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 41

"When our two souls stand up erect and strong,/Face to face, silent, drawing nigh and nigher,/Until the lengthening wings break into fire/At either curved point,—what bitter wrong/Can the earth do to us, that we should not long be here contented?/Think. In mounting higher,/The angels would press on us and aspire/To drop some golden orb of perfect song/Into our deep, dear silence. Let us stay/Rather on earth, Beloved,—where the unfit/Contrarious moods of men recoil away/And isolate pure spirits, and permit/A place to stand and love in for a day,/With darkness and the death-hour rounding it." ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "Sonnet 22"

It was chaos from the moment the sun was blocked out. Xander's prior experience on the front lines served him well, since he was able to rally the troops, calling out orders like a seasoned general.

Xander was the one who was in charge of most of the students, although he and Spike had worked out who the vampire was going to take to block off the vampires' retreat. The idea was to make sure that no one escaped so they didn't have to worry about doing clean-up all summer.

Of course, he and Xander had to have a heart to heart before they could get down to business.

"You bit her."

"Yeah, so what?" Just because Spike was feeling a little guilty about that fact didn't mean he was going to divulge that information to Harris. "It's between me and Buffy."

Their planning was about as last-minute as you could get, and Spike really wanted to get through it so they could get the troops into place. Xander wasn't going to let it go, however. "You could have killed her."

"Yes, I could have." Spike spoke precisely, his words clipped. "I could have killed her just about any time since I got to Sunnydale if that's what I wanted. But it's not what I want, so can we focus on the problem at hand?"

Xander opened his mouth to argue, and then decided that it wasn't worth it. "Fine. But if you hurt her, I will kill you." He paused. "Or I'll wait until you're sleeping and set you on fire. That would work too."

"That it would," Spike admitted, impressed with Xander's bravado in spite of himself. "Look, it's none of your business what Buffy and I do, but I'm not going to hurt her."

Xander grimaced. He could forget that Spike was a vampire most of the time, at least until he did something like biting Buffy. "Fine. Let's get down to it."

Spike had actually been fairly impressed by Xander's ability with strategy. Although he'd made a few suggestions, he mostly left it up to the boy once he figured that that Harris was competent. In the end, it hadn't been hard to decide which students would be in Spike's group. Since it was largely going to be hand-to-hand combat, Spike took the bigger, more athletic teens. Xander's group was going to be armed with flamethrowers and bows, long-distance weapons just as suited to the smaller and weaker as the larger and stronger.

As soon as the sun was hidden, Spike and Wesley hurried to join the students facing off with the Mayor's vampires. Spike was in his element. In spite of the lingering weakness from the poison, he held his own, keeping a sharp eye out for children who were in trouble.

Spike included Wesley in with the children.

Idly, he wondered who had taught the man to fight. There was some skill there, but Wesley was a complete klutz. Spike managed to keep him from being clotheslined by shoving him down, staking the vampire that had tried the move. Spike handed Wesley the stake and hauled him back up to his feet. "Watch it," he warned. "You get mowed down in this mess, and there's a good chance you won't get up again."

"Thanks," Wesley gulped.

Spike nodded. "Stick close."

Spike assumed that Wesley tried to do just that, but the next wave of vampires pulled them away from each other. He didn't see the man after that, and he just hoped that Wesley would manage to actually use some of those hand-to-hand skills he liked boasting about so much.

Mostly, he found himself lost in the sounds and smells of the battle. He could hear the cries of the wounded, and Spike knew that there would be more than a few dead at the end of this. He caught glimpses of the giant snake the Mayor had become, could hear Xander calling out orders to his troops above the clamor. Spike's job was to dust as many vampires as possible while keeping as many children alive as he could.

Spike always had been good at his job.

When the last stragglers were either dusted or fled, Spike took the steps to the school at a run, just in time to see the tail end of the Mayor disappear inside the doors. "Spike! Get back!" Xander warned him, running down the steps. "It's going up any second!"

Spike played rear guard, watching to be sure there weren't any remaining vampires waiting for a chance to slip away before he could put a stake into them. Spike was still facing the school when the explosion went off, and he put his arm up to shield his eyes. He looked around for Buffy, not seeing her.

"She's with Giles," Xander said, standing at his side. "They were meeting on the other side of the school, remember?"

Spike turned to look at the boy and the last of the battle madness dissipated, leaving him worn and weary. He supposed it was probably a lot like a human coming down from an adrenaline rush. "Yeah, right. How are you?"

"Good, I guess." Xander's eyes were shadowed as he surveyed the destruction. "Can't say I'm sorry to see the school blown up, but—"

Spike understood. People had died, people whom Xander had been in charge of. "Yeah. There aren't really any kinds of losses that are acceptable, are there?"

