In the End - March 2009
Chapter Fifty-Four
Spike sat outside of the house on Revello Drive. He had smoked at least a pack of cigarettes trying to calm his nerves. His guilt over what had happened had died down a little. He had talked to Clem the night before and Clem had told him there were no hard feelings. Everyone just wanted him back. Spike smiled as he thought of his friends. So many years ago he had tried to kill them all, hated them even. But the group had never stopped surprising him. After everything he had done those short two weeks ago, they still loved him, they still missed him.
He was also happy to hear that Connor had stopped being a wanker and finally got the stones to ask Dawn out. He knew that the poofter's kid could make Dawn happier than he had ever been capable of. He sighed once more and decided to simply quit stalling. He slowly got out of the truck and headed to the front door. He shuddered when he thought about what had happened between him and the Slayer at their last meeting. That was in the past though, it was what was in their future that counted. He slowly raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Buffy heard the knock on the door and her heart skipped a beat. In the last two weeks she jumped every time the phone rang or someone came to the door. She thought better of getting her hopes up again though. He had been gone for two weeks and no one had heard anything from him. She wasn't really sure what he was now either. She hadn't been there to witness the transformation. She did know that she loved him, and she didn't want to lose him ever again. That and Julia had been asking about her father every day for the last two weeks. And she wasn't sure what to say to their small child. She then looked outside and noticed the Sun shining brightly. Her shoulders slouched, realizing that there was no way that Spike could be behind that door. She gasped though, when she opened the door to find her bleached vampire standing outside, in the Sun.
"Miss me luv?" Spike said in his usual cocky, smug demeanor.
"Quick, you have to get in here before you get all dusty." Buffy screamed, attempting to pull the vampire in the house.
Instead Spike pulled her out onto the porch and sat on the front stair. She sat next to him, thoroughly confused.
"What exactly did you tell the Shaman you wanted?" Spike asked.
"I asked him to make you like you were, which clearly you're not. I mean your cold and I don't feel a heartbeat, but it's sunny outside and I'm not sweeping your remains off the front steps." Buffy said completely dumbfounded.
"Yeah, I'm a walking enigma right now. Went and talked to some folks though. Found out that the shaman couldn't give me back my soul because I guess that was a one time deal. He also didn't want to make me human because he sensed that you were less than impressed with the mortal me. So he released the demon. So I'm half of a half breed now." Spike said.
"Oh, so you have all the perks, without the weaknesses?"
"Pretty much pet. I'm bloody grateful though. At least a can start smoking again without having to worry about cancer." Spike said.
"You will not be smoking in front of Julia." Buffy said crossly.
"Wouldn't dream of it luv. I don't ever want to hurt her or you ever again." Spike replied.
The two then looked into one another's eyes. A deep mysterious blue meeting a bright sparkling hazel. It looked like the clash of oceans between night and day. Where Fred had once said that there wasn't enough heat between Dawn and Spike to light a match, there was enough between the vampire and the Slayer to burn down half of California and some surrounding states. Spike nervously reached over and took Buffy's hand in his. She just let him hold it, relishing how it felt to have him touching her once again.
"Pet, what do we do now?" Spike asked quietly.
"I'm not sure. It's been so long. There's so much about you that I don't know about you." Buffy said.
"You know, I missed you. You know that I never wanted to leave you, I never wanted to be the weekend Dad." Spike said at last.
"The fact that I was being super bitch to you didn't help. I understand. It's taken my thick skinned brain like five years to figure it out. But I think I get it now. I know why you left, you had the best of intentions. It's too bad that I didn't." Buffy said weakly.
"You were scared luv. I was being stubborn and pushed you into something that you weren't ready for. Something that you didn't want. I'm the one that's sorry." Spike said honestly.
The two sat there in comfortable silence for a few more moments, both trying to get used the feel of the other again.
"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about Dawn. I really am." Spike said finally.
"You may not believe me, but I understand. Don't get me wrong, I went on a rampage and dusted every vampire in this god-forsaken town when I found out, but Dawn explained it to me. I mean really explained it to me. It's OK" Buffy said, running her arm down the side of Spike's duster.
