A/N: This takes place about three years after As You Were. If it seems a little schizo, I apologize. I was wicked emotional when I wrote it.
Disclaimer: Joss's.
The sky boiled crimson like angry blood as coal-black clouds billowed threateningly across the horizon. Buffy stood alone in the charred ruins of her home, watching as silver slivers of lightening lit the path of the setting sun. She knew it would never rise again.
The End of the World was approaching quickly; the true End, not the type that was attempted by a cult of demons or brought about by a blood-letting ritual. The earth was in its final hour, and all anyone could do was wait to die.
Buffy was afraid. Not of dying, of course not-- been there, done that-- but of what would happen afterward. Of being separated from the ones she loved. She'd seen their bodies fall in the final battles, watched her own sister turn to dust as she drove a stake through her unbeating heart. But where had they gone? If Buffy didn't know so much, if she'd been a normal woman who hadn't experienced half the things she had, she would have said they'd all gone to heaven. They died fighting for the sake of good, fighting hopelessly against the evil that had begun to flow through the veins of the earth so long ago.
So long ago? No, not so long ago.
She didn't know where they'd gone. She didn't know where *she'd* go. She only hoped that wherever they went, they'd all be together again.
"Buffy?"
Huh?
"Buffy! Is that you?"
The Slayer gave a start and turned around as she dared to hope that the person calling out her name was who she thought it was.
"Spike?"
Could it be?
Yes. There he stood in his torn leather duster, three large gashes across his face trickling blood onto his skin.
"Spike!"
They ran toward one another over the debris of the house-- the debris of another life, one that seemed to exist in another world. She threw herself weeping into his arms as she reached him, burying her face in his neck.
"I thought you were dead," she cried, holding onto him with everything she had. "I thought I was alone."
"Buffy," he sobbed into her hair. "Oh God, Buffy. I've been looking for you for days."
"I thought you were dead," she repeated, shaking with grief. "Like all the others. I thought I would have to die alone."
He shuddered, tightening his arms around her. "Never."
"Oh God, Spike," she gasped. "I was so afraid."
"I know, pet. I'm so glad I found you before it happened. I thought..." he choked. "I thought I'd never see you again."
They stood holding each other as the sun sank lower, its now ineffectual beams of light tiredly receding from the sky. The black clouds were thickening and rolling through every level of the atmosphere, alive with crackling electricity. The ground all around them was beginning to tremble, gently at first, but slowly growing more violent.
"We only have a couple minutes left," Buffy whispered.
"I know," he whispered back. "And I'm ready to go. As long as I go with you in my arms." He swallowed hard. "Buffy..."
"What, Spike?"
"Look at me. Look into my eyes and listen to me."
She obeyed, lifting her face from his chest and meeting his eyes. Their depth touched her in places that hadn't been touched since the very last time she'd had sex with him. Her breath caught in her throat as a fresh round of moisture crept from behind her eyelids.
Spike lifted a hand and brushed her tears aside, trailing his fingers across her cheek. "I know that we haven't been together in years," he said softly. "I know I haven't been around all that much since we stopped... seeing each other. But, God, Buffy, I've never, ever stopped loving you. Not for one single second. I want you to know that."
She nodded numbly at him, bringing her hands up to cup his face. "I do know, Spike. I've always known, even when I tried to tell myself you didn't really love me. But I always believed you." She let out a quiet laugh. "And how could I *not* after all those hours you spent... well, you know."
He smiled weakly. "Those were the best hours of my life. Even if they were the shortest I've ever--"
A sudden crack filled the air, drowning out the last part of Spike's sentence. He and Buffy gave a start, heads instinctively whipping up toward the source of the horrific noise as it began to grow louder. A slit had formed in the sky above them, bathing them in a liquidy orange glow as fire began to seep from the clouds. Lightening flashed violently like murderous strobes, blinding the Slayer and the Vampire as they clung to each other, bracing themselves for the grand finale.
"This is it, Buffy," Spike whispered, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "I love you. And wherever I end up once this is done, I know I'll keep on loving you." He let out a quiet sob. "Wherever *you* go... please... just don't forget me."
Buffy inhaled sharply, biting her lip as she tried unsuccessfully to subdue her grief. "I could *never* forget you," she told him. "You've become such an amazing...*man*. I... I love you... William. I love you."
Buffy buried her face in his coat and cried with him as the last bit of crimson in the sky faded to black. She wished with all her might that she'd had the strength to say those words to him three years ago, when they could have made a difference in their lives. She felt so guilty, yet so relieved that he finally knew how much he meant to her, how much he'd *always* meant to her. Her final admission of love was all they needed to die.
And as the Earth faded into oblivion and its chapter in the cosmos came to a close, the final whisps of emotion between two of its most powerful creatures burned a hole in the universe and created a place for them to always hold on to the best part of each other.
