I still own nothing.

-2-

Buffy woke up the next morning with her face cuddled into Spike's chest. As she opened her eyes, she froze, trying to remember why he was there. The events of the night before came flooding back, and for some reason she felt a strong urge to hug him tighter to her. She heard the sounds of her housemates coming to life in the morning, so she slid gently out of bed. Spike's eyes shot open, looking for her, and he grabbed her arm. He wasn't really awake yet, but his grip on her wrist was tight nonetheless.

"I'm just going to get some food," she said, leaning back over him. She kissed his forehead gently before she truly realized what she was doing. That's going to be interesting to explain. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a little while."

Spike's eyes drifted closed, and Buffy tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She padded downstairs to the kitchen, where Dawn, Tara, and Willow were making breakfast.

"There she is," Willow remarked as Buffy came in and sat down at the counter. "Sleep well?"

"Very," Buffy answered honestly. Sleeping next to Spike had probably been her best night of sleep since she'd come back from the dead.

"Why is Spike's duster here?" Dawn asked, pouring a glass of orange juice for Buffy. "It's hanging on the coat rack. Did he leave it the last time he was here?"

"Uh, I was cold, so I borrowed it after we went patrolling," Buffy said, shrugging. Not really a lie. "I'll give it back to him later. What are your plans for the day?"

"School," Dawn said. "Don't worry, I'll be there on time."

"I'm not worried," Buffy said. "But we need to talk about your grades, Dawnie. If you're having trouble, we can get you a tutor."

"We can tutor her," Tara suggested. "Willow can help in math and science, and you can ask Giles for English and history."

"I could ask Spike for history help," Dawn said. "I mean, he was there for a lot of it."

"I don't really care who you ask," Buffy said. "But you need to focus on school. So until your grades are better, your phone time is cut down to one hour a night and no going out with Janice on school nights."

"That sounds reasonable," Willow said. Dawn sighed heavily.

"Do I still get TV?" she asked.

"After your homework is done," Buffy conceded. "And how about this: if you bring home two A's and two B's, I'll let you go on that Spring Break trip with Janice and her parents."

"Awesome!" Dawn squealed, jumping to throw her arms around her sister. "I'll try really hard, Buffy, I promise."

"Okay, go get to school, you," Buffy said, planting a kiss on the top of Dawn's head.

"Love you!" Dawn called, running out the door.

"We're off to school too," Willow said. "Do you work tonight?"

"Uh, no, actually, I quit," Buffy said, looking down at her lap. She wasn't ready to tell them about what job she was actually working yet. "I just couldn't do it another day."

"Oh thank goodness," Willow said. "We were so going to have an intervention to get you out of there. You'll find some place that's not a nasty diner."

"Yeah, I'll work on it," Buffy said noncommittally. She had decided last night before she asked Spike to stay the night that she would take him up on his offer. Let him pay off her bills, just to get her on her feet for a couple months so she could find a respectable job.

"Okay, well we're off to class," Willow said. "We'll be home later, okay?"

"Yep, I'll be here," Buffy said. Willow and Tara smiled broadly at her and walked away, towards the front door.

Buffy hung out in the kitchen for almost an hour, cleaning up after the breakfast mess and washing the dishes leftover from last night's dinner. Then she moved into the living room, tidying up anything she saw out of place. She did whatever she could to avoid going back upstairs. Upstairs meant Spike. Spike meant emotions and thoughts she didn't really want to face at the moment. She sat down on the bottom step of her staircase and let her head fall into her hands.

What was she thinking last night? Begging Spike to stay the night like she was some pathetic little girl. But it had felt so good having him next to her while she slept, her own personal watchdog making her feel safe. He made me feel safe. And he'd gotten her out of that hell-hole, and was going to pay her bills. Why was she so mean to him, again?

"Whatcha doin', pet?" his voice at the top of the stairs made her turn.

"Playing soccer, duh," she said, smiling up at him. "I was thinking."

"Uh-oh, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," he joked, descending the stairs. He had changed back into his own clothes: black jeans, black t-shirt, beat-up boots that weren't laced. His hair was still sleep-mussed, making his platinum curls stand up. His hair and the fact that he was not completely put together ruined his attempt at looking intimidating, leaving him looking less like the Big Bad and more like the guy next door. Well, not quite the guy next door. Pretty sure they don't bite.

"You're a funny guy," she sniped. She stood up to let him past her, shivering slightly when he touched her arm with his. He slipped into the dining room and sat down at the table, propping his feet up.

"Get your feet off my table," she said, sitting across from him. His boots fell to the floor with a thud. "Why are we sitting at my dining table?"

"Go get those bills that need paid, Buff," he said. "Let's get this all settled."

"Spike…" she sighed heavily. "Thank you. You really don't have to do this."

"What kind of man would I be if I din't take care of my best girls?"

"Best girls?" she asked. "Who are they?"

"Red and the Niblet, o'course," he said, smiling at her. "Now. Go get those bills, luv." Buffy stood and padded into the kitchen, retrieving her stack of bills. Spike went to the door, pulling something small out of his jacket pocket.

