A/N: Thanks to MrsDarylDixonLuv01 for the kind review! I'm glad you like the relationship between Saff and Spike and I love Tara and Saff's friendship too! Thank you to Raging Raven for the enthusiastic reviews, seeing you comment on the chapters as you were reading really made me smile! And also to Megs063 - I'm so glad you're enjoying the new chapters! I love hearing from you!

I'm adding a TW: slurs/derogatory English slang. The kind Spike uses in the show. Wasn't sure if I needed one so I thought just in case? I have so much more to Saff's story that I'm excited to write! Thanks for turning up and reading the chapters, it's great to see so many people viewing and liking the story! xoxo

Chapter 29:

Saffron was sat in the magic box, staring out of the window, thinking about the flowered plant that had been delivered that morning. It had her name on the card, but nobody had signed the tag. The white pot housed a small selection of bright pink petalled flowers. They seemed like the type of flower a child would draw, except these were very real. The deep pink buds seemed out of place on the doorstep, nobody ever left flowers. Not strange ones that needed to be planted outside, anyway. They smelt odd; she didn't know how to describe it. She tried to come up with words to describe the smell, but all she knew is that something felt off. She knew she needed to trust her instincts. She had guessed it might be Spike, he had been giving her small items, that she hoped he hadn't taken from the dump, to apologise in his own way for their argument a few weeks back. She couldn't help thinking though, why would he send her a shrub? She was shuffling her tarot cards while she was still in deep thought but got interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. She shook her head and looked back over to Giles who had been talking about something she hadn't managed to focus on.

"Well, ah, for those that weren't listening" Giles gave Saffron a pointed glance, "I mentioned that the Watcher's council was coming"

"And I was wishing they weren't" Buffy added.

"Shit really? Do they have to?" Saffron whined. She really hated the council, especially after what they did to Buffy on her 18th Birthday. Plus, they were all stuffy and posh and that instantly annoyed her.

"Aren't they the good guys? I thought British people were nicer than normal people?"

"I think half the world would probably disagree with you on that one, T" Saffron pointed out.

"Yes, well, they do have a large amount of resources at their disposal…" Giles trailed off as he realised this was going to set Saffron off again.

"Yes, well, they would do being a bloodsucking, exploitative, traditionalist boys club with little room or thought for the slayers they're supposed to protect!" She ranted, before stopping for breath, "Uh, pun not intended with the bloodsucking thing" Saffron gestured with her hand as if to swat the words she had said away casually as everyone continued to stare at her. "What? I can't make a valid point around here?"

"Well said Saffy!" Willow cheered and patted Saffron on the back. She smiled at her friend, thankful she had her support. She could feel half of the room, mainly the men in her life, not necessarily feeling comfortable with her presence.

"You ever get sick of the conspiracy theories, SP?" Xander asked from across the room. He didn't seem to be being particularly rude. He just didn't see why she had such a problem with the big secret organisations. They were cool, like James Bond.

"You ever get sick of accepting what people in authority tells you is the truth, Xand?" Saff challenged him, the familiar squabbling they had engaged in many times, "You think you'd know about vampires and demons if you hadn't joined the gang? No, you'd be just as clueless as everyone else in this spooky little town"

"Maybe I would. I could have been recruited to the initiative"

"You and what pseudo-soldier senses, Xand? Wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone against what the people in control told you. If you hadn't been a Scooby" She pointed out smugly.

"I would have found out! All I'm saying is not every secret organisation you're not involved in is evil"

"What about the mayor? You think he was the only evil creep in a position of authority? I'd bet around 90% are some kind of evil demon" she pointed at Xander for emphasis, not letting it go. Giles sighed and cleaned his glasses, getting increasingly frustrated with the pair, "They're pulling the strings, mark my words! They're all the same" Saff continued, as everyone else just watched the pair. It reminded Giles of how Saff and Xander used to squabble more than they did help him with researching in the library when they were in high school.

"You can't know that" Xander continued, not able to let it go.

