A/N: I'm REALLY REALLY REALLYREALLYREALLY really for the long wait between updates. Really I am. It's just been so hectic, but its summer now and although I have work I'm pretty sure I'll be updating a lot more. Okay on with the story. ENJOY.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. If I did Riley would have died a slow painful death maybe at the hands of a very hot very soulful bleach blonde vampire
Distribution: Go ahead. Ask first
Spoilers: None
Chapter 22:
Angel sniffed around. He was pretty sure that he'd be able to smell the oracles if they were near, but Cordelia's questions were disrupting his concentration.
"Angel are you sure this is the way to the caves. I mean I lived in Sunnydale my whole life and I don't remember any caves this way. Make out points, yeah, but never any caves. Although there was that one time when there was the werewolf, which not surprisingly turned out to be Oz, and Buffy was going on and on about caves being this way…"
"Cordy!" Angel snapped and was suddenly remorseful once he saw that look on Cordelia's face. It was that hurt looked mixed with confusion and a little of pissed off just because she was Queen C.
"Sorry, it's just I'm trying to sniff out for the oracles and your talking is ruining my concentration." Angel muttered, but he knew she heard.
"Sorry Captain Broody. Talking just helps me take my mind off of the impending doom. You'd think that growing up in Sunnydale would already make me used to impending doom, but that's so not the case." Cordy said.
"Did you just call me Captain Broody?" Angel asked.
"God Angel, I just had a whole tirade and all you heard was the Captain Broody part." Cordy said somewhat shocked.
"Um… yeah… it proves you've been spending entirely too much time with Spike. He uses Captain for everything." Angel said.
Cordy stopped for a second, looked thoughtful and then shrugged.
"Yeah I guess he does. Sort of rubs off on you I guess."
"Yeah I guess. Look the caves should be around here somewhere. I can smell the mystical convergence."
"How can you smell a mystical convergence? Does is it smell like incense."
"No it doesn't smell like anything. It's a shift in the atmosphere that's only noticeable if you know where to smell." Angel explained.
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. You would think what with my half demon status I'd be able to smell it as well." Cordy said and it almost sounded like a whine.
"I'm sure you can. You just aren't concentrating and you don't know what to smell for."
"Okay so what am I supposed to smell for? Some sort of stinky cheese smell."
"I can't really explain it. I mean it's there, but it isn't. It's just something demons are born with. It just smells… off." Angel finished lamely.
"Oh thanks for the oh so cryptic description. Okay so I'll just try and do that mediation thing and clear my head." Cordy said.
"I can do it on my own. It's not that big of a deal." Angel said as Cordy started taking deep breaths.
"I wanna help. I feel like everything's happening so fast and I haven't contributed that much." Cordy said.
"You've contributed… it's just things are hectic. Who knows what's going to happen." Angel said.
"Yeah the weight of the world rests on Xander's shoulders. Now I'll be the first to tell you that Xander is probably one of the nicest, sweetest guys out there, you know when he's not cheating on me with his best friend. He's got… spirit. He's really into helping his friends and all, but…"
"He's not your typical save the world guy." Angel finished for her.
"Exactly. You want to stop an apocalypse you turn to Buffy or you." Cordy said.
"Well, this is just the way things turned out. We can't change them. All we can do is hope that everything ends well for us." Angel said.
"Yeah well I just wish there was something more I could do then wish. I mean I had all those cool demon powers before I became a Higher Being and now I don't have any… or at least I don't think I do. I haven't really explored it."
"You're doing just fine. You don't have to have powers to be useful. Just the fact that you want to help is good enough."
"I guess… hey did you sense that?" Cordy asked looking over at Angel. Angel stiffened and frantically looked around.
"Angel what is it?" Cordy asked but Angel wasn't listening to her. He was walking over to one place under strict concentration.
"Hey, getting weird here. Angel, come on tell me what's going on." Cordy said as she trailed after him. It was like watch a drug dog sniff out the cocaine hidden in a dealer's car. Angel would sniff occasionally before heading in a new direction. He kept it up for at least ten minutes before Cordelia had the vague idea that maybe they were walking in circles.
"Hey Angel, come on you're beginning to freak me out here. Just tell me where you're headed." Cordy said as Angel yet again changed direction.
"There." Angel said coming to a stop. He was staring at the entrance to a cave. It looked for dark in the inside and Cordy wondered how they were supposed to walk through it.
"Um… Angel its pretty dark and some of us don't have the super night vision." Cordy said.
