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Banner by the Awesome C.C.


Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to all of my reviewers. :)
Buffy walked through the door Giles was holding open and glanced back at him over her shoulder.

“Spike said that Kensal Green Cemetery has always been pretty hoppin’. It’s still a good bit before dark but we could go scope it out if…if you want. You know find the best vamp nesting spots and what not.”

“You’re planning on patrolling later then?” Giles said with a tone of moderate surprise.

“Yeah.” Buffy shrugged and looked up at him. “I can’t really help it you know; it’s who I am: the slayer.” She smiled. “Even if I’m just one of the many slayers now.”

Giles nodded and gave her a warm smile. “I suspect I shall always think of you as the slayer as well.”

“I don’t really need a watcher anymore.” She blurted out in a frank tone.

He gave her a small smile and a nod. “I’m well aware.”

“But that…it doesn’t mean I don’t still need you.” She turned and stopped in front of him. “You, Willow, Xander; you’re my family. Just as much as Dawn is; you’re…my family.” She shrugged again. “I still need you.”

Giles swallowed sharply and looked at the ground for a moment. It really wouldn’t do to make a scene right here on the street. “I’m…it is very nice to hear that; you know that I don’t…that I…” He sighed. “I care about you very much Buffy; perhaps that is the very problem, I’ve come to think of you as more like a... a…”

“daughter?”

“Watchers are supposed to avoid becoming too emotionally attached to their slayers.”

Buffy smiled. “I think we did pretty good.”

He smiled back. “Yes, I think we rather did.”

“I still…I respect your opinion…it’s not…” She shook her head. She hated trying to explain herself. “I love him Giles. I’m not sending him to…I love him.” She met his eyes. “I’ve already made up my mind. I need you to…to try to…”

“Support your decision.” He finished for her with a quick nod of his head. “Very well. You will however forgive me if I remain concerned.”

“That’s what families do.”

Giles gave her another small smile and thought, not for the first time, that it was a shame Joyce wasn’t here to see the woman that Buffy had become. He considered Joyce a remarkable woman in her own right; after all, not everyone could raise a young woman who would gracefully accept the duty to protect the world as her own. “If I’m not mistaken Kensal Green is up this way; though I think it is quite a walk.”

“I’m up for it if you are.”

“Very well.”
*********************************************************

Willow stepped out of the shower and dried her hair. She’d risen early that morning to scope out the local magic supply shops and hadn’t wanted to wake anyone so she’d forgone a shower until now. She’d made it up to herself by spending an extra long time under the hot water. It might be nice outside by London standards, she thought, but she was a California girl and she didn’t like feeling chilly. She quickly slipped on her underwear, a pair of jeans and a cozy sweater. She considered applying a touch of makeup, but decided not to bother. She did however smooth some cream on to her face and hands; it was one of the few lessons from her mother that had stuck; Willow Rosenberg always moisturized. She dug through her bag and pulled out a pair of thick and brightly colored socks. “Perfect” She exclaimed to herself. “These should keep my footsies nice and snug.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed to pull them on, Willow considered giving Xander and Dawn a call. She rather quickly decided against it; they still didn’t really know what had happened and she wasn’t feeling like dealing with their reactions. She silently promised to call them soon.

Choosing instead to make some lunch, she headed down the stairs. She noticed that Spike was still sitting on the couch and walked over to see if he wanted to join her. It might be awkward, she acknowledged, but it appeared the he was here to stay and that she should make an effort to be friendly. “Hey, do you want…”

Reaching the couch she realized that he was asleep and turned to leave before she woke him. Willow was halfway to the kitchen when she heard him yell. Running back in, she realized that he was still asleep, though it was obviously not peaceful. Spike had clenched both fists and raised his arms defensively in front of his face and chest. He looked scared, she thought, and he was muttering in what she thought sounded like Italian. When he yelled a second time, Willow decided that she’d better try to wake him up. She glanced warily at his fisted hands and tried to decide upon the method that was least likely to gain her a black eye.

“Spike.” She started in a soothing but firm tone. “Wake up.” She reached for his hands and tried to gently lead them back to his lap. “You’re dreaming Spike. Wake up. It’s okay.”

He awoke with a start and a push that sent her stumbling backwards. He leapt up from the couch and studied her for a moment, while trying to catch his breath.

Willow kept her eyes on him while she stood back up slowly. “You were dreaming. You’re awake now.” Taking in his confused expression, her eyes narrowed slightly. “Right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m awake. Sorry about…” He nodded again.

“Hey that’s okay. It looked like you were having a real doozey of a nightmare, I just thought…”

He nodded again and looked away, his eyes settling on the stairs. “Yeah thanks, I’ll just umm…”

“You wanna bite?”

His head swung back. “What? You know that I’m not…have you gone mad?”

Willow’s eyes widened slightly as she realized the misunderstanding. “I meant like ‘Do you want to grab a bite?’ like food.” Her shoulders fell dejectedly. “I was going to make myself a sandwich and I thought maybe you’d like one too. Buffy has a tendency to forget about meals, so if you’re only eating when she does…I just thought…I didn’t mean like bite, bite, ‘cause obviously now you wouldn’t…”

Spike smiled slightly at the girls nervous babbling. “Sure Red, that’d be…all right.”





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