A/N : Thanx to; Mita427, Higgy's Red, Lindsay, wicked-angel3, Lady Savage, i luv spike, pixiecorn, Mr Lennox I pressume, AnitaBlake/BuffyFan, nikki, sunnyhell, Meg, Celestria-17, electricgurl, for the lastes reviews. The first chunk of this chapter is in response to some reviews I got throughout the run of this fic, asking me what Ripper's story was. I wanted to explain before we reached the end and given that we're almost there now, it really had to go in this chapter, I think it kind of fits anyway.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 15 - Aftermath

Rupert Giles, a man known to the town of Sunnydale by the dangerous handle of Ripper, was loathed to admit it, but he was actually worried. There were few things in the world he truly cared about and even less that he thought were worthy, but one boy he'd come to care for almost like a son was William Spencer. He assumed it was because there were so many similarities between the two of them. Like William, young Rupert had been quite the geek, all into books and poetry and wearing sensible shoes that his mother picked out for him. Then he'd met this girl, an American exchange student called Jenny Calendar.

That girl was all he wanted but she paid him less attention than the mud on her shoes. She was never unpleasant to him, she didn't care enough for that, he just didn't even register on her radar and eventually Rupert decided something had to be done about it.

First came the ripped jeans, the leather jacket, then the punk music and attitude, that soon earned him the name of Ripper as he learnt to fight and took on anyone who so much as looked at him in the wrong way. He got a motorbike and a gang, and was soon known all over town as a man not to be messed with. Jenny fell into his arms as the cliché predicted and it seemed that happily ever after was inevitable, but all too soon Ripper lost his girl back to her home country.

His luck seemed to come and go like the tide, his favourite uncles death bringing him terrible pain, but at the same time joy since he'd left a vast sum of money to his nephew. Enough cash now to travel to America and good enough prospects to apply to stay, Ripper went in search of his beloved. It was a hell of a shock when he arrived at her home only to told by her distraught flat-mate she'd been killed during a mugging a few days before.

The pain almost tore him apart, and for days he survived on scotch and little else. He plotted revenge, the one thing that he was not as proud of as some might have been, but that was a topic he did not dare to dwell on too much and he wasn't given a chance as Dawn came bolting into the garage, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh bloody hell"

- - - - - - -

"I just feel awful for her" Willow was close to tears as she slow-danced with her boyfriend, looking over his shoulder at Buffy. The blonde was sitting at the bar, still crying over her lost love.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart" Oz sympathised, "but y'know Angel never meant for that to happen, and I'm not saying I'm glad he's gone, but maybe it's better for Buffy to find a real boyfriend, not some fantasy guy"

"I know you're right" Willow nodded, "but you didn't hear her talk about him, Oz. She was so into him, it was insane but it was so real. I think somehow they really were in love"

Not knowing what to say, Oz just pulled his tearful girlfriend closer as they swayed to the music.

It was clear that none of the in-crowd gang were really enjoying this event that should have been spectacular and second in greatness only to the Prom of next weekend. That was set to be equally as dismal at this rate.

Cordelia had managed to adequately distract Xander from grim thoughts of possible murder charges, and Faith was trying to do the same for Angel. Andrew seemed to be in some kind of shocked state until Dawn arrived a few minutes later. That was when bad got worse.

"Hey Andrew" she smiled as she sat down on the stool beside him. The girls had left without her before, as Joyce insisted all her homework be done before she headed out to the party. Her father dropped her off and she was to get a ride home with her sister and friends at the end of the night.

"Hi Dawnie" he replied, not really looking at her. She was terribly disappointed since she'd spent so long on her appearance tonight.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, wondering why he was staring at some meaningless spot on the wall.

"Your sister's boyfriend...er, Spike, I think" he explained, "Something bad happened"

Dawn closed her eyes and sighed. So it seemed William had told the truth and Buffy wasn't quite so forgiving as she ought to be. Well, Dawn was gonna have to deal with this. She stormed over to her sister, only seeing her from the back until now. It was as she arrived at her side she realised how upset she was.

"Buffy, I have to talk to you...Why are you crying?" she asked, knowing she should be more angry than tearful about William's dishonesty.