"Yeah I know, but that's it. I can feel it. That's where they are. We have to go in." Angel said walking inside the cave.
"Angel…" Cordy called after him. It was no use. Angel was dead set on going into that cave and Cordy could either follow him inside or wait for him outside. She sighed and walked in after him.
"Think they're tight enough." Gunn asked sarcastically as he watched Faith tightened the rope on one of the Initiative guys even tighter then it already was.
"Hey these guys are no good. Gotta make sure they don't get away." Faith said with a gleeful smile on her face.
"Yes, but I don't think Buffy meant that tight. Any tighter and you could quite possibly break one of their wrists." Wes said.
"Nah, I know when to quit. I've got a few more notches before we even get into sprained territory." Faith said.
"Still, maybe we could, you know, just leave them alone for a bit. They don't seem to be going anywhere." Fred said.
"Oh come on. It's just a little… bondage. Gotta get thrills somehow. I mean she hasn't even let us fight fledges." Faith said.
"Is it really all that fun? Tying someone up I mean." Connor asked.
"Depends on why you're doing it." Faith said wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Connor looked confused and Faith decided to drop the act. She kept forgetting that as good as her innuendos were, they were totally lost on Connor. It didn't stop Fred from blushing, Wesley from coughing and Gunn looking at Faith as though she were a mix between a crazy person and his kind of woman.
"Forget it, and yes it can be. If these guys would at least give me an 'ow, ow, that hurts'. It's common courtesy guys." Faith said looking at the four hostages.
"Ow, ow that hurts." Jack said sarcastically.
"You know if I could I'd clock you, but I can't so I won't. Just remember I could make these ropes tight enough to break your wrists and then you'll really be saying ow." Faith said menacingly.
"Yeah, right, whatever." Jack mumbled.
The rest of the hostages were dead silent. Greg was feeling as though he'd sunk to the lowest low. He wanted to feel bad about betraying the secrets of the Initiative, but he couldn't. He felt bad about what must have been going through Riley and Patrick's heads. Riley was thinking about all the things he left behind for this stupid mission.
It didn't make sense, but he still felt a certain level of… loyalty to the Initiative and was disgusted that they would just kill him, but in a twisted way he could see their reasoning. Patrick just seemed relieved and worried at the same time. He felt safe with the Slayer guarding him, but he couldn't believe how unspeakably evil the Initiative was being. They were ready to kill him and Riley without a second thought. Then there was the fact that he might have died… if he hadn't told Buffy everything he knew.
"Enjoying the tie up Faith." Dawn said as she, Xander, Anya and Giles entered the room.
"Yeah, it's quite fun. Not better then patrol, but it'll do. For now anyway." Faith said.
"Well, under any other circumstances we would be out there patrolling, but I'm afraid we cannot do so. It's a very risky subject. We could risk getting caught by Willow moments before the big plan." Giles said.
"Yeah I get it. Bad idea to let Willow see our hand now that we have some vague idea what our hand looks like. Just restless is all." Faith said.
"Yeah, well… it has been… overwhelming. I just wanna pass out for days on end, but I don't think I can sleep I'm so wired up." Xander said.
"Have you slept at all? It doesn't look like you've slept. Maybe you should go home and sleep. You don't like so well." Anya said.
Xander gave her a small smile. She had been fussing over him ever since they told her that he was the savior. Her reaction was about the same as everyone else's along with Xander's oh so melodramatic question of 'Am I going to die'. Of course Giles hadn't been able to figure out the rest of the prophecy, but they had all assured him that nothing was going to happen to him.
"No, I'm fine. Couldn't' sleep even if I wanted to what with all that's going on." Xander said.
"Well, if it's any consolation I don't think any of us can sleep." Wes said.
"Yeah I heard that. How long do you think this thing Cordy and Angel are doing will last." Gunn asked.
"We have no idea. Could take hours or days or quite possibly bare minutes. As far as we know from the Oracles they live on a different plane of reality." Wes said.
"But they'll come back right. I mean it's not like Buffy's little time in that Hell dimension. She said it took like a day on Earth and you're already like a hundred down there." Dawn said.
"No, I'm pretty sure that Angel's said he's been to visit the Oracles before." Fred said.
"Yeah, but you can't really tell on Angel. They could be keeping him in there for hours and it only be a few seconds here." Dawn said.
"Dawn's right. The time probably travels slower there then here. They should be back in no time." Wes said.
