(Untitled)

[trenchcoatvamp]

Who: Spike
Where: The Hideout
When: Oct. 14th evening 9PM
invited: Buffy

Dozing on his feet, Spike swayed forward and back, eyelids closing as he teetered on the top step of the porch. His perspective shifted - crazy dizzy - and an eloquent snort snert emerged as a muffled whuffle from his failing respiratory reflex. So tired he could barely breathe...

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[her_sacred_duty]

With a smile, Buffy pulled Spike to his feet easily, his snarky comment only earning an almost affectionate roll of her eyes. His pout amused her, and besides, he had a point. She was effervescent in her impressive collection of sparkles and spangles.

As Xander burst through the door--all righteousness and protective anger--Buffy took a step back in surprise, half impressed by his sudden leap into action. Blinking in surprise, she fell silent as Spike easily slid into his usual mockery of her friend, flustered at finding herself in this odd trio. It almost felt like she had fallen into farce, looking from one man to the other and floundering at what she should say.

"No!" Buffy interjected as Spike declared his intention to leave, perhaps a bit too forcefully. She sprung into action, putting a stilling hand on Spike's forearm and glancing at Xander with quiet intensity in her face.

"Look, no stakes and no insults." Buffy commanded, pausing to take a little breath before plunging in to what really needed to be said. "Xander, Spike's on our side, despite appearances these past months. And-and he has a soul now."

So few syllables, so much information. Her eyes turned almost pleading as she held Xander's gaze, willing him to understand and accept this revelation.

[xander_alone]

Xander momentarily jumped back as Spike got up nonchalantly, Xander was ready to defend Buffy. A look of a embarrassment flashed across Xander's face as Spike easily removed the stake and not only that but placed the stake properly into Xander's hand.

Trying to hide the slight blush that he could feel on his face, Xander stood up straighter. He was just opening his mouth to let Spike have it verbally when Buffy started talking. Immediately when Buffy commanded no stakes, Xander lowered his, also closing his jaw forcefully to avoid commenting on the amount of bleach it must take to dye Spike's hair daily.

Xander listened to Buffy's words, and saw the look in her eyes. He couldn't resist his best friend and he slowly nodded, a flash of surprise crossed his face at the mention of a soul, followed quickly by the rolling of his eyes.

"Great, not like we haven't had problems with vampires and souls before." Xander said in a small huff, not sure he believed it. Spike would have no problem lying about something like that to hatch one of his plans.

Feeling guilty for that last remark Xander looked at Buffy, raised his hands up slightly, "Sorry, that wasn't called for, just feeling a bit stretched to the limit today."

[trenchcoatvamp]

Was this what he faced for the rest of his existence? Grinding, raw on his nerves, salt in the wound, these contact comparisons to Angel. It made Spike want to hit, and William consider bursting into a throaty rendition of "I Did It My Way."

"Be clear on the fact that I was undercover, and that she asked me to do it," William finally volunteered with a tired exhalation. Almost, but not quite sighing. His demon had nothing nice to say, so the soul held a certain scathing comment back about how the bar on Xander's limits couldn't be much more than a couple inches off the ground. Careful not to trip.

[sunshine_n_evil]

*Harmony couldn't recall anything. She was that sick. She just remembered flipping out on Ollie at the Bronze and then getting sick and laying down. She vaguely remembered being talked to gently and carried. That was it. It was dark where she woke up. She was kind of freaked. Still sick as anything and ravenous.*

*A frantic.* Hello???

[her_sacred_duty]

Buffy felt like she was playing referee, and didn't like the role. Still, Xander was taking her very summary explanation for Spike's presence with more equanimity than she had any right to expect. Despite her surge of gratitude, she still winced as he referenced Angel, keeping her gaze strictly on her friend instead of Spike.

"No worries," she said immediately with forced brightness to Xander, a smile on her face, "I'm sorry to spring all this on you at once."

She turned her gaze at last to the vampire in question, trying to look reassuring even as she felt the awkwardness of this strange encounter with every fiber of her being.

"Right. Spike's all undercover vampire... souled, slightly woozy undercover vampire." Buffy supplied helpfully, patting him on the shoulder before taking the first step up the rickety flight that led to the mansion's impressive oak door. The wood creaked under her heel and she glanced back at Spike, a question in her eyes.

"You coming?" Buffy asked with a half-smile, surprised to find herself rapidly coming to terms with the idea of Spike in their makeshift hideout and around Xander. An unfamiliar, almost content feeling settled over her as she waited for Xander to go inside first. A peacefulness that was going to be short-lived. "You're all... invited and everything, Spike."

[trenchcoatvamp]

Spike tilted his head to the side, and stared at the slayer, wary and disbelieving, resembling a wild animal being baited into a trap. He knew better... Humans. He didn't belong.

Trouble was, he couldn't resist the bait.

Buffy's smile coaxed him to take that first tentative step, and the ones after came more easily with each after that. He came to stand beside her, gazing down at her with blue eyes soft with affection.

"Got me this far, didn't you?" he asked, and then winced when he heard Harmony's voice calling out. It drew his attention from Buffy, past Xander, to the interior of the house.

[sunshine_n_evil]

Hello? Help, someone. *She was in agony, hunger burning her from the inside out, and food, so much human food made her feel like she was going to die. Even for a Vengeance Demon. A Vengeance Demon that was still part vampire, and that no one new that she was one. The amulet hung very low, on a separate chain, so it was covered by her blouse, hidden in her bra. The pink diamond, encrusted in platinum graced her neck to take away from the other chain. *

[xander_alone]

Xander turned and walked in. He felt much more relaxed having Buffy home, he really did hate being alone this much. With Will gone, Dawn being weird and not seeing Giles in days he was feeling a bit lost away from his friends, and no matter how angry he got, that didn't seem to change the feeling.

"Oh, I forgot to mention Harmony is here, she wouldn't stop eating food and was making herself sick." Xander hesitated for a moment.

"Oh, she didn't eat people or anything..." Xander laughed nervously,

The laughing stopped as Xander peered into the house, "You didn't, did you Harm?" he said meekly.

"She wouldn't stop eating desserts, and then this asshole English guy came over and tried to steal her shoes." Xander could feel himself getting angry again, that Englishman had to pay, oh he would.

"So I brought her home, I think she is under a spell, and she tried to help with finding out Willow's plans and all that. I figured, you know, that maybe Giles could help find out whats wrong with her." Xander sputtered the last few things as he went into the hideout. He was a bit confused, Spike had a soul, Harmony tried to help them. What happened, did I wake up in Bizarro World?

[sunshine_n_evil]

No, I gave up on human... OH God! *She fell and huddled in in herself.*

I need food... I need, like some help!

[redmysticspyder]

(Too tired to log into my other acct. She doesn't vanish UNTIL afterwards. When Spike and Xander are playing pool and no one knows it. She is still right there. she didn't disappear.)

[trenchcoatvamp]

Sorry, my bad. I forget that there's a time difference between threads when I'm tired.

[redmysticspyder]

*nods* It's OK. Thank you for fixing it. I was kind of upset, but I am thankful for you for getting back to me so fast. It's all good.

[trenchcoatvamp]

Spike stared at his Ex with an expression of mixed confusion and distaste. What was she doing?

He listened to Xander's explanation with patent disbelief, and then shook his head.

"And if anyone accuses you of bad sense inviting me in, you can point out who he brought home," Spike drawled, cranking his head toward Xander, addressing Buffy.

Embarrassed with the entire situation, William edged the vampire's feet toward the front door, preparing to flee the Hideout.