Well here's the last chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this fic and hope
you enjoyed reading it. Thanks to everyone for your supportive reviews!
Spike watched in horror as the girl he loved faced off with his evil double. The scene was frightening but all too familiar. He thought back to the time when he and Buffy had been sworn enemies, a vampire and a vampire slayer. They had fought like that countless times, but it had never been more than a twisted, violent dance. This fight was different. This was a fight to the death.
Buffy caught the vampire off guard with a quick series of punches and violently threw him to the ground. She picked a large tree branch off the ground and broke it in half over her knee. Holding the sharp, splintery weapon in her hand, she stood over Spike's double and paused. The vampire threw back his head and laughed wildly.
"You know you can't do it luv. There's no bloody way you can look into my eyes and stake me in the heart. Your love makes you weak."
Buffy was silent a moment and realized the creature was right. When she looked at him she saw Spike. She saw the man she loved. He had his same crystal blue eyes, his same crooked smile... She couldn't bring herself to...
"Buffy."
Startled out of her thoughts, Buffy looked up and met Spike's gaze. She was overcome with the immense love and affection that seemed to radiate from his eyes. This was the man she loved, not the creature lying before her. Buffy knew what she had to do.
She turned her gaze back to the smirking vampire. "You're wrong," she began. "It's my love that makes me strong."
With that she plunged the sharp branch into the heart of the vampire. Its eyes grew large in disbelief as it crumbled to nothing more than a pile of dust.
Spike rushed over to Buffy and wrapped his arms around her. Buffy leaned against his chest and began to cry. Her salty tears spilled onto the ground and vanished into the dry earth.
Tilting her chin upward, Spike wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Don't cry luv. I'm right here. That creature wasn't me."
Buffy shook her head and looked into his eyes. "I'm not crying because of that. I'm crying because I love you so much."
It took a minute for her words to sink in. 'She loves me. After all we've been through. After telling myself it wasn't possible... here I am holding her in my arms. And she loves me.'
Spike couldn't help but grin. The smile lit up his entire face and his eyes glowed with a joy he had never felt before. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the scenery around them began to spin. Everything disappeared and for a moment he had the horrible thought that it had all been just a dream. With a gasp he opened his eyes and found himself lying on the couch in Buffy's living room. He found a very groggy Buffy waking up beside him and Giles, Xander, Willow, and Dawn standing around the couch with goofy smiles on their faces.
"Buffy!" screeched Dawn with excitement. "You're awake!"
Buffy blinked her eyes a few times as she took in her surroundings. An enthusiastic Dawn flung her arms around Buffy's neck and kissed her on the cheek. "I was so worried Buffy. Thank goodness Spike found you."
"Yeah, it's good to see you again Buffster," added a grinning Xander.
As Buffy reunited with her friends, Spike silently stood up and walked to the other side of the room. It wasn't possible. He knew it wasn't possible but somehow it was. Pausing in front of a window, he slowly pushed aside the blinds and looked out into the afternoon sunlight. Instead of the blinding pain he was used to experiencing, all he felt was the soothing warmth of the sun. He stood there a moment, listening to the beating of his heart and studying his reflection in the glass windowpanes. No one gave him any notice until Willow caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye.
"Spike! Get away from the window!" she shouted with panic. "You'll burn up!"
Spike was startled out of his daze and turned his attention to the frantic witch. A slow smile crept across his lips. "Don't be so dramatic Red," he replied. "It's not that hot outside."
While the Scoobies stared at him speechless, Buffy ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You're still human!" she cried. "It wasn't just a dream after all."
"No luv," he said barely above a whisper. "It wasn't just a dream."
Buffy's eyes were filled with tears of joy. "I love you Spike."
"I love you too Buffy."
Running his fingers through her golden hair, Spike leaned in for a kiss. He held her for a long time, savoring every moment, never wanting the kiss to end. He had everything he wanted, everything he had ever hoped for. Finally, his world was complete.
