"Hi Buffy!" Buffy jumped at the sound of a voice calling to her. She groaned. It was Pippy. Buffy looked up and saw the girl smiling at her. "Hi Pi-Sandra." Damn. She was still having a terrible time not calling her that name. "Having fun here at the Bronze?" "Yeah. I'm just hanging out with my friends." Buffy gestured at Willow, Xander, and Anya. They all exchanged hellos. Pippy grinned. "That's great! I'm hanging out with my dad here. He owns this club you know." Buffy perked up. That was one of the more interesting things Pippy had ever told her. "Really?" "Yeah!" Pippy gestured at a man working behind the counter of the bar. "That's him." Buffy glanced briefly at him then back at Pippy. "Nice to know." Just then, Spike made it to the table. "Hello, Buffy." He said simply but smiled at her. Buffy grimaced back. "Spike." Pippy watched the exchange of looks between the two of them. 'Definite something there.' She thought. "What do you want?" Buffy asked bluntly, as she always did of him. "Nothing, Buffy. I'm here for the same reason you people are. Just to hang out and have fun." Buffy cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. Spike just scowled at her as he usually did when she looked at him that way then sat down. Just then it dawned on Buffy that she hadn't introduced Spike to her coworker. "Spike, this is Sandra. Sandra, this is Spike." "Hi!" she said cheerfully. Spike moved his chair slightly away from her and simply nodded in acknowledgement. Pippy watched Buffy grin at Spike's actions. Pippy mentally racked her brain trying to think of a way to get the two of them alone together. Judging from the crowd in the Bronze that wasn't going to be easy, but hey, she'd find a way. After all, these two were destined for each other. Just then, an idea hit her: They always seemed to patrol together by themselves. Maybe that was the ticket. Pippy cast a spell that made Buffy's Slayer senses think that a vampire was nearby. She glanced at Spike. 'Well, a dangerous one.' She mentally noted. Just then, Buffy stood up and ran out of the Bronze, telling her friends openly that she'd sensed a vamp in the Bronze. 'They must know she's the Slayer.' She thought, then grinned as she watched Spike take off after her. 'Worked like a charm.'

Buffy pulled out her stake and watched her environment warily. She looked everywhere, waiting for the vampire to attack her or Spike. Buffy waited. Nothing happened. Frowning, she kept walking. Her senses suddenly got stronger as she headed towards the cemetery. Buffy grinned to herself. 'Cool! I can sense them from farther away now!' Buffy entered the graveyard and looked around. "See anything Spike?" "Nope. Not a bloody vamp in sight." "That's weird. I know there's one here somewhere." "Yeah, right behind you." Buffy whirled around, stake ready only to come face to face with Spike, who was smirking at her. "I meant me, Buffy." Buffy frowned at him. "I knew that." She said sheepishly. "And don't do that again or I'll-" "Or you'll what?" Spike asked, not able to resist the opportunity to prod at her. "Spike, this isn't the time to provoke a fight. We have to look for- " Suddenly, Buffy's strong sense faded as though it had never been. "That's funny." "What's funny, love?" "I could have sworn that I sensed a vampire around here. But now, I don't sense anything." Buffy grew puzzled. "Now that never happens." "No." Spike agreed. "Well, you know what this means." Spike smiled. "Research Party!" Buffy giggled at this imitation of Willow, who always enjoyed that sort of thing. "You're pretty when you laugh." He said softly and seriously. Buffy looked into his blue eyes wordlessly, seeing his feelings for her reflected in them. That's when she felt that stirring of desire again. That all-consuming need to have him where he stood nearly overcame her once again. Buffy quickly looked away from him and headed back to the Bronze so she could tell her friend what was going on. She could feel Spike following her without even looking back to see if he was there. She just knew. 'That's what love will do to you.' Her brain sang out to her. Buffy stifled that thought. It was still all new to her and kind of frightening. 'Who would have thought?' Buffy mused when she reached the Bronze. She turned, and to Spike's surprise, didn't bark orders at him but simply smiled. 'Who would have thought that I, Buffy Anne Summers, would fall in love with Spike?' She sure hadn't. But that didn't matter. Her loving him didn't make her feel scared at all. It made her feel happy. Now all she had to do was work up the nerve to tell Spike. Oh Lordy.