Saturday morning dawned with a sense of expectancy over Buffy's home. Everyone in the house knew that whatever was going to happen, however things were going to turn out, it was going to happen that night.

Buffy had filled Xander and Willow in on the plan that Giles had related to her, which really seemed to be their best chance of defeating Faith once and for all, and they had accepted it without any argument. Everything was in place, and they were ready for the events that would unfold that evening.

Well -- as ready as they could possibly be; the entire situation was unpredictable, and would stay that way right up until the moment when the plan was carried out. Only then could they know for sure that the nightmare Faith had brought to their lives was over once and for all.

Buffy awoke before Spike, carefully disentangling herself from the arms of the sleeping vampire. She would let him sleep for a while longer; he needed his rest for that night. She stood there beside the bed for a moment, studying the fine, smooth lines of his face, peaceful for once in slumber. She frowned slightly with concern; so many nights that flawless face was marred by the terrors of his nightmares.

Her eyes were wide and serious as she watched him with a rising sense of affection in her heart, and a lump in her throat; so much rested on his shoulders tonight. The success or failure of their plan was based on his actions. Really, the only reason she was even going to be there at all was in case something went wrong. If all went according to plan, she would not have to do anything at all.

Spike was going to be the hero of the hour.

Buffy slipped silently into her soft bathrobe and headed down the stairs to see if anyone else was up yet. The house was quiet, and at first Buffy thought that she was alone in the living room, until she noticed Willow, curled up in a corner of the couch. She was wrapped up in the comforter from her bed, a steaming cup of tea on the end table beside her, and a thick book open across her drawn up knees.

When she saw Buffy approaching, Willow quickly closed the book, with a self-conscious glance between it and her friend. The trapped, guilty expression on her face told Buffy what sort of book it was that she was reading. Willow was trying to find a way to get her powers back.

Buffy had been trying to be forgiving with her friend about the whole trying-to-kill-her-boyfriend thing, considering that Willow did not know that Spike was her boyfriend, and that Spike *had* killed Willow's boyfriend, even if it *was* in self-defense. Willow had come to her the day after and apologized, and had dutifully kept her distance from Spike after that, so Buffy had tried not to make an issue of it any more.

However, the realization that the girl was trying to get back the magical powers she had used to terrorize and almost kill Spike made Buffy's anger rise anew at the memory of what Spike had told her of what had happened.

"Buffy!" Willow spoke in a voice that was too bright, too cheerful. "You're up early! Good morning! What's up?"

"Drop it, Will," Buffy said shortly. "I saw your book, I know what you're doing, and forget it. There is no way that you're getting your magic back until Giles is sure that you're ready."

"But -- but Buffy I *am* ready!" Willow insisted when she realized that she was caught, leaning forward on the couch and looking her in the eye earnestly. "I understand, I can't use magic for selfish purposes, etc., etc., and I'm gonna respect the forces of nature and all that. But I -- I need to have my powers back, Buffy!"

The flippant, careless way in which Willow stated her new found "respect" for magic told Buffy clearly that she was *not* ready.

"That'll be up to Giles," Buffy repeated firmly.

"But I can't help you at all this way, Buffy," Willow argued. "If I had my magic back..."

"*Will.*"

The redhead was silent, subdued, looking at the floor at the Slayer's feet.

Buffy's voice was softer, gentle when she spoke again, but it was clear that there would be no changing her mind. "It's not my decision. It's up to Giles." Her tone was a little on the cool side, but not unkind, as she turned to head toward the kitchen, in search of some major caffeine.

If she was going to have to deal with Willow this early, she was going to need an energy boost.

Could she help if she found it difficult to act completely at ease, as if nothing was wrong, with the girl who had just tried to kill the man she -- was beginning to care about?

"What if Spike backs out at the last minute?" Willow asked, and a resentful note resounded clearly in her quietly stubborn voice. "What if he decides he wants to switch sides on you? It'll be too late then."

Buffy felt her anger flare up again at those words. She was trying to be a supportive friend, but she was getting sick and tired of Willow and her Spike-issues. At this point, she trusted Spike more than she trusted Willow, and it irritated her for Willow to even suggest that Spike might turn on her.

She knew in her heart that he never would.

She turned around quickly to face her friend, green eyes blazing with fury. Willow visibly wilted, stepping back and lowering her head a little as the Slayer stepped toward her, opening her mouth to speak. But before Buffy could say a word, someone else broke the tense silence that had fallen.

"That's not going to happen." Spike's low, clear voice spoke with quiet certainty, and the girls turned to see him standing at the base of the stairs.

Buffy froze, a sudden anxious feeling coming over her. She had not said a word to Spike about it yet, but she was not quite ready to reveal their relationship to her friends. Once everything was taken care of and Faith was out of the picture, then she could allow herself to think about working out the mess that *that* revelation would be.

