W/N: Okay finally got motivated to update this. Some light BuffyxSpike in this one. Enjoy.

Head Locked: Chapter 2

Meeting

"What is he doing here?" Buffy said in an outburst pointing an open hand at the pale man creepily smiling at her.

Giles took off his glasses and held them against his head. "Yes– well. Buffy, in order to defeat the demon, we need a vampire."

"Why?" she shouted. "Why do we ever call on Spike for help? We all know he's just going to do something to try and get us all killed when we aren't looking." Buffy crossed her arms awaiting a reply from Giles who appeared to be stumped for words. Buffy continued, "what– is he like immune to the demon's powers? Because as far as I'm concerned, if that isn't the reason, my foot is kicking him straight out that door." Her shoulders moved snuggly over her authoritative stance, and she gave a look that threw the pedistal before Giles.

Willow gestured with her hands to lessen her intrusion on the tirade. "Well, actually..."

"He is immune to the demon's power," Giles finished.

Buffy's tempered expression slowly faded away. "Oh." She looked at Spike with warm oddity. "He can stay then."

Spike responded with an angled eye roll and proceeded to grab a cigarette pack from the inner part of his trench coat.

Willow jumped from the stool. "I did a locater spell, you know, on the demon. He seems to be wandering around the graveyard."

"Which one?" Buffy asked.

"The one nearest the old highschool."

"Okay fine. Anything else I should know Giles?" she asked hurriedly.

Giles was blinking as if trying to recall something. "W– well– I–"

"Let's get this over with. Common Spike," Buffy half groaned as she picked up a wood crossbow and turned to go out the door.

"Spike you remember what I told you?" Giles asked as Spike walked past him.

"Don't worry gramps," he muttered sounding chummy. He glanced at the watcher removing the cigarette from his lips. "Just be sure you have my payment ready when this is done with."

Zander got up giving the vampire a farewell expression of immature disgust and shut the door behind him. He leered at Giles. "You better short change that guy."

Giles gazed into the quiet living room where Anya was sitting paying absolutely no attention to what was happening. "Anya," he called. There was silence. "Anya," he called again sharply.

She looked up from the magazine. "What," she flared.

Giles sighed. "Where is that Chronolos orb you showed me earlier?"

"Here." She grabbed the glass yellow ball from her lap and threw it across the room.

Hands flailed in the air and caught it before it was shattered against the wall. Giles shot Anya very very displeased glare.

"Do your thing Willow," Anya said merrily, completely ignoring the implied smack across the head.

. . .

Where are we going again? Oh yeah, the graveyard. Should be a nice change in scenery. God, does he have to blow smoke in my face?

"Do you have to blow smoke in my face Spike?" she said sounding more aggravated than need be.

He smirked. "What's wrong with you?" he said teasingly, "you're acting all gitty."

"I'm not giddy," she retorted, "I'm just annoyed, and no, we are not going to have this conversation."

Spike inhaled his cigarette and stared down the sidewalk without saying anything more.

There was a minute of silence, and then Buffy spoke, "so what's the plan for this demon guy. You gonna be my pinata shield?"

He snorted under his breath. "No. I come at him head on yeah? And hit him in the weak spot so he can't cast his magics. Then you come jumping behind him and cut his head off." He made a chopping motion with his hand.

Buffy slowly looked down at the crossbow in her hands. "Oh..." she muttered in a babyish voice, "so impailing it with an arrow won't kill it?"

Spike laughed in tamed amusement and looked at her with an unintended charming smile.

Buffy almost smiled back but quickly looked away from him, wide-eyed at her near slip. What the hell happened just now?

Spike flicked his head forward. "There the graveyard."

The sidewalk following the cemetary was poorly lit in the darkness, but Buffy could make out two figures who looked like they were frozen in their walk. "There's our demon's handywork. Now where's the demon."

"Alright," Spike held up a couple of narrow fingers that held his cigarette, "I'll go scout ahead. You go climb a tree or something." He started making his way towards the grave stones.

"Climb a tree?" she uttered in bemusement.

"Just stay here, don't follow so closely."

You really don't have to worry about me doing that.

Buffy stood there staring after him in lost absurdity and threw her hands in the air.