Title: Afterglow 44/57 (not a WIP)

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 44 Provocations

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Buffy stood staring at the two. "So tell me Mia, could you not do it because of me or is it because of Xander?"

Mia just laughed and pushed Spike off her. She looked over at Buffy, her brows knit together, "Because Spike was being ridiculous."

"It didn't sound ridiculous to me. It sounded…"

Mia looked at Buffy, confusion very apparent on her face. "You didn't hear me, I couldn't stop laughing? He had just…"

"I laugh when we have sex."

"Sex! ...... Pfft! … You thought we were having sex?" Mia rolled her eyes. "Please…..If I wanted to have sex with Spike it wouldn't be on my desk. It would be in the weapons locker, surrounded by sharp weapons. And we wouldn't look like this, we'd have our fangs on. And believe me, no laughing would be involved; maybe some loud growling but no laughing."

"She's teasing, Buffy, because you're bloody taking this for something it's not."

"What is it then?"

"Yeah, Spike, what was it?" Mia asked with a short laugh.

"I wanted you to bleeding shut up about the desk." Spike looked at Mia narrowing his eyes just a bit but still managing to lift a brow slightly.

"Oh, right, well look at that: it fucking worked. I'm leaving now, but if I come back and things are as they were yesterday" Mia used her head to indicate her desk. "They will be for you… the way they were this morning."

Mia walked out.

"I heard it all: you're impressive, so hard, and just do it."

Spike's jaw tightened. " Okay, we'll just have to sodding have it out. You have issues with her, but for you to bleeding stand out there listening, and not just come in to see what the real situation is, what the bloody hell is that?"

He grabbed both sides of her face. "How can I make it any clearer? I love you; I am with you. And if you can't see that or how much Mia loves Xander, well you're just plain stupid." He walked out into the training room.

Mia was sitting on a bleacher bench, Spike sat next to her.

"Sorry," said Mia as she looked straight ahead.

"For sodding what?" Spike leaned forward putting his forearms on his thighs

Mia turned towards him. "I `m not really sure: not the car," she grinned.

"You are going to hurt after training."

Buffy came out and stopped in front of them. "I think we will have to wait to train until tonight. Spike, will you walk me out?"

Mia watched as they walked to the door. She was thankful Xander wasn't jealous of Spike. She wished she could go back to the easy rapport she had with Buffy when she was still alive. Mia guessed some things were lost when you died, no matter if you came back with a soul or not.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mia was at her desk when she heard the whispers again. She listened hard for a word, a phrase anything that would be a clue but there was nothing. Spike and Buffy were out in the training room. She just needed a few minutes on her own after classes. However, she smiled when she smelled Xander.

"Hey there."

"Hi, when did you decide to come?"

"When I found out you wouldn't be home tonight." He sat in Spike's chair across from her.

"We had a small misunderstanding this morning. Spike had calmed down about the car and we were talking. I brought up the desk, he got all, desk, me and you, a fight on the desk. He slammed me on the desk, jumped on it and got all growly. I couldn't stop laughing at him. Buffy came in and thought we were, ah, not fighting on the desk, but having…"

"Were you naked?"

"Xander!"

"Just I've found that's how you like to have sex." He shrugged.

"No, fully clothed." Mia grinned.

"So what happened?"

"Accusations flew and I sort of… ah, well I."

"You what? Did you hit her?"

Mia shook her head. "No!"

"Then?"

Mia sighed. "I told her that if I had been going to have sex with Spike it would have been in the weapons' locker with the sharp stuff, and with our fangs out."

"Could we put a blanket on the floor?"

"What?"

"The weapons' locker: I can't wear the fangs but…."

"It was my demon talking."

"So, it's part of you."

"I wouldn't do that with you."

"Why?"

"You might get hurt."

"We talked about that."

"I'll think about it."

"Can't ask you for any more than that. Willow is here too. She said she wants to see what the talk is about, that and she went on two assignments and saw no fighting. She mentioned an ashtray but it was vague."

Mia grinned, "The whole family, how nice. It will make kicking Spike's ass this evening all the sweeter."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spike and Mia were still training hard. The daily sessions had improved their responses and made them fight harder to gain any advantage over one another. They tended to tease each other during a fight to take account of the fact blows weren't actually being landed, just blocked. Buffy was still in charge of training, and she usually ignored the quips and barbs.

~ ~

Buffy stood between them. "Tonight, just for fun, let's try to go without the running commentary. I'm wondering if it will increase speed."

"She's talking to you, Mia; you are always running your mouth."

"Fine, but what a strange comment from the woman who gave my classes a sound track."

"Deep down you love all that grunting."

Buffy threw two quick punches, one to each of the vampire's noses. "I said, no commentary."

Xander stood up. "Oh no, why did she do that? One time was pushing it."

"I don't get it: why did she just punch them?" asked Willow.

It seemed instantaneous to those in the stands but to the others, right there on the mats, it was slow motion. Mia checked her nose and saw the blood dripping to the floor. Spike saw it, but he was in mid-move and checking his own as Mia's fist connected with Buffy's nose, and then Buffy was flying until she landed fifteen feet away. Spike stopped and stood back. Mia's nose was still bleeding. Buffy had hit her hard. His nose, on the other hand, was fine.

Xander walked to Buffy. Buffy struggled up, holding her nose.

"You okay, Buffy?" Xander asked.

Mia looked at Buffy and then at Spike. "Training's over," she announced as she headed for the front door.

~ ~ ~

"Spike, she hit me."

"I know, love. Seems you might have pissed her off."

"Aren't you going to…?"

"Never bleeding fought your battles for you before, Slayer, I won't be starting now. If you go hitting a powerful vampire in the nose for pretty much no reason, you should be prepared for consequences. That's how I have to live each day."

Willow went to look out of the door, and then came back. "Where did she go? It's still light out and her car is here."

"Coat too," said Xander; "I saw it in the office."

"Bugger, I don't know where'd she'd go. She was mad. I'll tell you one thing, I'd hate to be the vamp that runs into her tonight."

"If she gets to tonight," said Buffy

"Shut up, Buffy!" snapped Xander.

"I'm just saying, if it's still ligh…"

"Buffy, I think your fist said plenty," said Willow, scowling.