A/N: THANKS FOR THOSE WHO REVIEWED. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW GLAD I AM THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THIS. ANYWAY HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER.

ENJOY.

~*~

Dawn continued to scream as she fell into the black void. It was terrifying to be pulled down by a great force that she could not stop. Her hair whipped around her face as she flailed her arms to try to hold on to something. But there was nothing.

She continued to fall until her body landed on something hard. She felt something wet on the back of her head and Dawn knew instantly that it was blood. She could also taste it in the back of her mouth.

She groaned, feeling every part of her body ache.

Dawn blinked, trying to focus on her surroundings, wondering where she was but her eyes betrayed her when all she could see was a blur.

She felt someone walk over to her and look down. A cold, rough hand touched her face and Dawn tried to see who it was.

"Buffy?" She croaked.

The other person only growled as a response, sneering at Dawn as it lifted her off the ground.

Her head rolled back and she wanted to fight but her body ached and she didn't have enough power to lift her hands.

Dawn whimpered as she blinked back the tears before she fell unconscious.

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

Buffy nervously twirled the telephone cord around her fingers as she held the phone to her ear.

"I don't know where she is. We had an argument. She tried to do a spell and I think something went wrong. Willow you have to help me. I don't know anything about magic." Buffy's voice was frantic but like always her face remained calm, almost emotionless except she was chewing on her bottom lip.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, Buff." Willow said softly. She paused. Buffy could almost see her best friend turning to the other people in the room who were standing nearby and mouthing to them what was going on. "I'll try to catch a plane today. And Buffy, Dawnie will be alright. She's a big girl."

"I know. I just don't want to lose her too." Buffy whispered.

"You won't." Willow reassured her firmly. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay." Buffy then hung up before letting out a shaky breath. Her hand trembled as she guided herself up the stairs back to Dawn's room. She stood at the doorway for a long time and stared, trying to find some trace of evidence that might help her get her sister back.

Nothing.

Disappointed, she closed the door and went to her room and laid down and stared at the ceiling regretting what she had done.

Everything was so horribly sad. It seemed that every time she chose to do something, she lost someone she loved.

When Buffy ended the Apocalypse and lost Spike, she thought that moving away would be the best solution. She and Dawn could start fresh and they could have a normal life, away from the danger and death and pain of it all.

Although Giles was disappointed, he understood.

Even Angel understood her reasons. He had gladly bought them a house in Florida despite Buffy's protest.

At first, everything was perfect. Dawn squealed like a normal teenager again when she saw the water and the endless population teenage boys.

It was paradise.

But paradise was not meant for people who experienced catastrophe and anguish and conflict. Something was lacking and Dawn knew it immediately but Buffy blinded herself from that.

She was too determined to be "normal."

That was how everything turned unpleasant.

Buffy drifted off to sleep, her mind clouded by worry and regrets. She woke up the next morning to find Willow in the kitchen making breakfast.

"You should have woken me up." Buffy said when she found her friend.

Willow shrugged, pasting her trademark shy smile on her face. "You needed rest Buffy." Willow replied as she pushed a plate of eggs and bacon at Buffy's direction. "Eat. Then you tell me everything."

Buffy refused to move. "We should get started. I don't want to lose any time." She said firmly.

Willow frowned slightly and Buffy sighed.

"I'll eat when we're done. Please, Will, we have to do this." She pleaded. The redhead nodded and walked over to Buffy and gave her a hug.

"It's good to see you, Buff. I would have preferred that I see you for different reasons but hey, beggars can't be choosers right?"

Buffy made a face but decided not to dwell on what her friend just said but there was something about it that irked her.

They walked back to Dawn's room while Willow chatted excitedly about Florida and how beautiful it was and how lucky Buffy was to live there now.

Buffy interrupted her softly. "Don't try to make it sound alright, Will. Please. I made a mistake, let's accept that. If we stayed in Sunnydale this would not have happened. Let's not pretend otherwise okay."

Willow nodded again, her eyes glistening with tears for the pity that she felt towards her friend. "But Buffy, Sunnydale's gone. We all had to move. You can't blame yourself for everything, Buffy. We make our own choices. Dawn did too."

"That's her room." Buffy declared as she pushed the door open. Willow walked in, her eyes scanning the area.

"A portal opened." She said, looking back at Buffy.

Buffy suspected as much. "How do you know?"

Willow shrugged. "When Dawn's blood opened the portal you jumped into, I felt its power. It was-" Willow trailed off, unable to find words for what she felt. "Well, I feel that power again but not as great, just small traces of it." She explained.

"Dawn opened a portal with her blood. Why would she do that and how would she know which incantation to use to make it work?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"She didn't. My theory is, she accidentally cut herself during the ritual and somehow it triggered a portal to open." Willow replied.

Buffy nodded. "Can you do anything?"

"Research first." Willow said as she picked up the remains of the herbs. "What was she trying to do anyway?" She asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Trying to find a way home, I think." She whispered as they walked back downstairs.

"We should call Giles." Willow suggested. Buffy didn't say anything.

