It was Angel that got the first real attack. The Free Rangers were quietly going about their patrols, Faith hadn't come over so Angel was on the dodgy communal laptop doing his own research into what Buffy's slayer dream could have meant. Coming up blank, he was taking a break to grab a mug of blood when it felt as though his skin was being covered with crawling bugs. A shiver and a convulsive swipe showed that there was nothing there, but the feeling remained. Angel suddenly swept the warehouse, peering into the darkest corners of the vast space but found nothing. Yet the creepy crawly sensation remained. In fact it got more intense until Angel was scratching and twitching at the phantom feeling. A few side-eyes from the Free Rangers showed that his behaviour was becoming unnerving not just to him so he called Buffy and Spike back from their patrol with a quick text.

The 20mins it took for the two to return was enough time for Angel to start to get seriously freaked. Now along with the crawling there was a burning impression as well, as though he was standing way too close to a roaring fire. He had stripped off his shirt and was scratching madly at his skin when Buffy and Spike rounded the side of the Pods.

"Umm Angel?" Was Buffy's confused question.

"Argh! Feels like fire bugs!" Angel snarled, now scrubbing at his skin, drawing blood as his claws morphed from fingernails. Buffy and Spike were at his side in seconds and running their hands over exposed skin but could feel nothing other than skin.

"Angel, I can't feel anything! Are you sure?"

Yellow eyes glaring at her was her answer and she threw her hands up apologetically. "Sorry sorry!"

Spike was one the one to realise.

"Liam, where's your hex bag?"

By now, Angel had crouched down, talons literally digging into the concrete floor as he fought the urge to claw at his skin and could only snarl and shake his head as he shuddered. The feeling of bugs under his skin was now feeling like worms in his chest! He clawed one handed at his chest, the feeling sweeping coherent thought away as he struggled to stop from clawing his own heart out!

Buffy looked down at the bare chest, trying to see what had Angel so upset when she saw it too. No hex bag! Without a second thought, she yanked her own from around her neck and threw it over the shuddering vampire, Spike merely a heartbeat behind her with his own. The second both cords touched the back of his neck, Angel slumped facedown to the floor in relief, great gasps of air causing flurries in the dust around him. Spike pulled his Sire's fingers free of the gouges in the cement floor and both Slayer and Childe couched by the shaking vampire.

It was a few minutes before Angel could rely what had happened and they all shared a long look. It was getting serious now.

Showered, dressed, new hex bags on as his was definitely missing and sitting on the couch with a mug of blood in his hand, Angel relayed to Faith via cellphone what had happened. It didn't take long before Faith joined them as well.

A day of recovery and half a dozen bags of O- and Angel was all healed from the gouges he had inflicted. But it didn't stop the attacks.

Next night, Buffy and Spike had taken the south area to patrol - a popular place for illegal raves. But the group that ambushed the couple weren't drunk or stoned 20-somethings.

7-foot-tall, armour plated and armour wearing and wielding swords and wooden pikes, they were trained, disciplined and very much a threat. Especially for a being who had a weakness of wooden sticks and holy water swords. They found that out when Buffy had roundhouse kicked a demon away and Spike had gone to snatch up the dropped sword, only to have it smoke and hiss in his grip.

"Fuck! Slayer, the swords are covered in holy water!" Spike snarled as he threw the sword, embedding it in the head of an unlucky demon who was about to swing for Buffy's back.

Buffy grabbed a clawed hand that was aiming for her face, spun and wrenched the limb from its socket, blood spraying across the battle site. Completing the spin, she used the armour-plated arm to slam into the face of the demon, causing it to collapse to its side, where she grabbed its helmeted head and snapped its neck in one smooth movement.

She cursed and with a smooth backwards handstand somersault, was by her vampire's side in a moment.

"Dammit! Then this little party is thrown just for you!" She swept her leg out as Spike leapt over it to grab a dropped pike and sink it into the eye socket of the demon Buffy had knocked over with her sweep.

Spike laughed, throwing his head back briefly.

