Unexpected

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Summary: Set some time after Fool For Love. Buffy finds help in a surprising place.

AUTHOR: Hilary
EMAIL: immortalbeloved2000@yahoo.co.uk
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Spike/Buffy, a bit of Buffy/Riley
SPOILERS: General Season 5
DISCLAIMER: Everything I have borrowed from Joss.
DEDICATION: Flick who wanted me to write this and to Mistress Vamp who is feeling a bit down at the moment (hope this cheers you up)
FEEDBACK: My first ever fic so YES PLEASE!!!!
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Part 1

Night. Things were unusually quiet in Sunnydale What was normally a thriving colony of vampric and demonic activity lay still, as if a blanket of silence had swept over the whole town. Nevertheless, Buffy conducted her nightly patrol of the cemetery. Although experience had taught her that when things were quiet, something was brewing, she had decided to take Riley with her. Normally she preferred to hunt alone but the past few nights had been so non eventful that she figured she could use a little company. Besides, Riley could take care of himself if something came up.

This was their third sweep of the area and so far she had only encountered one vampire. Having dispatched him quickly, it had been the only excitement of the evening.

"Do you want to do one last round?" asked Riley who enjoyed being alone with Buffy, even if it was in a cemetery which was usually populated by the undead. He was just thankful that there wasn't some apocalyptic disaster to avert.

Buffy sighed. "No, we may as well head back." As much as she didn't want to admit it, she hated it when things were quiet like this. She almost wished that there was some apocalyptic disaster to avert.

As they were leaving Buffy suddenly sensed a vampire behind her. She whipped out a stake and swung round ready to attack.

"Watch where you're pointing that thing will you."

Buffy sighed and lowered her stance. Spike. She glared at him.

"Spike, hasn't anyone ever told you that sneaking up behind the Slayer can be hazardous to your health?"

Spike glared back and then grinned at her.

"I wasn't sneaking up on anyone! You need to relax and stop being so bloody jumpy all the time"

Buffy felt her anger rising and it was all she could do to refrain herself from staking him right there and then. Spike had to be the most annoying person she had ever met. Seeing her angry just amused Spike even more. She always rose to his bait.

"And what exactly are you doing following us?" she asked, her voice full of suspicion. Spike was always up to something and more often than not it was no good.

"Just out for a walk, last time I checked it was a free country."

"Fine" snorted Buffy "Just stay out of my way. I wouldn't want to accidentally stake you"

Putting on her sweetest and most sarcastic smile she took Riley's arm and practically dragged him out of the cemetery Spike watched them leave, shrugged, and walked off in the opposite direction.

******

Buffy stormed towards her house and was walking so fast that Riley was having problems keeping up with her. Eventually he caught hold of her arm and stopped her.

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

She turned to look at him. His eyes were full of confusion and concern. Trying to swallow her anger she gave him a small smile

"I don't know, just Spike stuff. He gets me so wound up!"

Riley pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"You shouldn't let him get to you. He only does it because he knows you always rise to it."

Buffy pulled back and shrugged. He was probably right. Riley gave her a sly smile.

"You know, I know a great way of relieving tension."

Buffy smiled back. "Really? What's that?" She asked, feigning innocence.

Riley pulled her back into his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately, wrapping his arms firmly around her. Buffy kissed him back, all her anger vanishing as she embraced him. After a few minutes they parted.

"Better?"

Buffy nodded and Riley smiled at her. She looked so beautiful standing in the moonlight.

"Buffy, I love you" he whispered.

The smile fell from her face. She cared deeply about Riley, but lately it had felt as though there was something missing from their relationship. She knew that he loved her but somehow in her own heart there wasn't that same feeling. She felt bad about this. Riley was so sweet and kind, but it seemed that that's where the problem lay. He was a little too nice. When they had first started going out she had been determined that her relationship with Angel wasn't going to interfere with Riley. At first it had been great, they had done all the normal things that a normal couple would do. They went out during the day and just spent time with each other. It had been a bit of a shock when she'd found out about him being in the Initiative, but in the end it had actually strengthened their relationship. As time went on though she found herself longing for something else. There was no excitement in their relationship, no danger.

"Riley, I..."

Her sentence was cut short as she felt something being clamped over her face. It was a cloth soaked in some foul smelling liquid. Buffy struggled to free herself but her limbs weren't responding. Her struggles grew weaker and her vision began to blur, then everything went black.

******

Spike had been walking around the area for about half an hour when he decided to walk towards Buffy's house. It had become part of his nightly routine recently, always hoping to catch one last glimpse of the Slayer before he went to bed. He knew that she would probably be there with her boytoy but he didn't care. He just wanted to see her. He was nearing her house when he spied a figure lying on the ground. He walked a little closer and saw that it was Buffy. His initial thought was the she was dead, bested at last by some unknown foe. Fear pierced his heart and he ran over and knelt beside her. He could almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He looked over her prone form and saw that she was breathing, he sighed with relief and began to search for any injuries. When he found none he looked puzzled, then the smell hit him. Chloroform. Someone or something had knocked her out and left her there. Well, it wouldn't do to leave her here. He carefully lifted her up and carried her home.

As Spike arrived at Buffy's house he saw that it was in darkness. This was good, it meant no one was home which in turn meant no awkward questions. He opened the door and stepped inside, thankful that he'd been invited. He switched on of the lights, lay Buffy down on the couch and knelt down beside her. She looked so peaceful sleeping, so beautiful. Spike had imagined this a hundreds times in his head but the way she looked now was better than anything he could ever have pictured. He reached out to brush her hair out of her eyes but was almost afraid to touch her in case he woke up from a dream. His hand lightly brushed her skin which made his whole body tingle, then, without thinking, he leant down and kissed her softly on the lips. Almost as soon as he'd done so Buffy began to stir. Spike jumped back as if he'd been burned. He climbed to his feet and sat on a nearby chair to wait for her to wake up.

Buffy opened her eyes and looked groggily around. She was at home, but couldn't remember how she had got there. As her eyes focused she saw Spike sat across from her. She sat up quickly and her eyes grew cold.

"Spike, what the hell are you doing in my house?"

"Oh, well, that's gratitude for you." Grumbled Spike, trying not to betray the disappointment he felt because she wasn't even a little pleased to see him. "I should have left you where I found you"

The glare left Buffy's eyes and she now looked puzzled. Everything was fuzzy, the last thing she remembered clearly was kissing Riley. She looked around the room.

"Where's Riley?" she asked.

Spike shrugged.

Her head clear now Buffy stood up, she needed to find him and make sure he was alright. Then it occurred to her she didn't know where to look, she sat back down again.

"Alright Spike, I need some answers. Tell me exactly what happened."

Spike told her what had happened, missing out the minor detail of him kissing her.

Buffy stood up again.

"I'm going to go and have a little chat with our friend Willy. Whoever did this had the perfect chance to finish me off but didn't. I need to know why."

Buffy walked over to the door, put her hand on the knob and turned back.

"And Spike...be gone when I get back"

Without waiting for a response she left. Spike sat numbly on the chair for a minute, she hadn't even thanked him. He wanted desperately to be angry at her, to hate her like he would have done in the days when he was the Big Bad. Instead he just felt hurt. I'm turning bloody soft! Thrusting his hands into his pockets he stormed out of Buffy's house, slamming the door behind him.

******

Willy quivered when he saw Buffy enter the bar. Things always got violent when she showed up.

"H-hey Buffy, how's things?"

Buffy jumped up onto one of the bar stools.

"I'll cut to the chase Willy. My boyfriend went missing tonight and I know you always know what's going on. Who's new in town?"

Willy trembled slightly but had suffered too many bloody noses at Buffy's hands to risk lying to her again.

"Well, I heard there's a new vamp in town. A guy called Leon. A lot of my regulars have been freaking out big style. Apparently he's quite a big shot."

"Where can I find him?"

"I don't know and that's the honest truth!"

Buffy raised a fist.

"I swear on my mother's grave, I don't know!"

Buffy lowered her arm again. Willy wasn't stupid enough to risk lying to her. If he didn't know, there was only one other person she could ask.

