1. Part 1

Unusual Circumstances B/S Set after 'Life Serial' S6. Warren, Jonathan and Andrew have conjured up a new threat to Buffy. One that puts her into hiding, with Spike as her companion.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Warren snapped off the monitor with an annoyed air. "Hey!" Jonathan said as he and Andrew spun around to glare at Warren. "Yeah that was the good part!" Andrew admonished. Warren waved them off. "You've been watching porn since we figured out we could get it free," he complained. Jonathan and Andrew exchanged glances saying 'And what's wrong with that?'. Warren changed the subject.  
  
"It's time we figured out what we're going to do about Buffy. She's been left to sit for a few days already." Andrew laughed. "How about we put the sex bunny plan into action?" Andrew looked hopefully to Warren, who somewhere along the line had become the leader of their alliance. "I don't think so, I think we need to break her into her new role as slave slowly," Warren said. Andrew pouted.  
  
"Don't you think we should lay low for a bit? She almost caught us last time," Jonathan said meekly. Warren laughed. "We put her off the trail, or rather you did Jonathan, with that demon act. Besides she was a little drunk anyway." Jonathan didn't look convinced but didn't say anything else. "So then what do we do?" Andrew asked. "When are we going to forget about the Slayer and take over the world?" Warren gave the timid blonde an icy glare.  
  
"We've been over this, Buffy first, world later. You have to do these things in steps." Andrew backed off like a chastised puppy. "Whatever you say. What's your plan?" Warren smiled. "I've been doing some research, and I've found just the thing we need to get rid of Buffy." Jonathan made a shocked sound. "Get rid of her? Hello? Sex Bunny!"  
  
Warren chuckled. "That's what I meant of course. Now stop interrupting me. We need to go get some supplies. They're hard to come by now that we can't go into the Magic Box." Jonathan and Andrew nodded. Warren gave orders and a list of ingredients and/or supplies everyone was supposed to get then smiled. "Let's see how she deals with Gugsrak."  
  
****  
  
Buffy stood up and stretched. "I think it's time for snacks," she said to the group in her living room, which included Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, Giles and Dawn. "Bring back chips," Dawn said to her. "And Twinkies," Xander added. "I would enjoy some soda," Anya called to Buffy. Buffy laughed. "I'll just bring the refrigerator," she joked.  
  
She returned a few minutes later with chips, soda, Twinkies and some carrot sticks to even it out. The group reached in quickly. Buffy sat back down on the couch and hit play on the remote. The movie they were watching, Jurassic Park, continued. Fifteen minutes later Giles decided he had had enough of the "incessant screaming" and retired into the other room to try and get some sleep.  
  
****  
  
Anya was asleep in Xander's arms and Dawn was heroically trying to keep her eyes open as the movie came to an end. Buffy stood up and began to clean as good byes were said. Xander and Anya returned to their apartment while Tara, Willow and Dawn retreated upstairs.  
  
Buffy had just finished carrying everything back to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She wondered who it could be at this time of night. Probably Xander coming back to get something Anya forgot, she thought sleepily as she opened the door.  
  
As soon as she did a hand shot out and yanked strand of hair from Buffy's head. Buffy, shocked, could do nothing at first but stare at the figure swathed in black. Before she had time to recover the door was slammed shut. She quickly regained motion and threw open the door, prepared to chase the son of a bitch down.  
  
She stared blankly at the street and lawn, no one could be seen, in fact, it was quieter than usual. She gave one last look around then turned and went back inside. What the hell was that? She asked herself. Whatever it was, it didn't give her a good feeling. Usually when people wanted your hair something bad was going to happen.  
  
Buffy yawned and decided she would deal with it later. Whatever happened she was positive she could handle it. She got ready for bed and lay down to go to sleep. She had survived everything else hadn't she? 


	2. Part 2

Buffy had just finished dusting her third vampire of the night. She was sweaty, dirty, and wanted desperately to go home, shower then fall asleep. However it wasn't destined to be. Spike materialized out of the shadows like he usually did. They exchanged greetings. Buffy had learned of late to simply accept Spike's presence. He wasn't hurting anyone and he seemed to be the only person Buffy could really talk to these days. Most of the time she was glad she had someone to complain to.  
  
Now was not one of those times. She tried to make her escape gracefully, desperately trying to get across the point she wanted to go, without being blatantly rude. Spike however, did not seem to catch her drift. He seemed in a very talkative mood at the moment.  
  
"As you can see, I'm in a bit of a jam, you set free a lot of kittens the other day Buffy, and now it seems I'm at a loss. I've been having to borrow kittens and I've not been able to get any on my own." Buffy sighed. "Playing for kittens is gross. You should be ashamed anyway." Spike laughed. "You forget I'm a ruthless vampire love," he said with a grin. Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
Spike stopped laughing and just looked at Buffy. Buffy shifted uncomfortably. She hated when he did this. She knew how he felt, but knew she could never return the feeling. Every fiber in her being was attracted to him, this she could not deny, but she didn't think she could be able to handle another dead boyfriend. She couldn't let herself fall for Spike just because he had a chip in his head.  
  
He was like one of those poor dogs you see at the pound with the signs that read 'Do not pet. Will bite'. They look so cute and helpless and you want to reach out and pet them, but the only reason they're not scary is because they're behind those bars. If Spike was let out of his "cage" Buffy knew he'd go back to being the evil vampire she knew before. If Buffy fell for him, well, she didn't believe she could handle two boyfriends turning evil on her.  
  
"You're probably tired," Spike said, finally breaking the silence. Buffy wanted to scream in frustration. Had she only been hinting at that for the last twenty minutes or hadn't she? Instead she forced a smile and admitted to her "small" bit of exhaustion. He offered to walk her home and even though she protested he insisted. They were walking down the street seconds later.  
  
At her home she thanked Spike for his company and he smiled. She looked at him and saw that look in his eyes again. He slowly moved in to kiss her and she racked her brain for something to do to stop him. She panicked, mumbled goodbye and disappeared inside quickly, closing the door before Spike had recovered. Spike straightened up, feeling stupid, and turned and ambled down the street, hands tucked into his pockets.  
  
****  
  
"Hurry up or we'll miss it!" Jonathan whined to Warren and Andrew. The two boys came outside lugging a large cauldron and set it down on a shape resembling a triangle with curving lines. "Shut up Jonathan," Warren said. "We won't miss sunrise." They looked to the horizon from their position in an open field about three miles away from Sunnydale.  
  
As soon as the first rays of the sun could be spotted they each took their places on corners of the triangle. Jonathan began chanting something in a foreign language while Andrew and Warren started what looked to be a weird dance. Jonathan threw some stuff from a pouch into the cauldron. With a loud bang that had Andrew cowering on the ground, a shape appeared where the cauldron once stood.  
  
Jonathan and Warren (and when Andrew had recovered he too) looked in awe at the demon they had bid. It wasn't large in terms of the biggest demons Sunnydale had seen, but it was strong, or so it looked. It had bulging biceps and tree trunk legs. It was covered in bumpy skin that seemed to be flaking and peeling all over. "Cool," Jonathan exclaimed quietly.  
  
"You have summoned me to this place?" The demon said in a voice that sounded like rocks grinding together. "Yes, we have," Warren said in a commanding voice. "Gugsrak oh Great One we have a task that requires you skill." Gugsrak stared at the puny humans. "What have you for me?' he insisted.  
  
Andrew quickly went to a large bag near them and opened it for Gugsrak. Gugsrak snatched it from his hand and looked into it. He seemed to be pleased, but it was hard to tell because his mouth was like a deep gash etched into his face that could not do much moving and his eyes were almost hidden in folds of skin that hung from his forehead. "I accept your gift little Masters." Andrew smiled shakily while Warren and Jonathan looked accomplished.  
  
"What will you have me do?" He asked. Warren quickly explained it to Gugsrak (it didn't take much explaining after all) and gave him a small satchel. Gugsrak opened this and took a deep sniff. "Female, blonde, small, strong," Gugsrak said after a minute. The Geek Trio exchanged happy glances. He had found out all that from a small strand of hair. "Kill her," Warren said simply and before the words had scarcely left his lips Gugsrak was gone.  
  
"Kill her?!?!" Jonathan demanded shrilly. "You said we weren't going to kill her!" Andrew looked angry too. "We wanted a Slayer sex bunny!" Warren tried to look humble. "Here's my thoughts guys: why do we need a Slayer sex bunny? We can have any woman in the world! Besides, her stupid friends would have figured it out and then where would we be?"  
  
This made sense to Andrew and Jonathan. "Well, I guess you're right," Jonathan said hesitantly. "Of course I'm right," Warren said. "Now let's go home and wait for the fun to begin." With that the small tiff was settled at the three boys filed into the van to go back to Sunnydale. 


	3. Part 3

Buffy was sitting at her kitchen table, head bent over, studying a pile of papers. She was wondering which bills to pay first with the money Giles had given her. The house was empty. Giles had gone to the Magic Box to help Anya, Dawn was in school and Willow and Tara had gone to classes at the University. She stood up and stretched, then walked over to the fridge to get a soda. She was happy Giles had given her money, but it wasn't going to last forever. She was going to have to find a job sooner or later.  
  
As she turned around to go back to her task she jumped backwards as something crashed through the window. She regained her senses from the shock and saw a stout demon standing in front of her. She jumped into action at once and kicked it with all her force. She fell to the ground clutching her ankle seconds later. She felt like she had kicked a stone wall.  
  
Gugsrak laughed then lunged for her. He picked her up and threw her across the room where she landed on the table, it splintered from the force. She moaned and stood back up to try to fight him again. She readied herself to hit it but he shot out and grabbed her by the waist before she had started her punch. His grip felt like a vice around her small waist. She yelped as she felt a rib crack. She had never fought something so strong except Glory. And she had been a god!  
  
Gugsrak lifted Buffy higher in the air then smashed her down into the floor. He hit her hard in the face. Buffy could barely stand to try something else. She got in a weak spin kick as she clambered back to her feet before the demon roared and swatted her again. She flew back into the wall. Her vision was hazy and she could feel the blood dripping from her wounds.  
  
She looked around desperately for a weapon. She began to throw anything near her as Gugsrak approached her slowly, as if savoring the moment she would die. Buffy tried to stand. She would not go out like a beaten woman. She hit him again. The ugly bastard seemed to chuckle. Buffy began to punch him, fist her left hand, then her right, her arms becoming blurry with the speed she hit him. The demon seemed to feel nothing. Gugsrak actually seemed to relish her small fists pummeling his stony stomach.  
  
When it seemed he had tired of the game he raised one massive fist high in the air then began to bring it down for a finishing blow that would crush the small Slayer into a pulp. Buffy cringed as she waited for the impact. It never came. Buffy opened her eyes and saw the demon in front of her moving in very slow motion. She quickly took advantage of this and stumbled around it, going for the door. She saw Willow and Tara standing there.  
  
The were holding hands, mouthing words and concentrating with all their strength on Gugsrak, who was very gradually turning around. Willow gasped for breath as she turned to Buffy. "Run! Run Buffy!" She wheezed out. Buffy hesitated as Willow went back to silently mouthing and then turned and sped from the house.  
  
As she tried to ignore the pain in her ankle she stumbled down the street as quickly as she could. She felt like a coward. She was the Slayer. She had never run from anything. Was she a deserter? She ached everywhere from being thrown across the room. She could feel the blood caking on her brow and knew that if she hadn't run, she would be broken and dead in her own kitchen right now.  
  
****  
  
"Oh my god! Buffy!" Giles blurted out as Buffy stumbled into the Magic Box. Buffy could say nothing and collapsed on the floor. The few customers in the shop looked at the petite blonde on the floor, covered in blood and sweat and decided to leave. This seemed to annoy Anya but she made a wise decision in keeping quiet.  
  
"Buffy what happened?" Giles asked as he picked her up and carried her to the back. Buffy moaned. "Demon..." She muttered as Giles set her on one of the mats in the training room. "Demon? What? Is it dead?" Buffy shook her head. Giles looked very upset as he rushed off to fetch the first-aide kit.  
  
"What do you mean? It's still alive?" Giles took out the supplies and began to administer them to Buffy. "I couldn't touch him Giles, he was so strong. Like rocks...rocks." Giles shook his head. "How did you get out? Where is it?" Buffy gasped in pain as Giles touched the rib. "I ran. Willow, Tara, held him off." Giles' face filled with fear.  
  
"Anya!" he called. Anya came hurrying into the room. "Get me the Huert Demons book. Hurry." Buffy looked shaken. "What? A Hue what?" Giles shushed her. "I'm making an educated guess and looking under rock demons." Buffy was too weak to answer. Anya came back quickly with a large gray book.  
  
"Here Buffy, can you look through this book for me? Tell me which one it is?" Buffy meekly took the book and began to flip the pages. Anya stood on the sidelines, watching nervously. "This one! Gugsrak..." She said as she handed the book to Giles. Her Slayer healing powers were already kicking in and she didn't feel so much pain any longer.  
  
