"Hiya, Buff! What's with the sweaty, glowy look?"

Buffy hopped onto a stool between Xander and Oz. "Running. Went down to the school, around the college campus, up past Sunnyrest and back this way. Saw Scoobies, thought I'd stop by."

Xander whipped his head around. "Something chasing you? Should we run?"

"Nope, just sent out for a run by a pissed off watcher." Buffy reached for one of the cookies on the plate in the middle of the table. "Ooh. Yummy."

Willow looked puzzled. "So all is not happy in Watcherland? Lots of glass scrubbing happening?"

"I think he may have rubbed a hole in them. Don't worry, it'll be better. Can anyone buy me a drink? I didn't bring any cash." At Oz's nod, Buffy asked for an iced coffee and he left to buy the drink.

"So, Buff, going Bronzing tonight? There's a new band playing. Oz says they're pretty good. And, well, full moon, no date."

"And of course, Buffy doesn't have a date, because, well, she's just weird."

Thank you, Cordy, for pointing out my chronic datelessness. Maybe I'll just take Will, here." Buffy blew Willow a kiss. Willow grinned, blowing one back.

Oz returned with a drink, putting his arm around Willow. "Should I be worried?"

Buffy shook her head, giving him a wink. "Nah. I'm pretty much with liking the boys, Oz. Maybe I'll ask Giles, and Willow and I can share him. A peace offering, perhaps?"

Willow giggled and mimed a dance in the seat. "That could be fun, dancing with the handsome older man."

Cordelia gave them both a disgusted look. "And we all know that Buffy likes the older men. Your last man was, what, two hundred something?"

Buffy gave a satisfied nod. "I like my men well-seasoned. Makes them much more fun in the sack. Not that you would know anything about that. Because, that's right, no one has given you a good tumble lately." Buffy sipped her coffee. She was rewarded with a knowing look and a raised eyebrow from Oz.

"And you wake up with a soulless demon on your hands, trying to kill us all."

Xander slapped his hand over Cordelia's mouth. "Okay, we're ending this, now." He looked over at Buffy. "What Cordelia was trying to say, when she got a big case of no tact, was that it would be very nice to have Giles at the Bronze tonight. Please ask him."

"All right, I will."

-----

That evening, Buffy joined Cordelia and Oz at their usual table at the Bronze. "Way to go with the skimpy outfit, Buffy." Cordelia was sipping a cappuccino and dancing in her chair to the band.

"Thanks, picked it up my last trip to Rodeo Drive." Buffy twirled around in her skin-tight green mini dress in front of Xander. "Like it, Xander?" Leaning over the table, she made sure that Xander could see down the front. "Or is it too revealing?"

"They're very nice." Xander sputtered in answer.

Dropping the act at Cordelia's glare, Buffy hopped in the chair next to Xander and watched the front door. "Now all I need is a dance partner. Giles said he would be here about seven. What time is it?"

Xander checked his watch. "Almost seven. Where is Willow?"

"Giles is picking her up. I guess I'll go dance alone." Buffy jumped down from the chair and headed to the dance floor, where a dozen or so couples were dancing to piped in music.

Xander watched, entranced, as her hips writhed to the music. As a few more individuals drifted to the dance floor, he noticed that Buffy had picked up a sandy-haired male partner and was dancing close to him, while smirking over his shoulder at Xander and Cordelia. The male was trailing his hands over her hips, but had his back to their table, so that Xander could not see his face. Buffy, however, was giggling at her partner, and whispering in his ear. As they turned to the music, Xander saw the man bury his face in her neck, while tightly gripping her backside in his hands. "Do... Do.." Xander coughed. "What is she doing?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes in disgust. "Acting like a tramp, what else? Now are you going to dance with me, your girlfriend, or stare at Buffy's ass all night?"

-----

"Great, now I have dust all over my nice dress." Buffy brushed the remains of the vampire off her dress.

"Let me help you with that." Buffy whirled around to see Spike standing behind her, an amused grin on his face. "Tidy kill, Anne. Liking the chopsticks in the hair trick." He reached out and brushed his hand down the back of her dress.

