Coming Out of the Dark

Summary: Years ago Spike use to be a part of Buffy's life. They use to literally fight demons side by side until the day came when they broke apart. Now, Buffy is getting ready to face a big apocalypse and Spike is about to get married to a new girl. However, their one meeting together changes everything for everyone. SPUFFY/ Spike-human/ Buffy-slayer

Chapter 1:

Between Los Angelus and Sacramento…

"So I'm guessing you're not talking to me?" he asked after ten minutes of riding in the car in silence.

In the drivers seat William clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He looked back over at his mute fiancée; she had her head turned at watching the darkness passing outside her car window.

"I'm taking that as a 'yes'." William sighed and looked back at the road as he drove back to their apartment in Sacramento.

Their evening with William's parents hadn't turned into such a wonderful evening as they planned. After telling them about their engagement, the highlight of the rest of the evening was turned to something else…but to put it more clearly it turned to someone.

"I meant to tell you." William spoke up.

His fiancée turned to with a glare, "That's a lie…" she said harshly.

"Listen…Jen…its all in the past—" William started but Jen decided to interrupt.

"Sure, in the past….a past that you don't care to share with me!" Jen exclaimed.

William moved his neck side to side, trying to loosing the tension that was building up in his body.

"So…are you going to tell me about her or what?" Jen asked, "Or do I have to go and find out by myself?"

"Buffy was my first love…we met in high school, stayed together in college…and then we went our separate ways." William said quietly while staring out at the road.

"You forgot that little detail where you married her Will." The bitterness in Jen's voice was very clear.

There were a few minutes of silence. Jen turned and looked at William who hadn't moved his eyes away from the road.

"Now it looks like you're the one who's not as talkative." Jen said softly.

"It was a long time ago." William muttered.

"Even if it was...why didn't you ever tell me?" Jen asked, "This isn't something you learn a year into a relationship and when you are engaged Will…this is like a…a four date thing." Jen explained, "You couldn't just tell me 'Oh hey, by the way I was married once before.'?"

"Buffy is a part of my past Jen, a past that I rarely tell anyone…its private." William said quietly.

"Private?" Jen repeated.

William turned and looked at Jen and saw in her eyes that she wouldn't settle for just 'private'. However, that was as much as he wanted to say.

"Just trust me…its all in the past and nothing we have to deal with now." William said and hoped that subject would just drop.

"If it's nothing…then tell me about her…why is she such a secret?" Jen asked as she stared forward at the road.

Sunnydale…

"Damn it!" Buffy groaned as her back came in contact with headstone. She winced in pain but got back up and approached the snarling vampire.

"Ouch! My goodness! Things look bad for the Slayer, don't they?" a boy holding a video camera said as he moved around the scene of the fight, trying to get every move captured but also not getting in Buffy's way.

Buffy rolled her eyes at the boy's comment and kicked the vampire in the chin, sending him backwards on the ground.

"But the tables are always turning in a good fight." The boy said as he continued to narrate the fight.

Buffy was about the lean down and stake the vampire when its two feet came up and knocked her backwards. The vampire jumped to his feet in two seconds and looked over at Andrew.

"Uh…yes the tables are always turning out here in the graveyard…you never know who is going to be victim next." Andrew said while still filming. The vampire started to approach Andrew in slow struts.

"Hey, what do ya know…I may be the next victim…uh…Buffy?" Andrew called out and started to back away, "Buffy?"

The vampire was a foot away when Andrew tricked and fell down backwards.

"Buffy!" Andrew shirked like a little girl as he saw the vampire hovering above him.

The vampire was about to reach down and grab Andrew when he suddenly turned to dust.

"Next time I won't help you." Buffy said as she came into view right behind the dust of the vampire that once was.

Andrew dusted himself off and got up on his feet with his camera. "I think that little experience captured dramatic affect." Andrew called out as Buffy started to walk away.

After a few moments Buffy heard Andrew once again, "Maybe tomorrow night I could get you—"

Buffy stopped and turned around to face Andrew, "No! Listen, Andrew, just because I saved your life a couple of times in the past, and you work for Giles doesn't mean you get to videotape my job. I got a big apocalypse coming up and I don't need you in my way! Got it?"

After a brief moment of silence between them Buffy turned around on her heel in frustration and walked off.

"But people need to know the story." Andrew came back and said. He was now walking beside her.

