Oz had walked out of Willow's life nearly four years ago, now he wanted to
be apart of it again, even if it was only as a friend. She was his home,
his being, his everything. He had been travelling the world, trying to find
the elusive werewolf cure, all of the time thinking of Willow. He was heart
broken also as she had chosen Tara over him when he came back from being
away, trying to find a way to control his werewolf tendencies. Now he was
no longer a werewolf, he was pure human by a cure he had managed to find in
the cold of Russia, by some witch. He had managed to do that about two
years ago, but he couldn't get back until he had the money for the huge
travel costs to LA and then to get back to Sunnydale. Well now he was on
the road in an old Winabago, going home, finally.
Spike paced Buffy's porch, not sure whether he should knock on the door or just leave and never see her again. He wished everything were different, sometimes. He wished he hadn't allowed his emotions get him so messed up and try to force himself upon Buffy. But now the guilt had really got to him and he knew he had to try to make it right. He had a soul now, everything he did would effect him more than anyone could know. Spike decided to ring the doorbell and waited for an answer.
Cordelia sat with the PTB and watched what was going on in the universes where they reigned supreme. She was enjoying it but something gnawed at her mind. Angel. He was stuck with no real help; he needed her and her visions. Fortunately, the PTB allowed Angel to get out of the box and allowed Connor to know that Justine killed Holtz so the pair of them were getting on pretty well, but it was a shaky relationship. Cordelia was getting a little tired though, she just wanted to go and do the normal mortal thing. So Cordelia went to the PTB and asked for her life back. "Why?" The main PTB asked. "Because my friend Angel needs me and my visions, he just isn't coping and I miss him," Cordelia explained, she had called Angel a friend as she knew that she didn't love him like she use to, he was a friend, a really close friend. "If you are really sure that you want to make the sacrifice of a mortal life, then we grant it. But you will not have any visions; we are giving you a gift for your sacrifice. The hero, Doyle." Cordelia was shocked, she hadn't expected any gifts at all, just to be possibly sent back down to earth, probably visionless, Not the man she had loved but sacrificed himself just as she realised it, for some half demons. Before she had anytime to think she was thrown from heaven/the PTB base to the top of the hotel. She was so disorientated she didn't notice the demon just getting up behind her so she just walked, shakily down the stairs and went to the lobby were she found everyone, just working. She made her presence known and the gang just looked shocked and stared at her and the demon behind her.
The door creaked open and Buffy just stared at Spike for a moment before asking the first question that Spike had expected. "Where were you?" Buffy's tone was slightly angry but there was excitement there too and finally fear. "Well, I was in Africa," Spike said. "Ok, but why? First why don't you come in so we can talk more," Buffy stood to the side of the door so he could get in. He walked in, with none of the normal swagger and just sat on the sofa. "Well, what happened? Why?" Buffy said. So Spike explained everything, including wanting to get his chip out. "Look, Buffy, I'm different now. I've got a soul," Spike explained. "What?" Buffy couldn't quite believe it, she stared into his eyes and found all this emotion and stuff she never knew there was. "Yeah you have but how?" "Well, the demon who set all this up, he gave me what I really desired, not my chip out but a soul. I thought you couldn't love me without one. Oh, I'm really sorry about everything I've done, especially forcing myself upon a few months back," Spike was being so sincere and so caring. Even more than he was ever with Dawn. "I knew that as soon as you left," Buffy said looking straight into his soulful blue eyes. "So, what has happen since I've been away?" Now it was Buffy's turn to explain. She said about Warren killing Tara, Willow becoming evil and trying to destroy the earth, Giles' arrival to try and stop her but it was Xander who did it. "Well the Whelp did good. I'm really sorry about Tara, I really liked her, and she wasn't judgmental. How's Willow holding up?" Spike was visibly sad at Tara's death. "She went with Giles to see the watcher's council and have some time to recover from the ordeal," Buffy was feeling confused about Spike's arrival but was glad he was back, no matter what he had done. Buffy was about to talk some more when she saw Dawn stomp down the stairs. "Look, Dawn, Spike's back." Dawn gave Spike a dirty look, "Why should I care, he was the vampire who nearly raped you, Xander told me," Dawn said before walking back up and slamming the door of her bedroom. "Don't worry about her, I'll work on her," Buffy said, "do you have any where to stay?" "Well, Clem's still in the crypt so no," Spike said. "Well you can sleep on the couch if you want," Buffy said. "Yeah, thank you," Spike replied, " could you not tell your friends about my soul because I really need some time to get use to it." With that Buffy walked upstairs and got some covers and a pillow for Spike, gave them to him to set up and went to bed. Spike popped the pillow against one the arms then laid down and put the cover on himself. He managed to fall into an uneasy sleep, full of images of all the people he had hurt and murdered.
