At the Bronze the gang has gathered to let off the weeks steam. Willow and Tara are dancing while Xander and Anya share a plate of cheese fries. Buffy walks in, still holding on to Spike. "Hi guys!" Xander waves Buffy an exuberantly. "Hello to the all mighty Slayer one. How goes the dustings tonight?" Buffy smiled at Xander and pointed beside her to an empty space.

"Look Xander, Spike's visible again!" Xander and Anya both give her a weird look. " Did you hit your head that hard? Spike isn't here. Although for this time of night, that is rather peculiar." Anya nods. Spike laughs. "They can't see me pet! Oh this is just...neat!"

Buffy glares at Spike. "Don't get any ideas Spike." She turns to the others. "Can't you see him? He's right here!" Buffy pokes him in the stomach. "Ow, well that�s no fun." Anya looks around confused. " Hey I hear him. Where is he?" Spike sits beside them all and starts munching on their plate of cheese fries.

Xander tries to smack the air "Hey, get your own walking dead" Willow and Tara come in off the dance floor. Anya and Xander both try to motion to her *no* waving their arms wildly and says " No, don't sit there!" Tara looks confused. " I've been sitting here, was there a change in seating while we were away?" Sitting in her seat, really Spikes lap he gets a big grin on his face. " Hello peaches" "AHHHH" Tara screams, jumping off the seat as if it bit her. Willow laughs at her. " Did Xander go and spill soda again? Cause you know he�s real good at doing that." Tara turns and stares at the seat. "Spike?"

Buffy nods. "Spike is invisible. Sort of. I can still see him though, and Spike, do NOT make that face at me." Spike gave her his signature silly grin. " Why whatever do you mean love?" Spike reached over and grabbed another handful of fries off Xander�s plate.

" Hey, if your going to be stealing my fries, at least get your invisible dead butt in the kitchen and snag us another plate" Xander said with much annoyance in his voice.

Buffy sighed. "Do you want your own plate Spike?" She looks at him. "Xander is very protective of his food."

Willow and Tara look at each other. "Y-you know Buffy, W-willow and I could do a spell to make him v-visible again.,� said Tara. Spike laughed "No need pet, I just like seeing him get his panties in a bunch." Spike frowned at Tara's suggestion. "But I really fancy being this way. I can whack Xander like this..." Xander�s head lolls forward causing the group to all laugh. "And then our glorified carpenter friend here can't see me to whack me back" Xander looked slightly irritated but talked steadily. "That�s alright evil dead, when your visible again, your time will come with ol Xander and then you better watch out." Xander made a fist with his right hand and hit in into the palm of his left.

Spike snickered. "Oh yeah, really scared. I hope that the untrained, yellow-bellied human doesn't get mad at me..." Xander goes to stand and is stopped by Anya who places one slender hand on his shoulder " He�s not worth it honey, he�s already dead." Willow and Tara are giggling at the way the men are picking at each other. Buffy smiled.

"Well, if you boys are through with the testosterone-fest, I want to eat." Spike smirked and winked at his Slayer. "Truce. Only for you pet." Spike leans over and kisses her on the cheek. Xander groaned loudly. "Oh I've got half of that visual in my head and I'm already feeling the vomit rise."

Buffy sighed. "Xander, be nice. Please?" Xander squints his eyes at where he thinks Spike is, "He's got no business kissing our Buffy." Willow Tara and Anya are watching intently, as if they were watching a soap opera while devouring the rest of Xander's fries. Spike cops a coy smile. Buffy looked at Xander. "How did you know he kissed me?"

"Cause your cheek, it moved all by itself. And there�s that really gross smacking noise that comes with a kiss like that." The girls nodded in unison when Buffy looked to them for conformation. "Alright, so he kissed me, so what?" Buffy demanded. "Your girlfriend was a demon" Anya glares at her. "WAS a demon."

Buffy is not surprised that they are reacting this way. It is after all Spike. He has tried to kill them numerous times. She still didn't understand what she felt about him. Just knew she could not deny it any longer. "I'm sorry Anya, you guys cut him a break, he�s really been sweet to me tonight." The Scoobies glanced at one another. "Buffy..." began Xander. "This is Spike. You know, evil vampire." Buffy was silent. Searching for the words to convince her friends of something, she was not sure of herself. "Well...he�s... your just going to have to deal with it. I want to date Spike and I'm going to." She crossed her arms and sat on the stool behind her. Spike held her around her waist from behind.

"Yea, you�re just going to have to deal with it. I mean me." He corrected. Willow's mouth dropped. Tara put it back up for her. "Well this is a shock. I mean we knew Spike liked Buffy but we were way off the loop about Buffy liking Spike. It�s the whole Slayer and Vampire thing again. Only this time the vampire is creepier. I mean creepy in a good sort of way." She finished and got peculiar stares form the group. She shrugged. " Just my thoughts." Willow sipped her Pepsi. Buffy sighed. "Yeah, I know Willow, it's hard to accept. I really want this to work, be happy for me?"

Xander looked defeated. Reluctantly he agreed with her. �All right dead boy, but you are going to be good to her. I know where Buffy keeps her x-tra sharp stakes." Anya smiles at him. "That�s so nice of you Xander. The dull ones probably hurt more than the sharp ones." Spike patted Xander on the back. "No worries mate, I'll take good care of the Slayer. Willow, make me visible again." Willow looked behind Buffy, surprised. "You want me to?" Spike sighed. "Not really, but it seems the right thing to do. Being around you Slayerettes gets me all good and what all.�

Xander muttered under his breath " Since when do vampires know what�s right and wrong?" Anya giggled knowing what he said. Buffy smiled. "I have the best bunch of friends a gal could have. She looked around for Spike. "Hey you? Where are you now?" behind her came two arms that encircled her waist. "Here pet" She leaned into him. "Walk me home? I'm tired. It�s been a long night." Anya watched Buffy lean into the air. "OK the visual is really weird here. Willow, can you do it now?"

