After Math

A/N: Happens immediately after Angel show is over

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The darkness was over and Spike layed on the street barely able to breathe. Why did he choose this again? Why did he choose to fight for the sake of good? On the other side it didn't seem so painful but while fighting for good he had gone through more physical pain then he thought possible. He knew he had bared all of this pain for one reason: love. That is how it all started. That's how he got his soul and some of his true suffering truly began. He done it all for her, the love of his after life Buffy Summers the original vampire slayer of this generation. He didn't know how he fallen in love with her. He didn't know how he began to love her. How did one fall for someone who has been you're enemy for years? It must have started when he got the chip in his head and he no longer could hurt humans. That was when he really experienced true pain. He got this gruesome, blistering, mind numbing head aches. And all of the pain and the torture that he enacted on others started to be enacted on himself. Then he experienced the horrible suffering of having to endure an obsessive love of Buffy. Something that consumed him and felt worse then any pain he experienced. But then the day came when she actually receipted. And that led to the angsty pain that led him to choose to get a soul. He had went through all of these painful tests for this soul. He had saw what it had done to Angel but some how he thought the chance of Buffy accepting him for real was worth it. And in the end after all the wrenching confusing pain it was. She had accepted him and she had told him that she loved him. That's all he wanted for so long. When she said it he had sacrificed himself to save her and the world and he didn't believe her. But it was enough for him to die for her. Knowing that she would see him as a hero then just a vampire made it all worth it.

And then he had been torn back by some ancient necklace and stuck to fight along side Angel of all people; the other vampire with a soul, the original vampire with a soul. The one he feared and knew that was the love of Buffy's life. But now he had found himself fighting along his side against the ultimate evil. They were trying to put the biggest dent in Wolfraim and Hart and their evil bosses that was possible for two vampires, an ancient demon, and one human to make. The battle raged all night long and they had battled fiercely all of the monstreties and demons they could and then they were gone. The battle over and he had suffered so much pain and injuries.

He laid on the street clutching his massive injuries he thought that really ugly demon must have cracked his rib. And now it did not matter. As he looked up and saw the sun was about to rise and in a matter of minutes he would be dust. He tried to crawl to find some kind of shade. But his strength was surpassing extremely he saw nothing but fuzziness then he saw a dark figure hover above him. He saw nothing but long golden locks and then he saw nothing but complete darkness.

The next thing he knew was that his eye was waking up to this light. All he could think of was how he could have possibly made it to heaven. The blurriness ceased and he made out the room he was staying in it was a wholesome hotel room. The next thing he knew the door opened he jumped up noticing his ribs didn't feel as bad as they were. He realized he wasn't wearing shirt he was wearing bandages. As the door open Buffy Summers came through he jumped up in shock.

"Bloody Hell."

Buffy smiled, "Nice to see you too."

"Buffy, what are you…" He asked as he started to get up. He then moaned in pain trying to get up.

Buffy quickly went to his aide.

"Relax, it looks like you've been through a lot."

He just stared at her bewildered.

"Buffy what are doing here? Where is here?"

"We're in LA. I came to take Dawn to college, she got accepted to UCLA. I saw you lying on the street just before the sun was about to rise. I wasn't about to let you die again or at least not with out beating an explanation from you later."

He wanted to smile at her remark but it hurt to smile. He figured he had to give her explanation about his death.

"Listen Buffy. I was going to tell..."

She sat next to him on the edge of the bed. "You can explain to me when you're better healed." She then put the covers around him and said, "Now sleep."

Then she left him alone with the fuzziness and the pain.

Buffy paced in front of the living room upholstered couch. She jumped when the door opened it was Dawn.

"Hey, Jumpy enough. I thought you'd be more relaxed now you're not the only slayer."

"You'd think, but some complications can't be rewritten with the ending of a prophecy."

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing. So shouldn't you be settled at the dorm by now?"

"Yeah, I was a little surprised you weren't there helping me get settled in, invading my privacy, embarrassing me. You know regular big sister Buffy stuff."

"Sorry. I got distracted. but I can help you get settled now."

"No it's ok. I think I'm covered. So are you headed back to Rome now?"

"Not just yet. I thought I could just stay you know for a couple of days see the sights."

"The sights?" Dawn looked at Buffy skeptical.

"Don't worry Dawn, I'm not intruding on you're new life. I know you have to spread you're wings some time."

"Yeah, I know that. So I actually came for a reason, I think I left a bag here. I'll just get it." She was about to go to the room but Buffy stopped her.

"Oh, I'll get it for you. You stay right here."

Thirty seconds later Buffy came back with the bag and handed it to Dawn. Dawn looked at her suspiciously.

"Is everything ok?" Dawn asked concerned.

"Uh, what yeah, I'm fine Dawn, just a little nervous about lil' sis all growing up and going to college on her own. That's all."

Dawn gave her older sister another suspicious look. She sighed while she picked up her bag. Then she hugged Buffy, "Ok, I better go. Let me know when you're leaving."

"Of course, I will." Buffy said hugging her back.

Buffy watched her sister leave folding her arms she sighed wistfully. She did not like this at all. She hated lying to her sister and hiding things from her, especially about Spike. She had plenty experience with doing that. So much has changed since she was sneaking around with Spike and lying to everyone. Spike had gotten a soul and they had grown a lot closer together after that. It was no longer this twisted thing. It had grown to something special. And then he died saving the world. She had to tell him how she felt about him. She was a little hurt he didn't believe her but she really didn't have any time to disagree. She had to leave and he had to save the world.