A/N - Disclaimer - Don't own the characters. Do I have to say that each time? Because it is mean to keep reminding me that I didn't think of the Buffy universe first.

- So FINALLY - here is my beloved Spike! Can't you see how excited I am? The bits where Spike talks are my favourite part of this story. Spike is really why I wanted to write a Buffy story in the first place. I still adore him, after all these years.

Chapter 4

A couple of days later, there was an addition to their number. 'That's a little spooky, there actually being seven of us now, don't you think?' This from Xander who was trying to do anything to distract himself from the fact that that his blond nemesis was back in the picture. He was trying to be happy about it, as it might help Buffy, but he all he could think was, If someone had to survive the final showdown, or was brought back from oblivion, why not Anya? WHY NOT ANYA? He very carefully refrained from saying that out loud to anyone.

Andrew had tried to justify why he had not mentioned the fact he knew that Spike was undead and well in LA. Nobody was interested in his explanation or in his look of martyrdom. So he kept out of the way as much as possible, doing the small but important things that no one noticed, like cleaning the apartment or getting food. It was his way of saying sorry, as always. Dawn had torn a strip off him and Angel in a way that had shaken the whole apartment building. Angel was amused and impressed at how fierce Little Sis could be. And perhaps he was a little intimidated, though he would never have admitted it.

Giles, torn between hope and despair at what the reintroduction of Spike into their lives could mean, took the phone number from Angel, and made the call. He said little to Spike, just that Buffy needed him. He knew that would be enough to bring the vampire to Italy at once.

With the seven of them crowded into the hospital room around Buffy's bed, it was getting a little claustrophobic. Giles tried to sound authoritative. 'Right. I think everyone needs to wait outside and give Spike and Willow some room. I am really not sure why everyone felt the need to come to the hospital now.'

'Because it is getting to desperate last hope time, isn't it?' said Dawn, far more calmly than she felt. No one answered her. Giles quietly asked Xander andAndrew to go and get some drinks for them. Glad of the excuse to leave the tense atmosphere of Buffy's room, they made a hasty retreat. In the small, high bed at the side of the room, the Slayer slept on, oblivious to it all.

Angel began pacing around the room, giving the impression that at any minute he might punch something, or someone, in his frustration. His voice had that slightly petty tone that, under other circumstances, was rather adorable. But not right now, Willow thought to herself as he started to rant.

'Do you really think this is going to work? I mean, I know Buffy and Spike had something. But true love! Buffy would laugh in your face. Ok, she told me that Spike was in her heart, but that's not the same thing as being soul mates. I couldn't wake her up, even though everyone knows that Buffy and I...'

'What about Cordelia?' Willow interrupted quietly but firmly. She was still mad at him for not telling them about Spike earlier.

'What?'

'Cordelia. Fred told me a few things, and Lorne, too. I know that she's gone, but what about your feelings for her? Wasn't that true love? Your relationship with Cordy - where does that fit in with you and Buffy being Romeo and Juliet, destined to be together forever, but torn apart by circumstances, blah, blah, blah? Or was it just casual lust? I mean, she was pretty hot.'

The rather harsh tone, from the normally sweetness and light Willow, shocked Angel, who looked like he would be red in the face, with anger or shame, who knows what, if vampires could do that. He answered her through gritted teeth.

'There was nothing casual about it! But our relationship had nothing to do with Buffy and me.'

'So, if Buffy and Cordelia were both standing here, who would you pick? Are you telling me that it'd definitely be Buffy, that you wouldn't need a second to think about it?'

'I...' His voice trailed off.

This time, Willow spoke in a gentler tone of voice. 'You know, people can have more than one great love. Look at me. When Tara died, I thought that was it, I was done. Actually, I thought that, too, the first time Oz left! But I managed to find someone else, both times. Loving Kennedy does not mean that Tara was not my true love. Spike thought Drusilla was his, and then came Buffy. What about you and Darla? You loved her, didn't you? Our lives are made up of the people we care about and I don't think that we have only so many and that's it, we're done. Maybe, for this moment, Buffy and Spike are meant to be together. That doesn't cancel out what she had with you!'

Angel glared at her. 'What about the Immortal? How come she's going out with him if Spike is 'the one'?'

Willow sat down on the seriously uncomfortable sofa, next to Dawn, who was uncharacteristically silent. 'Angel, she doesn't even know Spike's alive!' She paused, thinking about what she had just said. 'Well, he's still not alive, really, more like actively undead. You know what I mean. The Immortal's just her attempt to have a normal life. Dawn says that Buffy still thinks about Spike, that she's still not over him, even though she pretends otherwise. Even when I talk to her on the phone, I can feel it.'

