Author's Note: Ok so I am going to try to update at least one of my stories per week. I'm not sure exactly how that will work out but I promise to try  Thanks for all your encouragement and keep the reviews coming!

Chapter 2

Buffy absently adjusted the hem on her shirt and smoothed it down into place. She saw Willow and Xander at their usual table and waved at them happily then strolled over, unaware of the piercing blue eyes that watched her with more than just bloodlust.

"Hey Buffy!" Willow greeted happily as Buffy sat down with them. It was Friday night and the group of friends had been going to this club, the Bronze, every Friday since they had first met. Except now the group had expanded a bit.

"Hey everyone." Buffy said with a happy smile and looked around the table at her friends. Willow with her girlfriend of three months Tara, and Xander and his on again off again girlfriend Cordelia. Since Buffy had met Xander, he and Cordelia had broken up about twelve times.

"Buffster!" Xander greeted sounding a little tense. Cordelia glared at her boyfriend's head.

"Nice to see you again Buffy." Cordelia said, making sure Buffy knew that it was in fact NOT nice to see her again.

"You too Cordelia." Buffy said wearily. Cordelia always thought that Buffy was out to steal Xander away from her. Which was just not true because she thought of him like a brother. But the fact that Buffy was beautiful and didn't really date, Cordelia got it in her head that Buffy was secretly in love with Xander.

"Cordy." Xander interjected with a warning tone in his voice.

"Don't you 'Cordy' me, mister." Cordelia hissed turning her glare from Buffy to Xander.

"Hey! How about we all dance!" Willow interjected perkily. Tara nodded quickly and Buffy smiled at Willow, glad for the distraction.

"Let's go!" Buffy said and the three practically sprinted out to the dance floor not paying attention to the brunette couple that they left behind at the table still embroiled in the same old argument.

Buffy loved to dance with her friends. The music was fast and it was just the three of them swaying to the beat, using all of their bodies to express themselves. Tara was the most subdued of them all, probably due to her natural shyness, but she would smile serenely at Buffy and Willow as they danced giddily to the music.

Spike watched the trio from his seat at the bar with a slight smile on his face. He thought that she looked absolutely stunning out there. He swallowed the rest of his drink hastily, feeling like he needed to get closer to her. He absently put his drink down on the bar and started over to Buffy, unconscious of everything and everyone else in the room except for her. As he reached her, a slower song came on in the club and it was as if it was destiny for him to meet her.

"Care to dance?" Spike asked as Willow and Tara wrapped their arms around each other. Buffy turned and looked at him in surprise. She felt her heart skip a beat as she looked into his deep blue eyes. For a moment she could just stare at him and Spike became a little uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Finally she smiled.

"Sure." Buffy said with an air of confidence that she only wished she felt. Spike breathed a sigh of relief and moved a step closer to her. She stepped up to him and they stood there facing each other but not touching. Buffy arched a brow at him as he stared at her intently. "Well are we going to dance or just stand here?"

"Dance." Spike stated firmly as he broke out into a grin. He pulled her up against himself and Buffy stumbled for a second before regaining her balance. She pulled back slightly to frown at him, but she could feel her lips turn up into a smile at she took in the irascible smirk on his face.

"I'm Buffy." She told him and his smirk became a smile.

"Hello Buffy." He said in a low husky voice and his smile became wider as he felt a shiver run through her body.

"What's your name?" She asked. Spike was about to tell her but he paused and stared at her lips. Did he want her to call him Spike? Did he really want that hard, cold name to come out of her lush lips? No. He leaned closer to her and Buffy tilted her head up, her breathing coming almost in pants.

"William." He murmured telling her his long forgotten real name. And then he kissed her. He kissed her softly, slowly; the way that he had always dreamed of kissing a girl when everyone called him William. His inner demon was yelling and screaming at him, but as she began to kiss him back, it became more of a whisper. The longer that they swayed together, the quieter the voice became.

The song ended and Buffy stepped away from him. She felt like something that she had been holding onto for a long time was finally breaking free. She smiled at him. And at that moment, Spike knew why he hadn't been able to kill her. He was in love with her.

"So do you want to join us at our table?" She asked him a little nervously. He nodded still a little stunned at his revelation. Buffy laced their fingers together and began to lead him to the table. His mouth tilted up in a wistful smile as he looked at their joined hands. How long had he been watching her? Studying her every move?

Buffy quickly introduced him to her friends and noticed that Cordelia was a lot nicer to her once William was in the picture. She smiled at him as he and Xander talked about starting up a pool game. His thumb absently brushed the back of her hand where their hands were still joined. As he looked over and winked at her Buffy felt herself heat up. She knew that she didn't really know him they had just met tonight. But she could feel something inside of her drawing her to this man. It was like an invisible force was telling her that he was her future.

&&&&&&&&&

Buffy giggled as Spike twirled her around on the dance floor. Some pop song was playing in the background but they ignored the pulsing bass beat and were dancing to their own music. Much to the amusement of everyone around them. It was actually eerie how well they moved together to a beat that only the two of them could hear.

