A/N: Thanks to everyone who's commented, liked etc so far. I really love hearing from people who like the stuff my brain comes up with.

—-

Kat zipped her duffel bag up, blowing out an unneeded sigh as she glared at it. It had been a month since things with her and Spike started to ease into their old normal and a lot had happened. He'd continued to train her and she'd joined in on all the missions, getting used to her new strength and powers. She'd really settled into her new skin now. Well, for the most part. Her and Spike were pretty much back to normal. It had been hard letting him in the first time around and she'd had to go through all of that again, but she'd done it. She even vamped out in front of him now. She still didn't like it, still hated that face, but she did it. She'd come on a long way and she was proud of herself. As she finally started to come to terms with being a vampire and her nightly talks with Dawn, she decided it was time to head back to good old Sunnydale and deal with the mess she'd left behind. She was dreading it. She'd done a lot of soul searching the past month, the thought making her touch her bracelet tentatively, still slightly sour with how fragile it was. But she didn't want to hold a grudge for the rest of her unlife. She'd been shocked by how much Spike wanted her to make up with Buffy after what she'd done to him, but he'd made it known it was for her sake, not Buffy's. He knew how important family was to her. She'd already lost so much. And he was right. She missed Dawn and even missed Buffy. What happened was shitty and wrong but it couldn't be undone. And she could choose to spend forever being mad about it or get over it and move on. She chose the latter. There were some perks to being a vampire after all. Like how now she wasn't useless in a fight and actually enjoyed it. She liked being strong, fast. In some ways she felt like a better version of herself. But she didn't forget the sacrifices she had to deal with to get those perks. She was anxious to go back though. It was all great in theory, getting over it. But she was still a baby vampire in the grand scheme of things. While she mostly had a lid on her emotions now, this was a delicate situation and she had no idea how she'd react to being in Buffy's presence again.

She glanced around the room she'd called home these past two months, wistfully looking at the bland yet comforting decor. She'd really settled in here and Angel had even told her he'd keep this room for her if she ever needed to come back, even for just a few days. She was grateful. She had a sneaking feeling though she wouldn't be back very soon. Once she got back to Sunny D, she'd be dealing with her broken relationships and then all things hellmouthy. At least she could actually help now though. Spike was downstairs, saying his goodbyes. She'd asked him for a moment alone while she packed, it was a lot to process, and of course he'd obliged. He always did. If she ever needed anything, he'd give it to her and she was grateful. She was happy things were normal with them now. It was one less thing to worry about and being with him made her forget about the darker side of what she now was. All the things she struggled with, the reality of being a vampire. He made her focus on the perks instead of dwelling on the downsides. She had a feeling his version of 'goodbyes' were carefully crafted insults, tailor made for all of their recipients. The thought made her lips twitch up a little. She grabbed her bag, not able to drag this out any longer than she already had.

As she got downstairs, she caught Spike saying something that sounded like an insult wrapped up like a compliment to Wesley and she snorted to herself, dropping her bag to the floor with a thud. She'd miss it here. She'd grown used to this place and the people, formed bonds she hadn't expected. It wasn't like she'd never see them again but she felt a stab of sadness at leaving, but she knew she needed to get home. Cordelia was the first to approach her, a warm smile on her face as she gave her a tight hug.

"God, I'm gonna miss you. I liked having another girl around. Even with your fashion sense," she murmured. Kat smirked as she moved away, knowing she didn't mean it in a nasty way. She looked genuinely sad to see Kat go.

"I'll miss you too, Cordy," she replied softly. A sentence she'd never thought she'd say. But Cordelia had changed in a lot of ways and Kat liked this version of her. Gunn took Cordelia's place then, giving her a quick hug and a pat to the back.

"It's been fun having you here. You make Mr Broody Pants over there a little less broody," he grinned as he glanced at Angel as Spike antagonized him. She'd seen another side to Angel spending so much time with him. He was known for his brooding and back in Sunnydale, that's all she'd ever seen him do. But she'd seen a lighter side to him here. Seen him crack jokes and let his walls down. And while Spike seemed to have forgiven Buffy, at least partially and mostly for her behalf, Angel still hadn't and that surprised her. He'd spoken to her on the phone back at the start to simply let her know Kat was okay, but he was still upset with her for what she did. She supposed it was because he saw being a vampire as a curse and the idea of Buffy, a Slayer, doing that to someone she loved just didn't sit right with him. It touched her though that he hadn't just forgiven her cousin simply because he loved her. He'd stuck up for her, still had her back. And he wasn't ready to forgive Buffy just yet. She had a feeling he would eventually though. If she could, then so could he. Wesley stepped up then and gave her a hug that lingered a little. At the sound of Spike roughly clearing his throat, he moved away quickly and gave her a sad smile.