"What do you care?!" her sister snapped, trying to dry the tears from her cheeks but finding it pointless as more replaced them faster than she could cope with.

"Of course I care" Dawn was quite hurt to think Buffy believed that she didn't, "So tell me"

The blonde swallowed hard, looking up at her little sister through a veil of tears.

"Spike's dead" she choked out before beginning to sob all over the bar again. Dawn shook her head, a frantic stream of words filling her head but none willing to leave her mouth as she stepped back in shock. She glanced around the club and then ran for the door, making it just outside before she threw up spectacularly.

If Spike was dead, that meant William was too - they were one and the same after all. He was her best friend, sometimes her only friend, not counting Ripper, and that was different because he was a grown-up. Of course she had to tell him what had happened, only she didn't really know. Maybe he did? It didn't matter who knew what, she realised as she ran for all she was worth, heading for the garage on the other side of town. It was miles but she didn't care, as she pounded down street after street. Almost half an hour later she burst into the building and Ripper gasped at the sight of her.

"Bloody hell" he exclaimed, taking in her wild hair, red and tear-stained face, the mud splattered up her party outfit and her special shoes so mangled they bearly held together.

"Is it true?" she gasped, "It can't be, it just can't but..."

"Whatever's wrong with you, Dawn?" he asked, rushing over to her and carefully helping her to a place where she could sit down. She tried to breathe and found it difficult after the exertion of running so far and so fast, coupled with the crying she'd done the whole way. Ripper rinsed out a cup and got her some water to drink which she was grateful for.

"Now, calm as you can, luv" he said gently, "Tell me what happened?"

"I went to the Bronze" the girl sobbed, "I...Buffy was there, she was upset...she said..Oh God, she said Spike was dead"

Ripper just shook his head and looked stunned, much as Dawn herself had done when she was told the news of Spike's demise.

"How?" he choked out eventually and the girl told him she didn't know.

"He was my friend, and I loved him" she said sniffing and coughing still, "and now...he's gone"

"Not quite" said a familiar voice from the door, and Ripper and Dawn both turned to see if it really was him.

Framed in the doorway by the light of the moon, stood a thoroughly cut and bruised William, still in his alter-ego's gear, a mess of a bike next to him.

"Spike!" Dawn squealed running at him. He winced as she hugged him tight and came close to falling down when she let go. Ripper rushed to help him over to where Dawn had been sitting before.

"You look bloody awful" the older man told the boy who let out a painful laugh.

"Thought I looked pretty good" he managed a painful smirk "for a dead man"

"What happened?" Dawn asked frantically, "Buffy just said you were..." she couldn't say the word to his face, not even if he himself could do it. He breathed unevenly, looking over at his bike that leant against the wall now.

"Can't tell you exactly what happened" he admitted, trying to remove his coat and finding it hurt in all kinds of ways, "I know that stupid bloody Angel and his gang started it, chased me from the Bronze in their soddin' car threatening to do me in"

"Bloody bastards" Ripper threw in as he brought the first aid box over. There was one particularly nasty cut above Spike's eye, heaven only knows how he'd got it.

"Anyway, I led 'em a right merry dance and then headed up to the bluff. I figured it was my own turf so to speak, maybe I could lose them on the way...I don't know" he shook his head, realising he hadn't pulled off any kind of plan too well.

"They did this to you?" Dawn gasped, knowing Angel could be violent, and even the others had got into fights, but to willingly beat Spike to a pulp like this was just barbaric.

"Did they hell!" Spike protested, coughing when he tried to raise his voice, "Drove off the edge didn't I" he admitted and Ripper glanced between the boy and the bike.

"You drove off the end of the bluff, on that" he gestured towards the machine, "and you and it are still in more or less one piece each?"

"Looks like" the boy agreed and Ripper grinned.

"Then I either taught you bloody well" he told him, "or you're a favourite amongst the Powers That Be" he said as he helped him clean up his cuts and checked him over for broken bones. Spike explained he'd hit his head on a sharp rock, gaining the cut above is eye. Ripper reckoned he'd have a cool looking scar running through his eyebrow after this, it was just a fraction away from needing stitches.

