Chapter 15:

Saffron and Spike were sat together happily in the crypt. He had found a sofa for them to use when she came over to watch tv with him. She had smiled when she saw it and made herself at home instantly, taking the remote from Spike and smiling when he let her. She tucked herself into the seat and gradually leaned against Spike as they watched the tv together. Spike couldn't hide his happiness as she felt her weight shift onto him, and he could smell the familiar scent of lavender envelope him. She sighed contently as she adjusted herself and snuggled closer to him, her eyes closing and a smile on her lips. She had been much more affectionate since the bionic boy had been told to take a hike and Spike was really enjoying it. He moved his hand to softly stroke her hair and she relaxed further at his touch.

"I love you, Saffron" Spike said softly, his hands twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers. It was so soft and silky he loved the way it felt. Saffron visibly stiffened at his confession and she quickly sat upright and studied his face to find he was being genuine. Spike took this as an opportunity to pour his heart out to her, saying everything he had been thinking.

"One kiss was all it took, Honeysuckle. That sweet poison went straight for the heart" He put his hand over his heart with feeling and she could see his chipped black polish on his nails, "If it could beat it would only be for you. I can't hide it. I can't fight it. No use denying it now" He finally looked up to her face to see that she was staring at him with an expression he couldn't read. Her eyebrows knit together slightly and her mouth was slightly open.

"Spike, I-" She began but didn't continue, the possibilities of what she could have said were spinning around Spike's brain and he was getting desperate now. She was trying to process what he was saying to her, could he possibly mean it? Could he feel so much for her? She stood up slowly and Spike quickly stood to face her too.

"You're in everything I do. You're everywhere. I used to bloody count the times that you would look up at me when I was around you or at a damned scooby meeting and it was a stake to the heart all the times you were too distracted to look my way" He explained as Saff's eyes widened at how similar she had felt about him recently. He held both of her hands in his own as he waited expectantly to see what she would say.

"Spike, it's too soon…" She looked down at the way their hands interlaced. She frowned sadly but he took this to signal that she did have feelings there and pressed further.

"I know you feel the same, honeysuckle" He stared at her for some time, he wanted to see if there was any sign of reciprocation of his feelings, "It's not perfect, love, nothing is, but it's ours" He gave her a pleading look, he didn't enjoy looking this desperate but he needed her to know it's real. He needed her to know that she could trust him and she could admit her feelings too. She hesitated before responding, looking into his eyes as if she was staring into his non-existent soul.

"I-I can't Spike, I need some time" She managed to get the words out of her mouth hurriedly as she turned and ran out of his crypt just as quickly. He tried to keep hold of her hands but let her go and watched dejectedly as she ran into the night. She ran all the way through the graveyard and didn't stop until he arrived at the safety of her dorm room.

She hid under her bed covers for hours, replaying the conversation over and over and thinking of all the things she had wished she had said or done. She'd ruined everything. She had been so happy there on the couch with him and now she didn't know what she felt.

xoxoxo

Saffron had been summoned to Giles' and she had run out of excuses. She had been chain smoking since Giles had called her to drop in so they can discuss the prophecy he had found. She was wearing a long, dark purple skirt that went down to her ankles and a black long-sleeved top. She was wearing her scuffed combat boots, which nobody would have been surprised to see her wearing. Xander had once said he was convinced that she wore them for bed. When she had arrived, Giles had been sat in the garden, admiring the new garden furniture he had bought. Saffron wasn't sure how he was managing to buy so much with no job but didn't want to ask in case it embarrassed him. He had been enjoying a cup of tea in the morning sun and smiled at Saffron as he saw her walk over to him.

"Ah, Saffron. Care for some tea?"

"Normally I would, G. But I have no plans on being involved in such a cultural stereotype" She smiled and sat down next to him. Giles could tell she was nervous and tried his best to be a comfort to the girl. But she really needed to pay attention to her future.

