Giles sighed, took off his glasses, and cleaned them. When he put them back on, he stood up, turned his back to the group, and looked out the window.

"Giles, you're killing me here, what do you think? Can we get this spell book that Angel needs?"

He sighed again then turned back and looked Buffy in her eye, "I think… no, I know you weren't speaking to Angel or his soul. It's just not possible." He opened his mouth to say more but Buffy spoke first.

"What do you mean? I know Angel, and that really felt like him."

"It wasn't Angel, Buffy. As I said, it's impossible. It's good, though, because now I know who we're fighting against."

"Uh, duh, we're fighting Angelus and Dru. I thought that was pretty clear."

Giles sighed yet again, then thought he was spending too much time around these exasperating children. He loved them all dearly but no one else was able to exasperate him so. "Yes, of course we're fighting them, along with Faith. But that's not all we're up against, I'm afraid." Buffy was about to speak again but Giles quickly continued. "Buffy, Angelus was talking to someone that no one else could see. That's not the first time he's done that, right?"

"I don't know, I try to spend as little time close to Angelus as possible. Our personalities so don't mesh."

He sighed again, then took off his glasses to rub his temples because he felt a migraine coming on. "No, but you used to spend as much time around Angel as you could. He almost met the sun a few months ago, did he not?"

"Yeah, but that was only because the First Evil was messing with… Oh. You think the First Evil is talking to him again but this time they're working on the same side because they're both evil."

"Precisely."

"But what does that have to do with Angel coming to me?"

"As I said, it wasn't Angel that came to you, that would be impossible. But it could be an evil entity that can take any form it wants to. Someone that would want to slow you down. Someone who wants to keep Angelus alive, someone who is good at getting people to do what it wants them to."

Buffy took a few seconds to think that through. Spike noticed her shoulders hunch in on herself and walked over to her to put his hand on her back. He didn't know if she was mad at him or when they were planning on having it out; he knew it was coming though. When Buffy felt Spike's hand on her lower back, she turned to him and gave him a small smile—she appreciated the support and connection. She decided she'd deal with the fact that it wasn't Angel later because if she thought about it now, there was a good chance she'd break down. She might not want to be with Angel again but that didn't mean she didn't miss him.

"Okay, then what does he want with the spell?"

"I'm not sure, Buffy. Maybe The First was just trying to distract you so you would take your attention off of staking Angelus. Maybe it's something The First needs for his plans but he can't get access to it. Maybe the spell isn't what he made it out to be and it will irreparably hurt you or the caster instead. Most likely, it's a mix of all three. I shall endeavor to get the book to make sure they don't get it but we mustn't stop or slow down our plans because of this. Hopefully, Angelus, Dru, and Faith will be dealt with by tomorrow."

"Oh, Giles, I didn't even tell you about Faith yet. I was too focused on making sure I told you the important points about Ghost Angel."

"As I said, Buffy. It's not a ghost nor is it Angel. It's The First and it showed itself to you in a form that it thought would cause you the most pain and for which you'd show the most sympathy."

"Right, whatever. The not ghost then. But I still haven't told you about Faith. She's under thrall. We don't know how long she's been under Drusilla's control but Spike noticed it tonight."

Giles looked at Spike and he nodded. "That's right, I know what someone under Dru's thrall looks like, and the other Slayer definitely isn't making her own choices right now. We tried to get her but Dru got away with her."

"Well, we were already planning on subduing her so we could get her out of the fight safely without causing her much harm. I don't see how our plans have to change."

"I know you're right, Giles. I just wish we could get her out of there right now. It was different when I thought she was there of her own free will. This is different, it feels dirty and wrong."

"I know dear girl, and you're right. We must get her out of that situation as quickly as possible. Thankfully, our plan is to go in and finish this tomorrow, that is as quickly as I feel is safe. We can't just go in now because we want her, we must make sure we're properly prepared."

