TITLE: The Most Impossible Thing
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: Eventually B/S.
SPOILERS: "Harsh Light of Day" and "In The Dark"
DISTRIBUTION: Slay This, other sites with my fic up. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kazui Sandollar, FOX and the WB own it or them. I'm just holding Spike hostage. Carolyn's got Xander, May's got Oz, Cathryn's got Ethan, Shelly has Angel, and Gillian has Doyle. You may see them by appointment only.
FEEDBACK: Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking in the spiderwebs so leave a message and I'll call you back...in other words, I want it. Don't care if it's onlist or not.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Not much. Caroline put out a challenge so she'd have something to read when her e-mail came back online. So...I might write more before it does, or I might not. I'm fiercely battling writer's block.

***

"Now," Buffy said, taking another bite of her ice cream, "explain to me what was going through your mind when you came back to Sunnydale that time."

"Simple. Wanted to hurt whoever hurt Dru, at first," Spike said, taking a bite of her ice cream.

"That's mine! You have your own!"

"But yours tastes better. Anyway, number one on that list was my poof of a sire. But then I heard Red getting the ingredients to a spell and decided a change of plans was in order."

"And it involved you kidnapping Willow and Xander," she said, taking a bite of his ice cream. "You know he's never going to trust you."

"Does he need to?"

"Well, yeah." Buffy glanced at their ice cream containers. "Stop eating my ice cream!"

"Well, then let's switch. You take mine, and I finish yours."

Buffy thought for a moment. "All right, that sounds fair," she said, handing over her small pint. Spike took it and handed her his. "You know I'm still going to steal ice cream from you, right?"

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," Spike said jokingly.

"By you? I doubt it," she said in the same tone.

"Is this a challenge, Buffy?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not. Hey...did you realize you haven't called me Slayer once this evening?"

"Yeah...I like Buffy better, myself."

"I always hated my name," Buffy said, shrugging.

"Why?"

"Too unusual. What about yours?"

"You mean Spike or my given name?"

"Your given name. What is it, anyway?"

Spike mumbled the answer. "WilliamJeffersClinttheThird."

"What was that?"

"William Jeffers Clint the Third. Does the name sound a tad familiar?"

"Not really."

"Think...who's the president right now?"

"Bill Clinton."

"She does pay attention," Spike murmured, receiving a soft punch in the arm. "Anyway...you know his full name?" She shook her head, and he continued on. "William Jefferson Clinton. I'm an ancestor of his."

She stared in shock. "You have got to be kidding..."

He held up his right hand, and placed his left over his heart. "Scout's honor."

Buffy cracked up. "You have to be kidding me now."

"I'm not, honest."

Buffy shook her head, still smiling. "All right...I believe you, I believe you." She took some more of his ice cream. "I love brownies."

"Subject change?"

Buffy nodded. "I love chocolate. Of all kinds. But I have a big thing for brownies. But I never get any."

"Why?"

"If I had to cook...it'd be uneatable."

"Are you pulling my leg, Buffy?"

"Nope. I can't cook. Not at all. I have a hard enough time microwaving stuff as it is..."

Spike snickered. "Actually...I can see that being true." Getting an idea, he grinned. "Want a cooking lesson? Or a few..."

She looked at him. "I think you've gone crazy...cooking lessons means I'm making food. Uneatable food."

"Not if I'm teaching you how," he said, looking up. "Oh...we're back."

"We are?" she said, taking the last bite of his ice cream. "Oh..."

"Look, take this," he said, giving her a key. "Be at the apartments off Main Street at about three o'clock. I'm in apartment 27. Come any earlier and I'll be very ticked off."

"Is that a threat?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"No, love, but it's not a promise either. Actually, I'll probably be awake. Don't want to wake Aphrodite up. I bet she'll have one bloody hell of a hangover tomorrow."

"She's staying with you?"

"Yeah, love, she is." He looked at her face. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "It's all right."

He nodded. "Tomorrow, at three. All right?" Handing her back her carton, he looked at her expectantly.

"Is it a date?" she asked suddenly, taking back the carton.

"No...a lesson."

She nodded. "All right. I'll be there."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, before Buffy spoke. "I...I have to go back out on patrol, I suppose."

Spike shook his head. "I'll do it. You've got to learn to trust me...might as well help you now."

She nodded. "Fine...night."

"Night." She watched Spike walk away, whistling slightly. We're at the pre-friendshp level, she thought to herself. That's it...I don't want anything more...well, maybe.

She opened the door to her dorm and shrugged, filing away the slight feelings of jealousy she had as she felt the key in her pocket.

***

Spike opened the door to his apartment to see Aphrodite on the couch. "So...how'd it go?"

"Fine. We talked, argued, talked and then we walked and patrolled. Then she went to bed and I kept patrolling."

"My tutoring has paid off, I see," Aphrodite said, standing up and smiling.

"Not so fast..." a voice boomed.

"Damn...Spike, that loud voice is Zeus. He already knows who you are because he knows everything," she said sarcastically.

"Aphrodite..." the voice continued. "The stakes have just been raised."

"WHAT!?!" Aphrodite screeched.

"Yes. They have to admit they love each other. And it can't be just to each other...many people have to hear."

"Why you low down--" Aphrodite began before Spike clamped a hand over her mouth.

"'Scuse me. May I at least ask why in the bloody hell things changed?"

"Aphrodite...she did something she wasn't supposed to do."

"And that was...?"

"She broke one of the rules she was to follow."

Spike rolled his eyes. "What did she do, damn git?"

"She had carnal pleasures with a human."

"That's all?" spike asked incredulously. "And for this I still have to be a pawn in your bloody game? Forget it, mate. It's no go."

Aphrodite shook her head. "It's no use...he's not going to respond, the old geezer."

