Disclaimer: Joss has them all, they are slaves to his will, prisoners to his whims. Anyone wanna help me get them out?
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Monday

Dawn was at school. Spike was in bed. Willow was at school. Tara was at school. Giles was at the magic Box, as was Anya. Xander was at his construction site. Buffy was bored.

She had successfully found what she thought were all the cameras that the nerds had put up, and she had been kicked out of the Magic Box for her troubles. It wasn’t her fault that she and Anya were getting on famously and that they had lots to talk about. Stupid Giles, making Anya work.

Buffy was frankly amazed that she got on as well with Anya now. They had more in common now, she guessed. Over the years she had caught herself actually saying that she wished Anya was there at a particular moment. She hadn’t really felt Anya’s death until she was going through her first wedding. It was all the wedding planning that made it real that Anya was dead.

Buffy walked over to her stereo and popped in a CD. She cranked the music. Sure Spike was sleeping, but she was bored!

The sounds of Simple Plan filled the house and Buffy started bouncing up and down to the music. The song had only gotten into the first chorus when something heavy hit the stereo. Buffy stopped dancing and turned to look at the irate vampire that had thrown a shoe at the stereo.

Buffy smiled sweetly. “Yes my love?”

Spike growled. “At least when I lived in the crypt people were respectful about the hours I keep.”

“Oh poor Spike.”

“I was sleeping Buffy!”

“I’m bored!”

Spike looked at her incredulously. “You’re bored? That’s why you decided to wake the dead?”

“Undead Spike.”

“Go bug Demon girl or the watcher at the shop.”

“They kicked me out.”

“Funny how that doesn’t surprise pet.”

“Hey!”

“You bleedin’ woke me up in the middle of the morning Slayer!”

“Spoil sport.”

“Don’t you have anything to do at all?”

“The house is clean, laundry is done...”

“Find something to do, I’m going back to bed, and if a certain blonde woman wakes me up again, I’m going back to the crypt.”

“It’s not my fault that you crept in just before dawn from your poker game.”

Spike growled, turned and left the room. He was on to her game. She wanted him to get angry with her. Why he couldn’t fathom.

Buffy watched her vampire tramp back up the stairs with a smile on her face. Yes, I am immature today!

Buffy exhaled loudly, grabbed her purse and headed back out the door.
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Buffy entered the Magic Box, bade greeting to Anya at the counter, dropped her purse on the table and headed up the ladder to the second level of occult books.

Ten minutes later Buffy was sitting with a large stack of books before her and was writing diligently on 3”x5” cue cards.

To say that Giles was shocked when he came into the main room of the shop to see his slayer with books around her was a large understatement.

“Dear Lord, Buffy, is something wrong, is there a demon? An apocalypse looming?”

“Nope,” she said not even looking up from her writing.

“I don’t understand.”

Buffy smiled.

“You’d be proud of me Giles, really, I’m getting the jump on my research.”

“Research? On the First Evil?”

“Oh no, this is my own research. I found out fifty years or so ago that I know an awful lot about Vamps that was never written down. I just thought I’d rewrite my books.”

“You’ve written books?” asked Giles.

“Those things that we have lots of that are dusty and smelly? Research books?” asked Anya.

“I’m all Ph. D-y and everything. I’m Doctor Buffy!” Buffy smiled at her notes.

“So what do you write about?” asked Anya.

“Mainly family structure and mating habits.”

Giles dropped his book. Buffy giggled.

“Oh there’s lots you don’t know about me. And I had to do something, I have a very irate vampire at home. I woke him up. He’s completely grumpy Spikey.”
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Buffy returned home around 3pm to find Spike up and watching Passions... again. Buffy flopped down on the couch beside him and gave him a huge hug.

“Are you still mad at me?” she asked with puppy dog eyes.

“Na, not really. Sometimes I wonder though if you are really 122.”

“Are you saying I’m not acting my age? What you want me to go and get myself a walker and start calling you sonny?”

“God no, it’s just, and don’t take this the wrong way pet, but you act like Dawn sometimes.”

Buffy gasped horrified.

“You take that back!”

Spike laughed, only to pushed down off the couch and on to the floor.

“I had to take a talking to from Giles about how he was impressed that my life is or was fulfilling and academic, now you are telling me that I’m like a 15 year old?”

“Who’s a fifteen year old?” asked Dawn coming into the living room.

“Me apparently, according to the boyfriend here.”

“Boyfriend? Now you do sound like a teenager,” snickered Spike.

“Ha, bloody, ha,” said Buffy hands on her hips.

Dawn laughed. “You said Bloody!”

“So?”

“Spike says Bloody, it’s his word!”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “It’s your turn to make supper, Dawn.”

“Nope, I traded off with Spike. He’s making dinner, I’m going to Janice’s to study.”

“Excuse me?”

“Spike can cook? Right Spike?” asked Dawn.

“Not about Spike cooking, when were you going to tell me you were going to Janice’s?”

“I just did, Buffy.”

“I think I need just a little more notice than that Dawn!”

“Geez, you aren’t my mother!”

