"I want to believe that you love me, more then anything." She smiled even as a lone tear made it's way down her cheek.

"I do love you, Buffy and in your heart you know it." He sighed as he held her hand tighter in his.

"I feel a 'but' coming on." She sniffed as another tear escaped.

He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry. I can't take that. I just want you safe and being around me right now is anything but safe for you."

"I don't care about safe, Spike. I just want you to stay with me." She sniffed.

"I'm going to stay for a little while, pet. I'm also going to make you a promise, when I get all this old Wolfram and Hart business sorted, I'll come back to you." He smiled at her before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I could help you sort it out." She pouted.

He shook his head, "Told you already, pet. I don't want you getting hurt in this mess."

She started to argue and decided against it, "But you promise to come back?"

"Promise." He kissed her on the lips this time, soft and tender sealing his promise.

"If I helped it would go faster." She whispered as she kissed him again.

He raised a warning eyebrow at her, "Buffy."

"Okay, end of discussion," She added softly, "For now."

"So what time do you have to be at work?" He asked as he pulled her into his lap.

"I'm going to call in, take a few days off." She cuddled closer against him, "Hand me the phone, please?"

He lifted the phone from its place on the end table and handed it to her. He watched her dial, and listened as she explained she had company and needed a few days off.

Buffy hung up the phone smiling, "That was easy, one of the girls who works part time wanted some extra hours so she was happy to take my shift for the next few days."

"Good, I want to make the most of the time we've got, okay?" He put his arms around her, pulling her even closer to his chest and kissing the top of her head, "I also have a favor to ask."

"Anything." She smiled against him.

"Let Dawn know where you are. Niblet worries."

"I will soon, I promise."

He leaned in to kiss her again when there was a loud knock at the door. "Joey coming to check on you again?" He teased her.

She rolled her eyes at him, 'He's a good guy, Spike. We're friends." She stood to answer the door.

"He wants to be more." Spike called as she walked to the door.

She shook her head at him before peeking out the curtain and opening the door, "Margie, come in."

The older woman came in smiling at Buffy and nodding to Spike, "You didn't show up for lunch, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"You talked to Joey didn't you?" Buffy smiled at her friend.

Margie blushed embarrassed, "Well, he was worried about you. I told him I'd come by."

"I'm fine. Come on in and have a seat. This is my friend, William." Buffy sat beside Spike on the couch as Margie took the chair. "William this is Margie, she is Joey's aunt, she runs the diner."

Spike leaned over and offered his hand, "Nice to meet you, Margie."

Margie smiled sincerely at him, "Nice to meet you too. We were beginning to think that Beth Anne was all alone in the world except for her sister. "

"No, I told you I really do have friends." Buffy smiled at Spike.

"Well your friend looks like they really worked him over. I'm sorry that happened, William. I promise that Southern hospitality doesn't usually include being mugged!" Margie thought for a moment, "Why don't the two of you come on down and have supper at the diner tonight?"

Buffy looked at Spike, "Is that okay with you?"

"Of course, I'd like that." He gave Margie one of his most charming smiles.

"Alright, then. I'll see you two later. Take care." Margie stood, "You don't have to see me out, Beth Anne. I'll just say goodbye for now."

Spike and Buffy watched her leave, "So does everyone here worry about little Beth Anne?" Spike singsonged the last part of his question.

Buffy punched him lightly on the arm, "They're good people, Spike. They worry about everyone. You sure you don't mind going to the diner."

"No, I don't mind at all. I'm kind of interested in seeing part of this new life you started on your own."

"It's not a new life, I just needed some time to think." She took his hand; "I want to start my new life with you - not all alone." She brushed her lips across the back of his hand.

"We will soon." He promised solemnly.

"About tonight, you probably need some new clothes. So, I'll run and get you some. I assume a basic black color scheme will work for you?" She laughed softly.

"That will work just fine. Anything I can do while you're gone?" He asked as she stood and took her purse from the countertop.

"Relax and feel better." She kissed him on the cheek, "I'll be back soon."

"That I can do." He smiled and stretched out on the couch.