"That's if they can find the caves. I've been living in Sunnydale my whole life and I don't remember caves… well other then the ones the Initiative set up. I don't remember any natural ones though." Xander said.
"Well, this cave probably wouldn't be natural either." Anya said. "But how can something just… form without us noticing?" Dawn asked.
"Well, I assume the Powers just but the cave up and you only see it if you're really looking… or know where to look." Wes said.
"Hey where's Buffy and Spike. I thought Spike would be loving this torture of the 'Solider Boys'?" Faith asked.
"Yeah he does seem to hate these army types. Must be that… chip? They put in his head." Connor said.
"He's upstairs with Buffy. They're… discussing things." Dawn said.
"Alright, B. I was wondering when we were going to start hearing the moaning and groaning." Faith said.
"Well, I'd rather hope that at a time like this they wouldn't be… doing that at a time like this." Wesley said.
"I agree with Wesley… oh dear God I didn't just say that… um anyway I agree. Buffy wouldn't be acting that irresponsibly." Giles said.
"Shelter yourself all you want. They said they wanted to…'discuss' things privately upstairs. Went up there about three minutes ago." Dawn said.
"Well they do deserve a break. I mean not that they should be doing… that, but they seem to be… stretched to the limit." Fred said.
"I'm confused." Connor said as he watched the conversation go back and forth between the people in the room. He didn't understand what they were talking about. From what he gathered Buffy and Spike were upstairs discussing things and Giles and Wesley didn't think it was a good idea.
"It's okay Connor. I'll explain it to you later." Dawn said.
"Oh, but there's nothing to explain. They said they were going to wait. You know make it special to make up for all the sex they had before when things were… just about sex." Anya said.
"You mean those two haven't even done it yet?" Gunn voiced what was on the minds of all the people who hadn't been in Sunnydale for the past year.
"They look so… comfortable with each other." Fred said.
"Oh they've done it. They've done it a lot. Apparently at his crypt, at the Bronze, at her job, in the cemetery, at the park, in the woods, in his car, against the tree in the front yard, in Buffy's bed… yeah they've done it." Dawn said.
"Whoa, go B." Faith said enthusiastically.
"Thank you for the helpful play by play, but Anya said they didn't do it." Gunn said.
"They haven't ever since Spike got back from his soul journey. Apparently they want to erase all the bad and have only good. That and Spike's all protest-y about having sex to soon before they actually have a relationship." Anya said.
"That guy… you're kidding right. He's like sex on legs. We are talking about the same vampire right. Leather coat, bleached blonde Billy Idol look. He's the one holding out. And here I thought B was lucky." Faith said.
"Oh he's all 'sex on legs' when he's without the soul, but the minute Willy made his comeback appearance it was all 'woe is me, Victorian propriety." Xander said.
"How would you know Xander? You never even talk to Spike." Dawn said weary of Xander's comments of Spike.
"Um… we talked. Had a little conversation a while back. When we went to the… um… videostorethatonetimewhenGileswasout." Xander said.
"Excuse me Xander I don't think I quite heard that right. Did you say you went to the video store when you were supposed to be researching while I was gone?" Giles asked as he took of his glasses and not in the flustered librarian way, but something akin to Ripper mode.
"Um… it was Buffy's idea… and Dawn's too. I had nothing to do with it. We were just innocent bystanders of it all." Xander said.
"That's not the point Xander. The point is what did Spike say." Dawn said.
"Um… that's kind of… private." Xander said.
"Oh now we must know." Faith said.
"No, I really don't think that would be wise. What with Spike not being chip head anymore." Xander said.
"Oh come on. If Spike get's all vampire like we'll just throw Faith at him to distract him. You know so he can eat her first." Anya said.
"Ahn, honey, we don't want anyone to get eaten. Besides I think we should just forget about it." Xander said.
"No, this is too juicy. We can't just forget about it. So just spill." Faith said.
"Guys, please. This isn't going to help any. I mean maybe we should just drop it. There's research we can be doing." Fred said.
"Fred if it makes you uncomfortable or any of you guys from LA you should leave because trust me we're going to get the truth our of Xander no matter what the cost." Dawn said.
"Oh crap. I'm dead. I'm dead in the water. Please someone help me." Xander pleaded to the other people in the room.
"Xander, man, I'd love to step in and help 'cause you know I've gotten to know you some and you're a really cool dude, but they've got some looks in their eyes that are scary." Gunn said.
"Giles! Giles, come on. Tell them to research. Anything to get them off my back." Xander pleaded with the older man.
