Chapter Twelve – Demons
Life in Sunnydale continued as before. The new insurance policy was an absolute godsend, and Buffy managed to re-enrol in college. Although money was no longer a problem, Buffy still couldn't get around her general feeling of sadness. She thought back to those weeks when she'd shared Spikes body – she could hardly remember the details now, she just knew that she still missed his presence. She'd expected to hear from him, but he hadn't even written. Willow and Tara still tried from time to time to get her to 'snap out of' her general malaise. Even Xander and Anya had stopped inviting her out as often as they had done. Buffy knew she was no fun to be with, and actually felt more comfortable with her own company. Dawn was less worried than she had been, but still concerned. She had found a new reason to tease her sister – what are little sisters for, after all? It seemed to Dawn that Buffy's music sense had suddenly taken a really strange turn. I mean, they never really loved each other's choices, but now she was listening over and over to some compilations of old slushy stuff she'd bought. She said she'd been dreaming about them, but Dawn thought she'd go crazy if she heard 'Unchained Melody' one more time.
"Can you listen to something else for a change?" Dawn begged as she came in from school to find Buffy sitting with the same song on repeat. Buffy shrugged and pressed a button on the remote. The track changed to 'The Air that I Breathe' by The Hollies. "Listen, what're you going to wear to Anya's party? I saw this really cool t-shirt at the mall and I was wondering if there's enough funds for me to have it?" Dawn bounced in.
"I guess," Buffy replied. "We can go later if you like?"
"How about you, d'you want something new?" Dawn asked.
Buffy just shrugged her shoulders. "You know, you should do something, Mom always used to say that the best way to buck yourself out of a mood was to buy something nice to wear or have your hair done. Why don't you try something different with your hair?"
Buffy could see how hard Dawn was trying. She smiled, "You know, I just might do that."
At the party the next night at the Bronze, Buffy arrived with Dawn to an amazed look from the rest of the Scoobies. She'd had her hair cut – about chin length - and Dawn had persuaded her to buy a dress in a lovely soft pink. She looked better than she had in a long time. "Hey, Buffy," said Xander giving her a hug, "You look amazing tonight. Look, I'd like you to meet someone, name of Doug Holden - I work with him." Xander left them shaking hands and ran off to get some drinks. "Set up," thought Buffy, but Doug seemed really nice so she tried to chat. It was a real effort to make conversation. She tried to talk about school, Xander and Anya, but she kept seeing the Spike of her recent dreams, blue clad, brown hair, wandering what seemed to be endless tiled corridors.
Despite her best efforts, the evening was not a success. At home later, Xander complained to Anya, "She didn't make any effort, did she? Doug was really smitten at first, well, who wouldn't be, I mean, she looked great, but it was almost like she wasn't really there."
"I know," cooed Anya, "I think she's getting better though – I mean she didn't even go to Tara's party last month – and she did buy the dress and got her hair done and all that. She's still got a lot going on in her life – I mean, she's got Dawn to look after as well as school and slaying. And Willow said things're getting better at home now."
"I know, baby, it's just, I can't see the point in Spike bringing her back if this is how she's going to be," Xander's shoulders slumped. "And talking of the bleached one, aren't you just amazed he hasn't come back? I was sure he'd be back in no time, that he just couldn't stay away. Guess I was wrong."