A/N: More for your eyes to feast upon....
13
Buffy arose early the next morning rubbing her head and feeling a dull ache in her stomach. She sat up on the edge of her bed and turned to see Spike lying down next to where she had been but he was still fast asleep. It was lucky for him she had closed the blinds earlier otherwise he would have caught on fire from the sun. His milky chest stood out against her dark sheets and the Slayer grabbed up a blanket spreading it across him even though he would remain at room temperature anyway.
Spike always slept so peacefully, looked so innocent when he was anything but. He had a soul now but that didn't mean he had just forgotten all the bad things he had done.
Last night they had talked about everything that had happened but it had been mostly her just filling in details from it. They never broached the subject of the day he died; it was too hard for both of them. She told him about Dawn and how Andrew was in love with her and that he was training to be a Watcher. She told him that Anya had died that day too and he had stopped for a moment, digesting it.
He took in all of this and more in his stride, just like she had expected him too.
Buffy stood and changed clothes fairly certain the vampire was fast asleep and not tricking her. She left the room quietly and walked down the hallway. Hearing voices from downstairs Buffy jogged down and found Xander and Robin fixing the doors back on, she gave them a wave and walked into the dining room. Willow and Fred sat at the table talking intently and Faith sat at another table, feet up on the top and hands laced behind her head. Buffy made her way over to her sitting down opposite the other Slayer.
"Hey, B" Faith nodded "Quite a night last night, huh?"
She got suspicious "What do you mean?"
"The attack"
"Oh, yeah" Buffy took a breath "That"
"So, how's the knife wound?"
"Spiffy"
Faith smiled "Had one of those myself"
An awkward moment passed between them.
Faith dropped her legs from the table "So, where's the Billy Idol wannabe?"
"Actually Billy Idol was a Spike wannabe," Buffy said then off Faith's look added "Uh, he's upstairs...in my room"
The brunette's eyebrows lifted "Way to go, B. A little welcome back from the dead, was it?"
"No, nothing happened. We just talked"
"Sure" Faith gave her a knowing smile.
"Faith, I'm serious..."
"None of mine" The Slayer held her hands up as she stood then she winked at Buffy and glided out of the room to see Robin.
Buffy sat at the table and sighed, just like Faith people were going to get the wrong idea about Spike and her. Now she wouldn't really care but it would hurt Angel's feelings and though she wasn't involved with Angel she still didn't want to hurt him especially since it wasn't true. The Slayer stood and made her way back up the stairs to her room she walked in and found her bed was empty. She looked around the room and found no trace of the vampire.
Stepping out of the room she heard voices from Dawn's room and crossed the hallway to her door. She looked in and Spike sat on the corner of her bed, still shirtless presumably because he had no more clothes with Dawn still in bed and they were talking and joking. They both looked up at her as she stood in the doorway.
"Hi, Buffy" Dawn smiled.
"Hey," Buffy looked at Spike then "It okay for you to be walking around? Lot of sunshine"
He made a 'no worries' gesture "Not direct"
"Right"
All three of them were silent, a sort of awkwardness settling in the room. Buffy had to wonder why Spike was in the bedroom of her not so little sister. As if sensing her discomfort Spike stood from the bed and ran a hand through his hair excusing himself to go and get a T-shirt. Buffy moved aside to let him go and then turned back to Dawn.
She climbed out of bed grabbing her comb and started brushing her hair "What's wrong, Buffy? We were just talking about stuff"
"You're older now..." Buffy sighed "I just don't want Spike to get the wrong idea"
Dawn arched an eyebrow "And what idea would that be?"
"You know what I'm talking about" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh, please, Buffy!" Dawn sighed "Spike's in love with you!"
The Slayer shook her head "No, he was in love with me. He has been dead since then"
"A little thing like death doesn't stop that kind of feelings toward someone"
"Just...be careful, okay?"
