A/N: Thanks to everyone who stuck with this story and the reviews. I see I have some newbie followers. Welcome, my friends. Welcome. Without further ado...

"I take it you didn't find anything?"

The Slayer rubbed the bridge of her nose as she looked up at Giles when he entered the bedroom. She was sitting on the end of the bed as Spike still slumbered soundly as if he didn't have a care in the world. Her Watcher gave her a grave expression that wordlessly answered her question. Buffy let out a long sigh and looked back down at the vampire, one of his arms was thrown across his face and the other one was extended above his head and he looked just like an innocent child having a dream.

Giles closed the bedroom door and walked up closer to her "Buffy, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we find something. I've had Willow up all night on the Internet and Xander has fixed your door downstairs before he went off to work. Dawn wanted to stay home from school but I thought it best she went and Andrew...well he's as exasperating as ever, he wanted to make Spike a fruit and muffin basket to 'get well soon!" He grunted.

"But nothing?"

"No, not yet" He ran a hand through his hair "Perhaps you should take a break – get some sleep, have a shower and something to eat?"

"I can't"

"I had a feeling you would say that, so I brought this with me" Giles opened the door again and pulled out a large basket and held it out to her sheepishly "Courtesy of Andrew"

Buffy smiled slightly taking the basket and nabbing one of the muffins, taking a bite "Thanks, Giles. You know, at least he's...at least he's not in pain. I mean he hasn't woken up much at all since...it happened"

He nodded "Yes, I suppose it's good to know, if worse comes to worse"

"Somehow I'm still not comforted" She bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"That is understandable," Giles said comfortingly "Buffy, I just want to say that I'm sorry about our...discussion yesterday. It was wholly inappropriate considering the circumstances"

She looked up again at him "But you still believe I should just keep my distance from him"

"Yes"

"Giles..."

He put a hand up "I will get back to researching. If you feel you do want to rest I will have Andrew relieve you of your watch"

"I couldn't do that to Spike," Buffy smiled wryly "He'd kill himself if he found out I'd left Andrew with him as his only company"

Giles gave her a soft smile and then nodded at her and turned on his heel leaving the bedroom just in time to miss Spike stirring. The Slayer stood and then walked up to the head of the bed and sat down next to him, she stroked her fingertips up and down his temple. Spike groaned and snuggled into her hand.

Buffy looked down at him as his eyelids flickered and his cold hand trailed down the bed to rest on her thigh. She felt his hand run down to her knee and then back up and she couldn't help but feel her spine straighten making her rigid. To be fair her reaction was justified because Spike hadn't touched her in any sort of way other than being friendly since he had gotten his soul back. Unless she counted what had happened back at the lake but this was different because this kind of touch was unplanned yet comfortable. It was as if he was her boyfriend who was familiar with how she liked him to show affection for her. When they had been lovers it had never been about affection, though.

"Spike, hey," Buffy hesitantly put her hand on top of his that was on her leg "Are you awake?"

He cleared his throat "It...it bloody feels like it" He let out a long groan.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"Nope, it more sort of...tingles" Spike opened his eyes fully and looked up at her "What...what's happenin', Buffy?"

She looked down at him "Something bad"

"I figured. When isn't something bad happening to you or me or both of us? I think the...I think the sodding Powers That Be are tryin' to tell us something, luv" He croaked.

Buffy remembered her earlier thoughts but pressed him anyway "What'd you mean?"

"I think they want us to keep apart, I think we must be like electricity and water - mix us together and something goes boom" Spike laughed a little but it sounded bitter "Some people are made for each other, tailor fit but we...we are like a little bloody kid with two pieces of a different jigsaw puzzle who keeps trying to ram them together but the little whelp can't get it through his thick head that they don't fit"

"Very philosophical" She said jokingly but inside her emotions were running high.

He closed his eyes briefly then opened them again "Ever thought that maybe...that maybe we are meant to stay away from each other?"

"It's funny, I never thought you would be one to let anything other than you shape your destiny" She looked down at him "I thought you didn't live by the rules, Spike?"

"I'm gettin' old, Buffy. Maybe it's time to settle down with a nice pair of slippers and a smoking jacket and just let society win" Spike sighed.

Buffy grinned "I can't see you in slippers"

He chuckled but did not say anymore instead he lifted his other hand and place it on top of hers making Buffy feel like her hand was in a Spike hand sandwich. The Slayer carefully removed her hand from in-between his two hands. Spike looked up at her and she looked down at him and then something changed in his eyes.

Suddenly he sat up fluidly no sign of his earlier lethargic state. Buffy's surprise deepened when he grabbed her arms with his hands and leaned in viper-quick nestling his face in the junction of her neck and shoulder. Buffy instantly tensed because Spike was still a vampire and he was probably not in his right mind.

"Spike?" She breathed.

It was then she realized that as she listened hard that he was sniffing her. Buffy grabbed his face with her hands and pulled it away from her to look into his eyes, she saw that his pupils were dilating rapidly.

"What are you doing?" The Slayer asked looking at him with a stunned expression on her face.

"Your scent...it's delectable" He gave her a devilish grin she had not seen on him for a long while.

She frowned but felt herself blush "What? What's gotten into you?"

