"You're over an hour late," Giles said as Spike stomped into the Magic Box.

Spike shrugged. "I was busy."

"Where were you?" Buffy asked.

"Out."

"You must have been doing something very important to keep us waiting so long," said Anya.

Buffy snorted. "Have you met Spike?"

"So, what were you doing?" Dawn asked him.

"Bloody hell." Spike sat down with a huff. "I didn't expect the sodding Inquisition."

"Nobody expects the sodding Inquisition!" Xander said.

Spike met Xander's eyes across the table, and they shared a conspiratorial grin.

Sighing, Giles picked up his book. "Wonderful. Here they go again."

~end~