"No, but I have been told I'm good at bets. Something about being able to know the truth"

"Will you too stop your incessant babbling? This is serious. It does not matter if you think they are evil or not. They are coming. They have information and at this point, we would do well to take anything we can get" Giles finally cut in, not able to stand listening to the pair anymore. She didn't reply to Giles, she just shut up as he continued to talk. She started to remember the last time the council was there.

A young Buffy and Saffron were walking through the halls of their high school, they had just been in History class. It was the first time Buffy had been that year, only convinced to go because Saffron had begged her. Saffron's hair had finally started to grow out of the hairstyle she had jaggedly cut herself after her many run-ins with various big bads who seemed to use her hair as a weapon against her.

"I was kinda hoping that Dad would have time for me this year" Buffy sighed, referring to her father being a no-show for Buffy's birthday. He would usually take her to the ice show.

"Your dad's a twat... uh, no offence" Saff added when she saw Buffy's face, "My parents always thought so, anyway. Again, no offence" She winced slightly as she mentioned her parents. It had been a few years, but it still felt fresh. She could never forgive herself for what she did to them.

"I just wanted the icy magic, take a break from the dark magic for a change y'know?"

"hey, don't worry, Buff! I've got a plan. I'm gonna give this whole sweet-talking thing a go, work on our favourite watcher"

"It's fine. I don't need to go, it's a stupid girly thing anyway"

"Stupid, girly and super fun! We're going whether I have to hold G at stake-point, it's happening. I'll be back with the good news any second!" She exclaimed, a rush of enthusiasm as she left Buffy's side, "Rest up!" She called over her shoulder as she raced into the library to find Giles. Buffy's strength had been weakening and they thought she might be ill. She was worried about her cousin. However, as Saff walked into the library she heard a noise behind her which broke her from her thoughts. Before she could do anything, she felt a blow to the back of her head and dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Why did every memory she had from high school end in her blacking out or being beaten to the floor?

When she had woken up, she found herself tied to a chair in an abandoned building, in an all too familiar scenario. Hostage. She remembered rolling her eyes and having to move slowly because of the force that had been inflicted on her skull. She gasped when she noticed that she had company. Joyce was tied up next to her. Luckily, Buffy managed to defeat the vampire using holy water despite her lack of powers. It took both of the girls a long time to forgive Giles. They had trusted him, and he had set Saff and Joyce up as bait and let Quentin put Buffy in danger.

"Congratulations, you passed" Quentin started, when they were back in the library after everything, explaining how pleased the Council was that she had done so well.

"Do I get a gold star?" Buffy bit back, clearly struggling from exhaustion and anger. Saffron could almost feel it herself it was so strong.

"Get out" Saffron stood up and looked at Quentin, who quickly ignored her and turned back to Buffy. Everyone always ignored her. He started to explain everything but Buffy quickly cut him off with a warning, "I think you better leave town before I get my strength back"

Quentin took delight in revealing that Giles was fired as Buffy's watcher. Saff smiled at this, pleased. He deserves it, she thought. Buffy wouldn't speak to Quentin after that and he started to leave the library. Saff got up and started to follow him, a sudden surge of anger in her. She hadn't finished with him. Giles moved from his place in the doorway to cut her off, taking her shoulder in his hand.

"Don't touch me" She snapped at Giles, who dropped his hand from her as if it had been set on fire. Saffron continued down the corridor, after Quentin. She called for him to face her. He did, not worried about this young girl. She was nothing to him. She stopped in front of him, pulling her arm back ready to connect her fist with his face. Her eyes flashed an unnatural colour as she felt his hand wrap around her wrist, incapacitating her and her weak attempt at throwing a punch. She felt a weird sensation. Almost satisfied, which didn't seem right. She was anything but satisfied about what had happened. Quentin squinted into her eyes, but they were her usual grey again. He had only read about this. She wasn't just the cousin. A gleam in his eye as he searched her face. A cruel smile on his lips.

