Tara hardly slept at all that night. She kept waking up from nightmares she couldn't seem remember. Eventually she gave up on sleep and ended up just flipping through the channels watching infomertials. She got up and started looking for a new place to live as soon as the sun came up, checking every one of the rental places in town. It took her the entire day and walking to almost all of the apartments in Sunnydale, but she managed to find a place that wasn't too expensive or too far from campus and was still - relatively - safe. And it was availalbe for her to move into immediately. Unfortunately, it took her longer than she had thought it would to find a place and fill out all the paperwork.

She managed to reach the Magic Box before it got too late, but ended up standing outside dreading entering for quite a while. Eventually, she took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. Anya was behind the counter, as always, and Dawn was sitting at the table, apparently doing homework. Surprisingly Xander was there too. Then again, it was getting late and he was probably there to go home with Anya. Dawn jumped up at seeing Tara and ran over to give her a hug. "Tara!"

"Hi Dawnie. You doing b-better?" She nerviously asked, her stutter returning with her unease, unsure of her welcome anymore without Willow. Xander gave her a friendly smile and waved and Anya gave her a grin, even pausing a moment to do so while helping a customer. A wave of relief rushed over her as she realized that they weren't upset about her being there even after everything with Willow. She had hoped they would be, but had been expecting the worst. Dawn enthusiastically nodded at her, bouncing a bit in place. "I just wanted to g-give you my new address," she said, looking at Dawn and Xander and Anya in turn.

"New address? Wow. I'm impressed you managed to find a place so fast," Xander mused out loud. She gave him a lopsided grin.

"It took a bit, but yeah, I managed to find a place."

She spent the next half hour explaining where her new place was and avoiding the topic of Willow around Dawn the exact reasons that she had moved out. Tara ended up being talked into a big movie and milkshake fun day for the next afternoon with her to make up for everything and to make sure there were no hard feelings, which she gladly agreed to. Then Dawn had hurried home, not wanting to be late for supper or get into trouble with her guardians. She quickly packed up her things and left, leaving Tara with Anya and Xander. They managed to get her to talk through everything that had happened to make her move out, especially what was going on with Willow. They didn't try to convince her she had been wrong, in fact it seemed like they understood where she was coming from and agreed with her, but didn't want to take sides against Willow, and she didn't try to convince them to either. She gave her new address to them and left to hopefully get settled into her new place before dark. She exited the Magic Box and realized just how late it was. It was getting close to dark, far closer than she had realized. Checking her watch only confirmed that she had spent quite a bit more time in the Magic Box than she had originally intended. Everything seemed to be taking longer than she thought it would. She stood and thought about what all she had left to do yet before she was finished for the day. Making up her mind on her next course of action, she quickly took off for her new destination.

Spike awoke to the sound of a timid knock at his door. No one knocked. Ever. Cautiously he went to the door, with a hastily found weapon saftely in hand. Not quite sure what to expect, he was surprised when he found a very nervious Tara standing outside, staring at her shoes, the sun setting in the sky behind her. She glanced up at him through a curtain of hair, gnawing on her lip. He looked at her questioningly, not quite sure what to make of her. "I-I-I just wanted to let you know I found a place. O-Other than the hotel. Didn't want you to worry or anything." She offered him a folded piece of paper. "Here's the address, in case you want to know." He took it from her hesitantly, not quite sure why she was giving him her address.

He was a bit surprised that she had thought to let him know what was happening with her life, especially since he hadn't really talked with her much. Not letting himself dwell on it, he decided to accept the friendly offering and try to get her to be a bit less nervious around him. She didn't used to be quite so nervious, but since the spell, he hadn't seen her not jittery. "Got all settled in then?" he asked as he guestured her inside. She gave him a small smile and walked in, surprising him by her polite behavior. He walked back to his chair and sat down again, waving her to the couch after he noticed she hadn't moved from her spot just inside the door. She shyly walked over and sat down, studiously looking at her hands clasped in her lap.

"Not yet. I d-d-didn't have time yet. I just - I wanted to catch you. Before you went out f-f-for the night. To let you know. A-And to thank you for yesterday."

