Chapter 67:

Chapter 68:

Gunn was out on the porch when Fred found him. Quietly she closed the door behind her, letting him know she was there. “Guess we gotta talk, huh?” he said.

Fred sighed and took a seat next to him. “I suppose so. I've been told it's probably the best thing to do.”

Gunn turned, giving her a rueful grin. “You too?”

She nodded. “They're a good bunch. I see why Cordy likes them so much. They're really there for each other, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, turning to glance out at the back yard again. They sat next to each other in silence, neither wanting to start the conversation.

Fred didn't want to start it mainly because she knew what she had to say. She just didn't want to. “Charles...I, um...”

“I love you,” he said simply. Fred felt her throat close up at the tenderness she heard. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough to do this.

But then they'd keep going like this. They hadn't slept in the same room for over a month now. Their last night together had been one of silence, and they'd turned away from each other, keeping to themselves.

“I love you, too,” she replied honestly. “I really do.” And she did, too. She hadn't known that she could love someone like she loved Charles.

“You're not in love with me, though. Are you?”

The last two words came out more like a statement then question. What startled her the most, however, was the special word. The 'in' word. Like Buffy had mentioned.

“No, I'm not,” Fred admitted softly. Gunn gave a short nod and said nothing. “I really thought I was, though,” she continued, wanting to fill the silence. “I wasn't playing you, Charles. And I think I really WAS in love with you at one point. I'm just...not, anymore.”

Gunn chuckled then, causing her to jump at the unexpected noise. “I'm not the only one, then,” he said, and Fred visibly sagged in relief.

“You mean you...”

Gunn shook his head. “No. I was gonna explain...well, basically what you said, but you beat me to it. That's why I started out sayin' what I did, because I do still love you. I wanted you to know. But I don't think it's fair to keep goin' like this.”

“Me neither,” Fred agreed. “I'm sure you've got someone else on your mind.”

“And you don't?” he said, giving her a look. Fred smiled sheepishly.

“I do,” she said quietly. “I just...I didn't want to say anything because I know you and him...”

Gunn snorted. “We'll get over it. English and I used to be good on the same things. Bet we still are. We just let the whole Connor thing rip us apart. All of us.”

“So...we can still talk to each other, right? I didn't lose that?” she asked.

He glanced at her then, and Fred watched his smile light up his eyes. She loved how he could do that. Wesley used to do that too, but not so much anymore. She'd help him remember how to smile like that again. “Yeah,” Gunn said finally. “You didn't lose anything.”

Fred returned the smile, before glancing out at the back yard. It was a nice back yard, she had to admit. Very well taken care of. Though, out of the corner of her eye, she could see one patch of paint on the wall of the house that didn't match the rest of it. Like someone had patched over a hole. Huh.

“Wonder what Buffy'll do when she finds out about Connor,” Fred said.

Gunn snickered. “I'll buy tickets to THAT show.”

“Okay, here's the deal,” Buffy said, making sure she had everyone's attention before continuing. “We haven't been able to deal with the newly opened seal yet, and as a result, I want everyone in the same place. No separate living spaces, like motels or stuff. Everyone here, where I know you'll be safe.”

Molly tentatively raised her hand. “Um, how are we going to fit everyone? Doesn't seem likely.”

It didn't seem likely to Buffy either, but she wanted to know where everyone was. This was the best way to do so. “We'll find a way,” she said. “We always do. We'll just have to pair or triple up, that's all.”

Charlie shot her hand up into the air. “Can I sleep in the bathroom? That way I know I'll have it first thing in the morning.”

Everyone's laughter increased when Rona yelled, “That's cheating!” Buffy shook her head. If they'd learn patience, they could all be in and out in a reasonable time.

Gunn and Fred came back in then, and Buffy noted the smiles on their faces. Good; they'd worked things out, then. Wesley was pretending not to notice them, and Buffy couldn't help smiling at the almost pout he was trying to hide. He'd been so serious ever since he'd shown up; it was good to see that the goofy Watcher she'd known was still in there somewhere.

Buffy cleared her throat, bringing order back into the room. “Here's how it's going to go for the arrangements, and no, no one's taking the bathroom,” she said dryly. “The boys can take the basement; there should be enough room for you all down there. Spike and Xander are exempt, since I can pair them up with others.” Xander threw her a dirty look but didn't seem to mind; Spike threw her a look that had her thinking dirty thoughts.

He'd figure it out soon enough that dirty thoughts weren't going to formulate into dirty happenings. “Dawn, you'll be with me and Spike,” she said, and sure enough, Spike's leer disappeared. Dawn rolled her eyes.

