Leap of Faith

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, just playing in Joss Whedon's sandbox for a bit.

Circa Season Five Finale

She stood there, looking down at the hole in reality. She thought about her sister. She thought about her friends, who'd be able to go on, find happiness, have the lives that they deserved. A new Slayer would be called. And Spike...

Was behind her, quickly sinking his fangs into her neck, and she was already weak, too weak to fight him off. She'd trusted him with Dawn. She'd trusted him, and he...

Fell to the ground, blood running from his ears and the corner of his eyes. The chip in his head must be killing him, she thought groggily.

He shakily wiped the blood from his eyes and looked at it, smiling weakly. "Summers blood. What's needed to close the portal, eh? Now I've got some of you in me, Buffy. Wonder if it's enough?"

She watched him slowly, painfully lean over and kiss her gently on the lips, then lever himself up and stagger to the edge of the roof. He looked back at her, smiled, and said something too low to be heard.

Then he jumped, right into the vortex. It was already closed by the time his ashes his floated to the ground.

For the rest of her life, she'd wonder if his last words had really been "I love you."


He woke up abruptly, screaming, knowing that it wasn't true, he was still here, and she was in the grave.

He lay in bed, tears running angrily down his cheeks, wishing there was something left in his place to break.