A/N : Well, here's the rest of the twist on School Hard. I am so happy to see so many positive review on this fic, and I hope you all like this chapter too!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 3 -You're Everywhere I Go
"Okay, you guys are gonna finish the food, I have a clear hour to sweep the nearest cemeteries before I need to be back here to get changed for the arrival of parents" Buffy rambled off in one breath.
"I don't see why we're doing all this for you" Cordelia complained, "I mean hello, not into the whole manual labour deal"
"C'mon Cordy, you can't expect to be a part of the Scoobies without being inconvenienced once in a while" Xander told her.
"Oh yeah, cos knowing I'm part of your lame little circle really thrills me" she snapped back. Willow rolled her eyes, already bored of the two of them fighting. If she didn't know Xand as well as she did, she'd say they fought way too much for the venom to be genuine, they must secretly be in love or something.
"Okay, this is me leaving" Buffy said as she gathered up her stake and headed out.
"Do be careful, Buffy" Giles warned her, "Remember it is the night of St Vigeous and..."
"And the vamps are rampagey with a side of blood-lust, easy on the fear" she finished for him "I know, and I'll be careful" she assured him as she left.
The Slayer headed for the nearest cemetery, and sighed as she passed through the gates. Another night amongst tomb stones and mausoleums didn't exactly thrill her, but this hour would be better than the ones that followed. Trying to keep her Mom and Principal Snyder away from each other was going to be so much harder than staking the undead. That she could do standing on her head, though she'd never tried it in a literal sense. If her mother found out that her grades weren't so much improving, and that she regularly skipped class things could get ugly!
"Speaking of ugly" she said to herself as a vamp emergency from the darkness and came at her. Picturing the Principals face in place of the demon she found fighting and killing it so much easier, and even a little fun, but as soon as the fight was over she was back to being bored and worrisome about Parent-Teacher Night.
Spike was painfully bored. He needed a good kill to make himself feel better he thought and had headed out to find himself a victim. Despite the Night of St Vigeous' power, Drusilla was having a bad time of it. She refused to eat anyone he brought for her and spent much of her time with her dolls, playing Mummy. In all honesty, Spike didn't mind so much. He found he could bare of lack of interest in him very easily of late and that just made him worry.
Ever since he met the damn Slayer she clouded his mind. Dru was picking up on it, he knew she was, and he hated to think he was hurting his darkest princess, but he couldn't help it.
"Buffy bleedin' Summers" he seethed, kicking out at an old grave stone which crumbled to rubble from just one strike, "Invading my soddin' mind" he continued as he stormed through the graveyard. Of course he had to have thoughts about her, plans to kill her and such, but this was different. She was a factor in every thing he thought of, everything he did. It was like she'd put a spell on him or something, though he couldn't image how she'd managed it. He doubted she even knew who he really was. It was unlikely he'd be anything more than dust in the wind by now if she did.
Suddenly Spike sensed something, the intoxicating aroma of teenage girl hit his nose and he grinned evilly. This was what he'd been looking for he realised, walking a little faster in the direction of the one that would be his victim. He stopped sharply when he realised his mistake. The scent was stronger but something was different. This was no ordinary girl, this was a Slayer, this was...
"Buffy" he said aloud as he realised she was not three feet away and looking right at him.
"William?" she checked, frowning a little, "Hey, I... I didn't expect to see you here"
"Me either, pet" he replied smoothly as he stepped closer to her, "What's a pretty young thing like you doin' out this late?"
"I needed some air" she shrugged, like it was the most natural thing in the world, "And y'know I'm not so young" she said not so subtly.
"Come now, luv" Spike smirked, "Can't be more than...what? Eighteen?"
"Kinda" she said with a nervous smile, "Eighteen minus a year" she admitted quietly, "and a half"
Spike was a little surprised by that. The last Slayer he'd killed had been twenty four when he'd taken her life, and the one before that had managed a fairly respectable nineteen. Here was Buffy Summers, latest Chosen One in the line, and set to lose her life at sweet sixteen, but why should he care about that? Spike thought to himself, telling himself the thought was not at all disturbing. She'd probably taste a lot sweeter being all untouched as she doubtless was.
"Sweet sixteen and never been kissed, eh?" he smirked, and Buffy coloured visibly despite the darkness surrounding them.
"Not really" she laughed lightly, "I mean I've kissed hundreds of guys... not that I just go randomly kissing guys I mean I'm not like that, I just..." she mentally cursed herself for her insane rambling and tried to be calm. She wasn't normally like this, all big with the talkage and making a fool of herself, but this guy, he had such an effect on her.