******

Riley slowly came back to consciousness and opened his eyes to find himself in total darkness. He could feel his arms were in heavy chains which he could tell were not going to come loose easily. His eyes began to adjust themselves to the dark but he still had no idea where he was.

"Buffy?" he whispered.

"She's not here" came the deep voice of a male. Riley looked around but could see no one.

"Who are you?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Part 2

Buffy marched into Spike's crypt but saw no sign of the vampire. This was great. When she told him to get gone she hadn't expected it to be so hard to find him again. This was so typical, he was always around when she didn't want him and now on the one occasion where she needed his help he was nowhere to be found. She turned and made her way to leave.

"Looking for me?" called Spike as he stepped from the shadows. Buffy turned back to face him.

"What did Willy have to say for himself?" asked Spike, still a little hurt at the way she'd treated him earlier.

"There's a vampire called Leon in town who's freaking out the locals. I figured that since you're so in with the vamps that you'd know something about this guy...Spike?"

Buffy suddenly saw something in Spike's eyes that she'd never seen before, fear.

"If Leon's got your boy, you'd better hope he's dead by now." Said Spike quietly.

This was beginning to scare her a little. She'd never seen Spike like this before and she'd certainly never seen him afraid of another vampire. She'd come here prepared to beat the information out of him if she needed to but it seemed like it wasn't going to be necessary.

"Tell me" she coaxed gently

Spike looked into her eyes. She'd never used a tone like that with him before. It made him feel a little more at ease.

"Leon was sired by the Master at about the same time as Darla. They were in inseparable team and he was deeply in love with her. Things were great with them until Darla sired Angel. She began to spend more and more time with her childe and less with him. In the end the Master forced Darla to choose between him and Angel. Leon was with the Master all the way and he tried his hardest to convince Darla to stay with him. She didn't. After that Leon was gutted, he went crazy and made the things that me, Dru and Angel did seem like kids games. He's had the hurt and betrayal eating at him for 200 years. There's nothing left but pure hatred now. If he's got Riley then he's as good as dead. No one's ever fought him and won."

Buffy wasn't fazed by this. She'd faced supposedly unstoppable vampires and she'd always come out on top. After all, she'd killed the master so what could be worse than that.

"Where's he likely to be hiding?"

Spike stared at her in disbelief.

"Weren't you listening to me Slayer? He'll kill you in a heartbeat."

All Buffy's reservations about using violence vanished. She grabbed Spike by the throat and smashed him against the wall of the crypt, pinning him there.

"Listen Spike. I'm not about to let Riley die. Tell me where to find him or do I have to beat it out of you. Don't think I won't just because you can't fight back."

Spike knew she would.

"The....mansion."

Buffy dropped him and he remained on the floor rubbing his neck.

"He likes solitude, so he's probably at the mansion."

Leaving him where she'd dropped him Buffy left.

******

As she left the cemetery Buffy passed a call box and decided to phone Giles. It didn't take her long to fill him in on the details.

"I've heard of this Leon...Just a minute." Buffy heard him rustling through his books.

"Here we are, Leon. Got his from the ancient word for Lion. Apparently the way he used to tear his victims throats made it look like the result of a wild beast."

Buffy shuddered and tried not to think of Riley being with him. She just prayed she wouldn't be too late to save him.

"So, its a standard stake through the heart job." She tried to sound calm although she was beginning to feel less so.

Giles sensed the panic in her voice. This was a formidable foe for her to face alone and was going to be more dangerous now that Riley was involved.

"Yes, but Buffy be careful. Leon has fought a number of Slayers in the past and the ones he didn't kill he left incapacitated."

"I'll be careful."

Buffy hung up the phone and continued to make her way towards the mansion. As she walked to began to psyche herself up for what she knew was going to be one of the toughest battles she'd had yet. She didn't care what the outcome of the fight was, all that mattered was saving Riley. Although she knew she didn't love him she couldn't bear the thought of him being in danger. It took her about ten minutes to reach the mansion and as she approached ti door she prayed that Spike's information had been correct

******

Riley's eyes had now fully adjusted to the darkness of the room and he saw that it was a vampire who was holding him prisoner. He was taller and broader than any vampire he'd seen before. His long , black hair was tied loosely in an unkempt pony tail and Riley could see his piercing green eyes shining in the moonlight. He struggled to pull his chains loose but to no avail.

"What do you want with me?" He spat, still pulling at his chains.

"You? What makes you think it's you I want?"

Riley heard a soft, low chuckle and he realised with horror that he was merely bait in all this.

"You see," continued Leon who was now stood in front of his prisoner " I've learnt that when fighting a Slayer it must be on your terms and not hers. She's bound to come here to save you so I know the battle will be on my ground."

"You're forgetting one thing." Called Buffy who was now standing in the doorway of the mansion. "I've been here plenty of times before. A friend of mine used to live here. I think you know him actually, his name's Angel."

Leon laughed, which hadn't really been the reaction Buffy had been expecting.

"Ah yes, Angel. He's the real reason I'm here actually. You see my dear, as much as I enjoy killing Slayer's, I've been particularly keen to fight you. I want to see the look on Angel's face when he finds out I've killed his one true love, I want him to suffer as much as I have."

Leon put the keys to Riley's chains on the table behind him.

"If you can get past me Slayer then your new man can go free."

Buffy put her hands on her hips.

"So, are we going to fight our are we just going to talk about it?"

Incensed with rage Leon lunged at Buffy who easily blocked his punch. The fight was on! For the first few minutes the pair were evenly matched, each blocking whatever the other threw. However as time went on Leon began to gain the upper hand. His anger and hatred were fuelling his strength and he was anticipating all Buffy's moves and throwing in some extra punches as well.

"You can't win Slayer" He cried as he backhanded her across the room so that she smashed into the wall where Riley was chained.

"Buffy!" Cried Riley, still pulling at his chains and feeling completely helpless.

Buffy climbed groggily to her feet, seeing stars in front of her eyes. As her head cleared she began to doubt whether she would be able to beat this guy. He was stronger than most of the vampires that she'd fought.

"Buffy, get out of here." Said Riley. "Don't worry about me."

"I won't leave you!" Buffy raised her fists and prepared to resume the fight when she suddenly became aware that someone else was fighting Leon. Her eyes went wide with surprise when she realised who it was. Spike. Leon seemed equally surprised although his fighting didn't stop for a moment. If anything he seemed quite amused by the way events were turning.

"Well, well, well Spike" he sneered. "I'd heard you'd gone soft and teamed up with the Slayer but I never would have believed it. I'm going to enjoy killing you. You're shaming vampires all over the world. You haven't even got the excuse of a soul that Angel had."

Ignoring Leon's taunts Spike shouted to Buffy. "Take the keys and get out."

Buffy hesitated for a second, not sure what to make of what was going on. Then she grabbed the keys and ran back over to Riley. Leon was too busy fending off Spike to stop her. She unlocked his chains and pulled him to his feet. Without pausing for a moment Riley grabbed Buffy by the arm and pulled her outside. Not letting go he began to walk back towards town. After a moment Buffy pulled away from him and turned back to face the mansion. He stopped and walked back to her.

"Come on Buffy." He urged. "Let's get out of here."

"Riley, I can't leave him."

He looked stunned and then almost a little angry.

"Spike? Are you crazy? If you go back in there he'll kill you both. It's you he wants anyway."

He took her arm again and this time she pulled away a little more forcefully.

"Listen! I don't know why but Spike risked his life to get us out of there, I can't just leave him to die."

Riley sighed. He had a good idea why Spike wanted to save Buffy but he would never admit it to himself or to her.

"Fine, I'll go with you."

"No!" She protested. "I need you to go and see Giles. Angel has a history with this guy and I need someone to call him and find out what his weaknesses are. I'm just going to get Spike out of there and make a break for it."

Seeing that there was no use arguing Riley pulled Buffy into his arms and kissed her.

"Be careful. I'll meet you back at Giles' later."

