Chapter Six

Buffy opened her the front door and yelled, "Okay, bye Kari!" She shut it with a smile and dropped her bag on the floor. "Mom, I'm home."

"Oh honey, thank goodness." Joyce descended the stairs. "We got some new items at the gallery and I need to go as soon as possible."

"Well why'd you wait for me?"

Joyce walked through the living room to scan for her purse. "I wanted someone to be home so they know what I'm doing."

"That's why we have the wondrous inventions of paper and pens."

"Because the last time I wrote a note it went so well," Joyce sarcastically commented before turning into the kitchen.

"Hey, leaving a note on the mantle, where people put coats, isn't the best of ideas."

Joyce went through the dining room and snatched her purse from the table. "Well coats should go on the coat rack shouldn't they?"

"In theory."

"Bye sweetie." Joyce gave Buffy a kiss. "I'll call you when we're almost done."

"All right. Bye." She waved and held the door open. Joyce got in her car and waved before shutting the door. Buffy shut the postern when Joyce started backing out of the driveway. She heard Joyce's usual beep as she drove down the street. "My mother."

The phone started ringing.

Buffy casually walked into the kitchen and picked up the receiver. "Hello? … Hey, Will…. Okay, what's up? … What is it? … Then bring it over…. No next Christmas. Yes now. … Okay, bye." Buffy hung up the phone. She clapped her hands happily. Willow was bringing over a surprise that was supposedly going to help her. Maybe it's a rewards program. For all the good I did for her, she does a homework assignment. Ooo, or project. Buffy started wandering into the dining room. Or maybe it's… No, it couldn't be. Could she have possibly talked to Angel and asked him to see me tonight? Oh my god that would be so- Buffy screamed at the top of her lungs. Once she turned around, someone was right in her face. "Spike!"

"Must say I take pleasure in scaring you love."

"Don't call me that! And what the HELL are you doing here?!"

"I live here."

"No, I live here. You are squatting."

"Whateva." Spike promenaded to the kitchen.

"I'm thinking of attaching a collar, with a bell, to your neck."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Me not having a heart attack. I happen to think that's lots of fun."

Spike opened the fridge and looked around. "There's no milk."

Buffy reached into the back pocket of her jeans. "Here," she held out a five. "Go get some. There should be enough there to even get yourself a rawhide toy."

Spike snatched the money from her hand. "Screw you Summers," he stated, inches from her face. Buffy's body temperature rose from the sudden closeness. Spike walked down the hallway and out the door.

"I honestly don't think I can spend more then five seconds with him without yelling. That 360 plan is so not gonna work."

Buffy killed the next fifteen minutes by dancing in her room to some alternative rock. She used her pencil, which was being utilized to do her homework for a couple minutes, as a microphone. She stopped in the middle of a song when she heard someone come in. She quickly turned off her music and hopped on her bed. Her Science book was out and only her name was written on the assignment.

"Buffy?"

"Willow!" Buffy jumped up and ran down the stairs. "Hey."

"Hi. I was knocking for like five minutes."

"Sorry. I was doing my homework."

"Like, actually homework," she said happily.

"Like actual Science homework. For about two minutes. Then I got bored and turned on the stereo. Music led to toe tapping. Toe tapping led to head bobbing and then I was a one woman show." Willow knew it was too good to be true. "Now enough about me and more about my present."

Willow talked as she walked next to Buffy up the stairs. "When I was on the internet about a week ago I saw this thing that sounded pretty nifty. It's a box with three pills in it."

"Willow, I hate to break this to you, but pharmacies already carry that stuff. And in larger quantities."

"Not pills like this." They made it to Buffy's room and Willow sat on her bed. Buffy moved her book and listened intently. "They're from this famous witch doctor from a small village in Japan. They're supposed to make you fall in love with the first person you see. One lasts a moment, one for a day and the other lasts for forever."

"Really?" Buffy took the box from Willow's outstretched hand. They looked like normal Ibuprofen, only dark blue.

"Supposedly."

Buffy's glance turned to her door. She thought she heard someone come home. She stood up from her bed and walked out her room and down the stairs. "Hello pet," Spike said. He had a bag with milk in it. Buffy sneered and went back upstairs. "I love these conversations we have."

"The annoying one is here," Buffy said as she shut her door.

Willow grew a smile. "I have an idea."

Buffy looked from Willow to the pills. "No."

"Come on. This is the reason I got them."

"Willow, I don't want love like this. I thought you gave them to me to give to Angel."

"So you want love like that when it isn't with Spike?"

"I'm glad you're following."

"Buffy, he's your fiancée and you fight like a cat and dog."

"I think they even get along better than us."

"Exactly. So just use the one day pill and see if you like it. If you do, give him the forever one. If not, throw the last two out," Willow suggested.

"Who gets the moment one?"

"We can use it to humiliate someone."

"Willow. I am surprised at you." Willow looked a little sad. She thought it was a good idea. "That is a genius idea about something evil. Good for you."

"Thank you."

Buffy contemplated the possible actions in her head. They stopped when she heard the door again. This time Willow followed her down the stairs. Buffy looked in the living room and dining room and didn't see anybody. "Spike?"

"Yeah," he answered from the kitchen.

"Who just came in?"

"Xander."

Xander popped his head out from behind Spike and waved. "Hey." His mouth was full from his handful of potato chips.

"Hey." Buffy placed the box on the counter by the phone to avoid confrontation and possible drama.

"Hey Willow," Spike greeted.

"Hi."

"What're you doing here?"

"She came to see me. Friends tend to do that," Buffy argued.

"So do paying customers at a freak show, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

Buffy inhaled deeply. He is riding on my last nerve!

"Uh Buffy, let's go get that… uh, the thing. The thing in your room."

"Yeah, good idea." Buffy followed Willow up the stairs.

"Oh man."

"What?" Spike asked, turning his attention from Buffy's ass to Xander.

"I think I ate too many potato chips."

"Well you ate them like the bloody apocalypse was comin' in five minutes."

"I need some aspirin."

"Uh…" Spike looked around. He saw the box with the pills. "Here." He handed him two.

"Thanks man." Xander popped them in his mouth and drank water from his glass.

Author's Note: I'm pretty sure you figured it out, but just in case, a postern is another word for door. Little vocab Lesson.