THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.
CHAPTER 5-BONDING AND FINALLY ADMITTING THE TRUTH
The swell of emotions and images threatened to overwhelm him at first. During his time spent as a vampire he had experienced many various types of hallucinations and drug induced trances. But this dream approached him with none of the usual pretexts that he expected. One minute he had been trying to explain the current situation to Molly and the next his head had made a beeline for the nearest rock, a tranquilizer dart sticking out of the side of his neck. Had he been resting he probably would have been able to detect the presence of a third person. But now he found himself wandering down a street that looked eerily like Revello Drive. Although he knew it couldn't be because all that was left of Sunnydale was a dry and dusty crater the size of Montana. The two level houses, complete with the idyllic white picket fences in front of them and closely cropped trees shading the sidewalks echoed what he had always heard was supposed to be the perfect family dream. The trees, along with the rows of flowers that lined the sidewalks, were in full bloom and the aroma for once didn't make him want to gag. Instead the scent made him more want to make a trek down to the local nursery and pick out a few roses or orchids that would bring out the hazel in his loves eyes.
Children played in driveways beside their mothers, who would smile and wave at him as he passed by. Not knowing who any of these strange women were he could only think to smile and wave back, no matter how much it made him feel like a ponce for doing it. As he looked around he felt an extremely eerie sense of calm and complete panic all at the same time. As he looked around the neighborhood, complete with swimming pools in the backyard, it all somehow felt very familiar, as if he should know exactly where he was. Thinking it best not to stay in one place to long he kept walking, stopping only momentarily to notice how good it felt to be able to take a stroll in the sunlight and let the sun's rays warm him instead of incinerating him. His feet seemed to know where they were going, and rather than try and argue the point with himself he let them lead the way. He walked on a few more blocks before he saw the tops of a very familiar stroller peeking just above the peak of a very white picket fence. At the sight his feet seemed to want to move at a greater rate of speed.
He pressed on and a smile crept upon his face as he viewed the sight that greeted him. Kneeling down beside a freshly dug up bed of flowers were two women that he felt a great and powerful connection to. One he could tell easily by the hazel eyes that shined overtop of a playful smile. Her voice was like that of angel's as she welcomed him home and that supper was baking in the oven and that they'd be done well before then. The other he took to be the new slayer that he had been comforting before being attacked, only she looked older, and less bogged down by the worries of the world and her work as a slayer. Her belt length hair was pulled up into two tightly wound pigtails, very similarly to how it had been when he had first seen her that night after Buffy had rescued him from the First. She had brought in some bandages and even though she knew what he was she didn't look at him with fear or revulsion, through his gaze it looked more like curiosity and even a little sympathy. She genuinely looked happy, and from his vantage point right at home beside his one true love. Between them lay dozing peacefully in the aforementioned stroller was the most beautiful little girl that he had ever seen. Small puffs of the breeze wafted in and buffed up a few stray strands of hair that looked like lithe strands of golden silk in the afternoon sun.
He started to unlock the creaky gate when his love looked up and reminded him, with a mock tone of anger to her voice that he should go pick up Joyce first. Not knowing who Joyce was but also not wanting to anger his love he smiled as best he could and continued on down the sidewalk a couple of blocks before he heard a delighted squeal come from the front yard of a heavily treed yard. He looked to his right and his gaze was met by a boisterous little angel that bolted towards him, arms outstretched, and a thoroughly delighted smile spread across her face. He didn't exactly know who the little girl was but the love that he felt towards her was only surpassed by the love that he felt for his slayer. He met the little girl halfway and couldn't help but laugh as their noses collided and the little girl giggled. He was just about to say his greetings when a cold slap in the face shattered his dream and brought him back to the cold and cruel world that was his new reality.
"Rise and shine ass-face," Riley growled angrily before slapping Spike a couple of times as a few feet away Molly slowly began to come to, mumbling something about it being to early to get up. Spike blinked his eyes a few times before realizing where he was and who was standing over him.
