A/N: Thanks for the comment ArtemisLuna85, I hope this chapter clears up your question! Also, I have updated chapter 41 to explain about the reason behind the bots presence (I had a comment over on ao3 confused about how they came about so I've explained it a little better). Also thanks to the guest for commenting - I hope this explains the power swap clearer xoxo

Chapter 43:

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Saffron woke to the sound, that and a strong emotion of irritation from next to her. Spike was already awake, staring in the direction of the noise. Spike had basically moved in since she came back, and nobody in the house had mentioned anything. They knew they needed to be together. Spike was holding her to him in a vice-like grip. His arms locked around her possessively as if he was expecting her to be taken from him any moment. He sighed, the vibration moving through her as she slowly woke up. He was getting more and more annoyed. She could feel it. She groaned, pulling the covers over her head and settling into the crook of Spike's neck. She landed a single kiss there before settling and trying to fall back asleep. She didn't want to deal with whatever it was. This seemed to pull him out of this annoyance, replacing a feeling of love and contentment as he looked at her sleeping form instead.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Spike sighed loud, pulling the sheets back and striding over to the noise. It was the pipes, there was some kind of leak. He took a tool-shaped object and hit the pipe with it, seeing if that would do anything. No luck. He threw the tool to the ground in anger. Saff leaned on her side, opening her eyes a fraction to get a better look at her man. She sighed, getting distracted by enjoying the way breathing felt. She watched him stand and glare at the pipe for a moment before interrupting the stand-off.

"Babe, please come back to bed…" Saffron whispered sleepily, she threw back the duvet on his side of the bed and patted it slowly. She was doing as little actions as possible so she could fall straight back asleep when he gave up.

"I can't relax with that stupid bloody noise! You think it's annoying? Imagine having vamp hearing" He gestured wildly at his ear and then at the pipe as she rubbed the mattress to try to wordlessly entice him back into bed. When that didn't work, she decided she wasn't too proud to plead with him.

"Please… I'm all cold and alive again and I need to be hugged" She said, a sleepy pout on her lips. He scanned over her. It was really her. Her bed head that he found adorable. Her beautifully morbid face, only made more beautiful with the curve of her lips in a smile. The smile she saved for him when they were alone like this. He stood, gazing softly at her, taking in every inch of her beauty, every flaw. He loved all of it. He had missed this beyond words. How could he deny her a moment like this?

Spike had made a show of rolling his eyes as she continued to pout, secretly enjoying how needy she was when she was sleepy. He caved and strided back over to her and slid into bed beside her, pulling her close to him. The pout merging into a smug smile as she got her way. She sighed happily, inhaling his scent as he kissed the top of her head distractedly. He was still staring towards the leak in the pipe, as if he could intimidate it into stopping.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Right! That's bloody it! I can't stand it! Bloody do something would you?!" He said, sitting them both up in bed. Saff sighed, frustrated. She just wanted to spend the day in bed with Spike. They had missed too many lazy Sunday mornings in her absence. She just wanted to cuddle and she knew he did too, but he was too easily irritated.

"You're the man, aren't you? Shouldn't you know what to do?" She asked, looking up to him with a smile. She batted her eyelashes as if implying she was a delicate woman who wouldn't know such things.

"Oh the double-standards is it? Back to the good old fashioned gender roles when it suits you, love" Spike said, waiting for her to get up. Truth was, hitting it with a big object was both his plan A and plan B. He hadn't had much cause to do plumbing in the places he usually stayed.

"Fine. I've got a secret weapon, but you're not gonna like it" Saff sighed, wrapping herself in a blanket and padding up the stairs to get her 'weapon'. She came back down moments later, a tool box in her hand and a tired looking slayer in tow. Buffy found the leak and tightened the pipe as best she could with her Slayer strength. Dawn came down to see what was going on, she offered to call a plumber but Saff and Buffy said no. Spike rolled his eyes, lying back in the bed and watching.

"There!" Buffy said happily and Saff thanked Buffy pointedly, shooting Spike a look. Suddenly all of the pipes burst, sending water shooting out of seemingly every wall. Dawn scrambled up the stairs and Saffron started to scream as Buffy stared at the pipe she had just fixed.

