A/N: Spike. Spike. Spike. Spike, Spike!

10

Buffy's eyes opened as abruptly as they had shut and she was sure only seconds had passed since she had fell to the floor in a daze but the appearance of daylight in her room disproved this theory. There was a light rapping at the door and Buffy realized she had been awoken not awoken voluntarily.

She groaned all her muscles aching like crazy from sleeping on the floor but the Slayer ignored the screaming limbs as she sat up and dragged herself up to sit on the side of her bed, her forehead felt like someone was smashing a hammer into it.

She rubbed her head and ran her hands through her hair blinking vigorously as she still woke up. That was when she remembered the night before and the impossibility of it all. It had to be a dream but the moment she thought that she knew it was a lie. Buffy hadn't dreamed about Spike for a long time, she hadn't allowed herself, she had forgotten him as best she could, pushed him to the back of her mind like she had to do with everyone that died whom she had cared for. She remembered the knocking at the door just as it happened again. Buffy dreaded who would be on the other side of that door because she was so not ready to deal with him. So not ready in any way possible.

"Who...who is it?" She asked tentatively.

"It's me, Willow" Came the welcome reply "Can I come in?"

Buffy took a breath and stretched her muscles and worked the cricks from her neck "Yeah, come in"

The door opened slowly and carefully and Willow peeked her head in before stepping in and shutting the door behind her all without taking her caring eyes from Buffy's saddened ones. The redhead clasped her hands in front of her and bit her lip; unsure of how she should handle this so she went for the best friend solution and walked over giving the Slayer a big hug. Buffy felt instantly a little better as she wrapped her arms around the witch and closed her eyes letting out a little of the grief. Then she couldn't contain it any longer and everything came out in floods of tears.

"Oh, Buffy" Willow stroked her hair clutching her tight.

"I don't understand," Buffy cried into the girl's shoulder "I don't understand..."

Willow held her close "I know, Buffy, I know. It'll be all right though, we'll get through it...you'll get through it"

Then they talked and hugged and Willow comforted her as Buffy started to vent all of her mixed feelings on the matter. Willow just nodded of squeezed her hand as she listened carefully and when Buffy was finished the witch would tell her it would be all right and that they'd gone through a lot of stuff over the years and this was just another thing.

Buffy had always valued Willow for her smarts and her magickal abilities but lately they hadn't been as close as they used to be. They'd still talk a lot and joke but there wasn't that bond of knowing implicitly that someone was there to have your back not just in a physical fight but in an emotional struggle. Now, though, Buffy felt herself getting back into the groove of things, she and Willow were being brought together again over something that neither of them fully understood. If it was possible Buffy felt better after their talk and she even felt that maybe she was starting to come to terms with it, she was the Slayer, or a Slayer now, and she had been through worse. If anything this was a positive thing; someone she cared about was alive again instead of dead. That was better than the alternative and yet she still knew she would feel incredibly weird and awkward when she would have to talk to him. She didn't really know how to deal but she would. She would.

"Where is he?" Buffy asked wiping the last of her tears away "Now, I mean?"

"The sun's just come up so I think he's down in the basement with Angel and Xander. You should have seen Xander – he hugged Spike and everything" Willow smiled "It was all very...disturbing"

Buffy looked down at the floor "Any idea how this happened?"

The witch shook her head "We're thinking either divine intervention or a spell"

"Divine intervention? Is there such a thing?"

"Look at what happened to Angel" She commented.

Buffy nodded and stood then "Does everyone know now?"

"Yes" Willow stood too "You wanna come out? The coast is clear"

The Slayer took a moment then nodded again and Willow went to the door opening it and motioning her to go first. So Buffy took a small step out and breath a sigh of relief when she saw no one was about. Then she and Willow walked slowly down the stairs and Willow gave idle chatter about what was supposed to have happened on patrol last night. Buffy didn't really listen but it comforted her to hear her friend's voice and not just silence because in silence she could think too hard.