He heard her car start and drive away and closed his eyes daydreaming about a life with Buffy. He had meant it when he promised that he would come back to her, he just had no way of knowing when that might be. The thought of Buffy waiting for him just gave him more incentive to clear up the leftover Wolfram and Hart mess and move on to a life with her.

Buffy pulled into her yard with a big smile on her face. Shopping was always therapeutic even if it was for someone else. She had bought Spike his black jeans and tee shirt, but she'd also found a pair of pale blue softly worn looking jeans and a white button up shirt that she just knew would look perfect on him. She was going to take him to dinner and then work on him a little bit more about letting her help him.

"Spike." She called softly as she unlocked the front door. He was asleep on the couch, looking very vulnerable. She sighed as she put the bags in the chair and leaned over him kissing his forehead.

"Hey. You feeling better?" She asked as she stirred and wakened.

"Much better now that you're here." He sat up and ran his hand through his mussed hair.

"These are for you." She handed him the shopping bags, "You probably want to shower and change it's almost suppertime."

He took the bags with thanks and went down the hallway to the bathroom. The hot water felt good on his sore body and he stood there an extra few minutes. After he dried off he looked in the bags and pulled out the contents. New black jeans and tees and what was this? A pair of blue jeans and a white shirt? What was Buffy thinking? He put them back in the bag and reached for the familiar comfort of his signature black jeans. After thinking about it a moment he took out the blue jeans and put them on along with the white shirt. It was a different look - maybe this was the Beth Anne look for him, he laughed out loud as he fastened the belt.

Buffy's heart almost skipped a beat when she saw him in the new clothes. He looked as good as she'd known he would. "Nice." She said as he walked into the living room.

"Thank you." He smirked, "I have to ask have you fantasized about me in blue or is this a Beth Anne thing?"

She threw the sofa pillow at him and grinned, "A little bit of both I think. Don't forget to call me Beth Anne tonight, okay?"

He nodded his head, "I'll remember."

The parking lot to the small diner was full, it was Friday night, which meant the "All you can eat Catfish Special" was going on. A buffet was set up with catfish, fries, hushpuppies, pinto beans and green tomato relish on one wall. Several people were in line already. Margie smiled and waved at them from behind the counter. "Hello, find yourself a table and sit down. I'll be right with you."

Buffy found a booth for them and sat down. Spike slid in across from her. Margie was there in a flash, "Glad you could make it! What can I get you?"

"What's good?" Spike asked over the menu.

"Our fish special of course." Margie answered, "Try it. Beth Anne will tell you it's good."

"It really is." Buffy answered with a smile, "I'll have the fish with sweet tea to drink."

"Me too." Spike nodded.

"Okay, you just help yourself at the buffet, and I'll get your drinks."

"Beth Anne." A female voice called from a table across the room.

Buffy turned her head to see her supervisor from the hospital, "Hey, Jen."

Jen waved for her to come over. "I'll be right back." She told Spike as she stood and walked to the table where Jen sat.

Jen smiled, "Is that your friend, if so I don't blame you for needing a few days off."

"Yes, that's William. And it's not exactly like that." Buffy almost blushed.

"Sure it's not." Jen winked at her, "Enjoy your time off. I'll see you in a few days." She stood and went to join her husband at the buffet.

Buffy shook her head, "Okay, I'll see you then."

"Friend of yours?" Spike asked as she sat down.

"My supervisor at work." Buffy answered before taking a sip of her tea, "Are you ready to get some food?"

"As ready as I'll ever be to eat catfish, I guess." He laughed softly as he followed her to the buffet.

Outside the diner, two figures watched Spike and Buffy through the window. "Who is he with?" Asked the male.

"I'm not sure." Answered his female companion.

"Should we take them both?"

"I don't think so. We've been chasing him for months and the 'beat him senseless and take him where we need him' plan isn't working. So I've been thinking, maybe we should let Angel do the work for us. This may take a couple of days but I think we can get him back to LA without losing any more of our operatives."

"We haven't been able to get Angel either!" The male argued.

"Relax, I have a plan to catch them both." She answered with a nod.

TBC