Buffy nodded and then ran back into the mansion. Riley ran back into town, still not happy with the fact that Buffy was risking her life to save a vampire. If he hadn't known how stubborn she was he would have done more to convince her not to be stupid. He was just glad he could rely on her to be careful.

*****

Back in the mansion the fight was still going strong between Spike and Leon. As had happened with Buffy Leon seemed to have gained the upper hand. Spike was bleeding from several deep gashes on his face and his attacks were much slower and more slow and sluggish than when they'd first started. Buffy watched them for a moment, looking desperately for a way to get him out of there. She could tell be looking at him that he wasn't going to last much longer. Leon knocked him to the ground and dealt him several powerful kicks to the ribs. Spike climbed slowly to his feet only to be knocked down again. Leon leered down at him as Spike pulled himself to his knees.

"Why did you come here Spike? Was it to save your little Slayer friend? You're pitiful. Do you really think she would ever love you. You're nothing. You know what, I think it would be better to let you live. Being around her everyday and knowing she doesn't think twice about you is better than any torture I could ever inflict."

Almost as if he'd been thinking aloud Leon dealt Spike one final kick before running out of the back door. As soon as he'd gone Buffy ran over to Spike who had managed to drag himself to his feet. His eyes focused on her and it was all he could do manage a weak smile. She actually looked concerned for him.

"Spike..." She began but was cut short as he collapsed, unconscious into her arms

******

Part 3:

Quickly Buffy dragged Spike's limp body through to the bedroom and lay him down on the bed, trying to arrange his limbs so that he was as comfortable as possible before going back out into the main room. Angel had always kept a stash of medical supplies and Buffy prayed that there was still some stuff here. Sure enough there was a small first aid kit in one of the cupboards. She picked it up and went back into where Spike was lying in the same position that she'd left him in. Sitting beside him she realised that he probably wasn't going to wake up any time soon so she set about cleaning the cuts on his face. As she worked she looked at his face and it struck her that she'd never really looked closely at him before. He was actually quite handsome, in a weird kind of way. He didn't have the conventional good looks of Riley or Angel but there was definitely something attractive about him. What are you thinking! Buffy shook her head as if that action would banish the thoughts she was having. She quickly finished cleaning Spike, then went back into the main hall and flopped down on the couch. So much had happened tonight. Leon was tough, a lot more than she'd expected, and her arrogance had nearly gotten her killed. Not only her but Riley and Spike too. In fact if Spike hadn't turned up...she shuddered to think of what might have happened. Buffy never thought she would find herself being glad that Spike had been around, he was normally so infuriating. She got up and walked back into the bedroom to see if there was any change in his condition. He was still unconscious. Buffy pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. It was still dark and there was a slim chance that Leon might come back. She couldn't leave Spike defenceless like this. Curling up in the chair Buffy closed her eyes, she was a light sleeper and would wake up if there was any sort of intrusion. Exhausted from the fight she was asleep in no time.

Buffy awoke to the sound of a soft moan coming from the bed. Her eyes snapped open and fell on Spike. He appeared to be waking up. His eyes fluttered open and focused on Buffy. Where the bloody hell am I? And what's she doing here?

"Hey." She said softly.

His mind began to clear as he recalled the events of the night before. The fight...and Buffy. He remembered the concern in her eyes, a look that was there again now. He was also aware of a dull ache running through his whole body. He would heal quickly, but until then he was going to hurt a lot.

"Hi. Thought you'd be gone by now." A hint of sadness in his voice.

"I wasn't about to leave you to get killed, not after....Spike, why did you come after me?" She couldn't let her intrigue rest any longer. It had been bugging her all night. Spike didn't strike her as being the 'throw yourself to the wolves' type. In fact he always looked out for himself, helping others if and when it suited him.

"I couldn't stay at home and let you have all the fun" he chuckled. He laugh quickly turned into a wince and he pressed his hand against his side. The pain had turned from dull to intense and he guessed that a few of his ribs were cracked if not broken.

Buffy had been about to ask him how he was feeling but the look of pain on his face answered her question. She stood up and looked at her watch, it was well into the morning now.

"Spike, try and get some rest, you'll be safe here while it's daylight. I have to go and check in with Giles but I'll bring you some blood later on."

Spike nodded, already looking as if he was about to fall asleep again. He closed his eyes and when Buffy was sure that he was sleeping she left.

******

Riley practically jumped on Buffy when she walked through the door of Giles' apartment. He grabbed her and began to cover her with kisses.

"Buffy, are you alright? I was so worried. I wanted to come back for you but..." He stopped as Buffy gently pulled herself out of his tight embrace.

"I'm fine." She reassured "Is Giles here?"

"Yes he is" Said Giles as he stepped out from the kitchen. "I'm glad to see that you're alright. What happened?"

Buffy looked at the floor, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with telling him that she'd spent the night watching over Spike.

"Leon took off, left Spike in a pretty bad way."

Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them

"Is he alright?"

"I left him sleeping in the mansion. He's hurt pretty bad. I'm going to take him to my house tonight, Mom's away for the week and Spike needs somewhere safe to rest until his wounds have healed."

Riley stared at her. She couldn't possibly be thinking of letting that vampire stay in her house. He walked over and put his arm around her.

"Buffy, are sure that's a good idea. I know Spike can't hurt people but maybe he would be better off staying here. Giles?"

Giles shook his head. He wasn't happy about Spike staying with Buffy either but there was no other way.

"I'm sorry Riley, but I have a guest coming over tonight. If Spike is injured then he poses no real threat. I don't see the harm in him staying with Buffy."

Riley desperately wanted to say that he'd seen the way Spike looks at Buffy, that it was glaringly obvious that the vampire had some sort of crush on her. He remained silent.

"Who's coming to visit?" asked Buffy. "Olivia?"

Giles sighed. He'd been dreading this moment.

"Actually no. Buffy, maybe you should sit down."

Buffy slowly sat down on Giles' couch, not liking the tone in his voice at all. Riley sat beside her and took her hand. He sensed a bombshell coming. Giles sat down opposite them.

"I called Angel last night and told him about Leon. He sounded very concerned and said that you would need help fighting him. To cut a long story short he's coming back to Sunnydale...tonight."

Buffy and Riley stared at him in shock. Then Buffy jumped her feet.

"Giles why? Why is he coming? I can handle things here. He doesn't need to go all overprotective."

"He's only trying to help Buffy. Angel will be able to give you useful information on how to fight Leon. He's obviously stronger than we'd anticipated if he was able to beat you and Spike. I know this is difficult for you but I think we need him."

Buffy sighed, knowing that her Watcher was right. He had no idea how hard and painful it was every time she saw Angel. Suddenly she wanted to be anywhere but there. She was also aware that Riley had tensed up, Angel's return wasn't going to be easy on him either. He knew that Angel had a part of Buffy which he could never reach.

"Look, I'd better go. I didn't get much sleep last night and I said I'd get Spike some blood."

She walked towards the door and Riley followed her. He took her arm and spun her back round to face him.

"Buffy, I'd really like to talk about what's going on."

She shook her head, she had so many emotions churning around inside her that she didn't know what she felt. She couldn't talk to Riley until her thoughts were a bit clearer. She pulled her arm out of his hand.

"Riley, I can't. We'll talk later."

Without waiting for his response she walked out of the door and closed it behind her.

******

As Buffy walked she tried to digest everything that was going on in her head. She hadn't seen Angel since his confrontation with Riley last year, she'd told him that she loved Riley. Everything was so confusing, she knew that she didn't love Riley but it had nothing to do with Angel. Actually, maybe it did. Deep in her heart she knew that the reason she didn't love Riley was because he didn't give her what Angel had. But at the same time she knew that she didn't want to go through all the pain that she had with Angel either. It would be so much easier if she could just disappear, or sit quietly in a corner and wait for all her problems to go away. She'd been through too much to know that hiding wasn't the solution, she'd learnt that when she'd run away after killing Angel. Problems don't just go away, they follow you wherever you go.

Buffy went to the butchers and picked up some pigs blood. She found herself actually looking forward to seeing Spike. There was something comfortably constant about his attitude with her. As much as he annoyed her he very rarely surprised her. He was just Spike.