"I'm afraid they won't listen to me." Giles said as he took off his glasses and began to clean them.
"Oh you coward. Okay look, Any, Dawn, Faith, I don't want to betray Spike's trust here. I mean we're just starting a friendship and… okay I don't want him to eat me." Xander said.
"Oh, okay Xander. We'll just drop it." Dawn said sitting down on the couch next to a puzzled Connor.
Xander didn't really believe that she would drop it and his suspicions were confirmed when Anya said, "How about we play a game of twenty-one questions to figure out what's this secret?"
Meanwhile upstairs Buffy and Spike were upstairs discussing what had been going on during the past few days.
"Buffy I just don't think you should go. And it's not because I want to be on my own. This thing… this mission or whatever says that it's just me and Peaches and the whelp. We can't risk that they or whatever owns this decoder thing will even let you near this place." Spike said and he felt as though he was fighting a loosing battle. They had been arguing over this for at least five minutes straight.
"Spike, you want me to send you and Angel and Xander alone to some mystical place we have no clue about. Excuse me if I'm a little hesitant." Buffy said in an angry tone.
"Buffy, things between me and Angel… well the aren't great and there sure as hell won't be a family reunion any time soon, but they're okay. Xander and I just play around. We aren't going to kill each other if that's what you're afraid of."
"That's not it. I mean I know you guys will work together to save the world and I know you'll do your best, but… there's strength in numbers. Letting you guys go alone is like suicide."
"Bloody hell, Buffy we're capable of taking care of ourselves. Besides you're needed here. If me and Angel leave it won't seem like a big deal, but if you go it'll tip Willow off. You've got to be here to hold down the fort. Look for whatever it is we're still looking for. Maybe take the guys out on a patrol to get a lay of the land." Spike said and Buffy knew he was right.
"Crap, why do you have to be right? God, is it so bad that I want to know that you and Xander and Angel will be safe when you're not here. I know I'm being over… bearing or protective or something like that, but I just… I need all of you. I need to know that everyone's going to be safe and that we're all going to make it to this big showdown with Willow. This mission is throwing us threw a loop." Buffy said.
"Yeah I know and everything else has been a total mind blower." Spike said. Buffy nodded silently. She looked around her room. She couldn't remember the last time she had been in this room. It had been only days, but it felt like years.
"I can't lose you Spike. I can't be like that again. I barely made it this last summer. I don't know… I can't understand my feelings. Before it used to be so easy, but things are twisted and I know that's not fair to you, but I'm trying to figure out what's going on here. I'm trying to figure out how deep my feelings go. All I know is that you've been gone and it was hard and now that you're here things feel easier. I know I can do this." Buffy said looking straight into Spike's eyes.
Spike looked at the woman he loved for so long and knew that she was telling the truth. She was scared of actually losing him. Not Angel or Riley or whatever guy she had had in the past.
She was afraid of losing him and she said that he mattered. Sure she hadn't said those three little words, but Spike knew she was just protecting herself like he had tried to before. Spike had tried to hide his feelings and stomp them and keep them away, but he couldn't he knew that he loved Buffy and there was nothing that was going to change that.
"Buffy, pet, I'm going to come back to you. After everything they've thrown at me… a little mission to find this decoder isn't going to get me." Spike said.
"Yeah some part of me knows that. Yet there's another part of me that's saying 'whoa when is it our time'. Spike I've been fighting so many apocalypses I'm afraid my head is going to explode. I just want this to be over with. I just want Willow to be okay and I just want to save her." Buffy said.
"Buffy, we might be able to save her…"
"Might?"
"Hear me out luv. This prophecy… it's pointing us in the right direction, but it's up to us to fulfill it. Now we may be able to fulfill the prophecy, but what happens after that… how we deal with Willow after that… that's going to make the difference." Spike said.
"Spike, what do you mean?" Buffy asked in a confused tone.
"Willow's killed people, pet. She's done some pretty bad things and she'll have to deal with the aftereffects of that. It's going to weigh heavy on her soul… you know that right."
"Angel once told me, when Faith was going evil, that once you go past that point of spilling blood there's no turning back. Some people get lost to it. You don't think Willow's going to be one of those people, do you?" Buffy asked.
Spike had every intent on telling Buffy that it was a possibility that Willow wouldn't be able to recover from taking human lives. He wanted to make sure that she knew what was happening. But now as he looked down at her hopeful face he knew he couldn't tell her.
"No, pet. You'll be able to save her." Spike said not knowing if it was true or not and hoping beyond hope that it was.
