A/N: In this story I need you to believe one thing - the adjoining spell is not needed by a pure slayer.

Chapter 2

Giles lifted his head and gazed at the door in curiosity. It was rare for him to receive a visitor at this time of night that was not one of the children and they would certainly never bother to not only knock, but wait for him to answer before barging in. Shaking his head at his thoughts, he moved to the entrance and opened it.

"Let go of my bloody hand, Slayer," Spike snapped in displeasure. Facing the now open mouthed watcher that was gaping at them from his doorway, he all but begged the man to help him. "She's your Slayer, make her stop."

"No way, bleach boy. You get to explain to the nice watcher how you managed to create this mess," she snarled at him in return. There was no way in hell that she was taking the blame for this one.

"Stop blaming me, you bitch. This is all you. Lest we forget you claimed me you aggravating bint. Now, LET GO OF MY HAND!" he bellowed in frustration. The entire situation was starting to overwhelm him. He couldn't morph into gameface because his bloody traitor of a demon was cooing in delight at belonging to this Slayer and the bastard had no intention of helping him. More than likely the perfidious beast would kiss her feet rather than rip her throat out as it rightly should. He wouldn't be able kill anyone, he wouldn't be able to feed; he was completely and totally bollixed. He couldn't even take a walk in the sun to end his torment because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the demon within would find a way to stop him. His only hope was a bloody watcher; how was that for a bit of irony?

"What's that you say?" Giles gasped in horror, so thrown by the news that he failed to follow his usual habit of removing his glasses and cleaning them while he gathered his thoughts.  

"You have to either fix it or stake me, Watcher," Spike begged in desperation, his squeaking voice filled with anxiety. There was no room for attitude and snark at the moment. The enormity of the entire situation was so vast that the vampire felt himself drowning in unknown waters. Big Bad be buggered, he was pissing-in-his-pants scared and not really all that concerned about showing it.

Buffy viciously squeezed the hand she was holding onto as if her life depended on it. Damned over-sharing bleached blond pain in her butt. Over-dramatic much!

The part of Giles that was pure researcher mentally arranged the possibilities, one little known legend moving swiftly to the forefront. The part of Giles that still clung to council teachings grumbled in discontent; if what he feared had truly come to pass, then it was just bloody typical that it would be his slayer that would get herself into this mess. The part of him that saw the young girl as a daughter gave a resigned sigh as an uncharitable thought came, unbidden, to his mind. 'Well at least it's not Angel.'

Before he would willingly invite another vampire into his home, Giles needed to learn what had happened. If what he feared had occurred then they would at least have the benefit of knowing that the Slayer of Slayers was no longer a threat that they need concern themselves with. Momentarily ignoring the young blonde, Giles faced the Master Vampire and asked him to recant the exact events of the night. He was fairly certain that, in this instance at least, he was more likely to get a closer version of the truth from the vampire than from the Slayer. Buffy's ability to avoid unpleasant details and display a certain economy with the truth was not completely unknown to her watcher.

Fear alone prompted the vampire to speak the truth. He explained everything that he'd felt and seen, beginning at the party at the frat house. He failed to notice the jealous edge his voice took on when he spoke of his meeting with Buffy's date. The Slayer and Watcher did not.

Buffy inwardly cringed as she felt her slayer side's delight at the waves of jealousy she felt coming off the vampire. Much as she would like to deny it, she could also feel all the other emotions that he was feeling too. She felt his inner rage against Angelus, the echo of his love for Drusilla; a love so pure that Angel's pitiful attempts paled in comparison, and Buffy felt the slayer within growl in displeasure and jealousy over the blond's continuing regard for his sire. She felt his loyalty to family, his pride that unlike his grand-sire he never played with his food, preferring to face a worthy opponent in battle; his admiration for her as a warrior; his demon's devotion to her. Who ever it was that said soulless demons couldn't feel higher emotions in the same way that humans could sure as hell hadn't met Spike! She didn't realise that she had spoken aloud until she met the startled eyes of her watcher.

She covered her embarrassment by changing the subject.

"Shouldn't we take this inside, Giles?"

"Yes, perhaps that would be best. Come in, Spike."

Spike looked at the watcher in awe. This human, who knew better that most exactly what he was and what he was capable of, was willingly inviting him into his home. Rupert Giles may not realise it but he had just placed himself in the same group as the Slayer's mum - a human to be respected and protected. His sincerity was evident in his eyes as he whispered his heartfelt thanks.

Buffy felt like she was losing her mind. Everything she had believed about vampires was being refuted by the clear emotions and thoughts she could feel emanating from the vampire at her side. Everything that she had believed about Angel was being brought into question. Every 'truth' he'd told her becoming suspect. The carefully constructed pedestal that she had faithfully erected to immortally preserve the memory of her forever love was disintegrating before her eyes.

The two men that following her to the couch were totally unprepared for her desolate cry of despair as the truth became clear to her; the person that she had loved with every fibre of her being didn't love her with the same intensity - if at all. Her tears flowed freely, laden with her grief while the Slayer within crowed in triumph.

Spike was incapable of stopping his beast from surfacing and reacting: the game-faced vampire swept the weeping girl into his gentle comforting embrace and they weathered the storm together.