Things were definitely wonky. She and Spike had spent a great deal of time comforting an exhausted and terrified Dawn, haunted by some kind of spirit impersonating their mother and none of them had gotten much sleep the past few nights. Work was frustrating, feeling as though she couldn't help any of the teens who came to her, and patrol was a bust, not enough vampires or demons flocking the town to fight. Then Willow and Tara had come home from the library, claiming they had seen the young seer who Buffy had been unable to save, reiterating the same threatening words Spike had heard.

To be honest, it made her feel a little better knowing it wasn't just Spike being affected, though with the incidents growing more regular, she decided it wasn't in anyone's best interest to be going off on their own and they'd taken to staying in pairs. Spike didn't complain about his lack of nightly activities as he no longer went into town, relieved as he was not to have experienced any more blackouts or ghostly visits.

It was a relief to find themselves with a Friday night without much responsibility. Work had been tedious and dull and she was itching for some fun. Spike had promised to meet her for a quick patrol before heading to the Bronze with the rest of the group, Buffy thinking she deserved some comfort and enjoyment and very much wanting to relax in the vampire's arms.

Instead, she was raging. The damn vampire never showed. At first, she was worried, but the longer she waited, the more her sympathy waned. Taking a deep breath, she banged open the front door of her house, checking for Spike for the fourth time. Still a no show, she was grumbling, hungry, having a little too much energy that needed to be burned, and feeling slighted over missing an opportunity for dancing time with Spike.

Because he couldn't be bothered to show.

Slamming the door behind her, she looked up to find the tree Spike used to lurk behind back in his stalking days and she frowned. This wasn't right, Spike wouldn't just not show unless there was a serious problem. Despite her persistent wishing otherwise in the past, and with as much humility as she could muster, Buffy knew she was Spike's priority, particularly if he thought he had a chance at a crumb, and she had made it very clear that she intended to dance, with him. Well, as clear as she could be, but still.

Worry and guilt replaced anger. She rushed back to the Bronze, just to check that he hadn't showed, flew through the numerous cemeteries of town, stopped by his old crypt, and remained unable to find the vampire. A lump rose in her throat, her preference for action stifled by her inability to locate him. If he was in trouble, she'd be able to help him, to save him, if only she knew where he was.

Lumbering through town, and desperate to do something, a flash of white caught her eye. Spike stood a few feet in front of her, shielded by a crowd of people huddled in a line outside a club she had never entered, his arm around a cute, young, red-head she had never met. Jealousy, bright and hot, sat in her stomach like a brick, and Buffy had to keep herself from storming over to him and knocking him in the nose. Spike and the nameless girl were leaving the club and with a shaky breath, Buffy followed at close enough of a distance that she could keep track, but not close enough that he'd register her.

The gall of him, to not only ditch her, but for another woman, someone she'd never even met. Was this, or who, Spike had been up to when he went out all those late nights? He'd shrugged and laughed off all her questions, claiming it was just time spent out with buddies in seedy demon bars, playing poker and picking up town news, but this was something else altogether. And he could claim the girl was part of the plan as much as he wanted, but the tightness and closeness of his arm around her was not something that could be faked. Buffy wanted blood, having brewed pent up energy all night, and Spike was her favorite target.

Except, when she got close enough to hear what they were saying, it didn't sound like Spike. In tone and inflection, maybe, but not in words. He was charming, in a cringe-worthy, old British man type of way that turned her off. It was him from appearance to demeanor, but something was missing. Still, she was too pissed to analyze.

As they walked, Buffy was not taking the time to assess her surroundings, so caught up in the fact that Spike had gotten over her without her having realized, another missed opportunity Buffy messed up, when she found them lumbering up the walkway of a house she'd never seen before.

Must be the mistress' house, she grumbled, and considered turning around and acting like she didn't care one iota, bursting through the door and crumbling them both to pieces, or waiting outside, allowing him this last pleasure before staking him to dust. Of course, Buffy had tarnished all rights to call him hers after all she'd done to him, but lately, they'd grown closer and she kept thinking maybe, someday, soon. She was going to turn around and go home to scream into her pillow, but they'd left the front door open, even odder, and as her slayer senses tingled, she followed behind and went into the house. The rooms were dark and Buffy frowned as she stumbled through the door. Something was very much not of the good in here. Finding herself in the kitchen, she found another door left open, and she walked towards it, her breath hitching in her throat, just as a scream echoed throughout the entire house.

Bolting down the stairs, she found a vamped out Spike looming over the girl, his fangs almost to her throat. The girl looked at her, pleading for help, but Spike didn't register her appearance. She knocked him away from the girl with a punch in the shoulder and motioned for the girl, who didn't hesitate, to run. Spike looked at her then, his yellow eyes flashing, but lifeless. It hit her then, just as Spike lashed out, that he wasn't with himself.

"Spike!" She screamed, not wanting to fight him. It didn't deter him as he stalked towards her like a predator. With a slap, he knocked her back, but after a few hits in retaliation, Buffy thought it was just making things worse, moving him further away from her. Standing, she stepped in front of him, both of them bleeding, and placed a hand on his chest, as she reached into her pocket with the other for a stake. Her voice a whisper, she tried again, "Spike."

