Yes, lair.

"Liam," she said. "When can we get rid of that stupid boy?"

"It was your idea to get involved with him," Liam replied.
"You can get rid of him when you want too. And since
you're asking, I'm assuming you would like to get rid of
him now."

"When are you getting rid of the cheerleader girl?" Drusilla
asked him, looking out the window now.

"Cheerleader girl...? Oh, Buffy. There's something going on
between her and William, so I'm going to play the jealous
boyfriend and stomp out on her. Suppose that would be the
perfect time for you to break things off with William," Liam
turned the corner into their secret underground lair.

"Yes, but when?" Dru climbed out of the car.

"Tomorrow, Dru. Tomorrow."
***

It was Friday. Spike had been arrested on a Tuesday--of
course though, everything happens on Tuesday--and had
been arraigned on Thursday. So it only makes sense that
now is Friday. Did I mention that it's Friday, December 7?
Yes, indeedy it is.

Anyway. Willow had decided Buffy was right, that Spike
wasn't worth it. She would deal with her crush on him, but
she would find someone else to hang with until her feelings
undeveloped for Spike.

So that morning she was walking down the hallway with
Xander and Cordelia. "You know, Wills," Xander said,
narrowly avoiding a head-on collison with someone. He
barrelled past, dropping his belongings and not even
caring. One of the teachers caught him and assigned him
detention for whatever he'd done. "...That was odd."

"Yeah," his female companions agreed.

"...I forgot what I was gonna tell you," Xander laughed
embarrassedly. "Maybe I'll remember in Trig." The bell
rang. "Ugh. Another day, another job needing done by
Xander Harris. See ya, Cordy."

"Bye," she kissed him on the cheek and ran to her first
period class.

Xander and Willow walked into their Trig class and took
their seats. The teacher passed out a surprise test, and
told everyone to not talk and read the instructions. "You
have the entire period. Have fun."

Xander rolled his eyes and whispered to Willow, "Have fun
with Trig? What's she smoking?"

"No talking," the teacher intoned.

"I dunno," Willow whispered back. "Better hush up though,
Xander."

"*No* *talking*," the teacher repeated.

"Sorry ma'am," they both chorused.

"But really, have fun with a test?" Xander rolled his eyes
and wrote his name on his test, filling in some answers.
"Talk about your oxymorons."

The teacher got up from her desk and walked over to
Xander's, leaning over on it. "Unless you want to give
you and Miss Rosenberg a zero and Saturday detention,
Mr. Harris, I suggest you stop talking."

"Sorry," Xander replied, and waited until the teacher was
almost to her desk before muttering something about evil
teachers that probably ate brains for breakfast and that
was why there were so many dumb people at the school.

"Mr. Harris, Miss Rosenberg, come to my desk," the teacher
commanded. "Bring your tests."

Willow glared at Xander and stood, walking over to the
teacher's desk, Xander trailing her. "Give me your tests,"
she said, taking both their tests and ripping them in half.
"I warned you, Mr. Harris." She took out a pad of detention
slips and filled one out for both of them for Saturday
detention. "Tomorrow." She handed it to them. "Go back
to your seats and be quiet, or we'll add to the detention,
Mr. Harris."

Xander shook his head and walked back to his desk.

"Willow," the teacher caught her arm lightly. "You can come
back afterschool one day and make up the test. I know it
wasn't your fault, but I have to teach Xander to be quiet."

"I understand," Willow smiled. "Do I still have to serve
Saturday detention?"

"Yes," the teacher said. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right."
***

Spike whistled while he worked in science. Buffy kept telling
him to shut up and be quiet. Eventually it turned into a verbal
sparring match, causing both students to get Saturday
detention.

"I hate you," Buffy growled, staring at her Saturday detention
notice.

"Love you too," Spike replied dryly, folding his detention slip
and putting it in his pocket.

"You gonna serve it? If you're not planning on going, I'm going
to drag your ass there and make you go. 'Cause I am *so* not
going this alone," Buffy threatened.

"Don't have much of a choice, do I now, Princess?" Spike rolled
his eyes. "I'll be there."

"Both of you stop talking or you'll get another," Cordelia warned.

Spike rolled his eyes and stopped talking.
***
-SATURDAY-

Liam and Drusilla came to the house Joyce, Buffy, and Spike
shared that morning, around seven o'clock, just before Buffy and
Spike had to leave to go to detention.