"Is that… a checkbook?" Buffy asked.

"How did you expect me to pay your bills?" he asked, sitting back down at the table. This time Buffy sat next to him, pulling her chair close to his.

"Well, it's just so… weird. Big Bad with a checkbook," she giggled, setting the bills down in front of him. Spike glanced at them all before pulling out a pen and signing checks. Buffy watched, a little in awe as he worked. It just looked so… normal. Like he did this sort of thing every day.

"So, if you've got all this money stashed away, why do you always have to steal from Xander to pay your bar tab?" Buffy asked. "And why can you never pay your kitten poker debts?"

"Stealing from the whelp is fun," he replied. "Ya ever notice how his face turns lots of different colors when he yells at me?"

"And the poker debts?" she pressed.

"Those blokes cheat," he said defensively.

"You cheat," she argued.

"'s not the point," he said. "I refuse to pay anyone who's better 'n me at cheating."

"You're a dork," she said, sitting back in her chair.

"You've said this before," he said, signing another check. "There. Done. You're all paid up for the year."

"The year?!" Buffy cried, snatching the pile of bills away from him. He had paid for all of her utilities for the year and paid off her mortgage.

"Spike, no, this is too much, I can't accept it," she pushed the pile back at him. "Please. I thought you were only going to pay the bills for this month?"

"Then what happens next month, luv?" he asked. "When the bills come in again past due? You think I'm just going to let you go back there again when you need some money?"

"Spike," Buffy sighed. "I won't go back there, I promise. But I can't let you do this."

"Hey," he said, touching her chin to force her head up. "I'm not askin' anything from you. Just, please, let me take care of you, Buffy. Let me get you and Dawnie on your feet for a bit, ease that worry you been carryin' 'round."

"I don't know how to thank you, William," she said, lifting a hand to his face. She leaned in, kissing him gently on the cheek. "I won't forget this."

"Anytime, sweetling," he said, smiling softly at her. "Now, what are we gon' do for the rest of the day?"

"I dunno," she said, shrugging. "Pretty much the only thing to do that doesn't involve sunlight and a dusty ending is watching TV."

"Then let's watch TV," Spike said, standing and taking her hand. Leading her into her own living room, he sat down with her on the couch and picked up the remote.

"Looks like the only thing on is The Price is Right." Spike sighed melodramatically.

"Leave it on, sometimes it's funny," Buffy said, bringing her knees up to her chest. Spike looked over at her clenching form and sighed.

"Stretch out, luv, make yourself comfortable," he said, scooting to one end of the sofa. Buffy looked over at him, debating whether or not she should do as he asked. Eventually, her want for comfort won out and she stretched out on the couch, curling her legs so her feet were resting next to Spike's thigh. Spike let his hand rest on her calf, feeling the smooth skin of her leg. He was surprised that she didn't flinch away. Buffy yawned broadly, her eyes drifting closed.

"You din't sleep long enough last night," Spike commented, looking down at her. He rubbed her calf gently.

"Probably not," she agreed. "I'm just going to take a little cat-nap, okay?"

"D'you mind if I nap too?" he asked. "Creature of the night, here, yeah?"

"Go ahead," she said. "Do you want to go back upstairs?"

"Here's good," he answered. "Scoot over." Buffy scooted to the very edge of the couch, angling her body so Spike could slide in behind her. She was in danger of falling off, so she twisted, turning to face Spike.

"I won't let you fall," he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. He rubbed her back gently with one hand, lulling her to sleep within moments.

Dawn and Willow walked into the Summers household, laughing at a joke Xander had just told them. Something about a monkey in a bar. As was their normal routine, they walked through to the kitchen, depositing their bags and jackets along the way, to grab a soda and something to eat. Then, moving on to the living room to watch a few minutes of TV before study time. Today, they froze. Buffy and Spike were lying together on the couch. Buffy was completely on top of Spike with his arms wrapped around her tiny waist. One hand was on the small of her back, the other between her shoulder blades. Buffy's face was buried in the crook of Spike's neck, shielding her from view.

"Uh… Buffy?" Willow called. The blonde didn't wake up. Willow tried again. "Buffy!"

"Spike!" Tara tried. Neither bottle blonde woke up. Dawn, smirking broadly, strode up to them.

"Hey stupid, wake up," she said, swatting Spike on the head. The vampire jerked to life, clinging to Buffy.

"'Lo, Niblet," he said sleepily. He looked around the room, seeing all of Buffy's friends. He tried valiantly to think up an explanation for the position the Scoobies had caught them in, but nothing came to mind.

"Buffy," he murmured. He rubbed her back gently, waking her up. Slowly, she lifted her head from his neck, looking him in the face.

"Luv, I think your friends want to say somethin'," he said, petting her hair. Cautiously schooling her features, she turned to look at her friends, trying to figure out a way to explain this.

"Whatcha doin?" Dawn drawled, perching on the coffee table.

"Invading Poland," Buffy answered drowsily. "What's it look like? I'm sleeping."

