The Great War
'Your finger on my hair pin triggers. Soldier down on that icy ground. Looked up at me with honor and truth. Broken and blue, so I called off the troops'
CHAPTER EIGHT
Daniel stood out in the courtyard staring up at the sky. Spike came out for a smoke and noticed the young brunette was there.
"Right… I'll come back later" said Spike spinning on his heel to go back inside
"Don't leave on account of me" said Daniel
"Thanks" said Spike lighting his cigarette
They pair of the stood in awkward silence for a few moments.
"Is it always this tense?" asked Daniel
"What?" asked Spike
"The apocalypse"
Spike thought for a moment "Emotions run high… yeah. You humans can't help it"
"Right" said Daniel
They stood again in silence.
"Nice ring you got her" said Spike
"Thanks" said Daniel
"You hurt her and I'm coming for you" warned Spike
Daniel turned to face the vampire "You don't scare me Spike"
"Really?" Spike smirked "You should be scared Boy"
"Boy? Wow" Daniel chuckled
"I mean it, she so much as tears up because of you and I will end you" Spike told him turning to leave
"Likewise" Daniel said firmly
Spike turned around to face the boy again
"I have a stake and I know how to use it. I mean it you come near Buffy and you'll be dust blowing in the wind Spike"
"Really?" Spike smirked taking a step toward him
"Really" said Daniel also taking a step towards Spike.
They were inches away from each other.
"I'll give you a pass, because honestly I don't wanna hear her bitch about it. But threaten me again and I can guarantee you that your still beating heart will be in my hand before you can even pull out your stake" said Spike
"Hey! What's going on?" Asked Dawn arriving in the courtyard
Daniel and Spike stared at each other for a moment.
"Nothing… just getting to know each other" said Daniel, before walking back inside
"What the hell Spike!" Yelled Dawn
"What?" Spike asked innocently
"You know what!" Dawn rolled her eyes
"I wasn't gunna fight him" Spike protested
Dawn pulled a face at Spike
"Okay maybe a few punches…" Spike admitted
"Yeah because Buffy would really love that" Dawn shook her head
They stood in silence for a moment
"I missed you" Dawn smiled
"I missed you too Nibblet" Spike smiled back
"She missed you too" Dawn told him
Spike shrugged "Not enough apparently"
"Don't say that… they bonded through their grief" said Dawn
"Their grief?" he asked
"Yeah Daniel's fiancée Stacey was a Slayer. She died a few months ago. Buffy helped him through it and he helped her through the pain of losing you" Dawn explained
"Right…"
"See hiding out with Angel doesn't seem like such a smart idea now does it?" Dawn smirked
XXXXX
Buffy was curled up on her bed contemplating the battle ahead. Buffy heard a gentle knock on the bedroom door.
"Buffy, Can I come in?" Asked Angel peeking his head around the door
"You're half way there already" she pointed out, and gestured for him to come in
"Willow and Giles are still working on the portal… shouldn't be too much longer" he told her.
"Great" said Buffy
"Are you okay?" He asked
"I'm just swell" she lied
Angel sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her. She once again looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry about all of this" he sighed
"It's not your fault Angel" she smiled at him a little.
"So Daniel…" he started
Buffy groaned "Please no more jealous vampire crap"
Angel held his hands up in mock surrender "No jealousy… okay maybe a little but I'm happy for you, you're cookies"
"I thought I was cookies" she shrugged
"Spike changes that?" Angel asked
Buffy sighed "I don't know" she started to pace the room
"I let you go so you could have this chance at a normal life, somebody to take you into the sunlight. Somebody that can show you the world… Don't let me or Spike ruin that chance for you" said Angel
"For the longest time, all I wanted was there to be some sort of miracle and for you to come back to me tell me that you made a mistake and we could make it work. I loved you so much, I fought so hard after you left to be okay again and then I was… I've lived longer without you than with you in my life. You were my first love and I will always love you Angel but we're not the same people we once were. I was 15 when you met me, I'm 22 our relationship feels like a lifetime ago" she babbled
"Buffy… I'm not throwing my name in the hat" he stood in front of her "I'm just saying, you deserve a normal life"
"Thank you, I'm not sure what a normal life is anymore" she shrugged
"Hopefully you'll get to find out" he smiled
She hugged him tightly
Daniel entered the room and looked pissed seeing Buffy hugging her other vampire ex. He sighed heavily.
"Hey honey" Buffy smiled awkwardly, letting Angel go.
Angel smiled and walked past Daniel to the door. "I'll let you know any updates"
"Thank you Angel"
Angel saluted her and shut the door behind him.
"What was that about" asked Daniel
"What?" asked Buffy
"The hug?" asked Daniel
"We're friends" Buffy shrugged
Daniel bit the side of his cheek in frustration "So I haven't only got to worry about Spike now I have to worry about Angel too?"
"Why are you worrying about them?" she asked
"Because!" Daniel exploded
"Because what?" Buffy yelled back "Yes, I have history with them both. But what I have with you is different. I'm tired of having to explain this to you"
"I feel like history is repeating itself" he sighed
Buffy sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling "Why did you come here? Just keep tabs on me and my ex boyfriends? I'm here to do a job Daniel that's it! This is just like every other apocalypse I've been through, but this crap is throwing me off my game. I need a clear head and all of this is going to end badly!"
Daniel looked at her with sad eyes "I'm sorry"
"I think maybe you should go" said Buffy
"You want me to leave?" he asked
Buffy fiddled with the ring on her finger "I need to be a Slayer right now"
"What does that mean for us?" he asked
Buffy's eyes filled with tears "I'm not sure"
"You don't wanna marry me?" He asked
"It's so sudden…" said Buffy "We've only been dating a few months"
He rushed to hold her "Buffy I love you" he pleaded with her
"I feel like you've replaced one Slayer with another" she sighed
"Don't bring her into this" he shook his head
"Isn't that what we did? We lost our loves and we bonded over that… if Stacey was still here would you have given me a second glance?" She asked
Daniel didn't answer her.
"You don't want to marry me Daniel, you just want me because I'm the next best thing to her" said Buffy
"I do care for you Buffy" he told her
"And I care for you too" she pulled him in for a hug "I have a lot to thank you for"
Both of them had tears in their eyes as they parted. Daniel held her hands in his "You saved me Buffy Summers"
"And you saved me" she smiled tearfully, she took her hands out of his and took the ring off her finger and gave it to him "I think you better have this"
"No Buffy, it's yours" he told her trying to give it back
"No…" she placed the ring in the palm of his hand and closed it "Give it to somebody special"
Faith knocked on the door "Hey B… we've got a plan" she called through the door
"I'll be down in a minute" Buffy called back, wiping her tears from her eyes
"I guess I better go, let the good guys do their job" said Daniel
"I'm sorry" Buffy said sadly
Daniel grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently "Don't be…"
She squeezed his hand back and began to let go. He squeezed her hand again pulling her back "Don't waste this chance Buffy. You got the dream… he came back to you"
Buffy nodded and left the room