"Aww, I feel all special! For Me? They shouldn't have!" He grinned madly and Buffy felt the responding grin spread across her own face.

With a shake of her head, she mocked cuffed the back of the curly head.

"Well, a good boyfriend shares his gifts, you know that's only right?" She laughed as she threw herself into a forward roll, snatching up a sword as she went and gutting a demon as she sprung back to her feet, hastily trying to avoid the spilling intestines as they poured over the concrete. "Aw gross! I forget how much insides these things have until they are no longer inside." Her nose crinkled as she turned back around to block the swing aimed at her back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Spike was standing motionless, just gaping at her.

"SPIKE! WAKE UP!" She roared, blocking another strike while using her head to motion to the two demons currently aiming dust-making weaponry at his chest. Quickly, he blocked the closest hit, the pike snapping as it connected with his forearm, but the second strike behind him was beyond even his skills and Buffy screamed as the wooden pike's tip disappeared into Spike's back.

Without thinking, she spun her sword in an arc, taking out two demons around her and as the sword reached the starting point of the swing, she let go and it sailed away, to end up embedded in the neck of the demon that had landed the heartrending strike. It was also the last demon standing and as it hit the ground, Buffy was already by Spike's side as he decapitated a groaning demon kneeling before him with his bare hands.

Her breath was gasping in her throat as she lifted shaking hands to the quivering shaft as it stuck out of Spike's back. Another 2 inches and …. Buffy literally felt her heart skip a beat at the thought.

"...it out luv. Luv? Buffy!" Spike's voice snapped her back to reality and she blinked in shock at his pale face.

"Huh?" She whispered, only paying half attention as her attention seemed locked to the pike.

"Pull the bloody thing out Slayer!" Spike snarled furiously and Buffy shook herself and without even a breath, yanked the offending weapon out and away.

Spike threw his head back and roared, eyes gold and fangs flashing in the night. He staggered and would have dropped to his knees but for Buffy catching him.

"SORRY! Sorry Spike! Oh my GOD are you okay?" She fretfully pulled at his jacket trying to see the extent of the damage.

He shrugged her off and threw himself at the alley wall. Head hanging low with his hands holding him up against the wall, he gasped unneeded breaths as he struggled to gain control over the pain. Buffy standing behind him, her hands fluttering nervously as she fought the impulse to help him.

It was a few minutes before Spike growled out around his fangs.

"Jesus pet, next time, warn a bloke before you drop a bomb, yeah?"

Buffy screwed her face up in confusion. What bomb? She thought back over the last few moments of the fight.

Oh

She fidgeted for a moment as she thought.

"Too young? You prefer 'partner' or 'lover'? I think lover is icky and partner always seems too businessy...oh, ohh or ...too ...soon?" She ended on a whisper, unsure and worried now. Spike sighed and straightened up. Looking at her over his shoulder, he smiled and she felt relief flood her body at the sight.

Taking her in his arms and tucking her head in that spot she loved so much, he chuckled.

"Never too soon pet, never. Just didn't expect it, is all." he placed a kiss on the top of her head and chuckled into her hair. "Trust you to use that right in the middle of a good biff-up".

Buffy smiled and returned the kiss, placing it on the side of his neck and basking in the shiver it caused. They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a few more moments before reluctantly peeling themselves away.

"How about we head on back to the warehouse and you can tell me more about how I'm your 'boyfriend'. Maybe I just need exposure to it more.' He grinned at her and curled his tongue behind his teeth. Buffy gasped at the return shiver that shot through her.

"It's not that word you want more exposure to." She mock grumbled and Spike laughed, tucking her under his arm as he led her out of the alley.

"True luv, very very true!"

They didn't get their private time together that night, as Angel and Faith had their own news to share, of the very similar variety. It seemed whoever was after them, was still aiming for the vampires more than the Slayers and they had upped the ante to proper warriors now. Spike's stab wound was not the only injury. Faith had received a gash to the forehead and Angel had gotten a sword pressed against his face, leaving a very nasty burn across one entire cheek.

They hadn't even healed up from those injuries, when the next attack came. This time the warehouse was attacked again by human demon hunters. The Free Rangers and the Heroes had struggled to fight them off without killing any, but in the end, there had been 3 lives lost in the attack. None of them Free Rangers, for which Buffy was very grateful, but heartsore at the loss of human life.

Afterwards, while doctoring up an injured Hunter, he had told them that they had received warning that there was a vampire nest in this warehouse that had plans to increase its numbers for some massive apocalyptic rite. And that the two Alpha Vampires had to be killed immediately to stop it from happening that night.

Buffy had stormed away then and beaten the new punching bag until it was nothing more than dust and torn fabric. The injured Hunters that survived had been suddenly very aware of just how lucky they were to be even breathing. As they were being transported to medical care, the Free Rangers filled the Hunters in, nodding in agreement as the hunters raged their own fury at being used as pawns and because of that, losing 3 of their members. Whoever had set the hunters on the Heroes, had just gained some very deadly enemies.

The final straw was a spell attack only 12 hours later. And it was only by sheer luck that it failed. Buffy had bullied both the vampires into her pod so that she could see to their wounds. Spike had been laying on the bed and Angel had been in the shower when there was an almighty explosion that literally rocked the pod, sending it sliding 10 feet into the side of the warehouse. Screams from outside the pod told them that some of the Free Rangers had been hurt in the explosion.

Buffy and Spike were at the door before the pod had even stopped moving. But when Buffy threw open the door, sunlight flooded the small room, causing Spike to yelp and stumble back away from the brightness. Buffy flung herself through the doorway and slammed the door behind her and looked about in horror.

The roof of the warehouse was gone! Midday sun poured in through the opening, flooding the entirety of the warehouse, barely even casting shadows from the remaining twisted and torn metal that was all that remained of the roof. It was as though a giant hand had simply ripped away the roof like it had been made of tinfoil.

Buffy looked over at the sound of groaning and hurried to the side of an injured Free Ranger. A bit of rebar was sticking from her thigh and Buffy blanched at the sight. Beyond her another Free Ranger lay, this one silent as her leg seemed to stick out crookedly. She must have been patrolling the catwalk above. Moments later, Faith was by her side, having been outside when the attack hit.

Quickly and with the help of the unharmed Free Rangers, they had the two injured off to hospital within minutes. Head count done, Buffy was thankful to realise that no one else was seriously hurt and quickly established a patrol and hurried back to the vampires in the pod.

Angel and Spike were now trapped in the Pod until dusk, but thanking all that was good, neither had been hurt. If they had been out in the communal area, like they normally would have been if not for the attacks that injured them, they would have been dust within moments. Buffy was suddenly thankful for the previous battles. Without them, her vampires would have been exposed and probably be drifting in the sunbeams right now.

With the Vampires trapped in the small pod, the heroes took the chance to sit and figure out what was happening. They knew that the attacks were now serious and that the vampires were the definite targets.

Spike glanced up from his spot at the head of the head, his bare feet resting against Buffy's thighs as she sat at the end of the bed.

"Well, we know that they are after me and Peaches here, what I want to know is why?"

Buffy let the confusion at the question show.

"Excuse me? Isn't being vampires enough?" Buffy absent-mindedly rubbed Spike's foot as she glanced between Angel and Spike.

"I think Spike is saying that it's more than that, Buffy. This seems more personal somehow." Angel uncrossed his arms as he leant back against the little sink and gripped the bench behind him as he crossed his ankles.

"Maybe it's also about teaching B here a lesson. They are all wiggy with the control on Sunshine Gal. Always have been. They have serious issues about Buffy and her boys." Faith shuddered as she hopped up onto the bench next to Angel and rested her chin on his shoulder.

Spike shook his head thoughtfully.

"I dunno, this is more than killing some vamps, even us and way more than controlling a wayward girl. This reeks of desperation. So... Why so desperate? They have an entire army of Slayer chicks now. Why spend so much effort on Buffy?"

Buffy shoved Spikes foot away.

