Spike was muttering and sobbing quietly to himself as him and Buffy ambled out of the cave.

"Xander! Open the door!" Buffy called.

Xander leapt into action, yanking open the door to the backseat of the car and helping Buffy get Spike inside. She stretched him out along the back, then slipped in beside him.

"Buff, are you sure you wanna-" Xander gestured to the available passenger seat.

"Just drive, Xander." Buffy ordered, delicately lifting Spike's head into her lap.

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"Dawn, is there still an old cot in the basement?"

"Yeah but-"

"Thanks." Buffy ignored her sister's would-be protest and dragged Spike down to the basement.

"Buffy, I shouldn't be here. I'm still a danger. To you, to Dawn, to everyone." Spike choked.

"Be quiet, Spike." Buffy hushed him and helped prop him up on the bannister while she put sheets on the bed.

"Just drop me back to my crypt with some blood and I'll be fine." Spike tried to stand but instantly fell forward.

"Yeah that's real believable." Buffy snapped, catching him easily and manoeuvring him onto the cot.

Gently, Spike eased back until he was lying down. "Thanks, luv, you've done enough."

Buffy ignored him and went about fiddling with the opening of the first aid box. She shifted through the items in there, deliberating over what would be useful and what wouldn't be. Slowly, she reached for the hem of his t-shirt.

"I'm just gonna take this off, to get to your wounds." Buffy informed him, lightly tugging it over his head.

"You don't have to do this." Spike assured her but let her remove his top anyway.

"I know." She smiled down at him.

Silently, Buffy set about cleaning his wounds gently with an antiseptic cotton ball. Then she set about bandaging it up, with one last check over his gauzed chest, she secured them in place.

"I look like a bloody mummy." Spike scoffed at the bandages.

"My mom never looked like that." Buffy quipped.

"Too right! Joyce was a bloody vision."

They laughed for a couple of seconds before Buffy went back to searching through the kit.

"I'm gonna do your face now."

"Okay." Spike agreed, not even bothering to resist this time.

Delicately, Buffy pushed a blonde curl away from his forehead and began to swipe away the dried blood.

"The worst is gonna be the bruising."

"It'll heal. Perks of being all superpowered, right, Slayer?"

Buffy smiled in reply and allowed her fingers to linger over his face. She traced along his features, stroking the sharp outline of his cheekbones and swirling up to his eyebrows. Spike held his breath the whole time, he was scared if he so much as twitched, she'd tear her hand away and run off. With one last caress, she withdrew her hand, but not with the rapid disgust he was expecting, and deserving.

"I'm gonna go grab you some blood."

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The house was quiet, it was night after all, but not so quiet that Buffy couldn't hear snatches of whispered conversations and gossip of the Potentials about Spike, what had happened and why the hell he was here again. But she didn't care. She didn't have time for their crap.

"How's he doing?" Willow asked Buffy, her and Giles hovering aimlessly in the kitchen.

"He's...okay. He'll heal." Buffy replied, swiping a bag of blood from the fridge and pouring it into a mug.

"Do you think it's the best idea to-" Buffy held up a hand to silence Giles' query.

"He's staying here, Giles." Buffy said firmly. "Spike has a chip and more importantly he has a soul."

"With all due respect, that didn't stop him before, Buffy." Giles pointed out. "And since the kidnapping, he has even more of a target on his back."

She sighed. "I know, Giles, I know. But he has to stay here. We've got no other choice. He's part of the team. And love him or hate him but we can't leave him out there, he's one of the best fighters we've got."

"Fighting skills aside-" Giles began before Willow cut him off.

"Buffy's right, Giles. Even if we aren't talking about Spike's conscience or abilities or anything else, he's better off with us. We can keep an eye on him. Make sure he's not killing again. Right?" Willow turned to Buffy.

"Exactly. Thanks, Will." Buffy smiled at the redhead. "Plus the First isn't gonna kidnap him from this house, it's full of fighters. Too obvious."

"Yes well. I'm off to bed." Giles said stiffly.

"I'm with you, Giles. Dreamland has been calling me."

Buffy was glad they'd left without too much confrontation. She didn't think she could be polite about it. She removed Spike's mug from the microwave and carefully added to it.

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Buffy returned a few minutes later with a warm mug which Spike gulped down gratefully. But it tasted...different. If Spike was being honest it tasted bloody brilliant.

"Slayer? What's..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the band-aid across Buffy's wrist. "No!" He thrust the mug firmly back into her grip.

"Spike, it's not a big deal. I need you healed and this is the best way to do it." Buffy pushed the mug back towards him.

"I can't." Spike shook his head profusely, growling at the pain and dizziness it caused.

The spinning took over his head and he dropped it back to the pillow. Buffy took advantage of that opportunity and tipped the last few drops in the mug to his mouth. Spike went to complain but knew he wouldn't win and guzzled the elixir.

Buffy stroked her hand across his hair, righting a few of the wayward curls. The gesture was so tender, so delicate, so unlike anything that had ever been between them before.

"Get better, Spike. I need you." Buffy whispered, her caresses continuing.

"Yeah it's gonna be one hell of a battle, pet." Spike breathed.

"Yeah..." Buffy's hand travelled from his hair and back round to his sculpted face, lightly tracing his bruises. "That's one reason."

Without another word, she leant down and pressed her warm lips to his. It was slow but fast, both of them ached for more but neither took it. It wasn't the right time. Buffy pulled her face away and rose from her kneeling position to her feet. Gliding away from him, she started up the stairs.

"Buffy." Spike called and she spun around. "I'm sorry. For everything."

Buffy gave him a sincere nod. "I know."

THE END