Disclaimer: Again, I own NOTHING.

Three hours later, the gang was sitting in a hospital room next to Xander. His arm had been put in a cast(after telling the hospital personel that they had gotten into a minor car accident), and Joyce was on her way to the hospital to take Willow, Buffy and Spike back to their houses. Xander had called his parents and was anxiously awaiting their critisism.

"Hey, Cordelia made it back to her house before you found us earlier, right?" Buffy asked Xander, thinking about Xander's girlfriend for the first time in the midst of everything that had happened that evening.

Xander nodded. "Yeah, she got sick of my bitching and went home. I called her earlier though; she'll be by my house tomorrow to see me." He remembered how much he had annoyed Cordelia earlier that night; she had gotten sick of him going on about Buffy and her problems instead of worrying about his girlfriend. She had left after about twenty minutes.

Buffy remembered the fight that she and Xander had gotten into when he had left the Bronze. No one had mentioned it thus far, and she wasn't sure how to bring it up. Was Spike really worth losing a friendship with Xander?

Yes, her mind said fiercely. No one has treated me better than Spike has. I love him too much to let him go now. I don't care what Xander thinks. She and Spike had been through too much together to split up over petty thinks like whether or not Xander liked or approved of Spike. He wasn't her father. And if he were really her friend, he would accept Buffy's decisions about who she hung around. Or so she kept telling herself . . .

At that moment, Joyce walked into the room. "Oh my God," she breathed quietly as she walked over to Buffy, examining the cuts and scrapes across her forehead.

"I'm fine, Mom,' Buffy said, brushing her mother's fingers away from her face. "Xander's pretty beat up, but other than that the rest of us are fine."

"That's good." Joyce walked over to the bed on which Xander was lying, observing his arm.. "I brought you some cookies," Joyce said, holding out a Tupperware bowl full of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies that she had baked the day before. She smacked Buffy's hand away as she tried to snatch a pean8t butter cookie out of the bowl.

"Thanks, Mrs. Summers," Xander said, picking up a chocolate chip cookie as Buffy eyed him jealously.

"Oh, I saw the Harrises, they're on their way up to see Xander," Joyce said.

Buffy looked over at Willow and Giles. "Better go prepare them." Willow and Giles nodded, following her out. Joyce smiled at Xander and walked out of the room to assist Buffy.

Spike and Xander were left in the room together, alone. With no one else to talk to, Spike felt very awkward. Judging from the look on Xander's face, he was thinking the same thing. They sat in silence for a few more moments before Xander opened his mouth to speak.

"Spike—"

"Don't even bother," Spike interjected, slightly annoyed. "It's quite bloody obvious what you think of me and Buffy. And frankly, I don't give a damn what you think about my being with her. I'm there until she tells me to leave." Spike felt himself growing angry again. How many times did this git have to tell him how much he hates him?

"Will you let me finish for once, Deadboy?" Xander snarled. He sat up straight so that he could look at Spike in the eyes.

Have to admire the boy's bravery, at least, Spike thought.

"I was going to say," Xander continued, "that I . . . I'm happy you and Buffy are together."

Spike's chin figuratively hit the floor. WHAT?

Xander sighed, clearly not liking this. "I saw what you did for her today. I don't think I've ever seen Buffy so happy as when she's with you, either." He paused, not sure of how to proceed.

"Sorry,' he added grudgingly.

Spike grinned. It was about bloody time, too.

"No problem, mate," he said, still smiling. "Glad we could come to an understanding."

Xander scowled. "Don't think this means I like you or anything. I still hate your guts."

Spike was still smirking when Buffy and her friends, along with Xander's parents, walked in the door. Buffy noticed immediately that Xander and Spike seemed to be getting along better.

"What happened?" she muttered to Spike.

"Later, love," Spike said, grinning.

Xander's parents didn't seem to care very much that Xander's arm was broken; they just wanted to know if they were going to have to replace anyone's car (the story was that Xander was driving Giles' car). Giles assured them they wouldn't. The Harrises were much more friendly after that. An hour later, everyone left the hospital, Willow, Spike and Buffy all piling into Joyce's car to go to Buffy's house (there was no way Willowwas walking into her parent's house at four in the morning).

As they were walking to Joyce's Jeep, Willow turned to Buffy.

"Told you Xander would come around," she said smugly.

"Yeah, yeah . . ."