This is my first attempt at fanfiction so I hope you like it! Please
review and leave any comments or advice you might have.
DISCLAIMER: All of the characters in this story and some of the plot ideas
are the sole property of Joss Whedon, not me. Sigh...
Spike dragged himself out of the cave, not even attempting to stand. His open wounds stung like fire, but it wasn't the physical pain that was unbearable. Sure the demon had tortured him and put him through test after agonizing test, but it was the pain he felt inside that stung the most. The pain of receiving his soul.
He collapsed upon the ground, hoping in vain that the damp earth would ease his pain. In his mind it had all been so simple. Go to the cave, get back his soul, give Buffy what she deserved. Then she would love him and they could finally be together. He had never considered that his soul would change him. That it would almost kill him.
So many thoughts were racing through his mind. All the things he had done... all the people he had... No. It was too much to bear. He closed his eyes and whispered a single word. "Buffy." Then he fell unconscious.
Buffy whistled a happy tune as she finished washing the breakfast dishes. A gentle breeze wafted in through an open window, causing her golden hair to dance and sway.
'Things are finally getting better,' she thought to herself. 'If I didn't know better I'd say they were almost... normal.'
A cheerful teenage girl skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey Buffy," she said as she grabbed a bag lunch off the kitchen counter.
Buffy smiled down at her little sister. "Hey Dawny." She still couldn't believe how much Dawn had grown in the past few months. She was no longer a little girl... she was a young woman now.
"I've gotta run... school awaits," said Dawn with a grin. "Otherwise you know I'd help you wash those dishes."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I can hear the disappointment in your voice. You'd better hurry or you'll be late."
"Yeah.. bye Buffy!" said Dawn as she hurried out the door.
Buffy finished her chores as her mind drifted back to the events of the past few months. After Willow's near apocalypse, Giles had taken her to England in hopes of teaching her to control her powers. Last Buffy had heard Willow was making great progress. Xander and Anya were actually speaking to each other now, even if Anya was technically still a vengeance demon. The new principal at Dawn's school had even offered Buffy a job as a guidance counselor. Everything in her life seemed to be falling into place and she was finally happy. Well... almost happy.
Another thought entered her mind and Buffy's smile curled slowly downward. She hadn't seen him since that night. The night he had tried to...rape her. 'How could I have been so stupid?' she asked herself. She knew all along he was a demon, a monster, but she let her emotions get in the way. Even when he said he loved her, she knew that wasn't possible. He was a demon. What do demons know about love?
Buffy shook her head, hoping to shake the unsettling thoughts from her mind. It was over now. She never had to see him again and that was how she wanted it. That was how it had to be.
He stood outside Buffy's house looking in through the front window. 'She looks so happy,' he thought as he watched the slayer laughing with her friends. He saw the Niblet and... bloody hell. There was Xander juggling oranges and balancing a banana on his nose. 'Some people never change,' thought an irritated Spike.
As he buried the remains of a cigarette into the ground with his boot he asked himself for the millionth time what he was doing there. He knew they could never be together. Of that much he was sure. But he still had to tell her... let her know... 'What? What could I possibly say?' he argued with himself. 'Hey luv, came to say I'm sorry... how about we grab a cup of coffee and chat like old chums?' Yeah... that would go over well.
He also wondered how she would react to seeing him. A part of him wished she would just stake him in the heart and get it over with. Maybe then he could be at peace.
His thoughts were interrupted as a figured emerged from the house. An unneeded breath caught in his throat when he realized it was Buffy. She stood gazing up at the stars, a thoughtful expression on her face. Spike stood silently, watching her, thinking again of how she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.
As if sensing his presence, Buffy turned towards the tree Spike was standing under.
'This is it,' he thought. Taking a deep breath he walked out from under the willow branches.
"Hello Buffy."
Spike dragged himself out of the cave, not even attempting to stand. His open wounds stung like fire, but it wasn't the physical pain that was unbearable. Sure the demon had tortured him and put him through test after agonizing test, but it was the pain he felt inside that stung the most. The pain of receiving his soul.
He collapsed upon the ground, hoping in vain that the damp earth would ease his pain. In his mind it had all been so simple. Go to the cave, get back his soul, give Buffy what she deserved. Then she would love him and they could finally be together. He had never considered that his soul would change him. That it would almost kill him.
So many thoughts were racing through his mind. All the things he had done... all the people he had... No. It was too much to bear. He closed his eyes and whispered a single word. "Buffy." Then he fell unconscious.
Buffy whistled a happy tune as she finished washing the breakfast dishes. A gentle breeze wafted in through an open window, causing her golden hair to dance and sway.
'Things are finally getting better,' she thought to herself. 'If I didn't know better I'd say they were almost... normal.'
A cheerful teenage girl skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey Buffy," she said as she grabbed a bag lunch off the kitchen counter.
Buffy smiled down at her little sister. "Hey Dawny." She still couldn't believe how much Dawn had grown in the past few months. She was no longer a little girl... she was a young woman now.
"I've gotta run... school awaits," said Dawn with a grin. "Otherwise you know I'd help you wash those dishes."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I can hear the disappointment in your voice. You'd better hurry or you'll be late."
"Yeah.. bye Buffy!" said Dawn as she hurried out the door.
Buffy finished her chores as her mind drifted back to the events of the past few months. After Willow's near apocalypse, Giles had taken her to England in hopes of teaching her to control her powers. Last Buffy had heard Willow was making great progress. Xander and Anya were actually speaking to each other now, even if Anya was technically still a vengeance demon. The new principal at Dawn's school had even offered Buffy a job as a guidance counselor. Everything in her life seemed to be falling into place and she was finally happy. Well... almost happy.
Another thought entered her mind and Buffy's smile curled slowly downward. She hadn't seen him since that night. The night he had tried to...rape her. 'How could I have been so stupid?' she asked herself. She knew all along he was a demon, a monster, but she let her emotions get in the way. Even when he said he loved her, she knew that wasn't possible. He was a demon. What do demons know about love?
Buffy shook her head, hoping to shake the unsettling thoughts from her mind. It was over now. She never had to see him again and that was how she wanted it. That was how it had to be.
He stood outside Buffy's house looking in through the front window. 'She looks so happy,' he thought as he watched the slayer laughing with her friends. He saw the Niblet and... bloody hell. There was Xander juggling oranges and balancing a banana on his nose. 'Some people never change,' thought an irritated Spike.
As he buried the remains of a cigarette into the ground with his boot he asked himself for the millionth time what he was doing there. He knew they could never be together. Of that much he was sure. But he still had to tell her... let her know... 'What? What could I possibly say?' he argued with himself. 'Hey luv, came to say I'm sorry... how about we grab a cup of coffee and chat like old chums?' Yeah... that would go over well.
He also wondered how she would react to seeing him. A part of him wished she would just stake him in the heart and get it over with. Maybe then he could be at peace.
His thoughts were interrupted as a figured emerged from the house. An unneeded breath caught in his throat when he realized it was Buffy. She stood gazing up at the stars, a thoughtful expression on her face. Spike stood silently, watching her, thinking again of how she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.
As if sensing his presence, Buffy turned towards the tree Spike was standing under.
'This is it,' he thought. Taking a deep breath he walked out from under the willow branches.
"Hello Buffy."