"Are you ready to study your prophecy?" He asked, hauling an intricate wooden box from under his new garden table and placing it on the tabletop. She rolled her eyes, it couldn't be on a laptop, could it. It had to be a freaky pandora's box filled with old scrolls. She started to read through a few scrolls that looked like that had been aged with old teabags for a kid's homework project. All that was needed was a few burnt edges and it would look like her primary school history book. Giles cleared his throat to get her attention before reciting a roughly translated version of the prophecy he had found. "The True Sight is possessed by the one that is pure of heart and mind. The light deceives and time shall cease as the apocalypse nears. They must defeat The Corrupted. They alone can fight their equal and become whole before the world's end"

"And why are we so convinced this is me?"

"Saffron, you have the sight. I should have noticed it sooner. Wesley and I have been sharing our resources and have both come to the same conclusion. It explains that the one that is pure of heart and mind is one that has been through hardship and still finds compassion in their heart. You are, ah, one of the most caring and genuine people I have met and I do believe, without a doubt, this is your fate"

"Thanks" She sniffed, not able to think of anything to say to divert from the fact that this made her emotional, especially since she could feel the warm glowing feeling of fondness and belief from Giles. She knew Giles had a soft spot for her, they had never acknowledged it, but they had a bond like father and daughter. Saffron felt beyond proud that he had this much faith that this could be her. They continued to dissect each word in the prophecy for what felt like hours before they gave up. "So, what I'm getting is there's a new big bad coming and I'll know he's here when my watch breaks and this corrupted dude comes to well, corrupt me?"

"Well, that is one interpretation we shall keep in mind. I'd like it if you would visit me once a week so we can prepare you as much as possible for what's to come" He frowned and she could feel his concern for her which wasn't filling her full of confidence.

"Sure, how about I make us something for lunch and we can get back to the researching after? That way we're getting a proper head start?" She did this to show her newfound willingness to be prepared, but mostly it was to make him feel better about her fate. If she was honest, she couldn't see herself winning in a fight against someone called the corrupted. The name would be great for a band though and she decided if she ever met him she would ask if she could use 'The corrupted'.

Giles and Saffron listened to the radio as they ate their lunch and Saffron had a quick smoke in the garden. Giles frowned and cleaned his glasses as she lit up and she responded by smiling widely, then offering the pack to him. He shook his head and continued to eat his apple and she inhaled strongly. The discussion about her fate was freaking her out more than she would like to admit to Giles, she wanted to research but she felt the weight of the pressure from the universe on her shoulders. She wished she could go to Spike and talk to him about it. No, she couldn't do that.

"Come on then, G. Hit me with the research" she said, trying to appear enthusiastic.

"The Empath is in touch with the raw emotions of those around them, and they have the capacity to be in tune with others and provide the answers to their emotional turmoil that they may seek. Great ability and power is matched with the capacity to spot deceit in any being that they are in contact with" Giles read aloud and Saffron started to switch off as she had done all of this before.

"Well call me Mother fucking Teresa and let's be done with it" She muttered, flipping through some musty tomes.

"Saffron. Language. You need to listen"

"But I live it, I know all of that" She sighed, "I can even elaborate. Dead people are a no go on the emotions front, but for some reason I can still tell when they're lying"

"Interesting" Giles said, and wrote something in his notebook, before continuing reading out loud, "Empathic individuals are rare and their ability must be practiced in order to harness the true power and avoid draining or depleting their ability. With practice, the natural abilities can grow and specialise with some able to influence others emotions at will and feel past emotions or memories with or without permission"

"Isn't that, like, dodgy? What if I woke up one morning and decided to be bad?"

"Yes, well, there is the danger of having power such as this and manipulating people or hurting them. But you are a good person, Saffron. That is why we are convinced you possess the True sight" Giles put his hand on her shoulder as she stubbed out her second cigarette and smiled at him, appreciating his faith. He then looked back to his beloved books and scrolls before reading another line to her, "An da shealladh is a term coined for the ancient ones that possessed such abilities. The ancients possessed a second sight that included empathic and intuitive individuals, as well as those with a premonition for future events. To have all aspects of the sight has not yet been noted in recorded history and would suggest an individual was meant for great things"

This last part worried Saffron. Giles had been right, this had to be her. She possessed all of the abilities mentioned. It was starting to become real. She was the one with the true sight, and it terrified her. She discussed the research for another ten minutes before making her excuses to leave Giles' home. She needed to be alone now.

xoxoxo

Saffron tapped her long, bright red nails impatiently on the table. She had decided to do some readings in the Espresso pump, she had even asked the manager permission which she had granted as long as she was buying coffees. She was pleased that asking for permission had actually worked and might try it in more places. She had run out of cigarettes and nobody had turned up since she had arrived. It had been two hours and she was so bored. She smiled and batted her eyes slightly at a few people to try and encourage them to sit down but no one was biting. She knew it was cheating to try and entice someone over and ask them to pay her for a reading but she really was desperate for at least one.

