I, THE SLAYER; YOU, THE MONSTER. And also that night she had staked a lot of them. 10? 15? She couldn't remember the exact number, but she was sure that it was a really good job. As always; after all, she was always the Slayer. But what a pity that that bloody vampire's dust was now all over her new leather coat. It was so annoying... Dead tired, Buffy led herself fall heavily on a chair in the kitchen. She wasn't hungry and, although it was very late, she wasn't neither sleepy. Dawn was certainly sleeping, so she didn't want to disturb her. She slid further on the front door, closing it behind her with a noise as little as possible. She knew perfectly where she had to go when she was feeling lonely. Made sure to have the reserve stake, she crossed the home path and she walked on the pavement. She didn't like the night. Too many dark and wicked things were hidden in the corners, always ready to jump on you. After all, that was the risk for who lived on the Hellmouth. Every night demons, vampires, evil beings and bloody creatures came out from their shelters to plunder the men's birth. And then here comes Buffy the Slayer who always saves everybody. But that heroic role didn't suit her. Buffy kills the Master, Buffy redeems Angel, Buffy saves the school, Buffy foils the apocalypse, Buffy dies but she's resuscitated and incredibly she can get back into the society... Stop. That was the time to put an end to this. Buffy wasn't only a Slayer, but also a girl with heart and feelings. She's had enough of fighting demons and preventing apocalypses. She only wanted to live a normal life, like everyone else. Her first boyfriend was a vampire. And after him she proposed to never do it again. In fact, here comes Spike knocking on her door, and what's the only thing that she was able to do? She's been sleeping with him, what a question! Her life was a mess: now a bloody vampire came to upset it even more, that's all she needs! She didn't love him, and she knew it perfectly. She didn't know well why she kept on going to him at night. Maybe because she was lonely, or just because she wasn't able to find a normal guy. Yes, it could be exactly this the reason. The only one human boyfriend that she has had ran away. A Slayer can't have relationships. No friends, no relatives, no love; she has learnt it at her own expense. Everyone who stayed with her was destined to die. But that thing with Spike was different... He knew what were the risks. He could understand her like none has ever done before. Their relation wasn't love, it didn't have all the necessary qualifications to be it. She didn't trust him, and she never will. She knew that sooner or later their agreement will finish. Spike was always a vampire, a deceptive creature. She perfectly knew that, agreeing to remove his chip, he would have tried to kill her again. He couldn't do nothing else. Spike wasn't made to be good or to love her, but to kill her. This were the rules of the play between the Slayer and the vampire: one or the other had to be overcome. At this point, she didn't care if she would be the loser. She was fed up with what she was doing. She had tasted the Heaven and she was looking forward to returning there. She felt dirty for every night passed with Spike. She didn't like him so much. She had to stop going to him. To tell the truth, she wouldn't have started to see him. She didn't want to see his face and his blue eyes anymore. She didn't want to embrace his dead body anymore, or to wake up in the middle of the night realising that her lover's heart wasn't beating and that she couldn't hear his quiet breath. How much still did she has to humiliate herself? She wasn't one of the many sluts that Spike has had. She didn't neither suffer the sight of that hated vampire. She would have been relieved only when he would have been a heap of ashes. After all, what will it take? A stake straight to his heart and Spike will disappear forever. She has done it a million of times, that wouldn't be a problem. She was even able to kill Angel, her Angel; why the hell with Spike it would have been different? He was a vampire like others! Or maybe not... After all, when she had to face the apocalypse, when her mother died, when she was revived, Spike was there. Not Giles, not Dawn, not Willow, not Angel; but Spike. Who was that one that in the evening was waiting for her outside the porch to comfort her, to ask her how she was, to have a chat? Spike, obviously. But all those things didn't matter anymore. He wasn't her boyfriend, and neither a relative. He was a vampire. A filthy, evil, merciless vampire. And she was the Slayer. She was holding the stake, she was the Chosen that had to wipe out all of them. For that reason that night she would have gone to Spike's. Not to sleep with him, but to slay him. It was necessary to stop that matter. While she was thinking, she didn't realised to be in front of his grave. She pushed the heavy wooden door, holding tight the stake. Spike was there, sitting on his creased and faded armchair, stolen who knows where. When he saw her, he went towards her. He hugged her and he smiled at her. Who can say that behind that tenderness there was a centenarian murderer? She caressed his blond bleach hair. She fondled his face pale as death and eternally beautiful and young. She would never see him growing old or withering; no wrinkles would damage his fresh cheeks. She kissed his red lips. They were so soft and, in spite of all, she could swear that they were still preserving the smell of the nineteenth-century London. She broke off her kiss and she looked at him. His eyes... lovely, blue. They were standing out for delight while she was reflected in them. And then she understood. The moment to act had come. She kissed him one more time, the tears were gushing out on her cheeks. She took out the stake from the pocket and she threw it away. With the eyes still shiny, she hugged tighter her Spike. She raised on points, to reach more easily his ear. With the voice broken by sobs, she whispered slowly, as if she wouldn't break the atmosphere of that moment: "I love you, Spike.". Spike looked at her; he wiped away her tears and he said to her with a smile that untied her soul: "You're the one, Buffy.". After all, it wasn't so bad to pass the nights in that cold grave in the suburbs of Sunnydale. There, between her blonde angel's arms, she felt safe. No more Slayers, apocalypses, demons or curses. Only he and her. Forever. She fell asleep quietly, for the first time of her life, with her head pleasantly leaned on Spike's motionless chest. Who have said that a vampire can't love was really quite mistaken. Rather.