Spike and Buffy arrived at her apartment, having spent the walk back in relative silence. He didn’t know where to begin and she wasn’t sure where she wanted him to start. It was a small relief when they realised it was just them and the kids at the apartment, a note on the table told them that Andrew had taken Dawn to school already and that he himself had things to do, meaning he probably wouldn’t be back for hours.

"That’s put the little reunion on hold then" Spike said with a slight smile, "Sort of a relief, your boy Andrew gets a little over the top at the sight of yours truly"

"Dawn will be just the same" Buffy smiled as she parked the kids stroller to one side of the room. They’d both fallen asleep on the way home, she guessed because the last couple of nights they hadn’t slept so well. It was a relief if she was honest, to have them silent for a while, she and Spike had a lot to talk about.

"I s’pose Andrew filled in some gaps, after you got my letter" he asked as she turned to look at him.

"He did" she agreed, "I so wish you’d have told me when you came back before"

"I wanted to" Spike told her, "Bloody hell Buffy, you were my only thought when I turned up at Wolfram and Hart. First thing I asked was where you were, if you were safe...but how could I come back to you? I wasn’t even corporeal"

"I wouldn’t have cared" Buffy was almost in tears just thinking about it, "Spike, did you forget that I loved you?" she said, as a tear escaped down her cheek.

"I didn’t know" he told her, taking a step toward her, daring to gently wipe the tear from her face, "I was dying Buffy, burning to a cinder to save the world, you might have just been being nice"

"Me being nice to you?" she gave him a watery smile, "You should’ve known better"

Spike couldn’t answer. He had no response to her little joke, he was too busy reeling from the revelation that the words she’d spoken back then, when she’d told him she loved him, that was all true. The fact she was marrying another man and had bore two children since they’d last been together all just faded away as he came purposefully towards her and put his lips to hers.

It’d been too long, Buffy realised, as she enjoyed the sensations only Spike’s kiss could bring. She’d dreamt of this almost every night since Sunnydale fell and now it was happening it was even better than she remembered as his hand slid to her waist and pulled her tight against him, and her arms went up around his neck.

It worried her when he pulled away first, until she realised he needed to breathe. She smiled at the realisation. He was human now, and he was back in her arms, it was all kind of a miracle.

"Still not quite used to the whole having to breathe thing" he admitted, "After more than a century of not needing oxygen, sometimes I tend to forget I need it now"

When he moved to kiss her again it was Buffy that pulled back. Although she could quite happily have let this progress, let him make love to her the way only he could, she knew it wasn’t the right way to go.

"We came back here to talk, Spike" she reminded him, "And as great as this is...there’s things we should talk about" she told him, pulling out of his embrace. She glanced briefly at the children and he followed her eye-line, feeling suddenly sick. Those kids were real, even if the Slayer’s fiancé turned out to be dispatchable, her daughters were for keeps.

"Where do you want me to start, pet?" he asked as they sat down on the couch together.

"From the night you sent me the letter?" she suggested. She’d read the thing so many times, she pretty much knew it by heart, and with Andrew filling in the gaps she knew more or less all she needed to know about Spike’s time with Angel and the gang in LA. What she needed to know was how and why he was back from the grave again.

"Right then" Spike sighed, knowing he must again recount events that were painful, but doing it anyway, because it was Buffy who was asking.

"Wow" was all Buffy could say when Spike finished his narrative of the past year and more. He’d died again, making an uneven three times in his existence. That even beat her own record of twice she realised with a half-smile. Here he was again though, alive and kicking, and sitting right here looking at her and waiting for some kind of response with actual words in it, but she had no idea what to say.

Brought back from the dead because the Powers needed a champion, given an ex-God in a human body as a companion, who must suffer painful visions of those in need. What Spike had neglected to explain to her was how he’d needed up in Rome all of a sudden. She opened her mouth to ask when Eloise woke up and screamed for attention.

"Oh sweetie" Buffy sighed, getting up and going over to her daughters, knowing that if she couldn’t get Ellie quiet pretty fast soon Chloe would wake and start howling too, "Hey, what’s the matter?" she asked, rocking the little girl in her arms, "You just wake up all grumpy, huh?"

In moments the child quietened down, putting her thumb in her mouth and enjoying being held close by her mother.

"You’re a natural" Spike said from behind her and she blushed a little at the compliment. She’d kind have been thrown into the deep end with the whole mother deal. Playing Mom to Dawnie was a lot different to bringing up two babies but her sister and Andrew had helped a lot, and Davy was great.

"What’s with the look?" Spike asked as he caught her frowning. Buffy sighed.

"I was just thinking, about Davy" she admitted, "He’s helped a lot with the kids"

"Bloody right and proper too" the bleached blond agreed as he walked over to her, "Back in my day it wasn’t heard of but, in this day and age, a bloke should be there for his kids. S’only right. Father’s duty and all that" his voice disappeared as he realised he was getting rambley.

Buffy opened her mouth to speak before closing it fast. She just realised what she should have thought of before. Spike hadn’t figured out that the girls were his, he thought they were Davy’s kids! Obviously math was not his strong point, since there was no way she could have kids this age with him but then they were small for their age being both twins and prematurely born.

"They got names?" Spike asked, bringing her out of her thoughtful days. He was crouched down by the stroller studying the stirring child within and Buffy thought she was going to cry as Chloe reached out her hand, grabbing onto Spike’s finger and giggling when he played her game.

"That’s Chloe" Buffy told him, swallowing hard, "And this is Eloise, we call her Ellie"

"Chloe and Ellie, huh?" he smiled as the little girls both stared at him with big innocent eyes, "They’re perfect. Look just like you, Slayer"

"Hey Buffy" a voice called through the door, breaking whatever family type moment had been developing, "My afternoon class was cancelled so I..." Dawn stopped talking when Spike stood up and she caught sight of him.

"Oh my God" she gasped, hand covering her mouth as the books she’d held slid from her arms, "Oh my God, Spike" she squealed, running at him and nearly knocking him over and she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his chest.

"Hello, Bit" he said huskily, hugging her back. God he’d missed her, almost as much as he’d missed Buffy. She was his little sister, his special Little Bit.

"How?" was all the girl could say when she finally pulled away, her face tear-stained, her voice strangled with emotion.

"Long story, pet" he admitted, "but I promise, sometime I’ll tell it to you... Bugger me, Nibblet, can’t believe it’s you" he smiled as he took in the sight of her, "Gonna have to get a new name for you though, not such a Little Bit anymore" he realised, "Proper woman now, ain’t you?"

Dawn shook her head, more tears escaping from her eyes.

"No" she choked out, "No, I always want to be your Little Bit" she told him, hugging him again.

Buffy looked on, both joy and jealously in her heart. She so wanted Spike to hold her like that again, she wanted everything to be as perfect as Dawn made it seem. Perfect, like the dreams she had both asleep and awake, but this was real life and she had a very real fiancé less than a mile away, working to save money for a wedding they’d already started to talk about.

"...but I knew you’d come back, you always come back" Dawn was rambling away still when Buffy zoned back into the scene around her, "I just can’t believe you’re alive this time and you’re here"

"Dawnie, let Spike breathe" her sister told her when she refused to stop hugging him too tight, "Like you said, he’s alive now. Oxygen is kind of an issue"

Spike gave her a look that reminded her of a moment just a couple of hours ago when his lack of oxygen had been her fault, and he hadn’t minded at all.

"Buffy?" Dawn looked at her sister with a frown, "Why aren’t you...? I mean, it’s Spike" she pressed. She couldn’t understand why Buffy wasn’t jumping for joy at the prospect of having her old lover back. They could be a family now, like she’d dreamt for so long, like they both had, and yet far from looking thrilled at the idea, the blonde looked close to tears, and not the good kind.

"Dawnie, are you and Andrew going out tonight?" she checked and a smile crept on her sisters face.

"You want us to? So you can be alone with...?"

"Davy, yes" she interrupted, "I, I need to talk to him, explain if I can"

Though she was answering Dawn she was mostly talking to Spike. She glanced at him to make sure he understood but soon looked away again, unable to bear it. His eyes shone with love for her, just like they always had, but again she bore witness to the pain in those deep blue pools. Too many times she’d hurt him before, to the point where even when she confessed love for him he didn’t think he was worthy, he didn’t believe.

"Er, I should go" Spike said suddenly, heading for the door. Dawn looked pained as she followed him.

"You can’t, you can’t leave again" she told him desperately. Spike smiled, putting a hand to her face.

"Not going far, Bit" he promised her, "but I reckon I’ve shaken up yours and your sisters world enough for one day" he told her, "’Sides, Lyri’ll be tearing the place apart without me for company" he smirked, and even Buffy had to smile at that.

"Do go too far" she told him softly, "I’m not done with you yet" she managed another slight smile which he returned right before he left.

"Buffy, why didn’t you just tell him!" Dawn yelled as soon as the door closed, "You’ve been dreaming about him for months, I know you still love him, and Ellie and Chloe are his kids. He wouldn’t have just walked out of here if you’d told him all that!" she shouted, quite angry by now, until she realised how upset Buffy really was. When she turned from putting Ellie back in the stroller, tears were streaming down her face and her body convulsed with great heaving sobs.

"Oh, Buffy, I didn’t mean..." Dawn felt instantly guilty as she crossed the room and hugged her bawling sister, "Ssh, it’s okay" she told her, rubbing her back as she cried all over her. The shock and other mixed emotions had finally caught up without he Slayer and it was showing itself in a flood of salt-water.

"He’s back, Dawn" she choked out, "He’s back, and I don’t even know where to start" she said between sobs, "I’ve been dreaming about it and now...I keep thinking about Davy and everything that’s happened...Dawn, I have no idea what to do"

"Illyria?" Spike called as came into the room. He found her pacing up and down, glancing once in a while out of the window.