She had had a lot on her mind, what with the big prophecy and Spike's declaration a few days ago that she was still replaying in her head constantly. She decided she needed a distraction. She could feel the emotions of the people in the café and she tried to figure out everyone in the room. The older man in the corner was upset, she guessed he had been stood up. He was wearing a little bowtie and a corduroy jacket for the occasion and she felt sorry for him as she moved to look at the rest of the room. There was a young couple in the corner holding hands and staring at each other, they appeared very much in love but saffron could feel deception emanating off the ginger woman and she suspected she had cheated on the guy she was holding hands with. She had a wondering eye but she could tell that the man didn't have a clue as all she could feel from him was complete devotion. The woman and her dog sat near the entrance were both very happy, she had an Irish coffee and the cute dog had a little bone. There was a man in the corner, one that she had tried to flirt with to get him to join her, who Saffron could tell felt an intense grief that she hadn't noticed before. She felt guilty now, maybe she should buy him one of the sugar cookies to apologise.

She was disappointed when nobody came over to ask for a reading, although she accepted that everyone had their own life to be getting on with. She downed the last of her lukewarm coffee and started to shuffle the cards for herself, asking for the cards to tell her what the future may hold. Something told her to pick 4 cards, for the four main strands of her future. She trusted the feeling and began her selection from the deck.

Reversed Judgement. This is a major arcana and represents a strong theme throughout your future. This related heavily to the Universe is trying to send you a message and invite you to focus on something bigger, but you're not comprehending the gravity of what's to come. Perhaps you're afraid of the sacrifice you will need to make to heed the call, or you're worried you are not ready to step into a more prominent role and would prefer to hide behind others that are more accustomed to the role. She decided that this was the most obvious to what she was feeling at the moment, she knew the voice was talking about Buffy and wished she could hold her cousin's hand through what was to come. She chose her next card carefully.

Ten of pentacles. This is a sign that family is very important to you and you must cherish this time with care. There will be additions and subtractions, but you must remain true to who you are as a unit. Embrace the change and develop the bond. Being surrounded by the people you love, especially those who share your DNA, brings you great joy and happiness. You know you can trust your family whole-heartedly and they will be there for you, no matter what. Three is an important number and you must look for patterns in your relationships. You long to be connected to your roots and although this may feel impossible, you must rely on the recent connections you have with your kin. She was grateful for her family in Sunnydale, despite missing her parents, she told herself to spend more time with the family she had here as she smiled at the thought of the love she had for Buffy and her auntie. She closed her eyes to pick her next card.

Ace of cups. The chalice of love is overflowing, you shall make the right decision and change is for the better. Trust the feeling. It is exciting, like butterflies within, and you are so glad to have met someone with whom you can share a special connection. Give yourself permission to open yourself to giving and receiving unconditional love, and you will notice that affection flows effortlessly when you are in this state of mind. This one hit her in the gut, she knew exactly who it was about but she was so scared. Her feelings scared her, and the situation wasn't ideal. Could she let herself love and be loved after everything?

The High priestess. Another major arcana. The High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious mind and the teacher of sacred knowledge and hidden mysteries. She represents the Divine Feminine, you have a deep connection to your intuition, compassion, empathy, and inner wisdom. You must continue to trust the messages that are sent to you and understand that your role will only ease when you walk hand in hand with the priestess between the conscious and unconscious mind. This one spoke to her the most. She felt connected to a powerful feminine energy that she couldn't properly describe. A feeling in the back of her mind told her to trust the priestess and channel the subconscious in the future. She needed to stay present in both worlds to move forwards.

