Disclaimer: There's no use, I don't own them and never will
Buffy squatted down on the floor, resting on her haunches and facing the two vampires. She let her eyes slide closed, trying to understand the soul/demon dichotomy.
'Yay me. Big words.' She thought to herself bitterly.
The person she was addressing now was completely Spike. Old Spike. Demon, chipless Spike. Even with her eyes closed she was at full alertness. "So you broke out of hell. Somehow, I'm not too surprised." She said lightly. "You never were one to sit and do what you were told to do."
"No, I never was." Said Spike. Buffy tensed. His words were slurred; he had shifted into gameface. Letting his demon out.
"And neither of you have souls?" Asked Buffy.
"No." Said Spike. "I can't blame you for being suspicious."
"I can. I blame Buffy for a lot." Said Anya. Buffy shivered; the sound of Anya's voice distorted by fangs was something so foreign, so wrong, that her skin was crawling. "I blame Buffy for the fact I'm a vampire. How about for the fact I went to hell? I wasn't supposed to go to hell! I was a good guy! I died saving Andrew's life! Explain to me why I went to hell for that, huh?"
Spike growled something to the other vampire under his breath, so low Buffy couldn't hear it.
Buffy ignored it, focusing on the vampires. "I'm kind of interested in how you got out of hell. And how many demons will be hot on your tails."
"Forget it, Slayer." Said Spike, still focused on the murky glow. "Nobody is coming through the way we came. It was a one-time deal."
"How sure are you about that?" Asked Buffy suspiciously.
"I can't see how anybody could follow us." Said Anya. "I mean, it was William who did the heavy work, right? And why would he help anyone else? And besides, Angel broke out of hell that once, and you didn't get on his back like this, did you?"
Giles and Willow, standing and watching this, both glanced quickly to Buffy.
It was Spike, however, who reacted.
"That git!" He growled, tightening his grip on Anya. "He always has to be the first to do anything!" He sounded supremely annoyed.
Buffy shook her head. "So, you're back. Have big plans?" She opened her eyes, eyeing Spike closely. He stayed in demon-face, needing the extra strength it provided him to hold Anya back.
"Plans?" He asked blankly.
"We opened an all you can eat Slayer buffet." Said Buffy. "Tell me you don't find the idea appetizing."
Spike shifted back to human face. "Hey, this is me we're talking about, love!" He snapped. "I got the chip out before, remember?"
"That was when you had a soul." Said Buffy.
Spike hesitated. "Yeah, fat lot of good he was doing." He muttered under his breath.
"You know, I'm not actually trying to attack Buffy, and haven't been for a while." Said Anya. "You could let me go. Unless this is doing something for you."
"Sorry." Said Spike, letting go of Anya. She shook herself away from him, eyeing him as she shifted back to human face.
Anya turned to Buffy. "Buffy, tell me something, and be brutally honest, all right?" She shifted back into vampire face. "Does this look do anything for me in terms of dark and dangerous, or do I just look kind of ugly?"
Buffy was floored. "Um....vampires all just kind of look like walking targets to me." She said finally.
Anya exhaled, infuriated, and turned to Willow. "Willow? What do you think?"
"Um, good look." Said Willow. "Very intimidating."
"Great!" Said Anya, switching back to her human face. She hit Spike in the arm. "Mr uncooperative here wouldn't even give me a hint."
Spike shrugged. "You look like a vampire. Get over it." He leaned back against the wall. "So, you don't really trust us without souls. That's great, love, that really is."
Buffy scowled at him. "Hey, did you know your duster survived the Apocalypse?"
Spike's face lit up. "No way! Where is it?"
"Xander's wearing it." Said Buffy.
Spike choked, and coughed. "Bloody—is nothing sacred any more?!" He demanded loudly.
The Slayer calmly watched him. "You ask me this? You, the vampire who escaped hell because he was too good for the other demons?"
"Oh, oh!" Anya squealed. "Can I tell her my theory?"
"Oh, bother." Muttered Spike. "Go ahead, An. Tell her all about my unhappy childhood. My harsh potty training. How it turned me into the miserable excuse for a vampire I am today."
Buffy quirked an eyebrow upward. "Oh, this ought to be good."
