A/N: Thanks to Mariann for the awesome beta. She helped this part out
seriously too, especially with the Dawn dialogue. Warning! This part does
contain an attempted suicide. If that is not your cup of tea, then go back
now! Please keep in mind that while I've done some editing, as this story
is over two years old and unfinished, I'm mostly working from previously
written stuff. See General Disclaimer for credits. Please send me
feedback, just cause it's mostly written doesn't mean I won't scrap parts
and rewrite them. Let me know if there's something that doesn't feel
right. (
Xander sat on the couch, staring intently at the ring in his hand. He'd meant to as Anya to marry after the battle had ended, but with Buffy and all, he had yet to find what he felt was the right time. He was going to do it now, before he chickened out again. Besides, if he went one more night without proposing, Anya was very likely to return to her vengeance ways and find some creative way to torture him. With the way he'd been acting since the night Buffy had died, he wouldn't be surprised if Anya up and left him. The thought of her leaving was killing him. Anya was all he had left. He heard the front door open, and Anya setting down her stuff on the end table next to the door.
"Xander?" Anya called out.
"In here." He replied, shoving the rind back in his pocket quickly.
"We need to talk." She said, walking further into the living room, and plopping herself down on the couch. He walked over and kneeled down in front of her.
"You're right. We do need to talk." He agreed. "But first, I need to apologize." He went on. "I'm sorry. I've been horrible to you since Buffy...since everything. I've been trying to deal, and I've been taking it out on you. You don't deserve that. I hope you'll forgive me." He looked up at her, hoping it wasn't too late, that his recent actions hadn't cause too much damage. He breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled at him, and placed her hand on the side of his face. He looked down, and decided this was the moment. Hell, he was already kneeling. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the ring. "I should have asked you this sooner, and I'm sorry that I haven't. With the way I've been acting, I wouldn't have been surprised if you had decided to end things. I've tried picturing my life without you, in light of what's been going on, and I can't. So I'm hoping that you'll say yes, and agree to become my wife." Xander finished. He held the ring out to her, hoping she'd take it. Instead of answering him, Anya flung herself at him. Xander barely managed to catch her as she planted happy kisses all over his face. After a moment, he pulled away. "Well?" He said, holding the ring out to her.
"Yes. Of course, it's yes." She answered, her eyes shining. He slid the ring on the third finger of her left hand, and then kissed her.
Spike entered the Summers' house, and silence greeted him. He turned his head, listening for the sound of Dawn. She was home, he could hear her moving around upstairs. Sighing, he began climbing up the stairs, and headed for Buffy's room. If he wasn't mistaken, that's where he would find her. As he opened the door, he got the shock of his life. Dawn was sitting on Buffy's bed, a steak knife in her hand. She was placing it against her other wrist.
"Pet, what are you doing?" He asked gently, his tone urgent. He didn't want to surprise her, and have her accidentally cut herself. He was suddenly very glad he'd arrived when he did. She looked up at him, her face tearstained.
"I can't take it, Spike. It's too hard, living without them. Maybe if I die too, I'll get to be with them." Dawn cried, putting pressure on the knife.
"Don't." Spike said, intended to stop her. He moved into the room, but paused when she gave him a look.
"Don't come any closer. I'll do it!" Dawn threatened, which Spike took seriously. If only she could tell him what had happened up on the tower after he'd been thrown off, then maybe she could start dealing with her guilt and heal already.
"Tell me what happened up there, Pet." He said, hoping to distract her from the knife and it's intent.
"I can't." She replied, her teeth clenched. "That won't make it go away. They'll still be gone. I'll still be all alone." She trembled, a sob forcing it way out. Spike was hit with an idea, or maybe it was just sheer stupidity. He had to try, though, he certainly wasn't going to loose the last Summers girl in his life.
"Well, if you're going to kill yourself, I think I have a right to know what happened up on that tower before you die." Spike goaded her, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. To his relief, she pulled the knife away from her wrist. He reached over and pulled the knife from her hand before she could react, and then joined her on the bed. "I'm right here, Pet. You can tell me." He finished. Dawn pulled the knife out of his hand, surprising him. She turned the blade, watching as the silver gleamed in the lamplight.
"She was so brave..." Dawn whispered, tears spilling onto her cheeks. She had spoken so quietly that Spike wouldn't have heard her without vampire hearing. "To do it...and I can't even go through with this." She finished, sounding disgusted with herself. She threw the knife towards the ground, and watched as it skittered towards the doorway. Dawn sprawled backward on the bed, and curled into a ball. He watched her heaving shoulders as she lost control over her sobbing. He had an overwhelming urge to comfort the girl, and glanced quickly around the room. Spike noticed a flash of pink, and grinned. Spike picked up the object and handed it to the crying girl. Her arms hugged Mr. Gordo tight, the stuffed pig that had meant the world to Buffy. Maybe now she'd be able to talk about that night.
