Andrew never could keep a secret for long, especially when it involved "manly goodness" such as Spike. When it came to secrets, he was about as good as Willow at keeping them, especially from those that they are best kept from. Plus, then you must add the fact that Andrew had to tell Buffy about that rogue slayer Dana's psychotic behavior, which included cutting off Spike's hands. That's when it had slipped out. He had tried to tell the narration without using Spike's name, but Buffy would have none of the "Frodo" speak, so eventually, Andrew spilled the beans.

Buffy had surprised him. He had expected some kind of outburst, either of surprise, glee, or anger. Instead, she got intensely still and quiet. "Buffy? Did you hear me? Spike is back. Buffy?"

"Why didn't anyone tell me about Spike before?" Buffy glanced sharply at him.

"Um, well, see, I don't really know. Spike didn't want you to know yet, because he said he didn't know what to say. And, I think he liked thinking that you knew him in the end as saving the world. That was a perfect ending, you know? He was afraid he couldn't top that."

"Top that? Top that?" Buffy's voice was raising an octave with each utterance. "This isn't a game. This isn't about that. Someone should have told me, and the rest of us. Willow and Xander and the rest deserve to know as well."

"Well, Giles knows. I phoned him this morning, but I made him promise to not tell you. He was pretty mad. But, I promised Spike. Of course, I guess I blew it with you." Andrew looked down at his shoes, wondering what his new plight would be.

She dismissed him then, and as he left, he heard her pick up the phone. He slowly shut the door, eavesdropping on her greeting on the phone. She was asking for Angel. So, she was phoning LA.

Well, Andrew thought, perhaps he should phone Giles back and tell him Buffy knew after all?

Later in the afternoon, Dawn wandered in from school. She dumped her bag onto the sofa and wandered into the kitchen to find a snack. Popping open the fridge proved fruitless. Finally she settled on an apple from the basket on the kitchen counter. Next to the phone, she saw the note from Buffy.

"Dawnie,

I had to run into the city for some business, but I should be home in time for dinner. If you do your homework, we can rent a movie for tonight, okay?

Buffy"

Dawn stuck her tongue out at the note, and flopped down into the kitchen chair, but any further contemplations were interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Dawn."

Dawn's face erupted into a huge grin. "GILES!"

On the other end of the phone line, Giles grimaced and pulled the earpiece back, fearing for his hearing.

"It's great to hear your voice, Giles. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Dawn. How is school?"

Dawn proceeded to tell him how exciting Rome was, including school, and then she digressed for a bit into boys. Giles, always the gentle listener, was as patient with her as he could be. Finally, between breaths and before Dawn could continue on her tirade, he got out the question regarding speaking to Buffy.

"Oh, of course you want to speak with Buffy, but she's not here right now. She left a note that she'd be home for dinner though. Slayer business, I guess. Is that why you are calling? Is something up?"

"No, Dawn, I mean, nothing that you should worry about. Everything is fine."

"Uh oh, oh no. That means it's something big, isn't it? Please don't tell me the world is ending again. I'm finally happy here. And even Buffy likes it here, although I know she misses you a lot. She's been talking about you a lot lately, Giles. Did you know that?"

Giles cleared his throat, which was difficult to do since his heart was up to his Adam's apple. After a moment, he gathered his wits about him. "Dawn, truly, everything is fine. I'm sure Buffy will fill you in when she gets home. Please tell her I phoned, and that I really would appreciate talking to her soon. I'll phone her again later, so she doesn't have to pay for it. What do you think a good time would be?"

Dawn and Giles made arrangements for him to phone back that evening, once Buffy had returned home, preferably after dinner. Dawn didn't realize how late it would be for Giles until after she had hung up the phone, but he didn't seem to care. That made her really worried. She hoped everything was okay.

Soon Dawn cracked open the books to attempt to start her school work, but her mind was really not into it. Instead, her thoughts kept wandering back to Giles and Buffy, and the Council. She was worried. Dawn knew that Andrew was due back to report to Buffy today. Perhaps this had to do with that rogue slayer? She was angry with herself for not thinking to ask Giles if that was it. Well, she'd just have to question Buffy when she returned home.

It was a couple of hours later when Buffy came back. "Dawnie, I'm so sorry." She raised up the bags in her hands. "I brought home take out for dinner, and a movie?"

Dawn smiled, and helped her sister set the table. But she couldn't keep her questions at bay for long. "What's going on, Buffy? Giles phoned to talk to you earlier, and I told him you were out on slayer business. What's the what?"

"Giles called?" Buffy had stopped her fork midstream to her mouth, pasta falling off of the utensil and back down onto the plate. Dawn didn't miss the look in Buffy's eyes. She grinned. "I know, isn't it great that he called? He's calling you back in about an hour, so don't worry. But I want to know what the news is!"