"He liked his memories!" Squealed Anya. "The ones he stole from William! In fact, he liked them so much that he even tried to recreate them by turning William's mom! Then, afterwards, he kept trying, because he loved the feeling of love that he had felt in William's memories. William's love, although it may have been sort of wimpy, was so true and great and deep and heartfelt that, well, he loved the love! And so, unlike other vampires, he was in love with love! And because he loved love, he didn't reject it. When Angelus felt love, he felt dirty. When Spike felt love, he relished it. He wallowed in the love!!"
Buffy blinked. "I would have preferred the potty training story." She said.
"Well, that's there too. I mean, Angelus soured him on traditional vampire pursuits. He prefers fights, fighting. A challenge. How many other vampires are there like that? Who likes their victims to put up a fight, huh?" Asked Anya.
Spike growled. "Lots, actually. Heightens the bloodlust. Slayer, I'm sure you enjoyed that speech. Really, I'm sure. But let's talk about more important things."
"Like what?" Asked Buffy.
"Like Dawn. How is the Bit?" Asked Spike.
"Uh, fine. She has a job. As a secretary." Said Buffy quickly.
"Oh, that's good. Bit of normality will do her good." Said Spike.
Buffy eyed Spike and Anya. "So you're soulless, and you think I should trust you?"
Spike considered it, eyeing the soldier still pointing his rifle at the two vampires. "You know, if it makes you feel any better, you could have your soldier boys stick chips in our heads."
"Oh!" Said Anya. "Did we just volunteer for a chipping?"
"Doesn't hurt any worse than a soul." Spike assured her.
"Blah." Said Anya.
Buffy stared. "All right, I'm at least half-way convinced." She allowed.
"Buffy!" Said Willow, surprised.
"He just volunteered to put the chip back in—the chip that Spike hated so much. I think that either means he's a doppelganger or he's at least changed a little." Said Buffy calmly.
Spike scowls. "How about option c?" He suggested.
Anya punched him. "Just shut up. It looks like we've built up some of that precious trust you were blathering on about, and we haven't even had to save the world yet."
Spike blinked. "Oh, okay." He said with a smile.
Buffy squatted down on the floor, resting on her haunches and facing the two vampires. She let her eyes slide closed, trying to understand the soul/demon dichotomy.
'Yay me. Big words.' She thought to herself bitterly.
The person she was addressing now was completely Spike. Old Spike. Demon, chipless Spike. Even with her eyes closed she was at full alertness. "So you broke out of hell. Somehow, I'm not too surprised." She said lightly. "You never were one to sit and do what you were told to do."
"No, I never was." Said Spike. Buffy tensed. His words were slurred; he had shifted into gameface. Letting his demon out.
"And neither of you have souls?" Asked Buffy.
"No." Said Spike. "I can't blame you for being suspicious."
"I can. I blame Buffy for a lot." Said Anya. Buffy shivered; the sound of Anya's voice distorted by fangs was something so foreign, so wrong, that her skin was crawling. "I blame Buffy for the fact I'm a vampire. How about for the fact I went to hell? I wasn't supposed to go to hell! I was a good guy! I died saving Andrew's life! Explain to me why I went to hell for that, huh?"
Spike growled something to the other vampire under his breath, so low Buffy couldn't hear it.
Buffy ignored it, focusing on the vampires. "I'm kind of interested in how you got out of hell. And how many demons will be hot on your tails."
"Forget it, Slayer." Said Spike, still focused on the murky glow. "Nobody is coming through the way we came. It was a one-time deal."
"How sure are you about that?" Asked Buffy suspiciously.
"I can't see how anybody could follow us." Said Anya. "I mean, it was William who did the heavy work, right? And why would he help anyone else? And besides, Angel broke out of hell that once, and you didn't get on his back like this, did you?"
Giles and Willow, standing and watching this, both glanced quickly to Buffy.
It was Spike, however, who reacted.
"That git!" He growled, tightening his grip on Anya. "He always has to be the first to do anything!" He sounded supremely annoyed.
Buffy shook her head. "So, you're back. Have big plans?" She opened her eyes, eyeing Spike closely. He stayed in demon-face, needing the extra strength it provided him to hold Anya back.