"Gugsrak." Giles read feverishly. His face could not conceal the fear as he looked it over. "Giles? What is it?" Buffy asked, trying to sit up. She couldn't and had to lay back down. Giles swallowed. "Gugsrak is a powerful demon. He cannot be killed." Buffy looked confused. "Every evil thing can be killed, remember the judge? And Glory?" Giles shook his head. "No Buffy, this demon cannot be killed. He will come back, again and again if you manage to incapacitate him." Giles studied the page.  
  
"Usually it takes a week before he comes back. But even getting him to temporarily die is an extremely hard feat." Buffy opened her mouth and closed it. Where had it come from? As if reading her mind Giles answered her. "This demon does not go after things on its own. In fact Gugsrak likes to sleep, not fight. He hibernates in the hills for centuries sometimes. The only way he can be roused is through a very difficult spell."  
  
Buffy shook her head. "Giles who could have done that?" Giles looked down at her. "Perhaps whoever has been terrorizing you these last few weeks?" Buffy's brow furrowed. "No, remember? It was that demon. The one the other night..." Giles thought on this. "Perhaps a scapegoat demon?" Buffy didn't know what to say.  
  
Someone was trying their hardest to get rid of her, and it seemed that perhaps they had found the perfect demon to do it. 


	4. Part 4

"We got him!" Giles, Buffy and Anya turned towards the door to see Willow and Tara bursting in, breath ragged and faces holding grins. The red-head looked at the groups solemn faces. "What? You guys didn't hear me? He went all 'poof'." Buffy smiled a bit but Giles shook his head. "I'm very proud of you girls, but you have only bought us time." Willow and Tara looked confused. Giles quickly explained that Gugsrak could not be killed, only held back for a while, that he would not stop until he killed Buffy.  
  
"What? That's impossible. Every demon has a clause!" Willow exclaimed. Giles shook his head disappointedly. "I'm sorry Willow..." He looked down at the book. "Wait, there seems to be something written on the page in ink." Giles blew some dust off the page. "I can't read it, it's very old." He squinted at the yellowed paper. "Here Giles, let me see it," Willow said as she reached down for the book. Giles handed it to her. "Revelo." A golden dust seemed to appear on the page and then Willow smiled. "Here you go." She returned the book back to Giles.  
  
Giles looked bewildered for a moment then turned back to the entry. It says "He pays no attention after a time is passed. One must wait. Patience is a virtue." Buffy looked at him, confused. "What?" Giles studied the words. "I believe he, or she, means that Gugsrak gets bored easily. That after a while he will go back to sleep, leave his target alone." Buffy brightened. "That great! How long will it take? Does it say?" Giles looked down and shook his head. "I'm sorry but it doesn't."  
  
"Give it about six months. Gusrak never sticks with anything longer than that. He's so lazy. In fact I remember once, in Peru---" "Anya!" Buffy interrupted the 1,000 year old demon. Anya looked up from her reminisce. "What?" "You know Gugsrak?" Anya shrugged. "I wouldn't say I know him personally, I know him through a couple friends." Giles opened and closed his mouth in shock. She had known about him the whole time and said nothing???  
  
Buffy, thankfully, carried on the conversation ."So you can tell us about him can't you?" "Well I suppose..." Anya started but Buffy interrupted again. "Great. So you say six months? I just have to stay away from Gugsrak for six months? Then everything will be fine? But what if he goes after other people? Maybe I should try and fight him..." Anya gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Giles was right about one thing Buffy, you can't fight Gugsrak. He kills everything he is set to kill. Number two, I said about *about* six months. Sometimes he gets a spell and takes longer. Or shorter. It's hard to say. And another thing, he won't go after any of your friends. He's only out to get you. Of course he'll kill anyone who stands directly in his way but that surely won't be me, or Xander for that matter." She stopped talking, as if thinking on this point.  
  
"So Anya, you're saying that Buffy should disappear for a while, however long it is deemed necessary, and when Gugsrak has lost interest he'll go away on his own? And he won't hurt anyone else," Giles summed up. Anya nodded. "That's anyone who stands physically in his way. Like trying to protect her."  
  
"Yeah, he was very...mean...even though he was going slow, and..." Tara stopped talking, her face reddening. "Tara's right," Willow recovered for her girlfriend, "If he wasn't going in slow motion Tara and I would be toast, or witch flavored jelly, right now." Buffy wrinkled her nose at the visual. "Thanks Will, needed to hear that." Willow laughed in apology. "Sorry."  
  
"I've got a store to run, I just heard the bell," Anya stated as she turned to leave. "You all should think about getting Buffy very far away from Gugsrak. Come to think of it Buffy should be getting out of state. Maybe then Gugsrak won't be able to smell her." Before the others could question her Anya hurried out the door back into the shop.  
  
Buffy looked at Giles. "Out of state?" Giles shrugged as he rubbed his forehead. "If that's what needs to be done then that's what will happen. But there's no way you're going alone. I'll have to accompany you." Buffy protested. "Giles you can't! Who's going to watch after Dawn? I can't bring her, it's too dangerous!" Giles began to put away the medical supplies. "I'm sure Xander and Anya will be happy to. Or even Tara and Willow." Tara and Willow nodded.  
  
Buffy looked unconvinced. "Giles, I couldn't let you just come, what if Gugsrak finds me? He'll kill you Giles." Giles didn't look afraid. "That's how it has to be. No one else can come with you. Xander has his job, he can't just disappear for months at a time. Anya won't do it, she's too in love with the Magic Box. Willow and Tara have school." "I could drop out, it would be ok..." Willow said in a helpful tone. "No, I couldn't let you do that Willow," Buffy said to her friend. Tara tried not to look relieved. She didn't want Willow to leave her.  
  
"There's no one else Buffy. I'm going to have to go with you." Buffy tried to think of someone else. Anyone. No one came to mind. She cursed inwardly. She couldn't let Giles go with her. She couldn't risk his getting hurt. If she lost Giles, it wouldn't be worth hiding. No, she decided as Giles helped her stand, if it came down to it she would forfeit her life for his. She had done it once hadn't she? Things were always easier the second time around. 


	5. Part 5

Two days later Buffy was almost fully recovered and feeling better by the second. She was itching to be off, to get out of Sunnydale before Gugsrak came around again. Giles, however, didn't seem to be in so much of a hurry.  
  
"You don't even know where we're going yet Buffy," he reproached her gently. "You can't just run off at the spur of the moment. Things don't work that way all the time. We have to be prepared for the fact it might take months before Gugsrak give up." Buffy groaned. "Giles! We can't sit here waiting for him! If he tracks me again they'll be no slipping off! We have to move while he's down!" Giles ignored the impatient girl and flipped the 'open' sign on the Magic Box door.  
  
"A little longer Buffy, I'm just getting a place secured for us." Buffy sat down in a chair and pouted. "It's not going to matter if Gugsrak reaches me first."  
  
****  
  
"I knew it! Every demon you think of gets killed! You're hopeless!" Jonathan complained to Warren. "Her stupid witch friends killed Gugsrak, we'll never get the better of her. I say we forget her and get to the important stuff, like taking over the world." Warren looked at Jonathan and shook his head.  
  
"Gugsrak isn't dead you idiot. He's...temporarily detained." Jonathan snorted through his nose. "Yeah sure." Warren glared at Jonathan. "When he's 'killed' as you put it, he doesn't actually die. He replenishes himself after a week or so. I told you, he'll come back, stronger and better equipped to face her."  
  
"Oh, kind of like the Ring Wraiths in Lord of the Rings where they're washed down the river with their horses and then come back with those really cool flying birds of carrion?" Andrew interrupted, looking happy with his analogy. "Yeah that was pretty cool," Jonathan admitted. Warren made an annoyed sound.  
  
"Can we forget about Lord of the Rings for one second? We've got bigger fish to fry." Andrew and Jonathan looked at Warren expectantly. Warren shifted uncomfortably. "I did forget to mention one thing though..." Jonathan sat up straighter, ready to spit out 'I told you so'.  
  
"Gugsrak isn't the most...attentive demon we could have hoped for," Warren said tentatively. "What?" Andrew asked. "Well, he gets bored after a while and decides to move on, or go back to sleep."  
  
"I told you so!" Jonathan crowed. "We're screwed. There's no way he'll get Buffy." Warren cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't there? We've just got to make sure she stays put long enough for Gugsrak to come back. What we need, is a distraction."  
  
****  
  
"Buffy, come here please," Giles called up the stairs to Buffy. Buffy padded down the stairs lightly and went into the family room. She sat down across from him. She looked at the manila envelope in his hands. "What's that?" She asked.  
  
"Well that's what I called you for. I've secured our location and we're free to leave." Buffy's eyes widened. "What? Where? How?" She stuttered bewilderedly. Giles handed the envelope to her. She gave him a questioning look then opened the package.  
  
She looked at the glossy pages of the brochure before her. "Giles it's...wonderful..." She looked at the perfect white house that stared back at her from the page, complete with rose bushes and the white picket fence. He grinned sheepishly. "I've heard it's one of the most secure locations civilians can live in this country." Buffy looked down at the pages again, flipping through.  
  
"Roseland, Washington. It's perfect." And she meant the perfect part completely. On the last page she gasped. "Giles!" Giles looked at the page she was staring at and saw the neat little sum one of the houses cost in the private neighborhood. He reddened. "Giles! Where did you get money like that? You're like...rich." Giles managed a nervous chuckle.  
  
"Giles?" Buffy questioned, looking up at him suspiciously. "Where did this money come from?" Giles shuffled some papers on the coffee table and adjusted his glasses. "Giles!" Giles swallowed and looked up at her. "I, uh, I contacted Angel..." Buffy's mouth opened in a silent O.  
  
"Angel?" She managed to whisper as she looked down at her lap. "He didn't mind at all Buffy, he was pleased to help---" Buffy looked up at him, mistrust in her eyes. "Giles it's not that I'm not thankful...it's just that Angel...he just sent money to you? He didn't even leave a message for me? Anything?"  
  
Giles looked away uneasily. Buffy dropped her eyes again. "Oh, I see," she said quietly. "I'm sure he meant well Buffy. But to know you're in danger again...it must scare him..." Buffy shrugged, trying to brush it off. "It's alright Giles, I understand perfectly."  
  
Giles looked at her sympathetically. "When do we leave Giles? And what should I take?" Buffy stood. "Take only what you need for a few days, we'll buy more clothes there. They have a private shopping center in the complex. We leave in six hours so we have the cover of darkness, we'll go by train, it seems easiest." Buffy nodded and retired upstairs slowly.  
  
She pulled out her suitcase and set it on the bed. She couldn't do anything else. She sat down on her bed, tears stinging her eyes. Yes, Angel was her first love, and always would be, but he was obviously over her. That night they had talked when she came back...well not much had been conclusively said. Perhaps she had misunderstood his words for feelings that weren't there.  
  
It was time to get over Angel once and for all. Some people just weren't meant to be. 


	6. Part 6

Buffy took one last look around her room. She wouldn't see it again for a long time. In the last six hours she had packed a small suitcase and said her good-byes. It had been established no contact could be made between her, her friends and Dawn. Whoever had hired Gugsrak might get a hold of Buffy's location and then her cover would be blown.  
  
Dawn had cried and begged to come with her. She had promised to be good and take care of herself. Buffy firmly refused. "Dawn you have to stay here. You can't come. I'll come back before you know it." Dawn had finally given up, then tearfully hugged Buffy and reluctantly helped her pack.  
  
Anya and Xander were there also. They sat in the family room together, watching as Buffy went room to room making sure she forgot nothing important. "Goodbye Buffy," Anya had said. "I'm glad you're leaving. Because if Gugsrak killed you then where would we all be? Dead." Buffy had smiled and thanked Anya for her unique goodbye. She had kissed Willow and Tara goodbye as friends do, and hugged Xander.  
  
Buffy sighed remembering it and went downstairs. Giles was already waiting by the door. "The taxi is here to take us to the train station. Come on Buffy." Buffy tried to be strong as she hugged everyone goodbye again. "You're sure you can handle patrolling while I'm gone?" She asked. Everyone assured her they could. She started down the path towards the street, looking back just once to see her friends in the doorway.  
  
She hoped it wouldn't be the last memory she had of them.  
  
****  
  
Buffy shifted on the hard wooden bench beneath her. The train was due any minute. She looked around her. The residents of Sunnydale had learned long ago to stay indoors if possible at late hours of the night and for this reason the train stop was empty.  
  
There were many wooden benches identical to the one she sat upon, a closed ticket booth and a snack and soda machine. She sighed. Next to her was Giles, reading a book as usual. She wondered what it was about.  
  
She sensed someone approaching and turned around to see a familiar blonde vampire strolling towards her. She was surprised. What was he doing here? She stood and walked over to him. Giles looked up from his book to see what was going on.  
  
"Hello Spike," Giles said absently as he went back to his book. "Hullo," Spike said, his eyes never leaving Buffy. "What are you doing here Spike?" She asked politely. Spike smiled. "Went off without saying goodbye to me. Not very nice of you," Spike responded, not giving a straight answer. Buffy smiled a little.  
  
"We were in a hurry," she explained. The truth was she didn't think she could have handled the look on Spike's face when she said she was leaving. It would have been worse than seeing the love in his eyes every time she saw him. It would break his heart even more than not being able to return his love did.  
  
