One day when Buffy was really depressed about losing Spike, she locked herself away in her bedroom, telling Dawn that she wasn't feeling well and that she didn't want to be disturbed. She lay on her bed, holding Spike's lighter, which she had found on the bus (the one they used to get out of Sunnydale). It must have fallen out of his pocket. Anyway, she began running her thumb over the smooth metal, crying in complete heartache as she thought about all the good times they had had together. How she longed to hear his voice again, to look deep into his eyes and see the love within them (if it was still there), to feel his cool touch against her warm, soft skin, even if it was only a hug or for her hand to be in his. She just wanted to see him again. She wished for someone to talk to, who would understand, someone who didn't hate Spike. She dried her eyes, deciding she would go for a walk to attempt to clear her head. She had no idea that her wish was about to come true.
She hadn't really wanted to walk to anywhere in specific, but she found herself on a hilltop, looking down at the city before her. Rome really was a beautiful place. She sat down on the grass, leaning against a tree. She watched as the day slowly slipped into night. Buffy gazed up at the sky and saw what appeared to be a shooting star, but it kept getting closer and closer. Suddenly she realised it was heading straight towards her. She got up and started walking away when it crashed down to earth like a bolt of lightning. At first it was to bright to even look at, so Buffy had to close her eyes, but then, slowly and gradually the light ebbed away and she could just make out the figure of a woman. As the figure came closer Buffy gasped as she realised who the woman standing before her was.
