CHAPTER FOUR (Denial, it's not just a river in Egypt)

CHAPTER FOUR (Marshmallows, it's what for dinner)

"Well I guess I can trust you all to behave while I run home" Giles said pointedly looking at Anya and Willow.

"Sure Giles, you know us, the pinnacle of good behavior we are" Willow chirped in happily while elbowing Anya.

"Really Giles, you worry too much, just because we almost destroyed the store once is no reason to treat us like children, run along now" Anya said while locking up the cash register.

"Very well, I will be back shortly" Giles said on his way out the door.

"I'm going to go to the back and grab the weapons bag for tonight, Dawn, you wanna help" Xander asked.

"Sure thing" Dawn said while getting up from her place at the table. As they were walking towards the door Dawn mentioned "Be sure to be quiet, Spike's sleeping back here" Xander just shrugs. As they enter the room they hear quiet sobbing.

Xander whispers, "What's that?"

Dawn nods towards a sleeping Spike on the couch.

"Shouldn't we wake him up?"

"No" Dawn hissed. "I did that once right after" there was no need to say after what, "he got very mad and said never to wake him while he was dreaming that the dreams were important even if they were sometimes painful."

"Weird . . . let get the stuff and leave him alone" Xander whispered while handing Dawn a satchel of weapons and grabbing two for himself and they headed back to the front.

As they entered the front of the store they heard the tinkling of bells. It was Tara arriving with the pizzas.

"Ah the dinner of champions!" Xander exclaimed while setting his and Dawn's satchels on the counter.

"Dig in everyone" Tara, said as she set the pizzas down on the table and gave Willow a quick kiss on the cheek, "Xander could you run out to the car and get the beverages?"

"Sure, be back in a jiffy"

"Where's Giles?" Tara asked

"Oh, he had to run home to shed the tweed, he'll be back shortly to make sure that Willow and I haven't destroyed the store" Anya quipped as she flipped open one of the pizza boxes.

Xander returns with 2 twelve packs of soda just as a very loud, but happy "Whoop" is heard in the training room. Within a split second the door is flung open and a very jubilant Spike rushes in almost glowing with happiness.

"She was right absobloodylutely there on track with the right path reward marshmallows in the pot can bring back" Spike gushed out in one unneeded breath.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute could you try that again with complete sentences this time, perhaps in English?" Willow said as she crossed to Spike trying to calm him

"I don't know about marshmallows in the pot, but I think a certain vampire may be on pot" Xander sniped.

"Shut up, Xander" Willow snapped. "Spike have a seat, calm down, and explain what you are talking about slowly"

"Sorry, you all know that I've been having these dream type visions, well I just had a new one, where's the Watcher?"

"He had to go home, he'll be back in a minute" Willow answered.

"Phone!" Spike said looking around for the phone before realizing his cellular was clipped to his belt. He snatched it up, flipped it open and hit the number one speed dial as he hopped up and started pacing.

The rest of gang just watched the wired vampire in amazement and listened to his conversation.

"Giles, where are you? . . . . . Well, I know you are home that's where I called, what room? . . . . . Could you please go into the kitchen for me? . . . . Because I asked nicely that's why. . .thank you, now can you look in that bottom cupboard, the one with the pots and pans, yes that's the one. Now look inside the roasting pan and see if there is a package of marshmallows . . . there is? Woo! Hoo! Sorry about that Rup, yes I'll explain as soon as you get back here, if you could hurry, righto" Spike then flipped the phone closed and turned to look at the scoobies who were all looking at him like he was out of his vampy mind. "What? Can't a man get a little excited about marshmallows? I'll explain everything once Giles gets here" Spike said while the goofy grin on his face never wavered.

TBC . . .