New Horizons: Chapter Sixty-Three
The Continuance
By Annie
2002-08-30
The music was playing softly, filling the shop and making it possible to dance or if you wanted to - talk, at the same time.
Buffy and Spike were dancing slowly as well as Anya and Xander. Jacob was talking with Willow and Tara. Dawn, Devon and Clem were conversing at the table which usually was used for research but tonight was covered with a white tablecloth and loaded with snacks. Sarah was just approaching Giles who was standing by the counter watching the Slayer and the Vamp thoughtfully.
"Mr. Giles," Sarah said and he seemed to get back to reality with a blink before he turned to her and smiled.
"Please, call me Giles," he answered her and she returned the smile before nodding.
"Only if you call me Sarah," she retorted and he agreed. "So, Giles. What were you thinking just now? You seemed to be far away."
"Oh, nothing important, really," Giles answered and shrugged a little as he reached up for his glasses, taking them off and polishing them before putting them back on and turning his eyes in hers again. "I was merely musing to myself the wonders of their love," he added with a nod towards the dancing couple he had been observing.
Sarah smiled.
"Yes, there are so many, aren't there?" she asked and he nodded, turning his eyes into hers again.
"Tell me," he said. "Was the baby all that brought you back here?"
"No," she answered.
"Hmh, I thought that might be the case."
Now she smiled brightly.
"Where are you from in England?" she asked.
"I was born in a small village on the country side, but I've lived most of my life in or about London," he answered her and she nodded.
"I thought as much. Impossible for a man of your teachings to reside anywhere else, I suppose?"
"Not really," he answered and she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Well, the world, if you move in the right circles, is very open today to the teachings I indulge in. You can live anywhere, really. Of course Sunnydale, being located on top of the Hellmouth, is an excellent place for new discoveries and supernatural events taking place every day," he concluded and Sarah looked at him for a moment before nodding that she understood.
"Of course," she said. "This world seems like such a fascinating place to live," she then sighed and Giles watched her face in silence before saying:
"Ah, but my dear lady, this world is also YOUR world, you mustn't be confused on that point because then you might all of a sudden find it hard to go back."
Sarah met his eyes and sighed a little again, looking around at the people in the room and then back at him before replying:
"And would that be so bad? Couldn't my place be here? All I have at home is my father, and he is here now. The people I move with, the people in my 'circles' in London and England wouldn't care if I died tomorrow, they would only care what way I died, what way I was buried and how my will had been drawn. Vultures, that's what they are." She was getting upset, he could tell, and he felt bad for her.
"That cannot be an easy life," he said, placing a hand gently over one of hers and she drew a breath to steady herself before shaking her head. "But Sarah, is what you are saying that you want to stay here?"
"I don't know," she said. "All I know is that I am staying until the baby is born, come what may."
He smiled at that and let her hand go.
"You're a very strong woman indeed," he said and she looked up at him a little surprised. "I can see why Buffy came to love you," he added and at that Sarah's cheeks grew just a hint of a shade darker before she bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you," she then replied, looking up at him again.
She turned her head and glanced at the people dancing.
"Don't they play a waltz or any sort of dance I might know?" she asked.
"I doubt this crowd to be that refined," Giles answered her with a smile. "But come here, there's really nothing to this," he added, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her with him out onto the floor.
"But I..." she started to protest, but he pulled her closer and put her arms up around his neck before placing his own hands on the small of her back.
She swallowed, meeting his eyes and then she smiled.
"I guess you're right," she said. "There's really nothing to this. You just move your feet a little and..."
"Hold each other?" he filled in and she laughed before nodding.
"Yes, exactly," she answered.
Jacob watched his daughter. Giles seemed to be a very likeable person and he could see why Sarah would think so as well, the two of them seemed to have more than one thing in common, and yet he felt a little scared. Scared that the man his daughter finally chose to open her heart to would be a man from another time... and that might have severe consequences.
Just think, Sarah, he urged in his mind. Please, just think about that!
"This book is really strange," Devon said as Dawn turned yet another page. "Who came up with all this stuff anyways? I mean, can you really pass this off as 'history'? I haven't seen anything that even hints at this actually being fiction!"
Dawn smiled a little and got to her feet.
"Clem, would you excuse us for a moment?" she asked and Clem smiled an understanding smile before nodding.
"I can see the need for it," he then said and Dawn grinned at him as Devon, a little confused, rose as well.
"Come on," Dawn said. "There's something I really have to tell you about...well, a lot."