"You weren't in England by any chance were you?" Buffy asked.
"Nope, never left California, why?"
"Guess Travers got his throat slit last week. We were kind of thinking that maybe you went insane or something and went on some revenge trip."
An evil grin played on Spike's mouth when he figured out who had actually done the killing. He had to give it to old Ripper, the man was loyal, if nothing else.
"What's the creepy smile for?"
"Nothing luv, just let it drop."
And Buffy did, mostly because she didn't even want to imagine what Spike was thinking about.
"Can I see you again?" Spike asked.
"Of course, don't be weird. I was thinking we could go get your stuff this weekend and you can be all moved in by Sunday." Buffy said chipperly.
"Luv, I'm not moving in with you." Spike said sternly.
"But why not? I mean I love you and you love me and we can be a family again." Buffy pouted.
"Baby, don't cry. I don't want to make the same mistakes we did last time. It cost us too much time. I want us to take this slow. I want to take you out on a proper date. I want to buy you dinner, take you to a movie and give a goodnight kiss and go to my own apartment."
"Oh, but you're moving back here aren't you?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"Of course. It would kill me to be that far away from you ever again." Spike said, taking Buffy's hand and kissing it.
Buffy blushed slightly and looked at Spike. He was so everything she needed and wanted, she didn't want this feeling she had to go away, ever. Spike finally stood up to leave.
"Friday night, eight o'clock?" He asked her.
"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem." Buffy said.
Spike turned to leave and before he knew it, Buffy had pushed him on the ground and was straddling him. He mouth attacked him in a ferocious kiss that fully consumed both of them. He ran his fingers through her hair and she did the same. They stayed that way for a few moments, groping one another on her front lawn.
"Buffy, I have to go pack my stuff up in LA." Spike said, trying to catch in unneeded breath.
"Promise me you'll come back. Promise me you'll never leave me again." Buffy said, on the verge of tears.
"Till the end of the world pet. Until the end of the world." Spike replied, wiping a stray tear that was escaping his soul mates eyes.
Spike sat outside of the house on Revello Drive. He had smoked at least a pack of cigarettes trying to calm his nerves. His guilt over what had happened had died down a little. He had talked to Clem the night before and Clem had told him there were no hard feelings. Everyone just wanted him back. Spike smiled as he thought of his friends. So many years ago he had tried to kill them all, hated them even. But the group had never stopped surprising him. After everything he had done those short two weeks ago, they still loved him, they still missed him.
He was also happy to hear that Connor had stopped being a wanker and finally got the stones to ask Dawn out. He knew that the poofter's kid could make Dawn happier than he had ever been capable of. He sighed once more and decided to simply quit stalling. He slowly got out of the truck and headed to the front door. He shuddered when he thought about what had happened between him and the Slayer at their last meeting. That was in the past though, it was what was in their future that counted. He slowly raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Buffy heard the knock on the door and her heart skipped a beat. In the last two weeks she jumped every time the phone rang or someone came to the door. She thought better of getting her hopes up again though. He had been gone for two weeks and no one had heard anything from him. She wasn't really sure what he was now either. She hadn't been there to witness the transformation. She did know that she loved him, and she didn't want to lose him ever again. That and Julia had been asking about her father every day for the last two weeks. And she wasn't sure what to say to their small child. She then looked outside and noticed the Sun shining brightly. Her shoulders slouched, realizing that there was no way that Spike could be behind that door. She gasped though, when she opened the door to find her bleached vampire standing outside, in the Sun.
"Miss me luv?" Spike said in his usual cocky, smug demeanor.
"Quick, you have to get in here before you get all dusty." Buffy screamed, attempting to pull the vampire in the house.
Instead Spike pulled her out onto the porch and sat on the front stair. She sat next to him, thoroughly confused.
"What exactly did you tell the Shaman you wanted?" Spike asked.
"I asked him to make you like you were, which clearly you're not. I mean your cold and I don't feel a heartbeat, but it's sunny outside and I'm not sweeping your remains off the front steps." Buffy said completely dumbfounded.
