For Disclaimer - see chapter one.

Thanks to wonderful reviewing people: lilmisscookiemonster, PadfootObsessed329, ms trick, & mirrorkills!! Thanks to ms trick -I have now enabled anonymous reviewing. lilmisscookiemonster -I think you're gonna be curious for a while - Anya's wish won't be coming out til the very end. Sorry guys, but I gotta keep the mystery alive to keep you all coming back. You'll love it though I promise, so stay tuned! Btw - tip! If you're lost where I reference the series, check out a script site to refresh your memory on the eps!

>.........................

DAWN
Could you die? 'Cause, seriously, speaking for everybody who are me in the car right now, we're very excited.

BUFFY
Well, I'm glad for all of you then.

DAWN
I mean, it's just so cool. You're coming to school with me. You'll be, like, there the whole time. (pauses) You understand you cannot talk to me, look at me, or hang out with any of my friends, right?

BUFFY
Look, I doubt we'll be seeing each other, assuming I even half-understand my fuzzy job description.

DAWN
It's not fuzzy. You're, what, dealing with troubled kids?

XANDER
At a spanking new Hellmouth High. Please. Outside of drugs and violence and the unwanted pregnancy, and, uh, unleashing of hordes of Armageddon that comes pouring out of the school's foundation every now and then, what trouble could these kids have?

BUFFY
Guess I'll find out.

Buffy was having trouble keeping with the conversation, her thoughts back at the house where Spike was quietly nestled in the basement. After bringing him home last night she hadn't really known what to do with him, and had settled on taking him down there only after she had remembered that warm morning sun waking her up would mean warm morning sun burning him up.

She'd sat next to his cot in the basement for a while, concerned for him and thinking about what might have made him act this way. Even after the things he had tried to do to her in the bathroom those months ago, she knew that she still cared for him deep down, and she had to bring back the man she'd come to know.

This sent Buffy's mind reeling once more. Did she care for him? And in what way?

As Xander pulled in to the builders' carpark next to the still-under-construction school, Buffy pushed these thoughts away for now. She had other things to be focussing on now.

>..............................

As Willow piled herself into the taxi, smiling through tears at her father figure waving from the door of the coven's huge headquarters, she couldn't help but worry about how her friends at home were going to respond to her return.

"Which way, love?" asked the driver in a cockney accent. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her in the mirror above his head.

"Airport..." Willow mumbled in reply, as she sank down in her seat. As the driver nodded and started off down the long driveway, she turned in her seat to see Giles walking inside and slowly closing the tall, beautifully carved wooden doors behind him. She blinked back a few tears and bid goodbye to the place she'd come to know as home these past few months and the man who had brought her here.

>..............................

Later that night, Spike stood in the doorway to the Summers' living room, smirking at the confusion he seemed to have caused simply by walking in. He'd woken up to find himself alone in the house this morning, and had taken the opportunity to shower and clean himself up for Buffy. He was still adamant she wouldn't see him in the state she had the other day, but while being out of the school basement was helping, he was finding it hard to keep his composure for very long. He'd come upstairs now because he'd heard the whelp and niblet talking with Buffy about a new bad. He had had to come up, to help her.

Buffy turned to the window to hide the tears of happiness welling in her eyes. He was back. Xander and Dawn didn't seem too impressed with the situation however, and she realised she had yet to tell anyone Spike was now living in her basement. Turning back she quickly took him up on his request to speak in private.

Throughout their conversation in the foyer, Buffy couldn't help but stare at Spike. He seemed so different, so collected now. She bit her lip and wondered - how had he changed so quickly? It mattered little though, and she was just glad he was back to his old self.

"Ball's in your court, Slayer." Spike finished. She was looking at him strangely now, and he felt uncomfortable despite his demeanour. He wondered for a moment whether she could tell it was all an act, that this was just something he was putting on, for her. As she leant in and kissed him tenderly, and he let his hand slide up her back, he knew that she didn't though. He let go of her and stepped backwards, feeling slightly abashed.

Buffy put her hand to her mouth and looked down at the floor. Her eyes shifted to his feet, which were visibly pigeon toed and she knew at once - he wasn't better at all. This was an act. She looked suddenly up, into his eyes, and knew that he was doing this for her. She felt a surge of respect for him, a man who would do anything for her, anything to make her happy. She'd let him keep up his facade for now. It would only hurt him to tear it down.

Spike saw the woman in front of him nod slowly. "Okay." she said.