"Why...did this...have to happen...to me..." Spike said evenly, flopping down on the couch.

"To us, you mean. To us," she said, plopping down next to him.

"So now what?" Spike asked, looking at her.

After a few moments thought, Aphrodite looked up. "Well, we make her fall in love with you. And admit it."

"Oh...that will be easy..." Spike said, rubbing his temples and shutting his eyes. "Ever heard of the term abstinence?"

"Yeah..." Aphrodite said.

"Practice it. Religiously."

***

Buffy paced around her dorm room, glancing every so often at the empty ice cream cartons. Her Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream and his Triple Caramel Chunk Ice Cream.

"He eats ice cream?" Willow asked. "I didn't think vampires could eat anything other than blood...I mean, we know they can get drunk, but...I'll shut up now."

"Yeah, but he kept stealing my brownie ice cream. Then I told him I liked brownies and he offered to teach me how to cook." She shrugged. "And he even gave me this," she continued, handing Willow the key.

"What is it?"

"A key to his place. Damn, he must really want me to trust him."

Willow nodded. "You going to go?"

"Honestly...I don't know."

"No, you're going."

Buffy looked up. "I am?"

"Yes, you are. Now...go take a shower and get some sleep. We have psych class tomorrow morning."

Buffy nodded a bit bewilderedly, grabbing her things and heading to the bathroom. The minute the door closed, Willow grabbed the phone.

***

Aphrodite looked up from the movie she had been watching, picking up the phone. "Yes?"

"It worked; she's going to come. And...how'd things go with you and Parker?"

"I taught him some things he didn't know...like never sleep with a girl unless you intend to stick around." She sighed, shutting her eyes for a moment. "But because of that, the stakes got raised. Now they have to admit they care for each other in public."

There was a noise coming from the direction of the bedroom and Aphrodite turned the volume down. "Call tomorrow...or I can meet you after your class."

She could hear Willow breathe quietly, then say, "Sure, Oz, that would be great."

Nodding, Aphrodite hung up the phone, looking at the bedroom door as it opened. Spike walked out, wearing only boxers, and...dancing?

"Wish I had this on film," she muttered, barely recognizing the song he was murmuring in his sleep.

Or what song he should have been mumbling. She turned don "Sleeping Beauty" to hear what he was singing better.

"I know her, I danced with her once upon a dream, I love her, I walked with her once upon a starry eve..."

Aphrodite could barely contain her giggling, but stood up to help Spike move away from the kitchen and back towards his bedroom. But when she touched his shoulder gently, he instead swept her into his arms, drawing her into the simple waltz he was doing.

She sighed, trying to get him to stop. When it finally sank through that it wasn't going to work, she simply waltzed him back into his room, disentangling herself and going back into the room, a small smile on her face.

How could Buffy not fall for a man like him?

***

Buffy thought about knocking on the door that afternoon, very hesitant about using the key. It seemed so big a step, she argued with herself.

"Wait...it's just a cooking lesson," she mumbled, unlocking the door and inhaling one of her favorite scents in the world.

Opening the door slowly, she looked around. The apartment was plush, but simple. It was creme walled, with hunter green furniture and dark wood. There was a stereo system, a rather large and expensive looking one, in a dark wood cabinet, with hundreds of CDs nearby.

There was also, surprisingly, a knitted afghan drapped across the couch, looking oddly out of place with the stark yet comfortable look of the rest of the apartment. It was light brown and dark brown, and it looked like a lot of time had been put in it, considering the length.

Buffy shrugged, setting the key down on an endtable, along with her backpack and notebooks. "Hello?" she called out, and only then did she hear the water running. Nodding to herself, she headed into the kitchen where she spotted a plate of still warm brownies.

Her eyes grew big and her mouth started watering, but she was hesitant to take one.

"Go ahead, love...I got bored."

She jumped, then turned around, looking at Spike. "Please...don't do that."

"Sorry...anyway, I'm in the mood for sweets, so I thought we'd have a go at making pie."

She laughed slightly, shaking her head. "I think you made a mistake with that choice."

"I should hope not. Picked apple pie, if you don't mind...had Aphrodite get the ingredients I didn't have." He set down the towel he'd had wrapped around his shoulders. "I was just in the shower, but I heard you come in. Vampire hearing, and all that..." He picked it back up again, starting to dry his hair.

She nodded, picking up a brownie. "Mmm...caramel..." she said dreamily, shutting her eyes. "You really do have a sweet tooth, don't you?" she continued after taking a few more bites.

"Sorry..what did you just say?" Spike asked, shaking his head as if to clear it. He had been enthralled by just watching her eat the brownie, the look of almost pure contentment on her face...

"I said, you have a real sweet tooth, don't you?" she said, taking another brownie.

"Yes...I do." He finished drying his hair and walked back into the bathroom, hanging the towel up.

"Do you have an apron?" she asked, looking around the kitchen.

"Yeah...it's by the oven, love," Spike said from the bathroom, once more wishing he had a reflection.

"Cool...I don't want to get this outfit ruined. I'm thinking about going to the Bronze tonight after I do my homework."

Spike nodded as he walked out of the bathroom. He smiled as he saw Buffy poking around the drawers near the oven. "The one underneath, Buffy."

"Oh," she said, blushing. "How many do you have?"

"Two...I'll take the longer one." She pulled out two white aprons, opened them up, and handed him the longer one.

He looked at all the things he'd pulled out of the cupboards, as well as the cut up apples and the cinnamon red-hots.

"All right. Do you know how to measure things correctly?"

Buffy put on her apron and watched as he moved swiftly around the kitchen, not exactly pushing her out of the way, but more like nugdging her out of his way as gently as possible.

