AN: Whoops! As I read the last chapter, it occurred to me we were not living in the 2080's….so please, mentally change that 'two' to a 'one', as I am too lazy to do so. Do you like where I'm going with this? Please, tell me what you think…I tend to write faster when I get more comments *hint hint*.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to UPN, Mutant Enemy, and the all-powerful Joss.

Sunshine

            Buffy looked out the window at the Atlantic Ocean. She sipped her iced tea, contemplating. They had been in the air for two hours already. When she got home, Dawn and Giles would pick her up from the airport. She was going to look into getting back into the slaying business. Just because I got thrown off the horse, she noted, doesn't mean I shouldn't climb back on.

            But wait a minute. She'd gotten thrown off the horse? How? After all, we won. But winning came at a price. A high, painful price. A price she really hadn't wanted to pay. Was that falling off the horse? Was loosing someone you love-

            Okay. She was going to resolve this once and for all. It was bugging her too much. Wherever she went, it waited in the back of her mind. Didn't matter what she was doing-it was consistently in her thoughts. Yes. She had loved Spike.    

            Had?

            Okay. This might be more of a problem then she thought. Yes. She loved Spike. And it hurt like hell that he wasn't here. But that wasn't going to make anything better. It wouldn't bring him back. Needing him wouldn't bring him back.

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            Spike squinted as the sun's rays shone down on him. "Okay," He said to no one. "What in bloody hell is going on?"

            He decided to figure out exactly what had happened. He picked up a large stick, breaking it easily. Ok. The super strength was still in effect. Now, let's see. You're a stupid whelp, Spike, and no one will ever want you. He snarled angrily at the thought his mind had conjured up. Then he reached up, feeling his face. Hmm. Lumpy. Most interesting. A squirrel sat upon a log. He jumped over, catching it easily in his hands. It bit him. He shook his head at it. Sorry pal. You bite me, I bite you. Carefully, he sipped a little of the squirrels blood before setting it back down.  He watched it slink away, mystified. I'm a sodding vampire who is immune to the sun?

            "William."

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            Buffy relinquished herself to the hugs of her sister and Watcher. It was nice to be back. Together, they went and got her suitcases. They walked back to Giles's car, discussing the demon. And trying to think up the oddest punishment they could for Andrew.

            After they got back to Buffy's apartment, she sent Dawn off to do her homework. She had to talk with Giles.

            "Giles?"

            "Hmm?" He looked up from his cup of tea.

            "I was thinking…Even with all the other Slayers now…maybe…there might be the occasional job I could do…"

            He smiled at her. "Restless, are we?"

            She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I miss it. I mean, it's who I am."

            He nodded, whipping his glasses off on his shirt. "I completely understand. And we will try to find you some local work. There are demons everywhere, you know. And you know there will be other instances such as this one. The girls will often call upon you for help."

            "So what, I'm clean up girl?" She wrinkled her nose. "When no one else can kill it, send in the Buffy?"

            "Well…" Giles let his eyes slide back to the tabletop. "It's not as if you aren't good at that sort of thing."

            "I want my own place." Buffy looked around the apartment, sighing. "I want my own…turf."

            He stood, walking over and looking down at her. "Don't worry. We'll find you something. But until then, you know you're the only one who can really back these girls up. It basically like sending in a bunch of student teachers. They don't know what they're doing."

            She smiled at the image. Her brave little girls, cowering in a class of six year olds. Yeah. She'd take care of them. It's what she was here to do.

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            He whirled around. Before him, he saw the slight shadow of a girl. If you could call it a shadow; she glowed with the brightest light he had ever seen. Her hair fell down in soft waves around her small shoulders.  He knew her-the girl from Heaven.

            "Yes…?"

            "I have come here, in hopes of explaining."

            Spike frowned at the girl. "What?"

            "William." She sighed. "You aren't here for good. That's not why we sent you back."

            He stared at her. No. That wasn't true. It couldn't be… "Then why the hell am I here???"

            "Her." She smiled. "Your Buffy. She is different than the other Slayers. She's the one. The one who can restore balance to the dimensions. It is her destiny." She stepped closer. "So you must prove yourself to be true. Prove that she cannot survive to fufill her life's work without you. Prove that she needs you."

            "And if I do?" Spike raised an eyebrow.

            "If you do, you will be allowed to stay."

Spike smiled. This was going to be easy. He knew that little blonde better than she knew herself. "Ok. What's the catch?"

"You cannot persuade her." The girl watched his uncomprehending face. "You cannot inform her of this. You cannot force her to reveal her need of you. Only she can do that."

Oh crap. Yes, Spike knew his Slayer. Knew her inside and out. And he knew she would never reveal such a weakness. It was physically impossible for her. He sighed, looking down at his feet. "How long do I have?"

"We will come again to make our judgment."

"Yes, but when?"

She smiled sadly, and disappeared.

"Wait!" He cried out, searching for her. He'd forgotten to ask her the one question that was really, really bugging him. "Why can I go in the sun?"