"Yeah, we'll save her. We'll make sure she's taken care of and all that rot." Spike said trying as much to convince Buffy as well as himself.
"See this is why I need you here. You're always there to say just the right thing. How do you do that?" Buffy asked.
"Don't know. I just…"
Spike! Shit Spike! Shit shit shit! Okay Spike if you're still in here… I mean if you can still hear me you need to get your ass down here right now.
Spike immediately recognized it as Xander's voice. He wondered what was wrong with the boy. Spike hadn't heard any screaming or anything so there couldn't be an attack on the house. But, by the way Xander's voice sounded it was an emergency.
What's wrong someone come in the house? Did the Initiative boys get free? Is everyone alright?
No, no nothing like that. Look we were just talking and then all of a sudden it got to the subject of you and Buffy and if you two are up there… you know. Okay so gross don't even want to think about that. Anyway I said you properly weren't and now there all 'what do you know?' interrogation tactics and Dawn can be really scary when she wants to know something
Okay breathe will you. There's nothing you can tell them so just… deal with it I'm busy.
Actually that's not entirely true is it. I know something. I'm not good at lying so just come down here and save me already. Isn't that your job?
"Spike, what's wrong. Spike you've got a spacey look." Buffy said worriedly.
"Oh… um… it's nothing. Just Xander. Wants to ask me something or wants me to do something." Spike said.
"You can still hear his thoughts?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, but I guess he's getting better at controlling. I think I am too." Spike said.
"Well that's good because you've got all this crap going on. You still have Lorne and Maddy's powers type thing." Buffy asked.
"I'd suppose so. I haven't tried it since… bloody hell that was only last night." Spike said.
"Yeah I know the days are moving weird like that. They always do when there's an apocalypse a comin'. Well we better get down there and see what Xander wants." Buffy said.
"No! I mean its start of a… guy thing." Spike said.
"A guy thing? When did you and Xander start talking about 'guy things'?" Buffy asked with a questioning tone in her voice.
"Um… just now. Look I'll tell you about it… later or some time. I just gotta go and see what he wants."
"Spike you're acting odd. I'm going with you. End of discussion." Buffy said as she took his arm and dragged him downstairs.
When they reached the living room they heard a commotion of voices. They all seemed to be arguing with each other over something and Xander was crouched in the corner farthest away from everyone like he was trying to sneak off. The Initiative guys were staring blankly at the people in front of them who were arguing.
"Hey guys what's up." Buffy said in a cheery voice.
"Great. Xander you cheated. You used your mind power thingie to get Spike to come down here." Dawn whined.
"Well, yeah, I'm not going to get tortured by myself. And look at how good I got at it. Didn't say a word out loud." Xander said.
"Well just because Spike's here doesn't mean we're going to drop it. Now we can pester Spike as well." Anya said.
"No, Ahn, I don't think that's a good idea. Buffy's here and we could get in trouble." Dawn said.
"Oh she's not the boss of us. B, how's the sex life?" Faith asked.
"What!?" Buffy said looking confused.
"I asked how's your sex life. Spike there giving it to you good enough?" Faith asked.
"Oh my god! Is that what you guys are talking about down here?" Buffy asked in an incredulous voice.
"Well, yeah, nothing better to discuss. Besides I told them you two weren't doing it." Anya said.
"And how would you know that, Anyanaka." Spike asked in a menacing tone.
"Oh Buffy and I were discussing it once. She said you guys were waiting for it to be all sweet and new and whatever. Personally I told her she should just jump you. She seemed to like that idea." Anya said.
"Anya!" Buffy yelped.
"Great so now you're discussing our private life with your friends. That makes me feel so much better… seeing as how you're painting me as some kind of nancy boy poof." Spike said.
"I… I mean I was talking to Anya about it, but only because we were discussing her relationship with Xander too." Buffy said.
"Okay, whoa when did I get involved?" Xander said from his spot in the corner.
"You've been involved Xander, get with the program." Dawn said.
"And you're all just discussing this in front of strangers and my sister!?" Buffy asked still shocked that her friends were even discussing her relationship with Spike.
"Well, yeah, it's the only interesting thing to talk about." Faith said.
"No, nah uh, we were just minding our own business. We have no deal in this. Ya'll are crazy if you ask me, but that's just from a guy who doesn't know anything's point of view." Gunn said.
"Yes we were trying to research." Wes said and Fred nodded her head impassively.
