Love's Truth
This chapter is longer and has more detail, so enjoy & review!
"So, what's your decision?" Whistler asked.
"Take me home," Spike replied with a sureness that he had never felt before.
***
"Hey, so I guess you're leaving me too," Buffy sighed as she began to talk to Spike's body. She was still wigged that he hadn't turned to dust, but it was clearly evident that the stake went through the heart. She could see where the hole was. But that stupid feeling of hope was still there, and it was causing Buffy even more pain than what she should be feeling.
"Not like it's your fault, I mean," Buffy ranted on. "You did it because you love me. But you shouldn't have Spike, because I don't deserve your love. And you're too good for mine, but… but I think that I love you too." Buffy's speech ended with a burst of tears. "But you'll never even know that I cared about you now. Because freak Buffy has to be the stupid slayer and everyone wants to kill her. I-I just wish you could know Spike. That I'm sure that I-I love you."
"I've always known," came the cocky, British accent.
Buffy let out a small gasp as Spike sat up, looking new and refreshed.
"You-you're-?" Buffy faltered.
Spike just nodded and put a stop to her stuttering by kissing her passionately on the mouth.
Buffy reacted after a moment of shock and Spike had to practically pry her off him to come up for air.
Air.
He didn't need air, but he suddenly noticed that he was indeed taking shallow, even breaths and his chest was rising in a slow rhythm.
Buffy looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong?" she stopped as Spike took her hand and placed it on his chest where she felt an small, but strong heartbeat.
"You're alive alive?!" she asked eagerly.
Spike nodded. "I guess. I mean, In was told that-"
Buffy interrupted. "You were told? By who?"
"Whistler," Spike replied quickly, "Anyway, he told me that I could either go to heaven or come back. And, as you can see, I chose back. But it would have been a hell of a lot easier if that poof would have told me that I would come back as a human." Spike glared up at the heavens but stopped when he
saw that Buffy's face had fallen.
"Spike, you should have went to heaven. You do deserve it and I'm no reason to stay behind from eternal happiness."
"Slayer, you are a reason to stay back from heaven. But what makes me mad is that you didn't know that."
Buffy smiled, "You mean it?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, that makes me feel a little better but I'm still kinda sad."
"Why's that luv?" Spike asked.
"Because you only kissed me once since you back," she pouted sarcastically.
"I've only been back five minutes pet. Do you think I'm a machine?" he asked sarcastically but kissed her full lips all the same.
***
Buffy gave Spike a reassuring look and grabbed his hand. They had been making out a little at the warehouse, but both thought it was wrong and stopped. Spike had just turned human, the location wasn't great, and the Scoobies were probably off their rocker worrying about Buffy by now.
"Let's face the music," Buffy sighed.
Buffy was surprised that it was already daylight after having lost her sense of time. She walked out of the door and into the morning sunlight, stopping when she noticed that the blond vamp-er, human, wasn't behind her. She turned around and saw him lingering near the exit.
She was confused for a moment, then remembered that he hadn't been in the sun for so long that he was a bit uneasy. He had spent over a hundred years doing his best to avoid it, and now he was suddenly human and was supposed to just dive out into it headfirst? Sure, Spike was brave, but still, who wouldn't be a little nervous?
"Aw, come one Spikey, you aren't scared of the pretty sunlight, are you?" she teased and stuck her arm out for him to grab.
"I'm not scared slayer! What the hell did you sniff?!" the Brit asked in shock. Buffy secretly thanked God that his sexy accent hadn't changed by becoming human again.
"I didn't sniff anything. You're just standing there. Come on and get your butt out here!" she motioned for him to join her.
"Keep your britches on, well, don't if you'd feel better with 'em off," Buffy scoffed and said, "Get to the point."
"It's just that this memory will be my first of walking in the sunlight without a spell or magical gem or anything. It's something I want to cherish. And you being here makes it even better than I could have imagined," he added the last part with emotions thick in his voice. Buffy tried not to look utterly speechless, and said, "Come on then. We don't have all day."
But the truth was, they had the rest of their lives.
***
"Sshh," Willow whispered as the Scoobies entered the Summers's home. They walked into the living room, Xander and Anya in the rear, still clutching one another's hands. The first time they have another baddie almost as important as Glory, another one of their group is killed. They had the best luck, didn't they?
Willow motioned to Dawn's sleeping form on the sofa, and Xander went to wake her. He stopped when he noticed that she had two of her friends in the room with her. One was in the recliner, the other sprawled on the floor.
Xander knew that he couldn't wake just Dawn, tell her the news while her friends woke up in the room with six strangers. Especially when Buffy wasn't home. But God, he hoped that she would be soon. He, like the rest of the Scoobies, was worried about her. What if a couple of Jonathon's men hadn't ran and attacked the grieving slayer from behind? The thought was almost too much for Xander to think about.
He walked back out of the living room and whispered that they shouldn't wake Dawn until Buffy was back so that her friends wouldn't be freaked.
Willow nodded in agreement just as the teenager walked into the kitchen rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Well so much for that plan," Xander said.
Dawn jumped a bit, not having known that the whole gang was in her kitchen. It didn't take her long to notice that it was lacking her two favorite members though.
"What are you guys doing here? And where's Buffy and Spike?" the teen asked, noticeably a bit disoriented. Willow spoke first.
"Dawn, we have something to tell you."
