Disclaimer: the Buffyverse, the plot I've used as a setting to jump-start Becoming Me, and most major characters belong to Joss and the folks at Mutant Enemy and not to me. All I claim ownership of is my particular manipulation of the characters, my plot, my writing, and my original characters: Amber Priest, Amelia Reinhardt, Lilia Galvez, Adam Shawcross, Mr. Brown, and any other characters I've forgotten that do not appear in BtVS or AtS.

This story can also be found on Adult Fan Vampire's Kiss, and Bloodshedverse, and anyone else interested in archiving it should email me

On with the first bit of this story…there are many more chapters to come!

1: BECOMING

"God, he's gonna kill her."

Angelus advanced on Buffy, some light from somewhere glinting off the sharp sword he was threatening her with. Spike watched, having difficulty tearing himself away. The bint is crying...She really is in love with him, isn't she...

Shrugging, Spike turned and walked off with a limp Drusilla slumped in his arms.

"Now that's everything, huh? No weapons...No friends...No hope." Angelus's cruel smile split across his face.

Buffy closed her eyes. He's right, I have nothing now. No weapons, no home, no chance at anything happy or beautiful.

She tried not to hear him taunting her. "Take all that away...and what's left?"

Buffy's mind flashed back to earlier in the day, wondering what she could have done differently to produce a different ending. She remembered that weird demon - Whistler, that was his name - and his unconventional pep talk. "In the end, you're always by yourself. You're all you've got. That's the point."

Buffy could hear the wind hiss as Angelus thrust the sword into her face. Quick as lightening, her hands shot up to sandwich the blade.

I'm all I've got, she thought wryly. She opened her eyes and stared menacingly into her ex-boyfriend's. What's left, he'd asked? Well, he was fixing to find out. "Me."

"Bugger." The bleached-blonde swerved the car and it screeched to a halt in the freeway shoulder. He glanced at the unconscious Dru. As soon as she'd woken up she'd called for her Daddy. Spike had knocked her out again.

Growling, he scolded himself for his stupidity. He should have known she'd always prefer Angel to him. Of course he loved his Dark Princess, more than anything, but he didn't see the harm in driving the ten miles back to Sunnyhell for one last breif visit. After all, he owed Angel a big, dusty death.

"Wonder, what are you doin' now, mate?" Spike asked an absent Angelus. "I'll bet you're sucking the life right out of that sexy bird of yours."

Spike had gotten used to thinking of the Slayer as sexy. Sure, it had been shocking enough back in November, when he'd watched his minions' videos of her fighting. He'd started wanting her so badly he'd begun stroking himself as he watched her fight on tape.

And of course, she was as deadly to him as sunlight.

"Bugger," he said again. "Can't bloody get her out of my mind." He tossed his bottle of alcoholic beverage on the floor, and sharply pulled back onto the deserted freeway, speeding back towards Sunnydale.

Willow felt the bed sheets slipping, pulling spell contents closer to the edge of the bed. She paused in her chanting for several seconds to tug the cloth back, and then continued.

Green sparks crackled around the Orb, but Willow was so intent on her chanting that she didn't notice the undesired light.

"Goodbye, Lover," the Slayer spat.

Buffy pushed the sword deep into Angelus's stomach, hearing his gasp of pain. Die, Angelus, you bastard. Green light exploded in the room, bouncing off the walls and digging its heat into Buffy's and Angelus's flesh.

The portal closed around the vampire, who was screaming pain so intense it overwhelmed his stomach's throbbing. The pain washed away thought and memory in its sudden, throbbing flood.

He opened his terrified, gentle eyes just as the portal closed round him. He had no recollection of what he was doing...wherever he was... but he had an idea. Terrifying guilt poured over him, incoherent knowledge of centuries of atrocities. "I'm sorry, Buffy," Angel whispered.

Buffy stared blankly at where Angelus had been seconds ago. She felt filled to the brim – choking on too much energy, too much knowledge, too much grief. I can't believe he's gone...I can't believe I killed Angel - even if he wasn't the same Angel I loved.