"Hey! I've have you know I very worth the effort of...trying to kill me." She drifted off uncertain where she was going. Spike chuckled and patted her thigh with his foot.

"Preaching to the choir here pet, but it's bugging me. Something about all this…" He frowned as he gazed into the distance, lost in his thoughts.

Discussions went straight through the day and well into the night. One of Melis' coven members had been contacted and had finally called back just as the moon was hitting its zenith – Melis agreed that the attack was meant for the vampires and was meant to destroy them. The power of it was strong, strong enough to break through any low-level protections spells they had. But she had surprised them with her next comment. The attack was also a good thing– they had called her in time and she and the coven had managed to trace the origins of the spell back to the general area of the caster.

Los Angeles.

It took only a few more hours and Melis' entire coven to finally pinpoint the location of the spell. A very weakened witch showed up at the warehouse with confirmation that the spell had originated inside the Watchers Council Slayer Compound and that the shielding on the compound was now stronger and more powerful than ever before. Much more than a building full of supernatural beings would ever require, even in the face of a dozen apocalypses.

That was all it took for Buffy to decide that it was time to return to LA. Spike had taken one look at her face and had simply nodded his agreement. They had delayed long enough. It was time to stop waiting. Time to fight back.

It would take them about a day and a half to drive straight through with Buffy and Faith doing the sunny hours with the boys in the protected back seats, but Robin suggested taking a break or two. They had no idea what they were coming up against and it was better to be rested and use an extra day. Besides, Faith wanted to stop in Chicago and meet up with a weapons dealer and grab some new items while she had the chance.

Packed up, they waited until the sun set just enough that they could get the SUV into the warehouse before heading off. The Free Rangers had agreed to stay as though nothing had changed and the coven had sent over a few more hex bags to make it seem as though Buffy and the Vampires were still in residence. It was a sober goodbye for the whole group. While none of the small group had made close friends with any of the Free Range Slayers, they were still comrades and sister warriors and a feeling of friendship had formed in the time spent there. Spike, as usual, had been the friendliest, being the social creature he had always been, so Buffy had to stand by as a few of the Free Rangers came and had quiet words with the vibrant vampire. Two even went so far as to hug the man, causing Buffy to growl slightly under her breath and Spike to grin back over his shoulder at her.

When they settled in the SUV, Angel driving the first leg of the journey, Buffy had cold shouldered her vampire for a while as she got herself settled in the back seat beside Spike. But he was patient and waited until she was fiddling with her bag to press himself up against her back and whispered in her ear.

"I love that you are jealous pet. Gets me all tingly like." And laughed out loud when she turned on him in a huff. Seeing him, free and open with his mirth, made Buffy reluctantly smile as well.

"Jerk"

But the mock whack to his stomach was halted when he grabbed the offending hand and pulled her to him in an embrace.

"Buffy, you are the only one I will ever want luv."

Lips met and hands caressed until Faith and Angel both yelled from the front seat of the vehicle as they finally set off as the sun disappeared and dark fell.

Finally they were in LA, just as the sun was rising and they went straight to the old Hyperon. Back in Cleveland, Robin and Faith had organised to get the Hyperon tidied up and secured so the group at least were able to find clean linens and food and were quickly settled down for the night. Wanting to stick close to together, the Aurelian Vampires followed their Slayer and chose rooms on either side of Buffy's with Faith opposite. But if a certain wiry vampire ended up sleeping wrapped around a certain blonde slayer, none said anything.

They all settled down quickly and quiet crept into the hotel as the sun bloomed over the rooftops of the City of Angels.

But it wasn't to be a restful time. Nightmares trapped and plagued all four heroes - past decisions warped into heartrending what-ifs, faces of those that had passed grimly staring and screaming accusations, errors and mistakes blown into glaring failures until, sweating and gasping, all four made their way down to the industrial kitchens one after the other.

