Tara saw Spike moving her way from the corner of her eye, shaking her head slightly as the Slayer frowned and pushed off the wall.  Though unhappy about it, judging by the frown and narrowed eyes, it was enough to keep Buffy in her place all the same.  Tara smiled at her for staying away before turning to raise a brow at Spike.  “What do you want, Spike?  As if I didn’t already know.”  She frowned and mumbled the last part as she picked up her bottle of water off the bar, noticing another Slippery Nipple and two Afterburners sitting there also.  “Are you trying to get me drunk?”  She smiled at Mike, who winked at her and walked away to fill Cami’s orders rather than serving the man beside her.  Tara chuckled softly as Spike started to raise his hand to get Mike’s attention, only to put it back down on the bar as the bartender walked away. 

“Who says I want anything?”  Spike narrowed his eyes at her as he turned to face her.  “And just what is it that you think you know?”  He pulled out his pack of cigarettes, pulling one out to light. 

“You want Buffy.”  Tara shrugged as if to say that was nothing that everyone didn’t already know as she twisted off the cap on her water.  “But you’ll never have her, Spike.”  She drank what was left in the bottle. 

“Goes to show you don’t know a thing, Blondie.”  Spike straightened up to his full height, cigarette still in his mouth as he hooked both thumbs in his belt.  “Me and the Slayer have a thing, so don’t go stickin’ your nose where it don’t belong.”  He narrowed his eyes at her. 

Tara only raised a brow at his show of bravado.  “You can’t hurt me, Spike.  Unlike Buffy, your chip still works with me.”  She was gratified to see the look of surprise on his face before he could hide it away.  “Yeah, I know you can hit her, Spike.  And if I see one more bruise on her caused by you…” 

“You’ll what?”  Spike cut her off as he pulled the cigarette from his mouth and got in her face.  “You don’t scare me, Blondie.  And I’ve got ways of taking care of you and all the rest of you do-gooders that get in my way.”  He was surprised when the woman didn’t back down from him.  “Drinks made you bold, did they?” 

“Drinks have nothing to do with it.”  Tara picked up the Slippery Nipple and tossed it back, slapping at Spike’s hand as he reached for one of the Afterburners.  “Hands off!” 

“What’s a bloke have to do to get a drink around here?  Hey!”  He called out to Mike, once again being ignored. 

“Go elsewhere.  I’m sure you could get something right up your alley at Willy’s.”  Tara gave him a shrug as she set the empty shot glass on the bar, jumping slightly as Cami appeared beside her.  “What?” 

Cami nodded towards Buffy and the two pool players as she picked up the two Afterburners.  “It’s now or never, Babe.  They don’t seem to want to take no for an answer.”  She smiled as Tara looked their way, a soft growl coming from the woman as she pushed off her stool and stood.  “I’m right behind you.” 

Tara took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair before looking over her shoulder at the big grin on Cami’s face.  “You’re enjoying this far too much.” 

Cami nodded and smiled even wider. 

Tara shook her head and headed towards the Slayer and her groupies, or gropers, she amended herself with a growl as she watched them both running their hands over the Slayer. 

“Where’re you goin’?”  Spike reached out and grabbed Tara’s arm as she started to walk away.  “We’re not done here!”  Before he knew what hit him, his back slammed against the bar, knocking over Tara’s stool as he hit.  “Bloody hell!” 

With narrowed eyes and clenched teeth, Tara glared at him.  “Don’t ever touch me again.  Just because I don’t use it, doesn’t mean I don’t have power, Spike.”  She sent him another warning glare, turned on her heel and walked away. 

Cami looked back and forth in confusion between the two, not having seen anything but the asshole grabbing Tara's arm before he went flying.  Shaking her head, she trailed behind Tara as she cleared a path towards Buffy. 

She never spoke or touched him before he went flying.  Spike stared at her back as she strode away with purpose, before pulling at the collars of his coat as he straightened up to follow.  ‘So the bint’s got some bite after all.’  He smirked as he looked towards the door, seeing Red and another woman entering.  ‘Aah, right on time!’ 