He thought about this for a few moments. She would be out at night again without anyone to help her and would probably be lost in her own little world. He realized this bothered him a bit, since she was the only one of the Scoobies who seemed to treat him decently. He looked her over before suddenly getting up and grabbing his jacket. She stood with him and looked at him, clearly confused. He gave her a grin and walked towards her. "Well, let's go get you settled, then. Wouldn't do to have you wandering around all by your lonesome again, would it?" She looked at him, a bit confused at first, then consideringly, but finally consented by giving him a small grin. He figured that she hadn't been looking forward to moving her things in the dark again, but had felt it was important to make sure she saw Spike before he went out. He was almost touched by her niceness toward him. He had thought she had decided to let him, but then again surprised him by thinking of others first.

"Thank you, Spike. B-but you don't have to do that. I'm sure you're b-busy."

"Know that. I want to help. Gives me somethin' to do. Let's get you moved in." She pondered this a moment before nodding and leading the way back to the hotel.

He had insisted on carrying most of the boxes again while Tara was left to check out of the hotel and was allowed to take a couple of the lighter boxes. She hadn't thought about how much stuff she had actually gotten rid of when she had moved into the Summers' house, but now, looking at the few boxes her things fit into, it hit her just how little she had actually kept. She silently led them along the streets, going farther and farther from the nicer parts of town. During the entire trip, Tara tried to think of something to say to Spike, but she couldn't come up with anything that seemed appropriate, so instead she kept quiet. Spike's mood had initially been his normal cockiness, but seemed to darken the closer they got to her apartment and the farther they got from the expensive parts of town. He seemed more jumpy about things in the shadows the longer they walked. She knew it wasn't the safest place, but it had been all she could find that she could afford and was available immediately, especially while trying to keep up with classes. She hoped she wasn't taking up too much of his time by accepting his offer, even though the apartment was almost on the other side of town from his crypt.

She lead him into her building and down the narrow stairs to her basement apartment. "Just a sec.... need to find my keys," she sheepishly offered to his semi-annoyed look while they waited outside her door, Spike shifting the boxes in his hands. She finally got the key in the lock and the door open after almost dropping them with her jittery hands. She immediatly walked in, setting down her boxes beside one of the chairs, and, without a pause or looking back, said, "C-come on in, Spike, and set those by the sofa, please," as she took one of her boxes to the kitchen area. He stood, somewhat stunned, in her doorway. She hadn't even hesitated to invite her in. After not hearing him follow her in, she turned, looking confused as to why he was still in the doorway. "Spike?"

He shook his head and gave her a smile. "'s nothin, pet. Didn't expect an invite, 's all." He walked in and looked around the small, dingy apartment appraisingly, notoing the array of furniture and other small items already in the apartment. Of course, almost none of them looked like they would be something the quiet witch would have purchased. "How'd you luck out with all the furnishings?" he asked finally, after setting his boxes down.

She answered absently while grabbing one of the boxes he had been carrying, rummaging through it as she searched for something. "Oh, they, um, they came with the place. The last tenant left it behind." A slight pause and a dip of the head to hide behind her hair was followed with, "I-I didn't ask why." She looked up at him nerviously, both already knowing why someone would leave behind their things when they 'moved out'. He only nodded back, still seeming to be lost in thought. "I-I don't have much, and I'm sure you're busy, but if you want, I-I could make some tea," she paused for a response, "or some hot cocoa?" He brightened almost immediately at her mention of hot chocolate. He looked at her and smiled. "That'd be nice, thanks." She smiled back and quickly went about making them something hot to drink, digging a teapot out of the box she was holding. Spike looked around a bit longer before settling himself on one of the ragged-looking chairs in the livingroom area. He could hear Tara as she dug around in a box in the kitchen, apparently looking for the hot chocolate, and started heating the water.

While she was waiting for the water to heat, she went looking for coffee cups. They weren't in the first box, so she went and grabbed another of her boxes and digging out all of the kitchen-type items from it, ending up unpacking most of it onto the counter in the kitchen to find what she was looking for. The entire time, Spike watched her move around, sitting quietly in her livingroom, seemingly thinking. He noticed that she moved with such grace and confidence when she thought no one was looking. He hadn't said much to her, and Tara absently wondered why exactly he was putting up with her when he could be out doing more important things than having hot chocolate with her after already having carried her boxes across town with her.

