Disclaimer: BTVS and all it’s characters belong to Joss, not me. Just so that we are clear.

Author’s note: Thanks to the fab Aribelle for the great betaing.

Thanks to CM, Marzbar, Wulfie, bubble_blunder, idk5743228, Chanel 5 and spet for the fab reviews!
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Chapter 7:Switched Again.

Buffy sat, Spike’s arms crossed over his chest, pouting and looking forlorn at the dining room table. She had just had to sit and listen to her mother’s rant about equal treatment for Spike and how he’s a good person and the stupidity of bigoted people for the last ten minutes.

The lecture itself she could have brushed off easily, but it was the niggling feeling that her mom had the hots for Spike and that there was going to be weird kinky vampire/mom sex going on in the house once she and Spike got switched back.

It turned her borrowed stomach.

And what was Spike doing while she had to endure the endless stream of words that was coming out of her mother’s mouth? Oh, he was being a good little vampire trapped in her body and was mowing the lawn!

“I just think that he deserves to be treated like a friend, you’ve known him for long enough. I like him and I hope to see him over here a lot more,” said her mother ending her tirade.

Buffy stood, glared at her mother a moment and walked up the stairs needing to be away from the ranting. She needed to be alone with her own thoughts.
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Joyce crept upstairs to tell Buffy that the others were waiting for her. When she reached her daughter’s doorway, the sight that greeted her was so cute she had to take a picture.

It was the flash of the camera that woke up Buffy, who had fallen asleep on her bed clutching Mr Gordo.

“Mom!” Buffy protested, holding up Spike’s hand to block further pictures.

“Sorry Buffy, it was just too cute to pass up. Mr. Giles is here. I think he’s ready to switch you back,” said Joyce.

“Wonderful,” said Buffy bitterly as she got up out of bed.

“You don’t want to be switched back?” asked her mother perplexed. “I mean I could get used to you in Spike’s body. I always wanted a son, your father was the one that didn’t want anymore kids. I just don’t think you would want to spend the rest of Spike’s unlife in the shadows.”

Buffy cringed slightly.

“And Spike, I’m sure he could get used to being in your body, he’s an adaptable young man and think of all the things he could do in the sunlight,” continued Joyce. “But I think I’d rather have you both in your own bodies. My Slayer daughter and her Vampire friend. Maybe you’ll even indulge a fantasy I’ve had where you two can actually be in the same room with one another and not bicker.”

Buffy nodded briefly, attempting to process what her mother was saying through her sleep addled mind. She brushed Spike’s hand across his face absently, forgetting about the bruises that Riley had inflicted on this body.

“Are you coming?” asked Joyce as she headed to the top of the stairs.

Sleepily Buffy headed down the stairs.

In the living room sat Giles, Willow, and Xander. Spike stood running Buffy’s fingers through her hair, as if he was going to miss the feeling. Anya was standing to the side very openly ogling Spike in Buffy’s body.

“You know I can’t even tell it’s Spike in there,” observed Anya. “As long as he doesn’t open his mouth of course.”

The group turned their attention to Spike’s body.

“Buffy! Excellent, we can begin,” said Giles, standing up from the couch.

Buffy rubbed the sleep from Spike’s blue eyes and glared at the happy people in her living room.

“Buffy?” asked Willow, standing up from the couch, taking in for the first time the bruises that Spike’s face sported. “What happened?”

“Solider Boy’s handiwork,” explained Spike. “Caught him beating the crap out of the poor helpless Slayer.”

Buffy glared at her body.

“I’d hit you right now Spike, but it would hurt. My fist has a meeting with your nose after we get all switched back,” said Buffy, Spike’s voice only slightly muffled by the swelling lip. “I also think Riley cracked a rib,” she continued sitting down.

“Riley beat you up?” asked Xander. “Did he know that you were Spike-like?”

“I tried to tell him, he just wasn’t listening,” said Buffy.

“He must really hate Spike to not even pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth,” observed Anya.

The whole room fell silent for a moment.

“Well, shall we get this show on the road?” asked Joyce. “Riley will be here in an hour for his date with Buffy and I’m sure he’s expecting his girlfriend to be back in her body.”

Buffy and Spike both cringed.
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Fifteen minutes later Joyce sat on the couch observing the ritual that was being conducted in her living room. Xander, Willow, Anya and Giles stood in a circle around the two switched beings. Chanting a low rhythmic Latin verse that Joyce did not understand the group started passing something between them, when whatever it was changed hands it lit up focusing Joyce’s attention on the thing that glowed red, then white, then blue. Finally it was passed from Giles to Spike’s hand then to Buffy’s then to Anya completing the ritual.

Anya dropped the item on the ground and they all backed away from the circle as if unsure that it had worked at all.

“So are we all in the right bodies?” asked Xander.

“Oooh!” said Willow with a smile. “I am!”

The rest of the group looked at Willow annoyed.

“Buffy?” asked Joyce looking at her daughter’s body. “You in there?”

“Umm,” started Anya’s voice. “Not so much.”

All eyes turned to Anya.

“You’re in Anya?” asked Willow, passing her eyes over Anya’s body.

