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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the second part. Enjoy!
After dishing about her fabulous night with Spike, Buffy was doing a little training to work off some sexual tension. Talking to her friends about Spike had made the Slayer painfully horny... again.

As rude as Anya had been to say Buffy's love-life used to be boring... it was true. Buffy hadn't realized just how boring her previous romantic escapades were until she was with Spike last night. Overall, Spike had been so romantic and tender, but he'd also been a rough, insatiable beast. Buffy needed a man who could be sweet and rough, a man who knew when and how she needed to be loved. A sweet savage. That man was Spike, she was now certain of that fact.

Buffy had left the training room door slightly ajar while she worked out so she would be able to hear when Spike arrived. There had been a few false alarms in the past half-hour, just regular customers coming in to shop. Buffy would pout for a moment before getting back to punching the heavy-bag.

Buffy stopped and listened when she heard the bell again. This time, she heard the others say hello to Spike. She smiled and almost skipped out into the main room to greet him.

Spike smiled broadly when he saw Buffy come through the doorway. “'Ello, luv.”

“Hello, cutie.” Buffy walked over to him. “I was wondering when you'd show up. I'd hug you, but I'm a little sweaty.” She hadn't had time to work up much of a sweat, but there was a sheen.

“I like your sweat.” Spike set a small, brown paper shopping bag he was carrying down at his feet, then wrapped his arms around Buffy and held her tight. He whispered, “You got much sweatier last night, and I didn't mind then.”

Buffy giggled, putting her arms around his middle. She whispered near his ear, “I got the note you hid in my purse.”

“Did you like it?” Spike asked, then gave her earlobe a soft kiss.

Buffy squeezed him tighter for a second. “I loved it. There was definite swoon-age.”

“Good.” Spike pulled back to look at her. “But if me leavin' you notes and presents starts getting annoying, tell me, alright? I'd feel like a complete git if I thought I was being terribly romantic, and you were just rollin' your eyes at me behind my back.”

He was being cute and flirty, but Buffy knew he was serious about what he was saying. “I can't imagine it ever getting annoying, but I promise to tell you if it does. How's your hand?” she asked, taking his injured hand in hers. She couldn't get a look at the burn, Spike had wrapped a bandage around it.

“No worries, luv. Shouldn't take long for it to be good as new.”

Buffy finally noticed the bag Spike had set down on the floor. She sighed, but couldn't keep from smiling. “Oh Spike, don't tell me you bought me another present? You didn't have to do that.”

“I didn't,” he said simply. “It's not for you.”

Buffy was a little taken aback, she'd been ready to snatch up the bag and unwrap another romantic prezzie. Spike really did need to cool it with the gift-giving, she was getting spoiled. “...Oh. Well, if it's not a present for me, then what's in the bag?”

Spike looked anxiously over at Tara, who was browsing at a bookshelf. “I need to have a word with Glinda.” After a moment of hesitation, he started striding toward Tara.

Buffy's brow creased as she watched Spike walking over to the gentle witch. She didn't know what he could want to talk to Tara about -- Spike and Tara didn't exactly have a lot in common.

“Need t' 'ave a word,” Spike told the blond witch.

Tara looked behind her, thinking Spike was talking to someone else.

“You. Glin... Tara,” he said, pointing at her.

She looked back at him, her naturally large eyes becoming larger. “Y-you want to talk t-to m-me?”

Spike nodded and gestured toward the training room. “If ya can spare a mo'.”

“Um... I guess... okay,” Tara said slowly, then walked ahead of Spike into the room.

Buffy didn't say anything, but she locked eyes with Spike and gave him a look that said, “What's going on?”

Spike only nodded once to acknowledge Buffy's unspoken question, he had to get through this quickly before he lost his nerve.

When the door closed, Willow asked, “What's that about?”

Buffy shrugged and shook her head. “I have no idea. I don't recall Spike saying anything earlier about wanting to talk to Tara.”

Willow started for the training room. “I should go in and...”

Buffy put her hand on Willow's arm, stopping her. “Why? Do you think he's going to try to hurt her? Nevermind that Spike can't hurt her, he wouldn't. Tara's a big girl, and she's a lot stronger than you give her credit for, Willow. Just let them talk about whatever's on Spike's mind.”

Willow's shoulders slumped slightly. “I guess I'm just... too overprotective when it comes to Tara. She is strong, I know that... but she has a hard time talking to people she isn't close to. I don't even like someone saying rude things to her.”

