Title: Afterglow31/57 NOT a work in progress

Author: T. Claybourne  (t.claybourne@yahoo.com)

Rating: Rated R most chapters for violence and Language, some are NC- 17 for sexual content

A/N I'd like to thank my Beta Reader Hawera And muses Michelle Branch, Robbie Williams and Evanescence

Afterglow Chapter 31 Part 1 Our Nature

The alarm went off and Mia hit the button. Xander pulled her closer.

"Argh, I have to go to work today," complained Xander.

"I know, me too," sighed Mia

"You should wait; we only got home last night. I should wait. Let's just stay in bed and wait together."

"Xander, honey, I don't want you to feel bad, but I want to go to work."

"What? How dare you?" he chuckled. "Did you miss it?"

"Until the alarm went off I didn't realize how much. But I'll miss you too. So you know what, the way I look at it, today is Tuesday and that only leaves three more days to wake up and get up, and then on the fourth we can just stay in bed all day."

"I like that, a count down. You are so smart, sweetie."

Mia looked at the clock. "You know, I set that about fifteen minutes early. Think you could..."

Xander was already straddling her. "I'll try my best."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mia walked into the training facility about twenty-five minutes before the Slayer's class was due to begin. She smiled at the familiarity of it all. She was looking forward to a good work out. Her plan was to let Spike lead the class and she just join in at the back. She was hoping they were going to use weapons today.

She walked through the office door and he was sitting, feet up on the desk smoking a cigarette.

"Hey"

"Mia."

Spike cocked his head. "The hair, it's..."

"New footwear?"

"What?"

"The boots. They are black, say Hi Tech, look comfortable and flexible, and oh, so, much less scary than the white cross trainers you were wearing when I left."

"It figures you'd bloody notice those. Got them from a military supply site on the internet."

"So, today's class. What's on the agenda? Weapons, I hope?"

Spike smiled briefly, "You're teaching, you tell me."

"Oh no, you are. I'm just going to follow along, go back to training as a Slayer."

"I'm bloody well not taking that Watcher's class. That lot stretches my patience."

"What patience?"

He smiled.

Mia joined in Spike's class and enjoyed watching him teach. She also got a kick out of seeing the girls fall over themselves, trying to please him. She remembered feeling the exact same way back in L.A. No matter how much she loved and wanted Xander, she could never deny how sexy Spike was, and neither could these girls.

The girls had all left and she followed Spike into the office. "Good class, Spike."

"Bollocks. It didn't even stretch a muscle for you."

"I liked it; OK, I mostly like watching them drool over you, but still..."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Buffy said same bloody thing."

"And you think we are full of it? Oh please, give me a fucking break! You know you've got it going on. You think Buffy, me, Harmony or Drusilla fell for you just because your sparkling personality. You have those girls eating out of your hand. What with your cheek bones, beautiful blue eyes and compact but perfectly muscled body. And I'm shutting up now because I've said way too much. I know you, and you will so use this against me."

Spike just chuckled and arched an eyebrow.

~ ~

Mia was putting the Watchers' class through the drills and Spike joined her on the training floor.

"You know, Spike, the strangest thing has happened; a soundtrack has been added to these drills."

Each move was followed by a grunt or an aha.

"Well, that would be Buffy's help. Seems this lot responded better to a woman's touch, so I asked her to teach a few times"

"But a sound track. How do I edit it?"

Spike chuckled, thinking of how Buffy fought. He just shrugged.

Mia ran through the rest of the drills and had the class show her some of the new moves they had learned. After class, the students surrounded her. They all seemed so glad to see her back that it threw her a bit.

Dawn was all smiles. She told Mia about five times how happy she was to have her back.

Mia went back to the office and Spike had her vodka out ready for her.

"I figured you'd be up to a drink, pet."

Mia sat down.

"So how was first day back?" He handed her the pack of cigarettes and his lighter.

