Hey there so this is my second Buffy fic. This was previously titled cookies, but I decided to save that title for something else. My first one, i didn't like too much. But I put a lot of work into this. It just made me mad that they don't say who Buffy ends up with. Or how the wolfram and hart battle goes. So here's my view on what should happen. There might be a second part/epilogue but I want to see how much feedback I get on this one Please, please, please review. Like I Said I worked really hard on this. And Reviews always make me smile. So just take a moment to review. Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire slayer or Angel or any of the characters in the shows. Although I'd love to have spike all to myself. It all belongs to Joss Whedon.
His
"What did this?" Giles asked astounded by the gaping hole that had once been Sunnydale.
"Spike." she replied simply, smiling despite herself. She was so proud of him. He had sacrificed himself for her, for dawn, for everyone. He was her champion. Human or not, Soul or no soul, he was the best man she'd ever known. Tears filled her eyes and a strange thickness crept into her throat preventing her from saying more. Her toes touched the edge as her friends tended to the wounded and exchanged their eye witness accounts of their loved ones demise.
"What are we going to do now, Buffy?" Dawn asked suddenly.
What were they going to do now? What was she going to do?
She wasn't sure about herself, but she knew she still had a job to do. A responsibility. She had to take care of the injured and get everyone to safety and there was only one person she trusted enough to help. So she choked back the tears and turned to her friends.
"We're going to L.A. Angel will help us."
"You're right. He owes me one anyway." Faith replied smiling. "But someone needs to relieve Robin because he's hurt and I don't think he'll be able to drive."
"No problem. Giles?" Buffy hinted.
"Of course." he nodded before filing onto the bus with everyone else.
She took one last look at the remnants of her home.
"You coming, Buff?" Xander called.
"Yeah." she replied before she followed them.
The ride wasn't long, but the entire time Buffy, Xander, and Willow stretched across the back seats and consoled one another, while the others shared the front.
Once in L.A., after asking around, she found Angel at an evil law firm, which had her a bit surprised.
"I knew it! I told you he was no good!" Xander had told her.
But she just couldn't believe it.
Buffy got everyone settled in, in the lobby and she made her way to the receptionist, who happened to be a familiar face.
"Harmony?!" Buffy asked in surprise.
"Oh Buffy!" she replied panic-stricken. "Please don't kill me! I'm working for angel now. Haven't fed on a human in months."
"I'm not going to kill you, I'm actually looking for Angel. Did you say you work for him now?" she asked.
"Oh thank god. Um yes I do. Okay let me get him." she said quickly before dialing what Buffy assumed was his office.
A few moments later Angel appeared with an expression of relief.
"Buffy!" he said smiling before pulling her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Yeah, Um me too. Just curious but since when did you start working for the bad guys?" she asked pulling away from his embrace. A look of suspicion on his face.
"I'll explain everything later but first we better get you're injured attended to." he said gesturing toward the string of girls moaning in pain in the lobby.
Angel pulled out his cell phone and insisted people get on it immediately and within seconds the wounded were being cared for.
Wesley and a small girl named Fred came by and said hello.
"Hi, its nice to finally meet you, Buffy."
"Ditto." she smiled.
"Nice to see you Buffy. Always a pleasure." Wesley added.
"You too, Wesley." she replied before he walked off to help out.
Buffy watched Wes and Fred exchange glances from across the room, every now and then, and she knew that they had something. She couldnt help but smile, she was glad Wesley had found someone for himself. He really deserved it.
"Let's talk in my office." Angel said quickly, interupting her musing. He took her by the arm and pulled her away from the group.
"Nice place." she said appreciatively, checking out the office they were now standing in.
"Yeah. Comes with the Job." He paused and preceded cautiously. "So? Any casualties?"
Buffy's expression changed from light amusement to sorrow.
"We lost some of the slayers, Anya…Spike." she replied turning away from him in an attempt to hide her pain. Even with Angel with her it was hard to keep her emotions under wraps.
"I'm sorry. I know you said he was in your heart-"
"It was more then that." she said dryly. "Much more."
"You- You loved him?" he asked in disbelief.
"I do love him." she replied wiping at a tear that slipped down her face.
"Why?" Angel asked, before he could stop himself. He knew he shouldn't have asked but he was desperate to understand. He wanted to know how Spike had worked his way into her heart.
"He was a good man."
Her explanation was simple, but it said so much. Angel couldn't help but be stung by her words. Jealousy washed through him. How could Buffy see Spike as a man? He killed hundreds. Two slayers, no less. Of course he had killed people too but he was making amends for it. And yeah, maybe spike saved the world once. But he did loads of times. He was the one who started the whole soul thing in the first place. And what, Spikes better then him because he went looking for it? He loves Buffy just as much as Spike did.