"You were gone quite some time" she said when she finally stopped and looked at him, "I assume you have spoken to your Buffy Summers about my visions"

"Oh bugger" Spike complained, sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed, "Never even entered my head" he admitted and he knew that wouldn’t go own too well with the woman behind him.

"You spoke nothing of the danger she might face?" Illyria asked quite angrily and she stalked around the bed and stood in front of him, "Are you out of your senses!" she demanded to know. Spike spoke through gritted teeth to save from fighting with his companion.

"I had other things on my mind" he ground out, glancing up at her angry and bemused expression, "Really, pet, you weren’t kidding when you said you have no idea about love... Seeing Buffy was like, I can’t even tell you" he sighed, anger disapating at the thought of his Slayer and tears welling up behind his eyes instead. His reunion with her and Dawn had been everything to him, to see them looking so well and being so happy, and yet it hurt him greatly to know they’d moved on with their lives.

"She’s got kids, Lyri" he forced out, staring at a blank spot across the room, "She’s got some git she’s gonna marry and a pair of kids by him... and here I am again about to screw up everything for her" he cursed himself as he got up and kicked the wall with some force, cracking the plaster. Illyria grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he did anymore damage.

"If her welfare concerned you so, you would have mentioned to her the danger she might face" the ex-god snapped, "Those children of which you hold feelings of jealously may be snatched away from Buffy Summers, and it is us she will blame for not forewarning her of the event"

"S’not like she can’t fight back" Spike shrugged her hand from his arm, "Slayer’s quite capable of kicking the ass of anything that comes near her family. Believe me, luv, I should know"

"My visions are not wrong" she said narrowing her eyes at the back of his head as he stood by the window and looked out, "This you know as well as I myself know it"

"Yeah, I know" Spike conceded at length, expelling all the air from his body in one long sigh, "Just wish I knew what to do for the best"

"I believe we must begin with a warning to Miss Summers over the safety of her children" his friend told him, "After any danger has been averted, then you will discuss your romantic feelings for one another" she reasoned.

"Got an answer for everything, don’t you, pet?" he smirked as he turned to find her at his side.

"For most things" she agreed with a slight smile, "Yes, I believe I do"

"Question for you then" Spike said turning back to the view, "You think Buffy still loves me like she says she did before?"

When Illyria did not answer he looked back at her as she tilted her head.

"This is something that no-one but your Slayer herself may answer" she told him, "I believe you have beaten me, William" she smirked slightly before walking back across the room and out the door, leaving Spike alone by the window.

The mid-afternoon sun shone high in the sky, the same sun he’d seen in America and the same one Buffy had no doubt watched rise and set many a time here in Italy this past year and more. Wherever they were in the world they watched the same sun and moon, rise and fall as they seemed to do. Him, and Buffy, and all the Scoobies scattered round the globe.

It was so strange to think of days gone by in Sunnydale, living in basements and crypts, sarcastic remarks shared with Harris and watching the little witches grin across the table at each other, whilst ex-demon girl counted her cash and Rupert polished his glasses almost to sand. Then there was Buffy and Dawn, more like family to him than anyone ever could be.

It was such a familiar day-dream that Spike became lost in, as wonderful as it was now to be alive and know that Buffy had loved him then even if not now, sometimes he longed to go back to those days in good old Sunnyhell. Not all the memories were good, but little scenes, bits and pieces of days and nights, research sessions, feeling like part of their team. He’d been grateful for any attention Buffy would give him, and proud to be one of those chosen as a trusted protector for Dawn.

Spike closed his eyes and pushed the memories away. Things were very different now, but one thing remained the same. He loved Buffy more than anything else in the world, and come hell or high water he was determined not to let her down again. Even if she said she didn’t love him anymore, and chose to stay with her fiancé, the supposed father of her children, he would make sure they were safe and well when he left Rome. He couldn’t live in a world where he knew his Slayer was in pain, that fact hadn’t changed in more than five years.

When David arrived home he found a message on his machine from Buffy, asking him to come over as soon as he could because she needed to talk to him. He played the message many times, trying to figure out from her tone of voice and use of words whether the result of this talk would be good or bad.

Knowing Spike was alive and in the very same town did not exactly fill Davy with confidence, but at least he was up against a man now, flesh and bone. Fighting the perfect memory of a dead man was an impossible task for anyone, at least now he had something real to compete with but the same fact could be an argument for badness too. Spike was Buffy’s dream guy, in a very literal sense Davy knew, as he’d often caught her mumbling about him in her sleep. It killed him to hear her words of affection for her former-love, and yet he couldn’t blame her, couldn’t even blame Spike since he no longer existed and his time with Buffy had not over-lapped his own at all. Now the vampire was back, only not that demon he once was but human.

All Davy could hope was that Spike was over Buffy or that perhaps she would find the ex-vampire to be much more flawed than she remembered. It was perfectly possibly to build up a picture in your mind, a fantasy version of a person that was beyond the realms of reality. The pictures in Buffy’s mind of her beloved Spike may well be just like this, over-beautified, over-rated. Nobody was perfect after all.

After more than an hour of to-ing and fro-ing, Davy finally left the apartment and headed over to Buffy’s, hoping against hope that she would tell him Spike was gone and wouldn’t be coming back, that it was still him she loved and him she wanted to marry. He hoped, but he didn’t truly believe it was possible.

"Davy" she greeted him as she opened the door and hugged him. He held her tightly to him, wondering how many more times he would be allowed to get this close.

A moment later that were sitting on the couch and she looked down at her hands that twitched nervously in her lap.

"Buffy" he said softly, putting his hand on hers to still their movement, "You wanted to talk, and yet you’re silent" he pointed out.

"I’m sorry" she sniffed, tears coming to her eyes that she fought to keep back. She was apologising for so many things, so many thoughts she felt guilty for having, the two mind-blowing kisses she’d shared with Spike, and a whole heap of other things she couldn’t begin to explain.

"I’m certain you have nothing to be sorry for" her fiancé told her kindly, only making it harder for her to be strong. Buffy swallowed hard and began to say what she needed to.

"Davy, things are more complicated now" she said glancing up to meet his eyes just briefly before she had to look away again, "I love you, you know I do but... but I can’t ignore what I still feel for Spike"

"You still love him" it was a statement not a question when David spoke. He knew the story of the Slayers love affair with the vampire too well to doubt her affection.

"I do" she admitted, "and I know it hurts you to hear that but, I can’t help it... and I think it’s better that you know the truth"

"So, you and me" Davy said huskily, "We are over, yes?" he almost choked on the words and Buffy felt just terrible about the whole situation.

A small part of her wished Spike had never come back, at least that way she’d never have had to hurt this wonderful man who sat beside her now, who’d been nothing but good to her from day one. The larger part of Buffy knew though that Spike coming back into her life was the best thing ever and that she wouldn’t change this situation for all the world.

"I don’t..." she began, only to stop again and re-think her sentence several times, "Davy, I... I don’t know where we go from here, I only wish I did" she told him, "I know that I care about you so much, I love you I really do, but I also love Spike. I have to think of the kids in all this too..."

"Don’t you realise I’m thinking of them too?" David said almost angry that she would think he was being selfish in this matter, "I love you Buffy but I love Ellie and Chloe almost just as much. I’ve treated them like my own for so long now..."

"But they’re not yours" Buffy reminded him tearfully, "I used to wish they were sometimes but they’re not and maybe that’s for the best, I don’t know"

"I don’t know either, Buffy" Davy sighed, "I don’t know how long I can wait around for you to make a decision between me and Spike and what you want to do with your life"

"I understand" she nodded with a quiver in her voice and a single tear creeping down her cheek, "I guess you want this back?" she said softly, taking hold of the ring on her left hand with the fingers of her right. Davy stopped her as she made to pull the large diamond from her finger.

"No, no" he told her, "Not yet, not until..." he stopped and sighed before continuing, "Make your decision, and then we see about the ring" he told her.

"Thank you" Buffy whispered, leaning into him, "For everything, for being so understanding, and not hating me for being confused"

"Buffy, my darling" he sighed, his hand cupping her cheek, "I could never find it in me to hate you, I love you too much"

He put his lips to hers then in one bitter-sweet moment, knowing his chances of anything more than a couple of stolen kisses was remote from here. Even this was interrupted by a rapping on the door and Buffy wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed to have their moment interrupted. She stood and moved to the door quickly, before any further noise was made and woke the kids that slept soundly in the next room.

"Hello Buffy" said the man on the other side as soon as the Slayer opened her door.

"Giles" she cried, throwing herself into his arms and finding such comfort in his embrace. He was as good as Daddy to her, and she so needed him right now. Everything in her life was becoming so confused and she could always rely on him for good council. Sure, they’d had their disagreements, especially where Spike was concerned, but right now she just needed to know she wasn’t alone in all this.

"I’m so glad you’re here" she mumbled against his jacket, "I so need a real friend right now" she admitted.

"How about two friends?" asked a voice that Buffy could hardly believe she was hearing, put as she pulled away from her Watcher she saw it was true.

"Xander?" she gasped, hardly able to take in that he was really here as he stepped out from behind Giles and opened his arms to her.

"Got a hug for the Xand-man, Little Miss Slay-Mom?" he smiled as she went into his embrace. He’d clearly gone to visit Giles and it seemed he’d filled him in about the kids. Buffy wanted very much to know why her father-figure would break her confidence in this way, but she knew he had to have a good reason for such an act. In any case, right now it was just so great to have two of her favourite guys in the whole world standing on her doorstep. It took her mind off two others, her feelings for whom were confusing her to no end.

After some convincing, Spike had agreed to take Illyria with him to see Buffy. It would be easier for his companion to explain about the visions, since Spike himself became easily distracted around his Slayer. Illyria had been right of course, as she so often was. He should have told her before about the danger she might be in, but one look at her and he was completely defeated, and when they kissed he lost the capacity for all rational thought.

