Westbury, England

Spike stepped out of the black cab and pulled his cigarettes out of the pocket in his leather duster. He lit one and took a long puff of it nervously. It was a gloomy afternoon, but then most in England were, and it was bucketing down with rain. An advantage of the dark and dank weather was that it made it possible for him travel around much earlier than in sunny California without fear of being burnt to a cinder by the suns rays. He was looking up at the large and almost stately looking house of Rupert Giles when Buffy got out of the cab behind him and stepped up to the side of him.

The Slayer was all but healed now and she looked as beautiful as she always had. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a French braid and she wore a dark brown leather jacket that reached her thighs, it was done up tight to fend off the rain but the water had never bothered Spike. Buffy pulled out a small bag full of her belongings and then she went around to pay the driver.

The house in front of them had only two floors but it was wide and there was a slightly 'public school' theme about it. There were lights coming through the large windows and snaking vines were crawling up the front of the house and nearly engulfing the entire red brick wall. The place was just so British. A large path led up to the house with a front garden big enough for a kiddy's playground to be built on. Spike could see off to the side that behind the house there were several acres of grassy fields and huge oak trees. Completely unspoiled country land was hard to come by now but somehow Giles had managed to procure himself some. He noticed that there were two figures on horses racing around outside down those fields and coming closer because from here they just looked like small dots. The rain didn't seem to bother them it seemed.

Spike pointed at the distant figures to Buffy and she grinned and motioned for him to follow her as she walked around the house across the lawn and into the huge back fields. Spike grunted and took another puff of his cigarette but followed anyway and the two of them ended up underneath a large oak tree for shelter as the two horse riders got closer. As they did Spike noticed with astonishment that the one racing in front of the other was Dawn, her long brown hair flying around her as she grinned and the figure on the second horse trying to catch up was Giles. Buffy waved her arm at them to get their attention and as she did Dawn nearly bucked her horse as she noticed who was with her sister. Dawn pulled the reins and turned the large brown horse abruptly to gallop in the direction of the couple. She ground to a halt in front of Spike and Buffy and her eyes had lit up.

"Spike!" She shrieked with girlish enthusiasm.

"Alright, Little Bit" He grinned back and dropped the cigarette to the ground, stomping it out.

Dawn turned and climbed swiftly off her horse jumping to the ground and running to him. She jumped into him and he staggered backward in the brunette's overjoyed hug. Spike looked over Dawn's shoulder at Buffy and raised his eyebrows she just smiled. Spike curled one arm around the teenage girl. After a few moments she pulled back.

"It's so good to see you" Dawn gushed then paused, regained some composure and socked him in the arm hard "You didn't tell us you coward!"

Spike rubbed his arm "Ow! Hey! Christ, Niblet, you get more like big sis every time I see you"

Dawn tilted her head, her hair dropping down like a curtain and smiled wryly "That mean you're gonna fall in love with me too?"

The vampire raised eyebrows and Buffy just laughed and so did Dawn. Giles pulled up next to them finally and took a big gulp of air before resting on his horse and recovering, his hair plastered to his head. He let out long, deep breaths that came out icy and looked up with his glasses fogged.

"Buffy, you're back" Giles said then let his eyes tick to Spike "And you brought company. Spike"

"Rupert" Spike nodded back at him.

Buffy folded her arms "I see Dawn beat you again"

"Yes, well, she's a natural..."

"You look bloody exhausted" Spike commented "How long did it take her to learn how to ride?"

Giles coughed and readjusted his glasses "Well, um, more or less..."

"Two weeks" Dawn piped up smiling.

"And how long have you been riding?" Spike asked Giles.

"Well, only about...fifteen years" He hung his head in defeat.

Spike smirked and couldn't believe the strange feeling welling up in his chest just from seeing these people again after he had thought he never would again. Giles and he had never been close but it still felt good to see the old man hadn't changed and Dawn was a determined, stubborn and opinionated as ever – she really was turning into Buffy, which wasn't a bad thing.

Dawn was saying something to him but he didn't hear it he was too busy just looking at her, looking at Giles and looking at the English countryside around him.

"Can we get out of the rain? You know it does havoc with my hair" Buffy grinned and turned on her heel.

"I'll take the horses back" Giles said and grabbed the rein on Dawn's horse using his own horse to trot back over to the stables as he pulled the other one along.

