Set at the end of Something Blue

Chapter 1: Spiting

The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air of Giles' living room, dining room and kitchen as Willow used her culinary skills in an attempt to convince everyone to forgive her.

That was easy enough for Giles and Xander but the young wicca sensed it might take a little longer for Buffy to forget her brief engagement to William the Bloody.

Spike rolled his eyes. He was still tied to a chair in the middle of the room being force-fed pig's blood from a comedic mug. Yet, things were on the up, because this time, either by mistake or due to pity (and Spike wasn't sure which was more irritating) the slayer had failed to tie his arms up.

He enjoyed the freedom and was taking full advantage. However, he didnt want his ex-fiance to regret leaving him loose.

"Eat a cookie, ease my pain?" Willow offered the plate to Buffy, batting her eyelashes and smiling sweetly. Everyone else had taken one already and she only have Buffy's forgiveness left to earn.

Spike's too.

Buffy picked one up and took a bite, grinning as the scrumptious taste of sugar erupted in her mouth.

Typical, Spike thought. Offer one to everyone else.

"Don't I get a cookie?"

Willow looked like she might relent, pitying the neutered vampire.

Buffy, on the other hand, didn't.

"No."

"I gotta have something. I've still got Buffy taste in my mouth," he smirked, knowing he was getting on her nerves.

"You're a pig," she scowled.

"Yeah, well I'm not the one who wanted 'Wind Beneath My Wings' for the first dance." He grinned at her knowingly, sniggering as a scarlet blush coloured the slayer's blood-filled cheeks.

The rest of the scoobies looked at her with bemused and puzzled stares.

"That was the spell," Buffy lied, trying to hide her embarrassment. She grabbed a cookie and walked over to Spike.

She shoved it in his mouth - shutting him up - and turned to walk away,

Spike's hand shot out and grabbed her, pulling her towards him. His fingers slid around her waist, down her back and into the pocket of her trousers over her left butt cheek.

"Spike!" she yelled, struggling against his strength.

"Get off her," Xander shouted, speeding over in an attempt to play the hero.

The rest of the room release an uproar of cries and protests.

Withdrawing, Spike's hand moved away, his fingers clenched around something, giving Xander the chance to pull Buffy out of the reach of his slimy hands.

Slap!

The slayer's hand made a loud painful noise as it made contact with Spike's face, causing Willow to wince and the cookie to fall from his mouth and break on the floor. The vampire reeled back, shocked.

"Don't you dare touch me," Buffy hissed.

"Just taking back what's mine, love," he jeered back, his teeth gritted holding up his ring for everyone to see. "I guess this means the engagement is officially over, slayer. Almost makes me sad, knowing how sad you'll be without your beloved-"

Another cookie in his mouth, curtesy of Willow, silenced him.

Spike glared but slipped the ring back onto his finger, into its rightful place.