"I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that Peaches didn't tell you about that," Spike said, almost thinking out loud.

"Well Spike, since you did, maybe you should tell the full story," Buffy said angrily. She wasn't angry at him. It was just another lie Angel told her, he said he hasn't fed off a human since he got the soul. Apparently he turned at least one.

"Well it started when I was captured by the nazis in 1943. They were interested in demons, wanted to capture us, use us in experiments to learn how to control us, and potentially use us to fight their war. I was captured along with Nostroyev and The Prince of Lies. Lo and behold, Angel walks into the submarine that I was captured on and then he has the audacity to ask me if I'm the nazi. Obviously not, I was just doin' my part for the allies, killing the nazis one at a time. He told me he was there working for the American Government. He ended up killing the other vampires and the sub wasn't working right and so he took me upfront where he introduced me to Lawson and the other humans on the ship. Lawson ended up getting injured and it was either turn him or he was going to die. So Angel turned him. When Lawson woke he fixed the sub and then Angel decided he wanted to fuck over his family, so he kicked us both out of the sub and we had to swim to shore. I ended up basically teaching him how to be a vampire. He didn't want to hurt people and I was out from under Angelus' thumb long enough that I had already learned you didn't have to kill to feed, so I taught him how to do it. We spent about 5 years together before I went back to Dru."

Giles took out his notebook and Spike rolled his eyes, he already learned that meant more questions for him. "I have so many questions about that story, but I'll start with an easy one. You knew the Prince of Lies and Nostroyev?"

"That was the first time I met the Prince of Lies, just knew he was old and strong, he was also stuck in permanent vamp face, like old Batface. I knew Nostroyev though. Most of what he said was a lie, but he was the butcher of Alexander Palace, not really sure about him being Rasputin's lover."

"I never knew that you stayed away from Drusilla that long."

"That was the longest time, one of our worse fights. I got mad when I caught her…. Doesn't matter, but she didn't like that I wouldn't punish her like her daddy would. I'm not one for torture and definitely don't fancy doing it myself, so she kicked me out. Actually, that's how she knew something was wrong when Angel came back to us after the soul, wouldn't torture her as depravedly as he used to. Darla figured it out too and ended up kicking him out even after he begged to stay."

"What? He went back to you guys?" Buffy asked, still shocked despite whatever realizations she'd come to before.

"Yeah, for about a year. Suppose I should have noticed a difference too, he chose different victims, ones that did wrong like stealing or murder, ones he caught in the act or heard about. He also basically ignored me completely, I was just happy he was finally leaving me alone." He didn't notice he said anything wrong until no one said anything for a straight minute after. He then noticed the angry look on all the Scoobies' faces and the look of hurt anger on Buffy's. "Oh, you guys didn't know about that." He didn't know what else to say, he wasn't sorry he told them. He might have been softer about it if he knew that Buffy didn't know but he's not gonna lose sleep over it, that's something she should know.

"No, we didn't know that." Giles eventually said.

"Anyway, I've kept up with Lawson over the years. We usually meet up about every decade or so and catch up, usually when I'm in a tiff with Dru. I know he hates Angelus as much as he always has, in fact, he's been keeping eyes on him ever since. He doesn't hurt humans; he's spent his unlife feeding from the dregs of society, lives in LA right now, going around town stopping mugging victims, or victims of much worse crimes. A modern-day vigilante, he is, and he's just a phone call away. If you want me to, that is, Slayer."

"He spends his time helping people?" Giles asked, clearly surprised. That went against everything he knew about vampires. Then again, Spike showed that he could do the same if he wanted.

"Yeah, but you have to realize, he's the only vampire on earth that was made from a souled vampire. No clue what that did to him. He's never had the urge to hurt innocents."

"So he hurts the ones doing crime?" Buffy asked, suspiciously. Spike shrugged.

"Sure, gotta feed somehow. He doesn't go around killin' all of them, but last time I talked to him, he just drained a guy that was forcing himself on a sprog. Believe me, he doesn't deserve to be missed."

"What's a sprog?" Xander asked

"A child," Giles said coldly. He understood the want to see an end for someone so vile.