The got to the dining room and Giles sat at one table with about five different books in front of him seemingly reading them all at once. Andrew sat opposite him yawning and rubbing at his eyes still dressed in his Spiderman pajamas. As they entered the men looked up and Giles stood, taking the glasses from his eyes and looking relieved.

"Buffy," He smiled warmly "Oh, um...good morning"

She made an effort to smile back "Hey Giles"

Andrew waved "Hey Buffy"

"Andrew" She even greeted him aware they were all on tenterhooks around her she looked back at the table strewn with books "Little light reading, Giles?"

"Hmmm?" Her Watcher seemed out of it for a moment but snapped back "Oh, yes I was trying to research how...how Spike might have come back so to speak"

"I still think voodoo," Andrew added helpfully.

Buffy nodded slowly "Oh. Find anything?"

"Not even remotely" Giles sighed in defeat slumping down into his chair "It's a bloody mystery"

The Slayer spoke "You're telling me"

Her Watcher looked at her; concerned "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Peachy" She said offhandedly "Anything else about these other demons?"

"Oh, well no I was rather caught up in this endeavor I'm afraid"

Willow shrugged "Endeavors, endeavors...I think we all need a day off. We should go to the beach or something"

Buffy looked at her friend "Not really in a beach mood"

"The sun will do you good" Willow prompted.

"That's a phrase I never believe" Angel appeared at the doorway, he was dressed but bare-footed and he looked very tired "I thought I heard you. Are you okay?"

Willow nodded "I'm fine, thanks for...oh wait you mean Buffy" She smiled sheepishly.

The Slayer looked at the vampire standing in the shadows "Isn't it nap time for you?"

"Well what with Xander and Spike it's not exactly my fan club down there, always sleep with one eye open, right?" Angel shielded his eyes from the sun.

"Quite" Giles nodded returning to his books but still there for Buffy if she needed him.

"You should go back to bed. I don't want you missing out on beauty sleep because you're checking up on me" Buffy said not unkindly "I'm dealing"

Looking at her a moment longer Angel turned on his heel and left without another word and silently she thanked him for honoring her request. She really didn't think she could cope with everyone asking her how she was. It was like people saying 'how are you?' at a funeral pointless because they already know the answer.

Andrew was rubbing his eyes tiredly "Giles, are we done yet?"

"No, and if you want to be a Watcher you'll have to learn to be up for hours and hours researching, Andrew" Giles chastised him "You're perfectly fine staying up till the early hours playing computer games this is no different except you won't be shooting green monsters"

"Wouldn't bet on that" Dawn swung through the door still dressed in her pajamas and also looking tired and slightly grouchy "Man, you guys are loud, ever heard of whispering?"

Andrew stood and looked Dawn over way obviously, Buffy had noticed that over the years the geek had fallen slightly in love with her sister. Dawn seemed oblivious like most people did when they were being crushed on. Buffy had thought about mentioning it to her sister but decided she would work it out eventually. Besides she found the whole thing quite sweet.

"Hey Dawn" Andrew smiled "Sorry about waking you"

Dawn gave him an offhand smile "It's okay, I'm over it" She walked over and sat in what had once been Andrew's chair.

The boy or man as he now technically was, seemed totally unable to get over that she had smiled at him and Buffy had to smile to herself. She remembered when love was as simple as a syrupy smile and coy glances. Or course, when you got older things changed. As the two vampires downstairs in the basement testified for her.

"So, what's up?" Dawn asked leaning her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm.

"Giles is researching" Andrew said sliding into another empty seat as he stated the obvious.

"What?"

Buffy looked at her "Spike. How he got here at least"

Her sister frowned "Do we have to know how? Can't we just be happy that it's happened? Spike is back and maybe instead of sitting around mulling over dusty books we should, I don't know, welcome him?"

"Dawn–" Willow started to warn for Buffy's benefit.

"It's okay, Will" The Slayer sat opposite her sister "Dawn's got her opinion. Maybe she wants to throw him a party with some chocolate cake and party hats?"

