Title: Prove It

Author: Wicked R

Disclaimers: characters belong to Mutant Enemy. No copyright breach is intended. Made mainly for my own enjoyment, not for profit. How could it be anyway?

Genre: Romance, silly fic.

Set: takes off exactly where Chosen left it.

Summary: a different surprise for Spike.

Spoilers: general season 7 spoilers.

Pairing: B/S

Warning: not beta read. English is not my first language, so be kind.

Note: just when did I get such a humdrum romantic?

Willow smiled, "the First is scrunched, so... what do you think we should do, Buffy?"

Faith added, "yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"

Dawn also added, "yeah, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?"

While the others babbled on around her, Buffy only gazed directly in front at the crater previously known as Sunnydale. As she considered what's next, she smiled, "go back," she turned towards her companions, "for Spike. The amulet protected him from sunlight in the same time as the ubervamps dusted. If the rubble landed on him, he might still be undead." She grabbed the axe, a rope and some of the supplies of bandages they thoughtfully brought with themselves on the bus, "we can meet at the Brighthill Motel and get a plan going on how to address all slayers," she said as she already started ascending into the hole.

"Wait!" exclaimed Willow, "I'll come with you. You will need a locator spell."

Almost the entire two mile distance was a non stop debris plod. It probably didn't help that they were getting worn-out by this time, having been fighting inner and outer demons for the last several weeks. They were also greeted by a number of extremely sudden overhangs. They contoured from one place to another hoping that things might look better from another perspective from behind the next cliff. They continued contouring, until they finally saw a way of moderate slopes down. It took the two friends a few hours to reach the area where the high school might have once been, not all so long ago. The skies became very dark for an hour or so once the sunshine faded. They were able to see the Milky Way very easily, and after that it brightened yet again as the Moon rose to aid their search.

Willow opened her bag and took out an elixir of aromatic plants and put them in a test tube of slow gin effervesce, mumbling, "tell me to where Spike is." A bright light rose from the tube as expected, but made no movement. Willow extended all her supernatural senses, but concluded after a long silence, quietly telling her, "I'm so sorry, Buffy. He is not here."

Buffy surprised them both with some sudden tears and retreated to sit down on a rock. As bodily exhaustion was overtaking her, she could do nothing but stare.

Willow gave her some time in her sorrow, sitting down herself. In the complete silence that surrounded them she started to feel something strange. It was an elixir induced sensation, and although the locator spell didn't work as they expected it to, it was still indicating her something. What was it? It was Spike's presence in another dimension, but the feeling of the presence was growing and growing until it made Willow cry out, "Buffy! I think…"

She didn't have time for explanations as a portal opened in front of them and it was Spike who fell on the floor through it.

"Oh, my god, Spike!" Buffy rushed to his side, "what happened?" He appeared to be a lot dazed, but otherwise fine. He was still wearing the amulet.

"Buffy? Willow?" he asked.

"Tell me, Spike. What happened?"

"Oh, so. No more gnashing."

"What?"

"Ah, right. The explanation. All that rubble, it closed the hell mouth. And we all remained in, well, I guess, Hell. But they all steered clear of me. I guess it's my lucky charm, or it's the amulet. One or the other. Nevertheless, shucks, I really thought I'm going to stay there. Or at least for a while, as Angel did. You know, nice accommodation, with a view. And everlasting torture. But a sorta deity came seated on a white elephant and holding a lotus flower. She told me I didn't belong and the next thing I know is you leaning over m…," he felt himself being rocked back and forth, carried away literally by Buffy's passion and relief over seeing him safe and sound. Her fingers clasped in Spike's the same way as when they were when they were saying their good byes but she was now also holding him tight against her chest. In turn Spike's mouth sought hers for a hot-blooded kiss, loosing himself in the utter sensation. When they parted he could see tears in her eyes. He wiped them away tenderly.

"Spike. I do. I do love you. I realised it with crystal clarity when I thought I lost you. Not even living a normal life makes sense without you."

"What about…you know who."

"Have you never heard of someone loving two people in the same time? I am sorry I am unable to love you back even more, but I will always love you, almost as much as I love Angel. But I am with you and I will be with you, and not him. There isn't anything I would rather do. Isn't that enough?"

Warmness spread across his body, comforting him at last, "as a start, yes."

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Initially, the house they rented in Cleveland was just as crowded as the one in Sunnydale has once been. Soon though, as they attributed the responsibility of identifying and teaching slayers all over the world to the slayers that resided, the house slowly emptied itself, until all who was left was Buffy, Spike, and Dawn. Xander, Wood and Andrew was working and rented their own places, Willow and Giles were away to help with the identification. Buffy was to stay and find out more about the Cleveland Hell Mouth. In the meantime, trying to learn to lead a normal life wasn't too easy for Buffy. She was a good worker, yes, and principal Wood did find a job for her too, but after a while of enjoying the hassle free life, she started feeling weird and out of place. She was used to being The Slayer, with all the responsibilities that came with it. Cleveland was just too quiet and relatively demon free, as if the Hell Mouth wasn't even there. She still had her powers and it seemed too much of a waste not to use them. She realised that it will take time to get used to the new possibilities, however positive in essence they were.

