Disclaimer: Only Brigit is mine, you know who the rest belong to, please don't sue me
The Fire
When Brigit woke up only Spike was there.
"Finally you woke up I was beginning to think you had bloody died on me!"
"Hey dimension traveling is tiring! Plus the whole shock thing. Anyway don't your vamp senses tell you when a humans alive nearby?"
"I was being sarcastic you bloody bint, now I'm supposed to take you to the Magic Box, Buffy and the rest are there."
"No need call names and don't be sarcastic right after I wake up. How are we supposed to get to the Magic Box in the sun?"
"Sewers."
"Please, please tell me you're kidding."
"Well you can't keep up with the speed I need to run under my blanket to get there without being fried so I guess you're just going to have to deal." Brigit was pretty sure Spike was taking pleasure in her having to do this.
"Hmph, see if I put in a good word for you with Buffy now," she mumbled. Spike looked at her with an unreadable expression but decided to not ask. "Alright but if I get the only outfit I have dirty I'm going to cut a hole in your precious duster."
He looked at her horrified, "You wouldn't!"
"No, it's too cool but I'd do something, just try to find to cleanest sewers, please."
"Alright let's go."
They went through the basement into a sewer tunnel (as reasonably clean as sewer tunnels get). For a while they walked in a comfortable silence, and then Brigit asked, "What's your name?"
"What! You knew so much about us last night and know you don't know my name!"
"I mean your full name when you were alive, I'm pretty sure your mother didn't name you William the Bloody, or Spike, or even William the Bloody Awful Poet."
Spike looked embarrassed then said, "William Thomas Byron."
Brigit gave a short laugh, "Well at least the initials are the same."
Spike rolled his eyes and said dryly, "No, I never realized that."
"Well you don't have to be mean about it. Did you have any siblings?"
"One sister, about Dawns age when I was turned, she was my only friend and only fan. I never told Angelus or Dru about her so they wouldn't make me kill her." He pushed open a door to the Magic Box basement. "Well here we are."
"You have at least one friend now, in Dawn and possibly more up there if you would be more open to it," her eyes flicking up towards the stairs. "You should spend more time with Dawn, like you used to; it would be good for both of you." With that she ran up the stairs.
The whole gang was gathered around the table researching except for Buffy who judging from the sounds coming from the training room was in there. Well and of course Dawn was in school.
"Hi all, any news on my being here?" Brigit asked cheerily.
"Nothing on such occurrences as of yet but we're looking." Giles never could just say no. Brigit noticed everyone looked kind of miserable and remembered the whole heaven deal. She decided there wasn't anything she could do as yet so she poked her head back through the basement door to see Spike leaving.
"Oh no, you're in the credits, you're part of the gang like it or not, now come and join the gang." Spike gave her a pleading look but she put on a face similar to Willow's resolve face so he sighed and came up and sat at the table.
"Hey Bleach Boy, your not needed anymore you can go." Xander was being obnoxious as usual so Brigit came over with a strong urge to hit him. A urge she repressed of course and went the more effective course.
"Xander his name's in the credits, he's part of the gang now whatever either of you wants. I mean how many times did he save your ass this summer? Just because Buffy's back doesn't mean you can treat him like shit again, now both of you be nice and research, see if me being here is going to cause an apocalypse or something. With that she turned on her heel and stalked into the training room.
"Bossy bint."
"majorly," Spike and Xander looked up in horror, realizing they had agreed on something, met each others eyes and suddenly found the old books much more interesting.
Brigit entered to see Buffy sitting on the bench staring into space, the punching bag still swinging slightly. "You want the fire?" she asked: producing a matchbook from her pocket, lighting a match and holding it in front of Buffy's face, "Then take it." Buffy backed up startled and Brigit shook out the match. "Spike was right the only way to heal your pain is to live. You need to worry less, you need to go out and dance. It won't be easy but you can do it. Indulge your inner desires, if you want Spike go for it, but don't hide it. Don't worry about your friends, they just want you to be happy, Xander might be an ass about it but that's his problem not yours. Find a job you enjoy. Teach self defense or something. Live."
"Self defense?" Buffy half echoed half asked, not able to take this all in immediately.
"Sure, you could teach a few classes back here, Your friends could help you set it up, you might even convince Spike to come in and be the fake attacker for the demonstrations, he has a bit of practice and that way you could show them fighting against someone of equal strength." Buffy looked as interested as she got in anything those days. "You don't have to worry about everything now you just have to make the decision to try to live." She changed from the cheery voice she had been using to a more serious tone and lit another match. "Now, do you really want the fire or are you to afraid of getting burnt?" She held the match out to Buffy, who with slow trembling hands took it, then:
"Ouch!" the match burnt down to her fingers and she dropped it.
"See, you are alive, the fire burns you." Buffy stared at her slightly red fingers for a second, "Think about it, I'll see you later." With that Brigit tossed her the matches and exited back to the other room leaving behind a very thoughtful slayer staring at her fingers.
Please, please review! I need to know if it's any good.