Date: Started and Finished February 2003

Author: Anya

Rating: PG-13 (if that)

Disclaimer: You know what? I don’t own anything but the idea of this story. I copyright it right here and now. Everything else, you know, characters, scenes, housing, or what have you, they all belong to Joss and Mutant Inc. Want my idea? You have to bribe me first. J Which I know you wont. ;)

Thanks: To Sophie, for being my inspiration. Thanks to you, I’m writing again. I lost my muse (or, as I call it, my moose) and you made me find it again. Thanks so much! If none of you have read her stories, you really should! She’s great! J Thanks Again! ;)

Archive: Anywhere is good. Just email me and tell me where so I can go and look at it every now and again and wonder what I was on when I wrote the story. Oh! And it may or may not be on my site (Buffy page of course!) http://angelfire.com/me4/anyaswebpage 

Warning: The only reason I’m sending this out is because of Sophie. She cried, kicked and screamed for me to send it. I warn you know, this story is bad. VERY bad. HORRABLY bad. EXTREAMLY bad. IF YOU HATE BAD FAN FICTION, T.U.R.N. B.A.C.K. N.O.W.!!!

You have been warned! Read at your own risk!

Feedback: Is like chocolate moose. Send to: MIScully@cox.net or, you know, just hit reply. That works too. ;) Now, be a good little demon and go read!

After The Rain

As she ran down the soaked streets through the storm, she wished she could get to her house sooner. She was gone no more then an hour when the storm came out of nowhere. While she was at the butchers the clouds rolled in, when she left the grocery store it had begun to drizzle and now, she was one block from her home and there was a thunderstorm. As she approached her house the door to her kitchen swung open like it had expected her and she ran inside. She turned to see who had opened the door for her.

“Spike,” Buffy said sounding shocked to see him.

“Hi Buffy,” Spike greeted her.

Buffy looked Spike over. He was warring his usual black tee shirt and black jeans with his jean jacket. Spike was going out.

“Where are you going?” Buffy asked.

“I thought I’d go out. Get away from all the lil’ girls for a while.”

“Where?”

“The Bronze, probably.”

“Oh,” Buffy thought for a moment. “You can’t go out tonight.” She said while placing her bag on the counter.

“Why not?” Spike questioned her.

“Because,” Buffy said walking over to him and shutting the door all the while trying to think of an excuse. “It’s pouring out. You could drown.”

Spike gave Buffy a look that told her that he didn’t believe her. “Buffy, Vampire, remember? I wont drown in the rain. In fact, if I happen to fall unconscious in a puddle, I promise you, I wont drown.” Spike turned to head towards the door.

“But,” Buff said quickly causing him to turn towards her again. “I brought you dinner.” Buffy pulled out two bags of blood she bought from the butchers.

“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.” Spike told her and headed for the door again.

Buffy ran in front of the door to block Spike from leaving. “But,” she started to say and quickly realized that she didn’t have anything else to say. Spike stood up as straight as he could and folded his arms over his chest waiting for her next excuse.

“Yes?” Spike said when Buffy didn’t continue.

“You just can’t go out.” She replied.

“And why not?” Spike asked starting to get annoyed.

“Just… Because.” Was all Buffy could come up with.

Spike sighed, frustrated. “Buffy, why can’t I go out? It’s just a little bit of rain.”

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out tonight.”

“You got other plans for me then?”

“Yes,” Buffy said a little to quickly. “Yes I do.”

“And what could that be?” Spike asked now curious.

“It’s a surprise.” Buffy said in her most seductive voice and walking into the living room with confidence in her step.

“Oh no,” Spike said under his breath, then turned towards the direction Buffy had walked and said a little louder, “The last time you said that I ended up washing the floor on my hands and knees with my shirt off. I’m not doing that again.”

Buffy chuckled at the memory of tricking Spike into washing her living room and kitchen floors with his shirt off. “Good times.” Buffy thought to herself and said to Spike, “Don’t worry. I promise you’ll like this one better.”

“No washing involved?” Spike asked suspiciously.

“No washing of any kind involved.” Buffy confirmed.

“Alright,” Spike said and followed Buffy into the living room.

(**)(**)(**)

Two and a half hours later Buffy and Spike were lying on Buffy’s bed watching the credits roll from the movie.

“That was… a nice movie.” Spike said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” Buffy agreed.

“What’s it called again?” Spike asked, turning to look at Buffy.

“Return To Me,” Buffy said looking back at him.

“I don’t understand why she had to die.” Spike said sounding a little upset and had a pouting look on his face.

Buffy chuckled at the look on his face. “If she didn’t die, then there wouldn’t have been a movie.”

“They could have just said she was dead and went with that.”

“True, but then we wouldn’t understand about the heart transplant.”

“Hmmm…” Was Spikes only reply.

Buffy suddenly felt an urge come over her body, and going agenst the protest her mind threw at her, she leaned over and kissed Spike. It took Spike a moment to register what was happening and kissed Buffy back. When they parted Buffy and Spike just stared at each other for a few minutes before the silence was broken by Buffy.

“You’re really cute when you do that.”

Spike smiled at her, but the smile slowly faded.

“Buffy,” Spike started but was interrupted by the finger Buffy placed to his mouth.

“Don’t.” She said to him. “Can we just have this? Just you and me and the beautiful movie? Just, the kiss?”

“We could,” Spike said, “But we both know better then that. We know what will happen.”

Spike got up off her bed and proceeded out her door and down the stairs making sure to steer clear of the many sleeping SIT’s on the floor. He opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch. The rain has stopped, but the clouds remained in the sky.

Everything was wet, but peaceful outside. Only recently did Spike learn to like nights like this. “Must have something to do with the soul,” he thought.

A few minutes after Spike arrived out on the porch, Buffy joined him. “The rain stopped.” She said keeping her voice low as she stepped up beside Spike.

“Yeah, guess I wont drown now.” Spike joked.

Buffy smiled at the joke, but the smile was gone as soon as it had arrived. She realized then that she has to tell him the truth. She had to tell him now before this moment was over. Before her chance was over. She had to tell him before it was too late.

“Spike, I have to tell you something. I know, you probably don’t want to hear it, and it’s probably way to late, but I have to say it.”

“What is it?” Spike asked turning towards her.

“I…” Buffy stopped and looked down at her feet as if she were ashamed of herself.

Spike gently lifted Buffy’s chin to look at him. “What is it, Buffy?”

Buffy looked as if she was going to cry and it broke Spikes heart. He hated seeing her struggle like that. “What would she have to say to me that would make her cry?” Spike thought to himself.

“I love you.” Buffy said, a tear falling from her eyes. Spike gently whipped it away with his thumb. “I don’t know how or why,” Buffy continued, “I just know that somewhere along the line, I fell in love with you. I…”

Buffy didn’t get a chance to finish what it was she was going to say. Spike had stopped her from talking by kissing her, passionately. A beat passed before Buffy kissed Spike back and deepened the kiss, thankful that he wasn’t at all angry at her for telling him now, when it could be to late. Spike thought that Buffy would never tell him that she loved him, and was just thankful that she told him, even if it was just this once, she had told him. It was all he needed to hear.

In side the house, Kennedy had woken up and gone into the kitchen for some water. When she looked out on the porch, what she saw made her instantly alert. Buffy and Spike were on the porch, and kissing passionately.

“I knew it! I knew something was going on between them!” She said under her breath. “Wait until I tell Willow,” She thought. “I have to tell her now. She’s going to freak.”

As quietly as she could, Kennedy ran up stairs to Willow’s room to tell her what she had just witnessed.

THE END