"Buffy, I have to talk to you," Liam grabbed her hand and pulled
her down the sidewalk a little.

"And I you, William," Dru cornered him on the porch.

"Buffy, I don't think is going to work out," Liam averted his eyes
to the ground.

Bufy's eyebrows twitched and drew together. "What?"

"What am I saying is, I don't think you love me all that much
anymore," his eyes flickered to Spike, "and I'm pretty sure I don't
love you anymore..."

Buffy looked to the ground. "Fine. Whatever. Go. Do what you
want."

"That's what I plan on doing. Bye, Buffy," he kissed her cheek and
hopped into his car.

~
"You know, William," Dru said casually. "I just want to make
something clear. You know that night didn't mean anything, right?"

Spike blinked. It hit him like a sledgehammer. "Y-yeah...o' course...
why would it mean anything?"

"Just wanted to make sure. Bye now," she turned and walked down
the sidewalk to join Liam in the car. The two left.

"Shit," Spike muttered. Then he yelled after the car, "You soddin'
BITCH! I don't need you!" He threw a rock after the car. It made
a dent on the trunk and bounced off harmlessly onto the road.
"Don't you ever come back either!"

"Let's go Spike," Buffy told him, tugging on his sleeve and trying to
hide her tears. "Let's go. Now."

He grumbled under his breath and hopped into the car, pulling out
of the driveway as soon as Buffy got in. He drove them quickly to
the school and parked on the other side of the parking lot than
Tuesday. He walked in with Buffy to the library, and took a seat
in the back. The other three students in detention were already
there, and Buffy knew two of the other three--Xander and Willow,
and some guy with brown hair and a face that would stick in your
mind if you didn't even know him.

Then the principle--Principle Snyder--walked in and laid down the
law. "You're all to remain silent--that means no talking. No
rough-housing, no partying, and most of all--don't bother me. No
monkey business, you hear?"

The five nodded.

"Any questions?" Snyder asked.

"Sir, are we going to be able to use the facilities?" Spike replied.
"I mean, if we can't, then that means we have to right here--"

"Don't move, Walthrop," Snyder sneered. "Nobody moves in here.
Before lunch you'll have a lavatory break."

"Aren't you nice," Spike muttered.

"Keep talking, Mr. Walthrop, I already have you next weekend.
And after break," Snyder told him.

"Oh, like I care," Spike rolled his eyes.

"The weekend after that too," Snyder held up three fingers. "Wanna
make it four?"

"Why not, I'm not gonna show up anyway. I only came 'cause
the Princess over there made me," Spike snorted.

"Four. One month, Walthrop. Are you finished?"

"...No."

"Okay. Five. If you're done, I'm going to be right across the hall."

"I'm just getting started, Snyder."

"Six."

"Bite me."

"Seven. Wanna keep going?"

"Sod off."

"Eight. Are you done now?"

"Stop it!" Buffy told him, then looked at him and conveyed for him
to stop with her eyes.

"I suppose," Spike looked at Buffy and sighed.

"Two months, Walthrop. I got you two months. I'm right across
the hall, any funny business and I'm smashin' skulls," Snyder turned
and promptly left the room.

Within a few moment, Spike jumped up and fixed the door so it wouldn't
stay open. He hurried and sat down between the brown haired boy and
Buffy. Snyder came in, growled at them, and told them again if he had
to come investigate anything else someone was going to come back
next weekend. Buffy smacked Spike, "Put it back, Spike."

"No," Spike got up and sat on the counter. "We need some privacy, you
know." Then he looked at Willow and Xander and cocked an eyebrow at
them. "What'd you two goody-goodies do to get in here?"

"Xander was talking during a test and she busted me too," Willow sighed.
"What'd you and Buffy do?"

"Buffy decided to be Miss Priss--"

"Excuse me? That wasn't *my* fault. It was yours, Mr. Prick."

"Whatever," Spike yawned and looked at the brown-haired kid. "Hey, kid.
Who the bloody hell are you?"

"Oz," the boy replied simply. "And you are...?"

"You mean you didn't catch my name the many times Snyder said it? I'm
Walthrop. Spike Walthrop," he answered. "Tha's the princess, Buffy. And
tha's Willow and the whelp is Xander."

