Summary: A retelling of Spike and Buffy's first meeting. Starts in early season 2. For the purpose of the story, Angel does not exist and Spike
is a little....different.
Disclaimer: I do not own the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel (The Series). All of the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, et al.
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Part Twenty Five
~~~~~
"It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh, how, I've been alone"
~~~~~
"It's almost midnight. Let's begin."
Lysander picked up the incense holder and lit it. A
spicy fragrance drifted through the small chapel.
Spike carried Drusilla up the center aisle, where Angelus
was hanging from a chain in the ceiling. The chain was
pulled taut, keeping the unconscious vampire on his feet.
He fastened Dru's wrist in the other manacle, arranging
their hands so that their palms were pressed together.
She laced her fingers with her sire's, holding as tightly as
she could in her weakened state.
When the incense was properly spread, Lysander put
the holder down and took his place in front of the two
bound vampires.
"Eligor, I name thee. Bringer of war. Poisoners. Pariahs.
Grand obscenity," he intoned.
~~~~~
"Wait..till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we cried."
~~~~~
He picked up an ornate cross off the altar, holding it upside
down.
"Eligor, wretched master of decay. Bring your black medicine."
Releasing a catch, he drew a dagger from the hollow shaft
of the cross.
"Come. Restore your most impious, murderous child."
Lysander placed the tip of the dagger's blade against the
back of Drusilla's hand. Gripping it firmly, he pierced her
flesh with it, stabbing it clear through her hand and into
Angelus'. She whimpered in pain.
"From the blood of the sire, she is risen."
A pink light began to emanate from their joined hands. It
throbbed and pulsed with energy as the sire's blood flowed
into his offspring's open wound, mingling with hers.
"From the blood of the sire, she shall rise again!"
Moments later, Drusilla's body suddenly snapped taut. Her
eyes flew open and focused on the slumping body of
her creator.
~~~~~
"If your heart breaks
Don't wait, turn me away
But if your heart's strong
Hold on, I won't delay.."
~~~~~
Long, agonizing minutes crawled by before the light
finally began to dim.
When it had died away completely, Dru straightened up
and yanked the chain out of the ceiling. Angelus slid
bonelessly to the floor, and she shoved him away with
one kick.
It was a clear sign that the ritual had been successful.
Drusilla climbed down from the altar, slowly approaching
Spike with her hand held out.
He reached into his pocket and drew out a key, then
unlocked the manacle from her wrist.
"Well," Lysander said. "That was quick."
Spike looked into Drusilla's dark eyes. For the first time
in almost a year, they were clear and focused, and
glittering with life as she licked the blood off her hand.
"How you feeling, luv?" he asked, forcing himself to
concentrate on her instead of wondering how soon he
could get the hell off this damned island.
~~~~~
"Wait..till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we cried."
~~~~~
"Ever so much better," she replied. "And terribly, awfully
hungry."
Her eyes darted around the room, fixing on Lysander.
Before she could move, Spike grabbed her by her
upper arm. "No," he said firmly.
Dru frowned. "But, I'm hungry," she whined.
"I know. There's blood for you in the kitchen."
She shook her head. "Don't want THAT blood," she
insisted.
"Drusilla," Spike said patiently, a parent explaining to
a child why she couldn't have sweets for breakfast. "There's
no one on the island for you to feed from. You don't have
a choice."
Lysander, who had been silent up until then, finally
spoke. "He's quite right. Let's go up to the kitchen and
warm up your meal." Gallantly extending his arm, he
smiled. "Shall we?"
Without a word, Dru placed her hand in the bend of his
elbow, allowing him to escort her out of the room.
Spike watched them go with only one thought reverberating
in his brain, over and over, like a phonograph with a broken
needle.
~~~~~
"I feel as though
You ought to know
That I've been good
As good as I can be"
~~~~~
His body hummed with a new urgency, and a happiness
he hadn't felt since the day he last saw Buffy. coming home to you, angelface, and I'll never leave you
alone again. I swear it. Just hold on a little longer.
~~~~~
"And if you do
I'll trust in you
And know that you will wait for me"
~~~~~
Ignoring the nearly dead vampire still lying where he'd
fallen, Spike exited the chapel and followed after Drusilla
and Lysander.
