Chapter 21, Infinity


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One moment she was looking at Whistler’s face and the next she was in a foggy white room, pillars you would expect to see in Rome and a man and woman dressed in togas. A man and a woman whose looks shouted ATTITUDE. All important, god like, yada, yada, yada.

The woman spoke first. “What gives you the right to demand an audience with us?”

Buffy put her hands on her hips, adopting her own arrogant stance. “Oh, let me think. How about I am your most successful and longest lived slayer.”

Mr. Stern Face shook his head. “If you have come about your wish…”

“Aaaannn, wrong answer. Actually the way the wish turned out is fine with me. Yeah, who’d a thought? But I’m here to renegotiate my chosen one contract.”

“What contract? There is no such contract.”

‘Gotcha,’ Buffy thought. “Exactly. I just did the slaying gig with no payment. And I don’t mean money. So if you want me to go on saving the world from going to hell in a hand basket, we need to work out some terms.”

“What gives you the right to demand payment from us?”

“Is that all you can say?” Buffy adopted her best falsetto. “What gives you the right to demand…blah, blah…”
Switching back to her own major league attitude, Buffy continued. “Besides, you gotta be joking. Oh, my bad. You two don’t look like you even know what a joke is. And the right? I think saving the world all those times and killing so many big bads gives me the right. Namely, the Master, twice if you count his resurrection I broke up. Angelus, I even sent Angel to hell to take out Acatha. The Mayor, Adam, Glory and my personal hatred, the First Evil. I think that gives me the right to bargain. If you want your MVP back playing for the team, there’s going to be some give and take on both sides. And did I mention that you had to give a guarantee like in writing that you other worldly types can’t welch on.”

******************

Six days later, Spike is standing at his window overlooking the cemetery, watching it come to life as the sun rose. Squirrels, birds, and other animals moving around the dew covered grass, trees, and leaves. He had been looking out at the same scene most of the time lately. Getting up from bed, throwing on a pair of silk pajama bottoms, and standing at the window, not seeing the tableau outside but going through his memories over and over. He stood for hours before having a shower and some blood before going to work. That’s what he did. There was one other thing that took up most of his day. He waited for Whistler’s visit to take away his memories.

The first couple of nights, he hadn’t been able to sleep, he could smell her on the bed, all over the room, and just tossed and turned. The next he finally fell asleep on the couch. And last two nights, he worked through the nights and was so exhausted at dawn that he could fall asleep in his bed again. But after his job the night before, he got home early, around 3 AM, fell asleep but woke back up at dawn.
When he wasn’t lost in his memories, his thoughts were going round and around in circles. He cursed himself for setting himself up for this fall. He knew that he should not have ever any contact with Beth. He hadn’t made the first contact, but he should have made sure that it was the last. Then he would think that he hadn’t set himself up for a fall but for a blessing. Blessed that she had a little jog of memory so that she walked into that music store that fateful day. Then his thought continued on its circle. He rejoiced in that he had the opportunity to love both Buffy and Beth. At first he had seen them as opposite but that wasn’t true. He knew Buffy with glimpses of Beth, and Beth with glimpses of the slayer. But he had lost her for the second time in his existence. Lost her again, and she lost her ideal life. That brought him back again to cursing himself for setting himself up for that fall and also for setting Buffy up for her fall back to the dark side of life.

Still looking out the window, he was stunned by an intense flash of white light, bright enough that he took a step back and was briefly blinded. Since the flash was sudden and unexpected, it took him a few seconds to figure out the origin of the light. His first thought was that it was from outside, assuming it was a bolt of lightening. But no, the sky was clear and rain wasn’t even forecasted for the rest of the week. So if not outside that only left that the flash had come from within his loft. Spike spun on his heels, instinctually taking up a defensive stance. Not given the time to consider possible sources inside for such a light, the last thing he expected to see was Buffy standing on the coffee table, wobbling precariously on her feet. The stun caused hesitation so as he lunged, she fell onto the sofa before he could reach her. When he did make it to Buffy, he helped her up into a sitting position on the sofa and took a seat on the coffee table facing her. Her closed legs were between his spread ones, but they weren’t touching, much to Buffy’s chagrin.