"Bloody hell!" Spike jumped out of bed and grabbed his duster, making sure it was saved from any water damage.

"Fuck sake, Buff!" She shouted, grabbing as much of her stuff as she could carry, "I'm living in the fucking paddling pool from hell – we should know" she grumbled as everyone took what they could from Saff's room to save it from getting damaged.

The Scoobies were gathered in the living room. Saff had shut all of the curtains so her vampire could join the rest of the group in the misery. They were broke. Saff and Buffy were buried under piles of bills, with no way to pay them off. Saff read through as many as she could handle, but it just made her more worried.

"But we haven't spent any money. We've been all dead and frugal" Buffy complained, looking at the cheque book. They explained about the life insurance and the medical costs. Lousy healthcare system, Saff sighed. She could feel Buff wasn't happy. She wasn't feeling right, she was too calm. Saff kept glancing at her cousin, unsure what to make of her attitude. She sat next to Spike as the Scoobies explained about the cost of running the house being the main problem. Spike moved his hand and rested it on her thigh, squeezing slightly to comfort her. She was frowning, deep in thought.

"So what do we do?"

"Easy! We burn the house to the ground and collect the insurance!" Buffy said happily. Saff smirked, she could tell Buffy was joking. Spike's eyes lit up too, he was liking the new and improved slayer.

"Good idea, Buff! We'll get the gas cans, you collect the valuables" Saff said happily as the rest of the room stared in horror at the pair. Except Spike who smirked at her. He really loved this woman.

"Plus, fire – pretty"

"Yeah and we could toast marshmallows on the flames!" Saff added excitedly. The rest of the room was shocked into silence. Buffy explained they were kidding after the others continued to stare blankly. She then turned to explain she wished it was the end of the world, because they could all deal with that easier.

"I'll take care of this. I promise"

"We both will" Saff added, "I'll pick up double shifts at the magic box and I'll do readings in my spare time" Saffron assured Buffy, who seemed to be at a loss despite her promise.

"You don't have to do that, Saff"

"I want to, besides, we can't have you charging for the slaying can we?"

"Oh, that was going to be my next suggestion!" Anya said, frowning. This turned into an argument between the others, resulting in Anya storming off and Xander hurriedly following her. There was something going on there, Saff decided. But she would ask another time. Right now, she needed to nick the rota from the magic box and write herself down for every shift she could manage.

xoxoxo

Nell's Diner hadn't changed since Saff had last been inside. It was the same down to the cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling that none of the staff could reach to clean. She looked around at the intimate booths and the people having dates and chatting to friends. She sat, her pack of cards in one hand and a lit cigarette between her black painted fingernails in the other. Smoke swirled around her as she realised how eerie it felt to see life going on as if nothing had happened. It was so weird to be living again. She was walking, talking, breathing, even smoking when she thought she would never be able to again. The whir of the coffee machine made her jump and she coughed as she inhaled while she was distracted, trying to stop the thick smoke from suffocating her. She managed to stop coughing and recovered, her dignity just about intact. She looked at her cigarette, shrugged and put the filter back up to her lips.

A man came over to her then, a flyer in his hand as he sat in front of her. He had thick black hair that he seemed to take a lot of care on and honey-coloured brown eyes that seemed to bore into her as he sat. He appeared to be studying her as she stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray the kind elderly lady, Martha as it stated on her nametag, that worked in the diner offered her when she sat down with her coffee. She had gotten to know Martha over the years and sensed that she had noticed her absence. She started to shuffle, making her introductions.

"I'm Saffron" she smiled at the man. She was pleased her fliers had already attracted attention, it read that her services were on sale, to attract more business.

"Ned"

"Nice to meet you, Ned. Do you have anything specific to ask the cards?"

"Will I ever overcome my fear of ghosts?" He asked, and Saffron could tell that he was deadly serious. She stopped shuffling and stared at him, "Look, I know what you're thinking, they're not real and this isn't a bad horror flick but I've always had this fear and I'm trying to get over it, dude, but it's hard. So, I wanted to know"

"Ok"

"What? Ok? You're not gonna ask why? Or tell me to get the fuck outta here?"

