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Chapter 11
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Spike wasn’t sure if he had been foolish by bearding the lions in their own dens, but the element of surprise seemed to work well for now. He had known it was only a matter of time before the Watcher stumbled onto the truth about him and Angel had been sure to spot him sooner or later, what with the Poof’s stalking his girl.

Now that Spike had decided what he really wanted to do with the Slayer, he would be spending even more time with the girl. Eventually that would mean running into Angel. All the false identity in the world would not counter either of those two males ruining his relationship with Buffy if they spilled the beans. Giles might not be able to dust him if he were wearing the Gem, but he could plant seeds of distrust in Buffy and bollocks everything up.

Giles at least had seemed to take what Spike told him seriously. He seemed to have decided to wait on telling Buffy because when Spike saw her the next morning, she was all smiles and kisses. She told him about her discovery that her ‘man of mystery’ who had been dropping in with cryptic messages had turned out to be a vampire. "He said he has a soul and works for the good guys now. Just how stupid does he think I am?" She rolled her eyes.

"Doubt he thinks you’re stupid, love." Spike wondered if he should be honest about knowing Angel or not and decided that the great wanker would enjoy letting Buffy know THAT piece of history as soon as he knew Spike was interested in Buffy. Well, time to take another leap.

"Actually, if you’re talkin’ ‘bout Angelus…sorry, Angel …he does have a soul." Spike watched Buffy’s expression with a sidelong glance.

"And you know this, know him…how?" Buffy stopped in mid walk and folded her arms in front of her.

"You could say I’ve had some history with the blighter, old history. The whole soul story’s the truth though. He ate a gypsy back in the late 1800s and was cursed with the soul." Spike had turned to face her and as her arms fell to her sides, he reached for her hand. At least she didn’t pull away from
him! He moved her towards a park bench and they sat side by side as he continued.

"Why a soul? Were they all out of boils and blinding torment? What kind of a stupid curse is it to give him his soul?"
Buffy couldn’t understand how that was a good enough
punishment for killing an innocent.

Spike smiled and thought how much simpler his life would be if the Romany had just made a lampshade out of Angelus’ hide and dusted the rest of him.

"Well, pet, it’s like this…sorta diabolical really, when a human is turned, he doesn’t have that conscience anymore. No remorse for all the evil he gets up to. It’s a survival thing, if you think about it. How long would a fledgling live if he felt guilty every time he ate? They put that soul back and the Poo…um, Angelus suddenly got hit with all that guilt, see?"

Buffy scrunched up her brow as she thought about it. "So that’s why he became all good deedy vamp."

Spike gave a short burst of laughter. "Hardly! Mostly he just stopped killin’ and changed his diet. Don’t need a soul for that! I think the whole ‘warrior of light’ thing is new for him. He did a
couple of good deeds over the century, but I think he was forced to do ‘em."

"Did you meet him while you were demon hunting?" Buffy was still not clear about the relationship between her boyfriend and the vampy guy.

