Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow

Previously:

"Good point. We'll be back before dusk," Buffy said. She and Faith disappeared out of the backdoor. Kara watched them go, suddenly remembering something.

"I'm gonna take a walk," she declared. "Clear my head. I'll be back later." Leaving the Magic Box, Kara quickly surveyed the street and took off in the direction of Spike's crypt.

Chapter Nine:

Kara wandered through the cemetery, idly glancing at the headstones surrounding her. She was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility laid out before her. Though she had been a slayer in her timeline, the title didn't nearly convey the amount of responsibility it did here. She had never been expected to lead, or make decisions. "Hell, I was rarely even expected to fight," Kara muttered to herself. She had spent the majority of her time hiding and running from the overwhelming numbers of demons that had patrolled her world.

Though she imagined Buffy would expect her to prevent Dawn from being captured at all, Kara thought it wiser to let events play out as closely to the way they had in her world. Kara knew exactly how to save Dawn and prevent Buffy from dying, if Dawn was captured and about to be sacrificed in the first place. However, if Kara foiled Glory's attempts to capture Dawn, she couldn't say what the goddess would do.

Kara sighed. Buffy wouldn't trust her if she let Glory capture Dawn, yet, things could end far worse if she didn't. Kara stopped walking. She stood only a few feet from Spike's crypt. Spike had been her greatest ally in her world, the last Scooby left. When he died, she thought she would never recover. Cautiously approaching the crypt, she knocked swiftly on the door and pushed it open, not wanting to catch the vampire unawares.

It was dark inside and seemingly empty. Kara could feel Spike's presence, though he was trying to hide. "Just come out, I know you're in here," she said impatiently. Spike stepped forward, eyeing her warily. His hair was slicked back, still bleached, but not grown out and curly like she remembered. The tight black t-shirt and black jeans he wore clearly indicated his sense of style hadn't changed, however.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" He asked, trying his hardest to seem intimidating.

"Stop trying, okay? I know you have a chip in your head. I need to talk to you, I'm a friend of Buffy's," Kara said, stepping forward into the crypt. Spike relaxed slightly at the slayer's name.

"Really? I don't remember seeing you before, pet. Care to enlighten me?"

"My name's Kara. I'm from the future. Came back here with a guy named Callum. I knew you, in my timeline. Just like I knew the others," Kara answered.

Spike jumped up onto the large stone tomb in the center of the room. "Well, that must be a bit awkward. I take it we were friends?"

"Yeah. And yeah. Listen, I need to talk to you about some things."

"By all means. Have a seat," Spike said, motioning to the windowsill. Kara moved over to it quickly and sat. Spike watched her, almost certain he should kick the girl out of his crypt, but completely unable to. She seemed totally at ease with him, unconcerned that he was a vampire. Though he should have been offended, he was rather pleased that she didn't care he was a monster. "Mind if I smoke?" Spike asked, lighting up a cigarette. Kara shook her head.

"Not like it'll kill you," she responded with a smirk.

"True."

"I'm gonna ask you a question. Chances are, you're gonna feign complete indignation and tell me to leave, secretly knowing the answer is yes. But I'll ask it anyway," Kara said in preparation. "Do you have feelings for Buffy?"

Spike stared at her with a mix of shock, indignation, and resigned acquiescence on his face. "Bloody well of course not!" He declared immediately. "No," he added forcefully. "It's completely unnatural, you know. She's a bloody slayer. I should be killin' her," he reminded himself. Looking up at Kara's amused expression, he sighed. "Maybe just a little."

"That's what I thought. You know, I can tell you from personal experience of the future, that you don't belong with her. She'll make you miserable and she'll never really love you back. But there is someone who will and does," Kara said, a mischievous smile on her face. Spike perked up a bit.

"I know it wouldn't work out. I mean, I'm the soulless blood-sucking fiend over here. I guess it's all that you want what you can't have," Spike said thoughtfully. "So who's the lucky lady?"

Kara chuckled to herself. "Oh, I can't tell you that Spike. You have to figure it out on your own. But you're not too far off, you know. Just think about: who is it that comes to mind all the time, after Buffy. Then you'll know," Kara said, jumping off the windowsill. "Start coming to these Scooby meetings too. They may not want you there particularly, but they need you there."

A small smile played on Spike's face as Kara walked to the door. "How the hell do you know I won't go all bloody evil and kill everyone?" He shouted after her.

"From the future, remember?" Kara shouted back, winking at him as she disappeared into the sunlight.

Spike sat, watching her go, thinking about who she could have been talking about. The idea that he could be someone good in the future, though repulsive to his inner demon, struck Spike the man as extraordinary. He felt hope kindle in his chest and couldn't remember the last time he had felt it. "Well bloody hell," he chuckled to himself.