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Banner by Lauren


The next morning, Buffy woke up with a satisfied smile on her face.

She had been dreaming about her lover and the wonderfully wicked things he could do with his tongue and hands. She hoped that he would visit her again tonight.

There was a lot to be done this morning. With a sigh, she got up and stretched to begin her day.

After a few hours, Buffy took a break and went back up to the bedroom -- half-hoping that Spike would be there waiting for her. Regardless, she wanted to explore his room more to get an idea of who he had been.

Buffy dragged a big black steamer trunk out of the closet. There was a lock on it that she didn’t have the key for, so she abandoned it for the moment, going back into the closet. Most of the clothes were ruined, but there was a long leather duster coat that still looked good; it was surprisingly unsullied by time.

She took it out and fingered the soft leather. Although the temperature was in the 80s today, she just had to slip it on for a minute. Buffy pulled the coat closed and looked down at herself with a smile. He had worn this and it still smelled like him. She closed her eyes and inhaled: tobacco, leather and an amazingly stubborn clean and fresh smell. How had the scents lingered after what must have been a very, very long time?

Without taking off the coat, Buffy rummaged around some more. She found a guitar case and an amp. Inside the case was an ice-blue metallic electric guitar with ‘Fender’ written on it. She strummed it lightly.

A big box in the closet contained audio tapes and record albums. His musical tastes were all over the place: Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Cheap Trick, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Bob Seger, Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult (wasn't that a funny name for a band?), etc. A lot of the bands Buffy hadn’t even heard of. She’d make it a point to listen to some of them -- to experience the same things that her ghostly lover had.

There was also an old portable record player in the closet. Once the power to the house was turned on she wanted to see if it still worked.

In the nightstand Buffy found some of his other belongings: nail clippers, a pack of ancient-looking cigarettes and lighter, scissors, a bottle of black nail polish and tube of black eyeliner, rings, bracelets and necklaces, a key that probably went to the trunk, and ironically, a paperback copy of Stephen King's 'The Shining'. In the back of the drawer, Buffy found a leather-bound journal. She laid it on her lap and was about to open it when she stopped.

It would be invading his privacy to read it. She desperately wanted to know him, but she didn’t want to read his personal thoughts unless he said it was okay. Carefully, Buffy replaced the book in the drawer and closed it. She decided to leave the trunk closed for now, too.

“I hope he’s not mad that I was looking through his stuff...” Buffy worried her bottom lip between her teeth.





Willow and Xander pulled up around 10 a.m. in Xander’s truck.

Buffy bounded out of the house to greet them.

“Hey guys!” Buffy waved.

Willow climbed out of the car, rubbing her butt.

“Owww! My butt fell asleep, help!” Willow clenched her teeth and hissed.

“I’ll take care of that problem for ya, little lady,” Xander said, moving up behind her. “Bend over, I‘ll wake it up.”

“Ewww!” Willow giggled and smacked him on the arm. “Get away, you big perv!”

Buffy gave each of her friends a big hug.

“Sorry about being a day late, Buff. Were you okay here in the house by yourself?” Xander asked, looking at the house with trepidation.

The place creeped him out, but he didn’t want to seem like a big girly-man in front of his friends. There was no way in hell that he would spend the night alone in there.

“Yeah, it’s okay. I was...so busy with the cleaning and everything.” Buffy blushed a little, thinking about the other ways she had found to pass the time.

She couldn’t tell them about Spike. They’d think she was nuts and call the guys with the straitjackets and big butterfly nets.

“Oh, I’m so excited to get started!” Willow clapped her hands together. “This place is gonna rock when we get it all fixed up!”

“Yeah, sometime in the year 2525,” Xander said. “This place looks like the Munsters' house...only not as neat and tidy.”

“Thanks, Killjoy.” Buffy punched him lightly in the arm.

“Hey!” Xander rubbed his arm. “What is this? Whack-A-Xander day?”

“How about a little enthusiasm?” Buffy asked. “Would it kill you?”

“It might,” Xander joked. “You can never be too careful.”

“Come on guys, I’ll show you what I’ve done so far! And they delivered our mattresses this morning! Yay!” Buffy skipped up to the house.

“Wow, she’s a lot happier than I thought she’d be after we left her alone for two days,” Willow commented as she got some bags out of the truck.

“Yeah, I thought she’d be pissed.”

“She was pretty excited about the house. She really seems to love this place.” Willow started up the walkway.

“Don’t know how that’s possible....” Xander said. “This place...is just weird.”





Buffy, Xander and Willow sat at one end of the long dining room table finishing up their sandwiches.

It was fully dark outside. Their lanterns and some candles provided the only light. Xander had brought along a battery powered boombox for something to listen to. Currently, his ‘Hits of the 80s’ CD was playing.

