"Buffy!"
Spike jumped up from the bed, surprised to find that he was awake. He quickly looked down at his body, running his hands over his arms and stomach, relieved to find that he was back to normal. His mind instantly flickered to thoughts of his Slayer. Where was she?
He flew down the stairs, in search of anyone who could tell him the answer. He had the worst feeling, and it wasn't getting any better. He easily found Joyce sitting in the kitchen with Anya, Dawn, and...
"You're li'l?" he exclaimed, examining the small fairy.
'You're up,' she replied, smiling. 'Then the Slayer has won. Her smile faded as she saw the worried look on his face.'
"I 'ave to find her," he said nervously. I 'ave this feeling, and it's no' good."
'Then you can follow me,' she said hastily. She turned to her hosts, 'I am sorry, we must go.'
With that, she fluttered out the door that the vampire had opened. He was right, something was wrong. Something could have happened to the young woman, and here she had been, hiding. That's exactly what it was. Too afraid to face this creature that the Slayer had not thought twice about.
She was far ahead of the vampire now, but she didn't fear him losing track of her. She was openly leaving a trail behind. If he lost sight of her, he could follow that. She had to get there on time, she couldn't be too late.
.................................................................
Buffy stood there for a moment, looking at the corpse as it began to fade away. Her back turned to Giles as he watched her lower her head.
"Buffy," he said nervously, not sure of what to say next. When she didn't respond, he began to move closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Buffy?"
At the touch of his hand, the blond slayer turned slowly around to face her watcher. As he looked into her hazel eyes he saw pain reflected in them for just a moment before she lowered her gaze. He followed her eyes down to where her hands clung tightly to her lower abdomen. Fear overcame him as Buffy removed them, revealing the small dagger. Deep red, almost black, blood seeped out of the wound and through her clothing, staining the palm of her hands.
"Giles," she whispered desperately, blood beginning to show at the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes tightly in pain as her legs gave way under her. The Watcher caught her just moments before she hit the ground and sank down gently with her, cradling her in his arms.
"Buffy!" he cried, tears forming in his eyes. "Shhh...y...you'll be okay."
He grabbed a hold of her blood-smeared hand and held it firmly. Her breathing started to shallow and a cough escaped her lips, bringing up more blood.
"Spike," she said softly. Her eyes looked urgently at the older man, as if she needed an answer.
"H...he should be fine now...now that she..."
Buffy closed her eyes again and nodded.
"C...can you tell him," she started, pausing to catch her breath. "That I love..."
"Shhh...I know," Giles replied, giving her a forced smile behind his tear streaked face. There was nothing he could do. He was going to lose her, the closest thing to a child he had ever had. She was fading away before his very eyes and he could do nothing. "Don't talk anymore, save your strength."
"Thank you."
Her eyes seemed to glaze over and she began to loosen her grip. He had been unaware how tightly she too had been holding on. Her mouth moved in words too softly for him to hear. He could only guess that they were not meant for his ears. Then she was gone. He gently held her lifeless body in his arms and cried.
.................................................................
'I love you William.'
The words swirled through Spike's head as he flew to the abandoned building. He ached with a feeling of terror. It had come through the way that Crea's words had, but this was different. It was stronger, by far, and filled with pain. So much pain. He dashed past Xander, who had begun to pick himself off the floor, and made his way up the staircase of the familiar building. He knew, before he saw the limp body in the Watcher's arms, before he smelled the blood and saw the rich liquid that flowed from the wound. He knew.
He froze in the doorway, looking at the scene in disbelief. He quickly caught a glimpse of the two witches passed out in a near-by corner, but his eyes settled on the display directly in front of him.
"Buffy!" he exclaimed, causing the watcher to shift his gaze to the peroxide-blond vampire.
"It's too late," the Britain said sadly as he looked back at the fallen slayer. "There was nothing you could have done."
"No," Spike whispered softly. "NO!" he said louder. He lunged forward and pushed the middle-aged man away from her. He knelt down, taking the body and clutching it tightly. He tore the weapon out of her body and threw it across the small room, allowing more blood to drain out of her.
"You can't do this to me, Slayer!" he shouted, grasping her and shaking her lifeless body violently. "You can't let it end like this! You promised! You promised that you would see me soon! What are you going to do about that promise now, huh?!!"