Dawn was really annoyed; Spike had almost raped Buffy, left and then expects her and Buffy to look after him! What a cheek! He is evil! But. Angel had done terrible things and now him and Buffy are OK so why shouldn't she forgive him, it looks like Buffy has. Dawn found herself arguing with the two opposing sides of her brain. This left her really tired so she went to sleep the question of whether to trust Spike running in her mind.
"Cordelia, Doyle!" Angel said, very confused, seeing his love and his best friend both had gone from this world, Doyle died the hero and Cordelia, and well he didn't know where she had been. "Hey," the Irish man said with a smile, "long time, no see!" "Yeah," Cordelia, "hey." "Wow, how did you come back?" Angel asked, he motioned them to sit down on one of the black sofas. They sat as did Angel, Gunn and Fred. Cordelia told most of the story, of which there wasn't much of as the PTB has erased her memory, except that of her being told she could go and being allowed to have Doyle as her gift for sacrificing being in a heavenly dimension. "Wow," was the entire group could say, they had their best friend and a new (for Gunn and Fred anyway) asset come to them.
Oz had just passed the "welcome to Sunnydale" sign and he knew he was home. He decided to visit Buffy first, as he really needed the 4-1-1 on everything that had happened here since he left. He drove into Revello Drive and parked up outside Buffy's house. He got out and walked to the door and knocked, waiting for someone to answer. The last person he had expected to answer, Spike. "What the Bloody hell do you want." he trailed realising it was Oz. "Why are you in her house? Doesn't matter, is Buffy in?" Oz asked. "Yeah," Spike said before walking up the stairs and knocked on her bedroom door. She woke, slightly annoyed. "What is it?" Buffy asked aggressively. "Werewolf boy has returned and wants to speak to you," Spike explained simply. "What? Oz has returned?" Buffy got on a dressing gown and quickly walked down stairs and saw Oz waiting outside. "Oz, come in," Buffy was really surprised of Oz's arrival, "why are you back? Have you found a cure for you know." "Yeah, I'm no longer a werewolf," Oz said. "Well, sit down and tell me how you got rid of it and where have you been?" Oz explained about everything and explained why he was back, for Willow. "There's a lot you don't know," Buffy said before explained exactly what had gone on these years he had been gone, he was really sorry about Tara and was quite surprised about Buffy dying and then being resurrected. The thing that almost made him cry was Willow turning evil for a while, he never thought that she could become evil, he felt that it could be his fault. That made him cry. "It was my fault, I should never had left!" Oz said, tears streaming down his face, he didn't care who was watching. "It wasn't, it was that idiot Warren's fault, he killed Tara! So you shouldn't feel guilty about leaving, you was just doing what was right, protecting her from you," Buffy said, in a comforting way, it calmed Oz down a little. "Where's Willow now? At her parents?" Oz asked, wiping away his tears. "No, she went to England to see the watcher's council, to see if they could help her with her addiction with magic and just to get her out of Sunnydale a little while. Don't worry, she's coming back in two days, so if you stick around, you could see her!" Buffy said the last bit with a hopeful smile. "Do you have any where to stay tonight? Because I could make Spike sleep in the basement and you can have the couch." "Sure. By the way, why is Spike not trying to kill us?" Oz asked. "A little chip in my noggin here stops me from doing that," Spike explained, "anyway, I have a soul now." "Cool," Oz said in his non-fazed way, like it wasn't much. "I have really missed your laid-backness!" Buffy said with a smile. With that Spike took the sheets down to the basement and saw that it wasn't that much different except for being less junk filled, fortunately there was an old couch so he laid down on it and slept, with the same dreams as before. Oz was given some sheets by Buffy and he organised himself, rather like the way Spike had, strangely. So the whole house was asleep, each had a lot to think and dream about.
