Notes: Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing this story and telling me to hurry up and update! I've been very sick and have just started to feel up to writing again. Sorry for the delay, but hopefully things are back on track now. There's a whole lot left to this story (I think…) and I hope you'll stick with me till the end :) Thanks again for the wonderful reviews and the encouragement to write faster. Hopefully the next update won't take as long as this one did…

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Spike rolled over in his bed and squinted against the thin ray of sunshine that was creeping in through the crack in the curtains. He promptly rolled the other way, out of bed, and walked around the bed to close the small slit in the curtains. Much to his chagrin, the curtains would not stay closed. The tiny crack kept reappearing, directing the single ray of sunlight to the precise spot on the bed where he'd been laying. Finally he was so frustrated with the process, he pulled a chair over to the window and used it to trap the curtains closed.

* Ha! *  he thought smugly *even a wayward window covering can't foil the sleep plans of the Big Bad.*

As he crawled back in bed and snuggled under the covers, he wondered if his little Maggie was still snug in her bed, or if she'd already woken up to find some new adventure for the day.  Judging by the way Buffy was trying to stifle a yawn when he left her house the night before, he hoped for her sake that Maggie was still asleep. He smiled to himself as these thoughts invaded his head. The Big Bad has a daughter, who in the span of a couple of hours already had him wrapped around her little finger. Well, that could certainly put a crimp in the whole "I'm evil, Grrr.. Argh…" persona.

Across town, a very stealthy five year old snuck into her mother's room virtually undetected. Of course, when your mother is the Vampire Slayer, with all those heightened senses, it's quite a trick to get away with much of anything. Rather than spoil her daughter's attempt, and actually a little curious as to what she was going to do, Buffy lay perfectly still and kept her eyes closed as Maggie approached her bed.

Maggie climbed up onto Buffy's bed and lay down, facing her. She then took her little hand and started patting Buffy's cheek, whispering "Mommy, wake up, Mommy".  When she received no response from her whispers, her voice grew louder, and a little more demanding. "Mommy Mommy Mommy… it's time to wake up!" Buffy opened her eyes and looked into her daughter's smiling face.

"Good morning, my sweet little bit. Did you sleep ok?" Buffy asked as she noted the time on her alarm clock: 7 a.m. Maggie excitedly nodded her response as Buffy yawned. "Well, what do you say we snuggle back into Mommy's warm bed and sleep a little longer this morning, and then we'll go have a picnic in the park later?"

"Ok!" Maggie crawled under the covers and curled up next to Buffy. "After we go to the park, can we go see Will-yum?"

Buffy hesitated before saying, "No, baby, I think he had a lot to do today. But he's coming back over tonight because we still have some things to catch up on. So you can see him then. You really like him, don't you?"

"Yes. He was in my dream last night. I started having that dream again where the monsters chase me, but he came and told them to go away, just like he promised. And they left and I only had happy dreams after that."

"Well then you'll have to tell him about that when he comes over later. I'm sure he'll be very glad to know he saved you in your dream." Every night I save you…she remembered his words vividly. Buffy held her daughter close, and they drifted back to sleep, both having sweet, yet quite different, dreams of Spike.

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While a young mother and her daughter enjoyed a picnic in the park, a sleepy bleach-blonde vampire was finally waking up to start his "day". Spike looked at the clock and knew that he had several hours to kill before time to go back over to Buffy's, and he had no idea how he planned to waste the time.

He sat up, propped against the headboard and took in his surroundings. The Sunnydale Inn was one place that had most definitely changed since he'd left. He remembered driving past the place years ago and noting how disgusting it looked. Now, it was one of the nicer places to stay in the small California town. It was nicely furnished with cushy beds and soft linens, with pretty carpets on the floors and marble in the bathroom. He wasn't sure who had taken over management of the place, but he had to give them credit for a job well done. He hadn't told Buffy where he would be staying, and he briefly wondered if she would be surprised at this choice of accommodations. * She probably thinks I just moved right back into the crypt when I came back *  he thought. Funny what a little time in nicer surroundings would do to a person.

A snort escaped his nose as Spike thought Oh yeah, I'm the Big Bad, alright- sitting an almost posh Inn wondering what my precious little girl is up to today and counting the hours till I see her again. Oh well…

As he warmed up his breakfast in the little microwave in his room, he thought back over the events of the past 24 hours. When he decided to come back to Sunnydale, Spike had assumed that he wouldn't find things exactly as he'd left them. But never in his unlife did he expect to come back and find Buffy with their daughter, and seeming to be so happy with the child and the prospect of him being back. He's expected her to be angry with him, throw a few punches, tie him up and make him explain exactly where he had been for the last five years, and then make him earn his way back into her good graces. And he'd actually been prepared for that. But now… she seemed to welcome him with almost open arms. It was all very strange. She hadn't even so much as asked him where he'd been or why he chose now to come back, much less demanded anything from him. Spike had to admit he was a little unnerved by the whole situation.

And then he thought back over all the things he'd missed. Taking care of Buffy while she was pregnant. Watching her grow into that cute little pregnant figure that he was sure she'd had (he just knew that she was probably the most beautiful pregnant lady that ever lived). Being there to hold her hand when Maggie was born, to soothe her and tell her the pain would be over soon. She'd promised him that she would tell him all about it, but a part of him was a little sad that he'd missed it nonetheless. Then he thought about Maggie. He'd missed her first word, her first step, all her first holidays. Maggie was the only child that he'd ever have, and he missed all those things.

Just then, he made up his mind that he would explain everything to Buffy and beg her to let him be a part of their lives from now on. He just couldn't bear to miss anymore of Maggie's life.

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Buffy and Maggie came through the back door, Buffy carrying all of their stuff from the park earlier. Maggie skipped into the kitchen, totally ignoring the fact that Buffy was struggling with the picnic basket and all of her toys that she'd insisted on bringing to the park.

"That was the most fun picnic ever, Mommy!" the child exclaimed.

"Well, baby, I'm glad that you had fun. Now go on upstairs and I'll be up soon to tuck you in for your nap."

Maggie stomped her little foot on the floor. "I don't want to take a nap."

"You have to take a nap."

"But Mommy…" she pleaded, as crocodile tears welled in her eyes. "If you make me take a nap, I'll miss him."

"Miss who, sweetie? It's not time to watch the Count yet. Remember, he comes on at 4."

"No, not the Count, Mommy, Will-yum. He's coming to see you, isn't he? And if I'm asleep I won't get to see him. Will you make him stay, please?"

Buffy smiled. Maybe telling Maggie about her father was going to be easier than she'd anticipated. "Maggie, he's not coming until just before dinner. You'll be up and I promise you'll get to see him. Now, up to your room for a nap, Little Bit. I'll be up in a minute."

A huge grin broke over the child's face, and she skipped happily up to her room for her nap. Buffy was amazed at how accepting of Spike Maggie had been. But still, she was a little apprehensive about telling her that he was her father. She just wasn't sure how to do it. But Spike was back now, and he could help her find the right way to tell her. At that moment, when Maggie was so happy to know that Spike was coming back, Buffy decided that after they had caught up on everything, she would make sure that Spike would stay with them, and be a part of their lives. He had already missed so much of Maggie's childhood, and Buffy didn't want him to miss anymore.