Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire slayer and Angel, the characters and universe is the property of Joss Whedon, and is not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

AN: This story takes place between the end of Chapter 56 of my story 'Catch My Fall' and eventually to be posted Chapter 57. I advise you read that story first, for the very first chapter of this is heavy, heavy spoiler alerts for what happened in my story. I am writing this piece for fun, it doesn't hold as much action as my story does, it is my first attempt at a more fluff piece, less action, more talking. The format of the chapters are a bit different than my normal ones, they are based on the day or the 'night' (since they're vampires), so some chapters might be very long, and some very short, depending on what occurred during the night. Thank you to my continued readers, and new ones, love your reviews, feedbacks and follows, and I hope you enjoy.

NIGHT ONE

They were a few inches short of the balcony, whether by a mistake in her calculation for the leap, or the extra weight holding her down, so she snagged up her arm that balanced across Spike's back, grabbing one of the pillars that made up the balcony's railing. Spike felt himself tilt back, without his support, which he rectified by throwing his arm around her shoulders—wincing at the pain it caused his disturbed ribs, keeping himself up. He could feel the slight trembling in her arm as they dangled for only a second before she jutted her arm into a L-shape, bouncing them slightly down and then up as she gave them enough momentum to fly over the balcony's railing, landing securely, if not steadily, onto the stone platform. There were some murmurs of wonder from below them, echoing about in the cavern, but Jade paid no heed to them, releasing Spike so he could stand on his own. Yet, bloody hell, it was still one hell of a struggle, his sore body jarred and jostled by the not-so gentle transit. And they still had quite a bit of ground to cover, to get Jade away from temptation. But first things first.

"Bloody carry me like a damned young bride again and we'll have one hell of a spat," Spike complained, a bit of a blow to his ego from the way she had abseiled them up here. Sure, his wounds made options for holding him limited, but bloody hell, he didn't need the invalid treatment, had a bit more pride than that. Damn embarrassing, really. And maybe it was a bit of where he'd come from, all that time ago, when women were demure little things who wore gloves that never got stained and never had a hair out of place. Sure, he might not have missed those bints, as William Pratt had never quite found one of them to take home, but that didn't mean he wanted the bloody role reversal. He was alright with carrying Jade like she was a prone thing, but the other was demoralizing. And he didn't give a damn if it was being old-fashioned or sexist, there were some things he had to draw a line at.

Jade had turned to glance back down at the cavern below, but stopped herself, in a half-turn cycle when she looked back to Spike. He expected a bit of a smile, maybe an embarrassed laugh or an apology—that was how Jade would answer, with apologetic laugh, turning a bit red on her cheeks, but this Jade merely nodded. Not even a verbal response to his banter, that half-dazed look still on her face, as if she was going through the motions without really feeling it. That bothered him a little, because he had gone through that before, after Buffy's own little rising from the dead, and he did not want to deal with it again, and especially not with Jade. But then he supposed he should cut her a bit of slack, since she was still trying to draw her mind away from the blood-covered Slayers below them. She'd be a bit back to her old self when she had some food in her belly.

"Let's git a move on," He broke through after it was clear she wasn't going to answer him back. "Help a fellow out—but no more carrying, yeah?" She had taken a step, a quick one, and he had known already that he wasn't going to be able to keep up, not in this state. She glanced at him, seeming to look through him than at him, avoiding his gaze, but with a calculating measure, as if debating his wounds. She stepped up to him, and almost agonizingly slowly, she reached for him. Her slowness might have been her asking permission—which she didn't damn well need, because he had been the one to ask her for help, or more likely, it was because she didn't want to move too quickly and crush him with her strength. Or simply hurt him, when she had pained him on the statue, she had the face of a frightened lamb, as if hurting Spike was the worst thing that happened to her this day.

She took his unbroken arm and placed it once more on her shoulders. Slim as ever, he could still feel the strength rising from her sinewy muscles, though compared to most Slayers, she wasn't as muscular, just skinny. He wasn't overly surprised, since she didn't seem to actively slay in Haven, at least not before he had arrived and started buggering up things. And she had fought today as if she had never known holding back, though now she needed in in spades as she curled one arm around him. She did so awkwardly, since he tensed when her fingers brushed his chest, both from his broken ribs and her almost intimately tender touch. She had stopped immediately, without a word, and settled her hand lower, on his outer hip instead. His bruised and swollen knee was on the outside as well, and since it was at a lesser injury than his broken and healing leg, it would be his load-bearing one, though with each step they eased after that, Jade took most of his weight, so that he almost felt like he was skimming the floor rather than walking on it.

"Where to?" Her voice was hoarse, a near whisper as they headed back out the way they had come, through the dust-ridden and cobwebbed temple. It was obvious that the main tunnel in which they had brought the Slayers through had been that corridor they had seen in the cavern, which was good, because it meant that the Slayers had to leave the temple by a different route, one hopefully far away from Spike and Jade, because Jade needed all the distance they could get.