She stopped by Buffy and Spike and asked them to join her and Devon in the sparring room. Once there Dawn turned to Devon and said:
"Okay, so please don't freak out, even though I can understand you if you do. There's just... Okay, I'll just come right out and say it. You know, vampires?" Devon nodded a little. "They exist. For real. Right here in Sunnydale. They go around and suck blood and kill innocents and all that, really creepy to be out alone at night, that's for sure. Unless - you're the Slayer. Which my sister is. See, she has this destiny to kill vamps and other Big Bads and stuff and so she has sorta these superpowers. She's really strong and can run really fast and she has really good hearing and great reflexes and everything. She kills vampires...usually. The Halloween incident was me almost getting under the fangs of one but...I killed him. Anyways, Buffy takes care of all the nasties really, like demons and monsters of every kind and such. She's saved the world from destruction a few times. Um... What else? Well, Willow and Tara are witches...Real ones. Anya's a demon who was a human for a while but then heartache and sorrow made her become one again - long story - Sarah and Jacob are really from the nineteenth century, as already said. There's more but I need to breathe and you need to take this in so. What do you think, just on top of your head?"
Devon stared at her.
Then his mouth started twitching and before long he was laughing. Soon he stopped, at the sight of three very serious faces.
"You CAN'T be serious!" he exclaimed. "Demons and vampires?! In SUNNYDALE?! Dawn, come on."
Dawn sighed a little and then gave Spike a look, which was all he needed. Before Devon's growing eyes he slipped his game face on.
"Holy Mary Mother of." Devon mumbled, taking a step back.
Dawn felt her heart almost stop in her chest. This was it, wasn't it? This was how her life was going to be now? Either she could date the freaky or have the humans freaked out by her everyday life. By the people and beings that surrounded her and she supposed mostly by herself.
She didn't know how to tell Devon that she wasn't... that she wasn't... She didn't even know how to get the frigging thought into her mind. Everything she felt had to do with this life, not what she had been for such a long time before she was Dawn, before she was a part of Buffy.
"This is just..." Devon murmured and then he grabbed Dawn's hand. "And you LIVE like this? You actually...? How long have you known about...? My GOD, this is just too much! I mean...yikes!"
"With a cherry on top," Spike concurred, changing back to his human face and then smiling a little. "You spooked?" he added and Devon hesitated a moment.
"Well, yeah... and then again, no," he answered. "I think I'm more shocked than anything else. I mean... this is really just too weird."
He was still holding Dawn's hand and she looked at him, wanting not to sound desperate, but that was how she felt and she didn't want to loose him. Not like this!
"Will you stay for a while longer?" she asked and he turned to her.
He looked at her for a few moments, observing the hesitant and almost pleading expression in her eyes he found he had no trouble making up his mind. And so he smiled and then nodded.
"Of course I will," he answered. "It takes a little bit more than life altering revelations to make me run away," he added and Dawn felt a huge weight just lift from her chest. "So...You're a Slayer?" he then asked, turning to Buffy and she smiled at the curiosity in his voice.
It sounded so young and innocent and she almost felt bad for corrupting that part of him, making him see the really real world.
"Yep," she answered simply.
"What does that mean?" he asked and she shrugged a little.
"It's when you kill bad guys for about a year and at the end of it you get to deal with their leader which most of the time gets you killed and then you get to be brought back by friends who really care for you," she answered and now he really stared at her.
"You didn't mean that literally, right?" he asked and she smirked.
"Well...yeah, more or less" she answered and then she laughed. "A friend of mine once asked me: 'Are you ready for this? It's a whole other world out there than what you're used to.' I can only hope that YOU are ready, Devon. Dawn has a lot to tell you, I think."
Devon smiled at that.
"I'm glad you told me now," he stated, looking at Dawn. "I really am," he added, "'cause I wouldn't have wanted you to have to sneak around and pretend to be someone you're not."
She nodded.
"I was kinda expecting you'd run away as fast as you could," she said. "But I really didn't wanna start this off not being able to talk about myself because ninety-nine percent of it would have to be considered secrets."
"You guys go sit down and talk for a while," Buffy said.
"Yeah," Dawn nodded. "Let's do that."
***
"Aren't they just adorable?" Buffy asked, watching the two walk off to find a more private corner as Spike and she walked back to the dance floor.
He smiled a little as she put her arms around him and then he nodded.
"I suppose," he answered. "I'm just really scared she'll get hurt."
"That's the way love goes," Buffy stated and he smirked.
"Speaking from your own experiences?" he asked and she looked up at him before pulling his face close to give him a tender kiss.
He sighed a content sigh at that gesture and she grinned at him before letting him just hold her for a moment, resting her head against his chest.
