A/N: Thanks so much to DGtek-CrazyaboutAngel, paige, funkydevil206, BAforever, and noxpuella for your encouragement and reviews!

Disclaimer: I steal away his characters sometimes, but Joss always finds out and makes me return them. Pouts. Anyways, not mine, people.

Rating: PG-13. Swearing, angst, violence, previously minor child abuse. You have been warned …

Pairings: B/S eventually. W/T Others uncertain

Distribution: Yeah, sure, take it. Tell me first, though.

Reviews: DEFINITELY! Reviewers are the best!

Previously: Buffy arrives in Sunnydale and spies some familiar faces ...

"… so then, he actually ate the thing just to prove that he wasn't 'chicken.'"

Both girls burst into peals of laughter as Dawn finished another one of her stories about her high school classmates' antics.

Sudden, the teenager fell silent. "Don't look now, Willow - "

Willow turned around and looked.

Dawn rolled her eyes and continued, " – that blonde girl standing by the door has been staring at us. Do you know her?"

Willow's mouth opened and closed like a fish's as she looked towards the door. "Dawnie …"

"Yeah?" Dawn asked with slight impatience.

"That's Buffy …"

Dawn eyed Willow sharply, then turned to stare more closely at the blonde. "That can't be Buffy. We haven't seen her in, like, five years. Ever since she just left."

The girl sounded bitter.

"No, Dawn, that is her. I'm going to go talk to her." Willow put on her resolve face and began to get up.

"No, Wills, don't …"

But Willow had already set off towards the stranger.

oOoOo

Buffy had been frozen in place, unable to stop staring at her sister and her best friend. Wow. They look so happy.

Lost in thought, she hadn't seen Willow approach her until it was too late. As soon as she noticed, she began to move away quickly as she could, not feeling ready to face her friend quite yet.

"Buffy?"

Upon hearing her name, she froze and turned slightly. That was the only signal her childhood best friend needed.

Buffy suddenly found herself engulfed in a big bear hug. "Ohmigosh, Buffy where have you been for the last five years? You look so different! We were so worried about you after you left and then so much happened and like a year ago we thought we saw you on TV 'cause we know you went to LA to maybe start acting but we weren't sure it was you … and I'm babbling aren't I? You can stop me. And … Ohmigosh! …"

Willow finally ran out of breath and dwindled to a stop.

Buffy smiled tentatively. She couldn't believe how good it felt to talk to her friend again. "I … I missed you, Wills."

Willow pulled back and gave a small grin. "I can't believe your back. Why are you here, anyways?"

In the back of her mind, Buffy briefly wondered how it was so easy to become friends with Willow again. She could almost feel herself fall back into her old place in Sunnydale. But, then again, Willow was always the sweetest and most accepting of all of us, she thought.

She brought herself back to the present, just in time to hear Willow tell her to come sit with Dawnie and her.

oOoOo

Dawn watched from the table as Willow called out Buffy's name, then hugged the stranger. That can't be Buffy. She doesn't dress – or look – like that. Where's my sister?

She watched as the pair began moving towards her.

oOoOo

Buffy looked at the girl who sat at the coffee table, staring at her with cold eyes. As they approached her, Dawn swished her long hair and glanced away from the pair.

Buffy halted nervously by her sister, unsure of what to do.

Willow, sensing the suddenly palpable tension between her two friends, laughed nervously, and said haltingly, "H-hey, Dawnie, g-g-guess what? Buffy's come back to stay for a while. Isn't that great?"

What do you say to someone after being gone for so long, without any word? Buffy forced her lips into a shake grin and tried, "Hi, Dawn." Inside, she mentally berated herself, Yeah, that was great.

Dawn ignored Buffy. "Yeah, great, Wills. Hey, I suddenly remembered that I promised a friend I would meet up with her later. I'll see you at home, 'k?"

And before either of the older girls could answer, Dawn got up and left.

