Holding Hands

 

“Slayer!”

Buffy turned at Spike’s shout in time to block the attack from another of the orange coloured demons who she and the vampire had been fighting for the past 30 minutes. They tumbled to the ground, the demon quickly pinning the out-of-breath Slayer.

“Why do these things always happen on date nights?” Buffy complained, bringing her legs up and using her enhanced strength to flip the demon over her head. She reached for the knife that had been knocked out of her hand when the demon attacked, but just before her hand could close around the handle, she was yanked roughly along the ground away from it.

She looked around for something to help her kill the demon when she saw Spike leaning back against a tree watching the fight, calmly smoking a cigarette. “Do you wanna gimme a hand here?”

“You’re doing fine Slayer” Spike told her casually.

“Spike when I get out of this, you are so staked!” Buffy shouted as she and the orange demon continued to fight.

The blonde vampire grinned widely at her words and the picture she made as he stamped out his cigarette and walked slowly over towards the Slayer and demon struggling on the ground. He kicked the knife across to her as she straddled the roaring demon and Buffy quickly used it to end the creature’s life. The demon thrashed wildly as he died, knocking the Slayer backwards onto the ground.

Spike snorted with laughter and Buffy’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Do not even think about starting with me.” The vampire grinned down at her and offered her his hand. She grasped it firmly and he helped her to her feet.

“Well that wasn’t fun,” Buffy said brightly, brushing the dirt from the back of her trousers with her free hand. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I still have five minutes to get washed, changed and to the Bronze.”

Spike rolled his eyes at the Slayer’s impatience to get to her toy soldier and stepped back away from her. Then he noticed their hands were still joined. He frowned and tried to move his hand, to pull away but it was no use. Buffy’s impatience grew. “Spike this isn’t funny. Let go!”

“Me? You’re the one who won’t let go. Get off me!”

“Spike!” Buffy shouted pulling forcefully away from him.

“Slayer!” Spike shouted as he tried the same thing.

They stopped and looked at one another. As their eyes met they realised the inevitable. Buffy sighed and started to pull Spike through the cemetery. “Giles better know how to undo this.” Spike nodded emphatically in agreement. “Or else we’ll have to cut your hand off,” Buffy finished with a small smile.

****

“Giles!” Buffy shouted as she stormed angrily into her Watcher’s house, dragging Spike forcefully behind her.

“Buffy, what’s wrong?” Giles asked anxiously as he jumped up from the couch, throwing the book he had been reading down on the coffee table. In answer, Buffy raised her and Spike’s joined hands towards Giles. The former Watcher’s eyes widened as Buffy tugged fiercely at the vampire’s hand but was unable to let go.

“Get me out of this Giles. I have a date!”

“Dammit Slayer! Is that all you can think about? There are more important things!” Spike inserted, irritated at her constant references to the boy wonder.

“So says the guy who’s last date was Harmony!” Buffy shot back before turning to Giles. “Can I use your phone?” Giles nodded and then moved to the bookcase to try and find something to help Buffy.

The Slayer moved over to the phone and Spike was forced to move with her so as not to lose his arm. Buffy quickly dialled Riley’s number hoping that he was running late and hadn’t left yet. Spike stood next to her glaring angrily at the oblivious Slayer. He watched her biting on her lower lip as she waited, listening intently, and suddenly became focused on the action, his mind remembering when he had done precisely what she was doing now. His body jerked in reaction and Buffy shot him an irritated glance.

“Damn! He must have left already,” Buffy said irately as she replaced the handset. “Giles, say you know how to undo this.”

“I haven’t come across anything like this before Buffy, I’m sorry,” Giles told her, shaking his head regretfully. “I’ll keep looking.”

Buffy stomped her foot once in frustration but refused to take it out on Giles. It wasn’t his fault and he was trying to help. Unlike Spike. She glared at the blonde vampire who raised his scarred eyebrow slightly at her look.

“What? Don’t try and blame me for this one Slayer. I’m stuck to you just as much as you’re stuck to me. It’s not my fault you can’t go on your date.”

“Who says I can’t?” Buffy asked indignantly at his snide tone.

