Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Angel. I am just borrowing the characters for a while.

Part Three: What Was That?

Buffy slowly walked into The Magic Shop that Giles owned and sat down at one of the tables. She lay her arms out on the table and put her head down on them. Seeing her like this, Willow walked over to her.

"What's wrong Buffy?"

"I beat up Spike." Buffy told her.

"You always beat up Spike. What's new about that?"

"Then I kissed him." Buffy replied.

"You mean like a light peck on the cheek out of pity for kicking his ass, right?"

"No, I mean total catch him off guard, stars everywhere, confusing and yet very satisfying liplock." Buffy told her.

"Oh. Are you feeling ok Buffy? I thought you hated Spike."

"I did. I do! It was...it was...I know! It was because I didn't get my required five cups of coffee in today. You know how off I am without my required amount of coffee!" She said trying to convince herself more than Willow.

"Yeah, I bet you're right. I mean, I am the same way without my orange tic- tacs." Willow replied.

"I have to go home Wil. I need some time alone to think."

"Oh ok. Well, see you at school tomorrow Buffy." Buffy walked out of the Magic Shop and headed towards home.

"Hey. What's up with the Buffster?" Xander asked Willow.

"She kissed Spike." Willow replied.

"You mean like a friendly peck on the cheek out of pity right?"

"Bloody hell! Just when I get used to the whole "no longer nocternal" thing, she goes and kisses me and I cant sleep anyway!" Spike reached into his pocket and came out empty handed.

"And to top it off, I'm out of smokes! Oh well, cant sleep anyway. Might as well go get some." He got up and walked out of the apartment. She walked down the street wondering what to do. She hated Spike. Didn't she? "Of course I do! Think Buffy. Spike is scum! Scum with really good hair. No! Quit thinking like that! Spike is egotistical. With a body like that who wouldn't be? Argh! Shut up! Spike is rude. With an ass that any girl would be blind not to like. Bad thoughts Buffy! You hate Spike. Quit thinking about his ass! What am I gonna do? I know! I have to hate Spike. Yeah! You hate him anyway Summers. So just act normal." She turned and started walking through the park.

Spike walked through the park in a state of total confusion.

"What the hell happened back there anyway? She kicks me in the face, sends me through my coffee table, decked me in the stomach, kissed me and then ran away. Does she want me or not? If she didn't, she wouldn't have kissed me. But, if she did, she wouldn't have sent me flying into my table causing me to have to pick glass chunks out of my ass! Damn women!"

"Crud! There he is! What am I supposed to do now? Kiss him? No! Cuddle with him? No! Throw him down and ravage him? Hell no! Ooh, panic!"

"Well, well. Here she comes. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Can anyone say akward?"

"Come on Buffy, think! The next thing she knew, she reached out instinctively and made contact.

"What in blazes is wrong with you woman?" Spike yelled as he picked himself up. But, he quickly realized she was no longer there. Mad and very confused, Spike quickly made his way to the 7-11 and back to his apartment. He was in serious need of a smoke, a pair of tweezers and an ice pack!

The next day Buffy had to force herself to make it through her classes. What was wrong with her? Life never used to be this confusing. It didn't have to be now. She would just go on hating Spike and things could go back to normal. Why did she kiss him in the first place? She was furious with him for not telling her the truth one minute and in the liplock of the century with him the next. She really needed to get a grip!

After school was over, she went to The Magic Shop to meet up with the gang and go over the plans for that nights patrol. She needed to patrol. It would help to get her mind off of all of this crap! She really needed a cup of coffee!

"Hey guys."

"Hey Buffster." Xander and Willow had decided not to tell Giles or any of the others about what happened with Spike and Buffy. And they decided not to bring it up to Buffy. She was already confused enough, no need to make it worse. It was just a one time thing anyway. A pity thing. Nothing else.

"What's the plan for tonight's patrol?" She asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Well, Anya and I are going to take the school." Xander told her.

"Tara and I are taking the mall." Willow said.

"I have to do some research which leaves you and Spike to take the cemetary." Giles told her.

"No way! I am not working with Spike!" Buffy told him.

"Buffy, you work with Spike all the time. Why are you complaining now?" He asked. Willow and Xander looked at each other and then back at Buffy.

"I don't want to talk about it Giles, but I cant work with..."

"Alright woman. What in bloody hell is your problem?"

Buffy and the gang looked up to see that Spike had come in the back door.

"You're my problem Spike."

"Wait a damn minute. You come to my apartment, kick my ass, which I am still picking glass out of, kiss me like you're life depends on it, run out on me and then punch me in the nose causing me to fly into the jungle gym. So now, I have a sore ass, numb lips and a broken nose. There is definitely something wrong with that picture!" Spike yelled.

"You kissed Spike?" Giles asked.

"Go Buffy!" Anya said.

"Spike, I told you I don't want to talk about this. But since you seem to be so hell bent on it, suit yourself! I kicked your ass because you pissed me off. You lied to me and made me think you were something you aren't. I kissed you because I felt sorry for you! You are so pitiful Spike. I mean look at you. You dress like a biker with a severe hair problem. I mean really Spike, you really need to consider adding some color to your wardrobe and no one with half a brain has white hair unless it is natural which yours definitely is not! You're built like a child and your ass is lopsided. I kicked your ass in the park because you looked at me wrong. Word to the wise Spike, keep your eyes to yourself!" Buffy yelled.

"Been lookin' at my ass, have you luv?" Spike said with a smirk on his face.

"Argh! I can't work with him Giles! He's impossible!"

