It was funny how often she'd heard that since she got to Lawrence. Funny how quickly those words could send her scrambling away from whoever said them. Need to talk meant not strong enough to handle her own problems, and even now, she flinched away from that, from those simple words that were such a strong reminder of the bleak reality of her life these last months.
But she had nowhere to retreat to. She was stuck between the memory of ecstasy and the pain of losing it, and for once, of all the choices, talking might be the least painful. Not something she forced herself to, like when she'd told Willow and Xander and Dawn, but a way to get away from what was in her mind. Words might let her force what she was feeling to arms length. Maybe even find that flippant place where she didn't take anything seriously, at least for as long as it took to say it.
She opened her mouth but all that came out was a croak. And that was funny too, that she might want to say something -- anything -- after all this time, and be unable to talk around the lump in her throat. Too much crying, or some after-effects of whatever she'd taken, she didn't know. She shook her head, swallowed, and croaked another random sound that wasn't a word at all.
She started laughing, the kind of laughter that's very close to tears, but only a little freer. It loosened her throat enough for her to say clearly, "I think...I would give anything...to be happy." Anything. She knew enough to know that was very dangerous.
She laughed again, bitterly, but not for long. As it faded, she glanced to the side for the first time and saw who she was talking to. Sensed, when she bothered to notice. Vampire. Her eyes widened, and the last tiny giggle choked off.