She narrowed her eyes "There's no need to get sarcastic about it. All I'm saying is we could be courteous, the man has just risen from dust. Not exactly standard procedure. Buffy I know this most be strange for you especially but you should be happy not sad. Am I out of line?"

Buffy sighed "No, no you're not"

There was a loud buzz from the intercom by the door and she got up to go and get it relieved to have some time to herself even if it was only a few seconds to clear her head. Buffy reached the intercom and pressed the button.

"Who is it?" She asked then let go of the button.

There was static then a squawk "Wesley" came a deep English voice then there was another lighter voice, Texan accent "And Fred, uh, we're hear to see Angel"

"You gotta know the password" Buffy was being cautious.

"Oh, right" Wesley said, "Bloody hell?"

Buffy pressed the button to open the gate and leaned her back against the front door. The password, it reminded her of Spike. That was why she had chosen it, he always said it and she wanted some part of him around the place. Now it felt strange and weird.

There was a brisk, very British, knock at the door and Buffy pulled it open stepping aside to usher them through. Wesley she of course knew fairly well from his days he had spent as her Watcher but he had changed drastically since then, becoming a good fighter, being a little darker and broody and generally more useful to Angel. His hair had grown long enough to curl down to the bottom of his neck and it was swept back at the front out of his blue eyes that no longer seemed to need glasses. Buffy was betting on contact lenses. He also had a heavy amount of stubble on his triangular jaw and better clothes.

Fred she had only met a few times and very, very briefly every time. At first the girl had been way shy but after her relationship with Gunn and her strange attraction to Wesley at the same time she had done some serious personality changing. She could kick ass a little but was better at the books and mathematical things; she was like a female Giles only cute. Now that she thought about it Fred was also like Willow and it was no surprise that the two women got on so well together. Buffy had no doubt that if Willow was single that she'd pursue Fred whether she was straight or not. Her long brunette locks were tied up tight in a ponytail and her soft brown doe eyes crinkled at the sides as she smiled at Buffy. Buffy liked Fred she decided.

"Hey, Buffy" Fred said in her Texas twang.

"Yes, hello Buffy" Wesley inclined his head slowly "I take it your impromptu guest has arrived safe and sound?"

Buffy took a breath "Yeah and thanks for the heads up" She said sarcastically.

Wesley looked her in the eyes "I apologize for not calling to warn you but we thought it best to bring him straight up here, we were all very shocked I can tell you. We did try to ring Angel's cell phone but he always has it turned off and we didn't have your number with us"

She waved a hand "Forget it, Wes. All is forgiven but what's with the personal escort agency?"

"We thought we might kill two birds with one stone, we have heard about your demon trouble and thought we might be able to help" He said "If not in the fighting department then in the research area. Although I have no doubt that Giles has already hit the books?"

Buffy swept her hand toward the dining room doorway "Go in there and catch him red handed"

Wesley nodded and started to the room a canvas bag slung over his shoulder and Fred followed at a distance behind him taking in the big old building with a look of intrigue on her face. She was probably wondering if they had a library or something like that. Fred had never been here before, Wesley neither, and Buffy had a feeling she would be surprised at how many girls were here and how big their operation was. She entered the dining room last and found Willow and Fred already engaged in some deep conversation and smiling at each other's company. Wesley and Giles were pouring over books and Dawn and Andrew were watching on in minor distaste.

She strolled over to the two men who had both once been her Watcher and though she still called Giles a Watcher it wasn't strictly true for the Watcher's Council had been destroyed. Buffy saw Wesley pulling old tatty books from his bag and a pristine one.

"Oh look, Giles!" Buffy smiled "New books! You must have died and gone to heaven"

He pulled a face "Yes, thank you Buffy"

Wesley smiled a little "I hope that we didn't trouble you too much by bringing Spike here. I've never met him before but he is quite..."

"Let's just use the word 'colorful'" Giles scoffed.