"I'm here for my $5 and to give you a fortune. I'll do you a future reading and we'll see if we can get any spirits to formally agree to leaving you alone for the foreseeable"

"Alright, dude, if you could do that that'd be awesome" He said. She let him off calling her dude, hoping it was just the way he spoke and not a hint that she had come back to the land of the living as a boy and nobody had told her.

"And, I don't know if you're religious, but try a chain with a cross on it" She suggested, at least then he could avoid vampires. He reached under the top of his shirt to reveal he was already wearing one. She nodded and smiled, offering him the pack to split. She took the top card and placed it face up in front of him.

"The four of wands" She said, staring at the card. She waited. The voice didn't start in her head. Where was the voice? She blinked, tried to focus. She knew that it meant celebration… or was it the opposite? She sighed, frustrated with herself as the guy waited for her to speak. Give me a break, I've been dead, she thought to herself. I've been dead. She couldn't hear the voice anymore. It must have died with her. Shit. She looked back up at the guy that had been patiently waiting, clearly thinking this was part of the process, "Uh, yeah, you're gonna get over your fear. There'll be a big… celebration in your near future" she smiled, hoping he would leave soon so she could spiral in peace. He finally left, waving as he went, and she exhaled the breath she hadn't realised she was holding in.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Hello? Where are you?

She was scared. The voice had always been her own, but she knew it was connected to some higher place. Had they left her? Given up on her? She hadn't even had chance to face her real destiny yet, she'd been so caught up in Dawn's and the three. And now what? She didn't even have the handy voice to help her figure out what was coming?

Fucking idiot! What did you think getting yourself dead would do? Release the rainbows and puppies? She told herself. She'd been an idiot. A wave of guilt flooded over her again as she sat there, the card still in front of her. She put her head in her hands and sighed, deciding to light up another cigarette.

"Hey there, how's business tonight?" Martha, the elderly waitress, asked as she walked to Saff's booth. She had always taken pity on the girl and let her do readings as long as the manager wasn't in. She sighed, Buffy hadn't had any luck getting a loan so this was the best she could do for money.

"You know… slow" She said, gesturing to her lack of customers as she lit up her cigarette. She had been chain smoking since she had awoken from the dead. What? I'm gonna die if I carry on? Already given that a go. Martha looked at the girl, Saffron could feel she felt sorry for her, and she saw a lot of herself in Saff.

"Uh huh, I think it's that dang opossum scaring people away again"

"Aw, Pauley's back again?" Saff asked, taking another drag of her cigarette and extending her neck to check outside the window to see if she could catch a glimpse of the animal. Martha chuckled at the girl as she offered her more coffee. Saffron put her hand over her mug though, shaking her head. "Best not, babe. I need to find a way of making more money and fast, so unless you'd like a reading…" She said, grabbing all her stuff and chucking it in her bag and getting up, she only paused when Martha spoke again.

"I'll do you one better. A job" Martha offered, smiling at the girl, "It's not the best pay, but it's steady. I think you need a bit of stability in your life, hon"

"Really? You're offering me a job?" Saff asked. Just like that? How fortunate.

"Mhm, Janelle left to have her baby, so job's yours if you like. Just tell the manager I interviewed you first"

"Do I get a sweet pastel uniform like yours?" She asked, only a little sarcastic as she smiled down at her dark clothes. Martha nodded. She could handle pastels if it meant helping the house stay afloat.

"It's the night shift, but I don't think I've ever seen you in daylight anyway"

"Perfect!" She said enthusiastically, it worked well as she could work part of the day in the Magic box before she started here. She hugged Martha before she left then ran back home, satisfied now she had more income for the house.

When she arrived back at Revello, she told Buffy and Dawn excitedly about her job and her plan to pick up as many of the shifts at the magic box she could. Buffy told her again that she didn't have to, but Saff assured her she wanted to. It was the least she could do. Might as well make the most of living again by getting myself stuck into not one, but two dead-end jobs. Dawn said goodnight as Willow and Tara went to the Bronze for the evening and Buffy went on patrol. She walked to her make-shift room in the living room, where they had managed to salvage as much as they could in boxes. She took a cd out, checking it for water damage before putting it back into the box. She was alone again. She turned the lights off downstairs before collapsing into tears on the sofa.

