Till the end of the world part 7

Buffy woke up with a start; she was alone lying on the couch. The blanket was wrapped around her tightly, and she smiled to herself. Spike climbed out of the tunnel and smiled at her. He walked over to her and handed her a cup of coffee. He put it down on the table and grabbed her. He kissed her passionately. She giggled and pushed him away playfully.

“So how did you sleep?” he asked

“Like a log.”

Spike had an effect on her that no one ever had, not even Angel. Dawn walked into the room, Spike was fully dressed, and Buffy was wearing one of Spike’s shirts. Buffy was also still in bed.

“Morning Niblit.”

Dawn looked at them curiously,

“What have you too been up too?”

Buffy smiled shyly, and blushed,

“Nothing in particular.”

Dawn screamed with excitement,

“Finally, you too definitely took your time.”

Buffy and Spike started to laugh, and Dawn joined in.

Buffy got up and put her pants on, while Spike and Dawn went downstairs too get Dawn some breakfast.

“I’m so happy for you.”

She hugged Spike,

“I knew she would come around.” He said smugly and then started to laugh.

He searched his cupboards,

“Sorry Niblit, the only thing I have is Weetabix.”

“That’s ok, I’m not actually hungry, I just wanted to talk to you alone.”

“What ya want to talk about?”

“So are you now a couple?”

Spike shrugged,

“I don’t want to jump the gun, but I guess so. But if was a one time thing then I guess I’ll have to live with it. I only want her to be happy.”

Buffy was listening from upstairs, surely he would know that they were a couple now. But she guessed she had done a lot of things like that. Led him on then dropped him. She would have to make it clear to him.

Buffy walked down the ladder and he stared at her, she was like a vision. She was wearing his tee shirt. She smiled and walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

“Well you know Spike, I think I just gave you your answer.”

She smiled up at him and he gently kissed the top of her head.

“I like your answer.” Spike beamed at her.

There came a noise from upstairs and they all stood frozen.

“Spike, where are you? Buffy’s missing.”

Spike looked at Buffy and they laughed,

“We’re down here guys.”

Buffy and Spike let go of each other,

“What are you doing here?” Willow asked

“Well, the nasties came a knockin’ last night and tried to take Dawn and me. Luckily for me, Spike’s taught Dawn how to use a sword very well.”

They all stared at her for a second,

“Spike taught Dawn to use a sword?”

“Yeah, he’s a really good teacher, he even gave me my own sword. To protect myself, incase, you know?”

They all stared at Spike,

“Well, no one can be with her all the time, just thought she should have a back up plan.”

Willow smiled at him,

“Good thing too.”

Giles shook his head,

“So the warriors of Perturbatus came back, to your own house? This is bad news.”

“Yeah, We know, they also know that Dawn and I have the same blood. That’s why were here.”

“Is that also why you’re wearing his shirt?” Xander asked skeptically,

Buffy started to laugh,

“Well, no.”

Was all she managed to say, she wasn’t quite ready for them to know yet.

No one questioned her, but deep down they all knew.

They all sat in Spike’s crypt, Willow and Tara were having their own conversation, Giles and Buffy were discussing what happened the night before (the stuff about the demons) Xander and Anya were laughing at something and Spike and Dawn were huddled in deep conversation about Xander. Dawn knew a lot about him and was keeping Spike amused with all of Xander’s passed obsessions.

“Well, we’ve come to a decision, we are gonna get them when they are all assembled, we are gonna blow them up. We just have to figure out where they are going to be when this happens.”

“Oh, on the largest and highest open space around, probably the hill by the park.” Anya said suddenly.

“How do you know?” Xander asked

“Oh, I went to watch once.”

“Yeah, it really is a big due.” Spike piped up.

“You too?”

Spike smiled slyly,

“Of course, I loved that kind of thing, back in the day of course, not now.”

Buffy laughed and smacked his arm playfully.

“Well for one thing we’re gonna need weapons, a lot of weapons.”

