5.

The Realisation

Spike stood testily, pacing back and forth on hardwood floor of Jackie's house. It had been fortunate that her parents were away for the time being, he hadn't thought a grown man whom Jackie had never mentioned before would go down well, even without them being told he was a Vampire.

Jackie sat on the couch, she looked rather stunned, perhaps a little faint, and her face was pale and white, even more so than Spike's.

Jackie sat in the middle of the couch and melded over what she had just been told.

She'd had her life changed in only a matter of hours. Within those hours she'd learnt of not only the existence of Vampires, but Werewolves, Witches and an assortment of other strange and mystical demons. And not all of them on the side of 'good' like Spike.

She let her mind meld over the conversation that had drastically thrown her whole outlook on life over the edge.

"There's this Vampire Slayer back in California," Spike had started, and then paused. The look that appeared on his face when he mentioned this Slayer was almost indescribable.

He seemed to nearly smile, as if remembering a fond memory, but frown at the same time, as though he'd also been through terrible trouble with this Slayer. He was obviously shy and reluctant to let Jackie see these feelings as he dropped his head and went red, knowing she was looking.

Jackie was also sure that Spike had a least been evil before. The way he spoke, the way he looked, even his attitude told her he'd dabbled in the black side of the world before, as if sucking blood wasn't bad enough.

Whatever the situation, Jackie was sure that however 'evil' he had been before; this American Slayer had changed him. Without him talking of her you could tell how much affection he had for her, it was funny; he hadn't even mentioned her name.

"Anyway," Spike continued, "This Slayer, her gang and I all live in Sunnydale, it just so happens that Sunnydale is also over a hell mouth, love."

Jackie frowned, confused for a second.

"It's an opening to hell," Spike explained hurriedly.

"I guessed as much," Jackie said.

"Well, long story short, there's this evil sort of war approaching and we need everything we've got to defeat it," Spike paused again, looking intently at Jackie, as if trying to guess her reaction. She said nothing, waiting for him to get to the point of his story.

"One of the gang put a spell over the world that made every girl potentially a Slayer, to actually become one.

We called these Slayers potentials, and you're one of them."

Jackie had remained silent, milling it over in her mind, reeling from what she'd been told.

Now she wasn't so sure what to do, she looked to Spike, who had stood patiently beside her while she'd been soaking it up.

He sighed, looking down at her almost sadly.

"I need you to come back to America with me, so we can stop the world, from well, ending."

Spike crossed his arms, putting his body weight on one foot as he studied his young Slayer.

He winced inwardly, realising he'd mentally referred to Jackie as being his Slayer again.

No matter how many times he told himself he wasn't going to look after her, it kept coming back to him, teasing him almost.

He couldn't help it, it was if they'd been drawn together, he had to look after her now, there was no way he could leave such a lost soul wondering like she was. She was utterly alone in Australia with these powers; she needed to come to America, if not for the impending war, but to learn of what she was, and that there were others out there like her.

It was strange, how much Jackie had reminded him of the Slayer at home, how lost and confused she was. When he'd first met the Slayer in America, although having realised what she was much sooner than Jackie had, she had still been somewhat used to her gift.

It suddenly hit Jackie what this meant. She was expected to drop her entire life here in Australia. No friends, no more life whatsoever.

What's more is that she wasn't even sure who she was putting her trust into. This guy was a Vampire for god's sake! How could any guy who survived by drinking human blood good? True, he did save her, but he also wanted to take her away from her life and bring her to a completely different country to fight an impending war between two supernatural forces!

What was she to do! Trust the life she'd built for herself the last sixteen years, or that of a stranger who'd entered her life that very afternoon?

He had made a good point about where her strength had come from though. Spike had explained that every Slayer, despite being female, also possessed super human strength, to help them fight against demons.

She'd also found out more about Spike, who, other than his strange disability to enter houses unless invited, could not come out into the daylight or else he'd burst into flame, could not touch a crucifix because it'd burn him and couldn't be killed unless he was pierced directly in the heart with a wooden stake, or had his head cut off.

She'd also discovered he was about one-hundred and thirty years-old! Jackie had wanted to hear more about his life, pre-1900's but Spike hadn't seemed too keen on telling her about his life, pre-Vampire.

Jackie only found this another reason to be weary of him. He didn't even want to indulge to her what his life was like when he truly wouldn't have been evil, and was in fact living.

Jackie was dragged from her thoughts by Spike snapping his fingers in her face. She shook herself and gave him a glare.

Spike shrugged.

"Sorry love, but you'd been staring at the same spot for ages now," Spike said. Although Jackie was annoyed, her attitude softened, seeing the look of concern on his face.

Jackie felt like she'd been sleep, outside, the sky was near black. It was truly evening now.

Suddenly, Jackie remembered.

"What's the time?" she asked, more herself than Spike as she leaped up from the couch and ran about the house gathering her possessions.

Spike followed her, for a brief moment amused at the fluster she was in as she picked up things, dropped them and mislaid them incessantly.

"Wait a moment pet!' Spike said, physically grabbing her as she rushed past, holding her by the shoulders and looking straight into her eyes.

"You have to come with me to America."

Jackie stared at him, finally stopping running around, her arms full of rumpled clothes.

She shrugged off Spikes hands, looking down at the ground.

"I'm not going to America with you," she said firmly, pulling away and putting her things in a bag.

"What?" said Spike, spitting the words from his mouth. "What do you mean you're not coming?"

"Exactly what I said" Jackie retaliated, still avoiding Spike's icy blue eyes.

"But, the world," he stuttered. "And all that stuff, everyone…"

"Yeah Spike! You say that! But who am I to trust you? I barely know you, nor am I sure that I believe you!"

"Wait!" he shouted, a touch of anger now in his voice.

"I've just told you everythin', saved your life even! And you can't understand that? You can't understand what you've been chosen to do?"

Jackie paused, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"Do you think I asked to be given these abilities? Do you think I wanted this?"

Spike sighed, knowing this argument well. He calmed himself a little; he wanted to make her understand.

"You have a choice, you can sit here, out of the way, or you can help, with what gift you've been given. It's not destiny, and it's not fate. It's whatever you choose."

Jackie stayed silent for a few moments, Spike didn't persist any further, almost surprised at how philosophical he'd just sounded.

"I'm sorry," Jackie whispered and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going'?" he asked after her.

"To my Hospitality class."