Big thanks to my lovely betas: Sanityfair and Diebirchen.  Love you amazing ladies!    I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season and see you next Monday!

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Three days.  It had been almost three days since Buffy had seen Spike.  Normally, well, before this whole split-personality fiasco, she would’ve been relieved, excited even, not be subjected to his annoying presence.  Now, she—well, let’s just say she wasn’t.      
 
True, the first two days she really wasn’t looking for him per se.  The fact that she’d only chosen to patrol Restfield Cemetery had nothing to do with him, not at all.
 
However, by the third day, she was done trying to fool herself that she wasn’t missing him.  Now why that was, she really couldn’t say.  Was it William’s heartwarming shyness and extraordinary intelligence or the demon’s fierce protectiveness and panty-dampening sexiness that she missed?  Maybe it was none of these things, or maybe it was all of them and then some.  Damned if she knew for sure.     
 
Then adding to the confusion, as if she wasn’t dizzy enough already, she’d come to the shocking realization she had feelings for Spike.  What that actually meant she hadn’t a clue.
 
The only thing she knew for certain was that for her to admit any type of feelings, well, anything besides anger, was a big thing.  Like apocalyptic big.  Especially when over the years she always found it so much simpler to repress and deny.
 
No matter what her usual way of handling these things was, she had no choice but to pay full and close attention, while her heart and head yanked away at her like two rabid dogs tug-of-warring over a meaty bone.
 
Finally after two days, her head waved its tiny white flag in surrender, declaring her heart the winner.  The prize, her accepting that she did truly care for him.
 
However, even after her heart’s victory, she still wasn’t ready to stand up and say, “Hey, guess what, everyone?  I care for Spike.”
 
She’d been down this road before having feelings for a member of the undead-card carrying club, and it didn’t turn out very well.  Like—they made with the happy. He turned evil and went on a killing spree, and she sent him to hell and ran away. Then she came back, and he came back and finally he left again—not well.
 
Also this was Spike, for crying out loud.  That alone would earn her a big “What are you thinking?” from everyone.  Well, maybe not everyone.  Based on her and Willow’s talk before the gang reenacted ‘all the King’s horses and all the King’s men, putting Humpty Dumpty back together again,’ Willow may not be all thumbs-upsy with Buffy’s choice, but at least she’d most likely be all neutral like Switzerland while Giles and Xander launched into attack mode.
 
Needless to say, after these mentally trying days, she needed something to silence all these lingering thoughts.  So when the sun finally dipped below the horizon, she headed off on patrol.
 
Buffy skillfully twirled her stake while leisurely making a third pass through Restfield Cemetery.  Despite her initial plan to not think, her mind all too soon ditched that idea and decided to engage in a lively debate with itself.  The topic of discussion: stopping by Spike’s crypt.
 
Her ‘yea’ side believed this was a great idea, and she was all for it.  Well, that was until she started getting closer, and her ‘nay’ side listed a dozen reasons against the plan and then convinced her this was the far better choice.
 
Gratefully during patrol, there had been a few fledglings giving her moments of distraction, but once the dust settled, her mind returned to the seemingly endless debate.
 
When she passed the Alpert’s mausoleum for the third time, Buffy’s thoughts were again interrupted by the ever-present tinglies brought on by a master vampire.  She didn’t need to look over to the right and several rows of headstones down to know they came directly from Spike’s crypt.  Buffy started to head in the opposite direction before stopping herself.
 
“This is ridiculous!  Why am I acting all weird about this?  It’s just Spike.  All I need to do is just go there like I normally do.  No prob.”  With an affirmative nod, she turned and walked toward his crypt.  
 
Buffy hovered on the threshold for several moments while deciding between storming in like she normally did and actually being polite and knocking.  Not wanting to break too much from routine, since he would really know something was up, she pushed the door open, and in she strolled.

Spike was sprawled across his battered chair, his attention on the screen of his old black and white television, complete with crooked, wire rabbit-ears.  He didn’t move from his lax position when she entered.
 
“I was wonderin’ when you were going to stop with your live version of a duck in a shooting gallery.  All that back and forth was ‘bout to drive me around the sodding bend.”  Spike shifted and slid his leg off the arm of the chair, his heavy boot landing on the floor with a resounding thud.
 
“Um—sorry?”
 
Buffy bit the edge of her bottom lip, while she watched his eyes widen briefly, from what she gathered was surprise, before his previous impassiveness slid back into place.  He gracefully stood and took several steps toward her.
 
She noticed immediately the past few days had done him some good.  His pale skin didn’t appear as fragile as an autumn leaf, and the areas under his eyes and cheekbones had filled out some, reducing the startling gauntness of before.  Since he wasn’t wearing his coat, she could tell from the lingering bagginess of his clothes, he was still far too thin for her liking.
 
“So, Slayer, why are you here?  Just popping by to make sure ‘m not do anything fun like harassing the locals and what not?”
 
Spike leaned over and snatched his leather from the back of his chair.  He dug through the inner pocket and pulled out a crumbled pack of smokes.  Skillfully, he pulled out one with his teeth, and following the snick of his trusty Zippo, the unmistakable smell of burning paper and nicotine laced the air.
 
“Well, you’ve been kinda MIA for the last few days, and it is my sacred duty to keep track of the evil in this town.”  Buffy shrugged her shoulders, her expression equally impassive.
 
“Right.  You’ve fulfilled your obligation, so you can toddle off now.”  Spike waved his hand dismissively toward the exit before heading over to his refrigerator and opening the door.
 
