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The gang was already there when they heard the front door open and the bell ring. Dawn and Buffy slowly walked inside, closing the door behind them. "Okay..." Dawn said. Her hands were on Buffy's shoulders, leading her through the doorway. She helped guide Buffy past the tables that were set up and then towards the stairs. "Keep walking straight...there's a step right...now, and another...and another...and the floor."

"Buffy! Dawn!" Anya greeted loudly. "Nice to see you two!"

Buffy didn't say anything in response. Dawn led her over to the table where the gang was all sitting. Seating Buffy in an empty chair, Dawn smoothed back Buffy's hair before sitting down beside her. Buffy's blank eyes darted back and forth, looking for something but never actually being able to see anything. All she saw was a black, never-ending void.

"Hi Anya," Dawn replied. She grabbed a hold of Buffy's hand, letting her older sister know that she was right beside her.

"Uh...is Spike joining us?" Anya asked. "Usually we see him rush in behind you two...flaming underneath the blanket?" Since Buffy had come back, usually if both Dawn and Buffy were together, you'd expect to see Spike only minutes behind the two trying to catch up.

"Uh, no...I don't think he's coming," Buffy whispered.

"All right...we've got a problem here," Xander said. "Buff, wanna tell us what happened?"

"Spike and I were..." she briefly thought, (but she didn't dare tell her friends that), "patrolling, when these two demons came attacking us. They were, uh, slimy...had horns...growly. Not very killable also." Buffy started. "Spike killed one, but the other threw a blob of slime into my eyes and then...I lost my sight. The monster got away..."

"Oh man," Xander groaned. "Am I the only one who wishes that Giles hadn't left for London?"

"Okay, so we research on how to kill this thing," Willow said, trying to keep everyone in the room calm. "And then Spike can go-"

"I don't think that Spike will be helping us out right now," Buffy whispered softly. Dawn squeezed Buffy's hand tightly, letting her know that she was there for her. She and Buffy had talked about her and Spike's argument last night, and Dawn knew that what Buffy said was just in the moment anger. Later last night, Buffy felt horrible for what she had said. However, Buffy was too proud of herself to go back to Spike and grovel.

"Maybe there's a spell that we can use to reverse the effects of the slime," Willow suggested. "Or...one that will break through what's already been done."

"I...I don’t know if that will help," Buffy said. She felt hopeless, as if all of this was a lost cause. Why even bother? "I...I don't know what to do about this."

"Don't worry, Buffy. Tara and I can start looking for some spells to help you. Anya and Xander can look through the demon research books to see what kind of demon attacked you and Spike." Willow said.

Xander groaned again. "Giles would probably know what demon it is off the top of his head. Anyone else wish he was here?"

Everyone else in the room nodded. This was their fist major crisis that had come back since Buffy had come back and Giles had left for England. No one was good at being the leader of the group besides Buffy, and she wasn't really up for being the leader right about now. Most in the room were somewhat lost on what to do.

"Xander...why don't you call him?" Buffy asked. She moved her head, trying to guess where he was sitting. She at least wanted to try to act as though she was talking to someone instead of a wall. "Tell him about what the monster looks like, and let him know that I- I lost my sight.."

"Sure thing, Buffy." Xander replied.

"If you guys don't mind, I just want to stay at home today...with Dawn," Buffy said. She stood up and took a step forward, running into the bookshelf and knocking over the first row of books.

"Oh! Watch out!" Everyone in the room cried out except for Dawn. Dawn rushed over to Buffy's side and grabbed onto her shoulders, helping to steady Buffy. Buffy closed her eyes, sighing and trying to remain calm when all she wanted to do was sit down and cry. Dawn started leading Buffy out the door.

"Call me if you get anything," Buffy said quietly as Dawn led her up the stairs very carefully before heading out the door.

"Aww man," Xander sighed. "Buffy looked beat. I haven't seen her this way since the first few days ever since she got back." He leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, she looked kinda down." Anya said. "Guess that happens when you're blind, huh?"

"All right guys, we've got to get started on this. For Buffy's sake." Willow said. "Anya, Xander, start researching. Tara and I are going to find some spells about this." Willow pushed back her chair and stood up. "Someone go call Giles." All of the people stayed seated, thinking about Buffy and their new problem. "Now people!" Willow shouted.

Immediately, the four jumped up and started heading towards the books to find information about what happened with Buffy. Tara and Willow headed up the stairs to the powerful magic books while Anya and Xander went over to the bookshelves, pulling out one book after the other.

