A/N : Thanx so much to the latest reviewers; spuffymonica, Ember91, KelleyTheSelfToastablePopTart, Maverick500, spikegothicchick, Sandra, Brunettepet, and Moluvsnumber17. Sorry this is kind of a short chapter, but I'm working on something else as well... look out for a new fic from me soon, hopefully the first chapter will be up tomorrow night! In the meantime, here's more of this one. Does Buffy's engagement ring really contain a diamond? Is Davy a bad guy? Find out here...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 16

Buffy was shaking as the gang huddled around the table and waited for Giles to get on with the spell. The ingredients needed were fairly common and Dawn and Andrew were sent to get them from the modest store of magick supplies held at the apartment. The younger Summers sister was not a fraction of the witch Willow was but she'd learnt a couple of basic spells that came in handy for translations, temporary barriers, and the such like. She held out her hand to Buffy, and her sister grudgingly slid her engagement ring from her finger before handing it over.

"In the centre, Dawn" Giles told her, pointing on the table.

The ring was placed in the dish at the middle of the table, a circle of sand around that as Giles held a small bowl with a mixture of herbs and other ingredients within it. He referenced the book to his left as he sprinkled the substance from the bowl onto the ring and chanted something in Latin that most of the Scoobies didn't understand at all. None of them were really listening anyway, just concentrating on the ring and waiting to see if it would glow as a mystical item would or remain as it was, an ordinary diamond and symbol of love between man and future-wife.

Giles finished speaking but the staring continued, waiting and some wishing, all in silence til finally something happened. The ring seemed to come alive within the dish, rattling around it like it had a mind of it's own. When it finally settled, the stone shone with the brightest green light, almost too bright to look at.

"Oh God" Buffy physically reeled back, her hand going over her mouth as Dawn put an arm around her sisters shoulders.

"A positive result" Giles said softly, "The stone is mystical"

"So, er, the guy that gave the Buffster the ring..." Xander began voice trailing away as he realised how upset his friend looked.

Nobody wanted to say it, but the result of the spell only seemed to prove without a doubt that Davy was in fact evil.

"Buffy?" Spike called through the door as he knocked louder, his first attempt had been seemingly ignored in the midst of the spell.

"Let them in, Andrew" Giles suggested as the boy did just that and the ex-vampire stepped into the room with Illyria just behind him.

"What's goin' on?" he asked as he glanced at the still glowing ring, the ashen faced Slayer, and her shocked friends.

"The stone is glowing" Illyria explained, "This means a positive reaction to the spell, that is not a diamond but a mystical gem or crystal"

Spike resisted the urge to say 'I told you so' when he realised how genuinely upset Buffy looked.

"Slayer" he sighed, crouching down beside her chair, "I'm sorry, luv" he said honestly, hating to see her hurt this way. What she'd said had caused him pain, but if he was honest he knew she hadn't meant it the way it came out. He was hardly the king of tact himself, and yet he'd flown off the handle when she made a mistake, that wasn't fair.

"No" Buffy shook her head, turning to him, "No, I'm the one who's sorry, Spike" she insisted, "I'm sorry that what I said hurt you, I never meant to do that again" she assured him.

"I get it, pet, I do" he promised her with a half smile, "End of the day it's just words. You've said worse y'know"

"Maybe" she sighed, "I used to think comparing Davy to you was never fair on him, he couldn't compete, and now..." she glanced back at her ring that still shone with a bright light, "Now I see I was being unfair to you too"

"You thought I was dead, luv" Spike pointed out, "Can't exactly blame you for moving on"

"I never did" she replied quickly, "You were always in my heart, and I wouldn't want that to change even if you'd never come back to me... because whilst you were here" she said, hand on her chest, "I never truly let David Di Luigi in. Makes it hurt a little less now I know what I have to do" she said taking a deep breath, her face hardening.

"Er, Buff" Xander cut in, "Not to interrupt the kill, crush, destroy, and obviously completely onboard the vengeance train on this occasion but... this doesn't necessarily prove Davy is a guilty man"

"Wanna explain that, Whelp?" Spike frowned, the nick-name he used to use for Xander coming so easily. The brunette didn't comment, just smiled slightly. Despite everything he'd kind of missed it, this situation, being amongst the gang again, though he was kind of missing Willow.

"All I'm saying is, one glowy rock does not a villain make" he explained, "Remember the whole song and dance extravaganza back in Sunnydale?" he said, knowing they'd all recall it, "Demon caught Dawnie with his talisman on and was all ready to do the child bride thing, but yours truly was the culprit"

"Indeed" Giles nodded, "I see what Xander means. Simply because David gave the ring to Buffy does not mean he knew what it was"

"Did he tell you where he got it, Buffy?" Dawn asked her, not recalling being told whether it was a shop bought ring or handed down through the family or whatever.