"On the other hand she might get a taste of what we have," she said silently and he hugged her tighter.
"You're right," he agreed and she smiled, nestling her face closer. "Let's hope so."
"I think we've set an official record," Buffy suddenly stated, looking up and meeting his questioning gaze before she added: "How long has it been since we fought with each other?"
He smiled widely.
"Hey, I'm not keeping count," he said. "Besides, I have a feeling it'll be easier to count the times we DO fight than when we DON'T from now on," he added and she laughed.
They were silent for a while, enjoying the slow motion of the dance.
"Tara talked to me earlier," she then said and he raised his eyebrows.
"Oh?" he asked and she nodded, cheek still against his chest.
"Yeah, she...eh, she gave me some proposals for a name," she answered and he slowed down the dance even further, almost stopping, and then he chuckled.
"Really? Any proposal that you liked?" he asked and now Buffy looked up at him before smiling.
"I liked all of them," she stated. "But none of them were what I've had in mind."
He smiled a little.
"I see. "
"What? Haven't you been thinking?" she asked and now the smile spread wide before he shrugged.
"Just a little, maybe," he said, not really looking into her eyes and she laughed at him, shaking her head.
"Liar," she mumbled and he looked at her lovingly.
"You know me too well, pet," he said and she met his eyes, reaching up a hand to touch his cheek she said:
"Would you have it any other way?"
He shook his head.
"So, what names did you come up with then?" he asked and she smiled secretively before answering:
"Only one."
He raised his eyebrows in clear disbelief.
"One?" he asked and she nodded. "No, there's no bloody way you've only thought of one!" he stated and now she furrowed her brow slightly before smiling again.
"Oh, and how many have YOU thought up?" she asked and he cocked an eyebrow before putting on a thoughtful expression.
She gave him a friendly push to hurry up and stop teasing and then he met her eyes again and said:
"Six."
She stared at him and then she grinned.
"Six?" she asked and he nodded before tickling her sides a little, making her laugh and squirm out her "no" as an answer to his added question: "Any problems with that, Slayer?"
"Well, tell me," she said when he had stopped and she had caught her breath.
He looked her in the eyes for a moment and then he shook his head.
"No, I think we should stick with whatever name you've thought up," he said, gently running a hand through her hair and she closed her eyes at his touch.
"Why?" she asked. "You haven't even heard it yet," she added as he bent down and kissed her forehead, her eyes still closed.
"If you're that sure, I mean, you have to be for you only to come up with that single one...Then I'm sure I'll love it too...and I'm sure that that name is the name our daughter is supposed to have," he answered and she smiled, leaning her head back and he let his lips meet hers in a gentle kiss.
"I want to know yours, Spike, I really do," she mumbled and he nodded a little, kissing her again. "I'll whisper them to you." he said and let his mouth slide from hers across her cheek and then stop by her ear.
He didn't say anything for a few seconds and Buffy was about to ask him why when he whispered:
"I never thought this would happen. I never dared to believe it. When I told you I wasn't coming back here with you, that I was staying in England with Sarah and Jacob, that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And I remember what I tried to tell myself so clearly; what I wanted myself to believe to make the aching go away." Her grip on him tightened a little and he continued: "I thought you would never love me, that you COULDN'T return my feelings 'cause what you needed was someone to be a neutralizer for the craziness in your life, what you needed was a warm embrace to really help you away from that bloody cold you seemed to be suffering from...the last thing you needed was something like me, something that'd only make you colder. The darkness so close upon you, close enough to feel and touch, it was just the opposite to what could make you feel whole again. And I knew you craved that so badly. I thought I could never deserve you, could never be worthy enough for you to look at me as anything but a monster."
He paused and pulled his head back to look into her eyes, they were glittering with tears, but her mouth was smiling, her gaze filled with her love for him and he swallowed before smiling back.
"It almost made me break..." he whispered and she nodded a little that she understood.
"So did thinking you'd never be back again almost do to me," she said silently.
"I never wanna go through that again," he stated and she shook her head.
"Never," she agreed. "And you never will, Spike. 'Cause now we're a family," she added and he smiled at that before he embraced her, pulling her close to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'll never forget what you said when I tried to make you come back with me..." she grumbled, their hold on each other still as tight. "You said: 'Someday, no doubt, you'll find someone who can make you feel more than you even thought was possible, and you'll know that nothing will ever be the same again, and you'll be happy. Finally.' Do you remember that?"
He nodded.
"Your response was what killed me though, all you said was 'thank you'."