“Kennedy, Willow and Tara have offered for you to share their room with them, leaving space on the floor for the others,” Buffy continued. Kennedy's face lit up in an instant grin, and she waggled her eyebrows at the girls. Willow's face turned pink, and Tara rolled her eyes. The rolling of the eyes was becoming a pattern.

Faith waved her hand slightly. “I'll take Robin,” she said. Robin glanced over at her, and the two shared a grin.

“Not much sleep goin' on with them,” Spike said, leaning over to whisper in Buffy's ear. Buffy gave him a warning punch in the arm.

“Anya, Xander, you guys can stay together, and you can keep a couple of the girls in the room, if you don't mind,” Buffy continued, while Spike rubbed his 'sore' arm. “Who wants to...”

Jennifer and Jillian raised their hands immediately. Xander gave her a sheepish grin, and Anya merely shrugged. “Okay, that's settled,” Buffy said after few moments. “Everyone else, just head over to where you usually are.”

The group broke up, and Dawn came over to give her sister and Spike a look. “Hope I'm still welcome with you guys, considering I'm probably going to be disrupting your 'fun',” she said sarcastically, her grin belying her tone.

Buffy pretended to look affronted as she climbed the stairs. “We don't have 'fun' all the time, and especially not every night.”

“More's the pity,” Spike muttered.

Dawn and Buffy both gave him looks. Spike laughed and grabbed them both when they'd reached the top. “Seriously, though, I don't mind,” he said softly. “Haven't had my family together in too long.”

“I agree,” Buffy said, glancing up at him. She knew something had happened at the church, but so far Spike had been reluctant to share any details with her, other than to tell her that she wasn't going anywhere. He also made sure he did everything that could be done for her: got her a cup of coffee, made her breakfast, rubbed her feet...

It wasn't that she didn't mind the star treatment. She just wanted to know what had gone on before she'd gotten to him. She knew he was upset about her getting hurt, but there was something else going on she wasn't aware of.

“To bed?” she asked, breaking out of her thoughts.

Spike smiled. “To bed.”

Kennedy sighed and leaned back on the bed. She was situated to Willow's left, who was in turn situated to Tara's left. She was finally going to sleeping with the two cutest females she'd ever come across.

And there were going to be others in the room preventing anything she wanted to do.

“Guess I'm not really going to be involved in any sort of threesome,” she said, pouting. She had full rights to.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Willow and Tara exchange a grin. The red-head turned to her then, smirking. “What do you call what we're doing now?” she asked.

Kennedy rolled her eyes but began to smirk. Hey, at least she'd gotten to the bed.

Faith was thinking similar thoughts downstairs. Her sleeping bag had been placed next to Robin's, the two of them squished together in the corner. Not that she minded the closeness, but considering how close she really wanted to get...it wasn't close enough, to put it simply.

Robin came in then, taking a seat next to her on the sleeping bags. “How many girls do you figure we've got in here?” he asked, glancing around the dining room.

Faith shrugged. “Rona, Megan, Cassie, Amanda, to name a few. There's about seven sleeping bags in here besides ours. Why?”

Robin grinned. “They'll take forever to get ready,” he said, before leaning forward and kissing her, taking her completely by surprise. His lips were soft and gentle as they teased her, begging for entrance. It was sensual, but at the same time, so incredibly tender. She'd hadn't known that kisses could be so sweet, so full of...

The pounding of girls coming down the stairs caused them to part. Faith slowly opened her eyes, shaken from just that single kiss. “I'm intending on finishing that later,” Robin whispered before pulling away.

Slowly Faith began to smile. The whole relationship thing had some serious benefits.

Chapter 69:

2:07. They'd performed a time spell at 2:07 in the morning. Just like then, Xander couldn't sleep. It wasn't for as good a reason this time, though.

The place around his left eye throbbed in pain, and he sighed. Everyone had been careful around him, telling him to keep someone company, to just sit down and talk about how to do things, to help make lunch...he knew what they were doing. They were trying to make him feel better. They were helping him accept the fact that this was permanent damage.

There's still a chance, a tiny voice whispered inside of him, but he shrugged the thought away. There was little to no chance, from what the doctor had told him. He could get lucky, he supposed, but until then, he had to get used to the vision. It was a little difficult, and he kept walking into walls.

“Xanner?”

Xander glanced at the clock again. 2:09. “Yeah, Jilly?” he whispered back.

“Are you 'wake?”

