Title: Return
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: An alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVs, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT!!! But not so much this time.
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RETURN
Part 5. Plain Daylight
In the end, out of sheer exhaustion, they decided to adjourn until the next day. As Spike set off for his crypt even he seemed almost too tired to keep his eyes open.
Buffy staggered to bed with her head whirling. She half hoped this was a dream. She had longed for Spike to come back -- come home, she almost let herself think -- but she wanted things to be the way they were. She'd wrestled with the idea of making it -- or something -- work when he returned. On her terms, of course. He'd always accepted them before. "Not complaining here, Slayer," he'd said.
A new, improved Spike was the last thing she expected (though it was what she should want, wasn't it?). But it didn't even make sense; demons didn't change. She knew that. She fell asleep clinging to the thought. And trying not to imagine the cool pillowcase beneath her cheek was cool, fair skin over steely muscle instead.
Bright sunlight on her eyelids brought her awake with a start. She looked at the clock - 9 A.M. already! Thank God it was Saturday, and she had the day off. She sat up, shoulder muscles aching, groaned, and stretched. Her heart ached, too, and she wondered what on earth they were going to do about Willow. And Anya. And Xander. And Giles slept on the couch! She flung herself out of bed and scrambled into some clothes.
In the sunny kitchen she found Giles and Dawn sitting at the counter in complete harmony, eating cornflakes. "Hey, guys!" she said brightly.
"Good morning, Buffy," Giles said warmly. His shoulders were no longer braced with the tension of the past few weeks. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, but not enough," she said, stifling a yawn. "Is there coffee? God, I wish we had doughnuts."
"Xander's usually doughnut man," Dawn said unconcernedly. She rather unfairly blamed Xander for Spike's sudden departure, and still felt a little cool towards him. Sure, it didn't make sense -- Spike's going had after all turned out to be a good thing. But Dawn felt she didn't have to make sense after what she'd been through. Anyway, she was sixteen. "When's Spike coming back?"
"Well, he might be a bit too fatigued to travel by day as he used to," Giles began. They heard the front doorbell. Buffy sighed and went to answer it.
When she opened the door she stifled a yelp. Spike stood there in the bright sunshine. "What are you doing?" she gasped. "Get in here!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him through the door, slamming it. Who did he think he was, dammit?
"Are you nuts?" she said fiercely. "Been so busy with supernatural hanky-panky that you forgot what you are?" Then she noticed two things. First, he wasn't smoking even a little bit. And secondly, he was looking at her with the most melting expression in those blue eyes. And before breakfast, too. She looked away, feeling herself blush.
"Don't worry, lo- Buffy," he said. "Not a problem. Look, Ma, no flames."
"Stop saying that!" she snapped. "I wasn't worried! I mean, I was, but - and stop looking at me like that!"
"Like what?" he said very softly.
"Like you know what's going on, and I don't!" Oh, fine, now I'm a shrew, she thought. I need some coffee.
"Spike!" Dawn squealed, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the living room.
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Nothing is poetical if plain daylight is not poetical; and no monster should amaze us if the normal man does not amaze." G. K. Chesterton
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: An alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVs, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT!!! But not so much this time.
-------------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 5. Plain Daylight
In the end, out of sheer exhaustion, they decided to adjourn until the next day. As Spike set off for his crypt even he seemed almost too tired to keep his eyes open.
Buffy staggered to bed with her head whirling. She half hoped this was a dream. She had longed for Spike to come back -- come home, she almost let herself think -- but she wanted things to be the way they were. She'd wrestled with the idea of making it -- or something -- work when he returned. On her terms, of course. He'd always accepted them before. "Not complaining here, Slayer," he'd said.
A new, improved Spike was the last thing she expected (though it was what she should want, wasn't it?). But it didn't even make sense; demons didn't change. She knew that. She fell asleep clinging to the thought. And trying not to imagine the cool pillowcase beneath her cheek was cool, fair skin over steely muscle instead.
Bright sunlight on her eyelids brought her awake with a start. She looked at the clock - 9 A.M. already! Thank God it was Saturday, and she had the day off. She sat up, shoulder muscles aching, groaned, and stretched. Her heart ached, too, and she wondered what on earth they were going to do about Willow. And Anya. And Xander. And Giles slept on the couch! She flung herself out of bed and scrambled into some clothes.
In the sunny kitchen she found Giles and Dawn sitting at the counter in complete harmony, eating cornflakes. "Hey, guys!" she said brightly.
"Good morning, Buffy," Giles said warmly. His shoulders were no longer braced with the tension of the past few weeks. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, but not enough," she said, stifling a yawn. "Is there coffee? God, I wish we had doughnuts."
"Xander's usually doughnut man," Dawn said unconcernedly. She rather unfairly blamed Xander for Spike's sudden departure, and still felt a little cool towards him. Sure, it didn't make sense -- Spike's going had after all turned out to be a good thing. But Dawn felt she didn't have to make sense after what she'd been through. Anyway, she was sixteen. "When's Spike coming back?"
"Well, he might be a bit too fatigued to travel by day as he used to," Giles began. They heard the front doorbell. Buffy sighed and went to answer it.
When she opened the door she stifled a yelp. Spike stood there in the bright sunshine. "What are you doing?" she gasped. "Get in here!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him through the door, slamming it. Who did he think he was, dammit?
"Are you nuts?" she said fiercely. "Been so busy with supernatural hanky-panky that you forgot what you are?" Then she noticed two things. First, he wasn't smoking even a little bit. And secondly, he was looking at her with the most melting expression in those blue eyes. And before breakfast, too. She looked away, feeling herself blush.
"Don't worry, lo- Buffy," he said. "Not a problem. Look, Ma, no flames."
"Stop saying that!" she snapped. "I wasn't worried! I mean, I was, but - and stop looking at me like that!"
"Like what?" he said very softly.
"Like you know what's going on, and I don't!" Oh, fine, now I'm a shrew, she thought. I need some coffee.
"Spike!" Dawn squealed, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the living room.
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Nothing is poetical if plain daylight is not poetical; and no monster should amaze us if the normal man does not amaze." G. K. Chesterton