He stared at her, mouth open. She couldn't think of what to say.

"Okay now that was much better! Buffy kickin' Spike around and..."

She felt that familiar tugging, the part...the whole of her wanting to comfort him. She reached out and he backed away. "Spike..."

"...did you see Blondie's face? I mean, wowee! He looked like he was surprised or..."

"Don't. Just...don't. You wanted me to come here and tell these people about us with you and when I try to make it easier..."

"Make it easier? By freaking everyone out?"

"Including you?" he accused, voice low but not whispering.

Buffy was silent, her eyes widening. He stepped closer to her and this time she didn't move.

"I scared you Buffy. You respond to me much more than you ever responded to anyone else. Isn't that it? You're scared of how quick this is...becoming."

"I...I'm not. I'm nowhere near scared. You..."

He grinned, his fingers snaking out to graze her throat and easing down her shoulder. Everyone watched her lean into his hand, greedily begging for more.

"Tell me what you need, baby."

"Umm...deeper."

Dawn couldn't stop staring. Her mouth stood open and hanging, and her breathing quickened.

"M'not gonna hurt her Nibblet."

She came out of her daze with red cheeks, and couldn't look anyone else in the eye. How..? She looked up to see if he was staring at her.

But no.

Spike was still staring at her sister. His eyes had never even turned her way. She didn't make another sound.

"Buffy..."

Buffy was moving against his hand, trying to offer her neck. "Hmm?"

"I think you're scaring your friends. Ease up, love."

She blinked, and then looked at the others in the room. "I...I forgot."

Spike wrapped his arms around her, whispering words one of the others could hear. She fell against him, sighing.

"What have you done to her?" came the accusation, bringing them both out of their reverie.

Spike's eyes settled on Willow, regarding her as nothing more than a nuisance. "I love her."

"You...you've turned her into a wilting flower that falls at your feet! She was offering her throat for you to bite her! That's not Buffy."

Buffy moved out of his arms, and then looked up at him with a smile. "I'm sorry. I..."

"I know," he kissed her forehead, "I know."

Then he smiled at Willow. "If you don't think this is Buffy, then you don't know her at all."

"I know her better than you do."

"I don't think so, witch," he half-snickered.

Buffy looked at him in a mock glare. Then she turned to Willow and her expression changed from playful to hateful. "We came her to tell you all what's between us now. I didn't come here for anyone's approval. Actually I never expected it."

Willow stood in front of her but tried not to touch. "You don't realize...Buffy he's..."

"I went to him. Not the other way around. I...I want him. What's wrong with that?"

Willow tried to get closer but stopped when Buffy away, closer to Spike. "He's not Angel, Buffy. You can't just replace one vampire with..."

Dawn moved to stand in Willow's way. Her eyes were harder than anyone in the room had ever seen them.

"You can't even see how happy she is. She...you want everything to go the way you want it, to be like it was before. It can never be that way again!"

"Dawn I know you care about Spike and..."

"I love Spike. I love everyone in this room. I'm starting to only 'care' about you. Just barely."

Willow swallowed. "Dawn, I'm only trying to..."

"Help? Protect her from something she wants?"

"She doesn't love him. He doesn't really love her, it's all a..."

Dawn slapped Willow as hard as she could. "Don't you dare say this is all a spell. Not every single thing that differs from the norm is the work of a damn spell Willow. God, is magic what you use now so you don't have to face the truth?"

Willow couldn't talk. She just stared at Buffy's little sister. Her eyes were darkening and it was hard trying to keep herself under control. She wanted to lash out. She wanted to throw the girl across the room. Her eyes settled on Spike.

She wanted to kill him.

Buffy stepped in front of Spike and stared her down. "Don't you even think about it."

"It would only hurt for a second."

"And then I'd have to kill you."

No one in the room made a sound, including the man Buffy stood in front of. He was completely speechless.

"I'd love to see you try."

"Would you? Gee, I'm so glad you brought me back Willow. Is this the reason? You were getting bored and needed someone to harp on?"

Tara was getting scared for the both of them and she stood up to touch Willow's back. She was boiling hot to the touch and she drew her hand away with burns on her fingers. "Willow...calm down."

"She doesn't even care what I went through for her..."

"Willow don't do this."

"I took on so much pain and this is what she does back?"

"Willow..."

