Author’s note: Dialogue taken from ‘Beneath You’. Thanks to Bloodytearsoflife for the betaing. *hugs*

Disclaimer: Joss owns them all, not me. *pout*

Thanks to Jacquie, Vladt, Tasha, Ct114, Lou, Neo, Chanel 5, OHolly, Idk, Jane and Pin for the fab reviews!
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Chapter 2 : Mortal Danger

“Did you just threaten the Principal?” Dawn asked as they walked away from the school.

Buffy shrugged. “I suppose I did. I mean, I don’t want Spike dust floating in the wind, now do I?”

Buffy pulled open the door of the Desoto and ushered Dawn into the back seat.

“Hey I thought that I was going to be all student driver today?” Dawn whined.

“Um, well not in Spike’s baby and not before Spike can drive the other car without the flamey death,” explained Buffy.

“How was school ‘Bit?” asked Spike, pulling the car away from the curb.

“Ok, intensely embarrassing, ooh and Buffy threatened the Principal.”

Spike turned his head to look at his mate and raised a single eyebrow, silently asking his question.

“Yes, possibly a bad move on my part, but he was going to be all grr and seeking of the revenge.”

“What did you do?” he asked.

“It’s more what you did,” she whispered.
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Dawn flounced into the house eager to get away from the two superheroes whose animated conversation in the car was really starting to dampen her first day of school/driving lessons happy.

Buffy had refused to discuss the whole why she threatened the principal thing in the car, so as to avoid Spike getting mad and driving off the road. Now he was all grr and she was avoidy. The combination of which spelled Buffy/Spike fight in the near future.

Yes, her house was a war zone two out of five days a week.

But she had a family, a real honest to goodness family, and she was ok with that.

Dawn bounced into the kitchen to find Xander sipping coffee and reading the paper.

“First day at Hellmouth High. Give me the low down,” ordered Xander, very seriously.

“Buffy threatened the Principal,” said Dawn as she opened the fridge grabbing some juice.

“Sounds like high school alright. Ahh the memories,” sighed Xander as Buffy and Spike entered the room.

“I thought you hated Sunnydale?” asked Dawn.

“Yes and no. With an emphasis on the yes. But at least then I was dating,” responded the carpenter.

“You could be dating now,” offered Buffy, who was leaning against the island, her arms crossed.

“I don’t know what’s not clicking for me right now,” Xander shrugged.

“Well, there’s that thing with Anya,” Buffy reminded.

“The hesitating at the altar when she was turned into a demon again thing?”

“Yeah, that one. It’s not something you just bounce right back from.”

“Sure it is,” exclaimed Xander. “She bounced back to being a vengeance demon and I bounced back to being a dateless nerd.”

“Do you guys talk at all?” asked Dawn.

Xander frowned around his coffee cup. “I’ve seen her at the Bronze a couple of times. I guess there’s a lot of scorned women there making vengeance wishes on their exes...” explained Xander. His tone turned mocking as he did a southern accent and continued. “That’s where I go to get my scorn on.”

“You guys really need to ease up on the whole ‘dating demons‘ thing,” chuckled Dawn.

“Hello, I’m sorry… wasn’t that you having the smoochathon with teen vampire last Halloween?” started Buffy, “Besides, I love my demon.” Buffy cuddled up against Spike who was standing stiff as a board against the wall. “My demon with whom I must have a small discussion, excuse us,” Buffy said as she grabbed Spike’s hand.
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Buffy stood in the middle of their bedroom facing a surly vampire.

“I really wish you wouldn’t be all petulant, I just didn’t want you to go all grr when you were driving...”

“So tell me already. Quit dangling it about,” Spike barked at her. He was tired of being in the dark about whatever it was she was hiding.

Buffy sighed. “Ok, the Principal, you killed his mother.”

“Is that all?” he asked. “Killed a lot of people’s someone or others. Evil...” he said pointing at himself. “Well at least I was until I met you.”

“She was a Slayer, Spike. Principal Wood’s mother was Niki Wood.”

Spike sat down on the bed. “That’s why you threatened the git? Afraid he’s gonna want his revenge?”

“No,” she said sitting down beside him. “I know he wants revenge Spike, I’ve met him before, a hundred years ago, the first time around. He tries to kill you.”

“But he doesn’t...”

“No,” she said quickly. “He doesn’t and I’ve been mad at him for a century for trying,” she admitted. “He’s skilled, a demon hunter, and he could be an ally if we let him. You are more important to me than any demon hunter whose mother just happened to be a Slayer,” she said planting a kiss on his cheek.

