Chapter 11
Buffy walked in the cafeteria and saw her friend already sitting down. She smiled and sat down next to her. "How's your day going, Willow?" The other woman shrugged.
"Okay as usual. Why do you seem so cheery?" Buffy shrugged also.
"Don't know, didn't realize I was." She explained.
"So, did you hear about Spike? I take it if you're all happy then chances are you haven't." Buffy shook her head.
"What about him?" Willow wasn't sure how her friend would take the news.
"I heard he's leaving. He just gave his two weeks notice." Buffy wasn't expecting that.
"Are you telling me that he quit?" Willow nodded.
"That's what it sounds like, I was a bit surprised." Buffy agreed.
"That doesn't make any sense. Spike wouldn't quit, he loves teaching here." Willow shrugged.
"I don't know, maybe you should talk to him about it." Buffy nodded and thought about what she would say when she saw him. Buffy walked to Spike's class later that day when she knew he had a free period. She opened the door to find him cleaning off his desk.
"So, it's true then? You're really leaving?" Spike looked up when he heard her.
"Yeah, looks like." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Were you even going to tell me?" Spike let out the breath that he was holding.
"I was going to, just didn't know how." Buffy uncrossed her arms and shook her head.
"I don't get it. Why are you leaving? I thought you liked it here." Spike nodded.
"I do, but I got another job offer." He told her.
"Where?" She asked and he took a deep breath before he answered her.
"I'll be moving back to England, got a job at Oxford. I always planned on going back someday; this was never supposed to be permanent." Buffy felt saddened at the thought of him moving so far away.
"Oh, that's great. I'm happy for you." She said trying to convince herself. Spike nodded even though it hurt him to leave her, but he figured it was the right thing. "So, when are you leaving?" She asked.
"In about three weeks." Buffy nodded and looked away from him. She couldn't believe that he was leaving when she just discovered that she had feelings for him. She figured it was a good thing that she never got to tell him now that he was leaving. She looked back at him and tried to keep the tears in.
"Spike, does this have anything to do with me? I mean did I do something to make you want to leave?" Buffy knew it sounded stupid even before she said it.
"Why would you think that?" She just shrugged and didn't say anything. He walked closer to her and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "You didn't do anything, love. This is just something that I have to do." Buffy hugged him back and decided that she couldn't keep her tears in any longer.
"I'm really going to miss you." She said and Spike kissed the top of her head.
"I'll miss you, too. We'll keep in touch, okay?" Buffy nodded and Spike let her go. "You wouldn't even notice I'm gone." Buffy cracked a smile.
"Somehow I doubt that." Spike smiled at her and touched her face.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Summers. I'll never forget you." Buffy gave him a small smile.
"You better not." Spike hugged her again and Buffy held on to him. She knew things would never be the same.
Buffy walked in the cafeteria and saw her friend already sitting down. She smiled and sat down next to her. "How's your day going, Willow?" The other woman shrugged.
"Okay as usual. Why do you seem so cheery?" Buffy shrugged also.
"Don't know, didn't realize I was." She explained.
"So, did you hear about Spike? I take it if you're all happy then chances are you haven't." Buffy shook her head.
"What about him?" Willow wasn't sure how her friend would take the news.
"I heard he's leaving. He just gave his two weeks notice." Buffy wasn't expecting that.
"Are you telling me that he quit?" Willow nodded.
"That's what it sounds like, I was a bit surprised." Buffy agreed.
"That doesn't make any sense. Spike wouldn't quit, he loves teaching here." Willow shrugged.
"I don't know, maybe you should talk to him about it." Buffy nodded and thought about what she would say when she saw him. Buffy walked to Spike's class later that day when she knew he had a free period. She opened the door to find him cleaning off his desk.
"So, it's true then? You're really leaving?" Spike looked up when he heard her.
"Yeah, looks like." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Were you even going to tell me?" Spike let out the breath that he was holding.
"I was going to, just didn't know how." Buffy uncrossed her arms and shook her head.
"I don't get it. Why are you leaving? I thought you liked it here." Spike nodded.
"I do, but I got another job offer." He told her.
"Where?" She asked and he took a deep breath before he answered her.
"I'll be moving back to England, got a job at Oxford. I always planned on going back someday; this was never supposed to be permanent." Buffy felt saddened at the thought of him moving so far away.
"Oh, that's great. I'm happy for you." She said trying to convince herself. Spike nodded even though it hurt him to leave her, but he figured it was the right thing. "So, when are you leaving?" She asked.
"In about three weeks." Buffy nodded and looked away from him. She couldn't believe that he was leaving when she just discovered that she had feelings for him. She figured it was a good thing that she never got to tell him now that he was leaving. She looked back at him and tried to keep the tears in.
"Spike, does this have anything to do with me? I mean did I do something to make you want to leave?" Buffy knew it sounded stupid even before she said it.
"Why would you think that?" She just shrugged and didn't say anything. He walked closer to her and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "You didn't do anything, love. This is just something that I have to do." Buffy hugged him back and decided that she couldn't keep her tears in any longer.
"I'm really going to miss you." She said and Spike kissed the top of her head.
"I'll miss you, too. We'll keep in touch, okay?" Buffy nodded and Spike let her go. "You wouldn't even notice I'm gone." Buffy cracked a smile.
"Somehow I doubt that." Spike smiled at her and touched her face.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Summers. I'll never forget you." Buffy gave him a small smile.
"You better not." Spike hugged her again and Buffy held on to him. She knew things would never be the same.