Working hard to get these out. Sorry it's taking so long. I hope you enjoy and thanks to everyone who keeps reviewing.
All characters are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Chapter 7 A New Normal
"Buffy, I've got to go pet." Spike was sitting on the side of the bed, lightly shaking her shoulder.
"What time is it?" she asked stretching.
He glanced at her clock, "A little after 6, the sun'll be up soon."
"Thanks for waking me." She pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Do you have to go now?" she asked putting her hand on his thigh.
He smiled, "Can't stay long enough for what you're thinking luv."
"Will you come back tonight?"
"I will, if you're sure you want me, all of me."
"I'm sure. But I'm going to have to patrol tonight, so it'll be later. Probably not until at least 11 before I can get home. But it's Friday so I won't have to get up early tomorrow, with Mom not home, I could sleep all day."
"Or do other things." he suggested.
"I thought you couldn't stay."
"If I don't leave soon, I'll be stuck here all day, and while with you home, it has a great deal of potential, being here by myself all day, not so much."
"I get that." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Tonight then."
"Tonight, what do you want to do?" he asked as he stood.
"Um...I..." she stammered her cheeks flushing.
"No, I meant for the date portion, should I bring back the movies, another picnic?"
"Oh, I don't know, though I'm usually hungry after patrol."
"All right." He bent down and gave her another quick kiss. "I'll think of something."
Buffy bounced into the library, feeling better than she had in longer than she could remember. "Hey Giles!"
"Buffy, you're looking better." He was visibly relieved.
"I feel better, fit as a fiddle." she said as she sat on the edge of the table, swinging her feet. "Although, I'm not exactly sure how a violin could be flabby. I mean if it puts on a few pounds does it become a cello?"
"Yes, quite." He mumbled as he turned to pick up a book. "Your mood seems greatly improved as well."
"Ooh, does that mean you're ready to go out with Scott?" Willow asked as she walked from the door taking off her backpack.
"No, sorry Will. I was thinking about it and I'm just not looking to start dating right now and I'm good with that. But I'll tell Scott, let him down easy."
"But why not?" Willow could be stubborn.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know, I mean I spent almost a year with a boyfriend, and then half a year afraid of said boyfriend and then a summer mourning the boyfriend. I think maybe it's time to try no boyfriend, at least for a little while." She looked over at Giles who was pretending not to pay attention. "Besides, I want to concentrate on training right now. I really let myself get out of practice over the summer."
"Capital idea." he agreed. "I had been hoping to schedule some more training sessions."
"Schedule away." The first bell rang, she hopped off the desk, and grabbed her book bag. "I was thinking about two hours right after school. That way I can go home, get in some studying and mom-time. Some nights I might pop into the Bronze before patrol."
"That sound very ambitious." Giles said skeptically.
"Let's give it a week or two, see if I can keep up the pace. If I'm too tired we can scale it back." she said with a shrug. She left with a smile, she did need more training time and with a schedule like that no one would expect her to have time to date.
"Are you sure about this Buffy?" Willow fretted as they walked to class. "It doesn't sound like a lot of down time and all work and no play can make for a cranky slayer."
"Will, it's okay. Mom and Giles have pretty much been trying to schedule me like this anyway. Maybe if I dive in willingly they'll ease up sooner. Besides, I really do need the training. I can pretty much guarantee that if I had to fight Spike right now he could put a third notch in his belt. All play and no work could make for a dead slayer."
"I guess." her friend conceded. "I just don't want you to feel lonely when I have Oz and Xander has Cordelia."
"Boy that still sounds strange – Xander and Cordelia." Buffy replied, hoping to change the subject.
"Yeah, I don't know if I'll ever be able to wrap my head completely around that."
"Around what?" Xander asked, coming up behind them as they entered the classroom.
Willow jumped guiltily. "Oh, um, string theory." she stammered.
Buffy and Xander both stared blankly at her. "What now?" Xander asked.
