Part II

“And you’ll take Spike with you?” suggested Giles, with a pretence at casualness.

“Hang on a minute!” argued an indignant Buffy, her head shooting up at these words. “Didn’t I have to do that yesterday?”

“And it went very well. So he should go with you again,” said Giles in a tone of reasonable argument.

“It did – not!” Buffy collected herself. “He was annoying and distracting and….and annoying. And I’m the vampire slayer, not the vampire babysitter!”

“Doesn’t come under my job title either, you know!” Giles pointed out.

“But you’re a Watcher,” countered Buffy. “So technically, you could be watching Spike and ……well, it could be your job,” she finished lamely.

Giles gave her a sceptical look.

“And yesterday, you said the idea was that if he got out of the house for a while he might be less annoying,” complained Buffy. “Didn’t it work?”

A yell of “Oy, Watcher-boy! You got any coffee left?” interrupted them from the kitchen.

“Why do you need coffee? There’s blood in the …bloody fridge!” yelled Giles. “No, not really,” he replied to Buffy.

Spike strode into the room carrying a mug of blood. “Blood-caffeine cocktail,” he explained curtly. “Really good buzz.”

“Oh god,” groaned Buffy, taking in the sight. “Spike hyped on caffeine. That’s all we need.”

Giles raised an eyebrow at her. “Patrolling?” he reminded her.

“I’m not ‘patrolling’!” spat Spike, observing the exchange with clear displeasure.

“I thought you liked killing things…..didn’t we have this conversation yesterday?” asked Giles, confused.

“Sure, killin’ things is fun,” Spike agreed cheerfully. “Not ‘patrolling’!” he explained with disgust in his voice.

“So then, you would be amenable to going out and ‘killing things’ with Buffy while she ‘patrols,’” said Giles, with rising impatience.

“I’d rather go out and kill Buffy while she patrols,” he offered, looking at her slyly.

“Giiiiiles!” wailed Buffy. “It’s not fair! Since time began Slayers have got to go patrolling…..”

“Which you complain about every night,” Giles interrupted.

“Slayers can’t patrol with stupid vampires getting in the way! Except - for the ones who get staked. And I now appreciate my role as slayer and I wanna go on my own!” she stamped a foot.

“And I think Spike could play an important role in….in the fight against evil,” Giles suddenly sounded serious.

“Yep. If he decides to stake himself,” she muttered, refusing to look at the vampire.

“Hey! What the hell are you on about! You’re not turning me into the bloody Poofter! Fighting evil?!” Spike sounded outraged.

“How can he fight evil? He is evil!” yelled Buffy.

“Damn right!” yelled Spike.

“Oh for the love of god!” exhaled Giles. “You are going to patrol and you are going to do so together and you are going to be quiet about it!”

Buffy was silenced by the unfairness of the situation.

Spike was silenced by the memory of who paid for the blood.

Under the watchful scowl of a determined Giles, they quietly left the house.

*****

“This is so unfair!” groused Buffy, impatiently kicking at grass and stones as they crossed the cemetery.

“Ha!” Spike gave a hollow laugh. “At least you don’t get sent out to follow your mortal enemy and help her!” he spat.

“Help?” laughed Buffy. “You? That’s really funny!”

“I helped last night!” he countered. “I helped so much you…” His words were stopped by the fist that connected with his mouth.

“You have to stop talking!” she begged. “Or I will kill you, so help me, god!”

“Your Watcher won’t like that,” he said smugly. “I think he’d be cross.”

“That I can cope with,” she retorted, a hint of desperation in her voice. “You – saying things - I’m not so sure about!”

They glared at one another, assessing the situation.

“I’ll be quiet,” he said agreeably, after a thoughtful pause. Buffy didn’t look optimistic.

They walked on in silence.

“But what the hell are we going to do about this?” he finally burst out.

“Five minutes. Is that a personal best?” Buffy enquired politely, ignoring his words.

“I’m serious!” insisted the vampire. “We’re going to end up killing each other if this goes on and thanks to the bloody government, I can’t even hit you!”

“I know,” she sighed, acknowledging the truth of this. “Giles sounded determined. He’s gonna keep making us patrol together.” She threw her arms up despairingly.

“What’s his problem anyway? What’s it to him whether I help or not?” grumbled Spike, his voice filled with sulky resentment.

Buffy pondered the question. “I think this is Watcher-Council-mode. He’s thinking that this is all powers-that–be stuff. Chip ergo redemption.”

