Chapter 15

Buffy was lying next to Spike on the bed in his room, she wanted to be there when he woke up. After they helped him up the stairs and stopped the bleeding as best they could, Spike fell asleep and he has been out for at least six hours. Buffy knew he was going to be alright, but she was still worried and kept thinking that it was supposed to be her. After a few minutes of worrying, she finally let sleep claim her. A few more hours went by when Buffy felt Spike stir next to her. She opened her eyes to look at him and saw that he was moving, but his eyes were still closed. She probably figured he was having a dream and by the looks of it, not a good one. "Spike, wake up!" She said as she tried to nudge him awake and not making much progress. "Come on, sweetie. You're having a bad dream, come back to me." With that Buffy kissed him on the forehead and he calmed down a bit and finally opened his eyes to look at her.

"Buffy," he said as he sat up with a start in the bed. "Are you alright? He was after you and I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. I couldn't get to you." Spike said, tears starting to form in his eyes. Buffy then pulled Spike's head to her chest and held him as he cried.

"Shhhhh, it's okay. It was just a bad dream, I'm fine." He shook his head not moving it from her chest; he liked the feel of her heartbeat.

"It seemed so real." Buffy rocked him back and forth like she would her daughter when she had a nightmare. He then looked up at her. "He didn't get you?" Buffy shook her head.

"No, you stopped him." That seemed to make Spike feel better. Buffy took a deep breath before asking her next question. "Why did you do it?" Buffy asked as Spike looked at her, not sure what she meant.

"Do what?" He asked her.

"That knife was meant for me, Spike. I would have probably been fine, but you're human now. You could have been killed; you know you have to be more careful these days." Spike nodded and looked like he was about to cry again.

"I had to, Buffy. Whenever you're in trouble I don't think before I act. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you again, even if it meant risking my life. Hell, I've done it before. You're more important in this world. You have a little girl to raise who already will grow up without her real father; she doesn't need to lose her mother too. I just couldn't risk anything happening to you." Buffy looked like she was about to cry at his speech, but she held it in. Instead she touched his face gently and kissed him softly on the lips. When she pulled away he had a surprised look on his face.

"I love you." She whispered to him and the surprised look was still on his face. After a few seconds of registering what she said he smiled.

"I love you too. I always have, and I always will." He told her as he also kissed her softly on the lips just like she did before. "Till the end of the world." He whispered to her as their foreheads touched. With that Spike lay back down on the bed and after a few seconds, Buffy lay down next to him with her head on his chest. She also loved the feel of his heartbeat. He wrapped his arm around her and in a second they both fell into a peaceful sleep.