“What, you’re gonna walk in holding my hand and say, ‘Hi honey. Guess who I brought along on our first official nighttime date? A 120 year old vampire you neutered, who also happens to be my mortal enemy.’” Spike raised his voice into a higher pitch as he mockingly impersonated Buffy, knowing deep down that he should stop if he didn’t want this problem to be ended by a strategic stake to the heart. The look in Buffy’s eyes told him her thoughts were in the same area.

“Number one, we are not holding hands, we are stuck together. Number two I would obviously come up with a better excuse than that. I’d just tell him you know I’m the Slayer and were helping me when this happened,” Buffy smirked up at him and thought that it would serve him right if she did take him along with her.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah!” Giles exclaimed excitedly, interrupting the vampire and Slayer.

“What? Did you find something? Can you fix this?” Buffy asked quickly, gesturing with their joined hands.

“Well no not exactly. There’s a similar demon, in the same family as the Drolc’h, whose blood reacts with the skin,” Giles read from the book, “Then some long winded explanation about why, which you probably don’t want to hear.”

Buffy and Spike shook their heads in unison.

“Ah. That’s interesting.” Giles stopped as he read further through the passage and the Slayer and vampire stood staring at him, waiting for him to continue with the exactly the same expression of anticipation and annoyance on their faces.

 “What’s interesting?” Buffy almost shouted at length.

“The blood’s reaction with the skin causes it to make some sort of glue-like substance. It’s possible Drolc’h blood contains the same properties, which would explain why you’re stuck together. Sorry. It doesn’t say any more. Nothing about how to undo it. Whoever wrote it probably didn’t consider there to be much need. And I doubt anyone considered the possibility of vampires and Slayers holding hands,” Giles finished, trying to hold back a grin.

“We are NOT holding hands!” Buffy forced out angrily and both Giles and Spike knew better than to argue with her. “Look I’m sorry,” she told Giles, taking a few deep breathes to calm her down. “You keep looking, we’ll be back later.”

“And where are we going?” Spike demanded, planting his feet firmly to stop her pulling him across the room.

“I am going on my date,” Buffy answered, smiling sweetly. Spike knew exactly what that look meant. “And if you don’t want to come…” She pulled a stake out of her coat, “We can easily solve this problem right now.”

****

“So what’s our story?” Spike asked as he and Buffy turned into the alley leading to the Bronze. The journey had been made in silence, as Spike really didn’t want to fight with the Slayer when he couldn’t get away. But now they were so close, the blonde vampire thought he should speak up, so as to avoid a nasty scene inside.

Buffy stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “The truth, or as much of the truth as we can manage without telling him who you are.” Buffy’s thoughts were rampaging wildly in her head. Her anger had faded and, as they had neared the Bronze, so had her determination to see this night through. She should just find Willow or Xander and get them to pass a message on to Riley, telling him she was sick or something.

And when she thought about it, she realised that that was exactly what she would have done if it had been anyone else. She and Riley couldn’t have a proper date with a third party. But this was Spike and for some reason, she felt it was important to walk in there and try and behave normally even if she was holding hands with her mortal enemy. ‘Not holding hands Buffy!’ she reminded herself, although to be honest she quite liked the feel of her hand in his.

“Buffy that’s not going to work,” Spike interrupted her musings. She raised her eyebrows in question and Spike rolled his eyes before continuing. “Soldier boy isn’t blind, even if he is stupid. Eventually he’ll recognise me and that’ll open up a whole other can of worms you don’t want to deal with tonight.”

Buffy glared angrily up at him. “What do you suggest then?”

“Just find one of your little Scooby friends and get them to pass on a message.”

“No!” Buffy exclaimed.

“Slayer, he knows who you are. He’ll understand,” Spike assured her looking down at her oddly at her strange behaviour.

“Spike forget it. I am not cancelling our first date! We’ll just have to think of something!”

****

“Riley!” Buffy shouted across the club, waving to attract his attention. He was sitting at a table with Willow, Xander and Anya and it was the former demon who finally saw Buffy and indicated to the others that she had finally arrived.

Riley looked up expectantly and smiled at Buffy before turning back to the others who were grinning madly at him. He excused himself and made his way across to the small blonde Slayer. She was leaning against one of the supports at the side of the dance floor, which held up the upper level of the Bronze.

“Hi,” she greeted as he approached.

“Hi. I’m glad you made it. Eventually,” he said laughing as he leant down to kiss her cheek. The man leaning against the other side of the support started to cough loudly, leaning slightly towards the pair of the other side. Riley stopped and moved back away from him, without kissing Buffy.