"Oh it's you…want do you want…," Spike started to mumble sarcastically before Riley slammed his fist into Spike's jaw.
"What did you do Spike…what did you do to Sunnydale…," Riley hissed back with a grim scowl on his face as he prepared to give Spike another punch.
"I didn't do anything…except save the entire world…not that you'd know anything about…," Spike answered with a cocky grin on his face before being abruptly interrupted by another punch from Riley.
"And I'm just supposed to believe that…a soulless killer saving the entire world…sorry but I'm not buying it," Riley replied with a look on his face that seemed to infer that he could care less what Spike said.
"I see that you haven't lost any of your people skills since I saw you last," Spike quipped back with a smug grin on his face before Riley grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up so that the two were face to face.
"Very funny Spike…but here's the real question…and don't give me any funny answers…I'm not in the mood…where is she Spike…where's Buffy," Riley asked, barely able to control his emotions, as Spike was humored to see the knuckles on Riley's hands turn white.
"I don't know…like I said…I was a little busy saving the world…now if you'll get your bloody hands off me I have to find her…," Spike replied with a deadly serious frown on his face as he steeled himself and stared Riley right in the eye.
"You're not going anywhere until I have some answers," Riley said coldly with a slight sneer on his face as he shoved Spike back to the ground and started to take out the gun that he wore at his hip.
"That's enough Riley, we're supposed to find out what happened from them…not kill them," Sam said forcefully as she entered the tent and laid a restraining hand on her husband's arm.
"As long as they tell us what we need to know it doesn't matter if I…," Riley started to say before a stern look from Sam, and the sounds of Molly noisily waking up, interrupted him.
"Who's she," Sam asked with a concerned frown on her face as she nodded her head towards Molly, who sat quickly upright and looked around fearfully, her eyes wide with shock.
"I don't know, she was with Hostile 17 when we captured him, who is she Spike…tell me…," Riley started to say with a calm look on his face before he turned back to Spike and tried to glare a hole right through the former vampire.
"Molly something or other…," Spike replied with an annoyed scowl on his face before he sat up and began to dust himself off.
"Windholm…Molly Windholm," Molly sputtered out through the look of fear and confusion on her face as she scooted closer to Spike.
"Good…maybe now we can get a few questions answered, like what happened to Sunnydale and why Hostile 17 is now human," Sam said softly with a content sigh as she pushed Riley back away from Spike and Molly.
* * * * * * *
Wesley had laid it all out on the table and leaned back up against the headrest to wait for Faith's reaction. He thought of the several looks of shock that he had seen on her face as he had went over the events of the past few years since she had went to prison. She had stopped him a few times to ask questions that were short and to the point, mainly trying to make sure that she was hearing him correctly. When he recanted how he had been shot by the zombie cop while trying to help Gunn and his friends he could have sworn that a look of panic flashed across her face, but in its place a moment later was her usual mask of stone. Her brows furrowed and a look of great concern underlined by a simmering pot of anger at the point where he relayed to her what had happened around that same time, with Angel letting an entire room of lawyers, evil as they were, die. The account that he told her of when Angel had traveled to the hospital after he had been shot was a second hand one. All he could remember of that time was that Gunn and Cordelia had been there, little else, all of the drugs that he had been placed on took care of that. Cordelia had told him that Angel had come to the hospital looking like a sullen child that was missing his puppy.
She had curtly said a few choice words to Angel before he had sulked off back into the night. He waited until after Faith had gone back into the bathroom and brought a wet washcloth, for him to put on his forehead as he was starting to feel a bit faint, before continuing. He told her about how they had all reconciled and about the many times that Lorne had lost his club. Much of the rest of his story began to run together, a fact that Faith didn't miss. She told him that he should get some sleep but he had brushed it off saying that there'd be plenty of time for him to sleep when he was dead. Try as he might he couldn't look her in the eye when he told her what he remembered about how and why his throat had been cut. He remembered that he had been placed in a position where he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, but over what exactly he wasn't completely sure. Faith was almost ready to leap off of the bed and charge out of the room when he told her about how Angel had tried to suffocate him in his hospital bed.