Spike responded by rolling the two of them on the bed, covering her body with hers.

“Can I safely assume I’ve averted world war three here?” she mumbled between kisses.

Spike chuckled. “For now love.”
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Dawn and cars equalled badness, Buffy knew that now. Dawn had not inherited the ability to drive from any competent driver, that much was clear. Buffy sat in the back seat of her mother’s Ford Explorer gripping the fabric of the seat with desperation, her knuckles white.

Yes, they were cruising around the parking lot of one of Sunnydale’s many churches, not a car in sight, not a pedestrian available to award Dawn that terror of the road title she was clearly going to claim one day soon. But given all these facts, Buffy still felt her life was going to end, again, very soon.

“Don’t step on the gas and the break at the same time Dawn!” barked Spike from the front passenger seat.

Dawn looked down at her feet trying to figure out which was which.

“Eyes on the road!” Buffy yelled from the backseat.

“There’s too many things to pay attention too!” cried Dawn, as she finally hit the break and skidded the SUV to a stop. “Why is driving so hard?” asked Dawn.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as the car stopped. She unlatched her seat belt and exited the car post haste.

“So I guess this means portal opening and walking for me...” trailed off Dawn looking forlornly at the steering wheel.

She peeked an eye at Spike who was searching for his cigarettes. In one fluid motion, Spike exited the car and lit up, taking a long drag of the calming smoke.

“If we find those monk people and ask for another glowy ball of green energy disguised as a kid, can we ask that this one get my driving genes?” asked Spike to the night sky.

Buffy started to giggle. She hadn’t even thought about the monks that made Dawn for a long time. It started ideas in her head. “Absolutely, Spikey. It can even be a boy if you want,” she purred, sidling up to him.

“Hey!” shouted Dawn from inside the SUV. “Did you know these mirror thingies are just at the right angel to see you two about to have a smooch fest?”
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Buffy, Spike and Dawn returned home from the night’s driving excursion to find that Xander had brought a woman to their house.

Xander on the rebound? thought Buffy bitterly.

“So a wormy monster thingy ate your dog?” asked Spike who had been questioning the woman who was occupying his home.

“Well whatever it was, it was big and strong. Stronger than… I mean, I don’t know how it’s possible. You hear things in this town, living here in Sunnydale, but nobody actually believes them. You’d have to be crazy and… you guys think that I’m crazy, don’t you?” asked Nancy.

“I don’t,” declared goo goo eyed Xander.

“We’ve seen things, too, Nancy,” Buffy confirmed, giving Xander the evil eye for flirting with the random stranger.

“And we’re going to take care of this. It’s your lucky night. Considering that your dog just got all ate up and stuff. Hey, can I freshen up your tea?” he asked, motioning to her empty teacup.

“No, that’s okay. Thanks,” answered the woman.

“So you say this thing just came up out of the ground? I mean, without any warnings or signs or anything?” asked Dawn.

“Just this kind of rumbling. You know, like just before an earthquake?” added Nancy.

“It’s sounding monsterific, all right,” said Xander.

Buffy and Spike rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“Should we round up the gang?” asked Dawn.

“Good thinking, except… this is the gang,” noted Xander.

“Giles is visiting some shaman friend in New Mexico,” shrugged Buffy.

“Look, Nancy, we’re going to get into this. And I promise you, if you’re dog is alive, we’ll find him. I say two pairs. Whatever this creature is, it’s burrowing through solid ground. That means a strength and power that we don’t usually deal with but we may have to get used to now that the Hellmouth is getting all perky,” Buffy commanded, all Slayer mode.

Spike looked on proudly, holding her coat for her.

“Xander, take Nancy home. Drive, don’t walk, and try not to stop till you get there.”

“Understood,” nodded Xander.

“Is your girlfriend always this commanding?” asked Nancy.

“Who?” asked Xander as Nancy pointed to Buffy.

“Buffy? Oh, no, no! I mean, she’s a girl and she’s a friend but she’s not my girlfriend..” stammered Xander.

“Xander… little drool,” said Dawn, as she wiped imaginary drool from her own chin.

“Spike and I will check out the scene,” added Buffy, grabbing Spike’s hand. Buffy smiled at Nancy and placed a kiss on Spike’s cheek.

A look of realisation passed over Nancy’s face.

