An hour later, Buffy was fast asleep. Spike watched her sleeping, unbelieving that he was here in her room with her. He had never thought that he would be invited back into the Summers' home again, much less be helping to care for Buffy.

Spike was thinking about what to do to help her out. He saw how lost she was. When he entered the house, he saw that the house was messy and unclean. Buffy had obviously not been caring for the house since she lost her vision. Spike had never dealt with someone who was blind, much less the woman he loved.

So the only question now was what could he do? Spike rose quietly from his chair as to not wake up Buffy before walking out of her room, closing the door behind her. Once outside, he checked on Dawn who was also asleep before starting to help Buffy out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Rise and shine, Buffy!" Spike said as he entered Buffy's room. It was 9:30, and he figured that it was time for Buffy to wake up. He had a whole day of things planned out to help her get back to having a semi-normal life.

"Wha-what?" Buffy asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. "Spike?"

"Yeah. C'mon, pet. You gotta get out of bed sometime." Spike said.

Dawn came down the hallway, stopping and standing in the doorway of Buffy's room. "Buffy, you've got to check out what Spike did!" She said, before heading out the doorway. "I'm off to school!" She called back to the slayer.

"Okay, meet us at the Magic Box," Spike said to Dawn.

"The shop?" Buffy asked, sitting up in bed. "We're going there...today?"

"Yeah, we are. I figured that it was about time that you face the Scoobies again, okay?" Spike asked her, helping her get out of bed.

"I guess I have to sooner or later." Buffy said. "Now, what's all this about you doing something?"

"Oh...uh, well, last night after you fell asleep, I stayed up all night trying to get the place cleaned up for you." Spike said, taking her hands and leading her out the doorway. "Here, start walking down the hallway."

"But Spike-"

"Just walk." Spike said.

Last night, Spike had stayed awake, moving all the furniture against the walls or in the corners so Buffy could have a path throughout the whole house without bumping into anything. The table and cabinet that were the hallway were now in Joyce's room and now the hallway was clear. Buffy walked down the hallway very slowly, moving her hands around to not run into everything.

"Okay...where's all the furniture in the hallway?" Buffy asked.

"In your mum's room," Spike replied. "I figured that I'd move everything out of your way so you'd be able to walk down to Dawn's room."

"Spike...thank you," Buffy said, walking back to where she was standing with Spike. "Is that all?"

Spike scoffed and shook his head. "Not even, love. C'mon downstairs with me."

Spike led her in the kitchen slowly, telling her where he moved the furniture and how there was now a clear spot in every room for her to walk through. "And here, in the kitchen, I moved all the glasses, plates, and stuff like that into their own cabinet, so maybe you can get to it easier. Everything in the whole house is in a certain place, so you'll know where to walk and go."

"Spike...you did all of this for me?"

"Yeah, just trying to make things easier for you, love." Spike said, helping Buffy into a seat. "I'm not saying that it's going to be easy, but Little Bit can help you out get used to all of this."

"Spike, thank-"

"Don't mention it, Slayer." Spike replied.

Buffy paused, hearing coldness in his voice. She didn't know how to respond. "Look, Spike, I'm sorry that I pushed you away about three weeks ago. I-I freaked, I'm still freaking. We don't know what those things where, I can't protect my friends and Dawn, and I don't know what to do."

"Buffy..."

"That’s why I called you, I figured that you could help me out some. And you have. I actually got some sleep last night and now I can maneuver throughout my own house." Buffy said. "Thank you."

Spike softened, realizing that he'd been too hard with his words. "No, thank you, Buffy," he said softly. He rose from his chair, regaining his posture. "I'm gonna fix us some breakfast and then we're going to head over to the magic shop, okay?"

"Okay...what are we having?"

"Well, I'm fixing some sausage, eggs, and pancakes. Sound decent, pet?" Spike asked. He couldn't believe what a poof he was turning into. First, caring for the Slayer and now fixing her breakfast?

Minutes later, he set down a plate for her. "Okay...eggs are at eleven o clock, pancakes are at six o clock, and then sausage is at one o clock. Eat up."

"Thanks." Buffy picked up the fork that was at the table and started eating, finally glad that she could pick up the food without searching all over the plate first.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike and Buffy headed over to the Magic Box after Buffy changed into some sweats and a tank and Spike grabbed his leather jacket. He grabbed a blanket to cover himself as he and Buffy walked over to the shop.

"'Ello all!" Spike said, running through the doorway. Buffy walked in right behind him, following the sound of his voice. Dawn had taught Buffy how to enter the shop without tripping over the steps, and Buffy slowly walked in by herself.

"Hey guys," Buffy said, softly.

"Hey Buffy!" Willow said, trying to sound happy for her.

"Hey! You finally came out of your house. We thought we'd never see you again." Anya said.

"Yeah, well...Spike talked me into coming here today." Buffy said.

"Yeah, I've got some stuff planned out for her today." Spike said, throwing the blanket aside and grabbing a hold of Buffy's shoulders. He started leading her over to the training room in the back. "We're going to go spar some."

"Isn't it hard to spar when you're blind?" Anya asked.

"That's what we're going to find out." Spike and Buffy entered the room together before Spike closed the door behind them. "Okay, I'm going to try and teach you how to fight again."

"I can't fight, Spike. I'm blind." Buffy said.

"No, you can too fight." Spike said, refusing to give up on his plan. His plan was to get Buffy so good at everything that she could fight and carry out a normal and Slayer type of life without having to worry about her blindness. "C'mon, try to punch me."

"Wow, never thought I'd hear you actually *want* me to punch you." Buffy teased.

"C'mon, love." Spike said. Buffy moved into a fighting position, holding her hands out in the shape of fists. Suddenly, she swung her hand out, trying to aim for Spike. However, she swiped thin air and twirled around, landing on the pad beneath her. Buffy sighed, thinking that she was right- she couldn't fight. "Okay..." Spike said, helping Buffy stand. "Obviously we need some more work with this."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weeks passed and Spike stuck by Buffy's side all of the time. Wherever Buffy was, you could start to expect that Spike would always be there- either lingering in the shadows or helping her get through this.

