Xander and Anya being the last to arrive, the Scooby gang had all but just gotten together to decide where they should go to search for Toth, when the demon himself entered the Magic Box suddenly, trying to attack Buffy's back.
Spike got between them first, taking the brunt of the hit, and falling to the side. Buffy snaked out from her seat and fell into stride with William, who went in to hit Toth with his bare hands.
She grabbed a sword, as her friends lined the wall behind the table, getting out of harm's way. They watched in stunned silence as Buffy utilized the two blonde vampires' help expertly and seamlessly.
Not a word needed to be spoken for her to signal them to back off when she would go in for a blow. Nor when William had grabbed Toth, leaving Buffy open for an attack and she used Spike's thigh and shoulder, almost like a cheerleading move, to get better leverage in the air for the killing downward slice.
Toth's body slipped away from itself, completely cut in half vertically with a slopping noise,
"Ew." Willow's nose crumpled in disgust.
William wiping his hands together, Spike shaking off his duster, Buffy pulling down the cuffs of her shirt.
"Good show!" Xander cheered, smiling at the fidgeting warriors.
Buffy smiled softly, her heart racing at the exhilaration from partnering with Spike… the two Spike's... to take out Toth. She was nearly embarrassed at the way she used them, though she acknowledged and appreciated the way they accepted their place by her side.
She'd never gone out and fought evil with Riley as easily or without him undermining her strategies. It was a stark contrast in her mind of how different she was from her human counterparts.
"Ah yes," Giles had taken off his glasses, tending to wipe them, if he was uncertain of his next words, "It seems, you three, seem to work quite well together… I would like to ask if you'd participate in the training I have with Buffy, maybe... once a week to start?"
Spike looked to William, frowning with a bit of a pout, about to shake his head at his twin, who seemed positively chuffed at the invitation to train with Buffy.
"Why not?" William saw the look on Spike's face and was curious to know why out of all the other times since the split this was the time they didn't agree.
Willow, Tara, Anya, and Xander were watching the two vampires like a tennis match. The tension between the two rose in a way no one could ignore. Their expressions going through so many moods and Buffy took a step between the Spikes, feeling their apprehension and now a little uneasy over the training offer herself.
"Giles... I dunno, maybe we'll talk about this some other time."
Spike was pleasantly surprised at her offer of an out. Instantly accepting that he'd mull it over and speak to William about it in private. Right now he didn't want to get into a match with his other half over it, especially not in front of all the Scoobies.
Seeing the look of his twin, William furrowed his brow, stubborn as all hell, "No, no. Let's talk about it right now, Spike! Why the bloody hell not?!" His voice raised, his eyes glinting slightly yellowed.
Spike knew his half wouldn't be backing down and he curled his lip into a snarl, "Outside, now!"
The two vampires stalked through the back room and out into the alley beside the Magic box, the Scoobies hot on their tail, except for Buffy who sighed. Ever since the two Spike's had split she was feeling all sorts of ways.
Spike thoughts, thoughts of Spike all night, all day. Could she adequately train with the two of them or (she shivered a little putting the gooey Toth-covered sword down on his corpse) platonically?
She knew the feeling in her gut as they fought those fledges last night, but more so when they fought the more powerful Toth together. Spike was her equal, a good partner, ever since his chip… before the chip…
Spike never asked anything of her, didn't make her feel bad or unladylike with her strength, he just fought beside her, protected her, for over a year now. She trusted him around her friends, her family even, and… well herself.
Another sigh as she stepped out to the alley with her friends, she caught the end of another goad from William for Spike to explain himself. The two vampires were circling each other slowly, tense, and ready for battle.
"What're you so afraid of Spike!?"
That sent the more demon-filled Spike into a rage, calling into question his fear, out loud, in front of all the Scoobies. He lunged at his twin, but William easily sidestepped him.
"Tsk tsk, big brother." William was all for the condescension at the moment, "You know you get sloppy when you're angry."
Spike growled and shook into his game face, snarling as they laced in and out a few strikes hitting their mark, but mostly just a game of defense. William kept his cool enough to fight with his human face, but only sometimes when Spike got close, could Buffy make out the yellow in William's eyes.
All the Scoobies especially Giles were in awe of their speed, much like she had been last night in the cemetery. One moment they flashed together, a grunt, a growl, and then they were feet apart, a predator's game.