As she watched her younger sister walk out the door, Buffy sat down and buried her face in her hands. "She hates me, doesn't she?"

Willow gave her friend a small one-armed hug. "Give her some time, Buff," she said sympathetically. "She might be a little mad, but Dawnie still loves you."

Buffy looked up. "Thanks, Wills. You're the bestest. I surprised you don't hate me, too."

"I couldn't hate you. You're still my best friend. Now, c'mon, where are you staying – no, wait, don't answer that. Stay with us," Willow insisted.

"What? I could just stay in a motel or something."

"No, you're family. And, technically, it's your house. Now, come on." Willow tugged on Buffy's hand.

Unable to resist her friend's enthusiasm, Buffy let herself be dragged away …

oOoOo

Buffy found out that Willow and Dawnie had moved into 1630 Revello Drive. And, "a bunch of other people," to quote Willow, also lived there. But most were away for the weekend.

She couldn't believe how different her former home looked. It probably the lack of beer bottles littering the ground, she thought wryly.

The two friends had a quick dinner. Midway through, Dawn had ran into the house and stomped up to her room, shouting out a quick negative when Willow asked herif she was hungry.

Buffy, still not quite sure how to get Dawn to reaccept her, and suddenly feeling guilty, claimed tiredness.

"Oh! Gosh. 'Course you tired. You must have had a long day with the traveling and all. I should've sent you to a room right away." Willow responded, feeling bad for not thinking of it right away.

"No, I'm OK, Wills, just a long day, you know?" Buffy rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Yeah." Willow arrived at a room. "Here. You can stay here for now."

Buffy glanced around. The former guest bedroom was now covered with posters of punk rockers and 80s bands. Most of the décor was in black.

"Wow. Does someone live here, now?"

Willow nodded. "But he comes and goes, so it doesn't matter if you use his room."

"'K. Thanks, Willow."

"Yup. But tomorrow, young lady, you are going to get up bright and early and tell me everything that's happened." Willow ruined the effect of her mock sternness with a silly smile.

"Aye-aye, capt'n." Buffy saluted, then fell onto the bed in giggles.

"'Night, Buff."

"'Night, Willow."

Buffy changed quickly, snuggled in under the heavy blankets, promptly fell asleep . . .

oOoOo

… and woke up to the feeling of the mattress shift and sag. Her mind still foggy with sleep, she opened her eyes to see a dark silhouetted figure sitting on the edge of the bed.

Immediately awake, Buffy sat up and panicked. She screamed in surprise and swung her fist at the man (she now realized), knocking him off the bed. In the dim light, she could see the intruder holding his nose, and cursing fluently. By this time, Buffy had rolled out of bed, and was prepared to attack the man with the dangerous weapon – a flyswatter – that she had grabbed hold of.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Willow – who had been woken by her scream – stumble into the room, just in time to see Buffy repeatedly whacking the bleached-blonde stranger with her flyswatter as he tried to shield his head and inch away.

Willow blinked a couple times to make sure she was still seeing correctly. "Buffy! What are you doing! Stop hitting Spike with that fly-swatting thingy!"

Buffy heard Willow, and was surprised enough to freeze for a minute, turning to her friend and asking incredulously, "You know this guy?"

During the lull in – at least according to Spike – 'The Attack of the Blonde Psycho Lady,' he had taken the opportunity to pluck the flyswatter out of Buffy's hand. Spike now answered for Willow, "'Course she knows me, you crazy chit! I bloody well live here! An' this is my room that you're sleeping in."

Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of Spike's indignant retort, Dawn had wandered into the room. Now, as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes, she saw the platinum blonde, and promptly launched herself into his arms with a high-pitched squeal.

"Spike! When did you get back! Ohmigosh! Where did you go? How was it? Did ya bring me presents? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

This immediately launched the beginning of several different conversations.

"Willow, why was this guy …"

"Yeah, I brought you presents, Bit ..."