Eventually the water was heated and she mixed them each a glass of hot chocolate. She brought him over his and offered him a small smile in apology as she handed it to him. "Sorry there aren't any marshmallows, I-I didn't have a chance to get much yet." He took the drink from her, sipping carefully.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Tastes just fine." He seemed so much more subdued and quiet than normal to Tara as he sat in the dingy apartment with her. She smiled at him and sat on the sofa, staring intently into her mug. It was then that it truely hit her. She'd really moved out. She wasn't just gone for a couple days. She had gone out and gotten her own place. She looked up at her guest, glad that he had decided to stay and keep her company for a bit before realizing she wasn't quite sure what to expect from him. Spike sat, sipping at his drink, seeming to be absorbed in thought. She left him alone, letting him remain absorbed in his own thoughts, not wanting to intrude or interrupt.

As they sat there in silence, Tara allowed herself to reflect on the events of the past few days in more depth and detail, and with a bit more detachment. Willow had messed with her mind. At least twice she had messed with her mind. How many other times, she didn't know. She didn't want to think about it. Dawn had seemed so upset when she left that she never expected such a friendly greeting or the plans for the next day. It was nice that Dawn was willing to spend time with her still. She had been worried that the teen would want her completely out of her life. And Anya and Xander had talked with her about everything, Willow using too much magic and the memory spells and everything. That had been wonderful for her, to have them actually listen to her and not want her to act exactly as they wanted all the time. They actually listened to what she had to say.

Spike startled her from her thoughts, his voice quiet and almost shy. "Why'd you invite me in, witch? Don't need your sympathy, if that's the reason." Apparently he had been wondering why she would trust him so much, even though he was a vampire, chipped or not.

She looked up at him, only to see him staring intently at his mug in his hand. "No-No sympathy. I just wanted to thank you. For-for your help. I w-wasn't sure w-what else you'd like," she offered just as quietly. "Plus, it's kinda hard to give you hot chocolate if you're in the doorway," she said, a bit jokingly, hoping it wouldn't upset him. "Besides, you've been so kind to me, it's only fair." He looked up at her then, with a deep sadness evident in his blue eyes, almost like he hadn't been offered a simple act of kindness without something wanted in return for quite a while. As they settled into a comfortable silence again, she realized, he probably hadn't. They had asked so much from him the summer Buffy had been gone, hadn't thanked him hardly at all, and then hardly paid attention to him after bringing Buffy back.

The two of them had talked a few nights that agonizingly long summer, sitting at home with Dawn some nights while the others were out on patrol. He hadn't liked the Bot and, if it was possible, had avoided patrol with it and liked spending time with Dawn without everyone else around. She never complained. She could tell that he cared deeply about her and took watching out for her quite seriously. He would either help her watch Dawn, watch Dawn on his own if the need for her on patrol was great enough, or go out and patrol other graveyards while the others were out. They never talked much during that time, but then like now, she hadn't known what to say. She had been nervious and tried to keep out of the way most of the times he had been over. He had done most of the talking the few times they did talk, and it was usually about little things, like how the patrols were going or some random thing Dawn had told him.

It was like he had been trying to fill the silence, not completely comfortable with it. But now, the silence wasn't quite so uncomfortable. It was like the two of them were lost in their own thoughts, simply enjoying the company of another person without the expectation of conversation. She let her mind drift again, but was startled when she heard Spike say, "Well, pet, 's been nice, but I should be goin'. Don't want to impose on you." He said as he sat his mug on the table in front of him, standing, not looking at her. She looked down at her mug, realizing she still had half a glass and it had gone cold. She must have drifted off and not realized how much time they were sitting there.

"You weren't imposing. I-I like the company." He looked up at her then. She gave him a small smile. "But, I don't w-want to keep you. You're p-probably busy and I'm keeping you from it. You're welcome here whenever, Spike. I don't mind." He gave her a weak grin and a nod before heading for the door.

"Thanks for the cuppa, Glinda," he said as he opened the door. "You know where I live if you need anything." She smiled at him, touched by his offer.

"You're welcome Spike. And I will," she managed before he disappeared into the night, quietly closing the door behind himself. She let out a sigh before wearily starting to unpack and make this new place hers.