That stuff from other chapters about me not owning anything? Ditto.

Chapter 8

Angel walked up to Buffy on the porch, careful to stay out of the way of the last dying rays of sunlight. "Buffy, I'm sorry."

"You should be. After that stunt, you shouldn't even have to ask why I wouldn't trust you with this." She hadn't even turned to look at him as she spoke.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I know. And I'm going to be here to fight for you. To fight with you. Just, don't doubt that I'm doing the right thing, even if we don't always agree on how to do it. I'm going to go to the motel, maybe it's best if I don't stay here while I'm in town."

Buffy simply nodded, casting a glance over her shoulder.

Walking inside, Angel couldn't keep the slightest smirk from passing over his lips. "I'm just doing what I think is right."

----------------------------------

Spike was almost back asleep on his cot when he suddenly had the strangest feeling. Was he flying? What the hell kind of dream is this? Opening his eyes, he saw Clark standing next to him, holding the cot in the air with one hand. "Bloody hell Farm Boy, what are you doing?"

"I'm bored Spike. Let me borrow your keys."

Quirking an eyebrow, Spike scoffed. "And let you take my truck? You know how long it took me to get it just how I like it? How long that light bar was on backorder before I could…"

"Xander already spilled about you stealing the truck Spike, hand over the keys."

"Bloody ponce, alright fine." He pulled the key out, tossing them at the farm boy. Releasing the cot with his hand, Clark caught the keys easily. "Hey what are you…OOOF!" Spike rolled off the cot as it landed awkwardly, falling flat on his back on the cold concrete. "You did that on purpose."

"Sure did." Clark turned to walk up the stairs.

Brushing himself off, Spike jogged up behind Clark. "Well, I better go with you, make sure none of the nasties get their claws into you."

Turning halfway up the stairs, Clark gave the vampire a look. "I need your protection?"

Looking like a deer in the headlights, Spike brushed it off. "Alright, alright! I just don't wanna be stuck in this house with all these females… I swear, I had a dream the other night where I was covered in shoes."

Clark drove the highway just outside of Sunnydale slowly, enjoying the desert view in the moonlight. Spike was fumbling through the glove compartment, looking for the cigarettes he had bought the other night before they picked up Chloe and Clark. "I know I had 'em in here, don't tell me someone nicked 'em. Last thing I need is Buffy riding my ass cause she caught one of the girls smoking my brand."

"And here I thought you'd be happy for Buffy to do anything involving your ass," Clark observed, running a hand over the stubble on his face. He hadn't packed everything he should have, and he wasn't about to ask to borrow a razor from anyone else at the house. 40-something women, God knows where the razors had been.

Looking in his direction, Spike snorted. "Ha ha ha… very funny."

Clark was about to push it further but something in the road caught his eye. Spike followed his gaze, eyes opening wide. "LOOK OUT THERE'S A GIRL IN THE…"

Clark had already swerved to miss the girl, sending the truck into a ditch. Once the front bumper hit dirt, it flipped end over end. Spike was gripping the ceiling tightly, hoping it wouldn't explode before he could get out, or a piece of glass wouldn't hit his neck perfectly and sever it from his body. After he felt it all turn around for the fourth time, suddenly the truck stopped dead. No rolling, no slamming, just standing still. Opening his eyes, he looked to the other seat to check on Clark, but it was empty. "Farm Boy?" He leaned around, looking for broken glass or signs of blood or clothing where he might have been thrown out. "CLARK!"

"Out here!"

Leaning out the window, Spike saw that the truck was in Clark's hands, held several feet from the ground. Clark was staring at the vehicle intently, then set it down on all four tires. Jumping out, Spike ran up to his new favorite friend. "What was that? How did you…? Why…? What happened there?"

"Super speed, remember? I was out after we first flipped, then ran down the road to catch the truck. I just checked the engine and all, nothing's messed up too bad."

Looking back at the vehicle, Spike noticed not much was wrong with it beyond the front end being dented and a crack in the windshield. "You held up a truck. You caught a damn truck flipping through the air at 65 mph?"

Clark shrugged. "I wasn't going that fast."

Spike walked back, looking around the vehicle. "I still can't believe… I know you said you were strong, but that's just…" Kicking something with the toe of his boot, Spike looked down. "Oh look, my smokes." Spike bent to pick up the carton, and Clark saw what had caused the incident standing right behind him; a young woman, dark complexion, long dark hair. He recognized her instantly.

"Kyla?"

