"Faith was around?" Willow volunteered. Buffy nodded, turning the CD off.

"The MTV version of this song sounds so...tame," she said. "Whatever possessed you to buy this?"

"Probably the same instinct that made him put the moves on you so long ago," Oz supplied.

"But...this CD...vulgar much?" she said, tossing the case for Slim Shady at Xander.

"Hey, I actually like it," he said, taking the CD out. "Hey, Buff? It's almost ten. Shouldn't you patrol?"

"Anything to get away from that filth," she said, grabbing her bag. "Remember, no menage a trois's while I'm gone," she said.

"Damn, how'd she guess?" Xander said as the door shut behind her.

The graveyard was quiet as she patrolled. Eerily quiet, but she took the time to adjust to her newest status as solo Slayer, thanks to Faith's perfectly timed death.

Smiling at the memory and reliving it in her mind, she almost missed the sound of footsteps behind her. Almost.

"Who's there, and what do you want?"

"Merely a game."

She knew that voice, that thick British accent rolling over the words. "What type of game, Spike?" she asked, turning around, expecting to see him there.

"Hide and seek. I hide, you seek."

"I'm not in the mood for games, Spike. Especially yours."

"But why not Slayer? Mine are so very fun." She smiled a little, thinking she knew where he was. But no one was there. "Not even close, love."

The game was starting to frustrate her, as she kept looking. Much as she hated to admit it, this was fun, in a way. After another ten minutes or so of searching, she decided to employ her secret weapon.

{Gods below she looks...wonderful.}

Buffy stood stock still. And listened some more.

{I like playing these games...provides a challenge...she's the greatest challenge in the world...I never want to hurt her again, never want her to be hurt, never want her to cry...}

Buffy followed the litany of thoughts to it's source, a blonde vampire in a small clearing, well hidden by trees and bushes. "Tag. You're it."

"You found me, love." {Now what are you going to do with me?}

"I guess I did. What do you want?"

"You." {In as many ways as I can possibly think of.}

"Mhmm." Buffy stood up above him. "Are you sure?"

{Why the bloody hell is she asking that?}

"Because I don't want to get hurt again."

Spike looked up at her in shock. "You...you..."

"Could read your mind?" Buffy said, sitting down next to him. "Afraid so. Funny...just your mind, though."

{So you heard everything I was just thinking?} She nodded briefly in answer. {And you didn't say anything?}

"Nope. Because...well..." She flushed a little. "I was flattered. It's been a long time since anyone thought anything like that about me. Or at least told me they were thinking that."

"Luv, I've felt that way since I first saw you. I just...couldn't *do* anything. I mean, there was the problem with my sire being your boyfriend, and of course there was Drusilla and then that damned organ incident and--"

"Spike? Shut up."

"What?"

"Shut. Up," she said, pushing him down onto the ground and kissing him passionately. Never before had she felt like this...never. And with reckless abandonment, she kissed him like she'd never kissed anyone before.