There was a long stretch of silence and Angel began to brood before something Buffy had said captured his attention.
"You said you lost slayers? There are only two, you and Faith. I don't understand."
"Willow performed a spell using that mystical scythe of mine. Now every potential slayer is a slayer. All of them." she told him in awe. She was still amazed that Willow pulled it off.
"Wow." he said. "Impressive."
"Yeah."
"Willow better leave as soon as she can." he told her warningly.
Buffy got defensive. "Why?!"
"It's just the senior partners are always looking for powerful witches to use for their own personal needs, and I prefer she wasn't recruited. They're already strong as it is."
"Oh, right." she said feeling silly, before she remembered something. "Which brings us back to you." she told him pointedly.
"Yes." he replied before poking his head out the door and shutting it behind her. "I'm taking them down form the inside." he said smiling, while gesturing to the walls around him.
"Is that right?" she asked sarcastically.
"Yeah." he replied surprised by her lack of enthusiasm. He quirked an eyebrow curious as to her attitude. "What is it?"
"Its- I'll admit this is a brilliant plan but do you really think its going to work?"
"Of course." he replied a little flustered. "I thought you would agree with me."
"I do, but, Angel I've dealt with evil before. Are you sure you can handle this?"
"Yes." he insisted. "Trust me."
"Fine. I'll trust you." she replied quickly, taking his word. Though she made sure she'd keep an eye on things just in case.
He smiled at her and she returned it.
"Lets go check on the others." he told her opening the door and leading the way back to her friends.
"Hey guys."
"Hey Buffster." Xander replied.
"How you holding up?" Willow asked her brow wrinkled in concern.
"I'm doing-" she stopped and sighed, unsure of how to finish. Xander noticed her distress and pulled her into a hug, which Willow joined in on.
"How about you, Xan?" Buffy asked pulling away to measure his expression.
"Pretty much the same." he said looking away.
"I'm sorry about Anya." Angel told him nodding his head.
"Thanks." Was his reply before he stifled back a sob.
Giles got up and put a hand on his back to soothe him.
"So, do any of you have an idea what your next move is?" Angel asked quietly.
"I think Robin and I are going to go to the hell mouth in Cleveland. I think B deserves a break, and the hellmouth needs an experienced slayer, so I think I'll deal with that." Faith told them, before exchanging a smile with Buffy.
"How about you Buffy?" Willow asked.
"Well I think I'm going somewhere to find a place where we can train the slayers." She hadn't been sure what she was going to do, but after hearing the ide, she knew that was exactly what she would do.
"Well then Andrew and I can go out and find the other slayers." Willow replied. "I might be able to use a spell to locate them."
"And I'll stick with Buffy and help with the training. I mean, who's going to warn the girls to stay away from crazy, eye poking, women hating priests?" he chuckled. Buffy just shook her head.
"And I'll stay with you also, Buffy. I'll do whatever I can to help." Giles added. "I heard there is a large estate in Scotland in which a watcher left for any slayer willing to take it. I think it will be a superb place to train the girls."
"Sounds like a plan." she smiled. Looking at the faces of her friends made her feel like there was still hope.
Within a day or two the girls were almost fully healed and everyone was ready to head out. Giles had arranged the estate and everyone was ready to fulfill the mission they set for themselves. It was the night before Buffy would leave and she was explaining, to the girls, what would happen next.
"Congratulations. You made it through your first apocalypse." she started speaking to all the slayers. Many of them syarted to murmur exitedly but Buffy put a hand up to silence them. "But that was nothing. I promise you there will be more. So this is where you decide to take the next step. To come with us and learn more. To become part of something bigger. To save the world…again."
The girls all agreed to come along with a few exceptions, who insisted on going with faith to help with the hellmouth.
"Now get some rest and be ready to leave in the morning." she told them before the girls got up and filed into their hotel rooms, courtesy of Angel.
Buffy had to admit that without angel they wouldn't have had anywhere to go. He had been such a big help for the past few days and for that she was greatful. Buffy started to climb the stairs after all the girls had exited the lobby. She was trying to make a quick getaway because she knew Angel had been watching her and she was trying to avoid the conversation she knew was coming.
"You know you've become quite the speaker." Angel told her sincerely. "You're a great leader."
"I try." she replied looking anywhere but his face.
"Look, I-" he stopped in mid sentence, noticing her distress. He was afraid to ask the question for fear of the answer so he left the statement unfinished. He would wait. He would let her mourn Spike, then talk to her about them.
"I hope you have a good trip and I'm here if you need me." he told her smiling.