"It's alright love, I understand. Still, thought I'd come down here and say goodbye, keep safe, all that rubbish." Buffy had to smile. "Thank you Spike." Spike looked around sheepishly. "Who told you where we were going?" Buffy asked. "Niblet. She said to make sure to tell you not to do anything stupid. And that she's going through your room." Buffy laughed. "Nice of her to keep a secret."  
  
Spike loved to hear her laugh. She hadn't done it very much in the last few months. He smiled. She was so beautiful.  
  
Buffy screamed as a loud shot rang out. She covered her head as Spike turned around to see what had happened. "Bloody hell!" he said as he saw Giles, Buffy followed his gaze. "Oh my God! Giles!!!" She ran towards him.  
  
Giles was hunched over on the bench, holding his stomach which was torn open from a bullet wound. Buffy began to cry hysterically. "Giles, oh God Giles!" Spike was looking to see where the shot came from but couldn't sense anyone any place near. He stood near the threshold watching Buffy and Giles, not sure what to do.  
  
In the distance the train horn sounded. Giles was staring up at Buffy, mouth opening and closing. Buffy's tears fell down her face in streams. "Giles oh god. Spike! Get help! Call someone for help!" She tossed her phone at him as she tried to support Giles on her lap.  
  
Spike quickly dialed Buffy's phone number, having remembered it even though he knew he would never have called her. "Willow? Come quick. Someone's shot Giles." Buffy half heard Spike explain in the background as the train churned up. The doors opened, waiting for passengers to board. No one got off the train,  
  
Giles opened his mouth. "Go...Buffy go..." Buffy shook her head. "No Giles. I won't go. I'm not leaving you." She tried to ignore the blood pouring from the wound. "*Go*." Giles commanded resolutely, despite his weakened state. He managed to reach into his jacket and pull out the tickets.  
  
Spike watched Giles try to tell Buffy to go. Spike knew what he had to do. He quickly grabbed the tickets from Giles hand, tore Buffy away from Giles and hauled her towards the train.  
  
"NO!" Buffy screamed. "Let me go you bastard! Giles!" Despite her Slayer strength Spike had a firm hold on her. Giles watched as Spike carried Buffy onto the train. He was relieved. Everything was getting dimmer now. The pain had stopped, everything was numb. He closed his eyes.  
  
"No!" Buffy yelled as the train doors slid closed and the train started. Spike still did not let her go. "Giles. I have to get Giles. Giles," she repeated over and over again.  
  
She pressed her hand to the window, watching Giles grow smaller and smaller as the train moved swiftly away. 


	7. Part 7

Buffy spun around to face Spike, rage in her eyes. "How dare you!" She yelled. Spike looked around. Upon seeing an empty cabin he realized there would be no getting out of this fight. "How could you!" She screamed. "Giles is dying! He's going to die! Goddamn you Spike!" She lashed out and kicked him in the face.  
  
Spike fell against the bathroom door that was behind him. "You might as well have pulled the trigger!" Buffy continued to scream. "He'll die Spike! I'll kill you!" She punched him in the jaw. "You," she kicked him in the stomach, "Killed," Punch in the nose, "GILES!" A powerful spin kick sent Spike flying down the narrow aisle.  
  
Spike could do nothing. He couldn't hit her, not that he would have, the chip prevented that. He struggled to stand. Buffy was stalking towards him. Her eyes were filled with tears. "I hate you! I hate you!" She yelled as she hit Spike in the stomach. "I hate you." She repeated this over and over in between punches and kicks. Spike could barely stand. Blood poured from his nose and mouth.  
  
With his last ounce of strength he reached out and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest. "It's ok pet. Buffy it's ok," Spike whispered into her ear over and over again.  
  
He felt her body go limp and then she began to shake as silent sobs wracked her body. "Giles, he's gone, oh God, Giles," she sobbed. Every memory she had of him, from the very first day she walked into the Sunnydale High library came flooding back to her. He was gone. Spike sunk down into one of the train seats and held Buffy on his lap.  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy, I'm sorry," he said as he smoothed her hair and rubbed her back. Soon Buffy could cry no longer. Her eyes hurt from weeping, her voice was weak from stress. She couldn't speak. She closed her eyes and, feeling very safe in Spike's arms, feel asleep. Sleep: where she could escape her reality.  
  
Spike looked down at the girl in his lap. He wanted to cry for her. She had lost her Watcher, the closest thing to a father she had had for many years. He breathed her scent deeply. She smelled like Buffy. He could never explain what 'Buffy' smelt like, it was just her.  
  
She also smelled of blood. Giles' blood. Spike reluctantly shifted Buffy into the chair next to him. He covered her with a blanket and reached into his duster pocket to get the tickets. "MacGeiver," he said aloud. He was surprised to find another set of tickets behind it. "Fremont." And then another. "Roseland." Giles must have made sure to switch stops along the way in case they were followed. He was a smart man.  
  
But back to his present problem: Fremont would be transferring at four in the afternoon. What was he to do when that time came? Walk out into the bloody sun?  
  
He knew he hadn't been thinking straight when he grabbed Buffy and dragged her onto the train, but it was his instinct. Make sure Buffy was safe. It was what Giles had wanted. But what was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to hide during the day?  
  
He made sure Buffy was sleeping soundly before standing to go to the bathroom. In the blurry mirror he washed off the blood from his face and closed his jacket to hide the blood on his shirtfront. 'I hate you.' Buffy's voice rang in his head.  
  
Deep down he knew it wasn't true but it still stung. Could she ever love him? A knock on the door startled him and he opened it. A train attendant looked in on him. He seemed a bit startled at Spike's bruised appearance but said nothing.  
  
"Do you have tickets for yourself and you companion?" He asked. "Oh, yeah," Spike said as he handed them to the young man. The attendant looked them over and tore off the proper piece. "Thank you sir. Do you want anything to drink? How about your..." The attendant searched for a word to describe Buffy.  
  
"Wife," Spike stated. "Yes, your wife?" "How about some juice or something. She just lost her father. She's very distressed." The man gave his condolences then disappeared to get the juice.  
  
Spike walked back to his seat. He didn't know what compelled him to say Buffy was his wife. It just seemed more plausible that such a young woman was with her husband, not a random young "man". He sat down and watched Buffy sleep.  
  
She could only be his wife in his most secret dreams. 


	8. Part 8

Warren paced angrily back and forth in the Geek Trio's lair an hour after he had pulled the revolver trigger on Giles. Andrew and Jonathan watched helplessly. It had never crossed their minds that Buffy would have left Giles. They had all been sure Buffy would have stayed by his side until the end, which with Gugsrak coming back, wouldn't have been very far off.  
  
"Well you can't blame yourself," Jonathan said slowly. "If it wasn't for that Spike then Buffy would have been here. Warren spun around to face Jonathan. "Don't you think I know that idiot? That still doesn't solve our problem. Gugsrak isn't going to like this."  
  
Andrew seemed to brighten. "Well he can just follow that train route to the stops and then find her." Warren reached over to the desk and threw a folded piece of paper to Andrew. Andrew opened it to see a map. A thick red line was drawn up the coast of California with many routes branching off it.  
  
"That route goes straight to Canada. It has 300 forks and crossings on the main line. Who knows how many go off the lesser tracks? It would take forever." Andrew set down the map, looking abashed.  
  
"We need a new plan, a fool-proof way to find Buffy," Warren said outloud. "How about a location spell?" Jonathan asked. "Tried it," Warren said. "Those witches have secured her quite nicely. She might as well be invisible."  
  
All of a sudden Warren stopped and smiled. "Brilliant," he snickered.  
  
****  
  
"He keeps calling Buffy's name in his sleep," Willow said as she quietly closed the door to Giles' hospital room. Four sets of eyes stared back at her. They were all mystified at what had happened.  
  
****  
  
Just as Willow had been getting ready to go to bed the phone rang. She had answered it to hear Spike's urgent voice. "Willow? Come quick. Someone's shot Giles!" Willow's heart had stopped. "What? Where are you?"  
  
"At the train station, hurry up!" Then the line had gone dead. Willow had quickly dialed 911, given the details and run from the house. She was at the train station five minutes later. No one could be seen except for Giles.  
  
H was laying down on the ground, crimson blood pooled around him. For all appearances he was dead. Buffy or Spike were no where to be seen, but this wasn't her concern for the moment. She rushed over to him. He was blinking. He was still alive! Minutes later the ambulance arrived.  
  
They pushed her away and quickly loaded Giles onto the ambulance. "Are you family?" They asked her. In a panic she had said yes and she was driving down the bare streets of Sunnydale at breakneck speed.  
  
****  
  
"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked, saying what was on everyone's mind. They had come to the hospital after Willow had called. The adults looked away from her.  
  
"She's safe isn't she? She has to be. Spike saved her." Willow looked at the young girl. Everyone there wanted to believe Spike had safely gotten Buffy onto that train, but no one could be sure. "I'm sure she's safe," Tara said softly to Dawn. What was the use in assuming the worst?  
  
Dawn tried to stifle a yawn. "We should get you home Dawn," Xander said. "No, I'm fine, I want to stay with Giles. He's going to be ok isn't he?" Willow nodded. "The doctors said that the bullet missed his important organs. He just lost a lot of blood. He's sleeping soundly now."  
  
"When can he come back?' Dawn asked. "I don' know yet Dawnie," Willow said gently. Dawn looked disappointed. "Come on Dawn, we'll take you home." Dawn resisted, saying she was fine but Xander won in the end. He and Anya hugged Willow and Tara then left the hospital to the Summers' house, where they would spend the night.  
  
"You don't have to stay with me," Willow said to Tara as they sat down in the waiting room chairs. "I want to," Tara said quietly as she reached for Willow's hand. "He's going to be alright Willow, don't worry," Tara said as she leaned over and softly kissed Willow's cheek.  
  
Willow tried to put on a smile. "I know, it's just..." her voice trailed off, she was thinking of the events that had taken place so close together. "I'm worried about everything Tara. Buffy probably thinks Giles is dead and there's no way for me to reassure her he's safe. I feel so helpless."  
  
Tara hugged Willow tighter. "It's going to be alright Willow, Spike will take care of Buffy." Willow shook her head, unconvinced. "What if he doesn't have her? What if she's someone's captive or worse---dead." Tara shushed Willow gently. "Don't think that way, when we're sure Gugsrak is gone we can get Buffy home on the next flight. For now we have to be confident she's taking care of herself."  
  
Willow sighed. "You're right Tara, there's no use in fretting over something I can't change. She's always taken care of herself before. I know she can do it this time."  
  
"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Plus, she most-likely has Spike there too." 


	9. Part 9

Buffy only enjoyed her sleep for a few minutes. She was awakened by a voice. "Your juice sir. I hope your wife will be alright." She wondered absently if someone else had come into the car before she tried to go back to sleep. She was jolted awake when a familiar British accent said, "Thanks mate."  
  
She bolted up into a sitting position. "Spike?" Spike looked at her, startled, holding a small carton of apple juice. "Did that man just say...what I think he said?" Spike looked around sheepishly for an escape. "Spike?" Buffy demanded, her voice still hoarse. Spike cleared his throat.  
  
"Yes he did," he said matter-of-factly. Buffy looked at him, bewildered. Spike figured he should explain before she tried to hit him again. "Well you see love, I thought he wouldn't be so suspicious if I said I was your husband and all, thought it'd look better if you know what I mean." Buffy shook her head. His logic did make sense. And despite all her inhibitions she couldn't ignore that tiny tickle in the bottom of her stomach when she thought of being Spike's wife.  
  
She tried to disregard this. It had been a very hard day. She settled back into her chair. "Uh, I uh, got you some juice. Or something. Thought it'd help your throat." Buffy looked at him and smiled. "Why Spike, I think you're blushing." Spike sat up straighter. "Yeah bloody right. Vampires do not blush." He thumped his chest. "Especially William the Bloody." Buffy laughed and it felt good. It helped her not think of Giles.  
  
"Whatever you say Spike, thank you." She reached over and patted his hand, then took the juice. Spike tried to brush aside the warm feelings he got from that simple gesture. If he was going to be with her practically nonstop all the time he was going to have to get over his control issues.  
  
Buffy opened the juice and took a drink. It felt good going down her raw throat. She took another drink and sputtered. Something was in her drink! She coughed as she pulled out a piece of paper. "What the heck?" She said as Spike looked over.  
  
She tentatively opened the folded paper. Her eyes widened. "Spike! It's a message from Willow!" Spike's eyes widened also. "Red sent you a juice telegram did she? What's it say?" Buffy read aloud: "'Buffy, Giles ok. Please be safe. Do not try to contact us. Message will dissolve in thirty seconds.' Sounds a little James Bond-y to me," Buffy said.  
  
To her surprise the small slip of paper, magically unharmed by the juice, dissolved in her hands, leaving nothing but air. She blinked. "Red's a regular super spy," Spike commented as he raised his eyebrows. "More like a witch," Buffy said. Suddenly the message's words hit her.  
  