Buffy shook the pieces of paper she was holding at the ceiling. “You did that on purpose. A penguin with one wing would land better than that.” Then she tilted her head back down to look at Spike. Her smile lit up the room. “Hi.”

Spike’s only reply was to blink a few times as if trying to focus his eyes.

“Earth calling Spike. Hellloooo.”

“Hello,” Spike replied but lapsed back into staring. He didn’t even have a guess on what was going on. All he knew for sure was that Buffy was sitting in front of him, and she was holding two sheets of paper.

“Ok, one word. Simple, concise. I can work with that.” She reached out and grabbed one of his hands and pulled him towards her until they were almost nose to nose. “Hi.” And she tilted her head to kiss him on the lips and then pulling back a few inches so she could see him better. She laid her hand on the side of his face. “I’m sorry.”

His brows drew together as he moved further back away from her until he was sitting up straight. “For what?”

“Oh, we’re up to two words.” Buffy teased as she pulled him back near her. “Come back here. I’m sorry for running away from you in the cemetery. You would think I was on Sunnydale’s track team as many times as you’ve seen me run away from you. I’ve got to admit last night was pretty overwhelming, but regardless, I don’t want to run away anymore. The Buffy track season is officially over.”

“Six nights.”

“Huh?” Well, she hadn’t been expecting those two words.

“You’ve been gone six nights.” Spike was having a very hard time figuring out what the bloody hell was going on. For now, he would just stick to being freaked that she was there.

“Aaahh. Five words this time. Definite improvement. And six nights? Again, huh? It felt like the same night for me.” When Spike looked even more freaked out, she decided to take mercy on him and start explaining. “I guess I will do the talking. But first…” She leaned forward to kiss him again and was happy to feel some participation this time. When she pulled back to look into his face, he was smiling a small smile and she teased, “I knew I could get a smile.”

Hearing the words he had said to her so long ago in Sunnydale finally shook him out of his daze. “Buffy…you remember…Beth? Buffy memories?”

“Yes to both. I have Buffy memories and Beth memories all mixy in here.” She point to her head. “Confusing but good. I remember being the slayer, and I remember being a normal girl, too. And before I go any further, relax. I’m glad that I remembered my true past, and I’m glad I remember the new life I was given. I was happy I got to know you, all the parts of you that I had refused to see before. But, even without the soul, you’re a very strange and loveable vampire.” She shook herself trying to get serious. “Ok, back to the story. I ran from you; I ran to my car and drove off. I know no shock there. Before I could even start the engine, Whistler was sitting in the passenger seat. He talked…I listened…I got mad…I demanded to see the Powers That Be, myself. And boom, I was there.”

“You actually talked to them?” Spike couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“More like I yelled at them. They copped an attitude, but I turned out to be the bigger bitch.” Spike opened his mouth to comment, but Buffy waved him off. “But wait, let me get to the good part, which was when we started the negotiations. Can you believe it? Buffy the negotiation girl.” Buffy abruptly stood up. “Do you have something to drink? I haven’t had anything to drink for six days.” She made a Beth like giggle at her own joke.

When she started to head for the kitchen, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back down on the sofa. “Negotiations with the Power That Be? For what?” How could he actually understand less than before.

“I made an educated guess that they wanted me back on the job. Why else would they let me even talk to them? As Whistler said, ‘the Powers That Be are leaving it up to you to decide what you want to do about slaying’ Yeah, right! They were probably celebrating when my memory came back completely.”

“Buffy, you know I didn’t try to…”

She laid her finger tips against his lips. “I know you didn’t. I know you tried to protect me from remembering. It was me that kept pushing, which Whistler not so gently pointed out. By the way, where the DeSoto?”

“In storage.”

“What about the duster?”

“With the car.”