He had responded quickly and asked her what she remembered about her encounter with the Beast. She could remember everything about her encounter with the Beast, but there were a few spots in between following after Angelus and battling the Beast that she couldn't remember anything about.
"That makes two of us…I remember Lilah dying and someone telling me that we should destroy the body because she could have been turned…but I can't remember who told me…it wasn't Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, or Lorne…and other than me they were the only ones in the Hyperion that night," Wesley said nervously as he pressed the damp washcloth to his forehead.
"I know…after you came to break me out I remember us talking the whole way back to the hotel…but I can't remember all of it, only bits and pieces, you think this is a spell or something…making us forget," Faith asked with a concerned and confused frown on her face as she slowly stood up and began pacing around the room.
"It's entirely possible, the last time that I faced the Beast it went in and slaughtered everyone at Wolfram and Hart except for Lilah…but that was because I got her out of there before the Beast could finish her off…and in doing I was able to learn about how the Beast's master had banished all knowledge of itself from this reality," Wesley replied with a tired frown on his face as he looked down at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed.
"What if the Beast goes after Wolfram and Hart again…," Faith asked, as she stopped abruptly in her tracks, with a solemn and very serious look on her face as she turned back around to face Wesley. Wesley thought about her question for a little bit before responding.
"We should get over there…get everyone out…or at least make sure that if the Beast does show up that we can keep the body count to a minimum," Wesley said through a pained grimace on his face as he slowly slid off the edge of the bed and tried his best to stand. He was only able to take a few steps before his knees started to wobble.
"Wes…," Faith shouted with a great deal of concern and worry in her voice, most of which Wesley was in to much discomfort to notice, as she rushed to his side and slipped one of his arms around her shoulders and helped him to stand up straight. "Here…let me," Faith mumbled softly as she felt Wesley put more of his weight onto her while she helped him towards the door.
"We have to warn Angel," Wes said before a coughing fit almost made Faith stop helping him towards the door and turn around and put him back to bed. But Wesley reached for the door and opened it, shattering her short window of opportunity.
"Of course Wes…," Faith answered with a worried frown on her face as she helped Wesley down the hall and then onto the first few stairs. Willow had just started to tell the story when Wesley and Faith started to limp down the stairs.
"Wesley what are you doing…you should be in bed," Giles nearly shouted in concern as he blinked twice to make sure that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Ending the story abruptly Willow turned to look up the stairs.
"Giles is right…those spells only help the healing, they can't cure you if you don't let them," Willow said with a look of great concern on her face as she rushed to the foot of the stairs just as Faith and Wesley got to the last step. From across the room Robin scowled heavily but kept quiet at the sight of Wesley leaning on Faith, who didn't seem to mind bearing his weight on her shoulders.
"I'll rest later I swear…but right now we have to get to Wolfram and Hart," Wesley gasped out as Faith helped him to sit down on the bottom step, taking a seat on the next step up.
"Why…have you figured something out about the Beast…," Angel asked with a concerned frown on his face as he looked back and forth between Wesley and the rain of fire, which seemed to be lightening up, outside.
"In a manner of speaking…Faith actually brought it to my attention…seeing as how the Beast is back and if its modus operandi has remained the same then…," Wesley started to say with a tired shrug of his shoulders before a fit of coughing overtook him, to which both Faith and Willow went to his aid.
"Then it'll head straight for Wolfram and Hart…," Gunn added with a deadly serious frown on his face and tone to his voice as he stood up slowly and looked over at Wesley, avoiding the scared stares of the new slayers and a confused Andrew alike, nodding his head slightly as he did so.
