The rest night moved slowly for Spike, and even slower for Buffy, who couldn't find a comfortable position on the couch, much less be able to fall asleep in the crypt of one of her enemies. She rolled over a couple of times, each time finding it easier to remind herself of where she was, or almost fall off the couch and onto the floor.

She heard a groan coming from behind the couch, and using her arms to prop herself up, she looked behind it.

Lying on the large cement coffin in the middle of the room was Spike. He appeared to be sleeping, but Buffy wasn't really sure if he was or not. She couldn't really tell because she couldn't see his face, and wasn't close enough to him to see him in the dark very well anyway.

She winced, and let herself fall back on the couch. It creaked on the old springs, making Buffy wonder how old the thing was, and where Spike could have gotten it.

She heard another groan, but this time she just ignored it, knowing who, and where it was coming from now. And, if he decided he wanted to be any louder, she could throw something at him to shut him up. Then again, that could wake him up and he might be even more annoying when he's awake.

She sighed. Why couldn't Spike have taken her home, or at least found something comfier for her to lie on? This couch was ok to sit on, but lying down away another thing.

She rolled over again, facing the small TV he kept in his crypt. She grunted in pain, and moved to lie on her back, which was, she decided, equally as painful as the last position. She just had to go patrolling that night, it would have been so much easier to just have stayed at home with Dawn and-

Wait, Dawn! She was all alone at home, and Buffy was supposed to be there. What was she going to say in the morning? Oh, I'm sorry, I slept at Spike's last night. Yeah that would be great. Dawn would tell her how it wasn't fair that she couldn't hang out there, and all Buffy did was go over there and bug Spike. Oh and Xander, You did what!? Buffy I can't believe you, you should've just come home!

She doubted Willow or Tara would say anything, they usually let Buffy deal with her business, instead of getting into it, and messing around, telling her what she was doing wrong.

Anya, well she probably ask how many orgasms Spike gave her. Giles, well, he would do the Giles thing. Clean his glasses, and say "Good Lord", or "Oh Dear". Yep, her friends were just that supportive of her. It was comforting sometimes.

Just not now.

She heard Spike groan again, and grabbed an extra pillow from beside the couch. Throwing it at him, she was happy to hear an annoyed and drowsy, "Bloody Hell!" come from behind her.

Spike sat up quickly when the pillow hit him, half expecting some demon to be standing over him, threatening to kill him or something. But no, it was just the bloody slayer being as annoying as ever over on his couch.

Bloody Hell, what does a vamp have to do to get a good nights sleep 'round here? He wondered standing up, grabbing the pillow, and walking over to the couch.

Leaning over it, he saw Buffy lying down, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. He growled, and hit her over the head with the pillow.

Her eyes snapped open, "OW! Spike! What'd you do that for!?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Felt like it, besides, you threw it at me first." He said in defense, sitting on the side of the couch, smirking at her.

"Well you didn't have to hit me back, it's not very nice to hit a lady you know." She said.

"Right you are. If I see one I'll be sure to remember that."

Buffy growled and smacked him hard as she painfully sat up. It was too early for this, especially if you were tired and injured. "Go to Hell Spike." She told him.

"Slayer, my life is a living Hell." He said, glancing around his crypt. "My old buddies hate me, I'm sot out and beaten by all the demons that come to this town, not that I can't take them, mind you, and it's all because I help you."

"You only help me because that chip in your head won't let you hurt anything but demons." Buffy said, matter-of-factly.

"Well true, what'da think, I was helping you because I wanted to?" he asked, "Hah, like that would ever happen."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Oh c'mon Spike, admit it, you like to hang out with me." She said sarcastically.

But Spike took her seriously, "Only if you admit you like me." He said, and she looked at him.

"You got to be kidding me." She said, "Spike, I hate you. You know that, I know that. Get over it."

He sighed, "Buffy look, I know you feel something. I can sense it when I'm around you, you really don't hate me. And I'm not letting you leave until you say it."

Buffy almost laughed, "You want me to say that I like you?"

"Yeah that's all, pet."

"Uh uh, not gonna happen. Spike, I loathe you. Didn't I just say 'get over it'?" she asked, and he looked at her incredulously.

"C'mon Buffy. I just saved your bloody life. I didn't get a thank you, and you still say hate me, what do I have to do?" he asked her.

"I don't know Spike, maybe just forget about it? Besides, you could've just taken me home, saved me some time, instead of bringing me here to listen to you snore for a few hours." She said.

"Right, like you would've made it home with all those wounds not cared for. Buffy you would've bled to death in the time it would've taken to get there." He explained, getting a little fed up with her.

"They were just scratches, nothing I couldn't handle, Spike." She said, glaring at him, "I'm not some weakling school girl who can't care for herself, I'm the slayer-"

"The slayer who almost got killed tonight." He said, leering at her, "You know, sometimes I really can't stand you Slayer, you're always, me, me, me. What about me? I think I have bloody well earned your respect, and I still get treated like dirt! What problem do you have with me that you can't treat me like a normal person?"

"Maybe the fact that you're an evil, soulless, vampire, and not a person. You know that's a really big set back for you." She said, smirking.

"Hello, not the point here. I help you and your nancy boy scoobies fight the good fight. Avoid apocalypse and save the world and junk, without so much as a thank you, or a good job. I get no respect, and it's your bloody fault!" he said, nearly shouting at this point.

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "I never knew you felt so strongly about it Spike. Maybe next time I'll invite you over for dinner and tuck you in a night, and rise to your every beck-and-call, just because the Initiative shoved a chip in your brain, and you can't kill us, so you get your kicks from insulting us and killing your own kind." The sarcasm that dripped from her words pissed Spike off even more.

"You know what Slayer? I should have let that other Vamp kill you. Would've been a lot quieter in this town if you left again. Sure as hell was great when that bot was running the place." He said, then instantly regretted it. He hadn't meant it, at all.

Buffy swallowed hard at the mention of her death, she hated to think about how she had been in heaven, and how she had been brought back. She hated to think that what Spike was saying might be true, that it was better when she was gone. That no one missed her, but they wouldn't have brought her back if that were true.

"Shut up Spike." She said, tears forming in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She couldn't, she didn't want Spike to know how much his words had actually affected her. She couldn't let him know he had hit a nerve, "Just shut up." Though he probably knew, due to the fact her comeback wasn't as snappy as she'd wanted it to be.

Spike sighed and sat down next to her, "Look pet, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I was just a little mad." He tried to explain, but Buffy wouldn't even look at him.

"Go away Spike. I already know you hate me, you don't have to rub it in." she said, then realized how that sounded, like she cared whether he hated her or not.

Spike looked at her, "What was that, pet?" he asked.

"You know what I meant. I don't care if you hate me, because I hate you."

Even Buffy could hear that her words had sounded forced, like she was just saying them to convince herself, but Spike just kept it to himself, not wanting to upset her anymore than he already had.

"What ever you say, luv. What ever you say" He said quietly so that she barely heard, standing up and going back over to where he had been sleeping before.