You're My Strength. This story is not to be taken seriously. End of Day's and Chosen re-vamped, with still Joss' storyline and dialogue, but some things that would never happen except the Buffy and Spike thing. Dialogue from the original eps isn't mine.
Buffy and Xander are having a private chat in the kitchen. They are talking about something Buffy wants Xander to do for her and Xander is not accepting that. Buffy sighs.
"You know it's for the good," says Buffy.
"I don't. Buffy, do you get that?" says Xander. "If I do this, that's it for me for this fight. I feel like you're putting me out to pasture."
"Of course I'm not putting you out to pasture." She shakes her head. "What does that even mean?" Xander looks at her with a smile. He knows Buffy all too well. Asking silly questions like that when they're in a serious conversation about life and death.
"Well, you know, it's like, uh... when a cow gets old and loses an eye, or its ability to be milked, the farmer takes it and puts it in a different pasture, so it won't have to... fight...with the priests." He chuckles. "Look, I don't need you to protect me."
"I'm not."
"I got hurt, but I'm not done. I can still fight."
"I know. That's why I need you to do this. Xander, I need someone that I can count on no matter what happens." He shakes his head.
"I just always thought that I would... I would be there with you... you know, for the end."
"Hey."
"Well, not that this is the end."
"Thanks a lot."
"No, no, no. By the end, I meant, uh... a heroic, uplifting way. See, I'm still optimistic. You're just thrown off a little by this gritty-looking eye patch."
"I know what you meant." Buffy smiles at him. "Besides, you look kind of sexy with the eye patch." Xander gives her a grin and then gets back to his point.
"I should be at your side. That's all I'm saying."
"You will be. You're my strength, Xander. You're the reason I made it this far. I trust you with my life. That's why I need you to do this for me." Xander gets a little misty, and sentimental.
"OK."
"So, where's Anya?"
"Out somewhere. I don't know. Why?"
"Well, Xander…" Buffy leans in over the counter and Xander leans in forward. Suddenly Buffy pulls him closer and kisses him passionately on the lips. Xander is totally caught by surprise. Buffy releases him and his one eye opens really wide. He follows her as she heads over to the back door and tells him with her finger to follow her. Xander does not hesitate and goes outside with her.
Buffy grabs Xander and starts to kiss him again. The two fall onto the swing on the porch. They both take off their jean jackets and continue to make out. Xander helps Buffy unzip his pants.
"This is…"
"Good." Buffy moves on top of Xander.
"Yeah, you're right." Xander pulls Buffy down and she kisses his lips as they continue their sexcapades.
About an hour or so later, Buffy was resting her head on Xander's chest and Xander had his arms around her. Buffy sighs and is a little upset that she hadn't thought of doing this with Xander a long time ago, like maybe on her first time instead of with Angel.
"Buffy," says Xander. "Okay."
"That's my Xander." Buffy leans up and kisses him and then the swing makes a strange sound and breaks off its hinges and falls down with Buffy and Xander on it. The two start to laugh uncontrollably.
Later on that night, Buffy walks down the stairs carrying the scythe when Spike walks in the front door.
"Honey, you're home," says Spike.
"Yeah," says Buffy. Spike sighs.
"And you did it. Fulfilled your mission. Found the Holy Grail. Or the Holy Hand Grenade, or whatever the hell that is."
"Right now, we're going with scythe. You like?"
"Well, pointy and wooden is not exactly the look I wanna know better, but it does have flair. Can see why a girl would ditch a fella for one of these."
"I'm sorry about that." As Buffy walks toward the kitchen, Spike follows her.
"It doesn't matter. You're back in the bosom. All's forgiven." Spike stands in front of Buffy, looking at her. "And, uh, last night...was just a glitch. A bit of cold comfort from the cellar dweller. Let's don't make a thing out of it." He breathes nervously.
"Great. I have work to do."
"Oh, yeah. Another solo mission, of course."
"Yeah, it is."
"That's fine. You don't have to get shirty about it."
"I'm not shirty. And what is shirty? That's not even a word."
"All right. All right. Big secret mission. It's fine."