Luke met him in the corridor, then trailed along behind
him as he issued instructions.
~~~~~
"It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now, oh how
I've been alone..."
~~~~~
Part Twenty Six
~~~~~
"Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?"
~~~~~
"Want to go the mall and have your picture taken
with the Easter Bunny?"
Buffy looked up from her lunch, surprised at Willow's
question. "Are you making a joke?"
"Nope." Willow sat down on the bench next to the
slayer and opened her lunch bag. "Oz wants a picture
of me with the Easter Bunny and I feel silly doing it by
myself."
"OZ wants it, huh?" Buffy gave her friend a look.
Willow nodded, opening a bottle of apple juice. "I swear
it. He says he wants a theme oriented picture of me from
every holiday of the year."
Buffy thought it over. "Could be fun."
"Come on," Willow cajoled. "It's the last day of school for
a whole week. Let's do something goofy."
Something goofy? It had been a while since she'd done
something goofy with her friends.
But...what if he came back tonight, and she wasn't there?
"I'll buy you a chocolate easter egg," Willow added.
Buffy smiled. "Okay...but the kind with the marshmallow in-
side, not the fudge."
"You got it," Willow said, biting into her sandwich.
Buffy pulled an apple out of her bag. "Let's make Xander
do it, too."
Her friend giggled. "He wouldn't ever."
"Oh, please...for a chocolate egg filled with fudge, Xander
would put ON the bunny suit and hop around the mall
singing 'Here Comes Peter Cottontail'. "
"I heard that!" Xander's voice came from behind them. "And
for your information," he added, sitting down across from
them, "I'd only do that for the marshmallow chickies."
The three friends sat and ate lunch, making casual conver-
sation. A few minutes before the bell was due to ring,
Willow and Xander exchanged a look.
"Um, Buffy?" Willow said. "As long as we're going to the mall
tonight...why don't we find you a dress for the Spring Formal?"
Buffy sighed, making a face. "Will...I already told you that
I'm not going to the Spring Formal."
She had made known to her friends, in no uncertain terms,
that she wasn't interested in going to a dance with one of
the five boys who'd already asked her. There was only one
man whose arms she wanted around her, and she was going
to wait for him.
~~~~~
"Isn't there a white knight
Upon a fiery steed?
Late at night, I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need."
~~~~~
"I know you don't want to go with another guy," Willow
said quickly. "I get that.." She looked at Xander. "WE get
that...right?"
Xander rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure."
"But, we were thinking, if....."
"William," Buffy supplied.
"Right," Willow nodded. "If he's not back in time to take
you...maybe you could just go with us. You shouldn't miss
it."
Buffy smiled. Willow was so sweet natured and brimming
over with good intentions. She had listened patiently when
Buffy had wept over her lover's departure, and she'd been
genuinely happy to hear the news that he was returning.
Of course, Buffy hadn't been completely up front with
her friends about just who and what William was. Before
she'd known he was coming back, it hadn't seemed
necessary to mention, as she'd been in no mood for the
endless round of lecturing she'd be in store for; and now
she wasn't sure how to broach the subject.
"I appreciate the offer, Will...but I'd feel funny tagging
along with you and Oz...."
"Oh!" Willow broke in. "No! See, we're all going to-
gether. Me and Oz, Xander, Cordelia, Amy, and Scott.
There's gonna be a limousine, one of those super stretch
ones. And we all want you to come along," she added
sincerely. "Please."
Buffy vacillated. If they were all going in a big group,
it wouldn't seem so much like a date thing. And
her mother had been hounding her about going out
and having a little fun. Even Giles had encouraged her
to accept one of the offers she'd had.
Maybe it would take her mind off the infernal ache
of waiting...just for a little while.
~~~~~
"I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight."
~~~~~
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break. After
making plans to meet at the mall, the three of them went
their separate ways.
"He probably won't come tonight anyway," Buffy de-
cided as she made her way across campus to her algebra
class. "I guess I could take a night off."
Besides, she could always hit the cemetery after the
mall closed.
And, as far as the the Spring Formal was concerned, she
would make up her mind about that later. Maybe she'd
let the search for a dress make it up for her.
If she found a dress she really liked, maybe she would
go, and if not...then she wouldn't.
Still, the dance wasn't for another week, so there was
always the possibility that he'd get there in time to
take her.
