Chapter 7

Once everyone was finally gathered in the living room, Xander was the first to speak up.

"Okay Buff, what's the deal?? What big bads do we need to beat down this week?"

"It's nothing like that. It's just…I need to inform you all of something."

"So…what is it then? It must be major if you called all of us over here at lunchtime."

"Yeah, actually it is. Dawn, Spike and I are all leaving for England on Monday night. Giles wrote and told me…well…us…Dawn and I….that the Council wants us."

"Short notice much?!" Xander huffed. "Why evil dead over there and not one of us? And what about patrol?? Who's gonna do that if BOTH of you are gone? Surely you don't expect us to be able to handle it by ourselves?"

"Spike's coming because I need someone with my strength and skills to look after

Dawn when I'm with the Council.", she fibbed slightly, then continued. "As for patrol, that's why Clem is here. Spike's taking him out tonight to show him the ropes, so to speak. Then tomorrow he'll go by himself. The rest of the week, a couple of you guys will take turns going with him. After that he should be able to handle it by himself. If anything comes up, he'll always notify at least two of you to help back him up." Buffy told Xander and the rest of the Scooby's, then turned to Clem and asked, "Does that sound about what Spike told you?"

"Yeah, sounds about right."

"Any questions?" Buffy asked her friends.

Anya raised her hand. "Yes, Anya?"

"Well…what about sunlight? Isn't that going to be a problem on a twelve hour flight?" She asked.

"Dawn and I have that covered already." Tara informed her as well as the rest of the group.

"That's terrific guys! What've you figured out?" Buffy asked excitedly.

"Well…we think we've come up with a full time cloud spell. It's kinda like a deviation from the daylight spell Willow and I were working on a while ago." Tara told her, blushing slightly thinking about Willow.

"Only thing is, we still kinda need to test it out." Dawn finished, looking over at Spike.

"Bloody Hell! Why me?"

"W-well because i-it's for you, i-in the first p-place." Tara stammered.

"Besides Spike , would you rather us go call Angel and have him back again?" Dawn quipped at him before adding, "And then, if the spell does work, he'll be going to England instead of you, and who knows what else could happen." Knowing just how much it would urk him to think about giving up his relationship with Buffy all over again and to his grand-sire none the less.

"Fine, fine. I'll do it. Just promise me you won't call that poofter back here and that you'll let me right back in if the spell doesn't work." Spike said to Tara and Dawn.

"You have our word Spike." Tara and Dawn assured him.

"Now if you're done tormenting Spike, Dawn, I'd like to continue." Buffy threatened her sister.

"Yeah I'm done, but no promises I won't again." Dawn told her with a smirk.

"Fine, but be fair and do it when we aren't in the middle of a big meeting." Buffy replied. "Ok, now, does anyone else have any more questions about our trip?"

"How long will you be gone for?" Anya asked.

"Giles couldn't specify. He just wrote that we would need to be there until everything was settled with the Council."

"Any idea what they want?" Xander asked.

"Absolutely no idea. I haven't done anything wrong." Buffy told him before adding, "That they could possibly know about anyway.", under her breath with a glance over at Spike, Dawn and Tara talking quietly in the corner.

"Well…what time is your flight then?" Xander asked.

" 7:30 Monday night from LA airport. I think we have a stopover in NY for re-fuelling or something. Anyway…Spike said he wanted to take in a show and do some sight seeing while we're in England." Buffy told them enthusiastically.

"Don't you think you're getting a bit too excited about hanging out with Spike?" Xander asked sceptically.

"Um, I agree with Xander, Buffy." Willow said. "You're beginning to make me re-think my kidding around from before."

"What! Oh No! It's just I haven't been anywhere outside California since Dawn was little. My father took us to NY once. I think it was part of some business trip or something, but I remember that we had a lot of fun there. I think it'll be even better going all the way over to England, even if it is business with the Council. Especially since Dawn and I are both older now and can appreciate stuff more. Spike says he knows a lot of cool places to go too!"

"And you actually trust Dead Boy Junior??" Xander asked, already knowing the horrifying answer to come.

"Yeah, I do. He'd be sooo pissed if he knew I told you guys this, but listen.." she leaned close so all three of her friends could hear her whisper, "believe it or not, he really does have a gentle side. Especially when it comes to Dawn. Actually, you said it yourself Xander. You were buddies with him all summer last year, you saw it all yourself!"

