Buffy yanked her arm away from Spike's hand and stalked off in the opposite direction. He easily caught up with her and continued his speech without interruption.

"No! We will discuss it now. I'm good n' sick of you running away when things get a bit uncomfortable."

"Don't push your luck, Spike." Buffy continued walking, not looking at him. "We are not going to discuss this, now or ever."

"We bloody well are." He grabbed her arm again and this time he gripped it hard enough to cause her pain as she tried to jerk away. "Arggg!" he growled as the chip kicked in. No matter, he was tired of waiting around for her to realize the truth of his words. "You do care for me. I know it." His next words were smug. "And I'm never wrong when it comes to you. You give me one example when -- Ouch!!"

So smug in fact, that he didn't move fast enough to avoid her fist crashing into the side of his face. He should have known better and was ready for the next aim of her hand, dragging her down onto the ground with him with the force of the blow.

"Much better, love. Hit all you want, but we are going to discuss this. Ugh-oof! Oh God... Okay, hit me there again and I'm going to let you have it; I don't care if my head blows off."

Buffy's face was a portrait of complete satisfaction. Apparently, all men, alive or not, shared similar vulnerabilities. She looked at him sweetly. "Okay then, talk. Five minutes."

"I don't need five minutes." Without warning, he leaned over, closed his eyes and kissed her. Nothing else touched her, only his lips, soft and undemanding. His kiss was close-mouthed and painfully brief.

Buffy was shattered. This was not the way it was supposed to be. Although they were no longer enemies, and were, in fact, friends, there was nothing more between them. That is what she told herself every single time she was with him and when she dreamed of him. She could have defended herself if he had thrown her to the ground. She could have continued the charade if he had exhibited any kind of passion whatsoever. His tenderness was her undoing.

She reached for him, but he was too fast. He pulled away from her and got to his feet. There were no words.

He began to walk back the way they had come when the attack came from his side. His vampiric senses saved him as the creature barreled into his gut and drove him to the ground.

Buffy, regaining her wits, ran to help him and found herself in the grasp of another. She dispatched the vampire quickly and called out to Spike, trying to get his attention so that she could throw the stake to him. She was attacked again from the back. This one was stronger and she had to give her complete attention to fighting it. Finally, she triumphed. No longer hearing the struggle between Spike and the other vampire, she grasped her stake and whirled around looking for her friend.

She noticed a second too late that the other vampire had either fled or been vanquished and Spike was standing immediately behind her. The speed of her turn and the momentum of her body did not allow her to stop in time to prevent her stake from penetrating the left-hand side of his chest.

There were no words, just his face. A silent moment of surprise and of resignation and finally, of love.

There were no words.

Only a young woman's scream piercing the silent night.

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