Disclaimer: Yet again, I won nothing. All belongs to the magnificent Joss.
Realizations -
Spikes hand, scratched and bloody from climbing, grabbed the edge of the crater as he hoisted himself up and rolled over on the highway pavement, sprawling himself out on the road. Looking up into the night sky he managed to groan before standing himself up and shaking the grunge off him. He looked around. The highway was deserted, but over on the side of the road was a large white tent. "Scientists" He snickered. 'Going to boil it all down to some natural disaster' he thought to himself. "Typical." That's when he saw the truck. Should he? No, that would be wrong. But there was no way he would make it anywhere before the sun came up if he was on foot. "Sod it".
"Hey come back!!! That's my truck!!" The young scientist yelled after his brand-new Ford pick-up speeding away into the night as he came out of his tent. "Aw man."
* * *
Buffy shut the door after she said goodbye to Xander who was the last Scooby to leave after their long night of research. She walked into the kitchen where Giles sat sipping tea alone; Dawn had gone to bed about an hour ago. "Buffy" He said, lifting his head from his steaming cup. "How are you holding up?" He asked handing her a cup of tea.
"Fine. Just fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?" she asked happily before taking a sip.
"Well it has only been a few week since the battle against the First. I know you wanted to finally live a normal life, and now all this is happening. Perhaps you are feeling."
"Annoyed?" she replied. Placing her cup down on the island in the kitchen and standing in front of it.
"I was going to go with frustrated and weary, but yes." He said, sounding very English.
"I should. I do, sort of. I dunno. I've been the Slayer, the *only* Slayer, for 7 years and I guess I'm just used too it. I guess I've kinda missed it these past few weeks. God, listen to me! Half a year ago I would have given anything to be rid of everything Slay-y." She said. "It's not that I don't want to live a normal life. But if I keep having dreams.I just can't embrace normalcy if the darkness is around me." she continued, running her fingers across the rim of the cup of tea Giles had offered her. "Besides, I don't really see the forces of evil leaving me alone anytime soon."
"There are other Slayers out there now, many other Slayers. You don't have to take on the weight of the world alone any longer" He said reassuringly.
"I know. And it's nice to have that safety net. But these girls haven't seen half of what I have seen, and most of them probably don't even know what is happening to them. But I cant just stand aside and not do anything when I know something big is happening. Besides, as long as I'm having the wicked dreams, might as well slay something. "
Giles couldn't help but smile. He too had missed the action.
* * *
Spike stopped the truck he had stolen and walked into the building in front of him. He had stopped for shelter during the day and now it was dark, giving him plenty of time to find Buffy. He looked around at the huge foyer he had stepped into. "Impressive" he said. He was in the Hyperion.
"Gunn? Is that you? Your back earl." Angel trailed off as he looked up from the book he had been reading on his way out of his office. He stared at the bleach-blonde vampire. "Spike." He said, not sounding too happy.
"Peaches." Spike replied. He still couldn't get along with Angel, and he was still jealous about the kiss his grand-sire had shared with Buffy. God, he missed Buffy. He wanted to get to her. And now.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Angel asked monotonously. "Well, dead- er."
"I was. Got sent back by some godly bird. Apparently I have a higher purpose." He said smirking. He knew this would drive Angel crazy, and he loved it.
"A higher purpose? You?" Angel asked. "Guess that soul of yours does have a reason after all."
"Buffy told you." Spike said. It obviously wasn't a question.
"Yeah," Angel answered. "Why are you here Spike?" He, didn't have to ask, he knew it was for Buffy.
"You know why. Where is she?" Spike asked. He was dead serious, and ready to fight for the information as well.
"I'll get her address." Angel said mumbling insults as he walked into his office. Spike couldn't hear all of them, but he did make out a few f's and you's, and something about his mother. He decided to leave it be. For now.
Angel came out of his office, a slip of paper in his hand. "Here" he said handing it to Spike.
