Spike watched as the group jostled about his kitchen table grabbing up bowls of the spaghetti and meatballs Buffy had made earlier. It was chaotic. Buffy was leaning against the island with her back to him watching over them, waiting for her moment.

When they all settled she grabbed two bowls and set one at the unclaimed place beside her, a demand disguised as an invitation. He grinned at being included, and moved to take his place beside her. He scooted his chair in and looked at her as she stared steadily at each of her friends.

"He gets to eat food?" Xander tossed his hands up in outrage. "Good Buffy made spaghetti? He doesn't need it. Why are you giving him my food?"

"Xander, shut up." Cordelia glared at him. "I think the fact that we have to deal with another one of Buffy's relationship blunders before the last psychotic is dealt with is a little more important than the needs of your stomach. If she would just go on and do her job."

Spike brought the flat of his hand down on the table. "Angelus is a wily bastard and crueler than you can imagine. You lot know the kinder softer version, but he's full on monster. He isn't a puppy that's slipped the lead, he's the demon other demon's fear. Now, I don't have a soul or a desire to recompense my sins. You are under my protection because of Buffy; hurt her and I'll truss you up like a Christmas goose and drop you off at the mansion for the bastard. He likes to play with his food, and don't suffer under the delusion that you would be anything more than that to him. Red would, even the whelp, but you, princess, would be nothing more than dinner and a show."

Cordelia stood up and pointed one perfectly manicured nail at Spike. "I'm here because things go wrong around her and she's a train wreck. If she'd stayed away from the vampire like everyone told her to this never would have happened."

"Sit down and do be quiet, Cordelia. You are here because Buffy cares enough about you to see you safe from the monster she had nothing to do with creating. Angelus is over two hundred years old. Buffy did not turn him into a killer. If Jenny had told us the truth, we might have been able to avert this. As it is we must make the best of a bad situation." Giles looked away from the group and stared at the floor beside his chair.

"Jenny's dead because Buffy didn't listen to you. You told her it was a bad idea to get close to him. She did it anyway. We'd all be better off if she would recognize that sleeping with vampires is necrophilia." Xander glared at Giles. "I love Buffy. She's great, but she makes bad choices."

Spike growled and vamped out before slamming his hands down on either side of Xander's bowl.

"Your not helping, Spike." Buffy said quietly. "I didn't listen to Giles. He's right. Jenny's blood is on my hands. I didn't see what Angel was under all the remorse. I see it now."

Spike watched her shrink in her seat, and he wanted to howl in pain. His gut twisted. He sat down beside her and she didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on her bowl. He saw the pain tearing her apart, and that twisting sensation in his gut intensified.

"I told her friends were a bad idea as well. Do you wish she had listened to me? She'd be dead. The Master would have destroyed the world, as we know it. Would that be better?" Giles looked at Buffy sadly. "She's suffered more than any of us can imagine. I won't allow you to talk to her with disrespect again."

Xander looked down at his bowl. Spike watched the boy's shoulders slump and felt a strange sympathy for him.

"Well, I'm not talking with any disrespect, but I don't get it. He's evil and soulless. There's nothing there for you, Buffy. I'm your best friend and you aren't talking with me about anything. It makes me nervous. You used to tell me…."

"I don't think playing the blame game is working for us." Oz looked at the group as he interrupted his girlfriend. "I'm a monster. Spike's a monster. Giles is a watcher. Buffy's a slayer. Willow's a genius. Cordelia's a diva. Xander's a class clown. We're all labeled up. Let's find out what Buffy and Spike have to say."

Willow nodded first, but the other's followed suit and turned their eyes back to Buffy and Spike.

"Spike and I will be handling patrol together from now on. Angelus has called the remaining Aurelian's here. Spike killed two of them last night." Buffy closed her eyes and thought about his injuries. "These are not your run of the mill vamps. We need to be very cautious."

"Which two?" Giles demanded.

"Claus and Maura. They were Darla's get, older than Angelus. There's something else. I don't feel the call. I should feel it, but I don't. I have no idea how many Aurelians are left, but apparently I am no longer one of them." Spike locked eyes with the watcher. "Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"No, but your library may be better suited to this research area than mine. I will delve into it as soon as we are done here." Giles pulled his glasses from his face and began polishing them. "We will research while you two patrol."

Spike nodded his head and pushed back from the table. Buffy hadn't touched her meal, but she was moving her food around with the fork and staring at sadly at it. The twisting became stronger. He thought about stroking her hair and pulling her into his lap, but their audience wouldn't appreciate the gesture.

"I'm a soulless vampire. I'm supposed to kill you all and not care. Hate me. Don't trust me. I don't care, but treat her with kindness and respect. She deserves it." He rested his hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed for a brief second. "I'm going to change for patrol."

He walked from the room and was half way up the stairs before he heard her chair scrape back from the table.

"I'll keep you safe if I can." Buffy's voice rife with sadness. "I have to go patrol. Please clean up when you're done eating."