"You know, string theory, that particles in the universe are actually strings. I mean wow."
"Uh-huh." he replied, obviously no more enlightened. Buffy was just able to regain her composure before Xander looked from Willow to her. "And you gals were just chatting about that?" he asked skeptically.
"Willow was chatting. I was nodding my head pretending she was speaking english." Buffy replied.
"Gotchya." That at least seemed to make sense to him and he headed to his seat.
Buffy turned to Willow and mouthed, "String theory? Really?"
"I panicked, I don't do well under pressure." she whispered back. "Oh, hey did you bring that art history book your mom said I could borrow?"
"Yeah, here it is." she pulled the big book out of her backpack. "A little light reading Will?"
Willow blushed and started to say something to her defense, but the teacher started speaking so she just pursed her lips.
Buffy had been worried that she would again be distracted by thoughts of Spike, either remembering last night or anticipation for tonight. But it seemed a good night's sleep and incredible sex really did help her focus and her morning classes went smoothly.
The roughest part of her day was when she saw Scott at lunch, especially when he looked so happy to see her.
"Hi Buffy! Are you feeling better today? You look great." he said enthusiastically.
"Hi Scott. Thanks, yeah, I'm feeling better. I was hoping I'd run into you.
"Really?" Great, that just raised his hopes she thought.
"Yeah. Look Scott, I've been thinking. You seem like a really nice guy, and I can't think of anyone in this school I'd rather go out with. But I'm just not ready to start dating again." She paused, when he didn't say anything she added. "I'm really sorry, but I didn't want to keep stringing you along."
He looked crestfallen. "Are you sure? We could take things slow." he offered.
"I know you're not a high-pressure guy, but yeah I'm sure. I think I need some time to find me by myself before I look for anything romantic. Does that make sense?"
"I guess." He hoisted his backpack higher on his shoulder. "Thanks for letting me know." he walked away.
Buffy felt guilty for making him feel bad but reminded herself that she just might be saving his life.
The training Giles had for her that afternoon was simple combat drills, like he was actually easing up now that she committed to training time. But that's not to say they weren't rigorous. As she went through them he babbled on about what he was planing for the next week or so. She agreed in the appropriate places, but concentrated on her technique. While she didn't think she would be fighting Spike anytime soon, she was sure she would run into other tough vampires sooner or later. When she thought about Spike her mind went back to the fight behind the blood bank. With her renewed joie de vivre would she stand a chance against him now?
She began reenacting that fight with an imaginary Spike. Dodging and blocking what he had thrown at her. She was sure she would fare better now, maybe not beat him, but at least draw. She wondered if he would be willing to spar? She realized then that Giles had stopped talking and was staring at her.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" She asked as she worked to catch her breath.
"Hmm? No, no. I was just impressed with that bit at the end. You seemed to really engage."
"Oh, I pictured an actual opponent, instead of just empty air. It helped a lot."
"Indeed." He was looking at her oddly. "Anyone in particular you were picturing?
"Spike." She didn't see the harm in telling him, Spike was a formidable opponent.
"Does this have anything to do with your dream the other day? Are you beginning to think it was prophetic after all?"
"No. It's just that he's the only vampire I've faced who I haven't been able to beat. Kinda made sense to me to work through some past fights." She shrugged.
"Well, yes, that is logical." he conceded.
"And I know that if Spike hadn't been on my side at the mansion I never would have beat Angel." She said absently as she unwrapped her hands.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Giles looked positively befuddled.
"Oh my god. I never told you did I?" She would have if she hadn't left town. But by the time she got back it was pretty much old news, at least to her.
"Tell me what, exactly?" In annoyance he took off his glasses and started cleaning them.
"That night, after they took you, I was trying to get home without the police catching me. But one did. Spike knocked him out and we made a truce."
"You did what?" he was obviously outraged.
