Spike grouched to himself as he got into his car. He sat for several moments
staring at Buffy's apartment building. He had a good mind to march up to her
door, break it down and somehow force her to make her feelings public. Granted
she had told him she loved him and that meant the world to him, but what good was
it if she could only love him when they were alone. No, he would wait give her
a bit of time. He leaned his head against the steering wheel and remembered
a time long ago - in car.
***
"I'm so sick of this. They won't give me a minutes peace, 'You okay, Buffy',
'You alright, Buffy', 'How are you feeling, Buffy?" Buffy got into the Desoto and
slammed her door shut, "Let's patrol...NOW."

Spike had to stifle a grin, he understood her irritation with the Scoobs, yet he
also understand their worries about Buffy too. "They are just worried about
you, it's understandable."

"It's annoying is what it is. Like I'm a little child that they want to keep away from
the scissors. I know they care but really it's just getting to be too much." She sighed
as she stared out the window.

"Any particular place you want to patrol?" He asked as he started the car.

She thought for a moment before an evil smile crossed her lips. "Yeah, remember
that place in the woods where we found Dawn and that vamp parking?"

He turned to her and raised a scarred eyebrow, "You want to patrol there?"

"Yes, maybe thats a good vamp parking place - you never know." She nodded
her head as he turned down the narrow road leading to the notorious parking
spot.

He stopped the car and started to open his door, before he could do that she
was on him, fast as lightning she pulled his seat lever reclining his seat as far
back as it could go. She sat straddled his lap with a look of pure lust on her pretty
face.

"Uh...I thought we were gonna patrol, Luv." He struggled for the words as she
planted hot kisses all over his neck.

"Do you see any vamps?" She looked up and asked with a seductive smile.

"Well...no." He answered with a groan as her warm mouth met his own.

"Then relax, we might as well enjoy ourselves while we are here." She murmured
against him.

Enjoy themselves they did - many times over.
*****
&&&
Spike shook his head as he started the car and went in search of a hotel. He
found one not too far from Buffy's place and made a mental note to call Dawn
with the number in the morning. He settled into the bed and tried not to notice
how empty it seemed without Buffy beside. One night in ten years and he was
gone all over again. This time,maybe this time they could find a way?

&&&
The next morning Buffy was up before her alarm went off. It was 7am - too early
to call Dawn. She probably hadn't even heard from Spike yet. She went into
work and busied herself until lunchtime. Maybe she would go see her sister for
lunch? She grabbed her purse and keys and told Albert she would see him later.


Dawn was making cookies when the phone rang. She answered the phone
her voice muffled with a chocolate chip cookie. "MMghhh,,,Hello."

"Little Bit it's me. . you okay?"

Dawn swallowed and answered, "I'm making cookies, I had to sample them.
Chocolate chip."

"Red's recipe?" Spike asked at the memory of Willow's guilt cookies after the
boggled engagement spell all those years ago.

"Yep." Dawn smiled.

"Well I just wanted you to know, I'm at the Sunnydale Shores Hotel." He gave
her the number.

"Okay, Xander will be here tomorrow. I'm having Buffy over at 6, I want you here
too."

"Dawn, I'm really not sure about this." He replied uneasily.

"Do you love her? Do you really want to be with her?" Dawn asked her patience
running thin with the vampire and her older sister.

"Of course!" He exclaimed into the phone, "And I know she loves me - she just
doesn't want anyone else to know!"

"Just be here at 6."

"Fine, I"ll be there tomorrow night, 6 o'clock." He hung up the phone and
crawled back into the bed.

Dawn hung up the phone in time to answer the doorbell. She checked on
Will as she walked through the living room he was watching Sesame Street
and getting sleepy after his lunch. She was surprised to see Buffy at her front door. "Come in
"Come on in. I'm baking cookies." Dawn ushered her into the kitchen noticing that
Will had given into sleep and was napping on the rug with his stuffed dog clutched
next to him.

"I thought I'd drop by and apologize in person for leaving last night." Buffy told
Dawn as she took an offered cookie.

"Umm....Wil's recipe?" She asked as she poured herself a glass of milk.

"Uh huh. I thought maybe you had come by to get the number where Spike is at?"
Dawn asked with a smile.

"Well, I just kind of wondered if he was in town still." Buffy lowered her eyes
away from her sisters.