"And kill anything that moves…," Fred finished with a completely horrified and sick to her stomach look on her face as she almost literally used Gunn's arm to help pull herself to her feet before looking wide eyed at Angel.
"Well we certainly cannot let that happen that's for sure," Giles said straightforwardly after clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses.
"I don't plan on it…Faith get Wesley out to my car…Gunn get some weapons and join us outside…the rest of you stay here," Angel started to say calmly as he turned around and headed for the door, with Gunn and Faith nodding in agreement. He only got to the door before hearing the first voice of dissent.
"Now wait a minute…don't you think that more of us should go…maybe a few of us new slayers," Kennedy asked with a very demanding scowl on her face, and her hands on her hips, as she glared at Angel from near the stairs.
"No…the four of us are going and that's all…none of you are trained enough to even close to being able to fight the Beast…it'd rip you limb from limb just for the fun of it," Angel started to growl very angrily in response before his gaze momentarily met Buffy's.
"I vote we stay here and get settled in…sleep does a body good," Andrew stated with a nervous smile on his face before he shrunk down in his seat under Kennedy's intense glare.
"Well I don't…this Beast can't be any worse than those ubervamps that we fought back in Sunnydale or the bringers…we handled them easily enough," Kenney added with a grim look of determination on her face as she crossed her arms and cocked her head to one side.
"Let me tell you something little girl…you might have the slayer strength, speed, agility, and the annoying habit of speaking your mind all the time…but that's all you have…you're still to new at being a slayer to be anything more than cannon fodder for the Beast, it nearly took Wesley, Gunn, Lorne, and I out all single-handedly the first time we fought it and you wouldn't last five seconds…now I don't know how things worked in Sunnydale…and from what I've heard and seen so far I don't think that I want to know…but here I'm the boss and I call the shots…so we're going and you're staying…is that clear," Angel growled out angrily as he stalked over to stand right in front of Kennedy and glare down at her with his arms crossed and a low vampiric growl to punctuate his point. Instantly Kennedy looked to Willow first, who cowered a bit and looked away, and then to Faith, who just sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"When the mans right he's right…c'mon Wes," Faith started to say with a tone to her voice as if she could care less before she turned back to Wesley and her voice became full of worry and concern, matching perfectly the unintentional look on her face as she helped him towards the door.
"I'll stay here and hold down the fort until you get back…or be the second front…if you don't," Buffy said with a very solemn frown on her face as she opened the door for Angel and the two exchanged a nervous look as he walked past her.
"We'll come back…I promise," Angel half shouted back over his shoulder as he hurried up his step a bit to help Faith get Wesley to the car. Gunn shrugged his shoulders and sighted slightly before hugging Fred and rushing off after Angel.
* * * * * *
Neither Cordelia nor Anya had found anything in their search, except for a few broken down old wrecks that had most likely been there for some time. In truth Cordelia had only searched for a short time before sitting down in what little shade she could find and trying not to burn to badly. Anya had started out humming a little tune that she had heard on the radio sometime back before she found herself awkwardly humming the wedding march. The two had taken longer on their search than they had expected, and so when they returned to the place that they had left Spike and Molly neither one was there. Anya had immediately offered up the possibility that the two had found some means of transportation and left. Cordelia was about ready to throw a fit when off in the distance the two could see a number of black tents set up along the edge of the crater. They crept closer until they noticed that the guards were carrying guns and didn't look to be in a talking mood. More than once the two had to resort to diving behind a rock or broken down car to avoid being seen.
"Who the hell are these guys," Cordelia asked with a frustrated scowl on her face as once again she and Anya ducked behind the burnt out remnants of an old car.
"The Initiative probably…they were the guys that put the chip in Spike's head so that he couldn't hurt anybody…Buffy used to date one of them to…," Anya explained with a chipper smirk on her face as she quickly peeked around the corner.
"Why doesn't that surprise me…who hasn't she dated…," Cordelia said at first as she rolled her eyes and sighed before she finished speaking sarcastically.