"Nope. And this is a side of you I've never seen before."

"Just wait..."

***

Buffy looked at the mess they'd made. "Well, I think I did well. How about you?"

Spike looked at the crust of the pie, which he was still connecting. "If you followed the cookbook's instructions, you should be all right." He glanced around at his kitchen. "The flour fight was a bit fun, wasn't it?"

"Especially when I got you unexpectedly, Spike," Buffy agreed, smiling at him. "Wow...yours looks better than mine," she said, glancing at the pie.

He looked to his right, down at the countertop. "Honestly, yours isn't bad either. Really, it isn't." He looked at the lopsided crust. "Want me to fix it for you?"

She nodded, moving out of his way. Watching him silently for a moment, she pulled her hair out of it's ponytail, shaking her head. "Um...I'm covered in flour, and it's almost six. Could...could I take a shower?"

Spike paused what he was doing, just for a second, before slowly moving his hand to the counter and grabbing some flour.

"Of course...after..."

"After what?"

"After this," he said, tossing the flour at her. Sputtering, she shut her eyes, wiping the flour off her face.

"Why you..."

Spike help up his hand. "Hold on, hold on. Let me put these in the oven." He lifted up her pie, walked the extremely short distance to the oven, and opened it, sliding her pie in first, then going back for the other one. As soon as the pies were in, he turned around and got two fistfuls of flour in his face.

"Hey...that was unfair, love," Spike spluttered, shaking his head.

"No, it was-" she began, only to get cut off by another fistful of flour hitting her shoulder.

The flour war had begun...again.

***

It was over almost as quickly as it had begun, and they huddled by the sink, washing their hands.

"You're rotten, you know that?" Buffy said, grinning and shaking her head, flour flying all around.

"Come on...I still have to clean this place up. It's all right for me to get more flour on you for that reason alone."

Buffy started to laugh, glancing up at Spike. "You have flour all over your face."

"Like you don't?" he retorted, grabbing the nearest dishtowel and drying his hands.

"Still...I have a tan. This makes me look as pale as you normally do."

"And I suppose I'll just have to go out and buy a tanning bed, now won't I?"

Buffy looked at him. "You could do that?"

He shook his head. "I'm not really sure. Some aspect of sunlight makes vampires unable to go out in it. I don't know what that aspect is yet, but I bet it's the same one that gives you humans your bloody tans."

"And would I be appealing without a tan?" Buffy asked, a mock pout on her face.

Spike swallowed hard, looking away from her. "Might be best if you get your shower now. The Bronze is going to open soon."

She nodded, the playfulness there was a moment before apparently gone. "Yeah...I won't be long." She moved to his side and looked at his eyes. "I can use your stuff?"

"Like what?"

"Shampoo...soap...things like that."

"Yeah, it's all right. This place...it'll be clean by the time you get out."

She nodded, then walked away towards the bathroom as Spike sighed, reaching under the sink for the cleaning products.

***

She kept the towel around her head as she opened the door a crack and stuck her head out. The last half hour in the shower had felt really nice after the hard day of classes and the multiple cups of flour that had been tossed at her had floated down the drain. "Spike?"

"Yeah?" he asked, tossing the last of the paper towels he had used in the trash.

"Um...I don't have any clothes."

Spike looked up, and saw part of her bare leg through the cracked door. "I think you're a bit too small to use any of mine, love." He cracked a small smile, and watched as she smiled back. "But you can use a button-down until we can find you something."

She nodded. "Then...could you call Willow and ask her to bring me some?"

"Well, I started washing your clothes when you were in the shower, but I can ring her up, if you'd like."

She nodded once more. "Thanks...want me to get the shirt?"

"It's all right. I'll get it." Spike walked out of the kitchen to his bedroom, and Buffy wrapped the towel around her a bit tighter and followed him. "Buffy, you didn't need to come in here."

She stood at the doorway, looking around. "Your room...it's not what I expected."

She stared at the beautiful paintings up on the wall. They looked familiar, but she couldn't place them. Her art studies class wasn't that great at explaining non-popular works of art, or minor artists.

"It's a Monet, a very old one," Spike said, standing up, a shirt in his hand. "Here."

She took the shirt, still looking around. There was an armoire, a night stand and a smaller sized bed, and the room was decorated in a soft blue. Looking at the shirt, she realized it wasn't red.

"I don't always wear red and black, love, just when I'm around people I want to intimidate."

"Ah...and you want to intimidate me?"

"No...I just didn't have time to grab a different shirt." She laughed awkwardly, still holding the shirt. "Go change; I'll call Red and have her bring something over for you."

Buffy walked away towards the bathroom again, and Spike went to the phone, dialing the number to her dorm and waiting patiently for an answer. As soon as she had the hunter shirt on, she walked back out, catching the tail end of the conversation.

"Yeah, something she can wear to the Bronze. All right...thank you." Setting down the phone, he turned around, swallowing slightly.

"She's going to bring clothes?"

Spike nodded as the buzzer went off. "Pie's done."

"Yeah. Can I have a slice?" she asked, drying her hair. "I used your mousse, if you don't mind."

"No, I don't. And yes, you can. From your pie."

"I'll have the phone nearby in order to call an ambulance," she said laughingly, walking into the kitchen silently after Spike.

"No need, Buffy. I'm sure it will be fine." He pulled the pies out of the oven, and set hers on the counter closest to him. "In about ten minutes, they should be ready to eat."

"Have any ice cream?" Buffy asked, walking over towards the freezer. "And for that matter, soda?"

"Yes, and yes. Soda's in the fridge," Spike said absently, then snapped up as he heard the refrigerator door open and her gasp. She pulled out a soda and shut the door, looking at the soda the entire time.