Though he had stopped to watch her, he continued his prowling, finding the blood dripping from a slice on her forehead and licking it. He shuddered as he tasted her blood and Buffy choke back a sob.

"This isn't you. Fight it."

His eyes grew wide and he hesitated, turned away, responding to something behind him that Buffy was unable to see. Before she could pull him back to her, his fangs were on her throat and he was holding her flush against him, the gentle softness from which she had grown accustomed from him gone.

"You don't want to do this. I don't want to do this."

The stake was on his heart as she felt the piercing of her skin, just a bit more pressure and he'd be gone.

"I believe in you, Spike-"

She held her breath and waited, just a moment, but Spike had pulled back, still just a breath away, but no longer threatening. Opening her eyes, but keeping the stake where it was, she leaned away from him to look at him. He was breathing heavy, his eyes closed and he was shaking, though his vamp visage was gone. With a pang, she realized he was crying. She pocketed the stake and wiped the tears away.

"I coulda killed her," he whispered, his voice harsh.

"You didn't."

"I wanted to."

"It wasn't you. Spike, there's something messing with you, with all of us. It came to Willow and Tara the other night, and Dawn, remember? It's not just you."

"I almost killed you."

"Wouldn't have gotten that far-"

He pulled out of her embrace, angry. "And it'll never get that close enough again. You should have staked me."

Fixing her best glare at him, she crossed her arms at her chest.

"I knew I could get to you."

"You couldn't have been that certain."

"Lucky for you, I was."

"Might've been better if-"

"Don't finish that sentence!" The cool exterior she had been trying to exude was cracking as her voice broke. "Whatever this is, we'll fix it, like we always do."

She braved a step towards him.

"Listen to me, Spike. Yes, you could have hurt the girl and me, you very nearly did, but you stopped yourself in the end."

"You stopped me."

"And I'll do it again if need be. Right now, we're going home, getting some rest, and tomorrow night, you're going to make it up to me by taking me dancing."

"Buffy- You aren't taking this seriously enough. I-" He looked up at her angrily, but didn't have more words to offer.

"I am seriously serious Spike. Big bad things are happening, things that are scary to a slayer, her vampire pal, and two powerful witches. But it's hard to do something about it when we don't know what it is. And a girl's still gotta live sometimes."

Buffy smirked at a still bewildered Spike, took his hand, leading him out of the basement, the house, and back towards home.

The next morning, enjoying the fact it was a Saturday and she didn't have to rush off to school, Buffy made her way down to the basement, intending to talk more sense into Spike and frowning when she heard voices.

"What-?"

Her arms crossed at her chest, she glowered at the two arguing men, the brunet with chains in his arms.

"Xander!" The boy at least had the decency to look ashamed, but Spike glared back. Sheepish, handing the chains to Spike, Xander held up his hands and backed away from them, bypassing Buffy and running up the stairs.

Spike rolled his eyes and said, "It's safer this way."

Her arms dropped at her side and her mouth opened wide in shock.

"This is your idea?"

"Last night was too close a call."

"But-"

"It's happening, Buffy. Might not be enough to hold me very long, but at least you can live your life not worried that the Big Bad'll lash out."

"I understand that you're-"

"You of all people should understand. I'm a vampire, Pet, you're the Slayer. I'm always a threat, no telling what could happen, when the urge to strike-"

"Spike," she took a step closer to the pacing vampire midst his ranting rampage. "You have a soul."

"Soul's not doing a damn bit of damage control against this- this- thing. I won't risk it. Can't risk you."

He couldn't look at her when he said it, but stopped his frantic pacing, and the finality in his tone and demeanor made her heart shutter. His desperate pleading made her desperate to change his mind, to assure him that he wouldn't lose her, no matter what that meant. Words failing her, she closed the distance between them, took his hand, and interlocked their fingers.

It had taken a lot more arguing before Buffy acquiesced, alternating between heated and insulting and kind and slightly seductive, deciding that the incident was still too fresh for Spike to see reason. With regret, guilt, and resignation, Buffy watched Spike tie himself to the wall. Feeling calmer, now that he seemed more relaxed, she sat next to him, asking him what he remembered of the night before and if he had experienced anymore of those blackouts, which he hadn't.

"You don't have to always be tied up. When I'm here, you can-"

"I'm fine, Pet. Could use some sleep though. Couldn't sleep last night, thinking I might've-" He cut himself off, unable to finish the words, and Buffy was grateful for that.

Recognizing the dismissal, with a sigh, a look of sadness and longing, Buffy left him to his sleep, the promise that she'd help him meeting his silence.

"Buffy-"

His voice was a whisper that made her heart clench. In response, she swept back over to him, her hand inches away from his face, wanting to touch and comfort him.

"Here."

Spike shoved the key to the chains in her hand and turned gruffly away from her. As though burned, Buffy hurried up the stairs.

She spent a great deal of the day in the kitchen, performing various chores and experimenting with cooking, hoping that she'd be able to lure the vampire out from the basement. Had he needed her help to unlock him, she didn't want to be far.

It was near dark by the time Dawn begged her to give up cooking and to do something, since the night before had been a bust. Determined, Buffy nodded at her sister and headed up the stairs to get ready. If they were going to win whatever this thing was, and if she was going to prove to Spike how much she cared, she was going to show them all that they were in it together. First step, dancing time.