Tears began streaming down his pale face. He never knew that he could feel so much pain and anger. The sobs were coming freely, he couldn't stop them even if he had tried.
"You can't let it end like this," he repeated a little softer, " Not like this...not because of me..."
Giles gathered himself from where he had fallen and looked at the vampire that was grieving over her.
Spike embraced the empty shell of his love close to him as he wept. He bent himself into a position so that he could hold her in one arm and in the other, bring her head close to his own. He knew that she was gone, but he had to tell her.
"Buffy, you don't know wha' you are doing to me. I love you so much. You never knew nor 'ow much." He smirked sadly. "I didn't understand it for the longest time. It wasn't something that should 'ave 'appened. Vampires don't fall in love with slayers, bu' then, you know 'ow I don't like to follow the rules."
He adjusted his legs to prop her against one of them. His pain-filled, blue eyes washed over the lines of her face and his fingers gently followed.
"I keep thinking maybe this was never meant to be, but then I wonder why. Why was all this allowed to happen if this was 'ow it was going to end?" He looked vacantly up to the ceiling. "Maybe this was all just a cruel joke on both of us, eh?"
He chuckled to himself.
"Pretty bleeding funny! You never would 'ave been in this bloody mess if it wasn't for me! Why, pet, why? Why couldn't you jus' le' me be?!"
He got quiet for a few moments and then continued softly again.
"Cor, I loved you so much, Summers. Why couldn't you 'ave le' me be?"
His tears had begun to slow down, but the pain was only at the beginning. He brought his face down and gently pressed his lips against hers in a final kiss. They lingered, licking the blood that had stained them. He slowly moved his face back enough to whisper softly in her deaf ears.
"Know that I was the last to taste your blood, Slayer, and it will be a part of me forever."
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked up to see Giles hovering over him. Tears rimming his own eyes as he looked at the two. He had heard Spike's confessions and decided that he should tell him.
"She wanted you to know that she loved you."
Spike looked back at the body in his arms.
"I know," he replied softly. "But I never had a chance to tell her."
Spike jumped up from the bed, surprised to find that he was awake. He quickly looked down at his body, running his hands over his arms and stomach, relieved to find that he was back to normal. His mind instantly flickered to thoughts of his Slayer. Where was she?
He flew down the stairs, in search of anyone who could tell him the answer. He had the worst feeling, and it wasn't getting any better. He easily found Joyce sitting in the kitchen with Anya, Dawn, and...
"You're li'l?" he exclaimed, examining the small fairy.
'You're up,' she replied, smiling. 'Then the Slayer has won. Her smile faded as she saw the worried look on his face.'
"I 'ave to find her," he said nervously. I 'ave this feeling, and it's no' good."
'Then you can follow me,' she said hastily. She turned to her hosts, 'I am sorry, we must go.'
With that, she fluttered out the door that the vampire had opened. He was right, something was wrong. Something could have happened to the young woman, and here she had been, hiding. That's exactly what it was. Too afraid to face this creature that the Slayer had not thought twice about.
She was far ahead of the vampire now, but she didn't fear him losing track of her. She was openly leaving a trail behind. If he lost sight of her, he could follow that. She had to get there on time, she couldn't be too late.
.................................................................
Buffy stood there for a moment, looking at the corpse as it began to fade away. Her back turned to Giles as he watched her lower her head.
"Buffy," he said nervously, not sure of what to say next. When she didn't respond, he began to move closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Buffy?"
At the touch of his hand, the blond slayer turned slowly around to face her watcher. As he looked into her hazel eyes he saw pain reflected in them for just a moment before she lowered her gaze. He followed her eyes down to where her hands clung tightly to her lower abdomen. Fear overcame him as Buffy removed them, revealing the small dagger. Deep red, almost black, blood seeped out of the wound and through her clothing, staining the palm of her hands.
"Giles," she whispered desperately, blood beginning to show at the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes tightly in pain as her legs gave way under her. The Watcher caught her just moments before she hit the ground and sank down gently with her, cradling her in his arms.
"Buffy!" he cried, tears forming in his eyes. "Shhh...y...you'll be okay."