“He can sod off!” growled Spike. “He needn’t think he’s going to make me all nancy soul-boy!”

“I’ve noticed the flaw in his plan,” agreed Buffy dryly. “The chip didn’t affect your personality.”

“Damn right!” he crowed, swagger returning.

“So what do we do? I mean, Slayer lifespan is pretty short but I’m seriously thinking it’s too long if I have to go out with you – patrol with you! – every night.”

“I hear you,” he agreed. “And the constant sound of your voice is melting my brain.”

“Brain? Ha!”

Resisting the urge to get immersed in another endless bickering session, Spike stuck to the issue at hand. “Back to a plan, Slayer. I suggest you kill your Watcher.”

She looked at him askance.

“Well I can’t do it,” he explained, reasonably. “Bloody chip.”

“I’m not really on board with the killing of Giles,” said Buffy, with half a smile.

“Plan the second. We go on strike.”

“And you stop doing what exactly?” she asked with deep scepticism. “Watching TV?”

“Killin’ stuff,” he corrected. “See how long he sends me out if we just don’t kill stuff.”

“So we what? Sit in the cemetery with placards chanting ‘We won’t kill!’? Vamps’ll love that!”

“Not exactly, love. We just tell him that we don’t kill well together. You get under my feet. I distract you with my devastating good looks. No dead demons.”

“So basically, we don’t work well together,” she summarised.

“Such a lie,” he said under his breath. “We were great.”

“Riley!” she cried, distracted and happy.

“Huh?” Spike turned to see Buffy grinning delightedly at some….great lumbering jackass. Just great, he thought. Bad enough that he had to spend his unlife making polite conversation with the Slayer, he wasn’t in the mood to meet any more of her little friends. Especially when she looked at them like that.

“Buffy,” said Riley, with a smile that faded as he registered the presence of Spike. “And…?”

“Oh, just – William,” Buffy improvised hastily, dismissing the vampire with a wave of her hand. “Just a friend of mom’s from England.”

She turned her back to Spike who rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette.

“So, um. Kinda late to be walking through cemeteries, isn’t it?” said Riley.

“She’s got me to protect her, hasn’t she?” replied Spike, throwing a possessive arm around her shoulder.

Buffy scowled and with difficulty refrained from punching him. She tensed under the weight of his arm but didn’t quite shake it off.

“So I’m sure she’ll be fine,” agreed Riley, his smile now looking forced. “Where are you guys going anyway?”

“Coffee,” said Spike decisively. “Never did get mine earlier.”

“Would you like to come?” asked Buffy, with a pleading look at Riley.

Look at her, battin’ her eyes at that idiot, thought Spike, with a twinge of –something unpleasant. He tried not to analyse it.

“I do have some, uh, stuff but….why not. Just for a while.”

*****

“William, will you get the coffees?” she asked sweetly. He glared at her.

“Just a decaf for me,” added Riley, “The old caffeine isn’t good for the system.”

Spike looked at him in disbelief and went to get the drinks.

Buffy exhaled the breath she had been holding for the past five minutes. Why did Spike have to be here right now? Tonight of all nights. She had a bad feeling about this. It was the way he kept glaring at Riley. And talking to him.

Must get Will to look into a gagging spell, she thought. Oh dammit, he’s back.

Spike lounged in the seat beside them, looking challengingly at Riley.

“You been around long?” Riley asked him. “You look – kinda familiar.”

Spike fixed him with a suspicious gaze. “Only arrived today. I don’t know where you could’ve seen me.”

“Strange…..I could have sworn….oh well, you’d never believe me…” Riley trailed off.

“And what do you do yourself?” asked Spike, with a very false smile. Buffy kicked him under the table.

“Riley’s a psych major,” she explained, with a bashful smile at Riley. “He’s a TA, you know, like a tutor?”

“Psych major? All that Freud-crap?” snorted Spike. “Tell me, mate,” he added in a confidential undertone to Riley, “That must be a great way to get the ladies, isn’t it?”

“That’s not really the idea,” said Riley, looking awkwardly at Buffy.

“Oh, come on, all those yummy little freshmen. Like Buffy here,” he said, as though suddenly noticing her.

“As my father used to say ‘If you want to be a gentleman, start by acting like one.’” He looked at Spike with ill-concealed dislike.

Buffy managed to kick Spike before he laughed. Pre-emptive strike, she thought, trying not to smile herself.

“We should do this again,” she said to Riley. “When we both have more time.”

