"You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight and you'll shag and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it."

-Spike

Chapter 13

Giles found himself frozen. Here was a vampire, it had just bitten Buffy and there was the Slayer; holding his thrashing form with tears streaming down her face. He should be angry, wary, despite everything she had told him. He was her Watcher damnit and he should be...Giles ruthlessly reeled himself in. Dear Lord is this how it happened before? Was this what destroyed us? Since leaving Ripper behind he had retained such tight rein on his anger. That control had extended beyond him. He wanted everything in his control, so terrified he was of Ripper returning but his Slayer? No. She had returned to face every demon of her past for this creature. For a vampire.

He watched as Xander came to her aid. Xander whom had yearned for Buffy since first laying eyes on her. Xander who had, in a different life, destroyed himself with jealousy. Who in this life had attempted to fulfill his desires with or without her consent. He was a different man than the one he had been then. A stronger man, a better man. Something, some wall, within him crumbled to dust. He was her Watcher. He was here to protect and guide and aid. To Watch, not control. He turned, abruptly, to the Library. Reaching it quickly with long, purposeful strides.

He pounded against the door three times in quick succession.

"Jesse the danger has passed." The response was immediate. He heard soft grunts, scrapes, and mumbled curses as his companions removed their barricade. It occurred to him, suddenly, what, exactly, Buffy had created here: An army. They were few in number but, within a year, they had become warriors of the highest caliber. Children fighting against the darkness, putting their lives at risk everyday not just because it was important. Not just because Buffy was their friend and leader. They did it night after night, again and again, for the same reason the Slayer herself did: Having faced darkness, having been awakened to its existence, what other alternative was there than to stand against it?

"Giles." Jenny flung the doors open and launched herself into his arms. Her smiling face turned towards him, "How'd we do?" She whispered casually. Giles wrapped his arms around her, squeezed her tightly and shook his head. Frowning she released him. Giles made a beeline to Joyce, who was moving just as intently towards him.

"What's wrong?" She whispered, eyes stricken and voice sick with worry. Giles raised a hand up gently.

"She's fine. We need your assistance. Now." Joyce moved past him instantly, Giles let her go. Right now his job was making sure Buffy had enough time to get Spike to safety before anyone saw him.

Buffy was experiencing everything in a haze. Disconnected from the world around her, her only link the cold man in her arms. Spike had stopped thrashing minutes after her mother had caught up with them. Xander had been wincing, favoring his side. Cracked ribs. They had gotten him in the car and Xander had left them to make sure everything was settled inside. That was when the haze had come. There was a pressure against her, like great hands sculpting, molding, perfecting...Or destroying. It hurt in a way she had never felt before, achingly familiar. She had never been afraid like this before, not ever. She didn't know what was wrong with him!

"Buffy." She clutched his body tighter, as if to fuse them together. Please Spike be ok. "Buffy." Her eyes flickered upward and then back down. He was so pale, not that that mattered considering his state of un-life. His eyes were closed and for the first time, in both lives, she looked at him. If they'd seen William before Liam they would've named him Angel. Thick eyelashes a dark contrast against pale skin. Taught and tight, every muscle a cut, a line. High cheekbones, a mouth that lifted at the edges. Always smiling, always laughing, and daring the world to bring on its worst, dancing over the abyss with a laugh. Always finding joy in the world. He shone. He always had, she'd never taken the time to see it. Never realized how breakingly vulnerable he looked in his sleep. He'd always looked lethal to her, probably because she'd been like a poison to him. Right now, helpless, he rested in her arms as if he trusted her to watch over him. To keep him safe. He looked human and lethal and so beautiful.

"Buffy." Her mother's voice broke the haze, Buffy glanced up sharply. Her mother had a small frown on her face but she didn't look mad. Miracles everywhere today huh?

"I'm glad you're ok, and I'm very proud of you. I guess even with...everything I just..."

"It's cool Mom. I get it. It's like shopping. You see it, you hold it, you save for it but you don't really believe you got it until you go out Friday night." Her Mom chuckled.

"Who is this?"

Uh-Oh "Ummm his name's Sp-William." William her mom would tolerate, Spike her mom would flip. Two hundred something year old vamp, about to be 17 year old girl. Even in her head it sounded wrong. A problem for another day, PTB willing. "He's...complicated." Joyce considered her daughter carefully. Took careful note of the man collapsed against her daughter body like a blanket. Pressed across and against her, a shield. She watched Buffy pull him even tighter against her, saw the look of wonder in those emerald eyes. Her daughter had changed, overnight. She had been spoiled, yes, and sometimes cruel but she had been a good daughter and a good person. She had been a girl. That look in her eyes though, those weren't a girls eyes. She was a woman now, and that was a woman's love.