"Whut? That's it? No fight? No valiant attempt at keeping me from her? No, "if you hurt her I'll put a stake through your heart"s? Spike asked.
"Just take it," was all Angel said.
Spike almost felt bad. Damn his bloody soul, it was getting in the way of everything, even him taking pleasure in the defeat of the almighty poof. He decided to tell Angel about the prophecy. About how Spike wasn't meant to be. It was the least he could do.
"So she sent you back? To give you a chance to prove yourself?" Angel asked after Spike told him about his encounter with the higher being.
"Yeah" Spike answered. "She said it wasn't known which of us was going to walk with the Slayer. I didn't like her much. Bitch stole my cigarettes."
"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Angel said.
"Well, I better be on my merry way. I've got a girl to find." Spike exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. He turned on his heal and headed for the door. As he walked away he realized something. Angel had let go of Buffy.
"William." Angel said. Spike stopped walking and looked back without turning around.
"Yeah?" Spike said.
"If you hurt her. I will put a stake through your heart."
* * *
Buffy decided to take a shower before going to sleep, hoping it would help her relax. She dried off and put some big comfy pajamas on and slid under the covers of her double bed. She was hoping she would have another dream about Lucidus. She wanted to know more about what he was up to and why she had dreamt about him. Instead, she stayed awake. Thinking about Spike. Wishing he was there to touch her. Kiss her. She had told him she loved him before she died, and he hadn't believed her. She had only told him because she knew he was going to die, but as soon as she spoke the words. She knew they were true. Silently, she cried herself to sleep.
She was back in Sunnydale, in the high school library, the old one above the Hellmouth. She was dreaming again.
Sitting on the big table was Spike. She walked up to him and kissed him softly on the lips and gazed into his blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak to her. "Reality will crumble when the worlds bleed." He said. He laughed malevolently as he transformed into the demon from her last dream, Lucidus. He looked entirely human, but she knew he wasn't, she could feel it. Still, he was more than a demon. He had power.
Buffy awoke suddenly. She knew what Lucidus was planning.
Realizations -
Spikes hand, scratched and bloody from climbing, grabbed the edge of the crater as he hoisted himself up and rolled over on the highway pavement, sprawling himself out on the road. Looking up into the night sky he managed to groan before standing himself up and shaking the grunge off him. He looked around. The highway was deserted, but over on the side of the road was a large white tent. "Scientists" He snickered. 'Going to boil it all down to some natural disaster' he thought to himself. "Typical." That's when he saw the truck. Should he? No, that would be wrong. But there was no way he would make it anywhere before the sun came up if he was on foot. "Sod it".
"Hey come back!!! That's my truck!!" The young scientist yelled after his brand-new Ford pick-up speeding away into the night as he came out of his tent. "Aw man."
* * *
Buffy shut the door after she said goodbye to Xander who was the last Scooby to leave after their long night of research. She walked into the kitchen where Giles sat sipping tea alone; Dawn had gone to bed about an hour ago. "Buffy" He said, lifting his head from his steaming cup. "How are you holding up?" He asked handing her a cup of tea.
"Fine. Just fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?" she asked happily before taking a sip.
"Well it has only been a few week since the battle against the First. I know you wanted to finally live a normal life, and now all this is happening. Perhaps you are feeling."
"Annoyed?" she replied. Placing her cup down on the island in the kitchen and standing in front of it.
"I was going to go with frustrated and weary, but yes." He said, sounding very English.
"I should. I do, sort of. I dunno. I've been the Slayer, the *only* Slayer, for 7 years and I guess I'm just used too it. I guess I've kinda missed it these past few weeks. God, listen to me! Half a year ago I would have given anything to be rid of everything Slay-y." She said. "It's not that I don't want to live a normal life. But if I keep having dreams.I just can't embrace normalcy if the darkness is around me." she continued, running her fingers across the rim of the cup of tea Giles had offered her. "Besides, I don't really see the forces of evil leaving me alone anytime soon."
