This is hopefully the smallest addition to Spike's little journey to recovery. It's only so small because it's only dialogue from a phone conversation. Enjoy

"Hey! You've reached Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Xander! Oh, hi Anya! You could probably reach Anya here, too. Oh! And Kendra and Molly and Amanda and Rhonda and that Chinese chick- you! Yeah, you! What's your name? No, I'm just setting the answering machine. No, the answering ma- holy crap!" Crash! "What the hell was- oh, right, uh, leave a message after the- oh shit!"

BEEP!

"Uh, hi, I was just calling to talk to Dawn, but if nobody's home, then I'll just call back later. When did all those people move into your house? Oh, and someone change the message, it's distur-"

"Angel?

"Buffy?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh, yeah, well, I was calling to talk to Dawn. Is she there?"

"Why so you want to talk to Dawn?

"Buffy, please. Can you just put Dawn on the phone?"

"Are you evil?"

"No Bu- I- you- ugh! Why does everyone always think I'm evil!"

"Angel. It's been almost four months since we heard from you. Four. Months. And the last time we saw you… Angel, the last time we saw you, you took off with Spike! And you want to know why I think you're evil!"

"Buffy, is Dawn there?"

"Maybe. Tell me why you want to talk to her."

"Buffy, just put Dawn on the phone."

"No."

"God damn it, Buffy!"

"It's Spike, isn't it? He wants to pollute her mind and convince her to kill me-"

"God Buffy! Are you even listening to yourself? Do you not remember the state Spike was in when I took him away?"

"…"

"Did Anya tell you what happened after I took him away? Did Xander?"

"…"

"He had lost himself in his promise, Buffy! Lost himself in a promise that he made to stick with your group of children for better or worse! Now, he's had more than his fair share of worse and it's about time he got a piece of his for better! Now put Dawn on the damn phone!"

"… Angel?"

"Dawn?"

"Yeah Angel, I could hear you yelling in the living room, what's going on?"

"…"

"Angel?"

"…"

"Angel, this isn't funny. Buffy said something about Spike. Is he there? Can I speak to him?"

"…"

"Angel, please! Let me talk to Spike!"

"Bit?"

"Spike!"

"Oh God, Platelet. It is so good to hear your voice."