Taking a drink, she finally looked up. "When?"

"When I got back here," he said, looking at the counter. "You approve?"

"You don't need my approval," she said quietly. "But...it's a shock."

"I'm serious about helping you, Buffy, and if that means giving up live prey for blood bags then I'll do it."

She walked back to the refrigerator, opened the freezer and took out the ice cream. "Doing anything tonight?"

"Not really." He went and got two plates and two forks from their places.

"Then come with me to the Bronze tonight."

***

Spike sat at the table, looking at the Coke.

Buffy also sat at the table, looking at the Coke.

"So," he said, trying to ignore the pulsating music the DJ was playing.

"Yeah," she replied, her finger idly running around the rim of the glass. She bobbed the her head to the music, trying to think of something to talk about.

"Buffy, I--" he began, then stopped.

"You what?" she asked, picking up the glass and taking a drink.

"Well...never mind, it wasn't important."

Buffy was about to ask him to dance when she spotted Willow waving her over, trying to keep the peace between Anya and Xander at the same time.

"I'll...I'll be right back," she stammered, standing up.

Spike nodded, staying quiet and watching her walk to her friends. He sipped his soda, ignoring the other women who were looking at him. Looking up at the door he got a look of shock on his face.

"Well, if it isn't the great poof," he muttered, standing up moving towards the crowded doorway.

Angel met him halfway. "Helping Buffy?"

"When she lets me."

Angel looked at him critically. "You're not wearing red. Black yes, red no."

Spike shook his head. "Yeah, I'm not. So what?"

"Nothing. It's just...different."

"Look, Angel, I really appreciate the visit," Spike said sarcastically, "but I really want you to leave before..." he trailed off, looking at Angel's face.

"Before Buffy sees you and my entire evening is shot to bloody hell," he muttered, standing out of Angel's way as he walked over to Buffy. Shaking his head, he went back to the table, grabbed his coat, and left the Bronze.

***

"No, it was not supposed to go like that," Aphrodite muttered to Willow, who was standing in the back.

"What wasn't?" Anya asked the Goddess, looking at her inquisitively. Willow had filled the others in on what was going on.

"Him. He was not supposed to show up," Aphrodite muttered, then used a long string of ancient Greek language, all with ominous undertones.

"And what did you just say?" Xander said, furrowing his brow.

"I just cursed Zeus to Tartarus. He did this, I know he did this." She started pacing, her side-slited skirt flitting around her legs. Ignoring the stares of the college boys who stood watching her every mood, and move to boot, she continued.

"I hate him, I truly do. I just know he had something to do with this whole mess. Why can't he just stop with the meddling? I haven't slept with anyone else!"

Willow shook her head. "Maybe he isn't the one doing it."

Aphrodite stopped and looked at her. "No, he's...HERA!" she shrieked. "She hates me even more than he does!" She started to pace again, fuming.

"And I thought making Anya mad was a bad thing," Xander muttered, followed immediately by a "Hey!" after Anya hit him.

***

"Hey," Buffy said quietly.

"Hey," Angel replied, finally getting near her.

She looked past Angel to where Spike had been, but said nothing. "How are you?"

"Fine. What about you?" Angel asked, sitting down where Buffy was.

"Tired, and...fine," she said, still quietly.

Angel nodded. "I came back...to see how you were, and to see if Spike was friend or foe."

"Friend...definitely friend." She sighed. "We were here...together."

"Oh," Angel said. "And I suppose I ruined it?"

She nodded, then shook her head. "If he left, yeah. If not...no." Sighing, she looked at Angel. "If it had been any other time..."

"I understand. But...you're really okay? You're not just saying that?"

She smiled. "Angel, I'm going to be fine. In fact, I am fine."

Finally, a smile crossed his face. "I can tell. So...I think I'm going to go see Giles, then go back to LA." Reaching into his pocket, he handed Buffy a small envelope. "Here," he said, motioning for her to take it. She opened the envelope and glanced inside.

"The ring..." she breathed.

"I destroyed it. Now, I'm starting to regret it."

"No, you did the right thing." She hugged Angel quickly and handed him the envelope. "You keep it; it's safer with you."

"But it's destroyed."

"Still...we might just get a vampire with a lot of superglue and a lot of patience. This is the Hellmouth, after all."

Angel broke into a huge grin. "Yeah, it is." The grin dimmed a bit, but remained on his face. "Be careful."

"Always am."

***

Spike walked around the park, kicking the stray stones in his path. A vampire came out to attack, and Spike simply staked him, not bothering with the witty repartee.

"This is the bloody worst evening of my life," he muttered, looking up at the sky. Then looking around him, to make sure he was alone, he started to talk out loud.

"Zeus, I know you can hear me. Dammit, Ditie says you're everywhere and frankly, if you're too much of a bleedin' coward to talk to me, then you must not be much of a God."

Young man, that was uncalled for.

Spike grinned, just a little. "I'm starting to hate all these little coincidences. Do you even want her to succeed? Or does my happiness mean nothing to you? Mine and Buffy's? Maybe we would be happy with each other, but you're not giving us a chance to find out!"

It has nothing to do with you.

"Bull," Spike said, sitting down on a bench.

It does, and you had best learn that.

"No, you need to learn something. Human emotions, and vampire emotions for that bloody matter, are not things to be messed with. I don't really care what game you want to play, or what you think is acceptable or not. But I want you out of my existence as soon as possible, and no more surprises."

What do you mean?

"I mean, having my sire show up. Buffy's ex-lover. The one that caused her to be in massive amounts of pain and brooding!"

I had nothing to do with that.

"Right, and I'm jolly old Saint Nicholas," Spike grumbled. "Why should I believe you?"

Because I'm being honest. I had nothing to do with that.