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Almost a week passed and the gang hadn't been able to find anything that would help Buffy. Willow and Tara tried a few spells but apparently the demon's slime was more powerful than any magic spell around in any book that they had available. Anya and Xander were constantly getting interrupted with each other and had troubles finding any type of information about slime demons.

Buffy had almost isolated herself from the entire outside world. If any demon found out she was blind, then her family and friends would be undefended. Buffy couldn't let that happen so she stayed out of sight, trying to get by being blind. Dawn was the only person who continued to help Buffy. Buffy and Dawn remained in the house, only occasionally going out.

Progress was not being made. Not only was she being incredibly stubborn about her blindness, she also refused to talk to Spike. Not that Buffy was aware of it, but everyone now agreed that Spike was the one person who would be able to help her. He would devote all of his time to her, helping her through everything. It would be just like when she first came back and Spike helped her through all of her problems then. Dawn tried getting in touch with him, but he obviously didn't want to be disturbed.

So the gang kept searching, now just praying for some miracle that they could cure Buffy.

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Buffy fumbled around in the bathroom, trying to take a shower. she thought, rinsing her hair. Buffy extended her hand, searching around for the bar of soap. Finally, after what seemed like 5 agonizingly long minutes, she grabbed the bar of soap.

Another ten minutes passed before Buffy thought that all the shampoo and conditioner was out of her hair and there were no more suds on her body. She fumbled around trying to find the knob that would turn off the water. Finally, the water stopped and Buffy rung out her hair. After that, she started climbing out of the tub.

However, she didn't raise her left foot enough, and her toes tripped over the edge of the tub. Buffy tried to steady herself, but landed on the floor with a loud bang, hitting her head on the side of the toilet. "Shit," Buffy cursed, trying not to cry.

This was all just so hard. And it wasn't fair. She was blind, something new and something that she couldn't fight. Her friends didn't know what was going on, how could they even relate? She was fighting this by herself with a little help from Dawn. How would she ever manage? Buffy knew that there was no way that she would be able to survive this. She was alone and would never be able to see anything ever again.

From inside Dawn's room, she heard a loud 'thump' come from the bathroom. Dawn thought, throwing her magazine to the side of her bed and climbing off the side of her bed. Dawn rushed from her room down the hallway into the bathroom. Without knocking, Dawn pushed the door open. She saw Buffy crying on the bathroom floor, wet, shivering, and bare, as a trail of blood ran down the side of her face.

"Buffy!" Dawn shouted, running in and kneeling down in front of her sister. She pushed Buffy's wet hair out of her eyes, trying to help her.

"Dawn...Dawnie...I can't do this." Buffy cried. "I just can't keep going on like this."

"Buffy...it'll be okay." Dawn said, trying to help Buffy calm down. Dawn stood up quickly and grabbed the towel off the towel rack beside them. She wrapped the towel around Buffy's arms, trying to help dry her off. "Look, why don't we just get you dried off and then I'll help you-"

"No, Dawnie...I need someone else, besides you..." Buffy said. She pulled the towel closer around her, trying to dry herself off. She raised her head, looking at where she heard Dawn's voice come from. "I need..."

"Help?" Dawn asked. Then, an idea formed. she thought. Maybe this was a way to get the two of them talking again.

"Yes...help," Buffy replied. "Help me Dawnie," she whispered before she lowered her head and started crying again. Dawn pulled her older sister towards her in a loving embrace, trying to help her get through this.

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Half an hour later, Buffy and Dawn were down in the living room, sitting on the couch. Buffy held the cordless phone in her hand as Dawn stood in front of her. Dawn's arms were crossed and she sighed, thinking,

"Maybe I'm calling the wrong person," Buffy said as she ran her fingertips over the cell phone buttons.

"No, this is the perfect person to call," Dawn said, sitting down beside her. "Trust me on this one, Buffy."

"And you're *sure* that he has a phone?" Buffy asked again. She was trying to think up twenty questions to stall as long as she could. Hopefully, she wouldn't even have to call him.

"Yeah." Dawn replied.

Buffy made a face. "In the crypt?"

"Yeah. Willow and Tara magically installed it, so we could call him just in case." Dawn replied, thinking back to when the two Wiccans had performed that spell. It was the same spell that Willow had performed for Buffy when they were trying to hide from Glory. "It's neat, he doesn't even have a bill to pay."

"Okay..." Buffy started, handing the phone to her sister. Dawn grabbed the phone from her hand so Buffy wouldn't have to figure out which way to pass it to her. "Dial away, Dawnie."