"Now that introductions are out of the way," Xander said, "I kinda don't
want detention the first day of Christmas vacation, so why don't you shut
up and sit down, Spike?"

"I am sittin', stupid bloke. Maybe you need your eyes checked, mate," Spike
suggested.

"Or maybe I need my hearing checked, 'cause I coulda sworn I told you to
shut up," Xander retorted.

"Is it me or is the testosterone level in here increasing?" Buffy interrupted.
"You two may as well be arguing over which of your--"

"Finish that sentence and I will be forced to hurt you," Oz joked.

Willow smiled at him. He smiled back. "I've never seen you around, Oz."

"I'm one of those people who blend in with the lockers," Oz replied.

"Ah. I used to be one of those people," Willow laughed lightly.

"Hey, aren't you the guy that ran past us on Friday morning? We had
another girl with us," Xander turned his attention to Oz.

"I don't know. Everyone's faces kinda blurred into one big mass," Oz
shrugged. "Probably ran by you three."

"You dropped your books by us, I remember," Willow said.

"Oh. Then it was me," Oz laughed.

Spike looked at the clock. "What're we gonna do for the next few
hours?"

Buffy took a Discman out of her bag and turned it on, putting the
headphones over her ears to block out everyone. She then laid her
head on her arms and tried to fall asleep.

Spike smirked and inched over there once she was sleeping soundly
and had the Discman off. He turned up the volume and turned on
the Discman.

Buffy shrieked and ripped her headphones off as Spike backed up
and laughed so hard he started to cry. She threw her headphones
at him. "You ASSHOLE!"

"Oh that was hilarious," Spike laughed as he blocked the headphones.
"Bloody Kodak moment!"

"Loser," Oz muttered under his breath and turned to Willow. "I'm
horrible at names, what did you say yours was?"

"Willow Rosenberg," the redhead smiled. "I'm not normally in here..."

"Me either," Oz grinned. And they continued to talk as Buffy, Xander,
and Spike continued their bickering.
***

"What're we having for lunch?" Spike plopped down next to Buffy.

"*We* aren't having lunch," Buffy glared. "*I* am. Not my fault
you didn't bring anything."

Spike snorted. "Right, forgot--Princess can't be bothered with
trivial things like sharin' her bloody lunch with her housemate. I
got it. Wonder how Joyce would look upon tha--"

Buffy shoved half her sandwich at his chest. "Eat up, bucko."

"Knew you loved me," Spike grinned and ate the half of the
sandwich in three bites. "What else are we havin', pet?"

"Don't call me 'pet'," Buffy shoved the brown paper bag at him.
"You can have the chips--but leave everything else."

"Stingy. And so near the Christmas season," Spike dug in the
bag for the proferred chips. "Eureka."

Everyone turned at looked at him.

"What the hell are you lookin' at?" he demanded, proceeding to
munch on the Lays.

"...You said 'eureka'," Xander supplied. "That's so...not like
you."

"So I have to conform to what you think I would say? And I
suppose I have to act the way you think I would act," Spike
snorted. "Not bloody likely."

The room fell silent. Spike munched loudly on his Lays, and
the rest of them ate their lunches quietly. He set the Lays
bag on Buffy's head--and got it thrown at him, but it never
made it past the edge of the table--and he jumped up on the
counter.

"I know a song that get's on everybody's nerves, everybody's
nerves, everybody's nerves," he sang.

Xander threw his empty soda can at him and beaned him on
the forehead.

"Ow," Spike rubbed his forehead. "Fine. I'll sing something
else."

"Hey, why don't you sing a Christmas carol?" Buffy suggested.
"You know, Silent Night?"

"Oh ha ha, princess," Spike stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh yeah, *that's* real mature," Buffy retorted, then stuck
her tongue out back.

"Get down, Henry," Willow told him. "Sit down too."

"'Ey, don't call me that," Spike grumbled. "Name's Spike,
pidge."

"Well sit down," Willow replied.

"Henry?" Buffy burst out laughing. "How the hell did you get
such a fitting name?"

Spike glared and sighed. Then he took a deep breath and
started singing Henry the Eighth at the top of his lungs, still
standing on the counter.

Snyder opened the door and glared at Spike. "Get down,
*now*, Walthrop. Get your stuff and come with me."

Spike rolled his eyes and jumped off the counter, gathering
his stuff and following Snyder out. "Hey, Snyder," Spike said.
Snyder didn't answer. "Did you hear anythin' 'bout a big
diamond gettin' jacked from a museum or summat?"

