Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the characters own me.
WARNING: Giant Season 7 spoilers.
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Sounds of the raging battle going on around me slowly fade away. Swords clashing and blows landing dissolve, until all I can hear are the screams. The girls fall one by one, and I'm fully aware of each of them. I watch them fall until the pain of it becomes too much. My eyes close as if I can't stand to watch it. I tried. Really I did. But the spell wasn't enough. Nothing ever was…
"Oh no. Ow…Mommy, this mortal wound is all…itchy."
That voice snaps me out of my stupor. It's my voice. I look up. No, not me. The First. Too much…isn't it enough that its won? I can feel my lip quiver. Don't cry Buffy, I tell myself. Don't show that you've given up…
"You pulled a nice trick."
I try not to listen. Not really that hard, because it turns out, 'mortal wounds' call for attention. I try not to focus on the pain either.
"You came pretty close to smacking me down"
Slowly, I realize something. It's not taunting me because it's won. It knows its lost. Stalling.
"What more do you want?"
Anger wells up inside me. What more do I want?! I push away the pain from the sword being run through me. Suddenly, It doesn't hurt anymore. I need to get up.
"I want you, to get out of my face"
I spit out the words like they're poison and push myself off of the dusty floor as I watch The First back away. The look on its face gives me strength. We haven't lost yet. Rona sees me get off the floor and throws the scythe at me. I catch it expertly and swing it in a full force arc knocking half a dozen Turok-han off the cliff. We keep fighting. We'll KEEP fighting until we can't anymore. Its not over yet. We still have another chance… Just as that thought crosses me mind, he calls for me. I swing my head around looking for him. He's back against the stairway…and the amulet is doing something.
"Spike!"
Sunlight filters through the facets of the amulet, striking all the Turok-han in range, burning them to ashes. I run to him and vaguely hear Faith calling to everyone to get out. I finally reach him.
"I can feel it Buffy…"
"What?"
"My soul. It's really there. Kinda stings."
If I hadn't been so scared, I probably would have laughed. Just like Spike. I look around me. Girls are running out and up the stairs for their lives. Why? I glance around. The roof is caving in.
"Go on then."
"No…no you've done enough, you could still-"
"No. You've beat them back. It's for me to do the clean up"
A giant piece of the cave collapses. Faith runs up the stairs to the seal, shouting for me to leave. I cant leave him there. Not when I've just found him…
"Gotta move, lamb. I think it's fair to say, schools out for bloody summer."
I'm desperate by now.
"Spike!"
"I mean it! I gotta do this."
No. He doesn't. Face set in determination I grab his arm and pull him up the stairs.
"Buffy!"
He'll be angry. Yell at me for taking away his chance at redemption. Or maybe all along he was silently begging me with his eyes to take him with me, trying to be the hero. I grab his hand and reach the hallways. The entire school is coming down around us. Dodging thick pieces of metal and drywall I stagger through the building, all the while making sure Spike is right behind me. We finally reach the entrance to the school. I realize the sun is shining brilliantly outside.
"Spike! We need to make a run to the bus. Pull your jacket over your head."
"Bloody Hell, Buffy…"
Robin hasn't driven the bus away yet. I can see Dawn spot me and yelling at him to wait. Now is as good a chance as ever. I dash for the bus. Spike's hand is still clutched tightly in my hand and I realize it is being unprotected by any cover. It catches fire but I still don't let go. A few more yards. I glance back at Spike. The duster is starting to burn, the pain in my hand nearing unbearable. And then we reach the bus. I push Spike in first then jump up the narrow stairs after him as Robin peels out of the school. Once in the bus I push Spike down in between two of the seats so the sun can't reach him. He is staring at me strange. I can spot anger, disbelief, sadness, joy and love. He expected me to let him burn. I slowly shake my head at him.
Then I turn around, stand in the middle of the aisle. Time to be strong Buffy, slayer Buffy. Then I remember I don't need to be anymore. Slowly I take inventory of the people on the bus. Xander, Willow, Giles, Dawn, Robin, Andrew, Kennedy, some potentials. No, I correct myself. Slayers. I don't see Anya. Oh god…Anya. Many of the girls are missing. I look out the back of the bus. Sunnydale is completely collapsing into itself. The bus reaches the outer limit of the town. Faith tells Robin to pull over.
"Ease off. We're clear."
The bus screeches to a stop and people start filing out, looking at the crater formerly known as Sunnydale. I stay on the bus with Spike, kneeling down by him. He is confused. I decide, again, now is as good a time as any. I lean forward and touch my lips to his. He barely has time to react before I pull away. Confident, I stand up.
"Someday I'll tell you."
He smirks.
"Someday is something."
I decide to leave it at that and step off the bus. I can hear him let out an unneeded breath as I do. Dawn runs up to me and hugs me, smiling. Giles is staring into the crater, utterly bewildered.
"I don't understand. What did this?"
I smile just the tiniest bit.
"Spike"
We all walk to the edge and stare at the lonesome green 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign just before it totters back into the giant hole.
"Looks like the Hellmouth is officially closed for business"
"There's another one in Cleveland. Not to spoil the moment…"
"We saved the world…"
"We changed the world. I can feel them, Buffy. All over. Slayers are awakening everywhere."
"We'll have to find them"
"We will…"
"Yes, because the mall was actually IN Sunnydale, so there's no hope of going there tomorrow."
"We destroyed the mall? I fought on the wrong side…"
"All those shops gone. The Gap, Starbucks, Toys R Us. Who will remember all these landmarks unless we tell the world of them"
"We have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Can I push him in?"
"You've got my vote"
"I just wanna sleep, yo. For like a week."
" I guess we all could, if we wanted to."
"Yeah, The First is scrunched, so- What do you think we should do, Buffy."
"Yeah, you're not the one and only Chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"
"Yeah Buffy. What are we gonna do now?"
I listen to them chatter. When Dawn questions me I look back to the bus, then out to the former Sunnydale. A small smile creeps onto my face. And since, hell, I can't even remember.
I am happy.
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A/N: Well, that's that. But I feel the need to say that as much as I would've loved this to happen in the show, it didn't. No matter how many fan girly ficlets we write, Joss isn't gonna go back and change the show for us. Spike died, a hero and a champion. I cried just like everyone else…even more. I pretty much went into hysterics, but hey off topic. I accepted it. I don't think the series finale would have been quite as good without the deaths that occurred. Plus, they brought him back on Angel so quit whining.
Anyway. I love reviews. Yay! And uhm….that's about it. Hope that cheered you up Jessie.