That would be perfect. He would look drop dead gorgeous
in formal wear. Although William normally dressed casually
in jeans and button down shirts, when he took her some-
place nice he looked like he'd stepped right out of the
pages of GQ.
She remembered one night in particular. He'd picked her
up just as the sun went down, then drove her all the
way to Los Angeles to see 'Phantom of the Opera'.
He had been wearing a charcoal gray suit, with tiny pin-
stripes, a raspberry colored shirt, and a burgundy silk
tie.
She'd been pestering him for days about giving her a
picture in exchange for the one she had given him, and
she had decided that night would be the night she'd get
what she wanted.
Coming down the stairs with her hands hidden behind
her back, she had waited until he stood up to adjust
his jacket, then whipped her Nikon out and snapped the
photograph just as he glanced up at her.
Not trusting Fotomat, she had brought the film to
school and asked one of the kids in the photography
class to develop it.
She kept the 8X10 hidden at home, but carried a 4X6
copy in the back of her notebook. Opening it now, she
smiled at the image looking back at her.
~~~~~
"I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than like
Larger than life..."
~~~~~
If she could walk into that dance on William's arm,
every girl in the place would be pea green with
envy.
She was still picturing it that evening as she crossed
the street to where Xander and Willow waited at the mall
entrance.
"You look nice," she said to Willow. "Very Easter-ish."
Her friend was wearing a powder blue sweater, and a
plaid skirt in various shades of blue. She smiled at Buffy,
pleased at the compliment. "You, too."
Buffy had chosen to wear a pale pink cotton sundress,
with a halter top, tied at the back of her neck. Her hair
was loose, held away from her face by a pink hairband,
and she wore tiny pearl studs in her earlobes.
"Gee, Xander...you look nice, too," Xander interjected. "Why
thanks, Xander. Just a little something I threw on at the
last minute."
Buffy eyed him up and down. "Yeah, it looks like it," she
said, grinning.
"Meanie." He pulled the door open for the girls. "Let's go
ladies. That rabbit ain't getting any younger."
~~~~~
"Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me"
~~~~~
"That's it....that's the dress."
Buffy stopped and joined Willow in front of the
dress store window. "Oh...that really is nice,"
she said softly.
The gown was white, with a high waistline. Sleeveless,
with a form fitting bodice, the satin and chiffon skirts
floated around the legs of the mannequin on the slowly
revolving turntable.
As she devoured the dress with her eyes, her
only thought was how much William would love to
see her in it.
Okay, NOW...she had to have it. Even if she decided
not to go to the dance, she still couldn't stand the
idea of someone else wearing her perfect dress.
"Buffy," Willow said in her best 'no nonsense' tone of
voice. "You have to try that dress on. It's calling to you."
She gave Buffy a gentle push. "Listen," she added,
steering her friend into the store. "Buffy! I was made for
you! Come and slip into me."
"All right, all right!" Buffy laughed, pulling her arm free. "I
guess it wouldn't hurt to just try it on."
Xander plopped down on a small sofa next to the
fitting room, watching as the girls hunted down a sales-
woman.
When they were told that there was only one dress
available..the one in the window..they held their breath
waiting to find out what size it was.
Willow squealed with excitement when the saleswoman
came back and informed them that the dress was a size
4.
"See?!" she said, turning to Buffy with a huge smile. "Your
size. That's a sign."
"Keep in mind," Xander added. "Signs on the Hellmouth
can have more than one meaning, and not necessarily
a good one...what?" he asked when Willow glared at him. "I'm
just saying...."
Buffy ignored him, following the saleswoman into the
fitting room area. Five minutes later, she was standing
and twirling in front of the three way mirror. Losing herself
in her imagination, she pictured William striding into the
store and seeing her, then sweeping her up into his arms,
and carrying her off into the warm night air.
~~~~~
"Racing on the thunder
And rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman
To sweep me off my feet
I need a hero..."
~~~~~
Part Twenty Seven
~~~~~
"I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
~~~~~
"Buffy! The limousine just pulled up."
"I'm coming!"
She took one last look in her full length mirror, and
was pleased with what she saw.
The dress was just as beautiful as it had been the
night she'd found it. Her poor mother had been so
pleased that she was actually going out and doing
something with her friends, that she hadn't turned a
hair when she'd been told how much the gown cost.