The Slayer squeezed Spike’s hand tightly with a force that would have broken a human hand, telling him she was unamused by his display. She smiled brightly up at Riley and nodded when he asked her if she wanted a drink. He turned and moved across the room and Buffy turned around to glare at Spike.

“This isn’t funny! Can you please behave? I’m on a date!” she warned, her eyes flashing dangerously.

“It’s your fault for bringing me,” Spike countered, managing to light a cigarette and blow the smoke tauntingly in her face.

Buffy glowered. “I hate you!”

Spike just grinned, “The feeling is more than mutual Slayer. Now be a good girl and turn back around. Captain Cardboard managed to remember a coke with no trouble.”

Buffy spun quickly back round and leaned back against the support, seconds before Riley reached her.

“Do you want to go and sit down somewhere?” he asked as she took her drink from him.

“No, no. I’m fine,” Buffy said quickly, her enhanced hearing catching the chuckle, emitted from the blonde vampire behind her.   

“Ok,” Riley agreed with a smile and Buffy relaxed a little. “So uh, what’ve you been up to lately?”

“Oh, you know,” Buffy answered. “A little homework, a little hunting.”

Spike rolled his eyes as Riley laughed at the joke. It wasn’t that funny. Hell it was barely funny at all. The Slayer was slipping in her old age. Or maybe just since she met Mr Personality Bypass. As Buffy continued to flirt unashamedly with Riley, Spike fished inside his coat pocket for another cigarette. “Damn,” he swore loudly, realising that he had finished his last one and there was no way of getting another without interrupting Buffy’s date. Not that that wouldn’t be fun… The Slayer squeezed his hand tightly once again at his outburst and Spike had finally had enough, squeezing back as hard as she had. Buffy squeaked in pain and Riley looked oddly down at her. “Are you ok?”

“I’m great,” she answered, taking a little pleasure from the knowledge that Spike was now in far more pain than she was.

“Bloody chip,” he ground out, holding his head against the pain.

“Are you alright?”

Spike looked up and met a pretty pair of sparkling blue eyes. Raising his head, he looked at the young woman before him. She was about the same age as Buffy and Willow, with long dark hair, which fell in waves around her face and shoulders. Spike smiled at her as she tilted her head slightly waiting for his answer.

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Just a little headache. It’s gone now.”

“Oh are you sure. Is there anything I can get you?”

“No, I’m pretty sure you being here is what’s helping.”

“Oh please.”

“What?”

Buffy started slightly and looked up at Riley, forcing a smile to her face. “Nothing. Sorry. I just remembered something I forgot before. Please continue it was so interesting.” The minute Riley started talking Buffy put her attentive face back on and effectively tuned him out as she listened to what Spike and the girl were talking about.

“So do you have a girlfriend?”

Spike smiled sadly. “Ah, no. My girlfriend of many years decided to leave me for an old friend of mine. We tried to work it out but things were never the same. I haven’t really dated much since.”

The girl tilted her head in sympathy. “Oh I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. In fact with you here I…”

“Spike?”

The vampire groaned internally. “Willow.”

The redhead moved closer, smiling brightly at the other girl. “Hi. I’m Willow. I’m a friend of, uh…” She looked at Spike and he raised his eyebrows at her, the slight smile that lingered on his lips asking her to continue. She tilted her chin and looked back at the girl. “Of, Spike’s. Willow.”

“Susan,” the other girl greeted shaking the redhead’s outstretched hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Why don’t you come over here and sit with us?” Willow asked, gesturing towards Xander and Anya with a wave of her hand.

Spike stared at her as though she had just sprouted another head. “Eh?”

“Come on Spike. I’m sure Susan would like to get to know your friends.” Willow smirked smugly at the vampire as the other girl nodded enthusiastically.

Spike heard Buffy giggle from the other side of the pillar. A cruel smile appeared on his face. “Ok Red,” he acquiesced, stepping toward her and pulling Buffy back against the post. The Slayer squealed and Riley moved to steady her, automatically moving his arms up to her waist. Spike waved their joined hands towards Willow before stepping back to his original position. Willow looked from their hands to Spike, to Buffy and finally back to their hands. “What is going on?” she hissed at the vampire.

