"Dawn, where did you leave your jacket?" Spike asks as he grabs his from the hook by the front door. Dawn sits on the floor away from the window, just incase one of the hellions decide to expand their attack on the house. Spike is frantic trying to hurry and get Dawn to saftey. He reminds himself everyday of the promise he made to Buffy before...he sighs and turns himself towards Dawn.
"I think it's in Willow and Tara's room." Dawn replies.
"I'll go get it. Don't move, okay nibblet?" Spike points at her. Seeing Dawn nod, he turns and takes the steps two at a time. He walks into the room and sees Dawn's jacket laying on the bed. He quickly grabs it and turns to walk out of the room. As he takes a step, he hears something crinkle under his foot. Taking a step backwards he looks down at the piece of paper on the floor. His eyes immediatly widen as he reads the words on it. 'The Urn of Osiris' He groans and runs out of the room and back down the steps. "Dawn, lets go!" He yells as he tosses her jacket at her. Dawn's eyebrows furrow at the sudden mood change but she stays silent and follows him out the door.
Dawn watches as Spike manages to snatch a motorcycle from a hellion. Spike jumps on it and tosses a football helmet to her. Dawn gets on the bike and they take off, heading for the cemetery. I can't believe the witch would be so stupid and irresponsible. Spike rants in his mind. They dont have any idea where she is, how shes going to come back, they dont know anything. This is so dangerous. I have to get there fast enough to stop them. Bloody hell, I dont want Dawn to see this. He shakes his head of all the thoughts as he pulls up to the cemetery. He turns off the bike and lets Dawn jump off before jumping off himself and letting it fall to the ground.
"What are we doing here?" Dawn asks looking around for the hellions that you can hear nearby. Sighing, Spike crouches down to be eye level with her.
"I need you to listen to me very carefully." Dawn looks at him concerned at the change in his voice. "Willow and Tara, and probably Xander and Anya, are doing something very dangerous and stupid. They are trying to bring Buffy back." Dawns eyes widen. "Under normal circumstances this would be a good thing. But Dawn, I need you to understand that this Buffy might not be the same."
"So, we need to stop them?" Dawn asks, eyes filled with grief. Spike nods and grabs her hand. "Okay." Dawn squeezes Spikes hand and they start running for Buffy's grave. Getting closer, they can see the circle made around the grave. Spike feels panic run through him and he sees Willow bent over struggling as a snake makes its way out of her mouth. Spike can feel the energy from the magic and feels a million different emotions hit him at once.
"We're too late." Spike whispers. Dawn looks at him with eyes wide and scared.
"What now?" Dawn asks looking towards the grave. "Nothings happening." She gestures towards it.
"Now we dig." He declares. He shakes his head and runs to the grave site, pushing Willow out of the way, ignoring the shock of pain from his chip.
"What the hell?" Willow exclaims standing up. Spike starts digging thorugh the dirt with his bare hands.
"You're all idiots. Do you know that?" Spike yelled. "This is an extremely dangerous spell in the first place, but you didnt even manage to think about the fact that she will wake right where we left her?" His body trembles as he digs furiously.
Willow's eyes widen and she covers her mouth with her hand. "I didnt know." She exclaims.
"Which is why you shouldnt have done a spell like this. You seem to think that you are more powerful than you really are. If you were, we wouldnt be in this situation and you wouldnt be this close to passing out." Spike yells. "Now help me dig and get her out of this mess!"
They all rush to claw at the dirt, taking handfuls and throwing them anywhere they can. Finally they manage to uncover the top of the coffen, and hear Buffy's frantic cries. Spike jerks the lid open and looks down at the woman he loves. She has her hands still up, her fingernails almost ripped off, and blood running down her hands. Her eyes are wide and she looks around confused, then settles her eyes on Spike.
"Buffy, are you okay?"
"Buffy, can you hear us?"
"Buffy, say something?"
Spike watches as Buffy flinches as the other yell at her. Spike hears her heartbeat picking up more and more as she panics. "Shut up!" Spike yells at them. They snap their mouths shut and look at Buffy in worry. Spike reaches a hand out and lets Buffy grab it. "Come on love, lets get you out of here." He carefully pulls her to her feet and lifts her to sit on the grass next to her grave. He climbs out and stands next to Buffy. "Up we go." He gently lifts her to cradle her in his arms, and feels her head lean against his chest.
"Where are you taking her?" Xander asks. "She needs to be with us. Give her to us." He demands.
"No. She needs to be with someone compenent enough to know how to take care of her." Spike tells them. Spike looks over to where Dawn has been standing frozen since he started digging. "Dawn." He calls. Dawn shifts her eyes from her sister to Spike. "Lets go take care of her." Dawn nods and walks up to him. She slowly reaches up and strokes her sisters hair.
"Hey Buffy. I missed you. I'm sorry you had to come back this way." Dawn gives her a sympathetic smile and Buffy's eyes focus on her sister. "We'll help you get back to tip top shape though." Dawn leans in and lands a kiss on her sister's head.
"Let's get going, nibblet." Spike nods his head and they start walking. Spike looks back at the four silently fuming at Spike. "I would stay somewhere else for the next couple days if I were you." Spike tells Willow and Tara. "Seeing you before she's feeling better wont be good for her." Without waiting for a response, he and Dawn start their walk home.
Dawn stays beside Spike the whole walk home, going thorugh alley ways, trying to avoid the hellions wrecking havoc on the town. Dawn strokes Buffy's hair the entire way home, while Spike whispers calming words to the trembling girl. When they approach the house, Buffy lifts her head to look at the outside of it. "You're home." Dawn smiles softly at her. They walk in the house and immeadiatly walks upstairs to the bathroom. Spike sets Buffy down on the counter next to the sink and caresses her cheek.
