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Disclaimer: Joss is the evil mastermind of Buffy and its characters so they don’t belong to me.

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Spike was stunned for a few seconds and Xander’s anguished voice broke his reverie.

"Dammit, get off of me, you bleached corpse. Who the hell do you think you are? I think you broke my arm." Spike looked at Xander sideways just at the tremors subsided.

"S'not broken. Here, I'll show you…" Xander jumped to his feet hissing from the evident pain he was in.

He glared at Spike as the vampire also stood. "Don't you ever lay a hand on me, or any of my friends, ever, ever again or I swear, I will be the ends to your means. Got it, blondie? I have no qualms about ending your existence."

Buffy had made her way over to the boys just in time to hear Xander's rant. She cocked her head at him and placed her hands on her hips not believing the words emanating from his mouth.

"Xander!?"

"Don't bother, luv. He's so short sighted, he can't even see past his own nose." Spike walked away sadly.

Xander pointed at the departing vamp. "Oh yeah, you…Damn, I couldn't think of a good comeback." He saw Buffy's sour demeanor.

"What? The dead guy, your ex-whatever, attacked me and dislocated my shoulder. Didn't you see him?"

"I saw the whole thing. I guess Spike is right. You choose what you want to believe. Xander, just think about it. Why would Spike just come right out and attack you? Did you even notice that slab of concrete right there?" She pointed at it.

"Yeah." Buffy rolled her eyes; he wasn’t getting the big picture.

"Well, about five minutes ago, you were standing right there where it is now lying. Where do you think you would be now if Spike hadn’t knocked you out of the way?"

Xander stood there in silence looking at the concrete wall when it hit him like a ton of bricks; Spike had actually saved his life. He never figured the vampire, souled or not, would think twice about him. Xander had berated him, now he felt like a heel. He was the only one out of all the Scoobs who disliked Spike and voiced his opinions about it daily. Now the stupid souled one had to rush in and save his life. Why, he asked himself. God, now he would have to apologize and thank him at the same time. His life couldn't be anymore complicated.

Buffy and Giles met up nearby, both expressing their concern about the earthquake. It meant more research especially if and when an apocalypse was upon them. They looked up at the sound of Xander screaming in agony. Spike had made Xander hold the handle of the weapons bag with his bad arm, the weight of it pulling his arm back into the right place. He swayed back and forth as Dawn wrapped her arms around him to steady him, looking as if he would surely pass out from the pain. If he did, she would ask Spike to carry him home. He didn't of course, but he grumbled all the way as they all headed back to the Summers' house.

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Everyone was apprehensive on the walk back. When they entered the Summers' sanctuary, a sigh of relief could be heard from everyone and the atmosphere relaxed. The girls went into the kitchen to pull out the snacks, which left the guys in the living room. Spike quickly strode over to the chest to put away the weapons so Giles looked over at Xander and motioned him to go say something to Spike. Xander hung his head in shame and trudged towards his mission.

"Uh, Spike." The vampire ignored Xander completely.

"Look, this is hard for me, cause I don't like you. So could you at least give me a chance to apologize with dignity?"

"I suppose. And the feeling’s mutual," Spike muttered as he straightened up and glared at the whelp.

"Alright, fair. What I mean to say is…ssss…sorry. For the way I treated you back in the cemetery after you, you know, did what you did. And, thanks. I guess I owe you one."

"You don't owe me a thing. Didn't want a bunch of blubbering women out there when you flattened into a pancake. Just doing what…doing the right thing, that's it."

Spike noticed at that moment they had an audience as everyone stood looking at the two enemies. A sort of truce was being made between them and they wanted to witness it. Xander pulled his hand out of his jeans pocket and extended it towards Spike as the vampire looked down at it then glanced over at Buffy. She smiled, nodding at him and he rolled his eyes as shook Xander's hand. They quickly broke away from it and went off in separate directions. Buffy was now happy that two of her friends were trying to make a go of it although she knew it wasn't going to be pretty relationship, it was at least a start in the right direction. Now maybe they could all work together to get to the bottom of all this ugliness building up underneath them.

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The following morning, a Saturday, Buffy slowly made her way down the stairs. She had retired to her own bed very late leaving the others strewn about the room. She stopped at the bottom step and gazed around at her living room floor which was mostly covered with bodies. Everyone had decided to stay overnight since no one had any prior arrangements for the day. Giles was going to head up an all day research party and he coerced everyone to stay and help, bribing them with tasty morsels. He would take everyone out to dinner that night if they volunteered for research duty.

Buffy walked over to the side of the couch and looked down at Giles, who was still knocked out on the sofa and off to her right, Xander, Willow and Anya were snoozing as well. They had found pillows, blankets and sleeping bags to use for their little slumber party but Spike had found a patch of open floor right in front of his beloved telly, where Dawn and he were now casually lounging and watching the morning cartoons. Actually, Dawn watched and ran a commentary for Spike, who was awake but laid there, arms behind his head with eyes closed, a slight smile playing at his mouth. He was enjoying his company and Buffy thought it was so cute how Dawn used Spike's folded arm as a headrest.

Giles started to stir so Buffy made her way to the kitchen to make coffee and search around for breakfast type foods. When she returned back to the room, Willow and Anya were sitting on the floor on the other side of Spike. Xander, who still looked asleep even though his eyes were wide open, was on the couch next to Giles who was now sitting up and of course reading over something important, she was sure. She heard Dawn giggle and noticed there was a slight struggle occurring between her sister and the blonde vampire. Dawn was poking him in the ribcage, which caused a surprising reaction on Spike's behalf. Dawn noticed Buffy standing in the doorway.

