Of Fact and Fiction - Chapter Fourteen
by Angel Eternal aka Angeline
email: spikes_angel01@yahoo.com
URL: http://www.geocities.com/spikes_angel01/index.html
Rating: R
Distribution: At my site "In Dreams and Shadows", "Carnal Sins" and at FF.net but it you want to
archive it go ahead, but just let me know first - I kinda like to know where it's going, and plus I find
out about more S/B shipper sites! g
Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is owned by Joss Whedon, several companies and God knows who else.
One thing is certain - I don't own any of it! Nothing - zip - nada!
Willow felt lost as the connection between her and Danica was abruptly broken. She knew that they were no longer
needed. Buffy and Spike were safe, and that was the important thing, she knew this, but the sense of loss was acute.
Touching Danica's mind was like touching Dawn's. It was a bit unsettling to say the least, and she couldn't even begin to
understand how Dawn must've felt.
Anya moaned, holding onto her head. She hadn't felt this kind of pain in a while, but then a
thought struck her - a thought that eclipsed all else.
"I'm still alive!" she glanced to her right. "And Xander's alive!"
With those two realisations, she pounced on Xander, while everyone else looked anywhere
but the couple groping on the floor.
Dawn shook her head, trying to suppress her smile. She got up and picked up the book, eyes
scanning the lines. "Hey guys..."
Everyone, except for Xander and Anya, looked up.
"They're back."
* * *
Buffy moaned, her head ached...well actually, everything ached. It took several moments for anything else
aside from the pain to register.
She looked up into Dawn's concerned face, "Dawn?"
The girl shook her head sadly, and touched her cheek. "Buffy."
"Danica." Buffy squeezed her hand, as the girl's face brightened.
Then she remembered, her eyes searched the room until they fell on a prone figure. "Spike!"
* * *
"Buffy!"
The Scooby gang all looked up, stunned to see a dishevelled Angel at the doorway.
His dark eyes frantically scanned the room, finally settling on Giles. "Where are they?"
Giles was baffled by Angel's behaviour, while Xander merely seethed. How dare he just barge in
like this? As if he still had the right to.
Giles noted everyone's general distress, and stepped forward to face Angel. "Angel we don't have
the slightest idea who and what you're talking about."
Angel tried to calm him self down. The vision of Buffy twined around Spike had not left him. He knew
he shouldn't be so frantic, but he couldn't help himself. The thought of Buffy with any other man had
been enough to make him sick to the stomach, but the thought of Buffy with Spike...his Childe...
"Buffy and Spike...where are they?"
Angel watched them all shift uncomfortably, and he wished he was anywhere but here. Why did he
come at all? What he didn't know couldn't hurt him...why didn't he just bury himself beneath a rock?
Dawn stepped forward, highly conscious that this would be the first time that she would technically
meet Angel, the love of her sister's life.
"They're not here Angel."
Angel glanced at her, for a moment not recognising her, then it clinked into place. "Dawn. Where are
they?"
Dawn had been carefully watching his face, and saw the flicker. She sighed, "They're trapped in a book."
"Dawn!"
"What?"
Dawn rolled her eyes at the gang, who all had sharply reprimanded her. God, it was like a Buffy chorus.
Willow stepped forward, touching Dawn gently on the arm. "Angel...it's complicated...."
Angel shook his head confused, "Buffy and Spike are what?"
* * *
Buffy rushed to his side, ignoring the pain that flared in her side. She touched his shoulder anxiously. "Spike?"
He lay so still, and in her mind's eye she saw him lying on his side so still in that other place. With a growl of frustration, she shook him hard.
Spike groaned, and rolled onto his stomach. He blinked once, then twice. With a hiss of pain he pushed himself
up in a sitting position. The pain in his head was reminiscent of the worst hangover of his undead life. He groaned again and held his head; afraid it would fall off his shoulders and roll on the ground.
"Bloody hell."
Buffy bent over him, hands gently searching for broken bones. "Spike?"
Her scent was the first thing he noticed, sweet and intoxicating - filling his head and pushing out all thoughts of pain.
Then he felt her hair, the golden strands brushing lightly across his face, imitating the gentle movements of her hands.
"Buffy..."
"Oh God Spike!" All the frustration, fear and rage that had been bottled up in her rushed out of her in one sob.
Buffy hated to cry, especially in front of Spike, but even though her pride protested, the tears won out.