"With Spike," Xander cut in. "On top of Spike."

"You're observant," Buffy commented. "Look- where and with whom I sleep with is really none-"

"Who's William Pratt?" Anya cut in from the dining room. She walked into the living room, holding all of the now-paid-for bills.

"Huh?" Xander asked. He took the bills from Anya's hands and looked them over.

"William Pratt," Anya said again. "He signed all those checks. Whoever he is, he's loaded. Can we meet him and then I can sell him lots of expensive things?" Buffy stifled a laugh at Anya's excitement.

"Er, Anya, pet?" Spike said. Anya turned to look at him expectantly. "I'm William Pratt. Well, it was my human name, anyway."

"Where'd you get all this money?" Willow asked, now rifling through the stack. "Spike, there has to be $20,000 in checks here."

"I, er, made some investments," he said casually. Buffy snorted. Spike pinched her side gently, making her squirm atop him.

"What's he mean by that?" Dawn asked.

"He means that he stole it from a lot of banks back in the day," Buffy said, pinching Spike back. Spike squirmed in kind, nearly throwing Buffy off of him.

"Stop it!" she squealed, holding tight to him. "You're gonna make me fall!" Spike immediately stopped squirming and held her tight as he sat up. He shifted her onto the couch next to him, slowly dragging his arm away from her. It wouldn't do for her friends to stake him for touching her.

"So, um, I'm gonna ask the obvious question here," Xander said. His voice was tense, like he was holding himself back. "What the friggin' hell's going on?"

"I've been having some money trouble, you know that," Buffy said.

"Which none of you have been helping with," Spike said, almost under his breath.

"Spike," Buffy chastised gently.

"Well, it's true," he said. "Red, you and Glenda the Good Witch here been payin' rent? You been helpin' out with any of the bills for the electricity you use, the food you eat?"

"Well- I- we-" Willow stammered.

"You've made your point, Spike," Buffy said quietly.

"Don' think I have, luv," he said. "You lot have been ridin' on her coattails. None of you have jobs, but you're expectin' her to get one, on top of savin' your tails every day?" His jaw was clenched in anger. "Bunch of bloody welshers, 's what ya are."

Buffy put one hand on his knee, holding him back. "That's enough," she murmured, looking up at him.

"He's right," Dawn said. "I mean, I'd get a job if I could-"

"Your job is getting your grades up, Dawnie," Buffy interrupted. "Your job is being a teenager. You don't even need to hear about this. You're not worrying about it, okay? It's all taken care of."

"Okay, but Spike's still right," Dawn said. She looked up at Xander and Willow. "You guys took great care of me while Buffy was gone. But now… You guys haven't done anything."

"We'll help," Tara said. "Willow and I can work, help out."

"Everything's paid up for a year," Anya commented, still examining the stack of bills.

"What?" Xander asked, turning to look at his fiancée.

"Spike paid every bill for a year," Anya said again. "Electricity, gas, cable, phone, he even paid off the mortgage on the house."

"I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, luv," Spike murmured, standing.

"Whoa, buddy, you're not going anywhere. Plus, sunlight, remember?" Willow said, standing in his path. "Why would you do that? Buffy's not going to sl-"

"Why don't you let Buffy say what she will or will not do, huh?" the Slayer said quietly.

"Fine," Willow said. "Why, Spike?"

"Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to leave her takin'-" Spike said hotly.

"Spike!" Buffy cut in. He cocked his head back to look at her. She shook her head shortly.

"Leave you taking what, Buffy?" Dawn asked, looking at her sister. "What's he talking about?" Buffy sighed deeply, clenching her jaw.

"I wasn't…" she took a deep breath and tried again. Spike moved back to her side, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't working at the diner on 10th St."

"Where were you working?" Willow asked.

"Barney's," she said quietly. The four adults drew in identical gasps. Dawn looked on in confusion.

"What's Barney's?" she asked.

"It's a…" Willow trailed off. "Buffy, why?"

"I was doing what I had to," Buffy said quietly. "Social Services called. Said if I couldn't pay my bills, they'd take Dawn away."

"They're taking me away?" Dawn cried, on the verge of tears. "Buffy, no, please, I don't want to go."

"You aren't going anywhere," Buffy said, holding her arms out to Dawn. Her sister pressed herself into Buffy's embrace. "We're making sure of that, okay? You're staying right here."

"Buffy, what's Barney's?" Dawn asked again. "Why are they so shocked you worked there?"

"Barney's is…" Buffy looked up at Spike, asking silently for help.

"It's a strip club, Dawnie," Xander said coldly. "Guess it's just a step up from stripper to vampire's whore." Spike moved to kill Xander, but Dawn was faster. She flew from the couch to where Xander was standing. She clocked him hard with a fist to his jaw, knocking him to the ground. Everyone else froze.

"If you ever talk about my sister like that again, I'll kill you," she growled. Xander looked up in shock at her. "Get the fuck out of my house."

"Dawnie, don't cuss," Buffy said calmly. Spike could've laughed at her nonchalance, seeing as her baby sister had nearly knocked out one of her best friends.

