Chapter 13

Anya pulled Giles up to the upper level so that they stood on large platform looking out on Midian.  “See over there” Anya pointed to the far side of town “that’s my home” She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck “Do you wanna go check it out?” she smiled up at him seductively.

“Do we have time?”

“There’s always time for orgasms” said Anya placing a soft kiss on his lips.  She pulled him towards the edge of the platform.

“Anya dear, I can’t fly or teleport as the case may be” Giles peered over the side gauging how far it was to the ground.

Anya laughed before turning back towards the door that led inside “Willow! Tara!” she waited for the Wicca’s to emerge “You’re going to love this” Turning back to the edge Anya stood patiently, the others moved forward curiously.  Then they saw it.  The mammoth branches were shifting, their leaves forming a path that led towards Anya’s home.  She stepped up onto the path and bounced lightly “See perfectly safe.”

Anya held her hand out to Giles as he stepped up beside her “it seems quite firm” he turned to look towards the end of the path “It doesn’t seem to reach far enough though.”

“By the time we reach the end of the path it will have extended” Anya laughed at the skeptical expression on his face, she reached up to softly caress the side of his face “Just keep telling yourself Rupie, Enchanted forest, lots of magic, anything is possible.” 

Anya began to walk forward, when she stopped and turned back to walk to Tara and whisper in her ear.  Tara smiled up at her before Anya grabbed Giles by the hand and pulled him along.

Anya moved faster and faster until they were almost running “Come on Rupert lets see if we can beat the tree’s to the end”

Giles was dubious at the thought of actually trying to reach the edge of the path before more was formed.  Actually it was more the thought of being unable to stop at the edge and plummeting to the ground that disturbed him more.  He reassured himself with what Anya had told him ‘Enchanted forest’ he put on a burst of speed to reach Anya’s side ‘lots of magic’ Giles reached out to clasp her hand ‘anything is possible’.  

The couple flew across the path, towards the end the leaves were just moving into place as their feet touched down.  The couple could see their destination and leapt the final distance, tumbling onto the platform in a tangle of limbs.

“I don’t believe I’ve done something like that since I was a child” Giles smiled at Anya as she trailed a finger across his face.

“You were a child?” Anya teased “I though watchers were born fully grown and dressed in tweed.”

“That wasn’t very nice” Giles complained as Anya twisted away from and moved inside.

“Well you better come inside and spank me then”

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Tara and Willow watched as Giles had run after Anya like a teenager.  Curiosity finally got the better of Willow “What did Anya say?”

Tara smiled “It’s a secret” she stepped up onto the path “let’s explore”.

Willow looked at her puzzled; Tara was giving her a secretive smile that suggested that she was going to find out what Anya had whispered soon enough.

Tara wrapped her arm around Willow’s waist and the couple began to stroll down the path.  Willow noticed that it was now turning to lead them to a thickly wooded area; she also realised that they were moving higher into the canopy of the forest.

The pair gasped as they broke through the top of the canopy, all around them was a sea of green, the forest stretched out as far as the eye could see.  A little way from them was one tree that reached higher than the others; a light glow seemed to emanate from it. 

The girls moved towards the tree stopping at the entrance, Tara turned to face Willow “Anya said that this is the heart of the forest, the place where the Magic is at its purest.”  She took a firm grip on Willow’s hand and they stepped inside together.

Willow felt as if the air had been knocked out of her, she could almost see the magic swirling around and through them.  Then she noticed Tara “Sweetie” she moved forward reaching a hand out towards her “Your glowing”

Tara was bathed in a soft pink light, her whole being seemed to pulse with love and compassion.  “This is a place of healing and renewal” She brushed a finger down Willow’s cheek.  “What you did when you abused your magic, when you used it to change me to your liking” Tara pressed her hand to her chest “It broke something deep inside me.”

Willow felt a tear escape and run down her face.

