Dawn's alarm was going off. Buffy's eyes opened slowly. She felt arms tighten around her, and a light kiss against the back of her neck. "Good morning, sunshine." Spike's voice, that answered the `who' question. The alarm was silenced and Buffy could hear her sister stumbling around upstairs. She struggled to sit up. "Careful luv, you lost a lot of blood yesterday." Okay, now the `why do I feel so rotten?' question was answered. Cool hands helped her up into a sitting position. "You're likely to be dizzy."
Time to do a quick self assessment--head? feels fine...no headache or blurred vision--legs? no pain...appear to work--arms? Ow, okay, left arm hurts. "What happened to my arm? It looks like a..."
"It looks like I damn near chewed it off at the elbow. Like I said last night, pet, you and I are gonna talk about that. After we get Nibblet off to school." She carefully stood and walked to the kitchen. He followed closely.
"Spike, you don't have to follow me. I'm not going to run screaming into the daylight to avoid whatever you want to talk about. I'm just getting breakfast for Dawn." She proved the point by getting a bowl, box of cereal and the milk.
"Not afraid you'll run. I'm afraid you'll pass out." He continued to follow her. Dawn came shambling down the stairs. She headed straight for the shower. Buffy sat down and Spike walked over closer to her. "Slayer, you need to eat. You lost a lot of blood."
"Not hungry. Just tired. And thirsty."
"Right, orange juice it is." Spike went over got the orange juice and poured it into a large glass. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."
She took the glass from him and downed the contents in two gulps. She handed it back to him. "Happy now?" He refilled it and firmly put it down in front of her. She frowned at it, but she finished it off, too. "I didn't drink that because you bullied me--I just happen to be very thirsty this morning."
"Anything you say, luv." He took the glass and put it in the sink, then put away the cereal, milk, and bowl. He then opened up the refrigerator and surveyed the contents. "Eggs or French toast?"
"I am NOT hungry."
"For Dawn then. I don't like cooking just for myself, but I do fancy the occasional hot breakfast."
"You cook? Since when?"
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me. The witches taught me a thing or two about herbs and spices, but there are also an assortment of cooking shows on the telly. When there's nothing else to do until Passions comes on, I'll watch them." He started digging around in the cupboards for utensils. "Besides," he added defensively, "Nibblet likes my cooking."
"Eggs, then. She likes..."
"One cheese omelet coming up. Since I'm already making them, what would you like on yours?" He continued to rummage around until he found everything he needed.
"You are a bully. Since you're already making them, I'll have a pizza omelet. Just cheese and pizza sauce, there isn't any pepperoni in the house."
"Right. One cheese, one pizza with no meat, and one blood and bacon bits." Buffy looked at him, both fascinated and disgusted. "I like texture with my food. I always make mine after, so it doesn't sit there and clot." She looked a little pale and nauseated. "What? I have to have blood. Why can't I spice it up a bit? After the first 50 years or so it starts to get a little boring. Liquid breakfast, liquid lunch, liquid supper, liquid midnight snack. I mean, the hunt is fun and all, but sometimes I think I'd rather just chase things to death than feed from them." She got even paler and tried to stand up, hand over her mouth.
Buffy woke up on the couch. She could hear Dawn sniffling and Spike soothing her. "What happened?"
"Buffy, are you okay? Spike said you were--but you were so pale and still. You should go to the hospital." Dawn went over to her and took her hands. "They're still cold," she said nervously. "Should she be this cold? I can get my sleeping bag if she needs more covers."
Buffy smiled at her sister. "I'm fine. I just passed out. I think from lack of food. I'm warm enough and if I do get colder there's someone here to get me more blankets. How long was I out? Did you get breakfast yet?"
"You were out about fifteen minutes. Nibblet, I'll make her rest all day today and force her to eat more food than she thinks she should. She'll be fine, I promise. Now eat your breakfast and scoot off to class." Dawn hugged her sister and went in the kitchen to have breakfast. Buffy tried to stay awake until she left for school, Dawn didn't need to be frightened any more than she already was. She heard Spike and Dawn bantering in the kitchen. She closed her eyes to rest, felt a fleeting kiss on her forehead and heard the door slam. "Buffy, we need to talk."
She slowly pried her eyelids open. Spike was sitting on the floor in front of her, staring intently at her face. "Since when do you call me by my name?"
"Since yesterday when you risked your life for me."
She sighed. "Don't make a big deal about it."
