Chapter 5:
Dim light from a curtain covered window barely illuminated Buffy's room. The sound of sobs could be heard through the door as Joyce stood listening to her only daughter deal with the end of her life. Joyce's mind sifted through the events in Buffy's life: birthday's, vacations, school trips Joyce had chaperoned, her second marriage to Giles where Buffy had been her maid of honor, Buffy's friends sleeping over almost every Friday, Buffy and Spike starting to date, Buffy's graduation from high school, and most recently Buffy announcing her engagement to Spike. It was a cruel twist of fate that an event that should herald the beginning of her new life may now not happen because of her death. Tears sprang to Joyce's eyes as she heard Buffy's sobs turn hysterical. Slamming the door open she ran to Buffy's side urging her to sit up and take deep breaths.
"I… *sob* I... *sob* I can't!" Buffy's hysterical sobs were edging dangerously close to hyperventilating.
"Come on Buff, deep breaths, just try!" Joyce forcefully held her daughter upright so that she could get air. "Deep breath in, deep breath out, you can do it."
"Why?" Buffy sobbed again, harder, "Why don't I just die now? It would keep me from just wasting away!" She took a deep breath but it went down the wrong way and she began to choke. Joyce gave her a hard thumb on her back which seemed to ease the sobs and Buffy lay quietly on her bed. Her hair was damp and hung limply around her face, her complexion was red from crying, and her eyes had a haunter looked. Joyce's heart broke as she got a sudden flash of the future to come.
"Because, you can't give up. I've never know you to give up. Plus, what would Spike do with out you?" Buffy's sobs began anew at the though of leaving her love behind. "I'm calling a family meeting tonight. We have to let everyone know."
"Why, Giles knows already?"
"I mean the whole family."
That night the Summers' living room was packed with people. Buffy sat on Spike's lap, head on his cheek and observed as her "family" arrived. Spike had come with Willow, Xander and Anya soon after. Tara was the last to arrive because she had missed the first bus from the apartment she and Willow shared. Joyce and Giles had made everyone dinner and the smell of it lingered in the air. Buffy cleared her throat, trying to find the courage to tell the man she loved and her best friends that she would be leaving them.
"Well, I guess you guys wonder why I wanted to all over. Other than to eat my mom's very yummy cooking!" She gave a half grin. "I guess most of you know that I've been having headaches for the last week and today I went to see what was wrong.
"I have a tumor in my brain," tears formed as her family gasped at this news, "and I'm probably not going to live more than another 8 months."
A chorus of "no!" and "what?" followed her statement. Buffy resumed her weeping, leaning into Spike who was also crying. As her family shot a barrage of questions at her, Joyce, and Giles, Buffy's tears took on a hysterical edge again.
"Spike, take her upstairs and calm her down, we'll deal with the problems down here," Joyce pointed to the stairs. Spike scooped her up and ran up the stairs to Buffy's bedroom. Once inside he lay down on her bed with her, holding her until she calmed down. When her tears had stopped she lay still in his arms.
"I'm so sorry, Spike. If you don't want to get married now I totally understand. I wouldn't want to marry me if I were you!"
"Buffy! Listen to me," He held her tightly to his chest, her hands wound around his back more tightly, "I don't know what to tell you, I don't know how to feel other than disbelief, but I still love you! I still want you to be mine, even if that may not be very long."
"But, why? Why bother? It would be a waste; I'm going to die Spike!"
"Yes, we all die, ducks, some of us sooner than others. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate the life we have. I still love you. I will always love you." He sat up and took her ring, then kneeled by the bedside. "Baby, you make me the 'appiest bloke on the planet and even though it may not be for even a week, but will you be my wife?" He held the ring out to her and smiled at her.
"Yes." She sat up and put her hand out for him to slip the ring back on. "But I think we should move the wedding up!" He slipped the ring on and kissed her. He leaned into the kiss as she opened her mouth. Their tongues danced and caressed each other as their hands began to do the same. "Mmm, Spike..." she pointed at the open door, "what about-"
"Don't worry about it, luv, if I know our gang no one's going to disturb us for a while." He grinned at her and bent into their kiss again. The kissed picked up speed as they began to move against each other. Spike tugged gently at Buffy's shirt, lifting it over head then. He pushed her back against the bed and kissed lightly along the tops of her breasts, his hands caressed her sides then undid the clasp of her bra. Buffy sat up long enough to remove Spike's shirt and unzip his shorts. He moaned as her hand brushed against his erection.
Downstairs Joyce explained the complications of Buffy's tumor and how it was killing her slowly. The gang had many questions some of which Joyce couldn't answer but she tried hard. The question and answer session went on until a very audible moan could be heard. Each person smirked at their mate.
"Well," Giles said, clearing his throat, "I believe now would be a good time to end our discussion." He stood up and motioned for everyone to gather their things to go home. "Everyone please try to be normal around Buffy, she will appreciate it more than sympathy and pity."