Spike shook his head. "Then who did?"

Hera. I'm speaking with her about this...or I was until you interrupted me.

"Can you beat the crap out of her?"

No, but I can do much worse.

"What would that be?"

It's too horrible even for you, the creator of so many torture techniques, to imagine.

"Well, tell me at some other point. I think I might like to know."

No, you don't.

"I think I know what I want."

William...believe me, you do not want to know.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

No, I'm not.

"Ditie's right. You can be a stodgy old bastard."

William...

***

Buffy ran out of the Bronze, desperately looking around.

"Lose something?" Riley asked, walking towards the entrance.

"No, more like someone," she said quietly, finally giving up.

"Who?"

"A friend." She turned around, not feeling any better.

"Ah. And is she an important friend?"

"He, and yes he is."

"Want to spend some time with me at the Bronze?"

Buffy paused. This was Riley, someone who she'd been crushing on since school started, and he wanted to spend time with her. Wanted to be with her.

And she was going to turn him down.

"Sorry...I need to find my friend. It's important."

"Another time?"

"Maybe," she said, finding the closest road towards the park and running down it as fast as she could. It was hard in heels, and she finally just abandoned them on the road, and kept running.

***

Spike looked up and saw Buffy running down the path. "Slayer," he said quietly, standing up so she could see him. "Are you all right? Is anything after you?" he said in her direction, a bit louder.

As she slowed down, she shook her head. "No, nothing's after me. I just...well, wanted to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine."

Buffy nodded, finally stopping in front of him. "At the Bronze...I didn't mean..." she stopped, trying to catch her breath.

"It's all right, love, I understand."

"Understand what?"

"Your need to talk to him."

"But...he gave me what was left of the ring of Imara."

"You mean the ring of Amara. And how'd I know the poof would destroy it? He's so...typical."

Buffy repressed commenting on the poof statement, instead saying, "Do you care?"

"About what?" Spike asked, looking at her quizzically.

"About the ring being destroyed."

"Honestly...yeah, I do."

She nodded, sitting down on the nearest bench. "Why?"

He turned around and looked at her. "Because I went to all the trouble of finding it and the one time I got to use it was to kick your arse. That was not exactly how I'd wanted to spend time in the sun, love."

"I sure thought it was."

Spike started to respond, opening his mouth and raising his hand, and then he stopped. "We're about to start a fight, and I don't want that. I'm going home now...you can come by tomorrow to get your clothes. Maybe we can talk then."

And as he walked away, Buffy said nothing at all, looking down at her shoes and taking a deep breath. He was right; they would have started fighting, and whatever tenuous bond between them would have been broken.

And that fact was a scary one.

***

Spike slammed the door to his apartment, not noticing the occupant.

Not at first.

"Didn't go well, did it?" Aphrodite asked.

"No."

She sighed. "What happened?"

"Angel 'appened, that's what."

Aphrodite nodded. She shifted how she was sitting on the couch so she was looking up at him. "Care to explain?"

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no?'"

Spike looked right at her, a glare embedded on his face. "I said no, I mean no, and don't think even you will get an explanation."

"Then let me guess. You saw him go to Buffy and you got jealous. I don't know what they talked about, but it was awkward, so part of the talk could have been about you. But seeing you weren't there, you'll have to ask one of the two of them."

Spike fumed silently, getting a bag of blood from the refrigerator, then on second thought getting another.

"And then Buffy went after you and told you part of what had happened. But you were already in a bad mood when she got there, and since you can be such a stubborn bastard, you probably listened to what she had to say until she hit something you didn't want to hear."

He took a glass from the cupboard and set it on the counter, trying his best to ignore her and how right she was.

"So what happened after then? Did you fight? Did you hurt her in any way shape or form? What happened?"

The glass shattered in his hand before he realized how hard he had been gripping it. Thankfully it had been empty, but his hands were cut up, and he ignored the pain to reply.

"I left, before there was a fight."

Aphrodite had gotten up on her feet the minute she heard the glass shatter. "Shit...what did you do?"

"It broke," he said simply, the anger leaving him only to be replaced by a throbbing pain in his hand and a numbing pain in his heart.

"Here," she said, taking his hand and gently pulling him to the sink, taking the glass out of his hand, and washing the blood away. Looking at his face, she said quietly, "Why are you so angry?"

"Because..." he replied, but didn't continue. He couldn't admit it, not to himself quite yet, and not to her, and certainly not to Buffy.

"All done," Aphrodite said letting go of his hand. He grasped his hand and silently went into his room, shutting the door behind him.

She sighed, sitting back down on the couch. Tomorrow, she was going to start letting them do things on their own, whether it failed or not. Maybe it would be best if they learned from their mistakes. Reaching over, she turned off the light and set her head down on the couch pillow.

It was a rough end to an even rougher day, but a well deserved end as well.

***

Her worn copy of "A Tale of Two Cities" sat on the night stand, teetering on the edge as she stormed into her room. She slammed the door so hard the book fell off the night stand and she picked it up gingerly.

"Bad evening?"

The voice came as a surprise, and Buffy looked up quickly. "Who...are you?"

"Most know me as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, among other things." The woman had long blonde hair and gray eyes with light blue specks, complimented by the gray sweater and light jeans she wore.

"Not another one," Buffy said, rolling her eyes and tossing the book on her night stand.

"No, I just wanted to warn you, that's all."

"About what?"

"Aphrodite. She's...a bit flighty, sometimes, but she's going to do something that's only been done once before. Well, once before where it worked."

Buffy looked at the Goddess. "What is it?"

"Have a vampire and Slayer fall in love."

Buffy laughed harshly. "Not at this rate."

Athena shook her head. "She made a mistake before, with you and Angel."