"Do you have your death wish back? `Cos I don't fancy being the one you choose to kill you again. Dammit Slayer, what you did yesterday was not only dangerous, it was bloody stupid! Why not just decide you're going to take a meal away from a tiger at the zoo next time? Same difference, big predator, no conscience." He stood up and began pacing around the couch in circles. "Why did you let me feed from you? I know Angel did it, I've seen the scar; but the heat of passion and beaten half dead are completely different things. A little love bite is dangerous enough, but I had no idea what I was doing at the time--never had control of myself to start with." He leaned over the back of the couch and glared at her.
She sat up and watched him as he began pacing again. "Spike, I've never been bitten in the heat of passion. The Master bit me to free himself from some mystical barrier. I forced Angel to bite me to cure a poison. Dracula bit me to be able to call me." Spike stood in front of the couch where he'd stopped when she started explaining to him.
"Four times? By four different vampires? And lived? You are one tough Slayer. That's gotta be a record." He shook his head and whistled in admiration.
"Well, technically not. The Master drowned me after he bit me. Xander brought me back. And I was dead before you..." She looked down at the floor. "Besides, what was I supposed to do, let you die?"
He knelt in front of her and raised her chin. "I would rather I died than come around and find out I'd killed you. Please Buffy, don't ever scare me like that again. I don't want a mistake like that to haunt me for the rest of my days. Promise me."
She grabbed his wrist and looked into his eyes. "I would do the same for any one of the Scoobies. I've died twice, it's not like I'm afraid of it. I'm not searching for a way to kill myself--I just did what I had to do to protect you. I didn't want Rack to come back and finish what he'd started. How did he do most of that damage, anyways? I can understand the burns, but how did he dislocate your pinkies?"
Spike looked at her in surprise and released her chin. "You didn't know? Slayer, Rack didn't do that. He's only one demon and I know better than to let him get in close. Remember the toothy gent I owe the kittens to? He figured out that if he used humans, I couldn't touch them. He found me when I went out to pick up cigarettes. He had five big enforcer type humans beat me up. They kicked me, punched me, burned me with cigarettes, and bent my fingers sideways. Then they stole my clothes and left me outside to fry. I managed to crawl back to my crypt. I think I got a little sunburned because I wasn't moving too fast by then. Next thing I remember I was coming to with Dawn yelling and hitting me and trying to get me to let go of your arm."
Buffy closed her eyes and chuckled. "Spike, you generate more excitement than I do. I think Dawn's the only person I know who can find trouble as fast or as consistently as you. Now that we're all staying in one house; this should be interesting." She opened her eyes and looked up at him, smiling. "Now I'm hungry. Could I have that omelet please?"
Buffy slept most of the morning, waking occasionally when Spike coaxed her to drink something. She felt much better by the time her sister came home. "How is she?" Dawn demanded the second she walked in the door.
" `She' is much better and perfectly able to answer for herself," Buffy retorted.
"Buffy, I was just thinking, where are Willow and Tara going to stay? It's not like there's much room here. I have a cot which is pretty much one person only. You have a bed which sleeps two if they're cozy. Spike has the couch which is two people if they're friendly." She crossed over to the couch and sat down next to her sister. "I don't mind giving up my bed, I have a sleeping bag. But where on the floor I can sleep without getting stepped on?"
Buffy sighed and looked at her sister. "Willow's going to be out of it for sixteen hours or so and will probably need to sleep in a bed to recover. I don't think Tara's going to sleep much with all the worrying she'll be doing. She'll get your cot in my room, you'll sleep in your sleeping bag on your floor. I don't know how they're going to react, but Willow and Tara are going to be told tonight about Spike. Xander already knows so I'm sure Anya knows. You know. Spike and I will be staying together down here on the couch." Spike looked at her in disbelief.
Dawn beamed. "Finally. I think it's about time you two officially got together. I know he'd do anything for us and you'd do anything for him." Buffy blushed. Spike smiled his trademark cocky smile. Dawn completely missed the connotations of what she'd said.
The evening was used for homework and a strategy session. Xander and Anya brought Chinese food and a multitude of books. "Xander, is it weird to be the resident expert? I mean when you started the construction job, did you ever think the knowledge would come in handy for demon slayage?" Buffy asked around her mouthful of sesame chicken.
"When I first started, I was just worried about not screwing up and getting fired. Then I was worried about getting laid off when things got slow. No, I guess it never crossed my mind until the Glory wrecking ball incident that anything I learned doing construction would be useful as a Scooby skill."
