A/N: The characters and events referenced belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. The little story bit is mine.

Drownin' in Footwear

Spike fell asleep with Buffy in his arms and tried to tell himself that it was all going to be alright. Of course it wouldn't be. One or both of them would die in the battle and now he was going in with a volatile bauble round his neck that made him look the ultimate poof. With a soft breath he let himself sleep, perchance to dream.

He wasn't sure where he was at first but he started to guess it was somewhere he'd been before. That was how dreams for him usually worked. No mystery settings. He didn't recognize the field though but the cave's entrance seemed to be calling to him. With one step he knew something was off. His foot was lighter. He looked down and a brown hair fell in front of his eye. He was William. Great. He walked to the cave and stopped just inside the entrance. It was Angelus and...

"Dru?" Spike was hurt. The betrayal was horrible. Drusilla turned toward him but it wasn't her. It was Buffy. She stood next to a very calm Angelus.

"You don't understand Spike, he was here before you." Spike turned and was grateful for the familiarity of his boots as he ran out of the cave and through the field and...past a man holding a plate of arranged cheese slices. Spike picked up a slice and bit into it to the dismay of the cheese man.

"You're in my heart." She was all of a sudden behind him. She always caught up to him. No matter how fast he ran. Her arms were around his waist and shoulders. Her fingernails running along his chest. "You're in my heart."

The burning and stinging started then and he was inside her. Inside of her in a way he had never been before. He could hear the rush of blood as though it were a churning river in her veins. He could feel the beating of her heart beneath his now bare feet. He looked around the room he was in. There was a lot of space in her heart. But he'd always known that. He picked up pictures of the Scoobies and the Bit. An old picture of Joyce and pictures of places and people and things that probably had something to do with her life outside of Sunnydale. He didn't see anything about Angel and he passed an unnoticed small silver cross as he walked to the only door in the whole place.

It had a pink glittery furry heart shaped sign that read 'Things I Can't Do Without' hanging on it. Spike took a deep breath and steeled himself for what would be beyond that door. Maybe she gets to have me in here with all of the people she loves and Peaches gets to be the thing she can't do without. He thought the last bit in a terrible impersonation of her.

He swung open the door and pulled himself short as he closed the door with his foot. Along the wall was a weapons cache that would have made any Slayer weep. It was glorious. Swords, crossbows, stakes. He walked closer. Was that a bastanada? He looked to the side and there was outfits to the ceiling. To the other and it was makeup. Eyeshadow, nail polish, lipgloss. No Angel, no anybody. He backed into where the door should have been but it wasn't. It was shelves upon shelves of shoes. They began falling on him. Strappies, gellies, Saltwaters, pumps, flats, heels, boots, and so many more than should be possible. He began flailing. Trapped now in this separate room in an ocean of shoes. His legs kicking and his hands grasping.

"'M drownin' in footwear." He was awake and Buffy was standing up and away from him. "Weird dream." He looked at her. "Buffy, is something wrong?"