The infinite warm surrounded him, and gently aroused him from
unconsciousness. A sleep so deep and thoughtless he didn't know what had
happened. Who was he? Where was he? What was he? As the panic began to
spread, he searched the deep crevasses of his mind for any memory, any
flicker of his life. Anything to show he was once material. Anything to
prove that he had existed. Or did. Or would.
Into his senses poured a rich scent. Powerful. It over took his whole and he was left with a nagging thought. I know this. This was familiar. He tried to think what it smelled like-but he couldn't remember the words. It was beautiful and airy and filled with-something. And he knew it was utterly his. Every fiber of himself knew this scent, knew it belonged to him in someway. But what was it?
He dug deeper. But he could think of nothing productive. A whisper tickled in his ears but he couldn't make it out. The sound. He knew it. The same way he knew that smell. They wrapped themselves together in his mind. They were part of the same. The sound was rich and beautiful and full of- something. What is it?
He felt warmth within his brain. He had felt once. This he knew. This warmth he had felt, and it felt like his. He knew it. This was all he could think. I know this. I know this. These three things swirled and looped around within him, reminding him of something. Something. Some whisper, some smell, some warmth. They grew stronger in their combination. Almost overpowering. They came into him and utterly filled him with something so rich, so beautiful, so warm, so airy and light, so utterly-Buffy.
Buffy.
"Buffy?" Buffy woke with a start in the hotel room. Dawn was sitting on the edge of her bed. She sat up with a start. "What? What happened? Is everyone okay?" Dawn shook her head a little and smiled, trying to calm her. "Everything's okay." Everything's okay? Buffy winced. "Then what?" "You were having a nightmare." "I was?" Even upon saying this, the horrors of her dream returned to her. Dawn must have seen the look on her face, for she leaned in to hug her. "It's okay now Buffy. We won, remember? Everything's going to be fine." Buffy strugged with a smile for her. She calmly waited until Dawn went back to bed. Only then did she lie down and allow herself to recount the horrid dream.
"Buffy!" Spike ran across the cave to her as she dropped to the floor.
He picked her up gently and rested her head in his lap. No matter that
the battle was going on around them. "Buffy, look at me."
She struggled to open her eyes. And all she saw was him. He was bathed
in light and looking positively terrified. His hands were covered in
blood. Her blood. She looked down in horror to the gapping hole in
her stomach. He was getting covered in it. She tried to talk-tried to
speak. "Sp-.Spi."
Spike whipped some dirt from her face tenderly. Then he started to
cry. "Buffy..Buffy.you've got to be okay..Buff?"
She tried to tell him 'I'm right here' but she couldn't open her
mouth. He sobbed harder. He pulled her to him and rocked her gently.
"Buffy I love you. I love you more than I can bear it. It doesn't even
matter if you don't love me. Just please, don't leave."
She loved him. She loved him and she couldn't say it. Again she opened
her mouth. "Sp-.I."
He pulled back to look at her face and smiled bitterly. She had never
seen such sorrow. "What love? I'm here. I'll never leave you."
She moved her fingers, testing to see if they still worked. She then
carefully lifted her hand and put it to the back of his neck. Every
movement hurt. And he looked at her so heartbrokenly. She tried to
pull him down to her but she had no strength. "I lo-.v-."
He blinked at her. Didn't he know? How could he not know how much she
cared? He seemed to feel the little pressure she was putting on him,
for he lowered his face closer to hers. "I love ya, pet."
She used all her remaining strength to pull her head up from his lap.
Gently she pressed her lips to his. She felt his surprise, his
unyielding love. Afterwards he lowered her back down, a little smirk
upon his lips.
She took a deep breath and willed out her words. "I love you Spike."
Buffy cried her way back to sleep, wishing that she had died in that
cave instead of lived on without him. For this wasn't living.
Into his senses poured a rich scent. Powerful. It over took his whole and he was left with a nagging thought. I know this. This was familiar. He tried to think what it smelled like-but he couldn't remember the words. It was beautiful and airy and filled with-something. And he knew it was utterly his. Every fiber of himself knew this scent, knew it belonged to him in someway. But what was it?
He dug deeper. But he could think of nothing productive. A whisper tickled in his ears but he couldn't make it out. The sound. He knew it. The same way he knew that smell. They wrapped themselves together in his mind. They were part of the same. The sound was rich and beautiful and full of- something. What is it?
He felt warmth within his brain. He had felt once. This he knew. This warmth he had felt, and it felt like his. He knew it. This was all he could think. I know this. I know this. These three things swirled and looped around within him, reminding him of something. Something. Some whisper, some smell, some warmth. They grew stronger in their combination. Almost overpowering. They came into him and utterly filled him with something so rich, so beautiful, so warm, so airy and light, so utterly-Buffy.
Buffy.
"Buffy?" Buffy woke with a start in the hotel room. Dawn was sitting on the edge of her bed. She sat up with a start. "What? What happened? Is everyone okay?" Dawn shook her head a little and smiled, trying to calm her. "Everything's okay." Everything's okay? Buffy winced. "Then what?" "You were having a nightmare." "I was?" Even upon saying this, the horrors of her dream returned to her. Dawn must have seen the look on her face, for she leaned in to hug her. "It's okay now Buffy. We won, remember? Everything's going to be fine." Buffy strugged with a smile for her. She calmly waited until Dawn went back to bed. Only then did she lie down and allow herself to recount the horrid dream.
"Buffy!" Spike ran across the cave to her as she dropped to the floor.
He picked her up gently and rested her head in his lap. No matter that
the battle was going on around them. "Buffy, look at me."
She struggled to open her eyes. And all she saw was him. He was bathed
in light and looking positively terrified. His hands were covered in
blood. Her blood. She looked down in horror to the gapping hole in
her stomach. He was getting covered in it. She tried to talk-tried to
speak. "Sp-.Spi."
Spike whipped some dirt from her face tenderly. Then he started to
cry. "Buffy..Buffy.you've got to be okay..Buff?"
She tried to tell him 'I'm right here' but she couldn't open her
mouth. He sobbed harder. He pulled her to him and rocked her gently.
"Buffy I love you. I love you more than I can bear it. It doesn't even
matter if you don't love me. Just please, don't leave."
She loved him. She loved him and she couldn't say it. Again she opened
her mouth. "Sp-.I."
He pulled back to look at her face and smiled bitterly. She had never
seen such sorrow. "What love? I'm here. I'll never leave you."
She moved her fingers, testing to see if they still worked. She then
carefully lifted her hand and put it to the back of his neck. Every
movement hurt. And he looked at her so heartbrokenly. She tried to
pull him down to her but she had no strength. "I lo-.v-."
He blinked at her. Didn't he know? How could he not know how much she
cared? He seemed to feel the little pressure she was putting on him,
for he lowered his face closer to hers. "I love ya, pet."
She used all her remaining strength to pull her head up from his lap.
Gently she pressed her lips to his. She felt his surprise, his
unyielding love. Afterwards he lowered her back down, a little smirk
upon his lips.
She took a deep breath and willed out her words. "I love you Spike."
Buffy cried her way back to sleep, wishing that she had died in that
cave instead of lived on without him. For this wasn't living.
