Avocation

Author: enigmaticblue <enigmaticblue@yahoo.com>

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, but Joss said I could play. Really.

Archive: Anywhere that already has my stuff. Anywhere else, just ask.

Summary: The gypsies curse the wrong vampire, and by the time they rectify their mistake, Spike has been fundamentally altered. Nearly a century later, the Slayer needs help, and there's only one person qualified for the job. Of course, he's not real interested in taking it.

A/N: I have a secret (or not-so-secret) weakness for early canon Spuffy fics. The only problem is that Spike is evil. No, really, he is. Which means that actually writing Spuffy pre-chip requires more suspension of disbelief than I can manage. Reading it is a different matter altogether. So, this is how I write early canon Spuffy. By altering events entirely. By the way, the title comes from a Robert Frost poem, "Two Tramps in Mud Time." Pay special attention to the last stanza.

Chapter 13

"A heavy heart, Beloved, have I borne/From year to year until I saw thy face,/And sorrow after sorrow took the place/Of all those natural joys as lightly worn/As the stringed pearls, each lifted in its turn/By a beating heart at dance-time. Hopes apace/Were changed to long despairs, till God's own grace/Could scarcely lift above the world forlorn/My heavy heart. Then thou didst bid me bring/And let it drop adown thy calmly great/Deep being!..." ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "Sonnett XXV"

Once again, Spike followed the scent of blood, soon locating a man frantically trying to get his leg out of a bear trap. "What have we here?"

"You have to help me," the man said. "These girls—they're crazy. They just left me here."

Spike's face shifted. "You wouldn't be talking about the Slayers, would you?"

The hunter's face hardened. "Good luck finding them," he snarled. "They'll dust you so fast—"

"You don't understand," Spike replied. "I'm on their side." In another moment, Spike had made certain that the man wouldn't be hurting anyone ever again. He figured that anyone who'd hunt a couple of teenage girls for money didn't deserve a second chance.

That, and he was hungry.

He kept hunting, following the faint scent of Buffy's perfume. Spike heard the creak of a branch above him right before a heavy weight landed on his back. He hit the ground face first. "Oof!"

"Spike." Buffy scrambled off of him. "You came."

"Yeah. Told you I would," he said, pushing himself off the ground and brushing himself off. "Where's your partner in crime?"

"Killing me a demon. Where else?" Faith asked, emerging from the shadows. She held a nasty looking blade. "Grabbed a knife from the yellow-skinned guy."

"How many others?" Spike asked, glancing around.

Buffy shook her head. "The guy in the bear trap said there were two Germans who were working together and a vampire couple." She gave Spike an apologetic look. "I thought you were the vampire."

"Well, yeah, but not the one trying to kill you," Spike said sarcastically. He glanced around the deep shadows of the woods. "I'm thinking we might want to get back to the school. Being out here gives them the advantage."

Faith shrugged. "Might not be a bad idea," she allowed. "Nature gives me the wiggins."

"Let's go," Buffy agreed, falling into step behind Spike as he led the way back to his car. "How did you find us?"

"You found me," he replied, smirking at her over his shoulder. When Buffy gave him a dirty look, Spike shrugged. "I ran into that bear trap fellow. Not hard to follow your scent from there, and then you dropped down on me."

"Where were you when I called?" Buffy asked.

"At the school," Spike replied absently. "Heard about this thing at the last minute, and I wanted to find you, make sure you were okay."

Buffy frowned. "What about everybody else? I figured they'd freak when the limo didn't show up."

"They were probably too busy necking with each other," Faith cut in.

Spike snorted. "You might not be too far off. Turns out Willow decided to head over to the school early with Oz, and Cordelia wasn't about to be late for her big night."

"Please," Buffy said. "She was buying her votes."

Spike smiled at her. "You didn't run?"

"When do I have time for that?" Buffy asked. "Please. I'm so above that." Faith and Spike stared at her. "Okay, I'm not above it. It just didn't seem worth it. At least I got my picture in the yearbook."

