Spike sat around Angel's apartment, glad for once that he had the DeSoto. Most of the time the old car gave him problems, but right now, it was going to get him...

Wherever. And that was the problem. Going back to Sunnydale meant having to deal with two women he didn't want to deal with.

Harmony...much as he hated to admit it, he did miss her. Just a bit. {I mean, she could be fun, when I was in the mood. And the sex...}, he thought to himself, shaking his head slightly. And the other...

"Buffy," he said softly, remembering the incident with Parker and her. The way she was by him, the way she had clung onto his arm fully made him realize he was tired of women who he had to take care of or forced him to do just that by being helpless.

What he wanted was a real woman, someone who could take care of herself.

"Someone like the damn Slayer. Only *not* the damn Slayer," he muttered, throwing the car out of park and moving into the lane of traffic heading south.

Aphrodite stood outside the class room, listening intently.

"Buffy?" Professor Walsh said. "You're doing rather well in this class. However, you might need a tutor to help you with your essays. I think you have a very good chance at doing well, but your reports are a tad..."

Aphrodite watched as the professor reeled off a line with a few teenage phrases and incorrect grammar in it, and she watched the young woman blush slightly and stammer an apology and a promise to find a tutor, then grab her things and head to the door.

"Oof!" Aphrodite said, falling backwards and hitting her funny bone. "I never figured out why it's called a funny bone."

Buffy reached down to help her up. "Probably because everyone else thinks it's funny when you get hurt. I'm Buffy."

"Aphrodite." She brushed herself off, picking up her things. "Yeah, I know my name's weird..."

"Not as weird as mine," Buffy said with a small grin. "Aphrodite...wasn't she the Greek goddess of love?"

"You know that? Most people...they think the Greek goddess is Venus, but she's the Roman. I mean, how stupid--" She stopped, realizing her hands were up in the air and her voice had gotten louder. Blushing a bit, she lowered her hands. "Sorry...I get a bit defensive."

"It's understandable. Where are you headed?" Buffy asked, handing her the red pen that she'd dropped.

"Uh..." Aphrodite asked, pulling out a map. "I'm supposed to head over to the quad, to get some food on my lunch card. You know where it is?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, follow me. I'm pretty hungry too."

Aphrodite grinned, looking at the map again. Maybe this would be easier than she thought...