"That way," Spike nodded with his chin, seeing as the arm that wasn't wrapped around Jade's shoulder was his broken one, but she was close enough that she could easily observe his nod without even having to turn her head. And they were close. His hip brushed hers, or the expanse just above it, and though he was taller, he had crouched over to make it easier for her to hoist him up, so his head wasn't much higher than hers, not as much as if they were both standing straight up. He could see each line of her face in perfect detail, see the lack of color on her face, her blush that would have been prominent if she were still human. As it was, some color would come back once she got some blood into her system, but no tomato-inducing flushes that he had almost enjoyed bringing out. There was blood though, on her face, bruises that were healing, albeit slowly, since again, she needed to eat something. Her jaw seemed taut, as if she was gritting her teeth together, likely not from the exertion, but the temptation that still lingered behind them. Spike knew that if she dropped him and headed back into the temple, she could be back to the Slayers in short moments, devouring them not long after that, and she knew it too. As if thinking the same thought as him at the same time, she tightened her grip on his hip, as if holding tighter to what was keeping her anchored. So he didn't complain at the increased pressure, hell, whatever kept her distracted was bloody fine with him.

They sauntered off in the complete opposite direction of the jet, as Spike had wanted. The jet wasn't big enough to carry all the Slayers, hell, it had barely carried the misfit group and their weapons. But it'd take the most wounded and that'd leave most of the Slayers around to wait, for some witches to teleport them around or the jet to return. Which meant they needed to get away from here, for it'd take a while for all the Slayers to leave. They were in the middle of the sodding Romania, near the mainly unpopulated area surrounding Vidraru lake, or at least that was what Spike had discerned from his very fleeting and disinterested looks at the map. He hadn't really much cared where they had been going at the time, but how long it would take for them to get there, to get to Buffy. And now he was hightailing it away from her. But she didn't need help, not any more. She was rescued, sodding job done. She didn't like him sticking around too long, because then she was just thinking he was looking for some reward. Hell, she was mainly right. Tried to use it to get into her good books, but it never worked the way he wanted it to.

So now he wandered into the Romanian forest with a starved Slayer-Vampire at his side. It was a good distancing method. Couldn't claim that Spike was stalking her this time, no sir. But as it was, he had more things to think about than Buffy. Had to make sure they steered clear of little villages, towns, even cabins that might be populated. Best keep her away from human company in its entirety, til she was fed, and even then, little by little. Had to make sure she could control her urges, because anything sooner that would be irresponsibility and carelessness. And he did care. She had tried very hard already, and he could see as they got further away from the temple that she relaxed, only slightly, but enough. She no longer held herself rigid as a statue, and allowed herself to glance around a bit at the scenery around them. Which didn't bother Spike all that much. After all, he'd been in Romania before, although it had been over a hundred years ago—when Angelus turned into Angel and they'd fed on a tasty but vengeful Gypsy clan. Still, he'd seen enough forests over his bloody years to not give a damn about the trees any more. But she was looking. He wondered if she had even been out of the States before. He had never asked. Weren't so many trees in California, that was the truth.

They traveled for near an hour before he had them stop. There was enough distance, and Angel needed to catch up to them. Plus, it was time that Jade had something to eat. She was hungry enough. He directed her to lean him against one of the trees, which she did, easily and efficiently. She was still avoiding his gaze, he realised, that half-lidded gaze that didn't quite come anywhere near him. But that'd be settled with later. For now, they had a hunt to get underway. But she was still standing there, a bit uncertain. Guess she'd never done this before. Spike wasn't much of a teacher, but he didn't need to be. Hell, she was fast, and that was all she needed, and her senses were more than enough. But for a human, the prospect would be a bit alien, he supposed. "Take a breath," He instructed, seeing the answering confusion in her light blue eyes.

"But I don't—" Least she got the no-breathing part remembered, but there was more to it than that. He stifled his impatience, realising that this was probably not the best time to yell at her. Rising as a vampire could be disorienting, and he had no idea how it was with a soul, not having the demon lead the way.

"Yeah, you don't need it, but that's how you taste the air, innit?" He tried to sound gentle, but there was still a hint of irritability in his tone that she caught, dipping her head almost meekly in response. But she recovered quickly enough, closing her eyes and breathing in the scents. Her chest didn't rise, because the breath didn't go that far, just swirling around her olfactory receptors until she pushed the breath back out. "What do you smell?" Spike prompted, for she was still hesitating.

"Lots. Just… hard to separate." Jade said slowly, almost embarrassed. Well, she couldn't be expected to know all the animals apart by scent already, could she? Took a bit of time.

