Hey everyone, sorry for the little delay…

Buffy staggered home from the visit to Spike's crypt, she was tired.

Spike had been out when she had arrived and Kathryn was in, so the slayer had done what her alcohol soaked mind had decided to do, and fought her. Nails, pulling hair, basically the whole catty package. She had stormed out before Spike had come back, leaving as Kathryn drawled bitchy remarks at her.

The next night, Buffy watched as Principle Wood fought a tall vampire in front of her. He was a good fighter; impressive speed, some powerful punches, all in all he was a good guy to have around. Yeah, bringing him along on patrol was definitely a good idea. He came up towards her, brushing dust off his clothes and smiling.

"You'd have thought they'd have given up by now" he said as they walked on through the cemetery,

"Yeah" Buffy said half heartedly, he was a good fighter, but boring. The slayer looked around; where the hell was Spike? She had deliberately chosen Spike's cemetery to patrol in so that he could see her fighting with another man backing her up, but he wasn't there. She looked at her watch; it was half past one. 'Too late' she thought, she should get home. She turned to Wood.

"Well, I better get back, it's late and I have a sister to take care of"

"Okay, call me tomorrow night if you need any help patrolling again"

"Will do" she said, Wood smiled at her before turning and walking in the opposite direction. Buffy wasn't really going to go home; she needed to kill something…preferably Kathryn.

"Slayer" she turned around to see her love rival sat on a gravestone, grinning evilly,

"Kathryn"

"Do you love him?" Buffy shifted uncomfortably,

"Principle Wood?"

"Don't play dumb with me; you know who I'm talking about"

"What's it to you?"

"Spike just happens to be my fiancé" the grin widened as she waggled her finger at Buffy, a diamond ring shone in the moonlight and Buffy felt tears sting her eyes. She had to see him, he couldn't do this to her…

"Where is he?"

"Why should I tell you?" Buffy held up her stake,

"Where is he?" she repeated,

"The crypt"

Buffy lowered her stake and ran through the cemetery, dodging gravestones and crypts before finally reaching the door. She gently pushed it open and closed it behind her.

"Spike?" she called into the shadows, she jumped when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder,

"Yes slayer?" She turned around to face him,

"Don't call me that" she said, blinking back tears,

"Why are you here?"

"I was patrolling in this cemetery and I ran into Kathryn"

"She's a vampire, generally found in cemeteries…"

"You're engaged!" she screamed and Spike was taken aback by her loudness,

"I know. I can't wait to tell the poof that I'm getting married before him"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love her"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Spike sighed and dropped his cocky tone,

"Because I know that I'm not good enough for you, you might not be able to realise that, but I do" Buffy's tears began to fall freely

"You are good enough for me! You went and got your soul back for me, you stayed with me even when I was hurting you so much. I see it now…"

"I'm a monster. A thing. You said so yourself"

"No you're not! I'm sorry for saying that to you but you're so much more than that!" Spike shook his head,

"I love you, but I love Kathryn also. The thing is…I never know where I stand with you luv, one minute you're kicking my ass telling me I'm nothing to you, and the next minute you're all over me telling me you love me. With Kathryn I at least know how she really feels about everything"

"You know how I feel about you"

"Do I? I don't think you get it; I'm staying with Kathryn. I'm marrying her!" Buffy couldn't hold it in any longer, she stepped back a couple of paces before running and knocking him down with a fierce punch to the face. She walked over to his semi-unconscious form and straddled him, raining punches down onto his face.

"Do you enjoy it?" she punched him again, "Playing with my feelings like this?" She stood up and gasped, looking down at his crumpled form,

"Oh God…" she whispered, "…I'm so sorry…"

"Get out…" he choked out, "…now" She walked slowly to the door and made her way through the cemetery before heading home. What the hell was wrong with her? Every time he said something that she didn't like she beat him up bad. Careful not to wake the sleeping potentials she quietly made her way upstairs to her room and sobbed again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Buffy? Are you in there?" Willow's voice through the bedroom door woke the sleeping slayer,

"Go away" she answered putting her head under the pillow; Willow came in anyway holding a mug off coffee and sat next to Buffy on the bed.

"I made you some coffee" she said, putting the mug down on the bedside cabinet. Buffy took a deep breath and faced her friend,

"Thanks" There was a short silence before Willow spoke up again,

"What happened?"

"They're engaged" Willow covered her mouth with here hand,

"Engaged? As in the marriage sort of engaged?"

"No, their phone was engaged, that's why I'm crying!" Buffy snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm, she took another deep breath,

"I'm sorry Will. It's so hard y'know? Seeing them together…"

"I know Buffy, but, he loves you. He'll come crawling back when she leaves him for a chaos demon or something" Buffy laughed,

"Yeah, he'll drink himself stupid and threaten to kill you unless you do a love spell…" Buffy trailed off,

"Buffy, I know I'm not exactly the best person to talk to when it comes to relationships but I think you gotta talk to him…"

"Already tried it…"

"Listen, if he loves you as much as he claims, he'll listen to you"

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, I really do. Remember, this is the same Spike who stayed with you even whilst you were…" Willow trailed off when she saw the look on Buffy's face, "…So Yeah I think you should talk to him"

"You're right…I can do that. No, I can't. Will the last time I saw him, last night, I kinda beat him up when he told me that he was gonna stay with Kathryn"

"Buffy, how many times did you beat him up last year huh?"