"Yes," Wesley nodded.

Fred looked up from her conversation with Willow "Well, I thought he was charming. Except for the, you know, vampirism and all..." She looked down at the floor.

Buffy, still a little uncomfortable with the conversation, nodded "Spike's a lot of things. Colorful and charming but I still don't understand how he can be here"

"We were thinking a spell," Fred said.

"Yeah but who would want to bring him back?" She asked.

Willow turned to her "The demons?"

"That makes no sense. Why bring back a guy that can kill one of their demons that would be unstoppable if he was left dead?"

Willow looked sheepish "I never said it was a good theory"

"Well, you all figure it out" Buffy shrugged "I'm gonna get changed and go do some jogging"

Before any of them could say anything else she turned and bolted out of the room and back up the stairs shutting the door behind her. Back to the sanctity of her room.

11

Tonight she dreaded darkness falling but it fell anyway. She was walking down the road back to the Slayer Sanctuary and it was already dark, Buffy had planned to get back before but if just hadn't happened. She had needed a long time of jogging and resting to just feel okay.

Buffy told the intercom the password and the gate unlocked with an audible click. Time to face the music, confront the past and run as far away as possible. That was what she wanted to do anyway but still she shut the gate closed behind her feeling as though she had just caged herself in with a lion. It wasn't that she was scared of Spike it was that she was scared of what she might do.

The Slayer walked slowly to the door of the building and knocked loudly. Moments passed and she was about to knock again when Xander opened the door and gave her one of his goofy grins.

"Hey, you" He said stepping aside to let her in "A little light run?"

She followed Xander's eyes down to herself and saw that her clothes were covered in sweat, sticking to her skin and she hadn't even realized. She had been pushing herself harder then she thought. Buffy shrugged as she entered she looked around and heard people in the dining room and other various rooms but hadn't seen anyone yet. Buffy started to the stairs hoping to steal enough time to have a shower.

"Oh, hey, Buffy" Xander called up to her "If you wanna talk about stuff you know I'm your stuff man"

Buffy smiled slightly "Got it, Xand"

She turned on her heel and climbed the rest of the stairs turning and walking the shower that was at the end of the corridor and closed herself in, making sure it was locked she shed her clothes and stepped into the shower cubicle and turned the hot water on. She had already been in there for five minutes when she realized she had not brought any clothes into the room with her. Sighing Buffy washed her hair and stepped out drying herself off with a towel and wrapping it tightly around her collarbone making sure everything indecent was covered. Buffy combed her hair and pulled it back into a wet ponytail then she sprayed her favorite perfume and stepped out, the steam from the room blowing out after her in a billow. She padded down the corridor and as the steam cleared she saw a figure's silhouette standing there and she just knew it was him.

The steam cleared and they both came face to face, alone there were no distractions. Spike's blue eyes softened a little as he saw it was her and then they traveled down and saw her state of undress, quickly he looked back up at her eyes. Buffy saw his hair was messier today, having just woken up, and he carried a pile of clothes in his hands. She figured he was on his way to the shower that she had just vacated. His duster was no where to be seen as Spike stood before her in his black jeans and tight black T-shirt, bare-footed. Buffy sucked in a breath and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, it was awkward enough talking to him for the first time since he had died but she had to be wearing a towel, didn't she? That was the life of Buffy Summers, the girl, not the Slayer.

She spoke first "Spike"

He looked at her, his eyes sparkling, so familiar, so welcome "Buffy" his voice was hoarse as though he had been chain smoking and for all she knew he might have been.

The English accent, he was a Londoner you could tell but he was so much more than that. A vampire, once a man but still a man to her, with a soul, once her enemy, her grudging ally and then her lover. Just to think of it all made her want to turn away, to forget about this man again it would be easier then having to deal with it.