Spike closed his eyes in weary defeat and rested his head back against the pillar. “This is karma isn’t it?” he addressed the ceiling quietly. “I’m not going to hell. I’m going to spend eternity with these morons.”

“Spike!”

“Maybe I should go,” Susan interrupted, edging away from the blonde and redhead who were now glaring daggers at each other.

 “No,” Spike protested, turning back towards the other girl, but she was already disappearing across the club. “Dammit.”

“You wouldn’t want to go out with someone who scares that easily,” Willow stated supportively, before she remembered whom she was talking to. “Now why are you holding hands with Buffy?”

“We’ve discovered we’re hopelessly in love with one another and can’t bear to be apart for one minute,” Spike responded fervently. “And it’s all thanks to your little spell Will.”

Willow flushed bright red and started to sputter out excuses. Spike’s own smile grew when he heard Buffy giggle. The young Witch looked up quickly and punched the vampire’s arm when she saw his face. “Spike! What’s the real reason?”

“Riley, will you excuse me a moment?” Buffy asked a little too loudly and Spike gestured towards her for Willow’s benefit. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Riley, looking a little scared at Buffy’s odd behaviour, forced a smile and nodded. “Ok.”

“Why don’t you get us another drink?”

As soon as he turned towards the bar, Buffy spun around, grabbed her best friend’s arm and dragged both her and Spike towards the ladies room.

“I can’t go in there,” Spike protested as Buffy pushed open the door.

“Ah, is the big bad vampire afraid?” she asked in her best little girl voice before yelling “Everyone out! Now!” to the startled group of girls standing in front of the mirrors. The bathroom emptied quickly and the three were left alone.

“I told you this was a stupid idea,” Spike barked at Buffy, preventing Willow from asking any one of the million questions she had. “But would you listen? Of course not. You’ve always got to get your own way.”

“Oh that’s rich, coming from the most stubborn, pig-headed vampire I have ever had the misfortune to meet!”

“Uh, what…?” Willow tried to interrupt the battling pair.

“Why don’t you just admit that you were wrong, let Red here make your excuses and we can go back to Giles’ and get unstuck?”

“What is…?”

“That is of course unless you like holding my hand,” Spike smirked.

“Can you please…?”

“We are NOT holding hands!”

“HEY!” Willow shouted over vampire and Slayer. “Could one of you please tell me, without shouting, just what the hell is going on?”

Buffy glared at Spike and turned to her friend. “We got covered in demon blood. It forms some kind of glue-like substance and now,” she held up their joined hands, “we’re stuck together.”

“So why are you here?” Willow asked, puzzled. “You can’t have a normal date when you’re like that!”

“That’s what I said.”

“Shut up!”

“Make me!”

“Fine,” Buffy said calmly, and once again produced a stake.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Go on then. I dare you.”

“Buffy no!” Willow objected, grabbing the stake from her friend. “You’re both behaving like children. It ends right now.”

Both Slayer and vampire hung their heads, embarrassed by Willow’s scolding.

“I’m going to get Xander and Anya and go help Giles find a way to unstick you. You two can stay here and sort out what you’re going to do.” She turned and walked out of the bathroom muttering, “I should have willed you to have sex. Then we wouldn’t have to put up with this UST crap anymore.”

****

Anya and Xander looked up at Willow when she arrived back at their table. “Everything ok?” her best friend asked as she grabbed her coat and bag. “Did you get rid of him?”

“We have to go now,” Willow said quietly and Xander, recognising resolve face when he saw it, urged Anya to her feet.

“You heard the woman.”

“What happened with Spike and Buffy?” Anya asked, following Willow and Xander through the club.

“The usual,” the redhead answered with a roll of her eyes. “They got themselves into trouble and they’re both too proud and… stupid to admit that they need help, causing them to descend into childish…”

“Hi guys!”

“Riley!” Willow exclaimed, her eyes flicking to the ladies room that Buffy and Spike had not yet emerged from. “We were just leaving.”

Riley nodded. “Have you seen Buffy?”

Anya shrugged and Xander shook his head emphatically. Willow giggled nervously. “No. No! I mean, I saw her a few minutes ago, waiting in line for the bathroom. It’s really busy tonight.”

“Yeah. I’d noticed. Well I better be getting back. Night guys.”

“Bye Riley!” they chorused before quickly escaping through the nearest exit.

“Willow,” Xander sighed as his friend started purposefully down the street. “What is going on?”