Dawn begged him to go to the hospital until he finally caved, it was only the possibility of broken ribs that convinced him. For the rest part he was just all cuts and bruises, though it seemed that unseen parts of his body had taken the brunt of it, luckily for William. His mother would go crazy if she realised, and the cut on his eye was at least explainable - he tripped and hit his head on a door knob, yeah, that'd work.

"We have to tell Buffy you're okay" Dawn suddenly released and began running for the door. William, now in his other clothes, those he had as Spike in a messy pile in the corner, called for the girl to stop.

"She thinks Spike is dead, and she's right" he said solemnly, "I'm alive, but that part of me is gone, it's better that way"

"What are you talking about?" Ripper frowned and the boy sighed before explaining.

"Being Spike almost got me killed" he pointed out "and Buffy will never understand about me being him" he said sadly, "I can't be Spike forever, I have to be myself. If that's not good enough then maybe she's not worth my time and effort"

"But you love her" Dawn reminded him, "and I know she loves you"

"The man she loves is dead, Dawn" he said, maybe a little too harshly, "I can't do it anymore"

- - - - - - -

Monday morning at Sunnydale High school and it was the last place Buffy Summers wanted to be. The night before last, her one true love had taken a fatal tumble off the end of the bluff and died. What seemed most tragic was he had passed away in the very same place they'd stood together, when they'd confessed love for each other and kissed beneath the moon and stars.

Saturday night she'd had the most exquisite dream about him, only to wake up in even more pain than before when she realised it had been just an illusion.

She was standing up there, right on the edge, looking out at the town down below

"Don't wanna go down there" a familiar voice had said behind her and she hadn't needed to turn to know it was him.

"You did" she'd pointed out as he came closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"But I'm still here" he'd whispered in her ear, and she'd turned to face him. He'd kissed her then and the world spun out of control in wondrous fashion. Words of love and emotion whispered between kisses that went on forever until the ground gave way beneath them, the magic of the dream broken, and all she could hear was the alarm clock ringing and her mother yelling she was going to be late for school.

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed before concentrating back on the here and now, getting her books from her locker. Dawn watched her go off to her next class and then spotted William, who'd been doing the same.

"How can you do this to her?" she hissed as she reached his side. He'd been in no fit state to be repeatedly washing his hair to get the dye out yesterday so he wore a baseball cap, the front pulled down far enough that his eyes were in shadow, hiding the cut above the left one.

"It's better this way Dawnie, and you know it" he told her, "I can't keep on lying to her"

The young girl shook her head as she turned to walk away.

"You're still lying"

- - - - - - -

After school, William went over to Ripper's garage, thankful yet again for the fact his mother had gone to visit his aunt, from last Thursday to this.

"Look here, it's the walking dead" the older man commented, finishing off his cigarette and stubbing it out with the heel of his boot.

"Thought I'm come and see what I could salvage" the boy gestured towards the bike with his head as he removed his cap.

"Didn't think you'd care now" said Ripper, following his line of sight "Spike's dead, right?"

"I thought he was" William nodded, "but...it's like the line that separated the Spike side of me and the real side, that line's not so clear anymore" he tried to explain "I'm not who I used to be"

"It's not just the play acting that did it" Ripper smirked, walking over to the bike. He hadn't touched it all day, hoping Will would come back to deal with it himself "You fell in love. That wild part of you that makes you Spike, that part fell in love too, there's no way round it" he said, concentrating on cleaning the filth off the machine in front of him.

"You think Dawn's right, don't you?" William sighed as he came to crouch beside his friend and the bike "I should tell Buffy the truth"

"I think, first of all, we fix this little beauty" Ripper told him "and worry about the rest after, if you don't know now"

"I've only got a week, then it's Prom, Graduation..." William shook his head "there's nothing to say where we'll all end up after that" he said thoughtfully.

"So?" Ripper prompted, hoping for a positive response.

"So, I have to stop being such a spineless git" his young friend said, sounding more like Spike than he ever had, whilst supposedly not being him, "Reckon we can have this bike fixed by Prom night?"

To Be Continued...

A/N2 : See? You were all correct! I could never kill off poor Spikey! Like this chapter? I hope you did, but please let me know in the usual manner! Oh, and anyone who is also reading my other WIP 'Our Little Secret' , I'm updating that tonight too! :-)