She let out a sigh of relief before pecking him on the cheek and fleeing up the stairs before he changed his mind.
With a few hours of sleep in comfortable beds, everyone was up by dawn and prepared to leave. All of the girls, Andrew, Xander, Giles, Willow, and Dawn. They were all bustling around and Buffy still had two people she needed to say her goodbyes to.
"Will?" she called as she noticed her passing by.
"Yeah Buff?" she asked concerned.
"I never got a chance to say thank you. For doing what you did. I know it was hard for you because you thought you might lose control. You were great out there and I'll never forget it. And I wanted to say goodbye and that I'll see you soon." she said, pulling her into a tight hug.
Silent tears fell from their eyes and the promise was returned.
First Willow and Andrew departed but not before Andrew, stopped and whispered something in Buffy's ear.
"He really did love you."
"I know." she replied.
He simply nodded and left with Willow trailing behind.
Then it was her turn. Buffy, Dawn, Giles, and Xander, along with the slayers, made their way to the Bus.
Angel hung back in the shadows and nodded to Buffy as she got in.
It was right then that she realized she was completely over him. Although he'd always have a place in her heart, she had moved on. She would always care for him and be there when he needed her but they were done. Thinking back to the night before the battle she laughed. It was ironic how Angel's and Spike's rolls had reversed. She couldn't help but hope wherever Spike was he heard her thoughts. She knew he'd love to hear that she considered him a better man then Angel or as he would call him, peaches. She laughed quietly to herself and drifted into sleep to make up for the hours she laid awake.
~!(*-*)!~
It was almost a year later that Buffy got the call from Angel.
She had been sitting on the edge of the window sill in the library, staring up at the moon. Willow was back with them for a few days and was looking up a few things there ain the library. Buffy insisted on spending every moment with her and Xander had said the same, so the girls were spread across the house lazily sprawled on the couches in the den and watching TV, enjoying their few days of freedom. Xander had become the ultimate trainer always helping Buffy when she needed it and keeping the girls in line.
Buffy had been thinking about Spike as she usually did. Asking herself questions that could never be answered. I mean sure, every day got a little bit easier but she couldn't help but feel the lingering effect of her loss. Not a day went by that she didn't remember. She wondered what would have happen if Spike had survived. She'd never really thought he wouldn't. She figured they'd settle their feelings after the first was destroyed. But she was sadly mistaken. She pulled out a piece of paper and started writing. She had never been one for poetry but she figured maybe it would help her. She had to try something. She had just finished it, when Dawn handed her the phone saying it was important.
It was Angel, telling Buffy he was ready to make his move on wolfram and hart and needed her help. She agreed to come and told Willow and Xander to prepare the girls immediately for a fight. She tucked her poem into her jacket pocket to keep anyone from finding it. She was already embarrassed at herself for writing it but if anyone read it she might just metaphorically die.
So she took the girls to L.A.
And they arrived just in time.
Buffy could here Angel's voice carrying over the battle cries.
"The dragon's mine." he said fiercely.
"Oh bloody hell, fine. You get the dragon. You self righteous poof." A familiar voice called out.
Buffy froze for just a second before she met his piercing blue eyes.
"Buffy?!" he cried. His opponent took advantage of his distraction and tackled him to the ground.
She and the slayers ran into battle, fending off wolfram and hart's fiercest beasts'.
"Glad you could make it!" Angel yelled over the dragons roars.
Buffy smiled before knocking out the demon pummeling Spike.
They all fought side by side. Watching each others backs and kicking ass.
Angel took out the dragon with the help of Illyria and a few slayers, but not before it swallowed Illyria whole. Spike and Buffy took out quite a few of the demons, using each others technique to their advantage, while the remaining slayers took out the rest.
It was almost an hour later when the alley had finally been cleared and the surviving girls wandered off to recuperate.
In the end they had lost a few of the slayers, Gunn, and Illyria. Which was better then losing everyone.
"I still got it, Love." Spike told Buffy as he turned to her with a smile.
She cocked her hand back and punched him square in the jaw.
"Ow- Bloody hell. What was that for? Are you off your bird?" he asked dazed and clutching his jaw.
"That's for not telling me all this time that you were alive! You're a bonehead and you're- You're shirty!" she yelled at him. He smiled at her choice of words, as he remembered the night she'd first used them. "How long?"
"It wasn't that long, pet." he said sheepishly.
"How long?" she glared at him.
