Joss Whedon created the Buffyverse. Not me.

Written for Multifandom1000 LJ community's challenge #42 of "The Five Senses."


Making Sense of Love
by Zzilly14

The Slayer looks deep into the crater, surveying where buildings and people had once stood. She remembers the way Spike had smiled at her as he burned up, and she shudders to think his ashes are still within the debris.

After her breakup with the Immortal, she decided she needed to come back to the States. Especially since the one-year anniversary of that fateful day was fast approaching...

So here she is, back in Sunnydale, one year after leaving it behind. Back where so many Slayers lost their lives. Where Anya died saving Andrew. Where Spike...

She wipes the tears away from her eyes, feeling their cool wetness on her fingers. Then more droplets fall on her hands, and she glances up to see the rain beginning to drench her body.

She sighs heavily, listening to the pitter-patter dotting the area, the dry land soaking up each bead of water that strikes it. She doesn't care that her hair is dripping; it feels good to absorb the rainfall.

Suddenly she smells cigarette smoke. It triggers vivid memories of Spike, pleasant ones, violent ones, pleasantly violent ones... she turns around and gasps to see him standing here, dripping wet, watching her curiously.

"Hello, pet," he states, trying not to reveal how nervous he is.

"What do you want?" she replies almost bitterly. She's unsure if it's really him or if it's the First. Maybe it's just her imagination.

He throws the cigarette on the ground and stomps it out with his foot. "To see you, of course. Angel mentioned you were back from Italy, and I didn't want to miss you. Again."

"Again?" she wonders.

He laughs a little, refusing to meet her gaze. "Peaches and I had ourselves a little vacation abroad."

"And you didn't come see me? You couldn't say, 'Hey Buffy, I'm alive?' I can't believe you..." She turns away from him, staring angrily at the crater, the rain continuing to fall on her.

Spike walks closer, and hesitantly places his hands on her shoulders. "Buffy... you had moved on... with the Immortal, of all people... Nonetheless, I had to respect that."

She pulled away from him, not wanting to reveal her tears to him. "But you couldn't respect me enough to tell me you weren't dead?"

"Alright, so I made a mistake. But I'm here now! I would've thought you'd be a little happy to see me. I mean, last time we saw each other you told me you loved me. Were you just saying it to make me feel all fluffy before I turned to dust?"

Buffy stands quietly, afraid to say anything. As it stops raining, Spike sighs deeply and looks to the sky, the gray clouds parting to uncover the full moon, its light glowing over the Sunnydale crater.

"I love you," she breathes out, the words dancing softly towards Spike's ears. "I love you, William."

Suddenly he's in front of her, tasting her lips delicately. She replies with a passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around him, wanting desperately to be with him. Neither hold back as they fall to the ground slowly, the rain gently showering them as they make love.