"No they don't." Buffy muttered and took a quick glance around the perimeter of the cemetery to see if there was any more trouble.

"Why not?" Andrew whined, "I already got a bunch of tapes over the last month. I got you training, researching, working with weapons, and you're occasional…after slaying feast." Andrew muttered the last part.

Buffy stopped in place and shot Andrew a hard look, "You taped me eating!" she exclaimed.

"Just three slices of pizza and a chicken leg." Andrew said nervously.

"I want that tape tomorrow…am I clear?" Buffy asked with a threatening voice.

"Crystal." Andrew smiled nervously.

Buffy shook her head and started to walk off with Andrew right at her side.

"I was thinking of going more into depth about Slayer history…maybe go back and start at the beginning." Andrew explained.

'God, does this kid ever shut up.' Buffy thought.

"…like your high school days…also have a special on 'The Lost Scooby'."

Buffy stopped again, "What the hell are you talking about?" '

"Well…you know…Spike..." Andrew said.

Buffy clenched her jaw and fists, looking like she was about to strike out and hit Andrew.

"How do you know about him?" she asked while keeping her dangerously wild eyes on Andrew.

Andrew looked terrified to speak but he did, "Uh…Dawn told me that you—"

"Don't mention him again." Buffy interrupted and then walked away.

This time Andrew didn't follow her. He made a note to himself to not mention the name 'Spike' again around Buffy but secretly question her friends.

By the time Buffy got home it was way past midnight. After patrol she didn't go straight home, she took a long walk around town to sort out her thoughts. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"So how was patrolling?" a red haired girl asked Buffy as she came from the living room.

"Fine Willow…where's Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"She just went to bed." Willow said and then looked at her friends face and saw exhaustion written all over her face, "Hey, are you okay?"

Buffy took off her jacket and hung it up, "Yeah…just tired." She muttered.

"Yeah…umm…did you have a big fight? Didn't think you would take this long." Willow mentioned.

"Well of course Andrew followed me…so that slowed me down." Buffy said with a sigh and looked up to met Willows eyes for the first time since she got home.

Willow let out a little laugh, "Yeah…I imagined he would slow you down."

Buffy started to walk into the kitchen and Willow followed behind her.

"Can't we get rid of him or something?" Buffy asked while opening up the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of water, "Or at least take away his stupid camera."

"I say let him have it…gives him something to do." Willow smiled.

Buffy let out a little laugh too. "Guess your right."

"He's been taping everyone for about a month…why are you now so suddenly annoyed?" Willow asked.

"Not suddenly annoyed…he's always annoying me." Buffy exclaimed.

"True…but still…did he say something that struck a nerve?" Willow asked, trying to pry information from Buffy. For the last couple of years Buffy has been like a closed book; getting the littlest bit of information from her is considered a big deal to Willow.

"Try like every nerve in my whole body." Buffy said under her breath.

"Huh?" Willow didn't quit catch the whole sentence.

"Nothing…nothing." Buffy said and started to head for the stairs.

"Buffy wait!" Willow exclaimed.

Buffy turned around and sighed, "Look, Willow, I'm tired and drained out tonight…can we just talk about this another time?"

And with those words Buffy took up off upstairs, not even waiting for Willow to reply. A few moments later Willow heard Buffy's bedroom door shut.

"Another time…" Willow sighed, "I've been waiting to talk to you Buffy for years…." Willow said quietly to herself and then turned back into the living room to continue doing researching on the latest big bad.

In Buffy's bed she sat at the edge of the side of bed looking down at the ground in the dark. When a few strains of hair came down and fell into her face she slowly brought her hand up and brushed them away. Once she drew her hand down she noticed how worn out her hands was starting to get, and how bare they looked.

She reached over her nightstand and pulled open the last door to reveal a small wooden box. Buffy lifted the box out and sat it on her lap. When she opened the top she came face to face with memories—photos of her mother that died a few years ago, love notes, and lots of other things she collected over the years that she kept close to her heart. However, the one thing that she pulled out was a gold ring that seemed to shine from the moonlight coming through her window.

Buffy placed the old box back away and then lied back on her bed with the ring in her hand. She brought it up closer so she could examine it between her fingers. Then she slipped in on her left hand and stared at a few moments before looking up at her ceiling. Buffy knew that it was wrong to wear and have the ring on her hand but she couldn't help herself. Whenever she had the ring on her hand she felt relaxed and complete.

TBC….