This time Dawn added her mite to the conversation. 'Something's missing in Buffy. Sometimes, she seems more like the Buffybot than herself. I ache for her, when I hear her trying to be normal, trying to get on with her life. I think it was cruel to hide the fact that Spike was back from her. She needs him and she misses him, even after all these months. I know she does, even if she doesn't say it.'

Willow smiled at Dawn, grateful for her support. 'Remember I told you how we all kicked her out of the house, just before the showdown with the First? Spike was the only one who stood by her, who kept the faith. We all let her down, but not him, not him. So maybe he is the one, for now. God, I hope so, because if he can't wake her up...'

'Then we keep trying, until we find a way. That's what Buffy would do and so will we, until we get it right and she's back with us. But I do NOT think that I'm the answer to this particular problem!' Spike's voice, quiet but full of passion, came from near the doorway, where he had been keeping apart from everyone, as if he were afraid to be near the bed, to be near her.

'Willow, thanks for the vote of confidence, but Captain Forehead is right. Buffy might be my one and only, but, are you kidding me, pet? Me, Buffy's true love? Not bloody likely. Yes, I know she said she loved me but, come on, end of the world, Spike being the hero and saving everyone. That's got to make you feel a little guilty, when all you've done is give him a hard time. Let him go to his eternal reward feeling all warm and fuzzy. Well, thanks very much, Slayer, but this here vamp didn't buy into it. I appreciate the thought but I'm really not stupid enough to believe that if I'd survived we'd finally have that picket fence for two. So please explain to me why the hell I'm here.'

'We need your help. Buffy needs your help. If this doesn't work, then, well, then I'm kinda stuck on what to do next. And I don't think any of us could bear to lose her again.' Willow faltered a little at the end and Spike's lips tightened as the thought of how it would feel to attend another funeral for the Slayer froze the blood in his veins. No way would he let that happen again, but he was sure that he was not the answer.

Spike came further into the room, making sure he did not look at Angel, who was pretending to look out of the window at the night sky. 'You know I'll always be there for Buffy if she needs me, but in the absence of anything hell-born to kill, I'm feeling a bit surplus to requirements, love. You've got Mr Broody here, and we all know that he's a much better candidate for Buffy's soul mate than me. Failing that, send for Captain Cardboard or how about Parker, or Pretty Boy Immortal guy, or even Dracula? She had a thing for him, you know. Take your pick, Red, 'cause I'm certainly at the bottom of that particular list. Angry sex, needing someone who's good in a fight and guilt - these do not true love make.'

'Spike.' Willow tried to speak calmly but even her normally inexhaustible patience was wearing thin. 'Angel has already tried the ritual and the only effect it had was to return Buffy's heartbeat back to normal. So, yes, he did have a positive effect on her, but he couldn't wake her up. I think that's because they've both moved on. They do love each other, but there's someone else in each of their hearts now.'

'Well, you know damn well it's not me!' 'It's not him!' The two vampires growled at her in unison.

'If you've finished your little pity party, could you shut up and listen.' Dawn chimed in, her voice a strange mixture of irritation and affection. She was SO glad to see the blonde vampire again, despite everything. She had never been able to forget that he had died with bitterness and anger between them.

Of course, how could she forgive him for what he had tried to do to Buffy? Her sister had said more than once that the monster who had acted in that way was gone, had disappeared the second Spike had gotten his soul back. She was not sure if she entirely believed that, but the Spike who had died on that last, awful, awesome, never to be forgotten day in Sunnydale, was a different creature from William the Bloody.

And whatever had happened, Spike had almost always been there for her, especially the summer Buffy was..., well, was not there anymore. All those days and nights playing cards, watching crappy TV, letting her eat too much pizza, being overly protective - it was hard to forget that history. In so many ways he had been like the best kind of big brother. He had understood her, especially her darker side, (who knew better than him how light and dark could vie for attention inside a person and leave you wondering which side would win?) and she had loved him for it.

So when she had seen those ridiculously sculpted cheekbones and that bleached to death hair walk through the door into their apartment, it had been impossible to resist flinging herself at him and hugging him as if her life depended on it. She was as mad as hell that he had kept his return a secret, but she felt such relief that someone who had always been her champion was back and could now be relied upon to take some of the burden off her shoulders.

And it had been hard to withstand the catch in his voice when he looked down at her and said, trying so hard to sound casual, 'Hello, Bit. God, you're getting so tall. And where's the rest of that T-shirt? It's freezing out there, so I'd go and put on something less likely to give those randy Italian boys a heart attack.'

Spike had tried to look Billy Idol cool, not showing just how much that hug had meant to him, because Buffy was not the only Summers woman in his heart, lifeless as that particular organ was supposed to be.

As they all sat around the room, Dawn tried to focus on the job in hand and not let her emotions soften her resolve. Time to put affection on the back burner and let irritation win, so that she could convince him. How was he being any kind of champion if his insecurities stopped him even trying to wake Buffy up?