Giles was ok. Giles was alive! "Oh my God Spike! Giles is alive!" She exclaimed gleefully. She laughed long and clear in her pleasure. "He's alive Spike!" In her exuberance she leaned over and kissed Spike on the cheek merrily.  
  
Spike reached up to touch the place her lips had fluttered moments before as Buffy began to ramble in her happiness. He doubted he would ever forget that moment as log he lived...or rather un-lived. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her fully on the mouth but he dared not.  
  
He was gracious that he had received such a kiss anyway. It was more than he had ever hoped. Perhaps there was some chance.  
  
Buffy meanwhile, was joyous. She was talking of all the things Giles had told and taught her. How she was so glad he was back. That now she could take her little "vacation" with her mind clear.  
  
She turned to Spike. "It's all going to be ok now Spike." He smiled at her as she beamed. Her color had returned and it even seemed her voice was losing its rawness.  
  
Their mirth was interrupted by a voice over the loudspeaker saying, "Stop 32, MacGeiver, California, fifteen minutes." Spike looked at the tickets again. "That's one of our stops."  
  
"One of them?" Buffy asked. Spike nodded as he handed her a ticket. "Giles is having us transfer a few times before we actually get to Roseland." Buffy understood. "You have to love the man," she said languidly. Spike chuckled and didn't reply.  
  
"But wait. Spike, it says here that we transfer in Fremont at four in the afternoon. It will be daylight..." She looked at him with concern. "You notice that too love?" Buffy shook her head. "What are we going to do? I suppose you could go on without me, you're safe now aren't you?" Spike didn't want to leave her side for all the promises in the world. But if he was going to hold her back from being safe then so be it.  
  
"No Spike. There's no way I'm leaving you. There's got to be someway. And we'll figure it out." Spike wasn't sure he had ever felt more love for the girl in front of him as he did now. She cared about him, and that mattered. If she was just concerned or felt responsible he didn't know. But it was care nonetheless.  
  
Yes, perhaps there was a chance. And if there was, then Spike was sure he was going to take it no matter what the risks. 


	10. Part 10

At MacGeiver they got off the train into a small town. Buffy went to the ATM and pulled out some money from Giles' account. He had told her long before that in emergencies she could use it. At the train stop she had asked how they were going to get money in Roseland for her clothes, groceries and that sort of thing. Giles had meekly explained Angel would send them a three hundred dollar check every week.  
  
This obviously hadn't made Buffy happy but she accepted it. It wasn't like her limited job skills could pay for the expenses nor could Giles find some trashy job. She had absently wondered where Angel had gotten the money. She brushed it off. He had Angel Investigations now. Who knows if he charged or not. And how much if so.  
  
Once she had one hundred dollars in her hands her and Spike found a small gift shop open. It was a surprise to see one open at 3 o'clock in the morning but they counted their blessings and bought some supplies. Well mainly Buffy bought things she needed. A new shirt, a toothbrush and a hairbrush. They bought Spike a clean shirt though he wasn't happy with the choices.  
  
There wasn't a blood bank anywhere near and Buffy knew of no way to get some blood for Spike. He assured her that he would be fine until they did find some. She accepted this and they sat down on a bench much like the one in Sunnydale to wait for the train. Fifteen minutes later it arrived and they filed on.  
  
In their car there was an elderly couple sleeping soundly and a man in a business suit reading. They took seats as far away as possible from these people and waited for the train to begin it's trip again.  
  
It soon did and they sat back in their seats. A steward came around and asked if they wanted anything as he took their tickets. They both declined. "Spike?" Buffy asked as she flipped through a magazine she had also picked up. "Yeah?" He asked. "What are we going to do at Fremont?" Spike sighed. He had thought about this until his head hurt but could find no solution. It would look a little odd if he went running through the crowd with a jacket over himself.  
  
"I have no idea love," he said dejectedly. She put down the magazine. "I think I have an idea." Spike turned to look at her. "What?" She quickly explained it. "No! No way! Forget it that's crazy." Spike said as he held up his hands. "Spike!" Buffy wailed. "It's the only thing I can think of!" Spike shook his head.  
  
"No," he said vehemently. Buffy pouted as she folded her arms over her breast. "Can you think of anything better?" She demanded. Spike reluctantly admitted he couldn't. "But that idea is cracked. They'll know something's up." Buffy turned to look at him. "No they won't, believe me."  
  
****  
  
Thirteen hours later Buffy got off the train followed by a stout man carrying her baggage. "Thanks so much," Buffy said happily. "I don't know why it's so heavy!" She giggled, trying to act like a frilly, spoiled girl.  
  
The man grunted as he dropped the bag. "No problem, might want to learn how to pack lighter," he said as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Sorry," Buffy said bashfully. The man smiled at her. "When the next train comes have someone help you out alright? I don't want you trying to lift that bag." Buffy agreed and said goodbye to the man.  
  
To the average passerby Buffy wold have looked like a girl searching the pockets of her luggage. "Are you alright Spike?" She whispered, trying not to be too obvious. "No I'm not all bloody right! This bag is too small! And you could have told that bloke not to just drop me on the ground."  
  
Buffy scowled. "Stop being such a baby and get over it," she said. "I'll tell you what I'm being a bloody baby over," he mumbled. "Don't see you cramped into a five and half foot bag." Buffy rolled her eyes and stood up.  
  
Thankfully they didn't have to wait too long before the train arrived. Buffy solicited a man to help her and they tugged the bag aboard. Buffy carefully watched where the man put the bag and went to go sit down. As soon as the train started Buffy rushed to get the bag. She checked to see if anyone was near and unzipped it. Spike popped out looking angry as a bull.  
  
Buffy had to laugh as Spike struggled to stretch his cramped limbs. "What the hell is so funny?" He inquired in a huff. Buffy tried to smother the giggles. "I'm sorry," she managed to say. Spike turned away from her and charged to a seat far from the windows.  
  
Buffy followed close behind. "See," she said after a couple of minutes. "What?" Spike inquired. "My idea was great." Spike scoffed. "Yeah, real bloody great, me folded into some stolen bag." Buffy bit her lip. "Well, it wasn't like he needed it as much as we did," she said. Spike shrugged his shoulders with an annoyed air, wondering what the poor young man did when he found his things neatly tucked into the compartment his bag used to be in.  
  
"Whatever you say pet." The attendant came at that moment and their conversation stopped. They quieted after he left and Buffy closed her eyes to get some rest. Spike looked over at her, done pretending to be angry.  
  
He smiled a little. Soon, they would be in Roseland. Safe from Gugsrak and away from everything Buffy had ever known. Perhaps this was the chance he had been waiting for. The perfect time to show Buffy how much he cared. Maybe she would accept his advances this time and return his feelings. Maybe. 


	11. Part 11

When Buffy woke up a few hours later, Spike had drifted to sleep beside her. She smiled, looking at him. In sleep, all the hard lines of his face were gone. He looked like a human man, sleeping soundly. The sardonic tilt of his head and sneaky twist of his lips was gone. She sighed.  
  
She studied his face and felt the urge to feel the lines of his face under her fingers. She reached out tentatively and softly touched his cheek. It was cold, as she knew it would be. That didn't repel her though. She wanted to kiss that cheek...then his lips...then...  
  
Oh my God what was she saying? She asked herself as she sat back in her seat as if electrocuted. She would not, could not *ever* kiss Spike. She turned away from him as if he could see what she was saying to herself, as if he could hear her thoughts.  
  
Spike was attractive, Spike cared about her, this was true, but he was evil. He was evil! She said silently again. Just because he had probably saved her and they were going to be together for an indefinable amount of time meant nothing. Nothing, she assured herself. Things had to stay the sane as they had always been. There was no way she was falling for another dead guy.  
  
Spike shifted in his seat and woke up. He looked over at Buffy, facing the window and stretched his arms above his head. "Nice sleep love?" He asked. Buffy blushed, thinking it must be so obvious what she had been thinking. She managed to nod.  
  
Spike reached over and pulled her around to face him. "You alright pet?" She averted her eyes. She mentally groaned. Could she be any more obvious?? She put on a smile. "Just a little scared. I mean...I'm leaving Sunnydale. What if they can't handle the hell mouth without me?" Spike patted her shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, they did it while you were...gone...the last time." He tried not to think about how it had been with Buffy dead. "Yeah but you were there to help them. I just..." She sighed and turned to face the window again.  
  
Spike gave her a sympathetic smile behind her back and sat back in his seat. "Don't worry alright? With Red and Tara, there they've got the upperhand. You know how powerful they are." Buffy sighed and didn't answer. She studied the dark landscape moving swiftly outside her window. She wondered where they were.  
  
She checked her watch. It was 6:30 in the evening. They were due in Roseland in an hour. She suddenly became nervous. What was she going to do? This neighborhood was highly secluded. It seemed so tight-knit. Everyone there seemed so happy. Would they accept her? Would she still be an outsider? How was she going to explain Spike?  
  
She began to worry even more. Without Giles there was no telling what was going to happen. His name was probably registered as the homeowner. What if they couldn't get in because neither of them was Giles?  
  
Spike watched Buffy out of the corner of his eyes. He saw the panic that crept into her eyes. He wondered what was wrong. "Buffy?" he asked and he saw her jump. "Yes?" She asked, still not looking at him. "What's the matter?" Buffy tried to shrug.  
  
"Nothing. Just thinking." Spike raised an eyebrow. "'Bout what?" Buffy sighed. What was the use of not telling him? "I'm scared Spike," she stated. This surprised Spike. "What? Why?" Buffy took in a breath and explained all her worries.  
  
Spike listened carefully as Buffy told him all about her fears, not fitting in, not even being allowed into the neighborhood, everything. He took in a breath. "Buffy, please don't worry about all that. No matter what happens I'm going to be there, you're going to be there, we're smart. We'll figure something out."  
  
Buffy thought about Spike's simple statement. He was right. He was completely right. Why was she worrying? Well because worrying was what a Slayer did, she answered herself. But now she didn't have to did she? She had to close her eyes as realization struck her.  
  
She wasn't going to have to be the Slayer while she was away. She took in a deep breath as she apprehended what this meant. No more ugly bruises and cuts. No more lying to everyone. No more staying up all night. My God, she was probably going to get a full night's sleep. The first she would have had in a great while.  
  
This was a vacation for her. She had to stop herself from the thoughts flying through her head. There were many good things about this arrangement, very true. Nevertheless, there were some bad ones too. Say she got soft while she was away? What if she came back and found out her skills were soft? She couldn't let that happen.  
  
No matter how secure Roseland was, she would not get soft. It didn't matter if she never needed her skills. She would keep up her routine, even if she never needed to fight. She was the Slayer no matter how long it took Gugsrak to lose interest in her. She would not slack off because necessity was no longer a factor.  
  
She looked at Spike and smiled. A real, happy, relieved smile. "Spike," she said, grinning, "I think this is going to be one helluva vacation." 


	12. Part 12

Buffy was surprised to see a man holding a sign that had her last name on it as she got off the train and 7:30 p.m. She walked over to him. "Are you here for Buffy Summers?" The man affirmed this and Buffy smiled.  
  
"Hi, that's me," she said, holding out her hand. The man shook it. "You can call me Carl," he said as he led her to a taxi. Buffy nodded as Spike gave Carl Giles' bag. "This is Sp---William. Will." She smiled widely at Spike as he made a face over his name. Carl grinned and nodded at Spike and Spike tried to smile back.  
  
"So you know where we're going?" Buffy asked as she and Spike got into the back seat. "Roseland right?" Carl asked, starting the cab. Buffy agreed and soon they were starting through the streets of the city. Carl chatted happily away as Buffy and Spike looked out the windows, every now and again saying something in response to Carl.  
  
An hour later they stopped in front of a large white gate. "This is where I part," Carl said, turning around. Buffy looked around sheepishly. "Oh I must have lost my money..." She said, pretending to check her pockets, wondering desperately how she was going to pay the fine. "Oh, it's already paid for. Sorry, thought you knew." Buffy mentally sighed in relief.  
  
"Oh, alright. Thank you." Carl smiled and got their bag from the trunk. He drove off with a small wave, leaving Buffy and Spike staring up at the big foreboding fence. Buffy gulped. "That's it Spike. That's Roseland." Spike looked around.  
  
Vines grew up the fence with tiny roses on them and the lawns around the gates were immaculate. They could see nothing over the fence and ahead of them they saw a call box. Spike thought it looked a bit stuffy and was about to say when Buffy gushed, "It looks beautiful. Peaceful."  
  
Spike readily agreed.  
  
Buffy started to walk up to the box when she stopped and looked at Spike. She noticed thankfully that his wounds had healed almost completely, as hers had. "Spike, we never thought of a story to explain who you are."  
  
Spike nodded. "Well," he started, then stopped. He was stumped. "You could be my brother." Spike made a face. "I don't want to be your brother. That's a bit creepy love." Buffy laughed. "How about my friend?" Spike raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah because I'm sure this place is full of nice twenty- something room mates." Buffy scowled.  
  