She had even taken Buffy back to the mall the next
night for new shoes and an evening shawl.
Even though she was pleased to be going out, Buffy
couldn't hold back a feeling of disappointment as she
dressed for the evening. She had almost managed to
convince herself that William would be back by now,
and would be taking her to the dance himself.
But, no matter how long she lingered in the bath, or
how much time she took doing her nails and fixing
her hair, he still hadn't put in an appearance.
Joyce knocked lightly on the door, and poked her head
in. "Oh, honey...you look beautiful," she said, smiling
in a gushingly maternal way that usually made Buffy
squirm. "I thought you might like to wear my diamond
earrings."
Whoa. Hold the presses. Buffy couldn't have been
more surprised. Her mother cherished those diamond
studs and had never offered them up before. "Really?"
Joyce smiled and held out her hand. "Really," she con-
firmed.
Buffy transferred the earrings from the box to her ears
in record time, not taking a chance on her mom coming
to her senses. "Thanks, mom," she beamed.
Joyce sighed, leaning against the doorway. "I was going
to offer you my pearls, but I know you don't like to take
off your necklace.
Buffy put her hand over the crystal heart that William
had given her. Three days after the carnival, he had
shown up in the evening and replaced the inexpensive
chain with a 24k gold one that had a much stronger
clasp.
She hadn't taken the necklace off since.
"Anyway," her mom said, "the diamonds go well with the
crystal. I had them cleaned today."
Buffy looked in the mirror, smiling in delight when the
gems caught the light and sparkled like stars. "Thanks,"
she said again.
Downstairs, the doorbell rang.
After kissing her mother goodnight, Buffy grabbed her
shawl and ascended the staircase, feeling very grand.
The only thing that could make her feel better, would be
to open the door and see.....
~~~~~
"I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life.."
~~~~~
"Hey, Buff....you look good." Xander smiled, dropping
his clown act for the occasion.
"Thanks," she replied. "You, too. Nice tux."
He shrugged. "Cordy picked it out. Apparently, she
had a problem with me wearing the light blue one with
the ruffled shirt that my cousin Dan got married in."
Buffy made a face. "A woman saw him in that and still
married him?"
Xander nodded solemnly, miming a very pregnant
belly with his hands.
She laughed and closed the door behind her, then
followed him back to the limo where her friends were
waiting.
Before she stepped into the car, a sudden light
breeze kicked up and made her shiver. She glanced
up and watched white blossoms fall from the plum
tree in her neighbors yard.
Staring down the street, she felt an odd sense
of something about to happen, but couldn't really judge
whether it was something good or something catastrophic,
or perhaps a combination of both.
~~~~~
"Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I would swear that there's someone, somewhere
Watching me.."
~~~~~
The school gym looked like something out of a
picture book. One large area had been designated as
a dance floor, and the band playing was a group of
professionals, and not the cream of the Sunnydale High
music department.
At the other end of the room, there were tables
and chairs set up, with long white tablecloths
hiding the scratches and graffiti. A buffet stretched
out along a side wall, covered with cookies
and pastries donated by parents. There was a
beautiful glass punch bowl at each end of it, zealously
guarded by Principal Snyder, who viewed each
approaching student as a possible vandal.
The glaring overhead lights were dimmed, and one
of the kids from the drama department was providing
romantic and colorful lighting effects.
Two hours into the evening, Buffy was beginning to
wish she'd stayed home. She was tired of fending off
offers to dance, some of them tendered by boys she'd
never even seen before, and she was having a dreadful
time shaking the feeling that something was about to
explode all over her.
After the band took a short break and the music began
again, Xander suddenly stood up and held out his hand
to her.
"Come on, kiddo," he said. "You've gotta dance at least
one dance and if you dance it with me, you don't have
to worry about being molested."
He had apparently cleared this with his girlfriend, since
Cordy just smiled encouragingly. Buffy took her friend's
hand and let him pull her to her feet.
There was a slow song playing, and Buffy placed one
hand in Xander's and rested the other lightly on his
shoulder. They talked a little, and then he bent over and
whispered something in her ear about the dress that
Harmony Kendall had showed up in, making Buffy look
up and laugh.....and wish more than ever that William
was the one holding her.
