Part One
Spike and Will entered Club 911 together, his arm possessively around her slim waist. He nodded a greeting to the bouncer as they passed, then went directly to 'their' spot at the long bar that ran the length of dance club. The vampire handed the bartender their helmets, then settled back to wait for the competition to begin.
Spike watched as the red head's eyes traveled the club, drinking in the writing bodies on the dance floor as if seeing them for the first time. In reality she was, for she was no longer focused on the pain and emptiness of her life, her only reason for coming being the competition. "Maybe we can try that sometime," he said in her ear to be heard over the pulsing music, gesturing to the dancers.
Her face, no more the expressionless mask that haunted Spike's dreams, screwed up in disgust. He chuckled, squeezing her side gently as they continued to survey the crowd. It had been more than two years since he first stepped foot inside the place, more than two years since he first laid eyes on the young woman next to him, more than two years since his protective feelings towards her had a chance to grow and change.
Her computer journal no longer only read the frightening phrase of death, instead snippets of the past days activities, a quote of something he said, or a thoughtful question was added to the entries. Her nightmares abated, leaving her to sleep peacefully throughout the night. She spoke more often as well, usually just a few sentences whispered in his ear, but it was more than Spike ever hoped to get from her.
The time came for the competition to begin and Will left his side for the stage. He watched with pride as she bested her opponent gracefully and easily, knowing that it was with him she was here, with him she was returning home, with him she bestowed her small smiles.
"Good job, Will," the bartender said, handing her a bottle of water. She nodded to him and turned to Spike, her eyes alight with happiness and something more. Puzzled, he frowned as he tried to figure out what else was in their green depths. He was shaken from his thoughts by a small, callused hand smoothing his frown lines from forehead. Will was giving him one of her smiles and he returned it with his own.
"Are you ready to go, pet?" he asked, gesturing for their helmets. She nodded and the two left the club, Spike settling behind her on the bike for the long trip home. For some odd reason, his stomach felt like it was in knots, his heart pounding in his chest, even though none of these occurrences could be real. Something was going to happen tonight, something to change his comfortable life forever.
Part Two
Spike hung up their coats and put the helmets on the shelf in the closet as he did every night. Will went down the hall, the bedroom door closing behind her without a backward glance. Confused by her behavior, he went over to the computer, hoping that her journal would shed some light on her strange actions. However, when he went to pull up the entry from the day before, he found an envelope addressed to him sitting in front of the keyboard.
If it could, his breath would have caught in his throat as he unfolded the single sheet and read her tiny, feminine script.
For you:
For all those time you stood by me
For all the truth you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful.
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through it all.
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand, I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love, I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me.
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true,
I was blessed because I was loved by you.
You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth,
My world is a better place because of you.
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith because you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me.
Thank you. For everything. For eternity.
*****
Choked up, Spike refolded the paper and returned it to the envelope. He heard a soft noise behind him and swiftly turned, eyes widening at the beautiful sight before him. Will stood in the center of the living room shyly, her hands clasped behind her as she peered at him behind her lashes. The silky material of her red, spaghetti strap nightgown fell over her curves gently, seductively. He was out of the chair in a second, standing in front of her, tilting her chin up with his fingers. The light in her eyes was nearly blinding as the mysterious emotion he saw earlier was identified. She loved him. She wanted him to love her.
With a groan, Spike pressed his lips to hers, feeling their softness as he lifted her up into his arms, carrying her down the hall to his room. Settling her back on the bed, he followed her down, running his hand over her shoulders, her arms, down the sides of her silk-clad body. He rested on his forearm and looked down at her, memorizing her flushed face, her desire laden eyes, the rise and fall of her small breasts beneath the material of the gown. She deserved to be cherished, to be shown how much she had come to mean to him, how she had touched something deep within, giving him back a bit of his soul.
Gently, tenderly, reverently he worshipped her body, bringing her wave upon wave of pleasure. When they finally joined, their bodies molded together perfectly, intimately twined as they rose towards ecstasy.
They lay facing each other still connected in the afterglow of lovemaking. As he watched the play of emotions in her eyes, Spike knew he would love her for all eternity. He opened his mouth to say so, but she stopped him with her own quiet voice. "I love you," she whispered, running her hand down the side of his face. "So very much."
"I love you, too, my little warrior," he said, leaning his head forward to kiss her gently on the lips. "I love you, too."
Epilogue
Spike stood in the cemetery in the same spot as so long ago, looking down at the worn and weathered headstone. He and Will had just returned from Europe after a half century, still very much in love with one another. He had come to the cemetery on his own, wanting to let her friends know that she was safe, happy, whole.
He looked down at the gold ring on his finger, the symbol of their unity not by church or law, but by love. As the time passed, that love grew rather than faded, intensified rather than dissipated, brought peace to their immortal souls. For Spike knew that his soul was Will, and he was hers. Together they embraced life, embraced love…