“I doubt Spike wanted to talk to her in private just to be rude to her.” Buffy wouldn't let anything ruin the good mood she'd been in since last night, but it did trouble her to see that Willow didn't trust Spike to even talk to Tara. “If I thought for one second there was even the tiniest chance Spike was being mean to her, I would put a stop to it myself.”

Willow nodded, trying to shake off the strong urge to protect Tara. “Yeah... I know. I just wonder...” Willow looked at the door to the training room apprehensively, “... what Spike would need to talk to her alone about?”





Meanwhile, in the training room...

Once Spike closed the door behind them, Tara turned around and waited to see what Spike wanted to speak to her about. She knew she shouldn't be nervous -- Spike seemed to like her at least a little, and he wasn't capable of harming her -- but when the former William T. Bloody wanted to be alone with you, it still caused a bit of anxiety.

Spike ducked his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Buffy told me how kind you were to her when she showed up on your doorstep, when she was all worked up and feelin' out of sorts. I wanted to say...” he swallowed uncomfortably, then looked up to make eye contact, “...thank you.”

Tara smiled bashfully and looked down. “Oh, well... you d-don't have to thank me for that, Spike.” She was relieved his reason for speaking to her in private was that, apparently, he didn't want everyone seeing him be nice.

“Yeah, I do have to thank you, and not just for that... Buffy said it was you who helped her realize she was in love with me.” He took a breath and shook his head. “Could never thank you enough for that, Tara. Buffy and me... we've been stuck going 'round in circles for a right long while, and you helped us get... un-stuck. Who knows how bloody long it would've taken us to sort things out on our own.”

Tara still didn't think she deserved thanks for just being a good friend to Buffy. “I'm glad I was able to help, that's what friends do. Really... it wasn't a big deal.”

“It was a big deal to us.” Spike took a deep breath, steeled himself, and then stepped forward, putting his arms around Tara in a loose hug. “You might not think you did anything special, but you did. And I won't forget it. Thank you for bein'... you, luv.”

Tara was shocked that Spike was actually hugging her and being so nice, but she recovered quickly and brought her arms up to return the hug, awkwardly patting Spike on the back. “You're welcome. I just w-want you and Buffy to be happy.”

Spike gave her a little kiss on the cheek before dropping his arms and taking a step back. He was extremely uncomfortable talking to Tara like this, and hugging her was an even harder thing for him to do, but Spike had been determined to do this; it was important to him to let Tara know how much he appreciated what she'd done. Speaking from the heart made Spike feel rather emotional, which increased his discomfort, and was the main reason he didn't want to talk to Tara in front of everyone else. It was hard enough for him as it was, he couldn't handle it if all of the Scoobies were gawking at him, and perhaps making snide comments, too.

Tara noticed that Spike's eyes were shiny, and it made her want to say 'Awww!' But she could see how uneasy the vampire was about speaking to her like this, and the hugging, so she wisely chose to pretend she didn't notice any tears. Tara couldn't ignore the tears in her own eyes, though. She was touched that Spike had felt so strongly about thanking her that he'd let her see his sensitive side, the side that he was really only comfortable sharing with Buffy.

Spike cleared his throat and smiled timidly, hoping he hadn't made a complete git of himself. “I needed to get that off my chest. Sorry if it was just... weird.”

Tara agreed with Buffy, shy Spike was totally adorable.

“No, it wasn't weird,” Tara said. At Spike's arched eyebrow, she chuckled and acquiesced, “Alright, it was a little weird at first. I think it's... really sweet that you wanted to thank me personally.”

Spike overlooked the 'sweet' comment. Normally, he would object to being called sweet by anyone other than Buffy, but he didn't mind if Tara thought of him that way, too. “If you ever need anything -- anything at all -- you call me. Got it? I don't have many friends...” Spike snorted and smirked. “Shocking, ain't it? I'll give you a moment to let that sink in before I continue.”

Tara laughed lightly, feeling much more at ease with Spike than she had only a minute ago. He really could be very cute and charming when he wanted to be.

“I'd like to include you in that very exclusive club. So... friends, then?” he asked, holding out his hand.

Tara smiled and shook his hand. “I'd like that too, Spike. I want you to know that you can come to me if you ever need to get anything else off your chest.”

Spike frowned. “I don't know about that...”

“No, really you can,” Tara insisted with a nod.

“What I mean is, you're already Buffy's preferred therapist. If you take me on as a client as well, you might never get a moment's peace again,” he said, smirking at the end of the sentence.

Tara laughed again. “Well, that's a risk I accepted when I decided to become an amateur psychologist.”