Xander sat on the couch, staring intently at the ring in his hand. He'd meant to as Anya to marry after the battle had ended, but with Buffy and all, he had yet to find what he felt was the right time. He was going to do it now, before he chickened out again. Besides, if he went one more night without proposing, Anya was very likely to return to her vengeance ways and find some creative way to torture him. With the way he'd been acting since the night Buffy had died, he wouldn't be surprised if Anya up and left him. The thought of her leaving was killing him. Anya was all he had left. He heard the front door open, and Anya setting down her stuff on the end table next to the door.
"Xander?" Anya called out.
"In here." He replied, shoving the rind back in his pocket quickly.
"We need to talk." She said, walking further into the living room, and plopping herself down on the couch. He walked over and kneeled down in front of her.
"You're right. We do need to talk." He agreed. "But first, I need to apologize." He went on. "I'm sorry. I've been horrible to you since Buffy...since everything. I've been trying to deal, and I've been taking it out on you. You don't deserve that. I hope you'll forgive me." He looked up at her, hoping it wasn't too late, that his recent actions hadn't cause too much damage. He breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled at him, and placed her hand on the side of his face. He looked down, and decided this was the moment. Hell, he was already kneeling. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the ring. "I should have asked you this sooner, and I'm sorry that I haven't. With the way I've been acting, I wouldn't have been surprised if you had decided to end things. I've tried picturing my life without you, in light of what's been going on, and I can't. So I'm hoping that you'll say yes, and agree to become my wife." Xander finished. He held the ring out to her, hoping she'd take it. Instead of answering him, Anya flung herself at him. Xander barely managed to catch her as she planted happy kisses all over his face. After a moment, he pulled away. "Well?" He said, holding the ring out to her.
"Yes. Of course, it's yes." She answered, her eyes shining. He slid the ring on the third finger of her left hand, and then kissed her.
Spike entered the Summers' house, and silence greeted him. He turned his head, listening for the sound of Dawn. She was home, he could hear her moving around upstairs. Sighing, he began climbing up the stairs, and headed for Buffy's room. If he wasn't mistaken, that's where he would find her. As he opened the door, he got the shock of his life. Dawn was sitting on Buffy's bed, a steak knife in her hand. She was placing it against her other wrist.
"Pet, what are you doing?" He asked gently, his tone urgent. He didn't want to surprise her, and have her accidentally cut herself. He was suddenly very glad he'd arrived when he did. She looked up at him, her face tearstained.
"I can't take it, Spike. It's too hard, living without them. Maybe if I die too, I'll get to be with them." Dawn cried, putting pressure on the knife.
"Don't." Spike said, intended to stop her. He moved into the room, but paused when she gave him a look.
"Don't come any closer. I'll do it!" Dawn threatened, which Spike took seriously. If only she could tell him what had happened up on the tower after he'd been thrown off, then maybe she could start dealing with her guilt and heal already.
"Tell me what happened up there, Pet." He said, hoping to distract her from the knife and it's intent.
"I can't." She replied, her teeth clenched. "That won't make it go away. They'll still be gone. I'll still be all alone." She trembled, a sob forcing it way out. Spike was hit with an idea, or maybe it was just sheer stupidity. He had to try, though, he certainly wasn't going to loose the last Summers girl in his life.
"Well, if you're going to kill yourself, I think I have a right to know what happened up on that tower before you die." Spike goaded her, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. To his relief, she pulled the knife away from her wrist. He reached over and pulled the knife from her hand before she could react, and then joined her on the bed. "I'm right here, Pet. You can tell me." He finished. Dawn pulled the knife out of his hand, surprising him. She turned the blade, watching as the silver gleamed in the lamplight.
"She was so brave..." Dawn whispered, tears spilling onto her cheeks. She had spoken so quietly that Spike wouldn't have heard her without vampire hearing. "To do it...and I can't even go through with this." She finished, sounding disgusted with herself. She threw the knife towards the ground, and watched as it skittered towards the doorway. Dawn sprawled backward on the bed, and curled into a ball. He watched her heaving shoulders as she lost control over her sobbing. He had an overwhelming urge to comfort the girl, and glanced quickly around the room. Spike noticed a flash of pink, and grinned. Spike picked up the object and handed it to the crying girl. Her arms hugged Mr. Gordo tight, the stuffed pig that had meant the world to Buffy. Maybe now she'd be able to talk about that night.