Author's Notes: Look at me in a posting frenzy! Make sure you don't miss out on any chapters, they're going up rapidly.

"Giles, can I have your keys to the Magic Box? I feel the need to go punch things, but I don't really want to patrol tonight".

"Certainly, Buffy. Do you wish me to train with you?"

She kept her eyes on Giles, refusing to betray her intentions by letting them flick to Spike. "No, I need some alone time. Mom made me promise to go home 'til morning, but I can't do nothing until then".

She turned to Dawn. "Do you mind if Willow and Tara take you to the dorms tonight? And I'll pick you up in the morning and bring you back here?"

Dawn nodded. "Sure you want to be alone?"

"Yeah. I've got a lot of pent-up violence, need to blow off some steam. A few hours with the punching bag and I'll be all better". Buffy turned to Spike. "Drive me? Since it's on your way home?"

When Spike pulled up outside the Magic Box, she said quickly, before she could change her mind, "Actually, I was hoping you'd come in and spar with me. But only if you don't say anything that makes it sound dirty," she added, catching the gleam in his eye. "I'm serious. Violence only".

"You know that's like foreplay to a vampire, luv," he smirked anyways.

"Gah. Now I really want to hit you. Come on, fang face".

Buffy changed into a spare set of workout clothes while Spike kicked off his boots and duster. Once she was back on the mat, they circled each other warily. "I've been noticing there's been a marked lack of demon-y types lately. You know anything about that?" she asked the vampire.

He grinned. "Got a lot of spare time on my hands, don't I? And I've been feeling mighty -" he jabbed and she ducked, "invulnerable these days".

It was her turn to lash out now, a flurry of kicks and punches that sent him backwards under their ferocity. "Lucky for me, it makes you the perfect punching bag".

"Working out some personal issues, are we?" He feinted and kicked her legs out, sending her to the floor.

His casual barb made her realize that, yes, yes she was. Buffy climbed slowly to her feet and stood quietly, waiting until Spike stilled. "Like you don't deserve a good ass-kicking". Looking right into his eyes, she continued gravely, "I can't just forget what you did to me, Spike". She didn't want to bring this up again, not after his support at the hospital, but it had to be said. "I know from your point of view you weren't raping me. That wasn't your intention. But from mine? Really, really bad. And I know you're back to 'doing your best' and I'm proud of you for that, I truly am, but… I don't think things will ever be the same between us. Today was a start, but it's going to take an awful lot for me to be able to get past that night".

Spike closed the distance between them, suddenly furious. "Didn't help Joyce to win points with you!" he snapped.

Buffy didn't quail under his anger. "I know," she said soothingly. Once she might have added, That's why I can't help loving you. Because no vampire should feel this way. She didn't, of course. Things couldn't be right between her and Spike, not yet, maybe not ever, but he might take an admission of love to mean that they were.

Instead she said, "And that's exactly why it does mean so much. Because what you did? I don't even have words. But if I did, they'd all be good".

"Oh". He gave her a crooked smile and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "About the other - Buffy, I'm sorry. Doesn't change what happened, but I am sorry".

She examined his face. "Are you really? Do you feel remorse for what you did? Or are you sorry that I'm mad at you?"

"'M sorry that you're hurting, and that I'm the reason for it. Never want to hurt you".

"Okay". She let out a sigh. "I wasn't ready yet to hear what you had to say the other night, over dinner, but I am now. If we're going to work together, I have to – not forgive. Or forget. But at least hear your side. And I'm ready now. So what about the killing? Be honest, okay? Like you were in New York. Are you sorry about killing again?"

He looked steadily at her. "Not the way you want me to be. Not going to lose sleep over it. But if I had the chance at a do-over, I'd hope it would turn out different. And it won't happen again".

Buffy thought about his responses. Coming from a demon who only looked like a human, even if he had the startling habit of trying to act like a one, it was the best she could hope for. And if she were honest with herself, she had to admit that she was impressed. He had no real reason to give up evil, and yet here he was, still trying. It wasn't enough to let her trust him, but it counted for something.

"Thanks, Spike. For not lying to me. I appreciate it". He nodded.

Stepping back, she said, "Okay. I'm good. Moving on, back to the ass-kicking. But first," she darted forward once more and placed a kiss on his cheek, "Thanks. Again. For Mom. You really came through, Spike, and I'll never, ever forget that either".

While he stood there, stunned, she smiled at him, and then returned to her attack with a succession of punches and kicks that had him dancing backwards. Recovering himself, Spike got in another leg sweep that sent her to the ground.

