TITLE: Just Stake Me When It's Over Will You?

DISCLAIMER: Regretfully I don't own any of these characters.

SPOILERS: This is set after Wrecked and before Gone - Season 6

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was my first fanfiction, hence the reason it's in script format. Haven't changed it because I rather like the way it works. Also, is very pro Buffy/Spike. but before all the soul changing occurances.

FEEDBACK: Please!

RATING: PG13

Spikes crypt. He sitting on his bed with a shoe box next to him, going through what appear to be photographs.

Buffy climbs down the ladder leading to the lower floor.

Buffy: Spike, where have you been? I called out and you didn't answer!

Spike: Sorry pet, um., been a little busy.

Spike pushes shoe box behind him

Spike: What you want with me anyway?

Buffy: We were supposed to be patrolling tonight! Remember??? Last night, when you came over you said to me "How about doing some patrolling tomorrow night". Jeez, Alzheimer's much?

Spike: Patrolling. yeah, that's right. Sorry, forgot about it. Got some other things on my mind is all.

Buffy: What do you mean? All you think about is blood, sex and fighting, what could you possibly have on your mind.

Buffy walks over to the bed and reaches behind Spike.

Buffy: What's this? Oh, photographs. and old ones. what are these? Who's this guy?

Spike sighs and takes the photo out of Buffy's hand, looking at it.

Spike: Well love, that'd be me. Taken the same year I became a Vampire.

Buffy: That's you!!! But you look so, so. normal!

Spike: Boring's the word, yeah. It's me alright.

Buffy: There's a million in here (flips through box) who are all these people?

Spike: Well, that's a photo of Cecily, I was in love with her once, but she shunned me. I actually have her to thank for me becoming the man I am today.

Buffy: Uhuh. so it's her I have to speak to then. mmmm

Spike: No good, she's dead. I killed her. First victim actually. And wasn't she surprised. Waking up and seeing me at the end of her bed. she actually laughed and asked if I honestly thought I'd have a chance by breaking into her house. silly nit didn't remember that she'd already invited me in for a soirée she threw a few months earlier.

Buffy: Where'd you get these photo's anyway?

Spike: There's a demon, name of Pez, specialises in finding relics of you life. Keeps family trees of your descendants as well if you pay him enough. I, um.. asked him to try and track down some memories for me I guess. (Spike looks down, obviously a little embarrassed) It's been on my mind to wondering what you would think of me if you were alive in my day.

Buffy glances at Spike in surprise.

Buffy: And??? What did you decide?

Spike: You'd think I was pathetic. You wouldn't want a bar of me. Just like Cecily.

Spike gets up and walks over to a table, there are candles, cigarettes, an ashtray and a bottle of scotch on the table. He picks the scotch up and swigs straight from the bottle.

Buffy: You don't know that. You were a good person right? A writer or something?

Spike: A poet. and a bloody bad one at that.

Buffy: Tell me one of your poems Spike.

Spike: No, they're in the past. Don't do that stuff anymore.

Buffy: Yeah right, they're in the past, and yet you're sitting here moping with a box of old photographs.

Spike: I'm NOT moping.

Buffy:. thinking of old times and wondering what I'd think of you. just tell me one of your poems, let me judge just how bad you were.

Spike: Fine, you asked for it:

I love you with a passion

That will never disappear

But that love is unrequited

And you think I'm rather queer.

Buffy: Ok, I get the picture. so. you weren't' a good poet. Big deal!

Spike: It's not the poetry. it's. you and me. What are we Buffy?

Buffy: Don't go there Spike!

Spike: Why??? Why can't I ask these questions?

Buffy: Because I'm not sure of the answer myself. I like being with you. You fill something in me that is lacking.

Spike sniggers, obviously interpreting what she said as a sexual reference

Spike: Yeah, fill something lacking. that's great.

Buffy: Oh god, I didn't mean it that way. Look, can't we just keep going the way we've been going? Why does everything need an explanation?

Spike: Because I may not be human, but I have feelings Summers. You want me, you need me but you're ashamed of me. You're ashamed of me now. what would you have thought of me when I was alive!

Buffy: When you were alive you weren't a mass murderer. Who knows what I would have thought of you then. but we're not living in "then", we're living in now.

Spike: And how do you feel now???

Buffy looks down and then slowly raises her head to make eye contact with Spike

Buffy: Spike, you know why I can't tell anyone about us don't you? I mean, deep down, you understand right???

Spike: Yeah, you're ashamed of me. I know, known it all my bloody existence. Ashamed to be with William, ashamed to be with Spike. No good for anything. I was a loser when I was alive, and a loser dead. I know pet, I know you can't love me and you can't be with me. Just go now will you. Let me be.

Buffy: I never said I didn't love.

Buffy stops, aware of what she was about to admit.

Spike: What??? Keep going slayer! You can't just finish mid sentence like that! Ok, so you never said you didn't love me. then WHY? Why Buffy???

Spike has such pain in his eyes that Buffy knows she has to go on

Buffy: Because, the second anyone finds out about us, it will be over anyway. I won't get a moments peace from any of my friends - except maybe Dawn. I have to choose my life Spike, it will be either you, or my friends. Do you expect me to break away from my friends? Don't you know that I'd begrudge every minute I spent with you if I did that?

Spike: I know it. And god I hate them for it.

Buffy: Don't Spike. don't talk like that. You and I are friends! That's good isn't it? I never believed I'd consider you my friend. one of my best friends actually.

Spike: I suppose. But I want more from you. I need you. How can I bloody go on without.

Buffy has continued to go through the box of photo's

Buffy: Hey. this is Drucilla! You have a photo of Drucilla in here?

Buffy raises her voice in indignation.

Spike: Yeah. and why not? We were together for over a hundred years you know! Not like I'm gonna just forget about her now is it?

Buffy: Well, no. but. a photo of her? I don't have any photo's of Angel!

Spike: That'd be because Camera's weren't around when Angel was alive. And you probably never got a chance to take any when you were with him, too busy saving the world and brooding over his past actions and all that rubbish. Otherwise I'm sure you'd have em strewn all over your room.

Buffy: Do you, um. have any pictures of me? I mean, I know you DID have some, but, do you have any more?

Spike leans across Buffy and pulls a photo in a frame from under his pillow

Spike: Yeah, I got a picture or two of you luv.

Buffy stares at her photograph then hands it back to Spike, he puts it back under his pillow. She kneels on the floor and takes his hand.

Buffy: Spike, I don't know how much longer this can go on. I don't know what the future holds for us. But I do know that I have feelings for you. And yeah, I think they may be bad and wrong, but they exist. I can't ignore that. Seeing you makes me happy and I'm not ready for that to end yet.

Spike: Right, well then. I guess I'm yours for as long as you need me pet. Just stake me when it's over will you.

They smile at each other and then share a slow, passionate kiss.