"We weren't a mistake," Buffy said, her teeth gritting. "And how would you know anyway?"

Athena sighed. "Because...it was my fault."

***

The third cup of hot chocolate was gone, and Spike was disbelieving of what he was hearing. "Wait...tell me this again."

Aphrodite shook her head. "Damn...you're out of it that much? Fine...Hera's trying to delay my getting you and Buffy together. Why, I don't know. But Athena's here to help, I think...Zeus at least did that for me. Whatever you said to him sure worked."

Spike shook his head. "You Gods and Goddesses...this is too bloody confusing."

Aphrodite grinned slightly, refilling his cup. "Your hand feeling better?"

He nodded, glancing at his bandaged hand. "Yeah, it is."

"Why didn't you vamp out?"

"I honestly don't know."

Aphrodite refilled her own cup with tea, then added a bit of lemon and honey. "So...how do we get about learning why Hera's being a mega-bitch?"

"I suppose we should call Buffy, Red or the Watcher. One of them might know."

***

Giles glanced at the clock. Noting the time, he picked up the phone and the first question he asked was, "Buffy?"

"No, not quite."

"Oh," Giles said, relief entering his voice temporarily before a terseness replaced it. "What do you want, Spike?"

"Help."

"With what, Spike?"

"How much do you know about Greek mythology?"

***

"So, that's the story."

Buffy looked at the last bit of ice cream Willow kept stocked in their small freezer. "You want?"

Athena shook her head. "Not really."

"So, you're telling me it was basically a bet to see who could get a Slayer to fall for a vampire, and you won by getting me and Angel together? But then, after he lost his soul, you and Aphrodite had a fight and she was told to leave Mount Olympus until she could get me hooked up with the correct vampire, which happens to be Spike?"

Athena nodded. "That's about it."

Buffy shook her head. "You Gods and Goddesses...this is too bloody confusing."

"You sound like him, you know?"

"How?"

"The word bloody. I didn't think you'd use it."

"Oh," she said quietly. "Well, why are you telling me all this?"

"Because if we don't get the two of you together by Halloween, Hera will take over Mount Olympus and all Tartarus will break loose."

"Why can't I just deal with normal demons?" Buffy bemoaned, looking up at the ceiling.

"Simple. Because they get boring, and He's not going to help you right now; He's staying out of it."

Buffy shook her head. "Stop. I do not want to hear any more. You should talk to Giles; he'd actually understand and remember all of this stuff."

Athena nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "He's one of our finest specimens of a wise man."

Buffy quirked her eyebrow, but said nothing, instead dialing the familiar phone number and listening to the rings.

***

Giles had just set his head back down when the phone rang again. "What is it now, Spike?" he asked sleepily.

"Spike? I'm taking that as an insult..."

"Buffy?"

"Yes, it's me. Why'd you think I was Spike?"

"He...nevermind. What can I do?"

"How much do you know about Greek mythology?"

Giles sighed. "Which Goddess do you want me to meet now?"

"Athena...what do you mean now?"

"Never mind. Tomorrow at six. Aphrodite will be here as well."

"So that's what you meant by now. Well, night."

Giles hung up the phone and shook his head. "I'm going to get an unlisted number. Very soon," he muttered to himself as he set his head back down on the pillow, glaring at the phone and daring it to ring before he shut his eyes again.

***

It was an awkward meeting.

Spike and Buffy faced off, staring away from each other, then turning their glances to the person across from them, and then turning away just as quickly.

"Get over it, you two," Aphrodite muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Aphrodite..." Athena said in a voice that told her sister to shut up.

"It's your fault I'm here," she muttered, this time directing the comment to Athena. The newly arrived Goddess just shrugged, turning her back on the conversation back to Giles, who was arriving with another book.

"You know, you're pretty smart," Athena said, her eyes shining in a humorous way.

Without looking up from the book he had just opened, Giles replied, "To hear that from you, the Goddess of Wisdom, is a high compliment." He did, however, smile, to let him know he really did appreciate the compliment.

Buffy shook her head, smiling slightly. "Are they going to be like this all night? Because we have things to do..."

Spike nodded, his face drawing a blank, with no showing of emotion. "Yes. We do need to get this matter resolved."

Buffy gaped. "You sound like him," she said, pointing to Giles.

He shrugged, turning away, and looked back down to the nearest book to him.

She stood up. "Spike...we need to talk."

"Not right now, pet. Have work to do." He looked at her, a sadness in his eyes. "Later tonight, though."

"Fine," she said, sitting down. Glancing at his hand, she asked quietly, "What happened?"

"Accident, washing dishes," he said absently. "Glass broke in my hand."

"Oh," she said, and they lapsed back into their uncomfortable silence. She looked at her watch, then back at his bandaged hand, then back at her watch. "Have to patrol," Buffy said, standing up again.

Giles glanced up from his conversation with Athena. "Aphrodite, Spike...one of you two go with her."

Aphrodite winced. "I think I might need to lend my knowledge of my wicked Mother-in-law to this conversation. You two go on ahead."

Spike nodded, standing up and setting the book down. "All right," he said, grabbing the duster and heading out the door, a troubled look on his face.

Buffy shrugged, getting her jacket and heading out as well.

"Buffy?" Giles asked, getting her attention.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"You worry too much," she said, a smile crossing her face as she shut the door behind her.

***

"Behind you!"

Buffy whirled around and staked the first vampire to appear in her line of vision, only to be knocked down by another.

Spike was too busy with the vampires surrounding him to leave and help her, so he edged his fight closer to hers, a feat that was hard to do. When the Slayer had herself picked up off the ground and another vampire turned into a pile of dust, she managed to do the rambling conversation thing with Spike.

"You lied."

"About what?"