Dawn frowned "Fine. Don't see why I need to but –"
Suddenly both of their heads whipped around as they heard yells coming from the end of the corridor. Buffy reacted first jumping out of the door, swinging around the corner and sprinting up the landing. She realized the sounds were coming from the bathroom at the end of the hall. The Slayer came to a halt Dawn stopping just behind her as they saw Andrew fly from the bathroom door and land on a heap on the floor. Spike stepped out after him, towel wrapped around his waist and sopping wet a very unpleased expression on his face.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked.
"That wanker walked in on me in the shower!" Spike folded his arms over his chest "I mean a little bit of privacy wouldn't go amiss! But no, that would be too much to ask"
Andrew looked up at the girls from the floor "I didn't mean to!"
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other then burst out laughing holding onto each other to steady themselves.
Spike pouted "Well, ta! I'm so glad you find this funny. Maybe next time this clown can walk in on you in the shower!"
"I didn't mean to!" Andrew scrambled up grabbing the banister and looking scared for his life "It's not like I wanted to see you in the shower. Oh, not that you aren't very attractive because you are! I mean if I was a girl I'd find you attractive but not I, as a man, oh no. No attracting there. I can see why Buffy boffed you though"
Buffy stopped laughing then "Andrew, you wanna keep digging yourself into that hole?"
"No, ma'am" Andrew shook his head vigorously "I was just saying that from a woman's point of view, Spike, here, must be pretty damn –"
"Enough" She cut him short "Go downstairs and make yourself useful"
"But I have to pee..."
"Go!"
Andrew nodded and ran down the stairs without looking back.
Buffy rubbed her head "Dawn can you go wake Angel up, we need to find the demon's lair"
"But it's morning" Dawn said.
"Yeah, we'll throw a blanket over him"
"You might fair better by using me for that" Spike said "Primarily vampires track by blood not body scent, though we can do it. It just so happens I took a bite out of one of them yesterday and I got their scent nice and strong"
Dawn grimaced "Eww"
Buffy sighed "Fine, get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes"
-------------------------------------------
"So, the Slayer finally learnt how to drive" Spike muttered, a blanket thrown over his head "I never thought I'd see the day"
"Shut up and sniff" Buffy said curtly as she drove around the corner.
Spike had his head stuck out of the window smelling the air just like a dog, she half expected him to let his tongue wag out but then again maybe not. Giles sat in the back seat so that when or if they ever found the place he could come up with a strategy and Andrew sat next to him like a good little apprentice.
"Swing this corner" The vampire instructed and she did as he asked as he took in deep breaths of air.
Buffy turned again as he asked her to again and grunted. They had been doing this for over an hour and she was beginning to think that they should have got Angel to come too. Maybe two vampire noses would be better then one.
"So," Andrew was irritatingly kicking the back of her chair "This is like totally dangerous, right? Hunting for the bad guys"
"You're right, Andrew, we are in a car in broad daylight with a vampire sniffing the air like an amorous poodle. I don't think it could get any more dangerous" Giles rolled his eyes and Buffy had to smile.
"Oi!" Spike pulled his head back inside "I resent the poodle jibe"
"Right, I'm sorry. You're really more of a Chihuahua. Head too big for the proportional size of your body" Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them.
"I'm trying to help, this is the thanks I –" Spike started.
Buffy interrupted "Just sniff the air, 'kay?
"Okay" He nodded obediently and stuck his head back out of the window.
Giles rolled his eyes again at Spike's somewhat teacher's pet nature he had with Buffy. Even after all these years and his death the vampire was still loyal to Buffy. It was kind of admirable but also slightly disturbing.
"Wait. Stop!" Spike commanded.
Buffy pulled over to the curb.
He sniffed again "I think we're close. Drive to the end of the road then turn left"
Buffy pulled out again and did as he had instructed; really hoping this journey was over. There was only so much conversation you could have with a nerd, your ex and Giles when none of them got on with each other very well. Andrew tried to get on with people but never really succeeded.
"Here" Spike said and she stopped, before she could do anything he opened the door and ran out still covered in a blanket and ran to a clump of bushes at the side of one house where he stopped.
