Alex leaned down the steps to the basement.
"Spike, you down here?" No answer. Knitting her eyebrows together, she jogged down the steps. "Spike?" She hit the floor, and looked around. He wasn't anywhere in sight. Shrugging, Alex jogged back up the steps, clicking off the lights, and pulled the door shut. She moved into the kitchen, and jotted down on a note, taping it to the inside of the front door.
SpikeWent out with Buffy, Willow, Kennedy, and Xander to Bronze. Anya is watching Dawn over at Buffy's house. See you later.
Alex.
Alex left the porch light on, and pulled the door closed behind her, jogging down the steps. She reached down, swiping her hand against her thigh. She crossed the street in a pair of somewhat tight, rusty-looking blue jeans, and a spaghetti strap white shirt, with a blue flower drawn on the back. She left her hair around her shoulders, and ran her fingers thru it as she climbed the steps to Buffy's door. She opened it, and looked around.
"Guys? You ready?" she asked, closing the door behind her. Dawn looked up from the couch, and the movie box in her hands.
"Hey, Alex. Uh, Buffy's changing, Xander's on his way, and Kennedy and Willow, I think, are trying to find Willow's shoes…"
"Got them!" Willow exclaimed, laughing. Her and Kennedy wandered into the living room, and Willow sat on the couch beside Dawn, pulling her shoes on. She looked up.
"Hey, Alex. You look nice," she said, smiling. Alex looked down at her green and blue tennis shoes, and smiled.
"Thanks, Willow, so do you, and you too, Kennedy…" They nodded, smiling. Buffy walked out, and there was a knock on the door, followed by Xander coming right in.
"Hey guys, c'mon. I'm ready to go partying," he said, beaming. They laughed. Anya walked into the room with a big bowl of popcorn and a couple glasses of pop.
"You five leavin' now?" she asked, sitting down.
"Yeah. Take care, Anya. Bye Dawn."
They pulled up at Bronze, and started inside.
"So, hey, where is Spike?" Buffy asked, looking around. Alex shrugged.
"Somewhere. He wasn't at the house when I left, so I really didn't think much of it. Left him a note, telling him I'd be back later, in case he came back before me…" Alex replied. They nodded.
"Well, since he didn't come, you can seek out some other, most likely hotter, guys than him, and just chill out," Kennedy said, smiling. Alex shrugged.
"I could…But it just…I always feel like he's watching me…" Buffy cleared her throat, and Alex looked up. "What?"
"Well, that's probably because he is…from right over there…" Xander said, motioning behind her. Alex turned, and saw Spike, in the shadowy corner of the room, and sighed.
"Ah…Okay…" She took a step, and paused, turning back around. "Buffy? Could you take this?" she asked, holding out her purse.
"Sure…"
"And…It's not Spike's fault…" she said. They looked at each other.
"What do you mean?" Alex didn't answer, but turned back to face Spike. She paused again, turned, and gave Xander a very sweet, very tender, kiss on the lips.
"It's not his fault," she said to him, and turned, walking over to Spike.
Spike walked back into the shadows, and Alex followed him, stopping right in front of him.
"Why would you want me to release you, Alex?" She sighed, and sat down the small bench placed in the corner. He sat beside her.
"Spike…I still see them. I see my mother, I see my grandmother, I see all those demons I have killed. I see the vampires I killed that I knew…you know, pre-siring. But I see all of them. I see them when I sleep. I see them when I wake, and…I want it all to go away…I want all of it to just go away. I don't want to kill anyone else. I don't want to fight anyone, or to anger anyone…Though, I do know that this may anger them anyways," she stated, shrugging. Spike nodded. "I want the visions to go away. It's a bit easier to protect people when no one can stop me…and when no one else can see me…" She faintly smiled.
"Alex…I still don't want to do this…" he said.
"I know, Spike. I just wanted to know if you would, but you don't have to now. Whenever you do…I'm okay with that…" He reached over, pulling her off the bench. They stood in the badly lit part of the floor, where they could see everyone, but everyone would have to know exactly who they were to know it was them. The light cast horrifying shadows on their faces. Alex stood in front of Spike, and looked up at him.
"If it's what you want, more than anything, I'll do it for you…"
"Thank you, Spike…"
"But…Only because I saw the message on your back." She looked at him with wide eyes.
"What?"
