Title: Return
Author: Niki
Rating: PG13
Summary: Oz and Spike explain where they have been, a prophecy is found.
Spoilers: Through the end of season six.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!! Jos owns everything. I'm just borrowing. (although I really wish I could own Spike! (hehe)
Please Review!!!
*Writing in these are thoughts*


Willow got up, and went for the door. As she opened it, she almost fainted.
"Hi Willow."
"H-h-hi Oz." she replied.

*********************

"Why don't you come in, Oz?" Oz walked into Buffy's house, and followed Willow into the living room. She guestured the the arm chair she had been sitting in, and then took up a place on the floor next to Dawn. Everyone said hello to Oz, and Buffy sat up, making room for Dawn and Willow, who moved to the couch with her. "Now, why is it suddenly ex-boyfriend land?" she asked, "And where have you all been? Oz, why don't you start?"
"I've been at a refuge in Africa, a place for werewolves, vampires, and other demons who fight on the side of good can hide out. I was recieving instruction from an old werewolf there on how to suppress my monthly changes into wolfman. A couple weeks ago a vampire came in almost..well, dead, and said that he had been attacked by others of his kind while spying on them. I asked him what he had heard, and he said that something big was going down on the Hellmouth. I thought I should come warn you, and help, if you want me to," he said, looking at Willow. Before she could answer, Angel jumped up excitedly.
"Cordy had a vision!" he exclaimed,"Of all of the scoobies fighting something, and losing, in Sunnydale, on the night of the full moon! We usually use her visions as warnings, to prevent whatever she sees."
"Oz, when's the next full moon?" Willow asked.
"Next Tuesday night. Exactly a week from today." he answered, still looking forlornly at her.
"Just our luck." Dawn piped up, " School starts for me, Buffy, and Willow next Wednesday."
"Me too" added Oz. "I reenroled in UC Sunnydale."
"Not to divert from this wonderful subject, but I gotta ask, Angel, why are you and Spike here, and where have you been."
"and how did you get your soul back?" added Anya.
"Yeah, that too"
"Well, I left Sunnydale after well, you know. I left Clem with my crypt, and went to Africa."
"Um, sorry to interupt, but what happened?" Oz asked. Dawn explained again what had happpened since Oz had last visited, and as she did willow started to cry again. As she went to run out of the room, Oz quickly got up and wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed into his shoulder while he held her, whispering soft nothings into her ear. Dawn got up, and moved back to the florr so that Oz and Willow could sit on the couch. As Willow continued to sob, Spike continued his story.
"Now Xander, don't stake me until you hear the whole story." Xander nodded, biting his lip so a snarky remark wouldn't come out. "I went to Africa to this demon I had hear of, who would give you whatever you wanted if you proved to him you were worthy of it. Well, I went there to get the chip out, so I could come back to the Hellmouth and kill the Slayer and all her friends." Xander started to get up, but Anya held him back.
"Let him finish the story" she said. Xander sat back down, and Spike continued.
"I went through his trials, fought all sorts of demons, and after about 4 days, he said I was done, and had passed all the test. I was overjoyed, and said these exact words-'Now I can give the slayer exactly what she deserves' and he gave me my soul back."
"How dare you!" screamed Xander,"How dare you imply that you are what she deserves! What did you think, that you could just come back here all soul-having and she'd just forgive you!"
"I did for Angel," Buffy whispered.
"Buff! Do you actually believe the shit he's spouting? He's a soulless, evil.....thing!" Xander exploded at Buffy
"Not any more" Spike said quietly.
"Spike, why don't you finish your story?" Willow, who had stopped sobbing, said, trying to restore calmness to the room.
"Well, I got my soul, and spent about a week sorting out my thoughts, and getting over the guilt. Then I went to the only place I could think of, to the only person who knew what I was going through."
"Angel" the entire room said simultaneously.
"Wow you guys are so smart!" Angel answered, as Spike went on.
"Well, I went to LA, and have been there ever since. The un-life of a souled vampire wasn't much different then how I'd been living before, I didn't have to go from sucking human blood straight to pigs blood in addition to all the icky feelings a soul comes with, like Angel did. I've spent the last few months thinking about what a monster I've been, and regretting what I... almost did to you Buffy, and I've also been helping Angel Investigations out with their cases, and when Cordelia had the vision, I insisted I come back to help."
"Ok, so let me get this straight: Spike has a soul, and wants to help us out of the goodness of his heart, Cordelia had a vision of us all losing a big fight, Oz heard something big is going down on the Hellmouth, Angel and Spike aren't fighting, and I'm actually considering forgiving Spike." Buffy colapsed into the couch again.
"Just another tuesday on the Hellmouth!" Dawn said cheerfully.

*****

A few hours later, the whole gang was at Giles' appartment, stuffed into his living room doing research. Oz and Willow were on the floor looking through a book of prophecies pertaining to slayers. Dawn was in the kitchen with Olivia, cooking something. Buffy, Xander and Anya were on the couch, looking at a book of prophecies about the Hellmouth, a watcher's diary, and a book on rituals for the full moon, respectively. Angel was on the phone with Cordelia, trying to get more information about her vision. Spike was talking to Giles, explaining every detail of the fights in Africa.
"Any luck?" Dawn walked in with a bowl of popcorn, a very pregnant Olivia trailing behind her with drinks.
"Not yet Dawnie." Xander answered for the group. The Watcher's fiance and the key sat down and started flipping through some books.
"Hey Buffy," Angel called,"Is it okay if Cordelia comes back to sunnydale? She says she wants to help, and that she feels useless in LA."
"Yeah, that's fine, I haven't seen her in forever." Angel started muttering back into the phone."
"We found something!" shouted Willow.
Oz read the prophecy.

"The slayer of Slayers will be reborn
A new slayer will be called
Along with the guardian of the key
A family they will be
and a child shall be born
to the 3rd in the line of Aurelius
and the twice dead slayer
The child will unite the demons and the humans"

Everyone was silent for a minute, just taking in the meaning.
"Umm anyone wanna guess what it means?" asked Dawn.
"I will, if Xander promisses not to stake me." said Spike.
"I'm not promissing anything!" answered Xander.
"Spike, I won't let Xander stake you, just spill!" Buffy interceded.
"Well I'm the slayer of slayers, the only vampire to kill more than one, and I'm guessing that getting my soul back was me being reborn; A new slayer will be called, which must mean faith is or will be dead. Along with Buffy, the guardian of the key, this new slayer and i will be a family. A child shall be born to the third in the line of Aurelius and the twice dead slayer, that's the part I don't get."
"Oh God!" Angel interupted, "It can't be!"
"What!" Yelled everyone in the room.
"Well, The master was the first in the line of Aurelius, and Darla was seccond, but Buffy and I killed the two of them, making me first in the line, Drusilla seccond, and-"
"Spike is the third," whispered Dawn.
"Oh, god" said Spike and Buffy simultaneously.
Just then the phone rang. Giles answered it
"Hello?...Oh?...Oh my Lord!.. Yes, yes of course I will be her watcher...Yes, I will tell her..Yes, thank you...Goodbye"
"Who was that?"
"The Watcher's Council, Buffy. Faith has died, and a new slayer has been called."
"And you are going to train her? How could you leave us? You just got back!"
"Who said I was leaving?"
"But..But..bu-"
"The new slayer is in Sunnydale, in fact, she is in this very room."
"What!" everybody shrieked simultaneously. "Who!"
"Dawn," Giles said in his watcher voice,"Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. You are the Slayer"