As they danced, her heart beat suddenly sped up in
a way that had nothing to do with physical exertion.
~~~~~
"Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood,
I can feel his approach, like a fire in my blood."
~~~~~
Part Twenty Eight
~~~~~
"Lay a whisper on my pillow
Leave the winter on the ground"
~~~~~
"Hello, baby. How've you been all this time?"
"Did you miss me?" Spike ran one hand over her sleek,
smooth body. "You look gorgeous. I see someone's been
taking good care of you."
He straightened up and turned to face the lot attendant,
extracting his wallet from his coat. "She looks good. Not a
speck of rust on her, and a nice polish."
After paying the storage fee and tipping the attendant,
Spike climbed into his De Soto and adjusted the seat,
found some traveling music on the radio, then pulled out
of the lot and headed for the freeway.
It was a warm night for early April, and he cranked the
windows down to let in the evening air. His foot depressed
the accelerator, until he was doing nearly 80mph. He
was in far too much of a hurry to drive any slower.
"I'm close, sweetheart," he murmured under his breath,
touching the hard lump of the small velvet box nestled
in his coat pocket, a talisman of good fortune. In another
hour, the ring would be on her hand, and he would make
sure she never took it off.
~~~~~
"I wake up lonely, the air of silence
In the bedroom, and all around"
~~~~~
He crossed the city limit line at exactly 9:15. The
moon was full and white, and he felt like it was
actually smiling on him for a change.
During the time he had been incarcerated on that frigging
island, he had hated looking at the moon. All it did
was remind him of the nights he had spent with Buffy,
nights they would sit and star gaze, while he pointed
out and named as many of the constellations as he
could remember.
But it was all over now, and he was free. Free of that
bloody island prison, free of responsibility, free of Drusilla.
Their final confrontation had been unexpectedly calm. He
had actually been prepared for a scream fest the likes
of which he'd never experienced before.
Instead, she had been understanding to the point of
placidity, and he'd wondered for a moment if Lysander
hadn't been sedating her with something.
She had decided to remain on Isla Nueva for a while
longer. Too eager himself to get away, he hadn't bothered
to argue with her about it.
On his way downstairs with his bags packed, he had
stopped briefly in the room where Angelus was recovering.
The vampire had been asleep, so he'd closed the door
quietly and left.
Down in the library, he'd paid Lysander a generous
fee and said goodbye. The warlock hadn't inquired as
to where Spike was going, but he had said that Drusilla
was welcome to stay as long as she chose to.
As the launch had pulled away from the dock, Spike
had gotten the feeling that Lysander cared for Dru in
much more than a platonic way, and he'd silently wished
the fellow good luck, knowing that he would need all of
it he could get to handle her.
Turning on to Revello Drive, he could see that the
small house where Buffy lived was brightly lit. He
pulled into the driveway, barely throwing the car into
park before he was leaping out of it and running up
the front path.
Although tempted to fling the door open without
waiting, he forced himself to knock as politely as he
could manage in the force of his need to see his bride.
When the door swung open, he found himself looking
at an attractive woman who looked to be in her late
thirties. Recognizing Joyce Summers from the photo-
graphs he'd seen, he smiled pleasantly and asked if
he could see Buffy.
"She's out for the evening," Joyce informed him, giving
him a look that clearly said "Who the hell are you and why are
you asking about my sixteen year old daughter?"
Since he was uncertain of just how much Buffy had
confided in her mother, he tried to wipe the eager,
anticipatory smile off his face, not wanting it to be
interpreted as a lecherous leer.
"I'm a...friend of her's," he explained. "Been out of the
country for a while...and I..." He cleared his throat ner-
vously. "I just wanted to see how she's doing."
Joyce gave him a speculative look, clearly not con-
vinced. "Well, she's at a school function tonight," she
explained. "With some of her friends."
Spike smiled. He knew where her school was. He
could go there and surprise her, then steal her away
from her friends and greet her properly. Thanking
Joyce for the information, he turned to leave.
"Are...are you William?"
Spike stopped halfway down the front walk. Facing
Joyce again, he nodded. "Yes, I am," he admitted.
"William Hamilton."
With slightly narrowed eyes, Joyce looked him up
and down. He was quite obviously older than her
daughter had let on, and they would definitely be dis-
cussing that topic in the morning.
