"GO GO GO GO!!", Spike and Xander yelled, standing up off the couch. "YES!" Spike flopped back onto the couch, and Xander did a little dance. "Touchdown!!"

Spike chuckled. "YOU didn't make the touchdown, Harris."

Xander sat back down, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, but we're winning. So the dance is justified."

Spike just chuckled again, glancing toward the kitchen.

Buffy grinned at Dawn while they made 'game food' as Xander called it. Sloppy Joes, nachos and salsa, and enough beer to float an ark. Buffy came out with a bowl of the tortilla chips balanced in one hand, the salsa bowl balanced in the other. "I come bearing gifts."

Xander grinned. "Yay." He reached for the bowls. Spike stood up and helped Buffy carry the bowls.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you to help a lady, Harris?", the vampire asked semi-playfully. He looked to Buffy. "Got anything else I can help you with, luv?"

Xander, for his part, snorted at Spike, and trotted into the kitchen to help Dawn.

She smiled. "Nope. Watch your game. Do man things. Is Giles coming?"

Spike sat back down, but the game was in commercial, so he turned to Buffy. "He said he was coming around eight, to catch the end of the game. Something about helping Anya at the shop." He dipped a chip in the salsa and ate it. "Want to sit down?"

She shook her head. "Food to fix, still." She gave a very very excited smile. "See? Xan's a great guy."

He gave a dismissive hand gesture, but his eyes were shining. "I guess he's not so bad... For a human."

She nodded and went back to the kitchen. She found Xander trying to sneak a piece of hamburger for the sloppy joes. She smacked at his hand. "Bad."

Xander made a whimpering puppy noise. "When Spike eats all the food, and I starve to death, you are going to be sorry," he said self righteously, marching back to the living room with a bowl of potato chips. "HEY! Hand's off, vampy. My chips."

There was a play growl, followed by two yelps, a crash, and a crunching noise.

Buffy and Dawn rushed to the doorway, ready to scold. And promptly burst out laughing.

Spike and Xander were on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, in a mess of chips, and Xander had the potato chip bowl on his head. Both men were trying to look angry with the other one, and also trying to keep from laughing. Spike had chip crumbs on his head, showing that he was the first to wear the bowl.

Buffy just stared, her mouth open and silent laughter pouring out. Dawn, however, was leaning against the wall, pointing, and laughing.

Spike and Xander looked at them indignantly. "It's not funny..", they said in unison, then stared at each other. "Stop that. You first."

Buffy rolled her eyes, came forward and took the bowl off Xander's head, brushed the crumbs out of his dark hair. "Ok, boys. Opposite ends of the couch."

Spike stood up, hesitant to open his mouth, lest Xander say the same thing as him for the fourth time. But he helped Xander up, and the two brushed crumbs off each other and finally allowed themselves to laugh. Spike shook himself, trying to get rid of the crumbs that had gone down his shirt and were making him itch.

Dawn went back to stir the sloppy Joe's, and Buffy slipped upstairs. The two almost friends settled back on the couch, and shared the chips that had survived, returning to watching their football game.

In the bathroom, she opened the medicine cabinet, grabbed a bottle and poured three pills into her hand, almost crooning her own personal sonnet to Pamprin. After a gulp of water to wash them down, she returned downstairs, and snagged Dawn from the kitchen. 'Women's work' time was done. It was play time now.

Spike and Xander were wrestling on the couch, trying to get the remote. Spike wasn't even trying to use his vampire strength against the human. And Xander seemed to be losing anyway, until he poked Spike in the stomach, causing him to yelp and lose his grip on the remote. "Hey! Not fair!"

Xander settled back. "Ha. Now I get to pick what we watch during halftime."

"All humans cheat..", Spike muttered good-naturedly.

Buffy sailed in, swiped the remote, with Dawn, in a righteous flurry behind her. "Nope," the Key said sonorously. "We do."

"HEY!", the males said.

"Slayer!"

"Buffy!"

"Nuh-uh. We -cooked-, you ingrates."

Spike grinned at Xander. "Well, she does have a point."

Xander made an annoyed noise. "Yeah. But I fought for that remote."

"You would have lost, if you hadn't bloody poked me!"

"Maybe, but it was funny."

Play growl. "I'll show you funny."

Buffy and Dawn turned it to the "Breakfast Club", on TBS.

