* AN- From here on out, it will go pretty much straight forward, with no more hopping months and years. Hope you guys enjoy the spuffiness coming up {:o)

June, 1970

Buffy stepped off the bus, and looked around for a moment, then entered the small bus station. Her calf-length skirt blew against her legs in the breeze, and her pony-tailed hair whipped against her face. With the skirt, she wore a short-sleeved white blouse. She had hoped to get some new clothes, but her grandmother had sent her with just the exact fare for the bus to Sunnydale, and enough to buy a sandwich at the only stop she made between Colorado, and California. Her small bag was clutched in her hand as she walked into the terminal, her long skirt swaying around her knees.

Stopping inside the doors, Buffy looked for her brother, but didn't spot him. She swiped at the bangs hanging limply in front of her eyes, and walked over to collect her trunk as it was brought in. After showing her ticket to the man bringing luggage in, Buffy started lugging the black trunk behind her, while trying to keep her bag over her shoulder.  She had turned to look at the trunk behind her, when someone came up behind her. Buffy fell flat on the ground with a thud, and the trunk landed heavily on her toes.

"Oh, OW!" Buffy pulled at the trunk desperately, trying to move it from her toes.

"Oi, sorry bout that, pet. Here, let me help." Bleached blond hair and piercing blue eyes met hers as the man leaned down, and tugged the trunk from her toes. After shoving the trunk away, he held his hand out towards her. "Care for a hand up?" A slow smile crept across his face as he waited for her to take the offer. Blushing brightly, Buffy held her hand up to him, and flushed even more when she felt his strong grip on her hand.

"There you are, pet, right as rain. Sorry to run you over and run, but I need to pick up- Wait, Buffy?" Spike blinked as he looked at the pretty girl in front of him.

Buffy blinked slowly for a moment, then looked up at the gorgeous man in front of her. "Well, no one has called me that in a long time, but yes, that would be me. Elizabeth Summers. I prefer Buffy though, and I'm rambling, aren't I?" Buffy laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "And you are…?"

Brilliant blue eyes widened, then his face settled into a smirk. "What's the matter, don't recognize me?" Buffy's eyes drifted down the planes of his face, then back up, before settling on his eyes again. "William?" Buffy squealed, and threw her arms around him, pulling him close for a hug. She pulled back and squealed as he tugged her closer again, and swung her around in a circle.

Spike set her back down in the middle of the bus terminal, amidst a cultural shock of people, and looked her over. "What are those skinny little things hanging out from your dress, here?" Spike leaned in and sniffed. "And just when did you stop smelling like grass and mud, and start smelling like… what is that, flowers? Buffy, when in the world did you turn into a girl?" Spike's tone was light and teasing, as he looked his old friend over.

"William, I always was a girl. I just didn't realize it!" She knew that her face was flushed red as his eyes went over her body. She was unused to having so much attention. "Where's Liam at? I had thought he was picking me up."

"He was, luv, but he got stuck at work, so he sent me along. Bugger, I didn't expect an actual girl to be here. Was looking for grass stains, and torn jeans. Guess we all change a bit over the years, don't we?" Spike waved his hand at his own appearance. His hair had been sheared short, and it stood in hard platinum spikes. Gone were the dirt stained corduroy pants, and stripped tee shirts. In their place, a sleeveless skintight black shirt, with safety pins holding the shoulder together, and tight black jeans. Around his neck was something that looked like a dog collar to her. Black army boots and a silver safety pin through his eyebrow completed the ensemble.

"Yes, I can see that we do. You've changed more then just a bit. I feel so out of place. Could we please leave? I would love to get out of these awful clothes, and take a shower." Buffy glanced around at the bus depot, then towards Spike. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and winked.

"Well, you know, it's been years, but hey, anything to please the ladies…" Spike leaned down and picked the large trunk up, and started towards the door, leaving a dumbfounded and blushing Buffy behind. She quickly hurried towards him, and out the door. He led her to a black Desoto, and unlocked the trunk to slip her trunk inside. Buffy found she was still blushing and studying the toes of her shoes when he turned his attention back towards her.

"Buffy, luv, I was joking. I don't shower with a woman until at least the 4th date." Her eyes grew wide as saucers as he unlocked the doors and let her in. Chuckling to himself, he jogged around the back of the car, and slid into the drivers seat. "Buffy, lighten up, pet, or you won't last a week with Liam. Now, don't mind my baby, she's a bit old, but she runs like a dream." He started the '58 car, and aimed it towards her new home.

