Over The Summer

Chapter 82

Buffy had spent the past few hours driving around the small town. The things Spike had said still rang in her head. Her family had been so happy to have her back in their lives. She knew that not everyone would react the same way that her mother, father, and sister had, but she never expected things to go the way they had in that classroom.

‘He doesn’t even know about his son yet.’ Buffy thought as she came to a traffic light.

She had called Giles on her cell p aft after she managed to pull herself together after Spike walked out on her to go find Mackenzie. Giles had asked her how everything when; Buffy just told him that Spike was going to need a little bit more time to think things through and that she’d try and talk with him again later in the week.

Giles told her to leave a note in Spike’s desk with her phone number and a message telling him to call when her was ready to talk.

After finishing the note she folded it in half and wrote his full name on the side that was facing up and placed it in the middle of his desk so he wouldn’t miss it when he came back.

After that Giles asked what she was planning on doing. Buffy told him that she needed a few hours to herself to think before heading to the loft apartment later.

Now Buffy pulled the SUV into a familiar parking lot and turned the engine off.

“Okay, you can do this.” Buffy sighed before stepping out of the drivers side door and heading into the building.

*****

“I don’t care what you think!” Could be heard from outside as Buffy stopped in front of the door before knocking.

“WHAT!!” The same person who was yelling before screamed when they opened the door.

“Is this a bad time?” Buffy asked with a shy smile.

“Oh my God!” The person gasped before falling to the floor unconscious.

“What id going on?” Another person asked followed by even more people as they walked towards the front door.

Everyone froze in their spots when they saw the petite blonde leaning over their unconscious roommate.

“Can one of you help me move her into the living room or someplace less front door like?” Buffy asked standing back up to look at them all.

Everyone still stood frozen in his or her spots staring at Buffy.

“Guys! Freak later, help now.” Buffy said moving to drag Alyson back a bit so she could close the door to the apartment.

“I’ve got her.” Angel mov moving from his spot and picked Alyson up before carrying her into the living room and placing her on one of the couches.

“I love what you’ve done with the place.” Buffy said looking around at all the different colored walls.

“We were trying to decide what color we wanted the walls in this place to be.” Anya answered as she walked back into the living room with Xander, Cordelia, Willow, and Tara close behind.

“Oh, so that’s what all the yelling was about that I heard from the hallway before.” Buffy commented.

“Not that I’m not enjoying the conversation and all Buff, but aren’t you dead?” Xander asked.

“Do I look dead?” Buffy asked back placing her hands on her hips.

“No, as a matter of fact you look really, really. . .Ow!” Xander whined holding his arm where Anya had just hit him. “What was that for?”

“You were checking out the dead girl!” Anya yelled.

“I was not.” Xander defended.

“I’m not dead.” Buffy stated.

“Yeah, how is that exactly?” Willow asked.

“Maybe we should wait for Alyson to come to before we start with all the questions.” Tara told everyone.

“Deacon is suppose to be back soon too.” Cordelia added.

“Where is he?” Buffy asked.

“Band practice with Spike and Oz.” Xander answered.

“I have a feeling Spike wasn’t there today.” Buffy stated.

“You saw Spike?” Cordelia asked.

“Yeah.”

“When?” Angel asked.

“Earlier today at the high school.” Buffy told them.

“I take it that it didn’t go so well.” Cordelia commented looking at Buffy.

Buffy shook her head. “No, not really.”

A moan from the couch was heard stopping all questions for the time being.

“How are you feeling?” Willow asked moving to Alyson’s side.

“My head hurts.” Alyson replied.

“You probably hit it when you fainted.”

“I fainted?” Alyson asked.

“Yeah. Can you tell me the last thing you remember?” Willow asked.

“Um. . .I was yelling about the walls, then there was a k atk at the door, I went over and answered it. Now I’m on the couch.” Alyson said as she went through what had happened before she woke up in the living room.

“Do you remember who was on the other side of the door when you opened it?”

Alyson thought for a few more moments before her eyes grew wide. “Buffy. . .”

The roommates moved out of the way to Alyson could see who else was in the room with them.

“Buffy?” Alyson asked as she slowly stood from the couch.

“H. .”. .” Buffy said with a small smile.

“You’re alive!” Alyson cried out before moving across the room and pulling Buffy into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it. You’re alive! I’m so sorry about what I said before. I’m so glad you’re back.” Alyson rambled on still holding Buffy.

“I’m sorry too.” Buffy said before taking a step back.

“But how? Where have you been? What happened? Why were you gone for so long if you were really alive?” Alyson asked question after question.

“I promise I’ll answer as many of your questions as I can, but I’d like tot fot for Deacon to get here too.” Buffy stated.

