Human?

By PassionFish

Part Two

"So, you just woke up and poof you were human?" Buffy asked sceptically as she and Spike walked through the woods. She was hoping it was the correct shortcut to 'Stones', the new late-night club that opened the other week.

"Yes." Spike answered for the fourth time, twiddling a stake between his fingers. "Do I need to say it again or has your brain finally got it."

"Hey, you make out like this is normal." She stopped suddenly a thoughtful expression on her face. "How come you're not wigging, I mean when I was a vampire I totally wigged and you're all..."

"You were a vampire?" Spike interrupted.

"Huh? Oh, not really. Nightmares were coming true and I got turned."

"Then turned back?" He asked, regretfully.

"No, I’m currently a vampire.” Buffy said, deadpan and Spike rolled his eyes. “It was all just some kid's coma-nightmare." Buffy explained.

"Pity." Spike muttered as they began to walk again. The slayer frowned at his response, but left the thought alone.

Buffy was about to ask about his soul, when a small branch cracking alerted her of company only moments before she was hit over the head with a large tree branch. She fell to the ground on her hands and knees. Still dazed she nearly missed the kick aimed at her stomach. She grabbed the vampire's foot and threw him away from her as she stood. Her eyes quickly moved to Spike who was holding his own against three vampires, just staking one. Their eyes met briefly and he nodded that he was fine before delivering a sharp punch to one attacker's face.

Buffy blocked the round punch aimed at her temple and quickly staked the vampire without preamble. Her slayer-senses informed her there was badder prey to the right and she glance back at Spike who now only had one vampire in front of him before heading off into he forest - using her senses to seek the demon out. The trail led her to the edge of a canyon.

She moved slowly, cautiously; wary of an attack. A three-armed slimy green creature suddenly charged at her, knocking her to the ground. She flipped it over her head, hastily getting to her feet, whipping out a stake.

Buffy ducked under its high punch and blocked its low punch, kicking the demon square in the head. It staggered a few steps back but quickly regained it’s footing, coming at the slayer. Buffy's face screwed up as purple goo shot out of its mouth, and she ducked before it could hit her in the face.

The creature let out a vicious roar and charged at Buffy once again. However, it didn't notice the slayer's change of position and tripped, tumbling off the edge of the cliff. Buffy turned, about to go find Spike, when an arm reached up and grabbed her ankle.

With a screech, Buffy landed flat on her face and was pulled down to the edge. With slayer-speed she grabbed hold of a near-by tree root; keeping both herself and the demon suspended in the air - holding on for dear life...literately.

The goo-monster was having its own problems - its slimy hands were having a difficult time holding on to the slayer's leather boot. Buffy sensed this and shook her leg vigorously in an attempt to dislodge it.

“Off…fly little demon, fly!” Buffy rolled her own eyes at her inane statement and continued wriggling.

With a high-pitched scream the demon fell. Buffy heard its skull crack on the rocks below and she shuddered despite herself.

Just as she was thinking of a way of hauling herself over the edge there was a cracking sound and she could feel the tree root breaking from the tension.

“Son of a…”

From the position she was in she couldn't flip herself because she was uncertain if she'd be able to use a half broken root as leverage. As another part of the root cracked she swallowed her pride and called for Spike.

Spike, who had been looking for her, broke into a run at the sound of her needy voice. He reached the cliff but couldn't see anything.

"Slayer?"

"Spike!" The exasperation in her voice barely masked her relief.

Spike walked closer to the edge, his eyes bugging when he saw her hanging there. "Bloody Hell, woman! What have you done now?"

"Spike! Just get me up!" Buffy's impatient voice made him roll his eyes.

"Pushy chit!"

He was about to lean down and pull her up but he was kicked in the back. He rolled over in pain, narrowly missing another sharp kick. Standing quickly he ducked under the next kick of the slime demon's partner. He slammed his fist into the things jaw, his leg delivering a sharp sidekick to the demons stomach. As it curved down in pain and Spike slammed the stake into its back. He watched as it staggered about before finally toppling over the side of the cliff.

Spike sighed then turned back to the slayer, "Now, where were we?"

Buffy opened her mouth to reply when the root snapped, and she began to fall, with a shocked shriek of his name.

With lightening quick speed a strong, pale but warm hand wrapped around her wrist in a safety lock. Spike heaved with his upper back and brought her over the cliff. They slipped on the moss and toppled backwards on to the damp grass.

Buffy looked down at Spike from her position on top of him. They were laying, the slayer flat on top of the ex-vampire, their noses touching, her legs either side of his waist. Her arms were over his head, while his were around her waist.

"Thanks." Buffy murmured, unable to remove her eyes from the magnetic pull of his blue orbs.

"Your welcome." Spike responded just as quietly.

"Buffy?!" Willow's voice broke into their confusion and Buffy hastily moved off Spike, both their bodies protesting at the loss of contact.

"Willow! Hi, What are you doing here?" Buffy said, flushing slightly.

"Xander said you were going to meet him at 'Stones' after patrol but I was near so I thought I might as well cut through the woods and then I heard you scream so I rushed and are you okay?" Willow babbled, her brain trying to come up with a million reasonable explanations for what she'd just seen.

"I'm fine, just a couple of slimy demony things and some vamps but we're fine." Buffy responded in what she hoped was a normal tone.

She looked back at Spike who had also stood, and was now concentrating studiously on lighting up a cigarette in the in-blowing wind. "Are you coming with us?"

"I think I'm gonna head home, love. Being good's tiring me out."

"Okay - will you tell my mom I'll be back in a couple of hours?" She asked.

"Sure, pet." The ex-vampire turned to go but Buffy's voice halted him.

"Hey Spike, catch." She threw him the stake that he'd dropped to the ground when helping Buffy.

"Thanks." He responded, catching the wood, he slipped it into his duster pocket and headed back to the Summer's house.

***

"Okay, Buffy, spill!" Willow said as soon as she was sure they were out of earshot.

"What?"

"Don't give me 'what'! I saw you two together and why will he be talking to your mom?"

"Okay, first things firsts. There was no 'together'. Not what you're thinking. The slimy demon I fought pulled me over the edge of the cliff and Spike caught me before I fell. When he pulled me over he slipped and I fell on him that’s all." She replied, giving Willow a look. "And, mom said Spike could stay with us until he can find a place."

"How come?"

"I don't know - she actually likes him, its wiggy!"

Willow giggled but asked with concern, "So, you're okay?"

Buffy smiled, "Yup! Now lets go boogie!"

Part Three….