"It's been a pleasure. I'm glad we got a chance to be on better terms," he said sincerely. She remembered how much she'd hated him back in Sunnydale.

"Me too, Wes," she smiled. It was Angel's turn then. He wrapped his arms around her in a crushing hug and it made her smile.

"You know you're always welcome here. And you can call me if you need anything. And I mean anything. It doesn't matter how small it is," he rambled, still hugging her.

"Think she got it, mate," Spike's irritated mutter reached her ears. She was surprised he hadn't peeled Angel away from her. His speech was brotherly almost and it made her chest feel warm.

"I know, Angel. And thank you," she murmured softly, giving him a squeeze. He moved away then, looking forlorn and on the verge of asking her not to leave. But he thought better of it. Knew she needed this. To move on. It was the next step in her journey to heal from what happened.

"I'm really proud of you, Kat," he said simply. And those words touched her, making emotions stir in her chest. She'd really struggled through all of this but every person in the foyer with her had helped her. Angel more than most. She couldn't find words, so she reached out squeezing his hand. Spike, who had been uncharacteristically quiet as he watched the exchange, picked up her bag for her. He didn't have one of his own. He hadn't come here expecting to stay. He'd bought a few things since getting here but she'd packed them along with her things.

"Right then. We best be off," he uttered quietly to her. His face was soft and tentative, knowing how emotional this was for her. Knowing how rough it was going to be once she got home. With one last goodbye that made her chest feel tight, they were off to make their journey back home.

Spike had taken his DeSoto to LA so they were taking it back. The Ramones blasted through the speakers as they drove back in silence. She needed it, needed some time to really come to terms with everything that she'd been through and she was about to face so Spike hadn't pushed for conversation. She enjoyed it. She enjoyed the music and how her hair whipped around freely with the windows open as he sped down the highway. It was the calm before the storm. Since they had to drive home at night, she'd decided not to tell Dawn when she last spoke to her that she was coming home. She wanted one day, just her and Spike at their place before whatever was about to happen would happen. By the time they pulled into their driveway, she was emotionally exhausted, and stepping out of the car, she felt a crushing relief at the sight of her house. She'd loved her time in LA, but the familiarity of home soothed her. The home she'd made with Spike.

"Home, sweet home, pet," Spike murmured, giving her a small smile as they reached the door. She was surprised when he opened it without unlocking it, wondering why he'd decided to leave the place unlocked for the little over a month he'd been with her. But once she stepped inside she realized why. Clem was sitting on the sofa watching TV and he jumped up once they walked in.

"Hey guys! Kat… you look great! I'm glad you're back," he grinned warmly.

"Thanks, Clem," she smiled back, although there was an air of uncertainty in her voice at why he was there.

"When you asked me to stay with you, I called Clem up, asked him to stay here. Keep an eye on the place, take the spare room," Spike explained. Her eyes darted around noticing how clean the place was. It was spotless, more so than when she'd been here.

"I… I like to clean. I hope you don't mind. Spike left this place an absolute pig sty, being a mess and everything when you died and took off. Figured it'd give you one less job to do when you got back," Clem smiled. Spike cleared his throat, raising a brow at his friend. He didn't seem happy with Clem revealing that little tidbit of information. Kat and Spike had a lot of open honest talks in their time in LA, part of them being able to go back to normal. He'd been pretty honest about how much of a wreck he'd been when she'd left. Not to guilt her, he got why she left. But she still felt a little bad anyway, even if she did it for her own sanity and for everyone elses safety.

"I fixed the sink too. Well… not me. My uncle's a plummer so I asked him to fix it. Free of charge," Clem said with a toothy grin. He always reminded Kat of an overgrown puppy and she liked him. She'd forgotten about the sink. What she'd done to it after she'd turned and had a mental breakdown. She was glad it was fixed. Not a reminder of darker times.

"I really appreciate that, Clem," she smiled, making him grin wider like he was proud of himself.

"Thanks for lookin' after the place," Spike murmured with a nod. Clem nodded back with a smile.

"Any time. And you should come to poker on Friday. It's not been the same without you," he chattered animatedly.

"I'll see if I can make it," Spike affirmed, sounding as tired as she felt. They'd both been through a lot and they needed to rest at home.

"You can stay the night if you need to. It's late and after all you've done, if you don't wanna walk home in the dark-" Kat started, getting cut off by Spike.

"Best let him get home, luv," he said firmly, giving a pointed look to Clem. Clem glanced at her and then Spike again before nodding vigorously.

