*A/N: sorry for the long hiatus, but I am not dead. Just getting my butt kicked by school. Thesis is due on Tuesday (gulp!) and graduation is less then a month away. Hopefully updates will be more regular now. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!

*A/N 2: This wasn't beta'd, because I wanted to get it up soon. So I apologize in advance for typos and the like...

*Recap: Giles was kidnapped by Travers. Buffy and Spike went to rescue him, and Travers told Buffy she was being tested. Xander escaped with Giles, and now Buffy and Spike are trying to catch up to them.


~*~

Sticking his head up through the sewer, Spike vamped out looking around for any sign of the commandos. When he was sure the coast was clear, he hoisted himself out, and then reached a hand back to pull the Slayer up.

Buffy squeezed his hand once before letting go as she let herself into the Bronze through the back door. Following her into the dimly let corridor, Spike was surprised to find Buffy standing at the doorway looking at him, a pensive expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, though that was a stupid question. *Good, Spike. Remind her of all the weird shit that’s been happening between you two tonight. Why don’t you just ask her if she wants ta stake you?”

Stepping closer to him, Buffy reached up a hand to touch his face. Her fingers coasting lightly over the ridges of his vampiric visage. “Might not want to go out there looking like that. It doesn’t really blend, you know?”

Spike started, forgetting for a moment that he was in game face. Her hands on his skin were warm, and he shuddered as her fingers traced his cheekbones. Staring into her eyes, Spike really couldn’t remember how they got here. Technically it had only been a matter of hours between him finding her in the cemetery and them standing in the back of the Bronze. But it felt like days.

Standing on tiptoes, Buffy placed a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth before turning around and heading into the club. Spike stared after her for a moment before shaking off his demon face and following.

*Always following, ain’t you mate? Always bloody following.*

Coming up behind her, he barely had to scan the rapidly emptying club before realizing that Willow wasn’t here. Grabbing Buffy’s hand, for all the world like it was the most natural thing ever to be holding hands with his mortal enemy, he pulled her towards the front entrance and the Desoto.

The car was easy to spot, the alley almost empty due to the late hour. They hurried over to it, Spike dropping Buffy’s hand to open the door for her, before moving to the driver’s side.

Sliding into the car he stiffened when he heard Xander speak. “Were you guys holding hands?”

Buffy looked at him, her face reddening and Spike didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. Was she embarrassed of him? *Oh *god* Spike! Sound a little more like an insecure highschooler why don’t you? I’ve lost me edge, is what it is. This is fucking ridiculous.*

The engine roared to life as he turned the key. Shoving the car into drive, he looked over at Buffy just in time to hear her response to Xander.

“Yes, Xander.”

Xander waited patiently for a moment, but when it didn’t appear that Buffy was going to offer an explanation he tapped on the back of her seat. “Why?”

“Oh! I know,” Willow piped up. “How were they supposed to know that Riley was gone? They were probably just acting all engaged.”

Buffy winked at Spike, and didn’t respond, just nodded her head. Spike just sighed, trying to suppress a small smile.

“You got it Red. Gotta put on a show, right?”

Taking off from the Bronze, Spike glanced into the back seat. The Watcher was in a bad way. Oh, he’d survive no doubt. But it had to be bloody painful. And the scent of blood was just about driving Spike batty.

“May I inquire as to where we are going?” Giles asked once they had been on the road a minute.

Spike grunted, he wasn’t going to be the one to tell Rupes where they were going. He didn’t rightly want to be going there himself, but he supposed they had no other choice. Anywhere else and they’d be found.

“Someplace safe,” was Buffy’s reply, as the car rounded a bend and the mansion came into view.

“Bloody hell,” muttered both Englishmen.

~*~

Giles was beat. *Ha, a pun,* his tired mind thought, as Buffy eased him onto the couch in the mansion. This was the last place that Rupert ever wanted to go back to, though he supposed Buffy was right. As he tried to find a comfortable position, Xander and Willow were sent to go set up beds for everyone, while Spike dug through a first aid kit, handing supplies to Buffy.

She had explained to him patiently enough that this was the only place that the Watchers wouldn’t look for them. They obviously knew Buffy’s friends, so they couldn’t go there. It was as good a location as they would find, and everyone was tired. It had been a long night.

Giles would have protested. Would have suggested any other place in the whole world really, but Buffy was being logical, while he knew his fear of the place was making him irrational. Still, he didn’t have to like it.

When the van had screeched to a halt in front of his flat, and Giles had caught sight of Travers he did the only thing he could think of. He sent Spike to find Buffy. The beating he had gotten from the Watchers wasn’t as severe as it could have been, and for that he’d been thankful. But the whole time he’d been in their captivity, Giles had held out hope that Spike would find his Slayer.

*And that was *before* I got hit on the head.* He thought to himself as Buffy bandaged his hand, and the cut on his forehead.

Truth be told, Giles wasn’t sure that Spike *would* go after Buffy. Not after the way she’d been treating him the last few weeks. The rescue had been sooner then he would have thought, though not has soon as he would have liked.

Waving Buffy away, he groaned as he sat up slowly.

“Tell me everything that happened this evening, Buffy.”

