"Buffy?" Faith's voice rang in Buffy's ears. "Buffy?" Faith's voice came through again, this time followed by a gentle shake.
"He's gone Faith." Buffy mumbled not wanting to open her eyes. Her head was pounding. "He's gone and he's not coming back."
"I know." Buffy felt the bed shift as Faith sat down. "Angel told me this morning after we had left for the shop. What happened?"
"I don't know. I thought that after last night we had at least started to straighten things out. I mean we didn't talk about much, but I told him that I wanted to work things out, that I just needed some time."
"Then what happened that you didn't want to come to work today? I know it had something to do with him, don't tell me that it didn't"
"He came to my room last night, he was there when I woke up."
"Did you...?"
"No." Buffy answered as she finally opened her eyes to look at her friend. He came in after I had fallen asleep. He said that he had been there for a few hours. When I asked him why he said that he wanted to talk to me and that he didn't want to wait until after work."
"What did he want to talk about?"
"He came to tell me that he was sorry for everything that had happened. That he was sorry that he had hurt me."
"And that was a bad thing?"
"No. What was bad was the way I acted. I told him that it didn't matter any more. Then my alarm went off and I told him that he should go before everyone else was up and roaming the hall. I guess he took it as I didn't want people to know that we were talking. He got upset and told me that he wanted to know why it didn't matter. He called me by my real name and I told him not to, that I'm not her any more, that she died after he left. He said that he was here now, but I told him that it was too late, that I couldn't be her again, that time changes people. I ran into the bathroom to hide so he couldn't see me cry and he left. That was the last time I talked to him. He left a letter for me while I was downstairs eating lunch. By the time I had read it he was already gone."
"I saw the letter when I came to see how you were doing." Faith admitted hoping that Buffy wouldn't get mad at her for reading it. "He said that he called your dad."
"Yeah."
"Are you going to call him?"
Buffy was silent as she thought about it. She did miss her father, even after everything he had put her through. 'Spike is right.' She thought to herself. 'I should call him, but maybe I can do better then that.' She looked at Faith and smiled. "No, I'm think I am going to go and visit."
"Buffy, are you sure about that? Are you sure that he won't try to take over your life again?"
"No," Buffy said standing up. "I believe that Spike was telling the truth, that my father told him the truth. He just wants to know that I am okay."
"When are you going?"
"I'm going to go and talk to Angel now. I owe it to Spike and my father to do this. I hurt them both, it's time to make it right with at least one of them."
"Do you want some one to go with you?"
"No. I'll be okay." Buffy told her as she walked out of the bedroom to go and find Angel.
"Angel?" Buffy called out from the doorway to his apartment.
"Hey." He said walking out of his bedroom into the living room. "Come on in. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm not really sure." Buffy replied as she walked into his apartment.
"You want something to eat?" Angel asked. Buffy only shook her head. "You can sit if you like."
"Actually, I don't really think this will take long."
"What's up?" He asked noticing the serious tone in her voice.
"I want to know how soon I can get a few days off."
"That depends on what for."
"I want to go home. I want to see my dad and my friends. I've been hidding out here long enough. It's time I face them and let them know where I have been and that I am okay."
"You can have them as soon as you are ready. If you want to go tomorrow, you can, but only if you tell me what's been going on. Ever since Captain Peroxide showed up here you haven't been yourself. You spent most of your time hiding out in your apartment and when you weren't, you weren't your normal cheery self. Did he do something to you?"
"Angel, he didn't do anything that I didn't deserve. Spike and I, well that is a whole long story that I don't really want to discuss. Maybe one of these days I will tell you, just not now."
"He left." Angel said quietly, some how he seemed to understand that there was something beyond the last few days between them, he just didn't know how much of something there was. "He said he was going back to England."
"I know." Buffy said turning to leave.
"Buffy, wait." Angel called after her. He knew that Spike leaving had hurt her. She stopped but didn't turn to face him. "Do you want me to stop him from leaving? I know where he went." Angel didn't like his cousin, but he couldn't stand to see Buffy hurting the way she was. He would do anything to make sure that she was happy and if that meant bringing Spike back then he would do it.
Buffy wanted to say yes, but she couldn't. She knew that if she said yes and he wouldn't stay then it would hurt her even more. "No. I'll be okay with out him. I survived this long." And with that she walked back to her apartment to start to pack her things so she could leave the next day for Sunnydale.
"So, you're going back." Faith said from the doorway of Buffy's bedroom as she watched her pack a suitcase.
"Yeah." Buffy replied with a sigh. She wanted to do this, but there was still a twinge of doubt running through her.
"Do you want me to go with? Angel said I could if you needed some one to go along."
"No, I'll be okay."
"Just promise me you won't let him tell you what to do when you go back there."
"I won't. I'll be back on Sunday. I promise."
"Are you going to see the gang while you are there?"
"I am. Not sure how they are going to respond to me after disappearing like that, but I am going to see them anyway."
"Tell them I said hi."
"I will."
"They will probably hate me once they find out that I'm the reason that you left."
"You aren't the reason that I left. I hated my life there and I wanted a change."
"Yeah, but I talked you into it."
Buffy laughed a little as she remembered the conversation that had been held on the phone the day that she decided to leave Sunnydale. "You're right. It was your fault. I'll be sure to tell them all that so I don't get all the blame."
"Thanks B." Faith joked. She wouldn't admit it to Buffy, but she was glad that she was finally going to stop hiding. She knew Buffy was happy here in Los Angeles, but she also knew that Buffy missed her family and friends from back home. "You'll call me if you have any trouble right?"
"Yes, Mom." Buffy said sarcastically as she zipped her suitcase closed. "Is there anything else I should know before I leave?"
"Well let's see, don't talk to strangers, always look both ways before you cross the street, don't..."
"Okay. Okay. I get the point." Buffy laughed.
"Good. Well, I should probably get going. You have an early wake up call and I have work tomorrow. Take it easy B. I'll see you on Sunday."
Buffy watched as Faith turned and walked away. 'Spike better have been right about all of this.' She thought to herself before she turned out her light and crawled into bed.