A/N: To all my faithful reviewers thank you and keep it coming. So, I guess you're pretty eager to find out what happens. So? What are you waiting for? Get reading!

Xander hung up the phone in the hallway and walked into the living room. Giles and Willow sat on the couch surrounded by a pile of books and the vile of poison that Willow had – ick – removed from the water-feral thing. Xander glanced at the black sticky stuff and grimaced, it reminded him a little too much of melted caviar. Too much of Anya and his not-a-wedding reception...

Anya.

Xander tried not to think of her much, at least not when he wasn't alone. When he was alone he would sit in his chair, drinking his cran-apple and remember the ex-vengeance demon who had almost become his wife. He missed her more then he thought possible. Missed her smile. Missed her money-grabbing attitude. Missed the way she would select her words a shade too precisely. Just missed her, mostly.

Giles looked up finally "So, what did Angel have to say?"

"He said he'd get Wesley right on it" Xander said then frowned "If that's a good thing. Not my choice for Watcher of the year"

Giles smiled slightly "From what I've heard he's...matured a fair bit since we last saw him"

Willow nodded "Yep. He's gone all dark. Told me so himself"

"Does that count? Like, I'm darker then you are?" Xander raised his eyebrows and slumped into a seat, absent-mindedly picking up a heavy book.

The witch smiled and shrugged "I don't know. I beat him though"

Xander gave her a soft slug on the arm "There's our little dark-rooted-wicca"

Willow rolled her eyes. It was good that they could make jokes about it now. Xander found joking was much easier then being serious. He always had done. He looked down at the book which was written in a bizarre language and turned it upside down just to see if it made sense that way. It really didn't. Xander placed the book back on the table and picked up another smaller one written in English. He scratched his head.

"Is it weird that I'm worried for her?" He asked.

Giles removed his glasses, polished them "Buffy? No, not at all. Spike is unstable. Highly dangerous even –"

"No," Xander looked at him sheepishly "I mean, worried that she's gonna..."

"Completely flake out on Spike again?" Willow finished.

Xander nodded.

Giles frowned "What? You two are not against this...?"

Willow shrugged "Not really"

"Xander, you never liked Spike" Giles turned to him.

"I still don't but..." He sighed "And I hate to admit this, but, the guy makes Buffy happy. Haven't you seen the change in her since he came back here with her? She's all giggly and perky. And Buffy perky is not a common enough occurrence, dammit!" He grinned.

Willow smiled "Perky Buffy is of the good. But rarely seen, it's true"

"I don't believe I'm hearing this..." Giles rubbed his brow "You both think that Spike would be good for Buffy? That he could possibly give her what she needs?"

Xander shrugged "How do we know what Buffy needs? We aren't her. If she's hot for the sallow vampire guys with stupid hair, then I guess that's her decision."

"We're her friends, Giles," Willow added "We need to support her in this. Otherwise she'll resent us"

The Watcher nodded and sighed in his very resigned way of sighing. Xander really hoped he would, if not support Buffy then at least just let her be. He didn't like to see Giles and Buffy fighting. They had always kind of been the perfect poster children for a father and daughter relationship. Although they were not related by blood they were joined by something a lot more powerful – kinship. They all were. Buffy – Willow – Xander – Giles. They had been there from the beginning. Team Slay-More to the Rescue!

Xander wondered if Buffy had found Spike yet. If she was trying to talk him down from the ledge, so to speak. As much as it had disgusted Xander when he had first found out about them, he had always been curious about their relationship. Not in a perverted sexy way! Just in a 'what the hell did she see in him' way. It was clearer now, of course. Spike was good now, or at least that's what he acted like. And, he did love Buffy. If you had asked Xander a few years ago the one couple he was sure would never get together it would have been Spike and Buffy. They despised each other back then.

He guessed it was true what they said – there's a fine line between love and hate...and wall crumbling sex probably blurred the boundaries further still.

Not that he would know. Xander sighed. No wall crumbling sex for him. It still kind of freaked him out that he knew about Spike and Buffy's sexual relationship at all. That's what he got for listening to Dawn and the Potentials whispering in the night.

How Dawn had found out he would never know. Not sure if he wanted to know.

As usual Xander's mind had wandered into the gutter and refused to get out. It was inevitable that he went to the scary visual place again. Xander quickly slapped himself round the face and stared down at the book.

All three of them looked up when the fax machine started to whirl to life in the hallway.

Xander jumped up and walked to the hall pulling the three pieces of paper out of the machine. He was glance-reading them as he entered the living room again.

"Well?" Giles asked impatiently.

"It's from Wesley. Man, that guy does work fast" Xander skimmed further "It says 'Angel has informed me of Spike's plight. I checked the reference library for anything related to water-feral demons and then narrowed down my search to the metamorphic properties of the serum secreted from their quills. I'm afraid a great deal of it is written in ancient Summarian with what seems to be a mixture of Greek and Latin. I sent you the text and will continue to work on a translation for you'...blah, blah, blah. Man, that guy can talk for England"

Giles held his hand out "Let me see"

"I know a little Latin" Willow said peering over Giles' shoulder to look at the sheets.

"Yes and I know basic Summarian but very little Greek" Giles murmured.

Xander grinned "And I know the language known only as – Jelly Donuts. Or, scones! The great food of the Englishman! Scones or Jelly's?"

"Hmm" Giles muttered.

"Mmh" Willow muttered.

Xander gave them a thumbs up even though they were both engrossed "Both it is! Without my car it's gonna be a long journey but I must nourish the troops!"

"We have some of both in the cupboards" Giles waved a dismissive hand.

"Ah ha!" Xander turned to the kitchen "Giles' food horde! Of course"

He walked into the kitchen and his smile dropped. Sometimes it was hard not to feel useless around those two. Brainy McBrains. When Buffy was around Xander didn't feel quite so dense – she may have the super powers but she wasn't much good with ancient languages either. Besides, she always appreciated his food preparation skills. Even if the skills only included putting things on a plate. She always complimented him on his arrangement.

Xander started rooting around the cupboards. Buffy would be home soon. She'd just pick up Spike and be back in a flash he was sure. He held back an extra donut for her, left it in the kitchen with some sprinkles on top. She always liked those.

A/N: I thought this fic needed a little Xander POV – firstly because he was getting seriously neglected (like in season 7), secondly – I wanted another perspective and thirdly – I just love making you guys wait even longer for Spuffy interaction. Next chapter though, I promise.

I guess some people might think Xander is a little out of character considering he's going along with the Spike/Buffy relationship but I disagree. During season seven he seemed to calm down a lot, and took it all in his stride – just watch the beginning of Never Leave Me –

ANYA: Xander, you've always been part of the 'Spike is evil' faction.

XANDER: I've got windows to fix.

He really matured a lot. Completely avoided confrontation. Some die-hard Buffy fans might notice a few in-references to other episodes in this chapter. You have to look really hard though.