"Construction did help develop your muscles, Xander. I first noticed how much I wanted to have sex with you when I saw you at work with a shovel." Anya added. As everyone turned to look at her she got a defensive look on her face. "It makes him more effective at the fieldwork. Like Giles told the Watcher's Council."
They made as many speculations as they could, based on what Willow had told them. Plans were up in the air until they found out more about Rack and why only Willow could kill him. "Hey, guys, do you realize just how boring you are?" Dawn asked. "I mean it's Friday night and nobody is out dancing or at a party somewhere."
Buffy looked over at her sister. "Why, did you have a date? In my too weird life plotting to slay demons is a legitimate Friday evening activity. Actual slayage is scheduled for Saturdays, followed by a celebration of slayage after a shower and change of clothes." Everyone turned to stare at Buffy. "What, I can't be funny? And I thought the bad guys had no sense of humor." Slightly embarrassed, she started cleaning up the remains of supper. Surprisingly, Anya hopped up to help her. When she did that, Buffy had a good idea of what was coming.
As they started putting cartons into the refrigerator, Anya started the interrogation. "So, is he as good at intercourse as I heard? I once dated a vampire. Aside from the whole bloodsucking thing, there's nothing like somebody who doesn't need to breathe to..."
"Anya, I don't want to go into this with you. He loves me, treats me and Dawn well, and yes, the sex is incredible. I found that I enjoy having an equal partner, but I can't think about us right now with everything that's going on. That's all I'm going to say."
"Good for you. As long as you're getting along well and the sex is worthwhile, I say solve this Rack problem and hump like hamsters. Oh, do you play sex games? If you need handcuffs I have a spare pair."
Buffy broke in, "thank you, Anya. I'll consider your generous offer. Let's get back to the living room. I think this conversation is going somewhere I don't want to think about right now."
As they went into the living room, Anya told the inhabitants, "I think she's happy. Spike, you must be quite potent. I heard someone mention that Slayers have more stamina than ten normal women." Dawn looked at her sister and Spike; then bolted into the bathroom, blushing. In identical exasperated moves, Buffy and Xander looked down and slowly shook their heads.
Spike grinned and winked at the ex-demon. "If it weren't for the fact that she would stake me, I'd kiss you for that comment."
Anya got a speculative look on her face. "I've always wanted to try a threesome..."
Buffy looked up at the two of them, "Spike, if you want to kiss her, go ahead. But don't think you'll ever touch these lips again." Dawn cautiously emerged from the bathroom. "Or any other part of my body."
Dawn screeched, "I'm getting WAY too much information! Having to listen to you make disgusting noises is bad enough." The two couples looked at each other, then the room got awkwardly quiet.
"Uh, she was talking about me and Riley, I think. Spike and I haven't...uh, not while she was in the house. I mean, not in the house at all. Either house. Not like it was in a field or...I'm going to shut up now." Spike went over behind her chair and wrapped his arms around her. She settled back into them and he leaned forward and kissed her hair. The doorbell rang. Dawn scrambled up to get it. "Check before you open it. It's too early for Willow and Tara."
Dawn looked through the peephole and opened the door. "It's only eight o'clock. What are you guys doing here this early?"
Willow and Tara stepped inside. "I finished the translation early and since I was feeling better Tara made a quick trip to the herb shop alone. We thought we'd want to start the spell earlier if possible, so here we are. Is that Chinese food I smell? We haven't eaten since noon." Tara smiled a quick hello to everyone.
Buffy went back into the kitchen to get leftovers for the witches. When she returned, everyone was looking expectantly at her. "What? Is everyone hungry? I'm not carrying all the food back out here. Not hungry? What is it?"
"No, pet. Dawn was trying to explain sleeping arrangements." Spike was smirking. Dawn appeared upset. Xander and Anya looked like they were waiting for the explosion to happen. Tara was looking at her with an understanding expression. Willow was glaring at her.
"Buffy, how COULD you? Wasn't Angel a big enough mistake? Now you have to make it worse by sleeping with the enemy AGAIN? At least Angel had a soul. What does Spike have? A chip. I work with computers all the time. Do you know how delicate a chip can be? Six months and it'll malfunction and he'll kill you in your sleep. You won't even see it coming."
