A/N: I realise so far (this chapter included) I've made it seem as if Buffy and Spike are just gonna get together ASAP like nothing happened. That's not how it's gonna be, also this chapter is super boring but it's just clearing up a few things to be said. The next chapter is where the action starts, so I'll be posting it on the regular upload day (Sunday) and in the mean time you get this boring one as a kinda bonus? ~BB x

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Buffy was exhausted, it was nearing 3am and Spike had finally finished his story. Telling her about the exploits of his time in LA, including his ghostly trips to hell and the time Angel had turned into a puppet. He recounted all of the troubles the gang had had with Wolfram and Hart and bravely fought back tears when he told her about the lives they'd lost on the way. Finally after explaining the battle in excruciatingly painful detail, Buffy was drained.

"Wow."

"Sorry, kinda overwhelmed you there didn't I?" Spike realised.

"A little." Buffy admitted.

"It's just...it's funny whenever all these things happened I always imagined myself telling you, ya know? How I'd explain it or make you laugh when I told you. Guess I got carried away."

Buffy couldn't help but grin at his cuteness, damn his cuteness! How was she supposed to be mad at him?

"Well Buffy is beat. I'm supposed to be up in 4 hours to train the girls." Buffy yawned.

"Wait I have something I wanna ask." Spike held up a hand.

"Umm...okay. What's the what?"

"Rome. How was Rome?" Spike bit back his anger, keeping his voice steady.

"Rome? I've never been." Buffy shook her head in confusion.

"Bollocks! Me and Angel saw you there!" Spike protested.

"What? Ohhhhhhh..." Realisation dawned on Buffy. "That wasn't me."

"Huh?"

"There's a few fake Buffys stationed around the world. 'Cause it turns out when you activated a crap load of slayers, you make a few enemies."

"So you've never met The Immortal?" Spike confirmed.

"The Immortal? Nope." Buffy shook her head resolutely. "Never heard of him."

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"I'm too tired to ask what the hell that was about so you wanna just go to bed?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Do you have anywhere I can sleep?" Spike tentatively requested.

"Umm..." Buffy thought for a moment. "We do have a ton of spare rooms but most of them are unfurnished...Faith's leaving this morning for Cleveland, setting up a base on the Hellmouth. You can have her room after that. Until then...you can stay in mine."

No sooner had she said it did she realise the implications of that offer. She didn't want to have sex with him. Or did she? Did he want to have sex with her? No Buffy get your mind outta the gutter!

"No it's okay. I can take the couch." Spike assured her.

"Spike. You just saved the world, you're not sleeping on the couch. We're mature adults, I think we can handle sharing a bed for one night."

Buffy slipped gently under the covers. I mean it wasn't like she was naked or anything. She had pyjamas on and he'd kept his jeans on. Buffy assumed this was because he still didn't wear underwear.

They slept facing away from each other, neither one of them sure where they stood in each other's hearts. Buffy had barely been asleep twenty minutes when she awoke to the whole bed shaking.

"Spike?" She whispered into her pillow.

With no answer she forced herself to sit up, Spike was convulsing wildly in bed.

"Spike? What is it? What's happening?" Buffy hissed into his ear.

"Apocalypse! Don't wanna die!" Spike cried out in his dreams. "Buffy..." He moaned quieter.

Buffy caressed his cheek gently with her hand. "Shhhh, Spike it's okay. You're okay now..."

"Buffy..." Spike muttered again. "Don't wanna die without Buffy..."

Buffy weaved her way into his body, pressing herself up against him. "Spike, it's okay. You're dreaming." She whispered gently into his face.

Spike's eyes lightly fluttered open and he saw Buffy's small body wedged between his arms. "Buffy?"

"You were having a nightmare." Buffy clarified.

"Oh." Spike thought for a second but Buffy made no attempt to move away from him. So he relaxed a little, allowing his arms to fully encase her in his embrace.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Buffy had finished explaining probably around 3 minutes ago now and still no one had said a word. Willow, Xander and Dawn just sat there gaping at her, to be honest she was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"So..Spike's alive? And...and Angel's human?" Willow stammered.

