Carnival

"I don't have a clue what to wear," Buffy sighed.  She flipped through her clothes again.  What does someone wear on a date to fight with your mortal enemy anyway?  Buffy couldn't believe that she was actually looking forward to seeing Spike.                          

"I can't believe you're going to just meet Spike like that," Willow replied from her spot on Buffy's bed.  "He's going to try to kill you."  She knew that Buffy had been a little distracted since the run in with Spike the night before, but she was surprised that Buffy was actually worried about what to wear on the fight 'date'.

"I don't think so."  Buffy smiled dreamily.  "What I couldn't say in front of Xander and Giles is that he kissed me last night."

"What?!"  Willow gulped in surprise.  "Spike?  Notorious Slayer killer?  Kissed you?"  Her eyes narrowed in speculation when her best friend dreamily swayed back and forth.

"Yeah, I know."  Buffy squeezed her eyes shut.  "It surprised me too."  She licked her lips while she remembered the feel of those soft, smooth vampire lips against her own.

"What about Angel?" Willow asked. She liked the broody vampire well enough, but she didn't think he was right for her fun-loving friend.  Angel's cryptic messages and non-helpfulness with the slaying weren't endearing the dark-haired vampire to her either.  Deep in her heart, the redhead hadn't forgiven Angel for his lack of action that had resulted in Buffy's drowning just a few months prior.  Still, was a non-soul filled bleached blond vampire better boyfriend material.  Somehow, she doubted it.

"I'm getting sick of Angel's crap, Wills," Buffy sighed in exasperation.  "He only shows up if there's trouble and only long enough to give some half-ass warning.  He's got a problem with the age difference, and he never shows up when he says he will.  At least Spike is up front with me, even if he wanted... wants to kill me."

"You seriously think an evil vampire will be better?"  Willow seriously wondered what Buffy was thinking.

"I don't know!"  Buffy took down a shirt to hold in front of her body as she looked in the mirror. "When mom whacked Spike over the head with that axe, he could have easily killed her and he didn't."  She shrugged her shoulders in a vague fashion.

"Well, your mom is scary when she's mad," Willow agreed.  "That shirt's good. Not too much of 'I'm a skank', but just enough of 'I'm interested'."

"Cool."  Buffy changed into the blood red shirt.  She checked her makeup and hair in the mirror before she turned to Willow, and she smiled brightly. "I'm all ready.  Do I look okay?"

"Perfect.  Spike won't know what hit him."  Willow grinned in return. She gave the Slayer two thumbs up.  "I gotta get home.  Mom and Dad are going to Vegas for a convention.  I need to be there or they might lock me out."

"You gonna get home okay?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, your mom said she would take me." Willow grabbed her things from the bed.  She gave Buffy a small wave as she left the room.

"'Kay.  See you tomorrow."  Buffy's mind was already on Spike and the upcoming confrontation.  As she listened to Willow and Joyce leave the house, she hid several stakes on her person before she crawled out the bedroom window.  She dropped noiselessly to the ground.

Buffy was about a block away from Restfield Cemetery when Angel stepped out of the shadows.  She quietly sighed as she thought to herself, Just what I need right now. He would have to show up at the very time I don't want to see him.  Well, let's get this over with.

"Hi, Buffy," Angel said.  "There's a carnival set up across town."

"Yeah, so?"  Buffy twirled her hair as she looked down the street behind the vampire.  She really didn't want to be late for her date with Spike.

"Are you okay, Buffy?  You seem distracted tonight."  Angel was perplexed by Buffy's actions.  She was usually so eager to see him, but tonight she seemed very impatient to be some place else.

"Just ready for patrol.  Now what's this about a carnival?"  Buffy glanced at Angel's face, but then, she shifted her eyes away when she felt a familiar tingle tickle the back of her neck.

"I heard there's some demonic activity there.  At the carnival, I mean."  Angel fidgeted when he realized that Buffy's attention had wandered again.  He had never seen her so ready for patrol before.  "I thought we could check it out together."

Buffy glanced down the street behind Angel where she saw a familiar blond head just inside the cemetery gates. She smiled when the other vampire melted into the shadows, and her excitement grew.  He's really here!  Not for the first time, did she question herself over why she could tell exactly which vampire signature was Spike's.  The tingles traveled through her in a different way than Angel or any regular vampire.  Spike's tingles made her take notice of his presence anytime he was near.