"We called a truce, actually, it was more of an alliance. He told me Angel had you and that he wasn't down with the whole "ending the world" thing. All he wanted was Dru back. So the deal was he'd make sure that Angel didn't kill you and he'd back me up when I got there and I would let him leave with Dru, leave the country I mean." She shrugged. "He wailed on Angel as I fought my way through the minions and you were still alive so I guess he upheld his end of the bargain. I was too busy fighting Angel when he left with Dru that I wouldn't have been able to break my end if I wanted to." She stopped and waited for her watcher to say something but he was just staring into the distance.
"I'm sorry if you're disappointed or you disapprove, but I was all on my own. You were gone and everyone else was hurt."
His look softened, "No, Buffy, I think you did what was necessary and, truth be told, Spike did keep me alive."
"He did?" she asked, maybe with a little too enthusiastically.
"Yes. Angel was frustrated that I wouldn't tell him how to summon Acathla despite the tortures he put me through and was going to take a chainsaw to me, but Spike stopped him."
"Good, I'm glad it worked out." Up to that point she really didn't know if Spike had even tried to keep Giles alive or if it just hadn't been an issue.
"Well not entirely."
"What do you mean?
"It was Spike's idea to call Drusilla into the interrogation. She was able to get into my mind and make me see her as Jenny. I'm rather embarrassed to say that I fell under her spell and revealed what Angel had to do to complete the ritual." He looked ashamed and uncomfortable.
"Giles, you can't blame yourself. It was magic. And you're alive and in one piece which is what's important to me, and it did fulfill Spike's end of the bargain."
"Yes, well in letter if not in spirit, and Angel was going to have me killed after that and Spike found an excuse to keep me alive." he smiled ruefully. "I hate to admit it but I do owe my life to Spike."
"It's good to know he keeps his promises." she murmured.
"Yes, rather. Though I doubt the opportunity for an alliance with Spike will arise again."
"Stranger things have happened on the Hellmouth."
"You're sure this has nothing to do with your dream?" he was looking at her skeptically.
"Yeah, I just guess that brought him to mind." she looked at her watch. "I'm meeting the gang at the Bronze and want to grab a bite and change first, so I should be going."
"Did you want to train tomorrow? You didn't mention weekends on your new schedule."
"Oh." She put her bag on her shoulder. "How about Sunday?" I have a report due and I want to tidy-up the house before Mom gets back."
"Sunday morning?"
"Yeah, Mom should be back midafternoon so I can be home to greet her."
"Very well, I'll see you then."
Bye, Giles."
While she ate the can of soup she had bought the night before, she actually worked on her report. Which, since it wasn't due for a full week, was a homework first for Buffy. She wondered if she was getting her work done and submitting to the training to cover up for her relationship with Spike or to work off the guilt from it. In the end she figured it was probably a little of both.
As she was doing the dishes from the last several days, she started thinking about Spike and what Giles had told her. She was happy to know that Spike had taken an active role in protecting Giles. Not that she thought he had done it for any reason other than to get Drusilla back, but it did help her trust him a little more. It seemed like when he made a promise he kept it.
Dishes done, she walked around the downstairs. There wasn't really much tidying up she would need to do, for the most part she kept to her room or was out, and Spike had done a good job hiding any traces of what they had done last night. After a quick dusting, she decided it was time to get ready to meet the gang at the Bronze and patrol. She opened her closet and scowled. It was always hard to dress for a mixed night. A lot of things she would have worn to the Bronze were not conducive to slaying, like miniskirts, tight skirts and tight pants. And the clothes that would work best for slaying, old sweats or clothes she wouldn't miss if ruined in the line of duty, were not clothes she would want to be seen out in. Plus, this time she didn't want to look like she was out to pick up guys, but she did want to look nice for Spike. She finally settled on some jeans that she thought looked good on her but still allowed her the freedom of motion to fight and a top that could be worn on or off the shoulders. She could look demure at the Bronze and a little sexier when she came home.
She grabbed her purse, quickly checking it for slaying supplies and was out the door. Turning onto the sidewalk she looked back to make sure her window was open.