"They may not have caught up yet, but I see you. We will talk again, young lady" Quentin said sourly, dropping her wrist, before turning on his heel and walking away. Saffron was left there, a pain in her wrist and a strange feeling she had never had since as she stood watching him walk away.

xoxoxo

They were in the magic box, Saff had been early for her shift. Trying in vain to prove she could still be trusted. She caught Giles in deep thought behind the counter, counting over the extra merchandise they had been sent. 1,000 extra frogs legs, 3,000 extra vials of bat's blood…

"We need to talk" Saff interrupted his thoughts, haphazardly kicking a box out of her way so she could step closer to him.

"Are you finally over your ridiculous foray into the world of vampire romance?" Giles asked, not finding it amusing at all. He turned back to his counting when he saw that she most definitely hadn't got over it.

"I'm sorry, G. But he's here to stay. I know you don't like it, but I hope you can accept me again. I miss you, you know…" Saffron was rarely this vulnerable, and it had taken Giles off-guard. He looked at the younger girl and sighed, shaking his head slightly. She had realised that being honest with everyone was working for her, revealing how she really felt. She decided maybe vulnerability could be her knew thing.

"He's-he's an idiot"

"Yeah, but he's my idiot" She accepted that Spike had flaws, as did she. As did everyone, including Giles. She loved him, felt loved by him. She couldn't keep going without his support.

"If he was ever to hurt you…"

"He won't, and if he did you'd have to get in the queue of people that would go after him for me" she said, realising his attitude was out of concern. His stuffy English way of trying to protect her, which she had never taken to, "Buff's up front" She added.

"I just- I want you to be safe…" Giles tailed off. Wrong choice in words, "Ah, well, I want you to make sure you aren't losing yourself because of this" Giles tripped over his words, clearly struggling to articulate his true feelings on the matter. She almost smiled at Giles' awkward phrasing and subsequent cover up for a familiar talk her father probably would have tried to have with her had he made it to her 16th birthday.

"I need to talk to you. It's about the three-" Saffron started, trying to ease Giles' almost embarrassed chatter but she was, once again, cut off before she could continue. This time, it wasn't Giles.

"Rupert!" Quentin commanded the room with his presence. Council members started to file in behind him and started to look around the shop. They decided to close it down, making all the customers leave. Saff stood in front of Anya slightly, feeling how nervous she was after they revealed who they were.

"Fuck off, you jumped up little-" Saff started when Quentin started to be rude to Giles again. Anya took the opportunity to leave through the back as their attention was turned to Saffron.

"You know, if you had stayed in England, young lady, you would have learned what correct manners and decorum were"

"You know, if you had stayed in England, old man, you wouldn't have to find out that being a posh entitled twat will get you exactly nowhere with us"

"Do not get involved in matters that do not concern you, if, on the other hand, you wish to speak to us about your… gift, we would be happy to help you out…"

"You told!?" Saffron whipped her head to look at Giles, who looked just as surprised as she did. She turned back to the short man and looked at him questioningly. Then it hit her, she knew who had grassed on her to the council, "Wesley" She muttered under her breath and felt a sticky feeling of smugness float towards her from where Quentin was stood across from her. Saffron stepped towards him a few steps, trying to look as if she wasn't bothered that they knew about her sight.

"Yes, Mr Wyndam-Price mentioned it in passing to his father, who is more of an asset to the council than his failed son, almost as shameful to the institution as Rupert, here. He fancies himself a rogue demon hunter now" Quentin laughed cruelly and the other watchers joined in, they sounded like a pack of hyenas and Saffron shuddered as she had flashbacks to her high school days. Saffron rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, clearly not amused by what he had said, "I saw your potential when we last spoke, there is a space for someone of your particular talent at the council…"

"And what makes you think I'd go anywhere near your funny handshake brigade?"

"It was a polite request, and it is a decision that we can make for you should you and Rupert not pass this particular test along with your cousin"

"Again, to that I say fuck off" There was no way she was going back to England, especially not to work for or be tested on by these idiots. The temperature in the room started to overheat. She looked at the ground and tried to calm herself down before she did something really stupid. Quentin swiftly stepped towards her and roughly took her chin between his thumb and forefinger to direct her head towards him. Saffron was too shocked to react, and just stood there, staring at Quentin.