Buffy groaned and got out walking up to him she was a little surprised when he grabbed her arm and yanked her down onto her knees.
"Spike!"
"Shh!" He chastised her and pointed to a window of the house opposite.
Buffy looked and saw a man at the window of what appeared to be the kitchen washing dishes. She thought Spike had got it wrong until she saw the man looked exactly like Giles. Giles and Andrew came up and crouched down too and Giles let out a flabbergasted sound.
"Looks like he's got your womanly sense of cleanliness, Rupert" Spike sniggered.
"Hello, twenty first century" Andrew held his hand up "Men clean too now"
Buffy looked at Giles "Looks like a pretty standard house. Only ways in back door, front door or through windows"
"Perhaps not. There may be an outside entrance to the basement" Giles pointed out.
Spike pulled the blanket up higher on himself "Want me to go check?"
"No, I'll go"
Buffy crouched down low as she ran over to the side of the house directly under the window. She pressed her back against the wall and quickly ran along, glancing over the top of the back gate by standing on tiptoes she saw the backyard was empty. The Slayer grabbed the top of the gate and pulled herself up into a handstand on top of it, flipping herself over landing silently on the grass on the other side. Buffy crouched down again and looked around seeing that there was indeed a pair of doors pressed against the ground that would lead to a basement. She then saw there was a ladder to the flat roof of the house.
Buffy thought about going back to tell Giles but decided it would make too much noise. So instead she climbed swiftly and silently up, pulling herself up onto the roof. Glancing down she saw the three men behind the bushes and Giles looked up and spotted her, a surprised expression on his face. Buffy gave him the thumbs up and walked across the roof where she found that there was a skylight that looked down into what passed for the dining room of these demon's house.
Evil Willow, Evil Angel and Evil Xander sat around the large table eating, and she couldn't believe this, TV dinner. It was then that Buffy noticed Evil Angel had his arm around Evil Willow in a very romantic manner. It was strange to see especially since regular Willow was a lesbian and Angel was, well, Angel. She looked away from it and strained to hear anything they said.
"I'm just saying that we didn't count on this..." Evil Willow commented.
"So?" Evil Xander shrugged "We can deal"
"Yeah but the vampire being dead was our way of making sure we would never be defeated. How the hell is he not dead, now?" Evil Angel grumbled.
Evil Willow sighed "I'm thinking they used a spell to bring him back. They figured that our guy would be unkillable"
Evil Spike walked in, dressed only in black T-shirt and black jeans "Talking 'bout me again?"
"Yeah, well, we're just saying things aren't going exactly to plan" Evil Willow explained.
"What have you been doing? You look a state" Evil Xander noted of Evil Spike.
Buffy studied Evil Spike and saw that his hair was indeed mussed and his clothes scruffier then even regular Spikes were.
"What do you reckon?" Evil Spike gave them an evil grin.
"Whatever. When's our next attack?" Evil Angel asked.
Buffy leaned in close to hear this.
Evil Willow pulled a face "I'm thinking tonight. We have a lot to plan. The Slayer's gang are going to burn"
Buffy stepped away from the skylight and made her way to the edge of the roof, she signaled to Giles to tell her if it was clear and he nodded. She flipped off of the roof and landed on her feet on the ground. She crouched down just to be safe and made her way over beckoning them to the car. Once they were all safe inside and Buffy had driven a couple of streets she spoke.
"They're gonna attack. Tonight" She said gravely.
"Are you sure, Buffy?" Giles asked, concerned.
"Heard it with my own ears"
Spike shrugged as he rolled his window up and kept the blanket over his head "So we suit up, weapons at the ready and sort them out"
Andrew raised his hand "We could attack them before they attack us"
"Don't think that would work. Their house is a lot smaller then ours and they have neighbors. Don't want to cause much ruckus" Spike said, "The best way to kill them would be when they're sleeping. If they sleep"
"Fine. We'll have everyone prepared for their attack. The newer girls will stay out of harms way as much as possible though" Giles was planning "We will have only the people who have been cloned to be on the front line"
Andrew looked scared "Sounds dangerous"
"Everything sounds dangerous to you. However, in this case you are right" Giles tapped the window absently.