"I know you're right, I just feel bad for her. Plus, I really want an excuse to try out my handy dandy new weapon," said Buffy as she walked over to the Scythe that was lying across Giles's dining-room table. She picked it up almost reverently and looked at it excitedly while she wished she didn't have to wait until tomorrow to take Angelus and Dru down. When she thought of Drusilla, her blood ran cold because she remembered that she had to speak to Spike about what the hell happened while they were with Angelus. How did he know that Faith was thralled? What did Angelus mean when he said that Spike tried to leave town with Drusilla? She didn't believe that was what actually happened but she knew there was some form of truth in it.

"What do you think will happen when we get Faith here, safe, and free from Drusilla's control? Do you think she'll stay with us? Or do you think she'll leave and go bad again? There's no way of knowing how long she's been under thrall. For all we know they didn't have to thrall her until this morning. Maybe she wasn't feeling bad about doing what she did, maybe she was just bored and wanted to leave town, and Angelus decided they still needed her for the fight. I bet that's what happened. Faith isn't the type of girl to feel bad about what she's done," Willow said. It was clear she didn't like Faith too much and still wasn't too happy with her for sleeping with Xander.

"I don't know the bird all that much, but from what I saw of her when I first got here, she seemed right happy to be a part of their schemes. I'm with Red on this one," Spike joined in, which got him a smile from Willow.

"Well, either way. She needs to be saved. Though I think you're right, I doubt she'll want to stay with us. It might be best to call the Council. They can come get her and take her in for rehabilitation," Giles suggested.

"Woah, Giles. I don't like the sound of that. What happens during this 'rehabilitation'? The last time the Council came to town, they tried to kill me, the Slayer. She who fights the forces of evil. It kinda makes them sound like the evil ones."

Giles was going to respond but everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Spike warily because he was growling viciously and he'd slipped into game face. Buffy walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She wasn't sure if she was comforting him or restraining him.

"Spike, what's wrong?"

After a second, he went back to his human-looking face and stopped growling. He looked almost embarrassed. "Sorry, luv. Didn't mean to scare anyone, jus' the thought of the people that were supposed to help and support you turning against you like that gets me bloody pissed off. Makes me want to take a trip across the pond and teach those fuckers a lesson."

"I know, I hate them too. But we're the good guys, we don't do things like that, right?" She asked leadingly. She trusted Spike but she was scared that one day he'd follow his instincts before his brain had a chance to catch up and by then, it'd be too late.

"I know that, pet. Doesn't mean I can't have a grand old time imagining it, in vivid detail…" Spike looked like that was exactly what he was doing right now. Buffy sighed.

"Alright, Mr. Big Bad. I want to get back home, Mom looks tired."

"Yes, it is way past my bedtime. I don't know why I couldn't just stay home. I've heard way more about your life as a Slayer tonight than I've heard since I found out. I need some time to wrap my head around it, I can't take any more new information tonight."

"Sorry Mom, you know why you had to come with us. Just an hour ago our house was under siege because two evil vampires were trying to kidnap you." Buffy looked at the rest of the people who were gathered. "Are we all clear on our parts in the plan tomorrow? Hopefully, this will all be over in less than twenty-four hours."

There was a chorus of 'yes' from everyone so Buffy nodded her head. "Good. Willow, Xander, why don't you come with us so we can drive you home. It's way too dangerous to walk tonight. When he was at the house earlier, Angelus said he sent minions to your houses to try to get you tonight too. I don't know if they're still there."

"Actually, Buffy. I think I have a better idea. It might be safer for everyone to stay here tonight, we're safer together. Willow, you can sleep in the spare room. Xander, that leaves you with the couch."

"You're right, Giles. Good call. Hey, where's Sam? Shouldn't he be here?"

"No, Slayer, he's at the factory with the minions, remember? He's staying with them so I didn't have to."

"Oh yeah. Wow, I can't believe that was just earlier tonight, so much has happened since then." Buffy sighed and took a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt very tired; it'd been a long night and it wasn't even over yet. She still had to talk to Spike. "Good night everyone, stay safe, and don't leave the house until the sun comes up," she said in her Slayer voice—she didn't want them to forget that Angelus was waiting for an opportunity to take one of them.

