Normal at Last

Buffy isn't the only one anymore, she can finally have a normal life. A normal life with the man that she finally realizes that she loves, Spike. What would happen if, in "Chosen" Spike had run with out of the basement with Buffy? Well, it's time to find out.

"Spike! You can run now, you've done enough!" his lover screamed over the noise of the cave in.
Spike looked around and broke the necklace around his neck, pulled his trench over his head and ran out, just in time to hear Faith scream "Everyone out NOW!"

Buffy, Faith, Spike and a few of the new slayers ran out of the cavern. Giles and Robin met them in the hallway. The Uber-Vamps were swarming. Faith grabbed Andrew and hauled him out. Willow met them at the exit with Dawn and Xander.

Spike jumped onto the bus and drug Buffy in while Faith tended to Robin's wounds. Dawn stared vacantly out the window of the bus. Xander was trying to wade through what Andrew was saying. Something about Anya… Buffy couldn't really hear it.

The bus slowed to a stop at Sunnydale City Limits. The cave in destroyed the town. Giles stood in awe and said, "What did this?"

Buffy simply gazed up at her lover and said, "Spike".

Spike stared at the big chasm where a town once stood and with a laugh said, "Oh, I dunno… I was getting tired of Sunnyhell anyway."
Willow looked at Buffy and said, "Well what do we do now? I mean, you're not the only one anymore. You finally get to have a normal life." A small smile crept across Buffy's face as she contemplated the question. She then looked up at Spike, then to Willow and said, "I plan to"

Spike couldn't help but grin. Then, in his cockney accent that they had all come to know so well he said, "yeah love, you get to be a normal girl. You're not some kamikaze with a sealed fait anymore."

Then a shadow of fear crossed her face for a moment. Then she looked at Xander and Andrew and said, "Where's Anya?"

Andrew broke into tears. Xander said, "That's what I've been trying to figure out" Spike walked the five feet that separated them and smacked the blubbering Andrew. "Thanks" Andrew said after regaining composure. "No problem" Spike replied. Then Andrew looked at Dawn, Buffy, Faith, Spike, Robin, Willow, Kennedy, and several of the new slayers before finally settling his gaze on Xander.

"She was so brave. Amazing. She died for me. She died saving my life." Andrew said slowly with his eyes on the ground.
Then Xander walked up to Andrew and put his hand on Andrew's shoulder and took him in. His messy blonde hair, his eyes, his clothes, everything…then accepting him, finally. Xander said, "That's my girl. Always doing the stupid thing"

Spike calmly, quietly mourned the lost woman. Spike and Anya had been together once, he remembered. She was rebound, but still. He admired her. She was an amazing woman.

Xander looked off into the canyon that had once been home and let one quiet tear run down his cheek as he said, "I do, Anya…I do."

The two men didn't know that they were doing the same thing, mourning the same lost love. The two men that hated each other so, finally found something in common.

Spike turned to Buffy and gave her an understanding glance. He knew that he loved her, and he knew that she meant it when she said she loved him. Now they could be together. Giles walked up to Spike.

"I've never liked you." Giles said with a shuffle of feet and glance at the ground.
"I know" was Spikes calm answer.

"I never wanted you here" he said, now looking Spike in the eye.

"Understandable" he nodded in agreement

"You were a monster" He said slowly.

"I know that…but Buffy saw me as a man" he said, honestly.

"You're not a monster anymore." Now it was Giles' turn to be honest.

"Thank you" said Spike.

The sun was still blocked out by the clouds, so spike could stay outside just a little longer, as long as he stayed in the shadow of the bus. Giles spared a glace at the sun before continuing.

"You saved millions of lives back there. You got your soul back for her. You're no monster. You're a hero." Giles said, quickly.

"Is that a thank you?" said Spike with an air of wonder.

"Yes" Giles nodded.

"Well no need for the speech, you could have just said it." Spike began.

"Just wanted to make sure we understood each other." Giles said, and then he walked away.

Spike also left the conversation open. He walked up to dawn, who he had admiringly called "Little Bit" for years. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry that this had to be your life for so long. No one deserves to have to save the world every single week" she looked up at him and said, "Don't worry about it. Don't worry about me. Go worry about Buffy. You came out of here for her, and she needs you. I'll be ok. It's time for you and her to be together. You've earned it." She smiled as he understood, then he walked back to Buffy, gently held her arm and the walked together back on the bus.

All of the others soon followed. The bus drove out of what was once the hellmouth, what once was the bane of all of their existences, what they once loved, hated, and saved hundreds of times. The drove out of Sunnydale California without a care in the world. They were all, finally, normal again.