“I know that you’ve been working to fix what has been broken, so have I” Tara graced Willow with another gentle smile “This place” she motioned around them “This place can heal us.  Here we can wipe away past slight’s and sins”

Willow winced at that phrase and she opened her mouth to tell Tara that she was willing to do the hard work to get her back completely.

Tara stopped her protests with a kiss before she drew back again “I know that you’re willing to work on us.  This isn’t a shortcut, this is something different. The power contained here can heal us through our love, and I do love you Willow, I never stopped.” 

Tears were streaming down Willow’s face now, she felt a heat start to form inside her and she looked down in surprise noticing a pale purplish color beginning to surround her. 

Tara toke a step towards Willow once again and lifted her hands palms facing towards her.  Willow mirrored her actions and the girls watched in wonder as tiny tendrils of color reached out to each other, as their palms touched the colors surrounding them shot upwards, a dance of pink and purple.  The colors twisted their way through each other before moving back down to encircle the two.  During this time apologies were made, forgiveness given, neither girl uttered a sound; they merely lost themselves to each other.  Magical gifts merged as their essences became one rebuilding and strengthening their love.

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Spike was reclining on the sofa grumbling about the lack of telly when Rebecca came to stand in front of him.

“I’m going to show Dawn around.” She leant down to kiss him before pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes “Maybe you should go see what Buffy’s doing.”  She gave him another quick kiss as Dawn entered “Come on Dawn there used to be a little shop that sold tiny figurines made out of spun honey, I want to see if it’s still here”

“Oh Candy!” Dawn exclaimed in delight as the two left.

Spike stared at the door for a few minutes before extending his senses to search out Buffy.  He heard her faint heartbeat coming from one of the upper levels.  Spike had learnt long ago; back when he was William in fact, that if his wife told him to do something there was always a reason behind it.  Rebecca had an uncanny ability to read people and if she said that he needed to go see Buffy then he needed to go see Buffy.  Spike sighed as he made his way to the upper levels to find her.

Spike stopped just outside the room Buffy had chosen and watched her for a few moments.  She was stretched out on a small bed covered in what looked like flower petals, sunlight streamed through a small window bathing her in its warmth.  Spike inhaled deeply as the scent of vanilla drifted up to meet him.  Buffy turned slightly to look at him “Spike”

“Hello luv” he moved into the room slightly “Am I interrupting?”

“No I’m just enjoying the sunshine” Buffy started looking around for something to cover the window, then she noticed that leaves were shifting into place across the opening.

Spike chuckled at her look of surprise “They do that everywhere I go in this place.”

“Well that’s convenient”

“I’ll say, I don’t have to worry about walking into any stray sunbeams” Spike moved to sit on the edge of the bed when he suddenly yelped and sprang across the room “BLOODY HELL!”

Buffy was now in a fit of giggles as she watched Spike leap up as if he’d been bitten “The furniture changes to meet our needs, remember.”

Spike eyed the bed warily as he once again sat down, grimacing slightly as he felt it shit beneath him “It’s not natural” he complained.

Buffy burst into another fit of giggles “Not natural.  Not natural” she was practically rolling on the bed in laughter “It’s a living tree and it’s not natural”

“Ok ok it’s not that funny slayer.”

Buffy finally controlled her laughter; she lay on her side and studied Spike for a moment before coming to a decision.  Buffy sat up and faced him “I told the others”

“Told them what luv?”

“About us”

“What about us?” Spike began to carefully study the tip of his boot, unwilling to look at Buffy, afraid of what she was going to say.

“I told them that I had been using you for sex.”  Buffy decided that a direct approach was the best approach.  “I also made sure that they knew that it was me that taking advantage of you, not the other way around.”

“So there’ll be no stakes in the back then?” Spike tried to make light of the situation, unsure of where Buffy was headed with this conversation.

Buffy smiled wryly “No. No stakes.  Told them it was all me” she looked down at her hands uncertain of how to continue.  “There’s something I need to tell you”

Spike turned to look at her waiting for her to finish.

Buffy brought her hands up to cup his face “I love you Spike”

Spike took a sharp breathe and tried to pull away from her.