"Does anyone else share Xander's opinion?" Dawn asked as Xander climbed to his feet and went to the door. He slammed it behind him. The rest of the Scoobies shook their heads. "Good," Dawn said. "Then you can stay."

"You said you had quit," Willow said, recalling the conversation from that morning. "What happened?"

"Spike got me out," Buffy said quietly. "He… saw me there, and wouldn't let me go back." Dawn launched herself at her favorite vampire, latching her arms securely around Spike's neck.

"Thank you, Spike," she said.

"Anytime, Niblet," Spike murmured, stroking her hair.

"So, does anyone want to go to the Bronze tonight?" Willow asked brightly.

"Um, what?" Buffy asked, shaking her head in confusion.

"Bronze. Us. Loud, music-y goodness," Willow said. "To celebrate Spike surprising the hell out of all of us." Buffy laughed, looking up at Spike. Her vampire looked more than a little confused. He shrugged, still holding on to her little sister.

"I'm in if you are," he said, quirking his scarred eyebrow up.

"What the hell, sure," Buffy said. "Tara, you up for it?

"O-of course," Tara stuttered. "A-Anya?"

"I'll go, of course," Anya said. "Why would I be opposed to human-demon relations? Many happy orgasms to you both."

"Uh… thanks?" Buffy said. "But for the record, Spike and I aren't-"

"Well, of course you aren't right now," Anya said. "But trust me, you will. I know these things."

"Hey, innocent ears here," Dawn grumbled, pressing her hands to her ears. "I don't want to hear about orgasms."

"Good, stay that way 'till you're thirty," Spike said, playing the role of big brother.

"Can I go too, Buffy?" Dawn asked, turning to her sister. "I don't have any homework today, I finished it all in study hall. The only thing I have is a test over the Boxer Rebellion next Tuesday."

"I'll tell ya all 'bout that, Lil Bit," Spike said.

"You were there?" Dawn asked.

"First Slayer," he said, almost shamefaced. "But I know all the facts about it."

"'Kay, but first, Bronzing, yes?" Willow pressed.

"Still daylight," Buffy pointed out. She looked down at her clothes. "And I'm still wearing what I slept in last night. We'll go at dusk, when I've taken a shower, 'kay?"

"Dawn?" Anya asked, looking to the youngest Summers. "Do you mind if I go talk to my ass of a fiancée?"

"No, go ahead," Dawn said. "But tell him he's not welcome here until he fixes his attitude. Spike's been part of the family for a long time. He's got to deal with that." Spike turned to look out the window, hiding his elated grin from anyone except Buffy. She smiled in response, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Okay, I'm going to go take a shower," Buffy said, standing. "Willow, would you mind getting all those bills into envelopes? We'll stick them in a mailbox on our way to the Bronze."

"Sure, Buff," Willow said. Buffy turned and walked up the stairs, but she heard Tara faintly ask Spike if he was hungry, offering to run out to the butcher shop for him. Buffy smiled broadly and made her way to the bathroom.

"So, was Spike here this morning when I asked about his coat?" Dawn asked, watching Buffy from the bed as she put on her make-up to go to the Bronze. The Slayer was wearing her bra and panties, a thin robe thrown over her to keep her warm.

"Yeah, he was up here asleep," Buffy answered.

"So you guys are sleeping together?"

"No, not in the way you're thinking," Buffy said. "We- we slept together, but it wasn't- gah. We didn't have sex, okay? I asked him to stay the night. I didn't want to be alone."

"Aw, you're so cute," Dawn said, giggling. "Y'know, it's okay… if you decide you do want to sleep with him. Or date him, or whatever. Xander and maybe Giles might have a problem with it, but if they don't want you to be happy, they don't matter."

"Thank you, Dawnie," Buffy said, standing to give Dawn a hug.

"So, why did you ask Spike to pay our bills?" Dawn asked.

"I didn't ask, he offered," Buffy said. "Well, more like guilted me into it."

"Guilted you into it?" Dawn parroted.

"Oh, you know, he gave me the big sad eyes and told me he loved me and wanted to take care of me," Buffy said.

"Oh," Dawn replied, smiling softly. "Yeah. You might be the Slayer, but I'm not sure anyone's able to resist Spike when he's trying to put the guilt-trip on."

"Yeah, I know," Buffy said, standing and walking to her closet. She pulled out four different outfits, laying each on the bed to look at them.

"What do you think?" she asked Dawn.

"Go for that blue one that's still in the closet," Dawn said. "It's hot. It'll make Spike drool."

"I'm not trying to make Spike drool," Buffy said, but she pulled out the dress anyway. Dawn was right: Spike would totally drool. It was dark blue, tight and short, but not slutty. Buffy slipped into the bathroom to put the dress on.

"Dawn? Will you come zip me up?" she called once she had pulled the dress over her head.

"I don't think she heard you, luv," Spike said from behind her. Buffy jumped, spinning around.

"Do you have to always do that?" she asked. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry, luv," he said sheepishly. "Thought you heard me walkin' down the hall."