She was not ashamed of him, and had determined that she was going to be with him regardless of what her friends thought, but she felt that at the moment the little band of unlikely heroes needed to be as united as possible -- which was already a stretch.

The revelation that she had been sleeping with and developing a relationship with (in precisely that order) someone that her friends held responsible for most of their great losses over the past year -- well, she thought grimly, one apocalyptic level battle at a time was about all she could handle.

But she had not discussed any of this with Spike, not yet. Actually, the night before, they had done very little talking at all. And judging from the look on his face, the certainty in his voice, she was suddenly very much afraid that he was about to let the secret out, quite a bit earlier than she was ready to.

He walked slowly toward them, his eyes meeting Willow's as he came to stand by Buffy and went on, "I want to see Faith pay for what she's done. There is no bloody way in hell that I'm switching sides at this point in the game, pet."

Buffy's relief was almost palpable as she released a long, slow breath, turning innocent, expectant eyes toward her friend for her reaction.

Willow could not -- or did not -- suppress her disgust at the pet name that fell so casually from Spike's lips, but she looked at Buffy as she spoke, her voice low and controlled, but still revealing her anger.

"Fine. Whatever you think is best, Buffy. I hope it works out for you."

The bitter tone of her voice gave Buffy the chilling suspicion that Willow would actually feel a sense of gratification if the plan did not work out, failed in some way. That way she would be able to say, "See, I told you so...if you'd have only given me back my magic..."

*God,* Buffy thought, shaking her head slightly in disbelief as she caught Spike's eye and turned back toward the stairs, allowing him to head up ahead of her. *What's that old saying...with friends like these, who needs enemies?*

As she followed the blonde vampire who had until very recently fit into that latter category, allowing herself to casually enjoy the view on the way up, she smiled to herself. *Looks like *I* do.*


The day wore on with agonizing slowness, as the little group waited for the sun to set and the time to arrive for Faith's ritual to begin.

Buffy had already made it very clear that she expected Willow and Xander both to stay home. She knew that there was very little they could do in a combat situation besides causing a distraction and unintentionally being a hindrance to the plan -- and she wanted to know that they were safe.

The plan was for Spike and Giles to go alone to where the ritual was to be performed. Buffy would be going along also, a little bit after them -- but would remain at a distance, not allowing herself to be seen by her deranged counterpart.

Angel was to be kept chained in the basement. Buffy still was not sure as to where he stood in this little battle, but as long as he was locked up out of the way, she thought, it did not matter how he had intended (or not) to help Faith. He would not be able to play any part in the proceedings, good or bad.

And for now, Buffy thought that was best.


"Bloody hell, pet, when is the bleedin' sun gonna go down?" Spike muttered, pacing anxiously across Buffy's bedroom floor, glancing occasionally with irritation toward the dim rays still refracting through the drawn curtains. “We need to get this bloody show on the road…”

Buffy rose from where she sat on the bed, watching him with a smile of affectionate amusement. “Hey,” she said softly, moving to catch him in mid-stride, taking his arm and turning him to face her. “Come here for a second. You’re making me dizzy.” Her tone was gentle, coaxing, as her hands trailed lightly up and down his arms, in an attempt to draw him in and settle him a bit.

He reluctantly came to a stop, allowing her to pull him closer to her, but not looking at her. She realized with concern that he was trembling under her hands. “Spike…this is gonna work,” she reassured him. “We’re gonna stop her *tonight*.”

He nodded quickly, releasing a slow deep breath, but still not raising his eyes. “Right, love. I know.”

“Then what’s with the hyper-active bit?” she pressed him gently, tipping her head and looking up at him, trying to catch his eye. “You’re wearing holes in this carpet, and it’s not even that old.” When he did not respond to her little joke, she went on insistently, firmly, “This plan is basically fool proof. It’s *going* to work, Spike.”

“What if it doesn’t?” he asked her, looking up suddenly to meet her eyes, his own wide and anxious, and she was surprised by the intensity of his gaze. “What if she manages to figure it out before we can pull it off?”

“Then we’ll take her out anyway,” Buffy replied without hesitation, her voice and eyes hardening. “I’m gonna be right there the whole time. I know this is dangerous and there’s a definite risk involved, for all of us, but mostly for you. But I am *not* gonna let her hurt you, Spike. The first sign I get that something’s not going right, I’m jumping right in and taking her down.”

