After Buffy and Angel break-up, Buffy meets Spike, a hot guy in a serious relationship. Spike now has to keep his true self, William, hidden while around Buffy and his desire for Buffy hidden from Drusilla.

The Dead of Night

Later that night…

The darkness of the night matched her mood that evening. Drusilla was sitting outside on a street bench quietly thinking over everything that had been going on lately with William. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying, but she was over that now. He hurt her, now was finally her turn.

This is unbelievable! The never of him! Of her! William was mine, hell I've done everything for him and this is how I'm repaid? I have made him the god he is, without me he would still be off living with Daddy-dearest or something. That Buffy is unbelievable, interfering in our relationship! And now what, William, no, it's SPIKE now, thinks we need to talk! Well screw that! It's my time to talk, and he's going to have to sit down and listen until he agrees with me.

Oh crap, here he comes. Walking over to me as if he's so brave and confident. Well, I guess it is time for another one of his lessons.

"Dru baby, just hear me out. I am so sorry…" Spike started the best way that he could think to. It was not like he didn't feel bad about everything and he knew he was acting stupid and immature, but he had just felt so strongly about his feelings for Buffy that he couldn't control himself.

"Hear you out? I think not. I'm done hearing you out. I asked you before if you had feelings for her and you denied it. What about us? I have done everything for you. Without me, you would have spent you're entire life as if you were dead. I made you, gave you life, in which you now owe me."

Oh crap, Dru's really not taking this well, of course what else could I have expected?

Truthfully Spike whispered to her, "You are correct. Before I met you, I was just a scared little boy. You were able to break me out of that, give me the courage to live freely. I'll always be extremely grateful to you for that, but I've fallen head over heels in love with someone else. I would never compare her to you, because you have done so much for me. So all I can say is thank you, I'm sorry, and I hope one day you'll be able to understand and find someone that will love you back as much as you do them."

"Well William. This is not over yet. The girl has a temporary hold over you, but you'll come running back to me… and then it will be too late." And with that, she was gone; leaving Spike with decisions to make that could determine the rest of his life.

Sitting on her bed crying, with an ice pack over her shoulder that Drusilla had slapped, Buffy thought about her life. She wondered how Angel was doing; she wondered about what she was going to do about Spike, and she wondered about Drusilla.

Angel, she figured, was probably great, unfortunately. She still missed him, she had always been so sure of him, never doubted him. And here is Spike, he's hot, he's nice, and he's interested in Buffy. But, he had a girlfriend in which he seemed pretty damn devoted to. There was no way Buffy wanted to get in the way of them, nope, none at all. Then again, what if he really was the one for her; was she just going to give him up without a fight? No, she wasn't.

Screw Drusilla, righteousness, and all other things good and right, Spike was the one for her and she was not going without a fight to the death! Or whatever…

After an hour of searching for Spike, Buffy gave up and decided to hit one of New York City's hottest clubs by herself; figuring she could find a guy just for the night, use 'em and lose 'em. This idea however, did not turn out as planned and she ended up at a trashy club called The Fish Tank.

Basically, the place smelled like fish, but not just any fish, dead fish. A color ball was hung from the center of the ceiling of the dark building, as there were not many other lights. The walls were painted in a dark purple with a layer of glitter of some kind painted on top. In the center of the dance floor danced the now drunken blonde surrounded by a few horny guys all at least a foot's length away from her; for they feared being violently shoved onto their ass like the previous guy who had gotten to close to her.

It may have been a vulgar place, but Buffy was making the best of it. She was working through the pain and confusion, getting lost in the music and dance. The world around seemed like a blur, good and evil, pleasure and pain, peace and war. Then she saw him. He was sitting in the back corner, passed out with his head on the table. He looked so pale, awful even. Yet at the same time, like an angel that had fallen down from heaven.

Angel. He was here. Buffy stopped dancing; there she stood in the center of the dance club in New York City staring at him, he had come to her. She walked over to him; was he real, or was she just really out of her mind? She gently touched his face, "Angel?" she softly called.

Nothing. No response. His face was so cold, pale. It clicked inside Buffy's head, which bolted upright as if she had just been shot. With super human speed, she put two fingers lightly against Angel's neck; no pulse. He was dead. Shock was once again taking over her body, but as soon as she regained focus, she was suddenly sober and a scream was let out that could have startled the whole city. Breaking down into tears, the next few hours were such a blur for Buffy that she missed the sinister smile of a girl silently walking out of the club.