"He is, he's at the Sunnydale Shores. Room 321."

"Oh, okay." Buffy smiled and shook her head.

"So are you going to go tell him your tired of being scared and worried and
you want to be with him no matter what?" Dawn asked seriously.

Buffy's eyes grew wide with surprise, "How did you.........how did you know about
that?"

"Buffy - even as a teenager I suspected that a lot more happened between you and
Spike. After you left last night, I forced the truth out of him." Dawn put her arm
around her sisters shoulder, "You need him, Buffy. It doesn't matter what anyone
thinks."

"Well some people are going to be very unhappy. Giles will accept it grudgingly,
but Xander will guilt me about it. I know he'll bring up the Angel thing and I don't
want to dissappoint my friends again." Buffy sighed as she finished her cookie.

"Buffy, I'm your family and I accept Spike. And if you want to get down to the nitty
gritty it's not Giles or Xander who is going to be there on those cold lonely nights
for you. You already know Spike will be, if you let him." Dawn went back to her
cookie dough before adding, "He's evidently kept you warm before." She giggled
at the look on Buffy's face.

"How much did he tell you?" Buffy asked embarrassed.

"Enough for me to know that I'm getting rid of the couch from the old house that I
have in my den. I can never look at it again, without disturbing images of you
and......."

"Okay, okay." Buffy interrupted Dawn before she could say more.

Dawn had to get in one more jab, "I mean it, Buffy. I was just a kid and I sat
on that couch!"

"I'm leaving now Dawn." Buffy put her fingers in her ears, "Not listening."

"Are you going to see Spike?" Dawn asked as she saw Buffy to the door.

"Probably - later tonight. We have lots to talk about."

"Good." Dawn waved at her sister as she drove away.

&&&&
Buffy managed to get through the rest of the workday without making any major
mistakes. Her thoughts were filled with Spike and for some reason that old couch
in Dawn's den. She giggled out loud as she remembered.

****

"Do you like it?" Buffy asked as she picked up a pillow and fluffed it.

"It's a sofa, pet. What's to like or dislike?" Spike replied as he sat down on
the newly acquired couch.

"The color - silly or if it's comfortable to sit on or not." She sat down beside him.
"I think it's pretty comfortable to sit on."

He grinned at her and asked innocently, "Is anyone else here?"

"No, everyone is gone for the night. Willow went to her Grandmother's and Dawn
is at Melinda's house."

"Well in that case I think we should test it's comfort out. I mean we can tell it's comfy
sitting up." He patted the cushion before taking her in his arms and laying her beneath
him, "But what about when you're lying down?" He began to nibble on her earlobe.

"I see what you mean." She giggled softly as she let him move down to her
neck and collarbone. "So far it seems comfy lying down too."

"Thats laying still though, what if you move in your sleep?" He looked up and
winked at her.

"Like this, maybe?" She arched against him.

"Yeah, baby. Just like that."

*****
Albert startled Buffy back to reality, "Miss. Summers , I'm on my way out, do
you need anything before I go?"

"A cold shower" Buffy mumbled to herself.

"Pardon me?" Albert asked with a confused look.

"Nothing, I'm fine, Albert. Goodnight." Buffy looked at the clock it was six thirty and
she wanted to change before she went to see Spike.

&&&&&

It was seven o'clock and Spike was suffering from cabin fever. He had decided
he needed to get out relax, have a drink maybe. Tomorrow he was going to have
to face Buffy, better make that a couple of drinks.

Willy's Bar was crowded Spike noticed as he walked up to the bar. "Business
is good, Willy."

"Yeah its my new gimmick. Singles night, young lonely demons and such can
come here get discounted drinks and find true love thanks to ole Willy."
Willy explained as he poured Spike's drink.

"And you do this out of the kindess of your heart?"

"Well they pay a small fee and I make sure they have a good time and meet
lots of other singles. Kind of like a dating service for them. You interested -
I think I could find lots of women who would like to hook up with a goodlooking
vamp like yourself." Willy winked at Spike.

"No thanks." Spike shook his head, "I will have another drink though."

"Well if you change your mind," Willy shrugged as he refilled Spike's glass.

"Not likely." Spike muttered to himself.

He didn't notice the tall leggy redhead across the room eyeing him.


TBC