She was back, she was so grateful to be back. But everything was so full-on she was struggling to feel like herself. Not to mention the guilty feeling she couldn't seem to escape.

"Saff?" She jumped, not realising there was someone there, "Love, what is it? You're back now" Spike's voice came through the darkness again. She felt the sofa go in next to her, realising he must be sat with her now. Her hands were still covering her crying eyes as she continued to sob. She felt his hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it, rubbing in a slow, comforting motion.

"It's a lot. Almost too much. Living. It's so fast, blink and you miss so much" She explained through her breath hitching from the sobs, "I wouldn't want to be dead again, it's just… a lot to catch up on you know?"

"Better than hell though, I wager" He said, still comforting her. He pulled her into him and she reached to loop her arms around him, clinging to his shirt.

"It wasn't hell" She said, managing to curtail her sobs, leaning into his touch further. God, she had missed his touch. She moved her hands from her face to look at him.

"Then where?"

"I was in-between. It was as if I was just lying there in the ground, listening to the grass growing. The people walking over me. All the while it was just… black. I could feel myself rotting" She choked out. His jaw tensed, he was mad. Mad that this had happened to her. That the powers were set on hurting her, wearing her down. He felt protective of her in a way he couldn't describe, it was almost primal. He was quiet for a moment as her crying slowly stopped. He managed to curb his temper at the powers, pushing it down as he tried to be supportive for her. He could tell she needed it right now, he could feel everything she felt as she felt what he did.

"Sounds like hell" He finally replied.

"But it wasn't. I was waiting. I don't think my soul ever left my body. I couldn't see, couldn't feel. Couldn't breathe. But I could hear life carrying on. I could hear the dead calling, but I couldn't get to them" A new wave of sobs wracked her body again and Spike's strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. She could feel his worry and anger as if it was hers. She couldn't stop the tears that were falling, but she managed to explain further, "I was so lost. When I came back, I thought I was finally in hell… and then there you were"

"And you gained super-strength to boot. The luck you have is insufferable" Spike joked, trying to help her through humour the way she had always tried for him. He could see through the dark a slight smile, but she whispered, "I don't feel lucky"

"I know, pet" He replied softly. Spike pulled her into his side, lying himself (and her) sideways on the sofa so that she was laying on top of him. The couch was her makeshift bed until they sorted her room. He pulled blankets around her but tonight he would be her pillow. She was laying flat against him, wrapping herself around him. They lay there, both aware that the other was awake but they were slowly getting used to feeling the other so intimately again. It was nice. They lay together for a long time before Spike spoke again, "Promise me something?"

"Anything" She whispered softly. She would promise him the world.

"Don't leave again" He said pleadingly, stroking her back while he observed the top of her head. He wouldn't be able to sleep, he'd be watching over her instead.

"I won't. Promise" She replied through a yawn. She settled her head back on his chest as his hand continued to stroke her back. He could feel her heartbeat on his chest. It was good, knowing she was alive and close to him again.

xoxoxo

Spike was sat with the Scoobies in a dark corner as Saffron spoke to a customer. He was watching her intently, he couldn't leave her side for the moment, no matter how tired he was considering it was the middle of the day. His eye, no matter what was going on in the room, was always on her. Making sure she was okay. Nothing was going to happen to her again as long as he was around, he vowed to himself.

The front bell rang and Giles entered the store, his eyes widening as he saw both Saffron and Buffy before him as if they had never gone. He hadn't allowed himself to believe it at first. Buffy walked up to Giles, staring and smiling before hugging slowly. Saffron was still ringing up a customer but as soon as she was done she ran at Giles, launching herself at him and almost knocking them both to the floor when they hugged. She could feel he was as ecstatic as she was to be able to see each other.