“Did I hear my name?” Deacon asked as he walked into the living room followed by Oz. “Hey guys, Buffy.” Deacon said with a nod before giving Alyson a kiss on the cheek.

Everyone except Buffy and Oz looked at Deacon in complete shock. Buffy because she figured Spike had already told Deacon about her back. And Oz because that was just the type of guy he was.

“Are you crazy?” Alyson yelled.

“What!?” Deacon d nod not sure what he was being yelled at for.

“You just walked in and said ‘Hi’ to a person we all thought was dead up until a few minutes ago.” Alyson clarified.

“I knew she wasn’t dead.”

“You what!?” Everyone except Buffy and Oz screamed.

“Yeah, Spike called my cell a few minutes ago while Oz and I were drivin’ here.” Deacon told the group. “Said he was sorry he couldn’t make practice but he had to check on Mackenzie. When Ied hed him what was up he just said the Buffy was alive and back.”

“You talked to Spike?” Buffy asked not caring about the other stuff at the moment.

Deacon nodded his head. “Yeah.”

“How’d he sound?”

“Like it was the best and worst day of he’s life rolled into one.”

Buffy looked downing trying to hold back her tears.

“Are you sure you talked to Spike?” Anya asked. “I mean the worst day of his life was the day of the explosion. He can’t have two worsts.” s.”

“Ahn, Deacon was just trying to put into wordw hew her thought Spike was feeling.” Xander told her.

“Well he should have picked a better way to say it than.” Anya replied.

“Ahn, that’s not really the point right now.”

“Sure it is.”

“I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we let Buffy here tell us what’s been going on this past year and a half.” Willow said before Anya and Xander could start their own version of what World War Three would be like.

“That’s a good idea.” Alyson said. “Why don’t we all take a seat so Buffy can tell us everything we want to know.

“Okay.” “Sure.” “Fine.” “Yeah.” “Alright.” Could all be hear at the same time as everyone took a seat.

“What do you want to know first?” Buffy asked.

“What happened with the car explosion?” Alyson asked first.

“It was all a set up. When I left the apartment that day I walked across the street and got into a black towncar that was waiting for me. Once I was in they set off the explosion.” Buffy explained.

“You were only a few yards away when it happened?” Cordelia asked.

“Yeah.”

“So you saw it all?” Angel asked.

“Up until the police started to show up.”

“And the funeral?” Willow asked.

“I was there for part of it.” Buffy told them.

“Where’d you go after that?” Xander asked.

“London.” You’You’ve been there this whole time?” Anya questioned.

“Yes.”

“With someone, or all alone?” Deacon asked.

“I had someone with me.” Buffy answered.

“Who?” Cordelia asked.

“Rupert Giles. He’s one of the men my father hired to fake my death in the first place.”

“But you father told us it wasn’t them.” Alyson stated.

“Giles didn’t tell him. He wanted it to be believable, and the only way to do that was to make it real for everyone else.”

“Why where you gone for so long?” Tara asked.

“They wanted to make sure it was safe before I was allowed to come back.” Buffy answered.

“Drusilla was put in jail before the funeral thought.” Alyson stated.

“There were other things that kept me away. They would have let her out of I had shown up alive so soon after arresting her. We had to make sure that she stayed locked away no matter what.” Buffy explained.

“What now?” Cordelia asked.

“I’m not sure. I don’t expect anything from any of you. I know this isn’t what anyone thought would happened today when you first woke up this morning. I just thought you ahoulhould know the truth now that I can tell it.” Buffy stated learning her lesson earlier from what had happened with Spike. “I’ll leave myne nne number here in case anyone wants to use it.” She said pulling a card out of her purse and placing it on top of the coffee table.

“Where are you staying?” Willow asked.

“I have a house on the other side of town about fifteen minutes from my parents place.”

“So you’re staying in town?” Tara asked.

“Yeah.” Buffy said nodding her head.

“Who else knows?” Angel asked.

“Dawn and my parents, all of you, and Spike and his girlfriend. I plan on talking to Riley and Carter later this week.”

“Carter!?” Cordelia yelled.

“It’s just to let him know I’m alive.”

“Who cares it he knows or not. He’s part of the reason this happened in the first place.”

“I haven’t forgotten that, I just thought he should know.”

“I could tell him for you.” Deacon said.

“Thank you for the offer, but I have a few things I need to say to him face to face.”

“If you change your mind let me know.”

“I will, thank you.” Buffy told him. “It’s getting late, I should probably go.”

One by one everyone gave Buffy a hug and told her they were glad she was back. Alyson and Cordelia were the only ones to walk her to the front door.

