Title: Once Upon a Time

Author: Nebula

Rating: PG-13

Time Period: Post Chosen, AU from there

Chapter: 1 of 3

Pairing: Spike/Buffy

Summary: Three months after the Hellmouth is closed, Buffy and Dawn
find themselves in a new state.  What she doesn't expect to do is
tell a group of children her story in an attempt to forget the man
she left behind.

Disclaimer: Spike.  Xander.  Lindsey.  Me want.  Me not own.  Joss
owns.  Joss shares.  Me happy. 

NN: All words in 'these quotations' are italics.  Not sure if it'll
go through that way, so I'm notifying you now.  ~_^  Also, the poem
is a quatrain titled 'Love' by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

< --- >

  Three months.  Three months since the Hellmouth had closed for
good.  Three months since she'd left him there.  Left him in the
cavern to die.  Alone.
  Buffy shuddered, despite the sunny day.  There wasn't a day that
went by when she thought of him, and the way things had been left. 
How he must've felt those last moments, and his last words to
her.  'No you don't, but thanks for sayin' it.'
  She'd taken his hand in hers, a fire had started, and she had
breathed the words that she'd been longing to say for so long: I
love you.
  'No you don't, but thanks for sayin' it.'
  Tears stung her eyes as she stared miserably off into space.  The
group had decided to start taking on the next Hellmouth, in
Cleveland, but Buffy had had enough.  One Hellmouth had taken too
much from her, and she was damned if she was going to let it happen
again.  The others had noted that even though she wasn't there,
things could still happen, but they had let the matter go.  They'd
known that wasn't why she'd been upset.
  So here she was, in New York City, in a very large and spacious
library, waiting for Dawn to get her books.  The teen had really
gotten into her studies, and her thoughts had begun to drift towards
a future as a Watcher.  Dawn had come to enjoy her afternoons spent
at the sunlit library, and had encouraged Buffy to join her.  "It
takes your stress and worries away," the younger Summers had said.
  "Takes 'em away, huh?" Buffy snapped to herself.  It seemed that
in the large library, her thoughts bounced off the walls and came
right back at her with double force. 
  Dawn chose that moment to take a seat at her sister's table. 
Buffy raised an eyebrow at the amount of books the teen was
toting.  "Light reading?"
  Dawn rolled her eyes.  "You know, there's lots of books here for
you to read, too.  Do you know how to read?"
  Buffy glared at her sister.  "Ha, ha, I'm rolling on the floor. 
Seriously, what are all these for?"
  "We're doing a special biography on our favorite poets for extra
credit," Dawn explained, handing her sister a book.  "I haven't
chosen one yet; you might be interested in reading a few of these."
  Buffy glanced at the cover of the novel and sighed.  'So' not her
thing.  There was only one poet that she liked reading, even though
he'd never known that.  In fact, he hadn't even known that she knew
his secret hiding spot for his poems, let alone that she had read
them.  There was this crevice, see, in the crypt, to the right of
the trap door, and Spi...
   Buffy brought her train of thought to a crash stop.  How was it
that every time she thought about something, her mind brought her
right back to him?  She couldn't even THINK his name without getting
teary-eyed.
  She realized that Dawn was watching her with a hopeful gaze and
reluctantly opened the book.  She had to move on.  Let him go. 
Reading things would help her do that.  Ralph Waldo Emerson...okay,
safe to read.  Poems, writings...what kind of name was that,
anyways?  Waldo?  She almost snorted.  Waldo was a name reserved for
a book titled 'Where's Waldo?', and was to be read only when you had
a box of chocolates nearby.  She had sat down with one of those
stupid books one day, and then he'd come in, and the two had laughed
and made a bet that whoever could find Waldo in the picture first
could have a piece of chocolate, and she'd thought SHE was a
chocoholic, but Sp...
  She swallowed, closing her eyes for a few seconds.  So much for
reading.  He'd died for her to live a normal, happy life.  Not this
shell that she'd started becoming.
  "Buffy?  Is it any good?"
  Buffy glanced up at her sister and tried to smile.  "Yeah; it
talks about his poems.  Emerson's, that is."  Maybe reading
something out loud would get...'him' off her mind.  And Dawn was
really interested in this, and Buffy desperately wanted a connection
with her.  "Ooh, here's a good one; mind if I read it?"
  Dawn's face brightened.  "Read ahead, sis."
  Taking mind off him.  Not so good when the poem's titled 'Love',
but... "Love on his errand bound to go/Can swim the flood and wade
through snow/Where way is none, t'will creep and wind/And..."
  "Excuse me, Miss?"
  Buffy stopped and turned to see a young woman with a library badge
on her shirt.  Oops.  "Was I being too loud?" she whispered, as Dawn
pretended to not know her.
  "Oh, no, I was actually coming over to compliment your voice.  You
spoke clearly and profoundly; was that a poem you knew well?"
  "First time I've ever read it," Buffy said, frowning slightly. 
Sure, she'd once been told that she had a beautiful voice when she
wasn't yelling, but Spi...oh, come on!!
  Not aware of Buffy's mental wars, the woman smiled.  "I have a
favor to ask, if it's not too much trouble.  My name is Miranda, and
I help out here at the library.  You see, there's a children's book
reading every afternoon at three, but the woman who usually does so
is sick with a sore throat, and can't make it in today.  I was
wondering if, if it wasn't too much to ask, if you would, perhaps,
read to them today?"
  At Buffy's surprised look, Miranda quickly said, "There will be
someone here tomorrow, but we're a little lost for today.  All you'd
have to do is read a children's book and show them the pictures. 
Would you, please?"
  Buffy turned to Dawn, who merely shrugged.  "Sounds interesting,
and it might help you keep your mind on something other than...other
things," she finished lamely.  So her sister knew.  Great.
  Buffy turned back to Miranda and put on her best smile.  "I'd love
to."
 