The next morning she decided to speak to Dawn about Spike and how she should try to be nice to him or at least not constantly reminding him about hurting Buffy. Buffy knocked on Dawn's bedroom door and waited for an answer. "What?" Dawn said. "Can I speak to you?" Buffy asked. "Ok," she replied. "Look I think there is something you should know about Spike," Buffy said as gently as possible. "Spike, Spike? Why should I know anything about the would-be-rapist! He hurt you Buffy," Dawn said. "Ok, but now he has a soul," Buffy said. "What?" Dawn couldn't speak, "you mean like Angel?" "No, this time it's permanent," Buffy explained, "So everything he had done would have tremendous affect on him, including hurting me." Dawn felt quite guilty. "Look I'll go speak with him, mostly to see if you're telling the truth and to see if he is," with that Dawn ran to the bathroom and quickly got washed then ran back to her bedroom got changed and decided to see if Spike was up.
Angel and Co had got Cordy and Doyle a room each where they seemed to sleep easily, like the dead even. Angel was even up when they managed to wake up. Cordy came down first and asked for the 4-1-1 about what had happen since she had gone. She got herself a coffee while Angel told her about how Connor had killed Justine and that Fred and Gunn were getting married next March and all the other stuff that had happened.
Doyle an hour later stumbled down the stairs, still very tired after being taken from heaven, and too asked for the 4-1-1 on what happened since he had gone. This time Cordelia decided tell him what had been happened. "Thanks, Princess, I really missed you when I was in heaven," Doyle said with a smile. "Yeah, I really missed you when I was, wherever I was, I just wished you hadn't jumped," Cordy said, a little sad. "Don't worry 'bout that, 'Delia," Doyle said with a little smile, as reassurance, "I did what I had to do, you know that." "I know," Cordelia said a little sadly, "I wished that we could have gone out on that date." "Well, why don't we got out for coffee, if you don't mind, Princess," Doyle said. "Ok, anyway, we probably need to go shopping for clothes as well. And please, can you not buy any of those stupid shirts!" Cordelia said laughing. "Anything, for you, Princess," Doyle said, rolling his eyes.
Spike paced Buffy's porch, not sure whether he should knock on the door or just leave and never see her again. He wished everything were different, sometimes. He wished he hadn't allowed his emotions get him so messed up and try to force himself upon Buffy. But now the guilt had really got to him and he knew he had to try to make it right. He had a soul now, everything he did would effect him more than anyone could know. Spike decided to ring the doorbell and waited for an answer.
Cordelia sat with the PTB and watched what was going on in the universes where they reigned supreme. She was enjoying it but something gnawed at her mind. Angel. He was stuck with no real help; he needed her and her visions. Fortunately, the PTB allowed Angel to get out of the box and allowed Connor to know that Justine killed Holtz so the pair of them were getting on pretty well, but it was a shaky relationship. Cordelia was getting a little tired though, she just wanted to go and do the normal mortal thing. So Cordelia went to the PTB and asked for her life back. "Why?" The main PTB asked. "Because my friend Angel needs me and my visions, he just isn't coping and I miss him," Cordelia explained, she had called Angel a friend as she knew that she didn't love him like she use to, he was a friend, a really close friend. "If you are really sure that you want to make the sacrifice of a mortal life, then we grant it. But you will not have any visions; we are giving you a gift for your sacrifice. The hero, Doyle." Cordelia was shocked, she hadn't expected any gifts at all, just to be possibly sent back down to earth, probably visionless, Not the man she had loved but sacrificed himself just as she realised it, for some half demons. Before she had anytime to think she was thrown from heaven/the PTB base to the top of the hotel. She was so disorientated she didn't notice the demon just getting up behind her so she just walked, shakily down the stairs and went to the lobby were she found everyone, just working. She made her presence known and the gang just looked shocked and stared at her and the demon behind her.