“You plan on expanding into couples counseling any time soon? You could get both of us on the couch at once, that might save you some time.”

“You're funny,” she said, chuckling. “I never noticed you being funny before.”

He shrugged. “My rapier wit goes over most people's heads. Actually... it's probably 'cos my jokes usually involve insulting someone, and a good person like you doesn't find that sort of thing funny.”

She nodded. “Yeah, that's probably it. Spike, I know this wasn't easy for you, you're usually not so... share-y. But I'm really glad you felt like you could talk to me.”

Spike sniffed and nodded. “Right, then.” He gestured at the door.

“Would you rather, um, I kept what we talked about just between the two of us?” Tara asked.

“You can tell whoever you like, I don't mind. I just didn't want an audience when I said what I needed to say to you.” He snorted again as he looked at the door. “I'll wager at least one of 'em has their ear to the door right now, tryin' to hear what we're saying.” Spike smiled mischievously. “Let's open the door real sudden-like -- if they're leaning on it, they might fall flat on their face. That'll teach 'em it's not polite to eavesdrop.”

“Oh, I doubt they're nosy and paranoid enough to be listening at the door,” Tara laughed. “But... we shouldn't open it too suddenly, just in case.”





No one fell into the training room when the door was opened -- mostly because Buffy wouldn't let anyone get close enough to listen.

Everyone was looking curiously at Tara and Spike, still wondering what the two of them could possibly have to talk about.

Tara wanted to head-off any questions the others might be about to ask. “Spike wanted to thank me for helping Buffy the other night -- which he really didn't have to do, but I appreciate him saying it.”

Spike gave Tara a little smile, then looked around the room at the Scoobies with raised eyebrows. “Satisfied?”

“You couldn't say 'thanks' to Tara out here?” Xander asked, furrowing his brow.

“What's it t' you?” Spike asked, getting annoyed with Xander already.

Xander held his hands up. “Take it easy, Spike, I was just asking a question. I'm just saying, it's weird. It doesn't --”

Tara spoke up before Xander could finish his sentence and the two men could get more agitated with each other. “Spike has his reasons, and I'm glad he chose to talk to me the way he did. He did a nice thing by coming to me to talk one-on-one, don't treat him like he did something wrong. Can we move on and talk about something else now?”

The rest of the Scoobies exchanged surprised glances for a few moments, a bit taken aback at hearing Tara talk that way. She didn't stutter at all, and there was power behind her voice most of them had never, or rarely, heard.

Spike winked at Tara, who smiled back at him. He knew he'd been right to trust Tara and consider her a friend. Besides this one, he couldn't think of an instance when any of the Scoobies had stuck up for him or demanded better treatment of him from another member of their little group.

Willow and Buffy were grinning, proud of their significant others. Willow was proud of how strong Tara looked and sounded (she was also more than a little turned on). And Buffy was proud of Spike for not being afraid to speak from his heart with one of her friends (she was more than a little turned on, too, but then she'd been halfway turned on all day).

Spike gave Tara a nod. “You're alright, Glinda. And definitely the best addition this sorry lot's ever seen."

"Hey!" Anya objected, her brows knit.

Spike glanced at Anya. "Like I said..." He rolled his eyes at Anya and Xander's grumbling and perturbed expressions. “It was a bloody joke, for God's sake! I do happen to like you, Anya.” He censored himself, stopping before he could say something like, '...despite your terrible taste in men.' “The Scoobies are lucky to have you onboard, too.”

“Oh... well, good.” Anya's frown turned up at the corners. “Thank you, Spike. Would you and Buffy like to join us at the Bronze later for some drinks and dancing?”

Xander winced, not thrilled at the prospect of more socializing with Spike. The more time he spent around Captain Peroxide, the harder it would be to maintain a pleasant facade.

Spike shrugged and looked at Buffy. “If Buffy's game, it's alright with me.”

“Sure, I'm definitely up for some dancing,” Buffy enthused, looking forward to getting Spike out on the dance floor. “And it'll give Xander a chance to buy Spike that drink he's owed him for a while now.” Buffy gave Xander a look that said he'd better finally fulfill that promise.

“And don't forget the basket of spicy wings,” Spike added with a smirk.

Xander sighed. “Yes, I'll buy Spike a drink and spicy wings.” He wasn't happy about it, but at least he wouldn't owe Spike anything after he finally bought him the damn drink.

Buffy put her arms around Spike's neck and gave him a little kiss. “Saying what you did to Tara was very...”

“Sweet?” Spike cringed.