Xander jumped up to avoid the vampire's playful pounce and ducked behind Buffy's chair. "Help! Slay him. Do something!"

Spike growled quietly and stalked around the end of the coffee table.

"Spike!" Buffy called from her place on the floor by the middle of the couch, Dawn beside her. "Shhh!! We're watching."

Dawn popped up, chips flying from her mouth as she proclaimed, "I'll save you, Xander!!" Pounced at Spike.

Spike tried to dodge, but was knocked onto the couch by the hyperactive Key. "Oof!"

"Get him, Dawnie! Get him!", Xander chanted. This was BETTER than the game.

She gave Spike a huge smile, while Buffy scooted closer to the TV, turning it up over them. "Hey, buddy."

He growled through his grin. "Geroff me, Niblet."

She tapped his nose. "Dunno. You made chips crumble in my neat and tidy living room."

He snorted at her. "Bordering on the third strike."

She gave him a fake evil-glare. "Well, you're bordering on two."

"Two isn't dangerous."

"But I am."

"Yeah. Right. Get off."

She made a shocked face. Looked at Xander imploringly. "Tell him! Tell him how dangerous I am!!"

Xander, who was now sitting on the arm of the couch. "Oh, she's very dangerous. When she actually wants to hurt someone. But you're safe. She won't hurt you."

Spike chuckled. "I know that. It's not her hurting me that I'm worried about. Get off, Bit."

She pouted, then looked at the TV. The prom queen and loser in the closet. Her FAVORITE part. She clambered off him, to sit by Buffy in front of the TV, now entranced.

Spike chuckled and rolled on his side to watch the movie. Xander shifted slightly. "Uh, Buff? You know that half time will be over before the movie ends, right?"

She waved a hand backwards at him. Didn't take her eyes from the screen.

He cleared his throat. "A-hem! Remote, please."

The girls let out twin, indignant, "Shhhhhh!!"'s.

Spike grinned, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Relax, Harris. As long as we don't miss the end of the game, it'll be fine. Besides, this is a good movie."

Xander looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You've seen it?"

"Awhile ago. And I don't remember all of it, so shut up and let me watch!"

Buffy crunched a chip. "I love Judd Nelson." Dawn gave an agreeable sigh. Spike chuckled, and Xander leaned back. Oh well, it was three to one. He'd just have to wait for Giles.

At a commercial, Buffy sighed and handed the remote back to Xander.

He just looked at it. "What's this for?"

She was still in 'fuzzy-movie-haze'. "Change the channel while you still have hope."

"But now I want to see how it ends."

Spike laughed. Dawn had made her way up onto the couch and was laying with her head at the opposite end from his, with her legs on top of his legs. "So, now even Xander wants to see the movie. You win, luv."

Buffy smiled, still sitting cross-legged, too close to the TV for good viewing health.

Xander clambered down onto the floor next to her, pulling her back so that their backs were against the couch. "This is better, don't you think?"

Spike let a hand dangle off the couch to rest on Buffy's shoulder. "Works for me."

She smiled at Xander. "Much better." One hand reached up to touch at Spike's hand for a moment, then dug for more chips.

There was a knock at the door.

Buffy, knowing she had seen the movie more than anyone else there, dragged herself to her feet, muttering the whole time. She swung the door open.

"Hello, Buffy," Giles said. "I hope I'm not too early."

She smiled. "Hey, Giles! No, we're watching the Breakfast Club!" She said proudly, "Dawn and I triumphed over your stinky Manchester United."

"It is NOT 'stinky', Buffy," Giles said, entering the house. "And as long as the movie is over before the end of the game-"

He was interrupted by Spike's voice from the living room. "There'll still be forty minutes of the game left, Rupe. Assuming no overtime."

"Ah, good." Giles settled himself in the recliner. "I don't believe I've ever seen this movie. What is the story?"

"Oh, it's great," Dawn bubbled. "All these kids who have nothing in common all have morning detention, and by the end, they're... allies, if not friends, and four of the five have hooked up."

Giles made a disinterested noise. "Oh. A teen movie."

Spike cocked his head. "I like it, Rupert. And I'm further from being a teen than you are."

"Waaaaaay further," Xander added with a chuckle.

Spike play growled. "Watch it, Harris."

Buffy did another backwards swat. "Much with the shush-ing."

"Sorry, Buff," Xander said. "Someone is being annoying."