Bit by bit, Spike started working his way back into Buffy's life. The gang had already accepted him, and now so was Buffy. He was getting closer to her than ever now, and Spike loved every moment of it. Who would have thought that a simple call would change his life around once again?

The two were becoming good friends. Buffy was spending more time with him than Willow or her other friends. And because of Spike, Buffy was slowing accepting her blindness. Buffy figured that there was no cure. Xander and Anya had for the most part, stopped researching. And Buffy wasn't upset about that. She knew that she was becoming dependent on Spike, and if he ever left then she'd be a wreck, but she was dealing perfectly.

Buffy wasn't sure about what her feelings were right now. All she knew that was whenever she was thinking, the only thing she could concentrate on was Spike. She thought of him all the time, even when he was there with her, she still thought about what it would be like for him to kiss her, hug her, treat her more than a woman who was completely blind. And for once, she wanted to find out. However, she never let Spike know what she was feeling.

Sure she was also feeling that this was wrong- she shouldn't be having these feelings for Spike, but the way that he was helping her, she just couldn't help it. When she pictured herself and Spike together, there was nothing wrong with that image in her mind. She saw Spike, Dawn, and herself together, and everything was perfect.

Dawn was the only one that really knew what was going on with her older sister and Spike, and she loved it. The way Spike would constantly be watching over Buffy and making sure she was okay. The way that Buffy would always think of Spike as the first person to help her out with something. Dawn figured that before summer arrived that the two would be together.

There was always the thought that something could happen that would change everything in Buffy's life around a full 180°, but until that happened she was fine with Spike helping her through everything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy, Spike, Dawn, and the rest of the gang were all in the Magic Box. This was where they were spending most of their waking hours now. They would usually hang around all together, talking about whatever came to mind. Ever since Buffy had faced the monsters that made her blind, things had been very slow in Sunnydale.

"Hey, you guys, I have something I think I should say," Buffy said as she and her friends all sat around the table. Their small table had grown into a table that probably could have fit King Author's knights. With Dawn and Spike now in the mix, a table that was fit for about 4 wasn't enough.

"What is it, Buffy?" Willow asked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

Buffy wore a pair of sunglasses now, just so that her wandering eyes wouldn't creep anyone out as she talked to her friends. "I think that it's time that we stop the studying and give up with this."

"But Buffy-" Willow tried to say.

"No, Will...it's okay. I get the point that we aren't going to find anything." Buffy said. "I mean, c'mon, have you guys really been researching this *whole* time?" She didn't get a response from anyone. "I didn't think so."

"But we could still find something, Buff." Xander said.

"No, it's okay. I can deal." Buffy assured them. And that was true. She was finally fine with the whole blind thing. Sure it was going to be a hassle forever, but she could overcome it, just like she always had. "Everyone has been really helpful to me...especially Spike."

Spike was sitting next to her, resting his hand on her leg underneath the table where no one could see. He squeezed her leg lightly as reassurance. "That's right, love. And I'm going to keep helping you out too."

Dawn smiled as everyone else looked around nervously. All were wondering the same thing: what was going on with these two?

"Yeah, Spike and I almost have the whole fighting thing down." Buffy said happily. Ever since their first attempt at sparring together, the two had been working non-stop on trying to improve. Finally, both Buffy and Spike thought they just about had it.

"Speaking of fighting, want to go spar some, Slayer?" Spike asked, standing up.

"Sure, sounds good." Buffy said. She stood up slowly, managing to not knock anything over as she pushed back her chair and starting walking out to the middle of the room. Like at her house, some of the middle tables had been pushed back against the walls. Anya wasn't too happy about that, but she eventually got over it.

Together, she and Spike walked back into the back room. Buffy pulled off her sweatshirt as Spike took off his jacket. The two walked into the middle of the room and stood a few feet away from each other. "Okay, love, remember what we were practicing?" Spike asked.

"Sure do," Buffy replied, moving into a fighting stance.

"Okay, I'm coming up on your left..." Spike said, slowly moving towards Buffy. Buffy heard the rustling of his motion and quickly blocked him before pushing him away from her. "Good, love. Again." Spike came up in front of Buffy, and before he could even react, Buffy grabbed him, pushing him up against the wall.

"Good?" Buffy asked him.

Spike groaned. Getting shoved into a wall of bricks was not his impression of "good." "That's great, love."

"Thank you," Buffy said proudly. Spike expected her to back away and let go of him, but Buffy didn't budge.

"Buffy?" Spike asked her softly, thinking that she had just forgotten that she was holding onto him.

"Spike..." she said as she moved her fingers from grasping his shirt up to his face. She felt out his lips before moving her head forward and lightly kissing him.

Spike was surprise, to say the least, but he quickly responded, wrapping his arms around her, deepening the kiss. Buffy hadn't expected that, and she let out a sound that was a half moan and half yelp of surprise. But she didn't let go of him, she felt his cool lips against hers and the feeling of his tongue tracing her bottom lip before entering her mouth.

Suddenly, to their left, the two heard the sound of the doorknob twisting and the door opening. Buffy and Spike jumped before the two stepped away from each other. Buffy instinctively swung out and punched him away from her, thinking that anyone else would think that they were merely sparring.

However, the person that walked through the door was merely Dawn. "Woah...it's okay guys, it's just me."

Buffy and Spike sighed before realizing that Dawnie had caught them kissing. <OK, here is where embarrassment comes in,> Buffy thought.

Buffy couldn't see it obviously, but Dawn was smiling at the two. She could see Buffy's heavy breathing and the way that Spike was standing as far apart as he could without being too far away just in case. Oh yeah, these two were *so* into each other. "I just thought I'd let you know that Xander, Anya, and I are going to go get some food. Do you want anything, Buffy?"

Buffy thought about it for a second. <Yeah, I want Spike,> she thought. But she figured that she shouldn't tell that to her 15-year-old sister. "Oh, just some type of deli sandwich or something should do for me," Buffy said. She was eager to get Dawn out of the room so she could get back to concentrating on Spike.

