Chapter 1

It was nearly a month since Spike had closed the Hellmouth, and died.

Once they had piled into the bus, there was a brief stop in LA for supplies and hospitals, then they were on their way to Cleveland. From there, Giles continued on to England to deal with the remnants of the Council directly, and was due back any day.

Luckily enough, the Council had had a Watcher based in Cleveland, as the second most active Hellmouth, and his house was Council property. Buffy didn’t question how Giles knew where to find the key. It was a large Victorian, thankfully, with many small but tidy rooms. The Slayers had sleeping bags and pillows, so they could deal.

Some, they’d initially left in LA to heal, like Faith and Robin. Some of the girls had families they needed to check on. Buffy got that. Her family was gathered around her still. For every girl that left, another wandered in looking for answers. Willow seemed to have a way of drawing them in. Buffy didn’t ask how.

Two weeks after the fall of Sunnydale, Buffy moved herself and Dawn into a small apartment close to the house. Her money had been in a national bank, thank God, and there had actually been disaster insurance on the house – a saving grace, since mortgages outlived houses. The giant crater had made the news, understandably, so the whole country had been sympathetic as they trekked east. Buffy hadn’t known human kindness like that existed.

They set about trying to regain normality, though Dawn wasn’t talking much. Buffy wasn’t in a sharing mood, either. With Sunnydale, and therefore, the school system destroyed, Robin passed all Sunnydale High students through whatever grade they’d been interrupted from, so Dawn’s junior year was complete. 24 hours after they had an official address, she turned up with a job for the summer. It struck Buffy right between the eyes, again, that she’d missed her sister’s maturity while she was so focused on The First…and Spike.

So, with her friends rebuilding the Council and her sister moving on with life, what was a Slayer to do, but find the nearest demon…

~+~

The newspaper had shown a new and very odd death every day this week. Like, only caused by the supernatural, odd. In typical Buffy avoidance fashion, she was doing anything to keep her busy from dealing with her grief. Not that she had any. They had lots of stuff to celebrate, right, and evil was on holiday. Cleveland after dark was interesting, but nothing she couldn’t handle with a stake or dagger or handy piece of rebar.

So, on the trail of…whatever this was (probably some name she couldn’t pronounce). Just as soon as she got Willow to triangulate a possible location based on the deaths.

“Buffy, you can do this on a paper map.”

“Yeah…but it’s faster your way! Ooo, and smaller. Efficient use of space.”

“I’m just really busy right now. Most of us are moving on to England as soon as Giles gives the word, and there are so many Slayers to find,” Willow argued.

“Bet you could have done it while you said that.” Buffy gave her best friend her best pout. “Please?”

Willow sighed, and opened her laptop. Most of them were trying to make it up to Buffy for kicking her out of her house back in Sunnydale. In little ways that weren’t too obvious. Awkward things they all weren’t really saying. It was what the Scoobies did. Within a few minutes, Willow had an 8x10 map printed out for the Slayer.

“Be safe,” she said, before leaving.

“It’s just recon. I don’t even know what might be causing trouble, you know? It’s just a vibe…”

Willow nodded. “Yeah. Say hi to Dawnie for me.”

Once Willow left, Buffy wrote a note to her sister, stuck it on the fridge along with dinner money, and left the apartment. Since they were in a big city and she didn’t know how to drive, she was stuck cycling everywhere, or taking the bus. One of the others probably would have been happy to drive her, but this was her first monster chase since coming to Cleveland – she wanted to do it alone. Anyway, the bicycle was a good way to work off this Midwestern diet.

The bad side was that it gave her time to think. To wonder if she could have gotten more out of the Hellmouth alive. Consider staying or going once Giles got the Council back on its feet. Ponder giving it all up to be “normal” now that she was just one Slayer out of hundreds. But not to think about Spike or how much she missed him. Nuh-uh.

The map showed that the incidents surrounded one part of town. Buffy asked a few questions while the sun was still up, then started hunting. When she’d asked if there were anything “weird” people noticed in the neighborhood, they all mentioned the sweetshop.

“A candy store is weird?” she asked.