Angel turned to see what Buffy was looking at, but he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary behind him.  He turned his attention back to Buffy, and he asked her again about the carnival. His jaw dropped when she told him that his presence wasn't needed, and she could handle it by herself.  This confused the broody vampire since previously she had seemed so interested in him.  He thought that going to the carnival would be the perfect opportunity to mix business and pleasure.  Angel hadn't been to a carnival in over 110 years, but he figured it couldn't be all that different.  "You can't handle this by yourself," he protested. "It's my job to help you."

Buffy rolled her eyes as she brushed past the dark-haired vampire. She had gone a couple of steps before she said without turning around, "You know if you had taken that attitude last spring, maybe killing old punch mouth wouldn't have been so hard."

"Buffy, there was a prophecy," Angel argued.  "Why are you suddenly holding that against me?"

"Who said it was all of a sudden?  Besides, I have better things to do with my time than to try to figure out if and when you're gonna show up, Angel."  Buffy glanced back over her shoulder at the shocked male.  "I need someone more reliable."

"Buffy, I..."  Angel's speech lurched to a halt when Buffy continued.

"I got it all covered.  Thanks for the tip, Angel."  Buffy walked off towards the cemetery gates.  She gave Angel a dismissive wave over her shoulder.

Angel watched the Slayer enter the graveyard with a perplexed look on his face.  In over 240 plus years of existence he had yet to understand women.  He thought about following her to keep an eye on her.  With her mood lately, he thought that if she realized that he was 'stalking' her, she would get too mad to speak to him for a long while.  He shook his head before he turned to go back to his apartment.

"What did the poofter want?"  Spike popped out from behind a mausoleum.

Buffy shrieked and put her hand over her heart.  "Don't do that to me."  She slapped Spike on the arm.  "Sneaking up on a Slayer like that could get you staked."

Spike leered at the petite female.  His eyes raked her body with a heated gaze. "Life's filled with risks, luv."

Buffy shook her head at the bleached blond vampire's answer.  She had a small smile on her face when she answered Spike's original question.  "Angel wanted to tell me about a carnival.  Apparently there's some kind of demonic activity going on, but we both know I already have a date."

"You blew your sweetie bear off to come fight with me?"  Spike's eyebrow lifted with sarcastic amusement.

"Well, of course, I did," Buffy replied a bit huffily.  "I made a promise."  She put her fisted hands on her hips.  "So, you wanna fight now or after we go check out the carnival?"

Spike stared at the Slayer in shock.  He hooted with laughter when Buffy gave him a dirty look.  When she pulled out her stake, he put his hands up in surrender, and he said, "Carnival first, pet.  Then, we'll fight, yeah?"

A thousand watt smile crossed Buffy's face.  She pocketed her stake as she nodded in agreement.

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Jay-Jay the carny watched the petite blond teenager giggle and cover her mouth as she watched her companion toss rings at the bottles inside the booth.  He thought he had found himself the perfect little victim to swindle until the girl's companion turned to stare at him with cold blue eyes.  Jay-Jay instantly recognized what the paleness and the predatory stance meant.  A person didn't work long in the carny business before one learned that the things that go bump in the dark were real.

Jay-Jay watched as the vampire turned his attention back to the girl.  He couldn't decide if the girl was a potential victim or a newly risen fledge.  He decided to discretely follow the blond couple around the grounds as they made their rounds of the booths. Jay-Jay watched as the girl picked out a small stuffed pig as her prize.

"Spike, let's get our fortunes told."  The girl tugged on the vampire's arm while she pointed towards Madam Inga's garish purple tent.

"So, she can tell me 'm gonna have a long life?" the vampire scoffed.  "Already know that."  Mediums, psychics. and gypsies gave Spike a case of the shivers.  After all, it was a band Romanian gypsies that shoved the soul into Angelus.

"No, silly."  The girl smacked Spike's shoulder.  "If she knows who we really are, maybe she can help us."

"Buffy," Spike sighed, but he gave in when she pouted at him.  "Fine, but this means I get the first shot."

