A/N : A couple of people asked about Faith. In all honesty, I didn't really think about her fate in this AU, so you can decide where you think she is, maybe prison, maybe in another country, I don't know. By the way, this fic doesn't have much further to go. (For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 10

"You're the Slayer, and we're like the Slayerettes" a young red-head enthused, the boy at her side grinning madly, as an older man in a tweed suit wandered in the background with a book in his hand.

"Buffy!" a familiar voice called through from the other bedroom, "If you're going out why don't you take your sister with you?"

"Mom!" the blonde called back, along with the young brunette teen beside her...

"Well, what can I tell you baby" the bleached blond said with a look, "I've always been bad"

"Death is your gift" said the strangely dressed primitive woman as she stalked around the fire.

A scream rang out as bright light poured from a hole in the sky, lightening crackling everywhere as she jumped into it, the power engulfing her, making her body convulse...

Buffy woke with a start, almost hitting her head on the seat in front of her. She sighed as she hugged the bag on her lap like a security blanket and stared out of the bus window, watching the world go by.

The bright lights of LA were far from a welcome sight, and she was glad to know she was leaving them behind. Of course not all bad had come of her visit to the City of Angels, but she was still glad to leave. She desperately wanted to be home right now, somewhere she felt safe and loved. Checking her watch she realised it'd be a while yet before she arrived and closed her eyes, hoping peaceful sleep might claim her this time.

"So Willow and Tara are coming on the Wednesday before, and then Xander and Anya and little Kristen on Friday since he can't get anymore time off work than that" Dawn rattled on about the gang and when they would be arriving for her wedding which was now less than two weeks away. Spike was supposed to be listening to her, but in all honesty his mind was otherwise engaged with thoughts of Buffy and what had happened in LA.

"Spike!" Dawn finally got his attention on her sixth time of both calling his name and prodding him in the arm, "Geez, what planet were you on?" she asked him with a slightly worried look on her face, despite the jokey tone of her voice.

Spike was pretty much all she had in the way of family these days, despite the fact they weren't actually related, he was brother, father, and best friend when she needed each of these things. Of course Jason was equally as important to her, but he would be her husband, a very different role in her life. Losing Spike would be like losing her right arm, and she panicked just a little bit if he ever got distant or stayed out too long. She didn't mean to be such a worrier and the vampire teased her mercilessly for it, but she simply could not bear to lose anybody else.

"'M sorry, luv" Spike managed a smile for her, "Mind was elsewhere"

"Kinda noticed" Dawn told him, "Is there something bothering you?"

There was a strange look on his face, she observed, as he stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head.

"Nothin' to worry your pretty little head about, Sweet Bit" he assured her, ruffling her hair much as he used to when she was a kid, "'M going for a fag" he told her, heading out to the back porch. He never smoked in the main part of the house, always outside if it was dark, or in the basement if he got desperate during daylight hours. It wouldn't do to be polluting the kids air supply, they could get something nasty from the effects unlike he himself.

Dawn opened her mouth to say something to her fiancé, just as the phone rang, taking her attention. As she left the room to take the call, Jason traced Spike's footsteps, through to the kitchen and out onto the back porch.

"You decided to play shadow with me, mate?" Spike asked, without even turning around, just feeling the boys presence behind him as vampires were wont to do, "Or have my bad habits started rubbing off on you?" he asked, head tilted as he finally turned and looked at the person he was addressing.

"Neither" Jason assured him with a smile, "I just thought maybe you had something you wanted to talk about" he shrugged, "Maybe something you don't want worry Dawnie with"

"If I did, Jason, I wouldn't be telling you about it" Spike told him, taking a long drag on his cigarette, "Can't build a relationship on lies, only total honesty" he observed, "I learnt that lesson, and I'll not be giving you any secrets to be keeping from the Bit on my behalf, alright?"

"That's cool" Jason nodded his head, "I was just tryin' to help is all. Every guy needs a friend to talk to sometimes, someone else who might understand whatever's going on in their head..."

"Remind me how old you are, Jason?" Spike asked him, again keeping his eyes staring out over the lawn and not looking at the boy in question at all.

"Twenty three" he answered dutifully.

"Twenty three" Spike smirked to himself, "Y'know when I was your age I was the complete opposite of what I am now"

"Really?" Jason frowned as he came over to lean on the railing beside the vampire he thought he knew so well, "You weren't a badass when you were human?"

"Not even a bit of it" Spike smirked at the boys shocked expression as he flicked his cigarette butt away, "I was the bottom of the food chain back then, couldn't fight my way out of a wet paper bag, thought my mother was the centre of the universe, and that poetry was the way to win a woman's heart"

"Wow" Jason shook his head, "Kinda hard to picture you being that way"

"Yeah, well, 's not exactly a part of my life I want everyone to hear about" Spike pointed out, "It'd destroy my reputation just a little, don't you think?"