  Glancing down at the book in her hand, then back at the group,
Buffy took a deep breath.  "Okay, um, hi!" 
  The kids stared at her, not making a sound.  Tough crowd.  "Um, my
name is Buffy Summers, and I'm your substitute reader for the day. 
I've been told that you guys like to hear stories, and that's what I
have for you today.  A really great story about..."  She stole a
peek at the book, then glanced back up at the kids.  "'Mr. Rabbit
and the Mole'."
  The kids looked anything but enthralled.  Buffy frowned, then
glanced inside the book.  It was a normal child's book, aimed at the
ages of four and five.  The group she was dealing with was probably
around seven or eight.
  A little girl in the back raised her hand.  Buffy nodded towards
her.  "Yes...?"
  "Susie," the little girl said.  "My name's Susie."
  "Nice to meet you, Susie.  You, uh, had a question?"
  Susie shrugged.  "Not really.  We've just heard this story before."
  "Yeah, about a million times!" a boy in the front said, earning
giggles from everyone.
  Buffy stared at him, suddenly reminded of Xander.  "What's your
name?" she asked him.
  The boy grinned.  "I'm Mike.  Susie's my sister."
  Buffy's smile grew.  "It's nice to meet you both.  Now, you guys
have heard this one already?"
  The kids nodded, looking glum.  "We've heard most of them," a dark-
skinned girl said.
  "Natalie, that's not nice," Susie reprimanded.  "The library only
has so many kid's books that we can read."
  "'Can' you guys read?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow.
  Her answer was a chorus of sheepish grins and giggles.  "I thought
so," Buffy said, chuckling.  "Well then, what can I read you and not
bore you to tears with?"
  More giggles.  "A real story," Natalie pleaded.  "Not any of these
kiddie books.  We're tired of 'em."
  "Yeah!  Find us a story with monsters!" Mike exclaimed, turning to
the group and pretending to be a monster as he growled.  The kids
merely rolled their eyes, and Buffy had to hide her grin.  Xander in
every single way.
  "And princesses!" Susie added, earning moans from the boys.
  Buffy set the books down and turned to look at the rows of
children's books.  There was no way she was going to find them a
story of a princess and monsters.  Unless...unless the story wasn't
in a book.  Suddenly she knew exactly what to tell them.
  Letting her grin broaden, Buffy turned back to the children.  "A
story with monsters and princesses, huh?"
  The kids nodded eagerly.  "Well, I think I know one.  Of course,
it's a true story, you know.  Not a story-book tale with everything
ever so happy.  And it only has one princess.  Still interested?"
  Buffy was sure that if they nodded any harder, their heads would
fall off.  "Okay.  Once upon a time, there was a world with
monsters.  Scary monsters with fangs, that would eat people.  The
people couldn't defend themselves, because they couldn't fight the
monsters on their own.  So the heavenly beings made the world a
warrior in the form of a princess.  They put hundreds of these
princesses in the world, and they put them all to sleep."
  "Like Sleeping Beauty?" a shy girl with pigtails asked.
  Buffy nodded.  "Exactly.  Each princess was put in a tower to wait
until she was awakened, and then she would fight the monsters. 
There could only be one princess at a time, though.  Our story
begins with a princess awakening, ready to help the people fight off
the va...er, monsters.  She met a few here and there, before she
learned of a city that was the heart of all evil, where the monsters
lived.  She traveled to the city, and on her way, she made a few
friends.  She bumped into a white knight, and he followed her to the
city.  Then, she met a witch in training, and the three kept on
going towards the city.  Her final friend was an old teacher, who
was wise and knew about the princesses and the monsters."
  "They all helped her?" the shy girl asked again.
  A boy snorted.  "Pipe down, Cass.  She can't finish if you keep
interrupting!"
  Natalie turned on the boy in Cass' defense.  "Oh, knock it off,
Brad!"
  Buffy cleared her throat, causing Brad and Natalie to look
sheepish.  "Sorry," they each muttered.
  Buffy nodded, smiling at Cass.  "Yes, they all helped her.  But
only they knew about the monsters and the legend of the princesses;
they couldn't let others know.  It was a secret.  So they began to
hunt down the monsters at night, and they kept the people safe.
  "One night, while she was out searching for monsters, the princess
met with a handsome young man.  He had dark hair, was very tall, and
had a beautiful smile.  The princess could feel her heart pounding
with excitement, and couldn't believe her ears when he told her that
he was a friend, and he would help her fight the monsters.  Had she
maybe found herself a prince to be with for all time?"
  "Was the princess pretty?" Mike asked, blushing.
  Buffy grinned.  "Very, very pretty.  She had long blonde hair, and
green eyes that shimmered like emeralds.  She was short, but that
didn't matter.  She may have looked small, but she could fight
better than anyone else, because the heavenly beings had granted her
special powers to help her fight off the monsters."
  While the girls in the group sighed happily at the thought of a
lovely princess, the boys grinned.  Super powers ranked up pretty
high in their books.
  "Was she like Xena?" another boy asked, causing Buffy to choke in
her attempt to stop laughing.
  "Um...sometimes, I guess she was," Buffy admitted.
  "How do you know all of this?" the boy asked suspiciously.
  "Daniel," Susie sighed, sounding exasperated.
  Buffy couldn't help laughing.  "I'm very good friends with the
princess and her fighting friends."
  Daniel nodded, lost in thought.  "Very cool."
  "Glad you approve," Buffy muttered under her breath.  Out loud,
she continued her story.  She told the children of a few problems
the group faced, and the tale of the evil monster king that was out
to kill the princess.  When the princess first kissed the handsome
man, and found out that he was indeed a monster she was to fight. 
Their getting together, even after they had discovered they were
supposed to be mortal enemies.
  Buffy was about to launch into the prophecy and tell them of her
fight with the Master when she was tapped on the shoulder.  She
turned to see Miranda smiling happily at her.
  "I've never seen the kids this happy," Miranda beamed.  "We really
appreciate you doing this for us.  And on such short notice, too."
  Buffy glanced up at the clock and with a start realized she'd been
holding the children's attention for almost forty-five
minutes.  "That was fun," she admitted.  "I was more than happy to."
  As Buffy stood to leave, the kids moaned.  "You'll be back
tomorrow, right?" Natalie asked, looking hopeful. 
  "It's a really cool story," Mike added, bouncing in his seat.
  "We wanna hear more!" Susie said, the rest of the kids nodding in
agreement.
  Miranda looked surprised.  "Wow.  You really held their
attention.  I didn't think the child's book was that great, but..."
  "Oh, I didn't read from the book," Buffy said, looking like a
child with their hand caught in the cookie jar.  "The kids said
they'd already heard that one, so I told them a fairy-tale instead."
  "That's wonderful!" Miranda said, as the kids gathered around
Buffy.
  "Please come back tomorrow," Cass said, smiling and blushing at
the same time.
  "Please?" a red-haired girl begged.
  Miranda turned to Buffy, who was smiling at the kids.  "How far
away from here do you live?"
  Buffy looked up at the woman and shrugged.  "Ten minutes, tops. 
Why?"
  Miranda smiled.  "Well, you seem to have captivated the audience
better than anyone I know of, and...well, I think the kids would
love to have you back.  That is, if you wouldn't mind?"
  Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy could see Dawn staring at her,
a grin stretching from ear to ear.  "I'll be here," she said, as the
kids cheered.