"Plans?" He asked blankly.
"We opened an all you can eat Slayer buffet." Said Buffy. "Tell me you don't find the idea appetizing."
Spike shifted back to human face. "Hey, this is me we're talking about, love!" He snapped. "I got the chip out before, remember?"
"That was when you had a soul." Said Buffy.
Spike hesitated. "Yeah, fat lot of good he was doing." He muttered under his breath.
"You know, I'm not actually trying to attack Buffy, and haven't been for a while." Said Anya. "You could let me go. Unless this is doing something for you."
"Sorry." Said Spike, letting go of Anya. She shook herself away from him, eyeing him as she shifted back to human face.
Anya turned to Buffy. "Buffy, tell me something, and be brutally honest, all right?" She shifted back into vampire face. "Does this look do anything for me in terms of dark and dangerous, or do I just look kind of ugly?"
Buffy was floored. "Um....vampires all just kind of look like walking targets to me." She said finally.
Anya exhaled, infuriated, and turned to Willow. "Willow? What do you think?"
"Um, good look." Said Willow. "Very intimidating."
"Great!" Said Anya, switching back to her human face. She hit Spike in the arm. "Mr uncooperative here wouldn't even give me a hint."
Spike shrugged. "You look like a vampire. Get over it." He leaned back against the wall. "So, you don't really trust us without souls. That's great, love, that really is."
Buffy scowled at him. "Hey, did you know your duster survived the Apocalypse?"
Spike's face lit up. "No way! Where is it?"
"Xander's wearing it." Said Buffy.
Spike choked, and coughed. "Bloody—is nothing sacred any more?!" He demanded loudly.
The Slayer calmly watched him. "You ask me this? You, the vampire who escaped hell because he was too good for the other demons?"
"Oh, oh!" Anya squealed. "Can I tell her my theory?"
"Oh, bother." Muttered Spike. "Go ahead, An. Tell her all about my unhappy childhood. My harsh potty training. How it turned me into the miserable excuse for a vampire I am today."
Buffy quirked an eyebrow upward. "Oh, this ought to be good."
"He liked his memories!" Squealed Anya. "The ones he stole from William! In fact, he liked them so much that he even tried to recreate them by turning William's mom! Then, afterwards, he kept trying, because he loved the feeling of love that he had felt in William's memories. William's love, although it may have been sort of wimpy, was so true and great and deep and heartfelt that, well, he loved the love! And so, unlike other vampires, he was in love with love! And because he loved love, he didn't reject it. When Angelus felt love, he felt dirty. When Spike felt love, he relished it. He wallowed in the love!!"
Buffy blinked. "I would have preferred the potty training story." She said.
"Well, that's there too. I mean, Angelus soured him on traditional vampire pursuits. He prefers fights, fighting. A challenge. How many other vampires are there like that? Who likes their victims to put up a fight, huh?" Asked Anya.
Spike growled. "Lots, actually. Heightens the bloodlust. Slayer, I'm sure you enjoyed that speech. Really, I'm sure. But let's talk about more important things."
"Like what?" Asked Buffy.
"Like Dawn. How is the Bit?" Asked Spike.
"Uh, fine. She has a job. As a secretary." Said Buffy quickly.
"Oh, that's good. Bit of normality will do her good." Said Spike.
Buffy eyed Spike and Anya. "So you're soulless, and you think I should trust you?"
Spike considered it, eyeing the soldier still pointing his rifle at the two vampires. "You know, if it makes you feel any better, you could have your soldier boys stick chips in our heads."
"Oh!" Said Anya. "Did we just volunteer for a chipping?"
"Doesn't hurt any worse than a soul." Spike assured her.
"Blah." Said Anya.
Buffy stared. "All right, I'm at least half-way convinced." She allowed.
"Buffy!" Said Willow, surprised.
"He just volunteered to put the chip back in—the chip that Spike hated so much. I think that either means he's a doppelganger or he's at least changed a little." Said Buffy calmly.
Spike scowls. "How about option c?" He suggested.
Anya punched him. "Just shut up. It looks like we've built up some of that precious trust you were blathering on about, and we haven't even had to save the world yet."
Spike blinked. "Oh, okay." He said with a smile.