"You tell me" Spike whispered hoarsely and kissed her hard.

Buffy jerked back from the crush of lips in surprise and she scrambled backward and up so she was standing looking down at him kneeling on the bed now. The Slayer knew as soon as she saw his eyes that Spike wasn't in his right mind.

She took a step back and Spike jumped up into a crouched position like a tiger ready to pounce. He watched her with hungry eyes and they did not stray from her as she slowly walked backward and to the left towards the door. His fists clenched her cobalt blue sheets and she had time to think that they matched the color of his eyes.

The Slayer held her hands out to him "Spike, I'd prefer it if you didn't look at me like that"

"Like what?" His voice was hushed and smooth.

"Like you want to wash me down with a nice Chianti"

Spike let out a low, slightly menacing sounding chuckle and she had heard him laugh like that in the past when he had been her enemy "I don't want to eat you, ducks"

"That's good to know"

"I want to do somethin' much more fun" His eyes flashed and Buffy backed up quickly her back hitting the door.

Buffy let her hand slide across the door to the handle but Spike was up in a flash pinning her to the door and holding her hands up above her head. Their chests were pressed together as were their thighs and his face was so close to hers the tips of their noses were brushing. If he had needed to breathe she would have felt his breath on her face.

The Slayer could take Spike in a fight if it came down to it and she knew that but she really didn't want to hurt him because she knew it wasn't him that was acting this way. However, if worse came to worse she would have to smack him down if he needed it.

Buffy looked into his eyes "Don't be an idiot, Spike"

"That's all I've ever been" Spike smiled.

"No, no you're not stupid" She whispered and tried to ignore their close proximity and the way it made her heart beat way too fast "And you can fight this...please, fight this. You came back for a reason"

"Yeah, so I could have you one last time" He grinned, licked his lips.

"No. You came back because you are needed, you are...you're wanted"

His eyes flashed "So, I am wanted? That's good" He arched his hips into hers and she felt her eyes widen.

"I didn't mean like that" She turned her face away from his as he leaned in to kiss her and instead he settled for licking a wet line down her jawbone "You have to fight the poison, Spike"

Spike just grunted and began to nuzzle her neck and she tensed even more but it wasn't just because he was a vampire it was because it felt good. Suddenly Buffy was propelled into him as the door at her back was opened and knocked into her. They both ended up sprawled in a heap on the bed with Buffy on top.

"Oh!" A voice at the door "Sorry to interrupt"

They both turned to look but he still didn't let go of her arms. Willow stood in the doorway looking like she was trying very hard to keep a neutral face. Buffy tried to pull herself free of Spike discreetly but he would not let go.

Willow gave a flustered smile "I'll come back later..."

"Willow –" Buffy started.

"No, don't go, Red" Spike let go of Buffy and she fell to the bed a little disorientated as he rose fluidly and crossed over to her friend "Come in, join us"

Willow's eyes flickered over his shoulder to Buffy "Uh, Buffy...?"

"It's the poison, go Willow!" Buffy yelled and got off the bed.

The witch hesitated and in that moment Spike was on her and had grabbed her around the waist and rammed her backward against the door closing it again and pinning Willow in much the same way he had done to Buffy earlier. Willow let out a small, sharp shriek and grabbed at Spike's shoulders as he buried his face in her hair and neck just like he had done to Buffy.

"You all smell so good" He groaned.

Buffy grabbed him from behind and wrenched him off of Willow throwing him back down on the bed. She turned and stood next to Willow and put a comforting hand on her arm. Spike shook his head as if dazed. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes as if not quite believing what he was seeing.

"Buffy?" He looked at her, afraid.

"Spike?" She narrowed her eyes; suspicious "Are you...you?"

The vampire frowned "Who else would I be?"

Buffy let out a deep breath and turned to Willow "It is the poison making him act this way, isn't it?"

"I...I..." Willow was still a little shaken but then she took a breath "It makes sense. His specific purpose was to mate with the female water feral demon, right? So, I guess it makes him..."

"Want to bang everything in sight?"

"Everything female at least," Willow nodded "Looks like"

Spike stood slowly drawing their attention back to him "What the hell are you talking about?"

Buffy let out a long, deep breath and knew she would have to tell him now. She turned to Willow and gave her a look; the witch nodded and left but only after Buffy assured her that she could handle him. Then the Slayer closed the door behind the redhead and turned to Spike who was looking at her impatient and a little fearful. He knew it wasn't good news, it never was.

She took his hand and sat them both down on the end of the bed slowly and carefully and then turned to look at him and his anxiety was palpable.

"Remember down by the lake?" Buffy said softly.

"How could I forget," Spike smiled gently and looked at her.

She felt the heat in her cheeks and let out a long breath "No, I mean...the demon"

"Oh" Spike nodded "The one I killed?"

"Yeah. Well, it turns out that that spine it stuck in you is making you...change" She looked into his blue eyes.

He took a moment "Change"

"Into a..."

"Into what?"

"Into a demon"

A/N: How will Spike react to this news? Find out in the next installment. Man, I love doing that! Reviews please, you know they're my addiction. Lot more Spuffy to come. Which is always a good thing, right?