Spike kissed the back of Buffy's neck and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

She smiled. "I know."

Xander and Anya were both so scared they just stared at the scene. Instinctively their hands met and held on tightly. Xander whispered into her hair, "Love you."

She sighed. "I know....Xander we have to do something."

"And get fried?"

"Xander..."

He looked up at the scene and thought it looked somewhat like a gunfight in the Wild West. "Willow, I think you should..."

Willow head whipped around. "What? Congratulate them? Say, 'Gee Spike, you've done such a good brainwashing job on Buffy?' is that what I should do?"

"I know you're scared, I know you missed her but..."

"Scared? I'm not scared. Her, she's scared. And him, look at him. Has she told you she loves you yet, Spike?"

Buffy felt Spike's growl deep inside her skin. "Shut your mouth," he mumbled, his hands on Buffy's shoulders.

Willow smiled. "She hasn't has she? You don't even know what she's doing with you, do you?"

He growled some more, and Buffy turned around to look at him. "Spike..."

"Buffy, don't. She's trying to get to me and it's not going to work."

"It already is working, Spike. You're not looking at her the same way you were before....are you mad at her? Do you want to..."

Buffy kicked Willow in the face, sending her banging into the stairs. The slayer walked towards her again and stood over her. "Tell me why I shouldn't hit you again."

"Because. Because I'm someone you actually love and not someone you just want to..."

She kicked her in the stomach and Willow coughed up something that looked a lot like blood. Tara blanched. "Buffy don't."

The slayer looked over her shoulder. "Why?"

"Because I can make her stop."

"What?"

Tara walked over to Willow, who just smiled at her. "Think you're stronger than me, baby? Think you can..."

Then her eyes closed and she fell silently like a rag doll. Buffy looked at Tara's, whose eyes were full of tears and who was mumbling something she couldn't understand under her breath. They looked at each other. "Willow didn't mean it. She's just upset. I'll wake her up in the morning and..."

"Everything will be okay." Buffy finished for her, not believing that for a second.

"Yeah."

Buffy put a hand on Tara's shoulder, then turned and walked towards Spike. He held her to him tightly, and she could feel him shaking against her. "Don't...ever...do...that...again."

"I can take care of..."

He pushed her chin up and she saw his face was paler than normal. "You scared the life out of me, Slayer. I thought she..."

"Willow wasn't ready to kill me. She's gotta toughen up first. And when she's ready, it would be me who'd do it first."

"How can you talk like that?"

"It's live or let die. I'm not going to die again."

He kissed her forehead. "That's not what I meant, love. I meant don't ever say you'd kill for me."

She looked up at him. "Why?"

"I'm not worth the pain that would follow killing Willow. You'd hurt forever if she died."

"Yeah, I would. It would hurt even more if you died."

"I am dead."

She kissed him deeply, trying to put everything she couldn't say into action instead of words. He seemed to respond but not really get the message so she pulled away. "You're worth something. You are. I think you are, so you are. Okay?"

He sighed, then kissed her again. "I'll think on that."

"You're worse than Angel when you brood, you know."

He winced as if hit. "That was a low blow."

"It's true."

He leaned down to her shoulder, running his tongue across the marks there. She shuddered. "Someday soon we'll renew that."

"No, we won't."

"Yes," he looked at her, and then ran his fangs across it to hear her sigh, "we will."

They pulled away from each other and looked at the rest of the room. Dawn stood to the left of them, just trying to keep herself under control; Xander and Anya were staring openly but trying not to be too obvious, and Tara...

Tara was levitating Willow off the stairs and moving her to the couch in the training room. She shut the door behind them.

Buffy looked at Spike. "Let's go. I don't think either of them will be back in my home tonight."

"Because Tara's too upset or because...?"

"I don't want Willow there when you're going to be there. And Tara feels she has to watch over her."

Spike held onto her hand and looked over at Dawn.

"C'mon bit, we're goin' home."

"I heard. Spike's staying over, let's make popcorn."

He smiled. "Yeah, yeah. C'mon."

The three of them started walking towards the door but stopped when they heard Xander.

"Spike. Buffy."

They both turned around. Xander coughed. "Um...congrats and all. I can tell when Buffy's happy and she's happy with you man."

"Harris." Spike said.

"I'm trying to be nice here, okay?"

