A/N: I just realized I hadn't really mentioned how much time had passed with Buffy and Spike, so for the sake of any confusion, since at last mention Karen and Faith had been around about 6 weeks, we'll say Spike and Buffy had been together in LA for about 7.

And in response to the reviews, thanks to everyone who has so far! It really makes my day. Especially when I see one from an author I recognize! And Jakeywakey, I'm sorry if it seems like I've stolen a scene, but to the best of my memory, I haven't. I was really shocked when I read your review. I searched for the name you gave me here on ff, but I didn't find it. If you could please, could you tell me which scene? In my own defense I'd just like to mention that people do things like this all the time… But thank you, and I hope you still enjoy the story!

Chapter 7: I'm Still Living

Buffy stood on her balcony. After he dream she had been unable to get back to sleep so she had gone outside for some fresh air. The cool night wind against her equally cool skin relaxed her.

Suddenly, the other door on the balcony opened, and Spike stepped out. Their rooms shared the same balcony. Spike looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he saw Buffy leaning against the railing. Buffy eyes widened as well until she noticed his stance. He stood, half in the apartment, half outside on the balcony and a hand resting on the door handle and one foot still raised to take another step. She began to giggle.

"What?" Spike glared at her, finally moving and finishing stepping onto the balcony.

"You. You looked funny," Buffy said, calming herself.

"Did not."

"You did too!"

"No!"

"Oh come on, like you wouldn't have thought it was funny if I had done that," Buffy said. Spike looked thoughtful, then he grinned.

"Ok, so maybe it was pretty funny."

They smiled at each other, standing in a comfortable silence. Spike moved to stand next to her, also leaning against the railing.

Each were lost in their thoughts of the other. In her mind, Buffy was still debating whether or not it would be ok to be with him. In truth, most of the time she forgot that he was an evil, soulless killer. He made her happy, and that was hard to do nowadays. As she thought this, Spike was thinking of why she seemed so reluctant to go to him. True, he had killed her, but he was her Sire. Only because he killed her, but still… Maybe it was Angel? When he had mentioned him earlier she was still extremely hurt it seemed. Spike wondered what had happened after he'd left. But if she obviously wasn't willing to tell, he wouldn't ask. His thoughts drifted to when she asked him to stop killing. That had been one of the most ridiculous requests he had ever heard. But then again, maybe it wasn't. After all, she had been a slayer and she still had her soul--she was still Buffy. Spike shook his head. He had no idea.

Buffy looked over at Spike as he shook his head. She wondered what he was thinking. Spike stared back at her. Suddenly, standing there on the balcony, Buffy couldn't quite remember all her reasons she had just been using to not be with Spike. All she could remember was that she was attracted to him, and he obviously was attracted to her as well. Throwing any and all doubt out of her mind, she leaned forward and began to kiss him. At first, he seemed surprised, but soon began to kiss her back with a passion she had never felt before. She put her arms around his neck to pull him closer. Spike picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to get as close as she possibly could to him. Stumbling across the balcony to his door, Spike pulled it open and made it over to his bed. Putting her down, they began to show each other just how much they had come to care for one another over the past two months…

Back in Sunnydale, things were hectic…

"Karen! You cannot neglect your duties as a slayer! As your watcher, I insist that yo-"

Karen cut Wesley off. "I'm not 'neglecting my duties'," she shot at him. "I'm just not letting you be my watcher!" She turned to face Giles. "Giles, how could they do this to you? It's not fair!"

"Yeah, G-man. I have to agree," Xander spoke up from his spot at the table. The rest of the Scoobies nodded. Giles sighed.

"Children, the council has made their decision. For what reason, I do not know, but Wesley is to be Karen's watcher now."

"Thanks you, Mr. Giles," Wesley said.

"But-" Giles continued, "it does not mean I will not be here for you, Karen," he told the girl. Karen nodded.

"All right. But Wes, you have got to loosen up if you're supposed to be my watcher," she grinned.

Wesley sputtered. "My name is Wesley, not 'Wes'. I would appreciate if you would call me by my given name."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Well it's not like W-man would fit." She grinned at Xander who grinned back. As Wesley flustered some more, she spared a glance at the clock. "Oops, gotta go patrol. I'll check in tomorrow morning. Bye, guys!" she gave a wave as she left the room.

As she went through her third grave yard that night, a tingling sensation ran up her spine. Spinning around, she held her stake to the vampire's chest.

"Woah, Karen!" Angel held up his hands.

"Oh, God! Angel! I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you!" she put her stake back down by her side.

"It's ok. But something else isn't. We need to get to Giles at the library."

"What happened?" Karen asked as they began to walk towards the school.

"I was watching the council to make sure they had things with Faith under control. She broke loose and she's out on the town again."

"She's what?! What are we supposed to do now?"

"That's what we're going to find out," he said with a determined look on his face as they continued to walk.

"Giles! We have a problem!" Karen said as the two walked into the library. It was another wolf night for Oz, so he was in the cage and Willow in a chair next to it again. Xander and Cordelia stopped in their path halfway to the door. Apparently they had been about to leave.