Saffron looked at the four cards that she had placed flat on the table in front of her. She thanked the voice that aided her with the readings, as always, and continued to study the cards for further meaning. She was very tired from channelling the voice and hearing about the future where a lot of it rang true had exhausted her completely. She looked out into the night as she considered walking back to her dorm but found she didn't have the energy to get up from her chair just yet. She didn't realise that a blonde man who had been smoking on the other side of the road had left seconds before she looked up, however her mind had already turned to think of him despite her not knowing this.

xoxoxo

Saff had a lot on her mind as she tried to walk fast through the graveyard. She was wearing black combat trousers and a dark red halter top with her fake leather jacket over the top. She had a silver cross around her neck as well as her usual jewellery, just in case, and some stylish boots she had borrowed from Buffy that she insisted she needed to complete the look. Buffy let her but only if she promised not to scuff them as badly as her combat boots were. She had tried to dress the part for patrolling, even though she wouldn't be much help to Buffy. It had been two nights since her tarot reading at the Espresso pump and she hadn't stopped thinking about the cards she had drawn. She had decided to spend more time with her cousin though, which is why she was following her through the cemetery.

She was trying to keep up with Buffy who was patrolling at a quick pace through the area. She was struggling to match her pace and Buffy noticed her cousin getting slightly out of breath and slowed for her. Saffron smiled at her cousin and caught her breath, putting her hands in her trouser pockets as they walked.

"So, what's the deal with your prophecy?" Buffy asked casually, but Saffron could feel that she was nervous for her cousin.

"You'll always be prophecy girl, Buff. No need to be jealous" Saff smiled, knowing that's not what she felt.

"I'm not feeling the jealousy, I'm feeling worry-y for my little cousin" Buffy scrunched her nose up, thinking about her cousin having some big prophecy to face.

"Again, for the millionth time, our birthdays are months apart, Buff! Months!" Buffy smiled, it always wound Saff up when she mentioned the slight age gap that Buffy used to imply her seniority.

"There's an old-fashioned Gaelic name for what I am and everything, so it must be serious. The prophecy is pretty vague on the detail and big on the end of the world. I have to defeat some shady dude. You know, the usual around here. It also said something about me becoming whole, but I'm pretty sure I've never done anything half-measures" Saffron shrugged it off as if it was something that she wasn't too bothered about but Buffy could tell she was putting on a brave face. She didn't need to be empathic to know her cousin and she was worrying about her.

"No, you're all or nothing, Saff. I've seen you after a night out" Buffy agreed after frowning as she thought about how to comfort her. She ended up getting side-tracked by wanting to hear about her recent break-up, "What about Graham?" Saffron didn't understand what she meant at first then remembered she was asking what had gone on. She hadn't really thought about Graham since and wondered whether she should at least pretend to be heartbroken.

"Less said about him, the better" She decided to tell her.

"He did help us get out alive at the end" Buffy insisted, worrying about her cousin going through a big prophecy and a big break up at the same time. She'd been there.

"Do you need any help packing up your stuff? I'm so excited to go back home. I love my dorm but I mean I love Joyce's vegetarian lasagne and my cute basement room more" Saffron quickly changed the subject from Graham, she didn't want to think about it and make herself feel guilty for not feeling bad. She had so much going on in her brain and she didn't need to be reminded of him. Or anyone else.

"Oh yeah, and the fountain of cocoa she always has waiting after a rough night of slaying" Buffy agreed, thinking about how much she appreciated little things her mom did for her.

"And you can't forget movie nights with the buttery-est popcorn!" Saff added excitedly, almost tasting the buttery popcorn with anticipation. She was happy to be moving back in for the summer, she really had missed her auntie J. She couldn't wait to have the three of them under the same roof again. A vampire suddenly jumped out from behind a headstone and Buffy sprung into action as Saff backed away quickly, so she didn't get in Buffy's way. The vampire tried to say something clever but was cut off when he lost his voice because he was all dusty.

"You're so good at that, cuz" Saffron had always been impressed by how cool her cousin was, and also a tad envious that she could handle herself so well.

"What? Slaying? It's kinda the main job requirement" Buffy just shrugged.

"I just- I wish I could fight even half as good" She said quietly.

"Well we did try all those times in the library" Buffy smiled and pocketed her wooden stake.

"Yeah, until Faith came along and I was suddenly too useless to even teach" Saffron scowled as she said Faith's name, the memories of being beaten to a pulp were still fresh.