***
"Ready?" Buffy asked Spike as they stood on her doorstep, Buffy's hand hovering over the handle.
Spike took in a long, much needed breath. It would take a while to get used to breathing rhytmatically again.
"Yeah."
Buffy opened the door and practically dragged Spike into the house, leaving behind the fresh mid-morning air to the smell of fresh baked cookies and quiet talking.
The two quickly and quitely made their way through the house to the kitchen. Spike stopped, and Buffy turned to look at him. "What's wrong?" she asked, noticing the anguished look on his face.
"Buffy, now that I'm human, I don't think that I should be in Sunnydale anymore."
His words stung like a slap. "But, but, everything is okay now Spike. We have a chance to be together now and you're human-"
"That's just my point Buffy! I'll be useless to you if I stay around you and your Scoobies. I can't fight or heal as well as I used to and my senses are practically useless. And the last thing you need is a bloke that you need to take care of. You've had enough guys like that."
Spike was surprised when Buffy laughed. "Spike, just because you're human doesn't mean you're useless now. You still have your fighting skills, but you're not as strong as before and you can't heal that quickly. So what! Xander doesn't even have any fighting skills, or research skills for that matter. But being a slayer, or a vamp, or an ex-vengeance demon, or a witch is not what it takes to be a Scooby. It takes a heart, and love. We're really just a bunch of friends trying to save the world," Buffy gave Spike a weak smile, "And you're one of us."
"Dammit slayer, you really know how to convince a guy to stay," he gently stroked her face.
"Yeah, well, if I can do that so well then how come all the men in my life leave me?" tears came to her eyes and Spike suddenly wanted to rip those men's' heads off. Bloody bastards. How could they do this to her? She was a once in a life time girl, and they left her.
Spike wouldn't make that mistake.
"Well we should get in there," Buffy said as she wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve and grabbed Spike's hand again for the support she needed. His now warm fingers intertwined with hers gave her all the strength she needed.
Entering the kitchen, the couple saw Willow pulling out a pan of cookies from the oven, Xander and Anya talking quietly in a corner with solemn looks on their faces, and Tara and Giles sitting on either side of Dawn at the kitchen table and stroking her hair or shoulder in between sobs.
At the sight of Dawn Spike had become angry at himself for doing what he did and causing her that much pain.
He let go of Buffy's hand and made his way across the room, causing everyone to look away from what they were doing and look at him in surprise. Spike laid his hand on Dawn's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Did you actually think I'd leave you nibblet?"
Dawn turned and grabbed Spike, pulling him into a hug. "Spike! They told me that you were dead. That you killed yourself for Buffy and that…" her voice trailed off at the memory of them telling her.
"Well, that shows you how much those damn Scoobies know," he said sarcastically. "But the Big Bad is back, and he won't ever leave you again."
"But how-?" the 14-year-old pressed.
"Long story," Spike said, and suddenly smacked himself on the head, "Oh yeah, forgot to mention one little detail. I'm human again."
As the Scoobies got their tongues back and began to ask questions in disbelief, Buffy smiled. This was how it was supposed to be, her best friends, little sister, and her-what could she call Spike now? Well, she could probably call him her boyfriend-boyfriend arguing, laughing, and just being happy. That was definitely something that was good.
"-and then Whistler told me that I could either go to heaven or come back, and you can see what I chose," Spike finished with a grin.
Yup, definitely in the good.
***
"So, now you're a good guy with a soul?" Xander asked after Spike's story.
"I guess I have my soul back, I just never thought of that," Spike responded.
"Well, do you feel any guilt about what you've done in the past?" Giles finally spoke up.
Spike shook his bleached head. "Nothin."
"Hmmm," Giles said in response as he slipped back into deep thought.
Dawn hadn't moved from Spike's side since he had arrived but Buffy had somehow managed to slip out unnoticed.
"I'll be right back," Spike said as he stood up and headed towards the door, leaving the Scoobies to talk about his miraculous (or not so miraculous according to Xander, until Anya had blurted that he had cried after Spike died) return.
"Slayer?" he whispered as he stepped onto the porch, lit up by the moonlight.
"Yeah?" came the reply. Spike looked over, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness, his night vision long gone.
"There you are," he walked over to her and leaned against the railing near where she was sitting perched on it.
"Yup, here I am," she sighed.
"What's wrong pet? Are you mad at me cuz I was spending so much time with your friends and not you?"
"No! Well, kinda," she admitted.
"Sorry luv. If I had known that it would have made you feel this way-"
"No it's okay. I just felt like getting a little air and thinking," she said, gazing up at the starry sky.
"Pretty damn amazing, innit?" Spike asked her.
"Yeah, I've always loved looking at the stars."
"Oh, we're talking about the stars? I thought we were talking about you."
Buffy blushed and silently scolded herself for it, thanking God that Spike's night vision was gone and he couldn't see her face.
"Really? Who could have known that an ex-vamp could be so caring," she said.
"I can be very caring," Spike whispered, stepping closer to her and putting his hands on her arms.
"Really? I-" Buffy was interrupted by Spike's wonderful lips crushing hers.
She let out a small moan and they finally had to come up for air.
"That was wonderful. I feel so good." She whispered as she breathed heavily.
"Really? I feel hungry," Spike said thoughtfully.
Buffy laughed and slapped him on the chest as they made their way into the house to find something for the ex vampire to eat.
And just because this chapter ended happily doesn't mean that it will stay happy! But it will for a while anyway.