“I knew you kept them,” she said as she gave him a cocky grin but was not able to keep her mind on track when touching him. So she stood up and started walking around the room. “Ok, back to explaining about the contract the way the lower being wanted.”

That word “contract” made him start to worry. Contract with higher beings were rarely worked out well for the lower beings.

“As I thought, they want me back fighting the good fight, but they can’t make me. What, through the council which is back again in this reality? I had already quit the council before it was blown up and the Hellmouth in Sunnydale closed. I won’t work for them again. So we made a deal, but there had to be some ground work first. Mom, Dawn, and Tara stay alive. Ms. Calendar is added back to this world and stays that way. I couldn’t believe I pulled that one off for Giles. I know that make things a little wonky, but that’s the PTB’s problem, not mine, and they didn’t look too worried. All the Scoobies will have both sets of memories just like you and me. Little tricky with Dawn’s fake memories but again, they can deal. But I am forgetting the best part; you get to keep your memories of your years in Sunnydale even though I lost my wish from contact with you. Whistler said that with no memory of me or Sunnydale, you would go back to Drusilla. So not happening letting her have you back.”

“Ok, on to the more give and take stuff. On their side, they will start creating new slayers like they did before the fight with the first evil. On my part, I will help train any new slayers, and then will consult on some important occasions. Second, I would help out with any major hot spots of demon activity that may develop. But they have to be uber major. But, and a very important but, I would have a life outside of slaying. Slaying would be just on the side now.”

Buffy hesitated for a second. Even though he knew that Spike was happy about mom, Dawn and Tara, she knew from his tense posture that he wasn’t too happy with the contract so far. Unfortunately, he would most likely go ballistic on the next one. “Next. In exchange for the slaying stuff, the contract is good for an infinite amount of time.” Yes, she was right she thought as he did explode, shooting to his feet. She bet he came up so fast that he actually left the ground for a second.

“What do you mean infinite?” His shouting could probably be heard on the first floor.

Buffy yelled right back. “Shut up and let me finish.”

He was pissed but kept his mouth shut with the muscles in his jaw bulging, and he started pacing. Two signs that he would hear her out but wasn’t happy about it. “Now the rest of the contract gets a little dicey.”

“Slayer, don’t push me. How dicey is dicey?”

“I…uh…maybe you should sit down.”

Spike growled. “Not gonna happen.”

“Ok, geez. See I…it’s like this…ah, hell, I did some bargaining for you, too. Hope that’s ok, but I think they wanted you back also.”

He didn’t look too freaked out…yet. “You have to help train slayers, consult, and help with hot spots along with me.”

Spike grinned for only the second time since she had arrived. “Luv, you didn’t have to negotiate that for me. I will go anywhere you go anyway.”

“Whew, good. I thought that might be your answer, but I wasn’t 100% sure. One down. Now this one, promise me that you will listen to all of it before you say anything. In other words, don’t go all ballistic before I am finished. Now promise.”

“Slayer, I know I will regret this, but I promise.”

“Thanks. You remember the infinite part of the contract, right? Well, it applies to you, too. Not the immortal part which you already have, but that forever fighting and helping slayers thing.”

Now that didn’t go over as well as Spike instantly grasped the implication. “So since you are human, and I am a vampire, I have to go on fighting their fight after you are dead? Well, you can just tell them to go fuck themselves, long and slow. When you die, I go to dust, praying, no pleading to be wherever you are in the afterlife. There is no bleedin’ way it will be like last time when you died. I won’t go on without you.”

After she had returned from the dead the last time, she had thought as much even though he had never said it. Buffy paused a few seconds so he could calm down. “You promised, you hard headed big mouth. I’m still not finished. I guessed that you thought about my death that way so I didn’t argue the infinite clause when they said it meant that they would make me immortal.”

“Immortal? Like vampires immortal?”