“Not the store, itself, the guy who runs it. Friendly enough, but just…odd. Nobody can put a finger on it; it’s just a vibe…”

The answer was pretty much the same all around, so Buffy figured it was the best place to start. And she could use a little chocolate these days.

She stopped the bike in front. Doesn’t look demon-y out here. Maybe something suspicious would pop up around back. Nope. She sighed. Time to go inside, then.

A bell jingled above the door as Buffy entered. Looked normal on the inside, too, with cheery pastel wallpaper, glass cases filled with candies and chocolate, and a cash register on the counter. She rang the bell.

“Hello?”

A man came out from the back, a bit shorter than average height, with brown hair. Her spidey sense wasn’t tingling, yet, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t evil. He smiled.

“What can I help you with today?”

Buffy looked at the truffles in front of her. “Do you have any of those dried fruits covered in chocolate? My sister likes the blueberries.” Might as well start off asking something normal, in case he was human.

“I do. Also, cranberries, raisins, dates…” He scrutinized her, then slid a case open and reached for a truffle. “But you look like a coffee crème girl.”

Buffy shook her head. “Oh, I couldn’t…”

“Free sample.”

She bit into the truffle ball, and moaned. “Oh, my god…”

He stapled closed a bag with one scoopful of chocolate covered blueberries. “Here you go. $2.50.”

Buffy dug a five-dollar bill out of her pocket while chewing on the second half of the truffle. The candy man handed her the change, then slid another truffle across the counter.

“My treat, since you liked the first one so much.”

She snatched it up and left happy. She was halfway down the block on her bicycle, before she realized she hadn’t tried to ask about the incidents at all.

“Hey! He whammied me!”

Buffy left the bike propped against a wall and went back on foot, around the back this time. She kicked in the back door.

“Nice try.”

Her opponent shrugged, still with that friendly look on his face, and sighed. “It was worth a try. We’re on the same side, really, Slayer. Everyone of those people in the paper deserved what they got.”

“What are you, some kind of vengeance demon?” she asked, stalking him.

“Hardly! I do this for fun.” He gestured, and truffles appeared in the air before her, floating there with their tempting aroma.

Buffy groaned, and swatted them aside. “Play your little tricks on demons all you want. I can’t let you hurt innocent people.”

“Innocent?! Human, yeah. Innocent…not since they popped out of the womb.”

“Enough chit-chat,” she grumbled, and lunged at the man. A demon appeared in her way.

A very BIG demon.

It backhanded her into the alley before she had a chance to attack. She landed in a pile of old boxes, shook her head, and popped back to her feet. But whatever this thing was the guy had conjured, it seemed impermeable to her hits.

Buffy was sent flying again, into the dumpster this time. She saw stars as she struggled to get back out before the demon could grab her. I wish Spike was here.

It was her last thought before being knocked out cold.

Chapter 2

Buffy awoke to the sound of her sister shrieking and shot out of bed. The noise was coming from the living room of the apartment.

“Buffy!” “Buffy?”

The sword the Slayer had grabbed to defend her sister slipped out of her hand and clattered to the ground. She stood in shock, blinking against what she was seeing.
Her sister stood in a defensive position, a heavy candlestick raised as a potential weapon against…

Spike.

Two Spikes, to be precise. They’d stopped and turned their heads in unison when Buffy walked in the room, hands still raised in the ‘I’m harmless’ way.

“What the…” Buffy whispered. Going into Slayer mode, “Dawn, get back. It could be The First.”

“The what?” the Spikes asked.

“Easy to find out,” Dawn reasoned. She tossed a throw pillow at the blonds. It bounced off of both.

“Hey!” they complained. One of them smirked, and looked Dawn up and down. “Forgot how spunky you were at this age,” he added.

“Hey! That’s my sister, you creep!” Buffy snapped.

“Well, duh, Slayer. Nice to see you among the living again, by the way.”

The sisters and the other Spike said, “Huh?!”

Buffy started rubbing her temples. “Okay, okay, wait…where did both of you come from?”

“Sunnydale.” “New York.”