“No, I’m your legal guardian, Dawn and I need to know where you are.”

“Whatever Buffy. Can I go to Janice’s?”

Buffy exhaled. “Fine go, but be back before 10pm.”

Dawn smiled. “Thanks Buffy!” Dawn bounded out of the room and up the stairs.

Buffy groaned.

“Teenagers never get easier, you would think that after 3 of them I would know the tricks?”

“Three kids pet?” he asked curiously, with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“Oh God, not my kids Spike. I don’t have kids of my own, just Dawn, and her daughter and her grand daughter.”

“Never had kids of your own then?”

“No Spike.” Buffy kicked up her legs on to the couch and stretched out. “Did you pay that Shark demon thing the kittens you owed him?”

“Are you going to nag me about this until I do?”

“Spike if you don’t do it...you know what I don’t care...it’s your unlife and I thought the tweed was comical.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Nothing...” said Buffy sweetly.
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Buffy gloried in the delight of patrolling. Taking enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life was one of those statements that she would have easily applied to her feelings at that moment, except for the fact that she was hacking away a demon with tentacles. A purple demon with tentacles. She rather liked the colour actually, she used to have a top that colour.

Buffy cringed as a squirt of goo hit her chest. The insides of this demon were not the pretty purple colour.

“Ewwww” she whined.

Buffy gave one last kick to the now dead purple demon thingy and looked up to find her vampire. Spike was lounging on a tombstone, smoking a cigarette.

“You could have helped you know,” she complained.

“And get goo all over my coat?”

Buffy rolled her eyes then attempted to wipe off the goo on to the ground, but failed, just spreading the goo further.

“I need a shower.” Buffy turned to head back home.

Spike fell into step with her.

“Spike, are you happy?” she asked looking at her feet.

“What makes you ask that Pet?”

“I want you to be happy, so I want to know. Cause if you aren’t, I need to know.”

“Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

“See you aren’t actually answering the question.”

“Aside from the overly exuberant slayers in the morning, I’m a relatively content Vampire. I’ve got my girl...” Spike reached over and squeezed her hand, “I’ve got blood in the fridge, it’s pig’s blood, but you can’t have everything, and I’ve got a nice place to crash, with a slayer in my bed.”

Buffy leaned in closer to him and moaned. “Naked Slayer?”

“The best kind,” said Spike planting a kiss on her nose. “The kind that has her own teeth still.”

Buffy giggled.

“Hey I haven’t actually mentioned my teeth for a while.”

Spike smiled and kissed her hand.

“I want to take you out.”

“Like on a date?”

“If your fancy turns to calling it that then yes,”

“Then I accept,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
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Buffy arrived home in the best of moods. She was happy Buffy. She met Xander in the dining room and gave her friend a huge hug.

Xander was startled. “What’s up Buff?” asked Xander perplexed.

Buffy then noticed Tara sitting at the dining room table, and went to hug her too.

“Spike’s taking me out for a date!” she gushed.

The two Scoobies looked at each other oddly.

“Hey, there will be no disapproving looks! I love Spike, and he’s taking me out, it will be fun! fun! fun!”

“Buffy are you sure that you want to be involved with Spike?” asked Xander.

“Huh? Is this an intervention? I’ve had a couple of those, when we were thirty Dawn intervened and told me I could no longer wear my favourite top, I was too old to be wearing something that cool.”

“I just think that maybe this isn’t the best relationship for you to be in...” said Xander. “He doesn’t have a soul.”

“Oh pish, soul shmoul. He doesn’t need a soul, it just made him a crazy... TMI right there. Look I know you think that you are looking out for me, but I can take care of myself. Have been for a good long time. Question though, why did it take you so long to speak up about this?”

“Well I would have said something, but every time I got the chance, Anya would hit me.”

“Maybe she’s trying to tell you something. Look Xander, Spike makes me happy. You don’t know all the things that I do. I know he’s a good man.”

“He’s a vampire Buffy! You are the Vampire Slayer!”

“Yes, Xander thanks for clarifying that.”

“Buffy...”

“No, Xander you can’t talk me out of this. I’ve been miserable far too long to give him up now, you can’t make me do it. I love him, I’ve loved him for a hundred years, even though he’s been dust. Me being with him now, that isn’t the chance you pass up. How would you feel if Anya died and you were left to live on knowing that you loved her and that you never got the chance to tell her?”

Buffy looked at Xander harshly. She knew the answer to that question. She had seen Xander struggle just like she had after Spike had closed the hellmouth. Anya had died in the battle and Xander hadn’t even been there to say good bye like she had.

“If you knew the future and that the person you loved was going to die, wouldn’t you want to spend as much time with them as possible?”

Xander was looking sheepish now. Tara, who had been sitting calmly at the table had a huge smile on her face.

“Wow, that was a downer,” said Buffy suddenly, “Spike!” Buffy called.

“You yelled pet?” Spike asked coming from upstairs.

“I’m all serious now, tell me about our date?” she asked sweetly.

Spike shook his head and chuckled.

“I’m going out on a date with Spike!” Buffy giggled.
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tbc...