"Reckon I know what you mean, luv" William told her kindly and she smiled, loving that he seemed to want to make her feel better and less embarrassed.
"So, how about you?" she asked shyly, as they walked together, "I mean, you're older than me and I guess you've had a lot of girlfriends"
"Not as many as you'd think" he said cryptically, "but yeah, I'm a little older than you" he smirked at how naive she really was. He was a hundred years old dead and then some by the time she was even born! Though of course he looked the same as he had on the day of his turning at the tender age of twenty-five, and clearly Buffy's Slayer senses were not a good as they might of been. She went on his looks alone to determined his age, not realising as she should've that he was a demon. That made her profoundly stupid, in a big way, Spike realised, but the innocence of this girl would almost be touching if he were the ordinary young human she mistook him for.
"...wish I could stay but I have to be somewhere" he tuned back in to catch the end of Buffy's next rambled sentence, "It's pretty late"
"That it is, pet" William agreed, glancing up at the near-full moon. It'd be quite the romantic setting if their situation were real, but he was playing a game and didn't care for her as he pretended to, he reminded himself. She on the other hand felt a true attraction to him, not only could he smell it he could see it in her eyes as she gazed up at him.
"Maybe I'll see you around?" she tried, hoping he'd agree, her heart-rate getting faster as he stepped in closer to her.
"Count on it, luv" he said softly near her ear, before turning to leave, disappearing into the darkness before Buffy could say another word.
The smile on the Slayer's face was huge as she went back into the school building. Spike liked the fact he'd put that grin there, and not just because it meant she was falling for his plan. She was prettier when she was smiling, and he didn't mind too much that he'd noticed that. She was physically attractive, and though he was a demon he was a man too. He'd have to be blind as well as stupid to not know she was sexy, what bothered him was why he was standing out here spying on her, instead of taking advantage of the Night of St Vigeous, busting in there and ripping her throat out. He could've taken her in the grave yard. She'd have let him kiss her without a thought and by the time she realised what he really was it might've been too late, his fangs could've been in her throat, her life's blood rushing into his mouth until she went limp in his arms - dead.
These thoughts brought Spike some pleasure, all the way up to the part where Buffy died. That he did not like, though he wasn't sure he knew why. The thought of her being gone from the world, though he'd only known she was in it these past few days, turned his stomach, though that might've been lack of blood, Spike told himself. He hadn't had his meal yet tonight, but again the Slayer had attracted his attention.
As he watched her disappear into Sunnydale High he moved from his hiding place with plans to go and find the food he craved, but something else made him stop and wait. He sensed vampires, others of his kind and many of them close by. He crossed behind the trees and around the back of the building, just in time to see the Anointed's best lackeys smashing in through a large window.
"Oh bloody hell" Spike muttered as he heard the yelling inside the building, the vampires threatening the Slayer and her getting everyone else to run so that she could fight. In two minds the bleached blond didn't knew whether to go bursting in there shouting the odds, thus blowing his cover on the long-term plan front, or just to stay put, be an observer in what might well be a Slayer death.
Neither option was appealing, and Spike felt like screaming in frustration til he sensed another vampire, a different and stronger presence that meant only one person - Angelus.
"So that's what this is all about" Spike sneered in the dark, "Mighty Angelus fancies a crack at the bird"
He was seriously considering storming over there to see what the hell was going on, but not only would that screw up his plan should Buffy survive, but he'd go back home with the scent of his grand-sire hanging round him and Dru would go nuts for the presence of her dearest Daddy. Spike couldn't bear that.
"What's this then?" he said to himself as a boy came into view, chatting away with Angelus. The same brunette boy that Buffy had been with at the Bronze the other night. The more he concentrated the more he realised the scent was wrong. Something was up with Angelus, it was as if... like he was a good guy or something. The thought made Spike feel sick but he stayed put and continue to watch and wait. He could get some useful info tonight, and with a bit of luck he'd get a chance to use it. Buffy was not going to die, he believed that, he had to. Somehow he couldn't bear to entertain the thought that she would.
It had taken two hours for Buffy to get the situation under control. With the parents and teachers locked away in safety, and the Scoobies scattered, Xander was sent to fetch Angel, whilst Buffy battled the swarm of hyped-up vamps that fancied tonight was a good time for an attack.