"I think, I think it was his grandmothers?" the blonde tried to remember. Her head was so full, information overload right now. The comforting feeling on Spike's hand around her own was helping a lot though.

"And his grandma was what? Demon commander extraordinaire?" the bleached blond snorted, "I'm sorry but I'm not buying that this git didn't know your ring was all magicked up, luv" he told Buffy who didn't know what to think.

On the one hand, Davy was such a nice and sweet guy who'd cared for her and her kids so well these past months. On the other side of the argument, she wasn't exactly expecting to meet evil people and demons so much here in Rome, maybe she'd been blind to something that should've been obvious.

"Surely the easiest way to know who sent the demon is by use of torture" Illyria said suddenly, earning odd looks from all.

"Torture Davy?" Andrew asked making the ex-god roll her eyes.

"The demon who attacked us" she explained, "When threatened it might tell us what we need to know"

"It is unlikely the creature would speak in a language we could understand, Illyria" Giles told her, "It is of an ancient order, many hundreds of thousands of years old"

"That doesn't matter" Dawn shook her head, gaining the groups attention, "Remember back on the Hellmouth, when we captured the Bringer. He couldn't talk at all but we did that spell and Andrew told us what he wanted to say"

The boy's hand when subconsciously to his throat as he recalled the incident all too clearly.

"I don't wanna be the voice this time" he said definitely and Spike took a turn at rolling his eyes.

"I'll be the bleedin' voice" he offered, "Any bloody thing if it'll get this sorted once and for all"

"It's okay" Dawn told him, "I can do the spell, the voice should come through me"

"Little Wicca now, are you Bit?" Spike smirked.

"Well, I'm not like Willow type good or anything but I get by" she told him proudly as she went to fetch the book she needed and the rest of the gang prepared to leave the apartment. Buffy sat very still, watching her ring as the glow dissipated like Giles said it would soon. Spike stayed at her side, her hand in his.

"Luv, as much as I wanna do the comforting thing here" he told her, "My knees are bloody killing me" he pointed out as he shifted from his crouching position on the floor. The injuries he'd sustained hours earlier weren't helping much and it was an awful way to sit for too long.

"Get up" she half smiled, doing the same and pulling him into a hug, "Spike I love you so much" she reminded him. Though he knew it was true without being told, it thrilled him to hear the words.

"Love you too, sweetheart" he assured her, "Not gonna lie though, bloody hurt what you said" he added as they pulled apart slightly.

"I said I was sorry, I..." she began but he put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"I didn't say I wanted an apology" Spike told her, "Like you said, already got one. I just want you to know that, even if you did hurt me, I came back. I suddenly had this awful fear you'd think I'd left you again. Reckon I used up all my luck when you took me back this time, and all the times before" he smiled, head tilted as he stared at her, his fingers moving from her lips to her cheek.

"I knew you'd come back" she smiled fondly at him, "You always come back. I trust you to do that"

Spike couldn't answer her. He was in awe of the fact she loved him and trusted him so much now. In some ways it hurt that she hadn't felt this way when he was a vampire, only since he got made human. Something in his eyes told her he wasn't completely happy and she needed to know why.

"There's something you're not saying" she said with a slight frown.

"Dunno what you mean, pet" he said, first looking away and then completely walking away.

"Spike, you are a lousy liar these days" she informed him, glad that it seemed the rest of the gang had left them alone, probably in purpose.

"I just... I wonder if things could've been different" he told her, turning back, "I hate myself for thinkin' it Slayer, but if I was still a vampire..."

"Then I would love you just the same" she assured him, wanting to be offended but knowing she couldn't be. After all that had happened between them, she had no right to be angry that he didn't trust her love for him.

The two shared a long look until the Scoobies came crashing back into the room declaring they were ready to go.

"Er, we can't all go" Buffy told them, as she came out of her Spike related daze, "Someone has to stay here for the kids"

"Oh yes, of course" Giles sighed, unable to believe how stupid he'd been in not realising it sooner, "Er, well, Dawn must come to perform the spell and I propose to go with her"

"I have to go too" Andrew piped up, gripping onto his girlfriends hand. Though the idea of getting caught up in another spell of this kind didn't thrill him, he was going to be there for Dawn.

"Do you wish for me to stay behind?" Illyria offered, "I would think you two might wish to hear the demon's story" she said, turning to Spike and Buffy.

"Sounds good to me, luv" the bleached blond nodded as the Slayer did the same, "Hey Xander, how about you keep Lyri here company while we're gone?" he suggested, "Less of course you're too eager to hear what demon boy has to say?"

"No, I'll stay" the brunette offered, "It's no big. In a dire emergency, say another demon attack - not that it's likely but - I'm still pretty good with an axe" he grinned and Buffy smiled at her friends ever present enthusiasm for helping out.

"Right then, here we go" Spike smirked at Illyria as the gang vacated leaving the ex-God and her crush behind.

To Be Continued...