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Spike blinked and shook his head in confusion, trying to comprehend what she just told him.

“You what?”

She sniffled again and chuckled.

“That wasn’t quite the response I expected.”

Raising an eyebrow at her and surmising that she was being honest, Spike brought her forehead to his lips and placed a light kiss on her moist skin.

“Buffy, love, that’s not what you came here to tell me.”

“No, but I do…love you, I mean.”

Spike sighed as he knelt before her, taking her hands in his own.

“I…Buffy, love, you know how I feel about you, yeah?”

“Please don’t tell me you don’t love me anymore…please?”

“No, pet, of course I love you…I’ve loved you…bloody hell, I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you my first night in Sunnydale. Dru could see it…I just….”

“That’s just who I want to hear about. I tell you I’m in love with you and you talk about your loony ho-bag of an ex-girlfriend.”

“Buffy, love, that isn’t…you…I just want you to be of sound mind when you tell me you love me…something’s up, in’t, pet?”

Buffy nodded slowly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“How’d you guess?”

“Pet, you’ve never come to me all teary-eyed and needy.”

“Do you not like me this way? Is that why…?”

Spike shook his head and kissed Buffy’s hands before standing in front of her.

“No, Buffy, it’s just that something had to be monumental for you to tell me that you need my help…does Angelus ring any bells?”

“I didn’t ask for your help with him…and, wow, now we’re bringing up my exes? This is going to be one fun conversation, I can already tell.”

Spike rolled his eyes.

“I’m not trying to piss you off, Slayer, I’m just asking what happened? Is everything all right? What can I do to help? Jeez…can’t let a guy be noble nowadays without the third degree.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s all right, pet. Just…what’s wrong? Maybe I can help….”

Buffy sighed and drew her knees to her chest.

“It’s the house…my…my home…it’s…when I died, Willow and Tara moved in, and apparently Willow thought that it would be a phenomenal idea to use all of my mom’s savings to pay off the bills….”

“Bills have to be paid, pet.”

“Yeah, but not with my mom’s money…it wasn’t…it wasn’t Willow’s place to do that.”

“I know, love, but go on.”

“Right, well…the bank…I…I got a letter today from the bank and,” she said, handing Spike the crumpled letter, “it said they’re foreclosing on it unless I can pay off the debt in a week. It’s a hundred thousand dollars in back taxes.”

“Thought you said that Red was paying the bills?”

“Yeah, well apparently her college tuition and Tara’s came before that. I don’t know how it got so high…but, yeah, I have no idea how I’m going to pay for it. It’s hard enough to buy groceries.”

Spike’s eyes sparkled in generosity.

“Let me get the money, pet.”

“What? No…I couldn’t…no,” she said resolutely.

“And why not?”

“Because…I…just because.”

“What? My money isn’t good enough for sodding Buffy?”

“No, it’s just,” Buffy trailed off as she looked around the crypt. “I just…you obviously don’t have any money or you wouldn’t be living here.”

“What? Are you…bloody…where the bloody hell else would you expect a vampire to live, pet? I’m not sodding Dracula! I don’t need much to be happy…just like to pass under the radar as it were. Doesn’t mean I’m broke. I have…plenty of money,” he said with a smirk.

“Stolen money…because I know full well that you gamble for kittens…not cash.”

Spike rolled his eyes.

“Will you please let me help you?”

“I…I can’t…I don’t know why I even came here…I…Spike, I have to go…I need to think. I’m sorry.”

Buffy stood to leave, but Spike grabbed her arm and pushed her back on the sarcophagus forcefully.

“No, you aren’t going anywhere, pet. You told me you were bloody in love with me. That…that changes things, Buffy. You can’t keep running away from me.”

“Spike, please. I promise I’ll be back…I just need to think…sleep on it, all right? Can I have a rain check on the ‘right nasty shag’?”

Sighing, Spike released Buffy from his pressing hold on her, and made a sweeping motion with his arm to the door of the crypt.

“Take all the time you need, pet. You’ll know where to find me.”

“Thank you so much, Spike.”

As Buffy walked out the door, she heard Spike’s voice mutter to himself.

“I’m a bloody pushover…bloody sodding wanker.”

“Yep you are,” she called back, “but that’s why I love you!”

Watching Buffy bound towards her home, Spike shook his head at her stubbornness. When she was out of earshot, he took his cell phone out of the sarcophagus and dialed Julie, muttering as it rang.

“If I can’t help you, pet, I know someone who can,” switching to his Americanized accent, Spike spoke into the phone. “Julie, baby, hi! Just me. Sorry to call so late, but I need a big favor to ask you, and it has to be done with the upmost secrecy. I need to update my will. Why secretive? Well, it’s Melinda…yeah. Things aren’t going so well with she and I as of late. I just don't want the press having a field day with this. You understand. Yeah, I’m afraid so. Divorce her? I can’t. Why not? She was married before she met me and never bothered with a divorce! Yeah, she’s still married! So our whole marriage? Total fraud. I should have expected it…not to bore you, but we haven’t been together in…forever. And I just found out about a few indiscretions in our past. Yeah, and get this…she tells me my kids aren’t even mine. Yeah! Go figure, right? That’s why I called, Julie. I want to change my whole will. Can you have that Frank fellow pick me up in Sunnydale right away? And come with him if you don’t mind. I need a steady hand right now. Thanks Julie. Yeah. I’ll see you in a bit, dear.”

Spike sighed as he stretched out against the sarcophagus, his true accent creeping back into his voice.

“The things I do for you, Buffy.”

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