“I’m command central so everybody check in with me,” said Dawn with authority. BUffy raised an eyebrow at her and Dawn pouted. “Okay, I’ll be here doing my homework but the other one sounded cooler.”
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“I’m so grr at Xander!” Buffy vented as they walked, flashlights in hand. “I mean he’s all ‘let me freshen your tea’ to this Nancy chick and Anya’s still in the picture.”

“Is Anya still in the picture though pet?” asked Spike. “Doesn’t look to me like either of them are putting in the effort.”

“He’s the one that screwed it up!”

“Buffy, love, you can’t make the whole world do what you want, even if you have seen the future,” said the wise vampire.

“But...I have all this extra stuff in my brain and it seeps out!”

“Think this here’s our spot?” asked Spike, pointing his flashlight at a hole in the grass.

“How’d you guess?” she shot back sarcastically.

“I don’t fancy sticking my head in there.”

Buffy nodded. She didn’t want her fiancé to be suddenly decapitated either. They both knelt down examining the hole.

“Hold the torch, will you?” He handed her his flashlight.

“You can’t honestly think that it’s Anya’s fault that Xander’s being all drooly over the other women...”

“Is there a right answer to that question love?” he asked. “Xander’s your friend, Anya’s your friend...I don’t see how this can end up good for me in any scenario.“ Spike turned his attention back to the hole. “And there’s nothing here. Just a bit of slime, mounds of displaced dirt and such. Whatever our beastie is, he’s gone.”

“Bronze?” asked Buffy.

Spike nodded.
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Buffy and Spike walked into the Bronze hands clasped. The good mood that been developing since Buffy suggested they go to the Bronze faded from Buffy’s face once she saw Xander, Nancy and Anya talking.

“You guys, I am working here,” said Anya right away, annoyed at the interruption to her business.

“We noticed,” observed Buffy, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“That’s why we’re here,” added Spike.

“Right. Did you turn this nice lady’s ex into a giant worm monster?” asked Xander referring to Nancy.

“Yes,” laughed Anya.

“No way! Are you saying that that thing was Ronnie?” Nancy asked with disbelief.

“You wish it, I dish it. I thought we were clear on this. I didn’t think you were gonna go all narc on me,” Anya scolded, eyeing the girl coldly.

“You wished your ex was a worm?” Buffy asked Nancy.

“We were just talking.”

“Anya has a way of making things happen,” explained Xander.

“It was an interesting wish. I don’t grant them all you know. The guy had it coming. What’s the big?” asked Anya.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” muttered Nancy.

“Anya, that thing you created burst through solid pavement and ate her dog,” explained Buffy.

“Oh, puppy!” Anya clutched her hand to her chest, her eyes wide with horror.

“Wait! That gets your sad noise? People’s lives are in danger and you give it up for the Yorkie? “ asked Xander.

“You never understood me, Xander,” complained Anya.

“Xander, who is this woman?” asked Nancy.

“Anya? She’s… Anya. My ex,” explained Xander.

“Oh.”

“Hey, nobody’s bragging here!” exclaimed Anya, getting up from her bar stool.

“You know it would have been nice to let your friends in on the memo that you were officially kaput, you know,” said Buffy annoyed. “But seriously Anya, this Ronnie, okay, he wasn’t a worm. Worms are like this big.” Buffy held up her fingers an 2 inches apart. “This thing was like...”

“A Sluggoth demon,” Spike filled in for Buffy. “Am I right?”

“Maybe,” Anya sighed with a scowl.

“Wait. I didn’t wish for that. I mean, I don’t even know what this whatchamacallit demon thing is,” cried Nancy.

“Sluggoth demon. It’s a very large, very nasty, natural predator who died around the Crusades,” explained Spike.

“Same phylum. It’s not cheating. I just embellished..” shrugged Anya.

“Well, you can un-embellish now,” ordered Xander.

“Bite me, Harris! I have rules to work with. Vengeance demon codes of conduct, which you’ll never understand because you’re all still so… human,” argued Anya.

“Yes, yes, human men are little boys that never grow up,” added Buffy. “I’m all for the demony, can we turn Ronnie back now?”

Anya rolled her eyes. “Look I’m sorry that your dog got eaten, but really do you want your ex back?” she asked Nancy.

“I think he’s learned his lesson.”

Anya nodded. “Fine, it’s undone,” she said as she slumped back down on the bar stool.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and sat down beside her friend at the bar. She slapped down some money on the bar and called to the bartender.

“I need 2 Fuzzy Navels stat!”
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tbc...