Still, he was most certainly a handsome young man,
and she could see why Buffy had fallen so hard for
him. Joyce hadn't probed too deeply into the particulars
of the relationship, but she had spent time on the opposite
side of Buffy's bedroom door, listening to her as she
cried into her pillow. All that had stopped suddenly a
few weeks ago, and Joyce had been too happy to see it
go to question Buffy too intently about it.
Watching this man now, Joyce could see that he was
anxious to go and find Buffy. His body language was
telegraphing that message loud and clear, as he edged
further down the sidewalk.
She tried not to laugh, and asked him if he knew where
Buffy's school was. After being assured that he did, she
said goodnight and closed the front door, shaking her
head in amusement.
Young men in love. They never changed.
~~~~~
"Touch me now, I close my eyes
And dream away...."
~~~~~
Spike turned into the parking lot of Sunnydale
High School at 9:42. It took him four minutes to
find an available parking space. Just when he was
ready to park his car in the middle of the grassy
expanse of lawn, an El Dorado pulled out of a space
on the far east end of the lot, and he zipped into
it.
He could hear the music blaring, and he headed
straight for the gymnasium, weaving his way through
the parked and waiting limousines.
There were a few kids milling around outside, and
he could see from their formal wear just exactly what
sort of function the school was holding. There was a
sign, hand lettered in silver glitter paint, announcing
a welcome to the Spring Formal.
Pulling open the double doors, he scanned the room,
searching for his little slayer. She didn't seem to be
sitting at any of the tables, though he spotted her
cute little redhaired friend at one, sitting with a couple
of kids he hadn't seen before.
Moving a bit further into the room, he picked up Buffy's
scent easily. Happy beyond the telling of it, he started
towards where he felt her to be.
But when he saw her, saw what she was doing, all the
joy that had been intoxicating him vanished.
His bride was dancing in another man's arms, and he was
so ragingly jealous that he could barely stand it.
When he saw who she was dancing with, his vision
blurred over with an angry red haze. That boy...that god-
damned boy...the one who'd tried to put his hands on her
that long ago night they had met.
She had moved away from him then, but she wasn't
doing that now. The boy leaned over and whispered something
in her ear, and she looked up into his eyes and laughed.
Taking a firm hold on his temper, Spike watched as they
danced together. The look in the boy's eyes was filled with
tenderness and Buffy....
Buffy looked happy. Smiling and laughing...and happy.
He had been gone too long, and she had gotten tired
of waiting.
~~~~~
"It must have been love,
But it's over now
It must have been good,
But I lost it somehow
It must have been love,
But it's over now
From the moment we touched,
Till the time had run out."
~~~~~
Spike wanted to scream. To tear the walls down.
To kill....
With a monumental effort, he willed himself to keep
control. To keep his demon from exploding from inside
of him.
"She'll be dancing when you find her. Then, you'll
have your answer."
Drusilla's enigmatic words echoed in his ears.
And so, he had his answer. It wasn't a demon wanting
to kill her that Buffy was dancing with. It was a boy that
just plain wanted her. Judging from her smile, she was
finally returning those feelings.
His unbeating heart felt as though it was cracking open
in his chest. The pain he was feeling wasn't mitigated
one ounce by the knowledge that he probably deserved
it.
He had left her without a word of farewell, had simply
vanished from her life. Whether there'd been a reason
for it or not, he had deserted her with no intention, at
first, of ever coming back. Then, taking the coward's way
out, he'd informed her of his actions in a letter.
Even after sending the second letter, the one asking
her to wait for him, he had taken too long to come back,
and she had given up on him.
He was too late.
~~~~~
"Make believing, we're together
That I'm sheltered by your heart
But in and outside, I turn to water
Like a tear drop in your palm
And it's a hard winter's day
I dream away..."
~~~~~
Unable to watch another moment, Spike swallowed
the ache in his throat that was threatening to strangle
him.
He turned his back, walking swiftly towards the
exit, not noticing...or caring...that he was bumping
into people as he went.
Banging open the double doors, he practically ran
from the gym, not slowing down until he reached his
car.
When he got there, he placed both hands on the
trunk, letting his head hang down and closing his
eyes.