Dawn started toward the house and when she noticed that Spike wasn't following she walked back to him and grabbed his hand, pulled him along with her. Spikes looked down at their hands and then up at Dawn's face. He had really missed the Slayer's younger sister.

She pulled him along to the back door of the house that Buffy had disappeared into earlier and the warmth of the place was what he first noticed that and the smell of warm, baking bread. They were in the large kitchen. They walked along through that and down a log corridor before Dawn pulled him to a doorway on the right that lead to a large living room. It had fireplace that had a large roaring fire going and deep burgundy leather sofa's – one large two seat that could actually fit three people and two single armchairs in the same fashion. The rugs were old but perfect for the room and the whole thing was decorated in old style English furnishings, with a slightly modern twist – kind of like Giles himself. On the mantelpiece over the fire he saw framed pictures of Buffy, Buffy and Dawn, the whole gang (not including Spike of course), and a few of people Spike did not recognize. A large coffee table made of thick, quality, wood was in the centre of the room and Spike noticed the top of it was decorated in swirls and spirals of copper – it was very classy, and he had to admire the Watchers style. On the table were a tray of biscuits and one mug of herbal tea. The tea belonged to the redheaded witch who was sitting cross-legged on the floor deep in meditation and focusing on her breathing.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt their presence in the room and she immediately focused on Spike. She stood quickly and looked him over then she smiled, then frowned as if not sure what to do with herself.

"Good to see you too, Red" Spike smirked.

"Spike, hey, oh..." She walked up to him started to hug him then paused "Thanks for saving the world!" She put her arms around him awkwardly and he patted her on the back before she pulled back and smiled twitchy "And well done on coming back from the dead! It's tricky, I've heard"

"That it is" Buffy nodded as she entered the room from another doorway that led to somewhere else and she smiled "Unless you've got a witchy friend"

Willow smiled and looked around the room, let out a breath "Whew wee! This is awkward"

"Don't suppose there's any tea going for a resurrected guy?" Spike asked looking around.

"I'll get it!" Willow piped escaping from the room as fast as possible.

"Two sugars" Spike called after her.

Buffy smiled at her friend's nervousness around the vampire and then she sat down on the couch and patted the space next to her. Spike looked at Dawn who pulled him over to the chair and sat him down then sat next to him. He was sandwiched between the two Summers women.

"Xander's at work" Dawn explained to him "So he won't be back till later and Andrew is training with his Slayers"

Spike nodded "Still can't believe you let that whelp look after Slayers"

"He's doing okay, actually" Buffy said reclining into the chair and sighing, she winced a little.

"You alright?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, it's just the long flight really took it out of me," She closed her eyes "I'm just a little tired"

"It's understandable" He nodded.

Dawn looked at her sister "I still can't believe they were trying to sell your blood on the black market. Oh, Buffy, just think some vampire's just been popping the cap off a bottle and gulping down some refreshing Diet Buffy"

Buffy opened her eyes and glared at her "Thank you for that visual, Dawn"

"Buffy, you look quite peaky," Giles announced as he entered the room sans heavy coat and smoothing his wet hair down "Perhaps you should go upstairs and rest in your room"

"No, I should stay and –"

"He's right, luv, you don't look too clever" Spike put his hand on her forehead "Got a bit of a temperature"

"It's probably the climate change from California to here not to mention you were physically and emotionally drained" Giles nodded and walked over to her made it clear she had to go.

Buffy sighed and let Giles help her up before she turned and left the room. Giles watched her go and then sat down in one of the armchairs across from the couch. He removed his glasses and cleaned them then replaced them on the bridge of his nose. Willow entered and handed Spike his tea before picking hers up from the coffee table and standing leaning against a far wall. Giles held his hands out to the fire and paused then turned to the vampire.

"Spike," Giles said slowly, careful to choose his words correctly "I never thought I would say this, but, I'm glad to see you're well. None of us will forget what you did for us, for Buffy, and for the world. Your actions were courageous and noble and those were not two words I would have necessarily have had you down as. However, you proved yourself worthy of your soul and in getting that soul and sacrificing yourself to rid the world of the Hellmouth you have given yourself a good head start down the road of redeeming your past"

"Cheers, Rupert" Spike nodded and smiled.

"But don't think that means I'm going embrace you as my surrogate son" Giles clarified.

Spike chuckled "'Heaven forbid"

The two men reached an understanding then and Spike sipped on his tea, reveling in the warmth of it. He sipped some more and sighed.

