With the cookie crisis over Buffy sat in the armchair watching Spike and Dawn play cards, some of the girls had joined in too. In fact, the whole room was full of potential jabbering on about one thing or another, sitting on the floor reading, trying to sleep. Buffy watched the vampire and her sister over the other side of the room and she felt distanced from them both. Not just the length of the living room distance, either.

She hadn't been the best sister to Dawn lately, what with her new gig as mentor to the girls. She would be the first to admit that she'd neglected her. It was a testament to Dawn's newfound maturity that she didn't wig out like last year. She understood that what Buffy was doing was important and, for once, family could not be put first.

Spike had understood what she had to do from the beginning. In fact, he'd taken some of the weight off her shoulders. Joining her on patrol, training the girls, generally shouldering some of the responsibility when it was all left up to Buffy. He hadn't asked for anything from her since he got back – not forgiveness, not love, not anything. It was because of his willingness to just accept that she couldn't give him those things that a bond had been forged between them. He didn't expect anything when they patrolled together, didn't want some sort of reward for helping out. Spike just simply wanted to help.

Buffy finally felt like they had been getting somewhere. She respected him now and herself. She respected that whatever decision she made about any kind of relationship between them – friendship, co-worker, whatever – would be the right one, because she knew him now. The real him. And that went for herself too.

Of course, that had all gone to hell now. He was acting differently. Still polite enough, or as polite as Spike got, but he wasn't himself. Buffy never realised that Spike's love for her played such an important part in his progression. She knew he'd gotten the soul for her but she didn't realise he'd be a different man entirely by not loving her anymore.

"Buffy!" Andrew squeaked right in her ear, causing her to jump.

She rubbed the side of her head and looked at him "What is it, Andrew?"

"Someone has stolen my very valuable, in-mint-condition, Amazing Spiderman Issue 24!"

Buffy looked at him, gormless "So?"

"It's very valuable!"

"Where did you get it? You haven't even left the house since we scooped you out of the gutter"

Andrew pouted "I was not in the gutter; I was in the butcher's shop. You don't understand what this means to me!"

He turned on his heel and flounced off back into the kitchen.

Buffy shook her head and looked back over at the card game. Dawn had just trounced Spike and he did not seem happy about it. He accused her of cheating and stood up professing that he needed a drink after being beaten at poker by a girl.

The Slayer followed him with her eyes as he walked around the cluster of girls and into the kitchen. She hesitated, not knowing if she should try to talk to him again or wait for him to come to her. What if he doesn't come to me? What if he never comes to see me again?

Buffy stood quickly and went the way he had gone. She needed to sort all this out as soon as possible, they were in the middle of an apocalypse, and there was no time for skirting around issues. When she entered the kitchen Spike was already pouring himself a glass of brandy that Giles must have brought into the house. Andrew was watching the microwave go around and around with a marshmallow in it, a trick he had learnt from Dawn, Buffy was sure.

She wandered over and stood next to the counter by Spike, casually. He glanced at her then looked back down. Sensing she wasn't going anywhere he turned to face her full-on.

"Somethin' I can help you with, Slayer?"

Buffy nodded "Yeah. You could do a little spell for me"

He frowned, capping the bottle "Spell? For what?"

"Breaking this anti-love spell you've been affected by"

Spike sighed, and put the bottle back in the cupboard "I've told you, I'm alright. Nothing happened. The spell probably just bounced off me and disintegrated"

Buffy shook her head "No, Spike. You're under a spell, trust me"

"And why should I? You're the Slayer. I'm a vampire," He arched an eyebrow "I wouldn't put it past you to try and play some nasty practical joke on me. Probably have bets going with your pals about how long it'll take to get me to sit naked in a barn and chant the national anthem or whatever this so-called 'spell' entails"

"I would never do that," Buffy announced, then she paused thinking "Although that would be kind of funny..."

Spike rolled his eyes and scooped up his glass. He started to walk past her but Buffy ran around and blocked his exit, hands up in the air to indicate she wasn't going to pummel him. Spike grunted and gave her a 'get on with it' expression.

She cleared her throat, shifted from foot to foot "Spike, you're in love with me. I know...I know it sounds crazy. It is crazy but it's also true. I don't really understand why you love me but you do. You've proven that"

"How so?"

"You got your soul for me"

Spike snorted "Ha! No, I did not"

"So, why'd you get it then?"

"I..." Spike frowned "I...I just felt like it. I don't know. It was an impulse"

Buffy folded her arms "An impulse to travel to the other side of the Earth, pass horrible demon trials, and get a soul?"

"Well...yes"

She laughed "You do realise how absurd that is?"

Spike pointed at her "No where near as absurd as saying that I'm in love with you"

"Yeah, well, you better get used to that idea, buddy"

"You've gone insane again! I don't know why I didn't see it before," Spike said then turned and yelled "Giles! Buffy's having mental ward hallucinations again!"

Buffy slapped her hand over his mouth "I am not!"

Spike brushed her hand away "What am I in these delusions? Some handsome janitor?"

"I am not delusional! You're delusional!" She jabbed her finger against his chest.

"Look, love, nothing you can say –"

"We had sex!"

Spike stopped speaking.

"Ah ha!" Buffy nodded, pleased with herself "We had sex many different times, many different ways. That was some memorable sex!"

He looked her up and down "I think I'd remember that. You have an overactive imagination, Slayer. I'm sure you've fantasised about it but –"

"Spike," She stepped up closer to him "We knocked a building down. We had sex in the Bronze. We had invisible sex! Okay, technically, it was only me who was invisible but still!"

He pushed past her "As appealing as that all sounds, you're off your rocker"

"What is it gonna take to prove to you that you love me!" She cried, then paused "That sentence made no sense"

"You're really serious about this?"

"Yes," Buffy replied, softly.

Spike scratched his chin "Well, then, I guess you'll have to show me a good time"

Her eyes widened "Oh my god! Are you trying to get me to sleep with you? No way, mister, I've been down that route before and it's not –"

"No. I mean, yeah. That would be nice but it's not what I meant," Spike downed his brandy and placed the glass on the counter "To get me to do this spell...you're gonna have to prove to me that I should love you. I think you should ask me out"

Buffy opened and closed her mouth "Like...a date?"

"Yeah"

"We...we don't...date"

Spike shrugged, and started to leave "Then I guess the spell will never get done"

"Okay, wait!" She grabbed his arm "Okay, I'll go out on a date with you"

He turned back to her and shook his head "No, Slayer, you ask me"

Buffy looked at him, trying to determine if he was serious or if this was all a joke. His face seemed genuine enough, if not a little amused at the whole situation. Could she really ask Spike out on a date? It flew in the face of every one of her principals. Okay, maybe not every one. She had slept with Spike; surely she could go on one lousy date. Or, fantastic date, as he seemed to expect. To get her Spike back she'd do whatever it took.

"Spike, will you go out with me tonight?" Buffy asked, not blushing at all. No way.

Spike tilted his head and a slow smile spread across his face "Yeah, all right then. Pick me up at seven, Slayer. I'm so excited"

He shook his head and left. Buffy took a deep breath and vacated through a different door, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

Andrew remained in the kitchen; eyebrows raised "A building fell down? Didn't that, like, hurt?"