A/N: Thanks for all the reviews - there's no such thing as a review that's too long! Keep 'em coming.

Buffy closed the door behind her quietly. Spike had finally dozed off. It was odd how all she had wanted was for him to wake up but now she was glad he was asleep again. She needed the respite. Letting out a long sigh she walked slowly down the corridor. There was tenseness in her shoulders and her eyes were having trouble adjusting to the bright hospital lights after being holed up in that dark room for so long.

She was just coming out for a bathroom break and to get a drink then she'd go back in to sit with Spike. Buffy wandered into the hospital restroom. It was empty. She walked over to the basin and looked in the mirror. Her hair was messed up; her eyes still had dark circles under them from the lack of sleep she'd been getting. All in all she looked terrible.

"No wonder Spike was scared shitless," She joked to herself, quietly.

Buffy attempted to smooth her hair with her hands. She turned the tap on and splashed cold water onto her face. She did that a couple of more times until she felt a little better, and then dried herself off with a paper towel.

When she had finished in the rest room she made her way to the drinks machine, buying herself a can of Diet Coke, figuring she'd need the caffeine. Buffy still wasn't quite sure what to make of Spike's reaction. She understood that this had to be hard for him after so many years as a vampire but he was acting suicidal.

Not to mention the blurriness of vision he'd mentioned. She didn't know what was going on with him, but she hoped he'd get through this.

She was about to go back to his room when she heard laughter floating down the hall. Drawn towards the sound, she made her way back to the other room where she saw, as she stood in the doorway, Lorne was finishing up a joke that had Dawn and Nina in hysterics and even Angel was grinning like a lunatic.

Nina and Dawn sat on Angel's bed, and he had manoeuvred himself up in a half-sitting position as well. Lorne was strolling up and down the room, taking centre stage, dressed in a typically flamboyant outfit.

Buffy leaned on the doorframe, watching, a slight smile on her face.

"Buffy"

The voice came from behind her, but soon had everyone in the room turning to realise she was there. Buffy glanced over her shoulder at Oz. She hadn't seen him for a while, figuring he had gone back to Willow, but now he was back. He must have heard the news.

"Oz, hey" She turned to him.

He gave her a slight nod "How are you?"

His hazel eyes were remarkably intuitive, searching her face. It was as if he knew that she was feeling distanced from them all. Of course, Buffy had always figured him to be a perceptive guy so maybe he knew exactly how she felt. The thought was both comforting and sort of scary.

"I'm fine," She smiled "It's not me you should be asking. Ask Mr. Newly Human"

Buffy stepped out of the way and motioned him into the room. He stepped inside and she followed him in.

"Oz," Angel nodded.

"Hey –"

Oz stopped mid-sentence and became very still. He turned his head towards the bed where the three of them sat. Buffy could see his eyes were all for Nina thought. His hands slid out of his jacket pocket and tensed a few times, eyes roving over her suspiciously.

And, it seemed, Nina was reacting the same way. She had looked gob smacked for a few moments but now stood slowly and cautiously. The looks they were giving each other made the air suddenly feel heavy with power. Everyone in the room was gaping at the two of them in silence.

Suddenly, Buffy realised what was happening.

"You're a werewolf," Nina uttered, first.

Oz gave a small nod "You too"

Buffy didn't entirely get it. They had met before, in the fight with the Kraal's...but then it had been a life and death situation and maybe they hadn't noticed the wolfy vibes from each other. Whatever the reason, there was some major tension between the two of them now.

Buffy stepped in "But you're both good werewolves. You know, the loyal type"

Neither of them paid her any attention. Buffy stepped back sheepishly.

The two werewolves began to circle one another.

Dawn looked to Angel "Is this some kind of pissing contest?"

Angel just watched Nina, entranced.

"You trained?" Oz asked, calmly.

"What do you mean?" Nina replied, keeping her eyes on him.

"Can you control your wolf?"

Nina looked surprised "There's a way to do that?"

He gave a slight nod "There's a way"

They stopped circling each other.

"You can control it?" Nina asked, hopeful.

"I can," Oz responded.

There was a long pause.

Nina took a step forward, inclined her head "Think you could teach me?"

Oz regarded her a moment "I could do that"

And just like that the tension leaked out of the room, although there still seemed to be some sort of preternatural thing going on with them but it was no longer suffocating.

"Woo, man, someone crack open a window" Lorne fanned himself.

Everyone in the room laughed, nervous laughter as the situation diffused itself.

Oz finally tore his eyes away from Nina and back to Angel; he walked over and offered his hand for a firm handshake "Congrats on the living"

Angel shook his hand "Thanks"

Oz looked to the other bed, finding it empty he asked "Spike up and about too?"

Buffy let out a deep sigh. Back to the issue at hand, then. She couldn't help but feel bad about feeling put upon when anyone even mentioned Spike. It was just here the others all were, enjoying themselves, being happy about the human thing – like they should be – and she was stuck in a room down the hall with a guy who used to be so full of charisma and defiance, but who now seemed to be a shivering wreck.

"Yeah, he's awake" Buffy nodded.

Oz caught her tone of voice "And we're not happy about this?"

"No, no, we are" Buffy nodded again, smiling this time "We definitely are. Yep. Sure."

She wasn't really convincing anyone.

Dawn stood "Spike didn't take it so well"

Oz placed his hands back in his pockets "Understandable. It's got to be a lot"

He was right. It had to be a lot for Spike to deal with. Buffy really had no idea what he was going through, and to go around thinking he should automatically be in the mood to party was stupid of her. So, Angel had reacted differently, so what? Spike and Angel were two different people. Angel's typically nonplussed attitude suited him but Spike was so passionate about everything that it stood to reason he would react extremely, one way or the other.

"You're right," She acknowledged "I should get back to him"

Dawn walked to her "Want me to come sit with you?"

"That'd be nice"

They turned to go but Buffy stopped, remembering something.

"Angel," She turned back "Do you...can you see alright?"

He frowned "See?"

"Yeah. Like, is your vision blurry at all?"

"No, it's fine," Angel told her "Why?"

Buffy shrugged "It's nothing; just Spike said he couldn't see very well"

Angel paused, thinking "Well, when Darla was made human she got back everything she had when she'd been human. Including syphilis"

Buffy's eyes widened "Are you saying Spike has syphilis?"

"No," He said, "But, if I remember rightly, he used to wear glasses"

Dawn's eyebrows rose "Spike with glasses? That's...kind of cute"

"You think he needs them now?" Buffy asked.

"It makes sense"

Buffy nodded, and thanked him before she and Dawn started down the corridor. Dawn was chatting about something but she wasn't really listening. She tried to imagine Spike as a human, as the type of man he had been before he had been turned. She didn't know much about him, only what Spike had told her during their little night at the Bronze that one time. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he hadn't been exactly truthful with her when he told her he had always been a good for nothing "pickpocket".

All she really knew about him was that he had called himself William, and had apparently worn glasses.

Buffy wanted to know more, she wanted to know everything about him.

They made it to his room and Buffy opened the door quietly. Light from the hallway flooded in, illuminating the empty room.