****

Buffy and Spike sat side by side on the small bench that was pushed against one wall of the ladies  room. Neither had spoken since Willow’s exit, both too wrapped up in their own thoughts about what to do.

“I’m, uh, going to have to tell Riley something. Try and explain,” Buffy told him hesitantly.

“Uh-huh,” Spike agreed shortly.

Buffy gritted her teeth and just managed to restrain the insult that leapt to her tongue at his indifference. ‘It’s your own fault,’ a little voice at the back of her mind told her, but she stamped it down mercilessly.

She looked around the room as they continued to sit there quietly, hoping to find some inspiration as to how to escape the club with as little damage to her budding relationship with Riley as possible. “Maybe water would work,” she mused as her eyes came to rest on the sinks.

Spike snorted and rolled his eyes. “If it was that simple, Giles would have…”

“Giles doesn’t know anything about this demon. If he did he would have told me to avoid getting blood all over me when he sent me out to kill it.” Spike shook his head again. Buffy jumped up furiously and turned to face him. “Well at least I’m thinking of things. I don’t see you coming up with any ideas.”

“Fine,” Spike said, standing himself and glowering down at her. “But I get to say ‘I told you so’ when it doesn’t work.”

Buffy stalked across to the first sink and turned on the hot tap, forcing their joined hands under the water. “You know, if you filled the sink with water, maybe…”

“Shut up!” Buffy hissed, but did as he suggested.

Five minutes later Buffy was becoming more and more frustrated as she tried to free herself, while Spike was becoming more and more amused. “I told you this wouldn’t work.”

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Buffy demanded, stamping her foot as she gave up on the water and pulled their hands from the sink.

“Oh yes,” Spike drawled sarcastically. “Bloody dream come true this is.”

“You are such as jerk!” Buffy shouted, stepping closer so that they were practically touching.

The two blondes froze as the bathroom door opened and two young girls hurried inside. The girls stopped in surprise when they saw the Slayer and vampire standing together, hand in hand.

“Eww!” one of the girls squealed as the other descended into fits of laughter. “God, can’t you get a room?! This is a public place!”

Buffy opened her mouth to correct the girl, but she had already retreated from the room pulling her still giggling friend with her. “But we weren’t…” the Slayer protested, pointing with her free hand towards the door. She turned to Spike, a look of horror on her face. “They think we… And we weren’t…”

“Yeah, well,” Spike drawled casually, grinning internally at the affronted look on the Slayer’s face. “We are in the ladies luv. Probably not the best place for a man and woman to be skulking around in.”

“We’re not skulking. I never skulk,” Buffy hissed, pulling him round to face her. “And it should be perfectly obvious to everyone that there is nothing going on between us!”

“Well ‘obviously’ it isn’t,” Spike snapped back, Willow’s whispered parting shot ringing loudly in his ears. “Although how anyone could think I’d want to spend time with a stuck-up tight-ass like you unless I was under some bloody spell escapes me!”

“Stuck-up tight-ass?” Buffy exclaimed glaring at the vampire. “Excuse me, Mr Mass-murdering, Billy-Idol-worshipping, arrogant-bastard Vampire. The very thought of spending time with you when I’m not kicking your ass, makes me want to throw up. And after this,” she said, waving their joined hands in the air, “I’m going to have to shower for at least a day to get all the… Spike off me.”

“You know what really pisses me off about you Summers?”

“The fact that I’m prettier than you?”

“The unbelievable amount of garbage that spews forth from your judgemental little mouth,” Spike continued as though she hadn’t spoken. “After two years it still astonishes me that such a tiny thing like you, can have such a big mouth!”

“Me? Have you ever been quiet longer than the time it takes for someone else to finish their sentence?”

“Bitch!”

“Asshole!”

“Slut!”

“Freak!”

 “I hate you!”

“I hate you!”

Their mouths crashed together in a punishing kiss as the tension between them finally combusted. Spike twisted Buffy’s arm behind her so that it lay comfortably against her back as he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her closer. Buffy meanwhile slid her free hand up into her mortal enemy’s hair, her fingers digging into his scalp as they strove to get closer.

****

“Can we not just take them to the hospital?” Xander asked as Giles set another pile of books down on the coffee table. “Tell the doctors they got super-glued together?”

