'Hello Buffy', Spike said smiling in a dreamy way. He walked over to her
and gazed at her like all his dreams had come true. Buffy tried to speak
but found the words were caught in her throat, she felt like all the breath
had been sucked out of her, she was completely winded and unable to speak
or think. Xander went over to Buffy.
'She's in shock', Xander said.
'I think we all are', Willow said in a small voice. Kennedy, Giles and Dawn were looking just as shocked. Buffy stared at Spike her mouth open, she tried to move her arm so she could pinch herself and wake up from this crazy dream. None of this was real, it couldn't be but as she stared back into those gleaming eyes a part of her knew it was real. Spike reached out his arm with what seemed like great effort and ran his fingers through her hair and down her face. His eyes were shinning with tears.
'Buffy', he whispered. Buffy swallowed, her throat felt like there was a golf ball stuck in it and it was burning. Her eyes filled with tears and rolled down her face. She took deep breaths; her cheeks were aching with the pain of trying not to cry or laugh with joy, she wasn't sure which to do.
'How?' she managed to choke out. Spike paused for a second wondering where to start. Angel broke the silence.
'It's a really long story Buffy; maybe we should explain everything in the morning.' Buffy was holding on Spike's arm.
'Are..are you real?' Spike smiled slightly.
'I'm real, and I'm corporeal now.'
'What do you mean your corporeal now?' Xander said.
'I came back as a ghost of some sort, I couldn't touch things but I was visible but then I was sent something and I was made corporeal...that's er all you need to know for now', he answered.
'There was more to it than just that', Wesley said in an irritated voice. Angel put up his hand to silence Wesley.
'That's all the important facts', Angel growled. Wesley sent Angel a quizzical look but then realised what he was talking about. Spike looked pleased with himself about something.
'Still bitter eh Angel?' Angel's lips tightened. Kennedy looked from Angel to Spike.
'Bitter about what?'
'Nothing', Angel muttered still glaring at Spike.
Willow had her arm around Buffy.
'You alright?' she whispered to her. Buffy slowly nodded.
'Maybe we should leave Buffy and Spike alone', Willow said loudly. They all agreed and reluctantly left the room. Though Buffy was pretty sure they were listening intently outside. Buffy looked up at Spike. There was a moment's pause between them but then Buffy threw her arms Spike. Spike held her tightly as she sobbed softly.
'I missed you so much, every day I expected to wake up and you'd be lying there next to me', she choked into his shoulder. Spike closed his eyes.
'I know, he said softly, I missed you too I wanted to tell you but that stupid git Angel wouldn't let me, he made me feel like I was selfish to want to ruin your normal life.'
'All I'd ever wanted was a normal life but I never considered for a second that if I survived you wouldn't', Buffy said still in Spike's loving embrace. All she had been feeling over the last couple of weeks seemed to come out here, as they gripped onto each other as though scared to loose each other again.
'She's in shock', Xander said.
'I think we all are', Willow said in a small voice. Kennedy, Giles and Dawn were looking just as shocked. Buffy stared at Spike her mouth open, she tried to move her arm so she could pinch herself and wake up from this crazy dream. None of this was real, it couldn't be but as she stared back into those gleaming eyes a part of her knew it was real. Spike reached out his arm with what seemed like great effort and ran his fingers through her hair and down her face. His eyes were shinning with tears.
'Buffy', he whispered. Buffy swallowed, her throat felt like there was a golf ball stuck in it and it was burning. Her eyes filled with tears and rolled down her face. She took deep breaths; her cheeks were aching with the pain of trying not to cry or laugh with joy, she wasn't sure which to do.
'How?' she managed to choke out. Spike paused for a second wondering where to start. Angel broke the silence.
'It's a really long story Buffy; maybe we should explain everything in the morning.' Buffy was holding on Spike's arm.
'Are..are you real?' Spike smiled slightly.
'I'm real, and I'm corporeal now.'
'What do you mean your corporeal now?' Xander said.
'I came back as a ghost of some sort, I couldn't touch things but I was visible but then I was sent something and I was made corporeal...that's er all you need to know for now', he answered.
'There was more to it than just that', Wesley said in an irritated voice. Angel put up his hand to silence Wesley.
'That's all the important facts', Angel growled. Wesley sent Angel a quizzical look but then realised what he was talking about. Spike looked pleased with himself about something.
'Still bitter eh Angel?' Angel's lips tightened. Kennedy looked from Angel to Spike.
'Bitter about what?'
'Nothing', Angel muttered still glaring at Spike.
Willow had her arm around Buffy.
'You alright?' she whispered to her. Buffy slowly nodded.
'Maybe we should leave Buffy and Spike alone', Willow said loudly. They all agreed and reluctantly left the room. Though Buffy was pretty sure they were listening intently outside. Buffy looked up at Spike. There was a moment's pause between them but then Buffy threw her arms Spike. Spike held her tightly as she sobbed softly.
'I missed you so much, every day I expected to wake up and you'd be lying there next to me', she choked into his shoulder. Spike closed his eyes.
'I know, he said softly, I missed you too I wanted to tell you but that stupid git Angel wouldn't let me, he made me feel like I was selfish to want to ruin your normal life.'
'All I'd ever wanted was a normal life but I never considered for a second that if I survived you wouldn't', Buffy said still in Spike's loving embrace. All she had been feeling over the last couple of weeks seemed to come out here, as they gripped onto each other as though scared to loose each other again.