"Hi guys, did you miss me?" She stopped, staring at them, dumbfounded, then said "What the hell are you doing? I can feel magical power around the two of you that is intoxicating… what is going on?"

Buffy and Spike, still with their arms tightly wrapped around each other, both looked at Willow, standing in the doorway with her, jaw wide open in shock.

"Buffy?" she asked, hesitantly, like she wasn't quite sure if Buffy understood her. Buffy reluctantly dropped her arms, and it seemed like she had to force herself to walk to Willow.

"Willow" she said emotionally, engulfing her in a hug. Once she'd broken away, she looked back to Spike, who was standing in the same spot, his arms outstretched towards Buffy and a pained expression on his face. That was Buffy's undoing, she raced back over to him, back into his arms.

They stayed like that for a moment, just staring at each other, marvelling at each other.

"Um, Buffy, I'm sorry to interrupt when something big is obviously going on here – but you have your arms around Spike, and you both look like you want to eat each other, and there's the magic and everything, and hey - I've just come back from overseas and you can't even talk to me for a second?" As she was talking, she was working herself up, and obvious frustration was seeping through.

"Oh Willow!" Buffy said, never taking her eyes away from Spike, "Isn't he magnificent?".

Willow was clearly taken aback – her little emotional speech had obviously had zero affect. "Um, he's alright, but he's SPIKE."

"Spike" Buffy repeated, saying the word like she was tasting some delicious chocolate, and Spike, hearing his name said in such a provocative manner, growled low in his throat. They heads bent towards each other, obviously about to kiss.

That was enough for Willow. She dumped her luggage, raced over to them and pushed them apart. Again, Spike growled, but not quite as sensually, it was more aggressive. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… something is happening here. Doesn't this remind you of that love spell that happened a few years ago? The one I was kind of responsible for?"

Buffy wasn't listening; she was too busy trying to push past Willow to get back in Spikes arms. Spike, who could have easily thrown Willow out of the way, was obviously keeping some visage of control, and was now looking at Willow. "Yes, you're right" he said, reluctantly. "Buffy love, something's happening."

Buffy stopped fighting, dropped her arms and pouted. "I don't care!" she said, sookily.

"I know this is hardly the time, but wow Buffy, you smell great!" Willow said, trying to take Buffy's mind off her current situation. It had the opposite effect "Oh, do you like it?" Buffy said giddily, "Spike got it for me!".

"Spike's buying you presents?" Willow asked, disbelievingly.

"Yeah, heaps of them. We're in love you see.", as if this explained the matter.

This seemed to be the final straw in waking Spike up. "Buffy!" he said commandingly, "This isn't like you. Think about what you're doing."

Buffy stared at him for a second, obviously fighting her urges, "Ok" she said, turned away and sat down on the lounge. "So, ok, this feeling, let me analyse it."

Willow shock her head and muttered under the breath "She wouldn't listen to me, but the big bad Vampire tells her to listen and she goes all into serious mode. Typical. And have I even got a 'welcome back Willow'? Of course not! It's straight back to business."

Spike, with his exceptional hearing, laughed softly. "Welcome back Willow, you've been missed."

Willow stared at him in surprise. That was hardly what she expected to hear, and hardly who she expected to hear it from. "Um, thanks Spike, I guess." She said back to him reluctantly.

She followed Buffy to the lounge and sat down. "So how long has this been going on?" she asked, hoping to start somewhere.

Buffy just shook her head. Spike answered for her. "Well, I was lying in bed, just thinking, you know, normal stuff, when I suddenly had a compulsion to come over here. I couldn't NOT come, I had no choice. Before I knew it, I was sitting right here and Buffy was coming down the stairs.

"That's right!" Buffy said, like an idea had just dawned on her, "I was asleep, and I woke up, and I just knew I had to see Spike, so I got up, and here he is!"

"Ok", Willow said, thinking out aloud, "So both of you have had compulsion spells put on you. That's a pretty serious spell, takes quite of lot of components. Who'd do something like that, and why would they do it I wonder.

Spike and Buffy looked at each other and said together "Xander".

"Xander?" Willow said, clearly shocked, "What has Xander got to do with this?"

But it was too late. They'd met each others eyes, and they were off again, Buffy had practically flown off the couch and was sitting in Spikes lap, and they were kissing – really kissing – it was sickening for Willow to watch. "Um, guys, can we focus please?"

That brought Spike back to the present. He gave Buffy one last kiss, then reluctantly pushed her away "Love, remember, this isn't you wanting to do this." He said, obviously not wanting to admit it.

"Um, I'm kind of wondering about that," Willow added.

Spike looked at her, enquiringly. Buffy was trying her hardest to kiss Spikes neck.

"Well, compulsions spells work best when the goal is what the hearts desire actually wants. This is the strongest compulsion I've ever seen, so I'm assuming it stems from some deep desire – I think she actually might want you Spike!"