Chapter 7 "My Sacrifice."

Disclaimer: Oh yeah, I *so* own Buffy the vampire Slayer. Joss Whedon stole my ideas, and if I was legal, I'd so sue! I'm just so creative, that I also created "Angel"! And by the way, I wrote all the songs on Creed's new album, including "My sacrifice." -_-

Synopsis for this chapter: Can we say cliff-hanger? Buffy's arrived on the scene, ready to tell Spike she loves him, or that she misjudged him terribly. Angel's just confessed what's been torturing him for the past few months, and Spike's unsure of what to do. Who will he go with? It's the hardest decision that a Vampire without a soul has had to make.

Notes: Unhealthy amount of sap ahead! Also, I should've put a warning for the last chapter with the language, but I'm sure you all don't care. Until I state otherwise, this'll be the last chapter. I wanna thank all of you for being so responsive to this fic! All of your suggestions have been considered, and I hope you'll be happy with the result. Enjoy!

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Spike's mouth dropped wide open, then his jaw tightened back together, at the sight of the Slayer. Buffy slammed the door shut, and noticed Angel, but said nothing. The air had taken a heavy, confrontational feel. The heavy door had swung shut on its own, and Buffy, soaked from the downpour outside, walked up to Spike. Angel had finally gotten up from the pillar that Spike had knocked him into, and stayed near the back.

"What are you doing here, Slayer?" Spike growled, his hands clenching together. "Come to humiliate me some more? I don't much appriciate you thinkin' I'm your damn whippin' boy." He pulled out a smoke, realizing how long it had been since he had one, and lit it up. "Oh, you probably came to see Peaches. Well, if that's the case, I'll leave you two love birds alone then." He moved to leave Angel's Investigations, but Buffy blocked his way. "Slayer. Move."

"No." Her voice was firm, yet it hoarse. "I need to talk to you."

Spike sighed. "I don't want to talk to you. Last time I tried that, I nearly got turned to confetti. Don't plan on doing that again. Now move."

"No!" Buffy didn't move from her spot, and Spike let out an aggitated sigh.

"Do I have to bulldoze you down to let me go?" Spike asked, glaring at her. "And what do you want to tell me? That I'm still an evil, disgusting thing, and you haven't had your daily dose of playin' down your prowress as a Slayer?"

The words stung the blond Slayer, but she stood her ground. She deserved it. Every single word that spewed from his mouth, she deserved, but she wasn't about to go Angel on it. "I need to tell you something, Spike...something that has taken me too long to realize."

"That you're a friggin' bint?" Spike spat. He turned to both Angel and Buffy. "Do you both think you can waltz back into my life after proving I'm nothing more to you than dirt? What the bloody hell do you think I am?"

Buffy recoiled at the words, and grabbed Spike's shoulders, and glared at him. "Listen to me, you...you stupid gint!" His eyes widened as she used one of his words....a Spike-ism. "I didn't come here for you to yell at me, although I deserve it! I came to tell you that I...that I..."

"That you what?" Spike challenged. "What did you come all the bloody way here for, pet? Is it Angel?" His sire cringed at the mention of his name in this converstation, but stayed quiet, knowing anything else he said would only add gasoline to Spike's raging fire.

The blond Slayer took a deep breath, her hands still holding a firm grip on Spike. "When you left, it....it woke me up, Spike. I had this void in my life...in my heart. Where you used to be. I missed your caustic tongue, and most of all...I just plainly missed *you*, Spike," Buffy said, her works remarkably coming together perfectly.

Spike's steel blue eyes wavered a bit, but soon returned to their hardened state. He was not going to give into this so easily. For all he knew, he could be just another notch on the Slayer's conquered list, and he sure as hell was *not* going to be another Angel. "Now you're just toying with me," Spike murmured bitterly.

"I'm not toying with you Spike!" Buffy cried suddenly, surprising both Spike and Angel. She was growing increasingly fustrated, but knew that he was doing this all for a reason. How could she expect for him to fall right into her arms? That stubborness is part of what caused her to fall in love with him. All the times they spent patrolling together, and even the stolen kisses played back to her relentlessly since the moment Spike left Sunnydale. Even when they fought verbally, there was just something about the Victorian Vampire that made Buffy want to see him more, as corny and unrealistic as that sounded.

\\When you are with me,
I'm free...I'm careless...I believe
Above all others we'll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice\\

Buffy's outburst had shocked Spike. He had not expected her to cry out like that. The wall he had built up as soon as he had left Sunnydale began to crumble. Is this not what he had wanted? To have the Slayer love him? But when she had lashed out at him, calling him an 'evil, disgusting thing,' all those feelings left him as quickly as the tide turning.

"When did you ultimately realized that me, a pathetic excuse for a vampire, not to mention the one that's caused you enough mental grief to require thirty or more years of therapy, could be the one for you, Slayer?" Spike asked, his cool tone wavering. Buffy's green eyes lit up a little, realizing that little waver in tone meant she was closer to breaking him.

