Previously: Buffy, Dawn, Willow and myself climbed out of the car and headed up to what would be our new homes.

I just hoped that mine would be close to Buffy's.

Chapter 7

We all lived on the tenth floor, though Willow and Buffy and Dawn's apartment were opposite each other in the hallway. I was around the corner. I figured that I was the apartment just behind Buffy's, so if I were to punch through the wall, I'd probably hear screams from someone I didn't know or get punched back. I wasn't going to risk either one just yet.

I had unlocked the door and walked straight into the kitchen. I was hungry and I wasn't going to go and kill one of my new neighbours. Or anyone else. I walked straight to the fridge and opened the door. I wasn't surprised that it was empty, but fascinated that someone had left a note there.

'Butcher is on the corner of Florence Street. It's just down the street. Giles'

Ok, so it was nice of Giles to leave me a note telling me where to find my food, but why couldn't he have left some blood and a note? I picked up the note and stuffed it into my duster pocket. I had to get there before the sun rose and it was rising fast. Quickly counting the money I had left, I figured I could buy at least five litres. That would last me a little while. Long enough to settle in for a couple of days at least. Though it did depend on how hungry I was at the time.

I turned and strode out of the kitchen with the note in my pocket and cash in hand. I picked up my keys and opened the front door to the hall, walked out and locked the door behind me. I took the elevator to the lobby and strolled into the street. It was nothing like Sunnydale. Everything was new. The smells, the atmosphere, the smog, everything. Here, there were new places to hide, new places to fight and no doubt, new evil plans to foil. I smiled to myself.

'I could get used to this' I murmured as I headed towards my new blood supplier.

Buffy had said goodnight to Dawn and Willow before plonking her tired self onto her bed.

Dawn had said she wanted to stay with Willow because she was going to show her some simple spells when they were both less tired. Willow had assured Buffy it would be nothing more than floating pencils, so she had allowed it.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she realised that for once, she would be able to sleep easy. It was something that rarely occurred, but now she was so tired, she could sleep peacefully for a week.

She hadn't even kicked her shoes off before she was softly snoring.

I lay on my bed with an empty blood container on the floor. Ok so I hadn't thought about how hungry I really was until I started drinking. I had finished the whole lot within fie minutes and now, currently lay on my bed content and full. The blood hadn't been as good as the blood I had stolen from the hospital in Sunnydale, but for now it would suffice. After downing all the blood, I realised how tired I truly was and had decided sleep was a good idea. Though sleep did not think so.

'Bloody hell' I growled.

It had been five hours since I had decided to sleep. I think I had gotten about twenty minutes if even that. I rolled over to face the clock on the bedside table. It read, '9:20am'. I had been trying to sleep since four!

Understanding that sleep was going to keep avoiding me, I lifted myself off the bed and took it upon myself to see how Buffy and Dawn were settling in.

I meandered down the hall, counting the rooms as I went. 567, 568, 569, 570. I stopped outside Buffy's door. It was number 570 and only now did I notice that the hall was quiet. What day was it? I think it was Sunday? I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. I shrugged and knocked on the door. Dawn flung the door open.

'Hi Spike! Come in. I'm with Willow if you and Buffy need anything ok? We're going to have a look around town'

'Have fun pet'

Dawn disappeared into Willow's apartment. Slowly I stepped into the space Dawn had just occupied.

'Buffy?' I called.

'Buffy, you in here?'

I listened. I could hear a heartbeat. It seemed to be coming from the bedroom past the lounge room.

'I'm here Spike. Wait what are you doing Buffy? Just stay quiet and he might come back later.'

'Buffy?' I called again.

Stepping into the doorway, I found her. Sitting on the window seat under her windowsill, wrapped in nothing but a towel. She looked up quickly as if I had startled her.

'There you are. Why are we hiding in here I wonder?'

'I'm not hiding.' She stated.

'Then why did you call me, then tell yourself to be quiet pet?'

'I didn't do that.'

I sauntered over and sat down on her bed. It did look like it had been slept in, but the sheets hadn't been pulled down or anything, it looked like she had just slept on top of them.

'I thought it' she said. 'I asked Willow about the amulet before; she had looked it up before we left to fight. She said that there was going to be some side effects if you survived it, mind reading being the most common one. I was just testing it out' she explained.

I sat, not quite sure what to say.

'So I'm not crazy' I sighed a breath of relief. 'Thank bloody god! I thought I was going insane!'

'Nope. Just a side effect. It'll wear off soon enough. A few days I think'

'Good. So now that we've got that outta the way, what's with the towel love?' I asked pointing at the super white towel wrapped around her.

Buffy looked down a little embarrassed. 'I took a shower then realised I have no clothes with me'

'And that's a problem because?'

'It's a problem because I have nothing to put on Spike!' she exclaimed while leaning forward. Whilst doing this, her towel slipped, showing just a bit more of her chest than she was comfortable with. Even more embarrassed, she attempted to make herself decent again. I chuckled.

'I've seen it all before love'

'That was different'

'How so?'

'It just was'

'Fine then.' I said while shedding my duster and lifting my shirt off. 'Now we're even.'

'What?'

'I saw yours, now you see mine'

'And you call that even?'

'Yeah'

'Well it's not'

'How so pet?'

'You're not a girl'

I couldn't believe I was about to say this, but if it made her feel better, so be it.

'I'll go make Willow turn me into a curvy girl then'

'Please don't. it won't be Spike then. We're even.'

'If you say so love.'

Buffy stood and strode over and sat next to me on the bed. Automatically I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her towards me. Yet again, her towel slipped. She tried to fix it, but I wouldn't let her. Guessing that I wouldn't let her fix the towel at all, she gave up and rested hey head against my bare chest. It was nice to have her head there. It felt natural.

'Sleep well love?' I asked.

'If you count four hours 'sleeping well.''

'That's pretty good, I only got twenty minutes' I declared.

Talking of sleep must have made Buffy tired. I couldn't blame her. I was amulet boy during the fight and I was stuffed. I could only imagine what it was like for her; getting stabbed and all.

'If you're tired pet, sleep. I'll come back later' I suggested.

I didn't really want to leave, not now that I had conscious Buffy in my arms.

'You look tired too. You don't have to go. Stay here, stay with me. Please?' she asked.

It was an offer I couldn't refuse.

'Alright. Get under the sheets though. Unless you wanna scar Dawn. That is, if she comes back.'

'As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll go with the sheets.'

She started crawling to the top of the bed, only to have her towel slip off her entirely.

'No looking!'

'Wasn't going to' I said as I secretly watched.

She crawled under the sheets and faced me. Quickly I turned my face away, as if to prove I hadn't been watching. Truth was, I was hiding a smile. Buffy was perfect in every way. It was no wonder that poof Angel was upset about Buffy having boyfriends.

'You coming?' she enquired.

I crawled to the top of the bed, but didn't crawl under the sheets like Buffy had. Instead I lay on top.

'Sleep well love'

'You too'

I held her as she curled herself into my side. Even through the thick sheets I could feel Buffy's slim figure. I kissed her cheek, and within minutes we were fast asleep.