Series: Lovers Times Two
Author: Jerri Cocke lochnoir@yahoo.com
Summary: Willow and Spike are moving on
The blonde looked stunned. She rose to her knees and looked around.
"What, exactly, do you mean by `welcome home'?" she said.
"I mean you aren't from an alternate dimension. You're the Buffy that was born, lived and died in this one. We buried you, and now, you're home. I don't know how, but you're my best friend, back from the grave."
Giles broke the stunned silence by vigorously cleaning his glasses. Xander gaped, only breaking his stare when Anya slipped under his arm.
Dawn took one small step forward, but for the emotionally battered girl, it was a huge one. Her eyes focused on the sister she'd loved and lost. "Willow, are you sure?" Her voice faltered but those who knew and loved her could hear the hope.
"Yes, Dawnie, I'm sure. This is the Buffy who went off that tower and gave you hell for borrowing her clothes without asking." The tiny redhead slumped back against her lover, her master, too exhausted to feel the tension in his arms. Arms that continued to support her.
Spike nuzzled the women in his arms. He could smell his mark on her. She was his, but he still had the love in his unbeating heart for the Slayer. Willow was his, he owned her, but he loved the Slayer. Could he ever love Willow like he loved her? He had threatened to stake Dru, his own black princess, for Buffy. Would he have done it for Willow? He didn't know, but he did know that he'd claimed Willow as his mate after the Slayer's return.
His reverie was broken as Dawn rushed forward, throwing her arms around the big sister she had back. "Buffy, I can't believe it. You're really you. You're back. Oh, Buffy, I missed you so much."
"Dawn, I'm okay," Buffy laughed. "Dawn, please, breathing is all good and I need to breathe. You're strangling me." The Slayer hugged her sister, but Spike could see the troubled look in her eyes. While he ached for her, he resolved she would never know about the feelings buried deep in his heart. He owed Willow everything he was, and the big bad was not a welsher, never had been, never would be. Bloody hell, he really wanted, no needed, to bite someone.
"So, Slayer, want to patrol with the Big Bad tonight?" Spike hugged his witch tightly to him, smiling as he felt her flinch at the pressure he put on her bruises. "After all, the nasties didn't stop just `cause you died."
"And that just sounds so wrong." Xander looked at his returned friend. "Welcome back, Buffster. Nice to have you home again."
"Yes Buffy, welcome home." Anya smiled brightly, "So, do you know where you were, and . . ."
"And more importantly, Buffy have you any idea how you came to return to this plane of existence?" The watcher leaned against the wall, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "I'm delighted that you've returned to us, but your return asks more questions than it answers."
"I don't remember much; in fact, I remember falling, then waking up, shocked to find myself alone. After a few minutes, I was sure I'd been transferred to an alternate dimension. It seemed like the only explanation." Her arms tightened briefly around Dawn, than she led her sister to the somewhat ratty couch. "Did I really die? Here, I mean."
"Yes Buffy, you were really dead." Giles spoke, quietly. "There was a body. We buried it next to your mother. To the best of my knowledge that body is still in that grave." Giles again began to clean his glasses. "There is much to learn, and it will take some time for you to reintegrate into the group. In the meantime, I would prefer you to have Spike with you when you patrol."
"Spike! But he can bite now. Why are you all so... so... he could kill one of us."
"Yeah, like I'd bite you Slayer." The vampire sprang to his feet. "Don't you get it Bitchy? I'm not gonna bite you, you'd leave a bad taste in my mouth. I can restrain myself from biting you, unless of course you keep flapping your jaw. Then I might have to bite you just to shut you up." He was tall enough to tower over Buffy and took advantage of every inch of his height. "Listen up pet, I would stake myself before I'd let anyone or anything harm Willow or Dawn. That includes you, by the way. Now, do you want to patrol or do you want to sit here and be a regular pain in the arse?"
Willow looked at Buffy from her seat on the floor. She extended one hand towards Spike, smiling at him when he turned from the blonde to help her to her feet. "Buffy, I'm so glad to have you home. I don't understand how or why, but you're back. That means a lot to me, but you've got to get over this suspicion of Spike. You were gone for months and Spike was always there for all of us. He helped us all, in one-way or another. He kept Dawn and I safe at all costs. One night there was an attempted mugging. Not a demon or a vamp, just a really evil human. Spike hurt himself when he saved us. He stopped the mugger but he was in serious pain. I've seen him make sacrifices to keep Dawnie and I safe. That matters more than you can know. I'll throw in the unhappy fact that you weren't here."
"Willow, that … "
"I know, it wasn't your fault, there was nothing that could be done about it and there is no blame over it. But, Spike was here and he has been so wonderful. He can be trusted, take my word for it. I'm in a position to know."
"I'm going to reserve judgement on that, but yeah, Spike, we can patrol. I'm sure there's something that needs killed out there and I'm in the mood to do the killing." The blonde's face was set resolutely. "Let's go kill something other than each other?"
"Works for me Slayer. I could use a decent spot of violence." The peroxide-blond vampire wrapped his muscular arms around the small witch, kissing her passionately before swinging around and striding out of the room.
"Spike, be careful. Buffy, you be careful too. We only just got you back and we don't want to lose you."
##
A warm rich laugh erupted from the vampire as he flung himself into the battle with enthusiasm. As he body checked a large purple demon the Slayer kicked a surprised vampire in the face. The vampire stumbled back into a low grave marker, falling onto his back. One cat-like movement later, the lithe blonde woman sat on his chest as she drove a wooden stake through his heart. She got up, dusting ash from her clothes and leaned back against a large monument. She observed Spike's battle with interest. She'd seen him be so gentle with Dawn and Willow. Now he was vicious and unrelenting, driving the demon back with well-timed punches and kicks. It amused her when she realized that his fighting style was so similar to her own. Though howling demons couldn't make her admit that to him.
"Spike, stop playing with him and just kill him please? I want to spend time with Dawn, let her know she's important to me."
Spike pounced onto the tomb and grabbed the demons head; twisting it and breaking it's neck. The demon collapsed and turned into a puddle of purple goo. He shook his head and looked at the Slayer with a mixture of pride and disgust. "Alright, Slayer, we can head home. You're right; you need to reconnect with the Nibblet. She needs you more than you know."
The enemies walked away from the scene of their battle in perfect accord. Both of them were aware that it was a purely temporary state of affairs. Sooner or later, they would see just who had the biggest wrinklies.