AUTHOR'S NOTE: You guys are amazing! I love you! I really, *really* love you!!! Uh…*cough*…ahem…Anyway, seriously, thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews. It totally warms my heart and gives me fuzzies in my tummy. So keep doing it, 'kay? Anyway, as to the fic, I'm sorry it's taken this long to get into it, but we'll finally have some actual *plot* from here on out, not just the Buffy/Spike convos (though those are a hoot to write). Plus, this chapter and the last were supposed to be all one long chapter, but when I was writing the car scene, my fingers just kept typing like they had a life of there own. So now, it's two parts. But it's just as well, 'cause this is a long one too. And don't worry, it actually has some of the Scoobies in it. So here you go, and I hope you enjoy it!







CHAPTER FIVE ~ Some Things Stay the Same





Buffy walked down the pristine, white halls with Spike at her side, her heels clicking with each step. The secretary at the office had told them that Dawn had been waiting for the past hour for her ride, all the while giving Buffy a sour look that made her thoughts on the Slayer's ability as a guardian all too clear. Just as Spike was getting ready to tell the old bint to sod off, Buffy grabbed his arm and led him out the door and into the hallway.



Spike looked around the school curiously, apparently deep in thought. They walked for a few minutes, trying to find the room Dawn was supposed to be in, when he finally spoke. "Is it just me, or does the school seem newer than the last time I was here?" His face was the picture of confusion, so much so that Buffy had to let out a small giggle.



"No, this isn't the same building that you so *rudely* attacked me in." They walked a few paces, then she continued with a bright smile on her face, "I blew that one up." Spike raised an eyebrow to her, grinning devilishly, but said nothing.



They finally arrived at Dawn's homeroom, where the girl was awaiting her ride. Buffy turned to Spike and smiled, whispering, "Wait for a sec while I go get her. Just stand here, 'kay? And…and don't make too much noise. I want her to be surprised. Oh, do you have a camera? This will definitely be a Kodak moment…"



Spike took a hold of one of the Slayer's shoulders and smiled affectionately. "Calm down, luv. I'll wait right here." He nodded towards the door. "Just go in and get her. Don't want to keep Nibblet waiting any longer than she already has, do we?"



Buffy couldn't help but respond to his smile, and nodded to him. "Right. Okay. Be right back." She turned into the room and Spike rested his back on the row of lockers behind him, wishing desperately for a fag.



A few minutes had passed, and Spike cursed himself for the loss of his vamp hearing. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared to death that Dawn would be angry with him for his departure. The Bit was the only person who had ever really cared about him, in his opinion. What happened if she hated him? What if she was too disgusted with him to even look him in the face? What if she had found out about the circumstances surrounding his leaving Sunnydale? Spike paced up and down the hallway, nervously tapping his fingers on the sides of the lockers as he passed. Finally, he heard one of the doors open up near where he was *supposed* to be, and rushed back up the hallway to meet the two sisters.



As the door opened, he could hear their bickering.



"Dawn, please. It really was an accident…something came up," Buffy pleaded.



The teen rolled her eyes, stopped her angry stomping, and looked her sister in the eyes. "What, had another apocalypse to avert? Maybe some more slimy demons to slay? Fine. I get that. But couldn't you at least have gotten Xander, or even Anya, to pick me up? I mean, I had to stay an extra hour in detention, all by myself. Janice left, so I didn't even have anyone to pass notes to! Do you know how boring that is?!"



Buffy looked back at her blankly, so Dawn just *huffed* and continued down the hall. She had only taken a few steps before she finally noticed the pale man dressed in black staring tenderly at her a few feet away. Spike gave a small, awkward half-smile, and Dawn stopped in her tracks. Her face was expressionless, and completely devoid of emotion. Buffy finally caught up to Dawn, and stood next to her sister with a worried look on her face. Maybe this wouldn't go as well as she had thought…



The three stood like that for a few moments, not one of them daring to move from their place. Buffy and Spike glanced back and forth between each other and Dawn, but the Key's eyes hadn't moved from the ex-vampire once. All of a sudden, a wild shriek pierced the air, and before he knew it, Spike was tackled to the floor in a rush of auburn hair.



It actually took him a moment before Spike realized he wasn't being mauled. Instead, he was just on the receiving end of an incredibly strong bear hug. The blonde smiled softly down at the mass of brown tresses currently nuzzling his neck, and patted her on the back. "How ya' been, Nibblet?"