"You two may want to sit back down," Karen said to them. Giles came out of his office, Wesley tailing behind him.

"Karen? Angel? What's wrong?" Giles asked, a worried expression on his face.

"Faith escaped," Angel said.

"What!?!" three teens and a librarian exclaimed.

"Impossible. The council would never allow such a thing to happen," Wesley said.

"Well it happened," Karen shot at him.

"I was watching to make sure things went ok, and she got away from them. Knocked out three guards and stole the keys to her chains," Angel informed the group. Giles looked grim.

"We need to find her. But we'll start tomorrow. Xander, you and Cordelia can go on home as you planned. Angel, could you…?" Giles trailed off. Angel nodded.

"Aww, now we have Dead Boy for company?" Xander complained, but he and Cordelia left with Angel.

Karen went out after them. "I'll see you tomorrow, Giles. Night, Will."

"Bye," the two called after her.

"Giles? What are we gunna do?" Willow asked him.

"I'm not sure, Willow. Im afraid I'm not sure…"

"We must alert the council at once!" Wesley said.

Giles stopped him. "You fool! Don't you think they all ready know? After all, it's them she escaped from! If anything, it's they who should have warned us."

"Er, yes, quite," Wesley tried to back pedal. "I wonder why they wouldn't have…" he looked thoughtful.

"Because they don't care about us! We're expendable! And there are others who know about the slayers and the council that they don't approve of. Thank God they don't know of Oz's status as a were-wolf or things would be much worse," Giles ranted. Sometimes Wesley's ignorance and stupidity amazed him.

Wesley floundered for a response. Sighing, Giles headed back into his office.

Faith stared at the ceiling of the motel room she had gotten. She had been lying on the bed for two hours now. When she'd escaped she had run and gotten a room right away, but under a fake name in case the council looked for her. She just hoped they wouldn't describe her looks as well as ask for her name, but it was either that or sleep on the streets, which she really didn't want to do. She sighed. Contrary to how she had been acting, she did feel bad about killing that guy. She never panned on doing it again. He had just… been in the wrong place at the wrong time. And of all the lives she saved, being responsible for one wasn't so bad, was it? But the guilt pressed down heavily on her, and she didn't know what to do. She hoped that after a few days, the council would just leave town and she could maybe go to the Scoobies, and they would help her. But she doubted the council would be leaving without her, and she doubted the Scoobs would help her, since they had been the ones to call the council in the first place. Rolling onto her side, she decided to get some sleep.

A few days later, Giles, Wesley, and the Scoobies sat around the library table. The sound of the door slowly opening was heard, and they lifted their heads up to see who it was. Faith stood nervously, looking ready to bolt

"Uh, hi, guys," she gave a small wave.

"Faith! What are you doing here?" Willow asked.

"Well, uh…" Faith began.

"We must alert the council!" Wesley stood to go make the call. Giles stopped him.

"I don't believe there's any need to inform them of this," he said. Faith looked relieved, but Wesley was appalled.

"Excuse me, but we really shou-" Giles interrupted Wesley.

"Sit down. Faith, why don't you come take a seat as well?" Obviously nervous, Faith came into the library, but stayed a short distance away from the others.

"I think I'll just stay here for now," she said. Giles nodded in understanding that she didn't trust them. After all, they had just handed her over to the council last time.

"Well, uh… I just… Look, I am sorry about what happened. I know I acted like I wasn't, and I ran away, but…"

"Yes?" Giles prompted her.

"I was scared, ok?!" Faith began to pace. "I killed some guy, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what you guys would do. And we all saw what you did. But… I don't want to go with them. I still want to stay here and be a slayer. You guys are the closest things I've had to friends in… well… ever," Faith stopped pacing and looked around at the faces of the gang nervously as she finished.

They all stared back for a moment before Giles spoke. "Well then, welcome back. It won't be easy, you understand, there will be far more training, especially to attune your senses to who, or rather what, is near," he looked at her sharply. Faith hung her head. "But," Giles carried on, "since you are willing to work, we'll give you the chance."

Faith looked up and smiled. Just then, Angel entered the room.

"Faith," he said. Faith looked at him warily.

"It's all right, Angel. She's back with us," Karen said, standing from her seat. Angel locked eyes with her, and after a moment of silence, he nodded his head. Cordelia rolled her eyes at the closeness the two seemed to have developed, but no one else seemed to notice. She shook her head. Was she really the only one who wasn't blind? She gave Karen a pointed look, causing the girl to blush.

"Well, uh, I guess we should patrol," Karen mumbled as she grabbed her bag. She looked curiously at Faith, then to Giles. "Should we…" she began, uncertain. Giles heaved a sigh, then nodded.

"Go. Karen, report in tomorrow. Faith, will you be here as well?"

Faith looked uncertain for a moment, then slowly she nodded. She figured if she was going to gain back their trust, she had to dive in completely. "Yeah, I'll be here," she said. Then the two slayers and souled vampire left.

"Do you think it could work with Faith, Giles?" Xander asked.

