Chapter 4

Buffy's hand gripped the armrest of the sofa; she rose quickly from the chair.

"Where is he? I have to go to him," she said desperately.

"He's in LA, well he was in LA," said Giles.

"Well, where is he now?" she asked impatiently.

"He's on a plane, Willow is bringing him, Buffy we don't know what to expect, Angel has had him for the last month at Wolfram and Hart.

"Is he okay, does he still have his soul?" asked Buffy.

"All very good questions that Willow will be able to answer when they get here," said Giles.

"That will be when?" asked Buffy.

"Xander is picking them up at Hopkins International 4am tomorrow morning," said Giles.

"Xander knows about this too?" asked Buffy angrily.

"Only because he took the call, what do you intend to do?" said Giles

"To be the first person there when that damn plane lands, that's what," Buffy replied.

"Do you think that wise?" he asked

"Sense be damned Giles, he needs me, he was always there for me, time to return the favour I think," She said.

Giles sighed; once Buffy was set on a course there was just no stopping her.

"Well I guess you'll be coming to Xander's with me later, what about Dawn?" he asked.

"Think she's old enough to be home alone, besides she has keys," said Buffy.

"Okay I have to go return these to the library," said Giles picking his books up off the table.

Buffy turned and smiled at Giles with a brilliance that had been lacking these past few months. It was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. Giles Just hoped he had done the right thing; he left the apartment. Buffy just couldn't stop smiling to herself, then she frowned, wondering how Spike would be, she remembered when Angel had come back from the hell dimension she had sent him to, he'd been little more than an animal. She realised that she was afraid of seeing him again, she took Spike's lighter from the table and slipped it in her jeans pocket, thinking it might help him to have a familiar object if he was feeling in any way disjointed, going to hell or wherever or back could be a bumpy ride.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Giles and Buffy stood outside Xander's apartment; Giles rang the bell a second time.

"Are you sure he's in?" asked Buffy.

Giles checked his watch.

"Of course he's in, besides I can hear the TV," said Giles.

The door was suddenly flung open; a petulant looking Andrew was standing there.

"Yes?" he eyed them suspiciously.

"Will you let us in already," said Buffy pushing past him, Giles following behind.

Buffy walked into the lounge.

"You really ought to do something about your pet poodle," said Buffy looking at Andrew.

Andrew opened his mouth to say something then Buffy glared at him, Buffy slipped Andrew's rucksack off her shoulder and chucked it at him.

"Gotta present for you," she said.

Andrew caught the rucksack awkwardly, almost dropping it. "Where was it? Thought I'd lost it," he said excitedly.

"Nah, we had it all the time," said Buffy.

Andrew opened it and looked at Buffy accusingly.

"You've been in here," said Andrew.

"Yeah, you have a lot of Spike love going on in there, I have to say," she grinned at him.

Andrew flushed bright red.

"I, er think there's some dishes in the kitchen that need washing," said Andrew making a hasty retreat.

Buffy looked at Xander.

"It's okay, I know everything, well as much as you guys any way," said Buffy.

"She wants to meet him off the plane with you," said Giles.

"Are you sure Buff? Willow said something about him being sedated," said Xander.

"Well me and my slayer strength could come in handy then," said Buffy brightly.

"You wanna stay the night?" asked Xander.

Buffy arched an eyebrow and Giles frowned at him.

"Not like that," he smiled awkwardly.

"Well that's settled then, don't forget to keep me informed of any new developments, I have one of these thing too. Don't forget," said Giles extracting his cell phone from his jacket pocket and eyeing it distastefully.

"Don't worry G-man, we'll keep you in the loop," said Xander as he walked him to the door.

"Xander how many times have I told you not to call me tha… never mind, call me okay." Said Giles.

"How did Buffy take the news?" asked Xander.

"Surprisingly well," Giles replied.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy paced back and forth at gate 20 of Hopkins International.

"Buffy come and sit down, walking a hole in the floor isn't going to make the plane get here any quicker," said Xander rubbing his tired eyes.

Buffy walked over to the window and pressed her head on the cool surface, looking into the blackness of the Cleveland night sky. She was tired too; sleep had been impossible. The indifferent voice of the announcer came over the loudspeaker announcing the imminent arrival of the flight. Buffy clenched her hands together in unbearable tension. She sensed rather than felt Xander come up behind her and put an arm around her shoulder. She turned to him.

"You'll be okay Buffy, it looks like you have been given a second chance, take it easy you have all the time in the world," said Xander.

Buffy thought of Anya, she smiled at Xander.

"I'm sorry Xander, I know this must be hard for you, but for different reasons," she said sadly.

"Yeah, no mystical death for my girl so there's no coming back for Anya, just as it was for Tara," he said looking at the floor.

Buffy put a finger under his chin.

"You ok? There's me all full of the happies," she said.

"Yeah, you know me, the original survivor, any way it's great to see you happy again," he smiled weakly.

"Oh look, I think it's their plane," said Buffy unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn sat awake in her room, the bedside clock said 4:30 am, she wished she could have been at the airport with the others; it was maddening to still be treated as a child at her age. Buffy had been slaying for over two years at her age and saving the world and stuff.

Giles had told Dawn over dinner about Spike. She was still taking it all in. She knew things were not over between her sister and the vampire, many nights she had been woken by her sister screaming out Spike's name. Maybe it would be a good thing for her sister; She'd been really worried that Buffy had been on the verge of some kind of mental episode. She smiled a little thinking about Spike, he'd really changed those last few months, realising he wasn't the same person, who had attacked her sister, she surprised herself, realising she'd finally forgiven him for that. If Buffy could move on then so could she.

Dawn yawned, sleep finally coming to claim her as she smiled dreamily, remembering that summer she'd had a crush on Spike, much to her sister's annoyance.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gate 20 finally opened and a steady stream of tired looking passengers came out of the tunnel.

"Where are they Xander?" asked Buffy anxiously.

"Don't worry Buff they are on the plane," Xander reassured her.

Buffy spied a redhead in the crowd.

"Oh, I think I see Willow," she cried.

Buffy rushed forward, she stopped short all the breath leaving her body as the crowd parted to reveal Willow purposefully pushing a wheelchair, Buffy paled as she saw who the occupant of the wheelchair was. Willow stopped pushing the wheelchair and put up her hand in greeting, quickly putting it down as she saw her friend's distress. Buffy hurried to her side and crouched down to look at Spike. His eyes were glazed over, his hair over grown and unruly, not unlike when he'd first come back to Sunnydale and she's found him living in the school basement.

"Spike? Spike, can you hear me?" she asked.

"I dunno if he can Buffy, a doctor friend of Angel's gave him a pretty powerful sedative before the flight, the kind that would keep an elephant out of it," said Willow.

"Why?" asked Buffy,

"Every time we'd try and get him on a plane, he'd totally freak out, had to get him here somehow, had enough trouble giving him the sedative, had to use a binding spell on him," said Willow.

Spike lifted his head and looked unwaveringly into her green eyes that were bright with unshed tears. He mumbled something unintelligible.

"Don't try to speak, you're home now, I am gonna take care of you," she said squeezing his unresponsive hand.

"They threw me out, they didn't want me," said Spike.

Buffy looked at Willow.

"What's he talking about?" asked Buffy.

Spike started chuckling.

"Oh, yeah Angel sends his love," he said

Buffy frowned.

"Come on let's get him out of here, it will be getting light soon," said Buffy looking at windows.

TBC