Buffy rolled over, sprang up, and vaulted the pommel horse, balancing on top of it. He rushed it and she flipped, landing on the opposite side of him. "You're lucky I seem to be soft in the head over you, or you'd have been dead ages ago," she said lightly. Banter rather than accusation.

Spike twirled and clocked her in the face, just hard enough that she'd feel it without causing damage. "Pretty sure that's my line to you. You're lucky I'm the ponce that I am, don't drain you dry". He'd backed her up against the wall and she suddenly ducked and dove through his legs, coming up behind him with a pair of punches to his non-functional kidneys.

"No, I'm confident that you're the lucky one here". She dropped him with a kick and straddled him.

Spike didn't move, a happy grin plastered on his face. "I couldn't agree more, pet".

"Ugh!" She leapt off of him, fighting back the thrill of desire that ran through her. She did not want her body to go there. "Up! I'm not satisfied yet". She held up a hand to forestall his comment. "I know, I walked right into that one. Just give me… You know what, I'm not saying another word. There's nothing I can say right now without you twisting it into something obscene".

"'M a man of many, many talents," he rejoined, rising gracefully to his feet, ready for her next attack. True to her word, Buffy didn't speak, only whaled on him with her fists. "Come on, luv, it's no fun when you're all silent-like".

"So how do we decide who wins? Since we're not fighting to the death".

Licking his lips sensuously, Spike's nostrils flared and blue eyes darkened. Her legs trembled despite herself. "I have some… ideas… I could share with you".

"Just… stop, okay? Or I'll send you away and spend quality time with my punching bag instead".

He circled her. "Don't think it'll give you quite the same level of satisfaction," he leered, thumbs tucked in his belt loops and hands splayed suggestively.

She decided to misinterpret his obvious meaning. "Not nearly. I like sparring with you. We're well matched – nobody else can keep up with me".

Spike lunged, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her, holding her back flush to his chest. "In more ways than one". A moment later, blunt teeth nipped her neck. "You're dead. My point".

Buffy shivered as his teeth gently scraped along her sensitive flesh, and she pulled away. "Yeah, but I already staked you earlier".

"Did not!"

"Did too!" She began to circle him again. "Besides, I wasn't even trying to escape".

"Right then. Rematch. Winner takes all," he grinned wolfishly.

They went at it again, hitting and kicking with equal ferocity, until Spike tripped and pulled Buffy down with him in a tangle of limbs, hers sweaty, his cool. They lay together panting. "Did I win?" she gasped, chest heaving.

He turned his head so he could look directly at her. "Dunno. Do you feel satisfied?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Buffy looked back at him. Her need for violence was satisfied, no doubt, but after a good fight like that, lying intertwined with him was making her dissatisfied in other ways. Spike's lips were scant inches from hers. All she had to do was lean forward, and she would feel them on hers. He moved his head incrementally closer, and she did the same, their eyes never leaving each others'. His breath washed over her face, cool and pleasant.

She made herself roll away, and Spike let out a frustrated grunt. Without looking at him, she said, "I'm not letting you break my heart again. I won't trust you with it. I can't trust you, William, I just can't. Don't ask me to try".

When she turned around he was gone, the door to the training room swinging shut.

"What are you doing here, you leprotic hobbit?"

"You were observed talking to the Slayer. Her Glorificus is wondering if you know her?"

"Her mom is a patient. That's all. Go away".

"Glory would like to encourage your friendship with the Slayer. It might lead to information about the Key".

"Let the Most Unstable One understand this. I'm not helping her find the Key. I would never do that to an innocent gir-uh-guy".

"Gir Guy?"

"Girl Guide. Like a Girl Scout. But foreign. Far, far away from Sunnydale".

"I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'll just be going now".

"You're going to run and tell her, aren't you? I can't let that happen. I won't be responsible".

"Girl Guide? That is ridiculous. Tell me exactly what Gentle Ben said".

"'I would never do that to an innocent gir-uh-guy'".

"I see... I do believe he meant an innocent girl. Don't you Jinxie?"

"I need to step up my game, Giles. I still have no idea how to stop Glory. And… I feel like it's making me hard inside. I can't say how I feel to anybody. Can barely even say the word… love," she whispered, as though it were dirty. "I mean, I almost lost my mom, again, last week, and I still have a hard time telling her I love her".

"How serious are you about this?"

"Ten. Serious to the amount of ten".

"There is something. In the Watcher's Diaries. A quest".

Spike stood, head cocked, examining her. It. "And she's got all the extra programming, right?"

"All the stuff you wanted. The scenario responses, the, you know… special skills… all of it. Now, you said I could leave town when she's done".