Despite himself, Xander began to smile. “No, I'm still asleep. That's why I'm talking to you right now.”

There was a muffled giggle beside the bed, and then Jillian's little head popped out from underneath her blankets. She glanced up at him and gave him a big grin, which he couldn't help but return. “What are you doing up?” he asked her softly.

Jillian began to answer, but had to stop from a huge yawn. She shook herself, her little curls bouncing as she did so. She was so adorable, and Xander hoped if he ever had a daughter one day, she'd be like her. “Sissy kept kicking me,” Jillian explained. “Couldn't sleep. 'Sides, there's a kitty in the house!”

Her grin widened at that, and Xander almost rolled his eye. All the girls were in awe of the little kitten. Buffy had ended up finding a bed, and all the women, his wife included, had sat around and watched the little thing play with toys and get ready for bed.

He frowned, having caught on to the first thing Jillian had said. “She kept kicking you?” he asked.

Jillian nodded. “I thinkeded she was 'aving a bad dream. She didn't look happy.”

“That's because you're keeping her awake,” Jennifer grumbled from next to her sister. “Go to sleep.”

“Xander too,” Anya mumbled. “It's too early for talking.”

“How come?” Jillian asked.

Anya began to answer, then stopped, frowning as she thought it over. “Because people are still asleep,” she finally said.

“And some are trying to sleep, Jilly. Go to bed!” Jennifer pleaded.

Jillian rolled her eyes, and Xander chuckled under his breath. “What got her up?” Anya whispered to him.

Xander shrugged. “She said Jennifer was kicking her. I think she was having a bad dream.”

“I was not!” Jennifer protested, sitting up. Even in the dark, Xander could make out her face, tinged pink with embarrassment. So much like Buffy, trying to be strong for everyone. “You don't have 'bad dreams' after you're ten years old.”

Anya sighed. “Oh please. I still have nightmares. Everyone does. I hate the ones with the bunnies covering me. All that fur and...and hopping around, and twitchy little noses...” She shuddered.

Jennifer blinked. “You're afraid of...bunnies?” she finally said.

Anya stared at her incredulously. “And you're not?”

“No! Why would I be?” Jennifer asked. The corner of her lips was turning upward into a tiny smile, however.

“They're bunnies!” Anya exploded as quietly as she could. “I mean, they've got dotty eyes and they move so fast and they jump so high...”

Xander couldn't think of a time when Anya had really, truly tried to explain her fear of bunnies. She hated talking about the little fluff balls, period. The mere mention of them caused her to shiver. Which meant that she was doing this for Jennifer's sake.

He couldn't begin to list ways that showed how much he loved this woman.

As Anya continued to rant, Jillian laughed and stuck both her hands over her mouth to keep it quiet. Jennifer was biting her lip hard enough to almost draw blood in her attempt to not laugh, and her tiny smile had turned into a huge grin.

“Do you see why they're so dangerous now?” Anya asked, gazing at the two girls. Jillian and Jennifer nodded, losing the battle in trying to keep straight faces.

“Good. Then go to bed,” she said, laying back down and curling up next to Xander. He smiled, gently caressing her bare arm with his fingers. Let Caleb take his eye. Caleb could've had them both if he'd wanted, so long as Anya got out okay. That was all that mattered.

“This floor's harderer than a rock,” Jillian grumbled, earning a shush from her sister. “Can I sleeped with you guys?”

“Jillian...” Jennifer said with a sigh.

Xander smiled. “What do you think, Ahn?”

“Just don't bring bunnies,” she mumbled, but he caught her giving a tiny smile out of the corner of his eye.

Jillian gave a happy squeal and scurried out of her bed and into theirs. She scooted between Xander and Anya, before glancing over at her sister, frowning. “Aren't you gonna come up, too?”

“Aren't you?” Xander asked, before Jennifer had time to argue.

Anya scooted over, placing a soft kiss to Xander's brow before doing so. “Really?” Jennifer asked softly.

Xander nodded. “Really. Get up here.”

She didn't need to be told twice. In a flash she was up and into the bed, pushing herself in between Anya and Jillian. “M'comfier now,” Jillian declared, before yawning again.

“Me too,” Xander agreed, watching Jennifer's smile broaden before he closed his eye.

Buffy awoke slowly and found herself pressed against Spike. Very closely pressed. His blue eyes were already on her, trailing over her face and body, as if memorizing each part of her. “Morning,” she said softly.