Buffy still didn't know how to feel, he was clearly evil but he was still human. Wasn't she supposed to protect humans? Humans against demons, or good versus evil? That's never really been an issue before today. At least not that she's noticed, though before Spike, she never knew a soulless demon could be anything but evil. And he's still evil, right? Even if he's doing good right now, although he did just promise to stick around so maybe not? This is all too much for her right now, especially on top of what she just learned about Angel. She decided to compartmentalize right now and come back to it later. She and Spike could use the help and she'd be willing to work with a vamp that actively works on the side of good.

"Call him." Was all she said and Spike nodded and got up to make the call. As soon as he was out of the room Xander started protesting.

"We're really bringing another vampire into this? Haven't you learned your lesson about this 'family,' Buffy?"

"Enough!" Giles yells, which is shocking since they don't hear him raise his voice often, and it makes everyone quiet down. "Xander, we get it, you don't like vampires. We all know why, and it was horrible what happened but as we are learning, not all vampires are the same. Some have the ability to decide what they want to be, we have to take that new information as the fact it is and evolve from it. It is how we humans grow and learn."

"I can't believe that, I still think Spike is playing us all for a fool and you all are just letting him!"

Giles walks closer to Xander and sits down next to him, he puts a fatherly arm on his shoulder, knowing what this really is about.

"Xander, you couldn't have changed anything. Jesse was openly antagonistic to us and wanted to give us to his new family, he was fine with us all dying as long as it made his nest happy. There was nothing you could have done differently. He just so happened to be like one of the vampires that were what we were used to. Also, Buffy can't stop to second guess herself when she's out fighting every night so she has to still go out and think that all vampires are evil. It's the way things have to be if we want everyone to stay alive. Spike happens to be a special case, but most are not."

"Watcher's right, for the first five years I had no control over myself, none of you would have been safe with your mate. Put that on top of being in a nest like Batface's, there wasn't a chance he'd be thinking on his own for a long time. My nest wasn't much better. That's why it took me leaving them to learn this stuff, wasn't till I was around 30 in vamp years."

"How do you even know who we're talking about?" Xander asked, trying to hold on to his anger but everyone could see his eyes tearing up. Spike simply pointed to his ears, these humans constantly forget about vamp senses.

'Ponce that I am, I almost told them about why I really started going after Slayers. I love the fight and violence but wasn't much for the darker parts Dru and Angelus were into. He started saying I wasn't vamp enough for the family so I had to choose something, when I heard about Slayers, I knew that was the way to go. A real battle of the death one on one fight. That's how being in that clan controled my decisions so much, but I don't trust the lot to let that much out.'

"So I really couldn't have saved him?" Xander asked, looking back to Giles.

"No, you did what you had to do to keep you and everyone else safe."

"Okay," Xander said but fell quiet. If it wasn't already dark out Buffy is sure he would have left to be alone. So she gets the conversation back on track to take the attention away from him.

"Did your friend answer?" Spike looked shocked at being called anyone's friend but answered after a few seconds.

"Yeah, he'll be here the day after tomorrow. So with him and hopefully whatever we find at the vineyard, we'll be golden."

"Right then, let's get everyone safe and then a quick patrol. It'll be an early day with presumably a lot of physical work tomorrow, so don't wear yourself out, Buffy. Spike, you're welcome to come back. My friend was only able to stay in town one night." That raised the eyebrows of the two Scoobies that didn't know about the encounter but with a look from Buffy, they didn't ask.

"It's no problem, Giles, Mom already told me he can stay with us for now, she's got the spare room all made up for him and everything." Spike looked just as surprised as Giles did at that declaration.

"Are you sure, Buffy?" Giles asked.

"Yup, it's no problem. I think Mom likes to have someone who will talk about art with her." That made everyone look at Spike with surprise, which made Spike uncomfortable. He's sure he would have sodding blushed if he still could.

"Yeah well, Joyce is a right fine lady, and easy to talk to," Spike said with as much bravado as possible, putting his thumbs in his belt loops and pushing his hips forward, daring anyone to say anything about it.

