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Author's Chapter Notes:
I've had some life issues which is why this update is so late. I hope you all enjoy.
Prospects

Sunnydale, California

Xander stood in the winding line with Dawn. He had volunteered to help her register for the upcoming school year. Apparently he was only needed to shell out cash for various items such as a new school gym uniform, pre- ordered yearbook, and of course a Sunnydale H.S. T-shirt.

Dawn frowned when she finally reached the end of the never-ending line. "Oh, no, Mrs. Cook for English. God, I heard she is sooo boring."

Xander, now penniless, walked with her to the car. "Anyone on there from the old high school?"

Dawn swung her hair in the light breeze as she carried the various folders, an early edition of the school paper, her gym clothes, and other newly acquired items. "No. A lot of the teachers left after you guys killed the school."

"Wasn't our fault. Evil Mayor slash snake thing? Going to eat us all...?"

Dawn muffled a giggle. "I know." She shifted her burden.

"Lemme carry something," Xander offered.

"I got it." Dawn settled the items back in her arms, and held them tightly.

"Well, any new teachers?"

Dawn looked over the pile to her hand still holding her class schedule. "There's no name for my history class. That's probably a new teacher."

"There you go. Maybe you'll get a nice one for history."

Dawn shook her head. "Nah. Probably some old lady with smelly hair that couldn't get anyone else to hire her."

Xander looked at Dawn. "Smelly hair?"

"Mr. Trinkle. Very smelly hair."

Xander answered with a quick nod. "Oh."

"Besides, history. It's so boring. Everyone you learn about is dead. The only time I liked history was when Spi-." She clamped her lips shut. She was mad at the vamp, but Xander hated him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to say the 'S' word." Xander gave her a half smile.

"S'okay. It's been awhile now. He's gone, and things are getting back to normal."

She smiled when he opened the car door for her. "Yeah. I guess I just feel bad for Buffy."

"Buffy? Why? She doesn't seem better to you since he left?"

"Well, yeah. But sometimes I think she's sad. Like there was something she wanted to know, or say. I think she's just sad." Dawn frowned as she sat in the seat and waited for Xander to get in the driver's seat. When he settled in, she continued. "I'm still mad, but I think Buffy needs to know he's okay. She kept his jacket, you know?"

Xander had just shifted into drive, and promptly pushed the stick back to park. "She what?!"

Dawn had thought Xander knew. "Y-yeah. She showed it to me a couple of months ago."

Xander shook his head at the sky. "Why would she do that? He tried to...I can't even say it." He looked at Dawn. "Don't you dare give him an invite if he comes back."

She shook her head violently. "No way. She may need to talk to him or whatever, but he's not comin' in the house. That I made sure of."

"Okay. As long as we're clear."

"Crystal," Dawn affirmed.

~~`~~

The following day William Worthington walked into the doors of Sunnydale High School.
He was dressed neatly in a brown suit. Bought and paid for with some of the money Giles had 'loaned' him. He was definitely going to pay the watcher back.

Probably

He carried a black briefcase, and his shoes were polished to a high sheen.

Giles had made the arrangement with the school. Along with his many other talents, Giles had been able to pull a few strings, virtually guaranteeing Mr. Worthington a position in the school's History department.

With a final cleansing breath, Spike knocked on the door of the principal's office.

"Please come in," a female voice called to him.

Spike walked in, a man determined.

England

Willow was settled on Giles couch lying down. Her body was exhausted and she was starving. Beside her, on the end table, was a variety of fruits, meats, and cheeses. Giles had gone all out to try to give her some choices.

"Go slowly. You haven't eaten solid food for quite some time."

The red head nodded, and nibbled on a cube of cheese. She had spent yesterday on liquids only, and had gotten sick once from it. She did not want a repeat performance.

Giles had already answered most of her question. She wanted to know how much damage she had done. She felt awful about the Magic Box, and that she had scared Dawn so badly. How she had treated everyone. And it hurt, but she was going to deal with it.

