A/N : You guys rock sending me all those great reviews. I guess you are reading after all, and liking this fic. Good to know, I am grateful, thank you.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 6 - You Could Be Good For Me

"Oh my God" Buffy gasped as she looked over Ampata's shoulder at another dancing couple, "Xander and Cordelia, together?" she said in disbelief and her dancing partner craned his neck to see.

"They are not usually getting along so well?" he guessed and Buffy shook her head as she stared dumbly at the pair, "You are perhaps jealous?" he said next, completely snapping the Slayer out of her daze.

"Jealous?" she laughed, "Of Xander and Cordy? Oh Ampata, you have no idea" she giggled, "Xander's a great friend and all but that is all we are, just good friends. I would never think of him that way" she explained.

"Oh" Ampata smiled brightly, "This is good thing for me" he said, his hands sliding down her body to her ass. Buffy was seconds away from kicking him into next week when a hand landed on her shoulder and she was spun out of Ampata's arms into someone elses.

"Mind if I cut in?" a smooth English accent asked both herself and the boy she'd previously been dancing with. He didn't wait for an answer as he moved Buffy off across the floor, putting a great deal of distance between them and the South American who looked less than thrilled.

"William" Buffy smiled as he danced her round the floor, "I didn't... You were kind of the last person I expected to see here" she admitted.

"That a complaint, luv?" Spike asked her as the music changed to a slower song and their bodies moved in time to the softer rhythm, close together.

"No, no, really not, never a complaint" Buffy denied it hotly, "I'm just surprised, I guess, but in the good way" she assured him, smiling and blushing at the same time as they continued to dance.

Spike hated himself for what he was doing, behaving like a lovesick teen. He told himself he was acting, just playing the part of a young man with an interest in this girl so he could gain her trust a little bit, making it easier to kill her. In reality he knew he was developing feelings for her, indeed it was why he'd come here tonight. He figured the sooner he finished her off the better, before he found himself in too deep and unable to end her days. He'd been all fired up for a good kill til the moment he'd walked into the Bronze and saw her in the arms of that unworthy exchange kid. God she was beautiful in that dress and when that git started pawing her, Spike couldn't take anymore. He had to swoop in and save her, despite the fact he knew she could hold her own if things turned nasty.

As torturous as it was, a part of him wanted her to be grateful to him, wanted her to look up at him with those big innocent eyes, adoring him like some kind of hero. Nobody ever did that before, only Dru on very rare occasions, and even then he knew she'd never love him quite as much as her precious Daddy, Angelus. Buffy felt something for him though, something more deep and meaningful than she should after just two short meetings, and yet he could see in her eyes how real it was, as well as smell the attraction flowing off her as they danced.

Spike closed his eyes as she leaned closer and put her head on his shoulder, the sweet scent of her shampoo assaulting his senses. He had to kill her, and it had to be tonight, or he'd never be able to do it... but there was time for just one more dance first.

"Er, Cor?" Xander said awkwardly tapping the girl in his arms on the shoulder. She was leaning against him, her head on his shoulder as they swayed gently to the music that flowed from the speakers. Dingoes had finished their set and the owner of the club and put on some slow songs for the kids to smooch to, only smooching was the last thing on Xander's mind.

"Sometimes I hate my life" the usually perky but bitchy cheerleader complained, "I mean, I don't really have friends, y'know?" Cordelia said, picking her head up off Xander's shoulder and looking at him.

"Sure you do" he told her, "I mean, you have... well there's... and then of course there's..." he was drawing blanks all over, knowing that really what Cordy said was true.

She had no real true friends, not like he did. No matter what happened he knew Willow and Buffy would be there for him and vice versa. Cordelia's so-called friends either wanted to be her, or hung around with her because she held a certain kind of status. As soon as someone they considered more worthy came along, QueenC was reduced to dance partner of the class clown!

"Will you be my friend Xander?" Cordy asked him desperately, clearly she'd gotten more drunk before than even he had realised, "You're the only one left that likes me"

Xander considered what she was saying, looking at her sad face with tears building in her eyes. He didn't have it in him to tell her even he didn't like her.