Buffy sighed as she set about trying to make a plan,

“Why don’t the two of you go and check to see if our house is ok?” Buffy said looking at Spike and Xander,

“The house is fine, we checked it this morning.” Replied Xander trying to get out of going anywhere with Spike,

“Well I want you to check again.” Xander sighed, and Spike and Xander marched out of the door.

“So uh, are you and Buffy a couple?”

Spike wasn’t in the least surprised that he had asked this,

“Well, yeah.”

Xander looked at him in horror,

“Are you serious?”
Spike nodded his head,

“Who knew?”

Xander thought out loud,

“Who knew what?”

Xander looked at him and smiled cruelly,

“That Buffy could stoop so low.”

Spike stopped in his tracks when he heard this,

“What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?”

Spike asked angrily,

“Well I mean you are Spike. What else can I say?”

Spike tried not to let his anger get the best of him,

“How would you know anything about me Harris?”

“You are a demon, plain and simple. You are evil and you have killed thousands of innocent people. All demons are the same. Evil and I wish I could kill every single one of them. Starting with you.”

Spike smiled slyly,

“You forget Harris, Anya used to be a demon.”

“Well Anya is human now. She has a soul.”

“Well I’m different now, I’m not evil anymore. The last time I killed someone was…just before I got this sodding chip in my head almost two years ago. I’ve changed.”

“Well you still did all those things and it not forgivable.”

“Well you forgave Anya for torturing all those innocent people.”

Xander was quiet; Spike had a good point.

“Well, you just don’t deserve Buffy, she deserves someone who cares about her, loves her and that will always be there for her.”

“Xander we both know that you know that I love her, if that makes sense. I’ll always be there for her. I lost my world when I lost her. I won’t let that happen again.”

“I know you love her, but what I can’t believe is that she loves you.”

“She doesn’t love me. She didn’t tell me that.”

“If you ever hurt her I swear I will kill you.”

Spike laughed,

“If I ever hurt her I would stake myself. But you have my full permission to kill me if I do.”

Xander looked surprised,

“I do, cool.”

They came to the house and opened the door. The inside was exactly the same as it was before.

“Well I guess we can leave now, the place is fine.”

Spike held out his hand to stop him and pressed his finger to his lips,

“There is something upstairs.”

Xander listened but couldn’t hear a thing.

Suddenly out from the darkness jumped another minion,

It landed on Xander and threw him to the floor. Spike picked up the minion and threw him to the floor. Spike helped Xander up and stood between him and the minion. The minion drew a sword and cut Spike across his chest. Spike didn’t even flinch at the pain. He grabbed the sword with his bare hand, blood ran down his arm as he swung the sword and severed the minion’s head from its body. The body slumped down on the floor and the head bounced on the floor. Xander couldn’t move, Spike was covered with his own blood, which poured out his chest and his hand,

“Told you that magic always bites you in the ass, thanks to that bloody spell, I heal as quickly.” Spike smiled at Xander. And Xander smiled

“That was pretty amazing, I mean the whole grabbing the sword thing and cutting his head off. I have to admit, you might be better than me in fighting, but there is no way you’re better in pool.”

Spike smiled, knowing he had had a lot more time to practice,

“Fine, You think you can beat me? Well I challenge you to a game.”

“I accept bleach boy. But I’m warning you I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“Well if you think that you are so wonderful, why don’t me make the stakes a little higher?”

Xander looked thoughtful,

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well a little bet.”

Xander smiled,

“Okay, if I win, I kill you, and visa versa.”

Spike smiled deviously,

“Well prepare to rest in peace. If that is possible.”

He mumbled to himself quietly.

They locked up Buffy’s house and disappeared down the road.

Spike had won one game and Xander one game, they had decided on best two out of three. Xander concentrated carefully, he hit the ball and it flew into the side and bounced off.

“Damn, stupid game.” Xander cursed

Spike grabbed his stick and hit the ball, it knocked into three others and each one sank into the pockets. Spike smiled evilly at Xander, Spike had won.

Xander bowed his head in defeat,

“Come on Xander, time to die like a man.” Spike was enjoying seeing him squirm,

Xander looked up at him,

“Lets go to the ally. It’s more humane.”