"Hey! That's totally not true. You were doing… well"

"You're so not convincing me. I can feel your deception from here!" Saffron pointed out and Buffy's face went a little pink before she smiled back at her cousin.

"Damn your spooky emo powers" Buffy laughed guiltily as saffron joined in with her laughter.

"Can we start training again? Only if you go easy on me?" Buffy nodded distractedly; her laughter was ghosted on her face as she was scoping the place out. Slayer powers must be tingling, Saff thought to herself. Another vamp came running towards them, seemingly out of nowhere, and Buffy simply stuck her leg out to trip him up before jumping on top of where he had crumpled into a heap on the floor and dusted him quickly. "They're going down easy tonight"

"Hey, they're going down easy because I alone can defeat them. It's written somewhere. I am chosen, you know" This made saffron laugh, she had flashbacks to when Giles used to remind her almost every day of his little speech. They walked in silence for a while, both of them thinking of different things and Saffron was trying not to think of someone she desperately wanted to see. They hadn't seen each other since that time in the crypt and that was almost a week ago now.

"Crap, I've got an early shift tomorrow" Saffron suddenly remembered out of nowhere and rolled her eyes at the thought of her boss in the morning, "He's worse in the morning, he stinks of beer and miserable old man smell" Saffron whined. Buffy gave her a pitying look as they walked through the exit of the graveyard and back through the campus together, they chatted as they walked through the streets to get to their dorms and Saffron decided to herself that she needed to make a decision.

xoxoxo

"Honeysuckle" He breathed and stood up as he noticed her presence in the doorway. Spike had a black t-shirt that hung on him in a way that defined his physique perfectly, his grey jeans and he was also wearing the black boots he always wore. The expression on his face was one of anticipation and pure adoration for the woman in front of him. Her chestnut hair was down, and it was slightly wavy the way he remembered it when they had first met. He hadn't expected her to come back any time soon. The empty liquor bottles littered the floor from the night before where he had drunk himself into another stupor of self-hatred after believing he had ruined any chance with her. She stepped forwards tentatively as she looked at the man in front of her and tried to avoid kicking over any empty bottles. She took a big breath, trying to figure out what exactly to say. She had rehearsed some ideas on the way over but none of it felt right. Here goes nothing.

"Spike. I feel something when we're alone that I've never felt with anyone before. I can't deny it, you're right. I don't think I have much to offer, but whatever I feel it's very real" She admitted, not able to meet his wide-eyed gaze because she often struggled to articulate how she felt. She continued to stare at the ground while Spike slowly walked towards her.

"I'm bloody drowning in you, love" He admitted as he stood close in front of her. He cupped his hands on each side of her cheeks and turned her head up slightly to face him properly. They both looked, unblinking, in the others eyes. Her eyes watered and his sparkled with wonder at the woman he loved and who felt for him too.

"I want you, Spike" She confirmed. And that was everything he needed to lean in and press his lips to hers. He started to kiss her with a desperate urgency as he poured all of his feelings from the past years into the kiss. She kissed him back with no hesitation and they were lost in each other for a long time. They were now on the couch and neither knew how they had ended up there with Saffron straddling him, both completely enamoured with each other.

She had to stop for breath every so often but Spike couldn't stop kissing her. He couldn't lose contact with her; he was still half convinced this was a dream. He kissed all of the soft skin that was visibly exposed as he moved his hands to caress her body under her t-shirt. He paid particular attention to her neck and kissed the spot that still had a mark from his fangs softly and with great care before making his way back to her lips. He was addicted to those lips.

They couldn't stop kissing for a long time, each of them pouring all the emotion into passionate embrace. The kiss switched from urgent and passionate to slow and tender and back again. He smelt so good, like leather and cigarettes and something else she couldn't name. She tried to express her feelings for him through her eager kisses, still not satisfied with how she had explained herself. But her mind quickly focused on other things when she saw the lustful look in his eyes as he led her down the steps to the lower level of the crypt that she had never seen before where a king-sized bed, much like the one from her dream, was made up for them both.

A/N: This is the last chapter of season 4, please tell me what you think! I have plans for season 5 and 6 but I'd love any comments or inspiration! xoxo