Begins at the end of the episode "Fool For Love" (Season 5). What if Buffy hadn't kept completely silent when Spike sat down next to her? What if she had asked him to stay and opened up to him, even a little?

Begins at the end of the episode "Fool For Love" (Season 5). Will Buffy keep pushing Spike away and remain silent, or will she open up to him a little? Why might she be willing to share things with Spike and not Riley? Hmmm, some very good questions. Read and find out the answers. {smiles}

The events of this chapter are mixed in with the episode "Shadow" where Joyce is in the hospital, has her CT Scan and biopsy surgery. What happened to Buffy and Spike the day after the porch scene? Will she turn to Riley for comfort now, or will she continue to seek out Spike

Spike has put enough doubt in Riley's mind already. Where will that lead? Spike seeks out Buffy to comfort her, and we continue through the end of the events in "Shadow".

After a long day Spike asked Buffy out to dinner. He didn't want to have to leave her side yet. Buffy has something that she needs to tell Spike. Maybe she can make sense of a few things along the way too.

Don't you think it is about time that Buffy kicked Riley to the curb for good? Did a good night's rest give her the proper perspective? I sure hope so. {Smiles}

Buffy returns home to find Xander and Dawn still there. Now that she's broken up with Riley, what should she do? That is a no brainer to us, but will Buffy do what she should? You know she wants to. Maybe she just needs a little push in the right direction.

None of the Scoobies, save Giles, is going to be able to make it to the hospital. Buffy is at Spike's crypt to invite him to come sit with them and to tell him how she feels. Things go a little wacky though when the "space cadet" blonde Vampiress, Harmony, interrupts them. Will Harmony be kicked to the curb or simply dusted?

Buffy, Dawn, Giles and Spike are at the hospital awaiting Joyce's surgery. Nothing ever goes as planned on the Hellmouth, and that goes now more than ever. Will Giles stake Spike on sight or will he realize just how welcome Spike is to the Summer's girls?

Something has crashed in some woods near Xander and Anya's place. Buffy, Spike, Dawn, Anya and Xander go to investigate. Joyce is awaiting her surgery, but her mind is not quite there right now. Dawn is starting to get freaked out from all the people saying she isn't real. The Summer's girls stood up for Spike with Giles, and now he is wondering what is going on with Spike. **Warning, minor bloodplay at the end; wound healing**

Buffy asked Spike to spend the night in her Mom's room while Joyce is waiting for surgery. Dawn now knows that she is the key, and her relationship with Buffy and Spike has not suffered because of it. The Summers' house is quiet now, but their thoughts are not. How will Joyce's surgery go? Will Giles believe Spike's disturbing news about Riley? Will Xander and Spike fight at the Bronze or work together?

Joyce has gone in for her surgery. Giles, Dawn, Spike and Buffy are waiting as patiently as possible for her to get out. Dawn, Buffy and Spike became even more like a family before they left for the hospital and Giles declared his love to Joyce before the other three got there. Joyce now knows that Dawn is not her daughter, and important, but not exactly that she is "the key".

Riley and Xander have a surprise planned for Spike that they hope will get Spike dusted. Buffy and Spike spent the night together in her bedroom. Dawn is at Giles' house. We begin where we left off in Chapter 11. Spike is watching over Buffy while she sleeps.

Unknown to everyone but Riley and Xander, Spike's chip has been deactivated. Buffy had a Slayer nightmare, and Spike made love to Buffy when she woke up. Spike was able to bite Buffy during their coupling, but neither of them know why yet. Buffy wasn't freaked out by it. Spike felt Dru at the end of the last chapter, and he's wondering what she's doing in Sunnydale. Now Spike and Buffy have to figure out how he could bite her, Spike needs to contact Giles about Dru, and Spike would like to put at least a familial claim on Buffy to protect her especially now that he thinks Dru is in town.