“Xander if it were merely a case of running their hands under warm water for ten minutes we would have done it straight away. It’s caused by magicks and Buffy and Spike’s reaction to the demon’s blood. They are all supernatural creatures. Conventional methods will not work.”

“And by that did you mean no?” Xander asked with a smirk, grabbing another book from the pile.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a vengeance demon?” Anya asked as she skimmed through one of the texts. “Because one time, I glued this guy’s hands to his…”

“Anya!” Xander yelled, as Giles winced and Willow blushed furiously.

“Ears,” Anya finished, frowning at the others. “You know you all look at me like I’m weird but you people can be really gross.”

“Yes, well,” Giles interrupted, trying to steer them back on course. “Let’s keep looking shall we.”

****

The faint knock on the bathroom door failed to distract Buffy and Spike. They were far too wrapped up in each other to be disturbed by anything other than…

“Buffy!”

The vampire and Slayer froze.

“Buffy are you in there?” the voice shouted through the door again.

Buffy’s stricken eyes locked with Spike’s as she jumped away from him, her breathing erratic as she tried to calm down. “Yeah Riley, I’m… I’m, uh… I’ll just be a minute ok?”

“Ok.”

Buffy tried desperately not to look at Spike as she fidgeted anxiously on the spot. She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened between them. One minute they had been fighting, the next… The young girl blushed furiously as she went over it all again in her mind. It was ridiculous and it was wrong, and they didn’t even like each other. How could this have happened?

Spike kept his eyes fixed on the Slayer, waiting for her reaction. Expecting some sort of verbal or physical abuse, he was surprised when she asked quietly, “How do we get out of here?”

Looking at her distressed face he swallowed the cutting remark he had been about to make. She looked lost and alone, and for once Spike decided she needed help, rather than sarcasm and arguments. He sighed. “Look, open the door and stick you head out, I’ll stand against the wall out of sight. Tell him you’re not feeling well and you’re just going to go home to your mum and let her look after you.”

“What if he offers to walk me home?”

“Tell him… I don’t know. Tell him it’ll add another hour to his journey and you’d be happier if he just went straight back to campus.”

“Spike… this is so not going to work.”

“It’s either that or we go out there like this and you tell him the truth, which will be incredibly embarrassing coming this late. Of course he could just dump you the minute he sees…”

“Fine. Fine. We’ll try that. But I’m blaming you if anything goes wrong.”

****

Willow sighed heavily as she closed her fifth book with an angry snap and reached for another. She wondered briefly how Buffy and Spike were getting on, sincerely hoping her best friend hadn’t giving in to the temptation of staking the blonde vampire yet. Truth be told, she liked Spike. Despite the two times he had tried to kill, he had always been kind to her, always tried to make her feel better. Sure he could be annoying sometimes but, Anya was annoying all of the time and she was still part of the gang. Stifling a laugh, she opened the book and began to read.

Ten minutes later Xander and Anya jumped in shock as Willow squealed. Giles looked up from his book and moved towards her. “Willow?”

The redhead’s eyes darted nervously between the book and Giles. “Uh, uh, I…” she stuttered.

“Willow, what is it? Did you find a cure?”

The young Witch’s eyes widened and she paused before she nodded. “Uh, yeah,” she said a little too quickly and the others frowned at her in confusion. “Uh, there’s a spell. A spell to undo it. It should be really simple. I just need a few supplies. We can swing by the Magic Box and then go find Buffy and Spike.”

Giles continued to stare at her. “Just a spell? Does it say anything about the demon blood?”

“It says you were right,” Willow told him with a smile, holding the book tightly to her chest as she grabbed her coat and started for the door. “Yay you!”

“Willow…”

“See you later Giles!”

The Watcher looked at Xander and Anya who both shrugged and before quickly following the redhead from Giles’ apartment.

****

“I can’t believe he bought that,” Buffy exclaimed for the fifth time as she and Spike headed through the park towards Giles’.

Spike reached inside his coat pocket for his cigarettes. “Yeah. Especially with all your stuttering and nervous laughter. The bloke must be crazy about you.” He paused for a moment and smirked. “Or incredibly stupid.”

Buffy turned to glare at him. “He is not… God that’s gross,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the cigarette.

“Right. Demon guts you can handle, but a little smoke gets you to make your ‘ick’ face.”

“My ‘ick face’?”