Spike seemed hesitant to say anything else or to come closer to her in anyway and Buffy felt the same about him. She had a hundred and one things to say to him, to ask him, to tell him - she wanted to tell him about all the things that had changed in her life, how Dawn had grown up so much, how they had set up a good operation here and everything else. Yet she couldn't open her mouth to say another word to him.

The vampire shifted on his feet and cleared his throat scratching the back of his neck he looked right at her and she looked right back at him and they said nothing at all. It had been three years since they had last seen each other and neither one of them seemed to be able to think of anything to say.

So, almost as if it were perfectly choreographed, Spike dropped the clothes and they both stepped into one another and embraced in a poignant hug. He still smelt like Spike, a mixture of smoke, blood and breath mints. His arms slid around her waist and his hands rested at the base of her back his head lying gently against hers as she pressed her face into the junction of his neck. Her hands slid up his back and latched onto his shoulder blades. It felt...normal, even in a towel, still wet it felt strangely normal.

"You look good," Buffy whispered "You know, for a dead guy"

Spike chuckled "I've always been dead"

"You know what I mean" She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on him.

"I do" He stroked a hand down her arm "Since I came back all I could think about was this. You. Three years later you still look as beautiful as ever"

Buffy pulled back slowly and his hands trailed down her arms as she moved out of the hug "So, you've decided to come back from the dead. I did it first, you know"

"Well, actually, luv, I did rise as a vampire over a hundred years ago, so..." Spike smiled.

"So we're even in the resurrection quota"

"We are at that"

They stood and looked at each other a moment longer before both looking off to opposite sides, coyly.

"I should get dressed," She said, self-conscious.

"Not on account of me" He grinned that old, Spike grin "I'm gonna take a shower, I wager that I smell like crap at the moment"

Buffy nodded "Yeah, you do"

"Thanks" He arched an eyebrow and moved to the side of the corridor sweeping his arm out to motion her through like a gentleman.

She smiled a little and slowly began to walk away.

"Missed you, Slayer" Spike called.

"Missed you too, vampire" Buffy called back without looking but a small smile on her face.

It was true she had missed him. Spike being back was strange but it was the kind of strange that she wished happened in her strange life more often.

When she returned downstairs she went straight to the dining room and found Giles, Wesley, Willow and Fred and gathered around one table still going through several books and arguing points about them. Others in the room were eating or talking and Buffy noticed Kennedy giving Fred a jealous look, she needn't worry though because Willow was devoted to her.

Dawn and Vi and Rona sat around one table with Andrew talking girly stuff and then Buffy saw Angel hovering near Wesley and Fred in the shadows and looking up as she came in. Robin and Faith were still upstairs she knew this because she had heard them earlier when she had been getting changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a crimson spaghetti strap top, hair loose.

Buffy wandered over to Giles "Find anything yet?"

"Hmmm?" Her Watcher's eyes were glazed over then she snapped out of it "Oh, Buffy. Well, we have been finding out about a group of Klamath demons that just happened to have done something similar a hundred years ago to a group of notorious criminals. We're thinking these may very be the same demons"

"Oh, great" Buffy sighed "Demons that are hundreds of years old"

Angel stepped out of the shadows "You've been through worse"

"Why can't there just be fluffy kitten demons for once, huh?" Fred asked, "I mean, kittens are cute, right?"

Wesley smiled "Not everything that's cute is harmless, Fred"

"I know that" She rolled her eyes behind her deep framed glasses.

"Buffy," Angel took her arm and led her out of the dining room to stand just out of view "We still need to talk"

She tilted her head "'Bout what?"

"Us, Buffy about us" His dark eyes stared into her.

Buffy sighed looking away from him "This really isn't the time, Angel"

As if on cue Spike came walking slowly down the stairs, running his hand over the wooden banister and staring at it as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. It happened sometimes after you had been resurrected, she knew, insignificant things were suddenly significant.