“Yep, like you immortal. Did you get hit on your head while I was upstairs? I decided I like this life thing after all. No more death wish for me and no more expiration date for this slayer. See, there was a certain man who will go unnamed but I will say he gets a little fangy sometimes. He helped me get through that year after I was pulled out of heaven, we were on the outs for a little while, then that same vampire came back and gave me the strength to fight the First Evil and win. Last of all, when my reality changed, he showed me how much fun life can be. Did I mention that one of the things I love best about him is, that he may go away sometimes, but he always came back into my life someway or another.”

Spike smiled hopefully. She used the word love describing him. Buffy not Beth this time.

“But immortal, luv? You don’t know what you are getting into.”

“Dense much? Let’s see. Who do I know that is immortal that I would want to be with? Clem? No. Angel? Ok, that was a bad joke. Sorry. I want to be immortal to be like you, to stay with you because I love you. That’s all I care about.” She raised her hand signaling him to stop as he started to come after her with one of those leers promising the delights he would do with his hands when they touch her. “Let me finish before you decide how happy you are with the deal because the contract still requires your signature.” She closed the distance until she was barely beyond his reach. “Infinity? I also wanted you to be with me. Always.”

“You know I want that, too, Slayer. Now at first I thought the whole Buffy eternity thing was bad news, but now after reading the subtitles, where’s the bloody dilemma?”

“Not a problem really. But...” Buffy could tell that Spike was no longer listening to her.

“Someone is here.” Spike paused and listened intently. “I hear a heartbeat, and it’s not yours, slayer.”

“Maybe someone downstairs didn’t stay dead.”

The joke zoomed right in one ear and out of the other. Spike was all business. “Too close for that. No, he is on this floor.”

TBC

Changing into game face, bringing his demon forward to use his enhanced senses, Spike started searching the loft for an intruder. He threw Buffy a look, and his sarcasm told her exactly what the look meant. “Don’t help or anything, slayer.”

“Ok. Why should I? You’re my hero.” That earned her a growl.

Spike could hear the steady beat so close, very close. He tossed the entertainment room, including looking behind the television. Next he was in the library, looking high and low, including opening his refrigerator and searching inside. It had to be a demon that had snuck in, and that demon could be any size. Bloody hell, it could even be a human for all he knew. To make things worse, he couldn’t even smell the blighter. Spike more than suspected that this whoever was connected to Buffy’s return, and if it was hiding, that was never good.

Spike moved onto the kitchen and the guest bath off of the kitchen. No cabinet door was left unopened so he had to duck all the upper doors as he moved around. Amused, Buffy watched as he headed for his bedroom, and she followed, settling herself to stand in the doorway.

Spike talked to her without even looking up. “He’s close. I can hear it beating faster. Scaring the sneaky bugger.”

Buffy tilted her head so she could better enjoy the view of his ass up in the air as he looked under the bed. “Yum…uh…How close?”

Spike checked the bed from all three sides that were exposed and then pulled the headboard forward so he could see behind. “Close. My ears are ringing with the thumping. Tha thump, tha thump. And with one good thump, and I am gonna get the tosser.”

Bed done, drawers in the dresser done, and closets done. All that was left in the bedroom was Spike’s frustration. Buffy raised her eyebrows when Spike rushed past into the bathroom. She wanted to laugh when he checked the shower. The all clear glass shower. As with the other rooms, he began with the cabinets, behind every towel.

The final cabinet he checked was below the sink. Still checking everything possible and ridiculous, he looked behind the mirror mounted on the wall before crouching down to open the cabinet…then shot straight back up. What he saw had him doing a one-eighty. Finding nothing there, he turned back to the mirror again and then looked behind him again.

She had never seen him so rattled. Buffy finally took pity on him by grabbing hold of his shoulders and holding him still, facing the mirror. “Spike meet…well…uh…meet Spike.”

Once his shoulders were released, he moved to the right and watched the vampire in the move the same way. He faced back forward and so did the image.

“Hey, dazed guy. I said Spike meet Spike.”

“It can’t be me. This must be some sick joke. Vampires don’t have a reflection. You had better not be behind this daft prank, Summers.” Then it sunk in that even if there were a vampire in his bathroom, he wouldn’t see him in the mirror.

