Spike couldn't help watching the direction Buffy had disappeared off to, wondering how long it would be before she came back. That Faith and Dawn had returned and neither looked particularly happy didn't help one bit. At least Faith managed to distract Wood from the unpleasant and pointed remarks he'd been making and the Bit had given Xander the adoring hero look and asked how things were going in Africa.

That left himself and Giles to speak, which wasn't necessarily an improvement. "If you're going to threaten me with a good staking..."

Giles just shook his head. "I'm trying to understand 'why'. Why, after everything she's gone through, after all her protestations that she wanted a chance to live a normal life, did she decide to take up her relationship with you once more?"

There were a hundred things Spike could have said, most of them aimed at showing the Watcher he wasn't top dog in Buffy's life anymore. But his thoughts flew back to Atlanta and a pair of hazel eyes looking up at him as she was seeing him for the first time and all he could do was smile. "Don't understand myself. I just know that I'm probably the luckiest bloke on the planet."

He knew he was grinning the idiot grin he'd been wearing most days since his arrival in Rome; maybe his reflection didn't show in the mirror, but Dawn had taken more than a few pictures with her digital camera. It was certainly causing Giles to raise an eyebrow and clean his glasses and that was worth any indignity it might cause on his part.

Spike couldn't help worrying, though, as the minutes ticked on. Buffy hadn't wanted to come to London -- she'd been afraid that her friends would pick at them and their relationship, drive her made with their insistence that it wasn't "right" or "good." He'd reminded her that they had to face it at some point and figured that sooner was better than later...especially since Giles had arranged for an extremely nice room for them and put Dawn down the hall.

The longer Buffy was gone, though, the more he had to wonder just how intensely Willow was grilling her. Xander wasn't the one who worried him; the boy was fully of bluster and catty comments, but there was damn little he could actually do and Buffy was resigned to the idea he would never really accept her and Spike together. Willow was the one to who would wheedle and cajole and play the best friend card as many times as it took to get Buffy to bend to her will. Red had learned the art of guilt long before she'd discovered magic.

When he saw the two women approaching he stood up to get a better look and to be ready to spirit Buffy away if necessary. He'd secreted her favorite ice cream in the small fridge in their room and made certain a good supply of tissues was laid in; he hoped they weren't necessary, but these were the Scoobies they were dealing with.

There were, as he had anticipated, tears, but they weren't Buffy's. She looked serious -- far more serious than he liked -- but Willow was the one with tear-swollen eyes, even though there was a bit of a "please don't feel sorry for me but feel free to offer sympathy" smile on her face. "Sorry we took so long," she said with the tiniest of sniffs in her voice. "Are we ready for desert?"

Everyone was looking at her, the table having fallen deadly silent. Willow looked around, bit her lip, then put on her resolve face and said, "Giles already knows this, but Kennedy and I are splitting up. Back when we first got together, I wondered if I was rushing things because I still hadn't really gotten over losing Tara. I guess I probably should have followed my instincts. I've asked Giles to find me somewhere else to go, someplace where I can start fresh." She took a deep breath. "I guess seeing Buffy happy and finding someone she thought she'd lost affected me more than I realized."

Spike wrapped his hand around Buffy's and gently squeezed; looking closer, he noticed the shoulder of her top was damp. She'd gone in expecting an inquisition and become a shoulder to cry on; the ice cream might be needed anyway, though he might be able to forgo the fuzzy socks and old movie and inviting Dawn in to watch with them.

Buffy turned her head toward him and her serious expression lightened somewhat. They were here together and she had to know that no matter what happened, he had her back. That she was still smiling, that she hadn't pulled her hand away, that told him they were still good with one another. Knowing that, he could face almost anything.

