AN: This is AU after Ilyria so pretend that never happened, nor Wes's obsessive behavior about Fred. Otherwise you may be disappointed. This has a few pairings, although none are beyond the first steps except for Faith/Wes and they have enough baggage between them to overfill a carso they don't need any steps.

New Year's Eve: 2003

Spike listened to the noise below him. So far no one had noticed he had left the party. He preferred it that way, if he was honest with himself. He wanted to be alone for a while to think.

A lot had changed in the last few months. He had gone from being a vampire who had a soul to saving the world. Which had been followed by several months as a ghost-like entity. Which brought him to where he was now. He had been a bodied vampire for about a month now. He still felt different though.

Perhaps it was the new environment. He no longer was just a background character, someone Buffy could love when it occurred to her to do so. He never fooled himself. She may have thought those last days that she loved him but he know full well her heart belonged to the other vampire with a soul and would never be truly his.

While he was never really accepted here, they gave him the opportunity to start off new, without his past coming to haunt him everywhere he went. He was one of the good guys now; though he never would admit it to them that he liked the feeling.

Angel had given him his own place, the apartment that shared the floor with Angel's penthouse. Angel had said it was doing it as a good gesture but Spike knew that he wanted to keep an eye on the other vampire. Spike really didn't care any more. He just wanted to live again, well as much as one who was dead could live.

Wesley and Gunn had unwillingly accepted him into their small group after he helped them fight a large group of violent demons a couple of weeks ago. Eve still didn't refer to him as a being, but then again she wasn't one herself. If there was one person he hated already at this place it was Eve. There was something about her that was sending warnings off in his head. Harmony just thought he was crazy.

Fred had been the only one to accept him with open arms when he had arrived. She always had been friendly towards him, with the exception of about a week after he recorporalised. She wasn't too happy that he hadn't told her before rushing off with Harmony to have some quick I-have-my-body-back sex. She had forgiven him after awhile and was back to being friends with him. She was defiantly a first when it came to that. The only other friend he had was Dawn, but she was off in London painting the town red with her sister.

"Ah, there you are Spike." He looked up from his seat on the balcony to see Fred standing in the doorway. She walked over and seat on the chair next to his. "The sky's beautiful tonight. Perfect for a new year," she started. "I always used to go star gazing when I was younger during the holidays. The sky would be especially clear and it seemed even more beautiful on the cold days."

"You won't find too many of those in LA."

"I know." She was silent for a moment. "The countdown is going to start in a few minutes. Are you coming inside?"

"No, I think I will sit out here. Shouldn't you be going to find Knox or Wesley for the kiss." She shook her head.

"Both of them have their partners down there, they just don't realize it. Particularly Wesley."

"Who."

"Buffy and the Gang arrived a few minutes ago, the plane was late. Knox is chatting up one of Buffy's new slayers. Wesley is sitting in a corner brooding and Faith is trying to get him out and dance with her the last time I saw. I don't think she has been successful yet."

"Should be interesting." They could hear the countdown start in the lobby. Fred smiled and leaned over, kissing him lightly as the New Year cheers rang out.

"Happy New Year," She whispered in his ear, before getting up and walking inside the building.

Well, it was certainly going to be an interesting one.