"Yeah, well, he was too busy feeling me up to notice me nicking his wallet."

Buffy tossed the wallet over to Spike who caught it neatly. He pulled the cash out of the wallet, and stuffed the empty wallet in a pocket of his leather duster. "Seven hundred. Not a bad take. How much do you want?"

"Couple hundred, I guess. What do you do with the rest anyway?"

"There's an account set up for you at the bank. I just launder it into there through Caritas. Lorne enters it as tips. You're one well-paid bartender."

"Oh." Buffy shrugged, taking the money from him. "I guess I figured you spent the rest on stuff."

Spike stuffed the remainder of the cash into his pocket. "Well, I do buy my cigarettes and booze, but my kills easily provide enough for that. I don't dip into your money."

Buffy looked uncomfortable. "I hadn't thought about you taking money off your kills."

"Where do you think the idea came from? Anyway, vamps carry a lot more cash than humans. Not too many banks do business on vampire hours. Here, let me help you with your hair." Spike took the chopstick from her hand and fussed a little with her hair, returning the chopstick into its proper place. "'Course, I was nicking wallets long before I was turned."

Buffy graced Spike with a wry smile. "Come here, you." Spike enfolded her in his coat, embracing her from behind, planting a kiss on her neck. "Liking the dress, are we, Will?"

"Liking the girl in the dress a whole lot more." Buffy felt his hands reach under the hem of her skirt, lifting it out of the way. "Mmm. No underwear. Feeling naughty?"

"Very."

"Ooh, look who's coming in." Buffy gazed down from the balcony at Giles and Willow entering the Bronze. Xander stood up from the table and waved at them. Giles was wearing jeans and crisply starched green dress shirt. Willow was wearing a low cut red dress that Buffy had loaned her with a dare to wear it. "What if they took a peek up here, What would they think?"

"Naughty, Will. Now I doubt they would see us if they looked up here." Buffy gazed at the group that was chattering and laughing at the table. "It's pretty dark." She could see Giles looking around the Bronze, searching for someone. "Wonder who he's looking for?"

"You. Better not keep him waiting."

"He'll have to wait. I'm busy."

-----

The dark-haired girl approached the couple from the far end of the balcony. "Did anyone ever tell you it's not nice to bite the ladies?" The yellow-eyed demon fixed her with a stare and pulled back from his victim, licking the blood from his lips as his face returned to its human visage. The victim, on the other hand, was transfixed with the dancers below, not even noticing her presence. The vampire beckoned her closer with one finger, making no move to attack. The new girl inched closer, curious, wondering why the vampire showed no fear and did not attack either. "Do you know who I am?" The vampire nodded and pointed to his nose. Oh. He had smelled her. "Need a head start? I could use the exercise." The vampire reached out for her hand, shaking his head. She felt his cold fingers wrap around her wrist like a vise. Her hand was placed beneath the victim's nose.

"Sister." The victim gazed serenely upon her with hazel eyes. "Slayer." The vampire placed her hand on the girl's chest, where she could feel the heart beating steadily. He then resumed his feeding on the unresisting woman. The heartbeat sped up as the feed continued. She felt a light sheen of sweat forming on the victim's chest and then heard a quiet gasp. "Enough!" The vampire stopped feeding, licking the last drops of blood from her neck. He pulled away, and the new slayer noticed the woman's short skirt dropping beneath the long leather duster. His human face returned and he smirked at the new woman as the blonde turned to give him a kiss. "Beer. Could you get me a nice beer, Will? Would you care for one?"

The chocolate-eyed newcomer shrugged, finally removing her hand from the woman's chest. "Sure, why not?" Will nodded and walked away without a word. "Faith."

"Buffy."

"The slayer?"

"A slayer." Buffy gave her a curious look. "Clearly not the only one."

"But you let him bite you." Buffy nodded. "And you haven't killed him."

"I doubt I could. He's stronger."

"Than us?"

"If he had wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already. So drop it. You want to meet the gang?"

"Five by five, B. Lead on."

"Guys. This is Faith." Faith was fixed with four appraising stares from the table. "The slayer."

"Xander."

"Cordelia."

