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Chapter 3

Vampires have a strong sense of smell as Buffy found out. The sewer was probably the worst place they could have gone, she dry heaved and gagged .expelling her lunch and making her feel like such a girl, a girl trapped inside a vampire that was trapped inside her, who was dragging her somewhere .

"Stop, wait, god this place is disgusting"
"Well unless you wanna get a real deep tan, you have to use the tunnels underground an' it isn' my fault they don't have house keepers, move your ass you silly bint. Reds about to do a spell that will make us stay together, an you know how well they turn out"

Buffy stared at him. She could feel another wave of nausea coming over her as the 'water' at their feet settled again.He was right, Willow had success with small spells that didn't take much concentration but if she did the joining spell , well they could end up being some mutant two headed vampire cross vampire slayer. So not of the good then. But was running from her a good idea? The spell would probably still work regardless of where they were. Hmmm she thought, he was probably trying to get away because of the weirdness that was them in the training room.Spike might act impulsive and come across as a bit dense at times but she got the feeling the vampire was far from stupid. He obviously didn't want the 'Scoobies' to witness their weirdness at that time.

So, they ran, Buffy hoped that wherever they were going wasn't too far, the smell and the nausea were starting to be overwhelming. Spike stopped under a man hole cover and smiled.

"Now I don't want you to start going off on one Slayer, we're at a mates , he's a peaceful demon, well unless your a kitten, so play nice.His names Clem, he's a bit excitable too, so, he might howl a few times, block them sensitive vamp ears of mine"

Spike climbed up the ladder and opened the cover and peered out, the area was clear so he gave Buffy the signal to climb up after him.They came out in the Shady Hill cemetery , pulling the duster over her head and running into Clems crypt.
It was nice, for a crypt, comfy with furniture he had gotten from the dump.

Clem hugged Buffy and slapped her on the arm, then munched on a chicken wing, or she hoped it was a chicken wing.Spike stood quietly watching . Clem swallowed and smiled.

"Good to see ya Spike, where ya been for the past few days, had a really good game of poker last night, got me a pair of tabbys, course wasn't the same without you"

Buffy just stared. "Ah, good for you?"

Spike sniggered , drawing attention to himself, Clem frowned

"What's with the Slayer Spike?" he leaned in and whispered "You finally tell her how you feel or is she here to slay us?"

Buffy choked and snorted, trying to hold in a good chuckle.

Spikes eyes widened as he caught what Clem had said and bolted over to him, dragging him away to a corner "Are you nuts?" he ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Buffy "I told you not to say anything"

Clems mouth flapped ,causing his jowls to wobble uncontrollably "Ah, Slayer.... you feeling okay?"

Then Spike came to his senses and rolled his eyes, Clem hadn't been told about the body switch "Bollocks. There's something I got to tell you, you may want to sit for this mate, an, no high pitch howlin' my ears can' take it"

They all sat down , Clem was nervous, he thought that the Slayer was here to bump him off. He was not prepared for the confession.

"Me n the Slayer got hit by a ray, some demon hit us with it an we woke up in each others bodies" Spike waited for it to sink in. Clem was a good bloke but a tad dense.

Three minutes later "Oh" he wiggled in his chair. His arms flapped , the loose skin waving around . " So you two are wearing each others skin, cool " he saw their faces, obviously not impressed "Not from your prospective though, so how'd you fix this?"

Spike lit up a cigarette , Buffy snatched it out of his mouth and stomped it out "Not in my body , your renting those lungs and I wish to be able to breath after your finished with them"

Spike rolled his eyes at her and turned to Clem, "That's why we're here, need your help and that of Marty, reckon he knows about the portal jumping buggers that did this"

Clem nodded, his friend Marty did know several species of demon that could hop from one dimension to another, so he agreed to help . Clem was fascinated with them, and also creeped out too.The embarrassment of letting Spikes crush out of the bag had passed, well for Clem anyway. Spike still couldn't look directly at Buffy.

Buffy had snorted a small laugh at the thought, Spike had feelings, for her. Great, she wished she's kept her mouth shut earlier. Asking if the day could get any worse tempted her fate. She rolled her eyes and watched as Spike fiddled with the hem of her top that he was wearing.

"I'll get Marty to call you tonight, where are you both staying?"

Spike looked up at Buffy and she shrugged, not sure where he thought was best. Her Mum would freak if they both stayed at hers and that would mean telling her. Joyce was great, she accepted her daughters job as protector of the hellmouth, but, that didn't mean she supported it. It cost a fortune in clothing and house repairs, and the insurance company refused to pay out after the 'Look at my demonic mask that brings the dead to life ,isn't it pretty' party. Not that that particular fiasco was Buffy's fault.

"Crypt it is then" Spike announced, as if he had read her mind, he man hugged Clem, slapping him on the back , then opened the crypt door, the sun had just gone over the horizon.

Buffy could sense the suns decent and instinctively knew it was safe, so she was now integrating with the demon, should she be freaked? She hugged Clem , his skin folds on his arm brushed against her ass and they both frowned, it felt wrong on so many levels for Clem, seeing as it was Spikes body after all.