"Since a month or two after the destruction of Sunnydale." She cocked her hand back again, but this time he put his hand up in surrender. His voice sped up as he attempted to explain himself. "Wait, I wasn't corporal at the time. I was a ghost for six bloody months. Walking through walls, until I got this mysterious package in the mail- I wanted to come and see you but I didn't know how- then I see you dancing with the immortal and I-"
"The immortal?" she asked laughing.
"What's so funny?" he asked bewildered, his eye brows furrowing in confusion.
"I was never with the immortal. Just one of my cover ups so no one could find me. I can't believe you fell for that. You should have known better."
"Well, how was I supposed to know." he said embarrassed. "I mean I hadn't seen you for months."
Angel started cracking up at the sight. Was it possible for a vampire to blush? He asked himself, while trying to contain his laughter.
"Oh shut up captain forehead! You thought the same thing!" he retorted. "So if anyone should be embarrassed-"
"And you!" Buffy said turning on Angel. "You knew he was alive all this time and you didn't even- After what I told you-" Angel started stuttering and putting his hands up but before he could come up with an answer her fist connected with his jaw and knocked him to his knees.
Spike chuckled and smiled before taking Buffy in his arms.
"I'm Sorry, pet. If its worth anything, I've missed you." he told her his blue eyes locked on her green ones.
He touched her face and she leaned into his touch, breathing in his scent.
"I missed you too." she replied wistfully.
Angel looked at the two and grunted.
"Oh sod off." Spike told Angel . Buffy just shook her head and smiled.
They were never going to get along were they? She asked herself, before wrapping her arms tighter around Spike's waist.
"Damn it! You're cookies aren't you?!" Angel accused, pointing a finger at her.
She looked over at Angel and sighed.
She wriggled her way out of Spike's grasp and walked over to Angel. Spike tensed as he watched them face off. He could feel the jealousy burning in his veins and the emptiness of the space between his arms.
I knew she'd pick him. Bloody hell. Damn Angel to the darkest pit in hell. He thought to himself.
"I'm cookies. But I'm his cookies." she said quietly. Angel looked away from her and sighed.
She put a hand on his cheek and he shifted his gaze back to her.
"I may be Spike's but you'll always be in my heart." she whispered quietly before leaving a light kiss on his lips.
Cookies? What the hell are they talking about? And why did Buffy just kiss him? Spike asked himself. Fury radiated through his entire body.
"Well okay fine. But I swear to god, he hurts you and I'll stake him myself." he replied fiercely, looking over her shoulder at Spike.
"Thank you, for everything." she said before turning to leave.
Angel let out a frustrated sigh and picked up the sword laying on the ground next to him. Suddenly a ray of light hit him from above and he fell to his knees. Buffy turned around to find Angel grabbing his chest and his eyes glowing. She ran to him and propped him up while Spike looked on.
Buffy heard a loud thumping noise coming from somewhere. She couldn't tell where it was coming from until she looked down to see Angel feeling his chest. The thumping was his heart beat. He was human.
"It's the prophecy." Spike called out to a confused Buffy.
She turned to him with a questioning look.
"The vampire with a soul who saves the world from the greatest evil is restored his humanity with the gift of immense strength and ability as a vampire." he rambled, clearly unimpressed.
Angel smiled at Buffy before standing up and taking her hand. She looked at Spike and shook her head. He sighed and kissed her forehead before strolling out of the alley.
First things first, find a really nice grassy hill and watch the sunrise. Oh yeah, I could get used to this. He thought to himself.
And with that he was gone.
Buffy turned to Spike who was looking slightly awe struck.
"You chose me? Even after tall, dark, and brooding there turned human?"
"Does this answer your question?" she asked before her lips crashed into his. They pulled away a short time later both gasping for air.
"So I was wondering. What did you tell Angel while I was gone?" he asked curiously, tilting his head to the side, searching for answers.
"Nothing you don't already know." she smiled before capturing his lips with hers once again.
He put his hand around her waist and heard the crinkle of paper as he held her.
"What's this?" he asked reaching in her pocket and pulling out a sheet of paper.
She tried to take it from him but he was too fast.
He unfolded the paper to find a poem scrawled in her hand writing.
Your blue eyes I've missed for so long
Your soul sang to me such a sweet song.
Your kiss is something I can never forget
I'll always be your love; your one and only pet
What we had blazed just like the sun
You always were my champion
He reread it three more times before he wiped the single tear that carved a path down his cheek.
"I'm no writer. I know it's-"
"It's Beautiful, love." he told her as he tucked it into his duster. "When did you write it?" he asked her, pulling her tightly against his chest.
"Yesterday." she replied blushing.
He brushed a stray hair from her face and laid a soft and gentle kiss on her lips. She pulled away and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you." she whispered, her breath tickling his ear.
"And I you." he replied, smiling.