Buffy walked into the mansion and peered into the bedroom. Spike was still asleep. It figured, she'd only been gone a couple of hours. She sat back down beside the bed and put the blood on the table. Looking at Spike she noticed that he'd discarded his duster and shirt, his now bare chest was covered in ugly looking purple bruises. One of his arms was draped down the side of the bed, his fingers lightly touching the stone floor. Buffy lifted his arm and placed it by his side. She inwardly winced when she saw the bruises. Leon had gotten some really powerful kicks in. Instinctively she reached out and lightly ran her fingers over the swollen skin, Spike flinched in his sleep and she quickly withdrew her hand. She felt her face flush red, what was she doing? Deciding it would be better to leave and come back after dark Buffy stood up and walked out towards the main door. She was just opening it when she heard Spike call her name. Sighing she turned around and walked back in.

Spike had drained the tub of blood she had brought him and left the container next to the bed. Buffy sat back down and he gestured to the pot with his eyes.

"Thanks." He murmured.

"That's okay." She replied quietly. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Buffy spoke.

"Spike, I want you to come and stay with me for a couple of days until you get your strength back. I don't want to put you down or anything but you're a sitting target while you're like this."

Spike sighed, ignoring the pain it caused him. He hated feeling like this, weak and helpless. It reminded him of when he'd been confined to a wheelchair a couple of years ago. He wanted more than anything just to get up and lash out at the first demon he came across. Then he thought about what Buffy had just said. She wanted him to stay...with her...in her house...alone. He closed his eyes for a moment trying not to imagine the numerous intimate situations that could arise from this. Then he thought about why she was doing this, probably just to relive herself of a guilty conscience, after all, he'd gotten into this mess saving her ass.

"Listen Slayer, I don't need your pity. I can take care of myself." Spike tried to keep the pain and exhaustion out of his voice.

"Pity? Spike this has nothing to do with pity. I know better than anyone that you can hold your own, I just don't want to see you getting yourself killed that's all."

"What do you care?" He muttered.

"You think I don't care? Look, I know we've never really gotten on but I've known you too long not to care now. You're arrogant, annoying and selfish but I still care." Buffy suddenly frowned. She had no idea where that had come from, all she knew was that she did care about him, despite herself.

Spike tried hard not to start grinning, she cared about him.

"Alright, if it'll make you happy I'll camp out at your place for a bit. It won't take me long to heal and then I'll be out of your way. Pass me my shirt will you."

Buffy stood up and tossed the shirt to him. Spike gritted his teeth through the pain as he put it on, sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. She noticed his pain and offered him her arm to help in stand up. Ignoring her Spike climbed shakily to his feet.

"I don't need a bloody nurse." He growled. Suddenly a wave of dizziness hit him, his vision fading almost completely. He closed his eyes trying to beat it and he instinctively reached out and grabbed Buffy to steady himself. She wrapped her arm around his waist and held onto him while he waited for it to pass. Opening his eyes Spike found himself staring into a pair of beautiful green ones, his face was merely inches away from Buffy's.

"Slayer." He breathed before leaning down and kissing her. Buffy froze for a second when she felt Spike's lips upon hers. Suddenly she found herself kissing him back, and it wasn't unpleasant. The soft kiss became more intense and passionate as Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and she slipped hers around his back. Buffy was overwhelmed by how good it felt when it suddenly hit her what she was doing. She was kissing Spike, her enemy, a vampire. What about Riley? What about Angel? Part of her didn't care, she felt so safe in his arms. But she had to stop. She pulled away, leaving him still gazing lovingly at her.

"Spike....I can't do this."

Part 4

Buffy pulled herself out of his embrace and looked at the floor. What had she been thinking? Spike sat back down on the bed, numbly confused. Was it something he'd done?...Of course it was, he'd just bloody kissed her. For a brief moment she'd actually kissed him back and he'd felt happiness that he'd never experienced before, not even with Dru. But she'd pulled away, she hated him. What had he expected? She had her soldier boy to keep her happy.

Buffy sat down heavily on the chair and put her head in her hands, this was not good, everything was so muddled. Riley...Angel...and now Spike too. What am I meant to do?

"I'm sorry" Said Spike softly

Buffy looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

Great you idiot, now you've made her cry. Wanker!

Ignoring the screaming pain in his ribs Spike knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her now heaving shoulders.

"I'm so sorry love, that was a really stupid thing to do. I don't know what came over me, I'm an idiot."

Buffy buried her head in his shoulder, crying softly and relishing in the comfort that his arms gave her.

"It's not you," she whispered between sobs "things are just so mixed up at the moment. I don't want to talk about it. "

She pulled away and looked at him. The pain in his eyes almost reflected her own. She brushed the tears away, feeling really stupid for crying in front of him. Seeing that she'd stopped crying Spike got up and sat back on the bed.

Buffy looked at the floor, feeling more stupid by the minute. Spike said nothing. Finally, after a few minutes she spoke.

"It's dark, we should really get going in case Leon decides to show up."

"Buffy. I..."

"No Spike, don't" she interrupted "I don't want to talk about it, any of it."

"But..."

"Spike, please."

He wanted to press on but when he saw the pain in her tear filled eyes he closed his mouth. She stood up and offered him her arm, this time he accepted having no desire to come close to fainting again. Arm in arm and in silence the couple left the mansion and made their way through the cemetery towards Buffy's house.

******

As they walked the silence was almost deafening, they were both still trying to digest everything that had just gone on. Spike was desperate for Buffy to tell him what was bothering her, he hated the idea that she was in pain. He decided to try once more and if she still didn't want to talk then he would drop it for good.

" You know it might help to tell me what's going on. I know I'm not the best person to talk to and there are probably a hundred people you'd talk to before me, but I'll listen if you want."

Buffy looked across at him. What was with his sudden desire to be in share-mode? Despite herself she did find herself wanting to talk, she hadn't spoken to anyone since finding out about Angel.

"Angel's coming back to Sunnydale tonight. It's just stirred up a lot of memories."

Spike stared at her for a moment, not really sure what to say. So, his sire was coming back to Sunnyhell, this made things interesting. He wondered what Angel would have to say about everything that was going on, he hadn't seen him since he'd been moping over Dru all those months ago. So much had changed since then. He bet Angel would have a good laugh about the chip and what his childe had been reduced to. Then he remembered Buffy, this was going to be so much harder on her, especially with soldier boy hanging around like a bad smell.

"You still love him don't you?"

Part of him already knew the answer, and it was one he didn't want to hear. He was never going to be what Angel was to her, he was nothing, a soulless demon. He had been insane to think that Buffy would ever see him as anything more.

Spike's question threw Buffy a little. It was true that Angel held a place in her heart that no one else could take, and in that sense she did still love him, but since meeting Riley she'd learnt that she had to move on. She remembered the last conversation she'd had with Angel. We don't live in each other's worlds anymore. They had both moved on but it didn't stop it hurting when she saw him.

"I still care about him" she answered carefully "but we're not part of each other's lives anymore. Seeing him just reminds me of everything we've been through, but I'm not going to sit around and mope. I've moved on, I have Riley now."

Spike scoffed. Angel he could understand, but not Riley.

"What do you see in him love? He doesn't strike me as being the sort of bloke that could keep you happy."

Buffy pulled away from him and stopped, glaring at him.

"What do you know about what makes me happy. Riley is sweet and kind and I happen to be *very* happy with him."

"Really? Then why did you kiss me before? You're the Slayer and no matter how hard you try, a normal guy is never going to be enough for you. The Slayer craves danger like an alcoholic craves booze. You're never going to find that in a guy like him."

Spike stepped a little closer.

"You need a bit of monster in your man and deep down you know it."

"That's not true." Replied Buffy with a little less certainty in her voice. It was like Spike was looking inside her thoughts. "What gives you the right to tell me what I need in my life."

Spike stepped even closer, put his hands gently on her shoulders and looked at her. Buffy looked up at him and gasped slightly when she saw the fire and the emotion in his piercing blue eyes.

"Because I know you." He said softly.

