By PassionFish
Thank you for all the reviews – I really enjoyed getting them! Also, thanks to anyone who voted for me in the 'Eternal Devotion' Reader's Choice…if you still want to vote, the details are down below :) Right…on to the fiction :)
BANG!!!
Epilogue:
From out of the rubble of an apartment, Giles, Joyce, Anya and Xander slowly emerged.
"I don't think this is what the doctor meant when he said to take it easy." Anya complained.
The blackened gang looked at her....and burst out laughing.
"What? It's true! Why are you all laughing at me?" The ex-demoness demanded.
"Come on, dear. Lets get you checked out." Joyce smiled parentally at Anya, leading the gang from the rubble.
"Where does a stupid Watcher get a magical bomb from anyway?!" The brunette continued to complain, while Joyce murmured comfortingly.
"Do you think they made it out?" Xander asked Giles as they walked down the bomb-blasted road, people around them shaken - but mostly spared the major heat of the outskirts of the blast.
"If we did. Then they did." Giles nodded confidently, unsure if it was a good thing or not.
"What about the prophecy?" Xander asked.
"To be honest; I don't know." Giles admitted. "I could have been wrong, though I doubt it. They do have eternity..."
"Do you think we'll see them again?" Joyce asked quietly, thinking of Buffy.
"I have no doubt, Joyce." Giles murmured, sliding his glasses off his charred nose. The gang noticed and smiled.
"Typical Giles." Xander snorted.
"What? They're dirty."
They shot him a 'That's not the point' look.
"They are!"
----
The two Wicca's screamed, and Spike hugged Buffy to him closer still as the car lifted up off its shocks with the peripheral force of the blast.
It crashed back down to earth moments later, landing mercifully on four wheels. Spike let out an unneeded breath, before patting the dash board lovingly.
"'Atta girl." He muttered, relieved, before turning off the stalled car.
The four turned around in their seats, Spike helping his pained lover. They took in the destroyed mess that now was Sunnydale. Buildings charred and some still burning. The beautiful screams of the injured Sunnydaleans. Had it not been for Buffys' injuries the four would have turned right around and had themselves one very good day.
They were shook from their identical thoughts of mayhem by a sign flying over the car.
Spike chuckled as the wood landed in front of them, proud and tall.
'Welcome to Sunnydale'
"Recon we're done with this town, duckies. Any preferences?"
"I always wanted to go to New York." Willow grinned and Tara nodded her agreement.
Spike turned to the barely conscious Buffy, who despite her numerous injuries wanted to have her say. "Well, love? New York any good?"
"Pretty shoes..." Buffy whispered, before resting her head back in the crook of her Sires' neck. Her fangs elongated and sunk in to his alabaster skin. As she drank a content purr rumbled from her chest and she smiled inwardly when she heard Spike echo it.
"I think that's a yes." Spike smirked, already growing hard at the feel of his Mate feeding from him - it had been too long; nearly 48 hours!
With a squeal of rubber on asphalt, the DeSoto crashed through the sign, smashing it to splinters.
The End
Well, it's over...3 years (2 waiting!), fifteen chapters, a prologue, an epilogue and lots of words later and I'm done! Just to pre-empt some questions about a sequel I want to get it all straight right now......and....
YES! There will be a sequel.
Let me know if you want it :) It's gonna be very vampy, very naughty, very…grrrrr!!!
Anyway! I'd like to thank all the many people who reviewed this fiction so faithfully over 2003 & 2004 but I'd like to give an extra special thanks to my beta Lady Brandywyne, whose initial letter was the one that got me started back on this fiction a few months ago after a two year break from it!!!
P.S – Sorry for the crappy FF.net special effects…on my site, the word 'BANG!' flies in and crashes onto the screen! 'Fraid the best I could do here, was make it verrrry spaced out!!!
In The Harsh Light Of Day is up for 'Reader's Pick' at Eternal Devotion Awards…..please do vote for me!
http:// shippy.karma-hotel.net /awards/ main.html
Unfortunately, FF.net doesn't let anyone put in links like this so I've had to space it out! Please paste it into your browser and remove the spaces!
Thank you!!!