"Not exactly. Let’s just say we knew some people in common and leave it for a bit, okay? I really don’t want to waste any of my day with you by talking about that wanker," Spike sidestepped. He leaned in to steal a kiss that soon put every other male anything out of Buffy’s mind.

~~~

Angel was waiting outside Spike’s apartment when he returned home with his bag of butcher’s best and smokes.

"Took me a while, MR. EDWARDS, but I finally tracked you down," Angel began. "We need a few more things settled before I go see if that’s a real address you gave me for Dru."

"By all means, Peaches, mi casa es su casa and all that." Spike held the door open for Angel to enter ahead of him and wondered what demon he was going to have to kill for telling the Poof where he lived.

"What are you doing here really?" Angel moved into Spike’s space to try to intimidate him with his larger bulk, but Spike wasn’t the nervous fledge he had been when that had last worked.

"Seriously, Spike, you’ve set yourself up here, made yourself all legal and everything. Looks to me like you’re planning a long stay and I want to know why." Angel glowered at him. "If you’re here to get yourself another Slayer, you’ll have to go through me to do it, boy. I’ve got a mission from The Powers
That Be to help her and I’m not about to let YOU touch
her."

"Think that last bit’s up to the lady in question, don’t you?" Spike felt his anger rise at Angel’s proprietary attitude when it came to Buffy. "Last I looked you were nothin’ but a source of information to the Slayer."

"She’s young. I don’t want to rush the girl. The Powers have something in mind or they’d never have sent me to her," Angel pouted.

Spike raised an eyebrow at his elder’s ego. "And naturally you figured it meant she was supposed to, what, be your best girl?" As he looked at Angel’s set face, he shook his head and headed into the living room with Angel in his wake. "Ever heard of just walkin’ up to the girl and introducin’ yourself? Near scared her with all the stalkin’ and disappearin’."

"How do you know about any of that?" Angel pushed Spike to the wall, pinning him with an arm across the neck.

Spike chuckled low and gave his best smirk as he gasped out, "Not gonna know a thing if I can’t get air to talk, you git." Angel released the pressure on Spike’s throat but didn’t back down.

"Know lots more than you’d ever imagine. Trust me, you don’t want to actually make it with this girl…for everyone’s sake!" Spike shivered slightly at the memory of Angel’s last turn as Angelus. "That curse of yours needs lookin’ into before you try chasin’ the little girls for a bit of slap and tickle or you’ll be as soulless and crazy as Dru before you know it."

Angel said nothing but stared at the younger vamp as if trying to decide where Spike was coming up with his information.

"Look, long story short, I know some things. Things that aren’t gonna happen this time. Don’t matter how I know ‘em, just that I do. You make the soul connection with the Slayer and it all goes pear-shaped and fast. You may think she’s your future, your reward, but she’s not. If they sent you to help her, that’s what they wanted--you to HELP HER, not corrupt
her." Angel wasn’t totally buying it, but parts of what Spike was saying were making some impression, he could tell.

"I’m here to help her too," Spike ducked as Angel swung a fist that nearly connected with his eye. "Watch it, not wantin’ a pissin’ contest over Buffy, just answering your question. Told you I had a change of heart. Here to help the Slayer grow old with as few heartaches as possible, that’s all."

"Why should I believe the slayer of Slayers is here to HELP a Slayer? Do you really think I’m that stupid, Spike?"

"Well, yeah, but that don’t make it true." Spike moved from Angel’s grasp and put some distance between them. "Let’s just say I had a visit from a supernatural being that set me on a new course. Came here knowin’ a few things, one of which is that you need to keep your hands off the Slayer if you don’t want to destroy the girl."

"Supernatural being," Angel scoffed. "It did, what, walk up to you and tell you to stop preying on people and come help the Slayer?"

"No, already wasn’t eatin’ the two-legged value meals. This being seemed to think I would be useful here, so here I am." Spike stood tall in his half-truth. Not likely the wee demon fairy would turn up to dispute his version.

"If you’re supposed to help Buffy, why wasn’t I told?" Angel looked like a man who had played his trump card in a tournament.

"You stop hangin’ out in alleys playin’ Rat Terrier and suddenly you’re theconfidant of the Powers? Get over yourself, Angelus! You should consider yourself lucky they remembered you out there all soulful with nothin’ to show for it!" Spike rolled his eyes in a perfect imitation of Buffy at her best. "You’ve got your path and I’ve got mine, yeah. If we’re lucky, they won’t cross too often. I’m here to help Buffy. Whether you like it or not, gonna do it."

"My conscience won’t allow me to just take your word for something like this, Spike." Angel was already trying to think of how he could verify any of Spike’s outlandish tales.

"Fine. Don’t answer to you, now do I?" Spike was really tired of Angel’s attitude. "That conscience of yours think on what I had to say ‘bout Dru and decide it was fine to just let her be then?"

"No," Angel answered. "I thought about it and haven’t decided what the best course of action might be."

"Perfect time to go see ‘bout her though, with the Slayer all upset because you still haven’t figured out how to control your demon. Might be smart to leave town for a bit." Angel looked startled. Spike knew him well enough to see the subtle expression change. "If it makes you worry ‘bout Buffy less, I told the Watcher ‘bout bein a vampire and he’s suspicious enough for the both of you. You can afford a few weeks in Washington."

"You told Giles and you’re not a big pile of dust?" Angel said in disbelief

"Go ask him yourself," Spike smirked. "Course, you might not get off as lucky. Watcher’s none too happy with you lying like that. Don’t trust you much. Gotta say I never expected to admire someone from the Council of Wankers, but he’s got taste at least."

Angel was silent for a while, obviously thinking over all the strange information he’d been handed in the last day.

"Angel, I meant it ‘bout Dru. Princess is dying. Slow and painful to watch, it is. Only you can save her. You’re the only one that can do anything ‘bout the worst of her craziness too. Silly bint’d do anything for her daddy, even stop killin’ I’m thinkin. If you really do feel remorse for what you created when you made a mess of that girl, you need to go and try to fix it. You know as well as I do the poor thing isn’t safe to be on her own. You know the kind of person she was before you made her a special project. She’s still an innocent, no matter what the death toll from her fangs. You made her a madwoman before you ever made her a demon, no sin on her doorstep. If you want to do some good, go fix your mess."

Angel had the decency to duck his head in shame as the truth of Spike’s words drove themselves into his soul. "Maybe. Need to be sure you aren’t plotting something bad with Buffy, then I may take a trip up north." He looked Spike squarely in the eye and warned, "If I think for even one second that you are lying, that you might be a threat to Buffy, I’ll dust you myself."

"Not that you’d be able to, but fine with me." Spike had NO intention of Angel ever discovering the Gem!