Spike slid in behind the wheel, waiting until the Slayers closed the car doors before he roared off. "We'll get some weapons and then see what we can do about hunting the bastards down, yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan," Faith said. "I'm ready for a good fight."

~~~~~

The good fight Faith was expecting turned out to be pretty disappointing. Lyle and Candy Gorch, the vampire couple the Slayers had been warned about, were ridiculously easy to take care of. Spike didn't plan on letting Giles forget that they had caught him unawares any time soon.

Unfortunately, even without the tracking devices in the corsages, the Germans proved capable of following the Slayers back to the school. After the first shot was fired, Spike ordered the Slayers to remain in the library.

"Are you kidding?" Buffy demanded. "They're out there, and—"

"They're human," Spike said flatly. "Are either of you ready to take down an armed man with a gun?" There was a long silence. "That's what I thought. Stay put."

Spike didn't mind living off of pigs' blood. When he could manage it, he liked getting the spare bags from the hospital. Blood just past its use-by date wasn't too bad, although it was never quite as good as getting it from the source.

That was why he relished taking it straight from the tap.

Spike had long ago decided that some humans didn't deserve to live. He didn't actively hunt humans these days, simply because he wasn't about to appoint himself judge, jury and executioner. He had no trouble eating someone in self-defense, however.

This was how he'd made his living the last hundred years. He had hunted men—and women—who had made it their business to kill others. Spike's job, a lot of the time, was to kill them first.

Spike was very good at his job.

The Germans were so reliant upon technology, they didn't notice the vampire sneaking up behind them. Spike had his teeth buried in the first one's throat before the man knew anything was there. The second one went down just as quickly, and he dragged both of the bodies outside and stuffed them in a dumpster.

Giles was conscious by the time Spike made it back to the library. "What did you do with them?"

"I took care of it," Spike replied. "They won't be doing any big-game hunting again."

Giles frowned. "Spike—"

"They were hunting two adolescent girls," Spike said patiently. "Did you want me to slap them on the wrist?"

"Never mind," Giles replied with a sigh, recognizing that the vampire might be right in this situation.

"Where are the Slayers?" Spike asked.

Giles nodded towards the door. "They went to see the coronation. I think they wanted to be there for Cordelia."

Spike nodded, suddenly feeling the distance. They were children, and they still belonged to this world.

He didn't, and he couldn't fool himself into thinking that he did.

"I should get going," he said.

Giles felt a pang. "Wait, Spike. Thank you. That little mess could have turned out much worse."

"Just doing my job," Spike replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Would you like a drink?"

Spike hesitated, then turned. "Didn't think you kept alcohol here."

"It's a special occasion," Giles replied.

"What's that then?"

Giles shrugged. "Well, if Cordelia has won, that would suffice. If she hasn't, that would probably mark the first time in the history of the world that she hasn't gotten what she wanted."

Spike chuckled. "Yeah. I could use a drink." He had long ago learned to take the moments of respite where they came, moments of camaraderie when you could.

They were rare in the sort of life he led.

~~~~~

Mayor Wilkins finished off his well-balanced snack and meticulously cleaned his desk of any stray crumbs, brushing them into the wastebasket. He then took out a moist towelette and wiped off his hands. The working environment was very important.

Cleanliness was next to godliness.

Well, in his case, it wasn't, but that was hardly the point. The point was that he had quite a bit to get done in the next few months, goals to reach, and a structured working environment was the best way to stay on track.

The Mayor leaned back in his chair, considering his options. Mr. Trick had proven himself quite creative. SlayerFest, even though it hadn't been successful, had certainly kept those girls hopping. He needed another diversion, and it looked as though the dapper vampire might be capable of providing it.

Those Slayers weren't his only problem, however. Mayor Wilkins was well aware of Spike's presence and his reputation. Had this not been an Ascension year, the Mayor would have left well enough alone. An element such as Spike provided was usually good for business.

Angel, now, he wouldn't have been so bad to have around. That vampire was so besotted with the blonde Slayer that he was either following her around like a big dog or trying to kill her. Spike showed no indication of having the good taste to do the same.

Mayor Wilkins folded his hands in front of his face, thinking deeply. It wasn't critical to get the blond vampire out of his way as of yet. An operation like this needed to be done carefully. If it was unsuccessful, the Mayor knew he would tip his hand early, which wasn't what he wanted at all.

