"Angel."
He turned around and found Buffy standing behind him. "What is it?"
She sat down beside him. "I need to let you know, that I'm sorry." She looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry that I didn't trust you with Dana."
Angel swallowed, and looked away. "It's okay. I was working for an evil law firm. I don't think I trusted myself half the time."
"No, it's not okay," she insisted. "Maybe if I had trusted you, you would have let me help in this battle. Instead you had to fight alone."
He smiled at her, genuine. "I wasn't alone. And really, it's fine. Fight turned out okay, didn't it?"
She smiled in return. "Yeah, Willow saved your asses." She grew quiet. "I heard about Wesley and Cordelia. I'm so sorry."
Angel's look turned distant. "It's the price you pay for being a hero."
Spike sat outside in the rubble, having a smoke. The sun was beginning to climb the horizon, to burn out the wicked and warm the righteous. But right now, the sky was a purplish-black mass of early dawn air, and could harbor creatures of the night. For a little while at least.
He inhaled the smoke from his cigarette, mixing in with the burning smell of the sun. All he could think about was that kiss from last night. It was incredible. Made him feel…like he hadn't felt in a long time. Like he belonged in this world. Like he was loved. Things were finally starting to look up.
At that moment, the object of his thoughts walked out into the cool, early morning air. Her long, blond hair whispered in the breeze. She wore a white blouse, and a long, black skirt that showed off her lithe legs. And, oh, look at those lips.
Buffy sat down beside him, unaware of her affect on him. She stifled a yawn, and smoothened her hair.
"You really should get some sleep, pet," he commented, concerned about her. "You can barely keep your eyes open."
She shrugged. "Nah, too much to think about. What about you, shouldn't you be resting?"
He flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his boot, before looking at her suggestively. "Couldn't really sleep after last night."
She blushed, and Spike grinned. "Well. That was a show-stopper, if I do say so myself."
"Really was," he murmured. He leaned in close, and kissed her slowly and sweetly. They pulled away reluctantly. Buffy put a hand on his cheek, and he saw in her eyes what was mirrored in his own.
"I'm still mad at you."
"I know."
They leaned in for another short and tender kiss. Her breath warmed his. Her taste lingered in his mouth. After a moment, Buffy spoke. "You should go back inside. Sun's coming up."
"Yeah, turning into a pile of dust is really not on the agenda for today," he said, reluctantly getting up. "Coming?"
"In a minute."
Spike hesitated, sensing that there was something she wasn't telling him. She wouldn't meet his eyes and looked strangely distant, unlike the closeness he had seen a few minutes before. He shrugged, knowing that he'd get her to tell him eventually. Right now, he headed back inside the building, away from the light.
An hour passed. Willow meditated in the corner, gathering strength and magic from the earth. Angel was on the phone with the Chicago branch of Wolfram & Hart, threatening some lawyers for information.
Spike paced back and forth in the lobby, restless. What's Buffy doing out there, alone? He thought to himself. Bloody daylight.
Slowly but surely, day passed into night. Dusk arrived quietly, sweeping the sun under the world, turning on the star-studded night. Willow was deep into her magicks, drawing on power from her coven. She hadn't moved from her position all day. Angel was busy poring over files that W&H had sent him. And Buffy still hadn't returned.
Spike lost patience. "Hey, nancy-boy, will you get your nose out of the soddin' papers for a second?"
Annoyed, Angel put the files down and looked at Spike. "What are you getting all pissy about?"
"Buffy's been gone the whole day, that's what I'm getting 'pissy' about. And none of you buggers seem to care."
"We care," Angel retorted. "But Willow's working up the mojo right now, and it's been just a little bit too sunny outside for me to go investigating."
Spike looked through the windows. "Not anymore," he muttered. He sauntered out of the building, with Angel close on his heels.
They looked around them, searching for any movement, any sign. The city was empty. A little too empty.
Spike's jaw tensed, and started to panic. "Angel?"
Angel joined Spike, noticing his increased hysteria. "What is it?"
"Where's the portal?" he asked slowly.
Angel looked around him, also starting to worry. "You mean that big huge fiery hole that was right here yesterday but now is gone?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"It's gone."
Spike's fist clenched. "Where the hell is it?"
But they both knew the answer before he spoke. "She went through it," Angel said quietly.
Oh, god. Buffy was gone. Buffy was gone. He tried to wrap his mind around that fact, but it was too much for him to handle. She was gone, out of this world, out of this dimension. His mind raced out of control with horrible scenarios. What if she went to a torture dimension? What if time passed really quickly there and she'd come back ready to join the geriatric community? What if she didn't come back? What if…
No, he had to stop himself from going down that road. There were too many horrible what ifs, including one that involved her death, and that one he really couldn't deal with.
Buffy was gone. And Spike went dangerously over the edge.
"Oh. Bloody. Hell."