A/N: Okay people, I am not getting any reviews. I know my readers aren't going to force me to stop updating hmmm? Okay enough with the idle threats. I just like reading anything you all have to say, and it saddens me when there is nothing new to read. And don't think I am done just because Dawn and Spike submitted to mutual lusts, cause I'm not. Anyway, you know the drill, keep reading and reviewing. Love ya'll ~ E'Lise

Chapter Seven: Chippy

Buffy woke in her room and was surprised not to find Dawn next to her. The Slayer had a hard patrol last night, and hadn't even heard her sister come back in. She was glad that Dawn had insisted on going out with Spike, because she wasn't ready to deal with all the questions that his arrival had created within her mind and heart. The blonde vamp was very dear to her and she wanted to tell him how much he meant to her, but Buffy wasn't sure if she could open up a door she had thought was closed. And what about Angel? Would it be disrespecting his memory if she went after Spike? And did she want to go after Spike? The time she had spent with him in Sunnydale had been the only time she felt alive, but everything around her had been falling to pieces. After Spike had left, Buffy had managed to get back to her old self. She helped Dawn train, and helped Willow kick her addiction to magick for good, so that the redhead could actually do spells without trying to take over the world. Then Angel had returned, and he was her whole world once again. They had been married, and he was human. It had been amazing. But then he was killed. Buffy knew that she had returned to that catatonic state she had been in just after she came back from heaven. It was so hard losing Angel and knowing that he was never coming back. But the Hellmouth was closing, and a new one was opening. Buffy knew she had to go to New Orleans and help fight it. She was lucky Angel had bought this house and it was paid in full. And the money he had left her in his will helped to maintain the beautiful home. Xander had also started his own construction company and was doing quite well, and his crews did all the work that needed to be done on the house for next to nothing. Willow, Tara, and Anya had opened up a new Magick Shop in New Orleans after learning that most occult stores in the area didn't have the connections they did. The shop was quite profitable; Tara and Anya did most of the work at the store, and Willow maintained their website and handled all worldwide orders, so that she could help Buffy patrol. Everyone was doing very well, and they used their resources to help Buffy with finances, and maintain the huge house they all lived in. Buffy shook her head to clear her mind of all the thoughts that had assaulted her this morning.

"God, I am getting as analytical as Giles," she thought with a chuckle. Her Watcher had returned to England, but still made periodic visits, and kept in touch with weekly phone calls.

Buffy got up to go check on Dawn.

"I hope that if she left Spike sleeping in the den, she remembered to close the curtains tightly," Buffy thought.

The Slayer walked down the hall to Dawn's room. When she tried the doorknob, it was locked, so she reached above the door's molding for the key. Buffy unlocked the door and opened it. The light from the hallway illuminated Dawn's pitch black room. Her little sister's long bare leg had snaked over the top of the covers. The comforter barely covered the swell of Dawn's breasts, and that's when Buffy noticed a pale muscled arm draped protectively over Dawn's torso. Buffy turned to leave, but the light glinted off platinum blonde hair and she stopped in shock. It couldn't be...

"No," Buffy whispered. It was, Spike was asleep in her sister's bed. The sheets shifted. Spike was asleep naked in her little sister's bed.

"Oh God," Buffy moaned.

Dawn and Spike woke up immediately from the small noise. The two predators sat straight up in bed, their eyes glowing gold. They looked towards the light, and saw Buffy leaning against the door frame, looking like she was about to faint. Dawn and Spike sprang out of bed and went to help Buffy. The slayer screamed loudly and sat down hard on the floor. Lights went on in two other rooms and feet pounded down the hall. Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara all watched in horror as Spike and Dawn stood frozen, completely nude, in front of Buffy. The two culprits looked at Buffy then at each other. What had happened last night finally registered with them, and Dawn and Spike both got identical looks on their faces of shock and disbelief. Spike recovered quicker and yanked the sheet and comforter off the bed and handed the thick blanket to Dawn. Spike wrapped himself in the sheet and Dawn covered her entire body in the comforter. They knelt down next to Buffy and began to apologize and explain their actions.

"We were soo drunk," Dawn said.

"That's right, really really drunk," Spike confessed.

"We are soo sorry, we never meant for this to happen." Dawn took Buffy's hands in her own.

"Really really sorry. And I never thought this was going to happen, I swear." Spike grabbed one of Buffy's hands from Dawn.

Buffy got up slowly and slid her hands out of Dawn and Spike's grasp. She walked dazedly down the hall and disappeared into Joy's room. Spike stood up to go after her, but Xander stopped him.

"Whoa there, Evil Dead. Don't you think you've done enough?"

"Get out of my way, carpenter, or you'll be sorry." Spike went into game face and snarled threateningly at Xander.

"Oh and what are you going to do, sneer me to death, Chippy?" Xander grinned in the confidence that Spike could not hurt him.

All of the rage that Spike felt towards Xander and the anger he had for himself at the moment welled up in his chest. He grabbed Xander by the throat and picked him up off the ground. He held the young man up a foot in the air and growled at him.

"I said get out of my WAY!" With that Spike flung Xander into the wall and went running after Buffy.

"Oh no," Willow said. "I am not sure Buffy is going to handle this very well with all that she's been through."

"Are you kidding me Will?" Xander said standing up shakily and rubbing his neck. "We've got bigger problems."

"What?" said the four girls turning to look at him.

Xander paused for emphasis and looked each girl in the eye before he answered.

"Spike has gotten out the chip!"