The two of them walked slowly through the cemetery , neither of them talked. The air was thick with tension and both of them hoped that they would find something to slay to break through it.

Great, so there was a god after all ,Buffy thought as three vamps appeared from behind a mausoleum.

"Spike my man, where ya been dude? An oh, what ya doing with the Slayer?"
Realising they were talking to her, Buffy put on her best 'spike accent' "What the bleedin hell does it have to do with you?"
"Just askin, so, do we get a taste or you bein greedy with her, I aint tasted slayer yet"
"She's all mine, back off boys"

Spike raised his brows, she was coming off too camp , they would be able to tell, and will she stop jutting out her bloody hip, she's me now, she'll ruin my rep.He had to do something.

"I'm his and no-one else's"
The three vamps smirked and sniggered .Vamp one stepped forward and whispered in Spikes ear "You planning on keeping her as your mate or you gonna turn the bitch?"

Buffy closed her eyes and swallowed, "Mate," she looked at Spike
She meant it as a question and luckily it seemed the idiot vamps in front of her couldn't tell.He shrugged

"Lucky you , wouldn't mind getting a ride off the Slayer myself but still."
Buffy felt the demon rise and growl, it had reacted to her anger but that actually worked out okay for them as the vamps took it as a possessive act.

Spike raised his brows, so the demon had started to behave for her and she seemed fine with it coming out. Things were getting out of control. Wait til Giles heard about this. He mentally slapped himself for acting a right ponse , since when did he want to run to the Watcher, he couldn't stand the bloke, not since the chain to his bath episode. Anyway, the demon and growly thing worked out, they believed them.

Vamp one nudged vamp two and said something that seemed to get Buffy reaching into her jeans for a stake. Spike went into the leg pocket of the combats and armed himself.

"Cute Spike, so who's the bitch then you or her?"

Vamp one fell to the grass dusted. Vamp two charged at Buffy and vamp three came after Spike. Vamp three must have been the brains of the bunch as he caught Spike round the waist and held him in a choke hold "Off your game cos you somehow aint in the right body huh?"

Spike yanked at the forearm that had him caught, this position gave vamp three biting access and knowing Buffy would kill Spike herself if she ended up with yet another set of scars, he twisted and bucked the vamp over his shoulder. As vamp three hit the grass, Spike staked the son of a bitch. He looked at how Buffy was doing.

Buffy punched, backhanded and then kicked out at vamp two. She laughed at the idiot as he fell on his ass.Buffy was loving this, she revelled in it and with every punch and kick she felt the demon sing. Which was wrong, on so many levels. Finally the vamp flew through the air, spinning and then went head first into a concrete monument , knocking him unconscious. Spike ran ahead of Buffy and staked him, putting him out of his misery.

Buffy pouted "You spoilt my fun, asshole"
Spike rolled his eyes, she had him doing that so much he thought, 'if the IRS saw it that they would tax me for it'.
"Lets just go home, stay at mine, Mum will just have to get over it right? After all , I'm like the Big Bad now " she sniggered and dragged him towards Revello Drive.

Across town Giles and Willow were performing the spell . Xander watched as the mystical smoke swirled around the fag butt from Spike and the hair band of Buffys. The smoke drifted out of the window.Spell done, Willow and Giles smiled.

Joyce was sat with her feet curled under her, both hands round her mug of cocoa and she was watching Passions. Buffy walked in and flopped onto the couch and put her boots up on the table, without glancing at her Mum, Spike stood in the hall.
Joyce looked at Buffy and frowned, then looked at Spike and the frown deepened.

"Ah, Buffy honey, a word" she walked into the kitchen and Buffy got off the couch to follow her. It was only when Spike caught her arm that she remembered. Buffy shook his arm off and continued into the kitchen, Spike followed.

"Mum, I think you should sit down.I got something I need to tell you"
"It's Spike and you isn't it, oh Buffy haven't you learnt your lesson yet? Or is it a new evil demon that is going to try and kill you? I knew we should move or something" Joyce had moved from the stool at the island and was rinsing her mug in the sink.
"Mum, it is Spike and me but not in the way your thinking and no there's no evil rising , I , me n Spike were hit by a demon ray gun type thing , and we were knocked out for a while, when we woke up, he was in me.... " realising what she had said she closed her eyes and tried again " he was in my body, the demon swapped our bodies over " oh hole in the ground open up and swallow me whole, she thought
Funnily enough it was just what Spike was hoping for too.
"So, your Spike" she pointed at Buffys body "And your Buffy" she pointed to Spikes body.
They answered in unison "Yes"
Joyce had made her back to the stool and sunk onto it. "Will it wear off or is it perminant?"
"Perminant far as we know , but we have a few leads to capture the demon that did this and we'll get it to switch us back, even if it kills me"
"Don't say that Buffy" her mum chastised her.
"We've had one of those days Mum, think I'll go to bed. Spike can stay on the sofa.Buffy went to go upstairs, and walked back and kissed her Mum," love you"

Spike settled on the couch, it was a good thing that she was short or he would have been in hell. It was comfy enough it was just that he felt restless. A wisp of smoke made its way under the front door and hovered above Spike before rushing up his nose. Spike didn't even blink.