When she saw his face shift from disbelief to wonder, which is hard to tell when he was in game face, she thought he was ready to move on. “Ok, let’s try this. Lose the game face.” Spike’s demonic face melted away. “Ok, Spike meet William.” Buffy looked between the reflection and the real man. “Thought you two might need to be reintroduced.”

She gave Spike a minute to explore his reflection. Game face. Human. Game face. Human. Buffy took in his confusion. “What’s wrong? I like you better without the game face, don’t you?” When he didn’t answer, the light bulb in her head turned on, “You don’t recognize yourself, do you?”

Spike didn’t reply, but he did recognize his reflection with blue eyes, angular face, and sharp cheekbones. And the hair. It had been brown the last time he had seen it over a hundred years ago, but it was the face of William. Buffy smiled when she saw him inspecting his hair. “Don’t ever tease me about dying my hair, mega bleach blonde.”

After changing his face back and forth several more times, he looked over to her. “I haven’t seen myself for well over a century, and never in game face.” He shifted again and brought his hand up to feel the wrinkles and fangs, seeing them for the first time. “I guess I would get the wiggins, too, if it were my first time to see this.”

“Got the whole reflection gig down?” With his eyebrows meeting from the tone of her voice, Spike looked at her suspiciously. She just smiled and laid her hand on his chest above his heart. “Haven’t you figured out where the second heart beat is coming from? Let me give you a hint. We are the only two in this apartment…”

Now Spike could hear its location, which was in his chest under Buffy’s hand. The steady beat. His blood rushing in his veins. How had he missed it earlier.

She laughed. “The Powers That Be said that it would take awhile for you to shift over to human. Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to tell you before your heart started. This is sorta like what happened with Angel, that Shansu thingy, but with a twist I thought you would like. You’re still immortal but human now. I thought you might want some humanity to go with that soul of yours. But you still keep the plusses of the vampire such as enhanced strength, enhanced hearing, enhanced site, blah, blah, blah, but none of the negatives like needing to drink blood and frying in the sun.”

“Wha…What? How? What?” Spike couldn’t take his eyes off of the mirror.

“That is the last part of the deal I made with the Powers That Be. Like I said earlier, they want you to fight for the good side, infinitely. So I insisted that you be turned human.” Buffy was a little unsure here. “Sorry. Wasn’t like I could ask you first. Hope that was ok with you.” Buffy shrugged. “So how did I do for my first contract negotiation?”

He turned his head and just stared for a moment before grabbing her hand, pulled her along behind him, detouring to grab a pen and finally stopping at the sofa. Picking up the papers, he signed both copies beneath Buffy’s signature, and one suddenly disappeared leaving only their copy.

Smiling, Buffy stepped up and hugged him around the waist. “So what do you want to do first? Shag or sunshine?”

“You’re always my first choice.” He placed his hands on either side of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. “But all this is a bit much. I think I need to sit down first.” Which he did. Not bothering to find a seat, Spike sank to the floor with a thud and put up with her laughter at his expense.

*****

As they had many months ago, the pair sat in the cemetery next to the mortuary enjoying the day and being with each other. Unlike when they had their first kiss as William and Beth, this time Buffy and Spike lay in the grass. Beth lay on her side and Spike lay on his back, working on his tan. The NASA’s robots on Mars could probably see the light reflecting off of his white skin.

Buffy’s fingers were busy meticulously freeing every little hair, every curl on Spike’s head from the restraining mousse. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

Spike smiled. “I love you, too.”

“Have I told you enough yet?”

“No.”

Buffy gave a stage sigh. “When *is* enough?”

“Six years, eight months and fourteen days of you saying you love me.” He reached over and patted her leg. “And then you start over, pet. That’s when it’s enough.”

“Oh….I love you.” Her voice conveyed obedience along with laughter, and she then enjoyed his chuckle. With a mischievous grin, she now worked at the curls standing up as much as possible. Spike should “love” that. Contrary to her playfulness, she had a more serious talk of love in mind. “You thought I would stop loving you if I got my memories back, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t think; I knew you would…Ow!” Spike reached up and grabbed his scalp, massaging the poorly used roots.