"Hold on. I'm not sure I'm a satisfied customer. She looks a little shiny to me. You know, a touch of plasticine… You sure she'll hold up? She as strong as your sexbot?"

"Stronger". The nerd tried to sneak past him, and Spike reached out with sudden speed to grab him by the collar.

"You'll leave when I say".

The robot's eyes popped open. "What do you want, Spike?" She punched him in the nose.

"She'll do".

"Come on, then, Slayer, it's time to patrol. Fight for justice… and puppies… and Christmas".

"I can patrol on my own".

Bloody hell, maybe he should have had that Warren program her a little less realistically. Couldn't have hurt to have her treat him right. "Yeah, but, it's more fun with the two of us".

He'd considered getting a Buffy sexbot, realizing what April had been made for, but the idea hadn't appealed. A 'bot could never fill the hole that the real girl had left in him. Instead, he'd ordered up a Slayer. That April had tossed Spike around like he was a mere human. With Glory running around, he'd figured they could use another fighter on the team. Someone as strong as he and Buffy were. And if the 'bot got damaged, well, no big loss.

He wanted to test her out, though, make sure she passed inspection before he tipped his hand to the real Slayer. Just in case things didn't go according to plan – which was the sodding story of his unlife since he'd first set foot in Sunnyhell.

Patrol went well, the Slayerbot successfully staking several vampires. She sounded a little off, her conversation was a little stilted, but he figured she'd pass in a pinch. She'd been programmed to think of his home as hers, so she followed him home without question, and Spike told her to go sleep on the couch, unsure of exactly what to do with her.

She insisted on sleeping in the bed though, which must have been something Warren had programmed in without his knowledge, and Spike caved. Wasn't really worth an argument with a robot, and he had to admit, he did enjoy pretending it was the real Buffy laying next to him, sleeping with him.

Which is how the Slayer found them when she barged into his flat the next day.

"Spike, I need to – what the hell?" she spluttered.

The 'bot sat up. "Say, look at you. You look like me. Hello other Buffy. You're very pretty".

"You made a robot? A sexbot?" Buffy screeched, advancing on him.

The 'bot echoed her perfectly, and Spike was faced with two furious Slayers.

"Buffy, no look – she's clothed, see?" he protested quickly. "I had her made to fight Glory!"

"And she fights Glory from your bed?" Buffy demanded indignantly, hovering over him.

"It was bleeding Warren, the little worm. He must have thought it'd be a right laugh to have her insist on sleeping in my bed. But that's it, alright?" He turned to the Buffybot. "Tell her. Tell her all we've done is patrol".

The Buffybot complied. "Yes. Spike insisted on patrolling with me, even though I did not want him to. And then we came home and he tried to make me sleep on the couch, but I did not wish to sleep on the couch. He did not wish to give up his bloody bed to me. So we shared it".

Buffy looked between Spike and the 'bot, her face unsure.

"Come on, luv. Like she could ever replace you. I'd know the difference in a heartbeat".

Lips twitching, Buffy said, "That would be a metaphorical heartbeat, I'm guessing".

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "She's bloody strong," he explained. "Stronger than me. It can't hurt to have another warrior for the cause, yeah?"

The flesh and blood Buffy came and sat on the bed on the other side of him, head cocked to examine the 'bot, and Spike found himself sandwiched between two Buffys. Naughty, naughty images flashed into his head, and he swallowed, making sure the blankets covered him.

"Um, maybe you ladies would like to go into the other room. Get to know each other better while I get dressed," he suggested hoarsely.

"He is attempting to hide his erection," the Buffybot whispered conspiratorially. "It is massive, but uninteresting to me". The real Buffy glanced at him, taking in his look of discomfort, and then dropped her eyes to where the silken black sheets covered him, cheeks flushing prettily.

Spike squirmed. They were very naughty thoughts.

Getting up quickly, Buffy rolled her eyes and said, "Come on then. Let's go chat while Spike here takes care of his problem". She giggled, and the two of them left, Buffy shutting the door behind them.

Spike let out a sigh, hand drifting beneath the sheets. It was torture, wanting Buffy, never having her, never wanting anybody else in her place. He hoped she appreciated just how much he was restraining himself for her sake.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the naughty thoughts he'd been having. Two golden Buffys twined around him, around each other, two sets of pouty pink lips begging him for more. That did it. He was soon up and dressed, and he opened the door to see the pair of Buffys arm-wrestling. That led to images of full-body wrestling… naked… with oil… and him in the middle. He shut the door again.

Spike sat in the dank caves with Dawn, the Buffybot guarding the entrance.