"No, it's okay. You just spooked me," Buffy said. Her arms were crossed over her chest, holding her dress up.

"Uh, Spike? Would you mind?" she asked, turning around. Spike cocked his head to one side in confusion.

"Would I mind what?" he asked.

"Zipping me up," Buffy said. "I can't reach."

"Uh… sure," he said, stepping up to her. His fingers brushed her back, causing her to gasp quietly at his cold touch.

"Sorry," he murmured, catching the zipper pull between deft fingers. "Cold hands, y'know." He pulled up until the back of the dress was closed.

"Thanks," she said, turning back around. Spike's breath would have caught, had he breathed.

"What do you think?" she asked. He was at a loss for words."I'm not done yet, y'know, shoes and hair and stuff, but do you like the dress?"

"Luv, you could make a burlap bag look good," he said, finally finding his voice. "I-uh, I was just up here to tell you that sundown's in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay," she said. She noticed that he was dressed differently, in a fresh pair of jeans and a pale blue button-down over the perpetual black t-shirt. "Did you go home?"

"Nah, Glenda the good witch went over to my crypt and picked me up some stuff," he said. "She went out to get some blood. Nice bird, that one."

"I have a question," she said, grinning up at him. "Do you ever call anyone by their actual name?"

"Sure," he said. "I call Watcher Boy Rupes all the time." Buffy smiled broadly, laughing.

"But no one else, right?" she asked, still giggling. Spike was a little in awe of how gorgeous she was.

"'S what I do," he said. "Go, finish primpin'. Tell the Lil Bit to hurry up, too."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'," Buffy said, walking back to her bedroom. Dawn whistled out a cat call when Buffy walked in.

"Nice," she said. "Did Spike drool?"

"How did you know-"

"I heard his boots," Dawn said. "That's why I didn't come to the bathroom."

"You're manipulative," Buffy said, brushing her hair.

"Yep," Dawn said. "Learned from the best. Can I borrow your red top?"

"Will you stop trying to hook me and Spike up?" Buffy asked.

"No, why would I do that?" Dawn held the shirt she wanted up to her chest and looked in the mirror. "You're my sister and he's practically my best friend. Well my best un-dead friend. I mean, he's my only un-dead friend, but you know what I mean."

"I'm trying, anyway," Buffy said, fastening a necklace behind her neck.

"What I'm saying is, you two are cute," Dawn said.

"Do not call us cute, Dawn," Buffy argued.

"But you are cute," Dawn argued back, pulling the red top over her head. "At least he's not freakishly tall like Angel and Riley. Gah. It always hurt my neck to look at them."

"Imagine trying to kiss them," Buffy said. "I had to practically stand on a chair." She stopped, eyes wide. "Not that I've been kissing Spike. There's been no kissing."

"Betcha he'd be good at it, though," Dawn said.

"Dawn!"

"What? I'm allowed to think that my friend is deliciously yummy-looking," Dawn said.

"Okay, you gotta stop that," Buffy said.

"Stop what?" Dawn asked.

"Putting words in my head to associate with Spike," Buffy said. "Now all night I'm gonna be thinking how 'yummy' he is."

"You do notice that he's unbearably hot, right?" Dawn asked, turning towards her sister.

"I am female and I have eyes, Dawnie," Buffy said. She strapped a pair of silver sandals to her feet as Dawn slipped into a pair of boots.

"Okay, we gotta go, Spike came up here to tell us to hurry up," Buffy said.

"Oh yeah, wouldn't want to keep the boyfriend waiting," Dawn teased.

"You really gotta stop talking like that," Buffy said. "He's got vampire hearing, remember?"

"Oops," Dawn said, grimacing. "Totally didn't think of that."

"Yeah, didn't think you did," Buffy said, walking out of the room towards the stairs. Spike stood at the bottom of the stairs, smiling softly at something Willow was saying. Buffy was halfway down the stairs when he turned to look at her.

"Wow, Buffy," Willow murmured. "It's just the Bronze y'know, you didn't have to dress up that much."

"Dawn picked it out. And I felt like it," Buffy said with a shrug.

"Luv, you look…" Spike whispered, looking down at her. He smirked. "Well, yummy seems to do the trick."

"Told you," Buffy said, turning to Dawn. She slapped Spike playfully on the arm. "I figured you'd be listening, Stalker-Boy."

"Be plain stupid not to use the skills I got, luv," he said, raising an eyebrow at her. The rest of the crew were busy getting their jackets together, so he leaned down, his cold skin barely brushing past her ear. "Wanna test out some of those skills? Y'know, stamina, agility an' all that."

"Maybe later," she said seductively, smirking back at him as he straightened. Spike's jaw dropped. She leaned towards him, her lips tickling his ear. "Good to see I can still surprise you."

"Y'know, we don't have to go to the Bronze if you don' want to," he said, low enough so only she could hear. "If you want-"

"I'm all dressed up," Buffy said with a playful pout. Her friends and sister walked slowly out the door, waiting for the pair. "If I put this much effort into it, somebody better enjoy it."