"Yes," she agreed and nodded, furrowing her brow again and then shaking her head a little. "Even though I wanted to beg you on my knees and hands even then - I just couldn't see it - I just...couldn't see it," she stated and he laughed quietly. "My point is, though, that you've always been that person, Spike. You'll always be that person for me, no matter what."
"No matter what?" he asked and she smiled.
"No. Matter. What," she confirmed and he smiled back.
"So, I'm stuck with you, huh?" he asked and now she laughed.
"You'd better believe it, buster. There's no way you're getting rid of me now. You can't push me or tare me or SCARE me away," she stated and now he smirked.
"You sure I can't even scare you away?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows. "You sure you're willing to accept me for who I am and what I am?" he added.
"Who you are is my friend and my lover and everything in between," she answered. "WHAT you are is the father to my child, to our child. There's nothing more to it," she concluded and he looked at her for a few more moments before tilting his head a little to one side.
"You know," he said, pulling away from her slightly and then smiling. "I've spent my entire existence moving towards you; coming closer to this moment, the crucial second that'd usually just go by like that, but now it's here and I've already made my choice. I promise you that I'll never be any less than what you think of me, because this love... I could never fight it or bury it or kill it, it was always too strong, and now it's this part of me I NEED. I love you. I'll always love you."
She smiled at him and then her eyes grew slightly as he suddenly sunk down on one knee, holding both her hands in his he then looked up at her.
"Spike?" she whispered and he smiled a little.
"Scared?" he asked quietly and she smiled faintly before she shook her head, her eyes locked in his.
Suddenly the music was turned off. Buffy hardly took any notice, she could see nothing but the sudden light in his gaze, the sensation of his hands holding hers was all that filled her as her whole being seemed to be wrapped in a thick blanket of hushed silence. Anticipating with every nerve.
"Buffy Anne Summers," he said. "You're everything in this world that holds any meaning to me, I want to share the life of our daughter together with you. I want to fall asleep next to you- and have you bloody wake me in the morning in some annoying way- for as many nights and mornings that's still to come for us." She smiled, eyes filling with tears as he smiled back. "I wanna marry you and REALLY spend the rest of my days with you, Buffy. I only have one question."
She drew a small breath as he let one of her hands go and reached behind his back for something.
"What?" she whispered when he paused for a moment and he smiled wider, bringing out a small, black, velvet box.
"Do you wanna marry me?" he asked as he flicked the lid open and she stared at the ring before she swallowed hard.
She blinked and the tears began to fall as she drew another breath, a thousand thoughts playing in her head in the matter of seconds. Memories of him, of them. Thoughts of what his question meant, what a commitment it was. There was never any doubt, just a conviction and she had known the answer as soon as he made the gesture of getting down on one knee.
Now she sunk down on both of hers as well before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling herself close to him.
"Yes," she then said and she could feel a small tremble go through him and then his arms around her as well. "Yes!" she repeated and they pulled apart a little, looking into each others eyes they started laughing with relief and happiness.
He kissed her, deeply, and she returned it before they pulled apart again.
Buffy turned her head to look at the ring and a smile seemed to have manifested itself permanently on her lips. Then her eyes grew a little as she reached out a hand and gently touched the interior of the box, almost scared to+ touch the object resting on it.
"It's...so beautiful," she said, blinking away more tears without really noticing.
The ring was slim, in white gold with a band of seven diamonds across it, twisting themselves slightly and with the middle one being the largest as the others shrunk in size both ways. The stones were glittering in the dim light of the shop.
"It was my mother's," Spike said silently as he reached out and took the ring from the fold it had been resting in.
"Your mother's?" Buffy asked, a little surprised and Spike nodded as he put the box down on the floor next to them and then gently took a hold of her left hand.
"Sarah brought it with her," he answered. "I don't know exactly how she knew I would need it, but..."
He paused as he brought the ring up to the finger on which it belonged.
"I love you," she mimed and he smiled.
"I love you," he mimed back and then let the ring slip on.
It was a perfect fit and as it settled at the base of her finger Buffy felt exactly how sure she was, how much she had wanted this ever since she had first realized that she loved him. How she knew he was it for her, she would never love anyone else.
They embraced tightly again, she rested her head on his shoulder and that was when the cheering broke loose from the gathered friends who had witnessed the whole beautiful scene. The Slayer and the Vamp looked up at the same time, both had forgotten all about the fact that they weren't alone, and then they got to their feet to meet the smiles and hugs and congratulations.
We're getting married, Buffy thought as she looked up and met Spike's eyes.
We're getting married, Spike thought as he returned the smile spreading on his bride's lips.