"Learn some respect" He said slowly, enunciating his words. This was when Giles ran at the man, ready to start a fight with him over what he had done.

"You bloody-"

"G, don't. It's what he wants" Saffron hissed to Giles, although she made a note to herself to thank him for defending her later on. He did care.

At that moment, the bell rang from the front door and Buffy walked in and tried to discreetly walk away without being noticed. Everyone turned to face the front and Buffy walked in reluctantly. She looked between Giles, Quentin and Saffron with a confused look as they all seemed to be in the middle of a heated exchange.

Buffy took her jacket off as the room was extremely warm, there was no way it was the heating Giles would never turn it up. She walked in and stood between Saffron and the watchers and listened to Quentin's proposal. Giles roughly threatened him again, but Buffy held him back, much like Saffron had. Buffy listened and weighed up her options and agreed to what the council had asked of her only because of Dawn.

xoxoxo

Spike was fixing them drinks, his black, patterned shirt was hanging open on his shoulders, revealing his bare chest. He didn't need to protect himself from the cold, and Saffron had the tendency to free him of his clothes anyway, so he didn't bother buttoning it up. Saffron had come straight over after her run-in with the Council. Spike was pouring their drinks while he listened as Saff lay across the sofa, as if she was talking to a doctor in a movie.

"He told me I wasn't to get involved in matters that didn't concern young girls" She did a posh accent, mimicking Quentin, "Which was right before he grabbed my chin and made me meet his eyes because that's what 'respect' is apparently" She air-quoted respect, clearly upset by the incident still. Saffron could feel Spike's growing anger bubbling away as she recounted what had happened.

"That bloody poof-" He started to rant, before Saffron swiftly cut him off.

"Jar" She pointed towards the half-filled glass jar on the other side of the room.

"I'm not putting anything in that sodding jar! He was being a-"

"Jar, Spike" She said, glaring and folding her arms from where she was lying on the couch.

"Love, I can't help it I'm a product of my time" he tried to smoulder, a trick he picked up to try and get his own way. But Saff was wise to his ways by now.

"If you were a product of your time, you'd be swanning around speaking like you were in fucking pride and prejudice. Just put a dollar in the jar. You did agree…" She tailed off, pouting slightly. She picked up the jar, that was almost filled, and shook it as if she was collecting for a charity. She wasn't actually mad at him, and Spike knew this as she had a tendency to heat up a room when she got properly angry. She had started the jar, which read 'Nasty word Jar', a few months ago when she told Spike that even though the Americans didn't seem bothered by the British slang he used to refer to people he didn't like, she knew what it really meant. He had reminded her that he was still evil, but he would try for her. The money would go on a date or drinks at the Bronze anyway, so she didn't understand why he was always complaining about it.

He reluctantly stuffed another dollar bill into the jar and set it back in the corner where Saffron kept it. He had been taking money out of it when he needed blood and smokes anyway, not that she was aware of it. Spike sauntered over to where she was on the sofa, setting their drinks down in front of where she lay. He stared down at her, an eyebrow crooked to tell her to get up so he could sit down. She started to slowly sit up but he sighed, scooting her to sit up himself – human reflexes were too slow. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his side, after reaching for the tv remote. He started to switch through the channels still holding her close to him. Spike finally settled for a show that Saff recognised as a new adaptation of Dracula, and she looked at him confused, making sure he knew who was on the screen. She shrugged as he kept watching and looked back to the screen herself. She wasn't really watching though, she was thinking about her conversation with Giles earlier. She had already filled Spike in, but he could obviously sense she was still in deep thought about it.

"So, you saw Ripper then?" He asked, not looking away from the screen as she leant further into him with an audible sigh.