Buffy glared at her friend. "Yeah, and Angel left me. When he had a soul. By the way, news flash here. Spike's chip doesn't work on me. The chip isn't broken, I am. I don't register on Spike's radar as human anymore. I've slept in his arms at least twice since he figured it out and he hasn't hurt me yet. Evidently someone screwed up the spell that ripped me out of Heaven." Everyone looked at her in horror.
Time to do a quick self assessment--head? feels fine...no headache or blurred vision--legs? no pain...appear to work--arms? Ow, okay, left arm hurts. "What happened to my arm? It looks like a..."
"It looks like I damn near chewed it off at the elbow. Like I said last night, pet, you and I are gonna talk about that. After we get Nibblet off to school." She carefully stood and walked to the kitchen. He followed closely.
"Spike, you don't have to follow me. I'm not going to run screaming into the daylight to avoid whatever you want to talk about. I'm just getting breakfast for Dawn." She proved the point by getting a bowl, box of cereal and the milk.
"Not afraid you'll run. I'm afraid you'll pass out." He continued to follow her. Dawn came shambling down the stairs. She headed straight for the shower. Buffy sat down and Spike walked over closer to her. "Slayer, you need to eat. You lost a lot of blood."
"Not hungry. Just tired. And thirsty."
"Right, orange juice it is." Spike went over got the orange juice and poured it into a large glass. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."
She took the glass from him and downed the contents in two gulps. She handed it back to him. "Happy now?" He refilled it and firmly put it down in front of her. She frowned at it, but she finished it off, too. "I didn't drink that because you bullied me--I just happen to be very thirsty this morning."
"Anything you say, luv." He took the glass and put it in the sink, then put away the cereal, milk, and bowl. He then opened up the refrigerator and surveyed the contents. "Eggs or French toast?"
"I am NOT hungry."
"For Dawn then. I don't like cooking just for myself, but I do fancy the occasional hot breakfast."
"You cook? Since when?"
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me. The witches taught me a thing or two about herbs and spices, but there are also an assortment of cooking shows on the telly. When there's nothing else to do until Passions comes on, I'll watch them." He started digging around in the cupboards for utensils. "Besides," he added defensively, "Nibblet likes my cooking."
"Eggs, then. She likes..."
"One cheese omelet coming up. Since I'm already making them, what would you like on yours?" He continued to rummage around until he found everything he needed.
"You are a bully. Since you're already making them, I'll have a pizza omelet. Just cheese and pizza sauce, there isn't any pepperoni in the house."
"Right. One cheese, one pizza with no meat, and one blood and bacon bits." Buffy looked at him, both fascinated and disgusted. "I like texture with my food. I always make mine after, so it doesn't sit there and clot." She looked a little pale and nauseated. "What? I have to have blood. Why can't I spice it up a bit? After the first 50 years or so it starts to get a little boring. Liquid breakfast, liquid lunch, liquid supper, liquid midnight snack. I mean, the hunt is fun and all, but sometimes I think I'd rather just chase things to death than feed from them." She got even paler and tried to stand up, hand over her mouth.
Buffy woke up on the couch. She could hear Dawn sniffling and Spike soothing her. "What happened?"
"Buffy, are you okay? Spike said you were--but you were so pale and still. You should go to the hospital." Dawn went over to her and took her hands. "They're still cold," she said nervously. "Should she be this cold? I can get my sleeping bag if she needs more covers."
Buffy smiled at her sister. "I'm fine. I just passed out. I think from lack of food. I'm warm enough and if I do get colder there's someone here to get me more blankets. How long was I out? Did you get breakfast yet?"
"You were out about fifteen minutes. Nibblet, I'll make her rest all day today and force her to eat more food than she thinks she should. She'll be fine, I promise. Now eat your breakfast and scoot off to class." Dawn hugged her sister and went in the kitchen to have breakfast. Buffy tried to stay awake until she left for school, Dawn didn't need to be frightened any more than she already was. She heard Spike and Dawn bantering in the kitchen. She closed her eyes to rest, felt a fleeting kiss on her forehead and heard the door slam. "Buffy, we need to talk."
She slowly pried her eyelids open. Spike was sitting on the floor in front of her, staring intently at her face. "Since when do you call me by my name?"
"Since yesterday when you risked your life for me."
She sighed. "Don't make a big deal about it."