Spike held her, pressing her as close as possible, and felt sorrow. Kage had kept his word - he had given Spike
these few moments, and Spike was grateful that he recognised it for what it was. He held Buffy, knowing he may never again have this chance - and she didn't know.
Spike wanted to cry, but he would treasure these few moments that he had been granted. He couldn't tell her; he didn't
want their last moments filled with pain. It wasn't supposed to be like that.
Buffy sniffed, wiping her face quickly in her embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I just..."
Soothingly, Spike hushed away her protests, cradling her in his arms, giving her the support that she needed.
Soon Buffy's sobs quietened, and were gone, as she pressed herself into his arms, stunned at how comfortable she
felt. She never wanted this moment to end. She had never felt such peace and contentment before, and she was
loathe to give it up.
* * *
Angel rubbed his forehead, who said vampires didn't get headaches? The whole situation was making his head throb.
He had yet to ask for the book, and he could see that they would be reluctant to give it to him.
Dawn held a book, presumably *the* book, tightly to her chest, and Angel couldn't understand the guarded expression
on her face. It was almost as if she didn't know him. Angel didn't know why, but the thought of Dawn despising him for
some reason hurt. It was true that perhaps Angel had been more preoccupied with Dawn's sister to take much notice of
the girl, but he had always been kind to her. He didn't understand why she looked at him the way she did.
In his mind he saw Buffy and Spike lost in a passionate kiss, music flowing around them...
He had to know.
Wordlessly, he held out his hand.
Alarm flared up in Dawn's green eyes, as her glance flicked from him to Giles. Out of the corner of his eye, Angel saw
Giles nod. Dawn glared at him as she reluctantly handed over the book.
It was a simple book, the cover bare red. It was nothing spectacular; it wasn't even a hardcover. But Angel knew the
saying. Never judge a book by its cover, and here a literal interpretation would have to be taken.
For a full minute, he did nothing but stare at the book in his hand, the thought crossing his mind that he had never held
anything that he so dreaded. In this innocent looking book lay the answer to the one question that had compelled him
to drive from L.A down to Sunnydale - a place he thought never to see again.
He flipped open the page, his eyes riveted on one sentence:
The night looked on as Slayer and Vampire, lost in each other, forgetting the laws of their society, throwing themselves
in the shades grey, consummated a love that knew no bounds...
Hastily he snapped the book closed, his eyes closing as well.
Silently he turned away.
Angel realised that he had known the answer to his question, but he had so desperately wanted it to be proved wrong.
He wanted to fly down here, have Buffy reassure him that his fears were foolish, and that she would always love him.
Instead he found this.
In a blinding flash, all of dreams of the perfect love between him and Buffy were dashed to the grounds. His dreams of
holding his golden girl in his arms, her looking into his eyes with perfect and utter love...gone.
Angel knew that these dreams were foolish - what did he really expect anyway? That Buffy would continue to love him,
and shun all happiness?
Happily ever after just didn't work. A wave of fatigue engulfed him; he was just too damned tired.
In that moment, Angel knew he had to let go of the fairytale.
He just prayed to whatever greater powers there were that his heart would follow his brain's lead. Though at that moment,
he doubted whether his heart and his brain could ever be reconciled.
* * *
Danica who had held back, now stepped up to them. Reverently, she touched Buffy's hair.
Buffy feeling the light touch, looked up into green eyes that looked so familiar but weren't.
Danica held out her hand, silently asking Buffy to take it. Without hesitation, she did, feeling strangely
comforted by the girl's touch.
Danica pulled Buffy up, and Spike had to follow.
He wanted to stop her from taking Buffy away; he didn't want this to end, not yet, not ever. For a moment, he watched
Buffy's retreating figure, marvelling at the grace in every move.
She stopped and turned, beckoning to him, and again he felt the insane urge to just crumple up into a ball and bawl his
eyes out.
Drusilla's words were ringing in his ears.
"...You'd let her walk in the sun, while you remain in the cold shadows..."
Yeah, his insane Drusilla was always right. He would let Buffy go, and he'd remain, but at least he would have a candle.
A fragile flickering light that would cause him immense pain, but a pain that he couldn't live without.
Buffy held his hand, squeezing it for comfort. The ordeal was over; for once everything was going to be alright.
Unable to help himself, Spike pulled Buffy into his embrace, burying himself in the golden silk that was her hair.
