Dawn stood in the kitchen, in complete awe. She had words forming in her head, but she couldn't get her mouth to work to say them. Maggie had caught on to the nickname that Spike called Dawn.

"Hey- you called Auntie Dawn Lil'Bit. Sometimes she calls me that." Maggie told Spike.

He smiled at the child. "Does she now?"

Buffy decided to intervene, before Dawn said something stupid to reveal more about Spike than Maggie knew. "Dawn, I just remembered something I need to show you in the living room…could you come with me please?"

Dawn followed Buffy, still staring at Spike the whole time. Maggie, thankfully, stayed in the kitchen with no protests, to talk to Spike more about England and the princesses that lived there. Once they reached the living room, Dawn's mouth started working again.

"Buffy! Why didn't you tell me he was back earlier?" She hissed at her older sister. "I mean, when did he get here? How long is he staying? Where has he been? Does he know about Maggie? Does Maggie know about him?"

"Slow down, Dawn. He had only been here about an hour when you called. We haven't really had the chance yet to talk about where he's been or why he's back. But…" Buffy continued tentatively "I did tell him about Maggie."

"You did? What did he say?"

"Well, as you would expect, he didn't believe me. Well, he didn't believe me at first. But I think he's starting to. When I got off the phone with you, I found him in the hallway upstairs watching her play. I swear to you Dawn, he was just about to cry. I promised him that after dinner I would explain everything to him. But, Maggie doesn't know anything yet, except that he's a really nice person who helped her get home this afternoon."

"Wow. Buffy. I can't believe you are being this calm about him coming back. Part of me is really glad to see him, and the other part of me want to smack him and ask him why he left like he did."

"I'm right there with you little sis." Buffy gave her sister a half-smile. "Oh, that does remind me, though, will you go upstairs to your room and get the book? I'll need it when I talk to him after dinner."

"Sure Buffy, I'll be right back."

Buffy walked quietly back into the kitchen. Maggie and Spike were sitting, facing each other on the bar stools at the kitchen counter. She was firing question after question at him, just like an inquisitive child would be expected to. Spike looked up to see Buffy standing there, but she motioned for him to stay where he was, she didn't want to interrupt the Spanish Inquisition between father and daughter. Spike just smirked at her, and listened intently to Maggie's questions and observations.

For a few moments, Buffy just stood in the doorway, looking at Spike. *He hasn't changed a bit.* He looked exactly as she remembered, with his strong muscular frame, bleach blonde hair, and trademark black apparel. He was still the beautiful vampire (man?) she'd secretly fallen for all those years ago. Buffy was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Spike staring at her in much the same way that she was staring at him.

He was trying his best to listen to Maggie, and answer her questions when she presented them. But mostly, he was looking over her little head at Buffy. * She's even more beautiful now, if that's even possible* he thought to himself, while letting a smile creep to his lips. He gazed at her, noting how she had aged over the last five years. Well, not exactly aged, he noted, just grown up. She still had the same petite frame, the same tiny features, the same blonde hair. But something in her eyes told him that she'd done a lot of growing up in his absence, and he figured that the small child sitting before him was the main cause for the changes he could see in Buffy.

Just as their eyes locked on each other, Dawn bounded through the doorway and interrupted the moment. "Here Buff- I found the book you needed from my room. What's for dinner?" Dawn asked as she slipped past Buffy and placed a thick leather bound book on the counter.

Spike and Buffy both snapped out of their gaze, and Buffy moved to get place settings for dinner from the cabinet. "Um, tonight's Italian, Dawn… spaghetti and salad- it's all I really had time for considering our little "incident" this afternoon" Buffy said while looking pointedly at her daughter.

"Well, it sounds great. I'm starving. I didn't think we'd ever get out of Lit class tonight." Dawn said as she moved to the dining room with Maggie.

Spike stopped Buffy before she followed them. "Pet, I think that I should leave for a little while- give you time to enjoy your dinner with your family."

"What? No! Spike you promised you'd stay and we could talk. Where are you going?"

"Calm down, Love, I'll come back in a little while… if you want me to, that is. I just…need to find a place to stay. I was planning on doing that shortly after I got into town today, but then the Bite-Size in there sort of altered my plans."

"Well- you could stay here, in Dawn's old room…." Buffy started.

"No Buffy. I don't think that's a great idea. Not right now anyway. I mean, how would you explain that to Maggie?"

"I guess you're right. But you'll come back after dinner? I really want us to talk tonight Spike. There's so much I need to tell you."

"Of course, Love. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Kiss Nibblet and Bite- size goodnight for me, and tell them I'll see them soon."

Buffy entered the dining room, and found questioning eyes from both girls seated there. "Mommy, where's Will-yum? I though he was gonna eat with us." Maggie inquired. Dawn just shot Buffy another questioning glare that mirrored Maggie's question.

"Well, sweetie, he had an errand to run, but he's coming back a little later." This answer seemed to appease both Maggie and Dawn, and the three Summers girls shared a relatively normal dinner. Following dinner, Maggie went to her room to play while Dawn and Buffy cleaned up.

"So, where did he have to go that was so important?" Dawn asked.

"He went to find somewhere to stay. I told him he could stay here, but he didn't think that was such a hot idea. Didn't want to confuse Maggie and all…"

"Yeah, well, Buffy, he's probably right. I mean, what are you going to tell her about him?"

+ + + + + + + + + +

A little while later, Dawn had left Revello drive to go back to her dorm, and Buffy was tucking Maggie into bed. She decided she had to tell her daughter something about Spike, even if it wasn't yet the whole truth.

"Maggie, do you remember when William told you that he was coming here to find an old friend of his?"

"Yes, Mommy, why?"

"Well, William is actually one of Mommy's old friends. I am the person he was coming here to look for. We were friends before you were born, and then he went away for a while, and we lost touch."

"Kind of like Daddy?"

Buffy's heart skipped a few beats. "Yes, sweetie, kind of like Daddy. But William is coming back tonight, so that he and I can chat and catch up."

Maggie's brow furrowed for a moment, then her eyes brightened and she smiled. "So, Mommy… if he was your friend, and now he's my new friend, can we keep him?"

Buffy smiled. "We'll see. Now you go to sleep. Good night Little Bit."

" Good. I like Will-yum. Night Mommy." Maggie said, as she clutched her "count" doll and drifted off to dreamland.

+ + + + + + + + + +

Spike's timing was perfect; he knocked on the front door just as Buffy descended the stairs. She opened the door, still a little awe-struck that he was really back.

"You just missed bedtime, Spike. I think Maggie was a little sad that she didn't get to tell you good night, so I guess I'll just have to tell you for her." Buffy told him as they moved into the kitchen.

Spike smiled. "So, she's already asleep, then?"

"Yes. Well, hopefully. But I'll go up to check on her in a while… you can go with me if you want. I told her that you were coming back."

"Ok." Spike replied. "So, Love, I guess we have some catching up to do?"

Buffy reached for the book that Dawn brought her earlier. "You have no idea, Spike." She led him into the living room, and settled into a comfortable spot on the sofa, inviting Spike to sit with her. "Let's see…" she began, " I guess to get to the beginning, I should start in the middle."

"Love, that doesn't really make a lot of sense."

"Just stay with me. It will. I hope."

(TBC)