"Your hand. You did all the dishes before we went to the bronze."

"I had something to eat afterward."

"Like what?"

"A normal vampires meal."

Buffy staked the last of her opponents and edged into Spike's fight. "You mean blood?"

"Yes, blood."

"So, you're not feeding off live people?" she asked as Spike missed the heart of the last vampire by an inch or two.

"Not. Any. More," Spike said as kicked the stake into the last vampire heart and started to lose his balance. Buffy reached over to help him keep his balance and they both fell over, Buffy landing on her hands and knees, and Spike hitting his head on a rock in the process.

"Spike?"

The silence was making her worry. After a few more seconds, she slowly crawled over to him, wincing as she put weight on her wrist.

"Spike?"

Now the silence started to scare her, and she reached out to touch his cold hand, not relying on it to help her find a pulse or anything, because she knew he was a walking dead man, but the gesture being familiar after all her times of doing this to classmates and strangers alike.

No reaction at all.

"Spike?" she asked one more time, her hand reaching over to touch his face, see if there was any sign of consciousness.

None at all.

Now the lack of movement was terrifying her, and she slapped him hard. His head moved in turn with the impact, but then rolled back into place just as quickly, no other movement obvious.

She finally got right next to him, sitting as close as possible, and she saw the jagged cut on his head, the blood pooling around him, and she stared in shock.

"Gotta...get...help," she muttered, using her good hand to help herself up. Wincing slightly as she started to sprint to the payphone twenty feet away, she kept muttering, "Gotta call someone."

Realizing she had no change, she looked up and realized she was at the campus bar. "Xander," she breathed silently, then ran inside.

***

Xander took a deep breath after setting Spike down on Buffy's bed. "You sure you want him in here?"

Buffy nodded, shutting the door behind them. "Yeah, I'm sure. You better get back before you get fired."

Xander nodded. "If he does anything..."

"He won't." Buffy looked up from Spike and looked to Xander. "Thanks."

"No problem," Xander said, a look of almost indifference crossing his face. "I'm going now." He turned and opened the door to her dorm, letting himself out.

Buffy turned her attention back to Spike, only to have found his eyes had been opened. "You're awake," she said quietly, sitting down next to him.

He nodded, however slowly. "What the bloody hell happened?"

"You fell, and hit your head." She looked around for a piece of clothing to put on the wound. "You're still bleeding. I had to get Xander to help bring you in here."

"Where am I?"

Buffy shrugged, finally grabbing a flannel of hers and ripping the arm off. "My dorm room."

Spike sat up, then slunk back down. "That wasn't a bright idea."

"I could have told you that," Buffy muttered, a flicker of a smile crossing her face. "Sit still for a second."

Spike sat there as Buffy gently dabbed at the wound, trying to get the blood cleaned up. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"It's my fault it happened. You didn't have to patrol with me."

"Giles said one of us had to." Spike winced as Buffy hit the exact spot of the wound. "And Ditie wanted me to go with you."

"You like her or something?"

"It's nice to meet someone older than me," Spike said, shrugging again.

"I mean, do you like her. That's what I meant to ask." Buffy avoided looking at his face as she stated that.

"As a friend..."

"Only as a friend?" She pulled the bloody piece of clothing away from his head. "There, all done."

"Yes, only as a friend." He looked at her quizzically. "Why the sudden line of questioning?"

"Just curious," she said, standing up and throwing the flannel in the garbage can near the bed. "So...think you can walk to Giles' place?"

"No. I can barely stand up without wanting to fall over."

"Then stay here," Buffy said. "Willow's staying over at Oz's, so I can sleep in her bead and you can sleep in mine." As she spoke, she pulled the drapes closed, pushing pushpins into the wall on the fabric to keep them closed.

Spike nodded just a little. "Help get this duster off me, will you?"

"Sure," Buffy said, moving back over towards the bed and helping Spike sit up. "That hurt much?"

"Just my shoulder," her said, wincing as he helped shrug off the jacket. Her hands brushed the back of his neck which sent a chill down his spine.

"What did you do to it?" she asked, turning his back towards her.

"I fell on it." Spike grinned a bit, though, and moved forward slightly so she could take the duster off the bed.

"Yeah, you sure did. It's cut up." She looked at the duster in her hand. "And so's your duster." She pointed out the hole in the shoulder to him.

"Damn...my favorite one," he muttered, taking it from her grasp. Just as quickly, he handed it back to her. "You keep it. I think I have another one in the De Soto."

"How old is this?" Buffy asked, getting up and setting the duster on Willow's bed, then digging around under it for the first aid kit.

"Almost a hundred years," he said, turning around to look at her.

"Damn," she said, looking up from her quest to glance at the duster in awe. "That's...old. Not that old is a bad thing, but...I mean..."

"It's all right, love," Spike said, shrugging and ignoring the pain it caused. "The box...it's by your right hand."

She nodded, pulling out the box and opening it. Fishing around, she tossed hydrogen peroxide, cotton and gauze onto the bed. "I'm going to clean up the cuts."

"No need. Really," Spike said, but he was starting to pass out again, a fact Buffy noticed as soon as she sat next to him.

"Just hold on for a few more minutes, all right?"

He nodded, shutting his eyes and suddenly opening them as the stinging liquid touched the open cuts. "That...stings..."

She blew on the cuts gently, then applied the bandages. "All done, you big baby."

"I am not a big baby," Spike muttered, shutting his eyes again.

"Yes, you are," she said, starting to move off the bed. Spike's hand stopped her.

"Do you have to sleep in her bed tonight?"

"What?" Buffy asked, her voice shocked.

"Sleep next to me," he mumbled before he finally passed out again, his hand grasping her wrist. She sat down next to him, trying to get him to let go of her wrist, but his grip was iron tight. Sighing, she laid down next to him, keeping space between the two of them.

