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Author's Chapter Notes:
Due to the overwhelming number of people who wanted me to continue this here is some more. I will keep going as long as the story continues to flow so easily. Thank you all so much for the great reviews.

Time is going to go a little wonky for now centering only in parts I believe are important for the characters.

Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks
The trip to Cleveland had been a little uncomfortable but pretty uneventful as road trips went. She only wished that they hadn't had to take the Desoto. She still hated that thing. Not that she let Spike know that, he still thought of it as his baby.

They stopped at a few motels during the day and traveled mostly at night. She was sure that the black windows would get them noticed by every highway patrolman on the way.

They had compromised on music switching every hour to something the other would like. It was different the easy way they were dealing with each other now. While it was kind of strange Buffy enjoyed it. They had never talked much about anything before and now it was like the floodgates opened wide. She had found out stuff about him that she was sure no one ever knew. And she also knew that if she ever told anyone about it he would kill her.

But she was okay with that. It was good that they were learning to be open with each other. She felt the need to be avoidy girl with him drift further and further away. In one way she had found the friend she had looked for her entire life. She didn't need to hold anything back from him and he refused to judge her. Willow had tried, bless her, but she had never been able not to really judge her by her actions as both Buffy and the Slayer. But here with Spike of all people she had gotten total acceptance. And in return her heart felt lighter than it had in years.

Three days of constant driving had finally taken their toll however as they finally rolled into Cleveland. Both of them were tired and cranky but had managed not to snap at each other.

"Where do we head now?"

"Think we should hole up for the rest of the night. We'll search out the guys tomorrow."

"Thank God. No offense but I just want to get the hell out of the car."

He chuckled at her. "I agree pet."

Buffy searched through her purse locating the rest of the bills she had managed to bring with her. "We've got a little less than a hundred dollars so no upscale hotel for us."

She cocked her head and studied him for a moment. "You have enough blood left in the cooler?"

"One more bag. It's enough to get me through tonight." She nodded slowly.

"Well I don't know about you but I could really use some real food. The fast food thing is starting to make me really sick."

"I'll see what we can scrounge up." As he stopped at a light he stole a glance at her. "You doin okay?"

"Stop being silly. I'm fine." She couldn't help it she looked into his eyes. That always did it. "Okay I miss Dawn. You happy now?"

"Yeah I miss the Nibblet too. Hope the others are treating her good."

"She'll be fine Spike. They all love her." She watched as the buildings passed by lights burning as the sky started to lighten with the coming dawn.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Her voice was barely above a whisper but she knew he could hear her.

"Is there a right thing? You did what you thought was best Buffy. Just like you always do." He was silent for a moment and Buffy was worried that he thought differently. "If I told you that there wasn't a right decision, that no matter what happened it still would end up wrong, would you still wonder if what you did was right?" He pulled the car into the parking lot of a seedy looking motel and turned off the engine. When he turned towards her she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"Sometimes I think that we've all taken so much from you that there isn't much more you could give. And yet you keep trying and giving. What you did for the Bit was one of the most selfless things I've ever seen. So while I don't think there was a single right thing, I do believe that you did what was right for her." She let him take her hand in his. "You know how much I care about you Buffy, I can't hide that from you. But I would never hesitate to tell you when I think your makin' a bloody stupid mistake."

She had to smile at that. He really would tell her exactly what he thought. His honesty was something she had learned to rely on even before she had let them become friends. And yes while sometimes the truth was painful he never hid it from her.

"Thank you Spike." She squeezed his hand in return before letting it go.

"Lets get checked in and get some food."

"Now that sounds like a plan."

*******

While she had managed to avoid the trap of greasy fast food again the meal at the little chain restaurant still left something to be desired. But at least she was full as she made her way back to the room she was sharing with Spike. It was good that they were comfortable with each other, sharing one bed in a motel was a lot cheaper then getting two rooms.

She opened the door just far enough so that she could squeeze inside very conscious of the light that tried to follow her into the room. Closing the door softly she took a minute to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. She could see he was already sleeping on the bed. Quietly she took her bag into the bathroom and got into the shower.

She marveled at the simple changes in their relationship over the last few days. Sometimes she wondered if this all happened because he had finally broken through to her when she was at her lowest point or if getting her whole soul back had made her change so much. Mostly she knew it didn't matter but the little niggle at the back of her thoughts worried her. What if all the hateful things she had done the year before was because she was missing part of her soul? Or even worse what if the soul had nothing to do with it and she had done it anyway? Was that really who she was?

There were times in the middle of the night, or day depending on her sleep pattern, when that thought would rear its ugly head. She liked to think that she wasn't that type of person. That the good others saw in her was truly there. But when she looked back at every single instance she wasn't so sure.

She had failed each of her friends in turn. Had left her sister so desperate for attention she had turned to shoplifting and wishing that none of them could ever leave her house. And Spike. There were no words for the things she had done to him. If she had only used him, or simply hated him then maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But she had done so much worse.