Well, that was interesting. “Buffy, how did they get here?! I was about to leave for work, and poof! Spikes!” Dawn waved her hands and bounced on her toes, getting an idea. “Ooo, maybe someone’s playing with dimensions?!”

“Oh, God…” The Slayer sunk down on the sofa, hands over her face. This was too much. Hearing his voice again cut through her like a knife. And if they were from other places, then they had to go back where they belonged…which meant getting witchy help of the powerful kind. “Okay, what was the last thing that happened to both of you before you ended up here?”

The Spikes looked at each other, shrugged, and one of them started sharing. “There was a celebration at your house for saving the Bit and defeating Glory. Walked into the kitchen to get a drink, and pop goes the weasel…”

The other added his version. “My history is a bit different than this one, but long story short, it’s 2010, and I was in our flat,” Spike said, indicating Dawn.

Buffy didn’t like the implicating note in his voice at the word “our”, in conjunction with her sister. Her eyes narrowed at the ‘older’ Spike.

Suddenly, a flash of light could be seen in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Another Spike came charging out a second later. He shifted into game face as soon as he saw Buffy, growling, “Slayer!” The younger Spike dove in to help her incapacitate the new one.

“Dawn! Rope!” Buffy yelled.

Dawn raced to the weapons chest, threw the lid open, and tossed the rope to her sister. Younger Spike pinned the growling one down as Buffy hurriedly bound wrists and ankles. They let New Spike turn over once he was tied up. Buffy sat on his chest, producing a stake out of nowhere.

“What year are you from?” she demanded.

“1997, of course! Where the hell am I?!”

She sighed, shaking her head, then turned to Helpful Spike. “Gag him.”

Spike used the rest of the rope to tie Youngest Spike to a chair, then accepted the roll of duct tape from Dawn and did as the Slayer had ordered. He loved seeing her get rough.
Buffy pointed an accusing finger at Oldest Spike.

“And you, stop staring at my sister like a piece of meat. I don’t know what kind of relationship you have, and I don’t wanna know, but here, she’s seventeen and off limits!”

He took a seat and pouted. “Don’t have to be bloody rude about it.”

She glared at him, then rotated on her heel to talk to the new arrival. “Someone is transporting Spikes from other dimensions to ours. I don’t care what you were doing at home, but no one’s killing anyone here. If you behave, I’ll keep the gag off.”

It was jarring seeing a Spike from 1997, with the black eyeliner and old clothing look. Not that vampires aged, but 2001 Spike actually looked more grown up than his predecessor. And it had been a long time since she hadn’t seen that look of lust or love in Spike’s eyes…she didn’t like it.

He exhaled noisily through his nose, then nodded, once. She ripped the tape off, causing him to howl in complaint.

“Bitch.”

“Very original.” She turned back to the other two. “No telling him things from his future, got it? We’re not screwing up another dimension cuz you’re feeling wordy.”
With that order, Buffy stomped into her bedroom to change out of her pajamas.

No sanctuary could be found in there, however, as she immediately heard grunting and giggling coming from her shower. Oh, please God, no…

She covered her eyes with one hand and opened the door. “You’re not at home anymore, whoever you are, so could you please stop what you’re doing and grab a towel? Thanks!” Shutting the door, she ran back out to the living room.

“Buffy?” Dawn asked, concerned.

“There’s, um…my shower’s occupied…uh, yeah…I’m going to call Willow.”

Passing through the swinging door, she screamed, her hand flying to her heart. Another Spike! “Oh, for the love of Pete!”

He turned around and looked at her like he was seeing a ghost, or an angel. “Buffy…?”

Oh, God… “Spike…?” She approached him and tried to touch his face, only to have her hand pass through his body. “What…?”

He chuckled mirthlessly. “That’s not right.”

She met his eyes, stunned. “Uh-huh. Um…we’re having a bit of a…situation. Don’t go anywhere.” She grabbed the phone, then went out to Dawn and dragged her sister into Dawn’s room. “Spike’s a ghost!” she whispered.

“Buffy, ghosts aren’t corporeal.”

“I know that! He’s in the kitchen!”

“There’s another one?!”

Buffy’s eyes flicked toward the kitchen. “Yeah. I think he’s mine. The one from here, I mean…”

Dawn’s eyes went wide, and she swallowed. “Oh.”

“Yeah… I need to call Willow. Can you keep an eye on them?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll use my cell and make an excuse to my boss.”

“You got a cellphone?!”

“The last one got lost in the Hellmouth.”

Buffy sat down on the bed as Dawn left. Barely out of bed, and she was already feeling drained. Karma was a bitch.

~+~

By the time Willow got there, Shower Spike and his companion were sitting at the dining room table, hearing the tale of what had happened so far. Ghost Spike was watching it all from a corner, not talking to anyone. Old Spike was pretending not to play with the ends of Dawn’s hair, as she sat next to him, and 2001 Spike was making moon eyes at the Slayer as she paced and rambled. 1997 Spike had been gagged again for mouthing off and whining about getting back to Dru.

The couple was from a seriously alternate dimension – a happier one, from the little they shared. Buffy couldn’t help noticing, with considerable jealousy, that they seemed quite close, and wore wedding bands. And the woman appeared to be human.

“Well, I can get us back home,” the woman was saying, “But I wouldn’t want to try sending the others back without knowing what magic or spell was used to bring them here.”

“That’s my initial thought, too,” Willow added, overhearing as she came inside. She paused and blinked at the sight of five Spikes. “Any other arrivals since you called?”

A thump, followed by, “Oh, bloody hell…” came from the bedroom. “Buffy, how did you redecorate without waking me?” A new Spike walked out in just a pair of pajama pants. “Uh…pet…”

Buffy held up her hand to stall the questions and started talking. “No, you’re not imagining things, versions of you are popping into my dimension for no apparent reason, and you’re not in Kansas anymore. When and where are you from?”

“L.A. 2005. Me and my Buffy, we, uh…” He gestured towards the bedroom he came from, and around. “Woke up and fell off the wrong side of the bed.” He ducked his head and scratched the back of his neck. If he could blush…

They were together in the future? Buffy and Ghost Spike both thought. Lucky bastard, the ghost continued.

Buffy made the introductions. ’05 Spike ended up wandering over to his ghost self, a sympathetic look on his face. As the others turned back to discussing the problem, the two reached a non-verbal understanding that the new Spike had been in the ghost’s shoes. Ghost Spike sighed and wished for a cigarette.

How many more are going to turn up?! Buffy wailed in her head. It was the cruelest torture possible to look at all these versions of the man she’d told…of the vampire who’d been her most trusted ally, and the one she couldn’t touch might actually be the one she’d watched burn! Hadn’t he earned better than being a ghost? And she still hadn’t had a chance to talk to him…

Dawn stretched, where she’d been taking notes, and glanced up at the newest Spike. “I’ll go get you a shirt,” she said with a smile, and went to her bedroom. She should have a gym shirt that was big enough…

Two “eeps” of surprise were heard. Buffy smacked her forehead and groaned. Dawn came out dragging a man with brown hair and old-fashioned clothes.

“We’ve got another one,” she stated. “You, sit.” She pushed the new guy into a chair and went back for the t-shirt.

“I say, I don’t know how you’ve gotten me here, but I insist you return me to my residence at once!”

Buffy tried not to stare. William the Bloody was sitting in their armchair. The Spikes all hung their heads and sighed. So much for their past self being a secret… Buffy looked desperately to her best friend.

“Will…”

“Right.” Willow waved her hand, and the Victorian gentleman slipped into a gentle slumber.

Dawn tossed a gray tee to ’05 Spike. He smiled gratefully and tugged it on. A bit snug, but at least he was ‘decent’ now. She looked at the sleeping man and tilted her head.

“What’d I miss?”

“We can’t risk him being exposed to his future, so Willow did a little spell.”

“Can’t I talk to him?!” Dawn whined.

“NO!” came from all quarters.

She pouted and mistakenly sat next to 2010 Spike, who slid his hand on the seat so she’d give him a free palming of her ass. She jumped straight back up with a squeak.
“No touching!”