"Gee. I wonder who?", Spike whispered to Dawn.

Dawn laughed, then pushed the bowl of chips over the the chair while Giles was.

"Thank you, Dawn," the Watcher said, taking a small handful of chips. Noticing that there was a commercial, he looked around. "I take it that everyone is getting along tonight?"

"Yup!" Buffy shot him a hopeful, happy covert grin.

Giles let out an exaggerated gasp. "Good lord, you mean that Xander and Spike are actually getting along."

"He put the chip bowl on my head," Xander said.

"You dumped it on me first, Harris."

"You knocked me off the couch!"

"You poked me!"

Giles chuckled and followed Buffy, pausing to give Spike a playful pat on the head. The vampire responded by making a cross between a familial purr and a growl.

She gave Giles a big grin as soon as they were alone in the kitchen. "Did you see? The... no-gaping-wound-ness of it?"

Giles smiled. "Yes. Do I dare say that they are becoming friends?"

"Maaybe." Quick frown, a hand to her lower abdomen. She started to put Sloppy Joe... stuff on buns, and on plates.

Back in the living room, Spike suddenly made a strangled yelping sound, and put a hand on his stomach. "Ow."

"What's up?", Xander asked curiously.

"Dunno. Felt like someone punched me in the gut for a second." He considered. "Well, it's gone now."

Buffy started carrying the plates out, three sandwiches to a plate for Spike and Xander.

"Oh boy! More food!", Xander said happily, totally forgetting Spike's momentary problem in favor of grabbing a plate.

Spike grinned. "Uh, luv? Could you hand me mine? My legs are tangled in a Key right now."

She smiled, handed him his plate. "Yours is next, Dawnie." As she walked back to the kitchen her fingers grazed the back of his neck. Spike let out a quiet purr at the brief touch, and took a bite of a sandwich. That is, half of it in one bite, and chewed happily.

Buffy handed Giles his and her plates and carried out Dawn's to her. "Here ya go, pretty lady."

Dawn quirked a smile at her. "Andrew calls me that."

Spike refrained from growling, to his credit. But Xander let out a snort, allowing Spike to be the good one for a moment.

"Now Harris. Mind your manners."

Xander fish mouthed at him. Thankfully, he had already swallowed his bite of Sloppy Joe, or it would have been quite disgusting.

Dawn tucked her hair behind her ears, and took a bite. Grinned at Buffy. "Besht dish," she told her, tipped her head up to prevent the food from falling out.

Buffy laughed, but her cramps were growing in intensity. Oh, well. She'd ignore 'em, just like she did every month.. or, ya know, whenever Flo decided to visit.

Spike nearly dropped his sandwich when a sudden, and extremely personal pain gripped a certain unmentionable body part. He let out a high pitched yelp, at a frequency that only vampires, dogs, and Slayers can hear, and one hand dropped to his crotch. He quickly set his plate in his lap to hide it.

Buffy gave Spike a funny look. 'Are you ok?'

'Dunno. Hurts. Bad. But I think it's gone now.' He cocked his head. 'Felt like I was stuck in a vise for a moment.'

She arched her eyebrows questioningly, and bit into her sloppy Joe. Mm... tasty.

Spike finished his last sandwich, and left the plate in his lap, just in case whatever had bitten him before came back. He tried to concentrate on the end of the movie.

The movie ended, and Dawn sighed. "How sweet. I totally love how the freak and the jock hook up."

Spike nodded distractedly, watching the floor for anything with a vise.

Xander agreed with Dawn. "Too bad it only happens in the movies, huh?"

Giles said nothing, due to being asleep in the recliner.

Buffy snatched the remote, turned it back to the game, and, confusing everyone there, since Man United was UP, by screaming, "NOOOOOO MAN UNITED IS BEEHIND A GOAL!!!!!"

Giles rocketed straight up into the air crying, "What?! What?! Where!?"

Buffy slapped a hand over her mouth, muffling her giggling.

Xander laughed, having seen the scoreboard the moment she switched it over. "Very funny, Buffy."

Spike let out a strangled moan, and stared at his crotch without meaning to. Ok, that did it. There was an invisible demon with an invisible vise that was determined to neuter him somewhere in this room, because he'd just felt it again.

Buffy looked at him again. "Spike... It's ok. Man United isn't really losing."

