A/N: This is a longer part than usual. Hope you like it. And thanks for all the reviews. Keep it up.

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LA

Night

Xander had left his dingy motel room, where he had changed his Africa wardrobe into something more suitable for the LA night. The one eyed brunette looked inside black leather trenchcoat, quickly examining the weaponry within. It revealed several guns in the lining, of which a shotgun that hung in a sheath on the inside right of his jacket was the biggest. Around his waist he wore a belt containing stakes and a couple of bottles containing blessed water.

Dressed entirely in black and even his long trenchcoat could not hide his trained physique, giving him grace. His longer brown hair hung over his shoulder. Finished by the eye-patch covering his left eye and his sun-browned skin, his face looked as if he had experienced the darkest of things life had to offer.

Wow! Faith admired, Much better. Giles and Woody have done a miracle. "Looking good, X," she complemented him, blowing out a stream of smoke.

Xander shrugged. "Just try to blend in."

She smiled wickedly. "Maybe you should do that more often then."

"It's an idea. Andrew seems to like it. Reminds him of Spike. Can't blame him. He's hot."

Faith rolled her eyes. Everytime she complemented him, he refered it too his new-found gayness. She knew that was only to fuck with her ego. "Think you can handle that gun with one eye?" she tried to get back at him as she pointed at the shotgun.

"It's hard to miss when you put it in a face," he responded calmly.

They walked through several alleys and remained quiet for some time. "So, where are we heading for, X?" Faith broke the silence.

"Check out some demon bars. Willow said that the key to the mystery is here somewhere."

They reached the first demon bar for their search. "Stay here, Faith. I'm gonna get some info."

"I'm coming with you," Faith said as Xander held up his hand.

He scowled. "You stay here, Slayer." It sounded way too much as an order to Faith's liking. Ever since she had joined him, he almost hadn't said a word. And if he did than it those words were more and more used to get under her skin. It made her pissed, but at the same time she wondered what was going on insid that skull of his.

"I think it's better for me to-"

"You thought wrong . . ." Xander said coldly, ignoring the unwanted concern she was unwittingly sharing with him.

She swallowed it and he entered the bar. Faith listened to her boots hit the pavement as a distraction to calm her irritation down. She finished her smoke and threw it to the ground. She reached for another one.

*****

Buffy and her fifteen year old daughter were sunbathing in her garden.

The Slayer turned her head to her daughter and smiled. "It won't take long for Willow's magic will kick in."

She returned the smile. "It's so cool. I can't wait."

"It's also a huge responsibility. You do realize that, don't you."

"Hey. Trained for fifteen years, remember?"

Buffy held up her hand. "Sorry. I know."

The girl smirked. "I'm gonna kick dad's ass more than ever."

Buffy smirked back. "Be gentle with him."

Buffy slowly opened her eyes as she woke up, her eyes dazed. She looked around and saw that it was still night. She turned around and saw Spike still sleeping.

*****

After having gone to several bars, without having gained any result, Faith found herself again outside a bar. For some reason it didn't bothered her not so much anymore. But it wasn't relaxing either. She reached inside her pocket for a smoke and realized that it was the last one. "Fuck."

"Hey," a guy said. He stepped off to the side and held up a sigarette. "Wanna smoke?" he offered.

Faith looked up and down the guy as she hid her gratefullness. "Yeah, sure."

The guy handed her one and lit it as he puffed away on his as his eyes roamed her body. "You're alone?"

She didn't want any conversation whatsoever, just wanted to smoke in peace. "No."

"Oh yeah. Is that why you look so miserable."

She scowled threatingly at him. "Mind your own business, pal."

"You should come on in," he said, nodding towards the dive they stood in front of. "Pretty cool place." He didn't say anything more than that and walked right in. She stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. "Just wanted to ask you a question."

He grinned. "Sure."

Faith paused. Not sure what to ask. She didn't have a clue what was going on. "Never mind," she answered while she smoothly moved her hand and dusted him.

Faith looked up, throwing her cigarette on the ground. Then she had noticed that a small paper had dropped out of the vamp's jacket when he had offered her a sigaret. The girl picked it up and read it quickly. She raised an eyebrow and a grin flickered on her face. "Shit." She walked in and immediately scoped the place out.