Buffy chuckled. “Yes, I'm sorry but it was very sweet. Why didn't you tell me you were going to do that?”

Spike shrugged. “Dunno. I... wasn't sure if I'd lose my nerve, I s'pose. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me if I couldn't do it.”

“I know it isn't easy for you to do stuff like that... I'm proud of you, my big ol' teddy bear with fangs.” She smiled and gave him another soft kiss. “You're being so thoughtful and considerate of my friends.”

Spike grimaced slightly, as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. “Yeah... I'm really startin' to make myself sick.”

Buffy laughed. “Well, it makes me very happy to see you making a real effort and being friendly with the other important people in my life. I know there's a good guy in there,” Buffy said, poking his chest with an index finger, “he just needs to be nurtured for him to come out more often.”

Spike put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, then whispered in her ear, “There's also a bad boy in here who'd fancy some nurturing, too. He's still brassed off 'bout not getting a bit of nurturing this mornin'.”

Buffy bit her lip to keep from letting out a very girly giggle. She gave his earlobe a little nibble, then whispered, “Well... I plan on tending to that bad, bad boy inside of you after fulfilling my Slayer duties this evening. I'm gonna nurture his brains out.”

Spike pulled back, smirking and arching an eyebrow. “Is that a promise?”

“Uh-huh. And I always keep my promises.” Buffy raised and lowered her eyebrows suggestively. She wanted to take Spike in the training room right now and ravish him... But, having not mastered 'quiet sex,' her friends were bound to hear some zoo noises, and Buffy didn't want to test her friends' limits (or Xander's gag-reflex) that way. Buffy would have to wait to ravish Spike and be ravished by him again for a little while longer.

“Wanna leave right now?” Spike asked, wanting to just hoist Buffy over his shoulder and run to the nearest bed.

“Hey, you never told me what was in the bag,” Buffy said, nudging the shopping bag Spike had brought with him with her foot. “I was tempted to peek while you were in the other room, but I restrained myself.”

Spike groaned and hung his head back. “Bloody hell... I forgot to give it to Tara in the training room. I've been so bloody forgetful lately.”

Buffy had to stifle a laugh, thinking 'give it to Tara in the training room' sounded dirty. She had to get her mind out of the gutter. “Aww, you got Tara a present? What's stopping you from giving it to her now?”

Spike glanced at the Scoobies, not enjoying the prospect of being teased about his niceness.

“Don't worry about what anyone might say, Spike. I think it'll be a good thing for everyone to see you do something nice,” Buffy encouraged him. “But it's up to you.”

Spike nodded, making up his mind. He picked up the bag and walked over to Tara at the counter. So what if the Scoobies did take the piss outta him? It wouldn't be the end of the world. “I forgot I wanted to give you this.” He took a piece of paper out of the bag and held it out to Tara.

She took the paper, very curious as to what it could be. It was a page torn out of a magical supply catalogue, featuring a picture of a Tarot card deck.

“I wanted to buy it for you, but I knew Anya would bitch at me if I bought it anywhere else but here,” Spike said, giving Anya an annoyed look.

Tara grinned. "The 'Daughters of the Moon' deck! I've always wanted this one." She was touched, almost speechless for a few moments that Spike wanted to give her such a great gift. "Th-thank you, Spike. But you don't have to buy me anything, it's okay.”

He shook his head. “I won't take no for an answer, you're gettin' it.” Spike took the page and then handed it to Anya. “Wrap one of those up for me, would you, luv?”

“I'll have to order it special. We don't carry that particular deck, they're very rare,” Anya said. “It'll cost you extra.”

Spike sighed. “Knew I shoulda went to that 'Abracadabra' shop... Bet they have it in stock.”

“Don't even joke about that!” Anya scowled at the mention of their shop's arch-enemy. “Alright... you don't have to pay the extra ordering charge... this time.”

“You're too kind,” Spike sighed as he put the money down on the counter. He turned back to Tara. “I wanted to be able to give you something, and not just the promise of a gift. So... I bought something for your pretty l'il pussy.”

Everyone's eyes got wider and their jaws dropped slightly. Even the normally unflappable and often inappropriate Anya froze. They stared at Spike, thinking he couldn't have possibly have just said what they thought he said.

Spike reached into the bag. "I know she's small now, but she'll grow into..." He finally noticed how everyone was looking at him. His brow creased, wondering what he'd done wrong now. "Why are you all lookin' at me like that? I know witchy types are especially fond of their felines, I thought a gift for the cat would be appreciated." Spike took a purple cat collar adorned with a silver pentagram (and not something they all feared he'd bought at a sex shop) out of the shopping bag.