"Good. I didn't realize how much I missed it."

Mia took a cigarette and lit up.

"And your foot? No pain after class?"

"No pain. It feels great."

"And your strength? It didn't tire you out too much, did it?"

"What the fuck, Spike? What's with today's nice guy routine? It's freaking me out. You know I'm not going to put up with this from you. Are you planning to step on eggshells around me? If you are, I'll have to grind your face in them."

"You can try." His eyebrow went up.

That made her smile. "Ok, let's go right now. Put that drink down."

"You know, Mia, you are the sodding most infuriating woman I know. I try to be nice, and what do I get for my trouble?"

"A fight!" Mia crushed out her cigarette, emphasizing the word. "I still owe you for bossing me around in Amsterdam."

"Fine." Spike got up and stalked out to the mats.

Mia followed him. She grinned as he turned and faced her.

"You know this might stretch a few of my muscles. Then again, knowing how you fight, probably not," taunted Mia.

They moved around each other.

"Mia, just running your mouth off stretches your muscles for you. Shut up and try to hit me."

"Try? Have you forgotten that beautiful nose job I gave you?"

"That was a bleeding sucker punch."

Spike dropped down and swung his leg around as Mia jumped up; he followed round and landed a hard punch directly to her cheekbone.

"Good one," smiled Mia, as she went with the impact, bringing her leg up to kick him in the jaw. Spike fell back a bit, but came back with a quick double jab and then landed a hard right to her jaw.

Mia stood firm and turned, elbowing him in the face and then followed around with a kick from her previously injured foot to his chest, throwing him back about ten feet.

"Yep, the foot's better," said Spike, as he flipped himself up.

He charged Mia, but she came at him with a series of fast powerful blows, his only choice was to block them. She dropped, swung around and kept going with the same leg until her foot connected with his shoulder. It threw him back, but he used the force to thrust his elbow into her face.

Mia's head snapped back and Spike stepped back and stood ready, as did Mia. Each took a step back and threw a roundhouse at the same time. Spike's connected with Mia's shoulder and Mia's with Spike's chest. They both fell back.

Mia sat on the mat and started laughing. "My shoulder's dislocated."

Spike had jumped to his feet, but rubbed his side. He was grinning. "You broke a couple of my ribs."

Mia cocked her head, "You're bleeding at your hair line and your lip."

"Your cheek has a split."

Mia reached up and her hand came back with a bit of blood.

"You sodding held back."

"No, I didn't"

"Bollocks! Don't lie to me."

"OK, but only a little. Besides," her eyebrows went up and her eyes were sparkling, "You had fun, didn't you? I know I did."

"That I did, pet." Spike knelt beside her and held her shoulder then pulled her arm. Mia grunted as her shoulder went into place.

"Those two of ours are going to be put out by this, you know."

"They're going to have to get over it. We're vampires, Spike, and this is how we play."

Spike sat down in front of her. He pushed her white leather cross training shoe with his leather and nylon boot.

"So, they aren't so scary on your feet?"

Mia gave a short laugh. "It was the fact that you were wearing them. It goes against nature that they were even on you. Shit, the fact you wear those tracksuits to train in now, that still throws me. In Los Angeles, all you ever wore to train the girls were your jeans, a black t-shirt and your boots."

"People change, Mia."

Mia started to laugh. "But we are talking about you, Spike."

Spike grinned, "And you are saying, what?" His eyebrow went up.

Mia face sobered and she cocked her head a bit. Her eyes softened. "No, I can't really say it. Last year and the year before that proved that you can change."

Spike jumped up. "Wait here."

He headed to the office and was only gone a moment. When he came back he sat down in front of her again. Spike held her locket out to her.

"The last time I had this was in Amsterdam. Where did you find it?" asked Mia.

"When I went looking for Sabine, it was there at the scene of the fight."

"Why not give it back while I was in Amsterdam?"