"These are the facts." Buffy confirmed.

"And they just stopped the apocalypse in LA." Dawn weighed in.

"Affirmative."

"Just when I thought our lives were getting a little routine." Xander joked.

Buffy smiled. They had been getting a routine, training the new Slayers here, the new Watchers Council Giles and Andrew were setting up in England and Faith en route to Cleveland to help Wood open up the next base on the only remaining Hellmouth. Evil was coming and being stopped pretty sharpish and Buffy spent most of her days sparring or shopping. As close to normal as her life would get. And so far...she was kinda sick of it.

"Where's Spike now?" Dawn wondered.

"Upstairs in bed, he needed rest."

"Where did he sleep?" Willow asked, realising to late that the answer probably wouldn't be what Xander wanted to hear.

Buffy's face reddened a little. "My room..."

Xander raised an eyebrow and Buffy continued. "Nothing happened or anything...I was hoping we could get Faith's old room ready for him today actually."

"Yeah sure, me and some of the girls will do it." Dawn offered. "Clean sheets and some blackout blinds?"

"Thanks, Dawnie." Buffy was grateful her sister had latched on to her topic change.

"You want me to look at Angel?"

"Thanks for the offer, Will but I'm gonna pass on that for a bit. I'm seeing him this morning and if he still can't be stirred I'll call you. Xander, keep on with the girls' day as normal. Regular classes and training. I don't want word getting out yet, not until we know the deal about this prophecy." Buffy instructed.

"Whatever you say, Buff." Xander agreed.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Buffy sauntered into the medical room, and was thoroughly taken aback by the sight of Angel partially sitting up in bed. Ironically, he looked paler than he did as a vampire, his body was slumped and weak and his face a mask of pain.

"Buffy?" Angel croaked. "Oh thank God! I had no idea where I was and moving is so painful..."

Buffy rushed to his side. "I know. Are you okay?"

"I guess...why does it hurt this much?" Angel groaned.

"Angel...I don't know how to tell you this but...you're human." Buffy revealed.

"What? That can't be right. I signed away my destiny. I gave the prophecy up to Wolfram and Hart! I can't be human." Angel shook his head in disbelief.

"Well coulda fooled me with the body temp and the beating heart. See for yourself."

Angel crinkled his forehead up, growling. But no animalistic snarl came from his throat, just a scratchy groan. His hands flew to his forehead, no bumps and then delicately fingered his canines, no points.

"I'm human." Angel echoed.

"Yup." Buffy beamed at him. "Congrats!"

Buffy threw herself into his arms and he moaned loudly. She guiltily pulled herself off of him and he stretched out his limbs a little. "Sorry." Buffy patted his arm.

"That's okay. I forgot how long it takes humans to heal." Angel rubbed the back of his sore neck. "How long until I'm actually useful again?"

"A month...ish." Buffy shrugged.

"That long?"

"Gotta take the rough with the smooth." Buffy smiled, he huffed in reply.

"Which reminds me, now you're not dying, wanna tell me why you didn't call me to say that Spike's alive?" Buffy placed her hands on her hips.

"I thought he told you?" Angel tried but Buffy just raised her eyebrows at him and he relented. "Fine. I just felt...it was his decision."

"I get that, but Angel we're supposed to be friends or at least allies and you didn't have my back!"

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"It means just say you were wrong and apologise, you idiot!"

"Okay, so maybe I was wrong. But I'm not apologising, he's here now isn't he?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Buffy sneered.

"Oh I'm sorry, was I supposed to set up my ex and enemy? I didn't get the memo on that one!"

"So that's what that was about? You didn't call me because you didn't want me and Spike to get back together!"

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"Well, what did you mean then?"

"I...I meant...I don't know!"

"Whatever, Angel. Let's just...leave it. Get some rest, Willow will be by later to check you over and get you some breakfast."

Buffy turned her back on his stuttering replies and swept out of the door.