"Yeah. He's getting used to it, I think. Don't expect to be invited down the pub to get to know him better though"

"Don't worry, I can live with that pet" He said with a soft grin, "But I'm glad he's in the picture again" He added, making sure she knew he was genuinely pleased for her. He wanted her to be happy, and her family made her happy. They settled down together, with Saff curling further into his side as they continued to watch tv.

"Did you see that! That was a reflection, bleeding amateurs!" He exclaimed, appalled at what he was watching. Scarier than any bloody demon, he thought about what they were watching, shaking his head.

"It's just an adaptation, babe" She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She couldn't win. If it was too realistic, he hated it. If it was too fictionalised, he hated it.

"He'll be able to walk into the sun, mark my words!" Spike pointed, waiting for it before shouting again, "See! There it bloody is, walking out into the daylight like the Nancy b-" He was cut off by Saffron kissing him, she knew what he was about to say. She didn't want to start squabbling over putting money in the jar. She was finding it amusing watching the way he reacted to the new show and didn't want anything to interrupt. She loved spending time with him like this and she could feel he did too. He kissed back distractedly, and when she opened her eyes a fraction she saw his eyes were still glued to the tv. She sighed, exasperated that she was now competing for his affection with the telly. She moved instead to lay her head on his lap, and he moved a hand to rest on her shoulder. He started to play with her hair distractedly as he watched, and she let herself melt into his touch. She let out a content sigh, closing her eyes as his touch soothed her. She only opened her eyes every so often to see what he had been complaining about.

As the show drew to an end, Spike sat up straighter meaning Saff almost rolled off his lap if he hadn't caught her and sat her up next to him, "He's actually fallen in love with the slayer! How fucking ridic-" He started to shout at the screen, throwing his hand wildly in protest as Saff fell into a fit of giggles.

"Is it much different than you falling in love with me?" She asked, after he finally calmed down.

"Uh, yeah! Imagine! A vampire going all googly-eyed over a slayer"

"Well Buffy and Angel-" Saff started, but she was cut off abruptly.

"Jar"

"Spike, I didn't say a bad word!" He looked at her, eyes raised. He wouldn't budge. Angel was a bad word in his crypt. She quickly stuffed a dollar in the jar to stop his glare, returning and standing behind him, massaging his shoulders slightly. They had tensed up when she had said Angel's name. She leaned in and started to press soft kisses to the side of his neck, hoping he'd forget about what she had said. She felt Spike visibly relax and she eventually moved her hands to loop around his neck in a sort of hug, leaning her head on the side of his. He moved and rubbed his hands over her arms, his eyes closed from the contact and she smiled softly.

At that moment, the door to the crypt burst open and several people filed in. Spike shot up, moving away from the light, pulling Saff to stand behind him. A woman and two men walked in, saff recognised them from earlier. Watchers.

"Mr, ah, Spike? We need to ask you some questions" Spike rolled his eyes, this had the slayer written all over it. He never got a moments peace without her ruining it in some way. He lit up a cigarette as Saffron started to back away towards the entrance to the lower part of the crypt hoping to slip away undetected. She stopped short as the woman spoke again, "And you as well, Miss Page. Can we perhaps start with the nature of your relationship and your reason for being in this… in here?"

"He has cable" She shrugged, lighting up her own cigarette and Spike raised an eyebrow.

"We know"

"Oh, that's why you're here too? You just missed that Dracula show, it was good wasn't it, babe?"

"Good? It was sodding-"

"No. We are aware of your relationship and we fear that this is harming the slayer in her duties. Not a year ago she would have no problem staking you but now, because of her cousin's ties, she is unwilling to do anything about it" Saff rolled her eyes, she was being ignored by the council. Again.

"Well, that's because he helps us. Uh, the group I mean. When we help Buffy"

"Only when she pays me! Or if you ask me to and there's a nip of blood in it for me!" Spike protested, needing to confirm he was still bad to anyone that would listen. The council members sucked in their breath, shocked about this revelation. A smile curled on Spike's lips as he added, "I guess that's pretty scandalous isn't it? The girl's slipping"

"You've noticed a decline in her work?"