Faith moved to the bar and smirked as she saw him involved with a couple of demons in a brawl. "Yo, bar guy!" she called, "Gimme a Heineken."

She took the beer and watched the show as Xander was barely able to avoid a punch from an ugly. He swung his fist in respond and hit the demon straight in the face, resulting in a broken nose as the demon fell to the ground with a scream. Only then Faith noticed the brass knuckles on his fist. The other demon backed away, but was quickly replaced by a vampire from behind. He was about to grab Xander from behind without him noticing it. Faith didn't think for second as she pushed her stake in it's back. Xander turned her around, his eye wide.

"Faith."

"Don't have to thank me. Any info?"

He scowled. "No."

Faith smiled and handed him the paper. He read it as then looked back at her, stunned. "What?"

"Thought you would be interested."

"Where did you get this from?"

"Hey, a Slayer has his own sources. Besides, who said that smoking was bad?" she muttered the last sentence.

"And I happen to be your Watcher. You don't have any secrets from me."

Faith smirked. "Don't I know it." She looked in his annoyed face. "You're no fun." She sighed, no longer in the mood for more teasing. "It was a vamp I met outside. Dusted him after he dropped it."

"Let's check it out. If this is true than Spike is gonna get a visit. And he ain't gonna like it."

Next morning

Wolfram and Hart

With only a towel around his waist he walked out the bathroom into livingroom. His upper body was half dry as small drips were still rolling over his chest. Buffy was sitting on the couch, wearing a robe. She looked up at him, her eyes serious. She didn't notice him coming in.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

She turned her head toward him. The worry in her eyes hurt him. "Why haven't you told me that you were alive?"

"I-I don't know. It's just, well it sounds so weird. Hello, Buffy. It's Spike. I didn't burn up like you thought. How are things?" he more or less joked.

Buffy took it serious. "You didn't burn up like I thought? What do you mean? You did burn up, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. It bloody hurt."

Buffy frowned. "How come you're not dead?"

"It's that bloody amulet that Peaches gave you. They tried to-" He stopped, dedicing to leave the Hell part out of the story. "Suffice to say, I didn't end up in heaven, but here." He stared at her. "I wanted to look you up at first. But, this amulet was stucked here. And that thing and I had a kind of connection." He paused. "Then a lightflash and there was this whole destiny thing, but that got dropped at the bottom of a cup of perpetual nothing?"

Buffy's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I got freed."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

She sighed. "I understand. I think."

They were silent for some time.

The vampire sighed. "Look, Buffy. Spike's not a hero. The Spike you knew, was the Spike that's only out for himself. The one who did good deeds to impress . . . women."

She smiled. "Well you did impress me." Her face turned serious again.

He sighed and looked at her. "Buffy, what I did in that hell-hole . . . I didn't save the world to save the world."

There was a moment of awkward silence, which was broken by Buffy.

"Is that why you have joined Angel? To follow his footsteps and become a hero?"

"I've got no itch to join Peaches' evil empire."

Buffy frowned, confused. "But, you have joined? Fred told me."

"Oh, bugger it off. I need money. You know, for our baby."

Spike noticed that her mood dropped an inch instead of what he had expected, a smile. He instantly dropped the issue and went back on the old topic.

"I tried to find myself. Wanted to do some good and-" He paused and shook his head. "I guess this is a kind of post world-saving traumatic experience."

"I know that feeling."

"It's not what I had expected. I thought it would feel fantastic. But, it sucks."

"Don't I know it." She looked confused. "Spike, are you trying to tell me that this whole hero thing that's bothering you, was holding you back from me?"

"Well, kind of, I guess. Look, Buffy. I don't have a destiny. And I don't want it." He looked at her. "Bloody hell, I don't know."

She looked worried at him. "What are you trying to tell?"

"I don't think I deserve you. I'm not a hero. I'm wannabe, but I just-"

Buffy smiled and kissed him as her hands rubbed over his chest. "Yes, you are. You died for me. You're my hero."

Spike's swallowed and his eyes widened as he was clearly touched by her soft words.

**************

I have removed two names of the nominations list. It's about time to move to a name :)

Nominations:

Aurora

Tanya-Joyce

Anne

Lysandra

Anya

Tara

Anastasia

Mallory Anne