"Seems as though they have continued their attacks." Buffy groaned into her crossed arms as she rested her tired head on the steel prep tables

Spike and Faith groaned along with her while Angel just brooded in his corner of the room, arms crossed and feet propped up on the bench. Spike's hands were shaking as he skulled 3 mugs of blood in a row. Concerned, Buffy stretched out and hand and gently grasped his elbow as he made yet another trip to the microwave. At her touch, Spike jolted as though electrocuted and leapt back like a scalded cat, landing a good 6 feet across the room, bumpies and fangs at the forefront and a snarl startling the small tired group. At the look of worry on both the girls faces, Spike realised that his vampire was showing and shook his head and smiled apologetically. But Buffy merely frowned harder and Spike sighed after a few moments of stalemate.

"It's nothing okay, like you lot, got a few ghosties making themselves known okay, it's fine." He waved his hand nonchalantly and still Buffy glared. Angel glanced at Faith, caught her eye and nodded suggestively towards the door and with a return nod, Faith simply got up and left. Neither Buffy or Spike noticed that their companions had left, so wrapped up in their silent standoff.

After a few moments, Buffy broke the silence first.

"Spike, it just feels like it's more than that?" Her voice was quiet yet the question firm. Spike scrubbed his hands over his face frustratedly.

"Leave it Buffy, I Mean it." Spike turned back to the microwave then realised that was what had given him away. Resisting the urge to smash the mug in the sink, he breathed deeply as he forced himself to calmly rinse it and place it gently on the sink to dry.

Buffy waited until he had finished before stepping over and wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head on the strong back she loved so much. Firmly ignoring the bone deep flinch she felt and the corresponding stab to her heart, she hugged her vampire and breathed in his intoxicating scent of smoke, whiskey and that spicy yet sweet smell that was all Spike. He leant forward, his hands gripping the edge of the sink as he stared unseeing at the wall in front, but he didn't shake her off.

'Even now, I can't refuse the chit anything' he thought somewhat sadly.

After the silence continued, Buffy swallowed her fears. She had to show him that she meant everything she had said. No longer would she be the scared silent girl that screwed things up because she was too afraid to put herself out there.

"I love your back you know. Strong, defined, it has carried so much weight on it and while it bends, it has never failed, never dropped whatever it carried. It's flexible and powerful. Yet hidden away under layers. So much like the man it belongs to." She placed a kiss on his back and felt the muscles beneath the shirt twitch. Spike bowed his head and fought back the tears that burned at his lids. Buffy hugged him again as she placed another kiss on his back and Spike bit his bottom lip until blood filled his mouth as he struggled to not flinch away from the woman he loved so much.

"Spike, when I say nothing will change how I feel about you, you know that I mean it. Don't you?" She ended it on a whisper, bravery only carrying her so far after her own night of relived horrors.

Hearing the shake in his girl's voice was enough to break the hold he had on his body and Spike felt his whole body shudder as the tears finally escaped and slid silently down one cheek. He crumpled like a puppet just had its strings cut and it was only Buffy's slayer reflexes and strength that prevented them both sprawling to the floor. Instead, Buffy lowered him slowly until he was crouching in a ball on the floor, face hidden in his hands. She sat next to him and slowly maneuvered him until he was laying in the protective circle of her legs, face rested on one thigh as he crossed his arms over his chest and curled further into the ball Buffy never thought she would see again from him. She bent over, holding the crushed vampire as close as she could, her heart aching from the pain she could see in her love's body.

"Spike" she whispered lovingly, her hand rubbing his back while she placed a kiss to his head. "Talk to me please."

She felt the shudder go through him and tightened her arms as it felt as though Spike was gathering strength to move away.

After a while of charged silence, Spike slumped.

"Buffy, how can you even look at me? Touch me?" Buffy looked down and smiled gently at the long curly hair that hid her love's face.

"Do you have a year? Two maybe? Might even take longer than that to say all the reasons." She joked softly, but Spike merely pressed his face deeper into her leg. After a moment, she could just hear his voice.

"My night..last night..you all had different..I just had one. One over and over" Buffy scrunched her nose up as she tried to figure out what he meant...oh.

Oh.