Giles nodded after a moment. "I believe if she's willing to throw herself into her slaying duties full-heartedly, then yes, it could."

"You think she really will?" Willow asked.

"She seems to want us to trust her again. After all, she's coming here tomorrow morning. Normally the only time she's here is for training," Oz said in his normal calm manner, taking it all in as usual. This seemed to put his girlfriend at ease. After a moments silence, Cordelia spoke up.

"So, I'm really the only one who sees it?" she asked the group.

"Sees what, Cor?" Xander asked.

"Angel and Karen!" she said, as though it were completely obvious what she was talking about.

"well, of course we see them, they're not invisible or anything…" Xander said slowly.

Cordelia lightly slapped his arm. "That's not what I meant! I meant their obvious attraction for one another!" The rest of the group shook their heads.

"Right, Cordelia," Willow said.

"What? It's true!" she objected.

"Of course it is, Cordy. Now let's just get back to researching this stuff for the G-man," Xander coaxed her.

"Xander, how many times must I tell you not to call me that?" Giles began to clean his glasses. Cordy crossed her arms over her chest, seeing it was useless.

"Well, like Karen said the other day, it's not like it's W-man," Xander shrugged. Giles glared at him as he put his glasses back on, then sighed and went back to work.

It was one week later when Angel and the girls came across a vamp on patrol that dropped something during the fight. After he was dust, Angel picked up the paper. Studying the envelope, he turned it over in his hands before ripping it open. He pulled out the card and read it. He looked shocked, then his face contorted in anger and he ran off, ignoring the calls of the two slayers.

Bursting into the library, Angel began to speak. "We have to get to LA! Now!"

"Angel? What are you talking about?" Giles looked up from the book he was reading. Willow was sitting at the table across from him, and Wesley was in Giles's Office. No one else was there at the time.

"This! I'm talking about this!" Angel waved the paper in his hand about wildly. Just then, the two slayers burst through the doors.

"Angel, calm down. What is it?" Karen asked.

"Yeah. What's got your panties all bunched up, soul-boy?" Faith threw herself down into a chair. Karen glared at her, but Angel ignored her as he handed Giles the paper. Giles read it. Then read it again, and then a third time to be sure he was certain of what it said.

"Good Lord! Angel's right; we must get to LA!" he burst out. Wesley came out at the noise.

"What does it say?" Willow stood from her seat.

"It's... It's an invitation to a party," Giles began. "One being hosted by Spike in LA. And it's to show off his 'prize.' The Slayer."

"What? But we're right here," Karen objected.

"Not you two. Buffy," Angel spoke softly. Willow, Wesley, Faith, and Karen looked at him with a confused expression.

"Angel, Buffy's dead; remember?" Willow spoke softly.

"Yes, I do. And Spike killed her. Then he turned her," Angel whispered harshly. The room was silent.

"Wh-What? Spike... turned Buffy?" Willow's voice was shaking.

"It would appear so," Giles said.

"So, what are we doing? Going in and killing them all?" Faith asked, anticipating a good fight.

"That is far too dangerous a stunt," Giles said. "Especially with… with Buffy as a vampire. As powerful as she was as a slayer, it's very likely that she is even more so as a vampire."

"But wouldn't she have come back to kill us?" Willow asked hesitantly. "After all, isn't that what you did Angel…" she trailed off.

"Yes," Angel looked pained. "And I'm not sure why she wouldn't really."

"Maybe… Maybe something's different?" Willow suggested.

"Like what?" Karen asked. She had been silent the entire time as she soaked in the information. She glanced over at Angel, knowing it must be killing him inside.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly. Giles?" Willow looked at the man.

"I don't know. I must say it is a rather… unexpected surprise. I suggest we deal tomorrow with everyone's help."

Angel nodded. "I'll be by after sunset." With that he disappeared. Karen moved to run after him, but Giles stopped her.

"Was there anything else the three of you encountered tonight?" he questioned the slayers.

"Nope, just a couple of fledglings whose asses we kicked," Faith perked up at the thought of violence.

"Yes, well, I suppose that's all for tonight then," Giles sighed. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Karen rushed out the door after Angel. When she got outside however, he was nowhere to be seen, not that she hadn't expected that. She sighed and decided to let him have his space for now.

A/N: Finally! Took seven chapters before there was finally some Spuffy action! I had been wondering myself when that was gunna happen! Lol. I decided I'd keep the rating down though, so I left that bit to your imaginations. ; ) And I realize Faith was a bit too open for her normal self, but I didn't like the idea of just sending her off, so lil badass, I sort of used your idea for Faith to escape, but I don't really want her with Buffy yet. And Petra, I am sort of trying to get Wesley to loosen up. I'm not exactly sure what to do though, but I think I have some semblance of an idea. Heh. But wow, a lot happened this chappie. Heh. I'm glad though. Hope you guys liked it, too! But there's still a li'l bit of LA stuff I want to get taken care of, so I figured I'd put a pause on Sunnyhell for now and get the gang's reactions and planning after that. But In another chapter or two is the reunion!