Chapter Summary: Chapter 1 gave us a glimpse into the future when Acathla is opened. At the end of the chapter we saw Spike's arrival into Sunnydale. Let's take the adventures further to the first time Buffy and Spike saw each other. Was it in the alley, or did Buffy notice Spike in the Bronze too? What were they really thinking when they first laid eyes on each other? What if Joyce was just a few seconds later than she was in canon at the end of the episode?

Author's Note: Not all dialogue is going to be exactly like the episode "School Hard" because I am tweaking it to fit the progression of this story. Also a decent portion of this chapter is going to include direct quotes from the episode. Credit to the great Joss Whedon and his writers for their words. Also a tinsy bit of blood play in this chapter.

Buffy walked out into the daylight to meet her friends Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg.

"His two worst students." Buffy sighed. She pointed to Sheila making out with an older guy by a car in the street. "That's what my mom sees when she looks at me. A Sheila." Buffy frowned. "If I could just tell her that I am the Slayer, I know she'd be proud of me."

Willow crossed in front of Xander to Buffy's side. "She'd also be scared out of her wits and all freaking out."

Buffy groaned. "I think that would be better than her looking at me like a failure and a disappointment all the time. I wish she could be proud of me like she used to before all this Chosen One stuff."

"It will get better, Buffy. You'll see." Willow, ever the supportive friend, encouraged Buffy to get out of her slump.

"Weren't they all taken away from their family and secluded into solid training day in and day out?" Xander questioned.

"Okay ... I'll take going to high school." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Watchers can be so stuffy."

"The Master is dead. Someone has to take his place." A tall and dark vampire spoke to the others in a factory like building.

"As long as the Slayer's alive, whoever takes his place will be sharing his grave." Another vampire standing near the Anointed One, a child, answered.

"Then let the soul who kills her, wear his mantle." The arrogant vampire offered up his solution. He wanted the power to be the Master of Sunnydale.

"Can you do it?" The child questioned the vampire who seemed a bit full of himself. He was tired of the Slayer being around. She killed the Master when he was supposed to rise to glory, and she destroyed his attempt to bring the Master back. She needed to pay for her actions.

"Yes," The vampire sneered. "This weekend, the night of St. Vigeous, our power shall be at its peak." He walked closer and closer to the Anointed One. "When I kill her, it'll be the greatest event since the Crucifixion. I should know," He bragged, "I was there."

Before the child could answer the boast, another voice interrupted the gathering. "You were there?" The accented voice from the shadows laughed. "Oh please! If every vampire who said he was at the Crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like bloody Woodstock."

"I oughta rip your throat out." The bragging vampire tried to intimidate the blonde haired vampire who revealed himself to the room.

"I was actually at Woodstock." The blonde vampire turned away from the rest of the demons there. He held out his hand in front of him, waving it back and forth a little, while he walked away from the group. "That was a weird gig. I fed off a flower person, and I spent the next six hours watchin' my hand move."

The offended vampire ran at the blonde from behind. Without even looking the blonde fisted a backhanded punch right to the dark vampire's face. He knocked him out cold. "So, who do you kill for fun around here?" He turned to face the child again.

"Who are you?" The child asked the blonde. Something about this vampire felt like the Master did. He felt the same thing when Angel was around. He wondered who had stepped into his presence.

"Spike," Spike said simply. "You're that anointed guy. I've read about you." One of the Anointed One's guards stepped up to Spike when he stepped too close to the child. Spike practically laughed at the vampire and walked around him. "Sounds like you've got Slayer problems. That's a bad piece of luck."

Everyone in the room stared at Spike strangely. He was cocky, but he seemed justified in some way.

"Do you know what I find works real good with Slayers? Killing them." Spike stopped in front of the Anointed One.

"Can you do it?" The child remained calm as he sat on his perch off the ground. He may look like a child, but inside he held the wisdom of ages past.

"A lot faster than nancy boy there." Spike smirked. Something called him to this town. He told himself that it was the attraction of the Hellmouth that brought him there. His desire to find Drusilla's cure was the foremost thing on his mind, but he couldn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him he had another destiny to face.