Upstairs Buffy was asleep, her arm over her eyes . The smoke came in through the open window and she breathed it in through her open mouth, she gave a grunt and turned over.

Spike couldn't just lay there knowing she was alone upstairs. He stood and walked upstairs without even thinking about it. He entered her room and shrugged off the jacket and combat trousers. He snugged in next to her and she drew his arm around her. They fell asleep again, spooning each other, a look of contentment on their faces.

Joyce knocked and didn't get an answer. She shouted through the door and still got no response. Her patience coming to an end she walked in and dropped her coffee.

Spike woke up at the sound of a cup breaking . He squinted against the semi darkness and looked around the room. First thing he noticed was , he was in the Slayers bed and snuggling.Second was the irate mother of the Slayer stood in the doorway.
"Bollocks" he rubbed his face and looked at Joyce , a look of panic on her face "S'not what it looks like Joyce, you have to trust me" he nudged Buffy and got a kick and grunt for his trouble.
"Buffy!" her Mum practically screamed
Buffy sat up looking annoyed "What"
Buffy looked at her Mum and huffed "I'm a vampire now, I don't think the whole school things gonna work for me on account of they have it during the day" she thrust her head back down into her pillow. That's when she saw him.She smiled "Morning"

That was so not the way to appease an angry Mum. Joyce looked like she should of had steam coming out of her ears and be dragging her feet across the floor like a raging bull.
"Care to explain this " she gestured to the two of them in bed together "I thought you weren't involved that way?"
Spike leapt from the bed "We're not Joyce I swear it "
Buffy yawned, clearly not that bothered.
"I think I need to talk to Mr Giles about this "
Buffy and Spike agreed. "Looks like a family trip out then" Buffy said

The blanket only did so much to protect her from the sun. Buffy growled her discontent as she ran into the Watchers apartment.Spike walked in , Joyce behind him. All three of them looked pissed off.
Spike had gotten a mouthful about being old enough to know better, Buffy had been given the 'no sex under my roof' lecture. Oh the joy!
As much as both of them tried, Joyce was not having any of their protests.She was coming to this Scooby meeting,to get the truth and to ask if Mr Giles could let Spike stay at his for the time being.
Giles almost sprayed her with his tea when she had asked.'Spike gave a very vocal thanks but no thanks,don't find the Watchers tub all that comfy ta all the same'.
It was Willow that stood up and stopped everyone , her voice raised above all the other arguments ."Will everyone just shut up!"

The room fell silent
"I did the joining spell last night so I think that is why they were sleeping together.I'm sorry I didn't know that that would happen but maybe it's all good, I have the spell to open the portal and we can do that as soon as you want. Isn't getting them both back to normal more important than fighting?"
They all nodded .

"Right then Red, what's a vamp gotta do?" Spike sniffed against his cuff and cricked his neck.
"Not so much a vamp at the moment " Buffy said
"You just love this don't you, your gettin' the better end of this deal " he argued
"Hardly"
"Yeah righ'"
"Can we not argue like five year old's and just get on with it" Giles yelled
Joyce sipped her tea and watched Spike and Buffy as they got in each others faces

"I think you make a better teenage girl than I did, maybe we should just stay like this" Buffy had a smug look on her face , knowing it was the one thing that would iritate the vampire the most "Wait til the end of the month happens, and the PMS, oh wait no, a world of no on that, your moody enough without that"
"End of the month?" he frowned then raised his brows again as he caught on. "M'not dealing with that, Red you gotta fix this now!"

Joyce grimaced , so did Giles. Everyone else made out they hadn't heard them and tried to look busy.

Willow smirked, she set the chicken feet out with the other bones and trinkets and put the bowl and the sand beside her. Now all she had to do was wait for the two of them to stop bickering.

"The cramps are a bitch, I'm so glad to be rid of those"
"Shut it Slayer"
"That would be you, me, I'm a big bad vampire now, wanna try me now?"
"You would just love that wouldn' you , still works for me, I'll jus' get Red to put me back in my body after you snuff it an' I'll get to claim my third Slayer"
" Whatever"

Giles' patience was wearing thin . This situation had already reduced him to drink, he cast the tea aside and reached for the whiskey.Joyce watched and smiled, obviously she felt the same way and Giles poured them both a whiskey.

Willow pushed Buffy towards the circle and pushed on her shoulders to make her sit down, Spike huffed and sat down next to her and they held hands , forming the circle needed for the spell.
Giles and Willow performed the ritual and the portal opened .Buffy looked at it and swallowed hard, Spike didn't react, acting as though it was an everyday occurance. Buffy wish she could act that cool under circumstances like this.
Maybe if they got through this alive, she would take the time to get to know him and he could give her lessons on cool. Wait, did she really just think that?
She groaned.

The four of them stood and did last minute checks, making sure they had everything they could need. Spike took Buffy's hand and they walked into the portal.Buffy looking back over her shoulder, a worried look on her face.
She had to put her trust in the being that had been the baine of her existence.
He had to put his trust in the Slayer who had been the baine of his existence.