Buffy started laughing and hugged Spike from behind. "Oh, pussycat! Spike... um, I told you how you should attach 'cat' onto the end of that word if you're talking to Americans."

"You thought I meant..." Spike looked at Tara, now his eyes widened, too. "Oh, bloody hell... I didn't mean your... It's for the soddin' cat -- Miss Kitty Magnifico, whatever the bloody hell her name is." He looked away and held the collar out to Tara.

Tara giggled and blushed as she took the collar from Spike. "It's... It's okay, I just... I didn't know what to think. I was afraid to see what you were about to take out of the bag."

The rest of the Scoobies laughed along with Tara and Buffy -- the first time all of them, including Spike, shared a laugh.

“Well, that could've been awkward,” Spike joked.

Tara patted Spike's shoulder. “Miss Kitty will love the collar, thank you, Spike. It was so thoughtful of you to get something for her. And you're getting me the Tarot deck no matter how much I object, right?”

“Right,” he said with a nod.

“In that case, I'll just say thank you.” Tara blushed as she leaned forward and gave Spike a kiss on the cheek.

He sniffed and smiled. “Welcome.”

Buffy could see Spike was starting to fidget uncomfortably. He was probably itching to get out of the shop by now. “Spike and I are going to do a little patrolling before we go Bronze'ing.”

Spike gave her a grateful smile. “Yeah, let's get goin', pet.”

“I have to clean up a little first and change out of my workout clothes. It'll only take a few minutes.” Buffy gave him a quick kiss and hurried into the training room.

He'd been so anxious to leave that he hadn't noticed Buffy was still wearing a sports bra and the rest of her workout gear. Spike wanted to leave on a high note, and before something unpleasant could happen.

To his relief, the Scoobies went about their normal routines and gave him some space. Tara and Willow were searching for books about the 'Daughters of the Moon' Tarot; Anya sat at the table, reading a magazine during her break; and Xander and Giles were at the counter, discussing a new display case Giles wanted Xander to construct for the shop.

Spike went to a bookshelf near the reading table, just browsing and biding his time until Buffy came back. He noticed Anya looking at him. He really wasn't in the mood for small-talk... but he decided to start a conversation with her before she had a chance to start one about her and Xander's bedroom habits. “You'll order that Tarot deck for Tara, straightaway?”

“Yes, I'll send in the order before I leave tonight.”

“Good... thanks.”

“It should get here by Wednesday, Friday at the latest.”

“Yeah, that's what...” Spike paused, realizing Anya's attention was focused somewhere other than his face. He put his hands on his hips. “Anya?”

“Hmm?”

“My eyes are up here.” Spike pointed to his face for emphasis. “Want to tell me why you're starin' at my crotch?” he asked, making no attempt to shield his area from her gaze. He was just curious as to why she was staring, he had no objections to being ogled.

She looked up to his eyes, not ashamed of being caught as most people would be. “I was just...” Anya stopped in mid-sentence, aware that her brand of in-your-face honesty and outspokenness wasn't appropriate in this instance.

“If you're in the market for a new boyfriend, sorry, luv, I'm spoken for,” Spike sneered.

"No, I'm not interested in being with you. Xander leaves me completely satisfied in bed... most of the time. Sometimes he's tired from working all day and can only --"

"Let me stop you right there," Spike cautioned, holding up a hand, "before you say something that'll make me vomit. If you aren't interested in me, then why were you starin' at my package?"

Anya opened her mouth to speak, but stopped just before she said anything. She looked around conspiratorially, then crooked a finger at Spike.

Spike's brow furrowed, he leaned away from her instead of getting closer as she requested. “What? Why can't you just say it?”

She blew out an exasperated breath. “Will you just come here so I can quietly tell you the reason I was looking at your impressive package?”

Spike regarded her warily, but slowly leaned down to allow her to whisper in his ear. He was leery, but his curiosity was too great, he had to hear Anya's reason. Spike's eyebrows rose higher as Anya explained her reason for ogling him.

He stood up straight, pursing his lips and cocking an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Buffy had come out of the training room a moment ago, dressed in her street clothes and drinking from a bottle of water. While she was happy to see nothing bad had happened during her brief absence, she had a sense of foreboding at seeing Anya whispering something in Spike's ear...

Buffy thought, 'No... she wouldn't tell him... would she? Not after I told her NOT to tell anyone, like, a million times...' She did her best to ignore the anxiety she was feeling, telling herself that she was just getting upset over what would turn out to be nothing. Buffy pushed past the bad feeling, put a smile on her face, and walked over to Spike and Anya.

