A/N: I'm back. Hopefully for good this time. I'm so sorry to everyone who has been waiting for an update. I know I hate it when my favorite authors do this to me, so I will really try to be more frequent with the updates from now on. I'm all graduated, and everything, and even have a job now that I'm a college grad. I've had a few months to settle into the working lifestyle. Like I said, hopefully more frequent updates.

~*~

Spike watched her sleep for a while before settling down on the floor his back leaning up against the couch about a foot or so away from where the Slayer was already sound asleep.

Closing his eyes for a moment he stretched out his senses in an attempt to make out the other three heartbeats in the mansion. They were all strong and steady, with that in mind he let himself relax awhile.

Propping his arm up against the couch, Spike ran a hand across Buffy’s hair as she slept. She slept like a child, he noticed. All scrunched up, not taking up more then two feet of the couch, she looked young. She was young. *And these bloody wankers are doin’ nothing but mucking about in her life.*

He spent the rest of the night just thinking, not bothering to wake Buffy up for a watch. She needed the sleep more then he did, and besides, her heartbeat was nice when it was steady like that. Much different from how he usually heard it, pounding away a mile a minute as she fought some baddie from taking over her town.

As the sun rose, and the Slayer showed no signs of waking, Spike let himself relax. Leaning up against the couch, his hand tangled in the Slayer’s hair, Spike fell asleep.

~*~

Buffy awoke to a cool hand propped under her cheek. *Well, that wasn’t there last night.*

Yawning and sitting up to stretch, she saw Spike, in what looked to be a rather uncomfortable position, half his body on the couch, the other half on the floor. *Well, so much for keeping watch,* she though wryly.

The sun was shining through the windows on the far wall, sitting up straight she glanced around, wanting to assure herself that none of the suns deadly rays were close to hitting Spike.

Tucking his arm closer to his body, Buffy scooted closer to him so that she might help him find a more comfortable position without waking him. However, as soon as her hand touched his bicep he was awake, leaping to his feet quickly.

“Slayer, I, look, I didn’t fall asleep… vampire, you know. We can sit very still. Living dead and all that.” He pulled a hand through his hair, little curls poking out in every direction as he glanced sheepishly around the mansion. “And, see, no one broke in, so no harm no foul, yeah?”

She couldn’t help but smile, even as that was interrupted by another yawn. “No worries, Spike. I was just giving you you’re arm back. Figured me sleeping on your hand wasn’t so comfortable.”

And with those words, and the small smile that Spike was directing at her, the whole night came crashing back. She promised him they’d talk. *Oh god. What am I going to say? You’re the best kisser I’ve ever met? Marry me? Oh, that will go over really well. How about, “Hey Spike, what are you up to Friday night?” Can you just ask a vampire out on a date? Do I actually want to date a vampire again? Oh. My. God. I think I’ve cracked -*

Hushing her internal monologue, Buffy smiled back at Spike, aiming for casual.

Pulling her legs up under her, and wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she patted the couch. “There was more then enough room for you to stretch out. Had to of been better then that contortionist act you were pulling off.”

Sitting down next to her, Spike smirked. “You want contortionism, luv. That was nothing.”

*Yeah, real casual. Why don’t you just throw the next innuendo at him?*

Clearing her throat, and hoping her cheeks weren’t too red, Buffy looked down at her stained jeans picking aimlessly at some of the gunk stuck to them. It was probably better just to ignore that. “Look, Spike, about last night-”

*Thank you. You really came through for me. I love you – Where the hell did that come from?*

“No need, Slayer. Just trying to help out. Always fancy a bit of Watcher bashing.” Spike shrugged his shoulders, looking down at *his* jeans, flicking off pieces of lint.

*Do vampires use fabric softener? Focus, Buffy!*

Turning to face him, her knee bumping into his hip, she placed a hand on his arm, trying to get him to look at her. “Really, though. Thank you. I, uh, was a mess last night, and I’m really glad you were there.”

The grin he shot her lit up his whole entire face, and she wondered why she had never noticed what a nice smile he had before. *Because he was trying to kill, you,* a small voice inside her shouted. But that voice seemed to be getting further and further away the longer Spike looked at her.

“Anytime, pet. Say the word and I’ll be there.”

Buffy smiled then, too. Her grin matching his, “And what’s this magic word?”

“Good morning.”

Both blonde heads swiveled around as Giles stumbled into the room. One hand covering his eyes from the brightness pouring in through the high windows, the other gripping the wall he was leaning against.

In a beat, Buffy was leaping over the side of the couch in order to offer Giles an arm to lean on.

“Really, Buffy, that’s not necessary. I’m feeling much better. Just a bit disoriented by all the light, is all. It’s rather dark back there.”

By the time she helped Giles to the couch, Xander and Willow were making their way into the living room. Xander’s hair was sticking straight up, and his clothing was rumpled, but otherwise he looked okay. Willow was blearily clearing sleep from her eyes as she plopped down onto the couch.

As soon as the two of them came into view, Spike was off the couch and making himself scarce, taking refuge in the darkest corner he could find.

Buffy tried to get his attention, tried to somehow show him that he was just as welcome as any of them, but he didn’t seem to want to look at her. Try as she might she couldn’t catch his eye.

*Well, then I’ll just have to show him.*

Spike had wedged himself in between the fireplace and the wall, attempting to stay as far away from the sun as he could. Buffy walked towards him, leaning against the wall next to him and slinking down until she was seated against the wall. After a moment, Spike slid down next to her. Pressing her fingers against his thigh for a second, in a silent gesture of – she didn’t even know what, solidarity maybe - Buffy felt a little bit of relief course through her when he nudged her back, his knee bumping hers just slightly.

“What now, Buff?” Xander asked her, his hands trying to tame his messy hair.

Buffy just smiled. “I don’t know. But I’m sure we can figure something out.”

~*~

Travers waited until the van door slid shut before motioning to the driver to hurry on. This was not progressing at all as he planned. The Slayer had been out of the Council’s control for some time now, and he was not happy with what seemed to be going on in Sunnydale without a Watcher’s influence.

Buffy had freed Giles in record time. Though how much was her own doing, and how much was the vampire she was cavorting with remained to be seen. The fact that she was paling around with *another* vampire made Quentin wonder if this Slayer had ever actually been under a Watcher’s control.

However, that was neither here nor there. No active Watcher was allowed to know about these tests. Any record of them was removed from the Watcher’s diaries before the newest active Watcher was allowed to read them. It was tradition after all, any Watcher who learned about the tests, either through participation or from someone who had gone through them, was never allowed to guide a Slayer.

Rupert Giles, and more importantly, his Slayer, would be running blind. It was a shame that he had to take with him perfectly good Watchers-in-training who would now never know a Slayer of their own, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Test number two was about to begin.