"No! She's not declining!" Saff raised her voice, jabbing Spike with her elbow. She raised her eyes at him and gestured that he needed to watch what he was saying.

"Ow! Bloody hell woman!" He gave her a look, before realising what she meant, "Uh, I meant, obviously, Slayer's doing great with the staking and the, uh, slaying. Doing the pun-thing, she's a bloody marvel" He finished sarcastically, but still pointing for emphasis at the group of watchers.

"You speak in her defence. Do you not wish to kill her? You've killed slayers before…"

"Heard of me, have you?" he smirked, almost prowling towards the woman. Saff rolled her eyes just stopping herself from pulling him to stand next to her.

"I, uh, wrote my thesis on you"

"Well, well, ain't that neat"

"Oh for fuck's sake! Don't encourage him, his head's already double the size it should be" Saff crossed her arms over her chest, a trademark eye-roll as she watched the exchange.

"Now, now. Let the lady talk, love" he smirked, enjoying the exchange a little too much.

"You two will both be subject to sanctions due to the nature of your, ah, relationship. You will not be allowed to have contact with the slayer and Miss Page must voluntarily submit to an extensive assessment of her abilities"

"Or… don't let her talk" Spike started to move forwards to threaten the woman who had just spoken, but the men moved forwards with their crosses raised.

"I must volunteer? You realise that's not actually volunteering, yeah?" She shouted from behind Spike who now had a protective hand resting on her hip, "Last time I checked, I'm not a slayer. You don't have jurisdiction over me"

"You will submit to an evaluation of your abilities, or you will fail the test. Glory seems to be a priority to your cousin, is it a priority to you?" A council member threatened. Saffron's eyes started to well with tears, everything was always so complicated. She didn't speak, she just nodded her consent. They needed to be able to find out a way to keep Dawn safe.

xoxoxo

The Scoobies were all sitting at the top level of the magic box, discussing the council. Saffron could feel the others worry for her from where she was stood facing the council on the lower floor. Giles stood near her, in a show of silent solidarity that she had been missing lately. Spike was stood at the bottom of the stairs, a safe enough distance away to avoid further scrutiny from the council as well as being close enough to run in and protect his girl if they started anything. She tried to put on a brave face, but the room could see she had lost her usual spark. Her face was paler than usual and it looked as if she had applied her makeup in the dark or with shaking hands. Her hair had been slung into a bun on top of her head and she was wearing her black-rimmed glasses that she would usually never be seen dead in as she had struggled putting in her contacts that morning. She felt uneasy. She didn't know if she was going to pass this test, she knew what they had done to Buffy when they were younger. She felt like she was going to be sick and her pale complexion turned green.

"Looks like your slayer's 20 minutes late and counting, Rupert" Quentin sighed, before turning back to Saffron who was still visibly nervous, "We will have to start with you first. We would like you to confirm your abilities by reading the emotions of the room"

"H-how will you know I've got it right?" She managed to choke the words out. The council members just stared at her knowingly and she decided she didn't need to know any more. They wheeled in a device they had great delight in bringing from the headquarters in London, there was not much need for such a machine as an empathic ability that was strong enough to read on it was very rare. They strapped her to the device and Spike had to stop himself from running at them and taking her far away from there. He held himself back by keeping his hands on the rail of the staircase, his grip was so tight he could feel it splintering under his hands. The device measured her brain activity as she was asked questions about her ability, this took a while and she felt uncomfortable as she revealed the extent of her power to the council. They stared in shock as she revealed what she could do, none of them had quite believed she had the true sight until this moment. Saffron could feel excitement emanate from the group of watchers and they started to study her every moment as if she was being given an emotional autopsy. She was then asked to read the room. You're doing this for Dawn, she repeated to herself. It was the only way she could keep cooperating. She started to feel the room and explain to each of the council members were feeling. Quentin looked smug as he watched the monitor, it told him that her sight was the most accurate. It referred him to a scanned copy of the prophecy of the sight. She could feel he had bad intentions as he thought about the asset that she would be for them at the council. Buffy burst in with a sword at that moment but stopped short when she saw Saffron sat there attached through wires to a big machine. She scowled and started to stalk towards Quentin, but Giles shook his head slightly to warn her to let her finish. She stood and watched her cousin instead and Saffron could feel her frustration as she watched her cousin prove her abilities to the council.

