A/N: Sorry about the long wait. This chapter would've been up sooner, but as luck would have it my computer wouldn't bring up the internet. Go figure. Well, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! Also, thanks for all of the reviews.
Chapter 6: The Apartment
The night air was silent only to be broken by the continual thump of Jessica's boots hitting the sidewalk. Slender fingers tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear as she walked back towards the Summers' house. It didn't take long for the slayer to pass the Summers' neighboring house and walk up the driveway.
"Your back already?" Dawn questioned from her seat on the porch. Jessica sent a small smile toward Dawn before taking a seat next to the slightly younger girl.
"Yeah. Had a small... disagreement with your sister." Jessica answered. Dawn gave a knowing nod, she notice how her sister acted around the new slayer.
"Don't worry. Everyone does at one point or another. Welcome to the gang." Dawn stated trying to lighten up the conversation.
Jessica let out a small, soft laugh. "So, I'm part of the gang now?"
"Yep." Dawn answered smiling, but the smile quickly dissipated at the look on Jessica's face. "What happened?"
Jessica wrapped a comforting arm around Dawn's shoulders before replying, "I think it'll be best if I stay at a motel-"
"What? You can't." Dawn exclaimed jumping up from her seat. Jessica watched sadly as Dawn paced back and forth in front of her. "Why does Buffy do this?!"
"Oh, Dawn. This isn't Buffy's fault. Don't be so hard on her. I mean she's had to deal with the potential slayers and the First all this time by herself. Me and Faith only just showed up. Buffy has a lot to deal with at the moment. I think all of us do, some just have different ways of dealing with it." Jessica tried to explain in a soft tone. Dawn sighed heavily taking a seat again.
"Do you have to go? You're the only one who's paid attention to me since..." the young Summers girl trailed off.
"You and Jackie seem to become friends. Me moving will be better for everyone. Plus I'm not really cut out to be surrounded by such a large group of people, and having to share a bathroom with a 'mess of female types', to quote Faith." Jessica said. Dawn sighed again, but ultimately accepted the Slayer's decision.
"C'mon. Let's head in." Jessica said ushering the younger girl inside the house.
"I'm gonna get some sleep before the others get back." Dawn stated slowly walking up the stairs. Jessica just nodded from the living room archway. Taking a breath, Jessica quickly grabbed her gym bag from beside the couch and headed out of the house. Placing her bag in the trunk of her car, she slid into the driver's seat only to notice Spike was stationed in the passenger side.
"What are you doin' here?" Jessica asked, confusion shining in her cool grey eyes.
"Thought I'd give you some company, luv." Spike answered with his trademark smirk. Jessica didn't know how long she sat there locking gazes with Spike, but a cough from the newly souled vampire brought her out of her thoughts. Quickly starting the car, Jessica kept her attention on the road trying to keep her thoughts from returning to Spike.
"Do you even know where you're going?" Spike asked breaking the silence. Glancing around the area, Jessica shook her head.
"Not really. Just got here, you know." Jessica answered. Spike smirked once again, but decided to help.
"There's a motel up the road, but it costs-" Spike started, but was interrupted by Jessica quickly doing a U-turn letting out a laugh. Spike cursed as hot embers fell from his cigarette into his dark, jean clad lap.
"Oi! Watch it!" he yelled, brushing off the embers in a alight frenzy. Once the embers were gone he turned giving Jessica a look. "What the hell was that for?"
Jessica didn't bother to answer as she parked the car in front of a rather nice apartment building. Before Spike could ask another question Jessica hopped out of the car, calling out a rather young man piling boxes into the back of a truck.
"Hey! Excuse me, but are you moving out?" Jessica questioned, jogging over to the man. She helped him load a rather hefty box into the back of the pickup truck.
"Nah..." the man started wiping his brow, trying to catch his breath. "I own this building. One of the tenets died a couple days ago. I'm clearing out the room, giving all this stuff her family didn't claim to charity. Why?"