William caught Spike's arm against his neck in a way that momentarily disabled him, "Why not train with Buffy?" his grasp intensified with his teeth clenched together.
"We are demons!" Spike's rage surmounted as he said it, breaking away from William's clutches like swatting away a fly.
William frowned at his double, prepared for another attack but Spike continued, apparently over his stage fright. His blood was boiling over this fight with his half self.
"How's it look, huh?! For a master vampire, finally on his own, for once, to saddle up and play pet to the Slayer?! This whole year, this bloody chip, putting us at odds with our own nature. Playing white hat, pretending we were still some semblance of the Big Bad. You know, William. Just how soft we're getting… soft we are." He spat at his double, who was wrapped in the emotion his demon was letting out.
Buffy's mouth gaped, and she was sure the other's mouths were too, flabbergasted by this simplification and the well-educated tone of the 'more evil'/stronger Spike side.
"Show her our secrets, you ask me?! You know dancing with her will surely do that; hasn't it already?! Give her our true selves!? Why the hell should we give her that advantage over our heart!" Spike's open palm slammed into his chest when he said it and Buffy's heart sped up.
Spike's game face slipped away and his blue eyes seemed wet, although they looked towards William only. Pretending the others weren't there to witness his honesty, her breath caught in her throat, the emotions gutted her like a knife.
Did he feel so strongly about her? She didn't know what she felt, these days had been a rollercoaster of thoughts though. She glanced at her friends, trying to get a grip on herself.
Giles was pulling his glasses off in shock, Xander looked so confused. Willow, Tara, and even Anya were sappily smiling as if they were caught up watching a romance film. The Slayer felt so uncertain but edged towards the rest of the girls.
William stepped forward towards Spike, not out of anger this time, out of the understanding of this fear his twin had.
"I feel what you feel too, brother." He whispered calmingly, but Spike's half snarled and eyed him up, "We're bloody stubborn, and yah, maybe this chip let us go a little soft."
Spike rolled his eyes, huffing, thinking it was a lot more than a little, sliding his arms across his chest defensively. William put his hand out but didn't touch his twin's bicep, just hovered over it.
"Over a hundred years, we've been together. Been Dru's playtoy, lover, caretaker. Angelus's whipping boy, Darla's shameful great grandchilde… never vampire enough for the likes of them."
Spike stiffened at his own history lesson, looking away from it to the wall.
"Remember how we tried? We tried to do it their way. The slaughters they led, the towns they fed upon and burned to the ground. We wanted family, it's always been about family, even before we were turned."
William and Spike thought of their mother at that exact instance, her weak shaky hands, holding on to her embroidery and him sitting at her feet, reading her poetry. William snapped them back before they thought of how nasty she had been to him after he turned her.
"We hadn't felt whole or comfortable as a vampire, hadn't finally accepted our place. Not until we met that first Slayer in China." William finally let his hand touch Spike's duster-covered arm and this notion made Spike loosen up slightly, looking back to his double's sensitive eyes.
"She opened us up to the beauty of the fight, an equal battleground, a worthy opponent. That dance between evil and light." William shook his head a little with a smile to the ground, "It was a purpose, we thought we found. The Slayer of Slayers."
They both smirked at the play on words, the title they so loved, but when they caught each other's eye again.
"That's not it now though." Spike's rougher voice ground out and William pursed his lips.
William bounced back and tried to get Spike to circle him again, get his rage back up, "Yah, sure as hell isn't now. Now, our purpose is gone, our horrible family, our crazy lover… all gone. A master vampire, finally on his own, for once," throwing Spike's words back in his face, "And all we want, all we've ever wanted, is here. Right here in front of us."
Spike's arms fell from his chest, understanding what his half was saying exactly. Head dangling down in abject defeat of wits and truth. "I love the Slayer", he sighed out, these, the hardest words to admit, down to his boots.
Buffy's eyes were wide, her heart still racing, not clear on if she had heard Spike right, she couldn't have heard him correctly. She tried to gather what her friends thought, but couldn't see them clearly amidst her fear, and craving for his words to be true.
But William spoke up and looked directly at her, "Not just her blood, her strength, her light… no. Her entirety, her as family, her as love, and not the enemy." Buffy felt the hot tears rise up at the ferocity of the emotions swirling around in this alley, her heart clenched, her mind useless.