His white blonde hair was combed back, slick against his head and shining from being newly washed. Buffy saw he wore a tight white T-shirt stretched close over his chest and arms and a pair of dark blue jeans that fit him almost perfectly. The vampire looked up and saw her and Angel and he pulled on a gray sweater he had in his hand, it was ripped along the neck and said in big, bold letters Cambridge University. Buffy was betting the clothes were borrowed from Giles and Buffy didn't think she had ever seen Spike in white or gray, they were good colors on him. He stepped slowly onto the floor and stopped as if trapped in the two of their gazes.

"Didn't mean to interrupt" Spike held his hands up.

"You never do," Angel said darkly.

Spike didn't rise to the bait instead he sighed and walked right up to them, stepping between them to walk into the dining room. Angel followed him with his narrowed eyes all the way.

Buffy looked up at the vampire who had been her first love "Do you have to be like that? He's just come back from the dead, you know how that is"

"Buffy, come on it's still Spike" Angel rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, Spike saved us all" She spat back "So, I think you should cut him a little slack"

Then without another look at him Buffy turned and walked back into the canteen. She saw Spike had been dragged to sit next to Dawn and the girls were telling him stories over what had happened the past years. Everyone in the room was looking at him, a little surprised and unsure and Buffy realized that although they had been told Spike was back most of them hadn't actually seen him in the flesh.

The newer girls had never met him but they had heard the stories and so the vampire was like a myth to them. Buffy could see that they liked what they saw. Spike was still a honey even after being dust for three years. She shook her head to clear it and walked deeper into the room sensing Angel following her in grumpily.

"Buffy!" Dawn called her over.

Still a little awkward feeling the Slayer approached and stood behind Andrew to see her sister "Yeah?"

"I was just telling Spike about that time in Iowa when we accidentally left Andrew behind and then we came back and he was holding onto his Spiderman comic and crying" Dawn grinned.

"I was not!" Andrew protested "I had something in my eye!"

Buffy smiled a little "Good times"

Spike shifted in his seat "She's grown up a lot, eh?" He motioned to Dawn who preened.

"Sometimes," Buffy said wryly "But sometimes she's still little Dawn at heart"

"No, I'm not!" Dawn frowned then looked at Spike "I am so not"

The vampire shrugged "Nothing wrong with being young at heart, Niblet"

"Spike I am nineteen, you can't call me that!"

"I can't?" He arched an eyebrow "Make me stop, Niblet"

Dawn shoved him playfully and Spike guffawed, the two of them getting on like they always had. Buffy smiled once more and moved away, he had fit right back into the place that the group had been missing since he had died.

The Slayer wandered over to stand behind Willow and Fred "We have any idea how to kill these things, yet?"

"We're still going with the human counterparts have to kill them" Willow sighed "No magick just hand to hand combat it looks like"

"Bummer" Xander had sidled in "So, we get a couple of good ax's and slice their fake heads off as soon as possible, right?"

Fred looked at him "They're demons. Kinda stronger then us mere mortals"

"Yeah, that would be the downside to my plan" He nodded sagely.

"Okay so we step up training but it's gotta be some kind of spell that the demons are using to stop any one else hurting them. There may be a –"

"Reversal spell?" Willow questioned "We're working on it"

"Giles, any idea where they might be hiding out?" Buffy leaned her hands on the table.

Rupert Giles looked up from a boom "Well, they are known not to hide themselves nor to announce themselves"

Buffy frowned "What the hell does that mean?"

"That they're most likely living in a moderate house" Wesley put in.

"Well, that narrows it down" The Slayer sighed.

"We're doing our best, Buffy" Giles said warily.

She shook her head "I know, guys, I know. I don't mean to take it out on you but I don't like the idea of demons wearing my friends faces"

"Yeah I'm not too sweet on that idea either" Xander chipped in.

Spike stood "What's this then? Demons, what's the big deal?"

"They look like us" Willow informed him "And only the other us can kill them. I can only kill Evil Willow and so on"

He scratched his chin "Oh, I see your problem. Glad I was too busy being dead to join in with the Attack of the Clones"

"Cool!" Andrew piped to himself.