Spike stood up straightaway. "What? Who's Kyla?" Following Clark's nod, he turned. "HOLY…!" Jumping back, he landed next to Clark. "You know her? What's she doing out here?"

Clark swallowed once, setting a steely gaze on his face. "She's dead."

Spike sighed, then kicked at the dirt. "Oh not this shite again! Why do you keep messing with us? We're not scared of your little parlor tricks, you can't even touch us!"

'Kyla' spoke evenly, quietly. "I know I can't. But I have someone who can."

Before he could say anything else, Spike saw Clark fly through the air backwards. Turning to look, he noticed someone else on top of Clark, punching his chest and face mercilessly. When the figure stood up, he recognized the outfit straightaway. "Oh bollocks."

Caleb stood tall over the groaning Clark, turning to face Spike. "Hello, Unclean One. We meet again. I see you've brought a friend this time," he stated, looking down at Clark. "He has much strength in him. Probably presumes himself to be almost a God, and we can't have that. The infidel must be struck down." With that, he gave Clark a sharp kick to the ribs.

Spike sighed, his head hanging down slightly. "Here we go again." Switching into his game face, Spike launched himself at Caleb, slamming his shoulder into the priest's chest. Caleb stumbled, hitting one knee as he fell.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!" He moved quickly again, kicking Spike in the head. He flew backwards, landing on the hood of the truck. "I WILL CLEAN THE EARTH OF YOUR BLASPHEMOUS HIDE! I WILL RID US OF YOUR EVIL! I WILL…" Caleb felt his shoulder pulled backwards, Clark spinning him around to face him.

"You will be eating through a straw." With that, he punched Caleb in the face, sending him flying down the road, slamming into the ground hard enough to break the asphalt. Clark stumbled over to the truck and climbed in the driver's seat. He punched the shattered windshield and grabbed the collar of Spike's duster, yanking him into the passenger seat. "Wake up Spike! I'm not sure how to get back to the house." He gunned it, whipping the truck around and heading back towards town.

'Kyla' walked over to the new crater. "You just can't find good help these days." As the dust and plaster settled, she realized that the hole was empty, no Caleb in sight. "Or maybe you can."

-------------------------------------

Giles was sitting on the front porch with his books, finally finding some peace and quiet from the incessant chattering and noises of training and such. He heard the squeal of truck tires again, and the sound of a large engine driving as hard as it could. He stepped down the front steps, trying to find where the noise was coming from. Just as he turned to go back to his seat, he heard another loud screech and turned to see Spike's truck, looking worse than it had left, stop partway on the lawn and street. "Buffy!" he called over his shoulder. "We may have a situation."

He headed down the walkway, seeing Clark's head leaned back against the headrest. "Clark? Spike? Are you ok?" Opening the door, he grabbed the young man as he fell out of the seat. "Clark?"

Buffy and Chloe were the first to reach the truck. Chloe moved next to Giles, helping him support the boy. "Clark, what happened?" She couldn't remember seeing him look this beat up before, and it scared her that something could do this to him. One of his eyes was swelled shut and blood was pouring through his nose and lip. "Giles, I've never seen him this bad."

"The First is a mystic being. If It put it's power into one of it's minions, they would basically be a mystically fueled being. One of them would be able to do this to Clark."

Buffy was around the other side of the truck, pulling Spike out. "Come on Spike, you'll be fine. You've been worse than this. Hell, I've beaten you worse than this."

Spike chuckled at the dig, blood spilling to the ground. "Hell luv, you've done worse than this between the sheets."

Buffy blushed, remembering a few times she had… lost control during intimate moments. "Shh… impressionable young minds can hear you."

"Oh don't worry pet, Harris needs to learn sometime."

They had almost dragged the two into the house when a loud thump was heard behind them, the ground vibrating slightly. "Oh look… whores."

Caleb grabbed Clark and Spike by the hair, yanking them away from the girls. He grabbed Buffy by the collar. "I'll deal with you later." Tossing her into the crowd of girls on the porch, he grabbed Chloe by the throat. "So you're the one the infidel feels for. I can feel it come off him in waves, hoping he could get to see you again as I bashed his face into the pavement."

Clark tried to focus his eyes, rubbing them. Looking up, he saw this guy that attacked him holding… Chloe! Clark pulled himself up to his feet, his t-shirt hanging off his shoulders, torn down the chest. Looking around, he saw Spike writhing on the ground, Faith trying to wake Buffy up on the porch, all the potentials cringing in fear and shrieking. "Put… my girlfriend… DOWN!"