“That makes me mad, but I don’t know if I should be mad because you didn’t believe in me or that I was so shallow before in Sunnydale to make you think that way?” Buffy paused while still playing with his blonde locks. “I think it is “yes” in both cases.”

Pleased by her insight, Spike was hesitant to ask and ruin this time of tranquility, but his curiosity won out. Surely nothing he would ask or she could say could spoil this chance at a future together. Knock on wood. Damn, he couldn’t reach a tree. “Do you regret how we came to be at this point, Buffy?”

Alarm bells went off in her head at the use of her name instead of one of Spike’s various nicknames. Definitely not Spike like. However, no need for him to worry. “No, actually I’m happy to have fought the First Evil and then was granted a new life, one where everyone important to me is alive again. Dawn is back, Willow got Tara back, Xander and Anya are happy again, and if they get as far as a ceremony, we are nailing Xander to his spot in front of the preacher. And most of all for me, I got mom back.” Buffy squirmed around until they were nose to nose. “I thought my new life would be like I had always dreamed it would be. A Barbie and Ken type dream life, but when I got my memories back, this life turned out way better. Barbie can hit the bricks. Before in Sunnydale, I had gotten wrapped up in being the Chosen One and forgot to live. Beth helped me find the love for life again.” Buffy stroked his cheek. “Another bonus was that I got to learn to love you without any bias or labels. Just William and Beth. Goodness all around.” She leaned and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. “What about you? How do you like this life?”

“Me? Seeing your mum and Dawn again was one of the happiest moments in my unlife, even if the Bit scared me into a second death.”

Buffy jerked herself up into a sitting position. “Wait. What about seeing me again? Remember me here!”

“You bloody well weren’t a good sight. More like a waking nightmare. As much as I wanted you back, you seeing me was like you seeing your past, which meant you would lose your wish, and that was something I never wanted.”

“Well, my wish is still intact just with a little fixy here and there. But this way? More better.”

“So, slayer, what next?”

“Ya know, one of the things I look forward to is training the slayer trainees. I want to lengthen their life spans. And crazy me, I look forward to some slayage.”

“Doesn’t surprise me, slayer. And you know me, I look forward to a spot of violence myself, but you, missy, remember that you take this big bad with you. According to the Powers That Be contract, we get to choose the when, and we choose the where. And I do mean “we.” All I want is to be wherever you are.”

“Good because that’s where you will be for eternity if I can help it.”

“We’ll make it happen, luv.” He gathered her up in his arms with one hand cupping the back of her head. When their lips met, his tongue swept into her mouth. This time Spike was just as out of breathe as she was when they finally pulled back.

Buffy settled back down against him. “Do you enjoy your job? I mean being a skip tracer.”

“Actually, it has been a great gig.” Spike didn’t know what to make of her change of the conversation.

“Good. I think I will, too. This whole skip tracing sounds like something I would like. Wow, I could get paid for using all these slayery skills.” She rolled him so that she had him pinned to the ground. “Would you be interested in a partner?”

“What are you going on about, you daft bint? Don’t think that there is much call for bounty hunters in Sunnydale unless a demon skips bail.”

“No, I meant here in Sacramento. Your home is my home sort of thing. I meant that I want to be your partner wherever you are. So do you want a partner?” She didn’t even bother letting him answer. She knew him so well now that she could see the answer in the face. “Of course, you do. Now, next question. Wonder where my car is?”

*****

Two Days Later

Everyone was at the beach, and Spike didn’t think life, not unlife, but life couldn’t get any better. Buffy had picked the beach for the Scoobie meeting so that Spike could enjoy the waves and sand in the light of the sun instead of the light of the moon. He had mentioned that he hadn’t even been to the beach back before he had been turned. So Buffy deemed him beach deprived and made this location a must. Besides basking in the sun, Spike was happy with his company. More importantly, the company was happy with him. The Scoobies finally accepted him. Life was good

One of the other parts of the day for Buffy and Spike was hearing what everyone had to say about now having two sets of memories and/or how the new reality had turned out.