~+~

Alt-Spike and his wife were gone, leaving them with ’97 Spike, ’01 Spike, Ghost Spike, ’05 Spike, and 2010 Spike who lived with an Alt-Dawn. And sleeping William. Ghost Spike was still sulking in the corner, frowning at his younger selves that were so focused on the Slayer.

Give it up, you sap. She’ll never love you, and she’ll just get you killed. He was overjoyed that Buffy seemed to be alright post-Sunnydale, but he’d been done. Dust. Never expected to haunt her new digs. Couldn’t a vamp rest in peace, or at least go to hell where he belonged?

He didn’t believe for a second that the 2005 Spike came from his timeline, with his Buffy. He didn’t want Red messing with the mojo to make him solid, or whatever happened. What he guessed happened. He knew that one had a soul, but the way his eyes looked so understanding…nah, they couldn’t be the same.

The Slayer was on the phone to her Watcher and the rest. She kept glancing at him as she paced, but her eyes flicked to the other versions, too.

“Thought you were done being a burden to her, huh,” ’05 Spike murmured very quietly. “Look, the amulet you wore in the Hellmouth is what’s keeping you from moving on. Where I’m from, it was meant to trap Angel at Wolfram and Hart.” He wandered off after imparting the tip.

Dawn cornered ’05 Spike in the kitchen, where he was heating a mug of the blood Willow had brought.

“You have a soul, right?”

“Yep.”

“So, what’s your story? Are you and my sister happy?” she interrogated.

He had to remind himself this was a Dawn he hadn’t made up with. “I think so. Just been together a matter of months. And you know how your sister can be.”

She nodded. “How come you live in L.A.?”

“Long story. A lot can happen in two years, Bit,”

“Don’t call me that. I don’t know you.”

He understood. “Guess you don’t. But I’m not going to hurt your sister, here, or any other world.”

Dawn stared at him for a minute, then turned on her heel and left the kitchen.

~+~

The post-1997 Spikes all remembered Rupert Giles, so none of them were happy to hear that he was coming over, as Buffy informed the room once she hung up the phone. They would have preferred his knowledge be shared only over the phone. Buffy and Willow had gone in her bedroom to talk in whispers, leaving Dawn to entertain/baby-sit the vamps.

The teen found this situation very confusing. On the one hand, seeing Spikes in the flesh made her happier than she had expected, after this past year. On the other, she was still upset, and wanted to give them the cold shoulder. Even though 2001 Spike hadn’t done anything to her sister, yet, and neither had ’97 or the other Dawn’s Spike. The latter was quite chatty about their life, how the Scoobies had drifted away and apart after Buffy’s swan dive off the tower and he’d been left to care for her more and more, that they’d picked up one day for greener pastures, and how their relationship had evolved into romance once she was an adult. For she could see that this Spike didn’t just lust after her bod…he’d never looked at her like that before, in her world, like he used to look at Buffy. It gave her a secret thrill to know that in some universe, she’d won out over her sister, if only because Buffy had never been resurrected.

It was also entertaining how grossed out the other Spikes were hearing the stories, the Spikes that kept her in the little sis category. They looked at 2010 Spike like he’d lost his mind or grown a third eye, or something. So Dawn kept him talking.

Chapter 3

Buffy felt in her gut that this had something to do with the case she’d been on before she woke up this morning with multiple Spikes. It was the only thing that made sense, since she didn’t have a clue how she’d gotten from that back alley fight with the demon, to her own bed.

“I concur,” Giles replied. “We need to find out exactly what your foe is so we know how to send those back.” He said “those” like they were some distasteful object one found in the yard that needed to be tossed back over the fence.

“I drove by the address you gave Giles, and the shop isn’t there anymore,” Xander added.

“What do you mean, it isn’t there?!” Buffy outburst. If they couldn’t find that little creep…

“I mean that the building was empty. No candy shop. It must have been an illusion or something.”

“ I need to get back to Dru, Slayer. Whatever nasty you pissed off, you’re just going to have to fix it, pronto,” ’97 Spike growled. The tape was off his mouth so he could have a mug of blood, held by 2001 Spike. No one trusted him enough to let him have the use of his hands.

