A/N: Alright, I just made about 18 dollars and I'm feeling pretty good. I got a regular babysitting job that pays like 30 dollars a day, not bad. Ok, anyway, story news. I don't know how much I'll be able to update in the coming weeks because I have summer school and a new job. I will try as hard as I can to update on a regular basis but don't hold it against me if I don't update for like a week. Hopefully my writer's block has faded away and this will be good. Enjoy.

.:Faith:.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not the characters. Although I would really like to own spike. Anyway nothing is mine sadly, the little exerts with Buffy and spike talking after the car is from a really good book vengeance in death by J.D. Robb. Check it out, it's really good. I don't own that either.

Rating: R

Chapter Nine:

"Spike? Did you just say you loved me?" Buffy asked again when Spike didn't answer

"Are you daft? Of course I didn't. And anyway, I was asleep. I don't know what I was saying." Spike lied

Buffy seemed satisfied with that since she didn't want to have to deal with the emotional declaration. She lifted herself from the couch and proceeded to the kitchen where she then made herself coffee.

As soon as her coffee was ready she poured it in a cup and drank deeply as if it were water.

"I need to go take a shower." Buffy told Spike and headed toward her bathroom

Buffy stripped letting the clothes lay where they had fallen. She turned the hot water on to scalding and stepped into the steam.

After she had burned herself red, Buffy wrapped a towel around herself and stepped to the mirror. She wiped it as clean as she could and stared at herself.

What can Spike see in me? She thought. When she looked at herself all she saw was short blonde choppy hair, a skinny five feet three inch form, a small face set off by high cheekbones a small mouth and wide green eyes.

I don't get it. He can have any girl he wants, and he chooses me. I just don't get it. She thought

Buffy sighed opening the door without realizing that Spike was still there.

Spike sauntered over to her with a lustful look in his eyes.

"Nuh-uh. I'm not playing any of your perverted games pal." Buffy said as she tried to move quickly to her bedroom.

Spike gave her an innocent look and just simply said, "What?"

"Don't even give me that look. I'll be out in a minute." Buffy said closing the door to her bedroom, much to Spike's dislike.

As Buffy opened the door, Spike was nowhere to be found.

"Hmm, looks like he left." Buffy said aloud

Buffy grabbed her cell phone, communicator and keys as she moved toward the door, out of her world and into the world of death.

Buffy walked into her office and listened to her voice mail. Most messages where badgering reporters wanting anything on the case. But one would not give up, because one was Anya Jenkins.

Buffy bit back a sigh and decided to deal with Anya later.

"Summers, Commander Lockley wants to see you." Tara said hanging onto the door frame of the door.

"Ok, I'll be right there."

Buffy stared at her computer screen scowling at it because it wouldn't do what she wanted it to do; finally surrendering she got up and made her way to the Commanders office.

Buffy knocked as she got to the door and moved into the office when she was motioned inside.

Commander Lockely and another man sat in a chair opposite her watched Buffy as she moved into the office and spoke to the Commander.

"What's this about Commander?"

"It has come to our attention that you have a personal connection with the case. We are now asking that you pass this case onto someone else." The man said briskly

"And who are you?" Buffy asked

"Wesley Wyndam-Price. I'm with Internal Affairs."

"And you think that I have a personal connection with this case?" Buffy asked skeptically

"Yes. With one of the suspects." Wesley said not meeting Buffy's eyes

"One of the suspects? I have no idea what you're talking about but I can assure you that I do not have a personal connection with any of the suspects." Buffy said angrily

"Someone saw you leaving with Spike Raleigh yesterday afternoon." Wesley told her meeting her eyes now

Damn Bowers. Buffy thought. "That was purely business. I was taking him to a place that he felt more comfortable with me questioning him."

"And was that place your bed?" Wesley asked getting up

"Price stand down. You are out of line." Kate said before Buffy could flare her temper, for the first time since Buffy had entered the room

"Now, if Buffy tells me that it was just business I have no reason to doubt her. She has a clean record, not a mark on it. I seriously doubt that she is sleeping with a suspect. Unless you are?" Kate asked Buffy

A million thoughts passed through Buffy's head but she was determined to not let her emotions show on her face so she kept her eyes cold and flat, her face emotionless.

"No sir. I'm not." She answered

"Alright Detective, you are dismissed."

Buffy controlled her temper until she reached the Bullpen of the Homicide Division. She stormed over to Bower's cube, grabbed her by the neck and for the second time in twenty four hours, pushed her against the wall making all eyes fall on the pair.

"Where the hell do you get off telling IAB that I am sleeping with a suspect?" Buffy spat in her face

"You are aren't you? We all saw you leave with him." Bowers choked out

"That does not mean that I am sleeping with him. I was taking him to a remote location where he would feel comfortable in my questioning him." Buffy said coldly not letting go of her grip

"Fine. But I'm reporting this little incident to Internal Affairs." Bowers said when Buffy let her fall to the floor in a heap rubbing her neck

Bowers ran off right when Buffy announced to the pen, "Listen up everyone. I don't know what Bowers told you and frankly I don't give a shit. But I do not sleep with anyone connected to a case. And if anyone says otherwise you will have a lot more problems than a sore neck. Do I make myself clear?" Buffy asked the group

Everyone stayed silent.