Chapter 2:

< --- >
 
  Buffy returned the next day, allowing her sister a chance to read
more books and write her paper.  The slayer had barely taken a seat
when Susie had stood and properly introduced everyone.  Buffy had
known most of their names from the previous day, but she quickly
became well acquainted with the others.  Two sisters came forward
with smiles, and gave her their names.  Kaitlin and Megan; two
freckle faced little girls.  Buffy was pretty sure their last name
would be Irish, but didn't ask.  The red hair was a dead give away. 
  An older boy gave the name of Tyler, but it was his little brother
that captured Buffy's heart.  With blonde curls, blue eyes, and an
adorable baby face, the little one had obviously been declared the
baby of the group.  Not that he seemed to mind much.  Buffy
swallowed and blinked away tears when he told her in small voice
that his name was William.  
  After everyone had been introduced, Susie had told Buffy exactly,
in the story, where she had left off the previous day.  The exact
wording had Buffy blinking in surprise.
  "Continue, please," Susie said, taking a seat on the floor.
  For a moment, Buffy was sure she was sitting in front of royalty. 
Susie definitely had princess qualities.
  Of course, that image was ruined the instant Mike stuck his tongue
out at his sister.  Susie stuck hers out right back, looking
everything like the seven year old that she was.
  Buffy rolled her eyes.  "Right.  The wise teacher found a book one
day, and it was a prophecy."
  "What's a proph'cy?" Kaitlin asked.
  "A prophecy is...like, let's say someone in the past sees
something that's going to happen in the future.  They write it down,
and it becomes a prophecy.  Something that's destined to happen."
  Megan nodded for her sister, tucking a strand of red hair behind
her own ear.
  "At any rate, the wise teacher found a prophecy, saying that the
princess would fight the evil monster king, and would die."
  The kids gasped, horrified at this notion.  "But...but..." Cass
protested, shaking her head, sending her pigtails into a flurry of
motion. 
  "That's not s'posed to happen!" Brad complained.
  "Hey, hold on a minute!" Buffy said, putting her hands up in a
sign of surrender.  "I'm telling it like it is.  It's a true story,
remember?  Anything can happen."  'And usually does,' she thought
dryly.
  The kids settled down, not looking very happy with this.  "Okay. 
The wise teacher went to the handsome monster, and told him about
the prophecy.  The two argued about it very loudly, until the
princess heard.  She went up to the door and heard that she was
doomed to die.  Frightened, the princess ran away.  She was very
young, and she didn't want to die.  She still had a mother that she
loved very much."
  "What about the prophecy?" Mike whispered.
  Buffy sighed.  "Well, the wise teacher found out that she'd heard
everything.  So he decided that he would go take on the evil monster
king.  But then, to his surprise, the princess arrived!  She had
dressed up in a beautiful white dress, and carried a bow and some
arrows in her hands.  She told the wise teacher that she would
defeat the evil monster king, and then they could all live happily
ever after."
  Smiles were seen on each of the kids' faces.  "What then?" Natalie
asked.
  "The princess found the entrance to the king's lair, and went down
to face him.  But, the evil monster king had a magic spell that he
put on the princess.  The princess found that she couldn't move! 
The evil king taunted the princess, then knocked her out.  Then, he
shoved her into a pool of water, and the princess drowned."
  Silence.  Buffy looked around at the wide eyes, feeling sorry for
them.  This wasn't exactly the happily ever after they'd been
expecting.
  William glanced up at her.  "Ith that the end?" he asked, his
bottom lip jutting out.
  "Better not be," Daniel grumbled.
  Buffy grinned.  "Well, it's not.  The princess still had her
friends, you know.  The wise teacher told the white knight and the
handsome monster what she was going to do.  While the witch in
training and the teacher went off to fight more monsters, the other
two ran down to the lair and found that the evil monster king had
vanished.  They pulled the princess from the pool, and brought her
back to life!"
  The kids cheered, earning glares from surrounding people.  Buffy
put her finger to her lips, bringing the noise down to quiet giggles.
  "And then the princess destroyed the evil king?" Mike asked with a
smirk.
  Buffy nodded.  "Oh yeah.  She kicked his butt, and she got rid of
him for good.  But, the princess didn't have long to celebrate,
