Discovery

Disclaimer: Still broke, still own nothing.

Summary: It's a surprise.

Reviews: Yes, please. I worship the cyberspace reviewers surf in. Readers Rock but REVIEWERS RULE!!!

A/N: Was going back to the Hyperion and see what Angel and the others were doing but didn't make it. Promise next chapter will have the rest of the gang in it. Things are going to heat up now so get ready for some shocks. Wait til you find out what Wesley discovered!

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Buffy lay frozen for long moments. His tears continued to stream unchecked onto her shoulder. She moved to leave and his arm tightened around her waist.

"No. Stay. Please." His choked whisper tore at her already aching heart. She relaxed back against him and felt him sigh in relief.

"Buffy. I'm so sorry." Will's apology startled her. She twisted in his arms and faced her love.

Raising her hands to his face, she tried to soothe him as he had soothed her long minutes ago. "No. You didn't do anything to be sorry for. I hurt you so much. I'm the one who's sorry. Shhhh. Please. I'm so sorry. I'll never hurt you again." Tears slid down her own face as she comforted her vampire.

"I-I can't remember." The husky admission accompanied more tears as he closed his eyes and turned his face away.

"It's okay. I'll help you. We're together again. We can beat anything. We'll get you back. I love you so much." She whispered urgently, caressing his lean features. Wiping his tears away with shaking fingers.

"My heart knows you. I feel you in it. I want to remember. I need to remember. I can't take it anymore. The nightmares. The feeling that there's something pulling at me, keeping me in the dark. It hurts so much." He looked at her, long dark lashes spiky from his tears framed sapphire eyes swimming in a sea of pain. He laid back, pulling her over to rest on his chest. She wrapped her arm around his waist as his came around and encircled her shoulders.

"I'm so tired, Buffy. Sleep now?" He was almost gone as he asked the exhausted question.

"Yes, Spike. Sleep now. I'll protect you." She murmured as her own eyes drifted closed.

"I love you." They spoke as one, each on the very edge of sleep voicing the three little words that bound them together.

Some time later, a silent figure moved to kneel next to the sleeping couple. An infinitely gentle hand raised Will's head and slipped a pillow beneath it. A soft blanket drifted down and covered them as they slept unaware of the care being given them. Jake paused at the base of the stairs to look at his friend and the woman in his arms. A sad smile crossed his handsome face.

'Sleep well, Buddy. Tomorrow's going to be a long day. I can feel it.' Jake thought as he turned the light down low with the dimmer switch and noiselessly went back to his nightly tour of the house, pausing briefly to gaze at Dawn's beautiful face in the dim light before going back to his room.

Late morning found Wesley and Susan sharing a pot of tea at the kitchen table. Dawn had already wandered through, made a pot of coffee then retreated back to the living room, a box of Will's favorite cereal clutched gleefully in her hands. Wesley felt a bit of trepidation as he watched the young woman sneak away with her prize. Then shook his head as he realized just what it was she was taking. The vampire appeared to have very juvenile taste in breakfast food. Jake hadn't made an appearance yet; Susan told Wes that it wasn't out of the ordinary as the artist had somewhat adapted to vampire hours.

Susan brought some toasted muffins to the table with a jar of jam and a tub of butter. Wesley sighed in bliss at her thoughtfulness.

"I have questions." Susan said quietly.

"I'll try to answer them." Wes gazed at her seriously.

"Buffy is a slayer?" Her gray eyes focused on her muffin as she buttered it. "What is that?"

"She is a vampire slayer. She protects to world from the forces of darkness." Wes gave her the textbook definition.

Susan nodded as if she understood but Wes could tell she was still puzzled. "A slayer who loves a vampire." She finally observed.

Wesley smiled a little ruefully. "Yes. I will admit that Buffy never quite followed the definitive profile of a slayer. She's always followed her own set of rules. Rules that, I must add, has saved the world numerous times. She is the longest surviving slayer and had earned a bit of happiness. Maybe with Spike's return she can find that."

Susan nodded. "You know Buffy quite well then?"

He sipped his tea for a moment. "I was her watcher for a very brief time. A watcher is an older male who trains and guides a slayer in the execution of her duties. Her prior watcher, Mr. Giles, had been dismissed for becoming overly protective of his charge. I have to admit that with Buffy, his methods were much more effective than traditional ones. He loves her, you see, as a father does his child. That is what she needed. The very thing required to give her the incentive to survive. A vampire once said that every slayer has a death wish, the desire to find out what's on the other side of the fight. Buffy has died and returned. She does not have any such death wish. Her friends and family are her support system. For the last six months, she's been desolate. Lost without Spike. Only following the very rudimentary motions of living."

"And now he's back." Susan said quietly.

"And now he's back." Wesley agreed.

Silence reigned in the kitchen for long moments. Susan had more questions but decided to wait until everyone was present before exploring the problems further.

The basement door opened. Will and Buffy entered the kitchen looking rumpled and tired. Will was teasing the slayer about getting too old to sleep on the floor and she was poking him in the side telling him to put a shirt on before she gave into the temptation to tell everyone exactly how ticklish he was. Wes and Susan exchanged smiles at the juvenile display. Will made his way purposely to the refrigerator and snagged a bag of blood to heat. Buffy began searching the cupboards for a coffee cup. Will reached over her and pulled one down for her, pressing closely behind her as he did it. She smiled up at him as he backed away smirking.

"I see you two have gotten better acquainted." Wesley took a sip of his tea to hide his delight.

Buffy smiled shyly as she poured some of the rich dark coffee into her cup. Will's grin increased, as he searched the pantry for something obviously not there.

"DAWN! DID YOU TAKE MY LUCKY CHARMS?" The vampire finally yelled in exasperation. He leaned against the counter in front of the sink and crossed his arms. Displeasure evident in every defined muscle of his bare chest.

Wesley's cup wobbled in his grip. He attempted to put it back in its saucer only to have it rattle alarmingly. His startled blue eyes were focused on the vampire in front of him.

"Oh my God!"