Dim light from a curtain covered window barely illuminated Buffy's room. The sound of sobs could be heard through the door as Joyce stood listening to her only daughter deal with the end of her life. Joyce's mind sifted through the events in Buffy's life: birthday's, vacations, school trips Joyce had chaperoned, her second marriage to Giles where Buffy had been her maid of honor, Buffy's friends sleeping over almost every Friday, Buffy and Spike starting to date, Buffy's graduation from high school, and most recently Buffy announcing her engagement to Spike. It was a cruel twist of fate that an event that should herald the beginning of her new life may now not happen because of her death. Tears sprang to Joyce's eyes as she heard Buffy's sobs turn hysterical. Slamming the door open she ran to Buffy's side urging her to sit up and take deep breaths.
"I… *sob* I... *sob* I can't!" Buffy's hysterical sobs were edging dangerously close to hyperventilating.
"Come on Buff, deep breaths, just try!" Joyce forcefully held her daughter upright so that she could get air. "Deep breath in, deep breath out, you can do it."
"Why?" Buffy sobbed again, harder, "Why don't I just die now? It would keep me from just wasting away!" She took a deep breath but it went down the wrong way and she began to choke. Joyce gave her a hard thumb on her back which seemed to ease the sobs and Buffy lay quietly on her bed. Her hair was damp and hung limply around her face, her complexion was red from crying, and her eyes had a haunter looked. Joyce's heart broke as she got a sudden flash of the future to come.
"Because, you can't give up. I've never know you to give up. Plus, what would Spike do with out you?" Buffy's sobs began anew at the though of leaving her love behind. "I'm calling a family meeting tonight. We have to let everyone know."
"Why, Giles knows already?"
"I mean the whole family."
That night the Summers' living room was packed with people. Buffy sat on Spike's lap, head on his cheek and observed as her "family" arrived. Spike had come with Willow, Xander and Anya soon after. Tara was the last to arrive because she had missed the first bus from the apartment she and Willow shared. Joyce and Giles had made everyone dinner and the smell of it lingered in the air. Buffy cleared her throat, trying to find the courage to tell the man she loved and her best friends that she would be leaving them.
"Well, I guess you guys wonder why I wanted to all over. Other than to eat my mom's very yummy cooking!" She gave a half grin. "I guess most of you know that I've been having headaches for the last week and today I went to see what was wrong.
"I have a tumor in my brain," tears formed as her family gasped at this news, "and I'm probably not going to live more than another 8 months."
A chorus of "no!" and "what?" followed her statement. Buffy resumed her weeping, leaning into Spike who was also crying. As her family shot a barrage of questions at her, Joyce, and Giles, Buffy's tears took on a hysterical edge again.
"Spike, take her upstairs and calm her down, we'll deal with the problems down here," Joyce pointed to the stairs. Spike scooped her up and ran up the stairs to Buffy's bedroom. Once inside he lay down on her bed with her, holding her until she calmed down. When her tears had stopped she lay still in his arms.
"I'm so sorry, Spike. If you don't want to get married now I totally understand. I wouldn't want to marry me if I were you!"
"Buffy! Listen to me," He held her tightly to his chest, her hands wound around his back more tightly, "I don't know what to tell you, I don't know how to feel other than disbelief, but I still love you! I still want you to be mine, even if that may not be very long."
"But, why? Why bother? It would be a waste; I'm going to die Spike!"
"Yes, we all die, ducks, some of us sooner than others. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate the life we have. I still love you. I will always love you." He sat up and took her ring, then kneeled by the bedside. "Baby, you make me the 'appiest bloke on the planet and even though it may not be for even a week, but will you be my wife?" He held the ring out to her and smiled at her.
"Yes." She sat up and put her hand out for him to slip the ring back on. "But I think we should move the wedding up!" He slipped the ring on and kissed her. He leaned into the kiss as she opened her mouth. Their tongues danced and caressed each other as their hands began to do the same. "Mmm, Spike..." she pointed at the open door, "what about-"
"Don't worry about it, luv, if I know our gang no one's going to disturb us for a while." He grinned at her and bent into their kiss again. The kissed picked up speed as they began to move against each other. Spike tugged gently at Buffy's shirt, lifting it over head then. He pushed her back against the bed and kissed lightly along the tops of her breasts, his hands caressed her sides then undid the clasp of her bra. Buffy sat up long enough to remove Spike's shirt and unzip his shorts. He moaned as her hand brushed against his erection.
Downstairs Joyce explained the complications of Buffy's tumor and how it was killing her slowly. The gang had many questions some of which Joyce couldn't answer but she tried hard. The question and answer session went on until a very audible moan could be heard. Each person smirked at their mate.
"Well," Giles said, clearing his throat, "I believe now would be a good time to end our discussion." He stood up and motioned for everyone to gather their things to go home. "Everyone please try to be normal around Buffy, she will appreciate it more than sympathy and pity."