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Spike walked into his crypt, holding a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He sat down in his old, plush chair, getting comfortable as he took a gulp of his beer. Spike momentarily got up and turned the TV on before sitting down again, watching the news...or something.

This was basically how his life had been going ever since Buffy had practically kicked him out of her home. He'd been keeping up with what's going on with her thanks to Dawn and their phone conversations, but he didn't dare come crawling back to Buffy. No, he was going to make her come to him if she wanted him back.

Truth was, Spike was surprised. Ever since she had been brought back, the two of them had become good friends. Sure Spike always hoped for more than that, but he was doing fine with the two of them being friends. Buffy could relate to him better now. She understood more of what he went through.

However, that night when she blew up at him just because he was trying to *help*, well...Spike felt like they were right back where they were one year ago, when she hated his guts. Spike thought, inhaling a puff of smoke.

To his right on the table, the phone rang. Spike thought, reaching over and grabbing the receiver.

"'Ello?" Spike asked into the phone.

There was a very long pause on the phone as Buffy recovered from hearing his voice for the first time in a few weeks. she thought. She hadn't allowed herself to think about it, but she was in desperate need of his help. Buffy thought. Finally, she found her voice. "Sp-Spike...? Is that you?"

Spike thought. He sighed, trying not to let his emotions show. "Buffy...what do you want?"

Silent tears were dripping down Buffy's face as she heard his voice...so cold and distant. she thought. "Spike? I...I want...help." Buffy tried to say as her voice wavered. "I need you...your help."

"You're askin' for my help?" Spike asked in shock. Never had he thought that Buffy would be calling him asking for his support.

"Please, Spike?" Buffy asked quietly. She sounded so lost and confused, as if she had give up all hope.

"I'm on my way, love." Spike said. He hung up the phone and stood up, taking his final drink of beer before heading out the door of his crypt.

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Spike arrived at Buffy's within the first 5 minutes after they had hung up. He knocked on the door and Dawn answered, swinging the door open. "Wow, you must have run over here." She said as she moved aside, letting him in.

Spike paused to gasp for breath. Funny, since he didn't really need to breathe. "Yeah. Hello Nibblet. Where's Big Sis?"

Dawn raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Upstairs...she kinda felt tired." She closed the door behind her as Spike walked into the foyer. "She...kinda hurt her head."

"What? How?" Spike asked.

"Calm down, Spike. She tripped when she stepped out of the shower. She kinda cut up her forehead, but she'll be okay." Dawn said. "I patched her up."

"Good job then, Sweet Bit." Spike replied. "So..."

"Yeah, just go on up." Dawn said.

"Thanks, Nibblet," Spike replied, heading on up the stairs.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he could already hear her crying. Spike though as he walked down the hallway. He reached her doorway, pausing as he peaked into the room.

Buffy lay on her bed, a pillow wrapped between her arms as she cried. Never before had Spike seen her look so lost and alone. He had heard it in her voice when she called him, but seeing it for real started breaking his heart.

"Buffy?" Spike asked, pushing open the door and taking a small step inside.

"Spike?" Buffy stopped crying. "Is that you?" she asked as she started sitting up.

"No, love...take it slow," Spike commanded softly. He quickly walked over to her side, helping her to sit up. "Here, let me help," Spike said as he helped Buffy move. She wrapped her arms around him, breathing him in.

"Spike, you really came." Buffy said softly, her voice muffled because she was breathing and talking into his chest.

"Of course I did, love." Spike said, stroking the side of her face. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because of the way I treated you...everything that I said to you." Buffy said. She regretted every word that she had said to him that night, and she knew that she had to apologize. "I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter anymore, Buffy," Spike said. He tightened his embrace around her before letting go and moving away. "What can I do to help?"

"I don't know, I just don't know anymore." Buffy said sounding lost.

Spike kissed her forehead, trying to calm her. "I'm here for you, love. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Buffy blinked, as if trying to focus her vision. "Okay..." she moved her hands around, trying to find the edge of the covers. Spike saw this and helped her pull back the quilt, helping Buffy get into bed. He was trying to be as gentle as possible, when all he wanted to do was climb into bed with her and hold her until she fell asleep. Spike told himself.

"Good night, love," Spike whispered into her ear, starting to head out the door.

"Spike?" Buffy asked a few seconds later.

"Yes, love?" Spike asked, turning back around to face her.

"Can you...stay here? Just until I fall asleep. You know, just in case I-"

"Sure thing, Buffy." Spike said, walking back closer to Buffy. He took off his leather jacket, laying it across the back of a chair in his room before sitting down in that chair. Spike watched Buffy as she closed her eyes, before falling asleep.

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