"It's not a secret. Well, I mean, it is, but that's the point of the mission. Find out the secret. This thing was forged by— I don't even know. I mean, something about... a tomb on unconsecrated ground. That's what I have to do. I need to find out what this is and why I have it."
"And that's the thing the preacher man was so anxious to keep out of your mitts?"
"That it is."
"Well, maybe I'll swing by the vineyard when you go, make sure he's sitting tight."
"Great."
"OK." Spike turns to leave. Buffy walks after him.
"You're a dope."
"I'm a what?"
"You're a dope. And a bonehead. And you're shirty."
"Have you gone completely carrot-top?"
"Do you see this?" She holds up the scythe. "This may actually help me fight my war. This might be the key to everything. And the reason I'm holding it is because of you. Because of the strength that you gave me last night. Look, I am tired of defensiveness and weird, mixed signals. You know, I have Faith for that. Let's just get to the truth here, OK? I don't know how you felt about last night, but I will not—" Spike breathes in, looks away.
"Terrified."
"Of what?" Spike lets out a slow sigh.
"Last night was…" Spike looks up. "God, I'm such a jerk. I can't do this."
"Spike…"
"It was the best night of my life. If you poke fun at me, you bloody well better use that, 'cause I couldn't bear it. It may not mean that much to you, but—" Buffy grabs Spike and kisses him on the lips. She drops the scythe.
"Maybe we should take this downstairs," says Buffy between kisses. Spike agrees and picks Buffy up. She wraps her legs around his waist and they head down into the basement.
Spike starts to kiss her down her neck as he lays her on the cot and crawls slowly on top of her. She gives him a smirk as he grabs her lips, sucking them. Spike lets go of her lips and looks at her with his mesmerizing blue eyes.
"Is this…" Buffy nods her head as she caresses his face. He then continues to kiss her.
Later that night, Buffy comes upstairs with Spike. He exits from the back door and Buffy heads over to the front door. Buffy heads to the tomb, where Willow and Giles had told her to go to find out more about the scythe. She meets up with a woman, who makes fun of her name and tells her that the scythe belongs to the Slayer. Then Caleb interrupts the old lady and kills her. Buffy and Caleb start to fight, but Angel comes to Buffy's rescue.
Buffy is happy to see Angel, but she needs to take Caleb on her own. Angel sits back and watches the fight. The two talk and Angel tells her that he's come to help with the big battle. Caleb gets up one final time, but Buffy splits him from bottom to his top.
"No. You're not gonna be in this fight," says Buffy as she walks away. Angel cuts her off. "Why the hell not?" asks Angel.
"'Cause I can't risk you."
"You need me in this."
"No, I need you gone."
"Why?"
"If I lose, if this thing gets past Sunnydale, then it's days—maybe hours—before the rest of the world goes. I need a second front, and I need you to run it."
"OK…" Angel crosses his arms. "That's one reason. What's the other?" Buffy walks out of the tomb.
"There is no other." Angel then starts telling her that the reason she has no reason is because she is in love with Spike. He tells her he can smell him all over her. Her eyes widen, knowing that he could do that kind of stuff. She gives him her thoughts about Spike and her cookie dough analogy. "Look, Angel, do you want to know something?"
"What?"
"You're my strength." Buffy walks up to him and kisses him on the lips. As Angel pulls away from the incredible kiss from Buffy, he looks at her smiling back at him. "Satisfied."
"Okay." Angel finally leaves.
Buffy enters the house to find Dawn waiting for her in the foyer. Dawn stares at her angrily, then kicks her lightly in the shin.
"Ow," says Buffy.
"Dumbass," says Dawn. Buffy turns to Xander sitting in the dining room, looking pained and sheepish, with Anya pressing an ice pack to his head.
"Don't look at me," says Xander. "This is a Summers thing. It's all very violent."
"If you get killed, I'm telling," says Buffy. Buffy goes into the dining room and sets the scythe down on the table, where Willow and Giles are researching.
"Did you find out anything about the scythe?" asks Willow.
"It slices, dices, and makes julienne preacher."