"Good." Buffy said as she made her way into her office to review case work

Buffy was looking over the DNA, computer and telephone facts from each of the homicides searching for a link when she spotted it.

Each of the women had made or received a phone call, sent or received an e- mail from one person. Hank Peele

"Son of a god damn bitch." Buffy said

Buffy came rushing out of her office making Tara poke her head out of her cube and ask, "What's going on Summers?"

"I just found our killer."

Buffy made her way to Commander Lockley's office and barged in without knocking.

"I need a request for a team to be put together immediately." Buffy said panting a little

"Done. But may I ask why I'm granting this request?" Kate asked not looking up from her paperwork

"Because I think I have our killer" Buffy said rushing out

They all met in Buffy's apartment as she debriefed the team.

"His central is The Villa apartments in Downtown Los Angeles address, 5555 West 6th street, apartment 258. I need schematics to this building and this room. He's killed three women; he's not going to get away from us. Rosenberg and Harris, I need you to get into his computer and make sure that he is the one sending these women e-mails. After you're done with that, Harris, you're with me. I also need you to cut the phone lines and the power to the elevators so that he can't escape that way. McClay I want you at the front entrance, make sure that no one he does not get out. Bauer, I need you and Levinson to block another two exits. Get as many men as you can if you need them. This man right here is not going to get away from us. We move tomorrow at oh fourteen hundred. You're dismissed." Buffy said looking towards the picture of Hank that was hanging on a board.

Buffy had sent her team out and was un-strapping her harness when a knock was at her door.

Buffy went to the door, not looking to see who it was, opened it.

Spike came rushing in, catching Buffy by the waist. He shut the door with his foot, moved in further, and kissed Buffy hard on the mouth.

"What was that for?" Buffy asked quietly

"I love you." Spike said looking in her eyes

"Oh Jesus." She said pushing away from him

"I know you don't feel the same way, but I had to tell you." Spike said moving toward the door and opening it

Buffy grabbed him by the arm stopping him.

"Don't go. Please?"

"Alright" he said shutting the door

Buffy kissed him, long and passionately. She put all of her emotions into this one kiss. She wanted him to know how she felt about him even if she couldn't voice it.

"Thank you."

"That's what I get for saying I love you? A bloody thank you?" Spike said laughing

"Shut up. Just, thank you for all you've done for me in the past few weeks."

"No problem pet."

Buffy woke the next morning before dawn. She couldn't sleep because she was too nervous about the events that were going to happen.

"You should get some more sleep." Spike said rolling over to face her pacing form

"Can't sleep" Buffy said wearing a hole in the carpet

"Maybe we can work that to our advantage." Spike said smirking as he caught her at her waist making her tumble onto him as she yelped

Buffy woke three hours later revived, refreshed and relaxed.

She made her way to the kitchen, made a pot of coffee, then turned to her computer to go over the plan for later that day.

She got up when the coffee was ready then went back to where she was and went over it in her head.

Willow and Xander had sent her the schematics of the room and apartment building. She kept going over them. She didn't want her father to skip out on her. She wasn't sure if she was focusing everything she had on this case because he was a murderer or because he was her father. She asked herself that at least ten times that morning.

"They could demolish that building and you would be able to rebuild it just on pure memory." Spike said coming over to Buffy

"I just want to be ready that's all."

"Love, you will be ready. You are more than ready. You have a great team; you're going to get him."

"You have no idea what great satisfaction I'm going to have when I lock him in a cage for the rest of his life." Buffy said coldly

Spike just rubbed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

A knock was heard at the door and Buffy shot out of her chair making Spike stumble backwards.

"Oh shit."

The door opened and in came Buffy's team. All of them.

"You don't see this." Buffy told them referring to Spike

"See what?" Xander said giving Buffy a reassuring smile

"God damn, that's what you look like without your shirt on?" Tara asked gawking as did Willow

Spike just smirked at the two very female eyes undressing the rest of him.

"I'll just go put some clothes on and get out of your way."

"You do that." Buffy said

When Spike left, she began debriefing her team.

When Buffy and Tara pulled up to The Villas, Buffy said, "Let's go get us a killer. Shall we then?"

"We shall then" Tara said stepping out of the car

Buffy started barking orders as she made her way up to the apartment.

She waited, as much as she wanted to kick in the door and take the murdering raping bastard, she couldn't. So she waited.

When Xander made his way to her she called into her communicator, "Everyone be ready. We're going in.

"You go high, I'll go low." Buffy said as she kicked the door in

"LAPD you son of a bitch! Show your face and keep your hands above your head!" Buffy yelled into the apartment sweeping for any signs of him

Xander came back empty handed saying, "There's no one here Summers. Sorry."

"Damn it. God damn it!" Buffy said yelling

"Uh, there was a note addressed to you." Xander said giving her an envelope

Buffy snatched it out of his hand, tore the letter open and read:

Looks like you almost got me. Too bad you're slower than I am. It would've been nice to have a little reunion with you, don't you think? It will come soon enough.

All my love,

Dad

"That bastard" Buffy said crumpling the note in her fist

A/N: Ok, I know this is kind of short but I didn't have time to update today so I'm doing this kind of late at night. The next few chapters will be the last and they will be long I promise. They might come later on in the week though, sorry but it's the price to pay for failure in class. Hope you liked and I hope I added some sort of surprise. Review as always : )

.:Faith:.