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

Angel sat in his office, tapping a pencil on his desk. Spike's visit unsettled him. It wasn't that he saw his grand-childe again. That too was a surprise knowing full well that they were never on good terms with each other.

Spike had always resented him and Angel had to agree that he had every reason to considering the torture that he put the other man through.

But it wasn't their history or longtime feud that irked him.

It was the fact that Spike was rewarded with humanity.

Angel scoffed. How ironic that Spike became human when all he was trying to do was be 'man enough' for Buffy.

Angel, who had been longing to be human for so long, was unfortunately still a vampire.

Angel shook his head. It was almost a slap in the face to him. He took away Spike's humanity and turned him into a creature so despicable but somehow, even without the soul, he learned to love, to feel like a human.

And then he earned himself a soul, and now a chance to be human. It was admirable. Angel's soul had been a burden to him; a curse like the gypsies meant it to be. But Spike's soul was his gift.

He has been given the opportunity to live like the rest of the world.

It was a second chance that so few get to have.

Spike was indeed lucky. No, Angel corrected himself. He was blessed.

Angel smiled sadly, almost jealous that Spike had done so many great things in so little time. Angel on the other hand, spent centuries trying to repent for his sins. He realized now that the other man was stronger than he gave him credit for.

Of course, Angel knew that Spike had potential. But Angel never saw it as something so great. Something so valuable even to Angel himself.

He had always believed that Spike would retain to his true vampire nature, a soulless creature, filled with hate and evil, terrorizing the world.

He never saw the possibility of Spike ever learning to love.

He underestimated him.

"Brooding?" It was Lilah's voice that snapped him out of his reverie. She had walked in his office and he failed to notice. Now she was standing in front of his desk, dressed in her trademark skirt and blouse, another amused look on her face.

Brooding. Angel smirked at the word. It was something Cordelia used to tell him to stop doing.

"How's our guest?" He asked her.

"He's doing quite well for someone who just went through a complete improbable and impossible transformation." Lilah replied.

"It's not impossible. He's a living proof that vampires can become humans." Angel declared. "What does Wes say about this?"

Lilah's cheerful look failed to falter. Angel noted how great she was at masking her humanity. "I haven't spoken to him, boss." She answered. "Would you like me to 'summon' him?" Lilah beamed.

"Call a meeting, excluding the senior partners." Angel pointed out. "Notify Lorne, Gunn, Wesley and Fred."

Lilah pressed a button on the phone, and instructed someone to tell the four other people to meet at the conference room in five. "Done." She said. "Oh, and before you go, you should see this." She handed him an envelope.

"Should we send help? We are after all into the whole redemption and goodness." She said.

Angel shook his head. "Buffy can call me when she feels that she really needs help. Just keep an eye on it. I'm sure her friends can assist her on that. We have enough to worry about." He replied as he set the folder down and stood up to walk to his meeting.

"Spoken like a true Wolfram and Hart associate." Lilah quipped.

Angel gave her a chagrined look but decided not to say anything.

The rest of the A.I. team, now known as the head executive officers of various departments of Wolfram and Hart, was already in the conference room, wondering to themselves why they were called to the meeting.

"Everyone, take you seats." Lilah spoke out loud.

"Shouldn't you be doing something else?" Gunn said to Lilah when she sat on Angel's left to join them.

"She's with us and she's our link to Wolfram and Hart. She's staying." Angel spoke up.

Lilah gave Gunn a triumphant look. Across from her, on Angel's right was Wesley who was leaning back on his chair, a slightly troubled look on his face.

Lilah reminded himself that Wesley always frowned, troubled or not.

"So what's the delio Angel cakes?" Lorne, who was across from Fred and beside Wesley asked.

Angel cleared his throat. "I'm sure some of you are well aware of who Spike is."

"Vampire. You sired him." Gunn declared. Angel remained stoic.

"Actually, it was Drusilla who sired him." Wesley corrected. "Spike only claims that Angelus is his sire because it was Angelus who taught him the 'ways of the world'. He became Spike later in the century for using railroad spikes to mutilate his victims."

Fred made a disgusted and slightly fearful look.

Lorne nodded, knowing the history of the legendary vampire himself.

Angel continued to say nothing.

Lilah remained to look amused.

"Not that I'm all enthusiastic about his life and all but could we skip the history lesson and get to the point?" Gunn said rudely.

Wesley didn't look phased. Somehow, despite his own awareness, he had grown accustomed to Gunn's snappy comments and rude remarks.

"Children." Lilah interrupted and Gunn shot her a look, wondering who the hell she thought she was. He never liked the woman and now she was slowly clawing herself into their group and getting Angel to trust her.

"Okay, look, the reason you're all here is that Spike is back." Angel announced.

"And that means?" Gunn asked.

"He's human again. He is still Spike but human." Angel declared uncomfortably. He hated to say it as much as to believe it.

"But I thought he died in the end of the Apocalypse." Fred pointed out.

Angel gave Lilah a nod and she took it as her cue. "When Angel returned to Sunnydale to help Buffy, he gave her an amulet. Spike stole the amulet and used it to destroy all vampires in Sunnydale, including himself. How he became human is yet to be discovered." Lilah explained.