He nodded, drawing in another shaky breath. “Right. Okay,” he spoke, his tone revealing that he was trying to convince himself. “It’s gonna be fine. Everything’s gonna be… gonna be fine…”

The uncertainty, the fear in his voice surprised her. She had never known Spike to show fear easily; even when she had thought he knew who had killed her mother, and had interrogated him, putting every ounce of menace into her act that she could, he had still given her nothing but bravado and arrogance, until the memories of his lost love had broken through his defenses. Why was he getting so nervous now at the prospect of facing Faith, when he had been longing to take her on and defeat her for so long?

“Spike?” she said, a tentative question in her voice. “What is it? What’s got you so shaken up over this?”

“It – it’s nothing, love,” he replied, a little too quickly, looking away from her self-consciously. “It’s just – this has been a long time coming, yeah? It’s a bit – bit to take in is all.”

Buffy studied his face for a moment, feeling certain that he was keeping something from her, but not wanting to push him – not now. He was already such a bundle of nerves, and the last thing he needed before the confrontation he was facing was anything to get him any more upset.

“Spike,” she whispered, and the change in her tone drew his eyes back to hers. “I know you can do this. I – I believe in you.”

His eyes widened in surprise at the heart-felt words he had never thought to hear from the Slayer’s lips. And then, her lips proceeded to tell him what her words could not, as she leaned in and captured his in a tender, intimate kiss. After only a moment, he began to return the kiss in earnest, his hand rising to cup the back of her head, pressing her closer to him, as his tongue explored her mouth, urgently, almost desperately.

When they finally parted, both were breathless. “Buffy,” he whispered, and she was gratified to hear relief in his voice. “God, Buffy…I – I love you…”

She felt as if in that moment, her heart stopped beating. Her breath caught in her throat, and she stared at him, shining emerald eyes wide in shock. She wasn’t even sure how the words made her feel, they came as such a surprise. Her lips parted slightly, as if beginning to speak, but she said nothing, her eyes searching his.

“You – you don’t have to say anything,” Spike quickly moved in to fill the silence, his eyes focused on the floor, his hands still holding her arms. “That’s not why I said it. I know it’s fast, and I know you probably don’t feel the same – not yet – but I know what I feel, Slayer. I loved Dru for over a hundred years, and – and believe it or not, I know love.”

He paused, earnest blue eyes rising hesitantly to meet hers, so open and vulnerable with the admission of his feelings for her. “I was all set to kill Faith – for love of Dru. Because of what she did to her. And – a part of me will always love Dru, like you said. But – but I’m not doing this tonight for Dru, Buffy.” He paused, gazing at her intently, willing her to see the truth in his eyes. “I’m doing this for you. What I do tonight – I’m doing because – because I love you, Buffy. I love you.”

Buffy’s heart felt so full in that moment, as her mind tried to catch up and take in the enormity of the words he had just spoken. “Spike,” she whispered, shaking her head slightly as her eyes welled with tears, though she could not have said what emotion had birthed them. “Spike, I…”

At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and instinctively the secret lovers stepped away from each other, casting guilty sidelong glances at the door.

Giles gave them a smile that was knowing and a bit amused. “Impromptu planning session I see?” he commented lightly.

Buffy gave him a death look, knowing that he knew enough to know exactly what they had been doing. “What else?” she said dryly. “What is it?” She tried to keep the impatience from her voice, but it was difficult. She needed to finish this conversation with Spike.

“As much as I hate to interrupt – it’s nearly time to go,” Giles told them, gesturing toward the window.

The sun was down.

“Spike, I need to speak with you for a moment before we go,” Giles told him, his tone all business. The events of the evening were too important, as far as he was concerned, to be put off by a lovers’ rendezvous.

“Right, then,” Spike sighed, not looking at Buffy, ducking his head slightly as he stepped past her toward the door.

Giles was waiting expectantly for him, and only stepped toward the stairs when Spike reached the doorway.

“Spike.”

Buffy’s voice stopped the vampire in his tracks. He swallowed hard, drawing in a deep breath, closing his eyes, but he did not turn around.

She came up quickly behind him, taking his arm and spinning him around, pulling his head down into a kiss that was very brief – but intense. When she let him go, his head was spinning. She rested her forehead against his, staring deep into his eyes as she whispered.

“I love you, too.”

And with that, she gently pushed him out the door and closed it behind him, turning to prepare herself for the evening, her mind racing with the impact of what had just happened between them.

As he headed down the stairs, Spike was deliriously happy. He had known that the events of this evening were really not carved in stone, and could still go a number of ways. He had not expected the Slayer to return his sentiments, but he had known that he could not go off, possibly to his death, without telling her how he felt.

To have her say the words back was more than he had ever hoped for. As he rounded the corner into the living room to face Giles, he could not keep the silly smile from his face. His mind was on anything but the Watcher and whatever it was he had to say.

That was why he didn’t realize what Giles was doing when he stepped toward him with an outstretched hand, and never saw the spell coming until it was already cast.