Buffy's friends had not been pleased to find out Spike was now in residence All of Xander's flustered arguing halted when Buffy had told him she would do anything to keep Dawn safe, period. She did not see Spike as a threat at all, seeing as the chip kept him in check. She secretly felt that he would never hurt her anyway, but didn't feel this was the time to voice that opinion to her doubting friends.

Xander had made his feelings clear. Willow and Tara just seemed very concerned. Giles voiced his disapproval, feeling that perhaps Buffy was being manipulated by Spike. Anya just wondered aloud if Buffy and Spike would become orgasm friends now. That comment got a 'dear Lord' and a good glasses cleaning from Giles, a disgusted shudder from Xander, blushes from Tara, Willow and Dawn, raised eyebrows from Buffy, and a big-ass smirk from Spike. Well, actually he'd been wearing that smirk ever since Buffy had told her friends he would be living at her home. He couldn't help it, he was in heaven. The woman he loved trusted him and needed him. It was everything he could hope for at that point, her friends be damned.

"No, he's just here to help. To help me protect Dawn. There are times when I can't be with her, and he's stronger than you guys. I know you mean well, but Spike just has a better chance against whatever Glory has planned. Dawn will be with one of us at all times until this thing is resolved. That's all there is to it, guys. I know you don't like it, but you have to deal with it. I'd think you wouldn't argue about Dawn's safety. Even if you think Spike's motives aren't trustworthy, I don't care. I believe he will protect Dawn, and that's all that matters to me right now." Buffy turned to look at Spike leaning against the wall, still with the remnants of a smirk. "Anything you want to say here?" Spike straightened up.

"Uh, not particularly."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Maybe something to inspire trust?"

Spike looked at her strangely. "What do I care if the Scoobies trust me? They never have, never will, I assume. I figure I know their opinion of me, and it doesn't matter. Only thing that matters is what you think. You trust me, so that's good enough. Rest of 'em can sod off." Spike muttered his last line, but loud enough to be heard.

Xander stood up to argue, but Tara stood also and put her hand on his arm. "Look, it's not that we don't trust you, Spike. Well, ok, some of us don't. We're just concerned, is all. We want Dawnie to be safe too. This whole situation is just as much a shock to us as it is Buffy. But I, for one, say if she trusts you to take care of Dawn, then so do I. Not that it matters to you, but I do." Tara lowered her head with a smile.

Spike gave a grudging, "Thanks."

"Yeah, me too. I haven't had a reason to doubt Buffy's judgment before.....well, ok, we've had several reasons at one time or another, but this is different." Willow spoke up, then turned to Giles and Xander. "Look, Spike can't hurt anyone even if he wanted too. Trust me, I know first hand. I remember him trying to bite me, and he wasn't able to.....um, perform."

Spike's head shot up, "Hey!"

Willow looked down sheepishly, "Sorry, but you know what I mean. And if you guys are worried about Buffy, I think we've all seen she can take care of herself if he tries to get fresh. She's kicked Spike's can clear across town and back, even before he had the chip. Don't see why this would be any different."

"Gee, Red, I'm really feeling the love here." Spike frowned at Willow.

She gave him a little smile, but turned back to the two doubting men. Giles sighed and finally spoke up while Xander fumed. "Very well. I fully know the absurdness of arguing with you, Buffy. I will respect your wishes, however foolish I feel they are." Giles looked toward Spike. "I assume I can bypass the threatening speech that includes a description of your painful demise should you harm either of these girls?"

Spike puffed up to say something, but Buffy looked back at him with pleading in her eyes. He melted. 'God, that woman has me by the short ones.' He sighed and just nodded towards Giles.

"Xander, if you have anything else to say about this, get it out now. I'm not going to put up with it beyond this point." Buffy crossed her arms and glared at Xander.

"Buff, we're just all worried about you guys. We want the best for you, for your safety. I'm just not so certain that having an evil, bloodsucking fiend living in your home is the best idea you've ever had."

That cinched it for Spike, he stormed toward Xander but was stopped short by Buffy's hand on his arm. He looked down at her hand and then up at her. "Spike, please. You'll just make it worse. My decision is made, no matter what they say. Just let it go. Please."

"No, Buffy, let him go. I'd like to see what Chippy would do. Throw a headache at me?"

"Xander!" Buffy yelled at him, but kept her eyes on Spike, squeezing his arm harder.

Spike nodded and left the room. The slamming of the basement door was his only response to the degradation he'd just experienced. 'If I didn't have this soddin' chip in my head.....what I could do to that boy. Hell, time was, I'd kill a man for looking at me funny. But now I gotta put up with insults from the whelp.' Spike threw a few half-hearted swings at the punching bag. He couldn't be very angry so soon after Buffy had been touching him. He closed his eyes and could still feel the warmth. It amazed him how just a look or touch from her could calm him and inflame him at the same time. He wondered if it was because he was in love or whipped. Then he wondered if there was a difference.

After a few minutes, Spike heard the front door slam. Then he heard the basement door open slowly. "Spike?" It was Dawn.

"Yeah, Nibblet?"

Dawn descended the stairs slowly. "Um, you ok? You didn't, like, trash everything down here, did you?" Dawn peered around cautiously.

