A Little Help From A Friend

By PASSIONFISH

Big Thanks to Marsters’ Girl who beta’d this fiction, so quickly…for you…you should all be grateful!

Buffy packed her clothes into her swimming bag, careful not to crease her clothing and to placed her towel at the top of the bag - within easy reach.

Bag in hand, she opened the changing room door and secured her clothes in a bright red locker. She exchanged the hair bobble around her wrist with the key attached to a red elastic band.

She moved over to the large mirror just outside the pool entrance and brushed her hair back. She lowered her hands, looking over her red bikini with a critical eye.

Deciding that all was of the good she smiled at her reflection then walked out of the changing area.

The pool itself was decorated like a rain forest with tall palm trees and large leafed plants adorning the edges. There were three little waterfalls in the farthest corner of the pool, with pretty shrubs surrounding them amongst the stones and pebbles.

It was the final period of the night - the late night adult stint between 10 p.m. and one a.m. Set about for those who wanted to swim without young children splashing them! Dark, blue lights replaced the bright, white ones of the daytime, giving the place a more comfortable feel.

Buffy was aware of the lifeguard's quiet murmurs about her 'swim suit' and she smiled slightly. *Go, go slayer hearing!*

She walked down to the deeper end of the pool and sat down on the edge, her legs dangling in the pool. She looked around the pool. There were a couple of girls talking in the corner - obviously not here for swimming, but rather for the hunky lifeguards.

She recognized them from the dorms; though not actual friends, or acquaintances even. *Okay, so I've seen them around move on...*

There was an elderly woman doing a slow breaststroke, and a reasonably attractive older gentleman swimming back and forth, occasionally pausing to take deep breaths in the shallow end of the pool.

Buffy gently slipped into the water, diving under like a dolphin. She glided, like a fish, to the other end of the pool, never breaking for air. She flung her head back, flipping her hair neatly down her back before swimming back to the other end, this time above water.

She'd done about twenty lengths when she felt his presence. Well, it could have been one of two people. Angel or him. And since it was very unlikely that the brooding one would be here it had to be what was behind door number two. Buffy sighed; he always managed to ruin her fun non-slayey things. *Stupid Billy Idol Wanabe!*

So he helped occasionally and only 'cause he lost that bet with Whistler - he's meant to stay in cemeteries and crypts not be out in bars and cinemas...and now swimming pools? What is up with the Hellmouth?

Her eyes scanned the barely lit pool, wondering when he was going to pop out. Eventually her gaze fell on the men's changing room door and her lips parted a gasp at the sight.

His white blonde hair was slicked back and wet from the pre-pool shower he'd taken. Water droplets slid down his chest, his wet trunks molding to his legs, outlining his muscles. The black suit set off his alabaster skin, which appeared almost silver in the blue light. As he walked his muscles rippled, and Buffy's inner muscles clenched in want.

Buffy could hear the college girls speaking lustfully about him, and she glowered jealously at them. As she realized what she'd just done she cursed herself mentally. She averted her eyes from his six-pack as he walked over to the pool, and pushed off again, not wanting to be caught blatantly ogling her mortal enemy.

Spike walked slowly over to the pool, aware of the college girls’ appreciative words. *The wonders of vampire hearing.*

He'd decided to come down to the pool the other day after the witch had mentioned they had a late night session. Drusilla had loved to go swimming, so much that she made him only kill people for their houses if they had a pool. He hadn't been in years, what with the whole Sunnydale Slayer mess, and had decided to get back in to it.

As he passed the girls he flashed them his patented sexy smile and swallowed a laugh as they giggled, batting their eyes at him. He eyed the water before stepping down the metallic steps at the side of the pool. The vampire sighed as the cool water hit his shoulders as he crouched down.

He frowned as a familiar scent hit his nose, but passed it off as her simply being here before, since he couldn't see her. He was about to kick off when there was a water disturbance at the other end of the pool and he looked up. His throat went dry as the slayer threw her head back, her arms moving to sweep her hair back.

He watched with perceptive sight as her breasts rose with the motion, bobbing on the top of the water. He swallowed a groan, telling himself this did not turn him on.

Attempting to will away his naughty thoughts he kicked off under the water, swimming through the greenish liquid like a pro.

Buffy watched as his blonde head swam back and forth at a furious pace, the slayer half-wondering if he was going to break for air - for appearances' sake if not for the metabolical need. Buffy was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the elderly woman until she spoke.

"He's a cutie."

"Excuse me?" Buffy turned in the water to face the gray-haired woman. Buffy frowned, the woman looked familiar but she couldn't place the face.

"The young boy." She indicated to the vampire who had finally paused, so as not to arouse suspicion.

Buffy blushed at being caught and then as her brain caught on to what had been said she tried not to laugh at the idea of Spike being called a 'young boy' and answered the lady, "Oh, yeah...he is."

The woman smiled as Buffy's eyes darted across the pool only to return to hers' faster still. "Are you two dating?"