"Sometimes I wonder about fate" the woman beside him said suddenly, "The Powers That Be as you call them put us back here on Earth as mortals to do their bidding. My visions lead us to danger which we then overt for the good of the human race and the world at large" she said thoughtfully.

"What’s your point, pet?" Spike asked her with a look. At least getting philosophical with Blue took his mind off Buffy for five minutes.

"My visions have brought us here, to help your Buffy Summers" she continued, "Surely it confirms that your destiny lies with her?" she said with that strange tilt of her head.

"Nice little assumption" Spike smirked, "but one thing I learnt over the past century or so is these Powers have a bleedin’ dodgy sense of humour, especially where a certain Slayer and yours truly is concerned" he told her as they arrived outside the building where Buffy lived, "Point I’m making, luv, is that I never assume anything anymore, not where me and her are concerned" he said as he opened the door for her like a gentleman.

"Do have a little faith in yourself, William" Illyria told him with a look as she passed by him to go through the door, "If nothing else, your physical form is not at all displeasing to the female eye" she smirked as he sometimes did and he laughed lightly at her words, immensely grateful for the sense of humour she had developed over time.

"Gotta say, luv" he said as he followed her into the building, "Not too shabby yourself y’know"

"I shall have to tell Buffy that you think so" she teased him, but when he didn’t repond she wondered if she’d gone a joke too far with that comment. She glanced at him as they ascended the stairs and he gave her a small smile to prove he wasn’t mad at her, still he didn’t feel like joking anymore.

"Davy these are my good friends Giles and Xander" Buffy introduced awkwardly, "Guys this is Davy, my...boyfriend" she said deliberately putting her hands behind her back and hiding the engagement ring she still wore. She was going to have to explain about that and Spike’s return and so much more, as well as find out what the surprise visit was all about, but none of that was too easy with Davy hanging around.

"I will leave you to catch up with our friends" he said with a nod before heading for the door. Buffy felt bad about how sad he looked, but until she figured out what exactly she was feeling and what she wanted to do with her life, she couldn’t do anything to help him.

"Did we walk in on something?" Xander asked as the Slayer stared after one of two men she loved dearly, "Cos I’m getting vibes of awkwardness" he noted.

"It’s kinda complicated" Buffy admitted with a sigh, "I guess I should start from the beginning, huh?"

"It may be an idea if we start from our beginning first" Giles suggested, "I’m afraid something may be amiss"

"Amiss?" Buffy smiled slightly at that, "Boy can we ever tell that you’ve been back in England a while"

Giles smiled too, so glad to be back at his Slayer’s side. He’d missed her a great deal. She was so much more than a job to him, she was family, the daughter he so wished he could’ve had for real.

"So what’s the what?" she asked, glad to have something to take her mind off Spike and Davy and that whole thing, even if it was a disaster of the apocalypse kind. Still, after taking on the First Evil and winning as she had, there was little else that’d scare her now.

"Kinda starts with this guy I met in Africa" Xander began to explain, taking a seat opposite his friend as Giles pulled up a third chair, "He was this psychic kind of a warlock guy, heavy with the tribal dancing and added mojo"

Buffy nodded along to her friends story as it continued.

"He got all big with the ramblyness right after we got introduced, a whole mass of stuff that made no sense at all, and everybody told me not to pay attention, so I didn’t... til the word Slayer came out of his mouth"

"But Xan, that could mean anything" Buffy shook her head, "The world is full of Slayers now, he could’ve been talking about any of them"

"No, not possible" Xander disagreed, "I thought of that but this guy, Muraguri, he made this big deal about making me listen. When I tried to walk away he put his hand on my arm, pulled me back, made me listen"

"What did he say?" Buffy asked, both puzzled and a little worried now.

"He kinda gave up with the words" Xander told her, sharing a glance with Giles before rolling up his sleeve and showing his forearm to the Slayer. She gasped at the sight of a definite hand-print that looked as if it’d been burnt into his flesh.

"Did it hurt?" she asked stupidly, almost certain from the look of the would that it must’ve.

"Not as much as the pictures he put in my head" the boy said with an unidentifiable look, "Take it from me, that hurts"

"Xander was given a vision by this man" Giles explained "His name, Muraguri, means Seer and somehow through magicks I believe he was able to show Xander the pictures he saw within his own mind"

"But what...?" Buffy’s question was drowned out by someone knocking on the door and she excused herself to answer it. The loud noise had also startled the children and she sighed, knowing she should go to them as well.

"Giles can you get the door" she said changing her mind, "I need to..." she gestured towards the bedroom where the kids had been sleeping soundly til now and her Watcher moved towards the door as she disappeared out of sight.

"Bloody hell!" came a stereo exclamation from the Brit on either side of the front door.

"Spike!" Giles gasped in shock, "What on Earth...?"

"Spike?" Xander echoed as he came to see what the cursing was about, "What? How What?"

"Turnin’ into a bit of a reunion, eh?" Spike smirked, "Red here too is she?"

"No, actually, Willow is not here" Giles shook his head, completely bemused as he removed his glasses and polished them on his shirt.

"You know these people?" Illyria asked, eyeing the two men as she and Spike came into the apartment.

"Yeah, old acquaintances, you might say" the ex-vampire nodded, "This is Giles, Slayer’s Watcher, and that’s Xander he... he’s the Whelp" he shrugged not knowing how else to explain.

"Hey!" the brunette protested but not for long as Buffy emerged from the bedroom with Chloe on her hip.

"Wow, it’s a real party" she commented, feeling very tired suddenly. Too many people, too many tangled relationships, too much to deal with right now.

Chloe made a bunch of baby noises, the only sound in the now silent room as she reached out to the unfamiliar brunette at her mother’s side.

"Hey sweetie, I guess you must be mini-Slayer number one, huh?" he smiled at the little girl, who giggled at the silly voice he used to talk to her.

"You wanna get technical, she’s number two" Buffy smiled, "Chloe was born two minutes after Ellie, who is thankfully still asleep right now" she told them, "So voices down, huh guys?"

"We came here for a reason of some importance" Illyria told Buffy, stepping forward, "Do you wish me to explain in front of these people?"

"Er, Illyria, right?" she checked, glad when the other woman nodded "If you wanna take a seat, just give me a minute to get my girl here back to sleep and then you can tell me whatever it is you have to tell me"

"Very well" the girl with the blue streaked hair agreed, taking a seat at the table. Xander and Giles sat back down too and Spike pulled up a fourth chair from by the wall. Buffy disappeared back to the bedroom to settle her daughter, leaving the four unlikely people at the table.

"So, Evil Dead" Xander said to Spike, "A little less dead than we thought, huh?"

"A lot less" the ex-vampire smirked, "Living breathing human just like you now Harris, got myself a little gift from the Buggers That Be"

"The Powers granted you a mortal life?" Giles asked, looking completely astonished.

"Me and the bird here, champions of the people now y’know" he said, tilting his head at Illyria’s whose eyes seemed glued to Xander. The boy smiled at her but shifted a little uncomfortably under her intense gaze.

"It’s really quite astonishing" Giles commented, as Buffy came back into the room, not minding that there was no longer a seat free for her. She felt she needed to be standing or she might fall asleep, and it seemed everybody had some info they really needed to give to her.

"Okay, let’s start with you" she said to Illyria, "You got information for me?"

"Not merely information" the ex-god replied, her gaze finally shifting from Xander to the Slayer, "It is a warning that I bring. I do not know how much Spike has told you, but I am granted visions by the Powers That Be, painful pictures in my mind that lead myself and Spike to those in distress"

"Like Angel used to do?" Buffy checked, "Cordy used to have the visions for him, before they... before" she said sadly, reminded of both their passing.

"Yeah, we pretty much help the helpless" Spike nodded, using the old Angel Investigations slogan. He felt a little more comfortable with other people sitting between him and Buffy right now, no pressure to explain himself or what he was feeling.

"Hold on a second, you have visions?" the Slayer checked, hand gesturing towards Illyria.

"I do" she confirmed.

"And Xander, you got given a vision type thing from that seer guy, whatever his name was?" she asked him.

"Muraguri" he filled in for her, "And yeah, I did"

"Okay, pattern emerging" Buffy nodded, "Now, we come back to Little Miss Bluebird here" she said turning back to Illyria, "I’m guessing you’re latest brain picture had something to do with me, right?"

"Indeed" the ex-god nodded, "I have suffered two visions, the first of yourself and an engagement ring" she explained, making Buffy pay attention to the rock on her hand, "The second concerned your children"

"My kids?" Buffy asked, eyes snapping up to meet the bright blue of Illyria’s, her voice wavering with fear for her children’s safety. When Illyria opened her mouth to explain further, Spike put a hand on her arm and gave her look that begged her to let him explain. As much as he loved his companion, the bleached blond knew Lyri could not always be trusted to be delicate and mindful of her words.

"Didn’t know it was you at first, luv" he told the Slayer, "Lyri here felt like she was right there in her own vision, screaming and crying she was as these kids she thought were hers got snatched away"

"Ellie and Chloe?" she asked fearful of hearing anymore but knowing she must.

"Didn’t know at first" Spike continued as he got up from his seat and came towards her, hating to see the pain and fear in her eyes, "Was when we saw you and your bloke at the grocery store, Blue clocked the kids and gave me the nod. I took a swing at the fella assuming he was the bastard taking them away from their mother"

"He wasn’t" Buffy shook her head, and Spike nodded that he knew that now.

"When you came rushin’ in, we realised the mistake, but it was still those kids, your kids, in the vision" he said gently as he could.

