TITLE: Aftermath (1/1)
AUTHOR: Thalisirwen
DISCLAIMER: We all know who owns it. (hint: not me)
TIMING: End Season 5
SPOILERS: Up to end of season 5
SUMMARY: A short piece from Spike's POV

She's dead.
The Slayer is dead.
How can something that should be so right feel so wrong? I should be livin' it up now, ruling the whole of Sunnyhell, out on the kill, terrorising anyone who crossed my path...and yet here I am, moping around the crypt like my sodding sire.
Sure, the Buffy-bot is still around, but what use is that? Since the witch reprogrammed her, she's done nothing but slay demons and vampires. Seeing that bot is like having a stake plunged through my heart every day.

But I have to live; for the nibblet. Red and the other witch seem to think they're doing okay, taking care of her. Sure, they keep her fed, but that's all. They don't realise she's there most of the time, too wrapped up in each other, too busy arguing about magick.
So often she'll turn up in my crypt, and sit and talk for ages about petty little things, pretending it's the most important thing in the world. Other times when I go around, she'll be sitting on the sofa, staring vacantly at the TV, not watching it, just having it on for the sheer hell of it.

They're all suffering. But they act as if nothings happened. They think they can continue battling demons without her. They can't. Even with Red's magick, no-one has the strength and speed Buffy had. Not even that renegade slayer could match her skill.
The Scooby gang are doomed if they carry on this way.

Some asshole defiled her gravestone. "Ed woz ere." Spray painted carelessly across the front of it. "A Lot" - the only part of it visible under the paint. It took me three hours - three bloody hours! To clean off the paint.
If it wasn't for the blasted chip, I'd hunt down 'Ed' and kill him, slowly and painfully.

Each day and night that passes, only passes in pain. Yet over time, the pain will fade.
It always does.

We had times, me and the slayer. From the first night I met her, I knew I'd see much more of her. And lord knows I did.
We fought, we argued, we hurt each other terribly...and yet I grew to love that slayer, love her like I'd never loved anyone before. Loved like I could never love again .

Rest in peace, Buffy Summers.