“No don’t go” Buffy gently pulled him back around to face her “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.  I’m sorry that it took seeing you with Rebecca to realise that I did.”  Buffy placed her hands on top of Spike’s and took a deep breathe “I know that you love Rebecca and that you will be faithful to her.  That’s not what this is about.”

Spike wrestled for control of his emotions, there was joy that Buffy had finally told him that she loved him, sadness that it had taken her so long. Part of him was angry that it had taken seeing him happy with someone else to get her to admit her feelings for him and there was also pain that they could not act on that love now.

Buffy watched the emotions wash across his face “I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to tell you.”  She sighed with relief that Spike hadn’t walked out on her yet.

“There was always something different about you, right from the start.” Buffy smiled in memory “I always had the feeling that there was more to you.  That I was supposed to look deeper.  Maybe that was Rebecca trying to get me to notice you.” 

Spike looked down at his hands “So you think that everything you felt was because of Rebecca?”

“No that’s not what I mean.” Buffy was starting to get frustrated “I’m trying to be honest with you, please just let me get this out.”

Spike nodded and waited for her to continue.

“Before I died things were starting to change, I think you felt that.”  Buffy waited for him to look at her once again “When you told me that you loved me, you remember, with the chains.”

“Yeah sorry about that luv.”

“That’s in the past Spike, over and done.  Do you remember that I told you that there was no chance?”  Buffy started to fidget “well, the problem was, I wasn’t so sure about that.  A big part of me wanted what you were offering me, but I let my fear and stupid ideals squash that down.”

Buffy stood and began to pace “I could see you changing and there was this part of me screaming out for you.  The night that we fought Glory” Spike recoiled slightly at this reminder “I think if I hadn’t died that night things would have progressed differently.  I think that we may have ended up in a lot healthier place.”

Buffy sat back down beside him leaning against Spikes side lightly ‘When I came back, it felt like there was a big part of me missing and as it turns out there was.” Buffy lay her head on his shoulder “the only time I felt whole was when I was with you, and it scared me.  I kept fighting it thinking that there was something wrong with me because what I was feeling for you was so strong, it overshadowed anything that I’d ever felt before.”  She waited for the significance of this to sink in.  “Do you know what I thought when I found out that Rebecca was the missing part of me.”

Spike shook his head slowly.

“I thought that the only reason that you wanted to be with me in the first place was because of Rebecca.”

Spike was silent for a few minutes before he answered her “That’s not it pet.  Maybe it’s what stopped me from killing you in the first place, but it’s not what made me love you.”  He tenderly tucked a stray hair behind her ear.  “It’s still inside me, the feelings I have for you.  I don’t think they’ll ever go away and I don’t want them to.”

“But?”

“I love ‘Becca” Spike tried to find the words to explain “She holds a piece of me that can never be given to anyone else.”

“First love?” Buffy gave a fleeting thought to Angel.

“Yeah” Spike wrapped an arm around Buffy’s shoulder. “What I feel for the two of you, it’s almost like it’s the same thing.  It’s hard to separate the two sometimes.  But I made a decision and I think it’s the right one.”

Buffy pulled him into a hug “I know it’s the right one.”

Spike pulled back in surprise at her statement.

“I know you said that ex-lovers can never be friends, and you were right.” Buffy pulled him forward once again “But you are so much more than a friend and I want you to be happy.  Rebecca does that you know.”  Buffy reluctantly let him go “She makes you happy.”

“So where does that leave us pet?”  Spike was amazed at everything that she had said to him.

“It leaves us with Buffy loves Spike and Spike loves Buffy.”  Buffy gave him a loving kiss “And one day they might actually get a chance to be together again.”

“But?”

“But until then Spike loves Rebecca and Rebecca loves Spike and they are together now.  So Buffy is pleased that the person she loves has someone that loves him the way he deserves.”  Buffy flopped back on the bed “Ok I think I just broke my brain.”

Spike flopped back with her “I think I know what you mean pet.”

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