"Caleb?" says Giles.
"I cut him in half." Willow smiles.
"Well, all right!" says Willow.
"He had that coming," says Anya.
"Hey, party in my eye socket and everyone's invited!" says Xander. He gets looks from all of them. "Sometimes I shouldn't say words."
"Xander," says Buffy as she goes over to him and caresses his face. "We get you."
Buffy pulls Giles over to the kitchen to talk. He gives her a concerned look as she paces back and forth for a minute.
"Buffy…" says Giles.
"Giles, I wanted to tell you that you've done a lot for all of us here and I really appreciate it," says Buffy. "I've never appreciated it in the past, but now I'm saying. Thanks. You're always there for me." Buffy walks up to him.
"It's my pleasure. Besides, London was boring. I missed getting knocked over on my head." They both laugh. Buffy touches Giles' arm and looks up into his blue eyes. She leans over to Giles and kisses him on the cheek and then she hugs him tight.
"Giles, you're my strength."
"I don't really think I'm that, but if you think so, then I won't argue." Giles kisses Buffy on the top of her head. She releases and smiles at him.
Buffy heads down to the basement and she sees Spike taking out his frustration on the punching bag as she walks down the stairs.
"So… where's tall, dark, and forehead?" asks Spike.
"Let me guess. You can smell him," says Buffy.
"Yeah, that, and I also used my enhanced vampire eyeballs to watch you kissing him."
"It was… a hello."
"Most people don't use their tongues to say hello. Or I guess they do, but—"
"There were no tongues. Besides, he's gone."
"Oh, just popped by for a quickie, then?"
"Good, good! I haven't had quite enough jealous vampire crap for one night."
"He wears lifts, you know." Buffy leans up against the punching bag, then notices a cartoon picture of a vampire, with spiky brown hair taped to it.
"You know, one of these days I'm just going to put you two in a room and let you wrestle it out."
"No problem at this end." Buffy smiles to herself, imagining.
"There could be oil of some kind involved…Maybe some nudity and…" Spike gives her a look and lifts an eyebrow up.
"Where's the trinket?"
"The who-ket?"
"The pretty necklace your sweetie-bear gave you. The one with all the power. I believe it's mine now."
"How do you figure?"
"Someone with a soul, but more than human? Angel meant to wear it that means I'm the qualified party." He holds out his hand for it.
"It's volatile. We don't know—"
"You'll be needing someone strong to bear it, then. You plan on giving it to Andrew?"
"Thought crossed my mind." Spike smiles at Buffy. "Angel said the amulet was meant to be worn by a champion." Spike turns away with a sigh, but Buffy steps forward and places the medallion in his hand.
"Been called a lot of things in my time." Spike smiles.
"Faith still has my room…"
"Well, you're not staying here! You can't buy me off with shiny beads and sweet talk. You've got Angel-breath. I'm not going to just let you whack me back and forth like a rubber ball. I got my pride, you know."
"I understand." Buffy turns to go, but Spike runs around in front of her, blocking her way. "Clearly you don't, 'cause the whole "having my pride" thing was just a smokescreen." Buffy is relieved.
"Oh, thank god."
"I don't know what I would have done if you'd gone up those stairs." Buffy smiles and caresses his cheek with her hand.
"I was going to go really slow to torture you a bit. Guess you cracked earlier than I thought."
"Hey." Spike grabs Buffy and she gives him an evil grin. He starts to kiss her lips as Buffy pulls off her jean jacket and drops it onto the floor. The two then move over to the cot. Buffy pushes Spike onto it and she jumps on him, straddling him. "I hope that door is locked." Spike says between kisses.
"Who cares? This is a good show."
"Damn right." Spike then starts to nibble on her ear. "Is that the whelp I smell on you?" Buffy looks at Spike and then pulls off her shirt and starts undoing Spike's pants.
"What?" She ignores him and begins to pull down his pants. Spike stops her and looks at her straight in the eyes.
"Buffy?" Buffy gives him an innocent look and bats her eyes.
"Spike?" She grabs his face. "Shut up." Buffy kisses him hard and long.
The End.