"I know."

Buffy smiled at Xander. "Congratulations Anya. You picked a good one."

The ex-demon smiled at her, running a hand down Xander's arm. "Yeah, I know. He's great in bed too."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Bye guys."

"We'll leave with you. There's nothing left here."

Tara lay beside her love, playing with Willow's hair. She sang a song with no words, and tried not to break into hysterical sobs.

"Willow."

No answer.

"Willow."

(Baby, why can't I move my legs?)

Tara ran her fingers across Willow's cheek. "I had to stop you."

(Buffy. I tried to hurt her.)

"You wanted her dead."

(I want him dead.)

"Willow what's wrong with you? Talk to me."

(Take this spell off of me first.)

"No. You're going to talk to me, you're going to be calm and rational."

(*sigh* Spike wants to hurt her Tara. I can't let anyone hurt her more than she's already been.)

"But you wanted to kill her tonight...and if you killed Spike, it would hurt her."

(Only for a minute.)

"Willow, be calm. Or...)"

(You'll reprimand me again? Make me into a vegetable?)

" I had to."

(Buffy's strong. She was going to beat me until I passed out)

"I know. That's why I had to shut you up."

Silence.

"Willow...calm down and try to act normal. Then I'll let you up."

(*sigh* Okay. I went off the deep end, Tare. It was hard not to. With Dawn hitting me and Spike...just being there, touching her...)

"Are you jealous?"

(What?)

Tara sat back, her breath coming in shallow. "You are."

(I am not)

"You're jealous of Spike. You've never been jealous of any of Buffy's other boyfriends because they were only temporary but you know this isn't temporary."

(I am not)

"Willow, you are."

Tara felt Willow trying to move beside her, so she ran her hand across Willow's face and the redhead opened her eyes. "I am not. Why would I be jealous of Spike for being with Buffy when I love you?"

"Because you love her. More than you want to love her, but you do. I only hope..."

"I can't love anyone more than I love you, baby."

"Tell me. Say it."

Willow, who still couldn't move her legs but could speak, whispered, "I want Spike dead because I'm..."

"Say it."

"No. I won't."

Tara went to put her hand over Willow's eyes again but was stopped by Willow's hand. She stared at her with frightened eyes. "You..."

"I'm very very strong Tare. I didn't know how strong you were until tonight, but I'm still stronger."

"Willow, I love you."

"I love you too."

They kissed, and Willow put her hands in Tara's hair. Then she pulled her mouth away from her girlfriend's and smiled at her. "Your turn."

"Wha...?"

Tara slumped on the couch and Willow stood up. She stretched. "I'm sorry babe."

(What are you going to do?)

"I have a call to make."


LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

The phone rang at 1:15 am and Angel was the only one awake to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Angel, it's me."

"Willow, what's wrong?"

"I...I feel horrible. That I haven't told you yet."

"Told me what?"

He heard her taking a deep breath. "Buffy's alive. I brought her back. She was in hell and..."

Angel had trouble seeing in front of him. "Buffy's...alive?"

"Yes. Are you okay?"

"I'm...yeah. Does she...want to see me?"

Silence.

"Willow?"

"I'm sure she does. She's just...something's going on here Angel and that's why I called. I need you to come here and try and talk some sense into her."

Angel sat back on his office chair, trying to calm down. This was okay. He could handle this at one in the morning. He really could. "What's wrong?"

Another breath. "Buffy and Spike are...together."

Angel dropped the phone.

"Angel? Angel? Hello?"

He was growling and she could hear him. "Angel, are you there?"

He reached down and picked up the phone. "How?"

"I...I don't know. I have no idea. She's not herself and..."

"I can be there before sunrise. I just need a place to stay."

"You can stay at the mansion, I think. There's nothing left here to bother you."

He was growling again. "Where is Spike staying?"

"He...has a place."

"Where?"

"A crypt in the cemetery."

He calmed himself and took an unneeded breath. "You'll see me tomorrow night. Or you can come see me in the day time."

"Okay. I know you can help, that's why I called you."

"Thank you Willow, for calling. Thank you."

"I know how much you love her."

"More than Spike does, I'm sure."

They both smiled in the darkness, but neither smile was happy. "I'm sure."

"Bye."

"Good bye."

Angel hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair before heading outside towards his car.