because the next evil came to town."
  "Who was it?  Who?  Who?" the kids crowed, scrambling closer.
  This was the hard part.  She couldn't very well avoid talking
about him, because he played too major a role in the story.  She
could tell the story.  Yeah.  "It was a white-haired monster," Buffy
finally said.  "He was a monster, just like the handsome monster
was.  The exact same kind."
  "Was this one handsome, too?" Susie asked.
  "Oh yeah, he was really se..."  Buffy stopped, and thought for a
different word.
  "It's okay, you can say that word," Susie said, the others nodding
in agreement.  "We know what it is."
  Buffy blinked.  "Oh.  Well, um, that's okay.  He was very strong,
and very, very good looking.  But when the princess first met him,
he wanted to kill her!  So no, she didn't like him."
  "Did they argue a lot?" Daniel asked.
  Buffy nodded vigorously.  "Oh yeah, all the time."  She reached
over for her water bottle and took a sip.
  "I bet they end up together," Daniel said, the others nodding in
agreement.
  Buffy almost spit out her water.  Smart kids.  "Do they?" Cass
questioned.
  "...Uh..."
  "That's later, though, right?" Tyler said.
  "...Um...yeah."
  The children nodded, satisfied with that answer.  "Do continue,"
Susie said, waving her hand.
  Royalty again, it seemed.  "Very well.  The princess and the white
monster fought all the time, and the white monster called the
princess a lot of names.  She called him names too.  Then, one day,
something horrid happened, that changed both their lives forever.
  "You see, the white-haired monster had a beautiful monster lover,
and she had long dark hair.  She was, well, she was crazy. 
Certifiably loony.  She was also very ill, and so the white monster
brought her to the town of evil, so he could take the princess' life
force, and give it to his crazy lover.
  "Well, one day, the princess' lover, the handsome monster, lost
his goodness.  He turned into an evil monster again, and the crazy
monster fell in love with him.  The two started making a lot of
trouble in the town, and the princess was broken hearted.  She was
out walking one night, when she stumbled across the white-haired
monster."
  "I bet they get together now," Natalie whispered excitedly to
Megan.
   Buffy shook her head.  "Not exactly.  You see, he was broken
hearted, too.  He'd been with the crazy monster for over a hundred
years.  And then, one day, she'd just left him for the evil monster
the princess' love had turned into."  She frowned at the looks on
their faces.  "You guys still with me so far?"
  The kids nodded. 
  "Okay.  Anyways, the white monster told the princess about the
evil monster's plans to destroy the world!"
  The boys rolled their eyes.  "That is such an evil person thing to
do," Natalie said, agreeing with the boys.
  Buffy snorted, trying to not laugh.  "Yeah, well, it's not so good
if it's real, and not in a comic book or TV.  The white monster and
the princess struck a deal: they would help each other, and then get
back their lovers."
  "Did it work?" Cass asked timidly.
  Buffy bit her lip.  "Not exactly.  Well, it did.  For a couple of
seconds.  The white monster had told the princess that he would take
his dark beauty and leave town, if he could only get her back.  So,
he knocked her out while she was trying to help the evil monster,
and he took her away."
  "How romantic," Susie said, rolling her eyes.
  This time Buffy couldn't help laughing.  "They're monsters, what
do you expect?"
  Susie pondered this, before reluctantly agreeing.  "I suppose so."
  "Did the princess get her lover back?" Kaitlin asked.
  Buffy bit her lip again.  How to explain this?  "Well, the evil
monster's plans were to open a portal and throw one world on top of
another, therefore destroying the world.  The portal opened instead
to a very bad place, and just as it opened, the evil monster got his
goodness back.  But the portal was open; what could the princess do?"
  The kids stared, eagerly awaiting her next word.
  Buffy closed her eyes.  Though she was in love with a different
vampire now, she could still remember the pain she'd felt when she'd
realized what she had to do.  "The princess kissed the handsome
monster one last time, and then shoved him through the portal, and
closed it.  The princess was so upset that she ran away, and didn't
come back until a few months had passed."
  A throat being cleared had Buffy turning.  Dawn was trying to
subtly tell her sister that time was up.  "Is there more?" Tyler
asked.
  "Please?" the kids begged again.
  Buffy smiled.  "Don't worry, there's lots more.  I'll be back
tomorrow, I promise."
 