"You didn't cause me mental grief," Buffy said softly, almost fondly, her right hand numbly tracing Spike's high cheekbones. "Hell, I'm the Slayer. I'm attracted to mental grief-causing stuff." She smiled as that earned a involuntary chuckle from Spike. "I'm going to have to say this now before we get into another arguement."

"Then spill then," Spike demanded. "I'm not going to stay around here much longer if you continue to dance around the subject, Slayer. Never thought, though, I'd see the almighty Buffy Summers would be nervous about somethin'."

Buffy laughed, and took a deep breath. "So needed that laugh. Spike, what I wanted to tell you is...God, I can't believe I'm doing this...and in front of Angel too..." Angel grunted in reply to his name being mentioned again, although neither Buffy nor Spike cared to pay attention to the forgotten Sire. "I love you Spike."

The Victorian Vampire was floored. Completely and utterly floored. Those four words that he had longed to hear for so many years finally came out of her mouth. His mouth opened and closed a few times before any sound came out. "Summers...do you realize what you've just said? You're not under any one of Red's spells are you?"

"No, no mojo here," Buffy laughed quietly. "Just pure emotion. And yeah, I do think it's possible for me to love a souless person. After all, you showed more soul than anyone else in my life has ever done."

"Summers, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to hear that," Spike murmured, his grip on her tightening. "Do you mean it?"

"Spike--"

"Do. You. Mean. It?" His voice emphasized each word, his accented voice wavering on each word. "You know that if you do, you're pulling yourself into the black hole that is me. Nothing's going to be able to save you from me. Hell, if Dru wasn't dust, you could ask her. Do you think she was insane on her own?"

"I. Mean. It," Buffy confirmed, and to put the point on the exclimation mark, Buffy kissed the Victorian Vampire. And hard. Spike's eyes widened, but soon responded, then broke just as Buffy slid her tongue into his mouth. "Why di---"

"I think we've injured Peaches enough," Spike muttered, jerking his head to where his Sire stood, shell-shocked. He turned to his sire. "I apologize for not returnin' any feelin's that I might have had for you centuries ago, but Angel--"

Angel held up a hand. "William...it's all right. What I wanted...it's nothing but residue from our years together. Buffy...I know what we had is over. And it's all right. You're over me, and I'm over you. If you two...are honestly serious about each other, and I know Spike is..then it's fine by me..I won't go Angelus on you two." He chuckled. "Now get out of here." Spike nodded, and drew a double S on his chest with his finger. Angel smiled, and did the same. Buffy nodded once too, and grabbed Spike's arm, dragging him out of 'Angel's Investigations'.

\\We've seen our share of ups and downs
Oh, how quickly life can turn around in an instant
It feels so good to reunite
Within yourself and within your mind
Let's find peace there\\

The pair decided to take Buffy's car, and Spike was peeved to leave his beloved Desoto behind. But Buffy assured him that it would be all right, and that Spike'll get a better one. "I don't think I can trust your taste in cars though, Slayer," Spike remarked.

"Shut up!" Buffy exclaimed. "This car is good."

"GOOD? Slayer, this thing is in worse shape than my 'soto," Spike exclaimed back, pointing to the dissapointing looking dashboard. "At least my 'soto could get me here without looking like it's about to fall apart."

"Quiet, bleachy," Buffy commanded. "You can walk for all I care."

"That's just it, dear," Spike drawled, "you do care."

"Damn these emotions," Buffy mock-scowled. The drive was unusually fast, only because Spike insisted that she put some lead in her foot, so they could actually arrive before he got turned to dust.

At the Summers residence, Dawn had stayed up since Buffy had left, eagerly waiting for their return. She just hoped that Buffy would be able to bring Spike back, and that the three of them could live as a family. A *real* family. She was energetic just thinking about it. Spike was like the big brother she never had, and having him living here was an amazing thought. Willow and Tara had both phoned frequently, to ask if the youngest Summers was all right. Dawn had told them many times that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, as Spike had taught her the finer points of combat.

The door bell rang.

Dawn jumped up and saw Buffy. More importantly with Spike. "You made it...Buffy... you made it!!" Dawn exclaimed, as she ushered her sister and the bleached vampire into the home. "I want details! How did you do it? What was it like??"

"Easy Niblet," Spike smiled. "I'll tell you all about your sister's thrilling climatic message in the evening tomorrow."

"You better!" Dawn threatened, but hugged Spike. "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad I'm back too," Spike smiled faintly, as Dawn ran up the stairs. "Back in good ol' Sunnyhell."

-END-

Author's notes: Good ending or no? Did you like the ending? Was it too mushy? I need to know! Please review and lift the spirits of a review deprived author. If you want to put this story on your website, just email me (check my bio) and let me know! Thanks again for the support everyone! I might be back with a sequel....