Just one man had died in the incident, dragged out through a window that Snyder had convinced him to open and ripped apart by the hungry demons that waited on the other side. Buffy was only glad her Mom had got out okay and without suspecting the truth about her, that she was the Slayer. When the police arrived they passed the whole event of as gang related violence, a bunch of older teens on PCP. Joyce had even complimented Buffy on her bravery and fight-skills.
One further good thing to come out of the attack was that Snyder never actually got a chance to chat to her mother, for that Buffy would be eternally grateful. Her mind switched back to William as she reached home with her Mom. He'd been nearby when the attack began, she only hoped he hadn't got caught in the cross-fire.
As she got into bed and settled down beneath the covers she pictured the scene from earlier, the two of them alone in the graveyard, she frowned when she realised he'd given no reason for being there. Your average person did not go strolling in the moonlit cemetery, but then this was Sunnydale and some people were eccentric about religion and death. She hadn't given a real reason either, and for that she felt a little bad. She was already lying to this guy she liked, something that she hadn't had to do so much with Angel, given his vampire status.
Comparing her ex-almost-boyfriend with her possible future boyfriend seemed strange and a little unfair on the both of them, but Buffy couldn't help herself. As gorgeous as Angel was, and he really was, he was still a vampire, and as such totally out of bounds for the Slayer. Besides the whole dark stranger full of cryptic messages was getting a little old. William was even more gorgeous and, okay, so he had several years on Buffy, but not half so many as Angel had!
She smiled as she thought of William and their conversation tonight. When he leaned in to whisper in her ear she had vaguely wondered if he might kiss her, and though she appreciated the fact he didn't take advantage of the situation - a seemingly poor defenseless girl alone in the dark - she was kind of disappointed too. She mentally kicked herself for thinking such things. She'd only know this man five minutes and already she wished he'd kiss her! Well, it wasn't as if there was any harm in thinking and wishing and dreaming, she sighed as she closed her eyes, William's face the last thing she saw in her mind, as she let sleep claim her.
"What the bleedin' hell is wrong with you bloody people!" Spike yelled as he smashed into the factory in full vamp face, looking excessively pissed off, "We made a deal, the Slayer was mine for the killing, what the soddin' hell did you think you were doing sending your flunkies in there when my back was turned you little git!"
"You will be humble in the presence of the Anointed!" the ring-leader of the attack told him as he strode into his path.
"Sod off!" Spike snapped, throwing the other vampire aside like a rag doll, "You, you told me..."
"Really Spike" the Anointed interrupted, completely unphased by the angry vampire who was pointing and yelling at him, "You should know better than to make such deals. We're vampires, we do as we please. If you were as smart as you said you were, you would not have fallen for something so simple"
Despite his rising anger, Spike managed to look calm and force down his demon visage, til he looked human once again.
"You're right" he sighed, smacking the ring-leader vamp in the face without even turning, as he came at him from behind , "S'pose I should've known better" he shrugged, "And hey, so long as the Slayer got seriously dead, no harm done. Well, not to us anyway, right?"
"The Slayer lives" a second flunky admitted and Spike looked shocked, despite the fact he knew she had not been killed.
"The Slayer lives" he echoed, "What's up with you lot then, going soft? Or did you just not have your Wheaties this morning?" he smirked, not the least bothered as several vampires growled at him.
"You are outnumbered, Spike" Colin pointed out, "and already we've established not smart enough to take us on"
"Yeah" the bleached blond nodded, still out staring the vamp behind the boy before his attention switched, "Y'know it's pointless, you and me fighting over the bloody Slayer. Just have to see what happens, who gets her first. May the best vamp win, yeah?" he said, offering his hand for the Anointed One to shake.
Colin looked at him with distrust for a moment and then reached to take the offered hand. In one swift movement, Spike pulled the kid from his seat and threw him across the room towards a cage. Another vamp came at him, but Spike easily knocked him away as he threw the Anointed into the cage and shut the door, pulling on the chain that raised it into the air.
"You bloody nancys go behind my back again" he yelled as the cage reached the roof, "You're gonna soddin' regret it!" he told them with a wicked smile as he hoisted the cage a little further and the early morning sun's rays hit the screaming Anointed One, turning him to ash that floated to the floor.
"Now, maybe you'll all pay attention when I tell you, the Slayer is off limits" he said, turning to the assembled group of vamps that were all looking a little worried now, "I'm in charge now, and you will learn to do as I say. Everybody clear?" he didn't wait for answer just assumed they understood, "Good. Now, let's see what's on the telly"
To Be Continued...