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Hilary
Buffy, Willow and Giles are in Buffy's kitchen preparing dinner. Tara sits on the sofa in the living room, reading the same magazine that Buffy was flipping through earlier, and Spike is putting the tools he used to fix the front door back in the tool box. As he stands to put the box in the closet, he notices Tara watching him from over her magazine.
Spike: So... how's it going?
Tara: (caught, looking away) Nothing. I mean... f-fine. I was just... I feel like such a dork about the door.
Spike puts the box in the closet.
Spike: Nonsense. It was an easy fix. Not really your fault, anyway. It's just a crazy situation all 'round.
Awkward Silence.
Tara: H-how are you guys dealing? You and Buffy I mean.
Spike: (scratching his head, searching) Oh... uh... well, who knows what the Slayer thinks half the time, you know she's pretty closed down about stuff. Especially to me. So you'll have to ask her about it. But me, I'm okay. Being human is... kind of growing on me, I think.
Tara studies Spike's face openly which makes him a little uncomfortable.
Spike: Tara... we've never really talked, but -- in light of the fact that you're now probably capable of pounding me into a bloody pulp -- I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for punching you in the face that time.
Tara laughs sweetly and Spike smiles.
Tara: You don't have to apologize for that. Actually, I should have thanked you a long time ago.
Spike: (uncomfortable) Well, lets not get carried away, now. Just because I'm human doesn't mean I'm gonna make with the pleasantries anymore than I have to. I may just be a man, but it doesn't mean I have to be a nice one.
Tara: Actually, I think you make a very good man.
Spike is caught completely off guard by this and barely has time to look at her with curiosity before the door gets blown off it's hinges again, this time by Xander. Both Spike and Tara look around to see Xander step into the house with great flourish. Anya and Dawn follow behind looking bored.
Xander: Enter... the dragon.
Spike just stares at him, open-mouthed, for a beat, then:
Spike: You TIT!
Dawn giggles from behind Xander.
Xander: Hey, watch your mouth! There are children here.
Spike: Yeah, and you're one of them. Who do you think you are, kicking in my door like that?
Anya: Your door?
Spike: I-- I meant... Buffy's and Dawn's... I just finished fixing it!
Tara raises her hand sheepishly.
Tara: Had a little accident.
Xander: Hey, no prob. I can fix it this time. I used to do that stuff for a living. Remember?
Dawn: Your asking us if we remember two days ago?
Buffy, Willow and Giles enter.
Buffy: What happened now?
Anya: Xander thought it would be funny to make an entrance.
Long, silent pause.
Giles: (deadpan) Hilarious.
Willow: Guess you had to be there.
Tara: Not really. We were here.
Spike laughs out loud.
Spike: Ha! Nice one.
He puts a hand up for a high five and Tara meekly slaps it.
Xander: All right, look, I said I could fix it.
Buffy: Well, hurry up. Dinner is ready.
Spike: Yeah, and she's not keeping it warm.
Buffy: No one asked for your two cents.
Buffy turns quickly and heads back to the kitchen, but not before flashing Spike a little smile. Spike's newly active heart thumps in his chest. He quickly glances around to make sure no one noticed and is satisfied that no one has.
No one except Tara that is.
DINING ROOM
Everyone is sitting around the table, eating mostly in silence. There is tension in the room but no one is really sure where it's coming from. Buffy and Spike sit across from each other and try very hard to hide the fact that they are no longer in hate mode. Unfortunately, throughout the meal it proves to be very hard for the former vampire and slayer to keep their eyes off of one another.
Anya can no longer stand the silence.
Anya: So I've been watching a lot of this daytime television and I've come to the decision that I'm going to have my own talk show.
Everyone pauses to look at her.
Willow: You're own talk show. That's a lofty aspiration.
Anya: Not really, I mean, I'm over a thousand years old... I know a lot of stuff. I can give great advice. And there won't be any whiny crybabies on my show. I'll tell them like it is. You have a problem? Husband's a slouch? Doesn't appreciate you?
Buffy: You're not going to tell them to disembowel their husbands, are you?
Spike looks up from his plate to smile at Buffy. She pretends not to notice.
Anya: Of course not! For some reason, there's a law against that these days. Don't want any legal troubles on my new show. But I will suggest a some very proven remedies on how to keep a man in line, and they'll appreciate --
Xander: What remedies?
Spike leers at Buffy while using his fork to trace lazy, seductive patterns on his plate.
Anya: Xander, don't interrupt me.
Xander: (sheepish) Sorry.
Buffy, suddenly feeling warm, takes a sip of water and lets a droplet roll down her chin. Spike licks his lips.
Anya: (to the rest) See? I'm a natural.
Willow: (sarcastic) Look out, Oprah.
Buffy wipes the drop with her hand, then circles the rim of her glass with her wet finger, caressing it before letting her hand slip slowly down the sides of the glass. Spike inhales deeply and shudders.
Anya: Oprah! Please. I have so much more experience with vengeance than she does.
Buffy bites back a laugh when she sees Spike's reaction to her little glass trick.