"No, there really aren't." Xander turned to watch the ambulances pull up. "I guess that's our cue that it's over."

They turned as one to find the others. Willow and Oz were standing off to the side, hanging on to each other for dear life. They were unscathed, as was Cordelia, who had a streak of soot across one cheek.

Buffy and Giles emerged from the crowd a moment later, and they all moved away from the confusion. Spike caught sight of Wesley being loaded into an ambulance, whimpering, and he sighed. It seemed that the Watcher had a very long way to go yet.

"Hey," Buffy said.

Spike put an arm around her shoulders. "Take it the whole thing worked."

"Like a charm," she replied. "Giles did a very good job with the button-pushing, too."

Giles managed to look properly modest. "It really was nothing." He glanced towards the ambulances. "I should check on Wesley," he said, trying unsuccessfully to hide his smile. "I think Spike's babysat him for long enough today."

"Ta, mate," Spike said with a smirk, then followed Buffy to join the others, who were gathered around a stone bench across the street from the campus.

Cordelia watched the flames lick the sky. "Well, that was the most fun you can have without having any fun."

"I don't know," Willow said. "I liked the part where we kicked some demon ass." She smiled up at Oz as he stroked her hair fondly. She had sprawled on the stone bench, feeling a little sore, although that wasn't necessarily from the fight.

Buffy leaned back against Spike's solid form. "Could you maybe wake me up when it's time to go to college?"

"Guys, take a minute," Oz said. "We survived."

"It was a hell of a battle," Buffy agreed, thinking of watching the giant snake eat a student—and Snyder.

Although watching the Mayor eat Snyder had been kind of fun.

"No, high school," Oz pointed out. "We're taking a moment." There was a long pause and then Willow got up, just as Spike and Buffy turned from the wreckage. "And we're done."

"Anybody want a ride somewhere?" Spike offered.

Cordelia shook her head. "No, that's okay. I'm not too far away."

"I'll walk you back," Xander offered, falling into step beside her.

Willow leaned against Oz. "We've got the van."

"We'll see you two later," Oz offered. "Dingoes are playing at the Bronze in a few days."

"I think I'll be ready to celebrate then," Buffy agreed, watching them leave. "Spike, is it just me or—"

"It's not just you," he replied. Spike knew exactly what she was asking. "You tend to seize the moment in the face of imminent disaster."

Buffy didn't loosen her grip. "Yeah, that's true."

They walked back to Spike's car, their hands linked. "You'll want to call your mom," Spike said.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah, I should. She'll kill me if I make her worry for any longer than necessary."

Spike reached into his jacket pocket and handed her his cell phone, listening idly as she assured her mom that everyone was fine. "When do you think you'll be home?"

The vampire's acute hearing picked up Joyce's response easily. "Oh, I think I'll head back tonight, sweetheart. What do you want for dinner? I'll pick something up, and you can ask Spike over too."

Buffy did not sigh or roll her eyes, although she wanted to do both. "Anything is good, Mom. I'll see you when you get in." She said her goodbyes and then handed Spike his phone. "You okay with that?"

Spike shrugged. "It's all the same to me. You want me to drop you off at home? I can come over later when I've cleaned up a bit."

Buffy nodded. "That's fine. I don't think I would have been capable of anything tonight."

"I'll pick up a movie or something," Spike offered. "Something light."