"Sure thing, Cordy" he told her, holding her close, "You and me, friends forever, okay?"

"Thank you" she said softly, as they continued to dance.

"Uh, hi" a voice said behind Willow. The hood of her Eskimo costume meant that turning her head didn't help her see who was standing behind her and she turned herself all the way around at least twice before she was able to realise it was Oz. The spinning coupled with the surprise of him actually speaking to her made her very dizzy and she stumbled a little as she looked at him. His hands on her arms steadied her, but her head was still spinning, her heart going into overdrive when he smiled.

"I'm sorry" he said, "I didn't mean to make you spin so much" he joked.

"Oh, that's okay" Willow blushed, just because he was standing there in front of her, hands still on her arms for a second before he seemed to realise it and took them away, "I... I liked your music" she said glancing at him as he smiled once again.

"That's great" he nodded, "I mean, we're not that good but... thanks" he said, clearly almost as nervous as she was, "Oh, I'm Oz by the way" he introduced himself.

"I know" Willow nodded, "I'm Willow" she gave her own name and he smiled.

"I like that" the guitarist told her, "It's pretty"

By this time Willow was sure her face was the same colour as her hair, and the heat she felt all over wasn't due to her costume alone. This was what Buffy had been talking about before, the chest-thumping, palm-sweating, incredibly-overwhelming feelings that come from standing a few inches from a guy you really liked. Oz was the one for her, she knew it all ready, and if her view across the dancefloor was anything like accurate, it seemed the mysterious William was the one for Buffy too.

Another song ended and still Buffy didn't offer to move from William's arms. She'd never felt so comfortable and yet over-whelmed at the same time. It was wonderful feeling to be held in the strong arms of this man she'd been dreaming of, and yet she knew nothing concrete about him.

"So, how come you came here tonight?" she asked finally lifting her head from his shoulder and looking up into his face, "I mean, I'm really glad you're here" she admitted with a shy smile, "but it's kind of a High School thing and you're too old for school, right?"

"You're not wrong, pet" Spike told her honestly, he was of course physically several years too old for High School, and over a century too dead, "I'll admit the biggest draw to this place was the hope I'd see your pretty face" he smiled, "You look bloody gorgeous in the outfit"

Buffy smiled and ducked her head, finding it odd that this guy could make her feel so strangely shy and bashful when usually she was so strong and in control. Still, it thrilled her that William seemed to like her as much as she liked him, least she hoped that was why he was here.

"So, you came here just cos you hoped you'd see me?" she dared to ask, though she kept her eyes trained on the floor. His fingers slid beneath her chin and tipped her head up til she was looking at him again.

"What other reason would I need but you, luv?" he said softly, "Did say I'd see you here sometime, didn't I?"

"You did" Buffy nodded, feeling almost faint from the anticipation as his lips seemed to get closer and closer to her own, "I just didn't think... I..." her sentence became disjointed but not just because of the fact she thought William might be about to kiss her. Suddenly over his shoulder she saw something was wrong, a girl she didn't know physically dragging her date behind a curtain, her arms looking strange and shrivelled...

"Oh God" she gasped out loud, pulling out of William's embrace.

Spike was startled by her sudden movements and followed the direction of her eyes. Of course by the time he looked there was nothing to see.

"I'm sorry" Buffy apologised, "I, I really have to go" she told him, hurrying away as fast as her awkward shoes and dress would allow. Now she knew what had happened with the Incan Mummy. Somehow it had broken free and walked amongst them, doing God only knows what to the people it encountered!

Buffy cursed internally as she rushed after the pair she'd seen disappear behind the curtain. She so wanted William to kiss her and he was barely two seconds away from doing just that when her duty as the Slayer had forced her to make a speedy retreat.

"Stupid calling" she muttered as she came face to face with the Incan Mummy, literally kissing the life out of her date, "Oh no way!" the Slayer snapped, "I miss my kissage just so you can get yours? No way, Missy, no way in hell!" she said firmly as she knocked the Mummy flying. This bitch was going down.

One Day Later...

