*****

Spike sat at the door solemnly.  Day six.

*****

Spike sat in his chair quietly when he heard the crypt door open.  He turned and saw her.  Dawn.

“Spike!” Dawn said running to him and hugging him.  “I’m so glad your finally back!  Did you hear?  Did you hear?  Buffy’s back!  Buffy’s alive!”

Spike smiled and told her that he knows, “let’s go pay her a visit, Nibblet.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Anya said appearing in the doorway.

“She left her sweater,” he said.  “I should give it back.”

“We can take it to her,” Anya reasoned.

*****

At Buffy’s house, everyone, including Giles, rushed around preparing dinner.  Buffy sat in her seat in the living room trying to be away from it all.  Covering her was Spike’s dirty bedspread.  Giles came into the room and sat next to her smiling.

“How are you doing, Buffy?” Giles asked. 

“Fine,” she replied.  “This is just too weird.”

“You’re telling me,” Giles said with a smile.  “Do you want me to take that?” Giles pulled on the bedspread, but Buffy held onto it trying not to cry.  “Buffy,” he said.  “We’ve discussed this and I thought we agreed that things are not the same here.”

“I wish they were,” She cried.

“I know you do,” Giles said hugging her.  “And to think I had a grandchild.  Makes me a bit sad myself.  I mean I would love to be a grandfather.”

Buffy and Giles laughed.  It was more to release the tension, but it did its job.  Buffy leaned up against Giles.  She lifted her head when Dawn came back home.  Dawn went to her sister and hugged her with a smile.

“I’ve got a present for you,” Dawn said pointing to the door where Anya just walked in. 

Buffy looked unimpressed until he came in.  Spike.  She looked at him.  He had on his old black leather jacket and carried the sweater she left behind in his hands.  Her first reaction was to jump up.  She wanted to run to him, but her legs felt numb.  This was not her Spike.  This was another Spike.  Not hers.