"We've seen enough. You will be returning to England with us" Quentin smiled cruelly, rubbing his hands together. Saffron's eyes widened in panic and the machine beeped a warning about her emotional state. Saffron could feel the sting behind her eyes, tears were starting to well. She couldn't go back there. It was still so painful. Everyone could feel it now, the strong sorrow emanating from the corner of the room that Saffron was in. Each of them could feel the room flooding with her emotions, slowly crashing over them and it felt like they were drowning. She couldn't go back. The machine started to beep repeatedly, and it started to flash in alarm before eventually crashing and breaking. Smoke started to pour out of the machine as it had become dangerously overheated. Spike started to run towards her but a man with a crossbow stopped him in his tracks. Saffron didn't see or hear the two people trying to defend her on the other side of the room. She was too caught up in her own turmoil.

"No!"

"No!" Spike and Buffy shouted at the same time. They turned to look at each other in horror, before turning back to Quentin and the other watchers.

"You will wait your turn, slayer"

"Enough! There isn't going to be any more tests. No more reviews. No more anything from you" Buffy said with conviction, placing the sword on the table, "There will be no hoops. No jumps. No interruptions" She listed pointedly at the man that had started to talk over her. Buffy started to make a speech about power and how she had it over Glory. Over them. Saffron started to slowly calm down and listen.

"You didn't come all this way to determine whether I was good enough to be let back in. You came to beg me to let you back in. To give your jobs, your lives, some semblance of meaning."

"This is beyond insolence!"

"I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions" Buffy said, after throwing the sword his way. The near-miss shocked the man back into silence.

"You cannot possibly defend your cousin or even want her to stay here- the interviews showed that half of you agree that the vampire and the empath should not be together, it is against their very nature. A removal of the empath would benefit all-"

"You're watchers. Without a slayer, you're pretty much just watching Masterpiece Theatre. And without my cousin with me, you won't be watching anything" Buffy warned them. She glanced around the room, making sure she was understood.

"You'll contact me if and when you have any further information about Glory. The shop will remain open. Mr Giles will stay here as my watcher, reinstated at full salary"

"Retroactive" Giles coughed subtly.

"To be paid retroactively from the month he was fired" Buffy added to the list of demands, "Saff will stay here, permanently. She's family." She said and Saffron smiled tearily at her. Buffy sighed before she said the next part, "Saff and Spike will continue whatever it is they have going on, and if he ever does hurt her, I will be the first one to separate them. Permanently" She pulled a stake out of her coat pocket for emphasis and Spike nodded, understanding the threat and appreciating an acceptance, of sorts, of their relationship. "I will continue my work with the help of my friends. All of them… and Spike" She added hesitantly.

Buffy finalised the discussion between the council and stated all of her terms. Spike was the first to rush to Saff's side, speaking in a hushed voice. Whispered reassurances and soft affirmations that nobody else would ever believe would come out of his mouth. He stroked her hair before ripping the wires off her bare skin. He helped her to her feet and put his arm around her, making sure she was okay to walk by herself. Buffy walked over to her cousin, who was leaning heavily on Spike. She looked exhausted.