She gave him a grateful smile. "That would be perfect."

~~~~~

Buffy revived a little under the spray of the shower. She decided that Spike could deal with her being a slob and put on her favorite pajamas. Joyce's arrival—complete with Italian take-out—revived her even more. In some ways, it reminded Buffy of the days when she was little and would come home from school full of news at the end of the day.

That was before the divorce, when Joyce wasn't working all the time. Before she became the Slayer. Of course, these days, she could tell her mom what had happened at school again since she knew all about the Slayer business.

Buffy would have liked to gloss over the whole biting business, but there really wasn't any way to hide the wound on her neck without making Joyce even more suspicious.

"Spike bit you?"

"I pretty much forced him, Mom," Buffy said quickly, not wanting Spike to face Joyce's wrath when he came over. "It was either that or Spike dying, and I couldn't let that happen."

Joyce sighed. "Well, I suppose I just have to be grateful that you're both okay. This isn't going to be a regular thing, though, is it?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, Mom. It was definitely due to extenuating circumstances."

A knock came at the back door, and Buffy got up to let Spike in. "Saw the lights around back," he explained as he entered. "Hullo, Joyce."

"Sit down, Spike. Are you hungry?" she asked. "Or would you like something to drink?"

He shook his head, sitting down wearily at the table. "Don't want to put you to any trouble."

"It's no trouble," she assured him. Joyce looked at the bag. "What did you get?"

"Classics," Spike explained, pulling out a few videos.

Joyce smiled as she read the titles. "Arsenic and Lace, The African Queen, and That Touch of Mink? I didn't realize that you were such a fan of old movies, Spike."

He shrugged. "Knew you and Buffy liked them, and I don't mind. I saw them when they originally came out and enjoyed them then."

Buffy did enjoy the old movies, but her mom was the real fan, and she had the feeling that Spike knew that. Of course, it was probably a good idea on his part to butter Joyce up a bit, especially since Buffy planned on spending every moment she could with him this summer.

That would be a lot easier with her mom completely on board with the situation.

Joyce set Spike's hot chocolate down in front of him and then plopped the bag of miniature marshmallows beside it. "Help yourself," she encouraged. "And then I want to hear your side of the story. Buffy has been telling me about luring the Mayor in through the school, but she said you were somewhere else?"

"Keeping the vampires off her back," Spike admitted, glancing over at Buffy to see if she was okay with him continuing the story. She nodded. "Isn't much to tell, really. I dusted a bunch of them, tried to make sure no one got snacked on." His eyes were haunted. "Don't think I kept all of them safe."

Buffy laid a hand on his arm. "We did better than we would have without you."

"Right," Spike said, his voice sounding hoarse. "Guess you did." He frowned. "I'm not sure why the Powers That Screw With You thought you needed me though. You lot would have done fine on your own."

"Maybe that's not why they thought Buffy needed you," Joyce said gently. She smiled as Spike raised startled blue eyes. His hair was curly and still damp from the shower. The blue t-shirt he wore brought out his eyes and pale skin.

Spike had changed since coming to Sunnydale. Maybe it took a mother to see it, but Joyce noticed. His eyes weren't quite so crowded with memories these days. He smiled more. He made Buffy happier than she'd been since she had been called.

There were things Joyce was willing to overlook for that reason alone. "You know," she said. "I think I'll call Rupert to see if he isn't too tired to join us. Would you mind, Buffy?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, you should do that, Mom." She waited until Joyce had left the kitchen before asking, "How are you really?"

"I'm good, pet. Couple of days, I'll be just fine."

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Good. I might actually be up and awake by then."

"It's a date," he said softly.

Buffy breathed in the clean, sharp smell of him. "I'll hold you to that."

~~~~~

Giles was rather surprised when he managed to make it through the first movie and neither Buffy nor Spike did. As the credits for The African Queen rolled, he rose to his feet, holding out a hand to Joyce, leaving a sleeping Slayer and vampire leaning against each other on the couch.

He knew where her tea things were now, and he'd convinced her to switch to brewed, rather than bagged. Giles had taught her how to make a proper cuppa in this very kitchen.

In fact, Buffy would probably be rather mortified if she knew what else they'd done in this very kitchen.

"I guess we're not so old after all," Joyce said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Giles put his hands over hers. "No, I suppose we're not. They've both had a rather trying couple of days, however."

"So I gathered." Joyce sighed. "I'm glad you're all okay. This thing, though, with Spike biting Buffy. Is that—normal?"

"You're asking if it will happen again," Giles stated. "I don't know the answer to that for certain, but I don't believe that it will. Spike—isn't like other vampires, and he wasn't happy about what happened." He was quiet for a moment. "I dare say this next year will prove quite interesting."

Joyce never thought that she would be hoping for her daughter to work out a relationship with a vampire, but in this case she was. She thought Spike might be exactly what Buffy needed. Besides, he still needed quite a bit of mothering, and Buffy so rarely indulged her anymore. "I imagine it probably will," she admitted, thinking of the changes that were bound to come.

Giles turned in her arms. "I know I can't stay here tonight, but perhaps you'd like to come back to my place?"

Joyce felt her face heat up in light of Giles' naked desire. He made her feel sixteen again; it was exhilarating.

"I thought you'd be too tired."

"For you?" Giles asked with a lifted eyebrow, just a little bit of Ripper showing through. "I'm never too tired."

"Then let's go," Joyce replied, suddenly longing to touch him. Giles seemed the only thing that wasn't changing.