"Well then I guess you'll have to give me the most important details now, the rest can wait until we get home."

"Spike's a vampire, probably wants to kill me, I love him more than anything and he saves the world a couple of times because he loves me. Or will, did...Ya the whole time thing is kinda a bust for me right now. I kinda dreamed of the future but not really, but yeah...Spike, vamp, love him more than anything except you." And Dawn. The thought appeared out of nowhere. Confusing Who's Dawn? And then pushed aside. Forgotten.

"Vampire." Was her mother's response. Buffy nodded mutely. Her mother sighed softly, "Well at least I know how to kill him if he hurts my baby girl."

Buffy's mouth popped open in surprise, "Mom!" Her mother laughed brightly, "Oh I'm joking honey."

"That is not funny." Buffy murmured between giggles.

"Mom go inside, make a comfortable place for him." Buffy ordered as she maneuvered Spike out of the car. Her mother ran off while Buffy cursed, Spikes legs having tangled into hers. She tried to brace them against the car, struggled to get her back against the car for leverage, tripped, fell with a pained grunt. Spikes body was ripped upward and tossed onto the hood of the car, hard enough to leave a Spike-shaped dent. Buffy flew to her feet only to be pulled into strong arms. Angel held her against him, whispering nonsense words of "It's ok.", "You're safe.", "I'm here." He must have seen her struggling to get her legs untangled with Spikes. It looked like she was trying to push him off her. She was on the ground, he must have overcome her. Angel had saved her yet again. Buffy almost felt sick. She pushed herself out of his embrace.

"Angel what are you doing!?" She didn't stop to listen to him, ran straight to Spike. Carefully checking him over, wincing at the damage. It would heal, thankfully he hadn't been conscious to the feel the pain.

"He was going to kill you!"

"He was unconscious. Jeez what are you? 200 years old? 250? You've never seen a girl try to pull an unconscious guy out of a car? What you never drink?" Buffy fought to put her temper in check. She smiled, tightly, "Look Angel I get it. Ok. I know. You're a good friend, and a good man but you just can't see past your own redemption. You've put on blinders. Not even my mom would've believed that was a fight. You've seen me fight. That is not how I fight."

"He surprised you. It's not something to be ashamed of. It happens but you've got to be more careful. What if I hadn't been here!?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, "I'd have him in the house by now, preferably conscious and ok."

"Buffy!" He growled, warningly. Buffy held up her hands in exasperation, marching up to him until there was but a foot separating them.

"What do you want me to tell you Angel? I love him. I LOVE him and I'm sorry that I can't love you. I'm sorry that it hurts you because I never wanted to hurt you but I told you, love between us only brings bad things. This time around I had Spike. I heard him and loved him before I met him. I choose him Angel so stop trying to kill him. Stop punishing others to punish yourself. Be the good guy."

"Buffy!"

"STAY INSIDE MOM!"

"Buffy."

"No Angel. No. We can talk tomorrow, right now I have to get Spike better." Buffy turned her back to him, reached for Spike and found nothing. "Spike?" Buffy whirled, eyes searching.

"The sun and the dust, so wrong my Spiky." the haunting voice, lilting and oozing insanity.

"Drusilla." Buffy's heart froze in her chest. The brunette woman walked out from the shadows. Even weakened she carried Spike against her like one would a child. The ethereal woman tsked gently, "Playing with the sun. Stars changing. All your fault sunbeam. Poking into dark corners, making things bright. Sometimes I see nothing, the shadows so dark, then poof and swirled and then the sunbeam again. Daddy!" Her voice rose excitedly, almost dropping Spike in her enthusiasm.

"I got my Spiky boy Daddy. Will there be tea at the party, I do so love the parties. The shoes, squishing and squashing and clicking, they don't know it's dead. Like the fires." Buffy felt Angel come up beside her, dread filled her.

"Angel-" She started.

"Buffy I..." He interrupted. His voice sounded so heartbroken, so sad. His eyes, she knew, would be downcast and self-contempt would filter out of them like neon signs.

"It's for your own good." She felt something slam into her head, she lashed out too late. Her hand found no purchase as Angel rushed past her. She tried to orient herself, tried to shake the ringing in her ears but it was too late. They were gone. Her mind blanked, she couldn't catch them. They had Spike and Angel had just willingly gone with Dru. Another miracle just not in her favor.

xxkandyangelxx- Lol I will get those last few chapters typed up as soon as I can.

MoonPrincess623 and AGriffinWriter- Not telling ;)

JojoMRP- Trust me when I say I did the same thing when I finally got the computer back up at my new place. Of course work interferes...

Enjoy everyone and please don't kill me. I promise Ginar has already told me the cliffy is evil Mwuhahahahahahaha.