Caleb spun around, still holding Chloe. "Or what? Huh? What are you gonna do to make me?"

"You wanna rid the world of the infidel… of me… right?" Clark faltered slightly, coughing up some blood.

Caleb grinned ear to ear. "Oh, I will make it all clean again."

Clark pulled his pocket knife from his back pocket, opened it, and held it to his throat. "Put her down, or I take the opportunity from you."

Caleb's eyes shifted back and forth, the girl… the infidel… which did he want more? "Alright. I'll go back for her later." Releasing Chloe, he ran at Clark, closing the distance between them in three steps. Grabbing the blade, he slammed it into Clark's chest, waiting to hear the satisfying rasp of his last breath. Instead, he heard the sound of metal hitting concrete. Looking down, Caleb saw the broken pieces of the blade shining in the light of the street lamp, then looked up into Clark's stoic face. "How… how did you…?"

Grabbing Caleb's arm, Clark bent it back, twisting it as he did so. "How many times do I have to tell you people…" Clark head butted the preacher, watching his knees buckle as he stepped back shakily. "I'm a farm boy."

Caleb threw a punch to Clark's abs, making him double over. Slamming a knee into Clark's face, he put his elbow between Clark's shoulders. "So am I." Walking around him, Caleb moved to grab the wrought iron yard ornament as a weapon.

"There's a big difference…" Clark muttered, getting up to one knee. "You didn't have my mom's cooking!" Clark charged, spearing Caleb in the ribs, driving him into the huge oak tree in the front yard. The sound of splitting wood filled the girls' ears and made Spike roll away for safety from falling limbs.

Clark stood the man up, holding him against the tree and punching him in the face, hard. "No one…" SLAM! "…threatens…" SLAM! "…my friends!" The last punch embedded Caleb's head in the tree, his body going limp. Clark X-Rayed him, seeing that his heart was still beating. Stumbling back, he felt someone catch him.

"It's alright Clark. It's over." Spike put Clark's arm over his shoulder, holding him up.

Clark chuckled. "You called me Clark. What happened to Farm Boy?"

"If that is what the Farm Boy can do, I don't wanna push my luck with him," Spike laughed, motioning to Caleb. Moving towards the porch, they heard a low groan. Looking back, Clark saw Caleb moving out of the tree slowly, his eyes turned a deep red now.

"This isn't over… this will never be over…!" He ran at the two, not seeing Clark's boot until it was too late. He landed on the ground hard, dirt flying up from the force. Standing, Caleb looked at Spike, only to be hit in the abs. Stumbling back, he felt Clark punch him in the kidneys. Caleb willed himself to stand. "I will not stop… not while you monstrosities breathe! I will paint the Earth with your blood, all of your blood!" he shouted at the house.

Clark and Spike both punched him once more with all they had, Caleb's head whipping around quickly with a wet crack, his eyes now facing behind him. Slowly, he sank to the ground, his lifeless body limp on the grass.

Clark X-Rayed his body, seeing his functions slowing quickly, then stopping altogether. "I'm not a monster."

Spike kicked the former priest in the face, his head twisting a little more in the wrong way. "And I don't breathe… wanker."

Chloe came back over, putting Clark's arm over her shoulder. "You called me your girlfriend," she said with a big grin, her voice hoarse and scratchy.

Clark tried to laugh, but his ribs hurt him too much. "Yea… I hope that's ok, the way I feel right now, you could kick my butt every which way."

Chloe pulled his face to hers, kissing him softly. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry Chloe, I wasn't fast enough." His fingers gently rubbed her neck, seeing the bruises forming already. She simply shook her head, having to smile at that. He was bleeding and broken, and he was worried about a bruise she had. That was her Clark.

Clark and Spike walked slowly into the house, Giles and Xander helping them down the stairs into the basement. Both men lay out on their cots while Willow checked their wounds. She removed their ruined shirts, washing the blood and dirt away. "You know, if I wasn't with the whole 'loving the ladies' thing right now, I might enjoy this even more than I am right now." She smiled softly at them both, easing their spirits.

"Hey Clark?"

"Yea Spike?"

"You crashed my truck you know… I'm gonna be sending you the bill."

Clark sighed. "Technically Spike, you being slammed onto the hood did more damage than the wreck."

Spike was quiet for a little bit. "Shut up Farm boy."

Both men started laughing, groans mixed in every now and then.

End Chapter 8