"She hasn't dated Xander yet…and she'd better not if she knows what's good for her," Anya said merrily at first before her look changed to one of anger, except it was her usual look of anger that made her look as if she were making a funny face.
"Okay…so what do we do now…we have to find Spike and Molly, but I highly doubt that they'll just let us by," Cordelia asked with a nervous and slightly angry look on her face as she took a quick peek over the top of the burnt out car.
"We could use sex…men like sex…we lure them over here with promises of multiple orgasms and then bonk them on the head when they're not looking," Anya replied with an excited smile on her face and her eyes all lit up.
"It's official…we're doomed," Cordelia started to say with a totally defeated sigh as she slumped to the ground before the wind picked up and soon neither Cordelia nor Anya could see more than a few feet in front of their faces.
* * * * * *
The camp was still as it stepped out of the portal, but soon it called up a might gale that swept through the area, nearly blinding everyone nearby. The Initiative operatives at the camp started to scramble all over until they caught sight of what had come through the portal. The first few that it met could only order it to halt before losing their heads. The Beast stalked through the camp with a guttural laugh emanating from it. Riley and Sam had been about to ask Spike the all important question, about how he was now human, when the gale had initially picked up. Sam left first to try and find out what it was, and after several nerve wracking minutes of nothing she had rushed back into the tent and pulled Riley back out with her, yelling something about an emergency. Riley had started to resist but after seeing the look on his wife's face his doubts had been put to rest and he grabbed his gun and followed her out of the tent.
"Now's our chance pet…come on," Spike whispered loudly to a nervous and wide eyed Molly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the entrance of the tent.
"Shouldn't we stay here…," Molly asked with a scared look on her face as Spike threw back the front flap of the tent and got hit in the face with a fierce gust of wind.
"Hell no…we stay here they're likely to turn us into experiments…Captain Cardboard would probably have them fit me with another chip if he had his way…," Spike answered with a certain amount of anger and sarcasm in his voice before he and Molly exited the tent. They had no sooner left the tent when Spike began to wonder if maybe it would have been better to simply stay put and ride out the storm in the tent. Even with his now slayer enhanced eyesight he could only see a few more feet in front of him than any of the Initiative soldiers could. However he certainly wasn't about to let Molly know that, as he felt the new slayer tighten her grip on his arm, for fear that revelation would only further intensify her fear and do neither any good.
"I can't see a bloody thing…," Molly shouted out in frustration, letting her accent shine through, as she tried her best with one hand to keep the blowing sand and dirt out of her eyes.
"I think I see something…over there," Spike shouted back as he pointed to a dark patch in the distance. Reluctantly Molly agreed and the two began to make their way as best they could through the maelstrom. As they went they could hear the dying screams and fearful shouts of the Initiative soldiers as they desperately tried to get a hold of the situation. Spike stopped dead in his tracks when he got close enough to the dark area to see exactly what it was. Hovering a few inches about the ground was a swirling black portal with an occasional swirl of lightning. Spike was about to turn back and relay his newfound findings to Molly when she cut him off.
"Spike…," Molly screamed in fear and confusion as Spike whirled around to see a huge figure come strolling out of the maelstrom in its wake. It was definitely a demon of some kind, but it seemed to be made out of rock with large horns on the top of its head.
"Bloody hell," Spike muttered with a complete lack of any idea as to what to do next as he pulled Molly behind him.
"William the Bloody…so we meet at last…you're an awful lot…smaller than I thought you'd be," The Beast said with a mocking sneer on its face and tone to its voice as it towered down over Spike and Molly.
"Do I know you…," Spike asked with a concerned, and a little scared, feeling in the pit of his stomach as he nervously shifted his weight back and forth.
"No...but we do have a mutual acquaintance…Angelus," The Beast exclaimed back with a haughty smirk on its face as it came to stand directly in front of Spike.
