TEASER: Spike becomes close to a slayer in training; a woman with many secrets and a woman who Buffy hates.
RATING: PG 13
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters in the following fanfiction except for Avery Kline, who belongs to me.
TIMELINE: Pre-Smashed
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Night was falling over Sunnydale, trees casting long shadows across the gravestones and the sun sinking gently behind the buildings. The vampires were becoming restless, stirring in their underground homes, waiting to come out and spend the night feeding. As he waited, Spike paced his own crypt, staring out the small window and waiting for the sun to set. He was wearing nothing but his black jeans, his other clothes drying on the empty tomb that he usually slept on.
He stopped, opened the tiny fridge he had hiding behind the tomb and pushed things aside. Empty beer cans clattered to the floor as he searched, finally pulling out a half empty carton of cold blood. Sloshing it around in the carton, Spike groaned and shuddered inwardly, then pulled off the lid and let himself slip into the face of a monster. He gulped down as much blood as he could in one mouthful, hating the slick, cold feeling of it sliding down his throat. He missed feeding. He took in another mouthful, then dropped the container and closed the fridge door. Under the sound of the carton clattering to the floor he barely heard the footsteps outside his crypt . . . but he still heard them.
Spike paused, standing absolutely still and waited for another step. It could be Buffy outside his door, but the way it sounded, whoever was out there had tried to sneak up on him. The slayer generally didn't do that, especially with the way things had been lately.
So he waited, not making the slightest movement that would take his focus off the noises outside, not even letting his face return to normal. Finally he was reward with the barely audible scrape of a shoe on stone. He tensed, knowing the person was about the attack, feeling the change in the air around him. He could smell her, knowing through her scent that it was a young woman, knowing that she was high on adrenaline, yet completely calm at the same time. He didn't understand how a normal person could be so calm outside the lair of a vampire. Her scent told him everything, she was a tall girl, dark hair, blue eyes, strong arms.
The air vibrated as she pressed her palm against the door outside and Spike knew in an instant. He could feel the strength and power in that simple movement and knew who she was. She was a slayer, and suddenly, Spike was hungry.
The door flew open seconds later, revealing to him a tall silhouette. In the instant before she attacked him, Spike saw the flash of hunger in her blue eyes and he knew that she craved this fight as much as he did. The only problem with that was that he couldn't fight back.
Her foot caught the side of his head and Spike went down hard, his hands slamming into the dirt on the floor. She hauled him back to his feet and aimed an angry punch at his midsection. Unable to block her, Spike tried to twist away but her fist slammed into him anyway and pain flared through his chest.
"Christ, woman!" He huffed, pressing his hands against the tender spot on his chest. "I can't fight back, give it a rest."
She stared at him, pushed the back the bandana that was keeping her short hair off her face and smiled. "Makes the fight less interesting, doesn't it?"
He nodded. "Yeah, makes it a little less fun." His face returned to that of a human. "Where do you get your information anyhow pet? I can't bite people - I get to live."
She cocked her head, "What are you; neutered?"
Spike suppressed the grimace and angry words. "I suppose you could put it that way."
"But you're still a bloodsucker?"
"More blood than sucker I'm afraid."
She rolled her eyes. "I meant you're still a vamp?"
"You saw my face pet; take a guess."
Her gaze hardened. "Then I'll guess it doesn't matter whether or not you can still feed, my job description is a simple one. Vampire Slayer."
"Already got one of those in Sunnyhell, might as well turn back now." Spike rubbed his chest and was relieved to find the pain gone.
"Not that easy." She growled at him, flipping a stake out of nowhere. She twirled it effortlessly through her fingers, then grinned. "Wanna dance?"
Spike could barely hide the glee that was building inside of him. He hadn't met one this cocky since Buffy and he could hardly fight her anymore. He knew he'd have a headache that would last for weeks after this, but it was worth it.
He stepped closer to her, noting with pleasure that she was just as tall as he was. "Let's dance." Spike hissed.