"Yeah, I try to forget about that time. But I guess you're right. He can be a nice guy sometimes. But don't go telling him I said that! He'll wring my neck, I just know it!" Xander replied, rubbing his neck. Just thinking about Spike wringing it, made it sore.

"Relax Xander, no one's telling." Buffy told him, patting him on the back.

"Yeah ok. Anyway, you've got my acceptance on taking him."

"Us too." Anya and Willow replied.

"That's great you guys! It means a lot to me." Buffy told them and gave them all a big group hug. "Now if there's nothing else, I'm gonna go check on Tara, Dawn and Spike."

"Actually, Buffy, there is something I still don't get here." Xander told her.

"Yeah Xand, what's that?"

"I still don't see why you're so chummy with him all of a sudden. I haven't heard you two argue in weeks, maybe even a month or more. Actually, he hasn't been around in a couple of weeks."

"Yeah, well, we kinda got into a fight over something, but we figured that we'd better learn to get along better if we're going to be together indefinitely." Buffy answered, while absentmindedly playing with her locket.

"Sounds logical to me. What about you Anya? Xander?" Willow told her friends.

"Yeah ok." They both agreed.

"Great! Well…I'm gonna go check on the Dawn, Spike and Tara. Make sure he's not going totally nuts with them." Buffy told them and then walked off into the other room to find the trio.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm beginning to think Buffy has "more than friends" feelings for Spike. But she'll never admit to it. Not to us anyway." Willow told Xander and Anya as soon as Buffy left the room and was out of earshot.

"Maybe you're right Willow, they have been getting along better lately." Anya agreed.

"No way! You two are imaging things! Just because they're finally getting along for more than two minutes so does not mean that she has "more than friends" feelings for Dead Boy Junior over there. Really you guys are totally delusional!" Xander ranted.

"Xander, honey, calm down." Anya told him while rubbing his back soothingly.

"Yeah Xander, chill. Really it's just a thought, no evidence to back it up."
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Meanwhile in the dining room…Buffy walked in and asked, "So, what are you two planning on doing to my Spike here?", coming up behind him and then placing a kiss just behind his ear, causing him to gasp in surprise.

"Buffy, you'd better be careful. Willow, Anya and Xander are all in the next room and they could walk in at any second." Tara told her.

Then Dawn added, "Yeah and besides, you both told me you aren't ready to confess to anyone yet."

"She's right, you know, pet. Neither one of us are ready to confess anything yet. We're still trying to figure out what we have here ourselves."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…well…it's just so hard to resist sometimes."

"Yeah, it's kind of obvious when you come home with those massive hickeys. I'm surprised Spike doesn't have any." Tara teased, but obviously spoke too soon, seeing Spike had moved the collar of his t-shirt revealing a slightly smaller, but just as dark of a hickey just below his collar bone. "Oh!" was all Tara could manage to say, while Dawn on the other hand, was fighting a loosing battle with a major case of the giggles once again. Attempting to ignore her sister, Buffy turned to Tara and asked once again if they had come up with anything.

"Yes, actually. We just need a couple more ingredients from the Magic Box and we'll be all set to go."

"Great, why don't you take little miss giggles over there and go now. That should get Anya out and Xander will go back to the sight as well, especially after I tell him I'm not ordering pizza. Spike, can you send Clem home please, while I clear out Xander and Anya?" Buffy told Tara and Spike.

"Sure thing, pet."

"We'll probably be only twenty minutes, a half hour at the most. That ok with you two?"

"Yeah, sure. No problem. What am I gonna do about Willow though?" Buffy asked Tara.

"Maybe it'd be better for you two if she stays. It'll be good practice for your trip to England. You've said yourself that you can never be to certain who's on the Council or associated with them."

"Yeah…ok. Good point Tara. Thanks!" Buffy told her then have her a hug.

"Yep. No problem. We're gonna go now. Well be back as soon as possible."

"Alright, bye." Buffy told Tara and Dawn as they made their way out the front door. She then turned to Spike and asked him to send Clem home and she'd take care of the others, then to meet back in the living room.
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TBC….

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