"I know. Somethin' bit me," he muttered, tipping up the empty plate slightly, looking for whatever was causing this excruciating pain every two minutes.

Buffy's and Dawn's heads swiveled to stare where he was looking.

He quickly put the plate back into place.

Dawn's nose curled. "That is SO a personal problem that doesn't need discussin."

But not quick enough, apparently. "Sorry."

Dawn just scootched her legs away from his a bit. "No problem..."

He stood up. "I'm, uh.. Goin' to the bathroom for a moment. Tell me who's winnin' when I get back." He headed up the stairs, walking like a sick duck and moaning again when the pain struck once more.

Buffy waited a minute, then followed him. No sound from the bathroom, save an occasional yelp or moan. She knocked, then slipped in the door.

Spike was sitting on the toilet, staring at his crotch as if it had betrayed him. "Bloody stupid... Where are you?"

She was trying very hard not to laugh at his angry little boy face. "WHAT is the problem?"

"Told you. Something keeps AHHHH!" He half yelped, half screamed and grabbed a very personal place. "Bloody HELL! There it was again!"

She just looked at him, getting kind of concerned. That was NOT a place she wanted her boyfriend grabbing in pain. Ya know, the BAD pain, not the 'oh it's so bad it's good' pain.

He made a quiet whimpering sound. "Feels like there's a vise on me."

She crouched by him, laying a hand, well, not on, just... nearby. "Like... how? Explain it to me?"

He gave her a shaky smile that was actually more of a grimace. "I'm fine, for a moment, then BAM! Somethin' grabs me. And I think it has teeth. Not a vise. An Iron Maiden."

Her brow wrinkled. "A what? Wasn't that like.. a chastity belt?"

Despite his pain, he chuckled. "No, luv. An Iron Maiden was a torture device. Imagine a box, the insides filled with razor sharp spikes. Now you put a person in there, and close the lid, effectively impaling them all over at once. Not deep enough to kill, unless you slam the door. That's what's got me. And I think there's some sort of invisible demon running around trying to neuter me with a mini one of those."

She held back a grin. "A bikini iron maiden?"

"Not funny.." Slight grin, quickly hidden.

She smirked. ""Sounds a little like cramping to me. Except, it's really bad, and it feels like someone is twisting your intestines around a hot poker."

He stared at her. "That's kind of like it. It started awhile ago, earlier today, with something that felt like alternating punches to my lower back and stomach."

She nodded. "Yeah, sometimes mine get so bad, that it hurts to move my legs, so I take a pill the doctors gave me. Let me tell you. I did my Hail Mary's to Pamprin today."

He started to say something, but was cut short as another wave of pain washed through him, this one so bad that he nearly fell off the toilet and into the bathtub. "Ohhhhhhh."

Buffy's stomach was curling, too, but, being adept at handling that pain, she just let it roll through her, and gritted her teeth silently. She stopped. "Oh my God. Spike."

"What?" The word was more of a whimper from a vampire in torment.

She started to laugh. Hard. She wrapped her arms around her sides, and she was starting to tear up.

"It's not funny!" He was hurt that she was laughing at him. He was nearly turning to dust from the pain, and she was LAUGHING at him!? She was supposed to LOVE him for crying out loud! "Stop it..."

She snickered, pulling herself together. "Whewww... sorry.. hehehe..."

He whimpered, tears coming from his eyes. Half from pain, and half from emotional hurt at the fact that the woman he loved didn't seem to give a rat's ass that he was dying.

She patted his hair in sympathy. "Welcome to my world." She stood, opened the medicine cabinet and shook out some pills into her hand, knelt again, after filling a glass with water, and handed them to him.

He looked at them. "What's that?" Winced, bit back a scream.

She just pushed them into his hands. "Take them. Then suck it up and come back downstairs."

He took the pills, nearly spitting them out when the pain came again. Forget being tortured by a hell god, this was worse. Much worse. "I'm not going back down there. I'm staying up here until I catch whatever's biting me."

She gave him a pitying face. "Poor little man."

"What?"

She shook her head. "You guys just aren't made to take it."

"Take what? Slayer, if you know what the hell is happening to me, tell me NOW! Ohhhhh. God, make it stop...."

She smiled into his eyes. "First. Please note how calm and collected, and.... functioning I am?"

He nodded, gritting his teeth.

She laid a hand low on his pelvis. "Ya know this? That horrendous, all- consuming ache?"

