Buffy met Dawn at the door when she came home from school. "I'll explain more of this tonight, but we won't be moving to London. The council deal is just too weird for words." The next part came out soft and hesitant, "Are you really ok with Spike and I?"

"Duh! He's like my best grown up friend and the two of you are really cute together, when you aren't being totally disgusting. Of course I am. I want to be there when you tell Xander though. He's so going to loose it!"

Buffy grimaced, "I know. Poor Xander, I think he always hoped somehow...oh well."

Willow arrived with Xander shortly after six, right after Dawn, Buffy, and Spike had finished dinner. Buffy motioned Spike to stay in the kitchen like they had agreed earlier in the day. Slowly she followed Dawn into the living room. "I need to tell you guys what happened in London. But first I need to say something else." She looked down at the floor, gathering her courage, then looked up at Xander. "You know how I finally told you where I was before you brought me back?" Xander and Willow paled at the reminder. "Spike has been helping me get through it. I started seeing him shortly after my return, at first to try and understand, and then because he'd listen without needing me to be something I'm not. We, we've been..."

"You've been sleeping with dead boy." Xander said in disgust. "What is it with you and the evil undead anyway?"

"Xander..." she said warningly.

"No, you listen to me. I thought you and Riley had something. You sure ran after him like you did. There are plenty of normal men you could pick from since he left, but no you run right back to..."

The predator pounced on Xander. The dark deadly purring voice that spoke chilled the entire room. "Xanderrrr, you are out of line and out of place. You will not tell me whom I love and how I do it." He jerked back from the being in front of him. "I am telling you how things are since you are," the voice paused for an instant then continued, "my friend and I owe you that. Do not ever presume to tell me how to live again."

"Buffy?"

"Willow," the voice spoke tonelessly while the predator waited for her to continue.

"Um, never, never mind."

"Thank you," the beast replied with a cold smile. For long moments it stared down at them, then it softly padded back allowing Buffy to speak with her own voice again. "Spike, you can come out now." Spike strode into the room and brushed his hand against Buffy's back in gentle reassurance as he passed then he moved to the couch and sat away from the others. "Obviously something totally wiggin happened in London." She quickly described the events that took place. Xander sat back stunned at the news.

Dawn looked at her impressed, "Wow, just like me and the key. That is so wild!"

Buffy smiled at her, "Well not really. It's much more conflicty in here than you and the key. Anyway, Giles will be here in three days. Hopefully we can find out more then. Until then I guess we continue doing what we always have."

Xander started to say something then stopped himself. Buffy walked over to him and knelt down, hurt as he flinched before looking back at her. "Xander, I'm sorry I can't look at you as someone other than the brother I wish I had." She saw his startled look and responded to it, "It's really quite obvious and kinda sweet." She smiled warmly at him. "But I can't do normal guys. You have no idea how many times I've wished I could. Riley was the closest and I wish I had caught him, maybe everything would be different, but probably not."

His eyes filled, "But Spike..."

"I know, and no, I don't know why, not really." She looked into his eyes and asked gently, "Why Anya? It's not all that different, is it?"

Xander blushed and replied softly, "But she hasn't tried to kill us like Spike has."

"No, but she was a vengeance demon, and she's proud of what she did. Also, by Cordy's account, she did mess up our reality pretty well once. Spike says he loves me and I believe him. I love him as well, crazy though that sounds. And the First Slayer craves him in a way I can't even put into words. He completes us." She kissed his forehead and moved away, "I'm sorry Xander." She moved to the couch and carefully sat next to Spike not quite touching but obviously in his space.

For long moments everyone sat silently in the room. Suddenly Xander's head snapped up. "You said they were threatening Giles. That means Anya. We've got to warn her."

"Xander, how about you and I go in the morning?" Willow asked. "She's, she's still a little freaked...unhappy, you know..."

"Yeah, I know," Xander answered in a resigned tone.

"Well pet, that went better than I hoped. Harris still doesn't like me much, but I don't think he's homicidal right yet."

Buffy gave a strained laugh as she slipped into bed, patting the space beside her. "Yeah, it wasn't as icky nasty as I thought either. Now get over here you!"