"What? Noooo, no, no, no, no!" Buffy responded vehemently. "Not at all, no." She frowned, "Why do you ask?"

The old woman smiled knowingly, "He was watching you."

"He was?" Buffy asked a little too enthusiastically.

"Uh, huh." She nodded her head over to the pool where Spike was still pretending to catch his breath. "You should go get him."

"WHAT! No, I don't think so he's..." Buffy wasn't quite sure how to put why they couldn't, "We're like...mortal enemies."

The old women laughed, and after a moment Buffy let out a little laugh herself.

"I'm Anne."

"Buffy."

The slayer extended her hand to take the other woman's. As they touched a jolt of light jumped from the woman to Buffy, and Buffy hastily retracted her hand in surprise. She shivered all over and felt a strange burst of energy spread through her body.

"Just a little help from a friend. To separate you must allow yourself to admit what you feel." Anne whispered before disappearing into the water.

Buffy's eyes bugged and she stared at the water, trying to get her thoughts together. Between the vampire hottie at the other end of the pool, the odd conversation, and the disappearing old woman her brain was a little mussed.

Before she could stop herself she let out a small yelp as her body began to glide under the water towards Spike. She tried valiantly to push backwards, but even slayer strength was no match for the powerful magic.

Buffy began to swear under her breath as she saw the college girls flocking around the vampire, giggling and flicking their hair. Batting their eyes as they spoke, then swooning at his accent.

Buffy's inner rant was hastily forestalled when she realized she was still 'floating' towards them. Pushing out her arms she began to swim. As the slayer began to move herself towards the vampire the magic thrumming in her veins began to ebb.

She watched with wide eyes as the little white lights she'd seen travel into her shot out of her fingertips. They skimmed the green water and shot straight at where the vampire's heart should have beat.

Buffy nearly stumbled in her strokes as the mystical pull left her and she hastily pushed off to the other end, far away from Spike. *And his teenage harem. Isn't it like fucking a baby since he's as old as dirt?* She thought jealously.

"Spike? What a weird name!" One of the girls exclaimed, batting her eyes at him.

Spike smirked, "It's just a nick-name, ducks." He shivered as he felt the magic enter his body and he stood straighter, looking over the college girls' heads, to where he could see the slayer swimming across the pool. He rooted his feet firmly on the tiled floor as he felt his body being pulled towards her and mentally frowned.

"So do you..." The second began only to be cut off.

"If you'll excuse me.." He left the sentence dangling as the pull of magic became to great, and he hastily swam to the other end of the pool.

His vampiric hearing caught the second girl's words, "Rude Much!" but he ignored them.

He reached the other side just as the slayer was about to kick off again, and he caught her around the waist.

"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed as she was pulled roughly to his body. She struggled as he moved them to a corner, but her attempts were futile; it was as if she was super-glued to him. "Get off me!" She shouted.

"Are you okay, Miss?" One of the lifeguards came hurriedly to the poolside.

"We're fine." Spike said tightly, his eyes flashing at Buffy in warning.

The lifeguard raised his eyebrows suspiciously and went to ask Buffy but she just gave him a fake smile and said in an air head voice, "Sorry, I got a bit excited."

The man nodded and walked away and the slayer looked dangerously in to the eyes of the far-too-close-for-comfort vampire, "Spike, let go of me."

"I'm not even holding you, pet." Spike said, lifting up his arms to show her his hands. The gesture reminiscent of one so long ago.

"But I'm still...." Buffy looked down between them only to discover that their abdomen's appeared to be 'stuck' together. Only, although there was a few inches between them it was as if they were being held together by a magnetic force.

Spike followed her gaze, though his was some what distracted by the scrap of red cloth covering her breasts. "Don't you own anything that covers you?" He asked exasperated.

Buffy followed his gaze and slapped him on the chest as she blushed, "Stop looking! And this is covering me."

Spike grunted indifferently and then sighed, leaning his head back against the marble edge. This was just fucking priceless. Of all positions to be stuck in, with the object of your desire straddling your waist.

"What the hell are we going to do?!"

"Beats me, pet."

"Great!"

They stood like that for some time, neither talking just both thinking about how the hell they could get out of this. Spike stiffened as he felt Buffy's legs rise and wrap around him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, glaring at her as he attempted to force his reaction down with thoughts of killing Angel; slowly, painfully, with plenty of holy water.

It wasn't working.

Fortunately she didn't seem to have noticed.

"Spike, we've been stood here for thirty minutes. While you have something to lean on I'm just being suspended here and my legs are killing me." The tiredness in her voice made him soften his glare.

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'. Look if you're that uncomfortable then can we move over to the stairs and let me sit down..."

"While I what? Immerse myself in water, coming up for 'breath' now and then?"

"Fine. Just shut up." She glanced up at the clock, which read 1/4 to One. "This is way past my slayer bedtime." Her eyes drooped then shot open again as she tried to stay awake in the uncomfortable position.

"Fuck it." She growled after a few minutes and let her head drop onto his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

A few minutes later Buffy spoke again, "The disappearing woman said, 'to separate you must allow yourself to feel' or 'acknowledge what you feel' or something. What do you think it means?"

