The Given Gift

"Buffy, you're alive," cried out Dawn with tears of joy welling up in her eyes. "Buffy I had a nightmare. You jumped off of Glory's tower to save the world and at the end you were dead." Then Dawn tried hugging her big sister but just went through her. "Buffy, there's something wrong. It's like you're here but you aren't."

"Dawn the nightmare was real."

"Y you're dead and you're a ghost, aren't you?"

"Yes, And eventually I'll have to leave."

            Just then Willow walked into Dawn's bedroom and didn't realize her best friend's ghost was in the room.

"Dawn, you need to get to bed its 3:00 am, get some…," then she saw the one thing that was different, "Oh my god, Buffy."

"Hi Will."

"Willow, look Buffy came back for real."

"Buffy, how?"

"All I know is that I got out of my body after I jumped into the portal at Glory's tower."

"So you're a ghost?"

"Yeah."

"Do any of the others know?"

"Spike."

"You told Spike."

"Yeah, I went to him first."

"When?"

"Oh, half an hour ago."

"Okay, why were you out?"

"No reason. Listen, Spike's in my room waiting to get going."

            Buffy and Spike were still at the Summers' household once the sun came up. At about 9:00 am Xander and Anya came over. Xander and Willow started talking.

"Man Will, it's hard to believe we'll never see the Buffster again."

            Behind him Buffy was doing silly things, like sticking her hand in his head and that made Willow start cracking up and she couldn't keep her laughter in.

"Willow, I'm serious."

"Xand, look behind you."

            Xander turned around and saw Buffy sitting on the kitchen counter laughing.

"Xander, let me guess, 'Oh my god, Buffy, you're supposed to be dead,' right?"

"Yeah, you took the words out of my mouth."

"No questions Xand, I'll just tell you what happened," Buffy told Xander and Anya what had happened.

"So you're a ghost, I met one in the 1580's. I also helped to make them back when I was a demon."

"Well my only question is why are you a ghost?"

"What Spike, Willow, Tara, and I agree it's unfinished business."

"This is just too weird. My living friend is a witch and so is her girlfriend. One of the people that help us is a vamp that has a trip in his brain. My dead friend is a ghost and was the slayer. Her little sister is the key. My girlfriend is an ex-demon. My dead friend's ex-boyfriend is a souled-vampire. My ex-girlfriend has visions. Man my life is seriously weird."

            Dawn called out from the living room for them to come out.

"Someone please come help, I'm stuck between the sofa and the table."