When Dawn had pulled back from hugging Spike, she said, “You’re all warm. You’re still a freak.” All was said with a smile for a dear friend. Life was good.

Giles had Jenny with him. Buffy smiled when she noticed that Giles never let go of her hand. When she said something about it, he shook his head. “This is all so very hard to understand. She was killed, I saw her body, but now she was not killed. I lost her, but she is here. Whatever happened or will happen, I’m not letting go.” He turned to kiss Jenny and then looked back at Buffy. “Another problem is how in the world to write these alternate realities in my watcher’s journal.”

“Can’t help you there, Giles. Buffy and long writing are so not mixy.” Buffy wasn’t sure they even heard her since they were lip locked again. Life was good.

Xander had immediately come up to Spike and made him promise that he could go out on some more of Spike’s jobs. Spike readily agreed and was relieved that none of the animosity between them had returned with the old memories. Life was good.

As usual, Anya was outspoken. “You, Xander Harris, are not going to leave me at the alter this time. I am going to have Buffy *and* Spike hold you in place in front to the preacher until you say “I do” and even then…” Life was good.

Willow and Tara were much like Giles and Jenny in that they kept physical contact at all times. They now both remembered Tara being shot by Warren, but now she was alive. After they thanked Buffy for her wish that had made it possible for Tara to come back, they were too choked up to talk. Instead, they walked off and waded in the surf. Life was good.

Last was Joyce. Since the problem of handling both sets of memories was proving difficult for her, Buffy had talked to her in private. Joyce had been hit hard by the guilt of dieing and leaving her daughters in the first reality. With Buffy’s prodding, they worked through her guilt and into the joy that she was with her daughters now. Many tears were shed, but then many hugs of joy were shared. When Joyce left Buffy, she went straight over to Dawn and hugged her. She gave a teary eyed laugh when Dawn started complaining. “Oh, mom. There’re guys around…” Life was good.

Buffy went over to Spike and sat down with him in the sand. “See, the wish and the loss of the wish still worked out for the best. Emotions galore, but they’re so happy.”

“And so are we, pet.” Spike wrapped his arm around his love, and Buffy tucked her head against his shoulder. “Can I really hold the whelp to the spot for his wedding? I have this hold in mind where you put your arm around his neck…”

“Ha, ha. You didn’t see how devastated Anya was that day, so as far as I’m concerned, yep, hold him and I’ll help you, just no choke holds.” She paused before continuing. “We’re partners, aren’t we?”

His arm tightened around her shoulders. “That we are, kitten.”

“Actually I think I like the idea of a permanent partnership. Sounds better.” Buffy wiggled to find the exactly right spot against his side.

Spike smiled as he kissed the top of her head. “Me. You. Permanently together sounds like the heavenly choir singing.”

“In fact, Dawn had the best idea.” Holding her breath, Buffy waited to see if he would catch on, and if so, what he would say.

With his heart pounding, Spike turned her so that he could see her face. “If you mean permanent partners as in marriage, I wanted to tell you yes that night in the car when you brought it up. So it’s yes now. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be early and stay late. No whelp here, luv.”

“I thought that was what you would say.” Tears were swimming in her eyes.

Spike caught one with his finger that escaped down her cheek. “You know, Nibblet is going to claim the credit.”

Her nod sent more tears coursing down her cheeks. “That’s ok. In a way, she should have credit. She did mention it first.”

“No need for tears, luv. I love you. I will always love you and will always be with you.”

“I love you, too.” Buffy wiped the rest of her tears away and gave him a watery smile. “One more thing.”

Spike kissed both of her eye lids. “Anything.”

“Since you’re all warm and humanly now…”

“Yes?” His lips were slowly making their way down her face, heading for her lips.

Her question came out a whisper. “How do you feel about babies?”

Spike’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. “Maybe my heart shouldn’t pound so hard.”

Life was good.

Dana