"Do you have your death wish back? `Cos I don't fancy being the one you choose to kill you again. Dammit Slayer, what you did yesterday was not only dangerous, it was bloody stupid! Why not just decide you're going to take a meal away from a tiger at the zoo next time? Same difference, big predator, no conscience." He stood up and began pacing around the couch in circles. "Why did you let me feed from you? I know Angel did it, I've seen the scar; but the heat of passion and beaten half dead are completely different things. A little love bite is dangerous enough, but I had no idea what I was doing at the time--never had control of myself to start with." He leaned over the back of the couch and glared at her.
She sat up and watched him as he began pacing again. "Spike, I've never been bitten in the heat of passion. The Master bit me to free himself from some mystical barrier. I forced Angel to bite me to cure a poison. Dracula bit me to be able to call me." Spike stood in front of the couch where he'd stopped when she started explaining to him.
"Four times? By four different vampires? And lived? You are one tough Slayer. That's gotta be a record." He shook his head and whistled in admiration.
"Well, technically not. The Master drowned me after he bit me. Xander brought me back. And I was dead before you..." She looked down at the floor. "Besides, what was I supposed to do, let you die?"
He knelt in front of her and raised her chin. "I would rather I died than come around and find out I'd killed you. Please Buffy, don't ever scare me like that again. I don't want a mistake like that to haunt me for the rest of my days. Promise me."
She grabbed his wrist and looked into his eyes. "I would do the same for any one of the Scoobies. I've died twice, it's not like I'm afraid of it. I'm not searching for a way to kill myself--I just did what I had to do to protect you. I didn't want Rack to come back and finish what he'd started. How did he do most of that damage, anyways? I can understand the burns, but how did he dislocate your pinkies?"
Spike looked at her in surprise and released her chin. "You didn't know? Slayer, Rack didn't do that. He's only one demon and I know better than to let him get in close. Remember the toothy gent I owe the kittens to? He figured out that if he used humans, I couldn't touch them. He found me when I went out to pick up cigarettes. He had five big enforcer type humans beat me up. They kicked me, punched me, burned me with cigarettes, and bent my fingers sideways. Then they stole my clothes and left me outside to fry. I managed to crawl back to my crypt. I think I got a little sunburned because I wasn't moving too fast by then. Next thing I remember I was coming to with Dawn yelling and hitting me and trying to get me to let go of your arm."
Buffy closed her eyes and chuckled. "Spike, you generate more excitement than I do. I think Dawn's the only person I know who can find trouble as fast or as consistently as you. Now that we're all staying in one house; this should be interesting." She opened her eyes and looked up at him, smiling. "Now I'm hungry. Could I have that omelet please?"
Buffy slept most of the morning, waking occasionally when Spike coaxed her to drink something. She felt much better by the time her sister came home. "How is she?" Dawn demanded the second she walked in the door.
" `She' is much better and perfectly able to answer for herself," Buffy retorted.
"Buffy, I was just thinking, where are Willow and Tara going to stay? It's not like there's much room here. I have a cot which is pretty much one person only. You have a bed which sleeps two if they're cozy. Spike has the couch which is two people if they're friendly." She crossed over to the couch and sat down next to her sister. "I don't mind giving up my bed, I have a sleeping bag. But where on the floor I can sleep without getting stepped on?"
Buffy sighed and looked at her sister. "Willow's going to be out of it for sixteen hours or so and will probably need to sleep in a bed to recover. I don't think Tara's going to sleep much with all the worrying she'll be doing. She'll get your cot in my room, you'll sleep in your sleeping bag on your floor. I don't know how they're going to react, but Willow and Tara are going to be told tonight about Spike. Xander already knows so I'm sure Anya knows. You know. Spike and I will be staying together down here on the couch." Spike looked at her in disbelief.
Dawn beamed. "Finally. I think it's about time you two officially got together. I know he'd do anything for us and you'd do anything for him." Buffy blushed. Spike smiled his trademark cocky smile. Dawn completely missed the connotations of what she'd said.
The evening was used for homework and a strategy session. Xander and Anya brought Chinese food and a multitude of books. "Xander, is it weird to be the resident expert? I mean when you started the construction job, did you ever think the knowledge would come in handy for demon slayage?" Buffy asked around her mouthful of sesame chicken.
"When I first started, I was just worried about not screwing up and getting fired. Then I was worried about getting laid off when things got slow. No, I guess it never crossed my mind until the Glory wrecking ball incident that anything I learned doing construction would be useful as a Scooby skill."
"Construction did help develop your muscles, Xander. I first noticed how much I wanted to have sex with you when I saw you at work with a shovel." Anya added. As everyone turned to look at her she got a defensive look on her face. "It makes him more effective at the fieldwork. Like Giles told the Watcher's Council."