Giles and Dawn are back at the hospital with Joyce. After a little comfort sex after the familial claiming, Spike and Buffy are now trying to get ready to head to the hospital themselves. Xander, in his usual blind hatred for Spike, is at the Summers' house ready to prove that Spike's chip doesn't work. It is his hopes that Buffy will dust Spike immediately. Is he right or does Buffy love Spike enough to trust him? Dru felt the familial bond engage due to her being in Sunnydale. How will this affect her plans to get Spike back into the fold?

Xander made it to Buffy's house just in time to screw everything up in true Xander prejudiced style. He scared Buffy, who screamed, which sent Spike careening down the stairs to throw Xander against a wall. Once Xander proved the chip wasn't working, and Buffy didn't stake Spike, he took it upon himself to handle the deed. Instead of Spike turning to dust though, Buffy stepped in the way, taking the stake to the chest. It didn't hit the heart, but it was bad enough that Spike called an ambulance to get Buffy to the hospital. Spike covered up the injury with an intruder story without implicating Xander's involvement in the deed. As the ambulance arrived at the hospital, so did Willow and Tara who were there to see Joyce. How is everyone going to find out about what happened? Whose side will each Scoobie and/or family member take? What is going to happen to Xander and Buffy?

Buffy is out of surgery. Spike and Dawn are with her. Joyce has ruled her house and family a "No Xander" zone. Anya is being called to let her know about Xander's condition. Sunset is quickly approaching. Will Dru's new Childe awaken? How is Dru going to get to Buffy now that the familial claim is in place? Does the claim protect all of Buffy's family or just Buffy? Hmmm ... what about her friends? Will Spike be able to protect the woman he loves?

Dawn was brought into the protective familial claim with a bite. Joyce and Giles witnessed the event, and they felt a little bit of a closer bond between the five of them since they were touching the others involved in the claiming. After a vision warning from Cordelia, Angel headed to Sunnydale to find out what was going on. Everyone is mad at Xander right now. Buffy, Joyce, and Xander are all in the hospital right now.

Giles is taking Buffy home while Dawn remained at the hospital with Joyce. Spike is out patrolling where he ran into Drusilla and Riley. Angel is still out there somewhere searching for Spike and Dru. Dru found some vampires who were not Sired of the Aurelius line. Will they be able to kill Buffy? Will Riley get his revenge on Spike by beating him in combat? Will Angel get it right, or will he stake the wrong vampire?

Riley and Dru are dust after they attacked Spike and Buffy in the cemetery. Angel showed up in time to actually help. Riley injected Spike with something that sucked his supernatural strength from him. Buffy had to carry him back to Giles' car and into the house. Spike is still unconscious, and Angel is waiting downstairs at Buffy's house for some explanations. **If you really love Angel, you might want to close your eyes.**

Angel, in true jealous fashion, insulted Buffy and Giles while he assumed that they were all under a spell to like Spike. He was rude and obnoxious going so far as to attack Spike and slap Buffy. Giles stuck by Buffy's side, and he got just a bit too much pleasure out of holding Angel at crossbow point ultimately shooting him in the shoulder with the bolt as a warning to back off. Spike was still weak, but he's had a few infusions of Slayer blood now. Hopefully he will get better. Giles left to head back to the cemetery before he headed to the hospital. Wesley and Cordelia arrived at the mansion shortly after Angel returned there. Angel and Wesley are also headed to the cemetery where the fight took place. Joyce should be heading home in the morning.

Angel found the hypodermic, and Giles found the vial of liquid used on Spike. Wesley and Giles had a chat, and Wes has agreed to help and listen to both sides of everything. Joyce is home now. Buffy and Dawn seemed to sense something off about Ben when he met them before they left the hospital. The Council has arrived from England, and they have firmly planted themselves in the Magic Box much to Giles' dismay. Wesley walked into the Magic Box shortly after Giles arrived. Both are shocked to see the Council there, and neither seems inclined to give any information to the Council. Travers is full of threats now, but will he really go through with it.

