Alternate Lives.

Buffy had snuck out of Spikes crypt. She had to get home and change so she could go to class. It had troubled her at how much she craved to be at Spike's side and it troubled her even more that she had no problem with what she had done. There was nothing she could have done. what happened might happen again only if Buffy wanted it to, and she knew that she did want it to happen again. The other Spike was right a slayer needed monster in her man and her Spike was the right combination. He knew how to hurt her but he also knew how to soothe her as well. Angel had been more than enough minster for her but he never used it that way... he was scared and tried to spare her his other side. Riley was just a human and.... well the boy next door. She walked home thinking on this. And she was still thinking when she walked through the doors of her home and heard laughter.

The other Buffy and Spike were no where to be seen but in her living room there were two Willow's and two Xander's. They were laughing and having a good time.

'I remember when our Buffy first met Spike. i was like and instant thing between them.' The other Willow spoke and poked her Xander in the shoulder.

'Oh yeah. They absolutely got along... for all of ten seconds before they were fighting and screaming.' Xander added.

"Why?" Willow asked.

'Well to our Buffy he was nothing but a corpse. Then on the night she had to face the Master Spike was with her and...' The other Willow trailed off.

'He brought back Buffy after bonding with her. She was dead and we needed a Slayer. Spike made her something more than the garden variety Slayer.' Xander finished for his Willow. he wrapped and arm around her and leaned his cheek on the top of her head.

"Is that why they are so..." Xander asked and made a motion with his hand.

'Yeah.' The other Xander answered.

"Hey guys." Buffy made her presence known.

"Buffy" Xander and Willow spoke as one. Buffy was about to take her coat off and decided against it because of the scratch marks and a few bite marks that hadn't healed yet.

"Out patrolling last night Buffster?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, no vamps."

She wanted to get up to her room, shower, and just get out in the sun. For a little while she didn't want to have to think about her and Spike for a little while, but thoughts of him entered her mind. She saw him above her and she could feel him inside of her still. The sex had never been that good with Riley. he always took great pains to be slow. But Buffy liked it fast and hard. Buffy shook her head to try and stop the flood of images in her mind. Spike felt so good against her skin that she felt her self walking towards the front door.

"Um guy you know what... I left something in the cemetery and I need it back." Buffy made a flimsy excuse and hurried out of the door and back to his crypt. Why she wanted to go back was beyond her. But Buffy needed someone who wouldn't judge her for what she was. Spike, whether she liked it or not, had never judged her. He had tried to kill her a few times but since the chip in his head he had stopped and tried to be some semblance of a normal person since he couldn't be a normal vampire.

The headstones passed by and Buffy was back at his crypt sneaking back inside and down to his second level. There he was still asleep and on his side with his back to her. The sheet was down around his waist and framing all his pale skin. Buffy let her jaw drop for a second and forgot that he was a blood sucking monster and just gloried at how wonderful he looked framed in black and red; his normal colors.

Buffy stripped off her jacket and the rest of her clothes. As gently as she could she crawled back into bed with Spike and wrapped herself around him. The blood that she had willingly given to him had still kept his skin warm to the touch. Buffy was thankful for that. Spike rolled in his sleep and wrapped his arms around Buffy. She fell back into and easy sleep in Spike's arms forgetting the outside world for a while. her last thought was that he smelled like the night. That thought carried her over into sleep and allowed her to relax into his steadily cooling embrace.


BACK AT THE SUMMERS HOUSE:


Willow watched the other Buffy hurry out the door and cast a glance to her Xander. They knew where she was headed. It was plainly written on her face as she made up and lousy excuse to leave. They weren't going to say anything because it wasn't their place, but they liked the idea of this Buffy having Spike. Willow cast a glace back to where her Buffy and Spike temporary bedroom was. As if on cue Buffy walked out in shorts and one of Spike black silk shirts.

'Morning Willow.' She said and spied the others staring at the door.

'The other Buffy left a few seconds ago. I think she went back to Spike.' Willow responded in a whisper.

'More than likely.' Buffy replied and looked back to the door where their room was. Spike was still sleeping and in a few minutes he would wake up to find her gone and then he would know she was up in the sunlight. He had used to joke that he could smell the sun on her skin. Buffy always loved to think about that and think about him like that.