They went and sat around the table, catching up and talking. Saffron stood behind where Spike was sat on the chair, looping her arms around his neck and whispering how much she had missed him despite them being in the same room for the majority of the day. He moved his hands up her arms softly, rubbing her arms and enjoying the contact. The pair listened as Giles started to speak, he had done some reading on the plane. Giles explained that it was in fact a small power transfer. Buffy had Slayer strength still, but now could feel others emotions and Saff had her empath abilities (well, most of them) but was now stronger than human.

Saffron sat down beside spike, he held her thigh firmly in his hand, squeezing slightly every now and again as the old man spoke. His eye didn't leave her form, he was so pleased she was here. He had felt so empty. So alone without her. She was everything to him. Just sitting next to her made having to sit and endure Giles droning on about something that could be summed up in a sentence worth it.

"Well, it does appear that you have indeed transferred certain aspects of your power to each other during the, ah…" Giles didn't know how to phrase what had happened to them in a stuffy English way.

"Death?" Buffy and Saffron offered at the same time. Giles nodded, cleaning his glasses.

"When you both sacrificed yourselves, you drew on each other's defining traits, becoming both the sacrifice and the protector. This power has transferred for a reason. You would both do well to study your newfound gifts" Giles explained as Saff shifted uncomfortably.

"Why don't I get any cool powers?!" Dawn whined, looking up from her homework. Giles turned to Buffy, ignoring Dawn's outburst.

"Buffy, you appear to know what people are feeling. You will need to read up on intuition, this could help you with slaying. Being one with the enemy, that kind of thing" Giles explained. Saffron walked and squeezed Dawn's shoulders to comfort the girl, shaking her head. She could have her powers if she wanted them. Saff then sent some focus to Dawn, sending her back to her school work rather than worrying about being a superhuman before moving back to her place next to Spike.

"May I recommend Empath! Weekly? Very informative read, great horoscope section" Saffron suggested, smiling at her cousin as Giles started looking through different books to give to Buffy. She had a stack of magazines at home that she had managed to save from her basement from while she was dead. She was excited to catch up on them.

"I was, ah, perhaps thinking something more comprehensive. Perhaps the chapter on the Empath Wars for a deeper understanding?" Giles asked, turning to look for it on the shelf. Saffron turned to her cousin, eyes wide and shaking her head to warn her about the book. She wouldn't inflict that chapter on her worst enemy, it was death by boredom at best.

"And Saffron, you have strength, but you are not a Slayer, you will need to train everyday from now on. It will also be imperative that you study the prophecies, or what is left of them, each day as well. We need you both prepared for what is to come"

They were all sat around the table the next day researching the demon Buffy had run into at the bank. Buffy had tried to get them a loan, she had been worried about Saffron planning to work so much. Rather than taking anything from the bank as it first appeared, as soon as the demon had seen her she knew she had been the intended target. Spike and Saffron were huddled in a darker corner, pretending to read and instead whispering together. Saff had her leg draped over Spike's lap as he rubbed circles into her thigh softly.

"Is this your guy?" Dawn asked holding up a picture in a book she had been reading. Buffy still couldn't get over that Dawn did research now but she nodded, confirming it was a m'fashnik demon. They all quickly started to research the best way for Buffy to slay it. Saffron slipped to properly sit on Spike's lap, holding the book open for them both to read. He held her waist firmly against him, his face close enough that he could smell her hair as she sank into his touch.

"You know, Buff, these things don't speak English…" Saff sighed as Spike nodded to her that he had finished reading the page. She flipped it over, as he started reading from the book she was still holding in his line of vision. Saffron wasn't so much reading anymore as Buffy explained what had happened again.

"Well, this one did. It was as if it was being ordered around, speaking from a script"

"Who knew demons were one with the amateur dramatics" Xander joked.

"Something demon-y this way comes"

"It said I was an obstacle that would be overcome, a traitor to life's vision" Buffy continued, staring into the distance as she spoke.

"That is an unusual thing to say"

"Life's vision… the vision of life"

"Who knew demons could be so philosophical" Saffron mused.

"Yeah the bugger wants to do less talking and more fighting" Spike added, as if he was an expert on the matter.

"Like you did, naturally" Giles deadpanned, thinking back to how Spike enjoyed taunting them more than killing them it seemed when he first arrived. Spike looked over to Giles to glare at him, but the older man wasn't looking. He was watching Willow, frowning slightly whilst appearing to be deep in thought. Saffron could sense that something was amiss between them but didn't want to draw attention from the rest of the group.

xoxoxo

Saff had relaxed only slightly since Buffy had slayed the demon that had been after her. Her cousin seemed to be doing okay, from what she could feel from her anyway, although none of them knew why the m'fashnik demon was able to speak. Buffy had decided she needed to visit Angel in L.A and Saff didn't blame her, she would do the same if it was her and Spike. Saff started pouring the liquid into the mug. She sniffed it before she presented it in front of Spike excitedly, waiting for him to take a sip. He looked from the mug to her, an eyebrow raised. But he sighed, resigned to it. For her. He took a sip and swallowed it and nodded, putting the mug down. He turned back to the tv without a word.

"Well?" She prompted when he didn't say anything. She was practically buzzing, waiting for his comment on the taste.

"It's coffee love, it tasted the same as the last five cups"

"No Spike! I added cinnamon to the last one and a different type of coffee the time before!" She explained quickly, the large amount of caffeine she had ingested herself now becoming apparent, "I think you're going to love the next one!" She added, excitedly turning back to the counter and started to prepare yet another cup. Spike stared at her and then at the mugs littering the table and decided he needed to say something. If his heart could beat, it would be rapidly beating out of his chest.

"If I try one more bloody cup I'll be up all night" He muttered, resting his head back on the sofa so he good watch her prepare another cup, he couldn't help smiling at his girl. She was setting up the filter and finding various things to make it taste even better. She was practically vibrating around the room, grabbing different ingredients, looking back to smile at him every so often. She was really back, as enthusiastic as ever. He loved it when she was like this, he found it cute. But he wouldn't dare tell her or he'd be sleeping on the couch.

"You sleep in the day, babe" She grinned, it felt so good to be with him again. Being in solitary for that long did feel like hell. She thanked her lucky stars she was back here by his side. To see his familiar blonde hair, the loving gaze and his humour. The crypt was so real, it smelt of cigarette smoke and that Spike smell that made her grin from ear to ear. It was their place. A place they could call home. It was him.

"Same difference" He shrugged, not moving his eyes from her as she practically skipped around the tiny space she had set up to practice her coffee-making skills. She had fashioned an apron out of a hoodie tied around her waist and had a pencil behind her ear, to 'get into her new role' as she put it.

"I just want to get it right!"

"It's coffee. Diner coffee. Nobody's expecting it to be good"

"Well, maybe I want mine to be the best damn diner coffee in the state. Ever think about that?"

"Honeysuckle, you'll do fine" He assured her, knowing she was nervous about her new job.

"Of course I will, I was born to make the best coffee, I can feel it in my bones!" She smiled, Saffron was big on the fake-it-until-you-make-it and it always seemed to work for her.

She started to clear the coffee cups from the table as her face dropped slightly. She was beyond nervous about waitressing at the diner and Spike was one of the only people that could instantly see through her act. She wanted to do well, she couldn't get fired from this job. She really needed it. She was thinking about her family, about Buffy. Something wasn't right and she wasn't sure how to talk to her about it. As she was distracted, she hadn't realised she had squeezed the mugs in her hands too tight, a smashing sound rang through the room as the porcelain cracked into pieces and fell to the floor. Fucking annoying super strength. This brought Spike's attention back to her.

He jumped up, swiftly ushering her to sit back on the sofa, feeling her annoyance at herself and knowing something like this could set off the crying, especially since she had come back from the dead. He'd never seen her so emotional (and that was saying something) and he really hated seeing her cry. He cleared the sharp porcelain, thinking up ways to distract her. He returned to her, he had picked up some more rental flicks and decided to put them to good use. He suggested they could make a drinking game out of the romcoms, to save them from getting bored, with Saffron drinking pop instead of alcohol. Her eyes lit up at the idea and Spike made the rules, such as taking a shot when the lead was a snivelling prat or when the couple kissed in the rain. They played it well into the night and it cheered Saffron up to no end.