The Council left the Magic Box, and now the rest of the Scoobies are trying to figure out where to go next. Anya heads to the hospital to see Xander, and Dawn's key status will be revealed to the majority of the Scoobies. Cordy gets out a few frustrations. Angel will discover a secret that he doesn't even realize the importance of.

Angel headed to the Magic Box to share the information about what he saw at the hospital and home. Buffy and Spike went home to visit with Joyce, and they are now headed out for their nightly patrol. Giles received the toxicology report shortly before Angel arrived. Willow, Tara, and Giles worked on using the liquid to their advantage. Glory, now back in her form, left the house to find the Council in the hopes that they know where her key is.

Buffy, Angel and Spike know for sure that Glory and Ben are the same now. The injection worked to confuse and incapacitate Glory in her hellgod form. The groups are unsure as to how long the injection lasts. Travers informed Buffy, Spike, Giles, Angel and Wesley that Glory is a goddess. Some of the group is a bit beat up, but overall they survived the encounter with Glory. Lydia gave Buffy and Spike a packet of information, and she wants to help them against the Council wherever she can. The groups are working together to make more of the potion used on Glory. Joyce has been having more headaches as well lately.

Previous Chapter Summary: Joyce collapsed and Spike saved her from having the aneurysm kill her. Xander, Spike and Buffy have a bit of a truce, and Xander has offered to take Dawn and Spike to the hospital where the ambulance with Joyce is headed.

Chapter Summary: Wesley, Tara, Willow and Angel are still working at the Magic Box on the injection. What happens when Angel and Giles have a difference of opinion about Giles leaving for the hospital? Will they finally figure out everything they need to do to make the injection work again? What happens when Ben shows up in the waiting room at the hospital? How is Joyce doing?

Previous Chapter Summary: Wesley, Tara, Willow and Angel determined what magical force(s) were at work on the ingredients and the whole liquid result. Joyce is patched up at the hospital after some surgery to repair the damage caused. Giles and Cordy joined the group at the hospital. Buffy and Spike warned Ben to pack up and get out of town because they knew how to take him and Glory down. Ben left in a hurry.

Chapter Summary: Joyce awakens, and she's filled in on what's been happening. The group at the Magic Box works to get the potion and spells done. Will they be able to get all the necessary ingredients in time? What will happen when everyone goes home for a bit of rest? Will everyone get the rest they need or will other activities ensue instead?

Previous Chapter Summary: Joyce awakened, and she was filled in on what's been happening. The group at the Magic Box worked to get the potion and spells done. Everyone went home for the night to rest except Angel and Cordelia who headed to L.A. for the last ingredients needed to cast the spells. Spike and Buffy shared a passionate night together and completed a mutual claim

Chapter Summary: The aftermath of Spike and Buffy mating. The Scoobies prepare to head to Glory's house just to be sure that Ben is gone. Will the Scoobies get the potion done in time? Will Glory get a hold of Dawn? If so, will the Scoobies save her in time without Buffy having to die?

Previous Chapter Summary: Glory broke into the Magic Box shortly after Dawn cut herself on one of Angel's weapons. The scent of her blood was enough to give away her status as the Key to Glory. After a heavy battle in the Magic Box, Glory's minions kidnapped Dawn. The serum was finished, and our band of warriors (along with some extra help from Lydia and some Watchers) invaded Glory's home to get Dawn.

Chapter Summary: The Scoobies, Fang Gang, and Watchers continue their fight against Glory and her minions. Spike tries to stop Doc from starting the ritual. Will Dawn be cut or killed? Will anyone have to sacrifice themselves this time around? Will they finally defeat Glory and remove any threat of her return?

Previous Chapter Summary: Glory was defeated. The Scoobies and Fang Gang are all intact. They did lose a couple of the Council's Watchers in the battle though. The Gem of Amara saved Spike's life when he and Doc flew out the window.

Final Chapter Summary: It's been quite a ride from start to finish, but we're at the end of our journey for this story. Angel keeps his promise to perform a ritual that will protect Spike and Buffy's claims from any other clan member, including himself. There are some concerns still, but read on to see what happens to our Scoobies.