Her hand had paused it's stroking as the realisation had hit and Spike read it as her going to reject him, just as the dream Buffy had done so cruelly. He tensed, waiting for the blows that had seemed so real in the dream.

And the gentle stroke that came instead stunned him speechless and froze him in place.

Buffy looked down at the distraught man in her arms and she knew, without words even being said, what his nightmare must have been for him to be like this today. It *could* have been anything in the 140+years that Spike had been alive and undead, but with a certainty that Buffy didn't question, she knew that it was *that* experience. The one that both had lived from opposite sides.

She gently stroked the long hair back from his pale face and let her fingers gently comb out the tangles that had accumulated over the fretful night. The curls wrapped around her fingers and caressed her in return, as though they knew the feelings their owner had for the woman.

Buffy realised that they had done so much damage to each other over the years that this would probably be a lifetime of mending and shoring up in front of her. And still her heart sung at the thought of the chance to be together that long. But she had to help her vampire right now and gently pushed the feelings away.

"Spike, that time was a very dark place. For both of us. While what you did..tried to do was so wrong, it wasn't all your fault. It wasn't" she grasped his shoulder and shook it briefly to let him know she meant it. "Trust me when I say this - we are both to blame! I took what you gave me and I twisted it. I twisted it and I twisted you until all you could see was the darkness in both of us." Buffy paused, knowing that she wasn't getting through to the now shaking man in her lap. She tried another tactic.

"I don't blame you because I look back and I see what we were doing to each other. I blame myself more," and she nearly wept at the groan of despair the vampire couldn't hold back but forged on, "Oh hon, not like that! Not in the victim blaming way! I mean in the way that I basically taught you that was how it was." At that, she found herself struggling to hold the flailing vampire as he attempted to escape her hold. Having had enough, she grasped the vampire close with both sets of arms and legs and held him still.

"Spike enough and listen!" She snapped and waited until he stilled.

"If it had been anyone other than you, I would have kicked their asses and reported them to the police. But it was you and let's be honest Spike, the lead up to that night was what it was."

She loosened her grip just enough to grasp his chin and force him to look at her.

"I. Don't. Blame. You." She quietly and firmly stated, staring him straight in the eye.

Minutes passed in silence as each gazed deep until finally Spike looked away, shuddered and wept. This time Buffy knew it was a cleansing moment and held her vampire until the tears passed and the vampire stilled.

Nothing was said when they finally exited the kitchen and met up with the other two in Angel's old office. Buffy called Dawn and very quickly filled her in. The surprise and anger that the younger Summers had was cut short by Buffy's urgings to get to the Hyperion as soon as possible but subtly as possible the next day. Buffy didn't want Dawn to be a pawn in any attempts to grab a hostage, but she didn't want to give them a heads up either. So she agreed with Dawn that waiting one more day would be best, even if it made her incredibly stabby to wait.

Melis had messaged and assured the group that she and her coven could be there as soon as Buffy gave the signal, waiting until the Four Heroes had breached the shielding to portal to their sides to limit the foreknowledge. She had also spared some banked power to send over some hyped up hex bags, now that the spells were moving beyond seek and spy and into speared attacks. They would definitely need them until Melis and Her Coven could get there in person to strengthen all protections. The small group agreed that waiting and taking them by surprise would be best if they indeed found themselves going up against the Watchers Coven and by extension, Willow herself.

The very thought had Buffy pausing in her preparations.

Even a year ago, she would have denied any sort of attack against her by her friends. Her family. But now, the knowledge that this might be the very people who professed to love her and care for her caused nothing but cool rage. No shock, no denial, no tears. Just that ever present rage bubbling away inside her. The flashes of memory thanks to the Argbon, would remind her of all the 'love' she had been on the receiving end her entire life since moving to Sunnydale. Even a happy memory that should have brought a smile, now elicited a snarl as she also saw the put downs and conditioning hidden in the love.

One day, she hoped, many years from now, she would be able to look back with Some form of nostalgia, but for now the rage was too close, the pain too fresh.