“Ready to go, Buffy?” Spike asked.

“Almost, yeah.” Buffy wracked her brain, trying to think of a polite, non-nosy way of asking what it was they were all whispery about. “What are you guys up to? I saw you were talking when I came in.”

“Oh, that,” Anya chuckled. “It's a funny story. Spike caught me gazing at his groin and thought I might be lusting after him. I assured him that I'm only interested Xander.”

Buffy's brows formed a V. “What? Why the hell were you gazing at his groin?!”

“Well,” Anya explained, “after what you told us, I had to wonder if you were exaggerating about the size of his penis in order to make me envious.”

Buffy paled and her eyes got progressively wider as Anya spoke.

Anya was oblivious to Buffy's panicked expression. She smiled pleasantly at Spike. “Buffy also said you were the best lover she's ever had, and that she lost count of how many mind-scrambling orgasms you gave her. She described some wonderful techniques you used. Like, how did you do that thing with your --”

Buffy interrupted her, “Stop making things up, Anya! I never told you guys anything like that." She gave Anya a look that said she'd better shut up.

Anya didn't get the message. "Yes, you did. I clearly remember you talking to me, Willow, and Tara before Spike arrived. You told us how well-endowed he is, that he's a skilled lover, and a stallion in bed. You can ask them.” Then Anya looked at Buffy with concern. “Are you alright? Is something wrong with your memory?”

Buffy grit her teeth, wishing she could make Anya burst into flames with her mind. “I... am going to kill you.” She gave up the pretense of pretending Anya was joking or lying. By now, Spike knew it was Buffy who was lying, and he was probably very hurt and/or embarrassed that she'd been talking about him like a piece of meat.

Anya blinked in surprise. “Why? What did I do?”

“What did you do? Are you serious?” Buffy asked, incredulous. She tried to keep her voice as low as possible, Giles and Xander still didn't know she and Spike had made love last night... unless Anya had had a little chat with them while Buffy was out of the room, too. “You weren't supposed to tell everyone what I told you in confidence! And I gave you a look a minute ago that should've told you to shut up -- didn't you see the frickin' look?!"

"I didn't see any look that 'said' anything.” Anya frowned.

Xander was still at the counter, but heard Buffy's voice sounding stressed. “Something wrong?” he asked, preparing to go over to the table.

Buffy turned her head and somehow managed to smile. “No, nothing's wrong. Just... stay over there. We're, um... discussing your birthday party.”

“Really?” Xander grinned. His birthday was still a few months away... He thought they must be planning something really special to be talking about it so far in advance. “Okay, just remember that clowns scare the bejeebus outta me, so don't plan a circus themed party.”

Buffy's friendly smile disappeared when she looked back at Anya. “You didn't tell them, too, did you?” she growled.

“No, of course not!” Anya said, sounding offended.

“You have such a big mouth! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you...”

“You specifically said you didn't want Xander and Giles to know about your night of passion with Spike, and I didn't tell them,” Anya said reasonably, still believing she hadn't done anything wrong.

“You weren't supposed to tell anyone, including Spike. How could you not get that? I swear, it's like you're from another frickin' planet!”

“I don't know what you're upset about, Buffy.” Anya shrugged. “Spike already knew the things I told him. And a man likes it when their girlfriend tells her friends that he has large penis and brags about his sexual prowess.”

Buffy's right eye twitched. She really wanted to punch Anya right now... but she kept her temper under control. “Just... forget it,” she groaned, putting a hand to her temple and rubbing. “Arguing with you about it is giving me a headache, and it's only pissing me off more.”

Spike tapped Buffy on the arm. “It's gettin' late, we should start on patrol.”

“Y-yeah, okay.” She wasn't eager to go, though getting away from Anya was very appealing. But Buffy knew the moment she and Spike were alone... she'd have to explain herself. Was he going to blow up at her? Would he stalk off into the night and find a place to brood, leaving her to wonder where he was and worrying that he might just leave her forever this time?





Spike was walking a bit ahead of her on the sidewalk, not waiting for her to catch up... that wasn't a good sign. Buffy bit her lip, waiting for him to say something.

After he hadn't slowed down or said a word for what seemed like an eternity, Buffy had to say something, the silence was killing her. She stopped walking. “I'm sorry, Spike.”

Spike stopped and turned halfway around to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “You're sorry?”

“Yes, I'm very, very sorry.”

“And what is it you're sorry for?” he asked.