"Okay, we'll be back soon." Dawn said, heading back out, making sure to close the door behind her.

After Dawn had left, Spike and Buffy were quiet for another minute. "So..." Spike finally started.

"So," Buffy said. She didn't move because she didn't know where he was standing.

"Where were we?" Spike said, hoping that she'd say that they were kissing instead of denying it. He was so tired of that.

"Well, I think we were sparring." Buffy said. She took a small step in the direction where his voice came from. "You up to some more?"

Spike smiled. So, she was going to play tough. The two of them were going to dance. "That's fine. I want to try something new out."

"Okay, I'm learn-girl," Buffy said. Spike led her back to the middle of the room and then backed away from her some.

"Close you eyes," Spike said.

"Spike, it doesn't matter if my eyes are closed or not-" Buffy tried to complain.

"Would just bloody do it?" Spike asked back at her. A second later, Buffy did as he said. "Okay..." Spike began. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm not going to tell you where I'm coming from, *you* have to figure that out."

"Okay, I think I can do that." Buffy said. She remembered brief fights where she had to do this when it counted.

"Okay, Slayer," Spike started. "You gotta feel me out, can you? Buffy, you have to sense me...listen for the slightest sound or movement from your opponent. You have to listen to the faintest sound. Something that moves can be a demon creeping up from behind you. You can do this, just use those Slayer powers."

Buffy started feeling around with her senses, listening to Spike as he moved across the matted floor. Spike silently crept up from behind her. Unexpectedly, Buffy lashed out, kicking him away before grabbing him and punching him away from her. Buffy grabbed onto him, kicking into his side. Spike tried to retaliate, but ended up pulling both of them down onto the floor. Spike tried to rise, but Buffy had him securely pinned to the floor.

"Did I do well?" Buffy asked, out of breath. Of course, fighting Spike always did that to her now.

"Never better, love." Spike said. And then he raised his head up off the mat to kiss his blonde slayer. Spike ran his fingers through her hair as Buffy placed her hands on the mat, concentrating on Spike and his amazing kisses. Spike's hands were running through her hair and then down her waist as Buffy spread kisses all along his face. The two were breathing heavy, the feeling of their lust and love for each other in the air. Spike wanted to rip off all of her clothes and take her right then and there, when suddenly...

The training room door silently opened and two gasps were heard. "Oh my god..." someone whispered. Buffy and Spike pulled back again, both of them inwardly groaning. <Once again interrupted,> both of them were thinking. "Oh my god..." the voice said again, louder.

Buffy thought about it for a second. "Oh no...that's not Dawnie, is it?" she whispered to Spike.

Spike looked over at the door. The two Wiccans, Willow and Tara were standing there. <Oh bloody hell,> he thought. "No, love. That sure isn't Nibblet."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was almost midnight when Spike, Dawn, and Buffy got home. Before Xander and Anya got back, Buffy and Spike talked to Willow and Tara, getting them calmed down enough to explain what had been going on with them. Willow and Tara actually understood what was going on and Willow was happy for Buffy. This was the happiest that Willow had seen Buffy ever since she went blind.

Since it was a Friday night and Buffy didn't want to keep everyone away from all of the fun, she and the gang went to the Bonze. It was hard for Spike and Buffy to keep their hands off each other in front of everyone, and occasionally when Anya and Xander weren't looking, Buffy and Spike would steal kisses and hugs.

Dawn, of course, saw everything. She smiled to herself when she saw Buffy and Spike kiss before quickly breaking away as Xander approached them. It looked as though Spike and Buffy were both back in high school, trying to hide their secret from all of their friends. It couldn't have been cuter.

So when the three of them got home, Dawn muttered something about heading off the bed before going up the stairs. Buffy and Spike followed shortly later, Buffy taking the steps slowly as usual.

Spike waited outside Buffy's door while she changed into some spring pajamas. "Okay, Spike, you can come in now." Buffy said.

Spike opened the door and walked over to the bed, where Buffy sat. "You did a good job today, pet." Spike said, talking about the sparring.

"I did? Thanks." Buffy replied. "We're getting better with that."

"Are you really okay with this?" Spike asked. "Never getting you vision back?"

"Well, I'm not happy about it, no. But...I can deal. I can get over this and get back to a somewhat normal life." Buffy said. "Just as...just as long as you're here to help me get through it all." She finished.

"Buffy..." Spike said. "I- I'll be here for you, every step of the way. I'm not going to let you down with this."

"I didn't think you would," Buffy said, sighing and leaning against Spike's frame. He kissed the top of her forehead, wanting to do much more to her. But now wasn't the time, and he knew that.

"You should get some sleep, love." Spike said, moving away from her and rising from her bed. "We'll work some more on the fighting tomorrow, if you're up for it."

"I always am." Buffy said. "I always look forward to kicking your ass, blind or not."

"We'll see whose ass gets kicked." Spike said, before heading out the door and closing it behind him. He started heading down the stairs into the basement. Ever since he had started living with Buffy and Dawn, the three of them had cleaned up the basement for him. It was a convenient place to live. He could maneuver easily down there in the day and there was plenty of space for privacy.

Suddenly, Spike heard the phone ring. <Who the hell would be calling at midnight?> Spike thought. He ran into the kitchen, trying to get to the phone before it woke up the two people upstairs. He got to the phone after the second ring and picked up. "Hello?" he asked.

"Spike...? Is- is that you?"

<Damn,> It was Giles. "Yeah...I'm over here watching over Nibblet and Big Sis. What do you want at this time of night?"

"Oh, right...I guess it's fairly late where you are right now." Giles said. He was still in England, trying to enjoy his life to the fullest without the young people around him anymore. "I figured, though, that it would be for the best that I call you now."

"Is this about Buffy?" Spike asked.

"Well...we found out a way to cure her sight..." Giles started.

"That's great, mate." Spike said. However, inside, he was now being twisted. If Buffy got her sight back, would she even need him around anymore? He would go back to living in the crypt and it would be like the last few days never happened between the two. What was he going to do after that?

