Chosen Champion
Set during Chosen. How it might have gone…
“Well, I guess that qualifies as pleased to see me,” Angel grinned as the Slayer pulled away from the kiss.
“A little too pleased if you ask me,” muttered Spike from his hiding place in the shadows. He had done his best to ignore the First and its taunting, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of him. Buffy, his Buffy, locking lips with Angel, of all people. Not that Angel was people. And not that Buffy was his, anyway. Spike sighed angrily.
“What was that?” Angel spun round. Buffy stayed still, but her eyes registered that she had heard the sound, and maybe even recognised who had made it. She bit her lip.
“I didn’t hear anything,” she lied. “Now are you going to tell me why you’re here? You have something for me, right?”
“Ah, yes, back to the business in hand. Now where were we? Oh, I remember, you were here, and I was kissing you…” He took a step closer to Buffy, only half joking.
“That’s it, I’ve seen enough!” cried Spike, emerging from his hiding place, “I don’t need to see the repeat performance.”
“Spike!” Angel growled involuntarily as he faced the newcomer.
“That’s right, Angelcakes, come to spoil your fun,” Spike snarled back.
“Buffy, stand back,” Angel cautioned. Buffy just rolled her eyes and stepped between them.
“That’s enough!” she ordered them sharply, “I don’t have time for your macho pissing contests, understood? In case you hadn’t noticed, we are about to fight a battle, possibly the last battle and I need both of you to focus.” Both vampires looked slightly shamefaced.
“Didn’t look like you were too bothered about the apocalypse a minute ago when you were trading tongues with gel boy, here,” Spike muttered sulkily. Buffy gave him a sharp look, and he responded with a look of such heart-broken longing that her own sharp expression melted. She took one step towards him, when it became obvious that she was not the only one who had noticed the look he had given her.
“Oh, this is priceless!” Angel exclaimed, “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Spike’s only answer was a growl and a step towards Angel, who was beginning to laugh. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard for a long time!”
Buffy moved closer to Spike, stopping his move towards Angel with the lightest of touches on his arm. She stroked the soft skin of his wrist reassuringly with her thumb. This gesture was not lost on Angel, either, and his laughter stopped as abruptly as it had begun.
“Oh my god,” he said stepping back and staring at Buffy with wide-eyed astonishment. “You’re in love with him too, aren’t you?”
Buffy didn’t answer. She dropped Spike’s arm and backed away from both vampires.
“Buffy?” Spike said curiously. That seemed to snap her out of it. Without meeting either set of eyes which were fixed intently on her, Buffy began to issue orders.
“Spike, go home and wait for me there. Don’t argue,” she added as she noticed his mouth opening to do just that.
“Angel, I need to speak to you outside for a moment.”
“But…” Spike began to protest.
“No arguments, Spike, I will see you at home.”
Reluctantly, the blonde vampire did as he was asked, leaving Buffy and Angel alone.
“Well,” Angel demanded, “Are you in love with him?”
“I…” Buffy began helplessly.
“How could that even begin to happen?” Angel wanted to know.
“It’s a long story. Maybe if the world doesn’t end I’ll have time to tell you the whole story. He had a chip, he was in love with me, he looked after Dawn, we became close…After I…died, he was there for me. Then it all got a bit difficult. We didn’t behave well to each other at all, we were just fighting and sleeping together…”
“You slept with him?” Angel was incredulous.
“Yeah. And I’m not proud of how I acted back then. But I’m sure if we trawl through your recent past we could come up with a few things you’re not so proud of either,” Buffy retorted. “Anyway, he got his soul back. For me. And he needed taking care of. And with all the chaos that’s been going on, I still feel like he’s the only one I can completely rely on.” Buffy paused, staring out at the stars. “And…yes, I love him,” she admitted, softly.
“You haven’t even told him, have you?” Angel said.
“Since when did you get to be Mr Insightful?” Buffy returned, “Look, I’m sure you didn’t come here to discuss my love life, so what is it?”
“No, I didn’t,” Angel replied, with a faint smile that hid a pain he knew he had no right to show her. “I came to bring you this.” He held out a sparkling pendant.
“Ooh, shiny,” Buffy said, taking it, “Although I can tell you already I have nothing that goes with this.”
“It’s an amulet. It has a cleansing power…or scrubbing power…we’re not entirely sure. Anyway, it’s not for you.” Angel explained.
“’Splainy?”
“It’s to be worn by someone ensouled, stronger than a human. A champion.” Angel didn’t hold out his hand for the return of the amulet.
“Thank you,” Buffy said simply, “Now before you start to offer to stay, or anything else, I need you to go back to LA. I may need a second front and I’ll need you to run it.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Angel said grimly.