It had been a long time since she'd had someone to cling to. Joyce didn't plan on letting him go anytime soon.

~~~~~

Her parents had apologized for missing graduation, of course, and then they'd offered to get her a new laptop for school in the fall. It was probably just as well. Willow wasn't sure how she would have explained the flamethrowers, let alone the giant snake.

There was something to be said for parental indifference.

The best part was that Oz could stay the night without worrying about someone walking in on them. Not that she was quite up to having sex again. She was still just a little sore, and really, really tired. She could completely understand Buffy's desire to sleep for weeks on end.

It was just easier to sleep next to Oz's warm body, their arms and legs tangled. Next to him, listening to his even breathing, Willow could believe that the whole world was open before them. That the future was bright.

College would be starting soon—Willow had been looking forward to that step for years now. It would be new and challenging, and oh, so exciting.

But, at the same time, it was a little scary. For the first time since kindergarten, Willow would be going somewhere without Xander. Even if Buffy and Oz would be there, it wouldn't be the same.

Blowing up the school was just a reminder of that fact. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Willow shivered involuntarily, and she felt Oz's arm tighten around her. "Will? You okay?"

"Just thinking," she replied, burrowing further down under the covers. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Oz stroked her back in a soothing motion. "That brain of yours never stops going, does it?"

"I don't think I came with an off-switch," she joked in return.

"You want to tell me about it?" he asked.

Willow hesitated and then shook her head. It didn't really matter anyway. After all, Oz was here and solid. He wasn't going anywhere. As long as she had one immutable thing in her life, that would be enough. "It's not a big deal." She laid her head back down on his chest and closed her eyes.

"Go to sleep," Oz said quietly, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I'll be right here."

~~~~~

Wesley winced as he pulled his shirt on. He had apparently managed to both strain his back and crack a couple of ribs, although he was fairly sure that had happened when someone stepped on him.

Spike had warned him.

He had no idea where he was supposed to go from here. The doctors had given him some painkillers, but he couldn't stay in hospital. When Wesley had called the Council to give them the news of the Mayor's demise, they had informed him that he was fired, effective immediately. In fact, he'd made such a mess of things, they weren't even going to fund a trip home, nor were they giving him any more in the way of severance other than paying for his hospital bill. Provided he left immediately.

Wesley knew that his apartment was paid through the end of the month, and he had a little in the way of savings. It would be enough to—

To what? What did an ex-Watcher do if he didn't have an already-existing job, such as Giles had had? It wasn't like any of them were going to offer him a helping hand.

It wasn't as though he could ask.

"Mind if I come in?"

"I didn't think you'd need an invitation to a hospital room," Wesley commented, turning slowly to face the vampire. "What are you doing here?"

Spike was looking at him with some interest. "How's the back?"

"Sore, but I think I'll live. What are you doing here, Spike?"

The vampire might have been offended by the tone of Wesley's voice, but he already knew the man was a git. Pain and uncertainty tended to make a person even more of a problem to deal with. "I finally got caught up with Rupert today," Spike said. "I wanted to ask him a few questions. He told me you'd been fired."

Wesley managed to look as though he didn't care. "Yes, well, it'll give me a chance to explore some new options."

"Huh," Spike said, leaning against the doorjamb. "Too bad you're talking to a vampire, mate. We're not easy to lie to."

Wesley frowned. "What do you want, Spike?"

"You, actually."

Wesley blinked. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"I'm starting up my business again," Spike said. "This saving the world thing is kind of fun, but as far as I can tell it only happens once or twice a year. My job here is done. Time to go back to work."

"You're leaving Sunnydale?" Wesley asked in surprise. "I thought you and Buffy—"

Spike waved a hand indolently. "We're good. No, I like it here. Usually I move around, you know, but people find me. I have a reputation. Once I let it be known that Sunnydale is my new headquarters, this is where they'll come." Spike grinned, a predatory glint in his eyes. "Of course, I'm not hurting for dosh, so I can afford to be choosy about the jobs I do take."

"I don't understand," Wesley objected. "If you're staying for work, what would you want me for?"

"Thing is, mate, I don't like research," Spike said conversationally. "I've done this job on my own before, and it works alright. Mostly I was moving around too much to have any reliable help."

Wesley sat down on the bed, still trying to figure out exactly what Spike was saying. "You want me to stay and work with you?"

"I get paid fairly well," Spike said. "You probably won't get rich, but it'll be fun."

Wesley raised an eyebrow. "If you're talking about the kind of 'fun' we had the other day, I'm not sure that's a selling point."

Spike grinned at him. "Oh, come on. It was exhilarating. Fists and fangs and sod all else."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, why would you want me?" Wesley asked bluntly. "Why not ask Mr. Giles?"

Spike shrugged. "Because Rupert is, and always will be, Buffy's Watcher. Besides, he thinks he wants to take the next year off to be a man of leisure. Says he's looking forward to it." He snorted. "I give him a month, two on the outside, before he starts getting bored. You, on the other hand, probably need the money."