"Well...I don't know if I'd call it 'great,' Spike." Giles said. "See...there's this-this way to get her sight back, that will...will make it a most difficult task."

"Well, what do we have to do?" Spike asked. "The lover Wiccans can get it in a spell, maybe the whelp can get it cornered and slam it with a wrecking ball..."

"That's just it Spike. The others...you included, you can't help her." Spike said. "Buffy must- she must do this on her own. The blood, it, uh, contains an antitoxin towards the slime on the outside. She has to kill the demon, the...Skiritosh demon. By herself. No one can help her with this."

"That's insane, Giles!" Spike yelled into the phone.

"But that's what she's got to do, Spike. If she ever wants her sight back, she must defeat this demon by herself."

"That's like suicide, mate. She doesn't have the capability to fight that much amount of power. It took me a good 10 minutes to take down one of them." Spike said. "How do you expect her to do it blind?"

"It's her job," Giles said in a very Watcher-type of way.

"Look, Watcher, it's bloody murder. I'm not letting some nasty get even a taste out of my Slayer!" Spike said coldly. And with that, he hung up the phone.

Giles stared at the receiver in his hand for a second, thinking back to Spike's anger towards all of this. <Wait...'*His* slayer'?!>

Spike sighed after hanging up the phone, lowering his head. So there was a cure for Buffy...a cure that would give her eyesight back 100%. She could be a normal person again. Never again would they have to worry about her running into things or not able to see anything anymore. But the price...Spike knew that this would kill her. Yes they had been fighting together, but that was different. There was no way that she could play the offensive and defensive side at the same time. Right then and there, Spike swore to himself that he wouldn't speak of this to Buffy.

From upstairs, Spike heard Buffy's door open. He turned around and started walking back over to where the steps ended. Buffy walked out of the doorway and down the hallway some. She had heard the phone call and wondered who would be calling at this time of the night. "Spike?" She asked.

"Yes, love?" Spike asked from the bottom of the stairs.

"Who was that?"

"Uh..." Spike faltered, wondering if he was doing the right thing. "It was no one, Buffy. Just a wrong number."

"Oh, okay..." Buffy said, as she started to walk back to her bedroom.

"Do you want some help, love?" Spike asked, starting to climb the stairs.

"No, I'm okay." Buffy said. Inwardly, she was willing him to go away. If he helped her get back into bed, there was a chance that she would pull him in there beside her and never let him go. "Thank you, Spike."

"Welcome, love." Spike said, turning and heading over towards the basement to get some blood and then some sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day went along smoothly. Spike watched over Buffy just as hard as he always had. He spent his time watching to see if she was having troubles still overcoming the blindness. He was torn apart, undecided whether or not he should tell her about what Giles had said. Spike was just so scared that he would loose her again.

However, breakfast and lunch went well. When Dawn came home from school, the three of them hung around the house together talking and helping Dawn with her homework. Spike still couldn't believe that his life had turned out like this- he was officially a member of the Scooby Gang and an important part in Buffy's life. She had kissed him, said that she needed him around, and trusted him. He couldn't ask for any more than that.

After the sun set, the three went over to the Magic Box. Dawn watched the Scoobies do their normal tasks as Spike and Buffy went into the back room to spar. Spike noticed that she was catching on very quickly to his silent motions and forms of attack. <Maybe there is a chance that she could fight this thing and win.> Spike once thought.

"Hey, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this," Buffy said as she punched Spike away from her, listening to him slide across the floor. It seemed as though the two of them had been sparring for hours, but neither of them could quit. Sweat was glistening on her forehead and her heart was pounding in her ears. She could feel his every motion. She knew where he was going to walk up to her and attack next.

"Good, love. Every minute you're getting a little bit better." Spike said. He came up behind her, gently placing his hands over her arms, running his fingertips down her skin. Buffy knew that he was no longer sparring with her, this was something else- something else that she had been longing for. <Wait...me longing for Spike?> her brain asked herself.

Buffy turned around to face Spike. And before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and raised her head, meeting his lips. <Why fight this?> Buffy asked herself. <Doing this is right. Tara, Willow, and Dawn think so...so why fight it?> With that final thought, Buffy fully gave in, kissing Spike with a passion that she had never before dared with the vampire that used to be her enemy.

"Ahem!" A voice came from the door. Buffy and Spike turned around.

"It's Dawn," Spike told her, moving away from her.

"I tell ya, one day you two are going to ruin my virgin eyes." Dawn said. "Ew, don't need the visual images."

"Sorry Dawnie," Buffy said, trying to get her breathing under control. "What's up?"

"Oh, I was wondering if I could go spend the night at Allison's house tonight?" Dawn asked. "I just want to get out of the house some tonight, if...if that's all right with you."

Buffy thought it over for a second. <If Dawn is gone, then Spike and I...> "Okay, that sounds fine Dawn." She said a second later. "Call her and ask if that's all right first?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will be," Dawn said, walking out of the room and smiling to herself. She had already talked to Allison about her coming over for a sleepover tonight. It was the perfect plan to get Buffy and Spike together again without the two of them having to worry about her being upstairs. <And I thought I was going to puke in there,> she thought, thinking back to the image of her older sister and Spike making out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Late that night, Buffy and Spike were sitting together on the couch, their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed. <I can't believe this...here I am, sitting on the couch, kissing the slayer as though we're both in high school,> Spike thought, running his fingers through his hair. <I'm really glad that Bit decided to stay with her mates tonight.>

"Spike..." Buffy moaned, moving her hands to rest on Spike's back, deepening their hot kiss. Never before had she been kissed this way. Spike's kiss made her breathless and yearning for more.

"Buffy," Spike muttered before lowering his lips to hers again.

"You know...what?" Buffy asked in between kisses.

"What, love?" Spike asked, moving back and allowing her to talk.

"I wish I could see you. For the first time, I wish that I could see your eyes." Buffy said, running her hand down the side of Spike's face and then down his arm.