In the last few days there were times when she would just watch him sleeping and try to comprehend how he could still love her. She had meant it when she had told him that she hated herself for what she did to him. It wasn't something she could easily get over. And even if the fact that he was a vampire had let her believe he couldn't have loved her she knew deep in her gut that he did have feelings. The fact that she had hurt him intentionally, hoping to grind the feelings out of him, was so evil and vindictive that she found herself praying that she wasn't that girl.

But she was. In her heart she knew that while he still clung to seeing the good and the light in her, she could feel the darkness too. It wasn't always noticeable and often it was buried deep but it was still there. How did the warrior of the light end up like this? Could she have been so bad before or was it the some of all the pain in her life that had drug it out.

She turned off the shower and began to dry herself off. Thoughts like these caused her nothing but heartache and she knew it. But her mind refused to let her move on from the subject. It was starting to be a maddening circle and truth be told she was a little tired of it. It really was the only thing she hadn't discussed with him. Three days of travel and she didn't have a very long life story. Besides he had been there for a good chunk of it. He didn't have that problem however. One tends to have a bit more to talk about if they've lived over a hundred years.

Dressed in a simple t-shirt and some shorts she finally pushed those troubling facts from her mind. They had no place in the head of sleepy girl any way and it was time for her to get some rest. She pulled the comforter back and slid into the sheets smiling a little as Spike turned towards her in his sleep. Getting comfortable at last she let her eyes drift shut.

*********

She felt better when she awoke to the sound of the shower running. It was still light outside judging from the glow on the curtains but she felt rested. She turned onto her back letting her mind drift in that place between sleep and wakefulness where one didn't have to think.

The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped her out of the trance she was in. It must have been closer to sleep then she realized. Propping herself onto her elbows she looked as he walked into the room.

"Hey."

"Hey pet. Sleep well?"

"Yep. And you?"

"Like the dead luv."

"Could that be cause you are dead?" She let out a snort. "So what's the plan?"

"Need to call the bloke to find out where we meet them. Other then that?" He shrugged.

She looked him over critically. "I think it's time you did your hair again."

"What are you jabberin' about woman?"

She gestured towards his head. "You, your hair when was the last time you did it?"

"I don't remember."

"Well trust me it's time."

"Does it really look that bad?" The note of insecurity in his voice was kind of endearing.

"No not if you want the two-tone look. Which by the way looks okay on you, but if your still going for Billy Idol than you need to do it." She thought for a minute. "By the way how did you ever know when to do it? I mean without the reflection and all."

"Had a lady that did it for me after Dru left. She came to see me when it was time to get it done. Lately I've had to kind of guess."

She thought about that for a minute. "Well I'll be more than happy to tell you. I'll even help you do it if you want."

He tilted his head at her she could tell he was asking her something without speaking.

"What I can't be seen with someone who's roots are showing now can I? I do have standards to maintain." The tease in her voice must have finally gotten to him as a wet towel hit her head. "Hey!"

He gave her a smirk and shrugged his shoulders making his way to the phone on the bedside table.

*********

When he had said that he knew a couple of guys that owed him a favor Buffy had for some reason pictured other humans. Thinking back she knew that it was kind of silly of her. So now she was sitting here watching as Spike called in his debts from another vampire and God help her a Chaos Demon. He had been right the antlers were majorly with the ewww.

They seemed to have most of it settled although she could tell they weren't the least bit happy about making these arrangements with the Slayer of all beings. She couldn't say she blamed them. Word got out and they would likely be toast. Not that it should really concern her but it did. The last few years of meeting demons she didn't have to kill was starting to get a little confusing.

She studied Spike as they talked really reading his body language. She could tell he was really tense but was trying to mask it with his swagger and bravado. He was really good at it. A stranger would have no idea and be totally intimidated.

She thought back to a time when they were still mortal enemies before they had made that little truce to send Angelus to hell. He was a very dangerous foe and at the time she had found it very hard to read him. It was something she had acknowledged years ago. If there was a vamp out there who could take her it would have been Spike. She had been lucky on more than one occasion with him and in some ways it was a good thing that he had had such a soft spot for Drusilla. Very likely that was the one thing she used that had kept her from being his third.

But she had to say as thrilling as it was for him to be her enemy it was even better now that he was an ally. She couldn't count the times when it was so much easier having someone watch her back that she didn't have to protect. Sure he still got injured and she could even say he got injured a lot but he wasn't like the others. There was always that fear in the back of her mind that they would end up dead inches away from her while she was helpless to stop it. And most of the time in a serious fight well the sleep of the unconscious had claimed them more than once. So yeah she was thankful that things had worked out as they had.

He was nodding at them and Buffy sensed that they were finally finished. She stood up and waited for him to join her.

"Well?" She asked as she fell in step beside him heading to where they had parked the Desoto.

" 'S all set up pet."