'Look, Spike, all you have to do is kiss her and say a few ancient words, not the most difficult challenge you've ever faced. Are you really gonna wimp out just 'cause you're a little angsty about how Buffy feels about you? I tell you, she will kick your ass when she wakes up and finds out you've been back in the world all this time and didn't tell her. Actually, I myself feel like kicking your ass, and don't think that I couldn't do it. How could you do that to us? One phone call from LA, that's all it would've taken to make us feel better. Or were you too busy trying to outdo Angel to remember us?'

'First of all, I had my reasons that I don't feel I need to share with the whole Scooby gang right at this moment, and secondly, what's with all the 'ass' talk? You're a little young for that, don't you think? And what do you mean 'outdo' Angel? I could do that in my sleep, thank you very much. Also, I'll have you know that I've NEVER wimped out of anything in my very long life, so less of the sassiness, young Dawnie, if you don't mind.'

'Could you be any more pompous? This is Buffy we're talking about! You have faced demons and very powerful evil beings and torture and death, and never backed down. So what is your problem?'

'I don't have a problem, brat. I just think you're all on the wrong track. Why would a demon or witch or whatever go to the trouble of casting such a powerful spell/curse thingy, that could be broken so easily?'

'Easily! How many people find their true love? If this spell had happened to me or Giles or Xander or Andrew, then we'd be screwed. Where are our true loves? And what about nuns?'

'Nuns? What the hell are you talking about? What've nuns got to do with anything?'

'The point is that a nun would have a problem being woken up by a kiss from her one true love, wouldn't she? Isn't God supposed to be her love and he could hardly come down on a cloud and give her a big smacker, could he? I mean...' Dawn's voice trailed off as she realised that the others were looking at her, in various degrees of amusement and concern. 'I'm just trying to say that it isn't an easy spell to break, that's all.'

'Right, could we stop the bickering and formulate some plan of action?' Giles, outwardly calm, interjected.

Angel, who had been leaning against the wall, a frown on his face, listening to the exchanges between the others, let out a loud 'Hah!'

'Excuse me, Angel, do you have something you wish to say?' A hint of steel underlay that oh so polite British voice. Giles was reaching the end of his tether. Seven of them and no one had really been able to help Buffy. How on earth had this lot managed to save the world, on more than one occasion?

'I was just thinking how ridiculous this all is. Just let Boy Wonder here plant one on Buffy and then we can sit down and get serious about how to help her, because I'm damn sure that a peck from William the Bloody is not the solution to our problem. So let him do it. We can make sure she is disinfected afterwards.' The last part was said with a smirk.

Dawn heard a low growl coming from Spike. Great. All they needed was for the two undead members of their group to go into vamp mode and have a fight. That would take some explaining to the hospital.

'Angel, you're not being helpful. And Spike, perhaps you could just attempt the ritual so that we know where we are and we can start looking for other solutions, if needs be.' Giles said this while polishing his glasses, a sure sign of agitation.

'If needs be!' Angel and Spike both said it at exactly the same time and began shouting over each other's words.

'Of course there'll be a need. There's no way he's the one for Buffy!'

'None of you really believe that nasty, horrible Spike could be the one for Buffy, do you? So why'd you send for me? And you, Tall, Dark and Sulky, you're just sodding well jealous. Your luscious lips didn't work on the Slayer and you're terrified I will wake her up and you'll have to live with the idea that she loves me more than you.'

'And you're too scared to try because, somewhere in that pathetic new soul of yours, there's a little voice that tells you Buffy does love you, and when you fail to wake her up, that voice will have to shut up, once and for all. And your stupid little fantasies will crumble into dust, just like we all wish you would.'

By now they were so close they were almost touching, each shouting into the other's face. Dawn and Willow looked at each other, sighed, and got up from the lumpy couch. Dawn went to Spike, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the other side of the room. She then pushed him, hard, in the chest, so that he ended up against the wall, an almost comical look of surprise on his face.

Willow, meanwhile, stood in front of Angel and, standing on her tiptoes, looked him in the eye, from only a few inches away. 'Enough. This isn't helping Buffy.' Angel had the decency to look a little ashamed. Spike meanwhile, took a deep, if unnecessary, breath and smiled wanly at Dawn. 'Sorry, Niblet. Blame it on the jetlag.'

Giles took matters into his own hands. 'Angel, Dawn, let's go and see what mayhem Xander and Andrew are causing. If there's a female demon within a hundred miles, she's bound to have made a beeline for Xander, so he may need rescuing. Or perhaps Andrew has inadvertently summoned up something from Hell that could destroy us all. After all, they've been in that canteen for at least 15 minutes and that's plenty of time for them to get into trouble.'

Dawn giggled kindly at his feeble attempt at humour and, taking his arm, walked outside. Angel, after glaring at Spike one more time, swept out after them, with as much dignity as he could muster.