"Thanks, Buff" She whispered, launching herself to hug her cousin. Buffy tightly hugged her back. They had both missed each other a lot, but this had finally confirmed they were back. Closer than ever. Buffy could see Spike over Saffron's shoulder, and she nodded at him and he copied her action.

xoxoxo

The four women walked into the crypt, Saffron and Buffy knew it well enough and took the lead. Spike got up, complaining about the sunlight but stopped when he saw the company that he was in. Joyce and Dawn, however, were not used to hanging around crypts and they both grimaced when they looked around at the state of the place. Saffron had told Buffy that it would mean more if she asked him and she nudged her cousin as she watched her start to speak and pause, unsure how to phrase what she was asking. Spike puffed his chest out at her request, a smug smile almost lighting up the room. Buffy nodded and went to leave, taking one last look at her family before stepping back out of the crypt. Saff moved to Spike's side, pulling him into a hug that he didn't hesitate in pulling her closer into. The other women smiled at how happy the pair both looked in each other's company. He remembered the time and reluctantly moved away, turning the telly on and pulling Saff over to watch with him.

"You'll have to make your own fun, Passions is coming on" Spike said as Saff rolled her eyes fondly.

"Passions? Oh, I think this is yours honey" Joyce started to sit down but saw an item of clothing where she was about to sit. She handed her the purple jacket she had left on the sofa and Saffron shrugged it on, thankful it wasn't a more intimate item of clothing. "Do you think Timmy's really dead?" Joyce turned back to the tv and spoke to Spike as they both sat on the sofa.

"No, no, she can just sew him back together. He's a doll, for God's sake" Spike replied, eyes glued to the tv. Spike patted his lap as if to offer Saff a seat, but she shook her head slightly, looking towards the youngest Summers.

Dawn and Saffron both crossed their arms and did a matching eye-roll, already bored of the conversation and the show. When they caught each other's eye, they laughed at how similar they were and Saffron motioned for Dawn to follow her down the steps. The younger brunette followed and her eyes widened as she looked around the level she had never been allowed to enter before. Saffron started to look in her own draw on the far right-hand side of the room, checking if her toothbrush was there. She hadn't brought it from Revello because she was pretty sure she had one here. Dawn walked around the room, noticing a small wall above the record player in Spike's room. There were both developed and drawn pictures carefully arranged on the wall. Plenty of Saff and Spike together taken at the crypt and The Bronze. Some detailed sketches of saffron while she was sleeping and a stick-figure with fangs that Saffron had done of Spike. There were also a few photographs of the gang with everyone except Saff and Dawn's face scribbled out, which made Dawn beam. She could settle for second-best to Saffron in Spike's eyes.

The pair eventually got bored and went to raid Spike's mini-fridge for snacks. He had started stocking more human food for when Saff stayed, hoping it would mean she'd stay longer and more often. Dawn scrunched her nose up at the blood and Saffron realised how normal she found it and smiled. Must be love. She moved the blood to the side and started to grab her and Dawn a soda each and some snacks. They sat cross-legged on a concrete slab, enjoying their snack while Joyce and Spike continued to watch their show.

"How could he give her that!" Joyce shouted at the telly, which made both Dawn and Saffron look up. Spike agreed with Joyce and Saffron decided to say something while she had chance.

"At least that's a better present than a shrub" Saffron shrugged, hinting to Spike about the plant she had received recently. Her thinking was if she spoke about it a little negatively, he might reveal that it was him that sent them. She knew him well and he had a tendency to keep his emotions on his sleeve. Spike stared at her blankly, not getting another one of her modern jokes. He went back to watching the show intently with Joyce. Not him then.

They got used to the routine, Joyce got the four-poster bed and Dawn had the couch. Spike said he was fine on the stone coffin in the crypt, he wouldn't sleep much at night anyway. He shrugged when Joyce asked him if he was sure, muttering that he had slept in worse places. Plus, he was dead he didn't need the home comforts. He just liked them. Saffron had fashioned a kind of mattress out of throw pillows, finally grateful that Spike had a strange amount of them decorating the bed and set up a makeshift bed on the floor between where Dawn and Spike slept. She ended up moving to lie next to him in the night and bracing the cold of the top of the stone coffin to sleep next to Spike. She missed him even when he was so close and he was always pleased when she joined him. He tried to make her as comfortable as possible, holding her in a way that saved her from getting hurt from the hard surface. They carried on like this for a while, with Spike finding himself enjoying the almost-family set up. He could get used to it.