Previousely on Buffy the Vampire Slayer :
Buffy is out of catatonia. If the ritual begins the only way is to kill Dawn to close the portal. If it comes to that, Giles is ready to kill her, but Buffy is willing to stop him.
Buffy return to her home to grab some weapons with Spike.
Sheopens the door and comes in the hall, when Spike's voice stops her.
« Buffy... » he says with an apologetic voice.
She doesn't seem to understand, so he hold up his left hand to indicate the barrier.
She says nothing. Apparentely clueless.
« If you just wanna hand them over the treshold... » he says resigned, and trying to seem nonchalant.
This time, Buffy understands. She thinks quickly about it, and decides she will let him in. Things have change between them, she thinks. She knows that he is in love with her, really in love with her.
It's so evident now, and she needs him, more than ever. She knows that he will protect Dawn with his life, and since her Watcher is now a threat to Dawn, he is the only one strong enough to do it.
« Come in Spike. » She answers him with a bright smile.
Spike is astounding at first, and the relief and joy he feels at this moment is nothing he has ever experienced before. She lets me in ! She has forgive me ! He tries not to let her see his joy, but he can't suppress the smile of pure unaltered bliss off his face. He looks at her sheepishely and cross the treshold hesitantely.
« hum ! Presto...no barrier... » he says in a voice caught by emotion. At this moment he wants to take her in his arms and kisses her senseless. His body is trembling lightly, his mind is swirling and if he doesn't move away for her, he is going to makes a fool of himself by telling her how much he loves her. So he goes straight to her weapon chest to grab the weapons.
She senses the tension in his body and for a second she thinks he is going to kiss her, but when he goes in the livingroom instead, she is a little disappointed. She takes a breath to steady her nerves. If Anya was there, she is sure, she would have made a comment about unresolved sexual tension between them. Why is she so disappointed, she doesn't love him, and for once he is trying to be a gentleman here. Yes but perhaps they are going to die tonight and she feels so safe when he is here.
The kiss they had shared last night was passionate and so sensual, it was nothing like she has ever experienced in her life.
« Humm... I won't bother with the smal stuff » he says rummaging through her weaponchest « A couple of good axes should hold off Glory's mate while you take on the lady herself. »
« We aren't all gonna make it, you know that ? »
« Yeah ! » coming back to her with the weapons in his hands « I always knew I was going down fighting » he says with assurance, with a small smirk.
« I'm counting on you to protect her. » she says very seriousely.
His smile disappear. « Till the end of the world, even if it happens to be tonight. » he says deadly serious, his voice conveying his emotion. He is touched beyond words that she trusts only him with Dawn's life.
« I'll be in a minute. » she says with a small voice, touched too by the intent behind his words.
He nods at her.
« I know you will never love me. » She turns to face him, surprised and taken aback. She frowns lightly. « I know I'm a monster. » he says with a small smile « but you treat me like a man and that's... »... More than I could have ever hope. She looks at him, and she feels a pang of sadness, seeing him baring his soul to her, as if she deserves it. She has treated him so bad and he is here wearing his heart on his sleeve, she feels like a bitch and can't keep his gaze any longer. She don't know what to say to him. What can she says ? that perhaps one day she could love him, it's true, she knows that she could love him one day, but she doesn't want it. Love hurt too much, she doesn't want to love anyone, only Dawn. She doesn't have place, for him, in her heart. So she says nothing.
« get your stuff, I'll be here. » he says embarrassed.
She climbs the stairs. He goes outside, waiting for her.
Five minutes later she closes the door of her house and they walk in silence to the magic shop. Neither one of them wants to speak. There's so much unresolved between them and so little time before the battle. It's a wonderful night, all is quiet, but there is something final in the air, something bad.
