"Which of us comes out ahead tonight, Slayer?" he challenged, a cocky grin curling his mouth. "Want to make things a bit more interesting?"
The blonde girl perched atop the tombstone eyed him nonchalantly. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"
"A bet, love. If I win, you have to do what I say. Same here."
"Are you completely insane..." Buffy began protesting.
"Nothing connected to the vampire and Slayer thing," Spike emphasized.
"Then what is it connected to?" she asked doubtfully.
"Anything you like, pet! Just pick something I could do for you," he smirked. "C'mon- I'm sure you can think of something."
Buffy considered. "Well...what would *I* have to do?"
"Ask me to dance."
"What?"
"You heard me." His eyes glinted wickedly. "At the Bronze...in front of all your friends. And- they can't know about our bet...that will be our little secret."
"All I do is ask you to dance once?" Buffy inquired suspiciously.
Spike grinned. "Well...you ask until I agree."
"Wait a minute!" she objected. "What if you never agree?"
"Oh I will....eventually. You just have to be persistent."
He'd enjoy that, Buffy thought sourly. She had a sudden vision of herself, pleading with a seemingly- reluctant Spike to dance with her while the Bronze patrons snickered. And- her friends would think she'd lost her mind. Still, embarrassing though it might be, it wouldn't kill her.
"Okay," she agreed. "I'll do it...but only for one night. I'm not about to spend months begging you for one dance."
"Why, Slayer!" Spike protested plaintively. "You always want to deny me any pleasure in life. But..." he concurred hastily as she was about to shrug and turn away, "it's a deal."
"It doesn't matter anyway," she said smugly. "I won't lose. And then- you'll have to do as I say."
He felt a brief stirring of uneasiness. The Slayer was so unpredictable.
"So pet, don't keep me in suspense," he urged. "What is it you want?"
"Teach me to drive!" she said excitedly.
After two hundred years, little could surprise him anymore- but somehow she always managed it.
"What?! Whoever heard of a vampire giving a Slayer driving lessons?"
"Whoever heard of a Slayer who had to take the bus?" she countered.
He had to admit the justice of her argument. Still... "Why not your mother?"
'She's still upset that I got kicked out of school...again."
"Your Watcher?"
She gave him a look of disbelief. "Are you serious? His car doesn't go faster than 30 m.p.h. Besides," she added candidly, "he says his nerves won't stand it."
The uneasy feeling was stronger now. "And you think that mine will?"
"Yeah...you're going to live forever."
"Not if I get decapitated...or set on fire," he muttered. "All right, I'll do it."
He reached for her, but she eluded him easily- swinging under his grasp to land a punch to his solar plexus. He doubled over, but as she chopped down he flung himself forward, tackling her around the waist. They went down hard- but as they fell he somehow slid sideways so that it was his head, not hers, that collided with the front of the tombstone.
Her head hit nothing harder than his shoulder; and while he was still lying stunned, she straddled him and held her stake against his heart.
"Give up?" she taunted.
"Never," he snarled defiantly. She pressed down a little. "Maybe for now," he conceded.
She pulled back the stake, got to her feet, and helped him up.
"Slayer," he began, "how come you never kill me?"
"I don't know, Spike. I guess for the same reason you never kill me."
"But Slayer," he said softly, "I don't *know*... why I never kill you."
"Exactly," she giggled.
She turned to go; then paused. "My driving lessons," she reminded him.
"Oh, very well," Spike said grumpily. "Meet me here tomorrow after sunset. I suppose this will take weeks."
She flashed him one of her cheeky smiles and strolled off.
Spike, watching her go, chuckled. Not a bad night's work...it would have been sweet, hearing her begging to dance with him, but the lessons would- as he'd already pointed out- last for weeks.
He rubbed the bump on his head that was already healing.
He thought he'd managed that little stumble quite well...at least, she hadn't caught on yet.
Because, despite what he'd told the Slayer, he knew quite well why he had never been able to kill her. But he'd wait. Wait until the day when she finally figured it out.
He hoped he wouldn't have to wait long.