Buffy closed her eyes and took a trembling breath. “Please don't... I know I messed up, but you don't have to make me feel worse than I already do.”

Spike smiled questioningly. “What're you on about, Buffy?”

“Spike...” she sighed. He was obviously not going to let her off the hook easily. “Can we please not do this? I know you must be angry, but --”

“Angry about what?” Spike looked heavenward in exasperation. “Will you just tell me what it is you're supposed to have done to piss me off? I honestly don't know.”

She paused, studying his face and gauging his mood. “You... really don't know what I'm talking about?”

“Haven't got a bloody clue.” Spike put his hands in his pockets and walked over to her, tilting his head. “Care to enlighten me, pet?”

Buffy looked down at the pavement, feeling like a jerk for spilling bedroom secrets to her friends. "I'm really sorry I told them about last night and... details about you. I should've known I couldn't trust Anya to keep her big mouth shut. I should'n'tve told them about last night. I know I screwed up... and I'm sorry."

Spike arched an eyebrow. "You thought I'd be angry you told your mates I had a big cock and that I was the best sex you ever had? You have met me, right?" He smiled and ducked his head to see her face. “The demon bird was right, I'm chuffed that you were talkin' about me with your mates.”

Buffy looked up, smiling tentatively. "You're not mad at me?” She searched his eyes for any sign of sadness or hurt, but all she saw in the depths of his deep blue eyes was happiness and amusement.

Spike laughed. “If anything, I'm even happier knowin' you were bragging about me. I didn't think it was possible to be happier than I was last night, but...” he shrugged, “here we are.”

“If you're not mad, then why did you want to leave the shop so suddenly? I thought it was because you couldn't wait to start yelling at me.”

“'Like I said, it was gettin' late and I thought we should start on patrol. I also reckoned it was a good idea to get you out of there -- a few more minutes of arguing with Anya might've made her nightmare of a rampaging Slayer destroying her shop a reality.”

“Okay...” Buffy had been so convinced that she'd messed everything up (again!) that it was hard for her to believe everything was actually fine. “Well, why didn't you want to walk with me? And why didn't you say anything to me for a minute?”

“I thought you were upset about arguing with Anya and you'd need a few minutes to cool down,” Spike explained. “I didn't want to say or do anything that might transfer your anger towards her onto me. I wanted to laugh about the whole thing after Anya told me, but I didn't think you'd take too kindly to me laughing when you were so upset.”

“So... everything's really okay?” Buffy asked dubiously.

“Yes, everything is really okay.” Spike raised his hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek. “I'm sorry, pet... I know it's my fault you're feelin' so paranoid. If I hadn't been such an enormous git and taken offense to every little thing...” He sighed with regret and shook his head, wishing he could go back and change all their 'misunderstandings.'

“To be fair, we both exhibited git-like behavior,” Buffy said, hoping to make him smile. It worked this time.

Spike chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. “That's all in the past, we're gonna be smarter and approach any problems we have with maturity from now on.”

“We are, huh?” Buffy asked with a skeptical laugh. “You have met us, right?”

Spike chuckled at her turning the question back on him. “We can do it, luv. Remember what I said this morning? I'm not gonna be that insecure prat who misinterprets everything you say and do anymore. If I've got a problem, you're gonna hear about it. I won't just take off and silently stew about it like I did before. And, this one's very important, I will not jump to the worst of conclusions when I do feel slighted. I expect the same of you, too -- you tell me about it if I upset you in any way. We're gonna be fine, luv. No worries.”

“How come you're being so much more... un-spazzy about everything than I am?” Buffy wondered.

Spike pursed his lips, thinking about it. “I just feel much calmer, more centered since last night. I have no doubt that you love me, and...” he gave her his flirty open-mouthed smile and slow eyeblink combo, “... I know we'll have no problems satisfying each other's wants and desires both in and out of the bedroom. I'm just more confident about us.”

“Does it... upset you that I'm still wigging out about everything and worried something will come between us again?” Buffy asked nervously.

“So, now you're worried that I'm not worried?” Spike asked, smirking.

Buffy snorted softly, dropping her head to rest her forehead on his shoulder. “I know... I'm crazy.”

Spike held her close, rubbing her back comfortingly. “Being in love can make people a bit nutty, it's been happenin' since the beginning of time. But it's not as if things have been perfect between us up 'til now and your paranoia is coming out of nowhere... I've done plenty of bloody stupid things to cause you to worry.”

“Yeah, but I've done some bloody stupid things, too,” Buffy sighed. “If I hadn't...”