"You just can't get tea like this in America" Spike noted.

"Quite," Giles nodded "Why do you think I moved back here? For Buffy's own good? No, because I missed a decent English cup of tea"

Willow and Dawn laughed and Giles smiled.

Spike shifted down in the chair and felt something he hadn't felt for a long while - comfortable.

Buffy padded down the stairs of Giles' house and yawned, rubbing her eyes, she had slept for too long and now it was almost eleven o' clock at night. Dawn was already in bed because she had school tomorrow and Willow and Kennedy were also in bed but for a different reason. She turned down the corridor and walked up to the living room where she heard voices. It took her a moment to realize it was Xander and Spike that was talking, very civilized it seemed. Buffy stopped outside and listened even though she knew that was rude.

"So, how's The Big, Dark and Brooding?" Xander asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

Spike snorted "As boring as ever"

"Heard he's running an evil law firm? That's...new"

"Yeah, well, he's doin' a lot of stupid stuff but..." There was a long pause "But I might be starting to get what he's doin' there...even if I'm not gonna lend a hand"

There was a pause before Xander spoke again "How's Buffy doing?"

"I dunno...I don't think it's my place to go up there and check on her. I think Giles might have whacked me if I tried to go up to her room"

Buffy leaned closer to the door.

"So, would I" Xander said and his tone wasn't all light-hearted "If she's ill maybe I should go check on her"

"I'd leave her a couple more hours, she needs her rest"

"Yeah," There was a pause "How come we're having a civilized conversation? When did we start being civilized towards each other?"

"Don't bloody ask me. Maybe it's the English air"

"Which you don't breathe," Xander said leading.

"True"

Buffy walked into the room and the two men looked up at her – Xander was sitting on the couch and Spike was in the armchair opposite him, sitting with his legs wide open and his fingers tented looking kind of relaxed. They were both having a beer and Buffy had to admit it was a surprise to see them being such buddies, it was a strange surprise but a good one.

Spike stood as she entered and she almost smiled it was just such a gentlemanly thing to do, Xander put his beer down on the table and sat up straighter. The Slayer was in her pajamas which was just a pair of pajama bottoms and a blue T-shirt; her hair was loose now. Xander was dressed in his suit, as he was site manager on a building site quite a way away from here. It had taken a lot of convincing for the people to employ him due to his lack of two eyes, but after much badgering they had agreed to take him on. Spike was dressed the same except his duster was gone.

"Hey, Buff, good of you to tell me you were bringing a guest back" Xander quipped "I nearly had a heart attack when I saw him"

"He bloody accused me of being The First and tried to attack me with his blueprints" Spike snorted.

"Can you blame me?"

Buffy looked at her friend "I called, told Giles. I thought he would tell you"

"Apparently I had already left for work when he got that call" Xander took a swig of his beer.

"How are you?" Spike asked softly.

She looked to him "I'm way jetlagged but apart from that I think I'm good now. I'm figuring I'm gonna go back to bed in a minute" Buffy yawned.

"That's where I'm headed now," Xander stood then looked sheepish "I, of course, mean my bed, not Buffy's because...okay, bye" He nodded abashed and left.

Spike sat back down on the couch but the Slayer remained standing and he took a long gulp of his beer before setting it down on the coffee table. She folded her arms, then unfolded them, placed them behind her back and then folded them again in front of her. Buffy was feeling fidgety and she knew why.

"So, how do you like England?" She asked trying to ease the tension.

"Well, it's about the same as I remember it"

"When was the last time you were here?"

"1910"

Her eyebrows lifted "Okay, I think a few things have changed"

Spike shrugged "I never was one for the countryside. More of a city bloke"

"Then you must hate it here"

He shrugged again "It's alright. I can see why Giles would live here and ever maybe Red, what with the earthy connections and whatnot, but I can't see you being happy here. Can't get much privacy what with a house this full"

"Like I ever had any of that," Buffy smiled then shook her head "Actually you're wrong. Giles has a small guesthouse...well, really more of a cottage and he gave it to, well, me"

Spike frowned "So, why do you have a room upstairs?"

"Incase I feel lonely, incase I need to be closer to Dawn, incase..." Buffy trailed off.