"You want to know what I'm scared of, Spike?" He reached out to the girl, pulled her to him, holding her close. "Me. Right now, Glory thinks Tara's the Key. But I'm the Key, Spike. I am. And anything that happened to Tara is 'cause of me". She began to cry. "Everyone around me is going to suffer and… die. I… this stupid Key must be something horrible… to cause so much… evil".

"Rot!"

"What do you know?"

"'M a vampire. I know something about evil. You're not evil".

Dawn snuffled onto his t-shirt. "Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'm not evil, but I don't think I can be good".

Spike thought about this for a moment, wondering how to comfort her. "Well, I'm not good, and I'm okay".

She gazed up at him, so different and yet so like her sister. She sniffled. "I can see why Buffy loves you".

"You think she loves me?"

"Duh".

"She still crying 'cause of me?"

Dawn considered. "Not as much as she used to. But I know she spends a lot of time worrying about you".

"Really? How d'you figure?"

She gave him a mischievous look. "I know where she keeps her diary".

"And what else does big Sis have to say about me".

"The usual – 'I know he's evil and has no soul, what will I do if he starts killing again…'"

"Nothing… good?"

Her cheeks flaming, Dawn mumbled, "A whole lot of things I wish I could forget".

Spike smiled slowly. "Huh".

"I wish Mom was here".

"Me too, Dawnie. But she's still recovering, and with Glory coming after us… she's safer at our aunt's house. We'll see her soon".

"How are we going to stop Glory?"

"Working on it. But I know we will. When have we ever failed? Plus, we've got Spike and the Buffybot to help protect you now, so don't worry, okay?"

"Look at that! The light… it's so pure!" Tara moaned, pointing at Dawn. "Such a pure, green energy. It's so beautiful!"

Buffy turned to Glory, hoping she didn't understand, but… she did. It was too late.

She tore out of Tara's room, Dawn clutched tightly in her grasp, screaming "Run!"

Spike caught up to her, hoisted Dawn easily over his shoulder. The three of them took off across campus, away from the Hellgod, but it was no use. She followed them in a blur of speed, suddenly cutting them off.

"Spike!" Buffy hissed. "See the truck?"

His eyes flicked up the road and back again, and he nodded subtly.

"I really hate it when people touch my things," Glory snapped. "Last words, Slay-runt?"

"Just one". She hesitated, gave Glory a slight push backwards. "Truck".

An air-horn blared and the truck slammed into Glory, carrying her down the street. Spike pushed Dawn into Buffy's arms and followed the truck, calling "Maybe I can finish her," over his shoulder.

Buffy ran the opposite direction, through the park, until her breath was ragged. "I have to… I have to catch my breath," she panted, setting Dawn down.

"What now?" her not-so-little sister asked, terrified.

"We leave. We get out of town. We're not ready for her, so let's not be here when she comes knocking".

Spike had caught up to them, and she turned to him. "Remember when you wanted to run away with me, leave it all behind? Today's your lucky day".

"Alright then. Let's get my car, road trip it is".

"We can't take your car. We won't all fit," Buffy protested.

Spike looked around. "I'm only counting three of us, Slayer. We grab Slayerbot, that makes four".

"No!" she insisted. "All of us. I'm not leaving them here for Glory to brain suck".

Spike eyed her. "Whatever you say. We gotta get downtown first, anyhow. Then, what, should I steal an RV or a bus?"

"Whatever. But what happened with Glory?"

"Don't know. She was gone by the time I got there. Funny thing, though, could have sworn I saw your friend Ben out of the corner of my eye. Wearing a dress just like Glory's. Which – odd enough – but remember I was going to check up on him? Nobody's seen him all this time. And now he's back?"

"You know what? We don't have time for your jealousy. Whatever's up with Drag Queen Ben, I don't care. Let's get moving".

They flanked Dawn, heading quickly for downtown, and were soon at Spike's apartment. He grabbed an axe from his closet and called to the Buffybot.

"You should have made her more like the Terminator," Dawn joked weakly. "All 'I'll be back' and stuff".

Downstairs once more, Buffy turned towards the Magic Shop, saying "I hope the others are there," but Spike shook his head.

"Nothing doing, Buffy. We don't have time for them. 'M sorry," and he grabbed her in a choke hold. She flailed against him, but it was no use. As everything grew dim, she could hear Dawn screaming, and Spike ordering the Buffybot to hang on to her sister.

Her last thought was that she was going to kill Spike.

A/N: How does the Buffybot know Spike's sporting wood? Because she has freaking x-ray vision. Or something. Just accept it!