3.
She sat for a moment, then impulsively threw her arms around him. He didn't react, just let her lean into him, close and warm.alive. It didn't feel wrong, like some slut throwing herself at him, just pure.unadulterated.love. Or something like it. He didn't know love. "Oh.god." her muffled voice had more than a hint of tears in it. He sat, emotionless. Don't react. Why is she alive? This could be just a dream, right? ".I thought you'd forgotten me. I don't know what I'd do if you had." Awkwardly, he patted her back, feeling the spine through her thin shirt. A spine he could snap with his strong hands like so many twigs. "Why are you alive?" The words came unbidden from his mouth. She jerked up to look at his blank face, the words forced out. "Spike, what do you mean?" He continued, ignoring her. "You were just another dream, weren't you? I have no perception of reality. You were gone, but you're here.alive." "Don't you remember, Spike? All the times I cared for you? After all those fights, and all the times you got yourself in trouble? Don't you remember?" Don't you remember? Don't you remember? He turned his face away from hers. "You're just another demon wanting to suck my soul, eh?" "No! Spike, you were never like this." He was never like this. "Spike, listen to me. I have to tell you something, it's important. Come with me." He allowed her to lead him to a back room, with a folding table lit by one bulb overhead. "Sorry about this. The ISSP is on my tail again.I have another bounty on me." "Poker Alice. They called you that for a good reason." "No, for once I haven't broken any laws. The fact I'm alive and have a functioning brain that remembers is enough for them." "What do you remember?" "So much. Enough to drive anyone to insanity.but look at me! Still here! Hah!" Her face twisted into a grimacing laugh, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Tell me. What is it?" He looked at her, anxious. She settled her graceful body on the metal folding chair, with a semblance of comfort. "What can I say? The dream is a reality, and the reality is all a dream."
She sat for a moment, then impulsively threw her arms around him. He didn't react, just let her lean into him, close and warm.alive. It didn't feel wrong, like some slut throwing herself at him, just pure.unadulterated.love. Or something like it. He didn't know love. "Oh.god." her muffled voice had more than a hint of tears in it. He sat, emotionless. Don't react. Why is she alive? This could be just a dream, right? ".I thought you'd forgotten me. I don't know what I'd do if you had." Awkwardly, he patted her back, feeling the spine through her thin shirt. A spine he could snap with his strong hands like so many twigs. "Why are you alive?" The words came unbidden from his mouth. She jerked up to look at his blank face, the words forced out. "Spike, what do you mean?" He continued, ignoring her. "You were just another dream, weren't you? I have no perception of reality. You were gone, but you're here.alive." "Don't you remember, Spike? All the times I cared for you? After all those fights, and all the times you got yourself in trouble? Don't you remember?" Don't you remember? Don't you remember? He turned his face away from hers. "You're just another demon wanting to suck my soul, eh?" "No! Spike, you were never like this." He was never like this. "Spike, listen to me. I have to tell you something, it's important. Come with me." He allowed her to lead him to a back room, with a folding table lit by one bulb overhead. "Sorry about this. The ISSP is on my tail again.I have another bounty on me." "Poker Alice. They called you that for a good reason." "No, for once I haven't broken any laws. The fact I'm alive and have a functioning brain that remembers is enough for them." "What do you remember?" "So much. Enough to drive anyone to insanity.but look at me! Still here! Hah!" Her face twisted into a grimacing laugh, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Tell me. What is it?" He looked at her, anxious. She settled her graceful body on the metal folding chair, with a semblance of comfort. "What can I say? The dream is a reality, and the reality is all a dream."