Spike didn't say anything. He knew that something like this would come up. <She should have the right to know.> Spike thought. There was no way that he'd be able to keep that a secret from her forever. Buffy wanted to see...she wanted to see him, and how could he deny anything from her? "Well..." Spike started. Suddenly, those words seemed impossible to say.

"Spike?" Buffy asked. She looked over at him with a confused expression. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Buffy, I- I know how you can get your vision back." Spike said.

Buffy was silent as she tried to understand what he had said to her. "What?" Buffy asked, her voice rising. <How could he do this to me? After all that we've been through?> "How long have you known?" She tried to remain calm, listening to see if he had a good reason. <He'd *better* have a good reason!>

Spike sighed, knowing that this would be difficult to say. He rose from the couch and walked over to where he could stand in front of her. It seemed easier to talk to her when he wasn't in staking range. "Since last night. Uh, Giles called here."

"Giles?" Buffy asked, looking at him. "*You* said that it was a wrong number." Spike didn't reply, he didn't even know how. Buffy's face of confusion quickly turned into anger. "You lied? To me? I thought that...I thought that we were past the lies."

"Buffy, you are the last person I would ever lie to anymore," Spike said, trying to defend himself.

"Then *why* the hell didn't you tell me?!" Buffy shouted at him.

"Because it will *kill* you!" Spike shouted back at her. Buffy's face was shocked, surprised by both his anger towards her and the response she got. "That's right...the only way to get your sight back is the kill one of those nasties. By yourself." Spike explained.

Buffy's features softened, finally understanding the reason why Spike hadn't told her sooner. He was afraid for her. "And you think I can't handle that?" Buffy asked.

"I *know* you can't handle that, Buffy." Spike said. "You just can't."

Buffy sighed. "What would I have to do?"

"No...no, I'm not telling you this. I'm not explaining about how to get you killed." Spike said, shaking his head.

"Spike..." Buffy warned.

"You...you have to kill the demon by yourself with no help from anyone. Then, you can get its blood and drink that up. Then, you get your sight back." Spike said. "I'm not allowing you to do this, love."

"Spike, I have to." Buffy said. "I'm no good this way. I can't protect anyone being blind." She had to find a way to convince him. "I need a chance to get my sight back. I need to be the Slayer again."

Spike knew she was right. Whatever she said or did, she was always right. And Spike also knew that there was no way that he would stop her from doing this. Now that Buffy knew, she was determined to fight this demon. "I'm just..." Spike started.

"Just what?" Buffy asked softly.

"I'm- I'm afraid, dammit, okay?" Spike told her, his voice quickly rising.

Buffy smiled quickly. "Aww, the Big Bad is afraid?"

"Dammit, Buffy, I'm serious here! I...I don't want to loose you again. Bit would shut down, it'd kill the Scoobies, and...it'd kill me."

"Spike..." Buffy started, trying to calm him. She knew what his fear was- loosing her because of something he did. She had to let him know that there was no way that this could be his fault.

"I mean, you died. For the past year my reason for carryin' on like this, with this soddin' chip in my head was because of *you.* And now you could die again from this stupid beast, and I just- I just can't loose you again."

"I'll come back from this," Buffy said. "I always do." She made a motion to make him sit down again. Spike sighed and walked back over and sat at her side.

He stared at the Slayer, this amazing woman who was once again being forced into something that she shouldn't even have to face. Spike sighed at what she had said, finally saying, "but not the last time."

"That's right, *you* brought me back last time, just like I know you would again. You'd help me get back up onto my feet and stay with me when I need you the most." Buffy said. She started reaching out for his hands and Spike took hers first. "Spike, I can handle this. Let me handle this."

Spike gently kissed one of her hands that he held. "All right, love. I'll let you do your slayer thing."

"Thank you," Buffy said, smiling at him.

"But I am going to be *right* there in the shadows, watching you. If I even start to see that you are fallin' apart, I'm helping. We'll find another demon and figure out another way." Spike said. There was no way that she would be going to do this by herself.

"Thank you, Spike." Buffy said, leaning forward and trying to meet his cheek. What she met were his lips- not that Buffy minded. The two shared a sweet, gentle kiss before Buffy sighed and moved away from him. "I just...I just whish I could take *one* look at your before I do this."

"Oh, c'mon love. You know what I look like. Here, let me help you out." Spike took her hands that he had been holding onto and brought them up to his face. He ran her fingertips up the side of his face and then into his hair. "See? Remember the bleached hair? And...I've got blue eyes..." Spike lowered her hands to his cheeks, "And cheeks are here, and then my lips..." He lowered her hands even more. "Right now I'm smiling, and now I'm smirking at you." Spike joked.

Buffy managed to laugh as her fingertips ran over his cool skin. And right then, as Spike showed gentleness that she didn't even know he possessed, everything was clear. "Spike..."

"Yes, love?" Spike asked, looking at her.

"I- I love you," Buffy said softly to him, moving over and leaning into his embrace.

<She...she loves me?> Spike asked himself. <Buffy. Loves. Me.> He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Buffy...I love you too."

"I think I've loved you for a long time now, I've just been to afraid to ever tell you. But...with this thing coming up, I need to let you know how I feel." Buffy said, squeezing his hands that were clasped around hers. "I just...I just wish that I could see your face when I said that." For the first time in a couple weeks, Buffy regretted not being able to see more than ever.

"Don't worry. You'll see my face plenty of times after you kill that bloke." Spike said.

"I'm planning on that." Buffy said. She raised her head, meeting lips with Spike. The two of them poured every emotion that they felt for each other during that kiss.

"I love you, Buffy." Spike said, staring at her. Although she couldn't see it, his eyes were sparkling with love and admiration for the woman sitting in front of him.

"I love you too, Spike." She smiled brightly. "And when I get back, I intend to show you just *how* much I love you." Buffy added.

"Sounds bloody good to me, pet." Spike said, grinning at what she had said. He glanced over at the clock on the mantle and saw that it was already past midnight. If she wanted any chance of beating that monster, she would have to start off with a good night's sleep. "C'mon, love. Let's get you to bed." Spike said, standing up and helping her stand beside him. "Tomorrow we'll have a day full of sparring and preparation for you fighting this beast."