* * * * *



The trio had made their way back to the car, Dawn refusing to let go of Spike. When they finally arrived at the vehicle, she grudgingly gave up her hold, then proceeded to smack him on the chest. "Where…the Hell…have you...been…you…asshole?!"



Buffy pulled her sister off of him, then gave her an angry glare. "*What* have I told you about that kind of language? I don't want to hear that from you again."



"But he…"



Buffy's face was resolute and Spike smiled at her motherly ranting. "No buts. I want you to stop the swearing, or no training for a week and no going to Janice's. You understand?"



Dawn lowered her head and muttered, "Fine."



Buffy smiled again. "Good. Oh, and don't beat up on Spike. He'll get enough of it from me." She smirked at him, then got in the driver's seat, leaving him alone with Dawn.



He slowly raised his head and glanced back up at the teen. He had expected her to be upset with him still, but her face only held confusion and disappointment. "Where've you been, Spike?"



He paused for a second. "Africa."



Dawn remained silent for a moment. "Oh." Then she turned from him, opened the back door, and got inside. "You ready to go?"



As she closed the door, Spike smiled to himself at the miracle that was the Summers women. He got in the passenger's seat and they made their way home.



Dawn's voice came from the backseat. "You two *do* realize you're gonna have to eventually tell me what's going on…"





* * * * *





As the car pulled into the driveway, Buffy noticed that the front door was open. **Guess Will's home, then.** The ex-witch had grudgingly agreed to return to her classes for the fall semester, as it was her senior year. But she hadn't been as involved in her studies as she used to be, and her grades had severely dropped in the past couple months. Buffy sighed, realizing that she'd have to explain Spike's presence. Luckily, Willow had never been fully informed as to why Spike left, since she wouldn't have cared anyway. The only person Buffy would have to worry about would be Xander…



Spike shook Buffy's shoulder lightly. She became conscious of the fact that she was still in the driver's seat, wrapped up in her worries, while Spike stood outside her door and Dawn had already gone into the house.



Spike looked concerned. "You okay, pet? You look upset."



Buffy shook it off and smiled up at him. "I'm fine. Just kinda nervous about how the others are gonna take this."



Spike blanched. "I'm kinda worried 'bout that myself. You sure they won't stake me…er, kill me… in some way or another? Just got my life back, don't plan on losin' it yet."



Buffy opened the door as Spike stepped back, and grinned. "Hopefully, it won't come down to that. Anyway, you can probably still take Xander, even if you are a wussy human."



Spike was indignant. "Hey, now! Never said I was wussy."



"Fine, fine. Have it your way, tough man." Buffy smirked as they walked through the doorway. "Don't worry. I'll protect you…"





* * * * *





Willow despondently made her way down the stairs, shoulders sagging. Her eyes still had the ever-present bags under them, and were freshly red from the recent bout of crying. Though she never cried in front of her friends anymore, she still broke down the moment she was alone. She honestly didn't think the tears would ever end.



Her head rose as she heard the giggling, as well as decidedly male chuckling, coming from the living room. **Xander didn't come over, did he?** she thought with a grimace. **I told him I wanted to be alone tonight…and every night…** After what felt like an eternity, Willow finally reached the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner to go into the room where all the laughter was coming from.



Dawn, Buffy, and Spike all raised their heads at Willow's arrival, their faces still red with mirth at Dawn's retelling of her and Xander's encounter with a Melash'kavot demon. Dawn's face immediately dropped, Buffy's slowly following her, while Spike averted his eyes to the floor.



Willow stood there for a second, taking the scene in, then slowly turned around and headed back up the stairs to her room.





* * * * *





Spike looked over to Buffy with a frown. "This how she's been all summer?"



Buffy's eyes fell to the floor. "Actually, this is one of her better days. She's been worse…much worse. At least she got out of bed. That's an improvement…"



Spike shook his head remorsefully. "Red's worse off than I thought. Hate to see her go through that. I know what it feels like to lose the person you love with your entire being." He gave Buffy a meaningful glance before dropping his gaze. "Makes you wanna tear your heart out, just to end the pain…"



As Buffy and Spike continued their inspection of the carpeting, Dawn looked between them and sighed. "I'm gonna go grab a turkey-baloney-mayonnaise- and-pickle sandwich. Anyone want?"