Spike cut off her sentence, took her hands in his and pulled away to gaze into her eyes. “We've both mucked things up at one time or another, but... Listen to me, Buffy. I'm yours... Every part of me is yours. I'd rather dust than ruin or walk away from the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Buffy. Not a day will go by that I won't think about how bloody lucky I am to be with you. I'm hopelessly devoted to you... just like that bloody song says. You have no chance of ever getting rid of me, you're stuck with me forever. I love you, Buffy Summers. Understand?”

Buffy smiled, her eyes getting a little misty. “I love you too, Spike. And yes... I do understand.” She genuinely, finally did understand that nothing she could possibly say or do would make this man stop loving her. They would have their ups and downs like any other couple, they just had to trust and believe in each other -- and cut each other some slack for small, unintended offenses from time to time.

Spike smiled softly. “I have no problem with telling and showing you how much I love you every single day if that's what it takes.”

“I'll tell and show you how much I love you every day, too.” Buffy knew the women Spike had loved never treated him as well as he'd treated them, she planned on fixing that.

They held hands as they resumed their walk to the cemetery.

“Feel better now?” Spike asked.

Buffy nodded. “Definitely; however, I am never telling Anya anything ever again. I was so stupid to think I could trust her to keep her mouth shut... I'm glad we left the shop when we did. If I had to look at her or listen to her talk one minute longer, I would've punched her in the face. Things are good between you and me, we didn't have a fight over it, but she could've caused big trouble if you'd reacted badly. I can't help but still be pissed off at her.”

“Well, that should make meeting them at the Bronze in an hour or so more interesting,” Spike said dryly.

Buffy groaned and made a face. “Oh, dammit... That's right, we're meeting for drinks and dancing. I forgot about that.”

“Give Anya a break, luv.”

“I'd like to break her neck,” Buffy grumbled.

Spike snorted. “C'mon, she didn't know she wasn't supposed to tell me, and there's no harm done.”

“Why do you care if I'm mad at her?”

He shrugged. “I know what it's like to be the outsider and have a past that's... well, unsavory, to say the least. Yours isn't the easiest group to jump into, y'know? You're all so close, more like family than just friends. It's obvious Anya wants to belong, she just doesn't know how to be... normal; she's still learning the ropes. She'll get it eventually, she needs time is all. Anya wasn't being nasty or malicious when she repeated what you'd said, she just didn't understand it wasn't okay to tell me. So... cut her some slack, yeah?”

“I really want to stay mad at her...” Buffy sighed, resigned; she'd give Spike pretty much anything he asked of her right now. “Alright... I'll cut her some slack for you.” Buffy could see that Spike's plea for clemency on Anya's behalf was also asking her to be patient with him while he 'learned the ropes.' “I guess you're right... Anya didn't realize she was doing anything wrong. I'll just have to be super clear when I give her instructions on secret-keeping in the future.”

“I'll wager Anya will be more careful about what she says, and who she says it to, in the future, as well.” Spike looked at his watch. “We aren't even at the cemetery yet. Doesn't look like we'll have much time for patrolling before it's time to head over to the Bronze for my free drink and spicy wings.”

“Well... we could do a longer patrol after the Bronze instead of doing one now,” Buffy suggested with a saucy smile and a twinkle in her eye. “There's something I've been dying to do all day that would be a much more fun way to pass the time.”

Spike smirked, seeing what he recognized as Buffy's 'I'm gonna rock your world' look. “You think an hour is enough time for what you have in mind, pet? You know how thorough I am,” he said, his voice going deeper and rumbling with passion.

Buffy smiled and bit her lip in that way she knew Spike found irresistible. “Well... it wouldn't be the end of the world if we're a little bit late.”



THE END


Chapter End Notes:
Wow, I still can't quite believe it's finally finished and I can mark the story as “Complete”! It's been a loooong time coming lol

* Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! Thank you for sticking with me through the very lengthy waits between chapters lol

* More thanks to my amazing beta Passion4Spike, who made the story so much better than it would've been without her invaluable help and advice. She is THE best :) I don't know what I'd do without you, P4S! *HUGS*

* Yet more thanks to Dark Heart (who, like P4S, is an awesome author) for all the support and encouragement he's given me. He kept me on track and determined, not letting me give up on myself. I literally couldn't have finished the story without you in my corner, DH! *HUGS*

* Spike's poem was actually the song, 'Never My Love' (songwriters Addrisi, Richard P./Addrisi, Donald J.). I changed some of the lyrics to suit my purposes :) Listen to the song by The Association here: Never My Love - The Association



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