Spike chuckled, "Now why would I do that? It'd just put me on your sister's bad list. And right now she's the only one who likes me."

Dawn marched up to him, "Hey, I like you to! And I liked you before Buffy did!"

Spike smiled, "I know, Bit, but you've always liked me. I don't mean you, you've always been on my side. But your sister is another matter.....still not sure she actually *likes* me, but she's tolerating me. Good enough for me."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Ya big liar! You *so* want to make her your love monkey!"

Spike looked aghast at her. "Nibblet! I do not! I just....I want Buffy and I to be friends."

"Huh, right. Like you had the Buffybot built for friendship." Dawn raised her eyebrows at him and gave a knowing look.

Spike wanted to jump into a hole at that point. "Uh, you know about that, eh? Uh, well, see, Bit....that was just....umm....."

"Wrong." Buffy finished for him from the stairs. Dawn and Spike both jumped at her presence. "Dawnie, Spike knows that was wrong. He made a mistake. We all make mistakes, and we're not going to hold it against him. Now why don't you go order a pizza. I need to talk to Spike for a minute."

"Can we get anchovies? Pleeeaaassseee?" Dawn clasped her hands, begging.

Buffy made a disgusted face. "Yech, Dawn, you are so weird sometimes! You can get it on your half, but if my half smells fishy, you're doing the dishes for a week!" Buffy smiled as Dawn giggled, running up the stairs.

"So, pet. What did you need to talk to me about?" Spike sat down on his cot, leaning against the wall.

Buffy walked over and sat beside him. He felt the electricity that he always noticed when she was near him. It made his skin tingle and he had to keep himself from pulling her closer. He put his hands behind his head to keep them occupied.

"Spike, look.....you have to understand that it's hard for them, my friends. They don't trust you. After what you did for Dawn, I can't *not* trust you. But they didn't see.....they don't know.....I mean, I could just tell that you meant what you said. You really would die before you let anything happen to Dawn, wouldn't you?"

Spike sat up and looked straight into her eyes. His gaze was so intense it made her momentarily uncomfortable. "I swear it, Buffy. And not just because I know it would crush you, but because I love Dawn too. I know, you don't think I can love, but I'm telling you I can, and I do. I love you and the Bit. Like I said, she reminds me of my little sister. I will protect her with my life."

Buffy was blushing now at his passion. 'How did I never notice the intensity in his eyes? They're piercing.' She shook her self out of the depth of his eyes and focused on his words. "I know. I believe you. That's why you're here. I trust you, Spike." He smiled at her and she quickly got up and walked to the stairs.

"Buffy," Spike stopped her, moving slowly to her. "Do you think that there would ever be a time.....I mean, that maybe someday....." Spike paused. 'No, you idiot. Don't do this. You'll ruin everything you have right now.' "What I mean is, do you think your friends will ever *not* want to stake me on sight?" Spike sighed. 'Nice recovery, soddin' git. You almost threw away the best thing to drop in your lap.'

Buffy smiled, "I don't know, Spike. Give it time. They'll just have to get used to you being around more."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Well, if you're right, and this Glory bird is on a tight schedule, I don't imagine we have much time for them to get over their seething hatred of me."

Buffy raised her eyebrows in kind. "You planning on getting more dead than you already are?"

"Uh, no, but once this is all over, I don't figure--"

"Spike," she interrupted, "We're going to beat her. We're all going to make it. And then, yeah, there will be plenty of time for you all to become the best of buddies."

Spike scoffed, "Oh please, I don't think for a second that once this is all over that I'm going to be as welcome as I am now. Once the guard dog has served his purpose, you turn him lose, isn't that right?" Spike was upset with himself that he was making an issue out of this now, when he should be enjoying her presence and hospitality. But he couldn't drop it, not now.

"What? You think I'm just going to have you help protect my sister who loves you, and then kick you out of her life? Spike, she's had enough people leave her already. And as much as I tried to get *you* to leave, you wouldn't. I didn't think that after this is over that would be any different. Even if *I* wanted you out of her life, she needs a friend. I'm not going to take away the one person she will actually talk to openly. I know she talks to you. I know she goes out to your crypt after school. She won't talk to me, Spike. I try to get her to open up, but she just puts up a front. I don't know what to do anymore." Buffy's eyes were wet with tears, and Spike thought at that moment she sounded so tired.

Spike reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. He marveled that she let his hand linger on her face. "Pet, she's a teenager. They're hardwired to talk, but just not about the important things. And yeah, she does talk to me. About school, you, your mum. She misses her a lot. I've told her to talk to you, but she doesn't want to hurt you. She thinks that talking about Joyce will upset you, and she doesn't want to do that for the world. She looks up to you so much. And she loves you. Who wouldn't? I think she just needs a neutral ear sometimes. Especially when she's mad at you. Let me tell you, that's some stuff you don't need to hear." Buffy looked up at him and chuckled a little. Spike gave her a sweet smile. Buffy sighed and started up the stairs. She stopped and looked down at Spike.

"She needs you, Spike. Please don't let her down. Please don't leave her." She turned and left him standing in the basement.

"I won't leave, pet. I won't leave either one of you." Spike said after she had shut the door.

**

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