"I lost count…"

"Exactly. And did he ever leave?" Buffy shook her head,

"So go talk to him, tell him exactly how you feel"

"Willow, I've already tried to tell him and he doesn't believe me. He loves her, end of story"

"Ask him why he doesn't just leave with Kathryn. We know it's because of you"

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Buffy, he's just playing hard to get which really doesn't suit him"

"You're right. I'll do it. When?"

"Now, before you chicken out"

"I don't think so. I think I should just give him some time to calm down, he was pretty pissed when I left him"

"I get that. Just don't leave it too long"

"I won't. Thanks Willow" Buffy pulled her best friend in for a hug before the redhead left the room.

"If you love her so much then why don't you just leave with Kathryn and then come back when we battle the first?" Buffy said sternly, "How was that?"

"Good, but you might wanna try looking a little more upset and a little less jealous"

Buffy and Faith were sat in the living room, a cup of black coffee each, and the blond slayer was practicing what she was going to say to Spike that night,

"I just don't know Faith," Buffy said, "I mean, what if he just…y'know…leaves with Kathryn?"

"If he loves you as much as he says he does then he won't, trust me."

"You're right I guess, should I go now?"

"I think you just need to practice a bit more…"

Buffy stormed through the cemetery. She had been practicing what she was going to say for hours with Faith who had given her some tips to keep up her confidence.

Her head was spinning when she got to the crypt and she nervously opened the door,

"Spike?" she called, "Are you in? Man-stealer-Kathryn? Are you in?" she giggled slightly at her own joke and managed to climb down to the lower level of the crypt, gasping when she looked at the bed.

Spike was in alright! Under the sheets of the bed, Kathryn was on top and their naked bodies rocked together as they made love. Buffy couldn't help but stare at the couple for a few minutes before speaking up,

"Spike?" she asked, they didn't stop,

"SPIKE!" she cried, and the couple looked at her in shock, Spike couldn't meet her eyes and Kathryn grinned nastily before rolling off him so that the two vampires were side by side in the bed.

"Well, well, well…" Kathryn drawled, "You come here to try and talk Spike into choosing you over me?" Buffy knew what she had to do,

"Get dressed" she ordered the two of them, they didn't move and just stared at her,

"I said, get dressed…you're vampires, I'm a slayer. I think you better do what I say or else…"

"Or else what?" Kathryn asked coldly, "You gonna stake us? Geez, you must really love Spike to do that…"

"Just do what she says" Spike spoke for the first time since Buffy had come into the room, "Trust me, you don't wanna mess with this slayer, she's the best one luv"

Kathryn glared at him before picking up her clothes from the floor and getting dressed,

"You as well" Buffy looked at Spike and he did the same as Kathryn, when the two of them were dressed, she walked up to Kathryn and punched her, sending her flying across the room and into the wall and knocking her unconscious. Spike was furious and went into full vamp mode,

"What is wrong with you!" he shouted, his eyes golden and never leaving Buffy, she shrugged,

"I hate her" she mumbled looking down at the floor and suddenly wishing she was back home,

"Oh so you just punch her lights out? You will look at me when I'm talking to you!" She looked up, her eyes tearful and feeling very small.

"I can't do this Spike!" she yelled, "I love you so much and every time I see you with that bitch I break up inside" he remained silent, watching her for a while before he turned back to his human mask,

"You're not coming to the wedding…" he said quietly, looking into her eyes,

"I don't wanna come to the wedding, somehow I don't think that I'll be so popular with all the vamps and demons and my God why am I even discussing this? You're actually gonna do this to me aren't you?" he nodded,

"Bloody right I am, you just gotta face it slayer…" their eyes where still connected, "…I'm over you" Buffy just stared at him,

"What?" she was angry now, the whole sex scene had sent her emotions crazy, he clenched jaw and shifted uncomfortably in her gaze,

"I don't love you anymore slayer" her temper flared,

"Then you obviously didn't love me in the first place then did you? Y'know what? I'm glad you're over me, at least then I won't have to put up with your whining and nagging every five minutes…I dunno what the fuck came over me when I thought I could ever love a thing like you!" she began to walk away,

"Buffy…" Spike began,

"Drop dead!" she screamed, "Oh no wait, you've already done that, I hope you and your whore both explode into ashes, yeah, that way you'll be together forever! Go to hell!" she stormed out of the crypt, tears streaming down her reddened face.

The slayer walked slowly through the cemetery before stopping for a minute and looking back at the crypt…it looked so peaceful; nobody would have guessed that there had just been a fight inside those stone walls…

And then it exploded…