"Yes ma'am, Buffy ma'am," Xander said and gave her a salute. Buffy just rolled her eyes and started walking to the door. Spike and Joyce followed.

The ride home was quick and quiet. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Joyce was worrying about her baby's safety because once again, tomorrow she had to put her life on the line to save the world. Buffy's mind was in two different places: The Slayer in her was going over their battle strategy for tomorrow and the human part of her that was in love with her boyfriend just wanted them to be okay and was hoping that whatever Spike had done, it wouldn't ruin their relationship.

Buffy jolted. Wait, she still hadn't told Spike that she was in love with him. She wanted to fix that but she decided she'd have to wait to see how this conversation went first. Spike, well, Spike was just trying to figure out how to tell Buffy what had happened without upsetting or, god forbid, hurting her. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't think what he'd done was bad, but he was a soulless demon, so he might not be the best judge of the situation.

When they made it home, Joyce hugged each of them and gave them each a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to bed, it's way too late for an old lady like me to be up. Please try to get some rest too, I don't want you to be tired and mess up during the fight."

"You're right, Mom. I just need to do some final preparations with Spike, then I'm taking my butt to bed too."

"Good," she said with a smile then made her way upstairs and to her bed.

Spike looked at Buffy, and Buffy thought he looked like a scared puppy. "Buffy I…"

"I love you." Wait, I was supposed to see how this conversation went before I told him. No, the look on his face is worth it.

Spike was looking at Buffy with so much love, hope, and awe that she couldn't help but swoon a little. "You love me?"

"I do, I've known it for a few days, there was just never a good time to tell you. Heck, now probably wasn't a good time either. I know we have things to talk about, but I trust that whatever you had planned today with Drusilla wasn't going to hurt us. We can talk about that tomorrow after we're all safe." Wow, usually words and Buffy were so unmixey but she felt good about them this time. She was being all Mature Buffy and everything; she gave herself a mental pat on the back.

"God, Slayer, I love you so bloody much," he growled as he grabbed her waist and the back of her neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

And yes, please. Hot, sexy, possessive, growly, vampire smoochies might be her new favorite type of smoochies. Buffy wasn't usually one to enjoy her man getting possessive but she decided there was a time and a place for that, and that was right here and right now. He pulled her up against his body and she could feel how much he was enjoying the kiss. It made her lower half all tingly in the best of ways. She moaned loudly before he pulled away just long enough to say "Shh, kitten. Your mum's asleep, let's keep it that way, yeah?"

Buffy nodded her head eagerly then let herself get lost in the smoochies. She pushed his duster off his shoulders because she needed free range to his chest. Which obviously meant his shirt had to go too, so Buffy made quick work of that. She didn't realize Spike was leading her anywhere until the door to the bedroom closed. She didn't need more than a few seconds of thought to decide she was okay with that. She let Spike push off her jacket and then took off her shirt too, and she hadn't worn a bra so she felt a little exposed. She would have tried to use her hands to cover up if Spike hadn't pulled back to look at her and growl all lustily. It made her feel all gooey, and sexy. It gave her a sense of womanly pride that she'd never felt before.

Spike pulled her close and attacked her mouth again while Buffy let her hands explore every part of him that she could reach. Spike left her mouth and moved down to her chin, then her neck; he spent a lot of time there, and if Buffy hadn't been all caught up in the lustiness, she'd have told him to stop because he was most definitely giving her a hickey. Once he was satisfied, he moved down to her chest and then took her left breast in his mouth while palming the right. Buffy closed her eyes and moaned again. She was getting lost in sensation. He started to unbuckle her jeans and that's when Buffy decided she had been too passive. She put her hands on his shoulders and shoved him onto the bed. He just looked at her in a daze and she jumped on top of him and started kissing him fiercely. She could give as good as she got! She used her hands to unbuckle his pants then she brazenly grabbed his member and started pumping it.