"Disappearing woman?" Spike frowned.

"Hmmm?" Buffy asked, deep in thought.

"Disappearing woman?" Spike asked again.

"Oh, yeah I was talking to this old woman before I felt strangely drawn to you!" Buffy giggled.

"I don't see how this is funny." Spike snapped.

"Neither do I." Buffy snapped back, but Spike felt a single tear drop on to his shoulder. "Maybe we have to tell each other that we hate each other." Buffy suggested.

"We do that all the time slayer why would someone curse us to make us say that?" Spike asked skeptically.

"Well, what’s your theory Einstein?"

"Okay..." Spike placed his hands on her waist and pushed her away so that she was facing him. "I hate you."

"I hate you too." She said back, looking straight into his eyes.

They waited a moment and when nothing happened Buffy looked away and up towards the clock, it was nearly one - which is when the pool closed. As she looked back, her face was suddenly pulled, and she gasped as the magic stopped her nose to nose with the vampire.

"This is really getting old." Buffy murmured, their lips almost touching.

Spike growled low in his chest, the sound vibrating through the slayer, creating little ripples in the water. She was so close...her scent was all around him. It was all he could think about. The whole Slayer/Vampire thing - fuck it. He had to have her.

"I want you so much, slayer." The murmured words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"What?!" Buffy squeaked.

Instead of a verbal response Spike pressed his lips to hers. They barely felt the magically enforced gap brake away, as the slayer pushed her body up against the vampire, her arms wrapping around his neck as his moved around her waist.

Buffy rubbed herself down on to his arousal, which she'd felt ever since she had wrapped her legs around him. She heard him growl, his hands sliding up her back and around the front of her bikini top.

The P.A. system broke into their kiss and Buffy moved away reluctantly. "We better go."

Spike grabbed the back of her head, bringing her mouth back to his. "I'll see you out side." He said as he broke off the kiss, gently turning the slayer in his arms.

Buffy frowned when she found herself in front of the metallic stairs leading out of the pool. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and moved up, pushing herself out of the pool.

The vampire swallowed, his eyes glazing over as he took in her bathing suit in its entirety - or lack there of.

"Spike...Spike...Spike?"

She was calling him, "Huh?"

She smiled cheekily, "You coming?"

He shook his head snapping out of it. "Not yet, but soon, baby!" He ignored the steps, hoisting himself up using only his arms.

Buffy licked her lips as she watched the water droplets trickle off his sculpted body, as his muscles flexed.

Spike looked down at her, noting the glassy look now in her eye. With a growl he snaked his arm around her waist, his mouth crashing down on hers to deliver a bruising kiss.

Buffy stumbled a bit when he abruptly released her. Spike shot her a cheeky grin, accentuating his cheekbones, "Race you out, pet."

And with that he swept out of the pool, leaving a stunned slayer in his wake.

----

From behind a tree, outside, an elderly woman emerged, a youthful grin on her face as she watched a young slayer and vampire exit the swimming pool hand-in-hand.

She smiled fondly as the vampire pulled the slayer into his arms, kissing her passionately as he continued to move them to his waiting car.

"Young love." She murmured to herself before vanishing much as she had done before.

----

An elderly man sat on his swinging love seat on his back porch, watching as his two great-grandchildren played in the garden in front of him.

He smiled as he felt her presence: a bond as strong as theirs had never broken or dimmed even over the past century.

"Have fun, love?" He asked as she materialized beside him. He lifted his arm, wrapping it around her as she leaned into him. “Apocalypse averted?”

"Yep. All done and dusted." She looked up at him, a cheeky grin on her lips.

"Not literally, I hope." He remarked, leaning down to brush his lips against hers.

She poked him in his side, breaking away slightly so that she could speak, "Do you miss it?"

"What?"

"Our youth." She clarified.

"I was never that young." He murmured laconically. He caught her hand before she could poke him again, and held it in his, his fingers absently brushing over the wedding band that was on her left hand.

"Well, do you?" She asked again, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes.

"Never." He reassured her.

"Really?"

"The only thing I've ever wanted is you. Age, time, demons - it doesn't matter. So long as we're together...and how sappy does that sound?" Spike asked, cocking a scarred eyebrow.

"Very sappy, but I love you anyway." She closed the gap between them, kissing his familiar lips.

"Grandma...Grandpa....come and see!" Excited voices broke into their haze and they slowly pulled apart.

Buffy stood, agile even though she was well over a hundred. Spike stood a moment later, taking her hand as the two children took their free ones, pulling them down a winding garden path to see the special wonder they'd discovered.

Buffy stood within the circle of her lover's arms as they watched the children excitedly converse, both to each other and to them, over the big-bummed frog they'd found...and named "Buttocks".

"I love you." Spike whispered into Buffy's ear.

"I love you too." She answered, before bending down to pet Buttocks the wonder frog.

In the background the sun began to set, casting a majestic golden light over the happy couple.

The End

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