The others all took a step back. Roy's grin faltered, but then it widened. "I've always wanted to try on a Slayer."

"I'll bet you have," said Spike. He threw a punch that landed square on Roy's nose, knocking him back a couple steps. Roy recovered and spun around, aiming a kick at Spike's midsection. Wonderful. Roy new how to fight. Well, so did Spike. Buffy decided to leave them to each other for the moment and turned her attention on the other four. She made the decision a split-second too late. One of them grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms -- and her stake -- behind her. Two more rushed her, while the forth hung back and watched the action with a deer-in-headlights look plastered on his face.

Buffy leaned her head forward, then slammed it back into the face of the one who held her. He hollered in pain, but his grip only loosened enough to allow her some maneuverability. As the other two reached her, she kicked her foot up and planted it on one's shoulder. Using it as leverage she swung her other leg up and kicked the second vamp in the face. Her momentum carried her up and over Number Three's head. She held on to his arms as she went, and heard his screams of pain mixed with the satisfying pop of his shoulders as she wrenched them out of their sockets. Her feet hit the hood of the car and she was free. She reached down and grabbed Number Three by the hair, yanked him back onto the car, and dropped to one knee beside him, plunging the stake into his heart.

Before she could straighten back up, Number Two grabbed her by the arm and flipped her off of the car. She landed badly, her right ankle giving out as it hit the ground. Still, she rebounded and brought that foot up, kicking Number One in the side of the head. The impact caused pain to shoot through her leg and foot, and she yelped. She didn't lose any momentum, though. She finished the spin, bringing the stake home right through Number One's tacky fringed leather vest.

Number Four looked like he was finally working up the nerve to join in. Buffy took a step towards him and stumbled. A pair of arms caught her from behind, then lifted her in the air and body slammed her onto the hood of Spike's car, knocking the wind out of her.

"Buffy!"

She looked over at Spike just in time to see fear give in to rage as he vamped out and stopped screwing around and really laid into Roy. She just lay there for a second, trying to recover, watching Spike fight the other vampire from the vantage point of hanging her head backwards off of the car. It looked like some kind of upside down ballet. Or wrestling match. Roy got him in a headlock, and Spike responded by sinking his teeth into Roy's forearm. He elbowed Roy in the gut and broke free, then pulled out a stake.

Just as it was getting good, Buffy felt a hand tangle in her hair. She looked up into the grinning face of Number Two. He started to drag her by the hair off of the car, but she brought her legs up over her head and locked her knees around the vamp's neck. She twisted until she heard bones crack, then flipped him forward. He flew over the car and landed in a heap on the other side. Buffy sat up and slid off of the car, and limped over to stake him.

She stood up and looked over at Spike, only to see him brushing Roy's remains off of his coat and jeans. He started towards her, but stopped when he noticed the remaining vamp. Buffy noticed him too. He looked back and forth from her to Spike, then turned around and took off running. Buffy was about to tell Spike to let him go, but he was already hot on the vamp's heels. She sighed and did her best to chase after them.

She made it about fifty yards from the car before she decided to just sit down and wait for Spike. Her ankle hurt like a bitch. She could make out the back of his head, almost silver in the moonlight, as he tackled his prey. Then they both disappeared behind a boulder. Buffy sighed, and took in her surroundings. She leaned back on her elbows so she could look up at the stars. Last time she'd seen them shine so bright was when --

She sat up straight, suddenly struck by a sense of deja vu. When Giles had brought her out her on her vision quest. That was the last time she'd seen the stars look like this. She looked around again. No way this could be the same place, could it? Yet it felt so familiar. The memory of what had been revealed to her that night caused her to shudder. #Death is your gift,# her guide had said. Buffy leaned back again, and pouted. "Indian giver."

She squeezed her eyes shut against the memory, but she couldn't block out the First Slayer's words.

#Love ... give ... forgive. Risk the pain.#

"Easy for you to say," she muttered. "Except for recurring guest shots in my visions, you got to #keep# your gift." She opened her eyes to see Spike trudging back towards her through the sand. "You get him?"

"Yeh. He, uh ..." He looked back the way he'd come, then looked back at her and shrugged. "He's dust."

"Sounds exciting."

"Oh, it was. You should've seen it." He squinted down at her. "Why didn't you? You okay?"

"Yeah." She took his extended hand and let him pull her to her feet. "Just -- ow!"

"You're hurt."

"Twisted my ankle." She waved a dismissive hand. "It'll be fine."

He looked skeptical. "Can you walk on it?" She nodded, and took a step towards the car to prove it. Pain exploded through her entire lower leg, and she stumbled. Spike caught her before she fell. "I'd call that a 'no'. Here." He wrapped an arm around her waist and bent to put his other arm behind her knees.

Buffy hopped back a step. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like? I'm gonna carry you to the car."

"I don't need you to carry me. I said I'm fine."

Spike sighed, stood up, and held his hands in the air as he backed away from her. "Suit yourself, Pet. You want to limp back, be my guest."

She nodded, then took another step forward. "Aah!" Her ankle buckled and she went down on one knee. "Spike ..."

"Oh, for --" He cut himself off as he stooped down and swept her up into his arms.

"Spike --"

"Shut up, Summers."

She frowned, and looked towards the car. "I was just gonna say thanks," she grumped as they reached it.

Spike just looked at her. Buffy suddenly became intensely aware of his nearness. Slowly, she turned back to face him. When her eyes locked on his, her heart took off like a jackhammer. She knew he could feel it. She licked her lips and swallowed. It was an unconscious gesture that she became aware of only after the fact. In Spike's arms, her mouth an inch away from his, his shoulders flexing beneath her arm, adrenaline from the fight still coursing through her veins ... it was a very bad place to be. Actually, it was a very #good# place to be. Hence the problem.

His eyes drifted down to her mouth. Without thinking, she parted her lips. His eyes met hers again, and without a word, he set her on her feet. With one arm still around her waist to support her, never taking his eyes away from hers, he opened her car door.

"You're welcome," he said softly, then helped her inside and shut the door.

***