TITLE: When it's over

AUTHOR: Jennaluvin

SPOILERS: Several different episodes of Buffy that I can't remember the names of.

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters in this story belong to Joss Whedon. The story plot however belongs to me. If you want to use my story ask.

INFO: This is my first attempt at Buffy Fic and while I know it is very rough I would like you to keep an open mind I'm still learning. OH! And please tell me what you think.



Buffy awoke, her head pounding with excruciating pain and a sudden burst of light caused her to blink rapidly when she decided to chance opening her eyes and seeing how much damage had been done to her body. "You're awake I see." A familiar accented voice stated.

"Spike? God I must have hit my head harder than I thought I'm talking to dead people." She said, holding her head and sitting up slowly willing back the naughtiousness that went through her as the blood rushed back into her body.

"Well as disappointed as you probably are, I'm about as alive as a vampire can be. They missed my heart." He said, opening his duster and showing her the hole in his shirt and the quickly healing wound beneath it.

"I thought...I thought you were gone." Her eyes filled with sadness in remembrance of everything she'd seen, experienced, and felt in the last few hours.

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction slayer."

"Why are you always such a smart ass? Can't you be serious for once?"

"I'm always serious when I talk about you Buffy. You should know that by now."

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes to the blinding pain that was still churning inside her head. "I'm sorry I'm just not in a very good mood right now. This hasn't been the best of days for me and I'm still trying to figure out what happened out there."

Spike frowned and tilted his head to the side. "You gave up is what happened. You didn't even put up a fight with those lamentra demons. They knocked you unconscious and I got you away and brought you in here. Why would you give up like that Buffy? I mean didn't you kill Granger?"

Buffy shook her head and took a deep breath. "Nope, once again Buffy fails. I just can't seem to do anything right when it comes to my life." She looked over at him and smiled sadly. Her thoughts going back to the pile of dead bodies in her vision. She could see clearly that Dawn had been among them. "You tried to save Dawn."

Spike looked at her in confusion. "Who tried I did save her."

"No, you didn't. Dawn is dead. So is everyone else."

"Dawn.dead? What ever gave you that Idea?"

"It's the truth Spike. All the people I love are taken away from me. I'm surprised you didn't leave." She said forgetting the fact that Spike was always searching for proof that she loved him.

"If I didn't know better Slayer I'd say that you care about me."

Buffy closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek. Spike was completely shocked when she started sobbing right there in front of him. "Oh hey now. None of that Slayer. Why the water works?"

"I did everything wrong." She timidly scooted forward until she was right in front of him and placed herself in his arms. "I'm sorry I let all of you down."

Spike wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Bloodyhell you haven't done anything wrong and you damn well sure haven't let anyone down. It's not over yet Buffy. Everything is going to work out and you still can beat Gramgore."

Buffy sniffled and pulled away, locking eyes with him immediately. "He's too strong Spike. I tried to beat him, but he's too strong."

Spike grabbed her by the arms and shook her gently. "Now you listen to me. You're not going to give up. Gramgore is playing you and you're letting him get away with it. The sooner you realize you're stronger than him, the sooner we can get out of here."

"You aren't listening to me Spike. Why did I do everything I did if it was all going to end like this? Why did I even bother to kill all of those vampires and demons if this is all I was going to get in return." She looked around the small room and threw her hands up in the air. "Look this is what I've been given. Not only that, but I've let everyone down no matter what you've said. It's all my fault."

"Buffy, I'm going to say this one more time and you're damn well going to listen. NONE of this is your fault. It's just the way fate's cards have been played. Personally I don't understand why you're giving up so easily. So you lost one bloody fight. Is that any reason to give up completely?"

"Spike I lost my friends and sister because I was too weak to beat Gramgore."

Spike frowned. "Buffy, You can still kill Gramgore. I still don't see why it's such a big deal.

Buffy's eyes widened as Spike's words hit her. You want to know why it's a big deal? It's a big deal because I fucking let my friends be killed. ME! The slayer! The one who's supposed to be able to kill the evil doers and protect the people she cares about."

"Ok you're not making any sense what so ever. Who the hell told you they were dead?"

"It doesn't matter. It's still me fault. "Buffy slid down the wall and because to cry softly and Spike was appalled at what she'd just told him.

"Buffy, they're not dead."

"Yes they are."

Spike grabbed each side of her face and made her look him directly in the eye. "I'm telling you right here and now that every single one of your friends is still alive."

"Oh give it up Spike." Buffy said pulling away angrily. "I saw it with my own two eyes. Gramgore showed me.Oh.Oh god.I feel so stupid. He showed me what he wanted me to see." She shook her head as the sudden realization hit her and things finally made sense. "Where is everyone if they're alive?"

"Well willow and Giles were hurt pretty bad so Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn, and Fred took them to the hospital. Angel just left to get come more weapons otherwise he'd been here too."

"This is unbelievable. How could I have been so easily fooled by him? And why did I give up so easy? That's not me. I'm usually the strong one, the one who is supposed to carry on even if my friends and family were killed. It's my job. What happened to me?"

"I don't know Buffy, but you're alright now."

She shook her head. "I thought I was alone and that there was no reason to go on living."

"Then you were really stupid to believe that because I would never let that happened. I would never leave you alone." He said, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands in his.

Buffy looked into his eyes and saw something there she'd never wanted to see before. She saw his love for her and she saw his complete willingness to protect her no matter what.

"Why do you put up with me Spike? After all I've ever done to you, you're still always here when I need you."