It was true, Buffy could see it in his eyes. He knew her. This wasn't the first time he'd told her something that she couldn't admit to herself. She remembered when he'd told her and Angel that they could never be friends. She didn't know what it was that made him so perceptive but she knew that this was one of those times. She had to accept that Riley wasn't going to be enough for her....and to face the fact that she was becoming increasingly attracted to Spike. Closing her eyes she leaned up and kissed him.

This hadn't quite been the reaction Spike had expected but he certainly wasn't going to complain. He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her back. Suddenly it felt as if everything else in the world had ceased to exist, like nothing else mattered. A small moan escaped Buffy's lips as Spike moved his mouth from her lips to the crook of her neck and began to kiss the soft skin.

At that moment Angel entered the cemetery, figuring Buffy would be out patrolling. He wanted to talk to her alone before they met at Giles'. This wasn't an easy situation for either of them to be in. As he roamed between the gravestones his suddenly stopped in his tracks as he saw Spike with his face buried in a girl's neck, obviously feeding. His childe was clearly more stupid than Angel had first thought. Why on earth would he have come back to Sunnydale after the incident with the Gem of Amarra? He wondered whether Buffy knew that Spike was back. He pulled out a stake and walked slowly towards the blonde vampire. As he got closer his eyes went wide with shock and horror. The girl *was* Buffy...and Spike was killing her! In an instant Angel tackled Spike to the ground, picking him up by the lapels of his shirt and punching him twice before throwing him into the side of a nearby crypt where he fell and lay motionless at the foot of it. Angel raised his stake, ready to end this for good. He was about to plunge it into Spike's heart when someone kicked it out of his hand. He turned and found himself facing Buffy. Forgetting Spike for the moment he pulled her into his arms.

"Buffy are you alright?" He whispered, overcome with relief that Spike hadn't killed her. After a second of not responding Buffy pulled away.

"Angel, what are you doing?" She asked, confusion and a hint of anger in her voice. Was this some sort of jealousy thing?

"I thought Giles told you I was coming." Now it was Angel's turn to be confused, she was acting a little strangely considering he'd just saved her life.

"No I don't mean why are you here, I mean why did you just attack Spike. I can understand if you're jealous that I have feelings for another vampire but I really don't think that killing him is going to make things any better."

Angel stared at her. Was she insane, delirious from losing blood?

"Buffy, what are you talking about? I saw him feeding on you so I stopped him."

"You saw him doing *what*? Spike wasn't feeding on me. Why would you think....oh."

Buffy suddenly realised how it must have looked to Angel and had to stop herself from smiling a little. She turned her neck to him so that he could see there was no wound.

"If he wasn't feeding on you then what was he...ARE YOU CRAZY??" Angel suddenly realised that he had actually walked into something which was to total opposite of the attack he thought he'd seen. "You..and Spike?"

Buffy flinched a little when he shouted, this wasn't going well. Suddenly her eyes fell back on Spike who was still lying on the ground. She ran over and knelt down next to him, he was out cold. Tears filled her eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair and down his cheek. This was the second time in twenty four hours that he'd taken a beating because of her. She looked back up at Angel.

"I don't suppose you've got your car nearby?"

Angel nodded "It's out by the gate."

"We were headed to my house. Can you help me carry him?"

Angel picked up Spike's legs while Buffy lifted his arms. It didn't take them much effort to carry him to Angel's car and lie him across the back seats. They got into the front and Angel drove them the short distance to Buffy's house

*****

When they arrived Buffy and Angel carried Spike upstairs and put him to bed in the spare room. As Buffy placed a blanket over him Spike let out a small groan. She looked back at Angel who was stood in the doorway watching her.

"Angel, can you give me a minute."

"I'll wait downstairs."

She turned back to Spike who had now opened his eyes and was looking at her.

"Are you alright?" She asked with concern. "Spike, I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen to you."

He kissed her hand "It's not your fault love. Is...uh...he still here."

Buffy nodded.

"You should go and talk to him."

Buffy nodded again before leaning down and kissing him softly.

"I'll come back up and check on you later. I've got some blood in the fridge, I'll bring you some before I go to bed."

Spike nodded and closed his eyes. He found that he healed faster when he was asleep and it seemed like a good way of ignoring all the pain he was in. Buffy switched the light off and went downstairs.

Angel was pacing backwards and forwards, trying to get his head around everything he had seen. He stopped when he saw Buffy. She gestured for him to sit down and when he did so she sat on the chair across from him.

"Angel. A lot has happened since you were last here. I guess I should start from the beginning."

With that she told the whole story. The Initiative, Riley, Spike's chip, how he'd helped her when she wanted to know about the Slayer's he'd killed, the fight with Leon, Spike saving her and she finished with the kiss and Angel's arrival.

Angel sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Buffy, you have to understand that this is a lot for me to take in. I can deal with all the stuff about Riley, but this thing with Spike. I can't pretend to understand or to like it. Just promise me that you'll think carefully about it before you take it any further. I know he can't hurt anyone at the moment but if he ever gets that chip out of his head...at the end of the day he's still a demon. As much as I don't like Riley, he can give you some sort of normal life. I don't want you to throw all that away."

A look of disappointment and anger crossed Buffy's face. She had hoped that Angel of all people would understand how she could have feelings for a vampire. Spike's words still rung in her ears.

"Maybe I don't want a normal life. I'm the Slayer, it doesn't exactly scream normality. I don't think I have to remind you that I was happy with you until you up and left. Why shouldn't I have feelings for another vampire. Here was I thinking you'd understand."

Angel looked hurt, Buffy's words had cut deep. He couldn't deny that it was him who had ended their relationship even though it had hurt them both. He also knew that he couldn't hold Spike's past against him as he himself had done things far worse. He sighed.

"All I'm saying is be careful. Look it's late, you should get some sleep. Come over to Giles' in the morning and we'll talk about what to do with Leon."

Buffy nodded. "Angel, I'm sorry to just drop this on you. Believe me I never planned for this to happen. Would you mind not saying anything to the others yet. I need some time to think."

Angel walked over the door and turned back to look at her.

"Sure. Goodnight Buffy."

"Goodnight."

After Angel had left Buffy sat in silence for a minute. Why was all this happening at once? Yesterday her life had been as normal as it was ever going to be and now in true Sunnydale style it was a mess again. Despite her brain telling her that this thing with Spike was insanity she couldn't forget the feel of his lips upon hers, or the depth of his eyes that seemed to look right into her soul. She shook her head. Angel was right, it was late and maybe she'd be thinking a bit more clearly after she'd had some sleep. She drew all the blinds and heated up some blood for Spike before going upstairs.

She knocked on the door and when there was no answer she walked in. Spike was still sleeping. Part of her didn't want to wake him but she knew that he needed to feed and that the blood would help him heal. She sat on the bed beside him and gently shook his shoulder.

"Spike, I've got some blood for you." She said softly

He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Thanks pet" he said groggily before draining the mug of its contents. "How did it go with Angel?"

Buffy sighed "Not so good. I think he just needs a bit of time to take in everything I told him."

Spike nodded and then reached up and put one of hands on her cheek.

"You look tired love. Maybe you should get some sleep."

"I'm just going to bed now. I've closed all the blinds in case you decide to get up in the morning. I know that's normally your sleepy time. I'm going to over to Giles' to talk Leon so you'll have the place to yourself. There's blood in the fridge and just help yourself to the TV and stuff."

Giving him a quick kiss Buffy stood up.

"Goodnight Spike."

"Goodnight pet."

Closing the door behind her Buffy went to her own room, changed into her pyjamas and got into bed. Fairly certain of not having a good night's sleep with all the thoughts of the day still churning in her head she settled down and closed her eyes. She was asleep in no time.

Part 5

Buffy awoke to the smell of bacon frying. She lay in bed for a moment, her eyes closed, savouring the smell. It was comforting, reminding her of home. Her mom always cooked bacon for her. Buffy's eyes snapped open. Mom! She was home early, and Buffy had a vampire sleeping in the house. How was she going to explain it? Buffy leapt out of bed, ran down the stairs and skidded into the kitchen. She stopped and clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Spike was humming to himself and flipping the bacon to cook it evenly. Almost as if he sensed Buffy he turned round to see her with a huge grin on her face.

