Noticing Buffy shiver, Spike stopped walking to take off his prized duster.

"Hey take this, you need it more than I do." Holding out his duster he urged it at her.

"Go on, take it." Buffy stared back at him as if this simple polite act was a plot for money or wings as was the case lately. He seemed addicted to them of late. Buffy took the duster from him, eager for it's warmth. "Are you sure Spike? I mean I can deal with it." Looking annoyed Spike let out a sigh "Can I not do one decent thing every now and again without being judged for it?" Buffy answered him with a look that told him hshe knew him better than that.

Spike shrugged. "So I tried, but I want it back when we are done." He went back to being himself.

Buffy tugged back at the long sleeves. "You have long arms." She said looking straight ahead as they walked. An amused look crossed his face as she struggled to keep her hands free of the sleeves. "You are a short thing aren't you Summers?" He teased. Buffy pretended to be annoyed. "Don't you ever shut---" Spike grabbed her and pulled her behind a tree. She was about to protest when she heard his voice in a hushed whisper.

"Shhh---look over there" He pointed to where two men were waiting by a crypt as two others drug out bodies, which seemed to be dead. Not at all what has been typical of the past few nights.

Buffy tripped on the long duster when he pulled her aside and fell on her butt. Buffy found she was a bit irritated but decided to take it up with him later. She was growing more and more fond of Spike's company on patrols. Being with Spike was more comfortable than the silence that would loom over her and Angel. like a thick suffocating cloud. She watched as they loaded the bodies into a 79' blue Ford van. The paint was oxidized and the tires were the ugly kind of Whitewalls that you could find for sale used, for about 25$ down at the local garage. It gave it that abandoned look.

Spike spoke softly "So now what?" he stared at her glistening hair. The lure to touch it was immense. It was undoubtedly more than he could stand. So easily was he intoxicated by the apple shampoo she must have used today. He liked that way she looked in his duster. For a split second, he could pretend they were going steady, like in Grease. What a pathetic vampire I have turned out to be! He thought. Buffy motioned for him to follow her. She crept quietly up on the group of robbers. Spike and Buffy then crouched behind a rather unusually large headstone. "You take the ones on the left, I'll get the ones on the right." Buffy ordered him. Spike protested. "You gave me the small ones Slayer! I want the big ones." He wants the big ones? He never wants the big ones! She turned and looked aggravated. "I don't care who you get, just get some. Here," She handed him two stakes. "Since last time you dropped one." She gave him a quick teasing smile. Spike picked up on it and was happy for at least that. "Bloody ha ha Slayer."

Buffy moves swiftly and quietly, towards the pack. Stake raised high above her heart she taps one vamp on the shoulder " hey, you know what your doing is illegal?" Buffy gestured with her head towards Spike. "Me and my partner are here to tell you what lousy outfits you have on tonight." Before the vamp has a chance to say anything, move an inch or signal for help, he was blowing in the wind as dust. Spike watched her with admiration, nonchalantly staking a vamp that had come up from behind him.

"So I'm your partner am I?" He stops short of her about 2ft. Buffy gives him a bashful smile "Don't get used to it." Spike nods. "Hey..." He begins before Buffy shoves him out of the way and lunges for a vamp that was ready to hit Spike with a baseball bat. Spike turns his attention to helping her. He grabs the vamp's arm and twists it, holding him in position. Buffy pummeled the vampire for a bit, and then staked him. The pair moved on to the other gang members. Eventually, they managed to dust them all.

Buffy grinned. "Well, that was a nice workout."

Spike frowned. "We should have left at least one alive. We don't know if there are others, or if they were working for someone, or why they were doing what they were doing." She frowns. " I guess I just get into my work too much." She noticed something different about him tonight. It was not the hair, and its not the clothes, he had been dressing different for some time now.

Shaking her head free of her wandering thoughts, Buffy glanced at her watch. "Its only 10:30. I think we can call it a night." Spike dug at the ground with his boot, staring at the mess he was making. He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets to deal with the anxious feeling in his gut. "Yea well its kind of early for me, I'm going to head over to the Bronze." He motioned with his head.

Buffy smiled. "So you want some company? Not that this makes everything normal between us, I'm just wicked hungry tonight. And I hate going there alone." She emphasized with her hand gestures. Spike looked up at her shocked. Keeping his game face on though he was typical in his tone and answer. "Well sure if you want to tag along."

She grinned. "Yes, I'll tag along this time." They headed off to the Bronze, talking comfortably along the way about the night's events and brainstorming over what the motives were.

Just then, Spike sensed something in the darkness. Buffy noticed the change in his voice. "What is it?"

Spike held a finger to his lips and shrugged. She listened with him, waiting for a clue.

Out from between a pair of houses came charging at them a black stallion carrying a black clad figure.

Spike grabbed her out of the way just before it came by them, its wind knocking them both squarely on their butts. In unison "Ow!" The figure turned his horse around too look at them both. Its face could not be seen because it was hooded. Raising one long arm at them he started to speak.

"Stop tempting thy fates my children, or mistakes of long ago, will come back to haunt thee. Have ye not learned thy lessons yet!"5 He disappeared in an ugly black cloud of smoke, leaving them to cough from the dust it stirred up.

Spike and Buffy both stared at each other and shrugged. "Tempt the fates?" Spike asks. "What lessons?" Buffy added. He helped her up and they brushed off. "First grave robbers and now ghosts. This bloody town never sleeps."

Buffy snickered. "Well, with the exception of you. You sleep all day long. I swear, you're the laziest guy I know..." He gave her a sly smile. "Ought to try it sometime Slayer, the way you work all the time, I think you never learned to have a spot of fun"

Buffy sighed. "I wish I had time for fun... hey, I know what would be fun. A game of kick-the-Spike!" He cocked his head sideways and grinned. "Bloody ha ha Summers. Still up for that burger?"

She smiles and nods. "I'll even buy you an onion flower." He raises an eyebrow. "Lets go before you change your mind slayer"

The Bronze was calm for this time of night. They took a corner table that was close to the stage. There was little to talk about while they waited for their meal. Buffy tapped her fingers on the table to the song on the jukebox. The band had taken 10, and it's been 20 already. Buffy looked at Spike. "I'd give anything for a little excitement right about now..." She stated while picking through a basket of peanuts on the table. As if the fates had heard her, there was a brilliant flash of light, and the pair vanished.