"Okay, so it's settled. We'll make sure everyone gets home safely, do some patrolling, and go back to my place," Buffy decided.

'Bossy bint' Spike thought affectionately. They quickly said their goodbyes and got into the DeSoto.

"I still have no idea how you actually see out of these windows," Buffy said with her nose scrunched and Willow nodded her agreement. Xander was still quiet and thinking on his own, the rest didn't bother him.

"Gotta do something to protect myself from the sun, don't I?"

"Or, I don't know, you could just be like every other vampire and not drive around in the sun," Buffy replied.

"She's not wrong," Willow chimed in with a giggle.

"One: you're the one who insisted we get here during the day, I figured you'd like this better than the sewers. Two: if I was like every other bloody vampire out there, I wouldn't be here with you at all, now would I?"

"He's got you there," Willow said with another giggle.

"Okay, point," Buffy said begrudgingly and just barely resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Knowing Spike, he'd probably turn it into something gross that still makes her all gooey inside. Which brought to mind the dream she had a few nights ago with him choosing her over Drusilla, she quickly closed her mind to that line of thought. It's not like that would ever actually happen, right? She came out of her thoughts when they stopped moving and Willow started to get out of the car.

"Good night everyone, see you tomorrow. Thanks for the ride, Spike."

"Night, Red."

"Night, Wills. Much fun having with the digging tomorrow." Buffy said with an eye roll.

Willows's eyes gleamed with excitement. She, Xander, and Jesse used to talk about treasure hunting and tomorrow they might be able to. Willow smiled and made a quick dash inside. Most of the ride to Xander's was quiet, everyone lost in thought. When the car stopped at Xander's house he jumped, surprised. He hadn't even realized that Willow had already gotten out.

"Bye, Buffy. Thanks for the ride, Spike," he said with no anger.

Spike was honestly expecting much more anger. Maybe what he said actually helped the whelp. He shrugged his shoulders, it didn't matter to him much either way, would make working with him easier though. He had already accepted his feelings for Buffy, and that probably meant making nice with her friends and caring about them to some extent, keeping them safe at least. He already likes the little witch and the watcher well enough. It was Xander that he had a problem with. Fuck, he's going to have to try harder with him. The things he does for love, he sighed. He has to admit, she's handling it quite well, although he knows she wouldn't show such weakness to him, he doubts she even shows it to her nearest and dearest.

"What's got you all with the thinky over there?"

"What? Nothing really, that was the first time he ever talked to me with anything other than hatred." There, Spike knows he's a terrible liar so half-truths are the way to go. There's no way he's telling Buffy about his feelings for her yet. It takes longer than this to heal from Angelus' brand of torture, he knows from experience.

"Yeah, I think what you and Giles said to him might have actually gotten through to him. I didn't know he was holding all that guilt this whole time but I should have."

"Don't you go just taking that guilt on yourself, Buffy. Kid's got plenty of reasons to hate vampires, yours truly included. Who was he, anyway?"

"Willow and Xander's best friend since kindergarten. It was pretty much my introduction to slaying in Sunnydale. He got captured by that hoe Darla and her people." She paused when Spike let out a laugh at Darla being called a hoe, then continued. "By the time I found him, he was already turned. He was the trap and I was surrounded by vamps, it wasn't easy getting out of there. Later, when I dusted Luke, Xander had to dust Jesse."

"Yeah, dusting someone you love will stick with you."

"I guess you've had to do it before?"

"Yeah." He said flatly after a second. Buffy was sure by his tone he wasn't going to say any more about it, so she decided to let the topic drop.

"Either way, maybe he's learned that not all demons are the same and he can stop being so aggressive towards you. I mean you'd think he'd get that you're really helping, without you… well, I don't want to think about that, I doubt I'd still be alive. Even if I was, I wouldn't want to face all of them alone." Spike's shoulders sagged in relief when she didn't ask any more questions about his past.

"Yeah, don't really wanna think about it either, honestly. We don't have to worry about it though, I am here, and I was there to get you out." Spike said and put his hand on top of hers, which was resting on the center console. She opened her fingers and let them interlace with his. They each gave each other a small shy smile but didn't say anything about it.