Not Dead, Still Standing
A/N: Please read and review.
Chapter Five- Not Letting Go, It's Now Or Never
The room had been silent for several minutes. Spike had told the story, nonstop, with no interruptions. After a few more minutes, Xander spoke.
"I'm gonna say dream." Everyone looked at him. "What? It so reflects dream! Okay, so nobody would find it normal if Spike had a dream like that?" Everyone just continued to look at him. "Oh come on! Buffy tells him she loves him; he gets to play hero and save the world. And I lose an eye!"
"He does have a point." Giles looked at Buffy and the room went silent again.
"He does." Spike nodded, looking towards the ground, getting everyone's attention. "That all does seem like my happy ending doesn't it? But I can't shake this feeling I got. That wasn't just some ordinary dream. I felt it." He looked up at the room, something hitting him. "And I know a way we can find out." He jumped out of his chair, staggering in pain for a moment and walked over to get his duster, which was hanging by the door. He grabbed a blanket that was draped over the side of the couch.
"Spike!" Buffy and everyone else stood. "What are you doing?"
"The vineyard!" He looked her hard in the eyes. "If it's there, the scythe, we know it wasn't just a normal dream, if it's not…then we know I'm insane. Either way, I'm gonna go find out."
"I think we already knew you were insane."
"Xander, be quiet!" Buffy snapped, and turned to face her friends. "I'm going with Spike. The rest of you, find something to do. And send Andrew to the grocery store, the girls are complaining." With that she walked out the door, soon followed by a blanket covered Spike.
Buffy and Spike were walking along in the sewers. Neither had said a word to each other since they left the Summers's residents.
Buffy was watching Spike closely as they kept walking; he was at least two feet in front of her at all times, his pace fast and forceful. He stopped; turning and facing her, he winced as she ran into him.
"What are you doing?" He asked as Buffy pulled herself from him, taking several steps back.
"What am I doing? What are you doing?"
"You keep looking at me."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, why don't you tell the teacher and she'll put us in separate corners."
"Ju-just stop it, okay?" He started walking off again, "You're bugging me."
Buffy sighed, turning him around by the shoulder. "What's up with you Spike?"
"Nothing. Not feeling so hot…but I guess I never do, no body heat n' all but you know what I…"
"Spike!" She yelled forcefully.
"It's nothing! I just…want to get this done is all."
"Why? Why is this so important?"
"I want to now if it was really just a dream, okay?"
Her voice softened, "Why?"
Looking down, he shrugged, "Everyone else does, too."
"Not this bad."
"A bloke has to have something to believe in dun' he?" He looked her in the eyes. "Everything that happened…we got close. That's never happened before. It was nice. I'm not ready to let go of that."
Buffy smiled at him. "Then don't."
His eyes got hopeful, "What does that mean?"
"It means that…" God how she wanted to tell him that she, unlike Xander, thinks the dream may not just be his wish, that it could happen. That after everything they had been through together she finally felt like they were moving on from the hurt they caused each other, moving closer together. But she couldn't. "…it means that…we'll find out what happened to you in the cavern. Whether it was just some trick The First pulled on you or not." He looked at her for a moment before nodding, and then they both silently continued walking towards the vineyard.
Spike and Buffy walked into the vineyard. Buffy sighed in relief. Either Caleb hadn't gotten there yet, or he was just some figment of Spike's imagination. She wasn't sure she wanted to be true.
"So…where would it be?" She said looking around. The whole place was dark, no lights of any kind.
"I'm not sure. I wasn't with you when you actually got it. I'm just the before and after party remember?"
The quietly searched a few more minutes. The Slayer had a strange tingly feeling down her spine as she walked to the other side of the room. All of her senses were on edge; she was readying herself for anything that may happen.
She stopped suddenly when she heard a creaking sound. Looking down, she saw she was on some kind of old wooden door, leading into the ground. She smiled, and grabbed on to a little handle on one end, and pulled hard on it until the door slammed open, sending clouds of dust around her.
"Spike."
The vampire appeared a few seconds later, and came to stand beside her.
They both stared down, into the opening, light coming from it.
"Now or never." Her voice was shaky.
Spike took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Now." Then, hands still connected, they both made their way down.
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