"I did a couple Slayers in my time. I don't like to brag." Spike bust out into laughter after a half snort. "Who am I kidding? I love to brag! There was this one Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion, and ..."

Everyone's attention turned to the dark haired woman entering the room. The dress she wore was a style of days gone by in a mixture of white and ivory lace over satin. She walked slowly into the center of the room.

"Drusilla," Spike's face returned to his human form. His voice was soft, like a parent speaking to a child. "You shouldn't be walking around. You're weak." As much as he loved his dark princess, she was growing more on his nerves daily. At times he thought about leaving Drusilla, but in his heart he couldn't abandoned the woman he considered his savior especially since there was no other family to take care of her. 'If I find Angelus, I'm going to kick his arse for leaving her behind. Bloody wanker.'

"This one has power. I could feel it from the outside. It called to me." Dru hungered to taste the power of the Anointed One. She felt the connection of him to the Aurelius clan. He was strong with the blood of what could cure her illness.

"Yeah. He's the big noise in these parts. Anointed and all that." Spike quipped. He had hoped to get settled in with the child before Drusilla appeared. He needed a safe place for her to rest while he looked for the cure she needed. Once she was cured, he'd feel better about his decision to follow his own path.

"Spike, I'm cold." Drusilla's eyes turned from an insane glint to a manipulative one.

"I got you." Spike removed his duster and wrapped it around Dru's shoulders. He never let on that he was anything but a devoted servant to Drusilla, but in his heart he needed more. He always felt that Drusilla held a part of herself back from him. He needed someone who would love all of him and give all of herself to him.

Drusilla realized that her William's attentions were waning. He'd been a good companion for her, but she knew he was destined for other things. The pixies tried to tell her that she must set him free to find the sunshine, but she refused to give him up. "I'm a princess."

"That's what you are." Spike shivered at the touch of Drusilla's razor like fingernail cutting down his face. His dark princess knew how to get his attention when she wanted it, but he also knew that she'd ignore him when it suited her. "Me and Dru," He turned, with his forehead resting against Dru's, towards everyone else. "We're moving in."

No one in the room denied or argued the point. They all stared dumbfounded and curious at the interaction between the two vampires. Anyone with sense realized that the two of them radiated power and age. The blonde was a Master Vampire, and they weren't in a rush to contradict him.

"Now," Spike stepped forward alone, "Any of you want to test who's got the biggest wrinklies round here, step on up." He waited for an answer. When none was forthcoming he addressed the Anointed One directly, "I'll do your Slayer for you, but you keep your flunkies from tryin' anything behind my back. Deal?"

The Anointed One nodded his agreement. He didn't trust this vampire, but if he could get rid of the Slayer for him he would be pleased.

"I can't see the Slayer. I can't see ..." Drusilla pressed her knuckles into her temples. She saw the Slayer for a brief moment in her mind. She was all glowing and beautiful. She was the one. She was the one the pixies told her about. 'No!' Her mind screamed. She wouldn't let her William go. So she lied, "It's dark where she is. Kill her. Kill her, Spike." Her voice edged in panic, "Kill her for me?"

"It's done, baby." Spike placed his hand over Dru's chest to hold her in place and calm her. Something wasn't right, and he knew it. Dru was never afraid of a Slayer. She always knew that he would protect her. Why was this one bothering her?

Dru teased Spike with her tongue and lips in sensuous motions. 'Give him a little teasing temptation, and he'll never leave my side.' She grinned. "You are my sweet. My little Spike."

Content that he finally had Dru calmed down enough again, Spike wrapped an arm around Dru and turned to face the child. "So, about this Slayer? Is she tough?"

Buffy sighed. She tried to pull the brush through her hair, but she wasn't succeeding in doing anything but hurting herself. "Ow!"

"I thought I was spending my entire allowance on a nice conditioner to get rid of the tangles." Buffy dropped the brush on her bed and sat down. "It feels like all it did was make them worse."

Joyce smirked. She remembered the pains of being a teenager, even if Buffy thought she was too old too. Sometimes she longed for the days when all she had to be concerned about was school, friends, and boys. She sat down on the bed next to Buffy. She picked up the brush and started to work on the tangles one by one.