"Yeah and I still don't have any idea what's going on. I'm just sort of sitting here." Connor said.
"Look Buffy it's nothing to be ashamed of. I think it's sweet that you and Spike want to wait for the right moment and all, but come on you guys have done it like a million times." Dawn said.
"Dawn! Great we are not discussing this. This is the end of the discussion." Buffy said.
"But Xander knows why Spike wants to wait. Wouldn't you like to know Buffy? I mean if he can get all angry about his reputation because you discussed things with me… it's sanctimonious to go and do the same thing." Anya said.
"I already know why." Buffy said.
"Yeah, yeah the soul and his propriety and what not, but Xander made it seem like more then he was just really old. Besides, look at him. He's fidgeting. They both are. Twitchy behavior like that means they know something we don't know." Faith pointed out.
Buffy looked over at Xander who was shrouded in the shadows trying desperately to escape Buffy's eye line. Faith was right he knew something. Spike was more allusive. If Buffy didn't know him as well as she did, she would have overlooked it as Spike just being Spike, but he was toeing the ground and wasn't looking directly at her.
"Spike, is there something you're not telling me?" Buffy asked.
"Um… well, maybe, but could we really do this somewhere else. You know not in front of all these… people." Spike said.
"No, I mean you obviously think that it's better to discuss intimate details about yourself with my friend rather then with me. So here are all my friends." Buffy said and she looked beyond pissed.
"Look I just needed a guy's perspective on things. Xander was the only guy here. I was going to tell you before…"
"Tell me now I'm listening." Buffy said in a challenging manner. She was daring him to say no.
"I… um…"
"He's feeling too guilty to… you know. Cause he killed those Slayers and what not." Xander said.
"Yeah, yeah that's it." Spike said.
"Why would you need a guy's perspective on that? I mean that's more of a soul dealing thing. Why not just call and ask Angel about it. Or you know not ask a guy and talk to Buffy. I thought it would be something along the lines of you're all impotent now with the soul." Anya said.
"Yeah right, me impotent." Spike said.
"Well, are you?" Buffy asked.
"What?!" Spike yelled.
"Well, what you're saying to me is clearly not the truth. I can see that it's not. Stop lying to me Spike." Buffy said.
"Hey I tried. It's all you now." Xander said.
"I outta rip out…"
"Spike I'm waiting." Buffy said.
Spike looked around and realized he wasn't going to get anything out of anyone. No help no nothing. They all seemed to want to know too much.
"You want to know the truth. Want me to self-deprecate myself in front of all your friends and… Riley Finn. Fine okay here you go. I've never had sex before. There are you happy?" Spike said. Buffy's eyes went wide and everyone in the room went quiet.
"Wait, that can't be. I mean the crypt and the tree and all those places… the Bronze. Spike I was there remember." Buffy said.
"Spike don't try and lie to us… I mean you're over a hundred. We saw you with Dru." Dawn said.
"Yes and that Harmony vampire." Anya added.
"Without the soul, Spike's had sex all he wanted… with whoever he wanted. Shoot there have been orgies for heaven's sake. But with the soul… I was twenty-six years old waiting for the right person to come along and you know get married and all that stuff. I didn't think I was going to be turned into a vampire. So I didn't have sex when I was turned. That's right folks Spikey died a virgin." Spike said in a self-deprecating manner.
The people in the room were silent for a long time. None of them were sure how to react to the news and they weren't sure that they had the right to hear something so personal.
"Spike, we're… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force. It's all our fault." Dawn said.
"Yeah, sorry." Faith and Anya muttered.
"What it's not your fault I was the biggest loser in the world. Bloody hell, even doughnut boy over there was better then I was." Spike said. Xander, who felt he should be angry, found himself feeling sorry for Spike.
"Look, Spike, it's not big deal."
"Yes it bloody well is a big deal. Look I can't do this. I need… I need a smoke and some air. I'll see you guys later." Spike said and he began to walk out of the house.
"Spike! Wait don't go. Look we'll talk about this…" Buffy began
"There's nothing to talk about. Not right now anyway. Just… let me clear my head a bit alright." Spike said as he walked off leaving Buffy completely confused and the rest of the group sullen and guilty.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Don't worry if this chapter seemed a little off course, it's supposed to… I think. I'm not really sure. I need something to get Spike and Buffy out of the house and needed more time- crazy that I needed more time considering how long its been since an update- to figure out what I'm going to do with the Oracles. Okay, please review because I LOVE reviews and can't get enough of them.