Willow's admission opened the floodgates of conversation again, turning the spotlight on her and away from Buffy and Spike. Desert was indulged in, several different kinds ordered and shared around the table. Spike found himself relaxing somewhat, feeling a bit more certain that everything was going to be fine. Buffy teasingly offered him some of her chocolate cake to eat and he accepted, wrapping his lips sensuously around the fork and slowly, ever so slowly, sucked the cake into his mouth, keeping his eyes firmly locked on her. The gesture had the desired effect and her breathing had picked up by the time she put her fork down and leaned in to kiss him.

It was Dawn's "See what I have to live with?" that caused them to break apart at last. Spike was about to come up with a snappy comeback, but before he could, Buffy leaned forward and said, "Dawn, just think of Niccoli...and your curfew."

Dawn shut up immediately, turning her attention to the custard before her. Looking a big smug, Buffy gave Spike another light kiss before returning to her cake. Yup, they were good.

Giles called an end to the evening shortly after that, reminding them that their meeting started early the next morning. "I've also planned a series of training exercises over the next few evenings as I'd like the slayers who are with us in London to have the advantage of your experience. Spike, since you're here, I'd appreciate it if you'd join us for those as well."

Spike noted that Giles had only asked him to join the exercises, not the meetings themselves. Of course, why should he? Spike wasn't a part of this new council, nor did he have any desire to be. His goal was to help Buffy as much as he could and anything that distracted from that was something he wasn't interested in.

Nor was he certain he should trust the others at the table, save for Buffy and Dawn. Wood's hate was old and deeply rooted; Spike would need to watch for "accidental" stake work during the exercises. As for Xander, it was doubtful Spike's sacrifice and brief departure from this vale of tears had done anything to ease the whelp's long-term antipathy...especially since Anya had not been blessed the second chance Spike received. Giles had proved more than once that he was ruthless enough to kill on Buffy's behalf if necessary. Willow wanted what she always wanted: to be first, even to the exclusion of boyfriends. Faith might be trustworthy; she was certainly the only one who'd seemed happy at the idea of he and Buffy together. Still, it was clear that she, along with the others, had known of his return and deliberately kept it from Buffy. Giles paid the bill and everyone rose, gathering their coats and things in preparation for departure. Hugs were being exchanged among old friends, reassurances that bonds were still strong despite years and distance. Not surprisingly, Spike found himself on the fringes, waiting for Buffy and Dawn to finish so they could go. Dawn and Buffy kept up a happy chatter all the way back to the hotel, Buffy nestled against him in the taxi. At moments like this, it was easy to forget the comments and insults and just fall into the warm companionship they'd enjoyed for the past three months. Still, he'd be glad when these days were over and they could return to Rome. Dawn had hugs for both of them when they parted at the elevator on their floor. "She's going to have to think about college soon," Buffy said as they walked the short distance to their room. "Giles said something about Oxford when we talked before the trip; he thinks he can get her in." "I think Dawn was considering Florence, studying art." Spike took the key and inserted it into the lock, then stood aside so Buffy could enter first. "I think she'd be happier staying in Italy than at old Oxenford." "Speak from experience?" He shrugged. "I was a Cambridge man myself, but, yeah, there were similarities. I think it wouldn't be the best place for her and I don't think it's what she wants." "Then it won't be Oxford; we'll let Dawn decide." She slipped her arms around his neck. "Sorry I left you alone so long. I couldn't get Willow calmed down and..."

"Ssssh. It's okay." His hands were rubbing light circles on her back. "You did what you needed to do."

Buffy cocked her head to one side. "Who are you and what did you do with Spike? When did you become all understanding guy about my friends?"

"When they stopped living in your hip pocket." Spike dipped his head down to rub his nose against hers. "That's why we made the trip, luv; so you could see them and catch up. You'll spend the days doing that and dealing with whatever it is Giles called this meeting for. In the evenings, we'll do the slaying exercises and maybe sneak off for a little dinner and dancing on our own. In a week, we'll be back in Rome and everything will be fine."

He was about to kiss her, but he caught a look in her eye that made him pause. "What's wrong? Did Willow say something....?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's nothing. They're not thrilled and it hurts a little, but I'll be okay. The important thing is that we're together."