Buffy didn’t move while she watched with rapt interest the way the heavy denim stretched across his firm backside when he leaned over to explore the shelves.  When he finally stood, her gaze snapped away from this impressive sight and started darting around the sparsely lit room.
 
With a bag of blood in hand, he turned toward the sarcophagus.  Giving her a long sideways glance, he tore into it with blunt teeth, poured the thick liquid into the glass, and added a hearty dose of some sort of dried herb to the mix.
 
“Somethin’ else you had in mind, Slayer?  ‘M not feeling up to snuff, so if you’re waiting for me to entertain you, you’re shite outta luck.”  Spike took a hearty slug of his dinner and placed the glass down on the stone surface.
 
“No, well, yes, I…um…” Buffy stuttered while shifting uncomfortably under his intense gaze.

Why is this so hard?  It’s just Spike!
 
“Well, which is it Slayer, yes or no?” Spike took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke through his nostrils.  The hazy plumes lingered momentarily before disappearing into the cool crypt air.
 
“It’s yes, and I just stopped by, well, not only ‘cause it’s my job,’ but I wanted to make sure you were okay.  You know, with everything that happened.”
 
His expressive eyes narrowed, clearly in reaction to her words.  It appeared as though he was trying to figure out what she truly meant.  She really couldn’t blame his skepticism.  It was just a few days ago that their only interactions consisted of harsh words and threats as well as punches and kicks.
 
She remained still under his scrutiny, and when it finally seemed that he accepted what he saw, he relaxed.
 
“Well, ‘m a good as can be expected.  Lack of proper feedin’ tends to wreak havoc on a vamp’s body.  That and, well, my noggin’s still a little scrambled.  It’s taking a bit to suss out all these thoughts and memories.”
 
“So, you remember…um…everything?”  Buffy swallowed hard while the intense images of them in the graveyard flashed through her mind.
 
“Every—last—one,” Spike purred into the shell of her ear.
 
Buffy didn’t know how he’d gotten so close to her without her even having noticed him moving.  But before she could speak, he was gone and now leaning against his makeshift kitchen counter.
 
Buffy felt her desire igniting instantly, while her mind tried to catch up with what just happened.  As she felt herself being swept away, it was Spike’s frosty remark that doused this burning with a resounding hiss and brought her back to reality.
 
“No worries, Slayer.  The Watcher would give you all high marks for taking me down by only using a little blood and a tranq-toting whelp.  Actually ’m surprised you’re here and not with the Watcher giving him play-by-play blows, adding yet another chapter about yours truly to those pretentious diaries the Council keeps.”  Spike dropped his rapidly dwindling cigarette on the floor and snubbed it out with the toe of his boot.
 
“Despite what you think, Spike, I’m not too proud of having to use myself as bait.  So you don’t have to worry.  The title ‘Slayer of the Slayers’ is still yours.  Well, I did my job, so I’m taking off.”
 
Even though she’d responded with an equal aloofness, it stung that Spike made such an asshole-ish remark. 

That was completely a “Spike” remark.  What did you expect?

Buffy’s fists clenched from her own thoughts and his words, but instead of lashing out, she stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets.       
 
“Good, Great Pumpkin’s on in ten.  Don’t rightly need you bollocksing up my telly time.” 

With dinner in hand, Spike headed toward his chair and dropped onto the worn cushion.  He placed the glass on the floor, leaned forward, and started changing the channel and adjusting the antennas.
 
Buffy scoffed and turned around to leave, but stopped when the recognizable theme song of the Peanuts’ gang blared from the television’s tiny speakers.  She moved forward, while the commercial guy’s soothing voice announced that It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was coming on next.
 
A warm smile touched her lips while she watched the gang walking across the screen, all decked out as ghosts, ghouls, and witches with trick or treat bags in hand.
 
If only a handful of candy took care of the monsters I deal with.
 
“You still here, Slayer?  Thought you needed to get all tucked away in you’re beddy-bye.  Needin’ your beauty sleep and all.”  Spike’s voice broke her out of her reverie.
 
“Um…yeah…but…” Buffy’s gaze ping-ponged between Spike and the television.
 
“Just spit it out, six minutes till showtime,” Spike huffed in irritation.
 
“Well, I love this show, and by the time I get back to the dorms, it will be over and—” Buffy’s soft voice sounded almost childlike as she tried to explain her dilemma. 

Spike took a few moments of what appeared to be mulling over his options, before he sighed in resignation.
 
“Slayer, do you wanna—” Spike pointed to the screen, intending his gesture to finish his invitation.
 
Buffy smiled brightly and shed her jacket as she approached the small television area.  She laid her jacket on the floor next to arm of his chair and sat down on it, wiggling her bottom several times to get comfortable.
 
“So do you have any snacks?”  Buffy looked up at Spike, her warm smile still in place.
 
 
  

 
 
 
Author’s Notes:

Please take a moment to let me know what you think.  Thanks! 
 
Humpty Dumpty is a famous nursery rhyme. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty
 
Alpert’s mausoleum was a frequently shown crypt in the show.  It was named after one of the show’s producers, Marc D. Alpert. http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Sunnydale_Cemetery
 
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is, in my opinion, one of the best Halloween kid shows around.  I’ve been watching it since as far back as I can remember, and now my kids watch it too. It came out in 1966, and no, I didn’t see it until it had been out for at least ten to twelve years!!! The Peanuts’ gang consists of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, and other notable characters. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_the_Great_Pumpkin,_Charlie_Brown