"Spike, why'd you climb through your window …"

"Willow! Answer my question …"

"Sorry, Red, I lost my house key …"

"Again!"

"Ohmigosh! So much has happened since you left, Spike …"

"Wait, Bit. Give me a minute to suss things out first, 'k?"

"Wills! What's going on!"

"Yeah, Red, who is this loopy bint that you gave my room to?"

"What! I am not a 'loopy bint,' you … you bleach-head!"

"Ha! Takes one to know one!"

Gasp. "I so do not dye my hair!"

"Oh, please …"

Willow could feel a headache coming as the two blondes forgot her entirely and became more wrapped up in their fight. She saw that the usually mature brunette teenager was not going to be any help as she was watching the argument with great interest. Taking a deep breath, the redhead yelled, "QUIET!"

It was almost comical to see the occupants of the room halt mid-motion and turned to Willow. "Stop bickering like three-year-olds and I'll explain everything."

She looked around to make sure she had everyone's attention. "Good. Now, Buffy, remember William?"

"Yeah …"

Flashback

4-year-old Buffy bounced up and down with excitement, standing eagerly by the window, waiting. Today was special. It was the beginning of summer, and that meant that her friend, William, was back.

"Mommy, when's he gonna get here?"

Joyce smiled patiently at her daughter. "Soon, honey. Remember, William only flew in from England yesterday. He needs time to rest."

Buffy pouted. "But he promised that he would come play with me today. I haven't seen him in a really long time!"

For the majority of the year, William lived with his grandparents in England. But summers were spent with his dad in Sunnydale.

"Yes, sweetie, but Mr. Giles said William could come only if he was rested. Now, be patient -"

The rest of her explanation was cut off as the doorbell rang.

Young Buffy jumped up, making her pigtails swing, as she yelled, "He's here! He's here!"

Joyce shook her head, smiling. She opened the door to reveal a young boy with a puff of curly brown hair and glasses. He smiled happily, revealing a few gaps in his teeth. "'Lo, Mrs. Summers."

"Hello, William. My, how you've grown!" She greeted. "Why don't you come in? Buffy's been waiting for you all day."

As Joyce stepped aside, Buffy jumped forward and hugged William tightly. Then she let go and took hold of his hand, tugging him upstairs. "C'mon, Will-yum! Let's go. Willow and Xander are coming later, too. Wanna see my new toys …"

Joyce smiled as the two kids ran away. Suddenly aware of a presence behind her, she turned around to see an older version of William with less hair, more teeth, and wearing a tweed suit. "Hello, Rupert! How are you?"

"Good morning, Joyce. I'm doing very well, thank you."

"Well, come in."

Giles stepped inside and glanced up the stairs. "Those two get along nicely, don't they?"

Joyce also looked towards the stairs. "Yeah, they do. Almost perfectly …"

End Flashback

"… what about William?"

Spike cut in, shaking his head and sighing with mock sorrow. "Breaks my heart – you don't even recognize an old friend, luv."

Buffy's eyes widened comically. "Him!" she squeaked, pointing her finger. "You're William!"

"No, luv, I'm Spike." He explained as if talking to a small child.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What kind of idiot name is Spike? And I am not your 'love!'"

Willow, sensing another fight, quickly interfered again. "Look, everyone, it's late. Why don't we all go to sleep and we'll figure this out in the morning.

Buffy glared at Spike. "Fine," she said stiffly, flopping back down on the bed.

"Hey! Hold on. What're you doing? That's my bed!"

"Not for tonight." Buffy smirked triumphantly.

"Please, Spike," Willow's lower lip began to push out.

"Fine, but only because she's contaminated the bed, anyways," he groused, then in a quieter voice, " … bloody women."

Willow hustled Spike out of the room while he carried Dawn since she had drifted off somewhere in the middle of all this. With another 'good night' she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Buffy snuggled back into the bed, thoughts of her past haunting her mind.

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le faye