"Where is she?"
"She's in her room, recovering."
"But she's okay?"
"Yes. Now get inside before you turn into powder."
The bleached vampire walked into the living room, still clutching a blanket firmly in both hands. He had just heard about Gypsi's fainting, and was too worried to wait until nightfall to check on her.
"You couldn't have waited three more hours?"
"No! I mean, she might have been hurt… And that would have been bad."
"Well, as you can see, I'm fine." Spike looked up and stared. Gypsi was walking slowly down the stairs, one hand gripping the rail tightly, while the other was pressed against a wall for support. Her long hair was pulled back in a low braid, and she had on a tank top and loose pajama pants. Spike couldn't think of a time she had ever been more beautiful.
"Are you still in there?" Raven joked, poking Spike in the ribs.
"Yeah… I have a question for both of you, though. Since I'm here an' all."
"Ask away," Raven told him as she helped a still-dizzy Gypsi onto the couch.
"Why do you guys say that I have a soul? I lost it when I was turned, and…"
"Actually, you didn't."
"What?"
Gypsi smiled at him, feeling warm fuzzies about him risking everything to check on her. "You never actually lost your soul. Most vampires do, but thanks to Drusilla's mental state when she turned you, you managed to keep your soul. It was just hidden by everything you did. You wanted so badly to prove that you were the Big Bad that you hid your soul, even from yourself. It was obvious when you began helping the Scoobies that you still had it."
"But I was also chipped, and that was my only way of getting blood."
"You're resourceful. You would have found other ways if you really wanted to," Raven cut in. "I'm guessing that something in you was just sick of the Big Bad image and wanted you to be yourself again." Spike nodded slowly as he realized the truth in their words.
"Then I have just one more question… For Gypsi."
"And what would that be?"
"Sometime after tonight, would you go out with me?"
"Like a date?"
"Yeah…"
"Why not tonight?" Raven asked slyly.
"I'm helping Peaches, the Slayer, and the rest of the official Scoobies fight off those demons Gypsi saw in her vision."
"Fine. ONE date. That's all."
"That's all I ask," Spike told her.
"For now," he and Raven said simultaneously after a pause.
"What's going on here?" a voice that only Raven could hear asked. She shook her head slowly. "Should I scratch his eyes out?"
"Raven, what's your cat saying now?"
"Her cat? Her cat? Excuse me, but she's my human."
"He was threatening to scratch Spike's eyes out; now he's in a huff about terminology."
"How so?"
"According to him, I'm his human."
"Silly fluffball," Gypsi giggled, pulling the cat into her lap.
"He was talking?"
"I guess you could call him Raven's familiar. And don't even start on the wording there, Rat. She took you home from the pound when you were a kitten. That gives her owner rights."
oxoxoxoxoxo
A/N: Well, that's it for now. It seems that I can't make myself write long chapters for this story. And, back by (not quite) popular demand: Rat the talking Cat! I missed him… Well, please review and tell me what you think of the story.
Thank you cowgirlnm-1: I tried to explain ita little more with the soul. You're right; I hadn't explained it. Sorry. And you've got yourself a deal. Just don't expect all updates to be this quick. My brain's getting scrambled!