"Actually, there is a prophecy." Wes pointed out. "In one of the books that I've been reading-" Gunn smirked. Wesley ignored him. "There's a passage that talks about a vampire. It said that the creature of the night will bring forth his own light. He will learn to feel despite his darkness. In return he will regain his humanity. At first I thought it meant you Angel but-"

"Assuming that 'bringing for his own light' means retrieving his own soul and 'learning to feel' means loving, then we can definitely say that the prophecy was talking about Spike." Fred continued for him.

Wesley smiled. "Yes." He answered softly.

Fred nodded. The exchange did not go unnoticed.

"Okay, Wesley, I need you to continue researching on the prophecy. Fred, find out how to make a vampire human. Do your science....stuff." Angel declared. "Lorne, I need you to read Spike. And Gunn, keep an eye on him."

"Great, I get to play bodyguard." Gunn muttered to himself as they all rose to leave. Angel chose to let the comment pass. He sighed.

He thought that with all the doom and death and destruction that just went through in the previous months, they could finally get along.

But now that they were safe again and under the protection of Wolfram and Hart, team Angel was back to mindless bickering.

Boy, Lilah, were you wrong. He thought to himself. We haven't 'growed up' as you phrased it. We just got bigger and meaner.

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

Spike stood on the wharf by the water. His face was upturned to the sky, his eyes closed and his arms outstretch as if flying.

It was his first week as a human and he spent most of his time outside, taking in the glory of the sun, not for one minute taking it for granted. A few centuries of being condemned to darkness and living during the night taught him that.

He did not bother to ask and waste time contemplating on why and how this came to be. He would let Angel handle all that considering that he had the resources.

If this was temporary then Spike wanted to live every moment of it before it was taken back.

A gift like this was not something that was handed out so easily to any random vampire.

He also learned a few things about humanity. It was complex and filled with pain and beauty and so many things he failed to notice before.

Another thing he learned was that he could not go through a day without getting hungry or thirsty.

Spike opened his eyes, placed his hands on the rail and sighed. He had almost forgotten what it was like to be human.

It was a whole new experience for him again. He could feel everything: the heat of the sun, the cool sea water spraying on his face as it crashed against the docks.

He never realized how dead he was until now.

But despite his great gratitude to whomever it was the willed his fate, Spike could not help but feel a pang of regret.

He could have everything now. Everything except Buffy. His world was just falling into place but still he wanted Buffy to complete that 'everything'.

Spike wanted to share this with her but he knew that was wishful thinking. If Buffy found out that he was human, she would find a way not to like it. No matter how hard Spike tried, it was never enough.

He had no idea where she was. The last time he saw her was before his 'great self sacrifice' and Buffy had been beyond eager to have Angel back at her side. He assumed Buffy was still in Sunnydale, being the good little slayer, calling Angel everyday and professing their love for each other over and over again.

A part of him hated her for that; to say one thing to him and then turn around and do another. Somehow, Buffy's actions always betrayed her.

He reckoned she didn't mean it but Spike knew that in the end, whether he had survived the apocalypse or not, Buffy would not have chosen him.

That's why Spike had strictly insisted to Angel not to tell Buffy of his whereabouts. It was better for them-him, Buffy and Angel.

Of course Angel agreed. Spike didn't bother to ponder on what Angel's reasons were for doing so. He just did not want to care.

Spike could adjust to his new life. He could come and go freely and not be tied by his emotions for Buffy. The less he saw of her, the better.

Buffy could finally stop hating herself and being ashamed for being with him. She too could finally be free.

She and Angel could resume their eternal love for each other and live happily ever after like she always dreamed.

Spike's love for Buffy would always remain unrequited and he wanted to come to terms with that.

There was no point in chasing a girl who didn't want to be pursued.

Spike sighed again before turning away from the wharf and walking back to the Hyperion.

He had his whole life ahead of him and he wasn't going to waste it on his 'infatuation' with the slayer.

~*~

A/N: I KNOW THAT THERE WASN'T ANY ACTION IN THAT ONE BUT I HAVE TO TAKE THIS SLOWLY. I WANTED TO SHOW HOW THE PEOPLE INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER. MOSTLY TEAM ANGEL.

SPIKE AND BUFFY WILL MEET BUT A CHARACTER WILL HAVE TO BRING THAT INTO EFFECT. HINT HINT: A CERTAIN MISSING SISTER.

I WILL ADD MORE INTERACTION BETWEEN ANGEL AND SPIKE.

THE INFORMATION ON DARLA, ANGELUS AND SPIKE ANDHOW SPIKE CAME TO BE IS NOT 100 % DEFINITE SO PLEASE DON'T TAKE THAT TOO SERIOUSLY. I JUST REMEMBER THAT FROM SOMEWHERE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU LIKE DEFINITE SOLID FACTS BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT. LET'S PRETEND THAT THE INFORMATION IS RIGHT IN THIS STORY.

SO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS. IM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.

THANKS FOR READING.

REVIEWS PLEASE.