"Danger? Yeah, I'd say so. You do run the whole Slayer franchise don't you? How could you expect anything but danger? I'm ready to rip that cheap knock-off's head off! Are you with me?" Spike was getting very enthusiastic.
No one answered him, just gazed out of his or her different windows.
"Oh, fine" The vampire muttered looking out if his window in resignation.
--------------------------------
"Now, we're sure they said tonight?" Willow asked nervously as she swung a broadsword around awkwardly "Because personally I'd be happy if they didn't visit again till...ever!"
"They said tonight. Well, you said tonight" Buffy assured her.
"Me? Did I look like me?"
"Yeah, Will, that's the whole point" Buffy looked at the witch "It also looked like you and Angel had a thing going on"
Willow's eyes widened "Me and Angel? No, never! I would never do that"
"Well, that's flattering..." Angel stepped out of the shadows a wicked looking ax in his hand and a dagger in his waistband.
Willow shook her head apologetically "Oh, no! It's not that I wouldn't...well, actually I wouldn't because of the whole, you know, gay thing but if I wasn't you'd be first on my list" She turned to Buffy eyes wider "Oh! Not that I would because that would be bad, you know dating your ex and all...someone please stop me!"
Buffy laughed "Chill, Willow. I know you're my loyal friend"
"Damn right I am" She walked away past Angel and winked "See you later, stud. Joking!" She announced laughing over zealously before she practically ran from the room.
Angel had a slight smile on his face "She's always...perky, isn't she?"
"Yeah. Well, except for when she turns evil" Buffy informed him as she lifted an ax that looked similar to his "Then it's all pale and veiny with black hair. Which, by the way, isn't such a good look for her"
"Takes all types" He shrugged swinging his ax around casually "So, are you ready?"
"Always. You?"
"Forever"
They both smiled at one another.
Giles walked in the room with half a dozen Slayers following him "Now, girls, the key is not to attack but to defend yourself. Remember hide! Hide! And hide! What did I say?"
"Hide" They all mumbled.
He nodded briskly "Exactly. Now all of you go up to your rooms, three in a room and no less and have weapons at the ready just in case. Whatever you hear down here do not come down. Stay safe"
The girls all walked wearily up the stairs mumbling and groaning at not being able to join in the fight and Giles turned to the Slayer and the vampire as he picked up a curved scimitar and nodded happy with his choice of weapon.
Giles looked at his watch "Almost time, I'm afraid"
"Time to enter the breach" Buffy said.
Both men looked lost at her pop culture reference.
"You old guys need to watch more TV" She told them.
Xander and Spike entered arguing about weapons and shaking their heads vigorously. They both came to a stop next to the rest of them and then they swapped weapons so that Xander now had a long, thin sword and Spike held a huge sawn off shotgun.
"We don't use guns in this house" Buffy pointed out.
"That's funny" Spike shrugged "'Cos I do"
The Slayer frowned at him then looked around "Okay, guys," She started as Willow re-entered "It's time for the pep talk; don't do something stupid like die. Questions?"
They all smiled a little and then prepared themselves to enter the fray. Buffy sent Xander and Spike to the back door to guard it, Giles and Willow went upstairs to patrol the landings and Buffy and Angel stood by the front door.
"So," Angel scratched the back of his head absently "You're not mad at me anymore?"
Buffy looked at him "I was never mad at you. It's just, now's not the time to talk about that stuff. You get that, right?"
After a second he nodded "Okay. After?"
"After"
The front window broke as a brick broke through it and then a second later a bottle was thrown threw almost instantly setting the living room carpet on fire. Buffy wondered if there would be an after.
A/N: La di daaaaaaaa da! Review! Oh and Evil Angel isn't meant to be like Angelus. He's not Angelus he just looks like Angel and is a demon. To clear up that comment someone reviewed with.