"This is gonna sound weird, but I just moved here and have no place to stay. I was hoping I could rent an apartment. I have enough cash on me for about a month's rent." Jessica explained with a hopeful look that she hoped the guy would fall for. The landlord hesitated for a moment, thinking the proposition over glancing from Jessica to Spike, who still sat in the car watching.
"Well, I'm heading back to L.A. in the morning, and I really do need another tenet to fill the spot. People around here have the tendency to disappear or end up dead. If you have the cash, you and your boyfriend can move in tonight." the landlord stated leaning on the truck.
Jessica's eyes went wide in disbelief, she stuttered, "He ain't my boyfriend."
The guy just gave Jessica look clearing not believing her. Jessica didn't know why that statement got under her skin, but it did. Digging into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a roll of money, handing it to the landlord. She watched silently as he counted the money still upset over the earlier statement.
"Here's the keys. The apartment is D4. Have fun with your not boyfriend." the landlord said with a smirk. Jessica shot him a look, but didn't bother to comment. Walking back to the car she grabbed the gym bag from the trunk before heading off towards the apartment doors. She didn't bother to slow in her stride when she heard a car door open and close followed by the sounds of boots hitting the concrete catching up to her.
"So, this is your great plan, luv. Rent an apartment to hide out from Buffy." Spike spoke holding open the door for her.
"I'm not hiding." Jessica stated with conviction, passing Spike and began to walk up the stairs. "I'm merely avoiding unnecessary conflict with Buffy."
Jessica could practically hear Spike's eye roll and for some reason it managed to get under her skin. Deciding to just try to ignore the entire presence of Spike and focus on the task at hand, to find the apartment room. The walk up to the third floor was quiet, but when Jessica spotted the correct door she let out a little laugh of excitement. Spike watched on slightly amused laced with his usual look of boredom as the young slayer quickly opened the door.
"Come in." Jessica stated without hesitation, not even breaking her stride. Dumping the gym bag on the nearest table, which turned out to be the only table, Jessica explored the apartment while Spike shut the front door behind him. The apartment was sparsely decorated, white walls, white ceiling, very bare. It just screamed the basic standard apartment within Sunnydale. Of course, it had all the basic necessities.
"This'll do." Jessica stated, mostly to herself seeing how Spike was lounging on the couch, not paying any attention to what the slayer was saying.
Noticing Spike's indifference Jessica turned to her rather large gym bag. A few moments slowly ticked by in silence before Jessica spoke, "So, why did you come?"
Even though Spike knew what she was talking about he wanted to be difficult. "Come where, pet?"
Letting out a small scoff as she placed her laptop on the table, Jessica turned her attention to Spike. "Here. Why'd you follow me from the graveyard, then come here?"
"Someone had to make sure none of those bloody Bringers didn't attack you."
Jessica didn't know what made her angrier, the fact that he was lying or that he believed she couldn't take care of herself.
"So, is that why you came? Because Buffy told you to watch me. What the-"
"Whoa, hold it, pet." Spike started, getting up from his seat to grip the slayer's upper arms gently to get her attention. It worked. "No one told me to do anything."
Letting go of his grip on Jessica he took a seat again. He looked up at Jessica's slightly confused face, locks of black hair falling in her alabaster face, lips slightly parted as she tried to register what Spike said. Cute. he thought with a smirk. Deciding to help her out a bit, he added, "Just needed to get away."
The corner of Jessica's lips upturned into a small smile. Glancing back at the gym bag she figured she could unpack later. Taking a seat next to the bleach blonde vampire she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and her lighter, offering Spike the second to last cigarette. Lighting up her own cigarette, mentally cursing the empty pack. Spike leaned in close to Jessica, cigarette loosely dangling from his lips, gazes were locked as Spike expertly touched the tip of his cigarette to the slayer's lit one. Once his cigarette was lit he leaned back taking a long drag savoring the intoxication.
Spike was fully aware of Jessica's piercing grey eyes watching him curiously as she took small drags from her own cigarette. Glancing over to the slayer, he asked, "What?"