"Trust me, someone's enjoyin' it," he murmured, slipping his hand to the side of her dress. The silk was nearly as soft as her skin. "Jus' not sure I want anyone else enjoyin' it."

"Aw, if you're a good vampire, maybe I'll let you buy me a drink," Buffy said, spinning away from him towards the door. She flitted through the opening, leaving Spike standing by the stairs.

"Oi!" he yelled, darting after her. He made sure to shut the door after him, but he caught up to her easily. "Maybe you'll let me buy you a drink? Girl, you'd be lucky if I let you buy one for me."

"Nope, I'm pretty sure you'd be the one getting lucky," Buffy quipped lightly. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. "That came out wrong."

"Sure it did, pet," Spike smirked. "Tell me, did you ever take a psych class?"

"Yeah, why?" Buffy asked cautiously, falling back into step behind her friends. Dawn and Anya were talking animatedly while Willow and Tara quietly held hands behind them.

"Cause there's a guy named Freud who'd have a field day with you," he said, grinning down at her.

"Says the oral-fixating vamp with an Oedipus complex," Buffy said.

"Oedipus? What's he got to do with anything?"

"Means you hate your father and love your mother," Buffy said. "But, really, you hate Angel and love Drusilla, who was your demon-mother. By the way, ew at that mental image."

"I don' love her," Spike said quietly, not looking at her. "Haven't for awhile."

"Part of you will always love her, Spike," she said. "It's who you are." Impulsively, she reached for his hand. He let her hold it, squeezing her fingers in return.

"You would know," he said. "You'll always feel somethin' for Captains Cardboard and Forehead, right?"

"Yeah," she said, almost guiltily. "It's not the in-love kind of love anymore, but there's still something there."

"So you're not still pinin' for tall, dark and broody?"

"Who? Angel?" Buffy barked a laugh. "He- no. Definitely not pining for him anytime soon. I'm not a fan of Cordelia's leftovers."

"Beauty Queen and Peaches?" Spike asked, raising his eyebrows. "Didn't see that one comin'."

"Oh yeah," Buffy said. "He was so broody over her he barely had time to talk to me when we went to meet after I came back. I swear, if he loses his soul again and I have to kill him again, I'm going to bust heads."

"Can I help?" he asked a little too eagerly. "Just Angel, if that makes you more comfortable."

"It would have to be Angel, cause you'd be real effective fighting the humans, brain trust," Buffy sniped. "God, you're stupid sometimes."

"Oi," Spike said again. "I'll have you know I was in the top of my- bollocks."

"Top of your what, Spikey?" Buffy asked, smirking. "Oh, were you a little goody-goody back in the day?"

"Shut your trap, woman," Spike all but growled. "Big Bad here."

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots," Buffy said. She grinned up at him. "Goody two-shoes."

"Bint."

"Ass."

"Control freak."

"Pervert."

"Dumb li'l chit."

"Pig."

"Harlot."

"Prick."

"Bitch."

"Dick."

"Tease."

"Hey! I do not tease!" Buffy said, outraged. Spike raised an eyebrow at her, and she bristled slightly. "Well, maybe a little," she admitted. "But not enough for that to be a label!"

"Hey, dumb-ass blondes," Dawn called from the front door of the Bronze. "You two gonna stand out here calling each other names all night?"

"Where did she get that mouth on her?" Buffy asked, frowning.

"Uh- hmm, 've got no idea," Spike said, kicking a rock with his boot. Buffy whirled on him, glowering playfully.

"You did it!" she said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You taught her how to cuss!"

"Hey, I'm the resident evil guy, remember?" he reminded her again. He sure does try to point out that he's evil a lot. "'m supposed to corrupt the young and innocent."

"Corrupt?" Buffy echoed, eyebrows raised. "Exactly what have you been doing with my baby sister?"

"Jus' teachin' her how to cuss, I swear," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "Well, and how to throw that right hook of hers. An' I may have given her a smoke or two, but the girl turned greener 'n a leaf."

"Bad influence," Buffy said, shaking her head. She sighed dramatically. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Hopefully things you can't tell t' members of the clergy," Spike said huskily, leaning towards her with his scarred eyebrow raised. "Things that'll make that pretty face blush."

"I'm pretty sure I could make your pretty face blush, Spike," Buffy murmured, leaning up to tickle his ear with her breath.

"Doubt it," he said, forcing his voice to be calm. "Vampire, here. Not a lot of blood to blush with."

"Well, then, I'll just have to work extra hard, then, won't I?" Buffy smirked as she sauntered towards the door, swaying her hips purposely. Spike followed, reminding himself to close his mouth so he didn't trip on his jaw.

They stepped into the club, getting barraged by loud music, bright lights, and cigarette smoke as they did so. The Scooby girls were seated around a table near the dance floor, drinks in front of them. Dawn was sipping on a soda as she watched the dance floor with a vaguely interested eye.

"Thirsty, luv?" Spike asked.

"Sure, thanks," she said, walking over to the table as he turned towards the bar.