She swung at his head, he blocked her fist easily, but her other one came out of nowhere. Her left hand rammed into his jaw, then her right slammed into his stomach. She backed off for a brief second, then spun into a roundhouse kick that knocked him off his feet.
She was too fast for him, he couldn't handle her with the chip in his head.
A moment later she was straddling him, staring at him, her sapphire eyes boring into his. In one hand she held the stake, the other was pinning his arm down to the floor.
"That wasn't too hard." She sneered. "Giving up already?"
Spike leaned close. "Hardly sweetie. Just taking a break."
"You need a breather already? I haven't even broken a sweat."
"I can fix that." Spike was off the floor in a second, throwing the slayer to the ground. Her back slammed against the stone and the breath whooshed from her lungs immediately. Still struggling to catch her breath, she too was on her feet, staring down the vampire. She gasped for air, finally catching it in her lungs and attacked once more.
Spike matched her punches and kicks, move for move. When she attacked, he blocked her with ease and found that blocking her blows didn't hurt as much as attacking. His head flared with pain on occasion but it wasn't as blinding as it used to be. Spike briefly toyed with the thought that the chip was beginning to malfunction, then tossed it away as a sliver of pain seared through his left temple.
He noticed, as he blocked her moves that she was beginning to breathe harder and he had, in fact, fixed her complaint about not even breaking a sweat. A bead trickled into her eye and she squinted, raining another blow onto Spike's forearms. He studied her, taking the time as she wore down to really look at her for the first time. She was well toned, muscular and slim and wearing clothes like she had just been at the gym. Her sweats were loose and baggy, as was the sweat shirt she was wearing over a tight, midriff top.
Hoping to embarrass her, Spike asked,"You always dress like that to work out pet?" gesturing to the zipper on the sweatshirt that had come undone, revealing her shirt.
The slayer nodded, tossing the sweatshirt aside. "Easier to move around in than a baggy tee shirt."
Spike grinned, admiring her ability to toss his comments aside as easily as her shirt. "So, if that's under the sweatshirt, then what's under those pants?"
She swept her legs under his feet, forcing him to the ground for the third time in five minutes and leapt onto him again. Smiling sweetly, she answered, "Don't you wish you knew?"
He grinned back. "Been wishing it since you walked in here."
The hand with the stake hovered above him and she lowered it slowly, gently trailing it back and forth across his chest. The pointed tip pressed into him enough to hurt, but not enough to draw blood. She wasn't watching the stake though, she was staring Spike down, waiting for him to show submission to her.
"What are you waiting for slayer?" He asked. "Want me to be your bitch?"
Her eyes lit up with a pleasure he hadn't seen since she'd burst in on him.
"Blood unlikely." He spat at her.
"C'mon," she leaned toward his ear and continued to drag the stake across his chest. "Beg for it."
Spike pulled the last trick he had and bucked his hips slightly, giving him enough room to flip her over. The arm with the stake was pinned beneath one of his legs and she glared angrily at him.
He smiled, then put on a sad face and whined, "Please."
"Screw you." She snarled.
"If only." He replied.
They remained this way, slayer pinned beneath vampire, glaring at each other with contempt and something else in both their eyes. Spike shifted uncomfortably when he realized what that something else was. He was attracted to her. He was looking at her in a way he hadn't looked at anyone for a very long time. He thought he loved Buffy but he felt some kind of primal attraction being this close to another woman. He wanted her and he knew she wanted him.
"This is sick." She breathed, freeing her arm from under his leg and tossing her stake aside.
"Tell me about it." He replied.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance." Her arms stretched toward him and suddenly Spike wasn't sure if she was reaching to take him or to kill him. He grabbed her wrists from the air and slammed them back against the floor, holding them there. They locked eyes again and neither could look away.
The door to the crypt scraped against stone as someone pushed it the rest of the way open.
"Spike?" Buffy walked into the one room 'apartment' and surveyed the scene before her. She paused, and frowned, her forehead creasing in confusion.
Spike mentally kicked himself, knowing how bad the situation must look to her. He was half naked, straddling a sweaty young woman on the floor, her arms pinned above her and he was staring into her eyes like he had been just two seconds away from kissing her . . . had he been just two seconds away from kissing her? He didn't know, but it didn't really matter.
