SPIKE: Honey, you're home.

BUFFY: Yeah.

SPIKE: You did it. Fulfilled your mission. Found the holy grail. Or the holy hand grenade. Or whatever the hell that is.

BUFFY: You like?

SPIKE: Well, pointy wooden end is not exactly the look I want to know better, but it does have flair. Can see why a girl'd ditch a fellow for one of these.

BUFFY: I'm sorry about that.

SPIKE: Doesn't matter. Back in the bosom, all's forgiven. And last night...it was just a glitch, bit of cold comfort from the cellar dweller. Let's...don't make a thing about it.

BUFFY: Great. I have work to do.

SPIKE: Oh yeah, The solo mission, of course.

BUFFY: Yeah it is.

SPIKE: That's fine, you don't have to get shirty about it.

BUFFY: I'm not shirty. And what is shirty? It's not even a word.

SPIKE: All right, all right. Big secret mission is fine.

BUFFY: It's not a secret ...all right, well it is, but that's the point of the mission. To find out the secret. This thing was forged by...we don't even know...I mean, something about a tomb on unconsecrated ground.  That's what I need to do. I need to find out what this is and why I have it.

SPIKE: And that's the thing that Preacher Man was so anxious to keep out of your mitts?

BUFFY: That it is.

SPIKE: Well, maybe I'll drop by the Vineyard when you go. Make sure he's sitting tight.

BUFFY: Great.

SPIKE: Okay.

(Enter Kitchen)

BUFFY: Look, you're a dope.

SPIKE: I'm a what??

BUFFY: You're a dope and a bonehead and you're shirty.

SPIKE: Have you gone completely carrot top?

BUFFY: Do you see this? This may actually help me fight my war. This might be the key to everything, and the reason I'm holding it? It's because of you. Because of the strength that you gave me last night. Look, I'm tired of defensiveness and weird mixed signals, y'know what? I have faith for that. Let's just get to the truth here, okay? I don't know how you felt about last night, but I will not --

SPIKE: Terrified.

BUFFY: Of what?

SPIKE: Last night was...god, I'm such a jerk. I cant do this.

BUFFY: Spike...

SPIKE: It was the best night of my life. If you poke fun of me, you bloody well better use that because I couldn't bear it. It may not mean that much to you --

BUFFY: I just told you it did.

SPIKE: Yeah...I hear you say it, but...I've lived for-soddin'-ever, Buffy. I've done everything. Done things with you I can't spell. But I've never...been close. To anyone, least of all you. Till last night. All I did was hold you, watch you sleep. And it was the best night of my life. So yeah, I'm terrified.

BUFFY: You don't have to be.

SPIKE: Were you there with me?

BUFFY: I was.

SPIKE: What does that mean?

BUFFY: I don't know. Does it have to mean something?

SPIKE: No. Not right now.

BUFFY: Maybe when...

SPIKE: No, let's just leave it.

BUFFY: Okay.

SPIKE: We'll go by heroes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~