For Spike, it was in a different way unusual. He spent decades in complete harmony with Dru, but he also took care of her. Buffy was more than his equal, she was still more independent than Spike would've wished for. But the most unusual thing about this existence was being more or less happy all the time. The only thing that brought some clouds in his happiness was the fact that he could never be too sure of Buffy, of how much her acceptance of him will last. He kept thinking about Angel, and how he let her go because he loved her. Might he have to do the same typa thing one day? One day she was going to break his heart again, and he was going to let her. However, he was old enough to try to enjoy what he had, instead of worrying too much of what may come. It was one of those moments when he held her in his arms intimately, while she was asleep. It was night, not the best time to sleep for a vampire, so he just lay there taking pleasure in the moment. There was really no point in getting up, particularly because the heavy rain didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. He pulled the covers around them. Buffy stirred a little, but she didn't wake up. He sighed in relief he didn't wake her up, but a swift sound made him tense up. He could make out with his vampire ears in a few seconds the sound people walking towards their front door. With almost just one continuous movement, he slid from under Buffy without disturbing her too much again and reached the front door before the intruders could.. As he opened it, Dru stood face to face with him. He looked uncomfortably towards his ex, "Drusilla," he whispered. Although it was more like he was her Childe, than the other way round, he felt a certain responsibility for her, and guilt for leaving her completely out of his sight, without any supervision.

"Hey..." Dru started, "it's me, your ex-lover," the seductive succubus confirmed in a sinister tone, just according to her reputation, the most horrid thing one could ever be. Her slim, but curvy body was enveloped in an ankle-length, blood red coat, her dark hair had been gathered up to spill off in little wavelets, which fell around her face and neck in an enchanting way.

Spike retracted and tried not to scamper at full speed in the opposite direction from her, "what the hell did you bring her here for?" He channelled his confusion into anger towards Angel, who was standing right behind her.

"I didn't," answered Angel, "she was the one who wanted to see you. I was only watching over her from a distance, as I always do, but since she was getting to use such measures, I wanted to be here when she did. But I was slow and actually only caught up with her a few minutes ago."

Drusilla gestured with her hands, as if touching Spike all over, but only from a few centimetres away. Her features scrunched up in revulsion, she tilted her head to the side, as she turned her body away, "I just wanted to see with my own eyes what the birds sing. You're like Angel," she cried, "I don't want any of you anywhere near mine…"

"You wanna say you came this far to say this?"

But Dru was already on her way. She sniffed a little. She turned out the driveway, but not before she gave them a parting glance of disgust.

"You not gonna follow?" Spike urged Angel.

"I prefer to watch over her from a distance. I didn't know what she was gonna do, once here."

"Watch over??!? Why don't you leave her alone? She doesn't need you, the same as she didn't need to ever see you back in London. If you made her, at least you should have the decency to let her die in peace, whenever destiny brings it along, cause I'm not gonna do her, that's for sure."

"Well, neither am I, if you don't mind. Not unless I have to. And I know Dru is more than capable of taking care of herself. Despite…I watch over so she doesn't go overboard with the carnage. Is it starting to become obvious?"

"What's obvious," Spike said, "is that you always hanker after my women, for yourself."

"Me? Excuse me, but who had them first?" Buffy was an especially sore point for the older vampire, pretty stupid from the younger one to mention it. Was he angering him in purpose? He had always loved to do that. Angel's hands flew up, his fingers curled, as if he wanted to grab Spike and smash him to the ground.

Spike snarled in victory as he saw Angel's eyes started burning in anger, "so, what? You weren't so in love when you had Dru's sister for dinner!"

"Like you weren't a real vamp before."

"You would have never asked for a soul. I was, I am above any of you. Buffy knows that too."

Angel slammed his fist into the doorframe.

"Jealous?"

"Go to Hell!" Angel shouted, and he lashed out. Spike caught it, but the force of the blow still sent him down, while Angel banged himself heavily in the invisible door that stood in front of him, being without an invitation. They fell in a loud thump, shaking the flooring.

"Excuse me for a mo" they heard Buffy's voice, "what's going on here?"

"Nothing," tried to cover his silly actions Spike.

"Really? In that case, I'm becoming somewhat concerned about what is going to come next."

"Oh, come on, this is stupid," Angel said, "now I know why some animals eat their own offspring. Of all animals, the boy is the most impossible, you can't seriously…"

"Say, you're truly special, aren't you," interrupted him Spike.

"Will you both shut up now? Gods! How the son denigrates from the Sire. Did you both end up with the souls of some children by mistake? Will one of you please tell me what all this is about?"

"Well, "Spike started, "poof here wanted to act the protector and save us from Dru, but hey, she didn't wanna cause any harm anyway, because she left."

"Is this what the whole thing was all about?" Buffy asked, "Dru?"

"Well, at first…"

"What am I gonna do with you two? You never happened to come across the notion during your long lives that a girl can really only choose by herself? Besides, do I have to?"

"Buffy. We just got…carried away," assured her Angel, "I came for what I came for. Or have I? Ok, was nice to see you. Remember, we become what we love. I'll maybe come back when the cookie has been fully baked," he sighed then turned to leave.

"Cookie? What cookie?" Spike was confused.

"Spike! Just come back to bed, will you?"

The End.