"Buffy, pet . . ." he leapt up, "can't you keep the local slayer's club informed on which vampires not to try to murder?" He asked, forcing as much anger into his voice as possible. It was easier to make it seem like he hadn't wanted to be in that situation.
"What?" Buffy turned to the woman on the floor. "Who are you?"
"Avery Kline." She answered, getting up and brushing herself off. "You know William the Bloody here?"
Spike turned to her in shock. She had known who he was and still she had gone into battle against him. His shock turned to admiration, the girl had guts, he had to give her that much.
"Yeah," Buffy answered cautiously, "I know him. But I still don't know who you are."
"Well, it's not like I expected you to know the name." Avery answered, picking up her sweatshirt and dusting the dirt off it.
Buffy looked up her and down. "Do you always dress like that?"
"To work out, yeah." Avery shook her head. "What's with everyone and this shirt?" She murmured, shrugging her shoulders back into the sweatshirt. "Look, I don't know what's going on here, but all I wanted was to get myself in a good kill before I settled down for the night."
"You don't look too settled." Buffy commented.
"Didn't get my kill, did I?"
Spike was mesmerized as Buffy and Avery spoke to each other. Buffy was famous for what she did, especially if Avery was another slayer. She'd know who Buffy was, another slayer had never lasted as long as she had so far. Yet, even if she did know who Buffy was, Avery was talking to her like she was just another ignorant human, wasn't showing her the respect Spike would have expected from another slayer.
"You're Buffy, right?" Avery asked.
"Yeah . . . why?"
"I'm a slayer." She answered. "Slayer in training actually, I was sent here."
"By who?" Buffy asked.
"By the mothership." Avery replied. "The Council."
"I don't work for the Council any-"
"As of Glorificus you told them you were back on board." Avery paused. "Or did you forget that little bitty piece of information that you died for? They helped you save the world and in return you work for them again."
"I died. I think that breaks the contract."
"You're not dead anymore, at least, not as far as I can see." Avery turned to Spike. "You see her too, right vampire?"
He nodded slowly, wondering if this woman knew what she was getting herself into.
"Why would the Council send you here to train?" Buffy asked.
"They sent me to the best," Avery answered, "with Faith in jail, they're not too impressed and looking to settle some old scores with her. She'll be getting out soon you know."
"She's a murderer."
"She was a minor." Avery reminded her. "Plus take off some time for good behaviour and whatnot, she'll make her parole no problem. I can guarantee she'll be walking in the next year . . . of course, outside of those walls, she won't last a day."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I told you, the Council's looking to settle the score. You take a life as a slayer, you give one back."
"They'll kill her?"
Avery shrugged. "I don't know that much about it. They might kill her, they might just take her into custody and make her do the time they think she deserves. I never thought to ask."
"And you're training to take her place?"
"That's the basic deal. With you and your 'oh-so-mighty' attitude, they feel they need a go-between for the Council and the supernatural world out there." Avery held down a snotty grin. "They call those go-betweens the real slayers."
Buffy and Avery stared each other down for a long moment, one slayer with simmering anger and the other with a smug knowledge that she could talk down to anyone she wanted and get away with it. Spike marvelled at her and the thought briefly crossed his mind how much she reminded him of Faith.
"What did you mean, they sent you to the best?"
Avery looked at her. "I mean, they sent me to train with the best. How else can you take it?"
"They think I'm the best person to train you?"
Avery paused. "Well . . . no. They sent me here to train with Rupert Giles. He's the man behind the slayer."
Buffy's face fell momentarily and Spike watched in awe and Avery's own face softened.
"What? Did something happen?"
"He left." Buffy stated. "Went back to England. He thinks he's holding me back."
"A slayer can only learn so much from their watcher before they have to experience life on their own. They're like your parents; they can't always be there."
"That's smart." Buffy murmured, resignation in her voice. "What happened to the tough girl act?"
"It's not an act." Avery shrugged without smiling. "But who says tough girls don't have hearts?"