< --- >

  "You're doing really well with the kids," Dawn commented over
dinner.  The two sisters were eating out at a nearby restaurant,
with Dawn insisting they had to try something new in New York.
  Buffy shrugged, but blushed.  "You think so?"
  Dawn grinned.  "Definitely so.  Out of curiosity, what are you
telling them?"
  Buffy munched a little more before answering.  "My story."
  "Your st..."  Dawn stopped, staring at her sister in
horror.  "You're telling them the story of the slayer?" she hissed,
causing people to glance at them oddly.
  Buffy motioned for her to keep her voice down.  "Yes, I'm telling
them the story of me."
  Dawn shook her head.  "I don't like it.  Do you know how much
violence there is?"
  "Yeah, considering I lived through it, Dawn.  Might have some idea
as to how much violence there really is," Buffy said, sarcasm
heavily lacing her voice.
  Dawn jabbed at her salad, then turned to Buffy, her face a sad
frown.  "Have you gotten to...um...well, what I'm trying to ask
is..."
  "Have I gotten to...him yet?"
  Dawn nodded.
  Buffy sighed and reached for her drink.  "Just did this
afternoon.  I'm not telling names, so I introduced him as the white-
haired monster."
  "He was more than that," Dawn commented softly, watching her
sister's eyes fill with tears.
  "I know," Buffy said quietly.  "I know."

