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_______________
Huh? What? What's happening?
Spike
handed the box to Buffy and she pulled back the sealing tape and opened it.
Girl! It's my girl! She found me again.
Oh, I've missed you so much, Girl!
"Oh."
"What is it, love?"
"Mr. Gordo.” Buffy's voice was
soft as she pulled a small stuffed animal out of the box.
Oh, Girl. I'm so happy to see you again I could dance.
"Mr. Gordo?"
Buffy smiled and ran a hand lightly down the little stuffed pig's back. "He was my favorite stuffed
animal when I was a little girl. We packed him away with a bunch of other stuff when I moved into mom's bedroom. I forgot
he was down here."
You forgot about me, Girl? I never forgot about you. I thought about you all the time. I was
so lonely here. Didn't you miss me?
"Putting away childish things, Pet?"
"Something like that." Buffy said
softly. She stroked Mr. Gordo's fur once more and put him aside to continue checking through the box. "Well, there's nothing
useful here either. Hand me the tape and I'll seal this box up again."
"Keeping this out?" Spike asked, holding the
little toy up.
Yes, please, Girl! Keep me with you.
"Yeah. I kind of miss having him around."
Spike
smiled and put Mr. Gordo down again.
Yay!
"You know, I really wished we'd marked these boxes better
before we put them down here."
Spike handed another sealed box to her. "You read my mind, Slayer"
So, who
is this yellow furred one, Girl? He looks like the one who scared me so much one time. Remember I told you about the scary
big one who came and smelled all your clothes? And then Ri Lee caught him? And they made angry noises at each other and that
scared me more. This big one looks like that big one, but he doesn't scare me. I like his touch.
"Buffy, did you
find anything yet?" Dawn asked as she came down the basement stairs.
"Just Mr. Gordo. I'm beginning to think we tossed
out anything of any use after the big basement flood of aught one."
"So that means we have to buy stuff for all those
Potentials? Can you say bankruptcy?"
Buffy sighed and sat down on the floor, grabbing up Mr. Gordo. She hugged him
to her getting comfort from him now just as she had as a child. "Yeah, I know, Dawn. Giles is helping out, but most of these
girls are showing up with so little and need so much."
Spike flopped down on his cot and lit a cigarette. "If you want,
Love, I can break into a store and steal what we need."
Buffy gave him a mock glare. "You're supposed to be reformed,
Spike."
Re formed? What does that mean, Girl?
"Come on now, Slayer. You know I've always been bad."
Buffy
and Dawn exchanged glances and simultaneously rolled their eyes.
Oh, Girl, you shouldn't do that! Remember when
mom would tell you your face would frees like that? I don't know what frees is, but I'm sure it's bad and you don't want that
to happen to your face.
"Buffy," a voice called. "You'd better come up. Another one just showed up."
"Great,"
Buffy muttered under her breath, and then in a louder voice, "Okay, Anya. We're coming." Tossing Mr. Gordo onto Spike's cot,
she and the others left the basement. She didn't notice that he bounced from the cot onto the floor.
Girl, wait!
Don't leave me. Don't forget me again!
***
Girl? Girl, where did you go? All these strange big ones
keep coming here, but not you. You came that one time, but you didn't see me. I'm lonely, Girl. And scared. I heard Yellow
and the new dark furred girl yelling and there was noise like someone fell down and then it was quiet, but you still haven't
come. Where are you?
***
Yellow,
there you are. I'm down here on the floor. Would you pick me up and give me to my girl? Uh oh, what's wrong? Yellow's really
mad at something. What's he putting up on the hitting thing? Is that my girl's Ain Gel? It looks just like him, Yellow. His
hair sticks up funny just like that. Oh, Girl! Here, Girl, I'm down here. Please pick me up.
She only sees Yellow,
not me. Did she forget about me again? It's cold down here, Girl. And dirty. I know I'm a pig, but I really don't like being
dirty.
Are you going to sleep now, Girl? You always used to sleep with me. Now I guess you just want to sleep with
Yellow. Guess I'll just go to sleep now too.
***
Huh? What's going on? Girl, who are you talking
to? Oh no, Girl! Get away from that thing. I can tell that it's bad. Please, Girl, get away from the bad thing. Yellow! Yellow,
wake up!
"I'm drowning in footwear!" Spike cried out and sat up with a start. Buffy turned to look at him and The
First disappeared.
Oh, good. It's gone. I don't think I've ever been so afraid before. Girl? Please pick me up
and cuddle me.
"Weird dream," Spike mumbled. Noticing Buffy standing in the middle of the room, he asked in concern,
"Buffy? Is something wrong?"
"No. Yeah. I just realized something. Something that really never occurred to me before.
We're gonna win."
What are we going to win? Girl? Girl?
***
"It's time," Buffy said. She and
Spike gazed at each other silently and then Buffy turned and walked back up the stairs. Spike walked over to grab his duster
and turned to follow Buffy. For the first time he noticed something pink lying on the floor by his cot. His curiosity aroused,
he walked over and picked it up.
"Oh, it's you. Mr. Gordo, right? How'd you get down there? I thought Buffy took you
back to her bedroom." He started to lay the toy back on his cot when, for a reason he could never explain, he dropped the
little stuffed pig into his duster pocket instead.
Oof! Are you taking me to Girl, Yellow? Yay!
***
"Go
on, then."
"No. No, you've done enough. You could still-"
"No, you've beat them back. It's for me to do the
cleanup."
"Buffy, come on!" Faith yelled.
"Gotta move, lamb. I think it's fair to say school's out for bloody
summer."
"Spike!"
"I mean it! I gotta do this."
What's happening? Girl, I'm here! Please get me. Yellow,
did you forget you were going to give me to my girl?
"I love you."
I love you too, Girl.
"No,
you don't. But thanks for saying it. Now go! I wanna see how it ends."
Girl!
Girl! Don't leave me! What's happening? What's...
Ow. Ow. Owwwwwwww!
EPILOGUE – ONE YEAR LATER
"Buffy,
this came in the mail for you today."
"Thanks, Andrew."
Buffy took the package. It was postmarked Rome with
no return address. She shook it, but could hear nothing rattling around in it. Tearing the sealing tape back, she opened the
box and gasped in surprise.
"Mr. Gordo!"
The End
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