A Soulless Slayer

Ch. 10 The Chip

"So now do you believe that I'm your girl?" Buffy asked as she sat up in bed.

"Hell yes." Spike was still laying down trying to catch his breath. 

"I'm kinda hungry after that. I think I'll make a grilled cheese." She got up and cleaned her room, that was clean before Spike came over, to try and find their clothes.

"Buffy you here?" Willow called from downstairs.

"We went out to get donuts and when we came back you were gone," Tara said not wanting to let Buffy think they ditched her.

"Yeah, so I ate them all. Anya is still at the shop. By the way, thanks for locking up." Xander yelled making his presence known as they went to the kitchen to wait.

Buffy and Spike froze and looked at each other. "Crap." Bloody hell." they threw their clothes at each other and went down stairs.

"Whats he doing here?" Xander asked as Spike and Buffy walked in the kitchen.

"He helped me with cardio," Buffy answered with ease to Spike's surprise as she started her sandwich.

"Why were you both upstairs then?" Xander asked confused.

"I changed clothes and Spike went to the bathroom. I'm gonna make a grilled cheese anyone want one?" they all motioned no as she put hers on the stove.

"Wait, vampires pee?" Xander asked while everyone looked at Spike.

"Like hell am I tellin you what I do in the bathroom," Spike said as Buffy started to gobble down her sandwich.

"Buffy you may want to slow down." Tara tried to warn but Buffy was already done.

"Sorry, It was cardio and I haven't eaten all day. Spike put the pan in the sink so I can wash it?" Buffy moved to the sink.

Spike grabbed the pan but it was hotter than he thought it would be. He spun quickly to put it in the sink. Instead, he hit Buffy with it, burning her arm and rocking her over, making her scream and fall.

Spike dropped the pan in the sink and went to help Buffy up. "Bloody hell luv, I'm sorry. I didn't mean ta."

"Its fine, Spike, really."

"No, no. Let me take a look at it." They studied the mark on her arm ignoring the three stunned faces staring at them.

"Well luv, for a slayer like you it's nothin. Does it hurt when I touch it?" She hissed with pain when he tapped it. "Sorry pet. Where do ya keep that umm what's it called umm Aloe?"

"I don't remember, Will, do you..." she turned to see the open-mouthed faces staring at them. "...know? It's fine guys. I'll be healed by tomorrow. It was just an accident."

"B-buffy..." Tara lost her words.

"He hurt you..." Willow said finding her girlfriends words. Xander stood up with a cross.

"Guys, I'm fine, really. He didn't mean it." Buffy was confused.

"Buffy, he hurt you and didn't feel pain," Xander explained while he stepped closer with the cross.

"Why would he? It was my arm." Buffy felt like she was forgetting something important.

"The chip pet..." Spike stepped away and leaned against the counter.

"Oh, yeah..." It struck her what just happened Shit that thing... Shit I never told anyone...

"Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah? What the hell Buffy?" Xander waved the cross around.

"It was a few months ago, a bit after I came back when the Trio stole that diamond. He punched me in the alley and then later..." She looked to Spike for help.

"Later I called her for a battle in what used to be that old factory on Sycamore." Spike helped.

"But that was demolished around than," Willow remembered.

"Yeah, Red. By us." Spike smirked remembering that night, so did Buffy.

"The standing theory is that I came back wrong," Buffy said while she started to clean up from her sandwich.

"Buffy..." Willow had tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry Red. The chip works fine for everyone else but Buffy. And I won't hurt her, well I won't kill her." Spike tried to calm everyone.

"Shut up Spike." Buffy added "Upside: If I had come back normal Spike would probably be dead by now."

"Oh yeah? Then who would help you with cardio?" Spike fought back.

"You know it's true. I don't know but I'm sure that I'm more than capable of finding a trainer. Ooh, maybe I'm evil! Wait... would that make Faith the good slayer?" Buffy shuddered and then laughed with Spike.

"Buffy, how can you joke about this?" Willow was crying harder.

"Willow, don't cry. I'm fine. It's fine. I'm okay with being a bit wrong." Buffy finished cleaning with Spike's help."You guys wanna go on patrol with me tonight? You to Spike?"

"Don't I always, luv?" Spike asked as she settled next to Buffy leaning against the sink.

"What the hell is happening right now?" Xander burst out. "You and Spike are getting along? Spike patrols with you? He can hurt or or kill you and you joke about it? You were like this with Angel! What the hell?"

"I... I trust him." She unconsciously took a step closer to Spike. They were now standing so close together that his arm was almost around her.

Xander noticed this display and was hurt she stepped away from him. "Holy Hell. You trust him and not me? Don't you remember him kidnapping me and Will? What about all the times he tried to kill you? Don't you remember when he broke into your dorm and tried to kill Willow? what about when he kidnapped you? How can you trust him?"

"I know Xander but he's different now. I trust him with my life." She felt Spike tense as all those painful memories came up. "And be careful where you wave that thing." she motioned to the cross. "It might burn me now too."

"Yeah. That's great. But what about our lives? God, you act like you're sleeping with him. And STOP making those jokes, you didn't come back wrong."

"Who I do and don't sleep with is none of your business, Xander. I trust him, that should be enough."

"Yeah well its not. All the times he tried to kill me and those I love out weight it. I have to get outta here, I'm going to the shop." and with that Xander left. A few minutes later Willow and Tara went up to find the Aloe but didn't come back down for a few hours, leaving Spike and Buffy alone to deal with what just happened.