"Just go where the scents are bloody strongest and take your pick, you can decide when you get there." Spike supplied nonchalantly, although for a moment, he was concerned. If there were bloody hikers in these woods… but he could tell from his scenting that there weren't any animals close enough around them that Jade would be able to stay in his sight, and it wasn't like he could tag along, not if she wanted to catch something. Sure, leaving her to hunt by herself wasn't the smartest, but a fledgling vampire could probably manage it, so for her, it should be easy. "Go. Get somethin' to eat."

She didn't want to leave him there. Thinking of Spike as helpless wasn't normally something that came to mind, but he was bad off. She had barely been able to touch him without brushing something that gave him pain. But she had been touching him, holding him so close to her that she could feel his body through their contact. Could feel the tension in his chest whenever it moved, the minute winces, the clumsy wobble of his wounded knee, the tender scraping of bones yet to set. His white hair was stiffer even more than normal, with blood dried in it. His face was mostly untouched, except for a few bruises. Mandy had expressed an desire to keep his face handsome, so she had avoided pounding on it like she had the rest of him. He was a vampire, he would live, but she didn't feel right just leaving him unprotected. She should be able to sense anything near them, but she felt an intense need to support him.

It was fortunate, that intensity. Thoughts of Spike had been all that had kept her from devolving into a mindless killing machine. She was so hungry. Like she had never had food. Her body, and the tiring exchange she had subjected it to, had drained all the blood, all the energy that Mandy had spared her. And she had been in a crowd of Slayers, with their enticing, available blood. God, she had wanted it so very badly. Still wanted it. Still thought of turning around and going back, although with each step away, her temptation became more manageable. Not enough, not nearly enough, but tolerable. That was all she could do, her very best to tolerate the pain, the desires. She felt like she had barely any control, like she was just holding on the edge of something else's momentum, just trying to hang on without the capability to steer. She hated this, not so the loss of discipline, but that if she wasn't monitored closely, controlling herself everything single second, she'd snap out and make a mistake. She'd already hurt Spike when she had grabbed him, not realising the true amount of strength she had—and she had been holding back.

And yet, she had pained him, and that had drove the point all the more home. If she could hurt Spike without meaning to, she was dangerous. A danger. She didn't have as much faith as Spike did that having a good meal would change that. After that, if it satiated her, her strength would still be massive, new to her and hard to control—even more then, since her hunger was making her weaker. She almost wanted it, then, to have a bit of a handicap, until she could learn to control it. But that meant going hungry, going without blood, and that was an even more dangerous predicament. If she let it go too far, she might not be able to stop the next time she ran into a human, particularly alone. So, she made the decision. She would hunt. To Spike, it was a no-brainer, but to her, she had to weigh it all. She wasn't good at it, just letting the damn scents into her head only confused her, their quantity and sporadic mixing. She wasn't used to all this sensory information, all she saw, and heard and felt and smelled. It was dark, yet she could still see pretty clearly, and knew instinctively that vamping would improve her eyesight even more. But she was still lacking basic knowledge, she didn't know the difference between the scent of an owl or a muskrat. She had a feeling she was about to learn.

So she tasted the air, and as Spike said, found the most concentrated area of scents. She glanced once back at him, who was staring at her impatiently. He didn't realise or didn't want to accept that she was worried for him, no doubt waiting for her to get a move on. So she nodded, and then she was off. She didn't quite have the blinding speed that Mandy did, at least not now while she was so hungry. The trees were mostly a blur. She thought of jumping from tree to tree, but the coniferous things looked like they'd be a bit too prickly for her to hold on too very well. The thought that it might not bother her as a vampire didn't occur to her. In her transit, she heard it then. The very small, light heartbeat, strumming quicker than a human's. It was small, a vole still plump near mid-autumn, and she wasn't going to turn her nose up at it just because it wasn't big enough. She halted and turned in a split-second. Its heart rate jumped only one, detecting her at the last second as she sped through the pines and foliage to snatch it from the ground. She held it in her hands, the small, furry thing, and she thought without meaning to, of her cats, and she might have put the poor vole back had she not accidentally snapped its spine as she caught it. She stared at it, then. Remorse. It was scarcely larger than a mouse, its beady eyes closed as it seemed to be curled up in her fingers. Barely even a mouthful, and she had killed it. What a waste. But she had killed it, and she wouldn't let it be for nothing, so hesitantly, almost repugnantly, she raised the tiny body to her lips.

Her face had shifted without her realising it, thick fangs coursing down. She had smelled the blood, warm and bubbling, beneath the coat of fur, and her demon was hungry. She sank her teeth in, sucking greedily. She'd never liked the taste of blood, that iron tang that made her hesitant to even suck the blood from her lip when it had cracked due to dryness, but now, her dislike of it had gone away, in fact, she quite enjoyed it, the husky, pine scent, traces of grasses, but she had eaten it quickly, the consuming taste of it, and it was gone far too quickly, and it had barely curbed her hunger. She looked at the shrivelled form her in her hand, and she buried it in the dirt, under some roots. She wouldn't go for an animal that small again. She'd be depleting this forest's supply. No, she needed something that would actually fill her up.