"There is one more thing we should tell you" Illyria cut in, making sure she had the Slayer’s attention before she continued, "These visions I have are usually of events that are happening at the time, I receive the pictures simultaneously that the event takes place"

"But nobody tried to take the kids away from me" Buffy frowned, "Maybe it’s a mistake"

"Can’t be, pet" Spike told her, "Wish it was but Lyri’s never had a false vision. Granted, she never had a picture show of the future either" he admitted, "but this wasn’t just your average vision. Poor girl was blacked out for twenty minutes from the pain before the pictures even kicked in"

"Xander" Buffy said suddenly, looking to her old friend, "You got a vision too, from that guy in Africa" she prompted as all eyes tunned to the boy, "What did you see?"

"He gets visions too now?" Spike frowned looking at Giles for an explanation since he always used to have one and he assumed at least that hadn’t changed.

"Not like your friend Illyria here, no" the Watcher told him, "This was one specific sequence, passed into his mind by a warlock in Africa who seemed quite agitated by what he’d seen within his mind"

"And what exactly was that?" Spike wanted to know as did Buffy, and Illyria too.

"Something not pretty" Xander said looking down at the table and then around the assembled group, "Something I’d rather not have seen"

Xander winced at the too clear memory he must now impart to the the group that sat around him. The last person he wanted to tell was his best friend, Buffy, since she was the one set to suffer most it seemed, but she needed a chance to defend herself and he was here to make sure she got that chance. He was there to help and watch her back like he’d always done. The young man took a deep breath and began.

"I felt pain, I don’t know if that was the force of the vision or if it went with the pictures but, I saw you Buff" he told the Slayer, "and I saw a demon, the big, bad, ugly kind with a gem, like a diamond maybe in it’s head" he winced at the memory of the pictures he’d seen, closing the one functional eye he had as if that would stop him seeing that which was within his mind, "Then it changed. There was fire, screaming, a whole bunch of badness all mixed up and going through my head so fast I couldn’t take it all in, and then, then Tara"

"Glinda?" Spike checked, "You saw her?"

Xander nodded confirmation and the ex-vampire found everyone’s attention had switched to him.

"She was the one that...when me and Lyri here got put back here" he explained "We went to this place, gateway to the afterlife they called it... Tara was there"

"The two events may be connected" Giles suggested but Xander shook his head.

"But I didn’t see Spike" he protested, "Or Blue Ranger here, just Buffy and then badness and..."

"And?" the bleached blond prompted when the the boy fell silent.

"And two little blonde girls getting taken from their Slayer-type Mom" he admitted, feeling horrible about it. If he and Illyria had both seen it, the chance was even greater that the event was destined to come to pass, a fact that filled them all with dread.

"No" Buffy said more to herself to anyone else as she walked over to the couch and sank down onto it, "No, no-one is taking my kids from me, no-one"

Her eyes stared blankly at a spot somewhere on the carpet, as shock seemed to take over her being. It seemed she and more importantly Ellie and Chloe were going to be in danger, no matter what she did, and the thought of her babies being harmed frightened her more than anything else in the world.

"When Xander came to me and told me of the vision he’d received we came straight here to warn you, Buffy" Giles told her from across the room, though it didn’t really look like she was listening.

"So, now we say what? Research party?" Xander suggested, smiling slightly nervously at Illyria who was still staring at him in her own strange way.

"Reckon your best bet is to start with the demon you saw" Spike pitched in, "Can’t say as I ever saw a bugger with a diamond in it’s noggin"

"Nor I" Giles admitted, "Perhaps it would be best if Xander and I went to search out some books and so forth that might be of use"

"I’m gonna stay here, for the Slayer" Spike told them, at which the Watcher shook his head.

"I don’t know if that would be the best idea..." the Watcher began but Buffy interrupted.

"I want him here" she said abruptly, suddenly seeming lucid again, "There’s things I need to say Giles" she conveyed her meaning with her eyes that were filling up with tears. Spike didn’t know that Eloise and Chloe were his children yet. Before the real badness went down, Buffy owed him the truth about that.

"Very well" Giles agreed, getting up from his seat, "Myself and Xander will try the local bookstores, libraries, I dare say we’ll come up with something useful before long"

"I will come with you" Illyria told them sharply as she too stood from her seat. Spike was a little bemused by that, Lyri wasn’t fond of the company of others, ’cept his own of course. Still, she had spent an awful lot of time staring at Xander this past hour or so. Maybe it was him that was attracting her so to speak.

"Er, your assistance will be very welcome, Illyria" Giles said awkwardly, and the blue girl gave him a small smile as they headed for the door. Buffy didn’t move at all til the door clicked shut. Then she put her hands to her face and cried.

"Oh, luv" Spike sympathised, rushing to her. He knelt on the floor in front of her and prised her hands from her face, "Sweetheart, don’t, please" he begged her, "Tears me up inside to see you cry like that"

"I’m sorry" she sobbed, trying to be strong and finding it impossible. Everything was coming at her at once and from all sides, she didn’t know which way to turn next. A demon to fight, a kidnapper to face, her kids to protect and a choice to make between a man she loved and a man she adored.

"Come here, pet" Spike said gently as he moved to sit beside her and pulled her into his arms. She cried for a while longer, sobbing into his chest while he rubbed her back soothingly and whispered to her that it’d all be alright.

It was so strange in some ways, to feel his heart beat and the warmth of his body against hers. She was so used to him having cool skin and there being silence within his chest. One thing hadn’t changed though, the feeling inside her when his arms were holding her to him. That contented glow in her heart that slowly spread til it engulfed her entire being, a comfort she only felt when he was there, holding her and loving her.

"I missed you so much" she mumbled against his chest, before realising that without his vampire hearing he might not have heard her, so she pulled away a little and repeated herself as she looked up into his eyes.

She was a mess, poor thing, he noted. Her hair was all in disarray, her make-up smudged, and tears stains marring both her cheeks, but she’d never looked more beautiful to him.

"Missed you too, pet" he told her, gently pushing her hair back from her face and letting his hand linger at her cheek, "You don’t know how many times I picked up the phone just to put it right back down again, how many times I saw some blonde bird in the street and chased after her thinking just maybe..." he trailed off, knowing none of it mattered now. He was here now, where he should be, where he ought to have been long ago.

"You’re here now" she whispered as if she’d read his mind, as her face got closer to his own.

"I am" she felt those soft words against her own lips right before they kissed, one brief but sweet moment.

"I love you" she told him, before she put her lips back on his for a second time, and on this occasion there was no pulling back, not until a child’s scream broke the beautiful silence.

"Go on, pet" Spike told her, "See to your lit’lun Slayer, I’ll be right here when you get back"

She nodded as she got up and left him to tend to her kids, both of which were now awake and yelling for her attention. Spike had told both her and himself he was going to stay put, those children were nothing to do with him, but a weird kind of curiosity drove him to follow Buffy as far as the bedroom door and watch as she stood between the two cribs trying to calm her babies back to sleep.

"Come on, kids" she urged them, "Mommy needs some time to figure some stuff out if she’s going to keep you safe" she cried just saying it and Spike was in two mind whether to walk in there and help her out or just stay back. The decision was made for him when Buffy whirled around, obviously aware she was being watched and gestured for him to come into the dimly lit room. The kids were still screaming blue murder but for no good reason. It wasn’t time for them to be fed and both had dry, clean diapers on.

"You wanna try?" Buffy asked Spike with a slightly amused smile as he looked into one crib and then the other.

"Wouldn’t know where to start" he shrugged, feeling all out of place and awkward. Buffy leaned over the crib in front of him, lifting out a screaming Ellie and handing her to him. He seemed to know how to hold a child at least, Buffy didn’t want to think about when and how he may have learnt.

"Hey there, Little One" Spike said, bouncing the baby slightly, "What’s all the noise about, eh?" he asked her.

The blonde child’s sobs died down til she was merely sniffling softly, as she observed the man that held her in his arms. The thumb of her left hand went instantly into her mouth, but she reached out with her right, chubby fingers running over Spike’s face. Buffy had Chloe in her arms who was almost quietening down by now, sensing from her sister that there was no need to cry anymore.

Ellie’s fingers skimmed over Spike’s mouth and he pretended to bite at her fingers. The child shrieked, not with fear, but with great laughter as she repeated the new game. Chloe protested some, deciding she wanted to play to and Buffy held her within reaching distance of the man she had no idea was her Daddy, so she too could play at pretending to get her fingers bitten off!

Buffy watched the game go on for fully five minutes before realising how late it was. Reluctantly she pulled Chloe away and urged Ellie to put her arm down now.

"That’s enough now, kids" she told them, "Time you were sleeping"

Both the little girls made negative sounds and gestures as they were lowered into their cribs, but through the general bunch of unrecognisable sounds and shouts, one word from Ellie’s mouth was clear.

"Dada!" she cried, reaching her arms up to Spike who wasn’t sure what to think or say, "Dada!" she repeated, wanting his attention. Before he could say or do anything, Buffy put herself in her child’s line of sight, blocking him from view.

"Not now, sweetie" the Slayer told her, "Sleep now, play later" she said softly.

Spike backed up out of the door and headed back to the living room, running a hand back through his hair as he paced up and down. It felt so strange to him, hearing the word Dada from a child. Of course she was mistaken, just a Little Bit probably calls all blokes she sees Dada, but when she’d said it to him it had felt so.. right. The whole thing, he realised was so insanely comfortable, standing there with one child in his arms and the other held by Buffy as he played a silly game with them and made them giggle. He was deep in thought about it when the bedroom door was quietly closed and Buffy came towards him.

"Spike..." she began but he jumped in and stopped her.

"I’m sorry" he said quickly, "I didn’t mean for her to think I was..."

"I know" Buffy nodded, "but Spike, there’s something I should tell you, something I probably should’ve told you before, about Ellie and Chloe’s father"

"What is it, pet?" Spike asked worriedly as Buffy looked at every available point in the room that wasn’t near him.

"It’s you" she said so quietly it was almost inaudible, "Their father... is you" she repeated, to make sure that he heard. The fact his mouth fell open and his eyes went wide seemed to suggest the words had reached his ears. What was as yet uncertain was how he felt abut it.