At least, not before everything was in place.

~~~~~

"Come on, Spike."

"I've been warned about you, Slayer."

"You've never seen me!"

"Your mum tipped me off."

"She didn't!" Buffy protested, then frowned. "She totally did, didn't she?"

Spike shrugged. "Did you really think I was going to let you drive my car?" he asked. "You could be Mario Andretti, and I still wouldn't let you get behind the wheel of my baby."

They were approaching Buffy's house at this point, having been arguing all the way from the cemetery. Buffy was determined to find someone to teach her how to drive; Spike was equally determined not to be that someone.

Buffy knew a good opening when she saw it. "You love your car more than me."

"Well, yeah," Spike shot back. "The car didn't nearly get me killed tonight."

"That totally wasn't my fault," Buffy pouted. "I told you to duck."

"After that crossbow came within an inch of ending my unlife," Spike said, opening the door for her without thinking about it.

Buffy gave him an odd look, but decided not to question Spike's good manners. "I already told you I was sorry."

"That's not the point. The point is that a crossbow is much easier to operate than a car, and I'm not letting you operate mine." Spike saw Joyce. "Back me up here."

Joyce looked at her daughter with a silent apology. "Sorry, sweetheart. If Spike won't let you drive his car, you're out of luck."

"I'm old enough," Buffy replied. "I'm responsible."

"You failed the written test," Joyce pointed out. "They wouldn't even let you take the driving test." She frowned. "I thought you were studying this evening."

Buffy plopped down in one of the kitchen chairs. "I did study. For hours. Then Spike came and rescued me so I could go on patrol."

"What about Faith?"

"Who knows where Faith is?" Buffy asked. "She disappears occasionally. This is one of those occasions."

Spike smiled at Joyce, turning on the charm. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm fairly certain I saved Rupert from an early death. Your daughter looked like she was about ready to implode and take the library with her."

"Totally," Buffy agreed. "I told you Spike rescued me."

"And Rupert."

The emphasis that Spike placed on the Watcher's name had Joyce giving him a sharp look. It wasn't as though they were hiding the fact that they got together occasionally to discuss Buffy—among other things. It simply hadn't come up in conversation.

Joyce was fairly certain that it wasn't a discussion she wanted to have with her daughter. In Buffy's words, she would "totally wig."

Spike just smiled. The older woman decided to let it go. "Would you two like something to drink?"

The vampire shook his head. "I don't want to put you to any trouble."

"Sit," Joyce replied. "It's no trouble."

Spike listened as Joyce and Buffy bantered back and forth about the upcoming test and the possibility of attempting to get a driver's license. Times like this made him forget that he didn't here.

Not that it bothered him to forget. Spike had long ago discovered that not remembering was sometimes for the best.

~~~~~

"So how many candy bars did Buffy con you into buying?" Joyce asked the next night when Giles arrived.

He smiled ruefully. "The rest of the box. She pointed out that selling the band candy took away vital patrol and study time. You?"

"The same," Joyce replied. "And for virtually the same reasons." She offered him half a bar. "They really are very good, however."

Giles took the chocolate and started munching on it. "Oh, indeed. I think I'll get my money's worth. Besides, I'm always willing to help Buffy with Snyder."

"He's such an awful little man," Joyce agreed. "I hope Buffy sold hers faster than anyone else. I know he has it in for her."

Giles let his hand rest casually on Joyce's thigh. He wasn't sure where his courage was coming from, but he wasn't in the mood to question it.

Nor did he wish to question the fact that she shifted just a little bit closer to him.

"You know what they say about power," Giles said, letting his hand creep up her leg another couple of inches.

"What's that?"

What was turning into a very nice moment was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming. "Okay, I'm done studying for tonight," Buffy announced without preamble. "Willow pronounced me sufficiently smart."

"Really?" Giles asked, his eyebrows raised as Buffy entered the living room.

Buffy frowned at the sight of her mom and her Watcher sitting so close together on the couch, but then decided to ignore it. There were some things it was just better not to look at too closely. "Well, she said we couldn't really do any more because I wasn't focusing," Buffy admitted. "But, hey, that was hours worth of prep right there."

"And patrol?" Joyce asked.

Buffy stared at her. "You asked Spike to take it for me until the SAT is over with," she reminded her mom. "Last night."

"Oh, that's right," Joyce said. "That was just my age talking."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, sweetie," Joyce replied.

The Slayer felt like something was up, but she had no idea what it was. "I'm going to go to bed," she announced, eyeing the two of them. "Good night." Buffy almost added an admonition to be good, but she thought that might be overdoing it.

Come on. It was her mom and her Watcher. That would just be too weird for words.