She was a little nervous because this was only her second sexual experience ever but the lustful groan he let out gave her some confidence. She left his mouth and moved down his body; when she came face to uh, head, his lower head anyway, she examined it while experimenting with the speed of her hand, tightness of her grip, and the twisting of her hand. This was the first time she'd really had the opportunity to experiment so she was making the most of it. From the noises coming out of Spike, he was enjoying being experimented on. She stuck her tongue out and licked the tip.

Spike's eyes were closed but when he felt the warmth and wetness of her tongue his eyes flew open and watched her. He had no intention of missing a second of his girl tasting him. Spike decided he was one lucky sod when Buffy wrapped her hot little lips around his cock. Spike let out a moan when Buffy became more comfortable and was able to enjoy herself with what she was doing.

"Fuck, Slayer, yes. Just like that, kitten. That's a good girl, you look so hot with my prick in your mouth. God, Buffy, love you so soddin' much. That's it baby, don't be afraid to squeeze, I can take it. Shit, Slayer, could dust happy right now and–God your mouth is so hot, burning me up, you are. Christ, you're so sexy, Buffy, with your perky tits bouncing as you're bobbing up and down on my cock. I'll keep this mental picture forever, I will."

Spike wasn't even really sure what he was saying; at this point he was pretty sure he was babbling more than his girl usually did. He decided he'd have to stop her or this would be over right quick. So he pushed lightly on her shoulder.

"Come'ere, luv. Let your Spike take care of you now," he said with a growl. "Christ Slayer, you smell so good, gotta have me a taste."

Spike grabbed her by the hips and flipped her over so they switched positions and he was on top. It only worked because Buffy allowed it. Normally, Buffy didn't like being thrown around like a rag doll but for some reason, tonight, it was kind of turning her on. Well, almost everything about tonight was turning her on. Especially those deliciously dirty words coming out of Spike's mouth. She hadn't thought she was one for dirty talk but she supposed she'd learned something new about herself.

Spike spread her legs and looked as happy as a kid on Christmas morning. He inhaled deeply and moaned. Buffy thought something like that would gross her out but instead, it made her squirm in excitement and arousal. He stuck his tongue out and gave her one long lick. She wasn't sure what type of sound had just come out of her. Was it a squeal? Or a moan? A strangled version of his name? It was probably some mixture of the three. Spike obviously enjoyed it because Buffy was pretty sure the same sound came out of his mouth too.

"Christ, Slayer you taste like heaven. Closest I'll ever get to it, leastways. Gotta have more, gotta…" he didn't finish the thought, instead, he dove right in and spent the next twenty minutes giving Buffy more happies than she thought was possible. He would have kept going too, if Buffy hadn't stopped him. She noticed that while he was busy at work bringing her pleasure, he was almost idly stroking his member. Buffy decided that was hers, so he shouldn't be the one playing with it.

She pulled her foot back and pressed it against Spike's shoulder to get him to move. The only problem was that she might have pressed the teeny tiniest bit too hard because he ended up on the floor with a bewildered look on his face. Buffy kind of regretted doing that because even though she definitely wanted to get groiny with Spike, this was only her second time and now she'd have to take the lead. She'd never been on top before. Heck, she'd never been in any position other than missionary. She thought that was what it was called, anyway. Spike must have seen the uncertainty in her eyes because his eyes softened and he looked at her in a way that only Spike could. He got up and walked over to the bed.

"Come'ere, luv," he said as he put his hands on her waist and then lay down, taking her with him. When he landed he was lying on his back with her straddling him. "You don't have to fret, kitten. I love you, yeah? Nothing's gonna change that so don't get all shy on me now. We can experiment and try new things until we know what you like. You're one of the best dancers I've ever met. Whether that's on the dance floor, in the graveyard, sparring with me, or verbal dancing, you're the best. I doubt this will be any different."

Buffy looked at Spike for a long time then nodded her head. She grabbed his, uh, dick, she giggled to herself at the dirty word, even if it was only in her head, and held it upright. Then she adjusted herself so she was on top of him. It felt exhilarating being in a position like this. Slowly, so slowly, she lowered herself onto him. They both moaned loudly as soon as he was inside her. She had to stop a time or two while she was descending on him, she didn't know she could feel this full.

