The Slayer was waiting for Spike at the cemetery down the street from Xander's house. As much as the vampire enjoyed the opportunity to kick some demon ass, he hated leaving Xander alone in that house. Not to mention the hurt look that filled the boys eyes whenever one of his supposed friends said he wasn't needed.
"Took you long enough."
"And a pleasant evening to you Slayer. That time of the month is it?"
"Shut up Spike."
"That answers that."
"You're sick."
"What are you going on about?"
"You. You perverted freak. Geez, we all know Xander's an easy lay, but I never thought he'd sink this low."
"Careful Slayer."
"Please. What are you gonna do? Vamp out and get frisky? Not even. Or, wait, I know maybe you'll offer to paint my dorm room pink. Or you could always try to get all grrr and attack me, but you can't get your dick up for anything but psychos and losers..."
"Then a pathetic bitch like you should be just my type. What is your problem? You hate me and you don't like Xander, what do you care about the two of us being together? Or is just too much for your ego to take. I mean first Angel dumps you for an Irish half-demon and now Xander doesn't give a damn if you fuck all of Sunnyhell. He doesn't even notice when you wriggle that skinny ass of yours at him."
"You worthless faggot!"
"Yeah, that's the one is it? Your dear old faithful Xander doesn't give a damn about you anymore and you want your pet back. Well he's mine now. I have him. I'm the one he listens to, I'm the one he wants. You lost again Slayer. You couldn't even hang on to that worthless cunt Faith."
Spike had known the minute the word sick came out of the Slayer's mouth it was a setup. He had baited her to buy time. He couldn't fight her; he couldn't even defend himself. Half-way through his torrent about how pathetic she was he'd spotted his answer, the other half of his little speech had just been for fun.
Buffy screamed and attacked him. He dodged and ran for the open crypt to his right. She followed. He almost made it through the door when he felt fire lick across his shoulders. She had caught him with the damn stake. He knew the wood had opened a deep gash across his back and he vamped out in response to the pain.
The implant had been screaming in his head since this started, but now he was almost blind from the pain. He made it inside the mausoleum and swerved to the left. She charged in behind him and then ran past him. He ducked out the door and slammed it shut on her. Then he ran. He ran to the only place his aching body thought of as safe. He ran to Xander.