< --- >

  For the next week, Buffy told the kids about the adventures that
had been her life on the Hellmouth.  She told them how the princess
went into the depths of hell and rescued people.  The return home,
and the surprise she felt when she found the handsome monster, sent
back to her.  The destruction of the building over the center of
evil, and the handsome monster leaving.  The return of the white-
haired monster, and his capture. 
  When she told them how the agents caught him and rendered him
helpless, she was surprised to find that the kids were very upset
over it.  "But he's evil," she insisted.  "Wouldn't that be good, to
know that he couldn't hurt anyone anymore?"
  Mike shook his head furiously.  "That's not fair to him.  He's
still a creature, and he deserves a chance just as much as anyone
else.  Doesn't matter if he's evil or not."
  Buffy stared at him, mouth hanging open.  It was eerie how smart
these kids were.
  "What did the princess do then?" Cass asked shyly. 
  Right.  Back to the story.  "Well, the princess still didn't like
him, but she knew he needed help, so she took him in.  She found out
about how helpless he was, and it turned out, he couldn't hurt
people, but he could hurt other monsters!"
  "So he became a good guy, then!" Natalie said happily.
  Buffy cleared her throat.  "Um, yeah.  Sure."
  Tyler gave her another suspicious look.  "He didn't want to be?"
  "Are you kidding me?  He was a big, bad monster, and he was
practically forced to be a good guy!  Plus, he could only fight
other monsters.  That didn't bother him, but it bothered the other
monsters.  They called him a traitor, for killing his own kind.  So
not only did he have to be nice to the princess, but he was being
hunted down by the other monsters."
  Tyler's eyes were wide.  "Oh," was all he said.
  "But did they defeat that nasty monster that had been pieced
together?" Susie demanded.
  Buffy smiled.  "Yes, they did.  The white-haired monster started
to work for the pieced monster, to get rid of the good guys.  But he
ended up helping the good guys again, because he didn't like the
other monster.  The good guys couldn't defeat the pieced monster on
their own, though.  So the witch did a spell that combined their
powers, and channeled it through the princess, and together, they
destroyed the monster!"
  The kids clapped as softly as they could, for fear of invoking the
wrath of the library assistants.  "What happened next?" Brad asked
eagerly.
  Uh oh.  Dawn came next.  How to explain this one... "Well, when
there weren't too many monsters running around, the princess' sister
came to stay.  She had honey brown hair, and was jealous of her
older sister.  She wanted to be special, too.
  "One day, while the princess was out hunting monsters, she met up
with a blonde woman.  The blonde woman fought her, and won!  The
princess was shocked, but even more so when she found out that the
person she had fought was a god."
  The kids gasped.  "Was she invincible?" Natalie whispered.
  Buffy sighed and nodded.  "Just about, and she told the princess
that she wanted her key.  The key, you see, would take the god back
to her world, which was a hell world.  But it wasn't like a key you
use to open a door.  This key had mystical powers, and been hidden
in something or someone.  And then, the princess found the key.  Can
you guess what it was?"
  Susie's hand shot up in the air.  Buffy had been expecting that
one.  "Yes, Susie?"
  "The sister!" Susie sang out with a smile.
  The kids turned from Susie to Buffy with baited breath.  "Is it
true?" Cass asked.
  William nodded.  "Ith it true?"
  "It's true," Buffy said with a grin.  "At any rate, the princess
ended up telling her friends, and then her sister.  And then, the
white-haired monster found out.  The princess was horrified, but the
monster was actually kind.  He had taken a liking to the sister, and
said he would protect her."
  "That was nice of him," Mike commented.
  "The princess thought so, too.  So she let her sister hang out
with the white-haired monster, and then, one day, her sister told
her something.  You see, the sister had a crush on the monster, but
the monster only liked her as a friend.  His eyes were on the
beautiful princess."
  Daniel grinned.  "See?  Told you they'd end up together."
  Buffy snorted.  "Uh, not exactly.  You see, though the monster
liked the princess, the princess wasn't thrilled with the monster. 
I mean, he was good looking, yes, but he was still a monster!  He'd
done many evil things.  So the princess turned him down, and said a
lot of nasty things to him.  Things she regretted later on," she
added softly.
  How many things had she said to him, and then wished that she
hadn't?  Called him dead inside, heartless, evil, disgusting,
soulless...the list didn't end.
  "The god was furious, and desperately wanted the key.  She thought
that the white-haired monster was the key, and sent her minions to
capture him.  When she realized that he wasn't the key, but knew who
it was, she began to torture him, so he would tell her."
  Mike shook his head.  "He wouldn't do that.  No way!"
  "Well, the princess thought he would," Buffy explained.  "She was
very upset.  So she ran off to stop the monster from telling the god
that her sister was the key.  She got the monster back, and then
discovered that he really hadn't told the god.  He was very, very
hurt, but he hadn't said anything to the god.  The princess made
sure he was okay, and then gave him a kiss."  The thought of
Sp...the thought of 'him' hurt, because he'd refused to give in to
Glory, still stunned her.  Lots of things concerning him rocked her
to the core.
  Shaking herself, she turned back to the story.  "But it was no
good.  The god found out that the sister was the key, and started to
chase them.  So, the gang ran away, and then the sister was
captured!  The princess was very upset, but the monster comforted
her, and told her they would rescue her.  So they grabbed weapons
and went off to fight.
  "But they were too late.  The god had used the sister to open a
portal to the hell world.  Before she could go through, however, the
princess got rid of her, then ran up to her sister.  Something had
to be done with the portal."
  She closed her eyes, remembering with perfect clarity those last
moments.  Her sister's fearful eyes, shimmering with tears.  The
world crumbling around them.  The sky filled with light.  The roar
of demons in her ears.  The realization of what she had to do.
  "What did the princess do?" Daniel asked.
  Buffy smiled sadly.  "The only thing she could do.  She closed the
portal herself.  In doing so, she sacrificed herself to save the
world."
  The kids stared, unable to believe what they'd just been
told.  "She 'died'?" Natalie gasped.  "But that doesn't happen!!"
  Buffy rolled her eyes.  "I told you guys that this is a real
story!  It doesn't always have a happy ending.  But fortunately for
you guys, this isn't the end.  I'll be back tomorrow, and I'll tell
you more."
  The kids accepted that, and Buffy left with a smile.

 

Chapter 3:

< --- >
 
  Dawn sighed, glancing over at her sister sadly.  Buffy kept her
updated on the story these days, and Dawn had as much fun listening
to it as the kids did.  The younger Summers had the advantage of
knowing what happened next, however.
  Her sister had been coming back to life, opening up again over the
last couple of days with the story telling.  But today was the final
day of the story.  Today, Buffy told the kids how the last battle
went.  She wondered how her sister would tell them about the death
of the 'white-haired monster'. 
  However much life she'd been gaining had disappeared earlier that
morning, when Buffy had started trying to plan out the story's end. 
She'd stopped, then had burst into tears.  Once she'd regained
control of herself, she'd closed up, retreating into herself.
  With one last glance at her sister, Dawn turned back to her
books.  A figure standing over her caught her eye, and she looked
up.  Her jaw dropped at the sight in front of her.