"Yes *Giles.*" Buffy replied sarcastically, his tone and word choice sounding like her old watcher. Spike smiled and helped Buffy climb the stairs slowly, just as they had done together nights before. He helped her pick out something to wear before stepping out and allowing her to change. Then, he walked back into her room and helped her get under the covers.

"Good night, Buffy." Spike said, kissing her forehead. Buffy raised her head, moving her lips up to Spike's as the two met in a sweet good night kiss.

"G'night, Spike." Buffy replied quietly. Spike turned around and started walking out of Buffy's room. He was at the door when Buffy's voice stopped him. "Spike?"

"Yes, love?" Spike asked, turning back around.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" Buffy asked. She knew that right now wasn't the right time for the two of them to move their relationship to the next level, but she still wanted him around her before she went and faced this monster.

"Sure thing." Spike closed the door and walked over and started sitting down in the chair across from the side of her bed.

When Buffy didn't feel him approach her, she figured she needed to specify. "No, Spike. I mean...*with* me." Buffy moved her covers back to emphasis her point more.

"Oh...okay." Spike muttered before walking over and lying down on the bed beside Buffy. Quickly, Spike wrapped his arms around her before Buffy burrowed deep into his embrace. She felt at peace for once, knowing that Spike would always be there for her. If she never got her sight back, he would be her eyes. He kissed her shoulders before Buffy slipped into a dreamless sleep as Spike stayed awake, watching the blonde beauty in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Buffy and Spike woke up together. Treating the day as though it was completely normal, the two had eaten breakfast together, stealing occasional kisses the whole day. The two knew that as soon as they met up with the Scoobies, they would have to disband and pretend as though they were not together.

Early that morning, Buffy called Willow and told her that she and Spike would not be at the shop as soon as the sunset. Buffy also filled Willow in about what she would have to do to defeat the Skiritosh. Buffy figured that she and the gang would go out and start patrolling for it around the graveyards that night. Hopefully, it hadn't skipped town yet.

Hours seemed like minutes for Spike, who was dreading the moment when Buffy would have to face off against the Skiritosh demon. When Dawn came home from school, Buffy and Spike filled her in about what Buffy was getting ready to face. Dawn tried to force Buffy to change her mind- Dawn didn't want there to be any chance that she would loose her sister again. Later, however, Dawn finally gave in. The three of them spent the afternoon together, trying not to think about what was coming. Finally when the sunset came, Spike knew that it was time to go. "Ready?" He asked Buffy as he walked into her room.

Buffy, who was lying on her bed, rose and stood up. "Ready as I'll ever be." She said.

"C'mon, love. Let's get you to the shop." Spike said. He walked over and helped her walk down the steps and after Dawn came running down the stairs also, the three of them headed towards the town where the shop was.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy, Dawn, and Spike walked into the shop. Over in the corner, Tara and Willow were talking together as Anya and Xander gathered a couple weapons for Buffy. "Hey," Buffy said as she walked inside.

"Hey Buffy," everyone in the room replied before going back to helping her get ready.

Spike led Buffy over to the chair where she sat down, waiting for everyone to finish preparing. Dawn followed Buffy, going to sit down beside her. Xander walked over to her, holding an axe. "Here, Buffy," he said, giving it to her open hands.

"Thanks Xander." Buffy replied. She tested the axe, moving it around in her grip, saying, "this feels good. I think I can use this."

"You know I don't want you to do this," Xander said.

"Yeah, you and everyone else in this room." Buffy said, mostly thinking about Spike as she said that. The two had talked together that afternoon about what they would do if something happened to her.

"Look, all we want is for you to be safe." Xander said. "I've seen you sparring with Spike and...and you're good, but I don't know if..." his voice trailed off.

"Don't worry, Xander. I'll be fine. I can handle this," Buffy said. "I just want to go and get it over with."

"Well then, kiddies. What are we waiting for?" Spike asked. He had regained his 'bad ass' attitude since he was around Buffy's friends and was trying to act coolly as possible. In reality, however, he just wanted to grab a hold of Buffy and never let go of her ever again.

"Oh...Tara, can you stay here and watch over Dawn for me?" Buffy asked.

"S-sure thing, Buffy." Tara replied softly. She smiled over at Dawn, hoping that she could get a smile out of Dawn.

"Be careful, Buffy." Dawn told her sister, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Don't worry, Dawnie. I'll be fine. I'm coming back, okay?" Buffy said, trying to reassure her.

"Okay," Dawn replied softly.

"Okay, let's go," Buffy said. All together, Buffy walked out the door followed by Spike, Willow, Xander, and Anya. Buffy held onto her axe with a couple stakes in her pockets as the group headed out to the graveyards to start searching.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You know, I don't think it's here," Anya said. "It's late, I'm cold, and I want to go home so Xander and I can-"

"Ahn, honey. They don't need to be hearing this now." Xander said, sighing over her complaints. "But she's right, there's nothing here, Buff."

"Maybe they whelp's right, love." Spike said. "There's nothing here."

Buffy, who had been searching for about 2 hours with the gang, sighed loudly. "But- but this was the graveyard and everything. This was where we found him."

"Well, Buff, maybe tonight isn't the night." Xander said.

"Yeah, c'mon Buffy. We'll patrol tomorrow night," Willow agreed, trying to help keep Buffy's hopes high.

"All right, let's start heading back then," Buffy said. Inwardly, Spike sighed. She was alive for one more night. One more night where he would get to stay under her roof, keeping a constant eye out for his Slayer. Spike started guiding Buffy back and her friends followed behind the two. However, Buffy suddenly stopped walking when she heard a sound to her right. "Do you guys hear that?"

"What?" Willow, Xander, and Spike asked.

"A noise, over in the bushes." Buffy said. "Spike?"

"Hold on, love." Spike said, letting go of her shoulders. He walked over and looked behind a crypt that was a few feet away. There, he saw the demon that the gang had been searching for the entire night. <There's the bugger now.> He thought, walking back over to Buffy.