The Continuance
By Annie
2002-08-30
The music was playing softly, filling the shop and making it possible to dance or if you wanted to - talk, at the same time.
Buffy and Spike were dancing slowly as well as Anya and Xander. Jacob was talking with Willow and Tara. Dawn, Devon and Clem were conversing at the table which usually was used for research but tonight was covered with a white tablecloth and loaded with snacks. Sarah was just approaching Giles who was standing by the counter watching the Slayer and the Vamp thoughtfully.
"Mr. Giles," Sarah said and he seemed to get back to reality with a blink before he turned to her and smiled.
"Please, call me Giles," he answered her and she returned the smile before nodding.
"Only if you call me Sarah," she retorted and he agreed. "So, Giles. What were you thinking just now? You seemed to be far away."
"Oh, nothing important, really," Giles answered and shrugged a little as he reached up for his glasses, taking them off and polishing them before putting them back on and turning his eyes in hers again. "I was merely musing to myself the wonders of their love," he added with a nod towards the dancing couple he had been observing.
Sarah smiled.
"Yes, there are so many, aren't there?" she asked and he nodded, turning his eyes into hers again.
"Tell me," he said. "Was the baby all that brought you back here?"
"No," she answered.
"Hmh, I thought that might be the case."
Now she smiled brightly.
"Where are you from in England?" she asked.
"I was born in a small village on the country side, but I've lived most of my life in or about London," he answered her and she nodded.
"I thought as much. Impossible for a man of your teachings to reside anywhere else, I suppose?"
"Not really," he answered and she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Well, the world, if you move in the right circles, is very open today to the teachings I indulge in. You can live anywhere, really. Of course Sunnydale, being located on top of the Hellmouth, is an excellent place for new discoveries and supernatural events taking place every day," he concluded and Sarah looked at him for a moment before nodding that she understood.
"Of course," she said. "This world seems like such a fascinating place to live," she then sighed and Giles watched her face in silence before saying:
"Ah, but my dear lady, this world is also YOUR world, you mustn't be confused on that point because then you might all of a sudden find it hard to go back."
Sarah met his eyes and sighed a little again, looking around at the people in the room and then back at him before replying:
"And would that be so bad? Couldn't my place be here? All I have at home is my father, and he is here now. The people I move with, the people in my 'circles' in London and England wouldn't care if I died tomorrow, they would only care what way I died, what way I was buried and how my will had been drawn. Vultures, that's what they are." She was getting upset, he could tell, and he felt bad for her.
"That cannot be an easy life," he said, placing a hand gently over one of hers and she drew a breath to steady herself before shaking her head. "But Sarah, is what you are saying that you want to stay here?"
"I don't know," she said. "All I know is that I am staying until the baby is born, come what may."
He smiled at that and let her hand go.
"You're a very strong woman indeed," he said and she looked up at him a little surprised. "I can see why Buffy came to love you," he added and at that Sarah's cheeks grew just a hint of a shade darker before she bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you," she then replied, looking up at him again.
She turned her head and glanced at the people dancing.
"Don't they play a waltz or any sort of dance I might know?" she asked.
"I doubt this crowd to be that refined," Giles answered her with a smile. "But come here, there's really nothing to this," he added, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her with him out onto the floor.
"But I..." she started to protest, but he pulled her closer and put her arms up around his neck before placing his own hands on the small of her back.
She swallowed, meeting his eyes and then she smiled.
"I guess you're right," she said. "There's really nothing to this. You just move your feet a little and..."
"Hold each other?" he filled in and she laughed before nodding.
"Yes, exactly," she answered.
Jacob watched his daughter. Giles seemed to be a very likeable person and he could see why Sarah would think so as well, the two of them seemed to have more than one thing in common, and yet he felt a little scared. Scared that the man his daughter finally chose to open her heart to would be a man from another time... and that might have severe consequences.
Just think, Sarah, he urged in his mind. Please, just think about that!
"This book is really strange," Devon said as Dawn turned yet another page. "Who came up with all this stuff anyways? I mean, can you really pass this off as 'history'? I haven't seen anything that even hints at this actually being fiction!"
Dawn smiled a little and got to her feet.
"Clem, would you excuse us for a moment?" she asked and Clem smiled an understanding smile before nodding.
"I can see the need for it," he then said and Dawn grinned at him as Devon, a little confused, rose as well.
"Come on," Dawn said. "There's something I really have to tell you about...well, a lot."