William smiled softly, "So yah, why not train with the Slayer?" Bringing them back full circle to why they were out here, "Mucking about with these white hats is sorta fun. Especially since we can't fight anything but other demons, with this chip, and she's a damn demon magnet." He ended on a smirk and Spike's eyes lifted, no longer ashamed. His feelings all out on the table.
Willow gasped, remembering that turn of phrase she used by mistake during her, "thy will be done" spell. Tara held on to her warmly.
Xander piped up also trying to lighten the group with a waggle of his finger to the two vampires, "Nope! No more magnet demoney talk outta you!"
The two vampires smiled a little shyly, both facing the group for the first time, in this whole shockingly gentlemanly conversation about Buffy, in front of the Slayer in question.
Buffy was just blinking, staring at the two vampires, her heart calming the more she stared. Her mind whirring to a million thoughts all at once, but settling on a few that reassured her.
Spike's been in her life for nearly three years now, sure he tried to kill her in the beginning, but he also teamed up with her, supported her, protected her and her family and friends. He was annoyingly brazen, foolhardy, shy, and kind, let alone sexy and one hell of a fighter, she realized, she always had a soft spot for him.
He wasn't like any soulless vampire she'd ever met. Not that she chit chats with most of them, but still, he was an anomaly, even Giles said it to her on more than one occasion.
The shift of her friends caught her eye, breaking her thoughts away from the conundrum that was Spike. The staring match between Buffy and the two Spike's was turning a tad more uncomfortable by the seconds in silence.
William lifted his hand to the back of his head and casually scratched it, smiling at her, hoping she'd say something. Spike sucked in his cheeks, waiting for the disparaging remark he thought she'd for sure be saying next.
"You love me?" She whispered totally not believing her own question was coming out of her own mouth at the two of them.
They blinked at her and then glanced at each other.
Spike put his hand down, "I love you, Slayer."
William put his hand down and took Spike's hand in his, "I love you, Buffy."
It was Tara and Anya's turn to gasp and Willow reached out to them. Buffy had just the time to blink and there was just one Spike standing in front of them all now.
Slicked back hair, though it was a tad curlier on top than usual, typical black duster, red button-down, all over William's more typical black t-shirt and jeans.
Buffy was grinning, her tears never falling from her eyes, but this, him, whole him, made her Slayer senses happy. Happy in a way she never would have imagined, all the way down to her belly.
She shrugged away her fear, her inhibition, and reached out to him. Pulling him into a hug, arms around his neck, his arms found their way around her waist. Spike sighed into her casual accepting embrace.
Could he have come to the conclusion he loved her, so soon, if he hadn't been split apart? If he hadn't had the chance to fight with himself over his own fears and wants? He didn't know, but he knew he belonged in her life, in her arms, in her light.
And just like William said to him on their first night apart, he'd always protect her, his Slayer, his Buffy, with his life. He just wanted the very best for her, even if that meant him to stand aside if she didn't want him, the whole vampire, he was.
Buffy leaned back and looked up at him smiling sincerely. She couldn't remember being this happy ever, maybe not since before she was called into her Slayer rites.
Giles cleared his throat a bit. Both blonde's looked at the Scooby gang, the girls unabashedly smiling at the couple, Xander looked a little perturbed but then smiled and shrugged.
It was Giles's face Buffy was most afraid of but he was just there, blinking, trying to understand what it all meant. Not judging her, like she thought he might, for being in the arms of the second vampire who loved her, their enemy, the Slayer.
Buffy smiled happily at her friends, so grateful for their understanding of the situation when she herself was still shocked at the turn of events but definitely felt better in the outcome. She didn't need to overthink this one, intuition was all there for the both of them.
She looked back at Spike, "Um... I guess I gotta tell Riley the engagements back on." She smirked in jest at Spike's wide loving eyes, the reaction she'd hoped for.
"Don't you think that's a little fast, luv?" his eyes darkened, deep down he honestly would be all for it but didn't want her to rush into anything.
She slapped playfully at his chest, "Just kidding, silly. We'll start with just being training partners!"
The end.
Although, finally posting this last chapter... I feel a loss, it ended so soon. My imagination is still running wild. I'd love a comment/review if you feel up for it. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it!
:)