"Willow, here." The red-head gave her a warm smile and waved.

"And this is Giles."

Giles rose from his seat and offered Faith his chair. "I was just going to go grab a drink. Can I get you ladies anything?"

Buffy gave Giles a big grin and a hug. "Drinks coming, Giles. Already had a volunteer. But you can share mine, if you like."

"Buffy, you're bleeding." Giles ripped a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at her neck. "What happened.?"

"Love bite. Nicked his wallet though. Here, go buy yourself a drink." Faith snickered.

Buffy palmed a fifty into his hand. "Buffy, that's an unnecessary risk."

"He didn't even notice it was missing." Buffy shrugged. "I've had plenty of practice. Consider it payment for services rendered." Giles rolled his eyes heavenward and drifted off towards the bar. "Ever the watcher."

"Care to spread any of that green this way, Buff?" Xander held out a hand, which Cordy slapped. Buffy shrugged, opening her purse and dropping a few twenties on the table.

Cordy snorted. "The blonde groper was a vamp?"

"Yup."

"Thus the tramp act."

"Yup."

"Well, you had me fooled for a second. I never pegged you for a tease."

"If it works, don't knock it. Besides, he got dust all over my nice dress."

"I hadn't noticed."

Spike arrived at the table, carrying three beers. "Beer! Thanks, Will." Faith gave the blonde vampire a big grin.

"Tall frosty goodness."

"Y're welcome, Pet." Spike gave Faith a kiss on the cheek. "Hiya, Red."

"Eep!" Willow jumped from her seat. "Spike!"

"Don't worry, already ate. Just buying beers for the underage slayers, here." Spike slid into a seat next to Buffy. "They had a keg of the good stuff tonight. Liking the dress, Red. Yummy." He licked his lips, eliciting another squeal from the witch. "Let me polish off this beer, and I'll take you for a spin." Willow's jaw dropped to the floor.

Faith checked him over while sipping her beer. "If she doesn't want to go, I'll take you for a ride. That is, if Buffy doesn't mind."

"Be my guest." Buffy winked at her. "I'll dance with Willow and Giles. Have you got somewhere to stay?"

"I'm staying at a dive down by the airport."

Cordelia interjected. "Why don't you stay at our guest house? I guarantee it's more comfy. My parents are out of town, anyway."

"Way to go with the generosity, Cordy."

"You've saved my neck enough times, no reason to think she won't do the same."

Spike leered at her. "About that lovely neck, dear."

Xander leaped from the seat, putting an arm around his girlfriend. "That lovely neck happens to be all mine."

"Will, if you can't behave, go home."

"Hey. B. Didya get that?"

"Spidey senses all on it. Where?" Buffy glanced about, seeing a large dark male vampire dancing with a blonde woman. "Great. Harmony. Talk about vamp bait. He can have her."

Cordelia squealed in protest. "Hey, that's my friend you're talking about there!"

"Harmony wouldn't know a vampire if it bit her."

Xander protested. "Buffy!"

"And I believe that girlfriend of yours threw herself at another vampire once. My vampire."

"I didn't know. Buff, what's with the 'tude, anyway?"

Buffy took another swig of beer and sighed. "It's my night off, I'm sick of slayage. Will, would you please go rescue Harmony? If he's hitting on her, he can't be much of a fight." Spike hopped down from his perch and snaked his way out into the crowd. Soon he was dancing with Harmony, and the vampire in question had moved on to another target.

Giles returned with a scotch. Clearing his throat, he said, "I see our friend Spike has returned to Sunnydale." He made a face. "Beer, Buffy?"

"And a good one, too. Have a sip." Buffy passed the beer to her Watcher who took a sip, gave a nod, and passed it back.

Faith looked at Giles, agog. "Man, Sarah would be all over me if she caught me with a beer. You are too cool."

"And how is Sarah?"

"Dead."

Shocked, Giles shook his head. "Oh. Sorry to hear that."

"Not as sorry as me. Maybe I'll go stake that vamp now." Faith hopped down from the chair while sucking down the last of her beer. "I feel the need to pummel something."

"Need backup?"