~~~

Angel appeared to have decided to risk a trip to Seattle, because he seemed to have left town shortly after his visit to Spike’s apartment.

Spike asked the Watcher if he had been contacted by the Poof and heard the tale directly from Giles. Giles admitted that Angel talked to him briefly via telephone and that they had both come to the conclusion that Spike was still a variable that needed watching.

Spike told Giles what he had asked of Angel and where the other vampire might had gone. "Don’t expect the bugger to stay gone though. He’s got it in his head that Buffy’s some sort of reward for his being a good little vamp. You might want to help stop that one, Watcher, ‘cause you don’t fare too well when Angelus comes back out to play."

"Are you saying that Angel loses his soul?" Spike nodded in answer. "Good Lord! I suppose he killed me in your timeline, is that so?"

"No, tried to torture some information out of you so he could suck the whole world into a hell dimension, but he didn’t try to kill you. Afraid he did kill your bird though." Spike shrugged slightly.

"My bird? I haven’t had any time for a social life since coming here, Spike. I think you have finally been caught in a lie!" Giles looked triumphant.

"Won’t be ‘til next year, if it happens again." Spike sighed at the man’s distrust. "Bint’s some kind of computer teacher, gypsy, who tries to shove the soul back in Angelus and he takes it a bit personal. Say, congratulations, looks like you might get a love life after all!"

Giles thought of the attractive new Computer Science teacher and wondered if she might be the one Spike referred to. She looked a bit Gypsy. Perhaps he’d involve himself in that book scanning project after all, get to know the lady in question.

"I must agree that keeping Angelus from running free would seem in the best interests of everyone. Having one vampire running tame is difficult enough to swallow." Giles decided to let things proceed as they were for the time being, only with a more watchful eye on this odd individual that had made so many wild claims.

"Got that right! Don’t think your books do the bastard justice, not from what I read anyway." Spike shuddered in memory.

"Speaking of the chronicles, I found a volume with more information about your particular family. The details about the human you replaced are sketchy, but your career after turning is the stuff of nightmares. If Buffy had the slightest idea of any of it, much less how you acquired your nickname, she would have nothing to do with you." Giles wasn’t as sure of that as he pretended. That was one reason he had chosen to
maintain his own counsel for the time being.

"That Council of yours never gets the real story on anything, and when you do, you ignore it. In the first place, nobody replaced anyone. '‘M William the Bloody, just had the brakes removed is all. Chip put the brakes back and here I am, at your service." Spike did feel his curiosity pique though. "Wouldn’t mind a look at ‘em though. Might even tell you the real story, at least the part after the turnin’, that is. No point in embarrassing the bloodline with the sad tale of William, eh?"