Silence spread through the mausoleum, both slayers looking at each other, expressionless. Spike stood alone, still enthralled with the two women that stood before him, their interaction the most amazing thing he'd seen in so long.
"If Mr. Giles is gone, I guess there's only one thing to do." Avery finally said.
"He doesn't want to be a watcher anymore." Buffy told her. "You can follow him to England if you want, but-"
"I'm not going to England." Avery said. "They wanted me to train with the best and if the best doesn't want to, then his student will probably do just fine. The best can only make better, right?"
Buffy nodded slowly. "Right. Okay, I'll do it. We-uh, we train in the back room of a magic shop on fourth avenue. It's called the Magick Box and the address is in the phone book. I'm sure Spike can give you directions. Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow sounds good. Say nine?"
Buffy nodded. "Nine is it. That gives me time to . . . well, never mind. I'll see you then." She shot one final glare in Spike's direction, giving him all the evidence he needed that Buffy hadn't believed his story, then she left, closing the door behind her.
Avery turned away and went in search of her stake, ignoring the fact that she was still in Spike's crypt and ignoring the fact that he was still staring at her. She finally found the long piece of wood and tucked it into her pants, then glanced at the vampire.
"You okay?"
"What do you think?"
She shrugged. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"
"Do you have any idea how long I've worked to get that girl to trust me? And then you just come barging in here with your stake and all your threats and your fake tough girl look and ruin everything."
Avery's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? The only thing I found when I came in here was a neutered vampire just waiting to be put to sleep. I thought you would make for a hell of a fight vampire but you did nothing for me. Nothing. I came here because of the reputation you've build for yourself, but all I found was a lovesick puppy. You're not a vampire anymore, you're nothing but a human."
Spike trembled with anger. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"Yeah, a washed up vampire who has nothing to do but remember his glory days." Avery looked him up and down. "And I thought that didn't happen to vampires."
"You better listen to me you little bitch and you better listen good. I'm going to get this chip out of my head, don't doubt that, and when I do; you and me are gonna dance. Really dance."
"Funny, the way it seems to me, that's probably the same thing you said to Buffy before falling head over heels in love with her."
Spike didn't have a response for her, he just turned away and yanked a pair of socks over his bare feet. He pulled a tee shirt over his head, then slammed into his boot and threw on his duster. When he turned back, Avery was still standing there, watching him with an amused smile on her face.
"What the f-"
She interrupted him and surprised him with, "You're cute, y'know that?"
"Uh . . ."
"Wanna help me find that kill I'm craving?"
A stunned smile crossed Spike's face. "Why not pet? I'm up for a little action."
Avery watched as Buffy finished her training, pummelling the punching bag, then followed her instructions. She was dripping with sweat, breathing hard and she knew she hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Buffy was a good trainer, Giles had done his job well. The only problem Avery was finding was that the slayer almost refused to speak to her.
Finished the exercise Avery grabbed a towel and threw it over her back. "What's the deal here?"
Buffy glanced at her. "What?"
"What is your issue? You can't train me without speaking to me." Avery put her hands on her hips. "Are you pissed because you found me trying to murder your honey last night?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Let's get two things straight here. Number one; I'm pissed because last night I walked in on slayer's fun hour with my honey. And number two; Spike is not my honey. I'm training you because the Council sent you. No other reason." She stared the other girl down for a moment longer, then disappeared into the front of the magic shop.
Avery rolled her eyes and towelled dry, then grabbed her bag and followed the path Buffy had taken. The shop was mostly empty except for Buffy's friends Xander, Willow and Anya. Buffy's sister was sitting at a table away from the others. When she walked through them, Willow smiled at her encouragingly while all the others either glared at her, or glanced away. Avery knew the only reason Willow cared was because she was still hurting over the loss of her girlfriend, Spike had told her the night before. It seemed to Willow right now that everyone needed a little affection, especially a stranger in town.
Avery tossed a smile back in Willow's direction, then left the store and the vicious, whispered comments behind.
Onto part 2 of the story!
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