trying to remember something. "Yeah, right. The Hellmouth. We've been here for over forty years now-of course there was vampires here before that too, but not to this extent-and this is the center of our power and ruling. From this building the fate of all of the undead and living on this realm is decided, and everything that happens is reported to the mayor." Suddenly Vin stopped and looked over at Spike curiously. "But all of this are things that you should already know," he said thoughtfully and walked up to the blonde vampire and stared at him closely. "Why would anyone come here and ask me questions like this, when there is no way that he couldn't know. There is not one place on earth that we do not control, and where we haven't changed the land into our liking. If I were you I'd start speaking right now, and I wouldn't lie or keep anything hidden."

Buffy felt a rush of panic build up inside of her, and for the first time since she'd walked into the room Spike showed any sign of emotion. He even looked over at Buffy for a split of a second, and he tensed visibly. Nether one of them wanted to tell Vin the truth; who knew what would happen then? The vampire seemed to work directly under the Master, and something about him was strange. He wasn't the mindless killing machine like many other vampires, there was something in his eyes that gave the impression of real intelligence, and he wasn't just another of the Masters minions. Strangely enough he reminded her of someone, even though his looks wasn't anything like her good friend's. The thought of Giles looking like a bodybuilder wearing sporty clothes and with spiky hair almost made her start laughing in the middle of the very serious situation that they were in.

"We like our privacy, mate," Spike said cockily, but he knew very well that that wasn't something that would convince Vin that nothing strange was going on. And Vin really looked disbelieving.

"Then why would you come here and put yourselves in the middle of everyone's attention if you're so keen on keeping to yourselves?" he asked sarcastically, and Buffy saw that he was starting to lose his patients with them. Unless they came up with something good soon, he'd most likely go straight to the Master and tell him that there was something odd with the two new guests, and that couldn't lead to anything but trouble.

But they didn't have the chance to say anything more, because suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps was heard outside the door in the hallway that Buffy had used to get to the room. Strangely Vin all of a sudden got a terrified look on his face, and he quickly hurried over to what looked like a linen closet and opened the door. It was completely dark in there, and the footsteps came closer and closer. Both Buffy and Spike stared at the vampire in confusion when he whispered urgently that they had to get in there and stay until he told them that it was okay to come out. When neither one of them moved he ran up to them and grabbed Buffy's arm forcefully and practically dragged her into the closet. She could have gotten loose if she'd really wanted to, but the effect that the approaching person had on Vin made her decide that it might be a good idea to keep out of sight for a while. It seemed like Spike came to the same decision, because he soon joined her in the dark and small space just before Vin closed the door and whoever it was that made Vin so terrified stepped into the room.

The door to the closet was quite thin, and most of the sounds were just as clear in there as they were in the room. Buffy tried to breath as little and as silently as she could and wished that she could see what was happening, and who the newcomer was. Next to her Spike shifted to a more comfortable position and although she couldn't see him she knew that he was concentrating to hear what was happening just as much as her. The space was so small that Buffy practically stood on his feet and her left shoulder buried itself into his chest. She wanted to move away, but knew that she would most likely hit something in the darkness, and that would let the person outside know that they were there.

No word had been uttered yet, and Buffy was growing inpatient, but when the creature started speaking she jumped a little of surprise. She hadn't realized herself how tense she was, or how much the fact that she was pressed together with Spike affected her. She wanted to move away from him and at the same time wanted to get even closer, to put her arms around him again.

"Have you made all of the arrangements?" a loud, dark voice asked coldly and she immediately knew that it wasn't a human or any normal vampire.

"Yes, all has been taken care of. It'll be done and over by this time next week." There was something resembling a tremble in Vin's voice, and he was almost whispering, probably to prevent the two who was locked into the closet to hear, Buffy thought. Something strange was definitely going on.

"Good," the demon said with a pleased voice. "I expect everything to go as I've said, if it doesn't you know what'll happen." The creature was quiet for a moment as if to accentuate his point. "If the Mayor's dust isn't spread out in the wind in seven days, I'll kill you myself." A low and rumbling laugh was heard and the he continued. "I trust that you keep your part of the agreement. If you do I'll keep mine. When the news of the Mayor's death have reached me, I'll give you enough power to take over this dimension and I'll give you the key to open the others, but only once. The door between dimensions can only be open for twelve seconds, so be sure that you've had it all planned out before the that time has come." Then the vampire, demon or whatever it was left without another word and the room went quiet.