"Guess what, Buffy? Someone we all know is very ticklish."

Spike growled and tried his best to grab the girl's quick hands. "Am not."

"Are so! Watch, I'll show ya. Come on, Willow. Let's watch the vampire squirm."

Willow was laughing at how Spike was moving all over the place, trying to get away from the long bony fingers of Dawn. Willow made a surprise attack on the other side of his ribs and Anya sat there, a look of wonder on her face as if she wasn't quite getting what was going on.

"I hear vampire's have very sensitive feet. Oh, look, Spike has no shoes or socks on." Anya swiftly moved towards his feet.

"NNNOOO," Spike yelled between snickers and snorts. Buffy heard sounds coming from him she had never heard before and she definitely had never heard him laughing this way. She couldn't help but to start laughing as well.

"Giillleess, help me." Spike was hoping someone would rescue him from this tickle attack. He couldn't fend any of the girls off and thought that just maybe endorphins were being sent to his brain and zapping his body of all his strength. Yeah, that had to be it. He even tried to persuade Xander, reminding him he owed him one. Giles and Xander just looked at one another.

"No, I clearly remember some undead one saying I didn't owe him a thing. Do you recall that, Giles?"

"Yes, I distinctly remember something coming up like that in your conversation." Giles snickered and went back to his notes while Xander continued to watch TV.

"Bugger, ok, ok, timeout, timeout. I'm about to die…again. You've all done your parts at humiliating the dead guy. The cat’s out of the bag…The Big Bad just happens to be ticklish." He sat up and saw Buffy holding her belly and silently laughing so hard, tears were rolling down her face.

"Thanks, Summers, for the help. Glad you found it so bleeding humorous." Buffy walked over to the group sitting on the floor.

"Aww, Spikey. That was your initiation into the gang. You passed with flying colors." She held out a hand to help him up. He eyed it warily, and then stuck his hand into hers. Surprisingly he jerked her down onto his lap.

"I think you need to have your membership reaffirmed. Don't you think so, bit?"

All four of them pounced on Buffy, who had rolled up into a ball trying to keep her ticklish spots hidden. The whole house was filled with laughter as Giles and Xander finally decided to join in the raucousness. The much needed bit of fun and relaxation ended all too quickly when Giles decided they needed to head back to the dreaded books.

Six hours later, everyone was completely exhausted from sifting through tons of information. Spike had dozed off on the couch, in which Xander voiced a formal complaint about. Dawn reminded him that Spike was a creature of the night and usually slept during the day anyway. He had already been doing his share of research. Spike was the one that found vital information on the council secretly training potential slayers in different parts of the world. After he proudly informed everyone about that bit of info, he tossed the folder aside, yawned and stretched, and mumbled that he was taking a nap.

A half hour later, they were all jolted out of a research stupor by yells coming from the living room. Everyone moved swiftly into the adjoining room to find Spike fighting in his sleep. Buffy moved to wake him up just as he jumped off the couch.

"No, you can't take her. Not my girl."

He stood next to the sofa in a fighting stance, his vampire face on causing Buffy to take a step back for a second. As she walked towards him again, it took a while for him to focus and realize Buffy was standing in front of him. He shifted back to human face and grabbed her arms tightly. She gasped.

"Buffy, thank god. They were after us and I couldn't do anything. Not even when they grabbed you and dragged you away. I…"

He slowly turned his head towards the group now staring at him. He cleared his throat as he let go of Buffy and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. If she didn't know any better, she would swear he could have been blushing…blushing in a vampire sense whatever that is.

She quickly asked, "Do you think you had a vision?

He stared back at her. "I don't know. It seemed so real but I couldn't see their faces. They wore cloaks with hoods over their heads, they took you and I was alone. I didn't know what to do."

His voice trailed off with a slight hitch in it. Buffy placed a hand on his arm as Dawn walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist to comfort him. Buffy wished she felt comfortable enough to do that in front of her friends. She did, though, rub his back not unlike the time he comforted her on the back porch a few years ago.

“Hooded guys, no face. Same ones in my dreams…So, you were trying to protect me, huh?" She smiled softly at him.

He looked up at her. "Trying being the operative word. Didn't do so well. I'll work on that, though."

Giles cleared his throat, not wanting to interrupt the warm moment between the two. "I think we should call it a day. The sun is setting and I'm sure we are all starving by now. How about Italian tonight? I'm paying for everybody, so if you need to leave to go get cleaned up, you better meet us back here in an hour."

Everyone took off in different directions but Spike hesitated as he looked over at Giles. He opened his mouth to say something until Giles interrupted.

"Yes, you are coming to dinner with us. I know for a fact you do eat human food. And I’m sure they can leave the garlic out if you ask them. I suggest you get your blood fix here, though, before we leave." He walked up the stairs to go get changed.

Spike smiled; he had never felt so welcomed in all of his undead life. Even with his vampire family he felt like an outcast because of the love and humanity he seemed to have carried over with him when he was turned. Maybe this soul wasn't so bad after all. He was being accepted in this group of humans he had struggled for so long to get into. He knew at that very moment he would do anything to protect each and every one of them, even if it cost him his life.

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TBC





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