Willow: Are you trying to tell us that Oprah was also a vengeance demon?
Anya: What do you mean was?
Xander looks around to gage the reactions of the scoobies, ready to apologize for his embarrassing girlfriend again. But there are four people at the table who did not hear the entire last half of Anya's rant. Buffy, Spike, Tara and Giles. A disturbed Giles drags his eyes away from the Buffy and Spike show and clears his throat.
Giles: Well, it looks like everyone's about done and I think we should get started on the meeting. Specifically, what I wanted to talk about this evening, is what to expect when the situation in which we find ourselves reverses itself.
Xander: What do you mean, reverses itself?
Giles: Well, the Book of Anoush is rather cryptic, but it does talk of a recanting.
Xander: No! It can't recant!
Xander grabs the crossbow he brought to the table with him and hugs it to himself.
Buffy: Giles, do you really think it's just going to go back on it's own? We talked about reversal spells, you said nothing was strong enough.
Giles: And that is true, Buffy. But this power-reassignment is something that has happened before, here on this very hellmouth, and things obviously returned to normal that last time. Even the universe is not above... falling back on old habits.
He says this last line rather pointedly and Spike shifts in his seat.
***
The rest of the night drags on with little incident. Xander keeps trying to deny the fact that he may have to go back to being an ordinary again, Buffy and Spike continue to flirt silently, dying to get a moment alone, and Giles, knowing this is probably the case, drones on as long as possible until the entire subject is talked into the ground.
Out of desperation, Buffy fakes a yawn.
Buffy: Oh... excuse me. I guess all this scooby meeting stuff is taking it's toll on me. Not used to it now, being a civilian and all.
Xander: Yeah, and you know... it's time to start patrolling. I can't be evil's worst nightmare just sitting her on my duff.
Anya: Well, I'm not going back to that apartment alone. Dawn, are you coming over?
Dawn: Absolutely. (to the rest) We rented the bloodiest movies we could find. I'm gonna try to get through both of them without covering my eyes.
Anya: And I'm going to try to watch them from the victim's point of view. Although, they'll probably be less funny that way.
Giles: I wonder if perhaps you shouldn't both stay here in the house, with Buffy... and... Spike.
Anya: Eew. I'm not sleeping on a pull out sofa!
Giles: Spike can give up Buffy's old room.
Spike: Why should I?
Giles: (angry) Because you will.
Dawn: No, Giles. It's okay. We'll be fine at Xander's. He won't be out all night, he can protect us.
Anya: And I can't sleep if I'm not near all my stuff.
Giles sighs heavily, having lost this battle.
The scooby gang makes a mass exodus, excited to get on with the rest of their evenings. Tara is the last out the door and can barely contain her giggles.
Tara: Good night, you two. Have... uh... have fun.
Buffy furrows her brow good-naturedly.
Buffy: ...okay. Thanks. We're just probably gonna go to bed... I mean... sleep. In our rooms. Roomsss. Yawn. Tired. Bye!
Tara laughs again and gives Spike a knowing glance before turning to leave. Spike is at a complete loss. Buffy closes the door and turns to him.
Buffy: What was that about, I wonder.
Spike: You know what? I think she has a thing for me.
Buffy laughs and rolls her eyes.
Buffy: Oh, you wish.
Spike: I'm serious. She's been giving me these looks all night.
Buffy: What kind of looks?
Spike: You know. ...LOOKS.
Buffy: You're imagining it.
Spike: What, is it so impossible?
Buffy: Well, you're not exactly her type, in case you haven't noticed.
Spike: That's what's so cool about it. I single-handedly changed her mind about the opposite sex.
Buffy studies him like she would an alien fungus.
Buffy: Is there a limit to how much you love yourself?
Spike: Jealous?
Buffy: Of Tara? Please! (pause) Should I be?
Spike: HA! You are!
Buffy: Shut up! I am not. You're an idiot. I'm going to take a bath.
Buffy starts up the stairs.
Spike: Need any company?
This stops Buffy in her tracks. She turns around, slowly, to face him. Her long, smoldering gaze makes Spike uncomfortable. He swallows hard.
Spike: What?
Buffy: I want you to tell me something.
Spike: (voice-cracking) Okay.
He clears his throat.
Spike: (deeper) Okay.
Buffy starts to move slowly and deliberately toward him.
Buffy: We've known each other a pretty long time, haven't we? And over the years, you've said a lot, and I mean a LOT of suggestive, lurid and downright naughty things to me. What I want to know... William... is can you back them up?
Spike is shocked beyond words. He can barely form thoughts in his mind. He watches a small grin spread across her face and can feel the heat rising within him. She is so close. So beautiful. Sooooo damned sexy. He inhales her scent, and on the exhale he whispers:
Spike: I want you.
Buffy tiptoes up and touches her lips to his. Instead of kissing him, she speaks softly against his mouth.
Buffy: Then catch me.
Suddenly, Buffy turns and bolts up the stairs, laughing.
Spike watches, stunned, for a half-moment, then grins broadly. The hunt is on. He lets out a little maniacal giggle of his own and gives chase up the stairs.