Faith shook her head. "Nah, I can handle it. It's gonna be ugly." She flashed a grin. "I'll take you up on that offer on the room, though, Cordy."

"Faith."

"Yeah, B."

"Spike already nicked the wallet, so don't bother trying."

"Five by five." She tossed her head and flounced off to find the vampire.

Giles downed his scotch. "Strange girl."

"A bit different from Kendra."

"That she is."

"I better shake Will loose from Harmony. I want another beer."

"Buffy, you don't need another beer!"

Xander drummed the table. "And the real Giles appears stage left."

"I want another beer, Giles. I'm having fun. So chill. You can be the designated driver."

"I really don't want to explain to your mother why her seventeen year old daughter is coming home with beer breath while in my charge."

"Fine, I'll stay at the mansion with Will."

Giles crossed his arms in front of his chest. "No. It's too dangerous."

Buffy laughed at him. "Why, cause he might bite me? Been there, done that." Xander blanched, coughing up some coke into his napkin.

Giles was on his last straw. He slammed a fist on the table. "Christ, Buffy! Give it a rest. No more beer."

"Willow, let's go dance." Buffy grabbed a confused Willow's hand and dragged her out to the dance floor. "We can put on a show. Watch my purse, would you, Giles?" Buffy left the table, wiggling her hips suggestively as she headed for the dance floor.

Giles reached to his face to whip off his glasses and discovered that his glasses had been replaced with contacts for the night. "Bloody hell!" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Cordelia fixed Giles with a pitying smile. "All not happy in watcher land?"

"It is safe to say, that if I have your pity, all is not happy in watcher land. I need another drink." Giles opened Buffy's handbag.

"Snooping, Giles?"

"I'm a watcher, snooping is in the job description." He found a wad of cash, a vial of holy water, a cross, condoms, a lighter, and several cigarettes that looked to be pot. "Really, Buffy."

Xander couldn't resist. "So what's in there?"

Giles shrugged. "Stuff."

Cordy took the purse from Giles and rifled through it. "So, not a tease." She snapped the tiny purse closed and slid it back to Giles.

"What's in there, Cordy?"

"Stuff. Is that what I think it is?"

"Probably. Don't know without a closer sniff."

"It's not pot." Spike had returned to the table. "It's called tash. It's similar though, but more of a narcotic. It's from a demon dimension. Think demon Tylenol plus Valium."

"And you supply her with it?"

"Nah. Needs sunlight. She grows it herself. She's got a good batch of it going over at the mansion. She's got a whole garden over there. Flowers, herbs. Could make a right killing if she supplied the Magic Box. It's lovely. Anyway, you should try one. She rolls them herself. Here, take one of mine." Spike passed one to him from the folds of his duster. "Pretty good for what ails ye." Cordy pulled Xander away from the table mouthing, "Dance."

Giles pocketed the small cigarette in his jeans. "What brings you back to Sunnydale?"

Spike set a pair of beers on the table. "Slayer said she wanted to come back. I'm just along for the ride."

Giles studied the vampire. "Out of the goodness of your heart, I see."

Spike remained inscrutable as he sat at the table and nursed a beer. "Well, there's easy hunting and Slayer's blood to be had. Not too bad a deal." He licked his lips.

"She is aware that you still hunt."

Spike smirked, "I believe her words were 'stay away from my friends and mom. And I don't want to hear about it.' Didn't say anything about not eating her watcher."

"I hope I would qualify as a friend."

"Not at the rate you're going, mate. I may have to eat you."

Giles barked an uneasy laugh. "I find it hard to believe that you and she are a pair. Last I recall your girlfriend was busy torturing me. And Angelus, as well."

"Been some water under the bridge since then, Watcher."

"You think she loves you. Don't flatter yourself."

Spike shrugged. "I'm her sire, whether she loves me or not, doesn't really matter."

"Why? And why you?"

"I found her first. I noticed you looking for her over the summer. Quite funny, that. You were close a few times. In fact, the same room once or twice."

Giles reached for the second beer, snarling at Spike. "And you were so helpful in finding her."