"Fine, then we have no story. We'll just see what happens." Before Spike could protest she pushed a red button. A female voice answered. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, I'm Buffy Summers..." She started. "Oh! Hello! We've been expecting you! Come right in!" The gate slid back silently. Buffy stepped back and stared at the driveway that led down a lane. She looked at Spike and they both shrugged.  
  
Spike hoisted the bag and they both set off into the private community of Roseland. 


	13. Part 13

The lane led to a house and Buffy looked around, confused. However a thin pretty women soon came out. "Hello! I'm Madison Blake, the community president, this is my husband Jeremy," she said as a tall middle-aged man came out behind her.  
  
Buffy smiled and reached over to shake her hand. Madison shook her hand, all the while smiling. "And you must be William!" She said, and shook Spike's hand. Spike shook her hand, surprised.  
  
Madison kept smiling. "Yes we're very sorry about your father, but I hope he made it to the wedding?" Buffy was puzzled. Wedding? All she could do was guess that somehow her friends had contacted Madison and explained about Buffy's "husband" William. She guessed that explained his companionship well enough though didn't it?  
  
She didn't know that when Giles had woken up in Sunnydale he had been confused, but extremely relieved that Buffy had gotten on the train. He was a little wary about Spike, but realized Buffy could handle herself.  
  
Willow had made a call to Madison Blake explaining that Buffy and William would be arriving at the appointed house in Roseland. Buffy had gotten married to William suddenly and instead of her and her father (Giles) coming to the house, she and William would live there instead.  
  
"Well, I bet you guys are really tired after your honeymoon!" Madison laughed. Buffy blushed and all Spike could do was smirk. "Let's show you to your house." Madison gestured to a car and they all got inside.  
  
As they drove through the streets Buffy was amazed at the size of Roseland. It was more than a gated community. It was like a gated city. They even drove through a "down town" area with a grocery store, a restaurant, dry- cleaners and other helpful shops.  
  
Fifteen minutes later they were pulling into the driveway of a nice well- sized house. Buffy got out of the car and looked up at the tidy white house with an spotless lawn and picket white fence. It was beautiful.  
  
Madison watched her reaction. "It's wonderful isn't it? The perfect place to start raising little ones!" Buffy had to stop herself from laughing. If Mrs. Blake only knew...  
  
Spike meanwhile, was shocked. This was the stuff his nightmares were made of. Perfect house, perfect lawn, perfect everything. He felt trapped. The only thing that stopped him from turning to flee was the fact he loved Buffy and would do anything for her. He sucked it up and followed the Blakes and Buffy into the house.  
  
Buffy felt close to tears as she saw what was to be her home. It was everything she had ever wanted and thought she could never have. The house was fully furnished, and Madison didn't fail to mention what a good idea it was to buy the house outright instead of making payments every month. Buffy wondered how rich Angel really was.  
  
When they went upstairs Madison pointed out there were three rooms, also perfect for babies. Madison seemed to like to talk about babies. As far as Mrs. Blake could tell Buffy and "William" were a darling couple. She wondered why they seemed so distant being just married, but gave it over to the fact that they were probably shy.  
  
"Well," Madison said once they were back downstairs. "I hope you like Roseland, everyone does, and I'll be seeing you later to see how you're doing. Tomorrow the neighbors will probably be coming around to see how you all are. Um, there's a community meeting the Hall on Tuesday so I hope I'll see you there!"  
  
Buffy and Spike thanked Madison and Jeremy as they left. The door closed and they were left in silence. Buffy looked at Spike and he at her. Buffy yawned.  
  
"It's been a really long day Spike, I'm going to bed." She started up the stairs and Spike followed her. She went into the master bedroom and turned around, looking at Spike with wonder as he followed her in.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" She asked. "To bed," Spike said, nodding at the large bed with feather pillows. Buffy laughed. "I don't think so. You're going into the other room."  
  
Spike shook his head. "What makes you think you get the master bedroom chit?" Buffy laughed. "Because I'm me. Now go." She pointed towards the door. Spike grinned evilly as a thought popped into his head.  
  
"But love, you know when newly weds move into a new house they're supposed to christen the rooms." He walked towards her predatorily. Buffy opened her mouth in a shocked O as she got what 'christening' meant. She backed away. "Don't you dare Spike! Go!"  
  
She laughed as Spike lunged for her. She dodged him and danced around to the other side of the bed. "Go away! I want to take a shower!" She laughed again as he jumped over the bed at her. "Shower needs to be christened too!" She squealed and ran out the door and down stairs, beginning a mad chase through the house.  
  
However, vampiric strength soon won over the Slayer, who, after all, still needed to breath to catch her breath. Spike reached out and finally tackled Buffy as she started back up the stairs. He turned her around.  
  
"I win," he said devilishly. Buffy struggled to catch her breath. "Don't you...dare. I...have to go to...bed." She laughed, her side hurting from the exercise. Spike chuckled as he brought his face close to hers.  
  
"Goodnight Buffy," he said softly. Buffy stiffened. He was going to kiss her. Oh God how she wanted him to...  
  
Spike kissed her forehead softly. Buffy quickly tucked away any emotions she had just felt to the back of her heart. She reminded herself again it was wrong.  
  
She smiled shyly and squirmed from beneath him, running up the stairs and closing the door to the master bedroom.  
  
Spike sighed. Living with her was going to kill him. He was sure of it. How was he supposed to sleep while she lay in the bedroom next to him? He wasn't even tired. He wouldn't be tired until dawn. He sighed again.  
  
As much as he wished he could have kissed Buffy then, he was glad he didn't. He didn't want to force anything. If Buffy wanted him, then she would come to him. This he was sure of. Until then, he would just have to wait. 


	14. Part 14

Buffy stretched in the bed as she woke up the next morning. The sun was filtering through the pale blue curtains and Buffy smiled. She couldn't accept her fate. Here she was, laying in a beautiful room, not worrying about anything. It was a new feeling and she didn't want to enjoy it too much, in case the bubble popped and she was left with just a dream.  
  
She lazily stood up and made her way out of the room. She looked across the hall at a closed door. She couldn't help the curiosity as she went over and opened the door slowly. The room was smaller, but still nice. The curtains were closed tightly along with a few blankets draped over the window, just in case.  
  
She could see Spike's form in the bed. Blankets kicked off, he lay in the middle of the bed sprawled out on his back, clothed in the same jeans he had worn the whole trip. She absently made a note that they would have to buy him some new clothes.  
  
Of course she wasn't really thinking of clothes right now. She was thinking of the bare-chested vampire that lay in the bed across from her. Such carved muscles, such pale smooth skin. He was beautiful. Like a statue. She sighed and shut the door.  
  
What was with her? Last night she had wanted Spike to kiss her, and now she was making comments about how incredibly sexy he was. She gave it over to the fact that so much was happening so quickly she was confused. Yes, confused was the right word.  
  
She made her way downstairs to see if there was any food. She found there was nothing. She moaned. She was really hungry. What was she going to do all day? Spike wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon.  
  
She crinkled her nose. She was going to be very lonely. She walked back upstairs and into the master bedroom. She wanted to explore. She opened the closet. Nothing. Wow she was going to have some work to do today. She changed back into her old clothes, brushing out her hair as best as she could.  
  
She found Giles' suitcase and opened it up. Inside were his clothes and toiletries, which she was happy for because she needed some toothpaste. She unzipped a pocket. There was an envelope inside. She opened it up carefully, sitting cross-legged on the floor.  
  
It was a letter and five hundred dollars.  
  
'Giles,  
  
I hope that all goes well for Buffy and you. She deserves this break as much as anyone I know. I will send money every month for food and whatever else you will need. I checked into it and I can have the money deposited straight to the Roseland Bank that way no contact need be made between us to keep Buffy's whereabouts a secret.  
  
As we discussed I'm already taking care of the bills. The money will be taken straight from my account. Please don't worry about me running out of money. I am perfectly capable of taking care of this. I owe this to you. And Buffy.  
  
I imagine you have already told Buffy about the arrangement. I hope she isn't mad. You should understand as well as I do why I couldn't see her. Once again I hope everything works out. If you should need me you know where to call.  
  
Angel'  
  
Buffy sighed as she set down the letter. She wondered what Angel would think if he knew she was here with Spike, not Giles. Spike. Something funny was happening inside her. When she read Angel's words, when she saw his strong script, it didn't hurt as much as it used to hurt every time someone mentioned him or she heard from him.  
  
Perhaps she was finally getting over him? God it had taken her long enough, and the ordeal still wasn't over. She knew that she would always love Angel, but it just wasn't like it used to be. Was it even safe to admit? Did she want to admit it? Was she really over Angel once and for all? 


	15. Part 15

Buffy tucked away the money and re-zipped Giles' suitcase. She went and lay down on the bed. She wished she had talked to Spike the night before. They needed a story. How were they able to live in this beautiful, but expensive, neighborhood? What was Spike's job? Why didn't anyone see him during the day?  
  
That was a problem. The whole "vampires are creatures of the night" thing was definitely going to need a good story. She went through every profession she could think of that had to do with jobs at night. But none of them was right.  
  
The people in the neighborhood would never see Spike leaving the house to go to his job. No, he needed a job that he could do at home and at night.  
  
Nothing came to mind. Suddenly Buffy thought of something. She laughed aloud. The profession was so outlandish she couldn't help it. However, it was the only thing she could think of and they did need a cover story.  
  
Spike was going to be an astronomer. She laughed again. Yes, he was paid a fair amount of money to study the stars. It seemed unlikely but these people couldn't disagree. What she needed was a telescope. He needed one if this was going to be pulled off.  
  
Before she could do anything, she heard the doorbell ring. She hurried downstairs to answer the door. A young woman a few years older than Buffy stood there with a dish. Buff's stomach growled.  
  
"Hi, I'm Katherine Lewis," she said smiling.  
  
"Oh, hello, I'm Buffy Summers. Please come in." Buffy stepped aside to let the woman pass. She made a note to tell Spike what his last name was. "Let me take that," Buff offered, reaching out for the plate.  
  
"Please," Katherine said, handing it to Buffy. "It's a spaghetti casserole, my specialty. I hope you like it," Katherine said with a smile, sitting on the couch.  
  
"Oh yes, thank you very much. Do you want something to drink? We have...water. Sorry we haven't had a chance to buy any food yet," Buffy said as she started towards the kitchen.  
  
"Oh no I'm fine. I'm your neighbor by the way. To the left," Katherine called after her.  
  
Buffy put the plate on the counter and went back into the living room. "Oh that's great. How long have you lived here?" Buffy asked as she sat down next to Katherine.  
  
"Tom and I have lived here about a year. It's wonderful. Tom's my husband by the way."  
  
Buffy smiled. "Do you have kids?"  
  
Katherine shook her head. "No not yet. Soon, just waiting for Tom's promotion."  
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"Is your husband home?" Katherine asked, looking around. "Madison said you were just wed."  
  
Buffy nodded in agreement. "Yes, he's sleeping. He works at night so I'm alone most of the day."  
  
"Oh really? What does he do? Hopefully something less confusing than Tom!" Katherine commented, laughing.  
  
Buffy chuckled. "Well he's an astronomer."  
  
Katherine's eyes widened. "That's so interesting. You're lucky at least he's home a lot."  
  
"Yes I suppose," Buffy said smiling.  
  
Katherine stood up. "Well I just had to come by and say hello but I have to be going. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. I'm having a dinner party this Saturday maybe you would be interested in attending? I'd love to meet William."  
  
Buffy stood also. "Yes that would be nice," she agreed.  
  
"Well then I'll see you later with an invitation. It's black tie just to let you know."  
  
Buffy saw Katherine to the door and said goodbye then went straight to the kitchen to get the casserole.  
  
She cut some of it for herself, put it on a plate (also already bought), and began to eat. She looked around and noticed a note she hadn't seen before on the fridge.  
  
She took it and read it. It had the phone number for their house as well as for some places in Roseland. It also had Madison Blake's number on it. She put it back on the refrigerator for later.  
  
She sighed, wondering when Spike was getting up. She finished the casserole. She looked around, wondering what to do.  
  
Buffy shrugged. As long as she had the time, she might as well get some shopping done. They were going to need food; well she was going to need food, plus some new clothes. And the telescope, most important. Yes, she had some work to do. 


	16. Part 16

It didn't take Buffy very long to figure out how to get to the small downtown area. It was only a few blocks away according to the map in the small directory she had found. Funny how she had felt it was longer when she was in the car with Madeline and Jeremy Blake. She cleaned herself up as best as she could and started to leave. She stopped.  
  
What if Spike woke up early? He'd be worried. She quickly scrawled a note explaining she was off shopping. As she started out the door, remembering to lock it, she wondered when she had started to care whether or not she worried Spike.  
  
Well they had to trust and respect each other now, she answered herself as she walked down the street, the brisk wind blowing back her hair. Yes they only had each other now.  
  
Buffy admired the houses on the way there. Each was different but the same. That one with blue trim. That house had lawn gnomes. And that one there still had its Halloween decorations up. She wondered if she and Spike would decorate for Christmas.  
  
A thought hit her. She was going to be with Spike for a long while. Sure she had known it before, but she had never fully digested it. God they really were going to be living like a married couple.  
  