He smiled a little, as if he understood "Incase you want to be dependant on someone else for once. You had sole ownership of the house back in Sunnydale after Joyce...and that was a lot of stress so –"

"So, sometimes I like to pretend like I'm still a kid," She nodded "Like Giles can look after me, so I can sleep soundly. Yeah, I'm a Slayer and I'm afraid of living by myself. I mean its not even more then thirty seconds away from the main part of the house. I am tragic"

Spike stood slowly and shook his head "Not tragic, luv. Just you missed out on a proper childhood, so it's no big surprise you want to be looked after sometimes"

Buffy looked at him and he looked back and smiled and she was glad that he understood and that she didn't feel like she had to explain it further to him. Giles strolled into the room and looked between the two as he took a sip of his tea.

Her Watcher looked down at his watch "Buffy, it's rather late and weren't you supposed to be resting?"

Buffy glanced at Spike and smiled then looked back at Giles "Yes, dad"

"Oh, really," Giles got flustered, "I only meant –"

"It's cool, Giles," Buffy grinned "I'm gonna go back to bed"

"Uh...?" Spike shifted from foot to foot.

The Slayer and her Watcher looked at him expectantly.

"It's just, well, where am I gonna sleep?" He scratched his jaw.

Buffy looked at Giles who looked back at her equally blank "I didn't think about that"

"Big surprise" Spike snorted and she gave him a look.

Giles sipped his tea "Well, all of our rooms are fully occupied. There's always the sofa..."

"Giles" Buffy said in a slightly unpleased tone.

"What? It folds down into a sofa bed, I had anticipated when I brought this house and it's furniture that there was a possibility you would all come down here and demand squatters rights so I made sure I was prepared" He smiled wryly "An Englishman is always prepared"

"He's right there, luv" Spike looked over at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

Buffy cleared her throat feeling a blush spread across her face "Okay, Spike on the couch. Everyone's happy. I'm gonna...bye" She turned and fled from the room.

Spike and Giles both turned to each other and seized the other one up before they simultaneously cleared their throats and looked around the room going for casual and failing miserably. Some things hadn't changed – when Buffy wasn't around Spike felt out of place with her friends even now.

"Spike," Giles said in a slightly weary tone "Buffy is glad you're back, and in a way we all are, but..."

Spike turned back to the Watcher "But what?"

"But she has just received a chance at the life she had always wanted – one free of the responsibilities of being the only Slayer. There is no doubt she will always be a Slayer but now she does not have to be one first and foremost. She has the chance at a normal, well-rounded life. Buffy may not think so far ahead in her future but I do and she deserves to be happy, she deserves to have friends, to have a career and to have healthy relationships." He looked at Spike pointedly.

The vampire looked back at him and remained blank-faced "And, let me guess, I don't fit in the 'healthy' bracket?"

"No, you do not" Giles placed his tea down on the table then stood up straight again and folded his arms "As much as I respect and admire your actions against The First and though you do now have a soul you are still a vampire, Spike. You cannot possibly offer Buffy what she needs"

"And what exactly is that, seen as you seem to be the expert?" Spike took a step towards him, facing him off.

"She needs someone who can take her where she wants to go. Outside in the sun, in the light, someone whose whole world does not revolve around death and bloodlust. She needs someone real" Giles removed his glasses and looked him in the eyes.

Spike looked back "And I'm not that someone"

"No, you're not" Giles replied softly.

The vampire turned his back on the man and grabbed his duster up from the chair. He threw it on and pulled out his cigarette, lighting up and taking a long, deep puff before turning back to Giles. The Watcher remained impassive as Spike looked at him and they shared another moment of understanding. That Spike was not good enough for Buffy and that they both knew it. Spike took another long drag of his cigarette before he turned on his heel and strolled out of the room down the corridor and out of the front door slamming it behind him.

Giles sank down into an armchair and rubbed the bridge of his nose before replacing his glasses and letting out a sigh "She won't thank me for that"

A/N: That pesky Giles, huh? Yeah he always was meddlesome. Just kidding – I love Giles but he was never a big supporter of the Buffy Spike whirlwind romance (if whirlwind meant never fully resolved and full of sexual and emotion tension that is). So, anyway. The Scoobies are finally here. Kennedy is not...not sure whether to give some explanation on that or not. Why don't you tell me? Kennedy Pro or Kennedy Anti. You Decide! (Went a bit Big Brother there). So, we're in England now. My homeland "God Save the Queen, Send her Victorious, happy and glorious..." Well you know the gist of it. More SPUFFY to follow. Keep with the reviews. It makes me do my happy dance.