"Those scars and scratches on your back. I saw them when you were undressing to get in the shower…I saw them in the mirror. Wrote it down and looked at it in another mirror, and I think I'm beginning to understand…"
"You saw that message?" she asked softly. He nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because…I was scared, I suppose. I've had those since I started fighting vamps and demons…since my mother died. I guess I didn't want to believe it, not after I met you." He smiled down at her, and ran his fingers thru her hair, pushing it off her shoulders.
"Alex?"
"Hm?" she asked, looking down at the ground. He bit his lip.
"I…am going to tell you something that I have never told you before." She nodded.
"Alright." He moved his lips close to her ear.
"I love you." She looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"What?"
"Yeah…" he said, nodding. She closed her eyes, feeling a tear on her cheek, and smiled.
"I…love you too, Spike…" she whispered, and looked up at him. He pushed his lips against her cheek. She smiled, and he pulled his lips across her skin, and moving them over her own. Alex kissed him back, sliding her arms around his shoulders, and pulling him a bit closer.
Xander sat at the bar, stirring his drink with a straw.
"So…can you see them?" he asked Buffy. Willow and Kennedy came off the floor, sat on his other side, and looked over.
"Uh…yeah, yeah, I can…" Buffy answered, looking at girls.
"What are they doing?"
"Mmmm…nothing…" she stated, biting her lip. He nodded.
"Good…If they aren't making out on the floor, I'm fine with everything right now…" Buffy coughed, putting a hand to her neck.
"Sorry…" she said as Xander looked at her. "Choked on my spit…" she said softly, glancing over at Alex and Spike.
She felt his hands go around her waist, pulling her right up against him, and she moaned just a little, pulling her lips from his. Alex stood there for a second, and finally opened her eyes, looking at him. Spike faintly smiled down at her.
"When do you want me to…release you?" he asked. She shrugged.
"Anytime you feel you should, Spike…Anytime you feel you can…" He nodded, and sighed.
"They gonna try to kill me for it?" She shook her head, running her hand over his cheek.
"No…I told them it isn't your fault…Just tell them what I told you. Tell them why I wanted this done. It isn't your fault…It's my own for doing what it is I was born to do…" He nodded, and kissed her again. She smiled.
Xander ordered another drink, and turned around on his stool, watching Alex and Spike kissing.
"Damn," he mumbled. Buffy patted his shoulder.
"It's okay, Xander…You know how she feels about you, she knows how you feel about her, she's allowed to do this." He shrugged, and nodded.
"S'pose your right." He picked his new drink up, and started sucking it thru the straw.
Alex pulled away from Spike again, and looked into his eyes.
"I'm always gonna love you, Spike." He nodded, kissing her forehead.
"I'm gonna love you, too…" he whispered. She looked at him for a moment, and hugged him.
"Thank you, so much…" she said softly. He hugged her back. Alex kept her left hand on his shoulder as she turned to see Xander, Buffy, Willow, and Kennedy, all at the bar, all watching them. She smiled a sad smile to them, and raised her right hand, waving. Slightly confused, they waved back. Alex felt the tears falling down her cheeks, and the four stood up. Spike removed a knife from his pocket.
"I'm doing this because you asked me to…Because I love you...And because I don't want you suffering anymore…" He kissed her again, really quickly. She moved her left hand, and ran her fingers over his lips. Alex nodded, and gasped, eyes wide, as Spike stabbed her with the knife. It sunk thru her flesh, and into her stomach, much like a knife going thru warm butter. Her breathing started to become shallow, and she felt the blood streaming down her front, and soaking her shirt and jeans. She looked up at Spike with sad, tired eyes, and nodded.
"Thank you," she mouthed, and he tugged the blade from her stomach as she began to fall. He caught her, laying her on the ground and putting the knife in his pocket. Her eyes rolled about in her head, but she was still breathing as Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Kennedy slid beside her, shoving Spike away. Alex's pale hand moved around, and she looked up at the faces she saw. "Spike…" she whispered. He took her hand, moving back beside her.
"I'm here…"
"Well, you shouldn't be," Buffy snapped, looking up at him with pure hate and anger in her eyes.
"Not Spike's fault…" she whispered. Buffy looked down.
"What?"
"Not his fault…let him tell you…truth…" she said hoarsely. Her eyes closed, and her head fell against the cement with a thud. She was gone. They watched a faint, faint glow surround Alex, and her spirit sat up, looking around. Her mouth opened, and she looked like she was trying to say "Thank you" again, only there was no sound. Alex lowered her eyes, and closed them, tilting her head back completely. They watched her levitate upwards, and thru the ceiling. She was gone. Spike bowed his head, kissing the back of her still warm hand, and crossed it over her stomach.
"Goodbye, Alex."
The End