"Fuck Buffy, so hot, so tight. You're bloody perfect, you are. That's it, luv just like that, take my cock. It feels good doesn't it, having the Big Bad inside you?"

"Yes," she moaned in a voice so lusty she was sure it couldn't be her own.

When she finally took him all the way in, when she was all but sitting on him, she leaned down and kissed him deeply, giving herself a minute to adjust to the intrusion. Spike used his hands, which were still on her hips, to slowly lift her up and bring her back down.

"Yes, Spike, so good."

She pulled away from Spike's lips and experimentally clenched her inner muscles using her Slayer strength. He groaned and Buffy immediately stopped.

"Oh my God, Spike. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Buffy, kitten, you didn't hurt me. That was bloody marvelous. Fuck, I'd probably even like it if you did hurt me a little."

"So, it's okay if I do it again?"

"I'd be heartbroken if you didn't."

Buffy giggled and squeezed again, and thankfully, this time, she could tell that Spike's groan was one of pleasure. Buffy experimented for a few minutes, trying to find the right pace and direction that worked for both of them. It didn't take her long before they were both writhing in pleasure. When Buffy felt like she was on the verge of a climax she'd never experienced before, she bent down and bit Spike's shoulder to muffle the scream she couldn't keep in as she fell over the edge. When her teeth bit down on him, Spike snarled. Buffy hoped she didn't anger him, she'd be sure to ask him later but right now, she was too blissed out to care.

By the time she came down from her high, she realized she was on her back. It didn't take long for another climax to build inside her. Spike did this twist at the end of every thrust that hit all the right places. Again, she felt her orgasm building and knew she wasn't going to be able to stay quiet. So she bit him again as the pleasure rolled over her. This time, since he pulled her close, she bit his neck, right over a scar of another bite.

"Bloody fuck yes!" He growled as he came inside her.

For what could have been seconds or hours, they just lay there panting, trying to catch their breaths. That thought made Buffy giggle and so Spike pulled back to look at her.

"Christ Slayer, what a way to hurt a bloke's ego. Laugh at him after he just gave you his A-game, why don't you."

That made Buffy giggle more until Spike pulled away looking genuinely upset. Buffy grabbed onto his shoulders trying to stop Spike from leaving. "No, Spike! I wasn't laughing at you, I promise! Well, okay, I was. But I was laughing because you were panting just like me. I don't know if you know this Spike, but you're a vampire. Vampires don't have to breathe."

Fuck, if my girl ain't the most adorable thing in the world, my name isn't William the Bloody. Christ, I love her and would lay the world at her feet if she but asked it of me though she never would. She deserves more than the world, earned it even, and I'm gonna find a way to give it to her….

"Earth to Spike, are you there?"

Stupid git, getting lost in your romanticized poetic thoughts. You left that behind when your heart stopped beating. Christ, get it together, mate. He chastised himself. "Sorry, Slayer. Might have gotten myself a mite bit distracted. Now, Come'ere kitten. Though I already want you again," he proved this point by grinding his already hard cock into her side, "we have a big day tomorrow. What do you say we catch some kip? Might be the responsible thing to do."

Buffy opened her mouth to disagree with Spike but a traitorous yawn came out instead. She pouted.

"Mhmm, look at that lip, gotta get it, gotta get it." He growled and then attacked her lips. After a few minutes, he pulled away. Buffy reached over to her bedside table and turned the light off.

"Nighty-night, Spike. Love you." She mumbled, mostly asleep.

"Goodnight, love." He kissed her forehead then lay with her until just before sunrise then went into his room. He didn't want to give Joyce any reason to go looking for that ax of hers.

A/N: Well, Buffy might have backslid a little in her progress of trying to talk things out and not avoid it by using action instead but i think it worked out okay this time lol. They'll talk more soon.

Sorry for the long wait, life has been crazy lately but I promise it won't be so long until the next chapter!