"No, it's fine. My grandmother didn't believe in wasting money on a car, so we didn't have one." Buffy looked out the window, and watched the scenery roll by, some changed, and some exactly the same as it had been nearly 7 years before.

"Liam told me what a crazy bint your grand mum was. Sorry to hear about that. Liam's practically been countin the days till you could escape. Though, I'm sure you've been doing the same. How's the mum, then? She gonna to be movin back here as well?" Spike cursed as he pulled up behind a slow truck, and blared his horn.

"She's… all right, I suppose. She will be staying at Grandmothers, however. How are Willow, Xander, Jesse, and Larry? Do they know I'm coming back?"

"Well, Jesse and Larry will be busy with football tryouts, and Xander will be at the shop until about 8 tonight. Willow said she would be meeting us at the apartment around 4:30, though, when she gets out of the tutoring she does for some rich snot. They'll all show up sooner or later tonight, though. Don't worry, they're eager to see ya, poodle."

"Poodle? When did you start with all these silly nicknames? And just how did you get the name Spike?" She glanced back over at him just in time to see a boyish grin lighting up his face.

"The girls love the names, and I got my nick name from my hair, o'course." She laughed easily, one of the first truly easy laughs she had been able to do since the summer her father had died.

Soon, they were parking in front of a large house that was painted white with baby blue shutters on all the windows. In the front of the house, bright red geraniums were planted along the sidewalk, and white ones were planted in flower boxes under the windows on the main floor. She stepped out of the car and stared up at the lovely house in front of them as Spike got her trunk out of the back end of the car.

"This way, pet, 's round back." Hefting the heavy burden, he walked to the side of the picturesque house, and up to the garage. A set of stairs led upward, and he climbed them carefully, keeping the weight of the trunk balanced as best as he could. Finally, they made it to the top, and he kicked at the door with his booted foot. Not a moment later, it opened, and Buffy could see another set of hands helping to pull the trunk into the open doorway. Spike motioned to her with his head, and she cautiously followed him in.

The trunk was already deposited into the middle of the room, and a large set of arms was engulfing her into a tight embrace. "Bethie! Lord girl, it's good to see you!" Her brother held her tight, rocking her back and forth. After a moment, he pulled away, and held her arms out to the sides. "First things first. Willow will be here soon, and then I'm sending you out to get some new clothes. These things will be burned as soon as it is humanly possible."

Buffy laughed over Liam's enthusiasm, and beamed up at his face. "Lee, I've missed you, too. Mom has too, even if she won't say it." Liam nodded silently at the last bit. They both knew how their grandmother was towards their mother.

"Eh, mate, thought you couldn't get out of work?" Spike poked in between the two, grinning like a fool at Buffy, though the question was addressed to Buffy's brother.

"Willy let me out about 10 minutes after you left, so I hoofed it back here to wait. Didn't figure I could make it down there before you guys left. Spike, can you gimme a hand lugging her trunk into her room. Bethie, it's at the end of the hall, the one without the beads on the door." Buffy stepped aside, and let the two guys take her trunk to her new room, while she took a moment to look around the room and inspect her new surroundings. On top of an old black and white TV, there were bottles with candles, the old melted wax dripped all along the sides. On the walls, bright psychedelic patterned posters hung on almost every surface. The windows were covered with brightly colored plastic beads, and ratty old sheets.

The furniture looked like it had seen better days, but it also looked comfortable. Buffy smiled and walked to the bedroom, where the guys were busy pushing the trunk to fit into the sharp corner of the doorway. She peeked over Spike's shoulder, and looked in at the tiny room. The bed was only about a foot away from the open doorway, which made it so that the door wouldn't open completely. At the foot of the bed, there was a beat up and scratched oak dresser. There was a closet at the very end. All in all, it was tiny, but it was already far better then what she had had with her grandmother.

With a final grunt, the guys got the trunk to squeeze into the room, and they shoved it into the space in between the dresser and the closet. Buffy backed up a bit as they came through, and exited the room. As Liam started to pass her, she was swept into his arms again for a tight embrace. "Never again do we go this long without seeing each other. Promise?" He whispered gruffly against her ear.

"Promise," she whispered back.