Outside, a car slammed on its brakes and the driver hopped out, leaving the engine running and the door open. Spike rushed down the steps and into the courtyard. "Slayer?" he called, following her smell at a run. "Slayer!" Bloody hell, he thought. Why do I even care?

Buffy shivered in front of the closing portal, arms limp by her sides. A few tears crept down her cheeks, but a solid barrier of surprise inhibited her ability to feel. She couldn't believe everything was really over.

"Slayer?" Buffy turned to look at Spike as he approached her. "If there's -"

"I killed him."

Spike raised his eyebrows at her, impressed.

"I didn't even think about it. It was just like, 'Stab, you're it!'"

Spike looked into her hazel eyes. "Well, yeah. You're impulsive, Slayer, it's in your nature." Buffy sniffed, and without thinking Spike pulled her into his arms. Guess bein' impulsive's in my nature too, the vampire reflected.

Buffy snuggled into Spike's duster. He held her gently, his mind miles away from Drusilla, Big Bad, and the blood pumping inches away from his mouth. All he thought of was the moment, and of the sexy blonde Slayer he cradled in his arms.

The courtyard of the mansion was fading from black to blue. "I - I have to get out of here," Buffy told Spike, pushing him away from her.

The vampire smirked. "All this closeness making you uncomfortable, luv?" Sure made his pants uncomfortable; being so close to her and smelling her vanilla-scented shampoo had caused a very large response south of the equator.

"No - actually, yes - but I mean this town. I need to get out of Sunnydale."

"Oh. Well, I can see that," he said almost sympathetically, sliding his hand around the back of her neck and massaging her ear with his thumb.

"That's great, Spike. Now bye." She stalked off in the wrong direction, hoping he couldn't smell the wetness between her legs. He is kind of hot… she justified. What? Evil vampire, hot? No! Bad, bad Buffy... Only a physical reaction, betrayal by the flesh...

"Door's this way, luv," he called out to her in an amused tone. "'Less of course you prefer dead ends."

Buffy followed him, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest to make sure he didn't make the mistake of thinking she was grateful.

"Spike, just because I'm letting you give me a ride home, it doesn't mean we aren't enemies."

"Hell yeah, I'm evil, baby!" he growled, pulling over roughly on her street and running two tires up on the curb. He heard Drusilla's unconscious body slide around in the back seat.

Buffy looked at him scornfully. "Spike, you're wasted," she informed him snottily.

"We creatchures of the night can't get drunk. Vampire conshtitution and all."

"Whatever."

Spike dropped the keys into his pocket and made his way to Buffy's porch before realizing she'd gone along the side of the house. He took a swig of something very strong and followed her.

"Shneaking in, Shlayer? I thought chyou were too moral for tha'." He chuckled drunkenly.

"If you get me caught," Buffy hissed, "My mom'll be vacuuming you up off the floor tomorrow."

Spike had an inkling that his unlife had just been threatened, so he kept quiet as they entered her room.

After the Slayer had collected her things and left a note for her mother, she and Spike climbed back out her window.

"So, you're sherious abou' this shkipping town deal?" Spike asked. He felt surprisingly guilty about helping her run away.

"I - can't stay here..." she mumbled.

Nodding, Spike walked her back to his car. "Geddin."

Incredulously, Buffy looked at him as she opened the passenger seat door. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she inquired.

"Schlayer, I don't - lissen, le's chat about thish later, arright?"

"Spike, what..." She watched him sniff the air, his wrinklies rising out of his forehead.

"Dru."

Buffy raised her eyebrows in "what the hell are you talking about?" sort of way.

Spike ran an uncoordinated hand through his hair. "She's gone."

"'Orrid, naughty Slayer," Dru moaned. "Stealing away my Daddy and my Spike." She walked along a torch-lit stone passageway. "But soon the water turns, and the earth will sing 'er lowest song to you."

Dru pushed open ornately carved doors with a soft cackle. "Soon the pretty Slayer will pay me back..."

How did you FF folks like it? Review to tell me what you think – fans, flames, anything, I just love to hear from you! (ok, maybe I don't LOVE getting flames, but I feel like I should not infringe upon anyone's right to free speech and you deserve to tell me if you think it's awful. So knock yourself out.) Next chapter coming soon!