Except for that one thing. The very important thing married couples do that Buffy was *not* going to do with Spike.  
  
The buildings of downtown Roseland came to view thankfully taking Buffy from her thoughts. "First things first, clothes." She couldn't help smiling. After all she was still a young woman, Slayer or not, and young women love to shop.  
  
She walked into a department store and the saleswoman smiled at her. Buffy smiled back and made her way to the back of the store.  
  
In an hour she had two pairs of jeans, six blouses, two skirts and a nice coat. She paid for these happily and went to the lingerie department. She had collected a standard white bra and some average pairs of panties when she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Oh Buffy! It's great to see you!" She turned to see Madison. She smiled as Madison made her way towards Buffy, a young girl tagging along with her, looking rather grumpy. "How are you dear?" She asked.  
  
"Oh I'm great...spending money, what I'm best at." She laughed as Madison did.  
  
"This is my daughter Kayla," she said as she motioned to the girl who looked to be six. "Say hello Kayla." The little girl scowled.  
  
"Hello," she mumbled.  
  
Buffy grinned. "Hello Kayla."  
  
"She's in a foul mood because I wouldn't buy her these pink shoes. Excuse her," Madison explained.  
  
Buffy smiled. "It's ok, my sister Dawn acts like that all the time." Her heart pinged when she thought of Dawn in Sunnydale without her.  
  
"You have a sister?" Madison asked as Buffy shifted the bag to her other arm.  
  
"Yes, I have a picture at the house," Buffy said, happy that she had had her wallet in her pocket the night at the station.  
  
Madison nodded as she looked around. "So? Doing some shopping hm?" She gazed at the racks. "A little something special for William?" Madison asked, winking.  
  
Buffy turned crimson and stuttered. "I...uh..."  
  
Madison laughed. "It's ok dear, I understand. But can I give you a suggestion?"  
  
Buffy managed to say sure.  
  
"Men really fall for his number." Madison reached over and picked up a black barely there bra trimmed in lace with matching panties and held it out to Buffy.  
  
Buffy thought she was going to die as she clumsily took the bra. "Uh...thank you," she succeeded in saying.  
  
"Is that all you're getting? Maybe you could come to a late lunch with us. Wouldn't that be fun Kayla?" Kayla kicked at the rug of the store. It was Madison's turn to scowl.  
  
"I'd love to, but I need to get home," Buffy said, breaking the tension. "Let me get some socks and pay for this." Silently she cursed her luck. With Madison there she had no time to replace the scandalous bra. She got some socks and then went to the register to pay. She was already down two hundred dollars, and Spike still needed some clothes plus she needed groceries.  
  
"Well maybe we can give you a ride home? You walked here I assume?" Madison offered.  
  
"I can walk, really. I have to drop off these bags then go to the store anyway," Buffy said as she came back with another bag.  
  
Madison was unconvinced. "Well how about this. I take your stuff home for you so you don't have to make two trips."  
  
Buffy had to admit that this woman never gave up. "Well, sure, thank you. Can you get in?"  
  
Madison nodded. "I have the master key for everyone."  
  
Buffy laughed. "Well that's reassuring."  
  
They both laughed as they made their way to Madison's car.  
  
Kayla got into the back seat and proceeded to sulk some more as Madison put Buffy's bags in the trunk.  
  
"I appreciate this," Buffy said.  
  
"Oh it's the least I can do," Madison said as she closed the trunk. "Is William home?"  
  
"Oh, yes, he is, he's sleeping though."  
  
Madison laughed. "Long night?" She asked, hinting at a lot.  
  
Buffy wondered how many times today she would blush.  
  
Madison patted her on the shoulder. "I'm just joking dear, I'll talk to you later alright?"  
  
Buffy smiled and said goodbye and watched Madison get into the car and drive off. She started down the street where she saw a sign for the grocery store. It was nice meeting new people. Haven knows she didn't meet many "normal" people in Sunnydale.  
  
It felt good. She sighed happily as she picked up a basket and started down the aisle in the grocery store. For just a second she wished it could last forever. 


	17. Part 17

By the time she got back to the house it was three thirty in the afternoon. Time had flown by. She opened the door with they key while balancing some bags on her hip. She pushed open the door and then closed it.  
  
"Buffy?" She heard from somewhere upstairs.  
  
"It's me," she called to Spike as she made her way to the kitchen, setting down her clothes bags and telescope she had found at a science store by the couch. She started to put away the food she had bought, which wasn't all that much.  
  
"Nice to see you home," she heard close behind her and she jumped. She turned around to see Spike, carefully leaning in the shadows and staying away from the beams of sunlight that came through the windows.  
  
"I was only gone a few hours," she said tartly, closing the cabinet door and facing him.  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"You're up early," she said as she leaned against the counter, noting the afternoon sun outside. Spike couldn't help noticing the way the sun from the window shone through her blonde hair and made it seem to glow. If only he could see her in the sun all the time.  
  
"Early? I went to sleep at four. Woke up at two. That's bleedin' ten hours. More than enough sleep. I'm used to going on five or six. 'Sides, I'm an early riser."  
  
"No need to get pissy," Buffy replied as she made her way past him. She stopped and turned.  
  
"By the way, I told our neighbor, Katherine something or another that my last name was Summers, so yours is too I guess," she told him.  
  
Spike made a face. "I'm supposed to be the male in this relationship," he mumbled.  
  
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "This 'relationship' is a ruse my dear, so get used to it." That stung. She could tell by the look in his eyes that it had come out wrong. "Look I'm sorry Spike, all I meant is that not everything has to be...classic alright? Remember that this is just an act to keep me safe."  
  
Spike nodded solemnly. "I know."  
  
Buffy smiled. "There's about 350 dollars left and I---"  
  
Spike interrupted her. "From what?"  
  
"Oh," Buffy said, remembering that Spike didn't know about the letter she'd found. "I found a letter from Angel to Giles with five hundred dollars in it. I went shopping, I shopped clearance too, thank you very much. Speaking of that, where did that woman put my clothes?"  
  
She looked around and spotted them by the door.  
  
"Oh that Blake woman? Came here making a bunch of noise, could've woken the dead. Actually, she did," Spike said with a grin.  
  
Buffy had to crack a smile. Spike made his way carefully into the living room. "What did you get?" He asked, reaching for the bags.  
  
Buffy suddenly remembered the black bra and panties and raced forward. "Nothing important, just clothes," she said quickly, pulling the bag behind her back.  
  
Spike gave her a weird look. "Ok then."  
  
"Oh, and, a telescope, " She said casually.  
  
"What? Why do you need a telescope?" He asked.  
  
Buffy grimaced as she told him. "Spike, I, um, told Katherine you were...an astronomer." She mumbled the last part quietly.  
  
"A what?!" Spike almost yelled.  
  
"An astronomer," Buffy said defensively. At Spike's shocked look she hurried into an explanation. "I couldn't think of anything else!" She said, throwing up her hands.  
  
Spike sputtered. "A bloody astronomer? What the hell kind of job is that? They'll think I'm a crack pot!"  
  
Buffy gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, I just, couldn't think of anything..."  
  
Spike gave an exasperated sigh. "Well it's too late to do anything now," he said begrudgingly.  
  
"I'm sorry," Buffy said cautiously.  
  
Spike shrugged. "That's really the least of my problems. Buffy I think you may have forgotten something."  
  
Buffy looked at him, trying to think. "I did?"  
  
Spike nodded. "Buffy, it's been almost four days since I've eaten."  
  
Buffy's eyes widened. "Oh my god," she whispered.  
  
Spike nodded again. "I've been thinking a lot and I can't think of any way I'm going to get blood either. Feeding obviously is out of the question not only because of the chip but because this neighborhood's so tight-knit. And I can't just go to the butcher and ask him for some pigs blood."  
  
Buffy saw their predicament. She sat down on the couch. "Oh! I've got it!" She said triumphantly.  
  
"What?" Spike asked.  
  
"It's simple. All you do is leave every other night or so and go pick up blood. Then you take it back here and wait another couple days. It's perfect."  
  
"And the story?" Spike asked. "What do I tell people I'm doing?"  
  
"We could tell them...tell them, that you're visiting your grandma," she finished lamely.  
  
Spike rolled his eyes. "I know, I'll bring the bloody telescope and tell them I need to find different positions of the stars or something to make notes."  
  
Buffy nodded. "That's good." She sighed. "I hate lying to these people," she said softly.  
  
"I know Buffy, but it's for your own good."  
  
Buffy nodded and stood. "I forgot to mention that you need some new clothes too, we'll have to go shopping again."  
  
Spike made a face. "Hate shoppin' for clothes. Most bloody annoying thing in the world. 'Specially when you can't just go in there and steal the loot."  
  
Buffy looked shocked. "No. You can't steal from Roseland!" She protested and Spike laughed.  
  
"Just a bit of a joke pet, don't mean to get us kicked out or arrested."  
  
Buffy took a breath, embarrassed she had overreacted.  
  
"Oh! That Katherine woman said she's having a dinner party tomorrow night. I really want to go. It's black tie Spike." She mentally chastised herself. She needed to remember to call him William.  
  
Spike sighed. Getting all poofed up was *not* his idea of fun. He looked at Buffy and groaned inwardly. There she was looking all gorgeous and hopeful. He couldn't just bash that. "Whatever you want love, suppose that means we'll be needin' something to wear."  
  
Buffy smiled. She wondered if the could buy Spike clothes and formal wear with 350 dollars. They'd have to. Besides, Spike didn't need *that* much. And with Giles' toiletries they could last another week until more money came. She realized she hated budgeting but sighed. It would just have to work.  
  
"Thank you Spike! William," she corrected herself. "As soon as it's dark we'll go shopping ok? You *have* to see this downtown area! It's incredible!"  
  
Spike listened as Buffy chattered away happily. If he wasn't already in love with her he knew he would have been now. She was so bloody beautiful when she was happy. "This is going to be great Sp---William. Can I call you Will? It's so much easier and all."  
  
Spike shrugged. "You can call me whatever you want love."  
  
Buffy smiled. "We can pull this off. I think it's going to be fun." 


	18. Part 18

Spike paced at the bottom of the stairs with an annoyed air. "Buffy! We're going to be late!" he yelled up the steps for the third time.  
  
"I'm almost ready!" Buffy's voice came to him.  
  
Spike sighed.  
  
The night before they had went back downtown to the department store where Spike had grudgingly picked out some clothes. At first he was fine with just black tee-shirts and black jeans, his usual attire, but Buffy would have none if it.  
  
"Spike! You can't go around wearing your usual 'I'm a big mean vampire grrr' clothes!" She whined. "You're supposed to be a human man, married to me!" She pointed out. "That means you need regular clothing a woman's husband is supposed to wear!"  
  
Spike complained about not wanting to look like a "nancy boy" and so Buffy let him pick out his own clothes, checking over everything to make sure it wasn't that dark and "evil". His shopping was done in a half hour.  
  
They had headed to a nearby boutique with the remaining 250 dollars to buy their formal wear. Spike had ended up renting a nice suit, which was 100 dollars. Buffy made him go wait outside while she picked her dress.  
  
Spike never saw it.  
  
He was about to yell up the stairs again when she said she was ready. Spike thanked his lucky stars and stood at the bottom of the stairs to wait for her. He looked up as she started down and had to take in a breath.  
  
The dress was black, a simple enough color, but the rest was just beautiful. The chiffon dress came to a high empire waist, the straps fell to her upper arm leaving her shoulders and neck bare. Tiny sparkles were sewn into the material so that when she moved they shimmered in the light. She had her hair piled on top of her head, curled tendrils falling gracefully to frame her face.  
  
She seemed to glow. Spike stepped forward to take her arm as she came to the last stair. "You look beautiful," he said softly as he looked at her.  
  
Buffy blushed. The way he said it was different from anyone else. "Thank you," she replied as they started for the door. "You look very handsome too." And he did. All done up and gentleman looking.  
  
Buffy opened the door and started out but Spike stopped her. "There's one more thing I forgot love," Spike said.  
  
She looked at him as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a jewelry box. "Will..." She said, finally getting used to the name. He shushed her as he opened the box. It was a thin gold chain with a dark blue, almost black, sapphire about the size of a pinky nail on it. He moved to clasp it around her neck.  
  
"Spike what's this?" She asked, stopping him.  
  
"I was gonna give it to you the night you left, had it in my pocket all along. Almost forgot about it," he said shyly.  
  
She smiled. "It's beautiful Spike..." She said as he finished putting it on. It hung right above her exposed bosom.  
  
"Was my mum's," Spike explained as he turned away as if it was nothing.  
  
She reached over and turned him around by the shoulder. "It means a lot William," she said.  
  
He had gotten used to hearing his mortal name from her. He kind of liked being called William again. It made him feel civil. In fact he didn't even think of his former days as a nancy boy coward when he held that name. She made it sound different than that.  
  
"One more thing," Spike said as an afterthought.  
  
Buffy looked at him.  
  
"It's about everyone thinking we're married. They're going to think we hate each other or don't want to be married, the way we're acting."  
  
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I mean the fact me and you never come closer than one foot to each other."  
  