"I miss my bed, so I think I'll head out," he said as he walked over to her and pat her shoulder.

"I really am glad you're here. Spike is a lucky guy and I'm glad I don't have to listen to him mope for the rest of his unlife," he murmured cheekily, earning a scoff from Spike as he ushered him to the door. She smiled to herself as she watched them say their goodbyes. Once the door was shut, Spike turned to her with a raised brow.

"Really? Offerin' him to stay the night? He's a demon, remember? He doesn't need to be scared of what goes bump in the night," he snorted. She rolled her eyes at him goodnaturedly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I was being polite," she muttered.

"Right… Well, all I wanna do is take you to bed," he replied, walking over to her.

"I swear, you have sex on the brain," she snorted. He gave her a wolfish smirk, his brows raised in amusement.

"Think it's you that has sex on the brain, kitten. I was talkin' about sleeping," he countered. She didn't believe him one bit and she squealed when he suddenly scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the stairs. She was glad to be home.

—-

Kat's finger nervously tapped her cell phone as she sat on the sofa with her legs pulled to her chest. She'd spent a relaxing day with Spike watching a Passions marathon since they hadn't watched it back in LA. Spike calling Angel too cheap to get cable. It had been nice. Normal even. Enough to make her forget about what was about to happen that day. That was until the sun went down. With a groan, she scrolled down her contacts to find the home number of the Summers' residence. She knew Dawn would be home from school and she wasn't sure what Buffy would be doing. She hoped Dawn would answer. She hit call and tried to swallow her anxiety.

"Hello?" Dawn asked.

"Hey, Dawn," Kat murmured, picking at a stray thread in her jeans.

"Kat! You're calling early today," Dawn beamed down the phone.

"Yeah. I uh…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"You what?" Dawn asked softly. Kat rolled her shoulder a little and shifted to sit cross legged.

"I'm back… In Sunnydale," she admitted. There was a long pause of silence on the phone before Dawn started talking again.

"Oh my god! You're back?! Are you at home right now? 'Cause I can-" she started babbling.

"Actually, I wanted to ask if you'd get everyone to meet at the magic shop in half an hour. I wanna talk to everyone. Get it out of the way in one go," Kat interrupted her softly.

"Yeah, I can do that," Dawn murmured, trying to sound cool. Kat could pick up on her erratic breathing through the phone though.

"Thanks, Dawnie," she breathed.

"I'll see you soon?" Dawn asked hopefully.

"I'll see you soon," Kat affirmed. With that, the younger girl hung up.

She felt a hand rub her scalp soothingly, Spike walking around the sofa to sit with her. He handed her a hot chocolate. She'd taught him how to make them just like how Joyce used to and he was good at it.

"Thanks," she murmured, laying her head on his shoulder as she waited for her drink to cool down.

"You sure you're ready?" he asked quietly. It wasn't to put doubt into her head. She knew if she told him she wasn't ready or if she was unsure, he'd tell the others to 'bugger off' until she was ready. He was looking out for her.

"Yeah. I need to do this," she nodded, feeling anxiety twist up inside of her. She felt Spike lace his fingers with her on her free hand and she glanced up to look at him. He was giving her that soft look.

"You know I've got your back," he muttered sincerely. She smiled, squeezing his hand.

"I know," she replied gratefully.

By the time she and Spike were walking to the magic shop, she felt sick. There were so many emotions that she felt so intensely, she couldn't make sense of them. Spike was holding her hand and she was clutching onto it like a lifeline. She was glad he was here with her, there to help her if it got too much. Whisk her away if she snapped like a dry twig. She hoped she'd got herself under enough control that wouldn't happen but she couldn't be fully sure. Not anymore. Soul or no soul, she was still a vampire. She still had a demon inside of her. She paused outside the door and Spike being Spike, watched her carefully but didn't push it. He knew when to give her a pep talk and when she needed silence to mull things over on her own. She appreciated that he knew her so well.

"Time to face to music," she murmured uncertainly.

"And Dance," Spike added, giving her a wry grin when she looked at him. She snorted, giving his hand a squeeze. With a large breath, she let go of his hand and pushed open the door, Spike following along behind her. They were all there, but the figure that caught her eye first was one she'd tried to push from her mind.