"Well?" She asked when she heard Spike approach her.

"Yeah, it's him." Spike said. "Ready, love?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Buffy said, spinning the handle of the axe around in her hands. The grip of the axe felt tight in her grip, and Buffy knew that she could do this. Thanks to all of Spike's help and wisdom, she knew that she could do anything. "This won't take long, you guys. Stay back, okay?"

"You got it, Buffy." Willow and Xander replied.

Spike led Buffy closer to where he saw the demon. "All right, the bugger is over there. Just...get his attention and go get him. All right, love?" Spike asked her.

Buffy swallowed thickly. Now nervousness was creeping up on her. "All right then." Spike let go of her shoulders and started walking away. "Spike?"

"Yeah, love?"

"Wish me luck?"

Spike walked back up to Buffy and kissed her, pouring every ounce and particle of passion and love that he could muster without just taking her into his arms and never letting go. "Good luck," he said softly, his voice husky with desire for the small blonde in his arms.

A few feet back, Willow, Anya, and Xander were watching the scene between the two blondes with looks of shock on their faces. Well...Willow's features were more of a smirk than anything else. "What the hell?" Xander asked when he saw Buffy and Spike kiss.

"Oh...they never told you?" Willow asked her friend smugly.

Spike smiled down at Buffy. "Come back to me, Slayer."

Buffy smiled, feeling his chest rumble as he growled towards her. However, no longer was the term 'Slayer' a cold remark at what she was- it was *who* she was. It was a part of her that Spike loved. <Not to mention a major turn-on> Buffy thought. "Count on it," she replied before untangling herself from Spike's arms and walking a few feet away. Spike walked back to where her friends were standing to watch over her.

"Hey!" Buffy yelled, trying to get her attention. "Hey, I'm talking to you, you.... Skittle demon." Buffy paused, knowing that wasn't right. "Yeah, I'm talking to you. Why don't you come out here and face me?"

In front of her, the Skiritosh demon lumbered out from behind the crypt. "Slayer..." he growled very slowly.

"Yeah. You think you're all special because you made me blind?" Buffy asked. The demon growled in response. "Well, c'mon- fight!" Buffy said, initiating the fight. She heard the demon take a step towards her and before he got the chance to move, she guessed where it was standing and ran towards him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So...how's it going?" Spike asked Willow who was watching the fight intently.

"It's going okay," Willow replied. She watched as Buffy swung the axe in midair before finding the demon and punching it away from her. Buffy swung the axe again, this time swiping the demon's arm. It was pretty much a stalemate right now- neither of the two showed signs of stopping or failing.

Xander and Anya, who were also watching Buffy took the time to talk to Spike. "So, did we miss something here?" He asked Spike.

"Look, Harris, don't stake me for it." Spike said, trying to concentrate on Buffy. "Just a good luck kiss- nothing more."

"Bull, that was a love type of kiss." Xander said. "Please don't tell me you're still thinking about getting in her pants."

Spike wanted to brag. He wanted to tell Xander that he was going to get that chance someday. That Buffy said that she loved him...that he meant something to her finally. But he just sighed and rolled his eyes before turning back around and watching Buffy fight. <That's it, love,> Spike said, watching Buffy swing the axe towards the demon. <Just keep fighting.>

Suddenly, the Skiritosh demon swiped out his arm, whacking Buffy against her face. She went flying back, landing on the ground several feet away. It threw her concentration and she momentarily lost grip on her axe. Spike moved to go help her up, but Willow held him back. "No! You heard what Giles said- no helping."

"Right, Red." Spike said. "Sorry." The gang went back to watching Buffy fight the demon.

Meanwhile, Buffy was fighting for her life by now. She was tiring and there seemed to be no end to this. This wasn't like sparring against Spike. This demon wasn't holding back or anything. The Skiritosh demon hit her, throwing her against the tree. Buffy threw her hair out of her face out of habit and climbed back to her feet. She breathed in and out, each breath seeming to be harder than the next. <Can I keep this up for long?>

"Slayer..." the beast growled. "Give it up. You really think you can fight me? Blind?"

Buffy closed her eyes, doing as Spike had always instructed her. She felt around with her other sense. Her ears listened to the demon walk across the dry grass. She smelled the putrid slime of it's skin as he walked closer. She could feel him move with each breath of wind.

"You've got no chance, Slayer. I will-" Buffy threw the axe out in front of her, throwing it towards where she heard and felt the demon. A second later, she heard a sickening 'squish' as the axe flew into the demon. With a groan, the Skiritosh demon fell to the ground, lifeless.

Buffy stood in her fighting stance for another second. "Guy?" she asked, trying to get her friends' attention. "Did I get it?"

"Buffy! You did great!" Willow said, running up to her. Anya and Xander followed behind her and hugged her quickly. "C'mon, let's get the blood." Willow said, turning back around and walking over to the demon.

"Spike?" she asked, trying to hear him.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and she breathed in the scent of smoke and cologne. "You did great, love." Spike said in her ear. He kissed the nape of his neck, not caring if anyone was watching them.

"What is up with those two?" Xander asked as he watched Willow get the blood from the demon.

"Let's get back to the shop and then we'll give this to Buffy." Willow said, placing the bottle back in her bag. "C'mon guys," she said. She watched as Buffy and Spike hugged each other. "Okay!" she yelled, trying to get their attention.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Once back in the shop, after a few hugs between Buffy and Dawn, Willow got out the blood of the demon and handed it to Buffy. "Okay, here you go, Buffy." Willow said. Buffy took the bottle and quickly drank it down. She made a face and a sound that meant she obviously didn’t like the taste of the blood but tried to swallow it in one gulp. "Is it working?" Willow asked.

"I don't know, give me a second." Buffy said. The room was silent as they waited.

Buffy blinked, trying to speed up the process. The black void that she had been seeing for the past months slowly began lightening. "It's working," she said excitedly. The gray became lighter until all she could see was a pure white. Then, colors began forming. Blurry at first, Buffy began seeing shades of black...red...blonde...

