"I wouldn't mind at all. But will you all promise not to stake/holy water/cross me?"

Everyone nodded weakly.

"OK then." Spike grabbed a chair and sat on it backwards. "It all started when I met this girl- amazing girl- and she didn't love me. Well, I think she did, but for various reasons she didn't- well couldn't I guess-want to be with me. I hurt her, something which I don't think I could ever forgive myself for, so I-" Spike's story was interrupted by Willow putting up her hand. He fought back the urge to laugh and said, "Yes Red?"

"Are we talking about Drusilla here?"

"No. No. Me and Dru were over quite a while ago. This girl was- is, different, special. I was only a vampire at this point, but she was human."

Buffy winced. This story was obviously dredging up painful memories. His gaze softened as he watched her. "Do you want me to keep going, Buffy?" he asked tenderly.

She wiped away what he was sure was a tear and said in a clear voice, "Yes, keep going."

"If you say so. Where was I?"

"Amazing girl, you hurt her, you felt bad." Xander supplied.

Spike threw him a dirty look. "Yes. Thank you, Xander. So I went halfway across the world to see a man about this girl. He put me through all sorts of gruelling tests, it was horrific- I'm quite surprised still that it didn't kill me, but at the end he told me that he could give my back my soul, but something else too. He said he could make me human." Spike turned to see how Buffy was taking this. Strange, really, seeing as he was talking about her in the first place. She was absorbing this dry-eyed, so he felt it was safe to continue. "However this guy couldn't make me fully human, so I'm kind of half human, half vampire with a soul. I must feed on blood to survive and stakes through the heart will dust me, I'm affected by crosses and holy water but I have a reflection, a pulse and no aversion to sunlight." Spike decided not to mention the time travelling thing. They were obviously freaked enough as it was, and he could ruin any chance he ever had with Buffy by revealing that a) she was the girl he was talking about and b) she despised him in the future.

"Wow." Buffy said, "Must have been some girl."

Spike smiled at her. "Oh, she is."

The Scoobies seemed to be getting over their fear of him, and Willow asked him another question. "Spike, if you went through all this trouble, where is this girl now?"

Spike looked sombre for a second. "Well, she doesn't actually know about all this yet."

Buffy looked indignant. "You did all this outrageous stuff for her and she doesn't even know?!"

Spike grinned at her crossness. "I guess I'll have to tell her sooner or later. But at the moment it's rather complicated."

Buffy still looked fractious. "Well, I think you should tell her right now. I can't imagine any girl not wanting to be with you after you did all this stuff for her!"

A huge smile crept across Spike's face. "Really, luv? You really think so?"

"Absolutely," said Buffy firmly.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me hope."

The moment was shattered as Cordelia butted in with "Well, it's been an exhausting hour. But if you don't mind, I'm going to the Bronze now to salvage what could still be a good evening. Coming, Xander?" her pointed look at her boyfriend told him that it wasn't exactly an option to say no.

"Sure, Cordy. Count me in. You coming Will?"

"Yep. Buffy?"

"Sounds like fun. Um, Spike, do you wanna come with us?"

Everyone did double takes. "Erm, do you really think that's the best idea, Buffy?" Giles ventured weakly.

Buffy glared at him. "He has a soul like Angel. He won't hurt us, will you Spike?"

"No, sir. Besides, I'm sure there's a long line up ready to stake me if I fall."

Giles sighed in defeat. "Fine. Have a good time."

"Thanks Giles!" Buffy said perkily, and grabbed Spike's arm. "C'mon, guys."

The five of them sat around their usual table in the Bronze, Coke in front of them.

"So, Spike, if you're a big bad vampire, how old are you actually?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Almost as old as your Peaches. He's my grandsire."

An expression of deep pain crossed Buffy's face, but was gone so quickly Spike wasn't sure if it was there at all.

"You okay pet?" he asked, concernedly.

She took a shuddering breath and said, "Yep."

"So, how does someone become a 'grandsire' as opposed to just a sire?" Xander asked.

"Well, he sired Drusilla, and Dru sired me. So, he sired my sire-like grandparents are the parents of your parent."

"R-ii-ght…" Xander was obviously having trouble grasping this concept.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh my god Xander, even I understood that. C'mon, let's dance."

She took him by the hand and led him to the crowded dance floor where they disappeared into the masses.

"Willow! Willow! Over here!" a voice called, and the remaining three turned their heads to see Oz wave to Willow from next to the bar.

"Hey!" Willow waved back happily. "See you guys later." She bounded off in his direction.

Spike and Buffy were left umming and ahh-ing back at the table, until the song changed to a mellow, slow one and Buffy broke the silence by offering her hand to Spike. "Wanna dance?"

"Sure." Spike grasped her hand and Buffy led to him to the dance floor, where he placed his hands on hips and she reached up to put her arms around his neck.

They swayed in time to the music for the entire song, not speaking at all because they were too busy feeling things.

When the music faded off into the wind, and a fast rock song started, Spike made to walk back to the table but Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Don't you wanna keep dancing with me?" she pouted.

"Of course I do, luv. Do you wanna keep dancing with me?"

"Definitely."

Spike couldn't remember feeling this happy before. The Slayer wanted him to stay! She wanted him to!

He and Buffy danced for a full four songs before she decided that she needed a drink. He followed her to the counter where she purchased a bottle of spring water, and then they sat together back at the usual table. Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander were all sitting there again, and Willow grinned knowingly, which Buffy returned.

But just as soon as she had sat down, Buffy's finely tuned Slayer antennae went right up. A guy walking past their table with his arm around a giggling woman wasn't quite right.

"Hey guys, vamp 6 o'clock. I'll be right back." Buffy felt for her concealed stake under her jacket, and rose from her seat.

Spike also rose from his seat. "Need backup?"

Buffy considered his suggestion for a second. "Yeah, OK. It's always good."

They both hurried out the back entrance and caught the vampire in halfway to the woman's neck.

"Hey you!" Buffy yelled.

"Do you always use witty distractions like that?" Spike asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Sometimes I pun."

Buffy rushed towards the vampire with her stake raised, but he knocked it out of her hands.

"Oh great," she muttered, before punching him in the face.

He staggered from the blow, and Buffy used his weak stance as an opportunity to send him crashing into the wall with a spinning kick.

She searched for another stake amongst her clothes, but she couldn't find one. Buffy swore loudly, and looked to the ground for her fallen one. Unfortunately the burly vampire had recovered from the kick by this point, and headed over to where Buffy was.

She looked up to find him leering in her face, and before she had time to react, his lips formed an o of surprise and he exploded into a cloud of dust.

A stake clattered to the ground, and Spike offered her a hand. She took it and he hauled her up.

"Thanks," she breathed, and before either of them knew it, they were locked in a fiery, passionate kiss. The one lucid thought that spiralled around Spike's head was Huh. How's that for ironic. They were standing in almost the exact same spot where, two years later Spike had tried to kiss Buffy for the first time and been brutally rejected. Not this time, he thought, not this time.