“Well, you’re just going to have to be patient!” she snapped back. “How would you like to be sent to the land of nothing but shrimp?!” Okay, so that was lame, but she had too much of a headache to come up with a good threat. At least that one still thought she might stake him. “What are you grinning about?!” she directed at 2010 Spike.

He grinned back. “Just brings back memories, you makin’ empty threats an’ all. Haven’t seen ya in nine years, Slayer.” He wasn’t too worried. His sexy little Key would find him eventually, if these humans didn’t figure out how to send him back first. She was world class at harnessing her inner power, but he wasn’t going to share that with the class.

“Just stop looking at my sister like you’ve seen her naked!” Buffy snarked back.

He tucked his hands behind his head and looked smug. “But I have. Sooo many times…”

2005 Spike smacked his counterpart upside the head. “Mind your manners in the lady’s house.”

Pinned with multiple glares, 2010 Spike held his hands up in surrender and left the table to sit in front of the television.

“Somebody turn me so I can see,” ’97 Spike demanded. Willow waved a hand and moved him without looking up from the text she was reading.

No one noticed Ghost Spike pass through the wall to escape the bickering. At least in this state, he could watch the sun set.

Bored, 2001 joined 2010 on the sofa to watch TV. 2005 was still at the table, trying to help. Buffy felt that comfortable vibe with him that she’d felt in the weeks leading up to the FE’s defeat. She envied his Buffy, as it was clear that he felt loved and loved openly in return. They shared a smile. Giles frowned.

“Ooo! This may be it!” Willow said excitedly. “Kara, the woman that was here with the other Spike, suggested looking up demigods, since this would take a lot of power…and I think this one might fit the bill.” She rotated the book so Buffy could see. “’The Trickster’. He goes by several names, but his MO is always making a mockery out of those he thinks should be punished…has a thing for sweets, likes central locations…”

“Good job, Will. How do I kill it?”

Willow’s smile dimmed. “Well, you can’t, really, but you can send him back to the spiritual plane for a while…by piercing his heart with a blessed stake of spruce wood. Ooo, that might be tough to find here. But basically, you toast his physical body, and then he has to gather energy to walk on the physical plane again. Gets him out of Cleveland, at least?”

“I’ll take it. Will that automatically send the Spikes home?” Buffy asked.

“I don’t know. He might reverse it if you threaten him? There’s not a lot here, since people usually don’t try to take on a deity…”

“Setting a trap would probably be the best course of action, since finding this Trickster could take years, otherwise,” Giles stated. “Who knows what kind of long-term unbalance could exist from removing these…Spikes from their dimensions.”

“And William,” Dawn added.

“There’s a William?” the Watcher asked.

“He’s asleep on Dawn’s bed,” Buffy replied. “Willow put him under as soon as he arrived so we wouldn’t risk revealing something to him he shouldn’t know.”

“The human version, as well? Extraordinary…”

Spike recognized that look. “Don’t even think it, Watcher. You’re not getting near him, not just so you can fill some diary. Messing with timelines has serious consequences.”

Giles looked affronted. “I wasn’t about to wake the poor man, just have a look.”

Better keep an eye on the old man, just the same, the vampire thought. The man looked too curious, and with the Council in ruins, it’d be a coup to get a first-hand account from William the Bloody. Not. Happening.

“Can we focus, please?” Buffy pleaded. There was way too much testosterone in this apartment.

The tension was getting thick in here. “Maybe we should break for dinner,” Dawn suggested. She nudged Xander with her foot and looked at him meaningfully.

“Oh, yeah, that’d be a good idea. I came straight from the job site, myself.”

Willow caught on. “Buffy and I will go.” She put her hand on Buffy’s shoulder to get her attention.

“Huh?” the Slayer said. “Okay…”

2001 raced for the door like an eager puppy. “You’ll need an extra hand if you’re getting enough for everyone.”

Willow rolled her eyes, Buffy shrugged. 2005 folded his arms across his chest and frowned. He didn’t consider his soulless self good enough for Buffy, in retrospect.