"Yes. It happened earlier this week and they're still looking
for it. Wouldn't be surprised if it was you who took it,
Walthrop," Snyder opened the broom closet door. "In."

"No bloody way!" Spike stepped away from the closet.

"Get in," Snyder jostled him in there. "And stay there." He
locked the door once Spike was in there and left.

Spike snorted. "If I were to kill anyone, would be that
Snyder bloke, not Ms. H or Mrs. Robinson."
***

Spike crawled through the air vents after shedding his
extra layer of clothing. Stealthily, he dropped through the
air vent in the library. "'Ello everyone, I'm back."

"All too soon," Buffy replied. "We were enjoying the peace
and quiet."

"You know you missed me, luv," Spike smirked. "Where's
Red and that Odd bloke?" He glanced about for them.

"Oz, for one thing. And Snyder has them running an
errand," Xander told him.

"I see," Spike sat at a table further back and pulled a
cigarette out of his pocket and a lighter.

"Hey, don't spark up in here," Xander called.

"Bite me," Spike did it anyway.

Buffy's eyes flickered from Xander back to Spike and
she got up, going back and taking a drag off his cigarette.
Spike's eyes went wide to say the least.

Willow and Oz chose that moment to walk back into
the library. "Um..." Willow said.

"I second that," Oz added.

"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else...?" Willow
looked at Spike oddly.

"Didn't feel like stayin'," Spike propped his booted feet
on the table and draped his arm over the back of Buffy's
chair. "Anyone else want one?" meaning the cigarettes.

"No, you can keep them if you want," Xander declined.

"Me 'n' the Princess'll have all the fun then," Spike
declared, taking another drag off the cigarette.

"Why aren't the smoke alarms going off?" Willow asked.

Xander shrugged. "I don't know. I was wondering that
myself."
***

Before they knew it, they were all trading private stories.
And, the clock ticked its way towards four o'clock, when
detention was over. It reached three o'clock, and Spike
caught sight of the clock. "Best be goin', mates. Bye."
He climbed into the air ducts and crawled back to the
closet he'd been locked in.

Xander went back to his seat and buried his head in his
arms and tried to sleep. Buffy also went back to her seat
and put her headphones on. Willow and Oz stayed in the
back, talking quietly.

"Do you go the Bronze a lot, Willow?" Oz asked.

"Yeah. Mostly with my friends, why?" Willow replied curiously.

"I have a band, Dingoes Ate My Baby. We're gonna be
playing at the Bronze tonight, if you wanna come see us and
tell me how we are," Oz told her.

Willow smiled. "Sure I'll go tonight."

Oz returned the smile, and everyone watched Buffy get up
and walk out of the library.
***

Buffy picked the lock on the broom closet with a hair pin she
found in her bag. The lock was amazingly easy to open, for
an amateur like her even. She opened the door and leaned
back against it, looking at Spike.

"You lost, Princess?" Spike asked.

Buffy just smiled.

"I realize this isn't the time to ask, but did Liam break up with
you?" Spike inquired.

Buffy nodded, sighing.

"I'm sorry, pet," he looked away, and suddenly felt Buffy's lips
pressed to the side of his neck. He blinked and looked up at
her. "Uh...maybe you had too much nic--"

He didn't get to finish that statement as Buffy fastened her
mouth to his.
***

All too soon it was four o'clock, and detention was over. Spike
knew Buffy was just hurting when she kissed him and probably
didn't mean it, so he kept quiet about it as he drove them home.
He parked in the driveway, got out of the car, and hurried into
the house. He needed some time to sort out his feelings. He
thought he was in love with Drusilla, but now he realized that
she was the woman in the basement of the Bronze and was
Liam's partner in crime--literally. So he was just lusting after her.
He had thought he was going to go after Willow for a little while,
but she really wasn't his type. She was too quiet, and had not
much of an attitude to speak of. He needed some fire in his woman.
One that was all jagged edges with a soft center, if you could get
past her brittle exterior.

As he trudged up the stairs after calling a greeting to Joyce, he
ran over his requirements for his woman. Fiery...'jagged edges'...
soft heart when you could reach it...

And as he flopped down on his bed, he realized he just described
Buffy Summers.

"Oh shit."

I Make You What?