Happy Ever After Part 6: the end!!!!
Author: Ava
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss and me! (ok so that's mutant enemy, but it sounds good :)
AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed this fic :)
Previously on BtVS:
Buffy stood there in silence chewing her bottom lip. After, what to Dawn, seemed like forever, Buffy finally looked up at the oracle. "I want you to send us home" she said firmly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy and Dawn materialised in the graveyard *How come I always end up back here* Buffy grumbled. "Buffy?" Dawn started to ask before she was cut off by Buffy's "not now Dawn"….. "But.." "Dawn, I said drop it".
"You two having an argument, pet?" Spike enquired. He'd been patrolling the cemetery when he'd seen them through the trees. Buffy swung round, her heart thudding in her chest *Oh god, oh god!* *It's just Spike* *Spike who you were madly in love with an hour ago* *In the story world* *Is there any difference?*
Spike stared at Buffy, she was just staring back at him and he could hear her increased heart rate *What the hell is going on?* He wondered, before Dawn interrupted "Are you to going to gawp at each other all night or are we going to patrol?". Spike couldn't stop the goofy grin spreading across his face when Buffy ducked her face trying to hide her blush. Dragging his eyes away Spike asked "You patrolling now Nibblet? How did you manage to persuade big sis that?".
"We weren't patrolling" Buffy said regaining the use of her vocal chords. "You just strolling through the cemetery for fun then luv?" Spike asked. "Actually.." Dawn piped up, but was cut off as Buffy's hand slammed over her mouth.
*Oh god, she can't tell Spike what just happened, that would mean explaining everything that went on, oh god!!* her mind panicked, her face flushing scarlet at the idea of explaining their kiss and their marriage to Spike *two kisses* she reminded herself, *two really good kisses*. Spike looked intently at Buffy as her blush deepened.
"Pet I think your suffocating her". *What did he say?* Buffy tried to pay attention to Spike *It's so hard to think when he's looking at me like that…..suffocation, dammit Dawn!* Buffy quickly pulled her hand away from Dawn's mouth, as Dawn pretended to gasp for breath. "Oh god Dawnie, I'm really sorry"
"It's okay Buffy, I know you just didn't want me to tell Spike that we just saw another world where you and Spike got married!" Dawn grinned at the horrified look on Buffy's face. "Ok, well I'll see you later" Dawn called as she ran through the cemetery gates back home, a grin still firmly plastered on her face.
"ermh….." Buffy said uncertainly, her eyes still firmly rooted on the ground. Spike cocked his head on one side "You wanna talk about it pet?" he queried. *God who can he be so calm about this* Buffy thought. *What the bloody hell is going on? Shit I hope she explains….and married?* Spike desperately tried to stamp out the hope that was rising in his mind, he didn't want to set himself up for another heart break.
After another 5 minutes of silence and of Buffy internally berating Dawn, she couldn't stand it any longer. "Look, I didn't want to tell you, as it might make you think…. Well you know, there could be a chance or something." Buffy risked a glance at Spike's face, and saw the look of hurt, flash across his face before he replaced it with a mask of indifference again. *Oh God* Buffy thought *I'm a complete bitch, why the hell did I have to say that* desperately trying to make it better Buffy said "I didn't…I mean…I meant..." *yeah great that oughta help* she thought. "Save it slayer, if you don't want to tell me I don't care" Spike bit out, storming off into the centre of the cemetery. Buffy felt her heart shatter *Dammit, why can't I just tell him how I feel*. Swiping a tear off her cheek, she ran after him.
"Spike!" He could hear her running after him. He desperately tried to ignore, the large part of himself that wanted to stop and listen to her, *No, I'm not going through this again, I'm through with getting myself hurt by Miss-I-couldn't-care-less*. "Spike, please!". His feet ground to a halt *So she said please for once doesn't mean I have to give a damn* Spike grumbled, but he was already turning round to face her.
Buffy let out a sigh of relief as he stopped *Don't mess this up Summers* she mentally berated herself as she started to explain. "There was an oracle, she showed me us, but not us-us, but us from the past, is this making any sense?" "Our past selves pet?" Spike queried, as a horrifying thought passed across his mind he asked "from how long ago?". Buffy saw the horror that had passed over his face, "After I finished high school, why?". Spike swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat *thank god, I though she had seen me as pathetic William for a minute then". "Nothing pet, so what happened next" he asked, eager to get her off the subject.
…………………..
"We kissed?!" Spike asked his jaw dropping *typical, I finally kiss her and it wasn't even me*. "Well, yeah, we were trying to end the story" Buffy stammered, feeling herself blushing *Way to go Buffy, that's the way to show how unaffected you were by it, ugh!" She shook her head in disgust. "Didn't that work luv?"
…………………..
"We got married" *Well that explains what Nibblet was on about* Spike thought wearily, he'd finally gotten to be with Buffy, and it was a mirage created by the oracle that he'd never get to live. He sighed heavily. Buffy stared at Spike trying to gauge his reaction to the story realm, she swallowed hard at the look of hopelessness on his face. "So, pet" Spike answered shakily "Why'd they show this to you?" *apart from as a new form of torture for me* Spike thought sadly.
Buffy stared blankly at him, her mind screming *Oh God, oh god, oh god!!* *What the hell am I going to tell him* "I..I…" *Great, really impressive Buffy* she moaned to herself. "Weremeanttobetogether" she mumbled finally. Spike's jaw dropped, "what?" he asked hoarsely, his mind spinning. "You heard me, we..are..meant..to..be..together" she enunciated slowly standing up and walking away.
Spike stared up at her, anger boiling within him. He slowly stood up and started to stalk towards her "What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled at her "Just because your destined to be with a soulless demon?.... That's it isn't it?" he questioned his tone dangerously low "you don't think I'm good enough to be with the pristine Buffy Summers, you think you deserve someone better". Spike stopped about two foot away from her and hung his head.
Buffy was frozen to the spot her heart thundering in her chest. "You do deserve someone better" Spike mumbled, he raised his gaze to meet hers. "You deserve someone you would be proud to be with, who you trusted with your heart, who was able to make your heart skip a beat when they entered the room, who made your knees weak just by standing close to you…" he trailed off, and looked down dejectedly.
Buffy knew he was talking about her, that's how he felt about her. *Wow* she thought as she realised *he has that affect on me too. I look forward to seeing him, he's the only one that makes me feel loved and protected*. Buffy put her hand to her mouth as she chocked back a sob.
Spike's head shot up, "Buffy?" he asked tentively. He looked at the tears in her eyes and he had to stop himself from reaching out to hold her, but God he wanted to. "I love you" Buffy whispered. Spike froze in shock, he couldn't say anything, he had to be imagining it. Buffy felt like a weight had been lifted, she finally felt free. A huge smile spread over her face as she reached forward and brushed her lips slowly against Spike's.
She pulled back to look at Spike, he was still frozen in place his eyes shut. He swallowed hard as he whispered "I love you" and opened his eyes, expecting to wake to find it was a dream. Buffy's heart tripped in her chest as she heard him say the words. A huge smile spread over her face "I love you" she repeated more forcefully this time. Spike's shocked look was replaced by a goofy grin, as he grabbed her and spun her in the air "God Buffy, I love you so much".
Eventually he put her down, both of their laughter subsiding, as they gazed into each other's eyes. Spike pulled her slowly towards him and lowered his lips to hers.
The End! :)
AN: Thank you for reading the story, it's finally finished :). Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Ava