Spike and Xander walked outside and out to the Ally, it smelled there, and there was rubbish everywhere.

Xander looked at Spike and handed him a ring,

“Spike, as my last wish, I beg of you to give this to Anya, tell her that I love her.”

Spike took the ring and shoved it into his pocket,

“Okay, lets get this over and done with.”

Xander knelt down and closed his eyes and he heard Spike growl, he looked up at Spike and Spike had his vampire face on,

“I haven’t eaten for a while now, thanks for becoming lunch.”

Xander closed his eyes again feeling his eyes well up with tears,

“Give Anya the ring, promise me.”

In a low growling voice Spike answered,

“I promise.”

Xander sat and waited, waited for Spike to sink his teeth into his throat and kill him.

Suddenly he heard someone laughing, he looked up to see a huge smile on Spike’s human face,

“God you’re so bloody gullible, did you honestly think I was gonna kill ya. Really I’m touched.”

Xander stared at him and laughed,

“I did, I honestly did.”

Spike pulled Xander up by the shoulder and pulled him along as they walked away.

“I mean I know I’m a monster and everything but come on, who would I fight with and verbally abuse? Huh?”

“Thank God for small favors. So uh, why didn’t you? You hate me.”

Spike looked at him with a huge smile,

“Well there are a lot of things. Buffy would hate me. She would be in so much pain and I couldn’t live with myself knowing that I caused it. Then there’s Dawn, I couldn’t loose her. Anya would miss you and she would be destroyed, she’s a nice girl and I wouldn’t do that to her. Red well, she would kill me and I’d hate to cause her pain. Well in short everyone would miss you and I wouldn’t want to cause them any additional pain. And anyway, whose gonna play pool with me?’

Xander smiled, Spike had changed, he was as human as him.

“Thanks.”

Xander and Spike walked into Spike’s crypt to see everyone staring at them,

“Where have you been?’ Asked a worried Buffy.

“We, um… well luv it’s like this, we argued and decided to settle it for once and for all. So we went to play a pool match.”

“I send you to check on my house and you go and play pool?”

Xander cut in,

“Well we did check on your house. Killed a few nasties and then settled our differences. Sorry if you were worried about us.”

Buffy’s heart melted,

“Just don’t do it again.”

They both nodded like a couple of scolded school boys

“So what was the bet of the game, and who won?”

Spike smiled,

“I won and Xander has to buy me a drink.”

“That’s it, a drink. Gee that solves a lot.”

Xander nodded quickly,

“Well sorry for interrupting this beautiful moment but we need to get to the magic box before the sun rises.” Giles told them sternly.

They all walked out and Spike turned to Xander and threw him the ring as he walked out the crypt,

“Give it to her yourself.”

Xander and Buffy were the last to walk out,

“Why did he have your ring, what was the real bet.”

Xander shifted uncomfortably,

“Well, I kinda came up the idea that whoever won kills the other.” Buffy looked appalled,

“I thought Spike won, why are you still alive.”

Xander smiled to himself,

“Spike made me think he was and them started to laugh, he wouldn’t really kill me, he loves you and Dawn too much. And he would feel bad.”

Buffy smiled,

“Really?”

“Spike is one hell of a guy, don’t let him go.”

Buffy hugged Xander,

“Thank-you.”

Spike looked over at them talking and looked worried, what if she hated him now, what if she staked him? What if everything that they had worked so hard for was all in vain? He couldn’t live with that, he would rather die. Suddenly Dawn ran up to him and grabbed his hand, he looked down and smiled at her, her green eyes were like a deep ocean,

“Why do you look so worried?” Dawn asked sweetly.

“Oh it’s nothing lil bit, just a little after thought. How are you doin’?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you. I never had a chance to tell you that I never thought for one second that you would hurt Buffy or me when your chip was gone. I trust you more than anyone. You’re my best friend.”

He lent down and kissed her head softly,

“Thanks lil bit, that means a lot to me.”

They all walked to the Magic shop, prepared for battle.

TO BE CONTINUED…