Part 2 of 2

Spike was half asleep in his armchair in front of the TV when he was suddenly awoken by a knock on the crypt door. He was startled by the sound but more so by the fact that anyone was bothering to actually knock! Anybody or anything that you normally found outside a crypt would not have the good grace to knock, they or it would just burst in and probably try to kill you.

Spike moved cautiously to the door, picking up an axe on the way and flung open the door, poised to swing at whatever or whoever was on the other sighed.

"Oh, it's you" he sighed when he saw Buffy there. He put down the axe, turning away from her and heading back to his chair, but he stopped a few feet short of it and turned back.

"That time again is it Slayer?" he asked, "What is it tonight then? A good shagging or another round of Kick The Spike?"

Buffy looked away from his intense gaze, looking down at her feet she spoke quietly.

"Neither"

She saw the pain in his eyes as he thought that all he was good for was sex and a way to release her anger. He meant so much more to her than that - so why couldn't she tell him?

"So what are you here for then?" Spike seemed aggravated by her presence, maybe because of what had happened the day before, neither she or he himself was sure "Information? Sorry to disappoint but I don't know anything about anything so..." he was interrupted by the Slayer as she snapped her head up and spoke sharply.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk way too much?"

The vampire was slightly surprised by her tone and it was his turn to look at the floor.

"Not entirely sure what else I'm supposed to be doing" he admitted.

"Teach me the rest of that dance?" Buffy suggested in a small voice.

"No" came the immediate answer, and Buffy knew why, she knew what could happen.

"Why not?" she asked anyway "What are you afraid of?" she knew that would get a rise out of him, for no matter how much gentler the vampire had become, he liked to imagine he kept his status as the Big Bad.

"I'm not afraid of anything" he told her, pointing a finger at her "and you'd do well to remember that"

She tried not to smile at his attempts to look evil and dangerous, she couldn't see that part of him anymore "Record's broken" he added as an excuse for not dancing anymore.

"I know" Buffy nodded, producing a package "that's why I got you this" she handed it to him and he took it somewhat cautiously. He hadn't received a gift from anyone in the longest time.

"It's not my birthday or anything" he said pointlessly, eyeing both Buffy and the package suspisciouly.

"Did I say it was?" Buffy snapped "I just wanted to give you this since it was kind of my fault that the other one got ruined"

Spike nodded as he pulled the layer of brown paper from the surprise gift and revealed a record.

"Strauss, eh?" he glanced up at her after seeing the name on the cover.

"The Vienna Blood Waltz" Buffy grinned "I though it was appropriate"

"Very funny, Slayer" he smirked at her joke before going back to examining his gift.

"So, you gonna put it on?" she suggested after a moment.

"Why?" he asked without looking up at her.

"Cos it's kinda hard to hear the tune if you don't?" she smirked in a similar fashion to the man before her.

"No, not that..." he said, as he saw her expression "Why a sudden interest in dancing and buying me presents?"

"Okay first, it was *a* present, singular not plural" Buffy said quickly "and I can leave right now if you want..." she said turning toward the door.

"You know what I want" he answered, his eyes burning holes into her back.

"Remind me" she said simply, turning back to face him. Crystal blue orbs met deep hazel globes and locked onto each other.

"Slayer...Buffy, I want you...I love you" Spike spoke slowly and deliberately as he conveyed all that he truly felt with his words and his eyes alone. After a moment Buffy replied.

"I believe you and I..." she wanted to tell him she felt the same but, the words got stuck somewhere between her heart, brain and mouth "I think we should dance now" she finished instead and he nodded slowly, almost knowing what had happened inside of her, the battle with words and feelings...

The record was placed on the player, the needle placed into the groove and the melody of one of Strauss's famous waltzes floated around the crypt flowed by two people who floated just the same as they danced together.

Circling the crypt a second, a third time, eyes locked together, tension rising with the music and in this simple act of the dance Buffy saw what she knew must always have been there - she saw William. In Spike's eyes she saw his human self, she saw the soul that should have disappeared when the demon took hold so many years ago, but he loved her and she knew it and she knew if he could overcome so much to be able to love her, it should be simple enough for her to admit her love for him, because heaven knows she felt it, right then most of all.

With no other thought in her head but that of her love for this man before her, she leaned upon and kissed him. It was nothing like before, when they slept together. There was passion but no harshness, just love.

"What was that for?" Spike asked in a quiet voice.

"I just..." Buffy began leaning into him again but the vampire pulled away sharply, turning to stop the record.

"I thought you didn't come here for that tonight" he said, sounding hurt "I thought..."

"I didn't" Buffy snapped "I...I...God, I should have said this a long time ago" she cursed herself.

"Said what?" Spike asked, seriously as he turned back to face her again. Buffy took a deep breath and began.

"I was so afraid of what I felt, because you're a vampire and after what happened with Angel and..." she stumbled on her words as she saw her lover wince at the name of his grand-sire "but I started to realise it was okay" she continued "I mean Xander's marrying an ex-demon for Gods sake, at least you were born human!"

"Yeah, for all the good it did me" Spike laughed humourlessly as he looked away.

"But it did" Buffy told him, moving forward, trying to make him understand "you understand things, what I feel and what you feel yourself" she stood close to him now, talking right into his face, making him listen, like he had made her listen in the past "You know what love is, maybe even better than I do, but I do know that...I love you"

Spike shook his head.

"Come again luv, I think my ears are on the blink"

Buffy smiled, his humour was just one of many things she loved about him.

"I love you Spike" she repeated, putting her hands either side of his face and making him look at her "William, It took me a long time to see it and I'm sorry you had to wait so long to hear it but, well, I've said it now and I mean it, honestly"

She waited for some kind of answer, but none came as he just stared into her eyes.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" she asked in a whisper and a smile spread across his face, her words had finally sunk in it seemed, so she was surprised by his words.

"Yeah...I think we should finish dancing"

"What?" Buffy stepped back in confusion as Spike turned and re-started the record.

"May I have this dance with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen?" he smiled, stepping toward her and holding out his hand. She smiled, a brighter and more true smile than he had seen on her angelic face in a long time.

"You may have this dance, kind sir" she nodded, taking his hand, "and every dance from now on"

He pulled her close and kissed her as they they danced, not the waltz that the music suggested but their own dance to their own music, the sound of their love, and that was a melody they both knew would last forever.

THE END