Then, the blurred colors gradually became shapes and Buffy found herself looking directly into Spike's eyes. "Spike!" Buffy shouted. She smiled and then jumped up out of her seat and into his arms, surprising him and catching him off guard. Together, the two of them fell to the floor as the two kissed.

"Uh..." everyone started saying, trying to look anywhere but where Buffy and Spike were. "Looks like we've missed some things," Willow said.

Dawn smiled at the scene. Her sister had her sight back and, from the looks of it, a new boyfriend. A boyfriend that wouldn't leave her or even start to think about giving up on the idea of the two of them. From behind them, everyone in the room heard a 'thump' as Xander fell to the floor in a dead faint.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, Willow, Xander, Tara, Buffy, Spike, and Anya were gathered around the table talking together. Dawn had gone off to a friend's house to spend the night so she'd be out of the house. Buffy had that all planned out in case she and Spike wanted some time together.

Buffy looked around herself, as though she were seeing things clearly for the first time. She looked over at Spike, who was obviously trying not to hold her hand or touch her in some way. She smiled, thinking that she had never seen him look so cute. <Or hot,> she thought.

"So...you two are together now?" Willow asked for the 100th time it seemed. Buffy had explained to her friends that she and Spike had just...happened. Even she couldn't explain it. All she knew was that she loved him and he loved her back with just as much fiery passion.

"Yeah, we are." Buffy said. "And even though you guys might not be okay with it...it's not your relationship, it's mine." Spike beamed and what she was telling everyone. He thought that she wouldn't want to tell the gang about them just yet. But here she was, telling everyone to leave the two of them alone.

"Well, as long as he doesn’t go all psycho on us...I guess I can deal," Xander managed to say. He had been revived from his fainting, only to faint once again when he saw Buffy and Spike holding hands.

"I- I think it's- it's great," Tara said softly towards Buffy.

"And your sight is okay?" Willow asked her.

"Yes, perfect 20-20 vision Buffy is back," Buffy said.

She looked over in the shadows behind the table and caught eyes with Spike. He stood away from her now while she explained about the two of them. She smiled at him brightly before he returned her smile with a smirk. The gang continued to talk together about something as Spike mouthed over to her, "I love you." Buffy smiled and, after checking that no one was watching her, quickly replied, mouthing, "I love you too," back over to the blonde vampire. Spike grinned evilly before mouthing, "I want you."

Quickly, Buffy's eyes widened as she stood in her chair. "Well!" she said. Everyone turned and looked at her. "We'd love to stick around and chat, but I have to get home." She started moving away from the table and instantly, Spike was at her side. "I, uh, have something to show Spike." With that, Spike's ears perked up and he started walking towards the door faster.

"Bye, Buffy," some people said as Buffy and Spike walked out the door.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Spike grabbed Buffy, pulling her into the darkness with him as he kissed her. "Spike..." Buffy moaned, before opening her mouth, allowing Spike's tongue to enter. His hands raced up the side of her body and Buffy copied his motion, loving how this man made her feel.

"Love you, Slayer." Spike said, growling in the back of his throat.

"I...I love you too, Spike." Buffy said, trying to catch her breath that was heavy and labored from excitement. She looked up into his blue eyes, which sparkled, even in the night. <Look at all I was missing,> Buffy thought. "Who knew that we'd end up together- that it would take me a year to realize that you were love?"

"Well, there were those few times that I tried to kill you." Spike said.

"A few?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows. Spike lowered his head in embarrassment. "Hey, don't worry about it." Buffy said. "It's all part of the past."

"That seems pretty good," Spike said, smiling at her. "Now...didn't you have something to show me?"

Buffy pressed her lips together, thinking. "I don't remember anything about that." She said, jokingly. "Hmm..."

"Well, let me refresh your memory, pet." Spike said, before lowering his head and kissing her. He pulled her closer towards him as he kissed her lips, his tongue tracing her soft lips. When he finally pulled away, he left her mouth and body burning with fire.

"Oh yeah...that," she said breathlessly. Spike grinned and touched foreheads with her. Finally, she was his, and there was nothing in this world that would tear the two of them apart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inside the Magic Shop, Anya, Tara, Willow, and Xander were helping to get the store cleaned up so they could close the shop up for the night. "You know that they're just going home to boink." Anya said.

Instantly, everyone in the room yelled, "eww!" from what Anya said. "No!"

"Anya, honey, they're just...Buffy has something to show Spike and..." Xander started, trying to live in his world of denial. It was just better if he didn't think about it at all. <They're not together that way,> he thought, repeating it over and over in his mind. <They are *not* together that way.>

"And what do you think she's going to show him? Her stamp collection?" Anya asked. "I mean, why do you think Buffy wanted Dawn out of the house?"

"Anya!" Everyone yelled again. "Dawn went to see a friend." Added Tara.

"What a coincidence," Anya said sarcastically as she placed some shrunken heads and chicken feet back on their shelves.

"We *don't* want to hear this, Anya," Willow said. "It's bad enough that we knew about the Buffy-Bot, now that's...*Buffy* Buffy."

"I mean, it wouldn't have mattered if Dawn was there or not, they still would have-" Xander tried to stop her from talking, but Anya's mouth kept on moving. "Maybe they would have been really quiet. I've heard that that can highly raise-"

"ANYA!" Everyone yelled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy and Spike grinned, hearing everyone yelling at Anya from inside. <Guess I'm going to have to at least tell Willow the truth,> Buffy thought, thinking about what Anya was saying about Spike and she.

Spike smiled down at the blonde in his arms and laughed. "I think demon girl is smarter than everyone thinks she is," he said.

"You wouldn't be wrong about that," Buffy said, dreading the next time she would see her friends.

"I love you, Summers," Spike said one more time. Now that he could say that to her, he was going to every chance he got.

"I love you, William the Bloody...so much," Buffy whispered. "C'mon, I think I still have something to show you at home,"

"Sounds bloody good to me, love," Spike said, grabbing her hand. Together, the two of them walked into the night heading back towards their house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

THE

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