So she found a bear. This, she found by sound rather than by smell, but she made sure to breath in its scent so she'd remember it for next time. A large brown bear, sticking its nose into a tree. Once she was more experienced, she'd be able to tell more things by its aroma, like if it was a mother with cubs to feed, but she knew nothing but the fact that she was hungry, and this should satiate her. It had to. It growled as she approached, shifting onto its back legs. It towered over her, and she should be terrified, but she knew unless it managed to rip off her head it couldn't kill her, and if it couldn't kill Jade then she would win. So she stared at it, calculating. She took off with a giant leap that overtook the bear, landing behind it. It turned towards her quicker than Jade had thought, so she sprang back up, this time landing on its shoulders. It bellowed and growled, trying to throw her off. It batted its large, clawed paws up at her, but Jade sunk down onto its back, wrapping her thin arms around its thick fur, around its neck. And then she began to squeeze. Squeeze, with all her strength, and the demon's strength, she felt the bones began to crack and break, and it made a wheezing sound, and she did her very best not to think about Winnie the Pooh or Baloo, or the damned Berenstain bears, because this was her meal, and she had to eat.

And with a roar, it tumbled forward, shuddered once and did not move. Jade had to rip out some of the fur before she could even get to the bear's flesh, and she winced at her own defacement of the bear, but she still had been spitting out small hairs from the vole, she didn't want any coarse hide from the bear. She lowered its fangs into it and began to drink. It wasn't as sweet as the vole's blood had been—she was beginning to notice a difference. She figured that that was why bear wasn't a meat that humans ate, not like cows or pigs, because it was kind of bitter, but she was hungry and she barely noticed. Halfway through, she began to think a bit clearly, no longer near-crazed by starvation, and she thought then of Spike. He must have been hungry himself. She didn't know the last time he had eaten, nor how long she had been dead for. She doubted he'd gotten any sustenance during the waiting. That problem was solved easy enough. She had been starving, and was still peckish, but she hadn't gotten any larger, and there was only so much she could eat. She would have room to share. So she lifted the bear up, resting its large head on her small shoulder and dragged it back to Spike.

He might have been sleeping when she returned, but he was startled up, his eyes widened with shock at the sight of her crashing through the trees, dragging a large bear behind her. "Bloody hell," He exclaimed, glancing from her to the bear and back to the bear again. "You didn't have to bring it back, what are you, a bloody cat?" Oh. She wasn't trying to bring back her prey for praises, as Jade's cats had done, on occasions that Jade had let them outside, and they had engaged in their primal desires to hunt. He hadn't realised that she had brought it to share, although perhaps he was just a bit unnerved by the sight of a woman, barely over a hundred and ten pounds pulling a large, full-grown brown bear behind her, though he was a vampire, he should have been used to it by now.

"I thought you might be hungry," She explained, quietly, as she brought the bear to rest at his feet. He glanced at it like it was repulsive, then shot his gaze back up to her, his eyebrows arched, as he sputtered.

"Y-you thought I might be hungry? Bloody hell, woman, I don't need you to do my shopping for me. And if I did, I wouldn't have ordered a damn bear."

She glanced back down at its prone figure. "Oh." She couldn't think of what else to say. He didn't know it had been wrong, didn't know why, but it had upset Spike for some reason. Maybe it was the same as how he had snapped at her at the way she had lifted him up when they had left the temple. He didn't like being taken care of, perhaps. "Sorry." Jade added, in a mutter, feeling a bit shamefaced. She had tried, hadn't she? She didn't know that it would bother him, or that it'd be a problem. Or that he didn't like bear. She stood, a bit uncertainly over its body. Well, she could finish it off, then, but now she felt self-conscious. Her demon was telling her to eat. Her body had continued to heal, much better now, and dragging the bear's corpse over here hadn't agitated her shoulder wound too much, now it was just tender. A little more blood and that'd do the trick. But instead, she crouched over the bear's body, stroking the rough furs absentmindedly with her fingers, feeling embarrassed. She couldn't look at Spike.

She heard his sigh, his awkward shuffling as he pushed off from the tree and hobbled over to her. He kneeled by her. "Look, Slay—" He stopped, awkwardly. She knew the end of that word. Slayer, but she wasn't one any more, was she? Not completely. "I appreciate it. I'll take a nip or two," He was trying to comfort her, but she still stared out to the bear, her gaze defocused. She had avoided looking at Spike as much as possible, as she was doing now. She was afraid what she would see in his eyes. If he was repulsed by her as this offering, if he was afraid, if he was outrage. The first two were the worst, that'd he fear her or be disgusted by her.