"I guess" Jason considered, "Is this what's got you all quiet and thoughtful?" he asked, "Did something happen in LA that reminded you of your past or whatever?"

"In a way" Spike admitted, knowing there was simply no way he could tell Jason what really happened. That would mean either telling the Bit the truth or asking the boy to keep it from her, neither of which he was willing to do. He couldn't hurt Dawnie like that, he just couldn't.

"S'pose it just set me off thinkin'" he said eventually, "'Bout the past and the future. Gotta let one go if you're ever gonna have the other work out"

"Maybe" Jason said thoughtfully, "but our past is what makes us who we are. If certain things had turned out differently when we were younger, we'd be totally different people now"

Spike took a moment to think about that. Buffy didn't remember her life at all, nothing about her real family or friends, not a scrap about Sunnydale or being the Slayer, and yet she was still her. Her whole life wiped away like chalk from a board, leaving a blank empty space up to the point of her 'rebirth' as it were, and it had changed things. Without the knowledge of what Spike really was she was able to see him as who he was instead. Whilst that was a wonderful thing, Spike hated knowing his Slayer was so confused, so very lost.

"Reckon you ought to get back inside, mate" he said to the boy beside him, "She'll only fret if you leave her too long"

"You're staying here?" Jason checked as he moved away.

"For a bit" Spike nodded, "Push off soon, go patrolling I reckon. Need to 'work out some issues' as you Yanks might say" he explained, "No better way I know than bashing heads of Sunnydale's evil-doers into the ground" he smirked.

"I'll tell Dawn where you're going" Jason told him, as he finally left Spike alone.

The vampire was touched to know the lad cared enough to check on him but in all honesty as much as he loved Dawn and respected her fiancé, he was mostly best left alone when he was in this kind of mood.

"Who was on the phone?" Jason asked as he came back into the living room and found Dawn on the couch, staring out of the front window into the darkness.

"Nobody, wrong number" she said absently, not even looking at him yet. With a slight frown, Jason sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Dawnie, is something wrong?" he checked.

"I don't know" she admitted, finally turning her head and looking at him, "I just... I got this weird feeling, like someone was watching me" she said, as a shiver went down her spine.

"Maybe it was just Spike, checking on you" Jason told her, "He said he was headed out for patrol, maybe he stopped by the window or something"

"Maybe" Dawn said, not really buying it but unable to think of any other kind of explanation. After all, if someone else had been there Spike would've felt it, being a vampire as he was, and would've dealt with the situation as he saw fit. There was never anything to worry about when he was around.

Dawn covered her mouth with her hand as a yawn escaped her and she snuggled up closer to Jason.

"You ready for bed, sweetheart?" he asked her and she nodded against his side.

"I could fall asleep right here" she sighed, "It would save on stair carpet" she said, obviously joking, but nevertheless looking less than eager to move.

"How about this for a plan" Jason smiled as he pulled her legs across his lap and then stood up with one arm around her back and the other beneath her legs, cradling her to him like a child.

Dawn giggled as he walked over to the stairs, carrying her in his arms, like Superman might carry Lois Lane.

"What are you doing?" she said with a smile as he started up to their room.

"Practising for carrying you over the threshold, Miss Bride-To-Be" he told her, making her laugh once again.

Spike was feeling a little better when he made it back to Revello Drive in the early hours of the morning. A spot of violence before bedtime almost always improved his mood, though nothing was going stop the heartache he felt every time Buffy sprang into his mind.

It didn't help that everything reminded him of her; this street, this house, the cemeteries, his crypt. He saw her standing on every corner, heard her voice on every breeze, and now thanks to his experiences with her in LA, felt her touch every time he closed his eyes.

He sat down on the front porch steps and lit up his final cigarette. He'd got through a packet and a half in just a few hours, much more than he would usually smoke these days, but he needed something, anything, that might ease his pain even slightly. For just a minute he was partially calm and easy as he smoked his last fag. Crushing the butt beneath his boot he got to his feet and turned to go inside the house when something made him stop. The strangest feeling came over him before a voice froze him to the spot.

"I thought it'd feel more familiar" she said with a sigh, and for a moment Spike wondered if he was hallucinating, almost afraid to turn around and discover the truth.

"Buffy?" he said hopefully, and much more quietly than he meant to as he looked round and saw her figure half way down the path, lit only by the moon.

"Hello, Spike" she smiled slightly, "I guess I'm home"

To Be Continued...