"I, er... bloody hell" he said, mind whirring at ninety miles an hour, "but your bloke, David or whatever..."

"He’s helped me a lot" Buffy explained, "He said he’d raise them as his own since you were... except you weren’t and... Spike think about it" she implored him, "Your math cannot be that bad. They’ll be two years old on January 29th, born almost a month before they should have been"

"Bugger me" was all Spike could say as he stepped back and sank down onto the couch, "Month early... would’ve been February, nine months before is May, back in Sunnydale" he muttered almost to himself before finally looking over at Buffy who stood a a couple of feet away, "They’re really mine" he said as though it’s just sunk in. All the Slayer could do was nod as tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling, to have missed out on so much and never even know, to suddenly realise you have two small children you knew nothing of.

Buffy was somewhat stunned to see the man she considered one of the strongest men she’d over known begin to cry.

"William" she said as she went towards him, kneeling in front of him and reversing the position they’d been in earlier, "I am so sorry" she told him, "I wish I’d’ve known you were in LA, if I had, I swear I would’ve told you, I would"

"Not upset, Slayer" he promised her, wiping tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand, smiling crookedly when he looked down at her, "Not really anyway, just in shock I s’pose... I’m a bloody father" he said with a slight chuckle, it just seemed so unbelievable.

"You are" she confirmed, "I’m just so glad you believe me" she told him, as he took her hands in his, "I mean it’s so crazy, vampires aren’t supposed to be able to... but you did Spike, we did. It can’t be anybody else"

"I can’t soddin’ believe it, Buffy" the bleached blond told her, "I mean I do believe it but... never much saw myself as the father type" he laughed, and even Buffy managed a slight giggle through her mixed tears of guilt, relief and joy to have told him the truth at last.

"Spike, we have to protect them" she said seriously, "These visions that Illyria and Xander had, someone or something is gunning for our kids"

"I know, baby" he said, running his hand over her hair, "but we’ll protect them" he promised, "We’ll protect our kids" he told her, loving how those words sounded. ‘Our kids’ he repeated over and over in his mind. As insane a concept as it was, it thrilled Spike beyond words to know it was true.

When Dawn and Andrew arrived home quite late, they found Buffy and Spike curled up on the couch fast asleep. The boy knew of the ex-vampire’s return in human form as the Summers’ women had told him before. He’d been over-joyed to know one he looked up to so much was back again, but on some level he said he knew he’d be back. Like Tomorrow, he will Never truly Die, he’d said, earning a double eye roll from his girlfriend and her sister, but it was starting to look as if it were true.

"That’s so sweet" Dawn smiled as she looked at the couple, asleep in each others arms, "I guess the talk with Davy took a little turn somewhere"

"He’s a good guy and all" Andrew told her, "but fate can’t be changed. Buffy and Spike are each other’s destiny"

"I’m not gonna argue with that" Dawn replied as she watched them a while longer, leaning back into her boyfriends embrace as he wrapped his arms around her.

"The champions deserve their happiness" he sighed, "Though I feel a little sorry for Davy, he is a man of honour"

"He is" Dawn agreed, "but he’s not the one for Buffy"

The young couple headed to bed a while later, as the other two slept on where they were. It had been a long and complicated evening, they both needed their rest. Tomorrow things would only be more difficult. Buffy would have to face Davy again at some point, and the gang would have the results of their research to share, meaning a demon to fight and badness to deal with. Still, it would be so much easier now that they were back together, both Buffy and Spike were certain of that fact.

Spike awoke to a busy scene. As his eyes adjusted to the bright sun that streamed in from the window, he caught sight of Buffy alternating between feeding the kids and running back and forth across the room. Dawn was going around the room with a cordless phone to her ear whilst Andrew darted through the middle with a bowl of cereal in his hand.

"It’s unnatural for people to be so bloody active this time of the morning" Spike groaned as he attempted to stretch out the crick in his neck. Since he’d become human he was a lot choosier about the type of surface he slept on, but then he’d have happily rested anywhere if Buffy was at his side as she had been last night.

"You’re human now, Spike" Dawn rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone, "You’re awake during the day, right?" she smiled.

"The day, yes" he agreed, sitting himself up, "but this is barely sun-up, not day yet"

"Come on, Spike" Andrew said, giving him a playful shove, "Look at the glorious day that awaits you and your beloved"
Spike looked at him strangely, wondering when the uncomfortable hugging would happen, heartily relieved when it didn’t.

"Andrew, ’s been a while" he nodded cautiously.

"It’s great to have you back, bro" the boy said, apparently thinking he was cool as he offered a hand to Spike. The ex-vampire shook the offered hand, always very wary of being pulled into an embrace. When the boy disappeared into the bedroom a moment later he gave Dawn a questioning look.

"He’s with me now" she explained, "No touchy feelies with anyone else"

"You and him, eh?" Spike mulled over the idea with a thoughtful expression.

"What do you say, big brother?" Dawn smiled as she came to sit beside him, "You approve?"

"’S not really for me to say, pet" he told her, putting an arm around her shoulders and hugging her to him, "But if you want my opinion, he’s harmless enough I s’pose, but not really good enough for my Little Bit"

"He’s a nice guy" Dawn pleaded her boyfriends case, "And he loves me, and I kinda love him too" she admitted.
"That’s all that matters then" Spike told her, "Still, nobody’ll ever be good enough for you in my eyes, pet" he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"I’ll second that" Buffy agreed as she came over, and Spike was immediately on his feet, "Hey you"

"Hey yourself, luv" he smiled, "Y’know I’m fairly certain when I fell asleep I had you there with me. When I woke up alone I thought maybe I dreamt you" he said softly, his hand at her cheek.

"Nope, not a dream" she told him, her smile echoing his own, "I kinda wondered the same thing about you though" she admitted.

"Dada!" Ellie called, her arms out-stretched in front of her.

"When did she...?" Dawn said in wonderment as she went over to the child.

"Last night" Buffy grinned, "All this time trying to teach her Mommy, and her first word is about you" she rolled her eyes at Spike who looked stunned.

"That was her first word?" he checked following the two women over to where the kids sat in their high chairs, Ellie still yelling for her father and Chloe reaching for him too by now.

"First and only" Buffy confirmed, "and you’re so loving this" she realised with a laugh as Spike looked at the two children with apparent amazement. They were his kids, he was their true father and they knew it too. Without a word he picked Ellie up out of her chair and held her close, feeling even more over-whelmed when she put her little arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

The scene almost had Buffy and Dawn in tears, as Spike held Ellie in one arm and made sure Chloe wasn’t left out.

"Hey there, baby" he smiled, stroking her blonde hair, "You know how to say Dada too?"

"Oh no you don’t" Buffy shook her head as she came over and lifted Chloe from her seat, "This one’s going to learn Mommy first" she said firmly, though she was mostly joking.

"I don’t care what she says, luv" Spike told her honestly, "Still getting over the fact that you and me made these Little Bits"

A knock on the door interrupted the family moment but not enough for either Mommy or Dada to bother moving to answer it. It was Dawn that went to see who wanted in and was stunned to find it was Xander.

"Oh my God" she gasped as she hugged him almost too tight, "Xander, what are you doing here!"

"I’m guessing it’s still early enough you didn’t talk to your sister yet, Dawnster" he smiled, hugging her back before paying attention to the scene in the living room, "Check this out, it’s all Happy Families in here"

"Hey Xand" Buffy greeted him, before looking at the child in her arms, "You met Chloe last night, remember?"

"Sure I do" he grinned, tickling the baby’s chin til she giggled.

"And this is Eloise" she said looking over at the child Spike held, "Say hello to Uncle Xander, Ellie"

The brunette gave Spike a look before saying ‘hi’ to the child in his arms.

"Slayer told you they’re mine, I s’pose" the bleached blond asked with a tilt of his head.

"Not so much" his old enemy shook his head, "Giles filled me in. I didn’t know the Little Buffys existed til a few days ago"

"Xander?" Andrew gasped as he returned from the bedroom, "Every time I turn around there’s another person here!" he said, happy about it but also feeling kind of out of the loop, "It’s like a Sunnydale gang reunion" he realised suddenly, looking almost tearful. Dawn went over to him and gave him a hug.

"Gotta say I’m kinda confused" she admitted, "Is there something going on that we don’t know about?"

"Kinda something going on that we all don’t know about, or that we don’t know enough about" Xander told her.

"We need to start from the beginning" Buffy realised, taking charge in true Slayer style, "Andrew, Dawn, put the breakfast things away" she told them, "I’ll fetch the kids some toys, we can keep an eye on them while we talk"

An hour later they were all around the table and all on the same page with what was happening. Andrew had been right, it was kind of like old times, huddled around a makeshift research table, discussing demons and strategy.

"I left Giles and Illyria under a pile of books" Xander told them, "I can only read for so long before my head starts to pound these days" he admitted, "Not easy when you only got one eye to read with"

"They anywhere close to findin’ somethin’ useful?" Spike wanted to know, one eye always on the children playing across the room.

"Not when I left" Xander admitted with a shake of his head, "Your friend Illyria seemed more interested in talking to me than doing much research"

"Yeah?" Spike smirked, remembering a previous conversation with his companion about love and what it meant, not to mention how she’d snogged him just to see what it was like. The fact she seemed to have an interest in Xander had not escaped Spike’s notice. Now that’d be an interesting situation to watch.

"We need to find this demon" Buffy said, tapping her fingers impatiently on the table, "I need this thing dead before it has the chance to come after my kids"

"We’ll find it, Buff, and we’ll deal" Xander assured her.

"Always did before, didn’t we?" Spike agreed, putting his hand over the Slayer’s and stopping the infernal tapping that was driving him round the bend, "Relax, luv, we’ll fix this. Powers put me back here to save the innocent. Think those two kids of ours count on that score"

"This demon" Dawn said suddenly, "You said it had a diamond in it’s head?" she check, finding it all very odd.