"Look at me, yeah?" He had noticed, then, and reached towards her. She could have dodged it, but that would be snuffing him, and she never wanted to be cruel for cruelty's sake, especially not to Spike, so she kept herself stock-still and he touched his fingers to her chin. His were cold, made sense, for it was dark out, night, even if it seemed to be coming closer to morning, and he had no protection from the wind. He was chilly, and Jade was only a bit warmer from her exertion. With pressure that she could resist, he pulled her face in his direction, and she could no longer avert her eyes, meeting his gaze.

His blue eyes were clear. There was no judgement there, no panic or detestation. He was calm, patient even. He had lowered himself ungracefully to the ground, his legs splayed out underneath them because he couldn't sit on them, so he used his broken arm as a careful prop, his good hand under her chin. "What are you so scared of?" He asked in a husky, low voice, his eyes searching between hers, pausing as they noted her trembling bottom lip.

"I—" She didn't know how to answer him. She was so confused. She was alive, then she was dead, now she was a vampire, and it was in the spawn of a few hours, and it was overwhelming, and she thought and she hoped that she might have come out the same, somehow. And she had changed, even with the magic, with the talisman around her neck, she wasn't what she hadn't been before. She was something less than human, and the necklace was a reminder of that. So she pulled it out of where she had tucked it under her shirt, let it be displayed, that swirling, white mass contained within a glass prison. "That this is all that's keeping me from being like Mandy," She confessed, holding the bauble in her fingers. He glanced down at it, the white reflecting in his blue gaze, as he looked at it, captivated or curious. When he reached towards it, she shuddered, barring the impulse to tear it away. She'd rather die, die for good and for the last time, rather than have that talisman taken from her neck. She didn't know exactly the extent of the darkness that awaited her if she lost her soul, but she was terrified to find out. So now, even in the presence of Spike, whom she trusted, she hesitated when his fingers brushed up to it, but it was Spike, so she didn't pull away.

He held it in his fingers, and she leaned towards him to keep the necklace as loose as possible, so it wouldn't be taut, and snap. It was a fragile thing, her soul. She'd taken it for granted all twenty one years of her life, and now, for the rest of eternity, she'd have to protect it, every second of every day. It was a curse of her own, but it had been necessary, and it had been worth it, at least, she hoped so. Hoped those Slayers that were alive, and not turned, and all the lives that they might have ended, were worth her one death. Had to be.

"So, makes sure you don't come back, eh?" He said in an almost teasing, but still derisive tone, his eyes matching hers. Her face would have burned with shame, had blood still pooled there, but by the way she glanced away from him quickly confirmed her guilt. She had lied to him.

"Didn't want you to worry," She mumbled, and with a light scoff, he released her Soul and let it fall back against her chest. Unconsciously, she reached up and immediately tucked it back under her shirt, as if that extra layer would protect it from harm.

"Thought I might put a damper on your plans to get yourself killed, did you?" Scorn was in his tone, not softened by anything now, and in shock, Jade brought her gaze back to him, her eyes wide.

"What?" She asked, appalled. "It wasn't on purpose—"

"Wasn't it? Sure made sure you got to come along. Got the tar beaten out of you enough so that Super-bitch would pick you first. Was that it, then? Being a Slayer not enough for you?"

"That's what you think!?" Jade snapped back, insulted and hurt. That was what Spike thought of her, that it was some sort of power trip? He didn't know how the very idea of a Slayer-Vampire had terrified her, repulsed her, the idea of that repugnant hybrid, two very powerful things, twisted together and made stronger. It was too much power for anyone to control, not without consequences, and she hadn't made the decision lightly. Hadn't wanted to make it at all. It had been a last resort, as she had told Willow it would be. And she had gotten the 'tar' beaten out of her because she had tried so hard to keep herself from having to depend on it. She looked back at Spike, who wasn't backing down, contempt in his burning blue gaze. "I didn't want to!"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" He yelled at her, his dark brow furrowing furiously. "Why'd you keep it to yourself, then?"

"Because it might not have worked," she shouted back, embarrassed and angry to find that tears were threatening at the corner of her eyes, because she never liked being yelled at by Spike, and she was enough of a mess already, she was frustrated and she was tired, and she was dead. And she had never wanted it to be. "Willow did the magic—"

"Oh, so Willow knew, did she?" Spike interrupted with derision. So he was hurt, then, maybe, that she hadn't confided in him. Because she had hoped, naively, that she might not have had to. Obviously, she was wrong. Very wrong.