She stopped by Buffy and Spike and asked them to join her and Devon in the sparring room. Once there Dawn turned to Devon and said:
"Okay, so please don't freak out, even though I can understand you if you do. There's just... Okay, I'll just come right out and say it. You know, vampires?" Devon nodded a little. "They exist. For real. Right here in Sunnydale. They go around and suck blood and kill innocents and all that, really creepy to be out alone at night, that's for sure. Unless - you're the Slayer. Which my sister is. See, she has this destiny to kill vamps and other Big Bads and stuff and so she has sorta these superpowers. She's really strong and can run really fast and she has really good hearing and great reflexes and everything. She kills vampires...usually. The Halloween incident was me almost getting under the fangs of one but...I killed him. Anyways, Buffy takes care of all the nasties really, like demons and monsters of every kind and such. She's saved the world from destruction a few times. Um... What else? Well, Willow and Tara are witches...Real ones. Anya's a demon who was a human for a while but then heartache and sorrow made her become one again - long story - Sarah and Jacob are really from the nineteenth century, as already said. There's more but I need to breathe and you need to take this in so. What do you think, just on top of your head?"
Devon stared at her.
Then his mouth started twitching and before long he was laughing. Soon he stopped, at the sight of three very serious faces.
"You CAN'T be serious!" he exclaimed. "Demons and vampires?! In SUNNYDALE?! Dawn, come on."
Dawn sighed a little and then gave Spike a look, which was all he needed. Before Devon's growing eyes he slipped his game face on.
"Holy Mary Mother of." Devon mumbled, taking a step back.
Dawn felt her heart almost stop in her chest. This was it, wasn't it? This was how her life was going to be now? Either she could date the freaky or have the humans freaked out by her everyday life. By the people and beings that surrounded her and she supposed mostly by herself.
She didn't know how to tell Devon that she wasn't... that she wasn't... She didn't even know how to get the frigging thought into her mind. Everything she felt had to do with this life, not what she had been for such a long time before she was Dawn, before she was a part of Buffy.
"This is just..." Devon murmured and then he grabbed Dawn's hand. "And you LIVE like this? You actually...? How long have you known about...? My GOD, this is just too much! I mean...yikes!"
"With a cherry on top," Spike concurred, changing back to his human face and then smiling a little. "You spooked?" he added and Devon hesitated a moment.
"Well, yeah... and then again, no," he answered. "I think I'm more shocked than anything else. I mean... this is really just too weird."
He was still holding Dawn's hand and she looked at him, wanting not to sound desperate, but that was how she felt and she didn't want to loose him. Not like this!
"Will you stay for a while longer?" she asked and he turned to her.
He looked at her for a few moments, observing the hesitant and almost pleading expression in her eyes he found he had no trouble making up his mind. And so he smiled and then nodded.
"Of course I will," he answered. "It takes a little bit more than life altering revelations to make me run away," he added and Dawn felt a huge weight just lift from her chest. "So...You're a Slayer?" he then asked, turning to Buffy and she smiled at the curiosity in his voice.
It sounded so young and innocent and she almost felt bad for corrupting that part of him, making him see the really real world.
"Yep," she answered simply.
"What does that mean?" he asked and she shrugged a little.
"It's when you kill bad guys for about a year and at the end of it you get to deal with their leader which most of the time gets you killed and then you get to be brought back by friends who really care for you," she answered and now he really stared at her.
"You didn't mean that literally, right?" he asked and she smirked.
"Well...yeah, more or less" she answered and then she laughed. "A friend of mine once asked me: 'Are you ready for this? It's a whole other world out there than what you're used to.' I can only hope that YOU are ready, Devon. Dawn has a lot to tell you, I think."
Devon smiled at that.
"I'm glad you told me now," he stated, looking at Dawn. "I really am," he added, "'cause I wouldn't have wanted you to have to sneak around and pretend to be someone you're not."
She nodded.
"I was kinda expecting you'd run away as fast as you could," she said. "But I really didn't wanna start this off not being able to talk about myself because ninety-nine percent of it would have to be considered secrets."
"You guys go sit down and talk for a while," Buffy said.
"Yeah," Dawn nodded. "Let's do that."
***
"Aren't they just adorable?" Buffy asked, watching the two walk off to find a more private corner as Spike and she walked back to the dance floor.
He smiled a little as she put her arms around him and then he nodded.
"I suppose," he answered. "I'm just really scared she'll get hurt."
"That's the way love goes," Buffy stated and he smirked.
"Speaking from your own experiences?" he asked and she looked up at him before pulling his face close to give him a tender kiss.
He sighed a content sigh at that gesture and she grinned at him before letting him just hold her for a moment, resting her head against his chest.