Buffy nibbled on her lower lip nervously. "Did you get the note I left on the table about Parent-Teacher Night?" She knew her mom would find out some way. She figured it was best to just tell her. If Snyder called first, or another notice came in the mail, she'd just be in more trouble for not admitting it.

"Yes, I did." Joyce brushed long strokes down the back of Buffy's hair. "It seemed awful sudden to just hear about it now." She'd known about the Parent-Teacher Night for the last 2 weeks. She kept waiting for Buffy to tell her about it. She was glad that Buffy finally did.

"I've known for a bit, but I didn't know how to tell you about it." Buffy sighed.

"Buffy, life is more than grades, homework, and not getting kicked out of school." Joyce wanted to be supportive of Buffy, but it was getting harder every day. Sometimes she wondered if Buffy knew the meaning of responsibility. "But we moved once because of you getting in trouble, and I had to start a new business, not to mention a new life in a whole new town."

"I know, Mom." Buffy turned to face her mother. "I'm trying. I really am." She frowned. "There is so much going on that I wish I could tell you about because it would make you feel better, but I can't. I don't want you to be disappointed in me anymore. I'm under so much pressure right now."

"Wait till you get a job." Joyce patted Buffy's leg, handed her back the hairbrush and left the room with a, "Sleep tight," called over her shoulder.

Buffy stood up to place the brush on her vanity. She opened up one of the drawers. Holy water, stakes and crosses filled the drawer. She looked up into the mirror with a saddened face. "I have a job."

The next day at the Bronze, Buffy tried to study for her French class with Willow. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her mind wrapped around the text she needed to be reading. She kept getting this strange feeling that she was being watched.

Willow could tell Buffy's heart wasn't in her homework. "You just said the cow touched me from Thursday." Maybe it was the fact that Angel wasn't at the Bronze. She knew Buffy was hoping for him to show. Every time she saw the two of them together, since Buffy got back from L.A., the tension between them was intense.

Buffy buried her head in her arms on the table. "I'm never going to get this, and my mother is going to be so mad." She rested her chin on top of her hands. She felt tingles crawl up and down her back. Usually she only felt something this strong when Angel was nearby, but it didn't feel like him. She started to turn her head to look around the room when Xander blocked her view.

"I'm all alone out there. Come dance with me. You've been studying for nearly 12 minutes." Xander tempted Buffy and Willow to come dance with him. Buffy was looking awfully cute in her halter top tonight, and he wanted to see her do a dance and jiggle.

Buffy sighed. She played off her annoyance at not being able to locate the source of the tingles by being flippant. "No wonder my brain's fried. Come on." She pulled Willow out onto the dance floor with them.

Spike stepped forward out of the shadow's he'd been watching Buffy in. 'She's radiant.'

When Spike first entered the Bronze, he scanned the room for the Slayer, and his eyes fell on the golden beauty sitting with a redhead. He momentarily forgot about the Slayer's proximity as he studied the girl. Even over the multitude of scents in the club he knew the vanilla and rose mixture that tingled his nose belonged to her.

Spike felt an indescribable draw to the young woman. He found himself drawing closer and closer to her table until it hit him. This young woman was the Slayer! 'What luck.' He growled low and drew back into the shadows. He watched her trample the French lesson she was trying to grasp. He had to hold back a chuckle at her poorly worded sentence. 'Oh, how I'd love to show her just how to speak the language of love.'

Spike cursed himself for letting his thoughts wander again. He walked through the crowd surrounding the dance floor to get a better look at the Slayer. She moved with grace and agility, even in her walk. When she started to dance his breath would have been stolen from him, if he had any to steal. Her curved hips swayed back and forth with the beat of the music with a fluidity that he hadn't seen in a long time. He wanted to dance with this one, and he wanted it bad.

The music floated through the Bronze, "I hi, hi, did a stupid thing last night. I called you, a moment of weakness. No, not a moment, more like three months of weakness."

