Spike ran into his sire's home, on his face was a terrified look.  One of
sheer panic.  When Angel saw it, he instantly thought that someone, or
something, was after his favorite childe.  When nothing came beating down
his door after Spike, he wondered what had caused the blonde to be so
terrified.
"Spike, what happened?  What's wrong?" Angel asked, feeling his mate enter
the room.
"Slutty.  Dream.  Nightmare.  Not possible." Spike couldn't speak in full
sentences, making it difficult for Angel to understand him.
"What do you mean, a dream?" Angel probed.  He went over and grabbed Spike
by his arms, forcing the smaller man to look at him.  When he did, Angel was
surprised at what he saw in his childe's blue eyes.  It was one of sheer
terror.  "Spike, tell me what happened."
"I was having this great dream," Spike began to explain.  "I was
terrorizing Sunnydale.  You know, doing the whole big bad vamp thing.  Then
I was sitting in my crypt when the Slayer comes banging down my door.  She
tells me that she's tired of having me get in her way and that she should
have done it a long time ago."
"Done what?"
"I figured she meant stake me, and I was gonna let her do it but for some
reason something else happened," Spike's voice broke and Angel could tell
that whatever it had been had been enough to frighten the vampire.
"What happened?"
"I kissed her.  And then she kissed me.  Bloody hell, I kissed the damn
Slayer."  A giggle drew Spike's attention to the human standing by the
bedroom door.  "What's so bloody funny about my kissing the damn slayer, you
moron?"
"I'm just remembering a time last year when you and her were engaged.
Maybe there was something more to that than you want to admit," Xander
teased.  He heard Spike growl and decided that maybe he shouldn't be teasing
a sleep deprived vampire.  "Than again, maybe not."  Angel looked over at
his mate before turning his attention to his childe.
"Spike, come over here and sit down," Angel ordered.  Spike did so,
relaxing into the couch, but Angel could see how tense he was.  "Why were
you dreaming about Buffy?  Do you have feelings for her?"
"You mean other than ones of absolute contempt and hatred?' Spike sneered.
"Hell no I don't have any feelings for the chit.  She's an annoying little
happy meal on legs that I would rather see dead than in my bed.  Hell, I
would rather bed that watcher fellow that works for you than the damn
Slayer."  Xander had to stifle another laugh as the image of Spike and
Wesley Wyndham Price went through his head.
"Then why do you think you dreamt about her?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't be here, no would I Peaches?"  Spike jumped to
his feet and started pacing.  "Damn it.  Everything was going okay, ya know.
  Not perfect because I still have this damn chip in my head and the Slayer
is still alive, but things were okay.  I have Harmony back in my bed.  I
have my telly.  Ethan finally broke off his wedding to that bitch Gwen while
Charity finally let the dark side take over.  Everything was bloody perfect.
  And then this dream."
"Maybe it doesn't mean anything," Xander volunteered.  "Maybe it was just a
nightmare.  I mean, just because you dreamt something, it doesn't have to
mean anything specific."
"Then why couldn't it have been someone else?  Anyone else?" Spike pleaded.
  "Just not the Slayer.  I don't think I'll be able to go to sleep for a
week."  Spike shuddered at the thought of closing his eyes and seeing the
Slayer in his dreams again.  He began to think that it was time to invest in
some nice sacred water. Or maybe see his next sunrise.
"Don't even think it," Angel warned, recognizing the look in the blonde's
eyes for what they were.  "You had no control over what you dreamt.  When
you go to sleep, its like someone else is in charge of you. Your dreams are
just your sub consciousness trying to tell you something."
"After that dream, I don't think I want to know."
"Hey, what's all the screaming about?" A light female voice called from the
top of the stairs.  Spike looked up and saw Willow standing above him and
felt his undead heart skip a beat. 'Why couldn't I have dreamt of Red
instead of that blonde bimbo.  Then I would never have woken up.'
"Spike had a bad dream and we're trying to convince him that it didn't mean
anything," Xander replied, watching as his best friend descended the stairs.
  He noticed as Spike's eyes never left the body of the petite red head and
smiled knowing whom the vampire truly wanted to dream about.
"What was the dream about?" She quietly asked, standing in front of Spike.
"Slutty," he replied.  "Me and the Slayer."  Spike didn't want to repeat
the dream but could tell that Willow understood.  She rested her hand on his
cheek and shut her eyes, as if she was concentrating on something.
"And you're worried that it might mean that you actually like Buffy?"  When
Spike didn't say anything, Willow knew the answer.  "Don't worry.  You
don't.  In fact, this particular dream means the exact opposite."
"What are you talking about Willow?" Angel inquired, not surprised to see
the closeness between the hacker and his childe.  While he knew that Willow
was supposedly involved with Tara, he also knew that she cared deeply for
the blonde vampire.  If anything, Angel and Xander both surmised that Willow
was involved with Tara because she was afraid of being hurt by Spike.
Willow turned to the other two people in the room, while staying at Spike's
side.  "What I mean is that, because of what happened tonight, Spike was
feeling extremely angry and upset. He thought he was finally going to get
rid of that chip, and in so doing, becoming the vampire that he once was,"
she explained.  "But when that didn't happen, his subconscious began to
doubt everything that he felt.  So, when he went to sleep, it took what
Spike perceived to be the worst thing possible and made him dream about it."
"Hence why he dreamt of Buffy kissage," Xander finished.  "You know, that
makes sense in a weird sort of way."
"So you're telling me that the reason I had that dream was because I
actually can't stand the Slayer," Spike wanted to make sure he had heard
Willow right.  "It doesn't mean that I might actually have a thing for her."
  Willow grinned at the blonde.
"Nope, no liking on your part," she cried as Spike swooped her up in his
arms and swung her around.  As he placed her back on the ground he leaned in
and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.  Willow looked up, stunned at the
vampire, still feeling his lips on hers.
"Wow," she whispered, enjoying the feeling of Spike's arms around her.
"What was that for?"
"That was for being the most wonderful little witch in the world," Spike
told her.  "Not to mention, the most beautiful."
"You think I'm beautiful?"
"Damn straight," Spike assured her.  "Trust me, if I was gonna dream about
anyone it would be you."
"I know that feeling," Willow muttered.  She blushed as she realized what
she had said.  "Ummmm, right.  Guys, isn't the game on?"
"What game?"  Angel asked.
"Hello, Mariners, Yankees.  I want to see if the Yanks can pull it out. I'm
hoping for a subway series," Willow told everyone.  "It'll be the first one
since '54."  Xander went and turned the television on, quickly changing the
channel to the game.
"Looks, like you'll get your wish, Wills," he told her as the score to the
game flashed on the screen.  "Yanks are up by five in the seventh."
"Yes."  Angel sat down on the couch to watch the end of the baseball game,
pulling Xander down onto his lap.  Spike did the same with Willow and the
two couples, one already mated and the other finally learning their way
around each other, watched as the Yankees proceeded to beat the Mariners and
head to the World Series against the Mets.

The End

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