"Oh, thank you, thank you."  Buffy grabbed Spike's hand to drag him through the crowd to the fortuneteller.  She was like a child at Christmas as they strolled through the carnival to the gypsy's tent.

Jay-Jay paced himself behind the blond couple while he tried to keep them in sight but still be off their radar.  He knew for a fact that Madam Inga was a real fortune teller, but she rarely told anyone what she really saw in the cards. Most people who came to the carnivals couldn't handle the actual truth about their futures.  They only wanted to hear the fluffy goodness.  Once the blonds were inside the tent, Jay-Jay moved to where he could hear everything that was said inside.

Jay-Jay listened to the introductions being made.  He was surprised when Madam Inga didn't start up her usual 'happiness and riches' spiel she gave the marks.  Jay-Jay could hear her shuffling her cards in a slow, methodical fashion.

"Ah, the Slayer and the Aurelian Master," Madam Inga said.  "Quite a surprise, I must say, to see such opposites as mates."

Jay-Jay heard the vampire give a snarl.  He was about to step in when he heard Madam Inga give a pleased chuckle.

"Now, now, William," the fortuneteller tutted.  "No need to be testy.  An old biddy like me gets positively giddy when I see young love such as what is sprouting between the two of you."

Jay-Jay expected the vampire to be the first to protest Madam Inga's words.  After all, in the carny's experience the undead were only after death, blood, and destruction.  However, Jay-Jay was surprised when Spike finally gave his answer.

"Wasn't expectin' t'fall in love."  The vampire sounded almost sheepish.  "Thought I was in love before, but..."  He was interrupted by Buffy's gasped response.

"Spike, we've only talked four times, and one of those times was a fight," Buffy said.  "I was sure you hated me until you kissed me last night."

"Well, luv, I could have happily spent the next few years in denial while you grew up, but what's the fun in that?" Spike drawled.  "I like watching you fight, kitten.  It's downright sexy.  I could have handled a few years of foreplay."

Jay-Jay heard the vampire chuckle.  He winced when a sharp smack was followed by a louder chortling.  It was clear that the vampire and the Slayer were very violent towards each other, and it made him wonder if their passion would be just as rough.  He shook his head to get that picture out of his brain.

"Well we can still do that," Buffy purred in a tone that Jay-Jay could only call suggestive.

"Just a moment," Madam Inga said softly.  "We have an eavesdropper, but don't worry.  It's just Jay-Jay."  She spoke a little louder now.  "I'll be fine, young man.  The Slayer won't let her vampire hurt me."

Jay-Jay jumped in surprise when Madam Inga addressed him from the other side of the canvas.  He had thought the vampire would detect him before the two human females.  The carny nodded his unseen assent, and he left to go about his business. He was sure if there was anything of importance that the members of the carnival needed to know, Madam Inga would tell everyone later.

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"Now that we're alone."  Madam Inga smiled at the two supernatural blonds.  She had never seen two beings glow as much as these two.  In fact, Spike glowed brighter with humanity than most humans. "I believe you were told that there was demonic activity here at our peaceful little carnival?"

"You're saying there isn't?" Buffy asked.  She suddenly questioned Angel's motives for telling her about the carnival.

"Oh, there's demonic activity."  Madam Inga nodded.  "However, it's not evil.  Magdelena's Maze of Magical Mirrors is one of our most popular attractions."

"Magic mirrors?"  Buffy eyed the elderly woman.  That didn't sound all that bad... unless they sucked you in or made you do freaky things.

"Yes."  Madam Inga continued to nod.  "Maggie is half fairy godmother and half vengeance demon.  Her mirrors can show you your deepest desires, wants, or dreams.  Sometimes they even show you different forks in the road; the 'what might have been'."

"So no slaying?" Buffy asked in a near pout.  It had never occurred to her that fairy godmothers were real, but then again, why not?  Vampires, demons, and invisible girls were real.  Buffy decided that the mirrors might be worth seeing.  She made a note to tell Giles later that fairy godmothers were real too.

"Not here," Madam Inga confirmed.  "However, your friend who invited you to that party needs your help.  She is in terrible trouble."

"Cordelia?"  Buffy remembered that the cheerleader had planned on going to a party at the private boy's school across town. She knew that she couldn't just leave Cordelia to her fate, even if she didn't like the girl.  Buffy rose to her feet, and she sighed.  "Those mirrors sound so cool.  I wanted to see them."

"We're not leaving town yet, Slayer."  Madam Inga smiled at the disgruntled teenager. "Come back tomorrow at dusk, and I'll finish your fortune.  Then, you and your beau can see the mirrors."

"Really?"  Buffy exclaimed.  "Thanks!"  She turned to Spike, and she took him by the hand to haul him to his feet.  "Let's go save Cordelia."

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"That was fun... NOT!" Cordelia grumbled.  "What is it with demons wanting to mate with me this year?"

"Guess you're just irresistible to evil."  Buffy smirked at the other girl.  "You should compare notes with Xander some day."

"As if!" Cordelia grimaced.  "Just who is the Billy Idol wannabe supposed to be?"  She looked pointedly at the bleached blond vampire.  "Can we say stuck in the '80's?"

"You sure have a lot of balls, girl." Spike chuckled.   "Must be this fine Sunnyhell air waftin' up from the Hellmouth.  I think I like you."

"Better not like her too much," Buffy grumbled.  She remembered how much Cordelia seemed to be attracted to Angel, and the Slayer didn't want the other girl to flirt with Spike.  He's mine, damn it.

Spike heard the jealousy in Buffy's voice.  He was glad when the girl that they had rescued from the snake demon finally walked towards her car, complaining the entire way.  He and the Slayer were quiet until Cordelia drove away.

Buffy groaned when she glanced at her watch.  She glanced at Spike, and said softly, "I need to get home, Spike.  Do you want to fight now?"

Spike shook his head in denial.  He watched the Slayer nibble on her lower lip. The more he watched her, the more he wanted to be the one tasting that plump, pink piece of flesh.  The vampire decided to grab the moment. He stepped  towards the Slayer, grasped her shoulders, and covered her lips with his own.

Buffy stiffened for a moment before she relaxed into Spike's embrace.  Her hands moved to grip the lapels of his duster, and his hands slipped down to grasp her ass cheeks.  Buffy moaned when he pulled her closer to his lean, cool body.

Spike kissed Buffy until he smelled her arousal fill the air.  Then, he kissed and licked down her jaw line until he could nip at her jugular.  He was amazed and awed at her complete and utter trust in him, despite the fact that just days ago they were trying to kill each other.  He smirked into her flesh when she shuddered against his body.  The Slayer was such a responsive creature, and the vampire felt triumphant that he had made her orgasm so easily.

"So, I guess no fight tonight?" Buffy asked breathlessly while she leaned weak-kneed against the vampire.  She couldn't believe that just the thought of his teeth sinking into her skin, along with the caresses of his hands and blunt teeth, threw over the edge into bliss.

Spike lifted his face from Buffy's neck.  His hands slid up from her ass to her lower back.  He knew as soon as they parted he would have to do something about the painful erection currently pressed into the Slayer's soft belly.  He wanted nothing more than to throw her down and have his wicked way with her, but he had no desire to have her mum's axe laid upside his head again so soon.  This was one time he wasn't going to cock things up.

Buffy moaned when Spike pressed her closer. She buried her face into his chest where she inhaled his intoxicating masculine scent.  The memory of each individual scent that made Spike smell so unique was ingrained into her brain.

"No, no fight tonight."  Spike tightened his arms around Buffy.  "We'll make sure we get to it tomorrow night."

"Uh huh," Buffy grunted.  Her brain was still addled from her orgasm and his smell.

"Make sure you wear a skirt, pet." Spike pulled Buffy's face away from his chest.  He smirked at her flushed checks and dazed eyes.  "Easier access, ya know?"

"Pig!" Buffy exclaimed without any heat in her voice.  She reasoned it was because all the heat was in her blushing face.

"I'm a bad, rude man, baby."  Spike pulled away from the Slayer, turned her around, and slapped her on the tush.  "You get home.  You'll need your rest for tomorrow night."

"Then, we'll fight?" Buffy asked eagerly over her shoulder.

"You bet, luv," Spike assured the Slayer.  He pushed her in the direction of home.  "But, only if we can't figure out something more fun to do.  We do still have a conversation with a gypsy to finish too."