"Can you say anything, love?" Spike whispers softly to her.
"What..." She clears her throat and tries again. "What happened?" She asks.
"Willow did a spell to bring you back. I didn't know what she was doing until it was too late. I'm sorry I couldnt stop them." He frowns.
"It's okay." She whispered, her voice horse from lack of use.
"Can we get you in a bath?" Spike asks. Buffy nods and looks over to Dawn while Spike turns the water on.
Holding out her hand, she squeezes as Dawn's wraps around hers. "Hey Dawnie." She whispers. Dawn's eyes water and she wraps her arm around Buffy as she cries.
"I missed you so much." Dawn sobs as Buffy hugs her back. "I know it's selfish, but I'm so happy to see you."
"It's not selfish. I'm happy to see you too." Buffy kisses her sister on the head.
"Do you want me to leave while you take a bath?" Spikes asks as he turns off the water.
"Actually, I'm extremely weak right now. I might need help getting in and out, and washing my hair." Buffy blushes looking at the floor. Spikes finger tilts her chin up and he makes eye contact with her.
"Dont be embarrassed. Dawn and I will help." Spike tells her. "I'm gonna help you stand up." Spike supports her weight as she slides off the counter onto the floor. "Lets get you out of these dirty clothes." Spike reaches for the bottom of her dress and gently pulls it off of her. He moves behind her and undoes the clasp of the bra she was left in. Buffy lets the material fall off her shoulders and covers herself with her arms. Spike moves to stand infront of her and runs his hand across her cheek. "Do you want to do the other yourself?" Buffy nods and pushes her underwear off her hips and lets them fall down her legs, stepping out of them when they hit her feet.
Spike looks at her and notices the bones that protrude out of her skin. "We're going to have to get some food in you." He smiles at her. "Are you ready to get in the bath?" Buffy nods and he helps her over to the tub. Buffy carefully lifts one foot, then the other into the hot water, sighing as she sits in it. "Is the water alright?"
"It's perfect." She smiles leaning her head back. Spike smiles and grabs a cup to wet her hair, while Dawn gets a washcloth and starts washing the dirt off her body, starting with her face. As Spike starts working the shampoo in her hair, he suddenly feels overwhelmed.
The girl he loves died. She died, and he watched it happen. He helped bury her and put flowers on her grave. He took care of Dawn while she was grieving, and did everything in his power to protect her. He spent more time in the house of the dead slayer then he did his own crypt. Today, He saw the plans her friends had instore for her. He was petrifed. He has heard of spells like this going horribly. Some of the outcomes too bad for him to even think of. He needed to stop it. He didn't want her to come back and not be Buffy anymore. She could of come out a completely different person.
Then he got there and saw that they had done the spell, but not helped to get her out, and he was furious and so so worried at the same time. During his frantic digging, he could sense that she was alive, the slayer energy was getting strong. Then he dug a little further and could hear her heartbeat, smell her fear. When they started to uncover the wood, he heard her cries and scraping fingernails on the wood. When he opened the coffen and saw her face, he couldnt, and still cant, explain the emotion that went through him. He just knew he had to help her. So he shoved down all other emotions and helped her.
But now, as he helps get the dirt out of her beautiful, blonde hair, he feels himself tearing up. It wasnt for the best, but he couldnt deny the love and relief he felt for her. He tries to blink back his tears and rinses her hair of the shampoo. Once her hair is clean, he leans down and presses a small kiss on the top of her head.
"I'm going to get some of your clothes back out." Dawn walks out of the bathroom to go into the attic. Spike moves to sit on the floor next to the bathtub. Her arms rest on the sides of the tub and he reaches out to hold her hand.
"Spike?" Buffy whispers hesitantly.
"Yes, love?" He rubs the back of her hand with his thumb.
"You love me?" She turns to look at him. "Like, actually love me?"
"Yes, pet. Always will." Spike frowns at the tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, love?"
"I'm sorry I was so mean to you." She chokes out. "I didn't want to believe it. I didn't think I deserved love. I always end up fucking everything up. I had, have, feeling for you and I was scared. I don't want to mess up and hurt you." She cries. Spike leans foward and hugs her as she cries, not caring about getting his shirt wet.
"You always hurt the one you love." He whispered to her. "You just have to love that person enough to forgive those hard times." He pulled back and looked at her in the eye. "And I love you enough to." Buffy looked intently in his eyes and pulled her bottom lip in her mouth to chew on.
"Spike?" Buffy hesitates. "Will you kiss me? I've wanted a real kiss for so long, and I realize now that you have to go after what makes you happy before everythings gone."
Spike cradles her face in his hands and looks at her with so much love, it makes her heart swell. He leans forwards and barely brushes his lips across hers. Buffy whimpers and grabs the back of his neck, pulling him towards her to press her lips firmly against his. They stay like that for a few seconds, enjoying the feel of eachothers lips, before Spike starts to slowly move his lips. Buffy sits up in the tub, not worried about her nude state, and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
"Oh my God!" Dawn squeals. Spike and Buffy jump backwards, causing water to splash out of the tub. "You were kissing!" Dawn sits Buffy's clothes on the sink and claps her hands. "Buffy, I always said that you loved him!" Dawn puts her hands on her hips, her eyes saying 'told you so'.
Buffy smiles softly at her sister and looks up at Spike. "I do." She runs a finger across his cheek. "I do love you."
Spike leans down and kisses her head. "You have a few rough months ahead of you, but I'll be there to help you dip your feet back in the water. You'll be okay, I promise you that, Buffy."