"On the other hand she might get a taste of what we have," she said silently and he hugged her tighter.
"You're right," he agreed and she smiled, nestling her face closer. "Let's hope so."
"I think we've set an official record," Buffy suddenly stated, looking up and meeting his questioning gaze before she added: "How long has it been since we fought with each other?"
He smiled widely.
"Hey, I'm not keeping count," he said. "Besides, I have a feeling it'll be easier to count the times we DO fight than when we DON'T from now on," he added and she laughed.
They were silent for a while, enjoying the slow motion of the dance.
"Tara talked to me earlier," she then said and he raised his eyebrows.
"Oh?" he asked and she nodded, cheek still against his chest.
"Yeah, she...eh, she gave me some proposals for a name," she answered and he slowed down the dance even further, almost stopping, and then he chuckled.
"Really? Any proposal that you liked?" he asked and now Buffy looked up at him before smiling.
"I liked all of them," she stated. "But none of them were what I've had in mind."
He smiled a little.
"I see. "
"What? Haven't you been thinking?" she asked and now the smile spread wide before he shrugged.
"Just a little, maybe," he said, not really looking into her eyes and she laughed at him, shaking her head.
"Liar," she mumbled and he looked at her lovingly.
"You know me too well, pet," he said and she met his eyes, reaching up a hand to touch his cheek she said:
"Would you have it any other way?"
He shook his head.
"So, what names did you come up with then?" he asked and she smiled secretively before answering:
"Only one."
He raised his eyebrows in clear disbelief.
"One?" he asked and she nodded. "No, there's no bloody way you've only thought of one!" he stated and now she furrowed her brow slightly before smiling again.
"Oh, and how many have YOU thought up?" she asked and he cocked an eyebrow before putting on a thoughtful expression.
She gave him a friendly push to hurry up and stop teasing and then he met her eyes again and said:
"Six."
She stared at him and then she grinned.
"Six?" she asked and he nodded before tickling her sides a little, making her laugh and squirm out her "no" as an answer to his added question: "Any problems with that, Slayer?"
"Well, tell me," she said when he had stopped and she had caught her breath.
He looked her in the eyes for a moment and then he shook his head.
"No, I think we should stick with whatever name you've thought up," he said, gently running a hand through her hair and she closed her eyes at his touch.
"Why?" she asked. "You haven't even heard it yet," she added as he bent down and kissed her forehead, her eyes still closed.
"If you're that sure, I mean, you have to be for you only to come up with that single one...Then I'm sure I'll love it too...and I'm sure that that name is the name our daughter is supposed to have," he answered and she smiled, leaning her head back and he let his lips meet hers in a gentle kiss.
"I want to know yours, Spike, I really do," she mumbled and he nodded a little, kissing her again. "I'll whisper them to you." he said and let his mouth slide from hers across her cheek and then stop by her ear.
He didn't say anything for a few seconds and Buffy was about to ask him why when he whispered:
"I never thought this would happen. I never dared to believe it. When I told you I wasn't coming back here with you, that I was staying in England with Sarah and Jacob, that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And I remember what I tried to tell myself so clearly; what I wanted myself to believe to make the aching go away." Her grip on him tightened a little and he continued: "I thought you would never love me, that you COULDN'T return my feelings 'cause what you needed was someone to be a neutralizer for the craziness in your life, what you needed was a warm embrace to really help you away from that bloody cold you seemed to be suffering from...the last thing you needed was something like me, something that'd only make you colder. The darkness so close upon you, close enough to feel and touch, it was just the opposite to what could make you feel whole again. And I knew you craved that so badly. I thought I could never deserve you, could never be worthy enough for you to look at me as anything but a monster."
He paused and pulled his head back to look into her eyes, they were glittering with tears, but her mouth was smiling, her gaze filled with her love for him and he swallowed before smiling back.
"It almost made me break..." he whispered and she nodded a little that she understood.
"So did thinking you'd never be back again almost do to me," she said silently.
"I never wanna go through that again," he stated and she shook her head.
"Never," she agreed. "And you never will, Spike. 'Cause now we're a family," she added and he smiled at that before he embraced her, pulling her close to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'll never forget what you said when I tried to make you come back with me..." she grumbled, their hold on each other still as tight. "You said: 'Someday, no doubt, you'll find someone who can make you feel more than you even thought was possible, and you'll know that nothing will ever be the same again, and you'll be happy. Finally.' Do you remember that?"
He nodded.
"Your response was what killed me though, all you said was 'thank you'."
