AN: Hi guys! First, thanks for sticking with the story for so long! Next, I know it is confusing, but I am hoping to clear most of the confusion up soon, so sit tight! Also, thank you ALL for the many wonderful reviews and emails I have gotten regarding The Itch. Also- Dream sequence is in bold.

I also want to say that I'm not intentionally ignoring this story, but its not as easy to write for me, so its taking a bit longer then some of my others, like Flat Mates *yes, that was a plug! *

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Chapter 18

It had begun; the two were merging at a subconscious level. He knew from watching their moves, watching how they seemed to want what the other needed and craved. Travers watched, and waited. One more day, two at the most, and they would have a formidable fighting team for the council. Travers looked at the two in the room, and started to bide his time.

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Spike glanced back towards the bed, where Buffy lay sleeping. She had been tired still, but the drug in her system was gone now, and her body was just recuperating. He went over and sat down on the edge of the bed while looking at her tiny form. As Spike leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead, suddenly he struck with vivid images of her friends, and of him. It was disorienting, the images were flashing in and out so quickly that he barely had a chance to register just what he had seen. The images started to slow, and blend in an odd movie like way.

Dark and dank, it was defiantly dark and dank, Buffy thought inanely, before turning to look away from Riley.  Her mossy eyes filled with unshed tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. Buffy glanced back towards Riley, and whimpered softly.

"I didn't want to kill him. I didn't mean to."

"Buff, what are you talking about, of course you meant to, he's an evil soulless thing." His voice was soothing, more so then sounded right coming from his mouth. She turned to look away again, and closed her eyes.

"No, he isn't. You are. This is not right he is not dead. He is here, with me. He always will be." Buffy began rocking backing forth, as her arms snaked around her body, and hugged herself tightly.

Spike felt her fear, and wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and tight to him, and murmured softly in her ear, while trying to erase the pain she felt, and he subsequently felt. It was so real, everything she had projected, he felt.

As she rocked back and forth, Buffy could feel the change, she felt the soft wind as it kissed her cheek, the warm sun as it browned her nose. Buffy could hear the birds chirping, and people murmuring softly among them selves. She let her eyes open slowly, as if afraid that her senses were lying to her.

Warm bright sunlight, soft pale roses, and beautiful lilacs greeted her sight. Tilting her head back to a normal angle, and her green eyes met stormy blue emotion filled ones. A smile lit up her face as she took in his very much alive features.  He leaned down to kiss her, but just before his lips landed on hers, he whispered softly, "I love you, Buffy." Her hand reached up to press against his chest, and she was struck by the déjà vu.

Spike whispered softly as he held her, "I'm here with you. I always will be." The dream kept whispering through his mind as he spoke quietly.

Spike whispered softly as he held her, "I'm here with you. I always will be." She smiled up at him, and nodded.

"It's like you can read my mind."

"Not read it, love, I just know."

Buffy felt warm and cocooned as she slowly slipped from sleeps silky grasp. When she opened her eyes, green met blue in a silent look. His eyes crinkled up at the corners slightly when he smiled at her, she noticed. He saw that when she was concentrating hard, her forehead would wrinkle just barely. He found he was having a hard time looking into her eyes now, after living her dream, and not pulling her close enough to kiss her.

"Morning, Slayer." He said softly to her, a small smile playing against his lips. He pulled back some, and slide back from the bed until he hit the edge. Uncurling from his position, Spike stood up, and held a hand out to Buffy.

"Wanna tell me what you were dreaming? Because I have a sneaky suspicion, I already know what happened in it. So, ducks, share a thought?"

Buffy sat up, and stifled a yawn as she studied the man in front of her, no scratch that, he is a vampire, she thought. "You were in it, I think, but it felt weird. Almost real, I think." Spike nodded patiently while listening to her. "Riley… oh, god, Riley was there! He… wait… No, I did it. I killed you." Her voice drifted off in horror as her hand came up to cover her mouth, which shaped an O.

"Buffy, luv, it's alright. It was a dream, nothing more. However, I came back, did I not? I am here with you, and I-" He stopped short of saying the final words, but was not quite certain as to what caused him to stop. "Slayer, you really think I'd let you get the best of me? Come now, you know better then that."

Buffy glanced towards him, and finally nodded. The look of apprehension left her face, and she watched him quietly. "Of course I know that." She looked over at the few leftovers on the tray, and frowned. "I'm thirsty. Can you get me some juice please?"

Spike nodded and went over to pour Buffy the last of the juice in her pitcher, and brought the cup back over to her. She held it to her lips and quickly drank it down, but found that it did not quench her thirst. She thrust the cup back to Spike, and shook her head. "It didn't help."

Frowning, Spike went into the bathroom, filled the cup up with water, and handed it back to the slayer. She drank this cup with equal fervor, and handed it back to him. "God, it almost hurts, I'm so thirsty. Could you get me more?" Spikes frowned again, glanced back at his concoction on the table, and then back at the slayer. Painful thirst, he thought. He knew that well, when the blood lust hit, he would feel it painfully so.

"Yeah, slayer, I'll get you more." He watched as she laid back on the bed, and shut her eyes, then went over to his 'juice', and poured half a glass before going into the bathroom, and mixing water into it. Saying a quick prayer that she not notice what she drank, Spike took the cup back to the slayer. He apprehensively watched while she sat up and brought the mix to her lips, before downing it quickly. She took in a deep breath and smiled weakly.

"That helped a bit, I guess, but I still feel so dry still."

"Um, Buffy, luv? I think we need to talk."

AN: I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it!