Authors Note: Hi! Yeah, I got another chapter up! (Yay!) Well, I hope you all enjoy.. That's about all I have to say. o. 'cept. Cait, if you're reading this, you don't REALLY expect me to give up "Spike bashing" (as you put it) do you? 'Cos, I mean Xander and Angel don't get along with Spike so well, and it's fun. so, no. I won't. SORRY! (Please don't kill me!) But, since you asked, I'll go a little easier on him in this chappie. k? Yeah, this isn't as long as some of the other ones, but hey, at least it's an update!

Chapter Eleven: Enlightenment

"Buffy!" Dawn whined, "Where'd you put my hairbrush, I need it!"

It was about time to leave for England, and everyone was busy packing. Actually, everyone was packing, except Spike, who was busy holding a lively conversation with a desk in the office.

"It's in the. umm. I don't know where it is, but I'll find it!" Buffy answered.

"Never mind!" Dawn called from somewhere downstairs, "I found it!"

Buffy heard Dawn stomping up the stairs, and into her room.

"What was my hairbrush doing in your weapons trunk?!" Dawn asked.

"I wanted to look good. while I was on patrol." Buffy answered.

"So you could impress all those soon-to-be-dusty vampires with your good looks?" Dawn finished for her.

"No! I just wanted to look good." Buffy replied.

"Why?"

"Well." Buffy started, and stopped as she saw Angel walking down the hallway. "Angel!" she called out.

"Buffy! Hey! Just wondering. do you have any bags you want me to carry down?"

"Nope. Everything's under control." Buffy told him.

"Dawn?" Angel offered.

"I have some!" Dawn replied and ran into her room across the hall to grab a few of her many bags. When she emerged with three of them, she handed them to Angel, who looked shocked at their weight. He carried them anyway, and as soon as Dawn was sure he couldn't here her she turned to Buffy, who was staring after Angel.

"Oh, my gosh. It's not the 'soon-to-be-dustie's you want to impress, is it? It's Angel! You still like him!" Dawn laughed. She'd known that Buffy was hiding something, and now she knew what it was.

"What? NO! Geez Dawn, that's. ridiculous!" Buffy started, "Angel. I'm over him! I've always been over him! Ok, not always in the sense of always, but for a long time and I'm sure he's over me, I mean, now he has Connor to think about and I'm sure that he has completely forgotten about me. And-"

"Buffy, you're babbling! HA! I knew it! I KNEW you were hiding something!" Dawn shouted, just as Willow came up the stairs.

"Buffy, you're hiding something?" Willow asked, "'Cause if you are, I wanna know!"

"I'm NOT hiding ANYTHING!" Buffy glared at Dawn. "Dawn just needed some imaginary reason why her hairbrush was in the weapons trunk, so, of course, I was "hiding" it there."

"Oh. I see." Willow responded, looking slightly disappointed, "Dawnie, I'm sure Buffy just misplaced it. I mean, I do that all the time, you know, put things in the wrong spot and all? Just an accident."

"See Dawn? Willow agrees. Go get the rest of your bags and bring them out to the car, don't make Angel do all the work."

"Sure. Defend ANGEL." Dawn grumbled, and stormed off to grab the last of her five suitcases.

"Buffy, I came up to ask if you're almost done. Giles said we have to leave soon in order to get to the airport on time."

"Ya. I'm almost done. I just have to talk to Sierra and her watcher. and get Spike. and then we're off."

"Alright. I'll tell Giles. See you in a little bit!" Willow walked back down the stairs.

Buffy sighed. She couldn't believe that this excellent week was ending. She hadn't had to patrol at all, because Sierra's watcher had finally arrived, and they had offered to patrol for her, just to make sure Sierra was ready to take on the task of the hellmouth, which was the new slayer's next stop. So, Buffy's week had been spent on pretend "patrols" with Angel, which were really trips to the movies and to fancy restaurants. The week had been one of the closest ones to "normal" that Buffy had had in quite a while, except for the fact that she was unusually happy due to her and Angel's return to being a couple. Sigh.

'Ok,' thought Buffy, 'Got to stay on track. Find Sierra; give her the "Be careful, good luck" speech. Remind her I'll be there if she needs me.'

Buffy walked to the room where Sierra and her watcher were training, and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Buffy heard Sierra call out. She opened the door and walked in.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Well, we're leaving now. I just thought I'd come to say good luck, and be careful."

"Thanks."

"I mean it. The hellmouth is nasty sometimes. If you need help. call me or something."

"I will."

"So, bye." Buffy said. She wasn't quite sure why, but she hadn't clicked with Sierra like she had with Kendra and Faith. They didn't hate each other, far from it, but they didn't quite feel like "slayer sisters" either.

"Bye."

Buffy left the room. Her next stop: Spike. Buffy felt like banging her head against the wall. Spike was driving her insane with his insaneness. But, she couldn't just leave him, so she started towards the office.

Spike was still having his little chat with the desk.

"Don't know why I did it, didn't work anyway. She still doesn't love me, the slayer doesn't. Soul or no soul, doesn't matter, she only loves him. Always him. Dru, what should I do?" Spike looked really upset.

Buffy was upset. She had never expected that she was the reason that Spike had gone. wherever he had gone. to get a soul. She decided to pretend she hadn't heard.

"Spike. we're leaving!"

"M'not going!"

"Why now, Spike?" Buffy asked, already exasperated

"Dru doesn't want to go."

"Ugh. snap out of it Spike. DRU IS GONE!!!!" Buffy practically yelled, and then fell silent at the hurt look in Spike's eyes.

"What are you talking about? She's right there!" Spike pointed at a spot behind Buffy. Buffy turned around, and gasped. Drusilla really was standing there.

"Doesn't anyone stay dead around here?!" she complained.

"God knows YOU don't, slayer." Spike laughed.

Buffy really wanted to slap him. Instead, she turned to Drusilla.

"So, Dru, you being insane isn't enough. You had to come back and drive the rest of us insane."

Dru shook her head at Buffy. "No slayer. I'm not back. I'm not even really me. Miss Edith says that soon you will die, and all my kind will rejoice. I'll have a party, a big party. With music. and dancing." Drusilla started swaying in that insane way she did.

"Sure." Buffy picked up her stake, and ran full force at the vampire standing in front of her. She kicked, realizing that Drusilla was aware of her surroundings enough to defend her self. Buffy's kick was going to land straight on if Drusilla didn't move.

Oddly enough, Drusilla didn't move.

Even weirder, Buffy's foot never hit her.

Buffy fell straight through the vampiress. She hit the wall on the other side of the room, and fell backwards. Drusilla laughed.

"I told you I wasn't back. It's not me."

"What are you?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, you'll know.

With that she disappeared.

"Told you she was there Slayer. You didn't believe me." Spike taunted her.

"Ya, well, you sure gave me a lot of reason to. Talking to random objects doesn't exactly make you look sane, Spike." Buffy retorted. "Now, come on. You heard for yourself it's not really her, so lets go." Spike didn't move. He looked like he was deciding. "NOW!" Buffy practically screamed, grabbed the collar of Spike's duster, and started dragging him out of the office. Spike fought, trying to stop her from touching his precious duster. Finally, Buffy let go and Spike reluctantly followed her out to the car, and, eventually, to England.