Part 10
Author's Note: Memories and "present" abound in this part. Written before the finale so yea … if I screw up on it then … yea.
The dirt walls of the cavern shook, dirt falling to the ground as a bright light resounded through the atmosphere. Buffy fell, clutching her side as her blood poured to the ground. Behind her she felt cool arms grab her inert form as shrill screaming filled the air, "Dawn …"
"Ssh, she's okay," the accented voice wrapped around her, his arms pressing her closer to him as her vision grew blurry.
"Spike," her voice was hoarse as the world began dimming further. She could feel the vibrations of her friend's feet as they neared the couple, "Don't let me go."
"Buffy," Willow's voice echoed through her reverie as he friend knelt beside her, trying to ease her out of Spike's arms as the Scoobies gathered around them. Xander's eyes were red while Dawn openly sobbed. She was aware of Anya frantically babbling while Tara wept silently and stroked Dawn's hair. And then there was Giles … his features hardened as he stared at her form and the blood the pooled around her body.
"No," she moaned, clutching at Spike's duster, her eyes looking at him steadily, "Do it now."
Realization flitted across the Scoobie's faces as the glanced from one another. Willow opened her mouth dumbly, "Buffy … no … you can't."
"Do it," she murmured again, her eyes fading. With a growl he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her jugular before vamping and gently sliding his fangs into her neck as her blood flowed easily into his body. None of them moved to stop him. They all stared in horror as he pulled out, slitting his wrist with his teeth before pressing it to her throat and letting her swallow.
He could taste her in his mouth. Coppery and sweet at the same time, rich and thick as it slid easily through his veins, replacing the blood that flowed just a smoothly down her throat into her fading body.
***
The coffee mug was growing cool between his hands. Beads of moisture dripping down the sides to land on the recesses of his hand before slipping into the narrow crack and tracing over lines, collecting in the tender curvature.
"So," her voice broke through the silence, "How come your ship didn't go off?" He looked up at her, staring at the coffee cup between her hands, giving him nervous glances from underneath her eyelashes.
He shrugged, "Probably because I wasn't trying to hurt you."
She nodded, "I remember … that it didn't hurt."
He looked straight at her. Taking in her pale skin and long blonde hair, her thin form and wide eyes, "I never wanted it to."
"No," their eyes met from across the table," I guess you didn't."
He shrugged again, watching as she looked back down, "That's not the problem though, is it, pet? Being a vampire … you wanted it …"
"Yea," she twisted the mug in her hands, "I did. But I thought … I thought that after you made me you would … stay."
"I did stay, luv," his voice was quiet, "Until you told me to leave."
"It was just a fight, Spike, " her shoulders fell, "We always have fights."
"Yea," he pulled out a cigarette, "But not like that one."
***
The picture hit the wall with a resounding shatter. Glass flew everywhere, scattering on the hardwood floor. Her chest heaved with unneeded breath as her eyes narrowed, "Fuck you, Spike."
He snorted, turning around and reaching under the bed for the duffel bag he kept there, "You seem quite good at doing that, pet."
"Don't call me that," she spat out, her eyes coming to rest on the duffel bag on the bed, "What are you doing?" He ignored her, walking to the closet and moving through the clothes to his side, "I said, 'What are you doing?'" He continued raking through the closet, pulling out shirts and pants, throwing them on the bed, "What the fuck are you doing?!"
She grabbed him arm, twisting him around to reveal his tear-stained face, "What do you think I'm doing you stupid bint? I'm. Leaving. It's what you wanted isn't it?"
She could feel the tears forming in her eyes as she stood quietly, watching him pack away the clothes on the bed before turning to the bureau and pulling out the rest of his belongings, "I. Hate. You."
He stopped and turned to face her, tear tracks evident on his face, "Yea, got that and let me guess how it ends." He paused, eyes closing as he took in an unneeded breath, "And you never will because I'm not Angel? Isn't that right, Slayer? Because unlike you and the magnificent poof I'll always be the wild card. And you can't stand that. It scares you how much freedom I have. How I can be a vampire and not give a bloody damn." He threw the last of his things in his bag before exiting the bedroom door and heading down the stairs.
He heard her behind him, swallowing the tears that threatened to spill at any moment, "Spike … We're not finished yet."
"Oh, really," he turned to face her, grabbing up his car keys from the kitchen counter," Tell me, pet, what's left to say, hmm? Are you going to tell me that you never loved me? That every time you moaned and writhed under me you saw him in your head? Even when you were screaming my name … that all those smiles were a lie? Cause if that's it I don't need to 'ear it." She was silent, the tears openly streaming down her face as he looked at her. With a sigh he dropped the bag and key, coming over to her he put his hand under her chin, lifting her face so that she had to look at him, "Buffy …"
He kissed her softly, savoring the taste of her wet lips as their tears mixed. He felt her loosen in his arms, leaning into him as she reciprocated slowly. He pulled away. Engraving her into his mind, "Don't let me let you go." He whispered it into the air that hung with tension, but she offered no response. Nodding he picked up his things and walked out the door.
***
"I never wanted to leave, pet," he grabbed her hand, caressing the cool flesh with his fingers, "It wasn't supposed to go down like that."
"I know," she bit her lower lip, "I wish I had stopped you."
He leaned back, "So do I."
"After you left," she took the cigarette from his hands, "Nothing got better. I couldn't do it … without you. So I left."
"Where'd you go, pet," he grabbed back the cigarette, putting it out in a nearby ash tray.
She glared at him, "Around. Everywhere. I just came back three months ago"
He arched his eyebrows, "Really, now? That's recent."
"Yea," she took a drink of her coffee, "But I was too busy looking for you to care."
"Really, now," the corners of his mouth turned up, "I fancied you'd spent your time with the great poof."
She shook her head, stirring the hair around her shoulders, "Nope. The only time I saw him was last night." She said the last part in a whisper, once again returning her gaze to the brown liquid in her mug.
"Buffy," his voice was gentle, "What happened?"
She chewed on her lower lip, "We had sex."
"Oh," he pulled back, eyeing her intently, "Well then."
She looked up at him, reaching her hand out to touch his arm, "I don't love him Spike. It was just sex … there was no real feeling. I was just so - lonely."
He looked up at her, their eyes meeting, "Are you still lonely, luv."
She smiled, linking hands with him, "Not anymore."
Author's Note: Memories and "present" abound in this part. Written before the finale so yea … if I screw up on it then … yea.
The dirt walls of the cavern shook, dirt falling to the ground as a bright light resounded through the atmosphere. Buffy fell, clutching her side as her blood poured to the ground. Behind her she felt cool arms grab her inert form as shrill screaming filled the air, "Dawn …"
"Ssh, she's okay," the accented voice wrapped around her, his arms pressing her closer to him as her vision grew blurry.
"Spike," her voice was hoarse as the world began dimming further. She could feel the vibrations of her friend's feet as they neared the couple, "Don't let me go."
"Buffy," Willow's voice echoed through her reverie as he friend knelt beside her, trying to ease her out of Spike's arms as the Scoobies gathered around them. Xander's eyes were red while Dawn openly sobbed. She was aware of Anya frantically babbling while Tara wept silently and stroked Dawn's hair. And then there was Giles … his features hardened as he stared at her form and the blood the pooled around her body.
"No," she moaned, clutching at Spike's duster, her eyes looking at him steadily, "Do it now."
Realization flitted across the Scoobie's faces as the glanced from one another. Willow opened her mouth dumbly, "Buffy … no … you can't."
"Do it," she murmured again, her eyes fading. With a growl he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her jugular before vamping and gently sliding his fangs into her neck as her blood flowed easily into his body. None of them moved to stop him. They all stared in horror as he pulled out, slitting his wrist with his teeth before pressing it to her throat and letting her swallow.
He could taste her in his mouth. Coppery and sweet at the same time, rich and thick as it slid easily through his veins, replacing the blood that flowed just a smoothly down her throat into her fading body.
***
The coffee mug was growing cool between his hands. Beads of moisture dripping down the sides to land on the recesses of his hand before slipping into the narrow crack and tracing over lines, collecting in the tender curvature.
"So," her voice broke through the silence, "How come your ship didn't go off?" He looked up at her, staring at the coffee cup between her hands, giving him nervous glances from underneath her eyelashes.
He shrugged, "Probably because I wasn't trying to hurt you."
She nodded, "I remember … that it didn't hurt."
He looked straight at her. Taking in her pale skin and long blonde hair, her thin form and wide eyes, "I never wanted it to."
"No," their eyes met from across the table," I guess you didn't."
He shrugged again, watching as she looked back down, "That's not the problem though, is it, pet? Being a vampire … you wanted it …"
"Yea," she twisted the mug in her hands, "I did. But I thought … I thought that after you made me you would … stay."
"I did stay, luv," his voice was quiet, "Until you told me to leave."
"It was just a fight, Spike, " her shoulders fell, "We always have fights."
"Yea," he pulled out a cigarette, "But not like that one."
***
The picture hit the wall with a resounding shatter. Glass flew everywhere, scattering on the hardwood floor. Her chest heaved with unneeded breath as her eyes narrowed, "Fuck you, Spike."
He snorted, turning around and reaching under the bed for the duffel bag he kept there, "You seem quite good at doing that, pet."
"Don't call me that," she spat out, her eyes coming to rest on the duffel bag on the bed, "What are you doing?" He ignored her, walking to the closet and moving through the clothes to his side, "I said, 'What are you doing?'" He continued raking through the closet, pulling out shirts and pants, throwing them on the bed, "What the fuck are you doing?!"
She grabbed him arm, twisting him around to reveal his tear-stained face, "What do you think I'm doing you stupid bint? I'm. Leaving. It's what you wanted isn't it?"
She could feel the tears forming in her eyes as she stood quietly, watching him pack away the clothes on the bed before turning to the bureau and pulling out the rest of his belongings, "I. Hate. You."
He stopped and turned to face her, tear tracks evident on his face, "Yea, got that and let me guess how it ends." He paused, eyes closing as he took in an unneeded breath, "And you never will because I'm not Angel? Isn't that right, Slayer? Because unlike you and the magnificent poof I'll always be the wild card. And you can't stand that. It scares you how much freedom I have. How I can be a vampire and not give a bloody damn." He threw the last of his things in his bag before exiting the bedroom door and heading down the stairs.
He heard her behind him, swallowing the tears that threatened to spill at any moment, "Spike … We're not finished yet."
"Oh, really," he turned to face her, grabbing up his car keys from the kitchen counter," Tell me, pet, what's left to say, hmm? Are you going to tell me that you never loved me? That every time you moaned and writhed under me you saw him in your head? Even when you were screaming my name … that all those smiles were a lie? Cause if that's it I don't need to 'ear it." She was silent, the tears openly streaming down her face as he looked at her. With a sigh he dropped the bag and key, coming over to her he put his hand under her chin, lifting her face so that she had to look at him, "Buffy …"
He kissed her softly, savoring the taste of her wet lips as their tears mixed. He felt her loosen in his arms, leaning into him as she reciprocated slowly. He pulled away. Engraving her into his mind, "Don't let me let you go." He whispered it into the air that hung with tension, but she offered no response. Nodding he picked up his things and walked out the door.
***
"I never wanted to leave, pet," he grabbed her hand, caressing the cool flesh with his fingers, "It wasn't supposed to go down like that."
"I know," she bit her lower lip, "I wish I had stopped you."
He leaned back, "So do I."
"After you left," she took the cigarette from his hands, "Nothing got better. I couldn't do it … without you. So I left."
"Where'd you go, pet," he grabbed back the cigarette, putting it out in a nearby ash tray.
She glared at him, "Around. Everywhere. I just came back three months ago"
He arched his eyebrows, "Really, now? That's recent."
"Yea," she took a drink of her coffee, "But I was too busy looking for you to care."
"Really, now," the corners of his mouth turned up, "I fancied you'd spent your time with the great poof."
She shook her head, stirring the hair around her shoulders, "Nope. The only time I saw him was last night." She said the last part in a whisper, once again returning her gaze to the brown liquid in her mug.
"Buffy," his voice was gentle, "What happened?"
She chewed on her lower lip, "We had sex."
"Oh," he pulled back, eyeing her intently, "Well then."
She looked up at him, reaching her hand out to touch his arm, "I don't love him Spike. It was just sex … there was no real feeling. I was just so - lonely."
He looked up at her, their eyes meeting, "Are you still lonely, luv."
She smiled, linking hands with him, "Not anymore."