'Hey buff, you're finally awake.' Xander looked over to see a still sleepy Buffy next to his Willow.

'Yeah, but i think I might head back to bed. Sun and all.' Buffy pointed to the window and then retreated back to bed and a waiting Spike.

Willow watched Buffy head back to bed and smiled when Xander came up to her side. 'Ever the brief appearance huh?' Xander whispered.

'Yeah, though I have a feeling where the other Buffy went.'

'Where?'

'Back to the other Spike.' Willow replied.

The other Willow and Xander turned when Riley walked in and looked around for Buffy. And the others looked around and then into the kitchen to get Coffee. They could hear Riley ask where Buffy was and the other Willow tell her she hadn't come back yet. Then they heard the front door slam and Willow and Xander joined the other Willow and Xander in the kitchen looking a little unsettled.

'What happened?' Xander asked.

"Riley said he knows where to find Buffy." Willow replied.

The alternate Willow and Xander shared a look and then noticed Spike walk into the kitchen wearing a black sarong, but it was broad day light. Joyce Summers followed him just staring. One pair was used to Spike walking around in the day light and the other pair was waiting for him to start burning. Then they noticed a ring on the middle finger of his right hand.

'See you found that ring thing.' Xander said.

'Yeah I did little boy.' Spike replied and grabbed a mug so he could grab a cup of coffee for Buffy.

'It's too early in Spike's morning to be fighting and piking at each other.' Willow said stepping between the two men.

'Morning Red.' Spike said and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. On the other side of Willow Xander took her hand a pulled her closer to him away from the vampire.

'Well I had better get this to pet before she decides to go out into the bright light.' The three of them laughed because they knew how much Buffy hated to get up in the morning.

SPIKE'S CRYPT:

Spike pulled Buffy to him and relished having her back in his bed. He felt when she rolled out of bed the first time and loved it when she came back. He might actually get a chance to be with her they way he wanted. All he had to do is learn to be a man and not too much of a monster when a monster was what he was. Buffy had fallen back to sleep quickly when she crawled back into bed with him and it allowed him the time to memorize all her features and the planes of her skin.

"Hmm." Buffy groaned and shifted plastering her back to his chest.

"You awake pet?" Spike asked.

"No," She whispered and covered her head with one of the silk covered pillows. He kissed her shoulder and licked at one of the scratches on said shoulder. It pleased him when she groaned.

"I'm glad you came back." Spike whispered.

"How did you know i left?" Buffy asked from under the pillow.

"I'm a vampire pet, we notice even the slightest of movements.

"Oh, then I guess you knew when I came back too?"

"Yeah." Spike responded and nipped at her shoulder. He tensed when he heard the crypt door burst open.

"Who is it?"

"Soldier Boy." Spike spoke and moved away from her.

"Riley." Buffy sighed and fell back into the covers. This was one thing she really didn't want to deal with. Bu before Buffy crawled back into bed she had closed the newly installed trap door to the lower level. Hopefully she could get out of talking to him today and just lose herself in being with Spike.

"BUFFY!" Riley shouted and tried to open the trap door, but Buffy had the foresight to lock it as well.

"He can't get down here." Buffy said.

"That's good." Spike replied and pulled Buffy closer to his cold flesh. If he was going to be warm again he would need another feeding and she was the only source right now. But he wouldn't ask that of her. He was too proud to ask.

"I don't know how to tell him it's over. He really is a good guy, but not the right guy for me." Buffy admitted.

"And what type of guy is right for you?"

"You are. That other Spike was right. I need Monster in my man to keep me interested."

"You mean that."

"I guess I do."

"Buffy..."

"Spike."

The pounding stopped and both of them looked towards the door. If Riley was still out there then he had settled down and was going to wait for them to come out at night fall.

"I think he is going to wait for us to come out." Buffy commented.

"Well then he is going to be waiting a while." Spike replied and pointed towards the corner of his bedroom where there was a tunnel.

"when did you dig that?"

"Few weeks ago."

"Oh."

Buffy's eyes fluttered closed and she found herself exhausted for some reason. There was no rhyme or reason why she should be tired. The only thing that she could think of was the loss of blood she had sustained last night. Spike hadn't taken a lot but it was enough to make her feel weak. Due to her Slayer powers she would be fine by tonight.