THE END
Spike watched in horror as the girl he loved faced off with his evil double. The scene was frightening but all too familiar. He thought back to the time when he and Buffy had been sworn enemies, a vampire and a vampire slayer. They had fought like that countless times, but it had never been more than a twisted, violent dance. This fight was different. This was a fight to the death.
Buffy caught the vampire off guard with a quick series of punches and violently threw him to the ground. She picked a large tree branch off the ground and broke it in half over her knee. Holding the sharp, splintery weapon in her hand, she stood over Spike's double and paused. The vampire threw back his head and laughed wildly.
"You know you can't do it luv. There's no bloody way you can look into my eyes and stake me in the heart. Your love makes you weak."
Buffy was silent a moment and realized the creature was right. When she looked at him she saw Spike. She saw the man she loved. He had his same crystal blue eyes, his same crooked smile... She couldn't bring herself to...
"Buffy."
Startled out of her thoughts, Buffy looked up and met Spike's gaze. She was overcome with the immense love and affection that seemed to radiate from his eyes. This was the man she loved, not the creature lying before her. Buffy knew what she had to do.
She turned her gaze back to the smirking vampire. "You're wrong," she began. "It's my love that makes me strong."
With that she plunged the sharp branch into the heart of the vampire. Its eyes grew large in disbelief as it crumbled to nothing more than a pile of dust.
Spike rushed over to Buffy and wrapped his arms around her. Buffy leaned against his chest and began to cry. Her salty tears spilled onto the ground and vanished into the dry earth.
Tilting her chin upward, Spike wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Don't cry luv. I'm right here. That creature wasn't me."
Buffy shook her head and looked into his eyes. "I'm not crying because of that. I'm crying because I love you so much."
It took a minute for her words to sink in. 'She loves me. After all we've been through. After telling myself it wasn't possible... here I am holding her in my arms. And she loves me.'
Spike couldn't help but grin. The smile lit up his entire face and his eyes glowed with a joy he had never felt before. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the scenery around them began to spin. Everything disappeared and for a moment he had the horrible thought that it had all been just a dream. With a gasp he opened his eyes and found himself lying on the couch in Buffy's living room. He found a very groggy Buffy waking up beside him and Giles, Xander, Willow, and Dawn standing around the couch with goofy smiles on their faces.
"Buffy!" screeched Dawn with excitement. "You're awake!"
Buffy blinked her eyes a few times as she took in her surroundings. An enthusiastic Dawn flung her arms around Buffy's neck and kissed her on the cheek. "I was so worried Buffy. Thank goodness Spike found you."
"Yeah, it's good to see you again Buffster," added a grinning Xander.
As Buffy reunited with her friends, Spike silently stood up and walked to the other side of the room. It wasn't possible. He knew it wasn't possible but somehow it was. Pausing in front of a window, he slowly pushed aside the blinds and looked out into the afternoon sunlight. Instead of the blinding pain he was used to experiencing, all he felt was the soothing warmth of the sun. He stood there a moment, listening to the beating of his heart and studying his reflection in the glass windowpanes. No one gave him any notice until Willow caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye.
"Spike! Get away from the window!" she shouted with panic. "You'll burn up!"
Spike was startled out of his daze and turned his attention to the frantic witch. A slow smile crept across his lips. "Don't be so dramatic Red," he replied. "It's not that hot outside."
While the Scoobies stared at him speechless, Buffy ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You're still human!" she cried. "It wasn't just a dream after all."
"No luv," he said barely above a whisper. "It wasn't just a dream."
Buffy's eyes were filled with tears of joy. "I love you Spike."
"I love you too Buffy."
Running his fingers through her golden hair, Spike leaned in for a kiss. He held her for a long time, savoring every moment, never wanting the kiss to end. He had everything he wanted, everything he had ever hoped for. Finally, his world was complete.
THE END