"But it might not have worked," She continued in a fierce tone, ignoring his disruption with a fierce, angry glare. "Might not have captured my soul, so it wouldn't have changed anything, regardless. Or, it might have only kept part of my soul." She said the last part with less volume, more of a shuddering gulp. That possibility had frightened her even more than it not working at all. A Slayer-Vampire with half a soul, she would have gone insane. Control was hard enough with a full one, missing part of it, she'd be more dangerous than Mandy. No coherent thought at all. Spike let out a glower, but even he was beginning to see reason, to believe her, at least, that she hadn't done it on purpose.

"You should still have bloody told me," He said, stubbornly, but he was no longer shouting, just a glistening disappointment in his gaze that was even harder to bear.

"If I told you," Jade murmured in a shaky tone, "It would have made it real. And I didn't want to die. I thought—I hoped we might not need it. That I didn't have to die." She couldn't look at him anymore, her word sounding like pathetic, piteous whining, so she stopped before she kept repeating the same words over and over again. Didn't want to die. Didn't have to die. Die. Died. They were still sitting so close to each other, one of his legs brushing her knee from where she had crouched. Now, in the void of their shouting, they were absolutely silent. The forest wasn't, and Jade could hear it all around them, the twittering of nocturne animals, the hooting of the owls. Strange how she barely noticed it was night. Even being a Slayer, the night instilled a wary fear in her, as it should. Just because she could combat the creatures of the night didn't mean that she didn't need to be cautious. But now she was the creature of the night, one they should fear. But all she felt like was a very tired, young woman who was absolutely lost, and drained.

And then he pulled her into his arms. Much as he had the last time she had been at her lowest, when the spirits had been killing her through that tear, and she thought she might die without a fight. She'd been wrong, then, but somehow, how she died didn't seem to mean all that much now. She had still died. She had still failed, it didn't matter if it was in her bed or at the hands of Mandy. She let herself be pulled in, for as hurt as she was at Spike's accusations, she didn't have the will to pretend she wanted to resist him. Her ear rested against his hard chest, his smooth chin resting in the tangled nest of her hair. "I'm sorry, alright?" He said after a moment. "You saved them all—nothing selfish 'bout that. Should have known that you didn't—" He didn't finish his words, but she could fill in the blanks. Should have known that she hadn't wanted it. But she didn't say anything, didn't need to lash out at him and tell him, yeah, he should have had more faith in her, because she was tired, and she didn't need a scornful barb because his arm, wrapped around her, did well to ease her feelings of hurt. He meant it as a comfort, nothing romantic about it, as much as she might like it to be, she accepted the soothing feel of it.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," She murmured, accepting his apology with one of her own.

"Doesn't matter now," He said gruffly, and she wanted to believe it, because she had hated lying to Spike, but she hadn't known what else. If she had told him, she was sure he wouldn't have let her come, at least not without making a big deal out of it. There were many things that could have gone wrong. In Jade's mind, many things already had. Becoming a Slayer-Vampire had never been part of the plan.

"You're still a barmy lass, though," Spike added, breaking into her thoughts. She let out a slight smile, reacting without meaning to. It had been the first time she had smiled since her death, except when she had been taunting Mandy. And even while she was deep in her own mind, Spike had reached in, his snarky tone humorous.

"I think you mean bonnie lass," Jade answered, her tone soft, lips still curled up into a smile. She tilted up her face to him as she pushed, gently back from his one-armed embrace so she could see him clearly. And also, because he didn't need any more weight on him, even if she didn't add very much. "Like a wee bonnie lass."

"I'm British, luv, not Scottish. And I definitely meant barmy."

To appease her, he had drunk some of the bear. Sodding hell, he had been getting hungry. But the way she had come tromping through the trees with her catch, dropping it at his feet like she had owed him something, like it was her job to take care of him, it had rubbed him the wrong way. He was a bit prickly at the thought of being nursed like an invalid. Hell when he had been an invalid, trapped in that wheelchair with only Dru to make sure he got fed, he hadn't been too particular about that either. And he and Jade had always been equals, didn't want to go changing that now. Although, it had been changed. She was a sodding super Slayer-Vampire now. That was plenty of goddamn imbalance that tilted the scale.

But she hadn't done that on purpose. She'd stressed it, that it hadn't been her intention, and it made him feel like less of a fool, like he hadn't played right into her hands, giving her what she wanted, a chance at the power and strength that a Slayer-Vampire gave her. Although, she didn't seem to be gratified with it. She was sunk into her head. At least his accusations had pulled her out of it for a minute, gave her some reason to fight back, instead of that distant look in her eyes when she played with the bear's pelt. No, she wasn't quite on the ground with him, but that didn't matter. That could take time, and they had plenty of it. Dead, after all. And he'd keep it, just the two of them, until she was able to control her cravings around hunger. He owed her that much, however long it took. Because she had saved them all, the Slayers, Buffy, as she had promised to him. Sacrificed quite a bit, from the way she was feeling, so he could choose to not be an arse about it. Had already almost reduced her to tears, but then he'd pulled a smile from her too, short-lived but there, and it made her more normal, more the Jade that Spike knew.