< --- >

  "...place started to rumble.  The cave was coming down all around
them!"
  "How'd they get out?"
  "Brad, quit interrupting!  Please continue, Ms. Summers."
  Buffy smothered a grin.  "Thank you, Susie.  At any rate, the
princess began to run towards the exit, when her eyes landed on
something shining bright in the cave.  It was the white-haired
monster, but...he wasn't a monster anymore.  Standing in front of
her was a man, a hero.  A prince.  The brightness that was coming
from him was that necklace the handsome monster had given the
princess.  Its light was destroying the evilness."
  The kids leaned forward, anxiously waiting for the next part. 
Buffy bit her bottom lip.  She wasn't sure she could do this.  She'd
fallen to pieces that morning just thinking it over.  How could she
begin to explain his death to the kids?
  Taking a deep breath, Buffy continued.  "You see, he was still a
monster, technically.  So the light began to destroy him, too.  The
princess ran up to him and told him they had to get out, but he told
her to go, save herself.  He had to do this."
  Silence from the kids.  "She...she wanted him out, wanted them
both out of that cave.  He had that determined look on his face,
though, but she had to try.  So the princess told him something she
should've told him months, possibly years ago: she told him that she
loved him."
  Smiles graced the children's faces.  Finally, the princess had
come to her senses and let him know how she felt!
  "What happ'nd then, Mith Thummerth?" William asked, blue eyes wide
and demanding.
  "The princess took his hand in hers, to lead him out, and
suddenly, their hands went up in flames!  But it didn't hurt.  It
was a...a passionate flame, just for them.  She turned to him, just
as he told her..."  Buffy swallowed, and then quietly said, "H-He
told her, 'No you don't, but thanks for saying it'."
  Natalie couldn't believe her ears.  "He said that to her?  I bet
the princess was very upset, wasn't she?"
  Buffy blinked away sudden tears.  Why hadn't he believed
her?  'Why didn't you believe me, you stupid vampire?  You should be
here with me, right now.  I miss you so much...'
  "Miss Summers?  Are you okay?"
  Buffy looked up into their expecting faces, and her eyes landed on
William.  He was what she expected her precious vampire to look like
when he was young.  Or what his child might have been like.  Maybe
even hers and Spi...
  "Mith Thummerth?"
  She glanced up into William's blue eyes and burst into tears.  She
buried her head in her hands, images of the one she'd lost swirling
around in her mind.  His snarls, growls, the look on his face when
he was vamping out.  His smiles, light caresses, and the way when he
made love to her.  Gone.  For good.
  The kids hurried to surround her, giving her hugs.  Words of
comfort flowed, telling her it would be okay, and she should stop
crying, because it was just a story, after all.  It hadn't really
happened.
  Buffy wiped her eyes on her sleeve, giving the kids a watery
smile.  "Sorry," she mumbled, ushering the kids back to their
respective spots.  "Right, where was I?  Oh yeah, him telling her..."
  "That," Susie quickly finished for her.  "We remember.  It must've
really upset the princess."
  Buffy let out a strangled laugh.  "Yeah.  The princess was
devastated.  She couldn't believe that he was really telling her
that.  Then, he shoved her towards the exit, telling her to go.  To
leave him there.  S-So she began to run, up through the cave and
into the crumbling building, but it was really hard to see, you
know, because her eyes were burning with tears, and her vision was
blurred.  But she kept on running, out of the building, until she
was outside, and she was safe.  Just as she made it out of the city,
it collapsed behind her."
  Stunned faces met hers.  "What happened next?" Mike asked.
  Buffy frowned, sniffling.  "What do you mean?  That's it.  The
end."
  "WHAT?!"
  Buffy flinched as they earned stern glares from the library's
occupants.  "Well, they made it out, and the evil town was
destroyed.  They found their happily ever after."
  "Except the princess," Cass said sadly. 
  Buffy swallowed down another sob.  She couldn't lose control
again.  "Yeah, I know.  But the witch, when she woke all the
princesses up, turned into a goddess!  White hair and everything. 
Oh, and the knight got his eye back, thanks to the witch.  The wise
teacher and the princess ended up talking one day, and they made
up.  The dark princess got a very happy ending.  Remember the
sister's teacher?  Well, she ended up with him, and the last thing I
heard, there were wedding bells in the future not just for them, but
for the witch and the knight."
  "But none for the princess," Megan said. 
  Her sister nodded, before she perked up.  "Did she go back to the
handsome monster?"
  Buffy shook her head.  "No.  She realized that the only one she
ever wanted was her white hero.  And he was gone."
  The kids glanced at her sadly, as Buffy gazed down at her hands
miserably.  The group sat in silence, until it was broken by a
single voice.
  "That's not true."
  Buffy glanced up at the origin of the voice, and felt her heart
stop.  This couldn't be happening.  It wasn't...wasn't possible...
  Mike glanced up at the newcomer.  "You know the story, too?"
  The newcomer smirked.  "Should.  I was good friends with the
princess, too.  But yeah, s'not the way the story ends.  Storyteller
here just hasn't heard the longer endin', s'all."
  Buffy stared, mouth open, the kids' faces lighting up.  "Tell us,
please!"
  Susie glanced at Buffy, then at the newcomer.  "Is the rest of the
story that she's told us true?"
  With another glance at the stunned slayer, Spike nodded.  "Rest of
it's true, all right.  Right up to the endin'."
