Dreams
The crater that had been Sunnydale seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat. Almost two years and still very little had started to grow on the land. There were a few brave shoots of grass and some weeds, but even those looked sickly, like the ground couldn't nourish them properly. As she stood gazing out across the vast expanse, it began to bulge in the middle, where the Hellmouth had been. She stared in fascination and horror as suddenly blood -- it couldn't be blood, could it? -- burst from the bulge and flowed toward her. Then Spike was there, as sexy and disturbing as ever, but without the cockiness. He was holding his arms out to her, beckoning, walking slowly toward her on the flowing blood. "Come, pet, come see how it ended. We did this together, you and I. Come see."
She reached toward him... oh, to be safe in his arms again. That night seemed so long ago. But she couldn't move her feet and he was fading. "Spike, wait. Don't go. I need you." He smiled gently and was gone.
Buffy awoke sweating and tangled in the sheets. She stared up at the ceiling waiting for reality to flood back in. Sunnydale was gone. The Hellmouth was gone. The fight was over. They had won. Anya was gone. So many of the Potentials, too. And most important, Spike was gone. Forever. She rolled onto her side and sobbed. Would she never run out of tears?
The crater that had been Sunnydale seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat. Almost two years and still very little had started to grow on the land. There were a few brave shoots of grass and some weeds, but even those looked sickly, like the ground couldn't nourish them properly. As she stood gazing out across the vast expanse, it began to bulge in the middle, where the Hellmouth had been. She stared in fascination and horror as suddenly blood -- it couldn't be blood, could it? -- burst from the bulge and flowed toward her. Then Spike was there, as sexy and disturbing as ever, but without the cockiness. He was holding his arms out to her, beckoning, walking slowly toward her on the flowing blood. "Come, pet, come see how it ended. We did this together, you and I. Come see."
She reached toward him... oh, to be safe in his arms again. That night seemed so long ago. But she couldn't move her feet and he was fading. "Spike, wait. Don't go. I need you." He smiled gently and was gone.
Buffy awoke sweating and tangled in the sheets. She stared up at the ceiling waiting for reality to flood back in. Sunnydale was gone. The Hellmouth was gone. The fight was over. They had won. Anya was gone. So many of the Potentials, too. And most important, Spike was gone. Forever. She rolled onto her side and sobbed. Would she never run out of tears?