Spike shrugged, "At first I just forgot about it. I did have other things on my mind."

"Then?"

"Then you were off to Bath. When you called it off with Xander I decided I'd give it back if...."

There was the very slightest of pauses and Spike's eyes widened briefly. ".....when you came back from Bath."

"You said if?"

Spike's head tilted a little. "I did, dinn't I. I guess deep down I knew that you might not come back. I guess I just know you."

Mia shook her head back and forth. "No way. You must have inherited some psychic stuff from Dru."

"Give over. Admit it, this knowing thing, it goes both ways."

Mia put on her locket and stood up. "Never."

Mia got a mental flash. It was of Spike, first at the jewelers, having the chain fixed, then sitting on his bed and pulling it out of the night stand. He held it in his palm and ran two fingers over the onyx. Buffy came around the corner and Spike slipped the locket back into the drawer before she saw him.

Mia closed her eyes for the briefest of moments. She realized that he had held on to the locket on purpose. He had thought she might not come back and after everything that had happened, maybe he just needed that little piece of her. He would never admit it though.

"So, Em," Spike stood. "Does this..." he motioned to the locket, his head cocked and an eyebrow went up, "...mean you have to hit me again?"

Mia smiled, "Not tonight."

Spike chuckled. "Welcome home, Mia."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mia came from the garage into the kitchen where Xander was clearing the table.

"Holy rough first day back! What happened?"

Mia grinned, "Nothing, just a little sparring."

"A little sparring? There is actual blood on your cheek, and that's above a bruise. There's a bruise on your jaw too. Who'd, oh, Spike did this?"

"Yeah, but he has broken ribs, a cut on his forehead and a split lip as well."

"So, you did this to each other on purpose?"

"He was being too nice."

"Let me get this straight: you beat each other up because Spike was being too nice to you?"

Mia smiled and kissed him, "You got it."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Can I get you an ice pack, or would you have to beat me up as well?"

~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy let herself into Spike's apartment where she found him playing with his Playstation.

She looked at his face and sat next to him, touching his swollen lip.

"Any broken bones?"

"A couple of ribs."

"Her?"

"Dislocated her shoulder, fixed it already."

"What you do?"

"Do? I don't have to do anything to provoke Mia."

"Pfft! Please, you could provoke a cantaloupe."

"I was being nice to her: no teasing, no put downs, just nice."

"Wow, made her feel really welcome back."

"What?"

"Spike, Mia comes back and you treat her nice: she must have felt like a stranger."

"What are you on about?"

"Think about it."

Spike paused his game and looked at her. "When did you get so smart?"

"I keep reminding everyone I'm a Psychology Major. Sheesh, how hard is that to remember?"

"I may have trouble remembering that, but there is something hard I want you to remember." Spike grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch.

Buffy giggled. "Remembering that is the easiest thing in the world, Spike. Wait, I lied... suddenly I've forgotten what it looks like: show me please."

"My pleasure, Slayer."

~ ~ ~~ ~

Xander forced Mia to hold a bag of peas to her cheek. Then she called and asked Giles if he would be able to spare the time to give her a little sword training the following morning. He jumped at the chance to get out of the office.

As soon as she hung up the phone, Mia put the peas back in the freezer. Xander stood scowling at her.

"Honey, it doesn't even hurt."

"But it's your face, and it's all bruised and sore looking."

"Is it too ugly? Is that it?"

"What? No, never."

Mia cocked her head. "Prove it."

Xander gave her a cocky little grin. "Prove it?"

He kissed her, and then kissed her bruised cheek.

Mia put her hand on her hip. "I'm not convinced."

"Oh, well then." Xander picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Mia started laughing as he carried her to her room.

Willow was coming downstairs and saw them as they disappeared into Mia's bedroom.

"I told Buffy that it'd be a little weird living here with them together, and that was before I saw Xander go all caveman. Oh, my freaking Goddess." Willow shivered.