The door creaked open and Buffy just stared at Spike for a moment before asking the first question that Spike had expected. "Where were you?" Buffy's tone was slightly angry but there was excitement there too and finally fear. "Well, I was in Africa," Spike said. "Ok, but why? First why don't you come in so we can talk more," Buffy stood to the side of the door so he could get in. He walked in, with none of the normal swagger and just sat on the sofa. "Well, what happened? Why?" Buffy said. So Spike explained everything, including wanting to get his chip out. "Look, Buffy, I'm different now. I've got a soul," Spike explained. "What?" Buffy couldn't quite believe it, she stared into his eyes and found all this emotion and stuff she never knew there was. "Yeah you have but how?" "Well, the demon who set all this up, he gave me what I really desired, not my chip out but a soul. I thought you couldn't love me without one. Oh, I'm really sorry about everything I've done, especially forcing myself upon a few months back," Spike was being so sincere and so caring. Even more than he was ever with Dawn. "I knew that as soon as you left," Buffy said looking straight into his soulful blue eyes. "So, what has happen since I've been away?" Now it was Buffy's turn to explain. She said about Warren killing Tara, Willow becoming evil and trying to destroy the earth, Giles' arrival to try and stop her but it was Xander who did it. "Well the Whelp did good. I'm really sorry about Tara, I really liked her, and she wasn't judgmental. How's Willow holding up?" Spike was visibly sad at Tara's death. "She went with Giles to see the watcher's council and have some time to recover from the ordeal," Buffy was feeling confused about Spike's arrival but was glad he was back, no matter what he had done. Buffy was about to talk some more when she saw Dawn stomp down the stairs. "Look, Dawn, Spike's back." Dawn gave Spike a dirty look, "Why should I care, he was the vampire who nearly raped you, Xander told me," Dawn said before walking back up and slamming the door of her bedroom. "Don't worry about her, I'll work on her," Buffy said, "do you have any where to stay?" "Well, Clem's still in the crypt so no," Spike said. "Well you can sleep on the couch if you want," Buffy said. "Yeah, thank you," Spike replied, " could you not tell your friends about my soul because I really need some time to get use to it." With that Buffy walked upstairs and got some covers and a pillow for Spike, gave them to him to set up and went to bed. Spike popped the pillow against one the arms then laid down and put the cover on himself. He managed to fall into an uneasy sleep, full of images of all the people he had hurt and murdered.
Dawn was really annoyed; Spike had almost raped Buffy, left and then expects her and Buffy to look after him! What a cheek! He is evil! But. Angel had done terrible things and now him and Buffy are OK so why shouldn't she forgive him, it looks like Buffy has. Dawn found herself arguing with the two opposing sides of her brain. This left her really tired so she went to sleep the question of whether to trust Spike running in her mind.
"Cordelia, Doyle!" Angel said, very confused, seeing his love and his best friend both had gone from this world, Doyle died the hero and Cordelia, and well he didn't know where she had been. "Hey," the Irish man said with a smile, "long time, no see!" "Yeah," Cordelia, "hey." "Wow, how did you come back?" Angel asked, he motioned them to sit down on one of the black sofas. They sat as did Angel, Gunn and Fred. Cordelia told most of the story, of which there wasn't much of as the PTB has erased her memory, except that of her being told she could go and being allowed to have Doyle as her gift for sacrificing being in a heavenly dimension. "Wow," was the entire group could say, they had their best friend and a new (for Gunn and Fred anyway) asset come to them.