"Yeah, I'm a walking enigma right now. Went and talked to some folks though. Found out that the shaman couldn't give me back my soul because I guess that was a one time deal. He also didn't want to make me human because he sensed that you were less than impressed with the mortal me. So he released the demon. So I'm half of a half breed now." Spike said.
"Oh, so you have all the perks, without the weaknesses?"
"Pretty much pet. I'm bloody grateful though. At least a can start smoking again without having to worry about cancer." Spike said.
"You will not be smoking in front of Julia." Buffy said crossly.
"Wouldn't dream of it luv. I don't ever want to hurt her or you ever again." Spike replied.
The two then looked into one another's eyes. A deep mysterious blue meeting a bright sparkling hazel. It looked like the clash of oceans between night and day. Where Fred had once said that there wasn't enough heat between Dawn and Spike to light a match, there was enough between the vampire and the Slayer to burn down half of California and some surrounding states. Spike nervously reached over and took Buffy's hand in his. She just let him hold it, relishing how it felt to have him touching her once again.
"Pet, what do we do now?" Spike asked quietly.
"I'm not sure. It's been so long. There's so much about you that I don't know about you." Buffy said.
"You know, I missed you. You know that I never wanted to leave you, I never wanted to be the weekend Dad." Spike said at last.
"The fact that I was being super bitch to you didn't help. I understand. It's taken my thick skinned brain like five years to figure it out. But I think I get it now. I know why you left, you had the best of intentions. It's too bad that I didn't." Buffy said weakly.
"You were scared luv. I was being stubborn and pushed you into something that you weren't ready for. Something that you didn't want. I'm the one that's sorry." Spike said honestly.
The two sat there in comfortable silence for a few more moments, both trying to get used the feel of the other again.
"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about Dawn. I really am." Spike said finally.
"You may not believe me, but I understand. Don't get me wrong, I went on a rampage and dusted every vampire in this god-forsaken town when I found out, but Dawn explained it to me. I mean really explained it to me. It's OK" Buffy said, running her arm down the side of Spike's duster.
"You weren't in England by any chance were you?" Buffy asked.
"Nope, never left California, why?"
"Guess Travers got his throat slit last week. We were kind of thinking that maybe you went insane or something and went on some revenge trip."
An evil grin played on Spike's mouth when he figured out who had actually done the killing. He had to give it to old Ripper, the man was loyal, if nothing else.
"What's the creepy smile for?"
"Nothing luv, just let it drop."
And Buffy did, mostly because she didn't even want to imagine what Spike was thinking about.
"Can I see you again?" Spike asked.
"Of course, don't be weird. I was thinking we could go get your stuff this weekend and you can be all moved in by Sunday." Buffy said chipperly.
"Luv, I'm not moving in with you." Spike said sternly.
"But why not? I mean I love you and you love me and we can be a family again." Buffy pouted.
"Baby, don't cry. I don't want to make the same mistakes we did last time. It cost us too much time. I want us to take this slow. I want to take you out on a proper date. I want to buy you dinner, take you to a movie and give a goodnight kiss and go to my own apartment."
"Oh, but you're moving back here aren't you?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"Of course. It would kill me to be that far away from you ever again." Spike said, taking Buffy's hand and kissing it.
Buffy blushed slightly and looked at Spike. He was so everything she needed and wanted, she didn't want this feeling she had to go away, ever. Spike finally stood up to leave.
"Friday night, eight o'clock?" He asked her.
"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem." Buffy said.
Spike turned to leave and before he knew it, Buffy had pushed him on the ground and was straddling him. He mouth attacked him in a ferocious kiss that fully consumed both of them. He ran his fingers through her hair and she did the same. They stayed that way for a few moments, groping one another on her front lawn.
"Buffy, I have to go pack my stuff up in LA." Spike said, trying to catch in unneeded breath.
"Promise me you'll come back. Promise me you'll never leave me again." Buffy said, on the verge of tears.
"Till the end of the world pet. Until the end of the world." Spike replied, wiping a stray tear that was escaping his soul mates eyes.