"I dunno if it’s a real diamond" Xander told her, "Kinda looked like one though. All clear and shiny and sparkly, maybe it was like it’s power source, I dunno"

Spike still held Buffy’s left hand in his, thumb stroking across her knuckles. It was as Xander was talking something occurred to him, and his thumb stopped next to the engagement ring the Slayer wore.

"A diamond" he said softly, lifting up Buffy’s hand, "Bloody hell"

"So Buffy has a diamond" Andrew shrugged, "She’s not the demon"
"I know that you daft git" Spike rolled his eyes, "but Lyri’s other vision was of this ring, that was why we were originally coming here to Rome"

"You think the demon is connected to the ring Davy gave to Buffy?" Dawn frowned.

"Seems like a bloody strange coincidence if they’re not, Bit" Spike told her, "Seems to me your man ‘Davy’ isn’t all he seems"

"No" Buffy shook her head, pulling her hand away and looking down at her ring, "No, Davy loves me, he gave me this ring because he wants to marry me. Things might have changed now you’re back, Spike, but it doesn’t mean he is evil"

"Gotta admit, luv, it’s kind of your type" her ex-lover told her, earning a truly nasty look from the Slayer. Seeing the fight that was doubtless about to erupt, Xander muttered something about escapage and a moment later Dawn and Andrew were offering to take the kids out for a walk, maybe go and find Giles and Illyria and see if they’d found anything useful yet.

Spike and Buffy silently glared at each other until the apartment was empty, neither wanting to upset the children or anyone else, but this needed settling now.

"I can’t believe you said that to me" Buffy said incredulously, "How could you?"

"Just stating fact, luv" Spike told her as if it were obvious, "Me and Angel were both vampires when you first jumped our bones"

"That’s not fair" she snapped, "I loved you, both of you and you loved me"

"Doesn’t change the fact you tend to need a little monster in your man" he reminded her, "I mean for God sakes Buffy, you even dated the bloody Immortal!"

"What!" she gasped, "You think I dated... that!" she yelled, gesturing emphatically as she got to her feet, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"I saw you, Slayer" Spike yelled back, getting up also, "Angel too, in that club last year, gyrating like it was going out of style, and your boy Andrew told us how you were staying in nights, all cosy as you please"

"I was playing him, you moron!" Buffy shouted, getting in his face, "I double crossed him so I could kill him"

Spike wasn’t sure what to say then. He wasn’t often rendered speechless but Buffy was one person who sometimes had the ability to astound him into silence, for a while at least.

"Well, you seemed like you soddin’ enjoyed it" he said grumpily and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"It’s called acting, Spike" she told him, "I was never interested in dating the Immortal, I was with Davy then"

"Another bleedin’ demon apparently" Spike shot back and Buffy made an exasperated sound.

"For the last time, Davy is not a demon!" she yelled, "You think I wouldn’t notice if he were? Slayer here, with the spider sense that tingles around demony types, remember?"

"Too easy to fool you, luv" Spike shook his head, "There are spells and trinkets that’ll block signals and the like... it cannot be a bloody coincidence that Illyria had a vision about this" he said, grabbing Buffy’s hand and showing her the engagement ring on her finger, "and at the same bleedin’ time, the Whelp’s seein’ a demon with a diamond-type stone in his head!"

Buffy pulled her hand free from Spike’s grasp and looked down at the ring on her finger with tears in her eyes. She found somebody to love her, a real man that wanted to be with her forever, and it could all too easily turn out to be a lie. Of course it was wonderful that Spike was back, and if the fates were kind perhaps they could have a bright future together, the two of them and the kids. Still it hurt to think this man she’d found, that she would’ve married if not for her ex-lovers return, might never have cared about her at all.

"I thought he loved me" she said in a small voice, glancing up at Spike and laughing humorlessly, "I should’ve known better" she cried, looking back at the floor.

"What’re you talking about, you silly bint?" the bleached blond sighed, coming towards her and lifting her chin with his fingers, "You still think nobody could love you that much? Even though I’m standing here, wondering how the bloody hell I went without seeing you for so long" he told her, looking into her eyes, "I did wrong Buffy, I know it" he admitted, "I should have told you when I came back, both times actually, and hiding from you wasn’t fair, I see it now, but I never stopped loving you, not once, not ever" he swore.

"I missed you so much" Buffy cried as she hugged him, "and I love you. I’m sorry I yelled"
"Steady on, Slayer" Spike teased her, "Apologising to me now, are you? Must be love"

"It is" she nodded solemnly as she looked up at him, "It really, truly is"

Buffy was just suggesting that she call Dawn’s cell and see where the gang were when there was a knock on the door. She was a little surprised to find Illyria on the other side with a child on each hip.

"We were asked to remove the children from the library" she told Buffy as the blonde took one of the kids from her, "They make noise, even when asked to remain silent" she said passing the second little girl to Spike.

"They get that from their father" Buffy said with a smile.

"Indeed" Illyria agreed, much to Spike’s annoyance, "Their transportation is at the bottom of the stairway, I could not find an acceptable way to manoeuvre the contraption up here along with both your children" she explained.

"I’ll go get that" Spike offered, putting Chloe down amongst her toys and hurrying out the door.

"He loves you a great deal, you know" Illyria told Buffy who looked a little stunned to hear it from this woman who was mostly a stranger. She’d met Fred just once before and so was not pained by the sight of a new person in the old body of a friend. Still, there was something in her eyes as if she was always looking down at everybody, it just made Buffy uncomfortable, as did the fact this woman had spent more time with Spike the past couple of years than she had.

"I know" she answered at length, "And what about you?" she asked.

"Spike and I do not have these deep and meaningful feelings for each other" Illyria said with an amused look, "To be perfectly honest I felt nothing at all when I kissed him"

Buffy’s eyes went wide and she turned to look at Spike as he came in the door.

"What?" he asked, putting the folded up stroller to one side of the room, "What have you said now, Lyri?" he asked his companion, knowing the look on Buffy’s face only too well. On so many occasions the blue-haired ex-god blurted out whatever happened to be in her brain at the time without thinking about the feelings of others or anything to at all to be honest. Whenever she did such a thing, the look on peoples faces was always the same.

"I simply told your Buffy Summers that you and I are nothing more than what we appear to be" she explained, "Though we sleep together we are not lovers"

"Uh, pet" he said awkwardly with a pained expression as Buffy glared, "We talked about re-phrasing what’s in your head before you say it out loud now didn’t we?" he reminded her, turning to look at Buffy.

"Slayer, what she meant was, me and Lyri, have on occasion shared a bed to sleep on" he said making it all as clear as he could, "but sleepin’ is all we’ve ever done, no funny business" he confirmed.

"And the kissing?" the blonde asked flatly, not looking much less furious yet, "I suppose she said that wrong too"

"There wasn’t kissing, luv" Spike sighed, "There was one kiss, that Blue here started and I ended, and that meant bugger all to either of us anyway"

"Indeed" Illyria agreed, "Rest assured Buffy, you are welcome to keep the white haired one to yourself"

"Thankyou" Buffy said incredulously, unable to believe this woman had just felt it necessary to give her permission to exist!

Another knock on the door was a welcome interruption or so Spike thought, rolling his eyes at Lyri when she smirked at him.

It was Giles that had arrived at the apartment, explaining as he came in that Xander had gone back to the hotel to get some rest, Dawn had gone to school since she was due for a lecture this afternoon, and Andrew had remained at the library to research.

"I came to fill you in on where everyone was, check everything was okay here" he glanced at Illyria and back again, proving what the others already thought. He was really checking that the woman had gotten the children home safely, and of course she had, "I’m headed back to Andrew now, carry on with the books we found... though I must say I should get some food on the way, it’s past lunch time already" Giles realised, cleaning his glasses on his handkerchief as he was prone to do in time of stress and many other times to.

"Dada!" Ellie cried, reaching for him and Buffy handed him the child like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

"Oh damn" she said, checking her watch, "I’m supposed to be at the cafe for my shift like five minutes ago" she groaned, "I’ll have to call and tell them I can’t make it"

"Really Buffy, there’s no reason for you to lose your job by skipping shifts" Giles told her as she reached for the phone.

"Giles" she said incredulously, "My kids lives are in danger and you’re worried about me not wiping tables and serving cups of coffee for loose-change type pay!"

"A sense of normalcy is vital for you and the children, Buffy" the Englishman pointed out, "Besides which if the likely attacker is close by, possibly watching you, it may be best if they are unaware that you know of their impending assault"

"Watcher’s right, luv" Spike told her, putting Ellie down on the carpet with her sister to play, "If the buggers think you don’t know they’re coming we’ll have the upper hand in a fight"

"What about the kids?" she sighed, "I can’t just leave them with anyone"

"Er, hello, father here!" Spike reminded her, "You don’t think I can deal with two Little Bits for a few hours"

"It’s not that I don’t trust you to take care of them, Spike" Buffy assured him, "but kids are a lot of work, especially these two" she smiled at Ellie and Chloe as they played together on the floor, "I don’t know if you’re ready for this"

"I can stay here" Illyria said suddenly, surprising the whole room, "If Spike requires assistance, I can give it"

Buffy looked warily at the women who in turn gazed at the children, her head tilted in that strange way. The blonde’s eyes switched to Spike who nodded it was okay. Illyria seemed a little weird to those who didn’t know her, but Spike trusted her and hoped that Buffy would have confidence in his opinion.

"Okay" the Slayer nodded slowly, "I’ll only be a few hours, then I’ll come straight home" she told them, "I just have to change"

As Buffy disappeared into the bedroom, Ellie called for her father who crouched down on the ground with the two little girls, playing a silly game with them. Giles could hardly believe the sight before him, a former vicious vampire playing with his daughters who as yet were a miracle. They were conceived when Spike was still undead, and as such apparently sterile. It was a quandary Giles often spent his time pondering, though he was yet to come up with an answer.