Willow nodded. "I think so. Its simple enough isn�t it Tara?" Tara jumped down off her stool and rummaged through her purse. Pulling out a black satchel, she was cautious. "Spike? Where are you?" He came forward and touched her one shoulder. �Here"

Inside the bag was a glowing purple light, hovering over a pile of what looked like glitter. Willow babbled some Latin and Tara blew the dust over Spike. Slowly he became visible. The glitter that had fallen to the floor turned a golden hue. Tara and Willow giggled. The Scoobies stared in annoyance at the witches.

"Alright, witch joke that the rest of us would like to get in on." Xander prompted. Spike went to Buffy and hugged her. "Its good to see you again Spike." He smiled "Good to be seen." Calming from their giggle fit Tara spoke. "You had a pixie visit." They started to laugh again. Willow all but fell off her chair. Spike looked annoyed. So did Buffy. "You mean pixie as in Peter Pan pixie." Willow smiled. "You know, little fairy thing, with wings. Big magic. Anyway, it looks like one of them decided to play with the two of you... I hope it doesn't find out we reversed the spell... It might get mad." Buffy rolled her eyes "Like the little thing would know."

Tara looked at her. "It m-might. They're pretty s-smart." Spike sat in his seat. "Well if they do, we can just get the two of you to twinkle your noses and fix it all. Right?" Buffy sat on his knee. Xander made a face, but said nothing. Willow nodded. "Well, if it's something fixable..." Buffy and Spike both looked confused. "What do you mean if?" Buffy asked. "Um... you don't want to know..." Spike shrugged. "Well whatever, I'm back to visible now and that�s good enough for me." Spike tickled Buffy just under her arm making her giggle. Xander glared at him. Buffy kissed Spike's cheek gently. "Be nice boys."

The next day finds the gang in separate corners of Sunnydale, all in their own grooves. Xander and Anya were in the park, reading. Willow and Tara were at home, playing with spells. While Buffy and Spike cuddled on his couch, watching Passions.

"Shhh, this is getting good." Spike raised his finger to her lips to silence her rambling. Buffy giggled. "You and my mom, really get into this. Its all fake you know" Spike looked at her, feigning shock. "You don't say. I thought it was real. You mean to say Timmy didn't really fall down the bloody well." She made a face and smacked his arm. "Wise ass." He put her in a light headlock, "That�s why you love me pet." Buffy playfully punched him in the gut and released herself from his hold. "Among other things." He smiled. "Other things eh? Such as?" She smiled "Such as that accent, and the way you look at me when you laugh." Spike laughed "Well, that�s a start anyhow Slayer. What is with you women and the accent though?"

"Why do you love me Spike?" He was uncomfortable with the serious note in the air. So he stood up and paced a bit. " I don't know Buffy, I just do. Its.... its here in my gut. I can't explain it" She looked up at him with wide puppy dog eyes. "So if you can't explain it then its not real? You'll leave me too." Spike�s eyes went wide with fear. He took a seat beside her, taking her hands in his.

"Don't say that pet. Of course, it's real. I'd never leave, unless you told me to go. Even then I�d be stubborn and stick around." Buffy stood up to be with him. �I mean, I'm not sure what this is. And I'm scared out of my wits. Is it possible to be scared of love?" She looked down at her shoes, and then up at him through her lashes "I don't want you to go." He smiled. "I�m going to take right good care of you luv. No worries alright?" He kissed her. Much to her surprise, she kissed him back. When they separated, she smiled. "That was nice." Spike would have been breathless, could he breath. He tilted his head at her. "It was supposed to be luv. Are you hungry? I can fix snack..."

"No, but that�s nice of you. I have to get home. Mom's doing the worried slayer mom bit really bad this week." He smiled and nodded. "I understand... well... goodnight then Buffy." She rose up to his cheek and kissed him. "Goodnight Spike." He gave a small smile as he watched her walk away. Then, he sank into an armchair and dozed off. Buffy walked home in a fuzzy state of mind. Thinking of the new and powerful feelings she felt for Spike. She could not begin to understand them. It was all so confusing. This was nothing like she had felt with Angel. Buffy arrived home to find Joyce had fallen asleep to the TV and a new Judith Krantz book. Buffy gently put a blanket from the sofa on her mom. She stared at her for a few moments. How worried she got over Buffy and the slaying. How she tried to hide it all the time. How was she going to take her and Spike together? With any luck, better then she handled Angel and Buffy.

Angel, his face appeared in her mind. His ever so rare yet paralyzing smile that adorned his face set off with those haunting dark brown eyes. She shook the thought from her head and went up to bed. That night, she dreamed of Spike and Angel locked in battle. They were destroying one another, their demon faces painted with hatred for one another. The blood ran down from an abundance of cuts and slashes, covering the floor.

No matter how much she yelled at them to stop it, they never heard her. It was as if she were not even there. Down in her gut, the butterflies were churning and burning clear up to her throat. A sickening sensation swept over her while she watched them fight. Demon visages on, meeting each other fist for fist, kick for kick, and tossing smart banter at each other while they fought. Finally, Angel raised a stake and plunged it into Spike's heart and Spike turned to dust. She cried out, falling to the floor in grief.

"Angel NO!"

Angel looked at her with no remorse on his face. He looked more like Angelus, her heart skipped a beat as he sauntered towards her, laughing. Buffy snapped up in bed, sweat covered her forehead; her heart beat intense. The Slayer cried.