Sitting down heavily, Buffy glanced at Spike who was busy putting away the first aid supplies. There was something going on there, but Giles didn’t have the strength to figure it out just yet. He was injured not blind; he’d seen the looks they were shooting each other in the car.

Turning his attention fully on Buffy, he watched as she opened her mouth to speak. No words came out. Instead a loud sob escaped her as she threw her arms around him.

“Oh god, Giles. I’m so glad you’re alright.”

Rubbing her back reassuringly, Rupert let her cry. She didn’t usually get so emotional, after all. This wasn’t really a new occurrence; Giles had gotten himself kidnapped or knocked out on more then one occasion. Still, he didn’t know what else Buffy had been through that evening, so he just held her. “Shhh, Buffy. It’s okay.”

Feeling a weight settle on the other side of the couch, Giles was surprised to see Spike sitting down on Buffy’s other side, a comforting hand on her shoulder. Even more surprising was the fact that Buffy didn’t shake it off. Rather, seemed to be soothed by it.

Her sniffles subsided soon enough, and as she straightened, she absentmindedly laid a hand on Spike’s thigh, patting it lightly before standing up.

“I’m sorry, Giles. Didn’t mean to have another meltdown. Tonight’s just been absolutely chaotic and we’re all a little shot.”

“It would appear so,” he commented. “If you’re feeling up to it, however, I really would like to hear about what happened. Willow and Xander attempted to fill me in, but I was under the impression they didn’t know as much as you two.”

Sighing, Buffy paced back in forth in front of the couch. “You might want to settle in, this is a long one.” With that disclaimer, she launched into the story.

~*~

Buffy found her eyes watering as she recounted the story to Giles. *God, what is wrong with me tonight?* From when Spike had found her with Riley in the cemetery, to their madcap dash to her Mom’s house, to having to pretend to be engaged to fool the commandos, she’d just kept crying.

To her surprise, Giles didn’t seem as surprised as she did that the commandos were students. *He’s always observy-guy. There’s probably nothing I can’t put past him.*

The thought made her story falter, but Spike picked up where she left off. Telling Giles about Willow’s “mojo” in the Bronze, to their encounter with Travers. Thankfully leaving out all the kissing. *So not ready for that. I need at least 12 hours sleep and about a continent between us.*

“He said I was being tested Giles. That there were two more trials I had to face and that I had to pass them because I had already failed the first one.”

“Failed? How so?” her Watcher asked her.

Spike snorted, “’Fraid those wankers weren’t so fond of her and I teamin’ up to get you out of there. Told her she’d regret the consequences if she failed the rest of ‘em.”

Glancing between the two blondes, Giles’ gaze settled on Buffy. “And your response?”

“I told him I didn’t give a damn about him or his council, and I wasn’t going to participate in his stupid tests. And – and I can maintain relationships with whoever I want.” She wasn’t sure why the hint of defiance entered her voice at the last sentence, why her chin was raised up, why she expected Giles to challenge her. But she did.

*I just want to go to bed.*

As if answering her thoughts, Giles yawned. To her surprise though, it was Spike who spoke first.

“Look, we’re all a bit knackered. What say we catch a bit o’ kip and then rehash this in the morning? Hit the books and what all?”

She was nodding her agreement, as was Giles, just as Willow and Xander reentered the room.

“Bed’s are all set up. You can take the big one, Buff.” Xander motioned down the hallway, “Third door on the left can do for Giles, Wills and I will take the couch.”

Buffy noted the fact that Xander hadn’t even included Spike in the sleeping arrangements, and though it probably wouldn’t have mattered a week ago -- *’Cuz, hey, sleeping in the bathtub* -- right now, it bothered her immensely.

Suppressing a shudder at the thought of what had gone on in those beds, despite the new linens they’d stolen from the dorms, Buffy just couldn’t make herself go back there.

“Why don’t you and Wills take the big bed, and get Giles settled in. I’d rather be out here anyway. In case someone tries to get in. If I was back there, they could nab either one of you without me hearing.”

Spike had been silent throughout the entire exchange, and Buffy had tried hard not to look at him. Afraid someone would see her secret reason for wanting to stay in the front.

Xander and Willow made a token protest about how she should take the bed, but Buffy’s resolve face was almost as good as Willow’s. Tired as they all were, they quickly agreed and headed to the back of the house, Giles leaning heavily on Xander.

Once they were behind closed doors, Buffy turned to the vampire who had been waiting patiently against the fireplace.

Flopping down on the couch, Buffy groaned and unzipped her boots.

“I am exhausted.”

Grabbing a blanket Xander had left her, she curled up on the couch. She just needed a few hours sleep.

“Think you can take first watch? Wake me up in a couple hours and I’ll take over from there? Tonight’s just been kind of emotionally draining.”

Spiked just nodded, still not speaking. If she wasn’t so tired, his lack of movement and speech would have unnerved her. As it was she was seconds away from blessed unconsciousness and wasn’t as observant as per the usual.

“Good,” she murmured. “Then you and I will have a talk.”

Eyes sliding shut, Buffy didn’t notice the look of hope and fear that crossed Spike’s face.