Spike tilted his head and grinned softly. "I just love you too much to let you go through all this alone. That's why I'm still here even when you push me away. I know you'll never love me, and I've accepted it. But, I'm always going to be here whenever you need me."

She reached up her hand and touched his face. The face that she had always told herself meant nothing to her. The face that she'd hidden her feelings from time and time again. It seemed to her like there was no reason to hide her feelings anymore. "I love you Spike." She revealed taking him by complete surprise.

He let go of her hands and leaned back. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I know my timing is awful, but if something happens to me and I don't make it through this I have to tell you how I feel. I should have told you before, but I'm selfish and stubborn and I didn't want to accept everything that you've tried to tell me all this time."

"Buffy." spike started only to be interrupted by her continuous revelation to him.

"You are the only thing in my life that makes me truly happy. I mean I love Dawn and I love my friends, but they need me too much and with you I don't have to be strong all the time. You make me feel and ever since Willow brought me back that's the one thing that I thought I'd never have back, but I do have it and it's with you."

If Spike's heart would have been able to beat he would have been unable to keep it in his chest. She was finally telling him what he'd wanted to hear for so long and never thought it would ever happen. He lifted his hand and cupped her face gently. "Are you telling me this because you think we're going to die or because you really mean it?"

"Spike it would be the same either way." She replied leaning into his hand. "But, just so we're clear it's because I really mean it."

HE could have leaped and screamed out loud at the top of his lung in joy. "Oh God Buffy. You don't know how much I've wanted this." He said, dipping his head and capturing her lips with such tenderness that Buffy had never felt anything like it.

They were oblivious to Angel's arrival until he coughed loudly and made his presence known. "Uh.sorry to interrupt, but there's something you guys should know."

"Oh Angel, what is it?" Buffy asked, as she and Spike pulled away from each other and she wiped her lips subconsciously.

"They've taken the fight out onto the streets and they're reeking havoc on the people of Sunnydale. I've contacted Wesley and he and the others are going to be meeting us so that we can fight this thing together."

Buffy stood up and rolled her neck to get out the kinks. "What about Willow and Giles are they ok?"

He smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, they're going to be fine. I can't believe how lucky they were. But, we've got to go right now Buffy." He said, before turning and walking towards the door.

"Wait.What about Dawn."

Angel got a sudden secretive look in his eyes before replying. "That is something you're going to have to see for yourself."

They walked out of the room and saw Dawn leaning casually against the wall. "Dawn! What are you doing here? You should be."

"Buffy, don't start telling me where you think I should me. It's mostly my fault that we're in the trouble that we're in. Besides I can take care of myself. Watch out!" Dawn called throwing her sister to the side and sending a fire ball in the direction of an Ulgarie Demon that had it's razor sharp claws extended and was about to rip into Buffy.

Buffy stared up at her sister with her mouth wide open. "What's going on?"

Dawn grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess Gramgore forgot to take away the magic her gave me." Her face became quite serious and she stepped closer to her sister. "Buffy, I know you want to protect me and I know what I've put you through, but just give this chance to make things up to you. I can' help."

"Dawn."

"Buffy, please I know I can help."

Buffy looked at Spike and Angel who were tentatively standing back allowing the sisters to work things out. Spike nodded towards her and she smiled. "I'll make you a deal Dawn. If you do what I say when I say it and you leave when I tell you to then you can come, but I want you to promise me that you'll be careful and if anything happens to me I want you to Get out of there. Got it?"

Dawn nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Buffy. "Lets get going. The sooner we do this the sooner we can go home." Buffy said, pulling away from Dawn and leaving them to follow her from the building.

There were screams and crashes coming from the streets that were filled with demons Causing mischief and mayhem. There were very few humans that remained in town, the others had fled the moment hell broke loose.

Buffy was barely aware of her injured leg and the knot that had been formed on her head earlier when Spike had saved her. All she was focused on was getting to Gramgore and making him pay for the pain and heartache he'd caused her and her friends and family.

"You guys stick together and watch each other's backs. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. If you have to leave me to take care of everything." Buffy turned To Angel and stopped walking to tell him something. "Angel I want you to watch out for Dawn. When she leaves I want you and your friends to leave too."

"Buffy, Dawn can handle herself." Angel argued.

"Angel this isn't up for debate I want my sister safe and with you and your friends around her she will be." Angel nodded his head and sighed.

He looked up and saw Cordelia, Wesley, Fred, and Gunn heading in their direction and he hurried on ahead to tell them what was going on. Buffy seeing the hurt look on spike's face walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. "What's wrong Spike?"

"I wouldn't let anything happen to Nibblet you know. But, if you want to trust Angel to do that it's ok."

Buffy smiled tenderly at him. "Spike, it's not that I don't' trust you to take care of Dawn it's just.I need you with me." She stood pulled his face down to hers and nibbled playfully at his lip, causing dawn to open her mouth in shock.

"Ok.what did I miss. Since when do you guys indulge yourselves in the game of tonsil hockey?"

Buffy smiled at her sister. "I'll explain everything later Dawn. I've just wizened up a littler bit and decided that I want to live my life. There will be time to talk things out when we're not busy saving the world for the thousandth time."

Buffy, Spike and Dawn met up with Angel's crew minutes later. "Where's Xander and Anya?" Buffy asked Wesley.

"They decided to stay with Willow. They figured it would be best if someone stayed with her for her own protection. Tara's there too and she's working on a protection spell."

Buffy nodded her head and gazed down at the chaos and destruction they were headed into. The demons were all gathering in a lined formation preparing themselves for the battle that was to come. "Alright.let's do this."