  Natalie grinned.  "I knew the white-haired monster wouldn't say
that mean thing to the princess!"
  Spike blinked.  "Uh, what thing?"
  "When the princess told the white-haired monster that she loved
him, and he told her that 'no she didn't, but thanks for saying
it'," Susie quoted.
  Buffy continued to stare.  Spike frowned slightly, glancing up at
Susie. "Um, well, he actually did say that, kitten.  Sorry."
  The kids gaped at him.  "What?!  No way!"
  "Why would he say something so horrible?" Kaitlin asked sadly.
  "Well, see, he..."
  Daniel shook his head stubbornly.  "He wouldn't say that to the
princess.  He loved her, didn't he?"
  "Yes, of course he did, but..."
  "He probably hurt the princess very much, and why would he want to
do that?" Taylor demanded.
  "He..."
  "He broke her heart," Buffy whispered, a single tear making its
way down her cheek.
  Spike gazed over at her, his heart wrenching at the look of
despair on her face.  Slowly he knelt down next to her, never taking
his eyes from hers.  "He knew that," he said gently.  "But he didn't
have a choice, pet.  Had to get the princess out.  He loved her so
very, very much, and he didn't want his resting place to be hers, as
well.  So he told her that, knowing she'd leave then."
  Buffy stared at him, before saying, "He believed her?"
  Spike nodded, smiling at her.  "I believed you, luv.  I knew," he
murmured.
  The kids hadn't heard his response, only having seen his nodding
agreement.  "What happened then?" Cass asked.
  Spike turned to the kids and stood once more.  "Well, once the
princess had left, the amu..."  Buffy shook her head,
mouthing 'necklace' to him.  "Uh, the necklace, began to burn the
white-haired monster from the inside out, until he fell to the
ground as ashes.  The necklace was magical, however, and pulled his
ashes into it.
  "Higher bein's took the necklace and sent it to the handsome
monster."  Buffy's eyes widened at that.  Angel had known?  He'd
known how much pain she'd been in, and hadn't told her?  That low-
down, self-centered, son of a...
  "The white-haired monster reappeared in front of the handsome
monster, scarin' the livin' daylights out of him."  Giggles from the
kids.  "But there was somethin' different 'bout him.  He wasn't a
white-haired monster anymore.  He was a real man."
  Buffy's eyes widened even more.  Okay, now she was really
dreaming.  He couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying,
could he?
  Spike caught a glimpse of her shocked expression and
nodded.  "S'true, luv.  True story, 'member?"
  Buffy could only nod numbly. 
  Spike gave her a worried frown, hoping she hadn't disappeared into
her mind.  He reluctantly turned back to the kids, keeping her in
the corner of his eye.  "So he searched as fast as he could for the
address of his princess.  He begged the handsome monster, who
finally gave it to him.  Quick as he could the white-haired man ran
off to find his princess."
  "Did he?" Natalie eagerly asked.
  William looked up at the new storyteller.  "Yeth, did he?"
  Spike glanced down, and couldn't help smiling at the little
one.  "He found her," he said softly.  "He finally found her."
  Megan giggled.  "I bet she was surprised!"
  "You can say that again," Buffy muttered, rubbing her forehead. 
Too much information to take in at once.
  "What then?" Daniel asked.
  Buffy looked up at Spike, and frowned slightly at the uncertain
expression on his face.  She stood, causing him to turn towards
her.  He stared at her for a few moments, before replying.  "He told
her...he told her that he was very sorry that he hurt her with his
last words.  He also told her that he loved her so much, and he was
glad to see that she was all right."
  Another step brought Buffy closer to him.  Goddess, she could
reach out and touch him if she wanted to.
  Spike swallowed but kept going.  "He told her that he wanted to
take her away.  Give her the world.  Never leave her again.  That's
what he told her."
  The kids waited anxiously for the rest, but it never came. 
Finally Brad ventured, "What did the princess do?"
  Spike continued to stare at Buffy, blue eyes burning with hope and
love.  Buffy took another step towards him.  Eyes never leaving his,
she whispered, "She lived happily ever after."
  The kids leapt up, cheering, as Buffy ran into his arms.  He was
really there.  Hands roamed, assuring each one that the other was
there.  Then, her lips crashed into his, and the kids' cheering
faded to almost nothing. 
  Buffy pulled away, her tears mingling with his.  "I thought I'd
lost you forever," she gasped, her hands tangling in his hair. 
  "Stupid poof wouldn't tell me where to find you.  Only told me
you'd gotten out, but I had to find you, luv.  I had to," Spike
said, choking back a sob.
  And that's when she felt it.  Something pulsing against her
chest.  Slowly she placed her hand over his shirt, tears spilling
from her eyes at the feel of his heartbeat.  "I love you," she
murmured, looking up at him.
  With a smile he whispered, "I love you, too."
  "Is that the end?"
  Buffy glanced down at Kaitlin and the rest of the
children.  "Yeah, that's the end," she said, clutching Spike's hands
in hers.  "The real ending this time."  She turned back to Spike,
grinning.  "Wonder if you'll freckle?"
  He laughed, pulling her towards the exit.  "Let's find out, eh?"
  "Miss Summers?"
  Buffy stopped and turned back to the kids.  "Yes, Susie?"
  "Will you come back tomorrow, and tell us the story all over
again?"
  Buffy glanced up at Spike, then back at the kids with a
smile.  "I'll be here," she replied, waving her goodbyes to the
kids.  Hand in hand she walked out of the library with Spike, Dawn
running to catch up.
  And they lived happily ever after.

THE END