Letters 13

Willow tried hard to cling to that sweet elusive sleep but the flapping of the curtains forced her awake and she sat up and clutched the sheets to her naked chest as she looked around.

Last night had been the best of her life. Spike had showed up to her graduation in a tux, he had professed his love and they had come home together. He had taken her innocence and her heart in one night. It had been romantic and frantic, gentle and rough and she was left aching in more places than her body knew possible.

It was a good sensation and one that she would be happy with for the rest of her life.

But Spike was gone. After their lovemaking all night, he was missing. Her heart sank until she noted a piece of paper on the pillow next to her.

Red.

You'll never know how much I just wanted to stay in your bed with you and hold you as the sun came up, watching you wake up and making love to you all day and never letting you go, but there are things that I have to do today. Its essential or hell itself couldn't have dragged me away from your soft warm body this morning.

Just know this, that I will be with you all day and tonight, when the world is safe again from the damn ascension we will spend the rest of eternity together.

I love you.

Spike

Willow hugged the sheet to herself and smiled at the letter. It was Spike through and through and one more letter to add to her collection. She realised that she'd never get tired of this, of waking up knowing that she would be seeing him that day.

She wished she could lie in bed and wait for him to get here and be with her again.

But she had to get ready for her graduation and the Mayor's ascension. It was guaranteed to be a big party and even though Spike couldn't be there in person, she knew he was in Sunnydale and that was worth it.

The graduation set up was typical of every high school. The students sat up front, just ahead of the podium where the teachers would sit and the Mayor would make his address. The parents who actually cared enough to come would sit at the back to watch their pride and joy graduate from High school.

Buffy watched with her arms folded as the custodian's finished setting up the chairs. Willow came up behind her and touched her shoulder.

"This is it." Buffy sighed "The finale."

Willow draped her arm over her best friends shoulder

"That it is Buffy, we'll do fine. Everything's in place right?"

"Yep, got Xander to talk to Harmony and got Faith all Coma'd away. Everything's in place and ready to burn."

"Literally." Willow surveyed the High school and smiled.

Buffy turned to her friend "You talk to Percy and Oz?"

Willow nodded and wrapped her arms around herself "You do realise that your plan is crazy right?"

"Oh and Oz's idea was sane?"

"Attacking the Mayor with Humus was, I'll admit, crazier than yours but I still think Anya's head for the hills was doable."

Buffy grinned "I like the humus idea."

"I don't know I think maybe Taramasalata would be more original." Willow tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Angel's going to just go." Buffy blurted out and Willow's face fell "He broke up with me last night and he's just going to leave without saying goodbye."

The tears dropped unchecked down her cheeks as Willow offered her the comfort of her embrace.

"Oh god Buffy I'm so sorry." Willow patted her friend, knowing full well what a broken heart felt like. She had felt that way when she thought she had lost Spike for good.

"It hurts so much Willow, like a huge ball of nothing in my heart, how could he just go?"

"You have to believe it hurts him as much as it hurts you Buffy. At least you got that one perfect high school moment." Willow tried to comfort Buffy.

Buffy sniffed and stepped back "I did, and I will always cherish that." she paused "And I have your boyfriend to thank for that."

Willow blushed "He is one of a kind."

Buffy looked at her steadily "He's evil Willow."

"So evil he made Angel dance with you and so evil he sent me a piñata of Cordelia for my birthday so I could take out my frustrations without hurting anyone."

Buffy blinked "That was Cordelia?"

"Or Anya." Willow watched as the tears dried up and Buffy's lips twitched.

"I could like him."

"Hands off." Willow mock pouted "He's mine."

"I don't want him!"

"You wouldn't say that if you'd seen him naked." Willow ducked her head and Buffy gaped

"Willow Rosenberg, tell me you did not have sex with him!"

Willow blushed as two students passed by and overheard Buffy's exclamation, they gave her two thumbs up as the carried on walking by.

"Shh Buffy. We did, last night."

"And?" Buffy leaned forward intrigued

"It was wonderful." Willow blushed harder at the memory "And that's all I'm going to say."

Buffy looked impressed.

"You are gonna have to tell me all about him and how you guys hooked up, it's too bizarre, Willow and Spike!" she shuddered.

"I love him. He dumped Drusilla for me and he came here from Brazil to tell me he loves me." Willow said softly, not wanting to rub it in.

Buffy was silent for a moment "I'm happy for you Will. If he makes you happy you grab onto him and don't let him go."

"Not planning on it."

Buffy sighed "Time to go." They linked arms and began to walk away.

"If we win, Willow, you have to tell me everything and I mean in minute detail."

"Then let's hear it for the Mayor!"

Principal Snyder watched as the students took their seats in a sea of red polyester.

"Congratulations to the class of 1999. You all proved more or less adequate. This is a time of celebration, so: sit still and be quiet."

The students sat down rolling their eyes at the Principals little speech

"Spit out that gum." He commanded, not wanting them to forget who was in charge. "Please welcome our distinguished guest speaker: Richard Wilkins the 3rd. I saw that gesture. You see me after graduation."

Willow sat next to Buffy and they shared a tentative grin. Buffy leaned closer

"You're not really rooting for the Mayor, are you Willow?"

"That depends on if I get the third degree after we win."

The Mayor stood up and shook hands with Snyder. He smiled broadly and took out cue cards from his jacket.

"Well. What a day this is! - Special day. Today is our centennial the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale, and I know what that means to all you kids: not a darn thing. Because today something much more important happens: today you all graduate from high school. Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over. And what's a hundred years of history compared to that? You know what kids?"
Buffy's jaw dropped "Oh my God. He's going to do the entire speech."
Willow shook her head in disbelief "Man, just ascend already."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at him "Evil!" she hissed.
The Mayor continued his little speech "for all of you it may be that there is a place in Sunnydale's history, whether you like it or not. It's been a long road getting here. For you… for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times… and there has been grief. There's been loss. Some people who should be here today… aren't."

Willow and Buffy watched as he grimaced. He was obviously thinking about Faith.

"But we are. - Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just distance travelled? Time spent? No. It's what happens on the way, it the things that happen to you. At the end of the journey you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do. You ascend to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing."

The whole of the graduating class and most of the faculty looked up as the hot sunny day began to fade into clouds- anything was better than listen to the Mayors speech.

They watched bewildered as the sun darkened. Buffy took a deep breathe and tensed.

"And so as we look back on the events that brought us to this day-"
Buffy glared at him and pulled her hat off "Oh just come on!"

Willow giggled nervously at Buffy's impatience.

The Mayors speech was punctuated by grimaces and screams of pain as the change began to take him over- eventually he abandoned his speech altogether.

"It has begun. My destiny. It's a little sooner then I expected I had this whole section on civic pride, But I guess we'll just skip to the big finish!"
Buffy looked to Willow as the Mayor started to stretch and grow. His suit split, falling to the floor in expensive tailored shreds and a snake grew from the tattered remains

"That is no way to treat a Versace." They heard Cordelia behind them wince.

But suddenly no one was listening as the snake grew and huge mandibles surrounded his mouth.

Both parents and faculty screamed and leaped off the stage running for safety.

The students all watched Buffy and stood up when she did; they stared at the Mayor-snake and waited.

Buffy growled "Now!"