"Giles," she breathed softly, so quiet she was sure only Spike would have been able to hear her. Her stand-in father had been shoved in a box in her mind. She'd been terrified about how he'd react to her now. The watcher in him despised vampires. He could barely tolerate Spike and Angel, even with their souls. She had no idea what he thought of her now. Would he disown her? Would he be disgusted by her? She felt herself descending in a spiral of despair over losing yet another loved one. But then he stood from the chair he'd been perched on, looking at her like he'd seen a ghost. Everyone was silent as she just stared at him and he stared back. And then he rushed over, gathering her in his arms and she broke. She sobbed as she clutched onto him, the sheer relief at him still caring about her making her feel like she was plummeting off a 50 story building. She just registered that he himself was crying as he held her, neither of them able to get words out. And she appreciated that not one of the others felt the need to speak and break the moment she needed quite badly. When Giles finally released her, his face was damp with tears. He had a disbelieving look on his face as both of his hands came to rest either side of her face.

"Oh… Katherine," he murmured sadly. She supposed it was for many reasons. The fact she'd died at all, and from what Spike had said, the others hadn't even let him know about that and he'd found out from the hospital staff when he'd gone to see her. For the fact she was now a vampire which wasn't exactly the greatest thing even if it meant she was still up and walking about.

"I missed you," she bit out between her sniffles, blinking up at him. He moved to hug her tightly once more and she let the heat of his embrace warm her soul.

"I missed you too. I-I can't believe you're here," he muttered quietly. He moved back, giving her a watery smile and she was grateful for him. That he hadn't turned his back on her despite what she was. He moved to go sit back down, Spike giving her arm a squeeze before he moved to lean against the counter. She stayed rooted in her spot as the others looked at her warily, unsure of what she would do or say. Dawn was sitting on the stairs, the others all crowded around the table.

"It's good to see you, Kat," Xander spoke up first, his face sad and remorseful as he looked at her. She gave him a little smile, shifting on her feet uncomfortably. She could hear their unsteady beating hearts, unsure of the moment, unsure of her. She tuned it out like Spike had been teaching her. She'd gotten better at coping with sounds and smells. She'd gone over and over what she'd say to them once she was here but she was never good with words. Especially long and meaningful speeches. It would all get mixed up in her head and come out a jumble. She knew she'd butcher it. She cleared her throat, eyes darting to everyone in the room.

"So uh… What you guys did… It was really shitty, obviously. And it wasn't your call to make. It wasn't fair of you guys to make that choice for me and have me miss out on so much… But… But I can't stay mad forever… I mean forever is a long ass time for me now and it's exhausting. And I miss you guys. I've been thinking a lot… dealing with a lot. And Spike and Angel have really helped me come to grips with… the new me. And while I still have some ways to go, I'm getting there. We can't change what's been done, but I want to move forward from this. You guys are my friends… family… I hate being upset with you like this," she rambled, toying with her hands. There was a small silence after her speech and she felt nerves twist up her stomach.

"You… you forgive us?" Willow squeaked out, sounding unsure and guilty.

"I do. It's been hard, and while it wasn't okay for you to make that choice for me, I know you guys didn't do it maliciously. I don't get it but at the same time I do. And I'm ready to move on," she affirmed. It was cathartic being here like this, mending a bridge that she'd thought had burnt beyond fixing. Willow got up, hurrying over to her tearfully before she hugged her desperately.

"I'm so sorry, Kat. I know it was wrong-" she sobbed into her neck, clinging to her.

"It's fine, Will. Seriously," Kat cut her off. Willow moved away, her tear stained face looking at her like she'd just found out her puppy was about to die.

"We're okay?" she asked quietly, her voice a mix of uncertainty and hope.

"We're okay," Kat smiled weakly, tears pricking her own eyes. Willow sobbed, a smile on her face as she clutched her hand. And then Tara was there giving her a gentle hug. She smiled when she moved away.

"I'm-I'm glad you're back," she murmured softly and it made Kat smile. She'd always liked Tara, she was a gentle soul.

Xander moved from his chair hesitantly, giving her a guilty smile before he grabbed her in a firm hug.

"We've missed you," he murmured into her hair, releasing her and giving her a meaningful look. She and Xander always had a weird relationship. He was like a brother to her, and much like a brother, sometimes he could be overbearing and annoying. Sticking his nose into her relationship with Spike and being disapproving of it given he was a vampire. But she loved him and she knew he loved her. Anya came bounding over then, a cheery smile on her face.

"You look amazing for a dead person," she grinned, making Kat snort as she gave her a brief hug.

"An…" Xander chided softly, looking unsure on how Kat might react to that statement given how sensitive she'd been about being turned into a vampire in the first place.

"It's fine, I appreciate the compliment," she smirked wryly, making Xander look relieved and Anya shot him a smug smile.

"See… and you say my people skills are lacking," she huffed, rolling her eyes. Kat looked over to Dawn who had been sitting on the stairs just watching her. She tried to look cool, calm and collected but Kat could hear her little heart pattering away.