Buffy glanced up at the clock, and pushed her dinner plate away. Her stomach was suddenly full of knots and she didn't think eating would be a good idea anymore. She stood up from the table and began to clear her plate.

"Buffy? You didn't eat anything. Please, what's going on? I deserve to know."

Buffy finished cleaning her plate, sighed, and then sat down across from Dawn. "You are right, Dawn. You aren't a kid anymore, and you've been through a lot. You do deserve to know."

Dawn had practically inhaled her dinner, so she now pushed her plate away and settled in to listen to whatever Buffy was about to say.

"First, I had to go see Andrew again because I wanted to see the video he had on that girl he and the other slayers brought from LA with my own eyes. He had brought it here earlier, but something came up and I didn't get a chance to see it. So I went to his hotel to watch it and learn more about her."

"Dana is her name, right?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes, Dana is her name." Buffy swallowed, and her face was pinched and tense. Dawn hadn't seen her sister this upset since they had settled in Rome, and it worried her. "She's not well, Dawnie. I thought that the Council in London would be able to help her, but now I'm not so sure. Andrew told me that Giles said he'd make sure the Council put their best doctors on her case, but seeing her really wigged me out. I feel really bad for her, but I don't really know what to do to help her."

"Well, I'm sure the doctors will help her. That's their thing, right? That's what they get paid for. And if Giles has faith in them, then you should too."

Buffy smiled at Dawn's faith. Perhaps Dawn was right. Buffy decided then, that Dawn deserved to know everything. Up to this point, Buffy had kept Dawn in the dark regarding her letters to Giles, and her feelings about him. She hadn't told Dawn that she had invited the Watcher to Rome, to be with them, and come what may. However, with everything going on now with Dana, and the Spike circumstance, perhaps it was best that Buffy hadn't told Dawn, because if Giles didn't come, her little sister wouldn't be disappointed. Buffy tried to shake off her own depression over the ordeal. When she wrote that last letter, she really felt free and at peace, finally sharing herself with the man she loved, telling him how she felt. Now all her confidence was shaken, and her insecurities had again crept to the surface.

"There's more you should know, Dawn. I'm not even sure where to begin."

Dawn smiled shyly at her sister. "Why don't you start with the letter?"

Buffy's head whipped up, her cloudy eyes meeting her younger sister's twinkling ones. "Letter?"

Dawn giggled some more. "Buffy, I know all about the letter. I know you’ve written Giles at least once. I saw the one you mailed last week. It was so thick, it fell off the table where you had hidden it under the other mail. I pretended not to see it. I do know what privacy is after all, even if I don't ever experience it myself."

Buffy snorted at that. "So, spying on me are you?" But Buffy was just teasing, and Dawn knew it.

"I know you had things you needed to say to Giles. And you have been talking about him a lot lately, in a good way. I know you miss him. Is that why he phoned tonight?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe, but Dawn, to tell you the truth, I told Giles not to write me back or to even phone. You see, I asked him to come here to Rome and stay with us. Hopefully permanently." Dawn started to get happily animated, so Buffy held up a hand to calm her down. "Wait, there's more."

Dawn saw the look on her sister's face and deflated a bit. "It's not good, is it?"

Buffy quirked her eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you look all gloomy all of a sudden."

Buffy stood, and paced the floor. She could only stay still for so long. "It's not that. I mean, I don't know what it means, but Andrew told me today that Spike is back."

"What? Really? How? Where is he? Is he human? Good? Evil?" Dawn's rapid fire questions caused Buffy to slump into her chair again. When the one word quips had ended, Buffy proceeded to tell her sister what she knew, which wasn't much.

"After Andrew left this morning, I phoned Angel. He confirmed that Spike is indeed back, and he's his same vampire self. It's a long story, and I really don't want to rehash it all now, but Spike is helping them, Angel begrudgingly admitted. That's all I really know right now. Andrew told Giles about it, and I think that might be why Giles phoned."

"But you'll ask Giles about your letter, right? You still want him to come here, right? Spike being back doesn't change that, does it?"

Buffy looked at her sister, and with utmost seriousness answered, "It changes nothing for me. I love Giles. I think I always have. I was just lost for awhile, but I don't know what Giles is thinking or feeling."

Dawn looked down at her clasped hands, and then back up at her sister. "Buffy, if you really mean that, then you have to make Giles understand that when he calls. I know he loves you too. It was obvious even to me, a kid." Buffy smiled tenderly at her sister for that comment. Dawn continued, "You and I, we are the only family we have now. I know you've been happy here in Rome, but if being with Giles is what you need, and he won't come here, we can go there. I'll go back to the states if it means you two being together."

Buffy's eyes watered up, and she got out of her chair and went over to Dawn to give her a hug. "Let's see what he says tonight before we make any decisions, okay?"

Dawn nodded.

They both jumped when the phone rang. Dawn stood up, smiled at her sister, and left her some privacy with a whispering "Good luck," on her way out.

Chapter 4