“Yeah, that little scrunchy nose thing you do when something…”

“How do you know I have an ‘ick face’?”

“You fed me blood for two weeks remember.”

“Spike…”

“Unless it was me and not the blood, but I guess we’ve ruled out my ick factor tonight haven’t we.”

“Spike…”

“And I know, we should probably just pretend it never happened, but I think we need to talk about it, because it brought up a few things that I’ve been thinking about and…”

“Spike, duck!”

The vampire barely had time to take in the Slayer’s words before something hit the back of his head, causing him to stagger forward. Buffy caught him easily and kept him upright, moving them quickly backwards away from the demon advancing on them.

“Spike, we’re going to have to do this together. You ready?”

“Ready,” Spike growled, wanting to attack the demon that had caught him unawares.

The creature had no idea what hit him. The blonde pair attacked in perfect harmony, quickly and effectively immobilising the demon, with a series of perfectly timed moves, equally matched in their skill, strength and grace. When it was over they stood together, breathing hard, eyes shining with a mix of laughter and the thrill of the fight. Neither spoke but both stepped unconsciously closer, tilting their heads towards each other.

This was how the Scoobies found them.

“Guys!” Willow shouted, racing towards them across the park; her nervous eyes belying the smile on her face. “We found a way to undo it.”

Buffy and Spike once again moved a reasonable distance apart, the Slayer concentrating on her friend, while Spike stared off towards Xander and Anya who were waiting by the park gates.

“Will it take long?” Buffy asked, glancing at Spike who studiously avoided her.

“Nope,” Willow said, setting the two books she carried down on the ground and pulling a small bag of herbs from her coat pocket. “We can do it right now.”

Wanting to get the whole thing over with, Spike turned back to face Buffy, as Willow scattered the herbs around them in a circle.

“In the name of the Goddess,

I banish the force of the Drolc’h blood.

Part the hands of those who have been joined together.

As I have spoken,

So shall it be.”

All three stood awkwardly for a moment, before Buffy asked, “Is that it?”

“Yeah. Do you want to try letting go now?”

Buffy and Spike’s eyes met and held as they experimentally flexed their joined hands. Slipping slowly from each other’s grasp, they stepped further apart, replacing the emotional and physical distance between them.

“Good then,” Spike said at last, pushing his hands into his duster pockets. “I’ll be off. See you both around.”

“Bye,” the Slayer murmured softly as he walked away.

****

Reaching the edge of the park, Spike stopped beneath the trees and watched the Slayer as she headed away from him towards her friends. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the rough bark and closed his eyes.

“Spike.”

Looking round sharply, Spike saw Willow leaning against a tree nearby watching him with something very like a smirk on her pretty face. “What’s wrong Red?”

“Nothing,” she answered with a grin. “Just saw you standing over here…”

“And you thought you’d come and torment me? Well, thanks but no thanks.” He pushed himself away from the tree and started away from her.

“There was no spell.”

Spike stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”

Willow moved closer. “There was no spell. It was fake. It didn’t do anything.”

“Then why…?” he asked, turning to face her.

“Do you know anything about Drolc’h demons?”

Spike shook his head.

“Drolc’ h blood does have glue-like properties. It uses it from time to time to trap its prey. Fortunately Slayers, and vampires for that matter, are immune.”

“Then how…?”

“Drolc’h’s enhance a person’s subconscious mind. Make people react to what a part of their mind is always telling them. They can cause chaos wherever they go.”

“What has any of that got to do with me being stuck to the Slayer?”

Willow ignored him. “And if the something involves two people, then both have to want it consciously or not. Which is why this is so fascinating for me?”

“And why is that?”

“If you and Buffy were stuck together it means that both of you had to want it.”

Spike stared at the Witch. “I…”

“Subconsciously,” the redhead continued, “neither of you wanted to let go of the other.  You wanted to stay together.”

The vampire heard her words pounding in his head, knowing absolutely that what she said was true before he could even open his mouth to contradict her.

Willow watched as the truth settled over Spike and saw something like acceptance spark in his eyes.

“I did the spell so that you would both purposely make the decision to separate. All that was holding you together were yourselves.” She smiled up at him and leaned in conspiratorially. “Your secret’s safe with me.” She squeezed his arm gently in reassurance and set off across the park to join her friends, leaving Spike alone once again with his thoughts.

The End