SPIKE: You lookin' for me?

BUFFY: Really not.

SPIKE: Oh. Right then. Off you go.  Did you cry?

BUFFY: What?

SPIKE: The wedding. Two hearts joined for eternity, great pelting showers of rice and so forth.

BUFFY: You didn't hear.

SPIKE: What? Families get out of hand? Tear the place apart?

BUFFY: No. Well, yes, absolutely. But ... Xander left. The wedding didn't happen.

SPIKE: Well. Gotta say ... I didn't see that coming.

BUFFY: It was awful.  Anya was devastated.

SPIKE: Is that right.

BUFFY: And, Xander ... thinks maybe they can still get back together, but ... he hurt her a lot.

SPIKE: Yeah, well ... some people can't see a good thing when they've got it.

XANDER: (Off Screen) Spike.

XANDER: I shoulda known you'd be tagging along.

BUFFY: (stands) Hey, guys. I, uh ... I found Spike and was, uh, trying to figure out what kind of dangerous contraband he had.

SPIKE: (looks disgusted, gets up) Tell you what, Slayer. Let me get out of your way. (picks up grocery bag) I'll stop bothering you.

XANDER: Yeah, maybe you should do that, Spike, just run along.

SPIKE: You know, I guess you know all about that, don't you?  The king of the big exit.  Heard it brought the house down.

XANDER: I don't need this crap from you.

SPIKE: Right. Let's not listen to Spike. ( Might get a bit of the truth on you.

WILLOW: Okay, okay. Heh. Calm now.  Let's, uh, turn around and release this very manly thing the other way.

XANDER: I forgot. Willy Wannabite can't hurt me. Dumb to pick a fight, I guess.

WILLOW: Xander.

BUFFY: (weakly) Guys...

SPIKE: More than happy to beat you right through the pain, you pathetic poof.

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

SPIKE: How is she?

WILLOW: Make sure she drinks all that. I'm gonna let Dawn know that everything's gonna be okay.

SPIKE: You all right?

BUFFY:  You need to leave me alone. You're not part of my life.

SPIKE: Fine, then. (pauses) You know, but I hope you don't think this an...I hope you don't think this antidote's gonna rid you of that nasty martyrdom.  See, I figured it out, luv. You can't help yourself. You're not drawn to the dark like I thought. You're addicted to the misery. It's why you won't tell your pals about us. Might actually have to be happy if you did. They'd either understand and help you, god forbid ... or drive you out ... where you can finally be at peace, in the dark. With me. Either way, you'd be better off for it, but you're too twisted for that. Let yourself live, already. And stop with the bloody hero trip for a sec. We'd all be the better for it.

Buffy doesn't say anything in response.

SPIKE: You either tell your friends about us ... or I will.

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

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