"So I told her, 'Only if you want to be a K'shashik!" Anya said, laughing raucously. Buffy looked to Willow and Tara, who shrugged. Buffy smiled with amusement at the ex vengeance demon.

"Where's Spike?" Dawn asked when Buffy slid into the chair next to her.

"Getting a drink," Buffy said.

"So, look at you two, gettin' with the flirty and adorableness," Willow said. "You two gonna-"

"Do I need to remind you about the vampire hearing thing, too?" Buffy asked. Spike strode up to the table, carrying two beers. He handed one to Buffy, who smiled up at him.

"We aren't going to have another 'Fire bad, tree pretty' moment, are we?" Dawn asked with a reproving look at the beer in Buffy's hand. Spike raised his scarred eyebrow at Buffy.

"Caveman beer," she said with a roll of her eyes. "It's a long story."

"Buffy plus alcohol equals stupidity," Dawn said.

"Knew that," Spike smirked. "Saw it first-hand."

"Bite me."

"Tempting offer, pet," he said, leaning over to brush his mouth past her ear. "You should watch your words around those with fangs." Buffy forced herself not to melt at the feeling of his cool breath on her neck.

"I want to go dance," Dawn announced, breaking Spike and Buffy apart. "Buffy?"

"In a minute," Buffy said. "I want to get my caveman goin'."

"You only have to say the word, pet," Spike said with a lascivious grin.

"Wrong kind of caveman, Bleach Boy," Buffy sniped.

"I'm basking in the maturity, you two," Dawn said as Willow, Tara, and Anya got to their feet. They girls slipped over to the dance floor, leaving Spike and Buffy at the table.

"So I was thinking-" Spike started.

"Thought I smelled smoke" Buffy said with a grin. Spike knocked his shoulder into hers and slipped his hand into his pocket. He pulled it back out, sliding a shiny black credit card onto the table.

"First checkbooks, now credit cards?" Buffy asked. "You actually offering to pay for your own drinks?"

"Course not," Spike said. "I picked some bloke's pocket for the drinks. I want you and Dawn to go shopping."

"You want us to huh?" she asked.

"The Bit needs new clothes, and I'm guessin' you do too," he said. "So, I want you to go shopping."

"No, Spike, I'm not going to take more of your money" Buffy said. Someone slapped her on the back of the head.

"Were you dropped on your head as a child?" Dawn asked, slipping between them to snatch the credit card from the table. "When a man gives you a credit card and tells you to go shopping, you go shopping!" She slipped the credit card into her pocket and leaned over to kiss Spike's cheek

"Thanks, Spike, we'll have fun," she said, darting back to the dance floors.

"She does need some new clothes," Buffy admitted, sipping at her beer. "Thank you."

"Promise me you'll buy something for yourself?" Spike asked, turning his ice-blue eyes to hers. Buffy had to will herself not to melt right there.

"I'm sure I'll find something I can't live without," she conceded once she'd found her voice. He'd always said he was no good at thrall, but then why couldn't she think straight when he looked at her like that?

"Good," Spike said, downing the rest of his beer. They were silent for a long moment, each looking off towards the dance floor.

"Buffy-"

"Spike-"

They both broke off with embarrassed laughter. Buffy looked up to him, gesturing for him to continue.

"I didn't have anything to say," she said. "What were you going to say?"

"I, uh-" Spike stammered. "I was jus'- god, I'm such a ponce, I can't do this."

"Hey," she said softly, laying her hand on his. "Tell me."

"Will you dance with me?" he blurted out, immediately dropping his gaze to his lap.

"Yeah, okay"

"What?" he asked, his eyes darting back up to her. "Are you serious?"

"Am I serious, he asks," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "You asked me. We gonna dance or what?" Spike was a blur, jumping out of his char and taking her hand. They moved to the floor, away from the Scooby girls. Buffy let him pull her close to him, one hand on the small of her back. He caught her hand with his free one, and her free hand found its way to his bicep.

"I don't even remember the last time I danced like this, pet," Spike murmured into her ear.

"The last time we danced, you were holding a pool stick and we were in an alley," Buffy said.

"We were dancing then?" he asked with a raised brow.

"All we've ever done is dance," she said with a smile. Spike answered it with one of his own. The Scoobies had returned to the table and were watching the pair of bottle-blondes with amused smiles.

"I told you so," Anya said. "It won't be long now until they're tearing each others' clothes off with their teeth."

"Thanks for that mental image," Dawn griped.

"Your girlfriends are staring," Spike commented as his thumb rubbed small circles on her back.

"I know," Buffy said.

"Figured you'd be kickin' me in the head and runnin' off once your friends saw," he said.

"Have I ever actually kicked you in the head?" she asked with a small smile.

"Once or twice, I think," he said. "But I think I kicked you back."

"God, we were good at that," Buffy said, almost wistfully. "You were always the most fun to fight."

"Likewise," Spike said, still holding her tightly to him. "I think we'd still be good at it."

"Too bad it's still Chips-Ahoy in your head, or I'd test it out," she said.