She broke off as Riley jumped. Something had hit him in the face. Something that looked like – a sugar lump.

She looked in horror at Spike.

“Oh, I am sorry,” said the vampire, with apparent sincerity. “Did I hurt you?”

*****

“You really do pick’em!” said Spike, chuckling to himself.

“What are you talking about? And shut up!”

“That!” he said, indicating Riley’s direction.

“He’s Riley,” she said defensively.

“He’s a nancy-boy farmhand with less personality than Peaches! ‘Oh no, I couldn’t drink coffee!’” he mimicked.

“Shut up!” repeated Buffy. “I think we’ve heard more than enough of your voice for one day.”

“You two belong together,” he said with disgust, shaking his head.

“And what’s that supposed to mean? No, forget I said that. Just be quiet!” Rolling her eyes, she dismissed him with a wave of her hand and increased her pace. Stupid vampire.

“I can just see you two together with your nice, sensible, boring life,” he called after her, mockery in his voice. “God, Slayer, you’ll probably be dead by the time you’re twenty-five, did you never consider actually having some fun?”

Spinning on her heel, she turned to spit, “This from the guy whose idea of fun is eating people?”

“You want some fun?” he said softly, suddenly stopping and leaning towards her.

She took a step away, feeling annoyed with herself. Why back away from a stupid, neutered demon? Unless it was because she wanted to take a step forward…..

“What are you talking about?” she asked, voice firm and steady. “And why the hell do I keep saying that?” she implored the heavens.

“I can show you fun,” he offered, meeting her eyes.

She swallowed abruptly. Why was she still standing there? Now would be a good time for leaving or punching or…….something.

“Wha – no!” she managed weakly. Yeah, very convincing, Buffy, she scolded herself.

“You sure?” His eyes were boring into her. “Once in a lifetime offer, Slayer. I could make you scream. I could make you forget that idiot’s name and probably your own into the bargain. I could fuck you for hours until your legs wouldn’t work and you’d still want more. I could make you come until your body shakes so hard you think it’s going to fall apart. I could…”

“Spike,” she whispered, “Stop talking.”

He dipped his head, meeting her mouth. Flicked a tongue over her lips before kissing her deeply. Grazed her tongue with his teeth, and, feeling her body shudder, bit down on her lower lip.

Damn government, he thought hazily. I could eat her up. Starting with that neck…. On second thoughts, if it wasn’t for the government, he wouldn’t be in this position. God bless the blasted government.

He traced the length of her throat with a cool finger. Dropping his hands lower, he traced the contours of her body.

Through her shirt, he teased a nipple. She inhaled sharply, flooded by desire. He pinched a little harder, feeling her drawing involuntarily closer.

His other hand trailed lower, meeting her belt.

He glanced up to see her head thrown back, eyes closed.

Onward Christian soldiers, he thought, suppressing a smile. Pulling her closer, his hand slipped beneath her waistband.

They both gasped as he met with her warm, wet centre. He felt himself losing control of the situation as his hands explored further and he grew harder and harder.

Any chance she’d let him shag her in the middle of the street?

“Maybe somewhere more private?” he suggested, lips brushing her exposed throat.

She half-nodded. Then realised with a jolt of horror what she was doing. And where she was doing it. And who she was doing it with…….

She regained the use of her legs and ran.

*****

The next morning she slunk into Giles’ house, feeling guilty.

Giles looked up from his books.

“Sorry about last night. I….”

“It’s alright,” he said gently. “I know this isn’t easy for you. Spike said….” He threw a glance at the vampire in question, who was sprawled on the couch watching TV. “Well, it doesn’t matter what he said, I gather he was annoying.”

“Hey!”

“What did you say?” She looked at him warily.

“Nothing. Just how we don’t seem to get much killed together. I seem to be a bit of a distraction,” he said patronisingly.

She growled and turned back to Giles, who looked at her with sympathy.

“I know this is very trying, Buffy, but I hope you trust me. I think this is ultimately a good idea. I want you to make an effort to make this work – no more of this silly strike idea.”

“Strike?” She looked in confusion from Giles to Spike

“First strike,” muttered the grinning vampire.

“It will get better,” said Giles, comfortingly.

“Better?” she looked at him wildly.

“Much better,” agreed Spike, to Giles’ obvious confusion.

“It can’t happen again.” She stopped, looked from one to the other, then continued out the door, calmly repeating to herself, “It won’t happen again.”

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