Buffy appeared from the bedroom in her uniform for the cafe, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she ran though all the details about the kids, like where their food was kept and what time they had their nap. She kissed both girls on the forehead and Giles said he’d walk her to work before heading to library.

"See you later, pet" Spike said as she went towards the door. She stopped and turned back, surprising him when she walked right up to him and kissed him briefly on the lips.

"Take care of them" she whispered, "and yourself"

"I will" he assured her, "You watch your back too, yeah?"

"Promise" she nodded before turning back towards the door and leaving with Giles.

"I am glad we are alone" Illyria said behind Spike. He made a face as he turned to look at her, not at all comfortable with what she seemed to be implying. She stared back at him trying to read his expression and the bleached blond realised he was being an idiot. It was Buffy’s uncertainty about his companion that had got him reading too much into her innocent words.

"What’s up, pet?" he asked, shaking his head because he knew how stupid he was being.

"When we were put back into the world as humans, you became my guide" Illyria began, "You taught me what I must know, how I must be to get along in this world, in my new form"

"I did" Spike nodded uncertainly.

"I have fewer questions of late" she continued, "but you are still my guide in this world, the one I may turn to should I wish it" she said, staring out of the window.

Spike smirked to himself, knowing what she meant. He was the closest thing she had to a best friend and he guessed he could say she was the nearest he had to such a person too these past months.

"Lyri, if you’ve got somethin’ you wanna ask me pet, be a good girl and spit it out before we both grow old" he urged her when she stayed silent too long. She turned sharply almost making him jump at the suddenness of her movement.

"I wish to know how one attracts another person" she said, head held high as if to prove she were not embarrassed to ask, though inside she felt a little ridiculous.

Spike tilted his head and stared at her.

"Is this about the Whelp?" he smirked, more so when she couldn’t meet his eyes, "So I was right, eh?" the ex-vampire realised, finding it all very amusing, "You’ve got a thing for the boy then, do ya?"

"I do not wish you to make jokes at my expense" Illyria snapped, "I wish for you to help me as you assured me you would"

"I dunno what you want me to say, luv" Spike admitted, letting out a breath and moving to sit on the couch as he watched the kids play at his feet.

"I want an answer" came Illyria’s simple reply, "Tell me what it is that makes humans attracted to each other. Tell me why you feel as deeply as you do for Buffy Summers"

That got Spike’s full attention though he really wasn’t sure how to answer. As he thought about where to begin, Lyri came to sit in the armchair nearby.

"There’s more than one kind of attraction" he began to explain, only glancing at the woman he was talking to once in a while, "I mean, take a look at yourself, luv, any man with eyes is going to find you attractive in a physical sense" he told her, almost surprised when she seemed to colour at the comment, Illyria wasn’t exactly the blushing type.

"Then there’s attraction that goes deeper than just the physical" Spike continued, "Like me and Buffy. Sometimes you look at someone and you just know, and you can deny it til it drives you crazy but it’s there, and it’s real, and it’s love" he told her, looking right at her when he finished his little speech.

"How do you tell?" Illyria was intrigued to know, "Must I kiss every person I find physically attractive until one excites me enough? Is this how I should tell if I love them?"

"That might be fun to see" Spike smirked, pretending to consider the option, "but no, pet, thats not how it’s done" he took a deep breath when he realised she wasn’t letting this go til she got the answers she was looking for.

"Love can’t be forced, only encouraged" he told her, feeling sort of strange imparting his wordily wisdom on these particular topics. He’d been loves bitch long enough, however, he felt he was pretty qualified to explain it to an ex-demon-god turned human.

"You like someone enough to try and win their heart, you just gotta hope they’re willing to let go, accept that you want to give all you have as well as take a little too. All going well, you get something special out of it, something that doesn’t compare to anything else" he said, staring off into space, hardly aware of where he actually was until Chloe began driving a toy truck around his feet, giggling as she did so.

"You make a pretty speech" Illyria told him as he leant down to play with the kids once again, "but you have not helped me yet" she pointed out, "I shall speak plainly, I feel... something for Xander. I don’t understand it and it unsettles me" she admitted, shifting in her seat, "When he looks at me I get a feeling inside of me that is unidentifiable and... I wish him to like me, I think... I wish him to desire me"

"Trust me, pet, he desires you as you put it" Spike almost laughed, "He’s a bloke, Lyri, and you’re a good looking woman, the desire aspect comes pretty easily"

"You speak of physical attraction again?" she checked, hoping she understood.

"’S right, luv, I do" Spike confirmed, "but what you’re feeling, little flittery, dizzy feelings when he looks at you, that’ll be you falling for him a little bit I shouldn’t wonder, though personally I wouldn’t know the exact ins and outs of what happens to girls when they like a fella like that" he shrugged, "Maybe somethin’ you should ask Buffy"

"Your Slayer dislikes me" Illyria snapped, getting up and going back to the window.

"Nonsense, Lyri" Spike told her, "She’s just wary of you. Not one of the tight little Scooby circle yet, makes the Slayer nervous is all, she’ll be alright"

"Love cannot be forced, only encouraged" Illyria said softly to herself, not really paying attention to Spike anymore. He rolled his eyes realising whilst it might be amusing and interesting having Illyria fall for Xander it was going to be bloody awkward keeping her mind on anything else for a while.

"Soddin’ hell, Lyri, if the boy’s gonna be your sole topic of conversation you’re gonna get real boring, real fast, y’know that?" he told her, "Love can’t be that foreign to you, you liked Wes well enough..." he said without thinking stopping short when she gave him a look that was so much like Fred is was frightening, "Sorry, touchy subject"

"I did not love Wesley, not as you think I did" Illyria explained, "I believe the memories and feelings of Winifred Burkle that stayed within the shell were why I was attracted to him. Since our return to this existence, I find he is a friend I hold fond memories of" she said with a faraway look as if she were remembering, "His passing caused me pain, but time heals as it would not, should I have loved him so much"

Spike nodded his understanding of that. There were times that Illyria said some right stupid things, and other times when she made a frightening amount of sense.

"Look, pet" he sighed, "If you like Xander just... play nice" he told her at a loss as to where to begin. He didn’t exactly spend a lot of time wondering how women attracted men, especially not lately when the only woman he had any real interest in was the Slayer, "Help him out, back him up, maybe when all the demon-related crap is over ask the boy out on a date" he suggested.

"This seems to be sound advice" Illyria condescended to agree, "Thankyou, Spike"

"Your bloody welcome, luv" he smirked to himself as the kids both laughed, having fun.

‘Another ex-demon for the list there, Whelp’ Spike thought to himself. That was going to keep him amused for a while.

Buffy’s mind whirred at ninety miles an hour as she worked her shift at the cafe. She wasn’t sure whether it was a good or bad thing that wiping tables, serving food, and making coffee only required half of her brain power, leaving the other half to think about everything that was going on in her life. Spike was back. Just those three simple words made her smile so much it hurt, but it wasn’t as simple as that. There was Davy to consider, he’d been so great and loved her so much these past months. He’d helped her with the kids, understood about her past, and she did love him, still Buffy knew she’d never feel for her current fiancé what she felt for her ex-love and the father of her children.

Ellie and Chloe could well be in danger too, and that scared Buffy more than anything else ever had. Herself she could protect and if she couldn’t well the world could get along without her, she wasn’t the only Slayer anymore. When it came to her little girls, however, Buffy just could not let anything bad happen to them, and she knew Spike felt the same. He loved them already, despite the fact he barely knew them, she could see in his eyes what he felt about his daughters.

It was the end of Buffy’s shift and the sun was just beginning to go down. She started walking home, taking her usual route when something caught her eye. Someone or something was watching her. Buffy turned slightly, tried to concentrate and hone her senses. It had been a while since she’d really done the Slayer thing, not counting a little trip to the graveyard a couple of days ago. Now as she focused she found it all came back to her, the heightened awareness, the knowledge that she was being stalked.

"Come on, where are you?" she whispered to herself as she turned in the empty street, "Gotcha" she said as she ran towards a shadowy figure. Far from running away the demon showed itself, an ugly thing, with horns jutting from it’s head and down it’s spine. It’s skin resembled that of an elephant or some such animal, all grey and wrinkled, and it wore an old fashioned type of armour made up of leather and metal. Buffy was just taking in it’s appearance, working out how best to attack when a force pushed her back. The creature grinned evilly as Buffy bounced off an invisible barrier several feet from the demon. It was as she fought against the wall she couldn’t see that the Slayer noticed something else, a small gemstone in the demons head, glittering clear and bright like a diamond. It flashed and gleamed, presumably the source of the power that held Buffy back.

The demon growled ferociously, pointing an arm out at the Slayer and gabbling in a language she didn’t understand. At first she worried it was casting some kind of spell but from it’s tone she thought not. It was talking to her, telling her something, maybe warning her of something, before it pelted off down the road. Buffy gave chase, getting faster as she realised where they were headed. The demon was taking her home and she hated to think of the reason.

A demon with a diamond in it’s head, it had been in Xander’s vision, the same vision that told of Ellie and Chloe being snatched away. With the demon able to put up a barrier against her, Buffy knew she could not stop it doing whatever it wanted, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try.

She caught up with it outside the building where she lived, slamming it face first against the wall. In a second she was on it’s back, holding it’s head and attempting to snap it’s neck but the demon flipped her off with ease. It gestured with it’s arm and the barrier was back, Buffy could not get through the door as the demon raced up the stairs to her apartment.

"Nooo!" she screamed, banging on the air that pushed her back, "No, my babies! Oh God, my children!" the Slayer cried, feeling so painfully helpless. She could only hope Spike and Illyria were able to save the kids now, there was nothing left that she could do.