Oz had just passed the "welcome to Sunnydale" sign and he knew he was home. He decided to visit Buffy first, as he really needed the 4-1-1 on everything that had happened here since he left. He drove into Revello Drive and parked up outside Buffy's house. He got out and walked to the door and knocked, waiting for someone to answer. The last person he had expected to answer, Spike. "What the Bloody hell do you want." he trailed realising it was Oz. "Why are you in her house? Doesn't matter, is Buffy in?" Oz asked. "Yeah," Spike said before walking up the stairs and knocked on her bedroom door. She woke, slightly annoyed. "What is it?" Buffy asked aggressively. "Werewolf boy has returned and wants to speak to you," Spike explained simply. "What? Oz has returned?" Buffy got on a dressing gown and quickly walked down stairs and saw Oz waiting outside. "Oz, come in," Buffy was really surprised of Oz's arrival, "why are you back? Have you found a cure for you know." "Yeah, I'm no longer a werewolf," Oz said. "Well, sit down and tell me how you got rid of it and where have you been?" Oz explained about everything and explained why he was back, for Willow. "There's a lot you don't know," Buffy said before explained exactly what had gone on these years he had been gone, he was really sorry about Tara and was quite surprised about Buffy dying and then being resurrected. The thing that almost made him cry was Willow turning evil for a while, he never thought that she could become evil, he felt that it could be his fault. That made him cry. "It was my fault, I should never had left!" Oz said, tears streaming down his face, he didn't care who was watching. "It wasn't, it was that idiot Warren's fault, he killed Tara! So you shouldn't feel guilty about leaving, you was just doing what was right, protecting her from you," Buffy said, in a comforting way, it calmed Oz down a little. "Where's Willow now? At her parents?" Oz asked, wiping away his tears. "No, she went to England to see the watcher's council, to see if they could help her with her addiction with magic and just to get her out of Sunnydale a little while. Don't worry, she's coming back in two days, so if you stick around, you could see her!" Buffy said the last bit with a hopeful smile. "Do you have any where to stay tonight? Because I could make Spike sleep in the basement and you can have the couch." "Sure. By the way, why is Spike not trying to kill us?" Oz asked. "A little chip in my noggin here stops me from doing that," Spike explained, "anyway, I have a soul now." "Cool," Oz said in his non-fazed way, like it wasn't much. "I have really missed your laid-backness!" Buffy said with a smile. With that Spike took the sheets down to the basement and saw that it wasn't that much different except for being less junk filled, fortunately there was an old couch so he laid down on it and slept, with the same dreams as before. Oz was given some sheets by Buffy and he organised himself, rather like the way Spike had, strangely. So the whole house was asleep, each had a lot to think and dream about.
The next morning she decided to speak to Dawn about Spike and how she should try to be nice to him or at least not constantly reminding him about hurting Buffy. Buffy knocked on Dawn's bedroom door and waited for an answer. "What?" Dawn said. "Can I speak to you?" Buffy asked. "Ok," she replied. "Look I think there is something you should know about Spike," Buffy said as gently as possible. "Spike, Spike? Why should I know anything about the would-be-rapist! He hurt you Buffy," Dawn said. "Ok, but now he has a soul," Buffy said. "What?" Dawn couldn't speak, "you mean like Angel?" "No, this time it's permanent," Buffy explained, "So everything he had done would have tremendous affect on him, including hurting me." Dawn felt quite guilty. "Look I'll go speak with him, mostly to see if you're telling the truth and to see if he is," with that Dawn ran to the bathroom and quickly got washed then ran back to her bedroom got changed and decided to see if Spike was up.
Angel and Co had got Cordy and Doyle a room each where they seemed to sleep easily, like the dead even. Angel was even up when they managed to wake up. Cordy came down first and asked for the 4-1-1 about what had happen since she had gone. She got herself a coffee while Angel told her about how Connor had killed Justine and that Fred and Gunn were getting married next March and all the other stuff that had happened.
Doyle an hour later stumbled down the stairs, still very tired after being taken from heaven, and too asked for the 4-1-1 on what happened since he had gone. This time Cordelia decided tell him what had been happened. "Thanks, Princess, I really missed you when I was in heaven," Doyle said with a smile. "Yeah, I really missed you when I was, wherever I was, I just wished you hadn't jumped," Cordy said, a little sad. "Don't worry 'bout that, 'Delia," Doyle said with a little smile, as reassurance, "I did what I had to do, you know that." "I know," Cordelia said a little sadly, "I wished that we could have gone out on that date." "Well, why don't we got out for coffee, if you don't mind, Princess," Doyle said. "Ok, anyway, we probably need to go shopping for clothes as well. And please, can you not buy any of those stupid shirts!" Cordelia said laughing. "Anything, for you, Princess," Doyle said, rolling his eyes.