~+~

Ghost Spike stood in the tiny backyard facing the street, though his eyes weren’t taking in any of the scenery. He wished like mad he could lean against the wall or smoke a cigarette…have a beer. Anything that proved he wasn’t a figment of someone’s imagination. Might as well be invisible, for all he was welcome here.

The glass door slid open and closed. The ghost knew it was one of the Spikes, though he hadn’t turned around to see. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky a darkening medium blue.

“How are you holding up?” 2005 asked quietly.

“Why do you care?”

“Because we’re the same. Because she would.”

Ghost Spike snorted in disbelief. “You don’t know this Slayer.” He turned to his double. “If you’d been through-“

“What? Her kissing Angel? Not telling you those words you longed to hear until you were burning up? Taking your strength those last few days and giving nothing back? Been there, done that, mate, but I’m tellin’ you, it can get better. We spent a lot of time apart, and it took me a while to trust her, like that, but things are good now. We have hope…if you could live a day in my shoes, there’s no way you wouldn’t be talking to her right now.”

“Yeah? Livin’ the dream, are you?”

“It’s no bloody fairytale, but yeah…it’s a hell of a lot more than a crumb.”

“Even if I was destined to be on your path, that’s changed now, right? You didn’t appear to Buffy as a soddin’ ghost?!”

“I didn’t…look, just talk to the woman.”

~+~

“Was he always this hyper?” Willow murmured to Buffy, casting a sideways glance at their undead companion. He was whistling a happy tune, a cigarette perched between his lips.

Buffy smiled, feeling nostalgic. “Pretty much, before the soul. Annoyed the hell out of me that he was never as tired as I was.”

“Can hear you gossiping, you know,” 2001 interjected. “So, what’s the world like, two years later?”

Willow wagged her finger while shaking her head. “Oh, no…we’re not telling you any details. It’s bad enough you Spikes can talk to each other right now.”

“How did you win?” Buffy asked him.

His head did that curious tilt thing as he considered why she looked so serious when asking. “The Slayer beat down Glory while I cut Dawn loose and got her down off that tower. Bit of a team effort, really.”

She nodded. “So, Doc didn’t show up?”

He dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “Nah, beheaded the bugger when I realized what he was. Owed it to Dawn.”

Buffy nodded and smiled. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied. That soft look she remembered so well was in his eyes.

Willow cleared her throat. “Pizza place is just around the corner.”

2001 was feeling all too pleased with himself that he’d earned the gratitude of two different Buffys.

~+~

With everyone engrossed in research or the television, Dawn was able to slip into her room without being noticed. This version of Spike intrigued her most of all. She would have bet anything after that summer that Spike wasn’t the “always been bad” guy he’d made her sister believe with that story of his Slayer kills. The Council books said he was a bad human as well as an evil vampire, but she knew better. The proof was laying right here on her bed, with his gentleman’s suit and silly hair and glasses.

His hands had yet to bear the scars and calluses of his later self, and his face was softer, his cheekbones less pronounced. He was definitely fair skinned, but not like his pale counterparts. Dawn wondered how long he had before he would be turned.

She gasped when his eyelids fluttered open and quickly put her finger to her lips, indicating he should be quiet. “Shhh, it’s alright, you’re safe. My name is Dawn Summers.”

He pushed his glasses further up on his nose and stiffly extended a hand. “William Albright. What is this place? It is obvious I am not at home.”

“Um, no. It seems you were kidnapped, but my sister and I are going to get you home soon. Can you be patient, William, and stay in here?” He swallowed nervously and nodded. “Great. Um, I can get you a book, or a pen and paper to pass the time?” Dawn turned on her desk lamp and pulled out some supplies. “You can use my desk.” She smiled reassuringly. “Food should be here soon, so I’ll bring you a plate. Just…stay in here.”

Strange girl…though nice, at least. William watched her slip out of the room, the open door bringing in considerable noise from outside, before shutting him off from it again. Feeling perhaps that he must be dreaming, he rolled over on the bed and tried to go back to sleep.