"If I am so damn impossible, then why have you been working with me for the last five years pet?"

"I had no choice! You're Giles nephew!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Angel asked.

"Buffy and Spike are fighting." Anya said as she walked over and put her arms around his neck.

"What's new? They always fight." Angel said.

"Go away Spike!" Buffy told him.

"Come on luv, you don't really want me to go away and you know it." Spike told her.

"If you wont leave, I will then!" She turned and stormed out.

Giles looked around the room. "That went well."

Two days later...

Buffy sat at her desk in English class. Things had been so much easier now that her and Spike were avoiding each other. She had been doodling little sketches of Spike with stakes through their foreheads on the yellow section separators in her notebook. Ok, so they were stick figures with black clothes and white hair but the stakes were there nonetheless. Each one got a little more detailed. Like one had on a belt, one had on the black boots that Spike was notorious for and one had on a black duster. And with each one, the stake got more detailed with more and more splinters. And on some of them, the stake was in different body parts. His stomach, his heart, even one in his crotch. Buffy had to laugh at that one. She was actually enjoying English for once.

Spike had been trying to make himself think about something other than Buffy. Damn slayer was nothing but trouble anyway. He finally got all the glass out of his rear and his nose was healing nicely. It hurt like hell, but it was healing. He certainly was not going to tell her that it hurt. Not about to give her that satisfaction! He sat down in his favorite recliner and turned on the television. The Young And The Restless was coming on and he had to see what was going to happen with Kevin Fisher. It was starting to get really good now. It was his day off from the Magic Shop and he was going to enjoy it for once! All of a sudden there was a real loud pop noise. He turned just in time to see water pouring out of his ceiling. The pipe busted and the room was flooding fast.

"Bugger me!" He yelled as he tried to put the halves of pipe back together. It was useless. The pipe exploded and pieces of it were everywhere. This was not going to be an easy fix. He ran out the door and down to the Managers office to report it.

Two hours later, Spike had walked into The Magic Shop. He was soaked from head to toe and his boots were squeeking. He looked like a drowned, bleached rat.

"What happened to you?" Tara asked.

"Bloody pipe busted at my apartment."

"How bad?" Xander asked.

"Well let me put it this way. The pipe was in about fifty pieces, the carpet and walls are ruined, half the floor collapsed into the apartment downstairs, and all the electrical outlits and half the wiring has to be redone. They say it will take two months to fix. Until then, I am out of a place to live." He told her.

"Wow! What about all your stuff?" Angel asked.

"Salvage what I can. Most of my clothes were either in the closet or the dresser so that should be fine but a lot of my furniture is destroyed."

"That sucks man! Where are you going to stay?" Xander asked.

"Don't know yet." He replied.

"I would let you stay at my place but I am headed to England for the next couple of months and the carpenters are going to use the time to put in the library and lay new carpeting." Giles told him.

"With the school year ending, we have to clear out of the dorm rooms and there is no way my mom will let me move a guy in." Tara told him.

"Yeah, me either." Willow replied.

"Anya and I are headed to L.A. for the summer." Angel said.

"And my place is so small that I can barely fit into it let alone anyone else." Xander added.

"Oz is going on tour with the band and will be gone for the summer." Tara said.

"Why aren't you going with him Anya?" Willow asked.

"I cant. Doing my Internship in San Francisco this summer."

"Oh yeah. I forgot." Willow replied.

"Thanks guys. I'll figure something out."

"Well, you can always stay at our house Spike. I'm going to be out of town for the summer doing some work for the gallery but there is plenty of room." Joyce said as she rubbed Giles' shoulders. They had been dating the better part of a year now.

"I appreciate that Joyce, but something tells me your daughter might have other ideas."

"Well, if you change your mind, the offer remains Spike."

Just then, Buffy walked in. She dropped her notebook on the table in front of Spike and went for the coffee pot. She had not even noticed him sitting there.

"Interesting pictures pet. Didn't know you could draw so well." He said seeing her stick Spikes.

"Just when I thought this day was actually going to be good you have to show up and shit on it." She said as she walked back to the table and sat down.

"Well, what good would the day be if I couldn't make it a living hell for you?" He asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes and tried to ignore him.

"Really pet, I didn't know you had this kind of talent. I really like the one where I am hanging from the bridge with the spike in stake in my gut and all my intestines hanging out."

"That was my favorite one too." She told him.

"This is truly impressive. I mean look at the detail in the stakes. They look like pickles with hair." Spike said.

"They do not!" She said as she grabbed the notebook out of his hands. "I guess they kind of do don't they?"

"That's ok luv, it's the thought that counts! You wouldn't kill me anyway." Spike told her.

"You're right Spike. I wouldn't kill you. It would take too much energy that I could put into someone who is actually worth it." She replied.

Spike looked over to where Giles and Joyce, who were both oblivious to the whole conversation, were sitting. "You know Joyce, I think I'll take you up on that offer. After all, a guy has to have a place to live."

"Great Spike. You can bring your stuff on over." Joyce told him.

"I better go get my things packed up. I'll be there in a couple of hours. Thanks Joyce." He told her as he stood up.

"What are you talking about Spike?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide. He gave her an evil smile and walked out.

"What the hell is he talking about mom?"

"Oh, Spike is going to be staying at our house for a couple of months." Joyce told her.

"What is wrong with his place?" Buffy asked exasporated.

"A pipe blew out and his apartment is destroyed. He cant go back until it's fixed. See honey, you will have a roommate while I'm gone."

Buffy slumped down in her chair, crossed her arms and proceeded to pout. "Oh frickin joy!"