Sleep took over as she set her head on the pillow, Spike's hand still gripping her wrist.

***

Willow opened up the door at about eight in the morning, expecting to find Buffy sprawled out on her bed like she usually did.

She did not expect to see Spike and Buffy sleeping next to each other, her arm draped over him, her chin resting on his shoulder.

Oz walked up behind her, looked over at the bed, then pulled Willow outside.

"Think it's working?" Willow asked happily.

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask them." Willow reached over to reopen the door, but Oz reached over and pulled her away. "When they wake up. They both looked beat up."

Willow started to reply, but stopped short. "Should we tell Athena and Aphrodite?"

"Might as well. I mean, aren't we supposed to be meeting them today?"

"Yeah, at...eight thirty! We've got to be there in a few minutes!" Willow pulled Oz along the hallway, not registering the strange man standing near her dorm room.

***

"Well, now that we've all met..."

"Anyanka?"

"Yes?"

"Man-hating demoness, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And I hooked the two of you up?"

"Aphrodite..."

"What, Athena? I just wanted to make sure."

"Maybe it was fate."

"Xander, it was probably me forcing you."

"Then maybe it was me hurting Cordy."

"Well...yeah."

Giles shook his head. "Can we get back to--"

"Sorry we're late!"

"Willow, Oz...come right in."

"Hey Xander."

"Hey Will. Where were you guys?"

"The dorm."

"Why? Willow, stop jumping up and down. Oz, care to explain?"

"Well..."

"Buffy and Spike were sleeping together!"

"WHAT?!?"

***

The stranger crept into the room quietly, moving towards the window.

"Wake up," he said, pulling the curtains open.

Spike jumped out of the bed, causing Buffy to fall to the floor. "Ow..."

"Sorry. What the bloody hell are you doing here, you git?"

Buffy rubbed her eyes, then got a good look at the stranger. "Who...Wesley?"

The Watcher nodded, his glasses slipping off his nose slightly. He no longer wore the dark suits he had worn when he had watched Buffy, instead opting for jeans and a button down shirt. "The Council--"

"I have nothing to do with the Council," Buffy said, standing up and pulling her shirt down to cover her stomach.

"You'll want to hear this. The Council...they have decided a few things, and they are going to affect you." He shut the window drapes again. "And sorry about that; I was afraid of waking up William."

"Spike..." the vampire growled out, backing out of the dark corner he'd backed in to.

"Spike, then. I thought you were the enemy in the world."

"Not anymore." Spike sat down on the bed, rubbing his shoulder while glaring at the Watcher. "I thought you were the fop."

"I had a vacation after dealing with Faith and her," Wesley said, gesturing to Buffy. "In New York, of all places."

"What information do you have?" Buffy asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Well," Wesley said, then he gestured to a seat. "May I sit down?" Buffy nodded. "Well, we've heard of the dealings the Greek Gods and Goddesses have had recently, and it is apparent that Athena and Aphrodite are already here. Correct?"

"Yes," Spike and Buffy said simultaneously.

"Expect more." Wesley looked around. "Have any tea?"

***

Giles walked over to Willow. "What do you mean, sleeping together?"

"In bed, next to each other," she said.

"Naked?" Anya and Aphrodite asked simultaneously.

"No," Oz said. "Just sleeping next to each other, that's all. They looked pretty beat up."

Giles sighed, a sigh clearly of relief. "Good."

"Good?" Athena said. "Nu-uh. Not good."

"Not good?" Xander asked, confused.

"Isn't sex supposed to be a way to show love?" Athena asked her sister.

Athena rolled her eyes. "I was referring to them being beat up. Does anyone know what happened?"

"No. They were asleep, and we didn't wake them up," Oz said, shrugging.

"Maybe someone should call them," Willow suggested, pointing to the phone.

"Good idea," Giles said, nodding and dialing the dorm number.

***

The phone rang just as Buffy came back with a cup of tea, a cup of mocha and a cup of hot chocolate.

"No little marshmallows?" Spike asked as she handed him his cup of cocoa.

"Let me get the phone first," Buffy muttered, setting down her cup and picking up the phone. "Hello? Giles! Good, I wanted to talk to you. No, we're fine. Just some big bad vampires being mean, that's all. Well...we have a guest. You know him. NO, I haven't seen Angel since the Bronze."

She dug around by her bed and pulled up a bag of mini marshmallows, tossing them to Spike. "Wesley. Yeah, and he's totally un-Wesley-like."

Wesley shook his head. "I take that as an insult."

"It's a compliment," Spike said, dropping some marshmallows in the cocoa.

"He gets marshmallows and all I get in the tea is the bag?" Wesley asked Buffy.

"Well, what did you want?"

"Never mind. Have any honey, at least?"

Buffy shook her head, keeping the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Not that I know of."

Wesley sighed. "Could you kindly point me in the direction of the student lounge?"

"Don't go there," Spike said, not looking up from the cocoa.

"Why not?"

"Co-eds. You may get mauled."

Buffy grinned, turning back to the conversation on the phone. "Spike and Wesley are arguing. Yeah, we can all come by after sundown, I suppose."

"Me? Get mauled? I highly doubt that."

"You got Cordy's attention before," Buffy muttered. "Oh no, Giles, that was to Wesley."

"What was?"

"Nothing," Buffy said, missing Spike grin at her. Wesley stood up.

"Where should I go?"

"Cafeteria, I suppose. Only logical." Wesley nodded and headed towards the door. "Oh, and Wes? Can you get me some more cocoa? My little marshmallows are getting lonely."

Buffy couldn't stop laughing in order to tell Giles that they would show up after sundown.