Both adults looked thoroughly sickened, and the teen gave a grin as she rose. "Thought not. Be right back."



Once again alone, neither Buffy nor Spike knew what to say. It had all pretty much been said already, the Slayer figured. She still had so many questions she wanted to ask, but didn't want to overwhelm him on his first day back home. **Home…I wonder when this became his home…**



Buffy looked over at Spike, who was currently sitting on the opposite side of the couch with his eyes closed in exhaustion. He looked so…normal. He had a pulse, he had a heartbeat, and he actually was *required* to breathe, not just doing it out of habit. But he was still just…Spike. He really hadn't changed. He was lying back on the couch, limbs splayed everywhere, acting just like he had before he got a soul and was humanized. **Why is he still the same?** Buffy wondered. **Shouldn't he be wallowing in guilt over all the murders he's committed in the past hundred-twentysome years? Shouldn't his remorse be palpable, like it was with Angel?** With a gasp, it hit Buffy why she was so confused. He was *completely* the same, unlike Angel had been when he reverted to Angelus. But before she was able to ponder this any further, Spike interrupted her train of thought.



"You just gonna stare at me all day, luv? Or you got somethin' on your mind?" He asked, without opening an eye.



Buffy sat up a bit straighter, ashamed at being caught in her perusal of him. "I was just thinking."



Spike opened one eye to look at her. "'Bout what?"



"You," Buffy replied quietly, causing him to open his other eye in surprise. "How you're *exactly* the same as before, except with a consistent temperature." She looked at him in amazement. "How *is* that, Spike? Why haven't you changed?"



Spike looked at her, somewhat upset by her question. "Did you want me to?"



Buffy stared at the cushion between them. "I…I don't know…no. No, I didn't want you to change, Spike." She sighed. "It's just…it confuses me, that's all. When Angel…you know…"



Spike smirked grimly and sat forward. "Ahhh…so that's it. You thought me bein' all soul-having again would turn me into the Great and Shiny Pouf." He rose from the couch with a scowl on his face and looked down at her. "Sorry, luv. Doesn't work like that. I'm not Peaches." And with that, he stalked into the kitchen, leaving Buffy by herself.





* * * * *





Dawn sat at the kitchen counter, white mayonnaise smeared over her upper lip, as Spike walked into the room. "Hey. Having second thoughts on that sandwich?"



Spike looked at her and grimaced. "Thankfully, no."



Dawn noticed the miserable look on his face, and immediately knew it had to do with Buffy. "What'd you do now?"



He looked up at her, confused. "What?"



"What'd you do now to make Buffy mad at you? It looks like you two just had a spat," Dawn answered as she finished the last pickle chip on her plate.



Spike let out a harsh laugh. "Wasn't me this time. Other way around, actually."



The girl smirked. "Oh, so Buffy did something to piss *you* off? Wow, *that's* never happened before…" She smiled at her own sarcasm.



The blonde looked down at her sharply. "Hey, now. Watch the language."



Dawn laughed as she rinsed off her plate. "God, you two *are* made for each other."



Spike looked down at the counter sullenly and plopped onto one of the stools. "Yeah, try tellin' that to Big Sis…"



Said sis then slowly walked through the kitchen doorway. She tried to catch Spike's eye, but he refused to look at her. Sighing in defeat, Buffy sat on the stool next to him. "I just called Giles, Xander, and Anya. We're gonna have a Scooby meeting in an hour at the Magic Box, to discuss…well, you know…you." She got up off the stool and headed out of the room, placing a comforting hand on his back and speaking softly. "Be ready in twenty, 'kay?" With an apologetic smile, she walked out of the kitchen.



After she left the room, Spike let out a weary groan and placed his head in both hands on the counter. **Love's Bitch, indeed…**









Hmmmm…well, okay. Still no plot really. But, hey, I actually got two of the Scoobs in there! That's gotta count for something, right? Right? Okay, okay. Next chapter, I *promise*, I'll finally get into the real story. It's just that my darn fingers keep typing away, and I can't stop! Next chapter, though, I'll definitely move the story along. And we'll see Giles! Yay!!! Ahem…anywho, if you like, review. If you don't like, still review. Heck, just type a row of vowels and consonants, in no particular order, and I'll be happy!