A/N: I just had THE nicest review from momnesia, so thank you ever so much :)

"Clem?" Spike was on the chair, whispering at the lump on the couch and cuddling his crisps to his chest. They crackled every time he moved. "Clem!"

"What?" A drowsy voice drifted over to Spike. "Mr. Giles was nice enough to lend me his sofa because of something Buffy said about you, and you want me to do him the discredit of moving? Come on, man. Also, I don't want to."

Spike glowed at the reminder of the Watcher's bemusement as he 'respected Buffy's wishes, and so would not want her to wake up and find them gone.' He remembered what he wanted to ask Clem.

"I wasn't going to ask you to move, mate. I was going to ask you to sodding shut the hell up," the last bit a hiss that sounded more ominous than his shout-whispers. "I can't get my beauty sleep."

"And?"

"You're so loud," Spike grumbled before turning to his friend and sincerely asking how he was.

"I'm ok, I guess," replied Clem, the mock-anger moment passing as he dropped the Doritos onto Giles' table. "Arnica works a charm. You should get some for that first aid kit you nick-"

"Shut it! I got it from the Watcher himself-he can never know..." Spike trailed off as he flew across the room to put his hand over Clem's mouth. When Clem stopped squirming and they were both still, a rustle could be heard.

From outside.

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Buffy awoke in a white room. Literally all she could see was a clinical blank page, echoing her worst dreams of a hospital.

And yet, somehow, this was worse than that.

As her gaze unblurred, she attempted to raise herself off the steel table she was lying on. Her first thought was of the Cruciamentum-she had not felt so since then, but looked down and noticed the straitjacket she was trussed up in, and the bonds that tied her to the table just to make sure. She was weak and bound, and her next thought was how she was so going to make whoever did this pay. She remembered what Giles had said, to give her comfort, and lay back.

She was hit with a flashback.

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"What was that?" Spike's smooth voice came through the ajar doorway. He sounded a little freaked; if Spike was, then it was probably cause for alarm. She got to her feet and tiptoed to the main area of the apartment, a blanket still wrapped around her for warmth.

Spike had his back to her, surveying the room for exits, entrances, and weapons, and feeling tingles...crap. Familiar tingles.

Sodding..."Angelus..." he breathed, unnecessarily.

The door crashed in. "That's right, Spikey boy," an Irish voice could be heard.

"My dark prince," could also be heard.

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"Crap," whispered Buffy hoarsely, not noticing her 'bed' being wheeled through the complex, so tightly shut were her eyes screwed in concentration. Her thoughts were with Spike and Giles-and her new friend, Clem. What had happened to them?

Spike had turned, his face alight with both fear and excitement, to see Buffy looking with hardened hatred towards both Drusilla and Angelus, no quiver of fear evident but to him. Clem cowered under the sofa, away from where the two master vampires could see him.

"It's OK, kitten," he reassured the woman who, when faced with two evils had evidently chosen him. She dropped the blanket and strode out to stand next to him, a wary grin upon her face.

"Don't call me kitten," she lightly slapped him on the arm. She was finally letting herself trust Spike and almost forgot the two others standing at the door consumed with jealousy but for the prickling on her neck.

His blue eyes glinted as they broke the eye contact to turn to their exes. "Thought you could make us lonely? Thought you could make us want you back?" An almost imperceptible wink to Buffy as he grabbed her hand. She saw his plan formulating.

"We don't want you," she intoned, realising the truth of it as she said it. Realised that perhaps, rather than a way to present a united front to Angelus, this might have been a way to be with Spike, and then blame it on the acting. Denial!Buffy wouldn't take her over this time though. She looked up to see Giles hanging over the banister, nodding as he realised what she had to do.

She took Spike's head in her hand and gathered him to her in a kiss that was slow and sweet, and left her wanting more, when she saw an arrow hit Spike's chest.

A moment of shock, ended by a club to the head.

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She awoke gasping, only to find that she was in the middle of an operation. A hammer and drill were to her head.

She screamed.