Giles couldn’t help it; much as he distrusted this currently undustable vampire, he dearly wanted to play Christian Slater to Spike’s Brad Pitt. As distasteful as that film had been to the Watcher, he practically drooled at the idea of having his own Interview With A Vampire. "Yes, that might even go a way towards proving your intent is as you have said."

~~~

A few nights later the gang was gathered at the Bronze
with a couple of new additions: Spike and Jenny Calendar. The self-proclaimed technopagan had proven as interested in Giles as Spike hinted and the recent battle against the ancient evil demon Moloch the Corruptor had made her part of the band to a small degree.

Jenny had nearly given Spike away upon first meeting. Only Giles quickly pulling her aside to ask for her silence about Spike’s undead status kept her from revealing all. The woman kept her eye on the vampire as they worked together to free Willow and stop the old demon from being let loose on an unsuspecting world. Giles promised that his silence would be only temporary, until he came to a final conclusion about the vampire who claimed to be harmless and from the future.

Jenny hadn’t seen anything to prove the vampire harmless. This chip he had spoken of to Mr. Giles didn’t seem to prevent Spike from fighting the minions of Moloch when they were attacking Buffy. She determined to talk to the black-clad undead privately and accepted the group’s invitation for a
victory party at the Bronze in hopes of having that chance.

Willow looked glum. She was as delighted as the rest that they had defeated this week’s big bad, but it hadn’t been an especially great experience for her first boyfriend to turn out to be an evil demon set loose on the internet.

"Am I doomed?" Willow dragged Buffy off to the ladies room to ask her advice. "I know this is the Hellmouth and I think I could settle for some demon in a boyfriend… you know, if it’s not an evil one or anything. What’s wrong with me though? Xander has no interest in me as anything but a pal and the only guys interested are, well, just one guy actually and look how that turned out!"

"Nothing is wrong with you, Will. If anything, there’s something wrong with all the guys in Sunnydale that they aren’t knocking down your door. You’re cute and smart and funny and brave and it’s totally their loss." Buffy draped an arm across her friends shoulder and gave her a quick hug.

"You’ll see, one day some guy will look at you and just say, ‘who IS that girl?’ and you’ll find the perfect boyfriend just like I have." Buffy felt a bit guilty with all the gushing she had been doing about Spike lately. It was just that she was so happy she couldn’t shut up.

Buffy knew that Xander wasn’t on the ‘yay, Spike’ team yet, but Willow was fine with him. Of course, that also seemed to have made Willow feel more rejected with her own crush still not interested and Buffy bubbling with kissage tales and stories of how thoughtful and romantic Spike was turning out to
be.

~~~

Xander dragged Giles off to the pool tables as soon as he saw that Willow was going to be weepy girl. He felt terrible for his friend’s bad luck and was clueless how to make her feel better. The pool table shone like a beacon of safety from all the talk of
boyfriends, lost love and yearning that had been taking place before Buffy and Willow headed for the ladies room.

Spike and Jenny sat lost in their own thoughts as they were left alone at the table. Spike had been silent most of the night, in fact. Jenny knew this was her chance to ask a few questions of the vampire and decided to take it.

"Spike, Giles has told me what you are and about your claims of coming from the near future, your immunity to dusting and something about a computer chip." Spike looked a bit startled but not overly upset at her comment, so she continued. "I was under the impression that this chip prevented you from harming humans, yet in the battle earlier I didn’t see so much
as a twinge of pain on your face as you dealt with those guys trying to kill Buffy. Perhaps I could find a way to run a test on that chip to see if it’s malfunctioning."

"I noticed that it didn’t fire too. Can’t say I miss the pain. Can’t say I’m not glad I was able to stop those goons from hurtin’ Buffy either." Spike took a drink and sighed before looking at the teacher. "Look, whatever’s happenin’ I’m still not gonna go off on some killin’ spree. Buffy wouldn’t accept it and I can’t lose her, not now. I’ve got a theory ‘bout why the chip didn’t fire, but yeah, if you want to run some tests, that’s okay by me."

Jenny was shocked at the vampire’s agreement, but it also served to comfort her in a sense. Maybe he really was trying to stay on the straight and narrow. If that was the case he’d need all the help and support he could get to manage it. He’d deserve it too.

"Appreciate it if you’d not say anything to Rupert as yet. Think he’d want to dust first and ask questions later, and even with the Gem, I wouldn’t put it past him to find a way to do it. Fact is, I’m thinkin’ it might be the Gem keepin’ the chip from firin’. Didn’t have it when I first got back to this time period and it was workin’ fine then." Jenny didn’t want to ask how he knew that. "Tomorrow okay with you to check it out?"

"Yes, tomorrow will be fine. I can put Willow in charge of my computer lab at 10:00. Shall we meet in the courtyard then?"

"I’ll be there. Thanks for keepin still ‘bout this." And glad you aren’t gonna have to face Angelus this time, he thought, at least not if I can help it.