“You’re still hiding something.” Cordelia stated so that only Buffy could hear.

“I am, but I can’t tell you yet.” Buffy whispered back.

“I’ll call you later this week.” Alyson said giving Buffy another hug before leaving her and Cordelia alone to talk.

“I’d like to meet him.” Cordelia stated.

“Who?” Buffy asked pretending not to know what she was talking about.

“The person you’re hiding.”

“I’m not hiding him.”

“I won’t tell anyone until you’re ready.” Cordelia told her.

“I’m not the one who needs to be ready, Spike is.” Buffy said with a sad smile.

“What’s his name?” Cordelia asked.

“William.”

“After his father?”

“Yeah.”

“Here.” Cordelia said handing Buffy a folded piece of paper.

“What’s this?” Buffy asked.

“His new address.”

Buffy looked up at Cordelia with wide eyes.

“Like I said, I’d like to meet him.”

“I’ll see what I can do about that.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Thank you.”

Buffy and Cordelia hugged for a moment before Buffy left the apartment to go find Spike and try talking to him again.

*****

‘Meanwhile Across Town’

“Mackenzie? Are you here?” Spike asked closing the door to her home behind him. “Mackenzie?” Spike asked again looking around the first floor. “Mackenzie please tell me where you are.” Spike called making his way up the stairs. When he walked into her bedroom he found her sleeping in a chair in the corner of the room by a window with a photo album resting in her lap.

“Mackenzie. . .”Spike said in a low voice not wanting to startle her.

“Mmmm. . .”

“Mackenzie.” Spike tried again lightly shacking her shoulder.

Mackenzie slowly opened her eyes. “Hey.” She whispered.

“Hey.” Spike whispered back noticing her red and puffy eyes. “How are you doing?”

“The question should be how are you doing?” Mackenzie asked.

“Not sure, been a crazy day.” Spike replied.

“But a good one.”

“Good?” Spike asked.

“For you anyways.” Mackenzie said looking down for a moment.

“Not really.” Spike said taking a seat on the footstool in front of her chair.

“The only woman you’ve ever truly loved is back from the dead. What’s not good about that?” Mackenzie asked.

“It’s complicated.” Spike stated.

“Only cause you make it that way.”

“Not just me.” Spike stated.

“You’re mad that she lied to you for all these months?”

“Yes, but I understand why they didn’t want to risk anyone knowing.” Spike replied.

“But you’re still mad.” Mackenzie commented.

“More hurt than mad.”

“Don’t let your feelings stop you from having what you really want.” Mackenzie stated.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Spike whispered.

“You’re not. We’re both in love with someone else, the only difference is that the person you’re in love with came back.” Mackenzie told him.

“She’s still hiding something.”

“Did you really give her the chance to tell you much of anything?” Mackenzie asked.

“No.” Spike mumbled.

“Than maybe you should.” Mackenzie said leaning forward and giving him a light kiss on the cheek before moving to stand up.

Spike reached out and hand to stop her from standing.

“What?” Mackenzie asked.

“What were you looking at?” Spike asked pointing to the now closed photo album.

“Just some pictures.”

“Can I see?”

“Sure.” Mackenzie said opening the photo album back up.

“You looked beautiful.” Spike said looking down at a picture of Mackenzie in her wedding dress.

“Thank you.”

Mackenzie smiled at the picture a few pages after some of her favorite wedding photos. “It was our first Christmas together as newlyweds.” Mackenzie told Spike as they looked at a picture of a Christmas tree with presents overflowing around the base.

“It was never like this with Dru and me, even before we moved to the states.” Spike commented.

“The two of you just weren’t meant to be.”

“I know that now.”

“You could have that with Buffy.”

“Maybe.”

“Do you still love her?” Mackenzie asked even thought she knew that answer.

Spike looked up at Mackenzie.

“You can say yes, I know you do.”

“Yes.” Spike stated.

“Than you can have this,” Mackenzie said pointing to the Christmas photo. “And mane more after that.”

“You’re amazing.”

“I know. Some say it’s a gift, other say it’s a curse.”

“I hope we can still be friends.” Spike said.

“I’d like that, but I think we should give it a few months.” Mackenzie replied.

“You’ll find someone who really deserves you.”

“I already did.” She said looking at a picture of her husband.

“I should go.” Spike said standing up.

“Yes you should, you’ve got a lot of things to figure out.” Mackenzie said as Spike helped her stand up as well. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Thank you for being here for me. You helped me when no one else could.” Spike said pulling her into a hug.

“We helped each other.” Mackenzie said giving him a light kiss on the lips before opening the front door.

“I’ll see you in school.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” Spike said before getting into his car and heading home.

*****

TBC. . .