Part 4
Spike was pulling on his leather coat preparing to go out for the evening when he felt a tingle at the back of his neck. He smiled and walks to open the door. "Buffy!" He gave her a warm smile. He hadn't known if she would ever be back.

Buffy stormed past him and turned to look at him with a murderous expression on her face. "How could you do this to me?" She punched him hard in the nose.

"OW!" Spike grabbed his nose. "Bloody hell! What are you…?"

"You told Xander," Buffy spat out, "about us! What were you thinking?"

Spike was indignant. "Like hell I did! He looked me up at Willy's. We had some drinks. I came home. End of story."

Buffy moved closer, "He brought you home falling down drunk, and you proceeded to pour your heart out to him." She spat out between clenched teeth.

Spike wrinkled his brow as he struggled to recall the events of the previous evening. "Oh. Right then. I might have mentioned you." He frowned. "I don't rightly remember much past leaving Willy's."

Buffy was yelling now. "I could just kill you! Do you know how upset he is? I think he could have staked you last night. You're lucky to be alive!"

Spike was getting angry now. His headache wasn't helping matters. "Make up your mind, love. Do you want me alive or do you want me dead? More dead, I mean."

"I don't want you at all! I've been so stupid!"

Spike took a breath to calm down, then decided to try a different tact. He moved close to her and reached out to rub her arm with his fingertips. "C'mon pet, you know you don't mean that." He lowered his voice to a silky growl and leaned in very close to her. "I know what you want and I know how to give it to you."

Buffy closed her eyes and began to soften, but then suddenly shoved him away with both hands. "Stay away from me! This has all been a huge mistake, and I can see that now. Nobody is ever going to accept this. I've neglected my friends and my sister. I don't even act like myself any more. I don't want to be around you any more." Wrapping her arms around herself she started to cry. "Just stay away from me, please." She turned away from him.

"No, Buffy. You're just upset." He moved close again, but didn't attempt to touch her. "OK. I didn't mean to say anything to Xander, but you must know it was only a matter of time before he sussed it out."

Buffy's teeth were clenched. "It doesn't matter." She turned back to face him. "Spike, this is wrong. We are wrong, and we both know it. It can never go anywhere. I can never really trust you. What happens some day when that chip stops working and you are off your leash? You'll just go back to eating people, then I will have to kill you."

"No Buffy, I won't. You can trust me."

"How can I know that?"

Spike took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I know that love, because the chip is gone."

Buffy was bewildered. "The chip...?"

"It's gone! Xander wished it out of my head. I didn't understand why until you told me what happened last night."

"The Vengeance Demon?"

"Now you're gettin' it. Yes, Halfrek. She paid me a visit and told me. But the point is that I don't feel any different! I don't want to go out and start eating people. I still love you." He pulled her closer to kiss her.

"Stop it!" Buffy shrugged his hands from her shoulders and stepped back. "This is over. I can't ever trust you, especially now. You have to stay away from my friends. I don't want them near you when you decide you're hungry or they just catch you in a bad mood some day. And if you ever kill another human being your un-life will be over. Just get out of this town. I never want to see you again!"

She stormed out of the crypt.

Spike stood there dumbfounded and numb. A deep pain seized his heart, but this time he didn't feel like destroying his home. He stood still and motionless looking at the door for a long time. Finally he moved to it, opened it, and walked out.

The door closed softly behind him.

*****

As usual, the Bronze was full to bursting on Friday night. Spike strolled in and paused for a moment to let the scent of concentrated humanity fill his head. He checked out the room, but saw no members of the Scooby gang. At least he doesn't have to worry about being run out based on Buffy's threats.

At the thought of her, his stomach clenched and bitterness welled up in his throat. She had dismissed all his feelings and actions so easily. Hadn't the last two years meant anything to her? He had barely had a life, what with trying to live up to her standards and curbing his own natural impulses. It had been all for nothing - for less than nothing. Normally he could see through her pathetic attempts to hide her feelings. This time he knew she was dead serious. She was done with him.

He walked gracefully across the room and noticed a beautiful brunette boldly watching his progress. He pointedly gazed back as he walked the floor, wondering who she was and why she had singled him out. She had large brown eyes, heavily made up, and full, pouty painted lips. She was wearing a red tank top and black leather pants. There was something about her that was familiar, though he knew he's never seen her before. "Why not." He thought, and changed direction to stand beside her. He signaled the bartender to pour him a beer.

The girl tilted her head at him flirtatiously. "You don't know me, do you?"

"Should I?" Spike replied with a casual disinterest that fooled neither of them.

"We met a few years ago. In this room, as a matter of fact." She took a sip of her drink and then licked her top lip. "I looked a lot different then."

Spike shrugged dismissively, "Sorry, I don't remember. I meet a lot of people." He took a drink, pretending to glance around the room.

The girl eyed him appreciatively. "I bet you do. You've had a lot of time to meet people too, haven't you?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at her. "So, you know what I am then, do you?"

"Umm Hmm." She took another sip. "Do you dance?"

"Not like most folks." He smirked.

"Would you like to go somewhere?" She offered suggestively.

She was certainly direct, this one. It reminded him of the old days when he went out patrolling for fresh blood. Finding it like this had always been pathetically easy for him. Some things never change. The difference this time was the girl knew he was a vampire. Why did she want to go off alone with him? He meant to find out. "After you."