Buffy opened her mouth in a small oh.  
  
"So there's an agreement then? I won't try anything ungentlemanly, and we'll maybe link arms or something?"  
  
Buffy smiled. "Of course." She held out her arm.  
  
Spike took it and they started to Katherine and Tom Lewis's house. 


	19. Part 19

As they stepped through the door they were pleasantly surprised by the crowd. They saw Madison and Jeremy and Buffy noticed Katherine and who she guessed was Tom, the pudgy man next to her with his arm around her waist.  
  
Katherine saw her and smiled widely, excusing herself from the group she was with. She and Tom made their way over. "Buffy! I'm so glad you made it! This must be William!" Katherine gushed.  
  
Spike did his best to smile and ignore the annoyance the suit was presenting. She reached out to shake his hand and he instinctively took it.  
  
"My! It must be cold outside!" She commented as Spike pulled back his hands.  
  
He felt like slapping himself. Of course, vampire, cold, dead! He managed a chuckle.  
  
"Oh Will is always freezing! I swear it's a disease!" Buffy quickly covered for her escort.  
  
They all laughed. "This is Tom, and I'm Katherine, William, in case you didn't catch on."  
  
Spike smiled. It was a fake smile. He hated this, hated this, hated this... But Buffy loved it, and he loved her, so he was going to get through this.  
  
They made their way further into the house. "You look absolutely gorgeous Buffy!" Katherine said. "That dress is to die for!"  
  
Spike did agree with that.  
  
"Well, I wasn't sure about the color, I didn't know if I should choose something brighter," Buffy said modestly.  
  
"Oh no! It's beautiful, really," Katherine assured her.  
  
Katherine began introducing Buffy and Spike to the 20 or so guests at the party. Names flew by Buffy and Spike as they said hello and exchanged greetings.  
  
The man in the blue was Harry? Or was he Jake? And that woman in the green was Daisy right? Or maybe... It was so much to handle but Buffy managed.  
  
Spike didn't even attempt to try and remember all the names. He was so confused it was like a whirlwind of happy, married, successful people. He felt so out of place. Who was he compared to these people? He was a vampire, the living dead, he had nothing. Well unless you counted a bloody crypt. He couldn't even afford to whisk Buffy away.  
  
No, instead he was living, for lack of a better word, off of his vampire grand-dad's money. He was a mooch, a loser, a freak. What was he doing here?  
  
Buffy, beautiful Buffy, was standing next to him, allowing his arm to wrap around her waist. Smiling and laughing with these people. God she was made for this life. She was so happy. And he was going to ruin it for her. He was going to screw it up and she was going to be sad.  
  
'Tough it up ol' boy,' Spike told himself. 'For Buffy. For Buffy,' he chanted.  
  
Dinner was wonderful. Buffy loved the fish and the special rice blend. Spike moved food around on his plate and pretended to be full from eating earlier. Buffy was engaged in conversation the whole time. Spike sat quietly listening and keeping a faint smile on his face. 'For Buffy.'  
  
After dinner everyone sat in the parlor drinking after-dinner wine and chatting as the evening wore down. Jazz played in the background. People floated out slowly.  
  
Buffy and Spike were one of the last couples to leave. Buffy thanked Katherine profusely, insisting it had been wonderful and yes, she would come again soon to visit Katherine, now familiarly called Kathy.  
  
Buffy and Spike started towards the door slowly, Buffy was almost dreaming as she floated along happily, holding Spike's hand.  
  
"Have fun love?" Spike asked as they walked back to their house.  
  
"More than I want to believe," Buffy said as they walked up the pathway to the door.  
  
"I'm glad," Spike said with all his heart.  
  
"You didn't, did you?" Buffy asked, standing next to the door.  
  
Spike was surprised. "I had...fun," he lied.  
  
Buffy chuckled. "It's ok Will, I know you and I know that it wasn't a barrel of laughs for you. It's not your thing." She shrugged and opened the door.  
  
"I can make it my thing," Spike said as he followed her in and closed the door.  
  
Buffy took off the heels she was wearing, exposing slender yet strong calves as he dress moved up her legs. "I don't want you to change who you are for me Spike."  
  
"I want to, Buffy, I want to!" Spike said vehemently.  
  
Buffy looked at him in the dark, none of the lights were on and the only illumination came from the moon filtering through the windows. "You would go through that every day for me?" She asked cautiously.  
  
"Yes, every hour!" Spike said passionately.  
  
Buffy was amazed. "But... you hated it... you were miserable."  
  
Spike waved a hand in the air to brush it off. "So what? I was with you, I had you on my arm, every man there was jealous of me. I'd do that dinner party over and over if it meant that I could have a claim on you, even a pretend one."  
  
Buffy was dazed. That Spike was willing to give up his identity, that tough, bad-ass vampire she had grown to know, was bewildering. How could he give up so much... for her?  
  
She looked up into his eyes. He stood there with his hands in the suit pocket, looking embarrassed. She slowly reached out and laid her hand on his cheek softly. She guided his face down to hers and kissed him.  
  
It was a short kiss, a simple kiss. But it was a kiss. A kiss you don't give your friend. It was all Spike had ever wanted. For Buffy to kiss him willingly, lovingly almost. Whoa there Spike, don't get too far. Love was probably the furthest thing from Buffy's mind.  
  
"Thank you Spike," she whispered quietly into his ear, and started up the stairs to her room. 


	20. Part 20

-Two Months Later-  
  
"Careful!" Buffy called up to Spike as the ladder teetered.  
  
"I'm being careful!" Spike said back to her. He reached up and cautiously placed the gold star in his hands on top of the decorated Christmas tree. He heard Buffy make a noise of happiness. He came back down just as attentively as he had climbed up, standing next to Buffy as they looked at their work.  
  
"It's beautiful," she said with a loopy grin.  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow, studying the 8 foot tree which stood in front of the dusk-darkened window. He didn't know if 'beautiful' was quite the right adjective for the piece of work. Colorful rainbow bulbs were spread across the branches, followed by candy canes and plastic icicles. A rope of multi- colored mini Christmas lights was strung throughout the boughs followed by a popcorn garland. Buffy had insisted on the plastic figures of snowmen, gingerbread, and Santa Claus's which hung gaudily from the tree, smiling blankly at him. The whole tree was then covered in shiny, silver strips of cellophane meant to be ice cycles.  
  
"Yeah, we uh, did a pretty nice job," he replied as Buffy beamed.  
  
"The star's crooked," she said suddenly after a pause.  
  
"What?" Spike asked, staring at it, cocking his head to one side.  
  
"It's crooked, it leans to the left," she pointed out, staring at him.  
  
"It is not," he argued. "How can you tell with all the lights off anyway?" He asked, pointing out the fact the only illumination in the room came from the Christmas lights. No way was he climbing back up that latter, he was lucky he hadn't fallen the first time, a second was tempting the Fates.  
  
"Because I can. Spike! We can't have a crooked star! Please, please, please, can you fix it?" Buffy pleaded with her most pathetic look.  
  
"Bloody hell," Spike cursed as he started up the ladder again. "Break my neck 'cause the bleedin' star hangs a bit to the left. All I need is to be paralyzed again," he muttered as he reached up and moved the star.  
  
Buffy watched him with a smile on her face. He wasn't really angry, she knew that, he just liked to argue. He would have done it without her pathetic look. The smile slowly melted off Buffy's face as she studied Spike from the ground. He would have done it even without the pathetic look, she repeated in her head. He was willing to do anything for her, not just fix a stupid Christmas star, but anything. Wasn't he here right now, keeping her company?  
  
"Is that fine?" Spike asked from the ladder.  
  
"Perfect..." She said back quietly, not even looking.  
  
Spike climbed down again and brushed his hands off on his jeans, staring at her. She looked ill. "You all right love? I didn't mean that stuff..." He assured her, thinking perhaps he had made her feel bad.  
  
"I---" She meant to say I'm fine, everything's fine, but the words that spilled from her mouth were completely different. "I love you."  
  
Spike took a step back. "Come again pet? What did you say?" The smell of pine must be going to his head, Spike told himself.  
  
"I love you," she repeated, louder, meeting his eyes. She didn't blink, or smile, or cry, or do anything to signal she was joking or going insane. She looked completely normal, as if this was something she said everyday.  
  
Spike couldn't answer, his world was spinning. Buffy had just said she loved him. Buffy, unreachable, goddess Buffy, had confessed her love. Spike barely restrained himself from slapping his face. This wasn't a dream, it was real, actually, truly, incredibly real.  
  
"I love you too Buffy," he replied finally, his voice catching.  
  
"I'm sorry," Buffy said, her own voice hitching. She threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"Sorry for what?" Spike asked as his arms automatically enclosed her waist.  
  
"For not telling you sooner," she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his neck. "For being so stubborn and telling myself what I felt was only gratefulness and friendship."  
  
Spike had nothing to say, he hugged her tighter.  
  
"It's true, it really is, I love you." Spike felt a warm tear on his cold skin.  
  
"Buffy, love, don't cry, I'm not blaming you for anything. Don't dwell on it. Only thing that matters is that you told me now, and that's it." He lifted her chin and stared into the hazel depths, cloudy with tears. "Everything's ok now."  
  
She stared at him, and the love she was feeling so deeply turned to something else, darker, but just as deep as love. Lust. Passion. Want. Need. The emotions unfurled inside her as rapidly as her realization she loved him, completely and fully, no matter if he was Spike the Vampire or William her Husband.  
  
And the words tumbled from her lips in a low murmur that only he could hear, "Make love to me." 


	21. Part 21

---This Chapter Rated R---  
  
He wasn't going to bother with rules like carrying her up the stairs and going into her room to make love on her bed. No time for that. Any second she could decide that it wasn't the best idea. Instead he crushed his lips down upon hers, months of unspent passion coming down on her. She returned the kisses with surprising force, and it was her tongue that first reached his.  
  
This was nothing like her kiss in the dark by the stairs the night of the Lewis' party. That was soft, full of gratitude and gentleness. This kiss meant just as much, but the presentation was packaged radically different.  
  
He lowered her gently to the floor, which was littered with dropped strips of the cellophane ice cycles. She broke the kiss, gasping for breath. Spike's mouth, however, found another focus point. And then another. His mouth traveled from her throbbing jugular, down to the hole in her breastbone, and to the top of her buttoned up shirt.  
  
She reached down to unbutton her shirt carefully, each button seemingly taking an eternity to unfasten. Spike could feel her pulse racing and knew, had he possessed one, his would be also. In what seemed like too much time the blouse was completely unbuttoned and he tossed it aside, kissing the tops of her breasts which were exposed over the green fabric of her bra.  
  
He skipped over the bra and continued to kiss a path down her stomach, stopping to nibble at her belly button while his hands unbuckled her jeans.  
  
Sensations were coursing through Buffy's body which she hadn't felt in forever, if ever. There had been no time with Angel, and Riley, well, he was only human, and could never have matched Spike, with a hundred years experience.  
  
Her skin was a rainbow of colors, the light from the tree spilled over her features, turning her appealing shades of blue, red and green. He slid the jeans from her legs and kissed down her legs, stopping to lick the backs of her knees and arches of her small feet.  
  
She sighed and pulled him up to meet her mouth again. She tugged anxiously at the red tee-shirt he was wearing as she kissed his bottom lip. He complied and pulled it over his head. She breathed out in pleasure when his cool skin met her own burning flesh. She moved her head to kiss his own throat, causing him to swallow several times in suppressed delight.  
  
He kicked off his house shoes and unbuckled his jeans, drawing them off with her help. She laughed as she separated herself from his neck and he stared down at her in question. "Wearing underwear was never a habit I could convince you of," she whispered shyly with a grin.  
  
He smiled back deviously and kissed her again. She leaned up so he could unbuckle the clasp on her bra, tossing it to join the rest of her discarded clothing. He buried his face in her breasts, covering every inch with soft kisses and teasing bites.  
  
When she could take no more teasing she strained to remove her panties and he happily assisted her. He knelt at her feet to place strategic kisses on her inner thighs. She moaned and tilted her hips towards him.  
  
"Buffy," came his hoarse whisper.  
  
"Hmm?" She asked in a delighted haze.  
  
"I want to bite you," he said in a low voice. It shocked her, and she shied away from him, looking hesitant. "It won't hurt as much as you think pet, I promise," he said in the same lowered inflection. She had faith in him. She nodded slowly, with the trust shining in her eyes.  
  
Spike lowered his head, finding the softest spot on her inner thigh, and carefully sunk his fangs into the tender place. She cried out with a few moments pain, and then felt the consuming sensuality take over. With a moan she tilted her hips closer to his mouth, which drew the thick blood slowly and carefully.  
  
He tore himself away from the potent liquid and she mewed in soft protest. "No more games," he said in a gruff whisper. He stretched himself over her body and kissed her softly and quickly on the lips, and buried himself inside her.  
  
With skill he didn't know she possessed she met his thrusts with fervent motions, as the tension built up inside them both. It could have been minutes or hours it lasted, neither knew nor cared.  
  