Nodded again, pained expression.

Tried to keep a straight face as she said, "You're feeling my cramps, Spike. Welcome to PMS."

He froze. Eyes got so huge that they looked like blue marbles. "...what?..."

She took one of his hands, placed it on her lower abdomen. "I feel that, too."

He stared at her. "I'm feeling your... period stuff? THIS HAPPENS TO YOU EVERY MONTH!!! God, luv. I'm so sorry."

She nodded at his miserable expression. "Yup. Every twenty-eight days." She stood, extended a hand to him in an offer to help him to his feet.

He moaned. Then his eyes got big again. "Luv, can you turn around for a moment?"

She nodded, turned her back.

There was the sound of a zipper, and a pained muttering of, "Please don't let me be bleeding. Please.." Then a relieved sigh. "Thank God." Zipper up. "You can turn around now, luv."

She took his hand and drew him into her room.

He sat on the bed. "What now?"

She gave him a serious look. "If this doesn't prove that I love you... God only knows what will." She rooted around in a drawer for a minute, before drawing out her prize.

Cocked his head. "What's that?"

She waved a tan piece of fabric at him. "Salvation."

"Say again?"

She rolled her eyes, and pushed him back till he was laying on his back.

"Luv? Don't think that I don't trust you, but please tell me what you're doing?"

She used her fingers, made a rectangle just above her crotch. "This is where it hurts most, right?"

"Yeah."

She peeled the backing off of it, handed it to him, and turned around. "Stick that on that area. It gets hot and makes it hurt less."

"Hot? Uh, luv, my body's at room temperature. What's hot to you might scald me."

She turned back around. "That's right." Bit her bottom lip. "And it's -really- hot to girls." Her eyes lit up. "I'll be right back."

He just lay there, curling into a ball even though he knew it wouldn't protect him, and moaning with the pain.

She snatched the Therma-care pad out of his hand, and after a quick stop in the bathroom, she went about her business downstairs.

Xander noticed her walking through the living room. "Hey, Buff? Is Spike alright? He's missing the game. We're in overtime with the score tied."

"He's... uh... feeling a little queasy. I'll send him down in a few minutes."

Dawn gave her a look. "Really ok?"

Oh, if only Dawn knew. "Fine, Dawnie." She pushed a small container in the microwave and pulled it out when it beeped. Trooped back up the stairs again. She came in her room, brandishing a rectangular cloth bag. Found Spike curled up on the bed moaning like a sick puppy.

She came to the side of the bed. "Come on... You've gotta lay flat, Spike."

"Don't wanna.. Hurts worse."

"I brought you a present."

Opened an eye. "What is it?"

She showed him the soft cloth bag. "It's filled with rice, and you can heat them up in the microwave. Put em on an ouch, and it feels a lot better. So, come on, lay flat and let me help you."

He obeyed. Anything to make the pain stop. He watched her intently. "I'm not going back downstairs with a pack of rice down my pants."

She tried VERY hard to not smile. "I'll tell them you went to sleep. I'd lose the pants and just use it over the boxers."

He nodded, sitting up and removing his jeans quickly, then laying back again. "I can't believe you do this every month. You're even more amazing than I thought, luv."

"Yeah, Dawn, too. Summers' have it rough." She laid the heated bag of rice over his lower pelvis area. "Better?"

He sighed, the pain diminishing. "Yeah. Thanks, luv."

Smiled at him, and produced a huge pill from her pocket. "This is for if- when it gets really bad."

"It looks like the pill my grampa gave the horse when he got sick."

She gave a small laugh. "Everyone CALLS them horse pills." She ran a hand over his hair. "It's tied in overtime."

"I'm gonna miss the end." He pouted, nuzzling against her hand.

"We'll get details from Xander, it'll be ok.'"

He gave a small smile. "Thank him for me. He's okay, you know."

Small, warm smile. "Yeah. I know."

The warmth from the rice pack was spreading throughout the vampire's body in true coldblooded fashion. He closed his eyes. "I feel good. Warm. Nice."

She put a hand on her stomach, where her own Therma-care was doing its' magic. "Very nice."

He yawned. "Making me sleepy."

She wondered how rude it would be to just sleep up here with Spike, leaving her own impromptu party.

He yawned again. "Why don't you tell the others that I'm not feeling good, and you're tired? Maybe Harris and Rupert will get the message. You can tell Dawn what's going on, if you want. To explain me being here all night again."