"I still don't know why you'd want me," Wesley said. "You all have thought of me as rather useless I dare say."

Spike tilted his head. "Well, you have been rather useless. On the other hand, you've got the potential to be a truly decent sort."

"Why would you care?" Wesley asked, sounding defiant and angry. "I don't need your pity."

"No?" Spike asked softly. "I could have used something like that once upon a time." He took a deep breath. "What I'm about to tell you goes no further than this room, you understand?" When Wesley nodded, Spike gave him a tight smile. "Before I was turned, I was a lot like you. Decent bloke, bit of a prig, fairly worthless when it came to a fight. That changed when I met Drusilla in the back of a stable. She changed my life, and there are days when I wonder if it was for the better."

"But most days?"

"Most days I wouldn't trade what I've got for the world. Not now," Spike added cryptically. "I'm offering you a choice—more of one than I got. You have a chance to earn a regular paycheck and learn a bit while you're doing it. Won't always ask you in for the fight, but I might need the muscle sometimes. Or you can go back to your regularly scheduled life, try and scrape by on your own. Up to you."

Wesley swallowed, overcome. "What if I say no?"

"Then I'll offer you a ride back to your flat and we won't mention this conversation again," Spike replied easily. "You won't hurt my feelings."

Wesley was quiet for a long moment. "What will the others say?"

"This isn't about the others," Spike replied. "This is between you and me."

Wesley didn't have any other prospects. Given a little time, he might be able to figure something out, but this might give him the time to make a decision, get something better. "What if it doesn't work?"

Spike shrugged. "Then it doesn't work. We'll figure something out. I won't leave you high and dry, Wes. I have a gut instinct about this, and I always go with my gut."

Wesley stared at the floor, and then at Spike, taking a deep breath. He had a chance to work with a piece of living history. In fact, he might even be able to make history. "I'll do it."

Spike gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Glad to have you on board, mate." Then, with a smirk, he added. "Besides, I did tell you I was going to keep you alive long enough to pull that stick out of your arse."

~~~~~

"Wesley?" Buffy asked in disbelief. "You asked Wesley to be your partner?"

"Not partner," Spike corrected her. "Assistant. Poor bloke was let go by the Council. It was the only thing he'd known. Wesley's like a fish out of water."

"But why would you want to keep him around?" Buffy asked. "He's worthless."

Spike shook his head. "So were we all once, luv. People change."

Buffy frowned. "But it's Wesley," she objected. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to start your business again? I thought you were going to stick around."

"I am," Spike said patiently. "I'm staying in Sunnydale, although I may have to do some traveling. I need something to keep me busy. Saving the world is not a full time job."

"You could have fooled me," Buffy muttered. She lay back down on the bed, too tired to protest more vociferously. She had the feeling Spike had planned things this way. He'd gained major brownie points with a nice dinner, which led naturally into their love-making. His clever hands and mouth had made her a very happy Slayer indeed.

That's when he'd sprung the news on her.

"You're a student, Buffy," he reminded her. "You've got friends and family. You're still my first priority, but I need something else to occupy my time. I get bored easily."

"That makes me feel really good," she huffed.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Not you, you silly bint, but I've been working for a century or more. It's not in my nature to give it up, especially now that my job is done."

"Does that mean you're going to want to leave?" she asked. "I mean, I would understand, Spike. It probably sucks to be stuck in Sunnydale when you could go anywhere, and I—"

He cut her off with a kiss. "Bite your tongue, Summers. Best thing that ever happened to me was coming here. Could say the same for you. This summer, you'll be off to the beach with your mates, and I'll be stuck at home. Maybe you want someone who can walk in the sun with you, to grow old with."

"I want you," Buffy shot back.

He raised an eyebrow. "Well? Same goes for me. Just because a man has a job doesn't mean he won't look forward to coming home to his girl." Spike touched her cheek gently. "You are my girl, aren't you?"

"Always," Buffy replied. "I'll always be your girl."

Spike kissed her again. He couldn't get enough of this—this feeling of belonging, of coming home, of love. He'd never thought to have any of that again. Spike fell back against the pillows, Buffy on top of him, and he reveled in the ability to simply be with her. To hold her. To know that he'd found his avocation.

Spike held her in his arms.

Buffy kissed his neck, his collar bone, her hands wandering. Spike was right. They both had their jobs, their duties, their destinies, but they also had each other. There was no way she was letting him go, and he seemed to be hanging on just as tightly.

"I love you," she whispered into his skin, hearing his hoarse reply, half-incoherent with need.

Then they were lost—in each other, in the moment, in their love. It was enough, and it was perfect.