Xander hummed and sang along in a bad British accent:

“We can dance if you wannu
We can leave your friends behind
Cause your friends don’t dance and if they don’t dance
Well they're no friends of mine --“

Buffy and Willow laughed. Willow put her hand to her face, trying not to spray Yoo-Hoo out her nose.

“Is that a slam against my singing?" Xander asked in mock-offense. “Didn't know I could get jiggy with it, did ya? I could perform for the crowned-heads of Europe with this golden throat of mine.”

“Do they still behead people? 'Cause I’m thinking that’s the reaction you’d get.” Buffy giggled.

Willow finally swallowed her drink with an effort. “I think they discontinued use of the guillotine, but they might bring the old girl back into service for Xander.”

“I don’t have to sit here and take this kind of abuse,” Xander said, not making a move to get up. “Wait, yes I do. It’s dark and scary everywhere else.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad,” Willow said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

There was a creaking noise.

Xander jumped. “What the fuck was that!?”

“Chill, Xan.” Willow munched. “Old houses make settling sounds like that all the time.”

Buffy was about to take a drink when she saw Spike enter the room. His form was still a bit dark and hazy, but she could see his smile. He smirked at her and waved. She smiled and was about to wave back when she caught herself. They probably couldn’t see him.

“Hey, what are you all blushy about?” Xander asked, looking at Buffy.

“Hmm? Blushy? I’m not...blushy.” Buffy ducked her head.

“You are too. See it, Wills?”

“Oh, leave her alone. Maybe she had a naughty thought...” Willow grinned.

“Cut it out!” Buffy said, rolling her eyes.

She did have a naughty thought. A very naughty thought. She imagined Spike, her phantom lover, under the table, touching her and putting his mouth on her while she sat talking with her friends.

Spike looked at Buffy, nodded, then turned to leave.

“No!” Buffy said without thinking -- she wanted him to stay.

Willow and Xander looked at her. “Huh?”

“Umm...I was saying no...because...I thought it was regular instead of diet,” Buffy said holding up her can of Coke.

Her friends wrinkled their foreheads but didn’t pursue the matter.

Spike turned back around and smiled, hooking his thumbs in his belt.

“Umm...can I ask you guys a question?” Buffy said timidly.

They nodded.

“What do you think...about ghosts? Do you think they’re real?”

Willow waved her hand dismissively. “Nope. There’s not one shred of scientific evidence to support the existence of ghosts.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re not real,” Buffy protested. “It just means that we don’t have...the right instruments and scientific dealies to detect them.”

“Buffster,” Xander said, “are you trying to make me piss my pants? Why the hell would you bring up ghosts in this house? At night, too!” He paused, a look of dread passing over his face. “Did...Did you see or hear something?”

“I, uh...thought I saw something, yeah...”

“It’s just your imagination,” Willow said coolly. “A place like this is bound to make you jumpy.”

“What did you see?” Xander asked nervously.

“Umm...a few times I thought I saw someone in one of the windows upstairs...”

“Oh shit...” Xander turned white and darted his eyes around the room. “Do you think this place is haunted?”

A scratching sound came from around the fireplace.

Xander gulped, turning his head slowly to look at the fireplace.

“That’s probably just some rats,” Willow said.

“Rats!? You ain’t helpin’, Wills!” Xander shivered. “Now we have ghosts AND rats! Perfect! They can work as a tag-team, the ghosts can scare us to death while the rats munch on our tender flesh!”

“We’ll get an exterminator, don’t worry.” Willow patted his hand.

“Shit...what if this place really is packed with spooks?” Xander said.

Spike sighed and shook his head. The poor kid wouldn’t last a week here.

“So, this thing you saw,” Willow asked Buffy, “what did it look like?”

“Well...I didn’t get a very good look. It was just kind of...a shape.”

Another spirit (this one was a small, blonde woman in a flowing, diaphanous white dress) floated into the room. Spike looked despondently at his fellow ghost and his eyes became wet with unshed tears. The lady ghost went to the fireplace then walked around the table past Xander.

Xander rubbed his arms vigorously. “It’s cold. You guys feel that?”

Willow shrugged. “So it’s a little drafty.”

“No, this is like -- you know how people say it’s colder when ghosts are around? The temperature drops an‘ shit...”

“Buffy, you scared the crap out of Xander with all that ghost-talk,” Willow said disapprovingly.

“Yeah, thanks, Buff. Why don’t you take one of the flashlights and hold it under your chin so you can tell us some more spooky tales.” Xander looked around anxiously.

The female spirit continued her circuit of the room and disappeared into the wall leading into the kitchen. Spike followed after her, passing through the wall.

“Sorry,” Buffy said looking at the point where the woman and Spike had vanished.

Buffy wondered who the woman was.





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