"Willow said she'd take me?" Willow repeated once they were out of earshot. "When did she do that, and how did I miss it?"

"When I stopped smoking for her," Spike informed her.

"Oh. Okay."

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

"I'll just wait out here," Spike told her as she unlocked the door.

Willow frowned. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Go take a shower, luv. I'll be here when you get out."

Letting herself in, Willow made her way to her room, where she grabbed a set of clean clothes before going to take a quick shower. When she was done, she dressed and was busy feeding the fish Angel had gotten for her before he left for LA, when she heard the sounds of struggle outside her french doors.

Spike was out there, fighting with a large group of vampires, and not looking like he was winning this battle. Willow thought for less than a second before making a decision.

"Spike, get in here!" she yelled, opening the door long enough to invite him in her house.

Willow breathed a sigh of relief as Spike ran safely into her room. She looked out the window and saw the vampires were already dispersing. “They’re leaving?”

“Yeah,” Spike said, sitting down in her computer chair. “I think they were just bored and looking for trouble.”

Willow went over to finish up at the fish tank. “Did you get hurt?” she asked, looking over at him.

“No, not really luv. They just hit a few of the bruises from earlier tonight.” Spike smiled when he saw the concern etched into her features. “I’ll be fine, pet,” he assured her.

Smiling now, Willow walked to the French doors and locked them, peering out as she did so. “Do you think it’s safe to go to the Bronze?” she asked Spike.

Spike nodded. “I think it’s fine, but why don’t we take your mum’s car, just in case.”

“Fine, but I’m driving.”

“Tell me again why you got to drive?” Spike muttered as they crawled along the streets of Sunnydale in Mrs. Rosenberg’s car.

“You don’t like my driving?” Willow pouted.

“Cor, luv, you drive like a ninety year old grandma. The only difference is, you can actually see over the steering wheel,” he teased her.

Willow cringed as yet another car sped around her, honking and flipping her off. She felt like crying when she recognized the other driver as Xander’s grandma.

Spike’s head spun around as Willow muttered some obscene curses and pulled the car over. “Willow!” he exclaimed, shocked at her language. “Where did you learn that phrase?”

Willow glared at him, then got out of the car, walked around to his side and opened the door. “Scoot over, you’re driving,” she growled. “But one scratch and I’ll stake you myself.”

A little afraid now, Spike carefully pulled into traffic, hoping Willow wouldn’t notice the slight trembling of his hands.

Willow was in a much better mood by the time they reached the Bronze. Spike, on the other hand, was still a little shaken.

Together they made their way to Xander and Cordelia’s table. They could hear the couple fighting from across the club.

“Hey guys,” Willow interrupted them as they reached the table.

“Hey Will,” Xander said, looking up. “Junior, what happened? You look more dead than usual.”

“Don’t ever make her mad,” Spike replied, pointing to Willow.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Well, duh.”

Willow laughed. “Oh, poor Spike. Did I scare you?”

The vampire nodded his head. “You threatened to stake me,” Spike pouted.

“Way to go Will!” Xander cheered. He received disgusted looks from all three at the table. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry, Spike. I was just a little too stressed out,” Willow apologized. “Oh, and Xander, your grandma is a worse driver than Cordelia.”

“Really?” Xander asked, ignoring Cordelia’s loud protests that she was a very good driver, damn it, and why was it that everyone kept saying she wasn’t.

“Oh yeah, mate,” Spike chuckled. “She whizzed right by us earlier, probably going 5 to 10 miles per hour *under* the speed limit.”

Xander laughed. “Yep, that’s Grandma Harris for ya. Real speed demon.” He turned to Willow. “So that means you were doing about twenty under, right Will?”

“I hate driving,” Willow muttered, ducking her head to hide her blush.

The Dingos were truly a rockin’ band, Willow decided as she and Xander sat and listened. Cordelia had talked Spike into dancing with her, claiming she needed a dance partner who made people stop and stare for *good* reasons. Which meant Xander was out.

Willow looked up at the band, smiling at Oz, who was sporting black hair this week. The couple had split up the previous summer for reasons that neither could seem to remember anymore, but they had managed to stay close friends despite their break up. She noticed now that Oz’s shoulders were shaking with pent-up laughter and she gave him a quizzical look. He motioned with his eyes to where Spike and Cordelia were dancing, and Willow began to laugh at the sight before her.

Spike was dancing. Cordelia was watching him, her mouth open in shock at his fluid movements.

Willow took Xander’s hand and led him over to their friends. Coming up behind Cordelia, she leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Fashion tip, Cordy...mouth looks better shut.”

Cordelia’s mouth snapped shut with an audible clack as she turned to glare at Willow. “Why didn’t you tell me he was *good*?”

“I thought you knew,” Willow said innocently, then led Xander to a different part of the dance floor where they would have a good view of their friends, and still be able to dance.

"Thank you for all your help today," Spike said softly, brushing a lock of hair out of Willow's face. "You didn't have to do any of it." He pulled her a little closer as they slow danced for the second time in as many days.

Willow smiled up at him. "You're welcome," she replied. "Thank *you* for defeating the slime demons and saving the world."

Spike laughed. "You're very welcome, Red. All in a night's work." He smiled when Willow began to giggle. "You think I'm kidding, Red, but this is what I do every night."

"You save the world then dance the night away with a woman who thinks you're a big liar?" Willow asked incredulously.

"You're mocking me?"

"Yes, I'm mocking you, you...big....umm..undead....liar guy."

"You're getting rather scathingly creative with those insults, luv," Spike teased her.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather I call you Junior?"

Spike scrunched his features in distaste, and she laughed. "I take it that's a no."

The song ended and they headed back to the table. When they got there, Willow had an announcement. "Xander, Spike would prefer it if from now on, instead of calling him Junior, you referred to him as 'you big undead liar guy.'"

Xander looked at Spike and thought for a minute, then turned to address Willow. "Ok, but is it alright if I just call him 'Junior' for short?" the boy asked, barely concealing his grin.

"That would be fine," Willow decided, her eyes twinkling in merriment.

Spike groaned. "Fine, mock the dead guy." He picked up his and Willow's sodas. "I'm going to get refills. When I get back, it will be time to pick on somebody else." With that, he stalked off towards the bar, leaving a table of laughing friends behind.