The battle was over, the war had waged and been won, but there was still a
fire burning inside her heart. She stood over the ruins for hours, and
told the others to go on, she would catch up later. So she stayed, and
just observed the miles of rubble that was her life, that was her soul,
that was her. She stared off into the distance where the Hellmouth had
been, and thought dreamily about her love. He had went into the battle
knowing what he would have to do, like she had so many times before, and
she knew that he wouldn't have had it any other way. But she would've.
She would have fought the Hellmouth for the rest of her life if she could
have spared his. Her only thoughts were of her tearful last words to him,
shaking from pain and terror for his life, "I love you." She had heard his
reply, his lie that he knew she didn't. She realized after she left him
alone there, that he had lied for that reason, so she would leave. If he
would've swore his undying love a billionth time over to her she would've
stayed and died, but he wanted her to live, and live a better life because
of him. Her only thought now, would be her only thought for the rest of
the night, I love you, such a simple thought, but she couldn't let her eyes
leave the field of debris and couldn't quit thinking it, because as soon as
she did, he quit existing. As she tumbled to her knees a few moments after
the darkness of night had shrouded the world, the rain started. Yet the
fire that burned within her could not be extinguished, she would not let
him be gone from her life. Minutes had stretched into hours as the rain
pelted her beaten body, and the salty tears were washed away. She became
more and more agitated by the rain, until she couldn't stand it any longer
and screamed, "Why the hell are you doing this to me, punishing me for
fulfilling my destiny? Come on, is rain all you got left for me now? Why
don't you just go ahead and kill me, why don't you? My god, what else am I
supposed to do?"
Her tears started again and she let her eyes fall from the debris, she closed her eyes and cried softly into her hands. Then she heard it, through the rain she heard the only thing that could make this hell, heaven again. "Nothing luv, you're not supposed to do anything else, we're finally finished with the fighting, now we can just live." Spike's voice was trembling. Buffy looked out of her hands, expecting not to see anyone, expecting to once again be punished for doing good. But as her eyes raised, she saw boots, then dark jeans, then a blue shirt stuck to skin from the rain fall, and then, finally, she saw it. His face. His hair was falling down into his eyes, and his smile was not the cocky or defiant smirk, it was a pure smile. He looked down at her on her knees and gave her his hand, and helped her to her feet. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, shaking violently as she cried, "But how?" She had her head on his shoulder, afraid to look back, afraid he would be gone. He held her with one arm around her waste, and one hand on the back of her head, softly caressing and comforting her as he calmly stated, "Because we're finished, we both did what we were supposed to do, and now we're free. My gift from the powers for fulfilling my destiny was to live again, yours is that you finally get to live, and the greatest gift is that we get to do it together."
She quietly pulled away and looked into his eyes, "I do love you, you know that, right?"
His eyes teared, and for the first time in 130 years, he knew why he was put onto this earth, "Buffy, it's the only thing I know."
Her tears started again and she let her eyes fall from the debris, she closed her eyes and cried softly into her hands. Then she heard it, through the rain she heard the only thing that could make this hell, heaven again. "Nothing luv, you're not supposed to do anything else, we're finally finished with the fighting, now we can just live." Spike's voice was trembling. Buffy looked out of her hands, expecting not to see anyone, expecting to once again be punished for doing good. But as her eyes raised, she saw boots, then dark jeans, then a blue shirt stuck to skin from the rain fall, and then, finally, she saw it. His face. His hair was falling down into his eyes, and his smile was not the cocky or defiant smirk, it was a pure smile. He looked down at her on her knees and gave her his hand, and helped her to her feet. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, shaking violently as she cried, "But how?" She had her head on his shoulder, afraid to look back, afraid he would be gone. He held her with one arm around her waste, and one hand on the back of her head, softly caressing and comforting her as he calmly stated, "Because we're finished, we both did what we were supposed to do, and now we're free. My gift from the powers for fulfilling my destiny was to live again, yours is that you finally get to live, and the greatest gift is that we get to do it together."
She quietly pulled away and looked into his eyes, "I do love you, you know that, right?"
His eyes teared, and for the first time in 130 years, he knew why he was put onto this earth, "Buffy, it's the only thing I know."