Disclaimer: Its Joss's world, we just play in it (aka, I don't own anything, Joss Whedon does, so please don't sue me, I am just doing this for my own enjoyment. There is no money involved, and trust me, I don't have any anyway. I mean, like, none.)

Author's Note: Ok, I know I should have probably explained this in the first chapter, but hey, look at my login name;). Ok, so anyway, to explain about this story, I had had a dream, and this is what it was basically about, though I have embellished just a bit on it, seeing as all of the dream that I can remember was about 5 minutes. Anway, so that is where it comes from. Thanks to all of you that are reviewing, I am really glad that you like it. I have to say that I am sorry, though, to StakeMeSpike04, unfortunately, whereas I like Spuffy stories and the whole Spuffiness thing in general, this isn't a Spuffy story. There definately is a deap friendship between them in here, though. I hope you aren't too disappointed. Ok, I think I probably have bored you long enough with this note, I'll let you get on with the story then.

Chapter 9

Training started the next evening, led by Buffy. Now that they had a whole arsenal at their disposal, they could start working out how to fight the evil that lay ahead. Keira watched in awe in the doorway as Buffy, Spike and Angel practiced on each other in the fields outside of the fortress; from clashing swords together to hand to hand combat. Spike and Angel seemed a little too eager to practice the latter out on each other. Dawn watched next to her, when she wasn't handing out the different weapons that they had brought out to use.

"Its amazing." Keira stated, not letting her eyes off of them.

"Yeah, you can't believe how strong they all are, and it's not just in their muscles."

"It's in their hearts too, I know."

"Yeah, well, actually, that is a muscle, technically...anyway, yeah."

"You know, I grew up with people that had innate powers, but no one has ever put me in wonder before they came along. I knew what a slayer was, when they first started, but I never knew what they were like. And the vampires..."

"They're unique. Even when they don't have souls, well, at least Spike was."

"He amazes me daily."

Dawn looked over to her, and noticed as her eyes followed the movements of the three fighters unfailingly.

"Do you like him?"

"Huh?" Keira asked, looking over at Dawn.

"Spike, do you like him? You kinda seem to."

"Well, I would consider him a friend..."

"No, I mean, like him like him."

"Oh, slang right...I...I don't know Dawn."

Their conversation came to an abrupt end, however, when one of the swords that Spike and Angel had been using on each other came flying towards them and embedded itself point first into the ground right in front of Keira. Keira instinctively reached out to grab it, only by doing so, she crossed the barrier that her wristbands were set to, and she was thrown backwards, back into the fortress and hard against the stone floor.

"Shit!!" she screamed, as she slowly lifted herself into a sitting position on the floor.

Apparently, more than Dawn had heard this, because as she sat up, she saw three more worried faces show up in front of her.

"You alright?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, its just these stupid...grrrr!" she said, banging her metal clad wrist against the floor in frustration.

She stood up, ignoring the offered hands and swept the dust off of herself with her hands. "I hate these stupid things!" she said to no one in particular.

Keira walked away from them a few paces, but she stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly turned back around.

"I'm sorry, it's just frustrating sometimes."

"Hey, don't worry about it. We all have them." Buffy said.

"Thanks. Look, it will be light soon, if you want to I could set something up, some food or something."

"Sure, I'll help you." Buffy said.

"Yeah, we'll get these things up, meet up with you when we're done." Spike said, picking up some of the weaponry they had been using.

They all started walking in their separate directions. After they had only gone a few paces, Keira stopped suddenly and shivered.

"You okay?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I just felt, I don't know, this cold feeling go up my spine and into my brain. It was probably nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, no problem."

The next evening, the visitors all started off in their normal ways, except they could not find their host. For some reason, Keira seemed to be nowhere in sight.

"You see, I knew there was something fishy going on here." Buffy started to say.

"Calm down, Slayer, she has to be around here somewhere, we just haven't found her yet."

"She really has done a number on you, Spike." Buffy countered.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Its just that, I can tell that you like her. I mean, there's no jealousy on my part, but I think that your feelings might be a little misguided at the moment."

"There is nothing wrong with my feelings, Buffy." Spike stated as calmly as he could, before leaving the room that they both had been in.

Spike stopped in the hallway, closed his eyes, and took in a long, deep smell. He tried to find even a slight whiff of her sent, which was slightly of suede leather and the herbs that inhabited the island, lavender, he thought. He followed the sent throughout the building, his eyes mostly closed while doing so. He was letting his sense of smell lead him. He opened them when he realized that he felt the night air on his skin. When he did, he realized that he was on the terrace that he had talked to Keira on more than one occasion. He looked around, but still didn't see her. Hesitantly, he looked over the railing and down to the grown, a good way beneath him. He was relieved when he saw no body lying down there. Once again, he closed his eyes and sniffed the air. Her scent was stronger now; he knew that she had to be around here somewhere. Just then, he saw it, a makeshift ladder that lead to the roof of the building. He climbed it with ease and saw her standing there, her eyes closed and hands at her sides. Her ever-present cape was gone, and she had no shoes on, just her tunic and leggings. Her face had an almost pained expression on it.

"Keira?" he asked tentatively.

"Its almost here." She said, her voice soft and shaky. "I can feel it, it's so cold, evil. It hurts."

"Its alright. We're ready. Come back in.," he said as soothingly as he could, leading her to the ladder.

Spike descended first, and then made sure that Keira got down safely. He didn't have to ask her any more about any of it. He only had to look in her eyes to tell what she was feeling.