But no matter how tightly he squeezed them shut,
the image was burned into his brain, refusing to go
away and leave him with some kind of peace.
Her smile. Her sweetness. Her love. Given to another
man.
For the first time in more than a century, he felt like
crying.
~~~~~
"It must have been love
But it's over now
It was all that I wanted
Now I'm living without"
~~~~~
Violently wrenching the car door open, he threw
himself inside and closed it hard enough to rattle
the window.
As he sat clutching the steering wheel with one
hand and fumbling for his keys with the other, he
stared straight ahead, wondering where the hell he
was going to go.
For so long, his only purpose had been getting back
to Sunnydale and to Buffy. He hadn't looked beyond
that goal, except in his foolish and vague fantasies
of making a life with her.
Those dreams were dead now, as dead as he was
himself, and they'd died presenting him with no alter-
native...no "Plan B."
Right now, the only thing he knew for an absolute
fact, was that he had to get as far from this town as
he possibly could.
Since he had no desire to go south where Drusilla
was, he would go north and lose himself there. For
a while, anyway.
Twisting the key in the ignition, he gunned his car's
engine. It's roar of power split the night, followed
by a screech of tires as he dropped it into reverse
and backed out of the parking space.
~~~~~
"It must have been love,
But it's over now
It must have been good
But I lost it somehow
It must have been love,
But it's over now
From the moment we touched
Till the time had run out"
~~~~~
Part Twenty Nine
~~~~~
"I was down, my dreams were wearing thin
When you're lost, where do you begin?
My heart always seemed to drift from day to day
Looking for the love that never came my way"
~~~~~
Buffy stared at Xander, surprised when he pulled
a silver hip flask from inside his jacket.
"Where did you get that?"
He had dragged them all outside a few minutes ago,
instructing everyone to get a glass of fruit punch first.
After taking a quick look around for authority figures,
he unscrewed the cap on the glass and poured a shot
of something into his own cup.
"I knocked over a liquor store on the way to the dance,"
he replied, rolling his eyes at her. "Where do you think
I got it? My house is better stocked than the sport's bar
on 14th street." He began adding a shot to everyone's cup.
Willow stared doubtfully at the punch in her cup. "It smells
weird," she said, wrinkling her nose.
Oz placed one hand on her back. "Don't drink it then, babe."
She sighed. "No, I will. It's...sort of a rite of passage," she
said nervously. "Isn't it?"
"That's right," Xander cut in. "It's a step beyond sneaking a
beer in the basement. Next thing you know...we'll be sip-
ping fine champagne."
The words made Buffy smile, a smile she hid by raising
the cup to her lips and taking a tentative taste. The others
followed suit, except for Cordelia who'd refused to even
consider tasting it.
It tasted as vile as it smelled. Buffy swallowed and made a
face of pure disgust. "It tastes...like cherry flavored turpen-
tine," she choked.
"I tried to warn you," Cordelia murmured, patting her on
the back. "Are you going to throw up?" she asked, suddenly
backing away a few feet.
"I'm...I'm trying not to," Buffy coughed, her eyes watering.
Xander noticed that Oz had swallowed the liquor without
flinching, and attempted to do the same. "Whoa" he gasped,
shaking his head after the liquid burned it's way down his
esophagus. "Not....bad."
Willow stood frozen, clutching the cup in her hand, reluctance
to participate in this "rite of passage" written all over her face.
Oz solved the problem for her by taking the cup and drinking
the spiked punch for her.
Buffy was about to toss the remnants of her cup into
the bushes, but was startled by the sound of a car starting
up with a roar.
The five of them edged out away from the building to see
what was making all the noise.
Tires screamed on asphalt, and an engine revved again.
"Geez," Xander said, gazing toward the far end of the
parking lot. "Oh, man," he added. "That is one hell of a
car."
Buffy's cup dropped from her fingers, hitting the ground
and staining the hem of her dress. "Oh..." she whispered,
her eyes wide with shock that turned to distress when she
saw the car leaving the parking lot. "No....wait."
She knew that car. She had ridden in it, tried to drive it,
dented it....and been made love to in it's back seat.
~~~~~
"Then you smiled, and I reached out to you
I could tell you were lonely too
One look, then it all began for you and me
The moment that we touched, I knew that there would be"
~~~~~
Without a word, she left her friends behind and
began to follow the car, starting to run when it
picked up speed.