They made as many speculations as they could, based on what Willow had told them. Plans were up in the air until they found out more about Rack and why only Willow could kill him. "Hey, guys, do you realize just how boring you are?" Dawn asked. "I mean it's Friday night and nobody is out dancing or at a party somewhere."
Buffy looked over at her sister. "Why, did you have a date? In my too weird life plotting to slay demons is a legitimate Friday evening activity. Actual slayage is scheduled for Saturdays, followed by a celebration of slayage after a shower and change of clothes." Everyone turned to stare at Buffy. "What, I can't be funny? And I thought the bad guys had no sense of humor." Slightly embarrassed, she started cleaning up the remains of supper. Surprisingly, Anya hopped up to help her. When she did that, Buffy had a good idea of what was coming.
As they started putting cartons into the refrigerator, Anya started the interrogation. "So, is he as good at intercourse as I heard? I once dated a vampire. Aside from the whole bloodsucking thing, there's nothing like somebody who doesn't need to breathe to..."
"Anya, I don't want to go into this with you. He loves me, treats me and Dawn well, and yes, the sex is incredible. I found that I enjoy having an equal partner, but I can't think about us right now with everything that's going on. That's all I'm going to say."
"Good for you. As long as you're getting along well and the sex is worthwhile, I say solve this Rack problem and hump like hamsters. Oh, do you play sex games? If you need handcuffs I have a spare pair."
Buffy broke in, "thank you, Anya. I'll consider your generous offer. Let's get back to the living room. I think this conversation is going somewhere I don't want to think about right now."
As they went into the living room, Anya told the inhabitants, "I think she's happy. Spike, you must be quite potent. I heard someone mention that Slayers have more stamina than ten normal women." Dawn looked at her sister and Spike; then bolted into the bathroom, blushing. In identical exasperated moves, Buffy and Xander looked down and slowly shook their heads.
Spike grinned and winked at the ex-demon. "If it weren't for the fact that she would stake me, I'd kiss you for that comment."
Anya got a speculative look on her face. "I've always wanted to try a threesome..."
Buffy looked up at the two of them, "Spike, if you want to kiss her, go ahead. But don't think you'll ever touch these lips again." Dawn cautiously emerged from the bathroom. "Or any other part of my body."
Dawn screeched, "I'm getting WAY too much information! Having to listen to you make disgusting noises is bad enough." The two couples looked at each other, then the room got awkwardly quiet.
"Uh, she was talking about me and Riley, I think. Spike and I haven't...uh, not while she was in the house. I mean, not in the house at all. Either house. Not like it was in a field or...I'm going to shut up now." Spike went over behind her chair and wrapped his arms around her. She settled back into them and he leaned forward and kissed her hair. The doorbell rang. Dawn scrambled up to get it. "Check before you open it. It's too early for Willow and Tara."
Dawn looked through the peephole and opened the door. "It's only eight o'clock. What are you guys doing here this early?"
Willow and Tara stepped inside. "I finished the translation early and since I was feeling better Tara made a quick trip to the herb shop alone. We thought we'd want to start the spell earlier if possible, so here we are. Is that Chinese food I smell? We haven't eaten since noon." Tara smiled a quick hello to everyone.
Buffy went back into the kitchen to get leftovers for the witches. When she returned, everyone was looking expectantly at her. "What? Is everyone hungry? I'm not carrying all the food back out here. Not hungry? What is it?"
"No, pet. Dawn was trying to explain sleeping arrangements." Spike was smirking. Dawn appeared upset. Xander and Anya looked like they were waiting for the explosion to happen. Tara was looking at her with an understanding expression. Willow was glaring at her.
"Buffy, how COULD you? Wasn't Angel a big enough mistake? Now you have to make it worse by sleeping with the enemy AGAIN? At least Angel had a soul. What does Spike have? A chip. I work with computers all the time. Do you know how delicate a chip can be? Six months and it'll malfunction and he'll kill you in your sleep. You won't even see it coming."
Buffy glared at her friend. "Yeah, and Angel left me. When he had a soul. By the way, news flash here. Spike's chip doesn't work on me. The chip isn't broken, I am. I don't register on Spike's radar as human anymore. I've slept in his arms at least twice since he figured it out and he hasn't hurt me yet. Evidently someone screwed up the spell that ripped me out of Heaven." Everyone looked at her in horror.