"What did you set up exactly?" She had to admit she was really curious.

"It's a surprise."

"Spike." She put as much of the irritation she felt into his name as she could.

"Nope gonna have to wait pet."

They drove a few blocks through town and Spike pulled the car up to a large brick building. She watched as he turned the car off and stepped out.

"Coming?"

She got out of the car and followed him up the few steps and into a lobby area. It wasn't the Ritz but the lobby was clean with fresh paint on the walls. The tile floor was a little worn but in good shape. She noted the line of mailboxes as they walked by and made their way to an old elevator. When the doors opened they stepped inside and Spike pushed the button for the fourth floor. The jerky rise of the elevator was kind of unsettling but it stopped at the designated floor and the doors slid open easily.

She followed him as he made his way down the narrow hallway. It was in the same condition as the lobby, well lived in but not in disrepair and it gave her kind of a warm homey feeling. He stopped in front of the third door and took out some keys from his pocket. Inserting one into the lock she was fascinated as the door swung open.

Stepping inside the apartment she took in a sharp breath. The doorway opened into a spacious living room one large window on the wall to her right. So she could tell they were in a corner apartment. The room was furnished and although nothing was fancy there was a couple of armchairs and a comfortable looking couch. In front of the couch was a small coffee table and beyond that was an older TV.

Looking to the left she saw the room opened up to a small kitchen and dining area. There was a small dinette set and she could hear the hum of the refrigerator working.

Straight ahead she could see partway down a hallway that had four doors. She glanced at Spike and saw that he was watching her reactions with a lot of concern and curiosity. Using her eyes to ask the question she only moved when he nodded at her.

Walking down the hallway she opened each of the doors in turn. The first was a hall closet not huge by any means but enough to hold a few simple towels and other linens. The second was a small guest bathroom. Standard tub/shower a toilet and sink. The room across from that was slightly bigger than her bedroom back home and was also furnished with a bed. Next to the bed was a simple nightstand and a small dresser. Opening the last door she was surprised at the size of what seemed to be the master bedroom. It was larger than her mother's old room and was also fully furnished. There was one window on the far wall and the bed was to the right of it. The room also had a small nightstand and dresser as well and a comfy looking chair in the corner. On the wall opposite the window there were two doors. The first held what was the master bath and unlike the one in the hallway it was a good size. What caught her eye though was the large size tub that the room was built around. The other door held a walk in closet that was easily twice the size of the one she had had in Sunnydale.

She turned in wonder to find Spike standing directly behind her.

"What do you think luv?"

"What? I mean how? What?" Okay she was having a lot of trouble with coherent thoughts.

"Can I take it that you like it then?"

She could only nod her head enthusiastically in response. Taking her hand he pressed the keys into her palm.

"Then it’s yours."

She glanced down to the keys in her hand and back up to his face.

"Are you serious?"

When he nodded at her suddenly she could begin to think again.

"Spike I can't take this. It's way too much."

"It's already in your name pet. Rents due the first of the month and you pay the electric, cable and phone."

"Really I can't..."

"Don't."

She looked at him seeing the apprehension in his features. Nodding slowly she let her fingers curl around the keys.

"I don't even know how to thank you."

"There's a bit more."

"More than this?"

"You have a job at the video store round the corner. Starts at minimum wage but the hours are two to ten. Should work nicely with patrolling."

"Spike how is this possible?"

"Told you those blokes owed me. 'S not much." He shrugged at her.

"Do I even want to know what you did that they owed you this much? Spike..." She looked straight into his eyes. "Really thank you. I don't know what else to say."

"Just tell me you like it."

"Spike I love it."

"Good enough then. Lets say we go get our things from the car?"

It didn't take them very long to move their few meager belongings into the new apartment. And it took even less time for them to unpack them.

"Spike how is it possible that these guys could set this up?" She was reclining on the couch happy that she didn't have to spend any more time in the car.

"This isn't Sunnydale pet. Things work a little differently here. Cleveland has a pretty big demon community that’s fairly harmless. This part of town is pretty much demon owned."

"So mostly they're upstanding members of the community? Why is it so different here then things weren't like that in Sunnydale."

"Not all demons are interested in death and destruction. Most just want the chance to have a regular life. Sunnydale's always been where the troublemakers head. 'S why I headed out there myself."

"You mean 'cause the Slayer was there. Does that mean I'm gonna mess things up here too?"

He flopped himself down in the armchair closest to her.

"No. Means that if a big bad did come to town they would want you to know about it. You'll have reliable information and won't have to stoop to goin' to a place like Willie's."

She looked at him seriously for a moment.

"Spike are you going to stay?"

He seemed to give the thought serious consideration before answering.

"Buffy I'll stay as long as you want me around. And probably a little longer. Is that okay with you?"

"Would I have asked you to come if it wasn't? I'm glad you're here and not just because of this." She gestured around at the apartment.

"Thanks."





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