Human?

Prologue

Spike watched from behind a tree, as Buffy called her good bye to her mother over her shoulder, grabbed her school bag and then left for school out of the back door. He glanced up at the sun shining brightly in the sky, sighing loudly before proceeding to follow the slayer, a fair pace behind her.

It had been nearly forty-eight hours since the vampire had woken up and discovered he was a vampire no more. Well, that wasn't quite true. He could breathe, his heart was beating, he could walk in the sun, he didn't hold quite as much fear for crucifixes and holy water, he certainly didn't want to drink blood… but, as a few of his minions could attest to, he still retained his vampiric strength and skill.

Spike stopped outside the school and watched as the slayer met up with the witch and the whelp and the three went inside together. The ex-vampire waited until all the students had entered the school and the principal had done the once-round check that no one was lurking outside classrooms. Spike watched as the troll-like man gave one finally look to the surroundings then turned to go inside. That was when he made his move around the back of the school, to the entrance to the stacks in the library.

Jimmying open the door, Spike closed it carefully behind him and made his way through the seemingly endless bookcases. Settling himself so that he could see the door, but also so that he couldn't be seen. And so he waited.

It was around eleven when the slayer finally entered the library. Spike watched as she threw her bag to the table and began ranting.

"Are you sure I can't kill him, Giles?" Buffy half-shouted to her watcher who was in his office. She began pacing the library floor as she continued. "I mean, think about it, the world would be a much better place without him. And its not like he's human - he can't be, he's lacking compassion. Come on, I've seen vampires...honest-to-God soul-less vampire's with more compassion then he has in his little toe!"

She slumped down in a chair, her arms hanging limply over the sides, just as Giles walked in, a small ripper-like smile on his face at his wards rant.

"Please Giles, I'm a slayer of bad things, right?"

Spike watched as the Watcher attempted to draw some sense of responsibility. "Yes, Buffy but..."

"Well then, he's a bad thing - I should get to slay him!" Buffy interrupted. "I shouldn't have to jump into his holes."

"Through his hoops, pet." Spike's accented voice travelled down the stairs from the stacks, as did the ex-vampire.

Buffy immediately jumped up into a defensive fighting stance, stake in hand, as the watcher dropped his books, whipping out a crucifix. Spike smirked and stopped on the bottom stair, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, white flag here, I quit." He said, his tone even.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she relaxed out of her fighting stance and placed both hands on her hips, completing in a mocking tone. "We're mortal enemies, we don't get time outs."

He clapped three times, "Well, done love." He laughed out.

Spike lurched forward towards the watcher and as he did Giles shoved the cross protectively into his face. The vampire-no-more reached out and grabbed the crucifix. He walked over to the slayer who had lowered her stake and handed it to her.

"Whah...?" Buffy was at a loss for words as she blindly took the cross, staring up at her mortal enemy who still stood in front of her. Of its own accord, one of her hands rose to touch his neck. She gasped sharply as she felt his pulse beneath her fingers, her eyes bugging.

"Spike?" She whispered, suddenly unsure of anything...and rightly so.

"Yeah love - I gotta problem."

Part One

Buffy sat frowning at Spike, who sat across from her. Spike was watching the watcher who was walking back and forth from the table and his office bringing various books with him including the Codex and several Watchers Diaries. The peroxide blonde turned his head back to the slayer and frowned at her frown.

"What?" He asked, absently looking up as Giles dumped yet another book on the table.

"What? What? This is way wiggy and not just in a small way." Spike rolled his eyes as the slayer began to rant once again, as she paced the room, about how this was ruining her already askew view of the crazy world in which she lived.

"Hey! Its not like I asked to become human." The ex-vampire argued.

Buffy stopped suddenly and turned back to him, a questioning look on her face. "So you're just human?"

"Haven't we already covered that?" Spike snapped.

"I mean..." Buffy began, un-phased by his tone. "What about strength and skill and stuff...well, not that you had much skill anyway."

"Thanks so much, pet. But yes, I still got it." Spike replied, flashing her a sexy grin which caused her to blush slightly and roll her eyes.

"Soooooo…… Giles, what are we doing with all the books?" Buffy said slightly desperately, in an attempt to get the spot light off her. *Why the hell do I give that reaction when he does that...its SPIKE for God's sake!* She mentally scolded herself as Giles answered her question.

"Well, we're uh, going to have to go through them I suppose. Maybe there's some reference to a male slayer..."

"Hey now, wait a minute, I never said I'd help you..." Spike interrupted, just to be interrupted by the slayer.

"If you got your strength and you want our help then you can help us." She said, matter-of-factly.

Spike stood, quickly enraged. “I’m not another Angel!”

Buffy stifled the pang of hurt that rang through her body at the mention of her ex-lovers’ name. Instead she rounded on Spike. “Please, like you could be. Did Dru leave you again? Is that why you’re here, annoying us?”

“I left her.” Spike muttered.

Buffy scoffed loudly, causing Giles to suddenly sit up, but still not pay any attention to the twentieth argument of the hour. “Yeah, right!”

There was a millisecond pause before Spike started again.

"What’s the matter, love? Slaying getting too much for you in your old age?" Spike asked snidely.

"If it is, can you make it all better?" Buffy asked sweetly, batting her widened eyes dramatically at the blonde.

"Uh-hum," Giles coughed politely, finally paying attention and not quite liking the direction of the conversation one bit. "I think it would be beneficial to test the full capacity of your predicament if you were to patrol with Buffy."

"Hold on, Giles. Why does he have to patrol with me? Can't he go with..." Buffy protested.

"Buffy, you can hold your own, so, if there were to be a problem-" Giles interrupted.

"But..." Buffy tried again, but was unable to think of anything.

"It was your idea in the first place!" Her watcher pointed out, ignoring her murderous scowl.

"Looks like you're stuck with me, love!" Spike sniggered.

"Joy!" Buffy muttered. A bell rang in the background and Buffy looked up at the clock. "Shit, I'm gonna be late!" She exclaimed, grabbing her bag. She looked back at her watcher. "I'll be back with the others after P.E, Giles."

"Okay Buffy." Giles said, moving back into his office.

Buffy turned to go but Spike's voice halted her, "Don't I get a goodbye, love?"

She looked up a mocking look on her face and tilting her head to the side, stuck her middle finger up at him, "Goodbye, love." With that she left the library to Spike's chuckle.

The peroxide blonde watched the slayer's swaying ass as she left the library and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

Part Two…

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