~HLM~

Buffy jumped and swatted at the hand that just grabbed her ass.  The two women, Sandi and Sue, weren’t taking no for an answer as they maneuvered her away from the wall.  She didn’t see Tara coming up behind her, and all she heard was a loud growl before an arm wrapped around her waist. 

“Hands off!”  Tara put an arm around Buffy, pulling her back into her body as she grabbed the taller woman by the wrist to remove her hand from Buffy’s arm. 

Buffy sighed and pressed back into Tara when she realized who it was behind her.  “Thank God!”  She covered Tara’s hand on her stomach.  “I told you I wasn’t interested.” 

“You okay, Tough Stuff?”  Tara asked softly as she wrapped her other arm around Buffy after letting go of the wrist, sending glares at both women.  At Buffy’s nod she continued.  “You lose this one, Ladies.” 

“We haven’t lost anything yet!”  The taller one looked at the shorter one, raising a brow in question. 

The shorter one smiled and nodded.  “Double.”  Both turning smiling faces back to Tara and Buffy. 

“Uh uh, no way!”  Buffy shook her head as she glared first at Sandi, then at the shorter Sue. 

“Don’t even delude yourselves!  There’s no way in hell you’re getting the both of us, no matter how much the bet is.”  Tara uncharacteristically, and unconsciously, moved to shelter Buffy. 

Buffy smiled at the move before frowning as she looked over her shoulder at Tara.  “You know about the bets?” 

Tara nodded, her eyes never leaving the two women.  “I take it you heard?” 

“Yeah, but how did…”  She trailed off as Cami made her presence known, stepping closer to them with the tray with the drinks on it.  “Never mind.” 

“The way I see it, Ladies, is that you just lost, and she won.”  Cami smirked at the pool players, nodding towards Tara as being the winner, and turned to hand Buffy one of the Afterburners. 

“She hasn’t won anything yet, nothing’s happened.”  The shorter one spoke up this time. 

Buffy grinned as she pressed downward on Tara’s hand she still had covered.  “I’m sure we can remedy that.” 

Tara laughed softly and toyed with the waistband of Buffy’s leather pants as she stopped their hands descent.  “You’re awfully sure of yourself, there, Tough Stuff.”  She whispered softly as she kissed Buffy’s ear. 

“Told them I had my eye on someone else, but they wouldn’t listen to me.”  Buffy tilted her head back as she downed the shot before smiling over her shoulder at Tara. 

‘Did she just…’  Tara brows rose with the Slayer’s comment, her heart skipping a beat as she stared at Buffy. 

Cami laughed at the shocked surprise on Tara’s face, and took the empty glass from Buffy’s hand.  “Told ya’.”  She grinned as they ignored her, then her attention was caught by the approach of two women, the redhead looked somewhat familiar.  Though she hadn’t seen them together in a while, she finally put a name to the face, stiffening as she realized it was Tara’s ex.  And the smirking asshole acting like the cat that ate the canary, didn’t bode well, either.  “Shit!” 

“Really?”  Tara finally found her voice as she stared into Buffy’s eyes, hoping against hope that the comment meant what she thought it meant. 

“Yeah.”  Buffy leaned back and kissed Tara softly, nerves kicking in after the bold move.  “Or I was… hoping… you might… we might… if…” 

Tara’s silently searched Buffy’s eyes for a long moment.  Her answer was to step a bit to the side as she partially turned the Slayer towards her.  Forgetting for the moment that they had an audience, her hand slipping along the bare skin beneath Buffy’s top as she kissed her, gently raking her short nails along Buffy’s abdomen as the kiss escalated, and Buffy moaned softly. 

“Spike, where is… Tara!  I was looking all over for you.”  Willow smiled at Spike, now having caught sight of Tara as she and Amy walked up to the group. 

~HLM~