He grabbed a hold of her blood-smeared hand and held it firmly. Her breathing started to shallow and a cough escaped her lips, bringing up more blood.
"Spike," she said softly. Her eyes looked urgently at the older man, as if she needed an answer.
"H...he should be fine now...now that she..."
Buffy closed her eyes again and nodded.
"C...can you tell him," she started, pausing to catch her breath. "That I love..."
"Shhh...I know," Giles replied, giving her a forced smile behind his tear streaked face. There was nothing he could do. He was going to lose her, the closest thing to a child he had ever had. She was fading away before his very eyes and he could do nothing. "Don't talk anymore, save your strength."
"Thank you."
Her eyes seemed to glaze over and she began to loosen her grip. He had been unaware how tightly she too had been holding on. Her mouth moved in words too softly for him to hear. He could only guess that they were not meant for his ears. Then she was gone. He gently held her lifeless body in his arms and cried.
.................................................................
'I love you William.'
The words swirled through Spike's head as he flew to the abandoned building. He ached with a feeling of terror. It had come through the way that Crea's words had, but this was different. It was stronger, by far, and filled with pain. So much pain. He dashed past Xander, who had begun to pick himself off the floor, and made his way up the staircase of the familiar building. He knew, before he saw the limp body in the Watcher's arms, before he smelled the blood and saw the rich liquid that flowed from the wound. He knew.
He froze in the doorway, looking at the scene in disbelief. He quickly caught a glimpse of the two witches passed out in a near-by corner, but his eyes settled on the display directly in front of him.
"Buffy!" he exclaimed, causing the watcher to shift his gaze to the peroxide-blond vampire.
"It's too late," the Britain said sadly as he looked back at the fallen slayer. "There was nothing you could have done."
"No," Spike whispered softly. "NO!" he said louder. He lunged forward and pushed the middle-aged man away from her. He knelt down, taking the body and clutching it tightly. He tore the weapon out of her body and threw it across the small room, allowing more blood to drain out of her.
"You can't do this to me, Slayer!" he shouted, grasping her and shaking her lifeless body violently. "You can't let it end like this! You promised! You promised that you would see me soon! What are you going to do about that promise now, huh?!!"
Tears began streaming down his pale face. He never knew that he could feel so much pain and anger. The sobs were coming freely, he couldn't stop them even if he had tried.
"You can't let it end like this," he repeated a little softer, " Not like this...not because of me..."
Giles gathered himself from where he had fallen and looked at the vampire that was grieving over her.
Spike embraced the empty shell of his love close to him as he wept. He bent himself into a position so that he could hold her in one arm and in the other, bring her head close to his own. He knew that she was gone, but he had to tell her.
"Buffy, you don't know wha' you are doing to me. I love you so much. You never knew nor 'ow much." He smirked sadly. "I didn't understand it for the longest time. It wasn't something that should 'ave 'appened. Vampires don't fall in love with slayers, bu' then, you know 'ow I don't like to follow the rules."
He adjusted his legs to prop her against one of them. His pain-filled, blue eyes washed over the lines of her face and his fingers gently followed.
"I keep thinking maybe this was never meant to be, but then I wonder why. Why was all this allowed to happen if this was 'ow it was going to end?" He looked vacantly up to the ceiling. "Maybe this was all just a cruel joke on both of us, eh?"
He chuckled to himself.
"Pretty bleeding funny! You never would 'ave been in this bloody mess if it wasn't for me! Why, pet, why? Why couldn't you jus' le' me be?!"
He got quiet for a few moments and then continued softly again.
"Cor, I loved you so much, Summers. Why couldn't you 'ave le' me be?"
His tears had begun to slow down, but the pain was only at the beginning. He brought his face down and gently pressed his lips against hers in a final kiss. They lingered, licking the blood that had stained them. He slowly moved his face back enough to whisper softly in her deaf ears.
"Know that I was the last to taste your blood, Slayer, and it will be a part of me forever."
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked up to see Giles hovering over him. Tears rimming his own eyes as he looked at the two. He had heard Spike's confessions and decided that he should tell him.
"She wanted you to know that she loved you."
Spike looked back at the body in his arms.
"I know," he replied softly. "But I never had a chance to tell her."