She made a quick tutting noise. "Again? What again?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot..." Another yawn, with an instant of fangs.

Amazing how it didn't even bother her anymore. She walked out the door. "Be back in less than ten minutes, ok? Want me to bring you a mug of blood or anything?"

"Nuh uh. I ate before Harris got here earlier, remember? I'm fine." Snuggled down against the pillows. "But I'll be better when you get back, so hurry up, ok, luv?"

She smiled. "Slave driver." Downstairs, she said, as soon as the game was over, Manchester United winning, thank you very much, "Ummm... Guys..?"

"What's up, Buff?", Xander asked from his position of sprawled across the couch.

"Is Spike alright?", Giles asked.

"Umm... he doesn't feel very good. Maybe bad blood. He'll be ok. But, I'm really beat, so I'm gonna go to bed. I'm not shoving you guys out, you can stay as long as you want to, but..."

Giles took the hint, standing up and stretching. "Xander, why don't we head back to my apartment? We can watch the post game commentary there."

Xander took a moment to register, but quickly stood up. "Yeah. Great idea, Giles. We'll see you tomorrow, Buffy. Night, Dawn."

"Good night, Buffy. Good night, Dawn," Giles said, ushering Xander out the door. He paused to hug each of the Summers in turn, then followed Xander out to the car.

The girls waved cheerily from the front door, till they drove away, when Dawn turned. "What's wrong with him?"

Buffy kind of smirked. "Well, he'll never make fun of us for cramping. EVER."

Dawn looked puzzled for a minute, then, "NO WAY! He's CRAMPING?"

Buffy grinned. "Same as me."

Dawn gave a smirk of her own. "It's about TIME a guy got it. So, ummm... Spike is staying here tonight?"

"Umm... Yeah. But he's just... SLEEPING here, ya know, not... doing anything sleeping here. Just sleeping."

Dawn nodded seriously. "Oh yeah." She move closer to Buffy to hug her. "Good night, Buffy. Love you. I'm just gonna... watch TV for a little bit."

Buffy smiled at her sister, returned the hug. "I love you, too. Your butt has school in the morning. Eleven, lights out."

Dawn mock-saluted as Buffy went back up the stairs. She came in her bedroom, smiled at Spike.

"Hey, luv," the vampire said sleepily. "Everyone leave?"

"Yeah... Dawn's gonna watch TV for a little while."

"We'll have to check-" Yawn. "And make sure she's in bed at eleven.." Another yawn.

She nodded, crawling on the bed to curl against his side. "Oh yeah. Cuz we're gonna make it ten more minutes."

He slipped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "I might last two more minutes, but I doubt it."

He was warm. Not tepid and room temperature. Warm. She nuzzled at his neck. "So warm..."

"I might start sleeping with one of those rice things every night. I almost feel like my heart should be beating."

She sighed. "I wouldn't complain."

He purred, nuzzling her hair. "I'm sorry, luv. I know you love me, but it can't be fun sleeping with a cold fish in your bed."

She mumbled, "Hell it can't be in August. 'Sides... not cold. Just... room temperature."

"Yeah, but still, it doesn't bother you?"

She lifted her head a bit to suck on his earlobe. "No," she whispered in his ear. "Does it bother you that I can't say things as... easy, and graceful as you?"

"I'm not graceful. Half the time I'm probably spouting nonsense. And no. I didn't even notice. I think you have a way with words, luv. You're wonderful, you always have been. You think of things so quickly, and they're so good, too. A couple of times, back when we were fighting, I actually hit you to avoid having to think of a response to one of your insults. Really stung me that time."

She smiled. "Which one?"

"There are a couple. And I'm too sleepy to think of the exact one that I'm remembering. Something about.... Me following you around making moon eyes. I know that was barely a year ago, but that's why I hit you so hard right after that. I needed time to think of a comeback."

She grinned, snuggled in closer to him. Yawned. "I trust Dawn to get to bed at a reasonable hour."

"And if she doesn't.... Strike three, and both of us get her."

She laid there a moment, considering. "I think I have enough energy, exactly, to slide under the covers."

"Me too. Together, from both sides." They flipped the covers back and slid under, quickly resuming their cuddling. Spike kissed the top of her head. "Good night, luv."

She snuggled deeper in the space between his shoulder and chest. "Night.