The small pouch the hung from her neck had a soothing scent, and relaxed her. "What about Spike? I though I had a dream before I woke up. He was going to fix everything?"

Giles turned away to get himself something to drink. "No one has seen Spike."

"Oh." Willow frowned. "You do know about him and Buffy, right?"

He turned back around and walked to the recliner. "Yes. Buffy told me."

Willow took another nibble of her cheese. "When she saw Anya and Spike...her face was just so empty. I think she really cares about him."

She took another bite, then began to cry. "I miss Tara." She curled the blanket around her as the tears once again flowed.

Giles sighed a breath of relief each time she did this. It was part of her healing.

Sunnydale, CA

Clem sat in the darkness of the crypt. It was day outside, but here he was. Taping yet another episode of Passions as per instruction.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Something that never happened here anymore.

"Honey! I'm home!" Spike joked as he stepped into his old layer.

Clem sat unmoved.

"I see ya' took care of the place while I was gone." Spike sauntered in looking at the candles on the window's ledge. His TV gave the room a light bluish glow, and he hopped up on the sarcophagus.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked his demon friend.

"I taped Passions for you." Clem spoke unwaveringly.

Spike pushed himself off of the concrete block. "I walk in here, in broad daylight no less, and all you can tell me is "I taped Passions."?"

Clem tried again. "They got Timmy out of the well?"

Spike waved off his words of with a fling of his hand. "They did that last year." He walked back to the crypt door and brought in three shopping bags, full of 'respectable' attire.

"What's all that?" Clem was now interested.

Spike pulled out a few dress shirts, white, blue, maroon and beige. Then from another he pulled 3 suits. Yet another had shoes, belts, and neckties.

"What did that shaman do to you?"

"Nothing. He told me about a place that I needed to visit. After I did... well let's just say that I don't need to make bargains with the butcher anymore."

Clem shook his head. "You got the chip out, and went shopping?"

"Better."

Spike went through all the details from the events in the cave to his trip to England. How he visited Giles, and discovered who he now is.

"So you know about everything that happened here too."

"The Watcher filled me in."

"Well, you wanted a change. I'd say this qualifies."

"I'd say so. Speakin' of changes. I need to get me a new place. You want to stay here?"

"Can I keep the chair?"

Spike chuckled. "Sure. Go on. Teacher's salary isn't much, but I suppose I can afford a new chair. Rupert gave me enough for first an' last on an apartment, and for these." He motioned towards the clothes.

He packed them back up in the bags, and went into the lower level. When he came back up, he was carrying the duster he knew he'd left at Buffy's. "How'd you get this?"

Clem smiled nervously. "Uh..."

A creaking was heard as the outer doors to the crypt were being opened.

Spike dropped the duster down the to the cavern below and dashed to the closest hiding place he could get to.

Buffy walked into the crypt. "Hey, Clem."

"Uh. Hi, Buffy. How was class today?"

"Jason was right. I did better than anyone did on the codes. Everyone else had to retake it today and I had your basic free period. Oh, and I think Jason is waiting for commencement, but I'm pretty sure there's a date in our future."

Clem wasn't sure what to say as Buffy went down the steps to change. From up top, he heard the rustling of her clothes.

"Is that good?"

"Well. Yeah," her voice came from the open trap door. "I mean, I haven't had a date in I don't know how long. Plus, it's not like I have any other prospects."

She came up wearing her normal Slaying outfit, along with Spike's old duster.

"No Dawn again tonight?" he said when he saw she was wearing the leather jacket.

"Nah. I think she's got impending school things going on again."

"Well. Have fun," he called to her as she walked out the door.

"Always," she called back after she closed the door.

Slowly the sarcophagus's lid slid, and out came Spike. "Who the hell is this Jason bloke? And since when does Niblet go on patrols?"

Clem twitched his fingers. "Jason is the detective helping to train the new police officers, and actually recruited Buffy. As far as Dawn well, she patrols with Buffy sometimes, but not as much since Buffy started taking those classes to finish her training."

Spik's face twisted. "No prospects, eh? We'll just see about that, love."





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