Buffy rocked back and forth to the music. The strength of the tingles increased in their intensity. Something or someone was definitely here watching her. Was Angel lurking somewhere? She scanned the crowd for Angel, but the only one she saw staring at her was a blonde bad boy dressed in black leather from head to toe. She saw something in his eyes that stirred her core and brought forth an inner heat of desire. Her gaze locked with his, and for a few moments she was dancing specifically for him. Everyone else in the room vanished except for the man with startling blue eyes in leather.

"I'm one step away from crashing to my knees. One step away from spilling my guts to you." The group "Nickel" continued to sing in the background.

Spike broke eye contact with the vixen on the dance floor. 'If only she wasn't the Slayer,' He thought to himself. He wanted to taste and tease her. He adjusted the hardening member in his pants, and he turned back to the bar to find the vampire who came with him. "Go get something to eat." He instructed him, and he waited a few minutes before stepping up near the dance floor again.

Buffy frowned when Spike walked away. She was so sure that she'd seen the same lust in his eyes that she felt. It even looked like he adjusted himself before he turned away. Why didn't he approach them to dance? 'Get a hold of yourself, Summers. You have a boyfriend, kind of.' She chastised her thoughts and tried to focus on her friends and the music again.

Spike broke into the Slayer's dance with her friends. She was letting the idiot boy touch her and dance closer to her where he wanted to be. He had to get her away from him quickly. "Where's the phone, I need to call the police. There's some big guy out there tryin' to bite someone." When the Slayer ran off to the door, he grinned and headed out behind her.

Screams echoed in the alley along with the snarls of a vampire about to feed. Buffy pulled the vampire off the girl and threw him away from them.

The vampire grinned maniacally. This was just the person he wanted to see. If he could kill the Slayer then control of Sunnydale would be his. "Slayer."

"Slayee." Buffy advanced on the vampire. They both kicked and punched at each other, until Buffy was thrown back against the wall. She got up and kicked out again. "Get her out of here, and a stake would be nice!"

Buffy and the dark haired vampire who bragged about killing the Slayer in the factory kicked and punched their way around the alley.

Spike watched the two of them from the shadows. His cock got impossibly harder with each punch the Slayer threw and each kick she landed. She was truly poetry in motion with her fight. "Beautiful." He muttered low.

The vampire shoved Buffy to the ground after he knocked her legs out from under her. "I don't need to wait for St. Vigeous. You're mine!"

"I don't think so, mate!" Spike emerged from the shadows at a run. Without thought he tackled the other vampire to the ground. "She's mine!" He growled possessively and twisted the head right off the vampire. He brushed the dust from his hands.

Buffy looked up at the blonde stranger from her position on the ground. She accepted the cold hand that offered to help her up. This was the guy from inside the Bronze. 'He's even yummier up close. All that leather.' Her fingers ached to touch him.

Xander ran back outside with the stake. He didn't see the vampire anymore, but now there was another man in the alley with Buffy.

Spike pulled Buffy to her feet, and his hand wrapped around her forearm in a firm grip. "That was some nice fighting, luv. Bloody beautiful dance."

Buffy shivered at the coldness of his touch, the lilting sound of his voice, as well as the tingles that traversed her body at his nearness. "You're a vampire." She frowned.

"Bright one for a Slayer." Spike ginned. He cupped her cheek with one hand for a brief tender moment. "I'm afraid you'll find out exactly what I am on Saturday."

"What happens on Saturday?" Buffy didn't want to kill this one. 'Maybe he has a soul like Angel?' She thought hopefully.

Spike pulled Buffy closer to him. He leaned down near her ear and whispered, "I'm afraid that is the day I have to kill you, precious." He nipped her ear with his fangs to taste her. Then he let go of her arm and pushed her back.

Buffy stumbled only for a brief moment. "And just who is going to be killing me?" She rubbed her slowly bleeding ear lobe. It wasn't severe, but she was curious as to why he bit her ear and not her neck.

"Name's Spike, luv. Best not forget it." Spike sauntered away down the alley without a care in the world, leaving a stunned Buffy behind.

Review Me Please!
Previous Chapter	Duty/Destiny Index	Next Chapter