It was cold, between the trees. They had sat there, after Jade had buried the bear, some odd fixation of hers, though he 'sposed that it was better than leaving the corpse to rot, although wasn't that what happened when big mama bears passed away in the wilderness with no human to profit? But it kept her busy, though not for long, and she had sat back among the roots with him as they waited for Angel. It was some time past the first hour, so at least Spike could yell at him for being a slow git, but the fool did have some distance to make up first before he could reach them. Spike detected Angel first, to his smugness. She had the senses, as did Spike, but she wasn't so good at honing them yet. And it was easier to seek out a heartbeat than to think of the other sounds that vampires made. For Angel, it was the sod's tromping feet through pines and twine that revealed him.

"Took you long enough," Spike drawled as Angel stepped through the trees, the big bulky lug looking a bit resigned. Jade stood easily and quickly. She seemed a bit more relaxed now that she had that blood in her, though she had drank a surprising amount, for a body as small as hers, Spike had deduced that Slayer-Vampires might have a higher metabolism, burned more energy for their more explosive feats. That'd be a bit of a problem, meant she'd have to eat quite often, and a lot, but these were things that they'd figure out, and no hurry to it. It'd take as long as it needed, but he didn't want to be stuck in sodding Romania forever. They had to get back to the States eventually, and using magic meant finding human-witches, which Spike didn't want to risk, not yet. So that left Angel's sodding plane, which was going to be used for a fair bit, carting all those displaced Slayers around. And not all of them were part of the Slayer Organization, though he imagined Buffy was doing her fancy speech bit to convince them to join her. Always was an opportunist.

"I'm here," Angel said, ignoring's Spike jibe. "What did you want, Spike?" His tone wasn't as demanding as it could be, and Angel's black eyes travelled to the silent Jade, who gave him a light nod and a quiet hello. Least she could speak this time around, instead of huddled up in her ball at the top of a statue. But she emanated a curious aura, no doubt wondering what the next step was, and why Angel was there. She was a bit anxious, too, but kept herself still, and Spike didn't seek to comfort her, he'd explain quickly enough.

"Your jet. Need us a ride back to States—I don't mean right now, you git." Spike raised his hand as Angel opened his mouth to explain, not patiently, that he was using the jet right now, to cart all the lost little Slayers around, 'least the ones that could fit. "A week. We'll be in Ola, Russia."

"Yoshkar-Ola?" Angel looked confused, perplexed. "That's not close."

"No, Ola, that sodding little port town. Be a quicker journey that way, just a couple hours, take us back into Cali. We'll find some little secluded hut there, but best be close to the action."

"Ola's even further, Spike." Angel pointed out. Alright, so he wasn't wrong. And with Jade's whole temptation for the goodie little human blood bags, Spike needed to up the time a bit. As vampires, they were faster than normal humans on foot, though Spike was a bit ragged, so he wasn't winning any speed races any time soon, human's technology had invented lovely little cars, and that'd speed them up a bit. Still, might take them too close to civilization, so they had to be prepared for the chance they might have to walk a fair way. Not to mention, they were a bit nocturnal. "Right, a month, then." A month, walking cross the arse-end of Europe, but it couldn't be helped. Probably needed that much time to get the Organization up and running, so they couldn't get the plane any quicker. And meant a shorter flight, and what else would they do, cool their heels around the mountains? Least they had a destination to get to. "And make sure the pilot's not human."

"Spike…" Angel had that damned 'I'm the leader and I got a better plan' tone, as he calmly but cautiously looked between Jade and Spike. "Is that the best idea? It's a dangerous time right now," He meant Jade, her affinity for blood. "She's going to have a hard time stifling her…urges."

Well, bloody hell, he knew that already. That was why he was doing this, wasn't he? Plain as bloody day. "I know that," Spike returned irritability. "That's why we're taking an tour of Russia's sights and sounds. Keep us out of main population for a few."

"I'm just saying, you might not be enough," Angel glanced to Jade, apologetically, because he was talking about her as if she wasn't there, throwing out all his suspicions and doubts while she could hear every word. Hell, she probably had them herself, but she didn't need to hear them from someone else, did she? That'd just lessen her self-confidence, and she didn't need any of that. "It might be best to have some magic to help, for now. Considering what she is…"

Spike let out a sharp growl at that, a fierce roar curdling in his throat. "She's not going to be magicked like Dana. She's not a bloody threat. She can control it if we give her a sodding chance."

"But if she can't? You saw Mandy. She took us all out; you're not even going to slow her down." Angel continued a bit urgently, reasonably, even, but Spike refused to see it.

"She won't." Spike replied stubbornly, angrily. He felt a touch at his elbow then, Jade's cold fingers pulling him from his anger. Her expression was calm, placid even, as she looked up to Spike.