"Leave it to Peaches to…urk," Spike started to say sarcastically before the Beast grabbed him by the throat with one hand and easily picked him up off of the ground.
"Let go of him," Molly shouted, suddenly finding a well of courage that she didn't know that she had, as she charged the Beast and started flailing away in her attempt to free Spike.
"Stupid fly…," The Beast snapped angrily before it backhanded Molly in the face, sending her up into the air and then down again, straight through the portal as she tried to cry out for help.
"Mol…," Spike tried to shout in fear and alarm but was stopped abruptly when then Beast tightened its grip on his throat.
"And now like Angelus…I will break you," The Beast said with a delighted sneer on its face as it brought its other hand up to snap Spike's neck.
"Drop him," An angry and fearful voice shouted from behind the Beast before it turned around enough to give Spike a view of who had shouted the command. Riley, Sam, and several other Initiative soldiers stood several feet away, weapons aimed directly at the Beast's back.
"Foolish mortals…," The Beast started to say as it took a step towards Sam before Riley jumped in between the two and squeezed the trigger, hoping to at least slow down the Beast. The Beast laughed in sinful amusement as the bullets ricocheted off of its rock hard hide. Spike's hide however wasn't so tough, and one of the first few bullets that hit the Beast and flew off slammed into his left shoulder, sending lighting bolts of pain throughout his body.
"Bloody hell," Spike shouted out as best he could before being lucky enough that the Beast dropped him like a used gum wrapper and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Taking the opportunity provided him, and knowing that he needed to at least try to save Molly; Spike grabbed his shoulder and dove through the portal, with the last thing that he saw being the Beast confidently striding towards the group of Initiative soldiers as they fired off round after round.
* * * * * *
Angel hadn't been gone to long before Buffy had started to get the new slayers that were left to different rooms. A few of them ended up doubling up because after what they had just been through some of them weren't ready to be so alone yet. Kennedy refused at first but a tired plea from Willow had eased her concerns and the two had disappeared into one of the rooms on the second floor, locking the door behind them. Giles and Xander helped Fred and Andrew get Robin up to one of the nearest rooms before Fred and Giles continued to treat his wound. Dawn said that she'd help, but minutes after sitting down behind the counter she had found something to her liking and became totally engrossed in it, ignoring Buffy completely. Lorne had gone back into the kitchen to try and fix himself a drink when Buffy came back down the stairs. She started to try to rub the much needed sleep out of her eyes but stopped when she saw the wind pick up just outside the Hyperion's front door. With a confused scowl on her face Buffy carefully walked out of the old hotel, using her hands to shield her face from the blowing dirt and sand. She was just about to shout back to Dawn for help when a sudden gust of wind lifted her off of her feet and shot her straight into the portal.
* * * * * *
When Spike awoke he found himself lying on the floor, surrounded by shelves and shelves of dusty books. Oddly enough his surroundings seemed familiar. Beside him Molly was leaning back up against one of the shelves rubbing a nasty looking bruise on her cheek and staring around in fear and awe. She seemed alright enough and so Spike turned and looked away, shocked at who he saw. Standing over him was a much younger looking Giles, arms full of books, with a shocked Xander and Willow behind him, both trying to form words but only being able to make small squeaks. Spike had to look twice before accepting that the Xander that he was looking at had both eyes and no eye-patch.
"Whoa," Willow shouted in fear as she and Xander looked nervously back and forth between Giles and the pair on the floor.
"Oh my…," Giles gasped breathlessly at first before Spike rolled over and he saw the condition of Spike's shoulder. "Xander…in my office there's a black leather bag that has medical supplies in it…I need you to get it for me, Willow go to the restroom and bring back some towels and some water," He continued with an exasperated scowl on his face before Willow and Xander nervously ran away to do what he had asked.
"Where are we," Molly asked with a nervous frown on her face as she stood up shakily and then winced as she lightly touched her bruise.