"Nothing." Jessica quickly answered turning her gaze away from Spike. She fingered her lighter, tracing the design over and over. Checking her watch she stood up.
"C'mon. I should get ya back before sunrise." Jessica stated grabbing her keys off of the table. Spike was following right behind her as the slayer walked to the door, turning off the lights she could feel Spike slightly cooler hand being placed over hers.
"I could always stay here, luv." the vampire whispered hotly. For a moment Jessica fell for that dark charm of his, but she quickly got a reign on her emotions.
"Don't think that's such a good idea. Plus what kinda person would I be if I kept you away from the Summers' house. Your such a influence on the potentials." she replied, turning to face Spike with a smirk on her face.
Spike quirked a smile removing his hand from Jessica's, replying almost in a playful manner, "Hopefully the apocalypse comes soon because I don't think I could take one more night under that roof filled to the brim with teeny bopper twits."
Jessica laughed softly opening the apartment door, and stepping out into the hallway with Spike following. The walk to the car was silent, but comfortable. With a press of a button the car automatically unlocked allowing the vampire and slayer to slide into the vehicle. The sound of footsteps hitting the pavement caused Jessica to stop, hand on the door handle. Casting a glance over at the platinum blonde vampire Jessica paused at the car, straining her ears to listen to the fallen footsteps.
"Duck!" Spike ordered. Jessica did what he said without a second thought. A knife hurled through the air where her head once was, passed Spike and landed with a clang on the pavement. Slender fingers wrapped around the handle of her ever trusted knife as Jessica pulled it out and in one swift turn, embedded it into a Bringer's lower stomach. Five Bringers were closing in around the car brandishing knives intent on killing the Slayer.
"Well, this just tops my day." Jessica muttered to herself, twirling the knife in her hand. Spike spared a glance in her direction, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips, before throwing a punch at the nearest Bringer. Three Bringers quickly surrounded Jessica as the other two attacked Spike. Blocking two attacks from the Bringers Jessica wasn't prepared for the third Bringer to tackle her against the car. Faintly she heard her knife clatter to the ground as she struggled to catch her breath. Grabbing the front of the Bringer's robes Jessica flipped him on top of the car. Stabbing him with his own traditional knife and letting him roll off of the car.
With one Bringer out of the way Jessica was now focusing on the others. Ducking an attack from the other Bringers she delivered a blow to their stomachs before picking up her knife before she could straighten her back an arm wrapped around her neck cutting off needed oxygen. Grabbing the offending arm, while blocking the Bringer's knife as he tried to stab her. Knocking the hand holding the knife away gave Jessica the chance to elbow her attacker in the stomach, twisting the arm wrapped around her neck a loud cracking sound was heard. Delivering a swift kick to the chest of the other Bringer sending him flying a couple feet away.
A snap of the knee followed the powerful kick from the Slayer, the Bringer in her possession crumbled down giving Jessica the advantage. The blade gleamed in the streetlights before being embedded in the Bringer's heart. Hearing the soft, almost inaudible footfalls of the last approaching Bringer, Jessica yanked out her knife and let it soar through the air. Shortly after a thump could be heard. Standing up Jessica glanced over to see how Spike was fairing, he was delivering the final blow with a knife to the heart.
"Well, that was fun." Spike said lighting up a cigarette. Jessica quirked a smile, pulled out her knife from the Bringer wiping off the blood with it's blue robes.
"Yeah, prefect way to top off my day." Jessica added sheathing her relatively clean knife. Eyes swept the parking lot in disinterest, saying, "I think we should get you back to commander Buffy before she thinks I'm planning a mutiny."
Spike went to reply, but nothing came to mind to ease Jessica's thought of Buffy. It wasn't that she was wrong about the oldest Slayer, a little off, but not totally wrong. Sliding into the passenger's seat Spike had a chance to look at the newest Slayer as she started the car. Feeling he should at the very least say something...anything... Mentally cursing his newly acquired sou, he said, "Everything is going to be fine, luv."
Jessica glanced over for a moment before adding, "I hope your right."