"She didn't want to be found. I respected her wishes." Spike carefully pried Giles' hand from the second beer. "It's Buffy's. Not yours."

"I'm sure you are quite willing to accede to her wishes."

"Whatever Buffy wants, Buffy gets. I sure didn't want to come back to Sunnyhell. I offered her Paris, London, anywhere but here. But no, she wanted to come back to Sunnydale. And you know why?"

Giles' curiosity was piqued. "Her mom?"

"No."

"Angel, then."

"Angel's good as dead. I suspect maybe she hopes he will return, but it's not the reason she gave. She never speaks of him."

"Then what brought her back?"

"You. Duty." Spike shook his head. "I don't understand it. Her entire life has been duty. I offered her freedom. All the money she could ever need, no more fighting, anything she could want. And she wants to serve you. And tend her little garden at the mansion. And to be with her friends. Occasional visits to Lorne. Her artwork – drawings and paintings. Thursday nights at Holy Cross. She builds fires at the mansion and curls up in one of Jasmine's blankets with the old watcher's diaries or some thick demon tome. She likes for me to read to her for hours. And she seems content. She could live forever, and she chooses to put her life on the line every night because of you. Fine then. Make Annie happy."

"Annie?"

"Sorry, Buffy." Spike shook his head and took another sip of beer. "Did she show you Jasmine's picture?"

"Jasmine? No."

"Yeah, here." Spike reached for Buffy's purse, fingering a small pocket inside and pulling out a miniature picture album. Instead of photographs, it held tiny pen and ink drawings. He flipped through it until he came to a drawing of a stunningly beautiful woman with curly tresses and intelligent eyes framed with long lashes. She was laughing, showing straight perfect white teeth and a tiny dimple on her left cheek. "That's Jasmine." Spike seemed lost in thought. "Annie takes these drawings everywhere. Gorgeous woman, Jasmine, all curves in all the right places. Had a voice that could melt any heart. Should've been a minstrel. And smart as a whip. A witch, probably close to Red in strength."

"Really?" Giles leaned in for a closer look at the woman, noting that the picture included tiny details like hoop earrings in each ear, and one of Jasmine's hands, its long slender fingers filled with rings encrusted with gems. "Six fingers, that's unusual."

"I suppose. I've met a few before. Had use of all of them, could play the lute quite well."

"Buffy drew this?"

"Of course." Spike flipped through the book, pointing at different portraits. "There's Red. And you." Giles looked at his own picture; it was in profile, and he was studying a book in his lap. "There's a better one of you somewhere in here. Oz." Oz was looking straight out at the portrait artist, a wry smile on his face. Spike continued flipping through the pages. "Angel, Rose, Andrew, Merrick, Lorne..."

"Let me see Lorne." Giles peered at the demon, which appeared frightening at first glance, but on closer inspection yielded kind eyes and a warm smile.

"That's Dawn." Spike pointed at a serious girl with long straight dark hair and large doe eyes. She wore a necklace with an ornate key pendant. "Buffy has visions of her. No idea who she is. But that's who she sees. Maybe another slayer?"

"Doesn't look much like Faith. There's Xander. Who's that?" Giles pointed to a picture of a bearded man with long hair pulled into a ponytail behind his broad bare shoulders.

"Hans. Had red hair – can't tell in this picture but there's a gorgeous oil painting of him at the mansion. Just had it framed."

"A friend from the summer, then?"

"You could say that." Spike looked taken aback. "She's told you nothing, has she, mate? I better shut my gob, then." He slammed the little book shut and slid it back inside her purse. "I was sure you already knew all this. I guess you're not the sorcerer I took you for."

"I'm her watcher, I can't read her mind. I figure she'll tell me when she wants to talk about it."

"But you read her blood. Jasmine's all over it. 'Bout only thing in it that's not me is Jasmine." Spike looked thoughtful. "The ring, did she have on her ring? That little one on her pinky?" Giles thought, and nodded. "That explains it then. It's a glamour of sorts. Hides things. But very subtle. For instance, a vampire that doesn't know her by sight would not sense that she's the slayer. But you, Dru or Peaches, we'd know. Do you understand?" Giles shook his head. "Can you see the tattoo? The one on her shoulder?" Giles studied the slayer, who was dancing wildly with Willow, oblivious to the conversation between the vampire and her watcher. "Look again. It's there."