"What the bloody hell...?" Spike was woken from shallow sleep by a scuffle downstairs. Illyria was by the door in an instant, listening to the sounds of fighting beyond it. She crossed to the window and peered down only to see a demon throw Buffy back with such a force.

"It is Buffy" she told Spike, "She is losing to a demon"

"Bugger" the ex-vampire exclaimed leaping up from the sofa, "Keep an eye on the kids" he called as he ran for the door and met the nasty looking demon half way down the stairs, "Why don’t I think you come in peace?" he quipped as he kicked the creature in the chest, knocking him back slightly.

The demon spoke in some old garbled language that Spike thought he should know but couldn’t place as he wailed on the creature. The demon was stronger than it looked but Spike was a man possessed as he fought to keep the creature back, away from his kids that he’d just found. As they grappled with each other the pair tumbled down the flight of stairs, landing at the bottom with a thud.

"Spike!" Buffy called desperately from the doorway where she was still held back. He glanced to look at her, losing concentration just long enough for the demon to clobber him over the head and knock him unconscious, "No!" Buffy cried and the demon grinned evilly as it lumbered up the stairs once again. The Slayer was forced to stay back behind the door, staring in at her broken and bloody lover, knowing she could be about to lose her children too.

The demon reached the door of the apartment and knocked it off it’s hinges in just two hits.

"You will not harm the children" Illyria told the creature, "I am charged with their care, I will not fail my companions"

The demon just growled as it lunged at her, and the ex-God easily dodged it’s attacks, expertly flipping away and using the creatures weight against it. It came back at her, hitting her across the back and sending her flying. It took all the effort she had to get back on her feet but she was so determined. She flew into the back of the creature, slamming it into the window. The pair smashed through together, and both would’ve plummeted two floors to their imminent death were it not for the fact one was a near-indestructible demon and the other had finely tuned reactions. Illyria grabbed hold of the fire escape as they toppled out into the night air. She hung there by one arm, watching as the demon dropped to the floor and landed with a sickening crunch. It wasn’t dead, but it was unconscious and injured enough they may be able to capture it, learn what it’s aim was in taking the children.

Buffy saw the demon coming down towards the ground and winced as it hit the stone beside her, sending sickly green blood flying in several directions. She’d had her whole weight on the invisible barrier in the doorway and it gave way as the demon lost consciousness. The Slayer tumbled into the foyer, landing on her knees beside Spike.

"Buffy?" he said hoarsely as he came too, his head swimming spectacularly and blood obscuring his vision in one eye.

"Spike, oh thank God" she cried when she realised he was alive at least. She put her head on his chest and felt his heart beat there, still strong. He manoeuvred an arm towards her, hand stroking her hair for a moment before he shifted.

"Buffy, the kids" he choked out and her eyes went wide with alarm as she realised just because the demon was dead didn’t mean the children were okay.

"Oh God" she exclaimed, bolting for the stairs, wanting to stay with Spike but needing to know Ellie and Chloe were safe too. She was relieved to hear the cries and yells of her babies as she reached the top of the stairs. At least their noise proved they were alive and she ran to them, crying floods of relieved tears when she realised they were fine, just disturbed from sleep by the commotion.

"Buffy!" Xander yelled, running into the apartment, "Buffy, answer me!"

"I’m here" she called as she emerged from the bedroom with her children in her arms, blood running down her cheek and cuts visible on her arms and through the rips in her clothes, "Oh God Xander I thought..." she couldn’t even tell him as she cried like she’d never stop. She’d never felt so helpless and afraid in all her life as just then.

Illyria managed to pull herself up the fire escape and appeared in the shattered window then, coughing and choking as she did so.

"Geez, you okay?" Xander asked stupidly as he ran to pull her up.

"I... I think I shall be" she told him as he got her to her feet and helped her over to the armchair as Buffy sat down on the couch with her kids held tightly to either side of her.

"Giles is downstairs with Dawnie, they’re helping Spike" Xander explained, "The demon’s not dead but it’s not getting up for a long time, Andrew knows a spell to bind it for now, he’s gone to get what he needs"

"It’s all coming true" Buffy sniffed, "It tried to take my kids, and I couldn’t stop it"

"I know" Xander nodded, feeling terrible for her, "The demon, it’s the one I saw"

"Buffy?" said a voice from the door and the three turned to see Spike limping towards her. He almost collapsed at her feet so relieved to see both her and his children alive and relatively well.

The rest of the group looked on as the family held onto each other. They’d been back together just a couple of days and yet it was as if Spike and Buffy had never been apart, as if he’d been with her and the kids all this time.

Illyria watched with jealous eyes as the little group hugged each other, revelled in the fact they were all alive, that they’d come through something so horrific. She felt a little guilty for expecting thanks for the part she played, but it wasn’t the words and the gratitude she really wanted to receive. She wanted to be held, it was quite the miracle that she was alive too, but the only one to care was Spike and he was so pre-occupied. Illyria glanced wistfully at Xander who seemed almost as alone as she did. If they could be together, they’d never have to worry about being lonely or unloved again, she realised, but now was not the time to speak of it.

It was a couple of hours since the demon attack. The creature itself was bound by a spell Andrew knew how to perform, and held in an abandoned building two streets away. It would be safe and out of the way there until the gang figured out what to do next. Eloise and Chloe were settled back to sleep, and Giles took Dawn to fetch the books in order to do further research at Buffy’s apartment. Buffy took Spike through to her bedroom to clean up his and her own wounds, leaving Illyria and Xander alone.

"Looks like I’m back to being Mr Fix It" Xander said to himself, examining the window that had got smashed during the fight, "Demon did some serious damage here"

"It was my fault, I believe" Illyria told him, as she removed her boot from her left leg, "I pushed the demon through the glass..." she began to explain, stopping sharply and hissing with pain as the large gash on her leg stuck to the fabric of her pants as she tried to roll it up.

"You’re hurt" Xander realised as he came to kneel in front of her, "Let me see that" he said, pushing her hands away and gently taking hold of her leg, examining the damage.

"It is a minor injury" she lied, "It was a necessary evil, damage to my body in order to save the children"

Xander smiled at her attitude. She was an ex-demon-god from what he’d been told, but there was no mistaking the fact she’d been made human now, complete with soul and ability to care, maybe even love.

"Buffy and Spike appreciate it" he told her kindly, "Pretty much just you stood between the demon and those kids, you were brave to take it on alone"

"I did what I must" she said in a strangely soft tone she didn’t recognise as her own, as Xander’s hand shifted on her leg and sent shivers down her spine in a way that was foreign to her. Her eyes met his and she wasn’t sure whether it was the blood loss or the way he was looking at her that made her dizzy.

"We should clean up this leg" Xander smiled, "Don’t want it going icky, might have to cut it off, and how weird would you look with just one leg, huh?" he joked, getting up and going to find a first aid box or similar.

"You have just one eye, and still manage to be attractive" she told his back, wishing the very next moment that she hadn’t said it at all.

"Er, thanks" Xander said awkwardly, keeping his back to her.

Since Anya he’d barely looked at a woman, never once thought he’d be desirable to anyone the way he was now, disabled and lacking in any kind of real skills or anything. It was nice to know he was still attractive to a woman like this, even if Illyria probably was lying to be polite.

"Hold still" Buffy told Spike as she cleaned the rest of the blood from his face.

"Doesn’t even hurt" he told her, earning himself a look, "Okay, so it’s bloody crucifying me" he admitted with a half-smile, "but it could’ve been worse"

"It could" Buffy nodded, "I never felt so helpless in all my life, couldn’t protect my kids, couldn’t even help when that thing attacked you" her voice wavered as tears welled in her eyes.

"’S alright luv" Spike told her softly, taking hold of her hand, "Everything worked out, the kids are fine and I’ll mend y’know. Might be a human now but still bleedin’ tough, make no mistake"

"I know" Buffy nodded, "but, standing behind that barrier, knowing I couldn’t help, knowing I could lose you again..." she was so close to tears and yet determined for him to know how deeply she felt for him, couldn’t bear to think he didn’t believe it like before, "Spike, I love you so much" she told him as tears crept down her cheeks, and he pulled her into a hug despite the fact it hurt like hell to hold her close.

"I know, baby" he assured her, "I love you too, and you’re not gonna lose me. I’m not going anywhere, I swear it"

He pulled away enough to see her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, before gently kissing her lips.

"Look what that bugger’s done to my girl" he winced a little at the sight of the cuts and bruises down Buffy’s arm.

"I’m okay" she told him, with a smile "I’ll mend, I’m bleedin’ tough too y’know" she said, mimicking his accent very badly making him laugh til he coughed violently, and clutched at his chest.

Buffy reached for the edge of his shirt and lifted it up, running her hand over his ribs to check for damage. Her hand on his skin made Spike shudder involuntarily, and his eyes closed of their own accord, it’d been a long time since they were last so close.

"Buffy..." her name came from his lips as a whisper and he wasn’t aware how close her face was to his til she kissed him. Though every movement was painful they longed to be together that way again and their passion started to overtake them.

"Buffy! Spike!" Dawn yelled their names as she arrived back at the apartment with Giles and a whole heap of books.

Spike pulled back from Buffy who made a sound of complaint at the loss of contact.

"You know there’s nothing I’d rather do, pet" he told her, reading the look in her eyes, "but state I’m in right now, it might just kill me" he smirked, "’Sides we gotta get this research done, figure out why that demon son of a bitch is out to take the Little Bits away" he reminded her, sobering her up pretty fast. However, as she scrambled to her feet, she was still pouting.

"When did you get all rational and boring?" she complained, tidying up the medical supplies and putting her messed up clothes in the laundry.

"Might be rational on occasion, luv" he told her, moving up behind her and grabbing her around the waist, "but I’ll never be boring" he promised, planting a kiss on her neck before letting her go and heading out of the door.

"No" Buffy smiled as she finished tidying up and followed him out to the living room where the gang waited, "Never boring"