Spike was certain there was more than that, but just as she was learning to open herself and express what she felt to him, he was learning not to push on her quite so hard and make her answer. So he didn't ask but kissed her, distracting her from what was likely some extremely tacky comment Willow had made either before or after the conversation seemed to have shifted from what Buffy was doing to all about her.

They were starting to shed clothes, pieces falling to the ground without heed. One advantage of staying in a hotel; Dawn wouldn't be making pointed comments in the morning about the fact she had to pick her clothes up off the floor while certain other people seemed to be exempt from that rule. The other advantage was that they could be fairly certain a young slayer wouldn't be waiting for them in the morning to make a report when all they wanted to do was laze about in bed.

"Did I mention I like the tie?" Buffy told him as she loosened it.

"I thought you might; after all, you're the one who picked it out."

That earned him a light slap on the arm. "I wouldn't have to if you weren't so insistent that jeans and a t-shirt were acceptable everyday clothing."

The slap was followed by laughter and some gentle tussling that landed more of their clothes on the floor...and them on the bed. They had two modes of joining these days: hard and fast, which usually happened after a patrol when the adrenalin was pumping, and slow and lazy, taking the time to stop and explore and do all the things, give each other all the little pleasures they'd never managed to do in Sunnydale.

This as one of the slow times, hands and lips skimming over skin, discovering each other all over again. At moments like this, it didn't matter that they were slayer and vampire, only that they were a man and woman who'd somehow managed to find each other in the craziness of the world. Watching Buffy's eyes close, her breathe quickening as he found those spots where she was the most sensitive, then to have those eyes fly open again to look at him with warmth and love as her mouth curved into a smile and she pulled him closer...he didn't regret one moment of what he'd been through if this was where he'd ended.

If he'd worried that seeing her friends might make her re-think her choice to open herself to him, those worries vanished in the soft cries as he sank into her, the way his name fell from her lips like a breath of air. In Sunnydale, she'd often closed her eyes at this moment, as if she could somehow separate his presence from the pleasure she was receiving. Now, when her eyes closed and her body arched, hands grasping at the sheet, Spike knew she was still there with him, that she was simply giving herself over to what she felt and just as he tumbled himself, he heard his name on her lips once more.

Almost better than the pleasure was the aftermath, wrapping themselves around each other with soft kisses and murmured endearments. These were the moments that convinced Spike they'd actually make a go of it this time, that he wasn't going to wake up one morning and find it was all a dream. He kissed the top of her head. "Sleepy?"

"A little." Buffy's fingers were tracing patterns on his chest. "I should probably get some sleep; we've got that meeting in the morning..."

"You've got that meeting in the morning. I, thankfully, am not part of the Council, so don't have to attend. I'm going to be lazy and evil and sleep the day away so I'm all fresh for these exercises Giles has planned...and some after the exercise activity."

That brought a chuckle, but he could also see that the bit of worry he'd seen in her face earlier was back. "I know they're you're friends, luv, but if..."

"They're probably going to want to come visit us," Buffy said abruptly. "Now that they know, they're going to want to make sure I'm 'okay' and find reasons they should stop in Rome."

"And this surprises you? They come, we put them up in a hotel, you go shopping, show them the sights, we take them through the leaky portion of the catacombs to show we're fighting the good part and discourage them from patrolling with us, they go home. Would I be happy if I never saw the bleedin' Scoobies again? Yes. Am I going to somehow manage to survive a few short visits? Also yes."

He shifted his position, scooching down on the bed slightly so they were eye to eye. "I survived working with both Angel and Harmony on a daily basis and emerged with my sanity intact. I think I can handle your friends."

The smile she gave him in response to this was far brighter than what he'd anticipated, but any questions were lost in the sudden flurry of kisses she rained down on him. When she pulled back long enough to ask wickedly, "Where did you drop your tie?" coherent thought was a thing of the past.

There was definitely something to be said for the slow nights.

On to Part Three

Back to Part One