Anya’s body nodded. “And I feel way old for some reason...”

“Hey, upside...you’re a girl again,” noted Xander.

“Thanks Xan, that makes me feel so much better,” noted Buffy. “I’m in Anya! Would you all stop thinking that you need revenge!”

“So where is Anya then?” asked Joyce.

“That would be me over here in this body,” came Spike’s voice. “Feels odd really. I’m kinda hungry. The blood rushing through your veins is very tempting. I wonder what Xander’s blood tastes like. The drinking of blood is a very sexual act you know,” said Anya, a smile lighting up Spike’s face.

“Oy! You aren’t shaggin’ the whelp while you are in my bloody body!” shouted Giles’ voice.

“I guess that answers the question of where Spike is,” said Willow.

The rest of the group turned to Buffy’s body with awe.

“Giles?” asked Willow.

“Well, it seems the spell went wrong didn’t it?” said Buffy’s voice, with another, more refined British accent. “Buffy if you would kindly break the katra, it should return us all to the right bodies.”

“Sure you don’t want to explore your inner woman?” asked Spike curiously.

“Most certainly not,” protested Giles. “Buffy?”

Buffy nodded Anya’s head and brought her foot down hard on the metal talisman that Giles had donated to the cause.

There was a flash of light and the four switched parties landed on the floor with a thump.

“Ow! That hurt!” said Anya’s voice. “If that was going to happen the least you could have done was warned us about possible bruising,” she muttered. “Oh! And look! I’m back in my own body! Yay!” Anya got up off the floor and rubbed her behind. “Xander, I was having naughty thoughts while I was in Spike.”

“Ahn,” warned Xander, still relieved to be in his body.

Anya motioned with her eyes that she wanted to leave ASAP. Xander took her hand and led her towards the door.

“Uh, good luck with the whole switching back thing!” said Xander as the two left, one thing clearly on their minds.

“Are we all in our own bodies again?” asked Giles. He felt his chest. “Clearly I am.”

Spike sat down on the couch in a huff.

“I’m all Spike-like again!” pouted the vampire’s body.

“It didn’t work Watcher,” agreed Buffy’s body, sitting down beside Spike’s body on the couch and wrapping an arm around the black tee shirt clad shoulders. “Back to the books with you.”

Giles had a defeated look on his face as he headed out the door, Willow following close behind with apologies for the failure floating in the air.

Buffy was oblivious to the whole thing, wrapped up in the suckiness that was her life right now.

With a knowing smile Joyce left the two alone for a moment and headed into the kitchen to heat up Buffy some blood.

“What am I supposed to do now?” she wailed. “Riley’s gonna be here any minute, expecting girl girlfriend Buffy and I’m gonna have to break up with him cause he hit me and can I just hide?” she said cuddling up against her body.

Spike rubbed his back a moment before responding.

It was a sensation that he wanted to enjoy, Buffy and him, hugging, even if it really wasn’t how he imagined it. His hard body was pressed up against Buffy’s soft yet deceptively hard one in comforting places. His head resting just above her left breast.

“This day has sucked like no day has ever sucked before,” she continued.

He nodded, and continued to rub his back. He didn’t want this moment to end.

“Spike, are you turned on in my body again?” she suddenly asked.

Spike blushed prettily, removing Buffy’s hand from his back.

“Exactly how am I supposed to react when you’re all over me?” he spat. “You say it like it’s wrong! Just a natural reaction.”

Buffy sniffled and stood up.

“It was just a question you...Gah! You are so frustrating! You think I don’t know what being around you does to my own body?”

Spike opened Buffy’s mouth to continue the tirade, but stopped as he words sunk in. “This been going on long Slayer?” he said a leer passing over Buffy’s face.

The classic deer in the headlights look passed over Spike’s face.

“No need to be skittish about it pet,” continued Spike. “Look down.”

Tentatively Buffy did as he asked. There, in the blue jeans she had dressed Spike in that morning, Spike Jr. was making his presence known.

“I...” she stammered, unsure as to what to say.

“Natural reaction and all, right pet?” he asked, whispering into his ear.

Buffy closed Spike’s eyes and gulped. Without warning Buffy felt a hand on Spike’s package, gently rubbing through the denim. Startled, she opened the blue eyes again only to find herself staring into her own green orbs.

“Spike...don’t,” she moaned.

“Don’t what, Slayer?” persisted Spike.

“Riley’s gonna be here any minute...”

“Then you certainly don’t want a hard on when you greet Whitebread... I can take care of that for you. Just like I did in the shower this morning.”

“Spike...My mom is in the next room!” she hissed.

“So?”

“Buffy? Spike? Do you two want a bite to eat before Riley gets here?” asked Joyce from the kitchen.

Buffy pulled away from Spike like he had zapped her.

“Sure mom,” Buffy called out sending Spike a sympathetic look.

Spike advanced on his body once more. “Gonna go into that kitchen like that are you?”

Spike’s eyes went wide at the implication. Buffy grabbed her hand and started leading Spike up the stairs.

“Give us 15 minutes Mom, I need to get dressed for my date!” called Buffy.
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tbc...