With a sigh, her small hand drifted upwards to caress his face. Spike leaned into her touch, trying so damn hard to
control himself.
"Spike..."
He looked up, and Buffy was confused by what she saw in his eyes. She saw the pain glittering in his eyes, turning those
azure orbs into hardened ice. "Spike, you gotta know..."
"What luv?"
She turned in his embrace, "You gotta know right?"
Spike could see that she was struggling with her words, and it dawned on him what she was trying to say. He smiled,
but the elation that he expected to see wasn't there, couldn't be. The smile was one of saddened resignation.
"What do I know luv?"
Buffy blew out a breath of frustration, her temper flaring briefly, "Spike!"
"Say it Buffy."
She couldn't refuse the plea in his voice, who could? "I love you."
Spike stared at her stunned. He had known what she was going to say, but the effect those three little words had on
him was indescribable.
Buffy stared at him, fidgeting, "Aren't you going to say something?"
Technically, Spike had professed his love for the Slayer before, but now she waited, anticipation and fear of rejection,
making her unable to find a comfortable spot to stand in.
He saw this, and it drew out a tender smile, he pulled her in for a fierce kiss, and Buffy was once more lost to the world
as her senses were assaulted.
She shivered as he leaned close to whisper in her delicate ear. "Always and forever Buffy-love. Until the day I crumble to
dust, I would always love you."
* * *
Willow watched the grief-stricken vampire.
He had yet to say another word, but wandered around the shop in a daze, lost in thought.
Xander groaned, watching him as well, " I thought our brooding days are over!" he glared at the oblivious vampire.
"Want me to get you a dusty cloak, a well-worn copy of Byron and a couple of candles?" his tone dripped with
sarcasm. However they bounced off effortlessly, as the vampire continued his seemingly torturous route.
Tara slipped her hand into Willow's, her eyes also on Angel.
"Is he ever gonna talk to us?" she whispered, not wanting to intrude on Angel's moment.
Willow shrugged, "He was never much of a talker anyway."
Their respective musings were interrupted by a delighted giggle.
They all looked up, their gazes falling on Dawn, who was curled in a corner, head buried in the book.
She glanced up feeling everyone's scrutiny, but she promptly dismissed them and went back to Spike's and Buffy's world.
* * *
"Spike? Buffy?"
Their heated kiss was interrupted with the voice softly calling them back down to earth.
Spike's arms tightened around her waist for a moment, before he let them drop. Buffy sighed, completely content, as she
tried to lose herself in Spike's embrace.
They looked up, to find an amused Danica grinning at them. Buffy blushed, and pulled out of Spike's embrace, but
maintaining her grip on his hand. Spike merely flashed both of them his trademark smirk, and kept Buffy's hand firmly
in his.
Danica turned, and they obligingly followed.
Danica lifted her skirts and stepped over something that was sprawled across the breadth of the hallway. As she passed,
a groan could be heard from the heap at her feet.
The heap stirred, and staggered upwards. Prince Rhys moaned, holding onto his head.
Spike rolled his eyes, and promptly smashed him back down on the ground. Buffy merely raised one eyebrow, which
Spike answered with a shrug.
Danica led them to the library. Spike and Buffy stayed by the doorway, watching Danica.
Danica came back to stand before them, a simple red-leather bound book in her hands.
"Buffy and Spike." she simply stated, holding it out to Buffy, who took it, confused.
She flipped the book open, Spike looking over her shoulder
It was just another night for Buffy Summers, as she nonchalantly flipped over a tombstone knocking a
vampire down. She swiftly staked a vampire on her right, and before the vampire's dust could fall on the ground, she
staked the one on the ground.
She straightened, dusting her favourite pants off. She caught a wiff of cigarette smoke, without turning, she sighed.
"What are you doing here Spike?"
A figure moved in the shadows, a glowing cigarette butt flying to the right. "My, my luv, what a horrific memory
you have!" The moonlight glinted off his peroxide blonde locks. "I live here remember?"
Buffy dropped the book, utterly shocked.
Spike turned his gaze to Danica, who smiled sadly at him. "Spike and Buffy."
She took their hands, and placed it on top of the book.
Realising what she was going to do, Spike grabbed Buffy, his lips grazing hers. "Love you Buffy."
Confused, Buffy answered, "Love you..."
Danica watched, tears forming in her eyes as the light engulfed them.
~ To be continued ~