Giles looked, and behind a shimmer in the air, the Eyghon tattoo revealed itself, it flickered, and disappeared once again. Giles let out a breath. "Intriguing."

"I know that it is there, so the glamour doesn't work on me. I see it all the time. Plus, I was there when the ring was made, so it is tuned to me, somewhat. But, you, you'd have to hold on to the tattoo's reality to break past the glamour. To some degree, it's a glamour that makes the person looking at her see what they want to see, or what she chooses to reveal."

"Curious, I've never heard of such a thing." Giles leaned back in his chair, concentrating his full attention on Buffy, trying to push past the glamour. But other than a flicker of the tattoo, he could see nothing different. "So what does she hide from you?"

"Nothing. I see her often enough without the ring." Spike gave Giles a satisfied smirk, then relented. "Oh, well. She appears about a stone heavier to me with the ring than without it. I prefer her a bit heavier. It hides a few scars that I'd rather not see, probably like the tattoo for you. She rarely wears makeup any more, since she can accomplish that with the glamour. I can choose to see her either way. If we are training or sparring, she can cover some flaws in her technique. So she takes the ring off. For me, the ring's powers are mostly superficial, so I had no idea it could cover dominant traits within her blood."

"So I see what I want to see, not what is there?" Giles found this idea deeply troubling.

"You're her watcher, she serves you. You probably see what you need to see. Your slayer. Nothing more, nothing less. I doubt she consciously hides anything from you. Except maybe the lack of makeup. The ring has its own powers to protect her, which she cannot control. But, perhaps, she chooses to keep some things for herself. If she always wears the ring around you, then you'd have no way of knowing what the differences are."

"Does she ever remove the ring in front of anyone else?" Giles studied his slayer, thinking idly that Buffy was more of a stranger than he had guessed.

"Lorne. She refuses to wear it when she is with him. But he's like me, already knows what's there. He doesn't judge her. He serves her without condition."

"And I don't?"

"You serve the Council. She serves you. It is your duty to bend her to the Council's will in all things. She knows that."

Shocked, Giles retorted, "Is that what she thinks? After all this time?"

Spike shrugged. "It is the truth." Giles shook his head, unbelieving. "She is more vampire than human, now, and every night she goes out and hunts and kills her own, for no reason other than her service to you. I have no doubt she would kill anyone you wished, without question, at your request. Vampire, demon, human, it makes little difference to her now."

"She would kill a human?"

"She has killed countless humans. Probably more than me, now. What is one more or less? Oh, she prefers not to, a bit squeamish still, messy business. But she's done it. She is a master assassin. A quarter of the plants in her garden are poisons of one sort or another. Painful, painless, fast, slow. Some for demons, some for humans. She has done it all."

Giles reached for the glasses that he realized still weren't there. "Good Lord," he breathed.

Buffy bounced back to the table, holding Willow's hand and spotting her beer. "Lovely, thanks Will." She gave Spike a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Mmm. The Belgian one, right?" At his nod, she snuggled up against Giles, to his surprise. "Spilling all my secrets, sweetie?" she asked, looking pointedly at Spike.

"I had no idea they were still secrets. I'll stop now. Anyway, I've got to run. Clem is bringing over some buddies for poker."

Buffy made a face. "So no sleep to be had at the mansion tonight?"

"We can be quiet, if you wish. Or move the game to Willy's."

"Nah, I'll crash on Giles' couch. Is that okay?" At Giles' reassuring squeeze and Spike's nod, she smiled happily. "Lovely sleep for Buffy."

Spike cleared his seat, offering it to Buffy. "I was going to hang that portrait tonight, where did you want it?"

"I think I made a mark in the den, east wall. Opposite the telly."

Spike nodded and dropped some cash on the table. "Three hundred. That vamp from earlier."

"Faith's kill, her money. I'll pass it on." Giving Buffy's hand a quick squeeze, Spike turned and strode purposefully out of the Bronze.