Spike was annoyed, more than annoyed he was positively fuming, and the nearby gravestones and statues in the graveyard were taking the full force of his aggression as he raved.

"Stupid bitch!" he yelled, smashing another lump of granite against the side of a mausoleum and watching in crumble into a pile of useless stones. He'd been so close and yet so far last night to ending the life of the Slayer. He could've kissed her, got her trusting him and wanting him til she would happily have headed outside or into a dark corner. Before she or anyone else knew what was happening he could've drained her drier than the Sahara, maybe even got himself a decent shag on the way along. That might have made him feel better on it's own but as it was he was terribly frustrated and wishing he had something to kill right now. Some stupid Incan Mummy had spoilt his fun, so he found out later. That was what the Slayer had run off for, to be a good little girl and deal with the baddie. She had no idea she'd been dancing with someone much worse.

"Soon she'll know" Spike sneered, "Soon she'll die, and then I'll be free of her" he said into the darkness. In the meantime he'd released some tension that had built up during the daylight hours, and he was off to find himself a meal, possibly something to take home to Drusilla too. He needed to get back in her good books, she wouldn't come near him today, just moaned and groaned and said the smell of the Slayer that hung on him was making her feel ill.

If he could find a decent girl to take home to his sire that might placate her, Spike thought, he might even stand a chance of getting his leg over, and he was sure that'd improve his mood, even if he would be seeing the Slayer in is mind as he made love with Dru.

"Perfect" Spike grinned, game face coming out as he sensed a presence and then smelt the sweet intoxicating fear of a terrified young girl. Following the scent he caught up with her fast enough and intercepted a couple of robed young boys who would take his meal away from him. They soon backed off when he bared his fangs.

None of them noticed the panicked girl's bracelet drop to the ground.

Buffy frowned as she leant down and picked up the bracelet.

"There's blood on it" Angel told her, appearing behind her all of a sudden and making her jump, "I can smell it" he verified when she gave him a puzzled look.

"Right" Buffy nodded once, "Sometimes I forget all the bonus extras that come with being a creature of the night"

"A creature?" Angel echoed, looking a little hurt but she didn't seem to notice as she studied the bracelet in her hand.

"It's pretty thin, probably belonged to a girl" she considered, "E, N, T" she read from the side, "Might mean something. I should probably take this to Giles"

She turned to walk away then but Angel gave chase.

"Hey" he called after her, "I thought... I kinda wanted to talk to you"

"Oh sure" Buffy smiled at him, "How was last nights patrol?" she checked, presuming that was what he'd want to tell her about. Her head was so full of William and the almost-kiss they'd had, it really didn't occur to her to address the feelings she and Angel used to share.

"Patrol was fine. Quiet" Angel told her, "I was actually hoping we could... well, do you want to get coffee sometime?" he asked and Buffy gave him a long puzzled look before shaking her head.

"Angel, what are you doing?" she asked with a sigh.

"Er, asking you for coffee?" he repeated, wondering what she was driving at. She soon made it clear, and mostly Angel wished he'd never asked.

"I'm sixteen, Angel, and I'm the Slayer" she reminded him, "You're a two hundred and something year old vampire. We can't just go on a date or whatever"

Angel almost laughed then, though the situation was far from funny. He knew what she said was true, he also knew he should be the one being a grown up and saying it to her, but something had changed. His feelings for Buffy Summers now apparently meant little or nothing and her once strong attraction to him seemed to have fizzled out completely.

"You don't want me around, say the word Buffy, I'll go" he said, looking pained, "Wouldn't want to get in your way"

"You're not" the blonde sighed, "Angel, you're a good guy, I know that" she told him, putting her hand on his arm, "but there can't be anything between us. I thought once that maybe there could but, I don't feel that way about you"

It was like a knife in Angel's heart to hear that, despite the fact he knew it was probably for the best that they didn't get romantically involved. He hated to think there might be another man she liked better, maybe Xander, or that exchange kid that had been hanging around before. He didn't get a chance to ask, as Buffy said she was sorry but she had to go and walked away at some considerable speed.

To Be Continued...