With a loud cry, the spring that had been steadily tightening inside her recoiled and she reached her climax, waves of almost painful gratification coursing through her. He felt the shudder through her body and followed her into the depths of enjoyment, collapsing atop her with a satisfied moan.  
  
When her ragged breaths steadied, he rolled from her and laid next to her in the soft carpet, an arm draped over waist. Both were silent. He heard a low giggle from her and opened his eyes to see an amused smile playing across Buffy's lips.  
  
"What're you laughing for? That's not something a bloke wants to hear after a performance," he said with mock indignation.  
  
She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on an elbow, the smile still planted on her flushed face. "I was thinking of what to say after something like this and I could only think of the clichÃ©."  
  
He cocked an eyebrow in question.  
  
"I love you."  
  
He smiled and kissed her lips delicately, the smile melting into his mouth. 


	22. Part 22

Buffy awoke from her sleep mid-morning, still under the tree, a light blanket from the couch draped over her and Spike. His arm was draped possessively over her middle, her back to his front. She sighed contently, looking up at the tree and thinking of the night before.  
  
It had all happened so quickly, she realized it probably seemed sudden to Spike, her declaration of love. And in a way, it had been sudden. She hadn't meant to say it, but the realization had hit her and the words had spilled out. However, in retrospect, she remembered the subtle moments in the two months that had led to that moment.  
  
Spike had gone out of his way to conform to the neighborhood. He had dressed accordingly, and spent time with the other husbands. He went to Friday poker nights, although he had confessed to Buffy he hated the game when it was played with money, instead of kittens.  
  
He hadn't gotten smashed off liquor like he used to. In fact, he never touched any alcohol but the wine served at the various dinner parties. He was in a perpetual sober state despite his admitted longing for some good scotch.  
  
He had laid off cursing and using his favorite slang terms. He spoke like a cultured British gentleman instead of a street toughed London brat. He made jokes with the friends Buffy has made as well as laughed at their jokes. He had made friends reluctantly with some of the men.  
  
The ways he had changed to fit their new lifestyle were numerous. And he never threw it back in Buffy's face. Never had he grumbled about all the changes he was making. He had done it all without her asking, and without complaint.  
  
But it wasn't just Spike's willingness to alter himself which had made Buffy fall in love with him. There were even deeper things.  
  
Spike had never hid his dislike for Angel. Never had he hesitated to insult his grandsire and point out his faults. And so, when Angel had showed up at their doorstep mid-November, Buffy was as surprised to see Spike's complacence as Angel being there.  
  
They had all taken seats in the living room. The tension was thick though Spike had said nothing.  
  
"Could I talk to Buffy alone?" Angel had asked quietly.  
  
Spike had nodded tersely and left, retreating upstairs.  
  
Buffy stared at Angel, still shocked he was sitting there.  
  
"Why are you here?" She finally asked.  
  
"I wanted to see you, I had to see you, to make sure you were ok," Angel replied quietly.  
  
"Is it safe?"  
  
He had smiled at that. "I'm pretty sure. Wesley cooked up some charm to shield my journey, and I switched trains about seven times."  
  
She nodded. There was an awkward silence.  
  
"Buffy, I'm sorry to show up like this, it's just, I had to make sure things were going alright. You know, with Spike and living here."  
  
"Things are fine, great actually, you have no idea what a relief it is to be here not worrying about patrolling or what the next Big Bad will be."  
  
He swallowed. "And Spike? Is he..." Angel looked away. "Behaving himself?"  
  
Buffy didn't understand at first, but then realization took her and she answered with indignation. "Of course he is. Spike's been wonderful, he's been a perfect gentleman the whole time. I can't believe you'd think..." She didn't finish.  
  
He seemed to blush, if that were possible. "I didn't know, the Spike I know would take advantage of this situation---"  
  
"Well he's changed. He's not the Spike you knew, Angel," she had said defensively, her voice raising.  
  
"I didn't mean to make you mad Buffy, I just wanted to---"  
  
"Just wanted to make sure poor little Buffy isn't being overtaken by Big Bad Spike? Well guess what? I'm a big girl, and I trust Spike, and if you can't, well then, I don't know if I can speak to you Angel. He's my friend." She couldn't believe she said that. Basically she had told Angel, her long lost love Angel, that if he didn't trust Spike he could get out.  
  
Angel had looked disheartened and ashamed. "I'm sorry, I am, don't be angry, I didn't know."  
  
She had stared at him with an icy glare. "Well you do now." Was this really her? Being so cold to Angel?  
  
"I should go now, I'm sorry I came and disturbed you," Angel replied curtly, standing and trying to regain his dignity. "Sorry I cared."  
  
Buffy swallowed but could say nothing. *Say something!* she yelled at herself. *Do something! Apologize!* But she could not. She watched as Angle gave her a sad look and walked out the door.  
  
As soon as he was gone she burst into tears. Spike heard her and came down the stairs. But still, he had kept his comments to himself, when he was dying to call Angel a barrel full of bad names for making her cry. Instead he just took her in his arms.  
  
"He hates me now!" She had choked out.  
  
"No he doesn't pet, don't cry. It's a hard time for everyone, we're all tense."  
  
Tears.  
  
"Shhh, things'll be alright once we get back. Then you two can make up and everything will be perfect," Spike assured, his stomach churning at the thought.  
  
"But he said he didn't trust you!" She said in a wail, as if it were the most horrible thing ever. This had silenced Spike. So what? Angel had never trusted Spike. What was the difference now? Spike didn't asked.  
  
She had cried for an hour, and he had held her, until she had finally passed out from the fatigue of bawling. He had carried her to her room and laid her on the bed, kissing her forehead softly. When she awoke the next day she had said nothing about Angel. It was as if the whole event had never happened.  
  
But now, as she lay in Spike arms after a night of passionate love making, she realized that Spike accepting Angel as a part of Buffy's life was a crucial step in falling in love with him. Spike holding back his own revulsion of Angel for her sake had cleared a lot up for her. In fact, it was the main thing.  
  
But there were other small things. Like Spike's surprise on Thanksgiving. She had returned from some a day of shopping downtown and gone into the dining room only to gasp in astonishment. The table was set for two, deep autumn colors for the tablecloth and place settings, beautiful silverware and dinnerware, steaming bowls of food on the table. She set down her bags as Spike stepped into the room carrying a bronze, perfectly roasted turkey.  
  
"What is this?" She asked in amazement.  
  
"It's Thanksgiving," he had replied with a smile, taking off the cheesy apron he was wearing and tossing it into the kitchen. He rushed forward to take out her seat. She sat.  
  
"Yes, but, all this? You made it?" She looked at the mashed potatoes and gravy, the cornbread stuffing, the green bean bake.  
  
"Yes, I did," Spike said with obvious pride, taking his own seat.  
  
"I didn't know you could cook," she said.  
  
"I didn't, but I spent the last half a month getting lessons with Madison while you thought I was watching football with the guys."  
  
This touched her deeply. "Oh Spike," she said, tearing up.  
  
"Now don't start crying Buffy, let's eat first, then you can cry." He started to carve the turkey.  
  
She had dabbed at her eyes briefly with the napkin, then started to ladle the side dishes onto her plate. The fact that Spike had gone to so much trouble, when he couldn't even eat, was marvelous. It was so thoughtful and kind.  
  
The meal went by pleasantly slow. He had sipped wine the whole meal, not even having more than two glasses as she ate her fill, stopping repeatedly to tell Spike it was delicious. After, they had cleared the table and done the wash together, laughing and joking as if they did it everyday.  
  
She had gone to sleep with thoughts of what a extraordinary person Spike could be.  
  
And little things since then has affirmed the statement of love she had given last night. She had never realized she was falling in love with him until she had said it. Then it had all clicked. Everything small detail of their life together in Roseland had fell together to form a beautiful picture of her love for him.  
  
She found herself hoping beyond hope that Gugsrak would tire so quickly, and that she could spend more time with Spike here. She actually dreaded returning to Sunnydale as much as she was anxious to see her friends. Sunnydale would present some major difficulties to her new found relationship with Spike.  
  
But she didn't want to think of that now. No, now she was going to go back to sleep and be content that she was with Spike for the present. And so she drifted back into a peaceful slumber. 


	23. Part 23

"Can we please go over this one more time?" Andrew pleaded from his place near the edge of the table. He looked worried but mostly confused.  
  
Warren sighed and turned to give him a condescending glance. "Hold on one more second you idiot, Jonathan's almost done." The two looked to the short figure of Jonathan, who was bent over a poster board holding what looked to be a glowing tree branch. He was muttering under his breath. A few seconds later he the branch stopped glowing and he stood straight, looking to his companions.  
  
"Done," he stated cheerfully.  
  
"Now can you go over the plan again?" Andrew asked.  
  
Warren sighed and sat down in a swivel chair. "Fine, fine, what do you need cleared up?"  
  
Andrew and Jonathan exchanged glances. "The whole thing?" They both said at the same time.  
  
Warren looked offended. "I've spent two months perfecting this plan and you both have no clue what's going on?!" The two young men weakly shook their heads. Warren grumbled a few things but resolved himself to the fact he was working with people slower than himself, and they couldn't be blamed for their lack of superior intellect.  
  
"Remember when I said Buffy was practically invisible?" Nods. "Well, it got me thinking, no one is really invisible, and that somewhere out there, someone had to have seen Buffy and her pet Spike." Jonathan and Andrew smiled, they understood that.  
  
"So, I started contemplating how we could harness that information. The witches have veiled their minds as well as the minds of everyone else close to them very thoroughly. So using the information they have is impossible. But, strong as Willow and her girlfriend are---" He had to stop and throw a contemptuous look at Jonathan and Andrew, who were holding back giggles at the mention of the lesbians.  
  
"AS STRONG AS THEY ARE," he continued loudly, "they can't block the whole world's minds from us." Jonathan and Andrew nodded slowly, starting to pick up what their "leader" was saying.  
  
"Anyway, so I thought to myself, how can I use this? And it came to me. A word alert charm just might do it."  
  
"Word alert?" Andrew echoed.  
  
"Yes, meaning, if someone out there says specific words together, we get an alert. The question was, what words should we use?" He smiled with satisfaction at his brilliance. "It needed to be specific. And then I thought, it doesn't have to be one word, it can be a few. So that's how I came up with 'Buffy' and 'vampire'. Now don't get me wrong, I could have used more words, but the more words you choose, the more specific it gets, and the less chance of someone saying the words together."  
  
"Why couldn't you use Slayer and Spike?" Jonathan interrupted.  
  
Warren looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Spike can be anything, a dog, a railroad spike, spike the punch, whatever, and Slayer, well, isn't that a band? Plus there's tons of Watchers out there with Slayers in Waiting or whatever the hell you call them."  
  
"Oh okay I get it," Jonathan said.  
  
"Good, now you see, if someone out there says Buffy and vampire in the same sentence that map there," he gestured to the poster board Jonathan had been standing over, "will light up in the place where the words were said."  
  
"What if her friends say the words?" Andrew asked.  
  
"Well the light will show in Sunnydale and we'll know it's not what we're looking for. It's all about narrowing our choices down. Same if those imbeciles in Los Angeles say it."  
  
Andrew and Jonathan nodded enthusiastically, finally getting the whole plan. "It's about time too," Andrew said, "Gugsrak is getting restless." The Trio looked to the other side of the room, where Gugsrak was tearing up the couch.  
  
"Yep, he's bound to us until his attention wears thin, then he goes. Until then, he's stuck with us waiting for us to tell him what to do," Warren said.  
  
"When do you think he's going to get bored?" Jonathan questioned fearfully.  
  
"Who knows? Hopefully that map gets to lighting so we can send him off to do his duty," Warren replied.  
  
"Hey this kind of reminds me of Lord of the Rings, you know, how Sauron is constantly looking for The Ring, and he sends out his Wraiths to do his bidding. We're like Sauron, and Buffy is The Ring, and Gugsrak is like a Wraith," Andrew said gleefully.  
  
"Yeah!" Jonathan exclaimed. "And you know how The Ring is really strong? And Buffy is like the Slayer!"  
  
"Plus The Ring makes you invisible and Buffy is like invisible!" Andrew added.  
  
"If anything you'd be a hobbit Jonathan, look how short you are," Warren said with a wicked gleam in his eye.  
  
"Well, hobbits happen to be the bravest of all Middle Earth so that leaves you in the dust!" Jonathan shot back.  
  
"Don't you go spouting off again, I don't care what you say, hobbits are by no means the bravest creatures in Middle Earth. That's just some stupid lie, everyone knows Gollum was," Warren argued back.  
  
"Hey guys," Andrew said. He was ignored.  
  
"Yeah and what was Gollum but a distant ancestor of the hobbits!" Jonathan shot back.  
  
"Guys!"  
  
"Oh that doesn't count because he was strong after he was no longer hobbit- like, he became a species unto himself!" Warren yelled back.  
  
"GUYS! THE MAP!" Andrew shouted and both opponents turned to stare at him. He pointed to the poster board, where a bright blue light was shining on it. The other two ran over to it.  
  
"What does it say?" Jonathan asked as Warren bent over to read the name of the city.  
  
"It says..." There was a suspenseful pause. "Roseland." 


End file.