"What?" He asked sounding a little irritated. This wasn't the reaction he'd expected at his attempt to cook her breakfast.

Buffy tried to wipe the smile from her face.

"Nothing!" She exclaimed. "I've just never seen your domesticated side before. In fact, I didn't even know you *could* cook."

Spike turned his attention back to the cooking food.

"Well, there happens to be a cookery programme on just before Passions. I picked up a few things."

Buffy smiled at the new side of Spike she was seeing. It would almost be cute, if he wasn't a vampire.

"You eat bacon? Never struck me as being vamp food."

Spike scowled.

"It's for you. Just something to say...you know...thanks for helping me out and letting me stay here."

Buffy's smile changed from amusement to warmth.

"You don't need to thank me. You saved me and Riley, I think you more than deserve a couple of night's protection."

Spike frowned at the mention of Riley's name, knowing that once he came round she'd no doubt forget the kiss from last night. Still, while he was here at least he could savour the time he had with her. He turned his attention back to the food he was cooking and saw that it was done. Putting it onto a plate he handed it to her. Buffy took a bite and smiled. It was good. Seeing Buffy smile at something he'd done for her gave Spike a warm fuzzy feeling inside. He'd never felt like this before, not even with Dru. Buffy walked into the living room and he followed.

As Buffy sat on the couch Spike wondered where he should sit. He desperately wanted to sit next to her, to be as close as he could. On the other hand she'd made no mention of last night's events so far, chances were that she regretted the whole thing and would push him away if he tried anything now. Of all the tortures in the world, her pushing him away would probably kill him.

Deciding to go halfway he sat on the other end of the couch, making sure there was a reasonable amount of space between them. As he eased himself down he winced as the now all too familiar pain cut through his ribs. This did not go unnoticed by Buffy.

"How are you feeling this morning?" She noticed that the cuts on his face had healed overnight but he was clearly still in pain.

"Still a bit tender," he admitted. "But I'll live."

He smiled at his own words, realising exactly what he'd just said.

"Well, not live exactly. You know what I mean."

Buffy smiled. The fact that he still had his sense of humour was a good indication that he was well on the road to recovery. Her smile faded and a silence fell on the room as they both considered what to say next.

"So," began Buffy after a couple of minutes. "I guess we need to talk."

"I guess so."

"About last night…"

"No, wait." Spike cut in. "There's something I need to say."

Buffy nodded and Spike took an unneeded deep breath, not quite believing what he was about to say.

"I think we should take things slowly."

Buffy's face was expressionless so he continued.

"Last night I told you a few home truths which were clearly a lot closer to home than I'd thought. I don't want you to think I'm saying this because I don't want to be with you, I do….more than anything. The point is I don't want to be the rebound bloke. Things don't work out with soldier boy so you just jump on the next guy who comes along. Plus there's the whole issue of Angel being here. Things must seem pretty mixed up at the moment and I have no desire to have my dead heart broken when you decide to come to your senses. What I'm trying to say is that I want you to wait until you're sure about how you feel before we take this any further."

Buffy stared at him, it was like looking at a stranger. There wasn't even a hint of the cocky, arrogant guy that she was so used to being around. Hearing him talk just made her realise how unbelievably wonderful he was. She smiled and slid across the couch so that she was sat next to him.

"You are so sweet." She whispered before kissing him on the cheek.

"Don't tell anyone," he grinned. "I've got a reputation to protect."

Buffy smiled and glanced down at her watch.

"I'm late!" She yelled, jumping to her feet. "I was meant to meet Angel at Giles' ten minutes ago."

She ran upstairs, threw on some clothes, stuffed a bag with some weapons and then ran back downstairs.

"Listen Spike, take it easy today and come over to Giles' tonight. You fought this guy as well and might be able to help with a strategy."

She leant down and planted a quick kiss on his lips before running out of the front door

Spike sighed and leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes. His lips still burned from her kiss and for the first time in months he felt happy.

******

Buffy didn't bother with the formality of knocking, instead she just walked into Giles' lounge, panting from the running she'd done between her house and his.

"Sorry I'm late." She gasped. "I slept in."

Giles, Angel and Riley looked up from where they were sitting. Buffy wasn't sure if she was imagining it but there appeared to be the smallest hint of hurt in Angel's eyes. Had he guessed that the reason she was so late was because she was talking to Spike about the possibility of a future relationship?

Buffy sat down.

"Angel what can you tell us?"

"Jealousy." Said Angel, as if that one word explained it all. The others looked puzzled.

"It's his strength." He explained. "But it's also his weakness. Jealousy gives him power, strength but it also clouds his mind, it drives him so crazy that he can't think straight. If we play on this he'll get sloppy and as soon as he makes a mistake, which he will, we strike."

"You have a plan?" Asked Giles who was a little wary of jumping into battle without being fully prepared. It wasn't that he doubted Buffy's ability, but there was no point in taking unnecessary risks.

"It seems to me," said Riley. "That the best way of getting the guy to slip up is by sending Angel here to pay him a visit. You said yourself that the reason he's so crazy is because of what went on with you and Darla. I think seeing you would be more than enough to get him wound up."

Buffy, Giles and Angel stared at him. Finally Buffy spoke.

"You can't be suggesting that we let Angel fight him single-handed."

Riley sighed, he had to say that the thought had crossed his mind, the less danger Buffy was in the better. He knew that she'd never go along with it so he shook his head

"Of course not. What I'm suggesting is that Angel go and ruffle Leon's feathers a bit and we'll be on standby ready to attack when we're needed."

Buffy glanced at Angel and Giles. Riley's plan did make sense, although she wasn't happy with the idea of Angel facing him alone. Their faces expressed the same feelings that she was having.

"Alright, that settles it then." Said Angel "As soon as the sun goes down I'll head out and you guys can follow me. Just stay out of sight until I signal you."

Riley and Buffy nodded. Angel stood up.

"I should get some sleep. Meet me back here just before sundown"

Giles took Angel upstairs to show him to the spare room, leaving Buffy and Riley alone together.

"Buffy, we really need to talk."

She nodded, knowing that she couldn't put it off any longer.

He turned to face her.

"Buffy, I know things are difficult for you at the moment with Angel coming back and everything, but I'm feeling like you're shutting me out of your life. I want to help you but I can't unless you tell me what you're feeling."

Buffy looked at the floor. If she told him what she was feeling at the moment she doubted that he'd like it very much.

"Riley, I'm sorry if you feel like I'm shutting you out but I need time to sort my head out. You're right, things are difficult at the moment. I've got a lot to think about and I just need some space. Please try to understand."

He despertaley wanted to understand, but he couldn't see why she was acting like this. He'd always felt that it helped to talk about problems and not keep them bottled up like she was doing.

"I don't understand...but if you need your space, I can do that. I just want you to know that when you're ready to talk, I'm here for you."

She smiled sadly.

"I know."

Standing up she leant down and kissed Riley on the cheek.

"I'm going to take a leaf out of Angel's book and go to sleep for a couple of hours. I didn't sleep very well last night and I want to be fully charged for tonight. I'll see you later."

Riley watched as Buffy walked out of the door. He hoped she'd open up to him sooner rather than later.

******

Buffy opened the door, dropped her bag on the floor and sighed loudly. She'd had the perfect chance to tell Riley exactly what was going on but she'd lost her nerve. As she walked into the living room she saw that the tv was on and Spike was fast asleep on the couch where she'd left him. Smiling she turned the tv off and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich.

"You're back early." Said a groggy voice from behind her. Startled Buffy spun around, nearly dropping her plate in the process. Spike stood leaning on the doorframe, clearly having just woken up.

"You scared me!" She half yelled. "Don't sneak up on a person like that."

"Sorry luv. Just came to see how the planning went. Ready to kick some vampire ass?"

All the seriousness of the earlier conversation appeared to have been lost. She decided to go with it.