Heaven.
END
Disclaimer: Joss's.
The sky boiled crimson like angry blood as coal-black clouds billowed threateningly across the horizon. Buffy stood alone in the charred ruins of her home, watching as silver slivers of lightening lit the path of the setting sun. She knew it would never rise again.
The End of the World was approaching quickly; the true End, not the type that was attempted by a cult of demons or brought about by a blood-letting ritual. The earth was in its final hour, and all anyone could do was wait to die.
Buffy was afraid. Not of dying, of course not-- been there, done that-- but of what would happen afterward. Of being separated from the ones she loved. She'd seen their bodies fall in the final battles, watched her own sister turn to dust as she drove a stake through her unbeating heart. But where had they gone? If Buffy didn't know so much, if she'd been a normal woman who hadn't experienced half the things she had, she would have said they'd all gone to heaven. They died fighting for the sake of good, fighting hopelessly against the evil that had begun to flow through the veins of the earth so long ago.
So long ago? No, not so long ago.
She didn't know where they'd gone. She didn't know where *she'd* go. She only hoped that wherever they went, they'd all be together again.
"Buffy?"
Huh?
"Buffy! Is that you?"
The Slayer gave a start and turned around as she dared to hope that the person calling out her name was who she thought it was.
"Spike?"
Could it be?
Yes. There he stood in his torn leather duster, three large gashes across his face trickling blood onto his skin.
"Spike!"
They ran toward one another over the debris of the house-- the debris of another life, one that seemed to exist in another world. She threw herself weeping into his arms as she reached him, burying her face in his neck.
"I thought you were dead," she cried, holding onto him with everything she had. "I thought I was alone."
"Buffy," he sobbed into her hair. "Oh God, Buffy. I've been looking for you for days."
"I thought you were dead," she repeated, shaking with grief. "Like all the others. I thought I would have to die alone."
He shuddered, tightening his arms around her. "Never."
"Oh God, Spike," she gasped. "I was so afraid."
"I know, pet. I'm so glad I found you before it happened. I thought..." he choked. "I thought I'd never see you again."
They stood holding each other as the sun sank lower, its now ineffectual beams of light tiredly receding from the sky. The black clouds were thickening and rolling through every level of the atmosphere, alive with crackling electricity. The ground all around them was beginning to tremble, gently at first, but slowly growing more violent.
"We only have a couple minutes left," Buffy whispered.
"I know," he whispered back. "And I'm ready to go. As long as I go with you in my arms." He swallowed hard. "Buffy..."
"What, Spike?"
"Look at me. Look into my eyes and listen to me."
She obeyed, lifting her face from his chest and meeting his eyes. Their depth touched her in places that hadn't been touched since the very last time she'd had sex with him. Her breath caught in her throat as a fresh round of moisture crept from behind her eyelids.
Spike lifted a hand and brushed her tears aside, trailing his fingers across her cheek. "I know that we haven't been together in years," he said softly. "I know I haven't been around all that much since we stopped... seeing each other. But, God, Buffy, I've never, ever stopped loving you. Not for one single second. I want you to know that."
She nodded numbly at him, bringing her hands up to cup his face. "I do know, Spike. I've always known, even when I tried to tell myself you didn't really love me. But I always believed you." She let out a quiet laugh. "And how could I *not* after all those hours you spent... well, you know."
He smiled weakly. "Those were the best hours of my life. Even if they were the shortest I've ever--"
A sudden crack filled the air, drowning out the last part of Spike's sentence. He and Buffy gave a start, heads instinctively whipping up toward the source of the horrific noise as it began to grow louder. A slit had formed in the sky above them, bathing them in a liquidy orange glow as fire began to seep from the clouds. Lightening flashed violently like murderous strobes, blinding the Slayer and the Vampire as they clung to each other, bracing themselves for the grand finale.
"This is it, Buffy," Spike whispered, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "I love you. And wherever I end up once this is done, I know I'll keep on loving you." He let out a quiet sob. "Wherever *you* go... please... just don't forget me."
Buffy inhaled sharply, biting her lip as she tried unsuccessfully to subdue her grief. "I could *never* forget you," she told him. "You've become such an amazing...*man*. I... I love you... William. I love you."
Buffy buried her face in his coat and cried with him as the last bit of crimson in the sky faded to black. She wished with all her might that she'd had the strength to say those words to him three years ago, when they could have made a difference in their lives. She felt so guilty, yet so relieved that he finally knew how much he meant to her, how much he'd *always* meant to her. Her final admission of love was all they needed to die.
And as the Earth faded into oblivion and its chapter in the cosmos came to a close, the final whisps of emotion between two of its most powerful creatures burned a hole in the universe and created a place for them to always hold on to the best part of each other.
Heaven.
END