Author's note: sorry for the delay all, I'll usually update faster than this.
1640 Revello Drive. She came here subconsciously, on auto-pilot, wandering through Hell, everything too bright or too dark, too loud or too quiet, too real, too much. She felt too much pain, too much fear, too much confusion. Too much hatred as she began to realize what had been done to her. She stumbled up the steps of what had been her home, collapsing on the porch with a thump. She looked at her hands as if for the first time, seeing the bleeding skin and broken nails. She heard commotion inside, someone moving to the door, opening it. She looked up into big brown eyes, and she felt. Love. Then there was a scream, and the confused brown eyes were replaced by blazing blue. She saw the love in those blue eyes, and she loved him back.
She was huddled in a ball on the porch, hair and clothes matted in dirt. The same clothes she'd been buried in. Her hands, he knew those hands. He knew what had been done. Dawn stood stock still, paralyzed, staring.
"Dawn" His voice cracked. "Call the Magic Box. Tell them to get here."
Dawn moved backwards, reluctant to take her eyes off Buffy, to the kitchen. Spike moved down to his knees, in front of Buffy.
"Pet?" She looked up, with haunted, confused eyes. He reached out, a hand on her shoulder. She was so warm. Alive. He could have cried, but he had more important things to do.
"Can you stand?" She stood, cautiously. Spike slowly led her through the door, to the couch, as she stared around in wonder, taking everything in.
She spoke, "How long was I gone?"
"One hundred and forty eight days today. But today doesn't count, does it? How long was it where you were?"
"Longer."
Dawn appeared with a first aid kit. Apparently the girl had been more aware than Spike had realized. They sat Buffy down on the couch, Spike taking the kit and sitting on the table opposite of her, Dawn next to her on the couch. As Spike proceeded to fix her hands, Dawn put a hand on her sister protectively.
"It's okay Buffy. It'll all be okay now. You're home."
Buffy looked from Dawn to Spike. "What did you do to me?" Her voice was dead, other than the barest hint of malice.
Dawn stammered. "I…I didn't. Nothing. Spike, you didn't…?"
"No. No, I did not. But I know who did."
At that, the Scoobies burst through the door.