"You not gonna give me a hug?" she asked with a sly smile. Breaking her cool seeming demeanor, Dawn jumped up and bounded over to her in a blur, grabbing her into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're back. It sucked without you here," she muttered, squeezing her before she moved away.

"I'm also glad you're back. With your absence, I've come to realize you're an integral part of this group. Like the glue that holds us all together. Everyone has been miserable without you and Giles has been extra mean about the money," Anya grumbled.

"Thanks, guys," Kat gave them an amused smile.

Then there was Buffy. Kat had purposely not let her eyes fall on her cousin yet, fearing how she might feel. It was easier to forgive the others. They'd gone along with Buffy's orders that were tainted by lies. They'd all been lied to in order for Buffy to get what she wanted. This all started with her. But as she said, she was ready to move on now, no matter how hard that might have been to realize. Buffy stood uncertainly, looking at her warily, tears in her eyes. She didn't move, like she was unsure on how to proceed or how Kat would react. So Kat stepped over to her and wrapped her in a much needed embrace. Buffy seemed to melt into it as her arms wrapped around her and Kat heard a soft but broken sob, muffled by her hair. Kat had done a lot of thinking these past few months and she knew Buffy had too. And while she had a feeling Buffy didn't regret what she did as it meant Kat was still here, she knew she felt deep guilt for doing this to her. And that was what mattered.

"How can you even forgive me?" she lamented in a whisper. It made Kat's dead heart squeeze painfully in her chest.

"Because even though it was a dick move, I know you didn't want to hurt me. I love you, Buff. It sucks but it's over. I just want my cousin back," Kat sniffled through her own tears. Buffy's hug tightened a little and if she was human, it might have been a little too tight with the Slayer strength. But she wasnt human now and her body could take it.

"I love you too. And I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you," she murmured. Kat didn't need anything making up. It was an impossible feat anyway. How could you make up for turning someone into a monster that needed blood to survive and who would never know heaven? You couldn't. But Kat had worked hard to get past all that because she needed these people. She needed Buffy. And she could only have that if she accepted her fate and moved on from it. She moved away and Buffy clutched her hands as she looked at her. They didn't really need words. The look alone conveyed a lot of emotion. It would be rough but they'd get over this. Kat's forgiveness was the catalyst for this to move on. With a nod, Buffy released her hands and Spike, who had politely let Kat fix all of her relationships with no comment, came over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder affectionately. He gave her a soft and warm smile, pride shining behind his blue eyes and she leaned into him, taking strength from him.

"So… me and Tara… we've been working on another spell… one to uh… make your soul a little more… permanent. We're still researching, trying to get things all figured out, but… but I think we can do it," Willow said hopefully. Hope bloomed in Kat's chest at the thought. The idea of her soul literally dangling on her wrist terrified her more than she could vocalize and it was something she'd purposely tried to sweep under the rug so she didn't fall into a rabbit hole of worry. It was so easy to lose. So easy to turn into the demon she was on the inside. So easy to turn into a soulless monster who wouldn't care about anything but carnage. The idea of having it permanently, not having to worry about losing it, it made her feel lighter.

"That's… that's amazing," she breathed softly, eyes wide with wonder and hope. She wasn't sure how long it would take them. Such a spell wouldn't be easy and she wasn't sure one existed which meant Willow would have to come up with one. No doubt combining multiple spells and repurposing them like she had done so before. But if anyone could get it done, it was Willow. And she allowed herself to feel that little blossom of hope tickle her chest because she had to believe there was more than a soul trapped in a bracelet. That the rest of her unlife would be filled with terror and worry over losing it.

"I-I-It's gonna take some time. We're kinda w-working without a manual here. But we're working really hard," Tara added softly, moving to hold Willow's hand. The witches shared a meaningful glance between them before looking back to Kat.

"I really appreciate that, guys," Kat said sincerely.

"It's the least we could do," Willow replied with a small frown creasing her brows.

Kat was glad she came back. She missed LA, she couldn't lie. She missed the people and the vibe and the assured acceptance. But she'd missed it here too. Missed her family and friends. And she felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest by coming here and forgiving them. For fixing what had been broken. She was glad to be back and now she could help with all things hellmouth without being a hindrance. She would be one of their strongest now along with Buffy and Spike. She'd worked hard on her training with Spike, on how to use her new strength and power. She knew she could be an asset here now. And while it would take some time for things to really settle into going back to normal, with people having to adjust to her being different, she knew coming back was best for everyone, herself included. It was a new chapter of her life now. A fresh start. It was scary and daunting and she still had demons to face, mostly herself. But she knew with Spike and everyone by her side, she could do it.