I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! RECORD NUMBER OF REVIEWS AGAIN!!!

To uskohakuchan, awww feel the love, I'm glad you think I mix the fluff and angst well, I was worried it made me seem like I had a split personality. To rocks and glass, your reviews are amazing and long, as though you are reading thoroughly – bravo! And I love chipped!Spike, he is the epitomy of hilarity. To fiversfan3588, don't be worried (about my dancing or the story) and thankyou very mucherly. To JessAngelus, you're back! And yes, exactly like the Pylean dance of joy, but crapper. To BlackbAngel, thankyouuuu and also probably, that would be nice but I don't know where I can fit it in…I'll try though. And lastest but certainly not leastest, RabidReject, who I think is tied with uskohakuchan for reviewing the most chapters, but I'll have to check. Thankyou so much to all of you, you are amazing and fabulous.

Ahem, that was a long author's note. On with the chapter…

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Buffy lay sleeping, curled in the foetal position on Angel's bed. He'd been awak for quite a while now, sitting by the bed, watching her sleep. Her face was peaceful, and he wondered if she was having the blood-dreams that he had had, years ago when he fed from a corpse in a diner.

Her lack of breathing disturbed him slightly. He remembered watching her sleep before, when he had no soul, still thinking of how beautiful she looked and how much he wanted her. Forever. He shook off the thoughts of those times as the shame and remorse flooded back. If she was having those dreams, it was his fault. The sun was up now, and he thought perhaps he should wake her. Her eyes opened blearily just as he touched a finger to her cheek. She smiled and stretched like a cat. He smiled back, sadly, knowing that it would be only seconds before she remembered the events of the previous night.

Sure enough, a few seconds later she snapped up, touching the edge of her lips as though she thought there was still blood there.

"Oh God, I have to…" she scrambled out of the bed, pulling on a pair of jeans that he had draped over a chair for her. She looked back at him, trying to shuffle into her shoes without looking down. "I'll be back later. I don't know what they're gonna…" she looked scared, and he felt a sudden urge to go to her, pull her in close to him and keep her safe from her fears. But she was already gone, slipping out of the door and off into the sun.

-

Xander took another sip of coffee, not taking his eyes off the dressing around Willow's hand. Oz was sitting next to her, stroking her hair as she gripped a mug in her undamaged hand. Giles sat in silence across from them, looking away as though deep in thought.

A sudden knock at the door broke all four out of their stupor. Xander glanced towards the door.

"That'll be Buffy." Giles looked worried for a moment, then stood and walked towards the door. He paused before pulling it open to reveal Buffy standing in the threshold, looking both upset and terrified, her blonde hair unbrushed.

"Come on in Buffy," said Willow, attempting a smile, which Buffy did not even try to return, but instead walked inside slowly. Looking at her, they could see how fluid her movements had become. Willow shivered involuntarily, causing Buffy to snap back slightly.

"How's your hand?" Buffy's voice sounded over-casual, too light and bright, like someon in an advertisment for washing detergent, so false that Willow could see her cringe after she'd spoken.

"It's fine! Totally healing." Willow held up her bandaged hand for Buffy to see, trying again, slightly more successfully, to smile. Buffy stared at the hand for a moment, then broke her gaze away and looked down at the floor.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't mean—" Giles broke in, his tone reasonable, like a teacher's.

"We know you didn't, Buffy. This was bound to happen. Of course,"he stood up and walked over to her, touching her shoulder gently, "it does raise a few concerns about your current… er… shall we say 'state'?" Buffy looked surprised.

"I'm fine… it was just once, and I'll be way better prepared next time. No more slip-up-Buffy, I promise." Giles smiled sadly.

"Buffy, I don't know how I can put this, but—"

"You and Angel are spending too much time together." Xander had said nothing before now, and his interruption was completely unexpected. Buffy stared at him, completely incredulously.

"What? I'm spending loads of time with you guys, and my mom. It's all balanced out." Giles turned back to her once more, a sympathetic look on his face which matched the tone of his voice when he started to speak.

"What we mean is that you and Angel are going through a difficult time right now. We wouldn't want you two comforting each other to lead to anything…" he removed his glasses, not wanting to finish.

"It's not like that! Nothing's going to happen! Yeah, we are going through some stuff, but we're helping each other through it. Things are different now." Buffy sighed, and turned slightly away from the others, then looked back, with slightly more strength in her voice. "I need him, I really do. Now more than ever." Willow stood up, and moved cautiously towards her. When she spoke she sounded timid, her voice shaking a little.

"We know, Buffy, and we understand, I promise. It's just… you and Angel both have certain… um… urges – and I don't mean romantic ones, I mean, like, blood ones – so if you two are alone together all the time you might…" she trailed off, looking at the expression of Buffy's face.

"You think we're going to kill people? Hello, we both have souls, it's not going to happen!" Xander leant forwards, trying not to look angry.

"Souls, shmouls! Plenty of humans, with souls and no bitey urges, kill people!" Buffy shook her head, frustrated and stormed out of Giles' apartment, slamming the door forcibly behind her,causing ornaments to shake. Giles and Willow both sat down again, exchanging defeated glances. Oz looked around at the others.

"That was awkward."

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