"Yes," she agreed and nodded, furrowing her brow again and then shaking her head a little. "Even though I wanted to beg you on my knees and hands even then - I just couldn't see it - I just...couldn't see it," she stated and he laughed quietly. "My point is, though, that you've always been that person, Spike. You'll always be that person for me, no matter what."
"No matter what?" he asked and she smiled.
"No. Matter. What," she confirmed and he smiled back.
"So, I'm stuck with you, huh?" he asked and now she laughed.
"You'd better believe it, buster. There's no way you're getting rid of me now. You can't push me or tare me or SCARE me away," she stated and now he smirked.
"You sure I can't even scare you away?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows. "You sure you're willing to accept me for who I am and what I am?" he added.
"Who you are is my friend and my lover and everything in between," she answered. "WHAT you are is the father to my child, to our child. There's nothing more to it," she concluded and he looked at her for a few more moments before tilting his head a little to one side.
"You know," he said, pulling away from her slightly and then smiling. "I've spent my entire existence moving towards you; coming closer to this moment, the crucial second that'd usually just go by like that, but now it's here and I've already made my choice. I promise you that I'll never be any less than what you think of me, because this love... I could never fight it or bury it or kill it, it was always too strong, and now it's this part of me I NEED. I love you. I'll always love you."
She smiled at him and then her eyes grew slightly as he suddenly sunk down on one knee, holding both her hands in his he then looked up at her.
"Spike?" she whispered and he smiled a little.
"Scared?" he asked quietly and she smiled faintly before she shook her head, her eyes locked in his.
Suddenly the music was turned off. Buffy hardly took any notice, she could see nothing but the sudden light in his gaze, the sensation of his hands holding hers was all that filled her as her whole being seemed to be wrapped in a thick blanket of hushed silence. Anticipating with every nerve.
"Buffy Anne Summers," he said. "You're everything in this world that holds any meaning to me, I want to share the life of our daughter together with you. I want to fall asleep next to you- and have you bloody wake me in the morning in some annoying way- for as many nights and mornings that's still to come for us." She smiled, eyes filling with tears as he smiled back. "I wanna marry you and REALLY spend the rest of my days with you, Buffy. I only have one question."
She drew a small breath as he let one of her hands go and reached behind his back for something.
"What?" she whispered when he paused for a moment and he smiled wider, bringing out a small, black, velvet box.
"Do you wanna marry me?" he asked as he flicked the lid open and she stared at the ring before she swallowed hard.
She blinked and the tears began to fall as she drew another breath, a thousand thoughts playing in her head in the matter of seconds. Memories of him, of them. Thoughts of what his question meant, what a commitment it was. There was never any doubt, just a conviction and she had known the answer as soon as he made the gesture of getting down on one knee.
Now she sunk down on both of hers as well before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling herself close to him.
"Yes," she then said and she could feel a small tremble go through him and then his arms around her as well. "Yes!" she repeated and they pulled apart a little, looking into each others eyes they started laughing with relief and happiness.
He kissed her, deeply, and she returned it before they pulled apart again.
Buffy turned her head to look at the ring and a smile seemed to have manifested itself permanently on her lips. Then her eyes grew a little as she reached out a hand and gently touched the interior of the box, almost scared to+ touch the object resting on it.
"It's...so beautiful," she said, blinking away more tears without really noticing.
The ring was slim, in white gold with a band of seven diamonds across it, twisting themselves slightly and with the middle one being the largest as the others shrunk in size both ways. The stones were glittering in the dim light of the shop.
"It was my mother's," Spike said silently as he reached out and took the ring from the fold it had been resting in.
"Your mother's?" Buffy asked, a little surprised and Spike nodded as he put the box down on the floor next to them and then gently took a hold of her left hand.
"Sarah brought it with her," he answered. "I don't know exactly how she knew I would need it, but..."
He paused as he brought the ring up to the finger on which it belonged.
"I love you," she mimed and he smiled.
"I love you," he mimed back and then let the ring slip on.
It was a perfect fit and as it settled at the base of her finger Buffy felt exactly how sure she was, how much she had wanted this ever since she had first realized that she loved him. How she knew he was it for her, she would never love anyone else.
They embraced tightly again, she rested her head on his shoulder and that was when the cheering broke loose from the gathered friends who had witnessed the whole beautiful scene. The Slayer and the Vamp looked up at the same time, both had forgotten all about the fact that they weren't alone, and then they got to their feet to meet the smiles and hugs and congratulations.
We're getting married, Buffy thought as she looked up and met Spike's eyes.
We're getting married, Spike thought as he returned the smile spreading on his bride's lips.