"Actually, Spike" Giles said "We have reason to believe that they've taken on your identity as well"

The vampire sat back down "Oh. Bugger"

"You could say that" Giles nodded.

"So? Mount up and kill 'em, right?" Spike suggested.

"Wrong" Angel smirked "We can't even find them"

Spike looked at him "Have you tried using you nose?"

Buffy's brow knitted together "What do you mean?"

"Well, I take it they have to have some kind of human host to do it?"

"Yeah, they...meld with them or something"

Spike nodded "Okay, so if you have something that used to belong to one of the humans that they melded with then you can use it to find them"

"Explain" Giles stood.

"Chances are that the demons will smell a little bit like the humans they killed because they are using their bodies" Spike took a sip of some coke and grimaced at it "So, if you have an item of clothing or whatever, Angel Pants over there should be able to sniff them out"

Buffy looked at her Watcher "Will that work?"

"Possibly"

"Better than anything we came up with" Willow shrugged.

Fred smiled "Well done, Spike"

The vampire smiled back at her "Gracias, amante"

"No más de eso" Fred giggled back.

Buffy seemed to be surrounded by people that spoke Spanish and she had no idea what had just been said. Frowning she looked at Dawn who, in High School, had started to study it.

Dawn shrugged "Don't look at me. All I understood was 'thanks'"

"Do we have anything of Josh's?" Giles inquired.

Andrew nodded "I think he left a sweater in my room"

"Get it" Buffy said and the man jumped up and ran out of the room.

Spike looked at her "Who's Josh?"

"Your double, kind of..." She said.

"Really? There's a man on Earth that looks as hot as me?" He grinned.

Fred and Dawn laughed whereas Angel stood in the corner looking moody and rolling his eyes. Buffy ignored him and took Willow's arm leading her outside of the room.

"What's up, Buffy? You okay?" Her friend was concerned.

"I'm fine" The Slayer said briskly "I just wanted to know what Spike and Fred said in there. Me no speaky Spanish and all. You're the expert, right?"

Willow preened "Hardly but I sort of understood it. Spike said something like 'Thankyou lover' and Fred said 'No more of this'"

"Lover?" Buffy's eyes widened.

"I'm sure it was all very playful, Buffy" Willow squeezed her arm and turned walking back into the room.

Buffy followed a moment later but she eyed Fred and Spike in a new light. She hated to think that she was jealous but there it was. It was stupid because Fred was obviously into Wesley and Spike was, well, he had just arisen from the dead. Hardly enough time to be all hearts and candy. Then again he was Spike.

Andrew came in a moment later and handed the sweater over to Angel who brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply. Then he handed the sweater back to Andrew and nodded that he had the scent.

"Can we track it?" Buffy asked.

"We can try"

The Slayer nodded "Tonight?"

"Tonight" Angel nodded.

"Tonight, let's do it!" Xander pumped a fist a little overzealous.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" He shrugged "I can't be enthusiastic about demon hunting?"

"Tonight we just want to find out where these guys are, survey the place" Buffy said "But we better take weapons just incase. I want Angel, Willow, Kennedy, Xander and Faith to go with me, okay?"

Spike frowned "Shouldn't I go? What if my demon double is cooked?"

Buffy looked at him softly "This is strictly recon we're only taking weapons as a precaution. Besides I don't think you're ready to fight"

He looked back at her "Fine" There was something in his voice that told her she had hurt his feelings but better to hurt his feeling then get him killed. Again.

She looked at him a moment longer then motioned for everyone to get ready and the walked off grabbing coats and weapons. She saw Spike walk over and sit next to Fred in the chair Willow had just left; he picked up a book and started flicking through it looking bored as sin. Buffy sighed and turned grabbing her jacket from the coat rack she pulled it on and opened the door waiting for everyone to get ready.

There on the other side of the door stood Angel and Spike.

They both grinned at her.

A/N: Spike! Spike! Spike!...Oh, and review.