"I'm always ready to kick vampire ass." She grinned. "You volenteering?"

"You know I would, but I'm not exactly in tip-top shape at the moment. Some other time perhaps."

Buffy sighed "Oh well. I guess I'll have to settle for talking to you instead."

"I can live with that if you can." He smiled and they walked back into the living room together.

They sat down on the couch and Buffy finished eating her sandwich.

"So, how did things go? Have you come up with a plan?"

Buffy nodded and explained what they were going to do.

"That should work." He remarked. "I guess soldier-boy's training came in usefull after all."

Buffy shifted around uncomfortably at the mention of Riley. She'd hoped to avoid the subject until she came up with the courage to tell him that she didn't want to be with him anymore. What made it the most difficult was the fact that he was trying so hard to be the understanding boyfriend, he was trying so hard to be patient with her but it just wasn't enough. Being with Spike just made her realise that she could never be fully happy with Riley. A tear slipped down her cheek as she remembered Riley's kind words to her back at Giles'. How could she bring herself to hurt him? Spike noticed her tears and turned to face her.

"What's wrong?" Concern in his voice. When Buffy said nothing he wrapped an arm around her back and did his best to comfort her. Finally she looked up at him with tear filled eyes before kissing him

"It's Riley." She explained. "He insisted that we have a talk. I wanted so badly to tell him that I want to be with you but I couldn't do it. He was trying so hard to be understanding. I know I'm making it worse but I don't want to hurt him."

"It's a bit late for that." Said a voice from behind them. Buffy jumped to her feet.

"Riley?"

Part 6

Riley stood motionless for a moment, his brain trying to digest exactly what he'd just seen. Part of him tried to rationalise it, he must have been mistaken. But there was no mistake. He'd clearly seen Buffy kissing Spike with his own eyes.

"I should have seen this coming." He said quietly before turning around and walking back out of the door slamming it behind him.

Buffy shot Spike a glance, his face was expressionless. Looking back at the door she ran after Riley.

"Riley, wait." Buffy grabbed his arm and spun him round to face her. She gasped when she saw the pain and the tears in his eyes. This was what she'd done to him.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. Riley looked into Buffy's eyes and his face hardened. Roughly he shook her hand off his arm.

"Stay away from me Buffy." He hissed between clenched teeth his face now a mask of pure hatred. Buffy watched as he turned around and continued to watch until he was out of sight. Blinking back the tears she walked back inside.

Spike stood up as Buffy walked through the door. Riley wasn't with her and he had a pretty good idea of what must have been said. As Buffy's eyes met his, her face crumpled and she began to cry. Spike was with her in an instant, pulling her into his arms and softly stroking her hair.

"Ssh love, it's alright." He soothed.

Buffy continued to cry, not because Riley had seen her with Spike. What upset her was the fact that she had hurt him. After her experiences with Angel she knew what it felt like to be hurt by someone you love. She would never want to inflict that pain on anyone, yet that was exactly what she'd done. She didn't know how long she'd been stood there in Spike's arms but it felt good, gave her comfort. Finally she pulled away and gave him a small smile of thanks.

"Maybe it's better this way pet." He suggested softly

Buffy nodded numbly. It had been over with Riley for a long time and a small part of her was glad that he knew. It was finally over. Glancing at the window she observed that dusk was settling over Sunnydale. It was time to go and meet Angel.

"I have to go." She whispered to Spike before walking over to the door and picking up the bag of weapons she'd discarded earlier. Spike followed picking up his duster and putting it on. Buffy stared at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you."

Her eyes widened in shock and then grew stern.

"No you're not. You're not up to your full strength yet."

Spike's eyes then matched her own. He could be just as stubborn as she could, probably more so, he'd had plenty of practise.

"Listen Slayer. Chances are that Riley isn't going to show tonight and there's no way that I'm letting you and Angel face Leon alone. I'm going to help you and don't bother arguing with me."

Spike was out of the door before she could protest any further. Sighing loudly Buffy followed.

As they arrived at Giles' Angel gave them a puzzled look, obviously expecting Riley and not Spike to be a member of the party. Buffy looked at the floor.

"I don't think Riley will be coming." She said quietly. Angel nodded guessing what must have happened and not wanting to push her to explain.

"I'm going to head out now. You two follow me and be ready to back me up when I signal you."

Before they had a chance to respond Riley burst through the door, panting heavily.

"Just…seen…Leon." He gasped.

Angel, Spike and Buffy were immediately alert. Angel growled softly.

"Where?"

"Cemetery….near…mansion."

Angel set his jaw. It was time to settle this once and for all. He headed for the door, closely followed by Buffy and Spike.

"Wait." Called Riley who had managed to catch his breath and compose himself a little. The others turned to face him.

"Can you two go ahead? I need to talk to Buffy."

The two vampires glanced at each other, both aware that Buffy and Riley needed to talk, but also aware that this was perhaps not the most ideal opportunity for them to do so. Buffy voiced their sentiments.

"Riley this really isn't a good time. Can we talk after we've killed the bad guy?"

His eyes filled with the same look of pain that he'd had earlier. Buffy swallowed heavily. He wasn't making it east for her to refuse him.

"Please?" He asked, his plea almost a whisper.

Angel stepped forward and laid a hand reassuringly on her arm.

"It's alright Buffy. Spike and I will go on ahead, you two can catch up with us when you're ready. We should be able to hold him off for a while."

Glancing at Spike she saw a look in his eyes indicating that he agreed with his sire, albeit reluctantly. Looking back at Riley his eyes pleaded with her to stay with him. Finally she sighed and nodded.

"Be careful." She said softly as Spike and Angel walked out of the door.

Standing at the window she watched the two black-clad vampires disappeared into the night, hoping that they'd be alright. She took a deep breath. It was time to clear things up with Riley once and for all. Her eyes not leaving the window she began to speak.

"Riley, don't say anything for a minute. Just let me try and explain what you saw this afternoon. Yes, I kissed Spike and yes I think I may have feelings for him but I want you to understand that the reason I didn't say anything to you was because I'm still trying to figure all this out. What happened with Spike happened so quickly, and then Angel came back and it was just all so confusing. What I'm trying to say is that I'm not going to take things any further until I'm sure about how I feel. I hope you can understand that this isn't about you, you've been nothing but supportive. I just don't think it's fair to stay with you when my feelings are less than one hundred percent."

When Riley didn't respond to her speech she turned around to face him. She barely had time to catch a glimpse of the chair swinging towards her head before she slumped to the floor.

******

As they walked towards the cemetery Spike glanced across at Angel. The older vampire's face expressed nothing save the grim determination to get this fight over with. Thinking about Buffy Spike wondered if Angel felt anything like he had when Angelus had stolen Dru from him. Part of him hoped so.

They continued to walk in silence and Angel began to feel Spike's eyes upon him. He kept his own eyes fixed ahead.

"If you hurt Buffy I'll torture you in ways that can't be described."

The soft calmness of this statement startled Spike a little, he also knew that Angel meant it.

"I know." He replied quietly

******

Riley gazed down at Buffy's unconscious form for a minute. He'd hit her hard but knew that her slayer strength and healing abilities wouldn't keep her out for long. He had to secure her before she woke up.

Scooping her up in his arms he carried her upstairs and placed her on the bed. Walking over to a trunk in the corner he opened it and pulled out some heavy duty looking rope. He quickly tied Buffy's hands and feet to the ends of the bed before sitting at her side.

"I'm sorry Buffy," he whispered gently stroking the now rather large lump on her forehead. "This was the only way."

His gaze fell upon the ropes binding her hands. He knew that she'd free herself eventually, but by the time she did it would all be over. As Buffy began to stir Riley moved away from the bed and sat on a nearby chair.

She awoke with a throbbing headache which seemed to pulse through her entire brain. She lay still for a moment, hoping it would pass. When it didn't she forced herself to open her eyes, she was lying on a bed. As her head began to clear she remembered being hit and reached for her head to assess the damage. She couldn't move her hands. Looking up she saw that she has been tied to the bed and the ropes were tight. What was going on? Her eyes fell on Riley who was sat in the corner watching her.