“Let’s hope,” Buffy agreed, quietly, as she moved off into the night, leaving Angel to stare after her, long after she’d gone.
*
Buffy opened the door to the basement to find Spike pummelling a punch bag furiously. She hid a slight smile as she got nearer and noticed that a childishly drawn yet still recognisable picture of Angel’s face was taped on to the punch bag.
“So, finished your game of tonsil tennis with Angel?” Spike asked, without looking up from his punching.
“It wasn’t like that. He wanted to give me something.”
“I’ll bet he did,” Spike said between clenched teeth. Buffy rolled her eyes.
“He came to give me this,” she held out the amulet.
“Oh, so now he’s giving you jewellery?”
“Great, I haven’t had quite enough sarcastic vampire crap for one day,” Buffy responded sarcastically, “Anyway it’s not jewellery, it’s a mystical amulet. And it’s not for me. Angel said it had to be worn by someone ensouled, but stronger than a human. A champion.”
“Brilliant. Don’t tell me gel boy is still around. Where is he? Upstairs?”
Instead of answering, Buffy walked over to Spike and wordlessly slipped the amulet over his head. She let her fingers rest half on the cold metal, half on the cold skin of his chest. He stood very still, no more sarcastic comments. She trailed her fingers upwards until they rested on his face, stroking his cheek gently, affectionately. Only then did she lift up her eyes to meet his, her heart skipping faster and her hand trembling slightly.
“My champion,” she whispered. Spike made a noise halfway between a choke and a sob. Buffy pressed her lips to his, silencing him. At first he remained motionless, stunned, but slowly he began to respond to the soft pressure of her lips against his, in what was the gentlest kiss they had shared. The kiss built up, yet it had none of the fierce, violent passion of their past liaisons, only a strong mutual need for closeness and comfort. Buffy kept her firm grip on Spike’s face as she kissed him, feeling that she might well collapse into his arms if she did not.
After a while they pulled apart, staring warily at each other, with unfulfilled desire. Both breathing heavily, although only one of them needed the oxygen. Buffy leaned back towards Spike, but to her surprise he pulled away.
“Why did you kiss Angel?” he asked, suddenly. Buffy cursed herself for her actions.
“It was nothing,” she assured him, “It was a hello.”
Spike walked towards the bed and sat down, before asking his next question.
“And why did you kiss me, Buffy? Was it a goodbye?” The pain in his voice was unmistakable. So that’s what he thought. That it was one last kiss before one or both of them were killed in the upcoming battle. That it had meant as little to her as her kiss with Angel. It took her a while to collect her thoughts, and when she did, both she and Spike were surprised that she was angry.
“That’s what you think? That it was a goodbye?” she shouted, “You think I could ever say goodbye to you? God, Spike, it’s hard enough…You think I can deal with this? People dying around me every day? People I love getting hurt? Well I can’t. Why do you think I never bothered to learn the names of the Potentials? Because I didn’t want to know their names when I had to watch them die.” She took several steps closer to where Spike sat on the edge of the bed. “Why do you think,” her voice softer now, “That after all we’ve been through together in the past year or so, that I’ve never once kissed you, never once told you how I feel about you, what you mean to me?” Spike got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t resist. “I can’t say goodbye to you, Spike, I can’t!” she whispered.
“Shh, Buffy, love, it’s okay,” Spike murmured soothingly into her hair, “You don’t have to say anything.”
“I thought I didn’t,” Buffy said, lifting her head up, “I thought…that time after we rescued Xander from the demon that wanted to open the hellmouth…”
“When you went on a date with the principal, you mean?” Spike interrupted. Buffy winced.
“Don’t remind me! You said you were going to leave and I couldn’t bear it. It took all my strength not to throw myself at you and beg you to stay, stay with me in my arms, in my bed…”
“Oh Buffy…”
There lips met again and Spike pulled Buffy with him back onto the bed behind them. The kiss was hungrier this time, and they ran their hands over each other’s bodies. Spike pulled Buffy close as if afraid of losing her. Buffy pulled away for air and they lay in each others’ arms, looking intently into each others’ eyes.
“I didn’t say it because I was afraid. Of what, I don’t know. Of it making me weak, perhaps. But…I love you, Spike. I have loved you for a long time, longer than I even want to admit to myself,” she confessed. Spike’s heart did not beat, but he felt as though it were doing somersaults in his chest. She loved him. He could die happy.
“Buffy, I love you so much,” he whispered in response, stroking her golden hair as she lay in his arms.
“Hold me,” she begged, “Never let me go.”
“Never,” he promised as his lips found hers again and his hands began exploring her body.
“Make love to me,” she said urgently as her body arched in response to his touch. Spike didn’t need a second invitation…
The End
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