All characters belong to Joss Whedon, The WB Network, and 20th Century Fox. I am just a fan.

“What?!” Willow stood aghast by the phone, her hand still on the announce button. She turned to everyone else. “How could this be? No new Slayer? Is Buffy still…I mean, she’s dead! I mean…she’s in Dawn! But…I mean…she’s still dead! Dead! Under the ground kind of dead! The epitome of dead! D-e-a-d, dead!” Willow rambled, looking like she was about to hyperventilate. “I think you need to sit down and calm down.” Dawn led Willow to a chair, as the redhead continued mumbling to herself about how Buffy was dead.

Contrary to Willow’s shock, the news just made Spike even happier. “I bloody told you! Buffy’s still here! Sod the new Slayer! We’ve got Buffy!” He yelled, practically turning cartwheels. Spike began pacing around the room, in quick, hurried steps that made Tara, Dawn, and Willow dizzy just watching him. A blissful smile settled on Spike’s face…and for the first time in weeks, he actually laughed. Something he had almost forgotten how to do.

“Well? What are we bloody waiting for? Do your abracadabra, let ‘er rip!” He impatiently gestured for Willow and Tara to do something, and beamed at Dawn. Spike was beyond ecstatic…and a scary sight to behold. “Buffy…my love…Buffy…we’re getting you back…oh Buffy…” he hummed to himself a tuneless, so-called “song” that he made up on the spot.

Dawn was just as enthralled. “Yes! You and Tara…you’re powerful! You can figure out some way to bring Buffy back! Just the way she was before.” She pleaded, looking at the grave faces of the witches.

“Well, I think the fact that a new Slayer has failed to rise speaks volumes...It must be, in some way, connected to Buffy and her death…or non-death…or physical death.” Tara said quietly to Willow. “But…how exactly do we go about doing this? What exactly is this anyway?” Willow said. “What if we somehow hurt Dawn? We don’t even know where to start…what to do…? Sorry to bust your bubble, Dawnie.” Willow murmured apologetically at Dawn’s crest-fallen face.

“No one gave you permission to protect her sodding bubble!” Spike came to the rescue. He laughed at Willow, and babbled incoherent, but soothing words to Dawn.

Willow opened her mouth again. “It’s not that I don’t want to do this…I want to. Really want to. But what if it’s more complicated than we think? It could involve more than just Buffy and Dawn. The new Slayer...the Council. We have to look at the big picture.” Willow didn’t like this at all. She usually had to have everything neat and orderly. A person like her was not used to just plunging into things, impulsively. She frowned. But it was Buffy. And Buffy had always told her to be more spontaneous. Then, Spike’s voice broke into her thoughts.

"Look…” Spike said, sobering up from his previous bout of exhilaration. “We’ve got to do this. For Buffy. She gave me a gift. She said that I could see her because I wanted to…badly. It was her gift. She wants us to do something and bring her back! It’s a hint, a clue…And think of Little Bit here. Think of how everything has fallen apart without Buffy. She was the bloody Super-Glue that held us all together!” Spike said, becoming more passionate. “We need her! I need her!” He stopped his emotional speech, remembering that the two witches were present... “Anyway…why don’t we start by calling the Watcher? Maybe we can get some clues from the Council, bunch of poofters they are…We’re doing this for Buffy. And for us, because we need her. We need Buffy like you need your sodding oxygen! I don’t breathe…but that’s beside the point.” He said gruffly, a little embarrassed at his previous outbursts.

Dawn clapped. “Excellent speech.” She grinned at him. Spike returned a small smile at her, as his heart twisted, in the familiar way that he had gotten used to. Except this time, it was with anticipation, hope, and excitement, not mind-numbing grief and pain. Because there was a chance to see that beautiful smile again…not misty and unclear, like in his dreams, but in flesh and blood, before him.

Willow and Tara remained silent until the blonde witch spoke up. “Hopefully Buffy will come to you in dreams…and through Dawnie. That could give us more clues as to our situation…”

Dawn stood up, and slowly made her way to a mirror. She looked at her reflection in wonder. “Buffy is in me. Her essence in mine…her spirit…she’s here. I can feel her. I love you so much, Buffy.” Dawn whispered, almost lost in a trance.

Willow asked, “Does Buffy come randomly? Or when you especially miss her? Only at certain times? Have you tried calling her to come?” She was all business-like now.

Tara got up. “I’ll call Giles.” She said, reaching for the pink princess phone that Willow had brought, from when she was younger. And suddenly, someone spoke.

“You know Wils, I was never fond of that pink phone.” A sweet, clear voice said. And then a tinkling, silver laugh that sounded…out of this world. With an ethereal, heavenly quality to it…

Spike’s jaw dropped. He had always thought that Buffy was an angel…but looking at her, in place of where Dawn had just been…her beauty more enhanced…it would have taken his breath away…if he had had any. Her eyes sparkled at him. “Spike…you can close your mouth now!” she teased him.

“Oh Goddess!” Willow whispered, her eyes wide. She reached out her hand towards Buffy, and drew it back, as though afraid. “Buffy?” the witch’s voice had a quality of unshed tears.

“Yes, Giles. Dawn and Spike are here now, too.” Tara said. She turned around to give the phone to Willow, caught a glimpse of Buffy, and almost dropped the phone. “Oh Goddess!” She echoed Willow’s statement.

And then Buffy became clearer and more focused, looking almost like a real, live person…

Drowning in You: Part VIII
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