"Wait!" she cried, almost screaming the word. "Wait
for me!"
The car pulled out into the street, and she ran faster,
trying to get to it before it was out of sight.
She made it all the way across the parking lot without
mishap, but when she stepped down from the curb
to run in the street, her foot turned on a chunk of loose
asphalt. Thrown too suddenly off balance, she went
sprawling to the ground.
Her ankle turned painfully beneath her, and she scraped
the palms of her hands when she tried to keep her face
from connecting with the road.
Attempting to stand, her ankle warned her not to and
she caught her dress under her knee, sending her right
back to the ground, hitting her chin and leaving an ab-
rasion.
Her eyes were filled with tears, and she could no longer
hear the car. He was gone. For some reason he had come
here tonight to find her, then left without her.
Not caring that she was lying in the street, she laid
her cheek on her arm and began to cry....
~~~~~
"Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine"
~~~~~
....when she felt a pair of strong arms picking her
up and carrying her back to the safety of the sidewalk.
Opening her eyes, she looked into the dark blue gaze
of her lover. "William?" she murmured softly.
"Sweetheart...are you all right?" he asked, concern
for her overwhelming any other emotion he had been
running from.
Buffy wound her arms tightly around his neck, hiding
her face. "I am now."
~~~~~
"In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people in the world
Tonight...."
~~~~~
Feeling her arms around him, taking in her scent and
the warmth of her body, he knew that he had behaved
like an idiot.
Buffy loved him. If she had been dancing with her
friend...well, that was all it had been, a dance. No
matter what that boy might feel for her, she felt nothing
like it for him.
When he had glanced into his rearview mirror and saw
her running after him, he'd taken his foot off the gas. But
when she'd fallen, he'd swerved into the curb and left
the car without turning the engine off or closing the door.
Covering her soft hair with kisses, he tightened his
arms around her, hushing her sobs the way he always
did.
Only seconds later, he heard running feet and looked
up to see her friends coming towards them, Xander
in the lead, calling Buffy's name.
Although he managed to keep his face from shifting,
Spike couldn't suppress a warning growl as he held
Buffy closer.
"She's all right," he said curtly. "I've got her. You just...go
back inside. I'll take care of her."
The four kids stopped about ten feet away, looking
worried.
"Buffy?" Xander said, ignoring Spike's words. "Are you
okay?"
She nodded, without raising her head. "Yes," she
said quietly, sniffling. "You guys...go back inside. I'm
fine."
Spike turned and began to carry her towards his
car.
Xander, unwisely, tried to follow. "Wait a second! Hey...
you wait!" he demanded. "You can't just show up here
and take her like that. She fell down...she probably hit
her head."
"Xander..." Willow interjected, trying to shut him up.
But he refused to be silenced. "No, Will...he can't do
that. Just try and take her."
Spike kept walking.
"Hey!" Xander yelled. "I'm talking to you. Who the hell do
you think you are?"
Turning on him, Spike's eyes flashed with anger and
dislike. "I'm her husband!" he snapped.
~~~~~
"Just to think what I might have missed
Looking back, how did I exist?
I dreamed, still I never thought I'd come this far
But miracles come true, I know 'cause here we are"
~~~~~
Four faces turned white with shock, four mouths
gaped open.
Buffy raised her head and met William's direct
gaze. Smiling tremulously, she lowered her head to
his shoulder again, sighing deeply.
Placing another gentle kiss on her hair, he turned
and continued towards the car. As he set her down
on the passenger seat, he heard Xander say, "Did he
just say he was her husband?"
"Yeah, that's what he said," Willow replied.
There was a short pause.
"When did she get married?" Xander asked.
Spike paid no further attention to the conversation. He
closed the passenger side door and went around the
front of the car to the drivers seat.
Before he put the car into gear, he reached for
Buffy. Pulling her across the seat, he wrapped her in
his arms and kissed her, deeply and passionately.
When he felt her arms sliding around him, the
heart he thought had stopped forever, took flight.
~~~~~
"Tonight I fell in love with you
And all the things I never knew
Seemed to come to me somehow
Baby, love is here and now...there's
Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine
In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people in the world
Tonight......"
~~~~~