She always scrunched her nose when he lit up another cigarette. He'd always offer to butt it out and she would always politely decline and say she had her own vices. She could handle the second hand smoke as long as he didn't disembowel any of the villagers.
Sure... a fella missed the feel of a squirming virgin dying at the tip of his teeth but a good cup of o-positive from the hospital and her smiling face was a good substitute. Well, that and being able to boot a big nasty until his head caved in helped a little too. She always made sure to read their bloody auras too to make sure they were "bad" demons. He'd just roll his eyes and light another until she determined the thing ate babies or was late returning a movie to Blockbuster and then Spike would get his bit of violence in. Every once and a while she would somehow end up in the demon's sights and he would end up rescuing her. He would act all irritated but in all honesty those times were his favorites because she would always try to ease his irritation by nuzzling his neck and calling him her big bad.
One night as they went on their patrol (Spike always made sure to avoid the slayer ... too many questions and too much suspicion) they happened upon a Fyarl. Tara grabbed his arm before he made his normal dash and had a confused look on her face. "He seems out of place in his own body ... maybe you should try talking to him...?". He looked at her like she had lost a few bricks and then shook his head. As he made his way towards the demon he wondered if the bird was channelling Dru just a wee bit.
"Right then... Who has two thumbs and is about to kick some demon ass ?" he laughed and was stopped dead in his tracks when a look of pure irritation crossed the normally mindless demon's face. "wonderful, Spike's here to top off an already lovely day. we thought he was dead but of course not he just pops up on the worst bloody day of my life !" ... Spike shook his head and wondered if he had gone a little crazy himself "Watcher?" he said apprehensively. You could have knocked Giles down with a feather "you understand me ?" ... "Yeah mate, you may be speaking Fyarl but you're still the old git that I know and detest... what the bloody hell happened to you?"
Before he started the story, Tara decided she wanted to listen in too so she whispered some hocus pocus so she could hear the Englishman turned demon drone on and on about not feeling appreciated anymore, and Buffy this and that and it truly was a bore but Spike almost jumped out of his skin at the words soldiers and initiative. He tuned back in at the end after subconsciously shaking off the willies. "... so that is why I -sigh- need your ... help ... Spike". "Righhhht ... and I'm supposed to help you out of the badness of my unbeating heart eh Rupes" Spike shook his head.
How was he to know that would set events in motion where he is now arguing off to the side with Tara as the librarian looks on ... chuckling no doubt, the bloody wanker. He stomps back in front of Giles as he thinks of himself as loves biggest bitch and spouts off " I want a bottle of your good stuff ... no TWO ... and the only reason I am doing this is to piss of the soldier boys and make the slayer feel like shit that I'm saving her watcher's ass ... alright lets go then" he takes another unneeded deep breath and dares not make eye contact with the watcher as he passes him.
So off they went with Tara sitting in the back , they figured out where that Ethan git was staying and Spike explained a little bit about the Fyarl to Giles. Of course they had a little detour when Giles stopped to scare this lady on the street but Spike didn't mind much when he found out the bitch was responsible for making him a good little puppy. They had to jump from a moving car that his little Glinda made go on its own with magic. As Giles mourned the loss of his classic Spike gave him a pat on the shoulder " Earned it's wings that one did . Maybe some day it will even become a real car". He smiled at Rupert as he walked towards their destination and he looped his arm around Tara " I can kill demons. I can crash cars... Things are looking up!". She just smiled and shook her head as they continued walking.
He had a new appreciation for Rupert as he flung the screaming body of that Evan chap or whatever his name was back and forth across the hotel room. He could see the glee in his eyes as the librarian handled him like a rag doll. All the fun was done when Buffy and the wanker patrol came crashing through the door. Then the slayer started wailing on the watcher and Spike almost laughed a little until he could feel Tara looking at the back of his head disapprovingly . "Bloody Hell..." he thought as he leapt into the fray " ... this is probably going to hurt". He got there with just enough time to put his hand between the watchers chest and Slayer's knife OWWW ... and of course his lovely knee jerk reaction to the pain was to punch her in the face OWWW ... and that in turn got a lovely slayer sized punch in the face FOR THE BLOODY LOVE OF . As she wound up for another whack Glinda said her hocus pocus again and the two he was between could now understand each other. He suppressed the urge to ask her why she didn't do if BEFORE he got all this lovely damage but she was cuddling him now and fussing over his hand and face.
After some explanation from Giles, The slayer made a grumpy face and trudged over to him and Tara. " So who's the new vamp ho ? " Buffy spouted off snottily. He suppressed a chuckle as he held back Tara's attempt to smack the slayer and jumped in with " She's human, slayer, and a good witch and ya better watch your use of the term ho with fellas like Parker around, yeah?" . She gritted her teeth but then looked back at her watcher now back to his non-Fyarl form and sighed " I never thought I would say this but ... Thank You ... Spike ... and sorry to your ... lady friend". He smiled a little smirk that just oozed arrogance while Tara nodded in a polite warm manner. The moment was interrupted by Captain GI Joe.
" Hostile 17 ... we are under orders to execute you on si..." Riley was interrupted by Buffy's hand on his chest " Sweetie ... not tonight ... tonight he gets a pass for saving Giles" she said quietly and Spike's smile slipped away and with respect he nodded when he made eye contact. Then he saw the burning eyes of the soldier boy and couldn't help himself " Sure know how to pick him don't ya slayer ... this one here's got all the charm of an uncooked potato" He grinned at the seething Riley " Good to have em already trained though... don't want him going on the rug". With that Spike gently pushed Tara out the door and gave a brief yet knowing nod to the watcher. He made a mental note to stay away for a while because for the briefest of moments he decided that the watcher wasn't that bad of a bloke for a mortal enemy of his.