"Buffy!" Oh lord where the first words to pop into Buffy's head when she heard the familiar wail of Pippy. "Yes?" She called after her. "I did it! The grease didn't attack me this time!" "Good for you!" Buffy called out, then tried her best not to laugh at the expression on her overly happy coworker's face. Pippy's face was split into a huge grin, exposing the infamous missing teeth. "I'm gonna do good here!" Pippy exclaimed and hugged Buffy. Buffy stared at her warily. Dancing around like an escapee from the mental ward, she happily went back behind the counter and to the grill. "Psychotic isn't she?" Buffy started at the sound of Xander's voice. "Hi there. And that was Pippy." Xander grinned. "Hmm.I'd say she's a side of get-out-of-my-personal-space aswell." Buffy laughed and leaned against the counter. "So, anything I can get you?" "Just a coke." He answered. Buffy rang it into the till. "1.20." Xander dug the change out of his pocket and handed it to Buffy. Hey, I-uh wanted to know something Buffy." Xander said, suddenly getting uncomfortable. Buffy frowned, noticing his change of tone. "What is it Xander?" He didn't answer at first, and just shifted his weight from foot to foot as though a blister had formed on the bottom of each heel. "Xander?" It was Xander's turn to jump that time. "Uh, I found this at the house." Xander lifted something long and obviously leather into Buffy's view. The smell of brandy and cigarettes assaulted her nose and she immediately knew what it was. 'Spike's duster.' She thought, and felt that familiar stream of powerful emotions that always came to her when she thought of him. "I-It's Spikes duster." Xander said slowly, as he held it up for her inspection. Buffy swallowed hard before speaking again. "I see that. Why is it here?" Xander frowned. "Your guess is as good as mine." 'He must have left it here before he took off.' Buffy thought but didn't say it out loud. Just then, another thought came to her mind: why would Xander bring this to her? Why wouldn't he have thrown it out or disposed of it? After all, he was the one that hated Spike out of the Scooby Gang.

"W-why would you bring that here? It doesn't add up, Xander Harris." Buffy stated while he walked her home. He looked at his feet. "Dawn told me that I should bring it to you." Buffy nodded in understanding. That figured. "This is ridiculous, but she thought that maybe Spike would have wanted you to have it. I told her that in his fit of stupid, cowardly rage he left it behind." Buffy examined the duster once more and had a strange thought. 'What would it feel like to wear it?' Astonished at her train of thoughts, folded the duster over her arm. A chill was in the air while they walked. It was getting close to fall and the numbers of hot days in Sunnydale were getting to be fewer and farther between. Buffy unconsciously rubbed her arms, which were now full of goosebumps. "Oh bloody hell." She muttered bitterly and put the duster on. Spike's scent enveloped her once more causing certain body parts of hers to ache tremendously. Buffy dutifully tried to hide her powerful reaction to Spike from Xander as they approached the house. Not only that, but she was starting to use his favourite curse words too. All in all, this was NOT good.

Pippy watched Xander and Buffy walk into her house. She smiled. All would be well soon. Spike and Buffy would be together soon and know the power of true love as they were meant to. "You will be happy, Buffy. I promise." She whispered in a soft French accent." Pippy grinned. It was nothing like her whistling voice. Giggling to herself, she vanished once again; pink sparkle dust floating around in her wake.



"I'm back, Sunnydale." Spike muttered once he got off the train. He scanned his surroundings that he'd come to know so well. The blonde vampire smiled his usual cheeky grin. It felt unbelievably good to be home. 'Home.' Spike thought. That was what Sunnydale had become to him. Not that he cared. He liked the idea. Spike walked out of the bus depot in the direction of his old crypt. He hoped nobody had moved in while he'd been away. Otherwise, he might have to face a certain Slayer before he was ready to. Spike clenched his jaw. He'd thought of her again. It was creepy just how easily she could enter his thoughts. Love for her filled his heart and he ached with it. A deep longing to see her again assaulted him. Without thinking, he changed his course and soon found himself on her doorstep. "Bloody Hell!" he muttered, then froze. Were his ears deceiving him or did he just hear Buffy say those same words? Spike looked up just in time to see her hugging HIS duster around her body. A frown of pure sorrow was on her face as she gazed out the window. He heard her sigh and turn to lean against the glass. The duster slipped for a couple of moments just so spike could see her bare back before she shifted it over her shoulders once more. Spike groaned at the desire that pumped through his body at that moment. She was NAKED beneath it! The urge to rush into that house, grab her, tell he loved her, then have her against that window was all too powerful. 'Gotta get out of here!' he thought and quickly ran out of the yard before anyone noticed him.