Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate any feedback :)
[Scene: Willow has finished putting away the food in the kitchen and walks to the living room, where Buffy is watching television on the couch and eating ice cream from the carton.]
Willow: Hey Buffy, I know I said we'd stay up and do some quality man-hating, but I'm pretty beat. Is it okay if we have a hate party tomorrow?
Buffy: Don't worry about. The ice cream already got most of the job done anyway. I think I'm gunna head to bed too.
Willow: All right, well, goodnight.
(Cut to later. Buffy's upstairs, walking into her room and closing the door. She sits down at her desk and looks in the mirror for a long beat. Finally, Buffy stands up again and starts to change. She begins by undoing her belt…but just as she is about to lower her pants she feels something in her pocket. Slowly Buffy takes it out and places it on the desk. It's a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Buffy sits back down at the desk and looks at them for a moment. She finally opens the package and holds it up to her nose, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell.)
[Scene: Buffy is walking through a graveyard, with a stake in hand.]
(Buffy's cellphone rings and she answers it)
Buffy: Hello?
Willow: Buffy where are you? I thought you were going to come to Madison's party with me.
Buffy: Yeah, sorry, I'm kind of tied up right now.
Willow: Doing what?
Buffy: (wincing in anticipation of what Willow will say) patrolling?
Willow: Buffy, have you gone insane? It's like totally dangerous, you haven't killed a vampire in years…okay, well except the other night. But it's not like there aren't other slayers out there to do this. You...you probably won't even find anything.
Buffy: (hears the sound of snarling from a nearby mausoleum) Looks like I just did.
Willow: Buffy?
Buffy: Sorry Will, gotta go (hangs up on her)
(Buffy walks toward the mausoleum and hears the sounds of struggling. She cautiously approaches the door and peaks inside. It's not clear who is fighting who, but she sees two vampires dust from a stake and another one leap on the attacker. Buffy's not sure who's killing the vamps, but figures the attacker for another slayer. She opens the door to join the fight... to find someone in a black leather coat kneeling over a vampire, about to stake him.)
Buffy: (cheerily) Need some help?
(The person turns around to look. It's Spike. Buffy looks shocked, and Spike is equally surprised)
Buffy: Spike!
Spike: (quietly) Buffy?
(The vampire takes advantage of their surprise, knocks Spike over and charges at Buffy)
(Buffy trying to regain her composure, finally takes her eyes off of Spike and turns her attention to the vamp rushing at her. It's too late, and the vampire knocks Buffy to the ground.)
Spike: Buffy! (He charges at the vamp and violently pries him off of her)
(The two vampires struggle while Buffy tries to get up. As she finally gets to her feet, Spike is able to dust the remaining baddie. He sighs with a smile, looking at Buffy. She stares at him again in shock)
Buffy: Spike?
Spike: Yeah, um, I meant to tell you. See, the amulet didn't quiet…and I um, I was in between dimensions for a while, and…and then I wasn't. (He frowns, frustrated and embarrassed to explain himself). (after a beat) It was a bit complicated. Anyway, I'm back now. But, uh, how've you been?
Buffy: (still in shock, kind of dazed) Good.
[Commerical Break. I know I haven't really been interspersing this pseudo-episode with any thus far, but this seemed like a good time :)]
[Scene: Spike and Buffy are now walking through the graveyard together talking.]
Buffy: So when were you recorporalized?
Spike: Couple months later. Happened just when I was getting used to being a ghostie too. Had a nasty little surprise when I tried walking through a door.
(Buffy laughs a little)
Spike: (smiles at her laugh, looks at her) I forgot how much…
Buffy: (noticing that he didn't finish his sentence) What?
Spike: (smiling) How much I missed you.
(They smile at each other)
Spike: (taking out a cigarette and lighting it) So last I heard you were in Europe, running Slayers International and all that.
Buffy: Yeah, I was there for a while with Xander. We tried to organize all the potentials—or I guess other slayers—from there. (sighs) But eventually I realized administrative office work wasn't my thing and came back here.
Spike: …to do what you do best.
Buffy: (unsure of what to say) uh, yeah.
Spike: Though I have to admit love, you didn't quite put on your best show in there.
Buffy: (reluctantly) See, that's the thing. The truth is…I sort of planned to live out a normal life when I came back here. No slaying, no 'doing what I do best.'
Spike: And how's that worked out for you?
(Buffy doesn't respond)
Spike: Funny that you chose Cleveland to settle down.
Buffy: What do you mean?
Spike: Last I heard there was a Hellmouth here. Not exactly the best place to go to have a white-picket fence and fat grandchildren.
[Scene: Buffy opens the door to her house and enters. Spike lingers outside the entrance.]
(Buffy puts her jacket down and looks around)
Buffy: So this is it. I know it's not big, but…
Spike: uh, Buffy
(she turns around and remembers that she hasn't invited him in)
Buffy: (smiling) come in Spike.
(Spike hesitantly walks over the threshold)
Spike: (quietly) thanks.
(They look at each other for a beat)
Spike: So, this is home?
Buffy: Yup, complete with nosy neighbors and a crippling mortgage. All I need now is that white picket fence.
Spike: Hey—those things are bloody dangerous.
(They walk down the front hall into the kitchen. Spike sits at the island and Buffy stands across from him, the sink behind her. Spike notices a large pile of dishes.)
Spike: (motioning with his head toward the sink) So I gather you don't live alone.
Buffy: (quietly) Nope.
(Spike looks down solemnly, assuming she is living with a boyfriend or husband)
Buffy: Willow is staying with me right now, (Spike looks up, surprised) but she's out.
Spike: That it?
(Buffy looks at him, confused, frowning)
Spike: No man in the mix? Tall, dark and forehead didn't take the plunge?
Buffy: (rolling her eyes) You know, with all the time you two spent together, I'm surprised you didn't kill each other.
Spike: We did have it out over this prophecy bit. Which I won by the way.
Buffy: What prophecy?
Spike: Oh, uh, not important. (sighs heavily) So's the upstairs as bad?
Buffy: (rolls her eyes, but playfully) No.
(The two exit)
(Cut to the upstairs hallway)
Buffy: (motioning to a room on the left) That's where Willow sleeps.
(They walk to the end of the hall)
Buffy: (hesitantly) And this is me.
(They stand awkwardly outside of her bedroom for a moment, looking down.)
Buffy: (Finally breaking the silence and leading him into the room) It's not much, but it's home.
(Spike takes a look around the room, eventually noticing the Marlboros on the desk)
Spike: (picking them up) Smoking now are we?
Buffy: Those are…for someone else.
Spike: That right? Who would that be?
Buffy: My boyfriend….uhhm…Kevin.
Spike: (Somberly) Oh. (Then in an upbeat tone) Well, he won't mind if I nick one then. (He opens the package and takes out a cigarette).
(They sit down on the edge of Buffy's bed)
Buffy: (looking toward the ground) So how long were you planning on staying?
Spike: Dunno. Usually just go from place to place, fighting the good fight and all. (looking at Buffy) But I reckon there's a lot of fight near the Hellmouth. (Realizing that he may have overstepped his bounds) But, uh, I can go if you want. Doesn't matter much where I am, as long as there are beasties to fight.
Buffy: (meekly) Do you have a place to stay? ...I know what I said before, but we actually have more space than...If you wanted to stay here for a while…you could.
Spike: I don't want to get in the way. (snidely) Especially if your boy Kevin is around.
Buffy: What? Oh…it's fine...He won't mind.
Spike: (whispers, hurt) Right.