"If I'm right then…we're in the library of the old Sunnydale High School…before Buffy blew it up to stop the Mayor…but I don't have a bloody clue how…," Spike replied painfully, his voice shaking noticeably as he stood up, aided greatly by a still shell-shocked Giles, after the Watcher nervously set the books that he had been carrying down beside him.
"Before Buffy what…blew it up…," Giles asked with a stupefied scowl on his face as he helped Spike down the stairs and to a seat at the end of the table. Spike stared back at Giles with a confused scowl on his face before adding.
"Forget I said anything…," Spike quickly said with a thoroughly confused frown on his face before he yelled out in pain as Giles tried to begin to inspect his shoulder.
"How did this happen," Giles asked with a concerned frown on his face as he took out his pocket knife and cut off Spike's left sleeve to gain easier access to the wound.
"It's better that you don't know Rupert…," Spike replied with an impatient frown on his face as he looked around the library nervously.
"How do you know my name…and who exactly are you, if you don't mind me being so forward," Giles said with a nervous scowl on his face as he adjusted his glasses and then retrieved a reading lamp from his office just as Xander returned with Giles's bag.
"Whoa…that looks like it hurts," Xander mumbled softly with a shocked, but somewhat excited, look on his face as he stared at Spike's wound.
"It does…now as to how I know your name, well…there'll be time for that later…but I'm William and the lady here is Molly," Spike answered angrily at first before his expression softened as he saw the worried and scared look on Molly's face.
"Pleased to meet you…," Xander started to say with a generous smile on his face as he held out his hand to shake Spikes but then stopped at the angry glare that he got in return.
"Proper introductions will have to wait until later…or at least until we're sure that William here won't bleed to death…Xander have you seen Buffy," Giles said with a nervous and frustrated frown on his face as he set the lamp up beside Spike's shoulder and positioned his glasses correctly.
"I think she's still around here somewhere…I could go check," Xander replied with a nervous shrug of his shoulders and sly smile on his face as he nodded his head back towards the library doors and jammed his hands into his pockets.
"Could you please check…," Giles said angrily as he glared heavily at Xander out of the corner of his eyes, not wanting to take his attention off Spike's shoulder.
"Right…yeah…," Xander mumbled out nervously before spinning on his heel and tearing off out of the library.
* * * * * *
She awoke groggily to find herself lying face down on the bottom bleacher in what looked at first like the old gym from the first Sunnydale High School, the same one that she had blown up to stop the Mayor during his ascension. A quick glance around the gym seemed to confirm what she first expected. She remembered how the gym had looked when she had first arrived in Sunnydale.
"Spooky…," Buffy muttered softly with a confused frown on her face as she stood up and began to walk towards the double doors that led out of the gym. She wondered around the halls for a few minutes before she turned a corner and very nearly knocked someone over. "Sorry my bad I…," Buffy started to say with an embarrassed smile on her face before her breath caught in her throat as she saw who she had bumped into. Sitting awkwardly on the ground in front of her was herself, only younger and less experienced.
"Hey…you look…wait a minute this can't…hey…stop repeating everything…stop it…that's annoying," Both Buffy's said at exactly the same time as the tension between the two became visible as no matter what either said the other would utter the exact same thing at the exact same time. Even their body movements matched, as after the younger Buffy had picked herself up off of the floor she crossed her arms and glared at the older Buffy, who returned the glare.
"Hey Buffy there you are look we…whoa," Xander started to say with a sigh of relief as he ran up to the younger Buffy before he stopped dead in his tracks and gasped at the older Buffy.
"Xander…," The older Buffy asked with a confused and slightly bewildered frown on her face before the younger Buffy interrupted herself.
"We what Xander…," The younger Buffy asked with an impatient scowl on her face as she turned towards Xander, but kept a wary eye on the older Buffy.
