One Last Breath

(Creed)



*If you do not read spoilers, you will really not enjoy this fic. Please update on your spoilers by visiting this address: http://www.spoilerslayer.com/spoilers.php This would be at the end of the season finale, AFTER Willow kills everybody but B and S. I'm real sorry, but I don't really have enough time to explain all deaths. This will be short.*



Buffy lay alone on the sand at the beach, watching the stars.

"She killed everybody," she murmured, "She killed them...and I couldn't defeat her."

Why was it that she couldn't even kill her best friend even after she killed her friends and family?

Dawn, Buffy cried inside her head, trying to fight off the sick feeling that had occupied her body since the night before. She hadn't moved in all that time.

"Buffy?" she heard from behind her.

That voice, her brain said foggily, that voice...



Please come now I think I'm falling
I''m holding on to all I think is safe
It seems I found the road to nowhere
And I'm trying to escape
I yelled back when I heard thunder
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say



"Buffy?" the voice sounded more urgent still. She could feel footsteps building from behind her head.

The man turned her over and she started to cry again.

"Spike, what are you doing here?"

"I just got back."

"From where?"

"From Africa, love. Where is everybody? And why are you out here?"

"Why were you in Africa? Willow killed everybody. Here. I'm not moving, not until I die. She didn't kill me, she should have killed me...."

"Willow....Will? Red? She...oh god. Everybody? Even..."

"Dawn. Dawn is gone...my sister. I couldn't save my sister...and I couldn't kill my best friend. She's gone now....she left before she killed me... why did you go to Africa, Spike?"

"I think you have a concussion, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that."

"Buffy...let's get you home." Spike attempted to pick her up, but she swatted him away groggily.

"Can't you see? I'm trying to die."

"Why, Buffy?"

"Because everything is dead. All...everything. My life is gone..."

"I'm still here."

"But I can feel you as a vampire. You're chipless now. I can feel it. And-and that means I have to kill you...but no. You can kill me. Faith can have the responsibility now."

"Who in the hell is Faith?"

"The slayer that came when you're bitch of a girlfriend killed Kendra."

"There was another one I could have killed? Damn." he tried to smile.

"She's insane. She's in jail for murder."

"Of vampires?"

"People. She went a little nutso."

"I see. Like you."

"I'm not nutso. I just want to die."



Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down



"Buffy...we can start over. Start clean."

"Why? Why won't you just kill me?"

"Because I don't do that anymore. I got this chip out so I could prove to you guys that I'm worthy of your presence. But...I guess it was a bad time to leave town. Where are the bodies?"

"I buried them. I couldn't watch. I sort of kicked the crap out of Xander's.... I went sorta nutso for a while. But I'm okay now. I know what I have to do."

"You know that you have to get Willow for this?"

"No. I have to die."

I'm looking down now that it's over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out heaven save me
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say



"Why?"

"Because there is nothing worth living for."

"What about this?" Spike leaned down and kissed Buffy on the lips.

"Can you taste my tears, Spike?" she sobbed into his jacket, and he bit his lip.

"I can taste you, Buffy. You're still in there somewhere."

"That would explain why I want to die."

"No. No. You are not going to die. I won't let you."



Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down



Buffy stood up and looked out at the rising sun. It glittered in the blue of the ocean.

"This is a nice setting to leave."

"Don't talk that way."

"You don't understand. You don't have a so-"

"I don't have a bleeding soul. Who sodding cares? I don't have a chip anymore, and I'm not hurting people. Isn't that enough for you, Buffy?"

"It would be. If I was going to stay here."

"You are going to stay here. As long as my unlife will let it. And if you don't comply quickly, before that sun rises completely, my unlife won't last much longer."

"One more person dying. I'm becoming immune to it all, Spike."

"Immune to pain?"

"Immune to death. It's punishing me. It just....it just won't take me again. It's like, third chance at life will never end."

"Think about your happiest memory."

"Probably.....when I died."

"When you died?"

"Yes. I was assured that everything would be okay. I was assured that...that... everyone I loved or cared about would be all right."

"They are all right now, Buffy. They're where you were."

"They are where I want to be. If they aren't here, I don't want to be here either."

"You don't care about losing me, then." Spike turned away and covered himself with his duster to shield the sun.

"It's not that...why don't you come with me? You told my once that you were sort of sick of immortality."

"I'm a vampire, Buffy."

"So?" she leaned on his shoulder, "So what?"

"So I won't be going to the same place."

Sad eyes follow me
But I still believe there's something left for me
So please come stay with me
'Cause I still believe there''s something left for you and me
For you and me
For you and me



"You can look forward to harps and halo's...I can look forward to hot pokers and disco music."

"Are you sure we can't make different arrangements? I'm sure that you can come and visit or something..."

"No, Buffy. Didn't Angel tell you all about hell?"

"Yeah. But he also told me a rule that vampires don't know. If a vamp doesn't have anything stopping them but free will, and they go two full days without food...blood, before they die, they can get sort of this pass thingie. Angel will. When was the last time you had blood?"

"Before Africa. I'm really hungry."

"So come with me."

"Will it make things easier, Buffy? Will we be happy? I haven't been happy for over one hundred and twenty years. Will I be happy there?"

Buffy took his hand and kissed it sadly, "Everyone is happy there."



And so, the two lovers lay together, sleeping, waiting for the sun's rays to take them away to a place where they would be happy. Finally.

Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking