Title: The Perfect Gift
Part: 1 (PG this part)
Spoilers: up to "The Gift." This is set right after "The Gift."
Summary: future fic. My take on how season six should have gone.
Archive: My site. Trish's. All others please ask first please.
Feedback: Yes, please. 
Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters belong to Joss Whedon, & Mutant Enemy. I'm just borrowing them for my fic.
Date: 5/28/01 Revised: 7/6/01

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The Perfect Gift
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When Spike's sobs finally subsided somewhat, he crept closer to Buffy and smoothed her hair away from her brow. As he placed a gentle kiss on her brow he whispered, "Don't worry, I'll be strong and I'll take care of her."

With a final parting glance, he turned away and screamed, "ASHEN! ASHEN!"

In answer to his summoning, a female dressed in blue and silver lined garments appeared. At first glance one would assume that she was human, but a second closer look was more revealing to her non-humaniod origins. She was tall and slim, her ice white hair was clipped at the base of her neck & again at her waist it came to its silky end well past her knees. She had a slightly elfish look to her, silver eyes and a healthy golden skin tone.
Ashen arched her brow arrogantly as she snapped, "Yes? What is it you desire, lower being?"
Spike looked her dead in the eye as he replied, "I want to see them. I'm calling in my debt."
"Very well," Ashen replied as she gestured & they both disappear.

Spike and Ashen appear in an antechamber.

"Did you bring a gift?" Ashen asked Spike. Spike nodded in reply.

Ashen approached a birdbath sized bowl in front of a stone archway. The archway is carved into the cave wall and the space between the arches is smooth, solid stone. Ashen approached the archway and waved her hand in front of it and what once was solid stone is now an arched doorway of solid light. She gestured for Spike to follow her as she stepped through the blinding light.

Once through the light, Spike found himself facing a golden trio. Two females and a male with piercing violet eyes dressed in black robes.

"Come before us," the Elders reply in unison.

"What have you brought us?" One of the females asked.

Ashen stayed in the background as Spike moved forward and took a small bag from his pocket. He opened the bag and removed a gold pocket watch. He opened the pocket watch and looked at the picture inside, "I brought you the last thing my father gave me before he died."

One of the female Elders held out her hand and the pocket watch flew into it, "I like memories, it's like time. There's so little and yet so much of it."

The male gestured to Spike, "What have you come for?"

"I have come for the Slayer. Buffy Summers."

"We know off her. What about her?" A female elder replied.

"I am here to beg for her life," Spike said.

"Lower being, if it has happened, it was meant to be. It is not our place to grant life or death," an elder replied.

"In exchange for her life I ask you to take my un-life. The world has a much more need of a Slayer than just another soulless vampire," Spike continued.

"What is done cannot be undone," the male protested sadly.

"Yet one life for another can be done," the female intervened.

The other female looked as if she's listening to something before interjecting, "The Auguries say yes."

The male elder looked over at Ashen and said, "Escort her here."

Ashen nodded and disappeared.

Ashen appeared in a clearing. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and the birds were chirping. In the distance the roar of a mighty river could be heard. Simply put it was paradise.

There was a couple walking hand in hand who were oblivious to it all.

Under a nearby tree in the shade a blonde young woman was having a picnic with a slightly older blonde woman.

Ashen walked over to the tree.

"Buffy?"

The blonde young woman looked up at her and smiled, "Yes?"

"The Elders request your presence at once."

Buffy nodded and leaned over to kiss her Mom on the cheek, "I'll be right back, Mommy. I love you."

Ashen took Buffy's hand and they disappeared.

They appeared next to Spike in the antechamber.

"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed as she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

Spike held her close as he kissed the top of her head. "Oh Buffy," he sighed, "I kept my promise to you. I'm going to take good care of the Nibblet. I'm going to give her the one thing she needs the most...you."

end part one.