"Giles asked me to find you…Willow and I were helping him put some of his old books away when we rounded a corner and almost bumped into two people on the floor…," Xander replied nervously, stuttering a bit, as his gaze kept flittering back and forth between the two Buffy's.
"So by on the floor you mean…what exactly…," The younger Buffy asked with a confused frown on her face as she took a slight step away from the older Buffy and drew Xander aside.
"A guy that looked like he got shot in the shoulder and a girl about our age…there was blood everywhere…oh yeah…his hair was bleached blond…," Xander replied with a confused and somewhat unimpressed frown on his face as the older Buffy's eyes grew in shock before she turned and bolted away towards the library.
"I wonder what…," The younger Buffy started to say with a confused frown on her face before she grabbed Xander's arm and the two took off after the older Buffy.
* * * * * *
"Would you please sit still…I'm almost done, you're lucky that the bullet didn't go in very deeply or else I would have had to take you to the hospital…which isn't a bad idea after I finish wrapping your shoulder up," Giles said with an impatient and slightly angry scowl on his face as he used one hand to keep the bandage in place while he began to wrap Spike's shoulder with his other hand.
"Sorry Rupert but I won't need a hospital, I'll be good as new in a few days…slayer healing and all…," Spike started to say with a tired look on his face before he heard a sharp gasp from behind him as Giles finished up wrapping his shoulder and stood back to admire his work.
"Sp…Spike…," The older Buffy whispered softly before her mouth failed to allow her to say anything else as she stood just inside the library, staring at Spike's back.
"Buffy…," Spike said breathlessly as he debated for a few seconds whether or not to stand up and turn around or just stay where he was. In the end his head and his heart came to a rare agreement and he slowly and painfully stood up and turned around to face his slayer. The instant their gazes met Buffy couldn't hold her tears in any longer and they began to slip out as first before cascading down her cheeks, ruining what makeup she had left. For a moment Spike stayed as still as a stone, not believing who he was seeing in front of him. "She can't be here…none of this makes any sense," Spike thought with a confused frown on his face before Buffy took a step closer to him.
"N…no…you're not real…you're dead…you died in the hellmouth…it can't be you…," Buffy forced out as her breaths almost exactly coincided with small sobs that wracked her small body. With a fearful look in her eyes she cautiously lifted her left hand up and almost fainted when Spike raised his right hand and took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers exactly how they had in the hellmouth.
"It's me Buffy…it's me…really…," Spike gasped back softly as wet and salty tears sprang to his eyes as well. Buffy stood rigid in shock for a few seconds, mightily because of the physical contact as when she first saw Spike a part of her thought that he was only an illusion, before finally heaving a giant sigh of relief and joy as she threw her arms around Spike and buried her head into the side of his neck. Giles and Molly stood dumbfounded as they watched the scene play out, with the beginnings of a sly smirk starting to spread across Molly's face.
"I love you…," Buffy whispered softly in between sobs as she pulled back just enough so that she could look Spike in the eye, keeping her face only far enough away so that Spike wouldn't blur. Spike tried to think of something witty to respond with or simply respond with what he had told her earlier, but this time he cut his head out and listened to his heart.
"I love you to," Spike whispered back softly before he saw the joy in Buffy's eyes. Pushing his luck he leaned in and brushed a soft chaste kiss on her lips, half expecting her to either slap or punch him as a response. Instead Buffy smiled widely before returning the kiss, only this time the pair kissed eagerly, as if both expected the other to disappear in the next few seconds as well as letting go off all of their pent up emotions.
"I knew it…they love each other," Molly exclaimed in triumph with a proud ear to ear smile on her face as she pumped her fist before clapping merrily.
"Oh my…," Giles said with a shocked and confused frown on his face as he crossed his arms and stared silently at the scene in front of him as beside him Willow just stood quietly and wiped away a tear. Giles was about to add something when Buffy and Xander came tearing into the library, stopping dead in their tracks at the sight in front of them.
END OF CHAPTER 5