A/N: Hey guys, hope you're all enjoying the story. Here is another chapter. Please, please, please Review.
Chapter 4: Proving yourself: Part 2
Spike took in the sights of his old home; he was one of the few angels who never went back to the place they died. Most liked to go and look in on their friends and families, but for Spike, it was better to stay away. He never really had that many friends anyway, and not any who would really miss him. However, he had missed this place, because it was still his home. Even if things there hadn't always been great.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Buffy's voice broke into his haze.
"Just thinking how strange it is to be back," he admitted, "I never came here, I came to earth a lot you know, but I never came here."
"I know what you mean. When I realised where I ended up when I got here it was strange. Being back in the place where I was killed," she sympathised.
Spike nodded, showing silently that he understood. They walked a little more ways in silence. Not really doing anything, just looking and being. But with the limited time they had Buffy knew they had to get started, Try and at least figure something out.
"So, where are we going to start, how are we going to prove you didn't do it?" she asked him, looking at him expectantly.
He gave her a nervous smile "I was actually hoping you would have an idea. You always were much better at planning things than me."
She sighed, rolling her eyes, "Ok, well I don't really know. I guess we just start by finding proof of your character when you were still alive. Proof that you were a good person."
"Thanks," he said, "but I have an idea. How about we leave that for today. Or at least for a while. I have to cause mayhem today," he told her.
She looked a little shocked and so he rushed to explain, "That's how I got away. I have to prove myself, prove I can cause trouble more accurately, I'm supposed to cause misery. I don't want to do it, but if I want to get away again, I don't have a choice. He let me go today; so technically I can come and go as I please. But I have to make it look like I'm trying," he was desperate to make her understand.
"I know I just don't like it."
"I promise I won't do anything really evil, just cause some mischief. No different than usual," he gave her one of his cocky smirks, and all she could do was melt. That look always made her give in to him. She nodded,
"Ok, I suppose, if it means you'll be able to get away again so that we can prove your innocence."
"Exactly, all part of the cause," he gave her another smirk and it caused a smile of her own.
"Ok, so what are we going to do first?"
"Have fun," he said. Walking away, she stared after him for a moment before running after him.
They were having fun, no mischief had been caused yet but they were enjoying themselves. They were doing all the things they had enjoyed doing in life. Including going for lunch. It wasn't so much that they had to eat, but it was one of the things that they missed in death. Many angels went to earth just to eat, and retain something of their previous life. Because although they didn't need to eat, they could. And they liked to do so sometimes, liked to hold on to that small bit of life. And so, lunch had been the first thing on their list of things they wanted to do. They found a cute little café and had something to eat. That had passed about an hour of their time. And now they were arguing over what to do next.
"I want to go to the beach," Buffy whined.
"No," Spike refused vehemently "I am not going to the soddin' beach. Let's go to an arcade or something. Or a car show," he got a dreamy look in his eye on the second suggestion.
Buffy scoffed, "Yeah, that'll happen. In your dreams."
Spike scowled, "Well we are not going to the beach," he told her again.
Buffy huffed, "Well what else are we going to do?"
Spike shrugged and the two friends continued down the street. But within a few minutes Buffy was growing impatient again.
"What are we going to do?" she asked once more, a note of annoyance in her voice. Spike didn't answer immediately. He had a naughty glint in his eye as he listened in on the conversation of two women.
"I just don't know what to do, I really like Connor but I like Andrew too. And part of me just can't forget what Connor did last time," the younger of the two said. They were sitting at an outside table of a coffee shop. The other gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I wish I could tell you what to do sweetie, but it's a decision only you can make," the elder said.
"I know," the youngest said glumly.
Spike looked over at Buffy and smiled. He was going to do something, the question was, what?
She found out though, she saw him close his eyes and say something to himself, and then he was only a few inches big. He looked at her before floating over and setting himself just above the young girls left shoulder. Buffy motioned with her eyes for him to move away. But he just smirked again. And then he started talking,
"What one's better looking?"