"I'd probably let you win now," he said. The music had sped up, making their current slow dance stand out.

"Why?" Buffy asked. Spike gave her his patented "Buffy, you're dumb" look and she understood.

"Oh, right, I forgot, you think I'm hot," she said cheekily, pulling away from him. He reached to pull her back, but she slipped out of his grasp.

"Or is it because I make you hot?" she asked, moving back to him. She turned so her back was to him, grinding her ass into his hips. He groaned instinctively, grabbing for her hips to ground her to him. She felt the growing bulge in his jeans as she arched into him, letting the back of her head rest against his chest. They writhed against each other, their hands daring to venture over each others' torsos.

"God, luv, do you realize what you do to me?" Spike purred, spinning her around to face him.

"I think I'm getting' the picture," she murmured as he pulled her hips closer to his. Her hips ground against his bulge, eliciting a deep groan from him.

"Buffy," he said, looking down at her. She tilted her head up towards his, their mouths a hair's breath away. All she had to do was stretch up on her toes and he'd be there.

"Buffy!" Dawn's voice rang over the music. Buffy and Spike broke apart, their attention diverting to where Dawn was. The youngest Summers was pointing towards the balcony, where two vamps in game face were busy trying to snack on a young woman.

"Time to go to work," Buffy said grumpily. "No more fun for Buffy."

"Plenty of fun to be had, pet," Spike said as they pushed through the crowd. He pulled a stake out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"So that was a stake in your pocket," she said. "Here I thought you were just happy to see me." She grinned up at him. He rolled his eyes at her and looked up towards the balcony.

"Hey, gimme a boost?" she asked.

"Boost to what?"

"The balcony, duh," Buffy said. Judging the distance, Spike figured he could throw her that far. He offered his hands for her foot and launched her into the air. She caught the balcony railing easily and flipped over. Spike followed her up, using his vampire strength to jump to the upper level.

"Okay, that was really fun," Buffy said when Spike joined her. The two vamps turned towards them, growling. "Though I bet you guys aren't going to be havin' fun now, are you?"

"Oh you'll be the one who'll be screaming, girly," one of the vamps said. He snapped his fingers, and ten more vamps stepped out of the shadows.

"You got anything else in your pocket?" Buffy asked from the corner of her mouth.

"Nope," Spike answered. "But I can improvise." He picked up a wooden chair and smashed it over the railing, leaving him holding two legs. The vamp army charged, teeth bared. Spike shifted into game face as he slammed his makeshift stake through the first vamp's chest. Spike and Buffy moved together in a distorted image of the dance they'd had moments before. They were twin anchors, opposite faces of the same coin. Buffy used Spike's arm to anchor herself as she launched her legs at an attacker. Likewise, Spike flipped over Buffy's back, kicking viciously at a vamp's face.

Buffy staked the last vamp, sending him over the railing as he dusted. She leaned against the rail, catching her breath. Spike turned towards her, panting as well, though he didn't need to. His lip was split and there was a vicious tear through his shirt. Buffy could see the blood seeping from the wound. She had picked up her own handful of scratches and bruises as well.

"You okay?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," she answered. "You?" He answered with a nod.

"Jus' got a coupla' ribs need mendin'," he said. Buffy moved to his side, pressing gently on his ribs.

"Let me see," she said, tugging at his shirt. Spike caught her hands in his.

"I'm okay," he said. "C'mon, luv. You should get Dawn home. You girls have lots of shopping to do in the mornin'."

"Yeah," Buffy said, nodding as they made their way back downstairs. They walked back to the table where the girls sat.

"Time to go home?" Dawn asked. Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, I'm bleeding, I figured it was time to call it a night," she said with a small smile.

"We'll see you at home, okay?" Willow said. "We're going to stay here with Anya."

"Sure, Will," Buffy said. "'Night." She waited for Dawn to put on her jacket before following Spike to the door.

"I'll walk you home," he said once they were outside the club.

"You don't need to," Buffy said. "You're hurt, and I am the Slayer."

"Buffy," Dawn cut in sharply, tugging on her sister's arm. "Let the guy walk us home!"

"I wasn't…" Buffy said. "I was just saying, he's hurt, he should go home and rest."

"He's tough," Dawn said. She danced ahead of them, leaving Buffy and Spike together. As they walked, their hands bumped against one another. Buffy opened her hand, subtly inviting Spike to take it. He got the message, loud and clear. They walked, holding hands, as Dawn skipped ahead.

Once they reached Revello Drive, Spike reluctantly released Buffy's hand. Dawn danced inside after giving him a quick good-night kiss on the cheek. Buffy stepped up onto the porch, looking back down at Spike.

"Thank you," she said. "For… everything."

"'M glad you let me help, luv," he said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"Well, I'm going to head up to bed," she said after a long moment.

"Yeah, sleep tight, luv," he said. Buffy nodded, stepping down from the porch towards him. Standing up on her toes, she leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Thank you again, Spike," she said. "Good night."

"Good night, Buffy."

-TBC-