As Buffy spun around, the strobe light blinked around the club, making odd shadows on the patrons' faces. She looked at William smiling happily and then the light did the weirdest thing. As it blinked, it was as if there were two of him smiling at her. One William was the handsome man that she met that night. But the other's smile was more of a sneer and there was something in his eyes that seemed…dangerous. Buffy's own smile faltered and as she lost her balance, her ankle twisted. Spike caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Buffy are you ok?" He asked, his worry showing through.

"Yeah. I'm ok. Just a little wounded pride." She said quickly and moved to walk back to the table, but she hissed in pain. Her ankle. "Or not."

"I think you just twisted it, pet. You should probably go home, sit and relax, and put some ice on it." He helped her hobble over to a chair and Buffy sat down heavily.

"I'm such a klutz." Buffy mumbled embarrassed that such a gorgeous guy who she was very interested in had seen her at her most ungraceful. Spike reached down and brought her foot up to her lap. He began to rub her ankle, making sure that it was just twisted and it wasn't anything more serious. He smirked at her when he noticed the three-inch stiletto heels that she had on.

"Buffy, luv, I can't even begin to imagine how you were walking in these shoes tonight, let alone dancing!" His hands drifted up her calf and he swallowed hard, thanking a god he hadn't spoken to in a long time that she had worn a skirt that night. He leaned forward to kiss her again…

"Hey Buffy and William." Xander said breaking into their private moment. "Whatcha guys doing?" He actually knew what they had been doing. He and Cordelia had been watching them from their table ever since they saw Buffy almost fall on the dance floor. Buffy glared at her friend.

"Oh you know, just clumsy old me. I tripped on the dance floor and William caught me." Buffy sent Xander a 'go away now' look which he promptly ignored and pulled up the chair beside them.

"Do you wanna go home, Buffster?" Xander asked ignoring the get lost vibes that were coming off of both blondes.

"I'll take her." Spike said quickly.

"I'll bet you will." Xander said under his breath. Aloud he said, "No, that's ok. I don't mind." Buffy crossed her arms and glared at Xander. She opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his ride when Cordelia came over.

"Xander. I want to go." She said.

"Yeah, I know. We're giving Buffy a ride."

"But she lives on the other side of town!" Cordelia said.

"Yeah, but she twisted her ankle and she can't walk and you know that she can't drive!" Xander chuckled but both Cordelia and Buffy merely glared at him. "What?"

"Where do you live, pet." Spike asked, holding in his glee at the thought of being in her house as an invited guest this time.

"Revello." She answered and smiled at him.

"No problem." Spike said and smirked at Xander. "Let's go, luv. You got your coat and bag?"

"Here they are." Cordelia said shoving the items at Buffy.

"Thanks Cordy." Buffy said with an amused smile. She got up as quickly as she could with Spike's help. "Bye, Xand! Call you tomorrow!" Buffy said cheerily and waved at him as Xander sat there opening and closing his mouth trying to work out what had happened. Spike led Buffy out to his car and opened the door to the big black DeSoto for her.

"This is your car?" Buffy asked scrunching up her nose a little.

"Hey! This baby is a classic!" Spike protested and she giggled at him. She titled her head sideways as though contemplating his very existence. "What?" He asked self-consciously. When she looked at him like that, it was as though she could read his inner most thoughts and there were some thoughts he did not want her to over hear.

"Nothing. Just, this car suits you. It's like a part of your image or something." He chuckled.

"Yeah. I guess it is. Get in, pet." He gestured to the opened door and Buffy blushed a little and carefully lowered herself into the car. They chatted amiably as he drove her home. Buffy pointed out her house as Spike pretended to never have seen it before. He turned off the car and dashed around the side to help her out of the car and up to the front door.

"So. I, ah…it was really nice to meet you William." Buffy said as she stood at the front door with her keys in her hand. His heart jumped when she called him by his real name, the only name she had for him.

"You too." He murmured and leaned in to kiss her. This kiss was not like the one that hey had shared on the dance floor. This kiss was passionate and intense, as though he was claiming her. Buffy let herself be claimed. All too soon they broke for air and Spike leaned his forehead against hers breathing hard. In the evening chill he could see their breath mingling together and he knew that he had never wanted to be close to anyone as much as he wanted to be close to her.

"Do you, do you want to come in?" Buffy asked hesitantly. Apparently she felt the same way. Spike pulled away a little and looked into her eyes. They were wide with passion, but also a little fear. He frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know." She whispered. "I usually don't. But with you, it…it just feels different." She admitted. Spike smiled a half happy half sad smile. It was different. He was sent to kill her and she was here in his arms, kissing him. Trusting him. He felt guilt for the first time in ten years.

"Yeah. I'll come in." He answered a plan already forming in his head to keep her safe from Glory. Spike rationalized that if he could love her and make her happy and keep her safe, then that would make up for his original intentions. She smiled at him and he let himself get lost in the moment. Buffy opened the door and they stepped inside.

AN: hope that you guys liked it! Let me know what you think!