"There are other Slayers out there now, many other Slayers. You don't have to take on the weight of the world alone any longer" He said reassuringly.
"I know. And it's nice to have that safety net. But these girls haven't seen half of what I have seen, and most of them probably don't even know what is happening to them. But I cant just stand aside and not do anything when I know something big is happening. Besides, as long as I'm having the wicked dreams, might as well slay something. "
Giles couldn't help but smile. He too had missed the action.
* * *
Spike stopped the truck he had stolen and walked into the building in front of him. He had stopped for shelter during the day and now it was dark, giving him plenty of time to find Buffy. He looked around at the huge foyer he had stepped into. "Impressive" he said. He was in the Hyperion.
"Gunn? Is that you? Your back earl." Angel trailed off as he looked up from the book he had been reading on his way out of his office. He stared at the bleach-blonde vampire. "Spike." He said, not sounding too happy.
"Peaches." Spike replied. He still couldn't get along with Angel, and he was still jealous about the kiss his grand-sire had shared with Buffy. God, he missed Buffy. He wanted to get to her. And now.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Angel asked monotonously. "Well, dead- er."
"I was. Got sent back by some godly bird. Apparently I have a higher purpose." He said smirking. He knew this would drive Angel crazy, and he loved it.
"A higher purpose? You?" Angel asked. "Guess that soul of yours does have a reason after all."
"Buffy told you." Spike said. It obviously wasn't a question.
"Yeah," Angel answered. "Why are you here Spike?" He, didn't have to ask, he knew it was for Buffy.
"You know why. Where is she?" Spike asked. He was dead serious, and ready to fight for the information as well.
"I'll get her address." Angel said mumbling insults as he walked into his office. Spike couldn't hear all of them, but he did make out a few f's and you's, and something about his mother. He decided to leave it be. For now.
Angel came out of his office, a slip of paper in his hand. "Here" he said handing it to Spike.
"Whut? That's it? No fight? No valiant attempt at keeping me from her? No, "if you hurt her I'll put a stake through your heart"s? Spike asked.
"Just take it," was all Angel said.
Spike almost felt bad. Damn his bloody soul, it was getting in the way of everything, even him taking pleasure in the defeat of the almighty poof. He decided to tell Angel about the prophecy. About how Spike wasn't meant to be. It was the least he could do.
"So she sent you back? To give you a chance to prove yourself?" Angel asked after Spike told him about his encounter with the higher being.
"Yeah" Spike answered. "She said it wasn't known which of us was going to walk with the Slayer. I didn't like her much. Bitch stole my cigarettes."
"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Angel said.
"Well, I better be on my merry way. I've got a girl to find." Spike exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. He turned on his heal and headed for the door. As he walked away he realized something. Angel had let go of Buffy.
"William." Angel said. Spike stopped walking and looked back without turning around.
"Yeah?" Spike said.
"If you hurt her. I will put a stake through your heart."
* * *
Buffy decided to take a shower before going to sleep, hoping it would help her relax. She dried off and put some big comfy pajamas on and slid under the covers of her double bed. She was hoping she would have another dream about Lucidus. She wanted to know more about what he was up to and why she had dreamt about him. Instead, she stayed awake. Thinking about Spike. Wishing he was there to touch her. Kiss her. She had told him she loved him before she died, and he hadn't believed her. She had only told him because she knew he was going to die, but as soon as she spoke the words. She knew they were true. Silently, she cried herself to sleep.
She was back in Sunnydale, in the high school library, the old one above the Hellmouth. She was dreaming again.
Sitting on the big table was Spike. She walked up to him and kissed him softly on the lips and gazed into his blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak to her. "Reality will crumble when the worlds bleed." He said. He laughed malevolently as he transformed into the demon from her last dream, Lucidus. He looked entirely human, but she knew he wasn't, she could feel it. Still, he was more than a demon. He had power.
Buffy awoke suddenly. She knew what Lucidus was planning.