"It's alright," She murmured, trying to placate him, but she was wrong.

"It is bloody not alright. You don't need to be trapped up like some sort of an animal. You need blood and time, not magic."

"Spike—" She began to say, which Angel echoed a heart-beat later, although the great lug shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot, as if interfering on something private.

"You trust me, Sl—Jade?" Spike interrupted impatiently, pulling his trump card. She closed her mouth, a whole surge of emotions crossing her soft blue eyes, but at the forefront: loyalty.

She nodded obediently, "Yes." She answered.

"Then it's settled. Off to Russia, meet us in Ola in a month. And try to find us somewhere to stay in California that's a bit secluded, yeah?" He turned his head back to Angel, the dark-haired vampire stifling a sigh.

"It's not personal," Angel started to explain, though Spike had little patience for him. Never had too much love lost for Angel or his counterpart Angelus. Things he hated—and also liked—about both of them. He'd played by Angel's rules for a while in Los Angeles, when he was on the older Vampire's turf, but this was his, now. Whatever was to be done about Jade, Spike'd make the decisions, not anyone else. "Just trying to be cautious, Spike."

"Whatever." Spike sneered. "I just want to hear one word from you mate, which is 'deal'." He flipped up his finger as he did so, expressive and flamboyant.

Angel's shoulders rose, and then fell, and he acquiesced with a small nod. "Deal, then." Angel accepted. "The jet will be in Ola in a month."

"No human pilot," Spike reminded him.

"No human pilot," Angel echoed with a sigh. His dark eyes sought Jade, and Spike felt overprotective, then, from the scrutinizing, cautious look that Angel directed at her. She didn't need to be looked at like a dangerous animal. She wasn't.

"It really isn't personal," Angel repeated, gently, to Jade. He glanced at her, but her face was soft, too kind on the arse-hat Angel. But she was always a bit of a softie. Apparently, that hadn't left her. She still let people take blows at her, Slayers at the Organization, and Angel, like she agreed with them that she didn't deserve to be trusted. But she'd done bloody enough to earn it. What more did she have to do? She damn well died for the cause. The thought of her being locked up for it was unforgiveable. Not a sodding chance.

"It's alright," Jade said softly. "I understand." Angel shrugged his shoulders, and turned to melt—not quietly at all, if the lug was going to continue to keep crashing through the twigs—when Jade stepped past Spike and towards Angel, just a half a step, but the older vampire stiffened and stopped. "Do you—do you want to see it?" Jade asked, surprising the two other vampires. Spike hadn't even thought of it, that Angel might care about the way Jade kept her soul until he saw the way Angel's eyes widened when Jade pulled it from the collar of her shirt. She'd remembered then, even more than Spike, that Angel had a precarious soul. Jade's wasn't going to disappear each time she had a moment of 'perfect happiness'—which Spike had always found as bollocks—but it could still be lost to her, if that necklace was torn from her neck like Mandy had tried to do.

Angel stared at the soft light, mesmerized. He cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away from it and up to Jade. "And now, exactly, did it work?" The older vampire asked, trying not to seem too excited, too hopeful, but Spike knew the bugger well enough to know what he was thinking. 'Course the lug might take having a Soul-necklace over having a cursed one, since the whole Happiness thing was a bit tenuous. Give him a chance to be back with Buffy, the sod, and Spike resented that fact, but didn't interrupt as Jade spoke to explain.

"Willow was the one that made it, enchanted it. Said it was similar to a Muo-Ping? Contains a soul. It draws up the soul as it leaves the body, keeps it within the talisman, and as long as it is worn, the soul remains." Jade answered, almost encouragingly. "But it's not a certain thing, even if the magic is done properly. Just a chance."

Angel mouthed Jade's word without repeating it aloud, then nodded. "Thanks," the burly man said, still trying to contain his hope. He had taken Jade's warning seriously, but Spike had no doubts that Angel would be following through with Willow to check it out himself next chance he got. "I should go. Good luck." He said to the two of them, then disappeared into the shadows. Yeah, he should leave, Spike felt like shouting out after him, instead he only yelled one more reminder.

"A month!"

Then Angel was gone, and it was just Jade and him in the middle of the Romanian forest, with the furred corpse of a bear buried somewhere nearby. Bloody fun. They had quite a bit of a journey ahead of them, and though the bear's blood he drank was making him feel better, healing him up, a broken leg and a busted knee was still going to slow him down some. Not to mention the—

"Spike. The sun." Jade interrupted his thoughts. Right. That was the reason for the deadline. And though the sun itself hadn't risen, there were definite light streaks in the side, as it prepared its rather unwelcome head into the horizon. And they had no solid roofs in sight, going back to the temple probably wasn't an option, as it was likely still populated. All they had before them were lots and lots of trees and a lightening sky.

"Bollocks."