"Riley? What's going on?"

Riley smiled tenderly at her. "I'm sorry about your head Buffy but I had to buy us some time."

Buffy frowned "Time? What are you talking about?"

The smile left Riley's face.

"After I left you this afternoon I walked for hours, I had a lot of thinking to do. After a while it came to me. The problem in all this isn't you or me, it's Spike. Both he and Angel are clouding your mind, stopping you from thinking straight. I thought it was weird that a Slayer could love a vampire but loving two is just too much. Something has got to be making you act like this so I've arranged to have the problem removed."

"Removed?"

"I ran into Leon just before I came here. He wanted to take me as bait again but when I explained that your affections now lay elsewhere we managed to make a deal. I convinced him to spare your life on the condition that I keep you away from him until Spike and Angel are dust."

He paused for a moment.

"Well, that's not strictly true. He only wanted Angel but I convinced him to take Spike as well. If everything goes according to plan he'll be killing your two demonic loves as we speak."

Buffy took a moment to register exactly what Riley was saying. Was he insane? She began to pull at the ropes, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes as she knew the ropes wouldn't give way. Spike and Angel were going to die and there was nothing she could do about it. Riley watched her efforts with a look of mild amusement on his face.

"Do you really think Leon will be able to beat Spike and Angel?" She spat. "The two of them have probably already dusted him and are having a drink in the Bronze to celebrate."

"Highly unlikely." Riley responded but there was now an element of doubt in his mind. It was true that Spike and Angel were two of the strongest vampires around and they almost certainly wouldn't go down as easily as anyone else. Maybe it was time to lend a hand.

"You know. I think I might take a walk in the cemetery. I hear there's a good show on tonight. Once it's over we'll be able to move on with our lives."

Leaving Buffy still struggling with her bonds Riley ran downstairs and made his way to the cemetery. As Buffy continued to pull at the ropes she soon realised that she was making them tighter if nothing else. She relaxed and considered what to do. Suddenly she remembered something. When she'd been in the Initiative Graham had taught her a load of knots for securing HST's. He'd also taught her how to escape from them should she ever need to. Bending her wrist and pulling it the way she'd been shown she managed to free one of her hands. She made light work of all the other knots and was free in a matter of seconds. Jumping off the bed she ran downstairs and picked up the bag of weapons she dropped. She paused for a second to grab a crossbow before running down the street as fast as she could. With each step she prayed she wasn't going to be too late.

******

Spike and Angel continued to fight Leon. It had been clear from the start that he'd been expecting them and now they were having difficulties just holding him off. At the moment things were fairly evenly matched which was how it always began. As Riley arrived he decided it was time to uneven the odds. If Leon wanted Angel then that was fine, he had no qualms about taking Spike out of the picture. As the two vampires fought Riley tackled Spike from the side, knocking him to the ground and straddling him before he had the chance to get up. He began to rain punch after punch down upon him, venting all the anger and frustration that had been building up since he'd seen Buffy kissing him. Spike did his best to block the blows but even that seemed to aggravate the chip in his head, causing him more pain. Finally Riley pulled out a stake and raised it above his head.

"If I can't have Buffy I'm going to make damn sure you can't either." He hissed.

Buffy arrived just in time to see Angel doing his best to fend off Leon and Riley about to stake Spike. Seeing him lying on the ground facing death, all doubts she'd had about her feelings for Spike vanished. There was no way she could imagine going on without him.

Spike closed his eyes and braced himself. This was it. However, instead of feeling the stake plunge into his chest he felt Riley's weight lift off his legs. He opened his eyes and saw Buffy fighting Riley and Angel was struggling with Leon.

"I could use some help over here." Yelled Angel. Spike climbed to his feet and ran over to continue the fight, making a note to thank Buffy when all of this was over.

Buffy's fight with Riley was over in a matter of minutes. He was strong, but he was no match for the Slayer. She knocked him to the ground and stood over him.

"What's the matter Riley? Too use to leading people into traps or attacking people who can't defend themselves?"

Riley said nothing for a moment, then used his legs to sweep hers out from under her. As Buffy crashed to the ground Riley jumped up and ran off. Climbing to her feet she reached for the bag of weapons. It was time to end this.

Picking up the crossbow she walked over to where Leon was still fighting Angel and Spike. He had his back to her and was focusing all his energy of fending off attacks from the other two vampires. Buffy lined up her sights and rested her finger on the trigger, preparing to fire. At that moment he swung round and knocked the weapon out of her hand. Grabbing her by the arm he pulled her around and threw her with all his strength into Angel. They both flew through the air, smashing headfirst into a large memorial stone and landing heavily at the foot of it. Turning back to Spike he threw the younger vampire to one side before walking over to the fallen couple.

"Angel, you have no idea how long I've dreamed about this moment. Before I kill your girl I want you to know that you could have saved her if you'd tried harder."

Still stunned from the blow to their heads Buffy and Angel could only watch as Leon reached down for the Slayer. His fingers just touching the collar of his her shirt, his body suddenly went rigid and a look of pain and shock filled his eyes. Looking down he saw a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest. Before he could do anything further his body exploded into dust, revealing Spike standing behind him, crossbow in hand.

"Bloody poof." He muttered before throwing the weapon to the ground. Walking over to Buffy and Angel he was too exhausted to lift either of them. Instead he sank to the ground next to Buffy and rested his head on her shoulder. The Slayer and the two vampiric loves of her life sat in an exhausted silence.

******

Dear Buffy
Please don't tear this up until you've finished reading it. I know I'm not in a position to ask for anything but I want to take this last opportunity to ask for your forgiveness. I wish I could explain my actions of last night but I can't. I just couldn't stand the thought of someone else being able to make you happy where I couldn't. I understand that this in no way makes up for what I did but I just wanted you to know that I'm truly sorry and that I'm glad things worked out in the end. I also wanted to tell you that you won't be seeing me in Sunnydale again. Graham has asked me rejoin the team and I've accepted. The chances are that by the time you read this I'll already have been posted on my first mission. Maybe by fighting the forces of darkness I can begin to make amends.
Please believe me when I say that I hope you'll be happy in the future. You're an amazing person and you deserve it.
Yours always Riley

Buffy read the letter once again. She'd found it under her door when she'd woken that morning. Unable to stop a tear from falling she brushed it away. She wasn't ready to forgive him yet, but she was beginning to understand.

She thought back to what had happened after the fight with Leon the night before. When they'd finally gotten their strength back the three had walked back to Buffy's house in silence. When they arrived at the front door Angel had stopped.

"I should go back to Giles'."

Buffy remained silent and Angel continued to speak.

"We should say our goodbyes now. I'm heading back to LA as soon as the sun sets tomorrow."

Buffy looked stunned. She'd been expecting him to leave but not quite this soon. Even though she knew she loved Spike now, knowing that she was going to be apart from Angel again was still painful.

"There's one more thing." Angel continued. He took Buffy's hand with one of his and took Spike's with the other. He joined them together. "I hope you'll be happy together."

Squeezing Spike's hand for a second she let go and hugged Angel.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For everything."

Spike extended his hand and Angel looked at it for a moment before shaking it. Spike pulled his sure into a brotherly embrace. With that one gesture they both felt a bond which neither had felt since before Angel had been cursed.

"Take care of her Spike." He said, the threats of earlier having been long forgotten. When he nodded Angel turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Back in the present Buffy looked at Riley's letter once more before folding it up and putting it away. She went back upstairs and into her room where Spike was still sleeping. Closing her eyes she remembered how tender he'd been when they'd made love and how happy she'd been falling asleep in his arms.

Sitting at the side of the bed she smiled as she watched him sleep. He looked so innocent. Finally she bent down, kissed him softly and he began to stir.

"Morning." He murmured

"Riley's gone." She whispered. "And he's not coming back."

Spike opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"Are you okay with that?"

Smiling at him she nodded.

"For the first time in my life I know who I want to be with."

As he kissed her again she knew that she meant it.

The End

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Hilary - immortalbeloved2000@yahoo.co.uk