The two girls looked up, blinking at the sight before him. They shook their heads, thinking they were imagining things. Or maybe going a little crazy.
Buffy was annoyed she had to do something. So she closed her eyes, doing the same thing Spike did. Then she was only inches big and sitting on the girl's right shoulder.
"Please, ignore him. He doesn't know what he's talking about," Buffy said sweetly.
The two women's eyes widened, Spike snickered,
"What? It's always the best idea to go out with whatever one is better looking. Or even better, go out with both of them."
"That is a really bad idea!" Buffy exclaimed. It was clear that Spike wasn't going to stop, and also that this was his way of causing the mischief he had to cause, and she figured she may as well go along with it now, "You have to go out with whichever one you like most."
Spike raised a tiny eyebrow at her, and then got that naughty look in his eye again. Buffy watched as he closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. All of a sudden he was sporting a tiny pair of horns, and a golden halo was floating above her head.
"Wh- what are you?" the young girl stammered.
"Us? Why we are your conscience," Spike informed her.
"He's your bad conscience," Buffy chimed in.
"Yeah and as you can probably tell, little miss goody-toe-shoes over there is your good conscience. But, you will have a hell of a lot more fun if you listen to me."
"But, you'll get in much less trouble listening to me," Buffy spoke next.
The younger girl's head was swinging from side to side as Buffy and Spike took their turns talking. She felt like her head was spinning. This couldn't be real could it?
"Yeah but trouble can be fun. You're young, why shouldn't you have your cake and eat it too?"
"Because it's wrong," Buffy said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. But then, to her it was. "If you do that, then you are using them. You will lose them both in the end. And everyone will end up being hurt."
"But you'll be having fun. And you just dump both of them before they can dump you."
Buffy looked at him, angry, "You can't just play around with someone's feelings like that."
"Come on, the girl wants to live a little," He leaned down so that he could speak right into the girl's ear, "Go on, you know you wanna. Just do it."
"Don't do it."
"Yes she should," Spike argued.
"No, she shouldn't."
"Yes she should."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!" Buffy yelled.
As the argument went back and forth, the two women looked at each other. Both still wearing looks of shock. And then the two little figures were gone.
Spike and Buffy stood a few feet away, both back to normal size. Spike took one look at Buffy and burst into laughter. She did not look happy. She watched though as he went back to the women's table and leaned down next to the girl again
"You know, I really didn't mean what I said. Pick the one you like the most, the one you think you could love. I just thought it would be fun to tell you otherwise," he stood up again and walked away.
The young girl looked at her friend.
"Please tell me I didn't imagine that Tara," she pleaded.
"Nope, I saw it too Dawn."
"Oh thank god, I'm not crazy," she sighed relieved.
"Well if you are so am I."
Spike approached Buffy again; she was wearing a smile now, having overheard what he said.
"You are unbelievable. So cocky and annoying."
"Yeah, but you love that about me," he smirked as he backed away.
Buffy smiled and said softly to herself,
"Yeah, I do."
The rest of the day went by too soon. They had ended up at the beach, because of Spike's inability to say no to Buffy for real. But now they were back where they started and it was time to go again. They had just a few minutes before they would automatically be pulled back to where they came from. Buffy looked at Spike sadly,
"Well, almost time to go," she observed softly.
"Yeah."
"We'll meet back here in 3 days. We can't meet too often or they may figure out we're up to something. But we'll figure that all out when we meet again," she promised.
"Ok," he couldn't say too much. It hurt to be leaving her again. Especially having had so much fun today.
"I'll miss you," it was said as barely a whisper but he heard,
"I miss you too, so bloody much," Buffy put her arms around him, holding him tight.
"Take care ok, I'll see you in a couple of days."
"I promise. I can hardly wait to see you again," he said.
"Me too. It's time," she said the words sadly.
"Ok, well goodbye then, I guess."
She reached out and squeezed his hand "Bye Spike."
They both closed their eyes, and when they opened them again, they were both back in the places they had been that morning. Buffy about to walk back through the pearly gates. And Spike looking into an abyss of flames.