Spike smiled, then winced as Dawn jumped on top of him. “Morning!” she said cheerfully. “I'm gonna go get some clothes for today. Kinda cool, though: I got to sleep in. No school ROCKS!” She scampered out, leaving Spike to deal with the elbow-size dent left in her wake.

“Poor baby,” Buffy cooed, running her hand over his 'injury'. Spike scowled at her, and she laughed, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. “Let's try that again: Good morning.”

Spike grinned and pulled her back to him, his lips open and begging for entrance. She consented and let him in, feeling his tongue gently playing with hers before pulling away. “Good morning,” he agreed.

Dawn came back in then, no clothes in hand. She had a huge grin on her face, though. “You guys have to come see this,” she said.

Buffy frowned. “See what?” Spike asked.

Willow and Tara glanced in behind Dawn. “Do you have the camera?” Willow asked. “This is a Kodak moment. Seriously.”

Buffy exchanged a look with Spike, then sighed and rolled out of bed. “All right, lead the way,” she said, allowing herself to be dragged from her warm bed. Spike grumbled but followed, and the group made their way down to the doorway of Dawn's room. Buffy rubbed the last traces of sleep from her eyes and peered in, and was suddenly very glad she'd gotten up.

Sometime in the middle of the night, they'd rearranged their sleeping habits. Jillian was sleeping soundly next to Xander and Jennifer, who was in turn right up against Anya. The four were all tucked in on Dawn's bed, cuddled together and looking very much like a Kodak moment.

Like a family.

Buffy turned to Spike and found a huge smile on his face. “Bloody adorable,” he whispered, pulling her close. Buffy hummed her agreement, laying her head on his chest. They were cute, and if Willow didn't find that camera before they woke up, she was going to be mad.

“Here,” Willow whispered, scooting in with the camera. Several other girls had gathered around, each making 'aww' sounds as they looked in on the four sleepers. Willow made sure she set it to no flash, and clicked two pictures, just to make sure. The inhabitants thankfully didn't wake.

“C'mon, let's get breakfast going,” Tara said softly, pulling Willow away. Buffy noticed that they slowly pulled their bedroom door closed on their way downstairs, and then realized Kennedy wasn't up yet. Another cute little 'family' that had sprung up during the past few weeks.

“Breakfast sounds good,” Buffy agreed, gently tugging Spike away. When she headed down to join them, Spike briefly held her back, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her for a few seconds. Before Buffy could ask, he'd released her, giving her a small smile and heading down.

She was definitely asking what was going on with the star treatment. She followed after, and watched as Spike snagged a chair for himself and her, moving them closer together. She watched him set up her plate so it would be all ready and waiting for her with her favorite things. When he pulled out a glass and made sure she had her favorite juice as well, Buffy couldn't stand it anymore. He'd done it yesterday, and he was doing it again. Something was up.

He'd just set everything down when she grasped his wrist. He glanced at her, smiling. “Hungry?” he asked, sitting down. Her hand kept him standing, however, and his smile turned upside down. “Buffy?”

“Hungry for answers,” she replied, pulling him towards the basement. Everyone was up (excepting the several upstairs) and Buffy quickly headed down, making sure not to let go of Spike. It wouldn't have mattered: Spike was holding on to her as well.

When they reached the bottom, Buffy turned to him, hands on her hips. “Okay buster: splainy. Now.”

“Explain what?” he asked.

Buffy sighed and pointed upstairs. “That! The whole breakfast thing. You did it yesterday, you did it today, and it wasn't just breakfast. You did it for lunch and for dinner yesterday. And other little things that are sweet, yeah, but I'm starting to worry. I'm getting the Hollywood treatment, and I can't think of what I did to get it.”

Buffy watched in surprise as a fear flickered in his eyes, then disappeared. What was going on? “Just...just worried 'bout you. That's all,” he said, reaching up to caress her neck. She could still feel the raw skin from the rope, and placed her hand over his.

“I know you are,” she said softly. “But what Caleb did to me will heal. You know that. I know that. There's something else you're not telling me. What happened back there, Spike?”

Spike sighed, dropping his hand and his head. “When you were brought in, the First came down to tell us,” he said quietly. Buffy had to strain to hear him. “Took your form. Said you'd come...come for Dawn, the others. But me, you...you said you'd made a deal with the First. To let the others go. Gave me over.”

Buffy's jaw dropped. Before she could say anything, Spike continued. “It said when you were in LA, you realized somethin'. That you didn't want to have to keep fightin' monsters. You wanted a normal life and a house with six kids and hamsters. You couldn't do that if you kept goin' with me. You'd always be...be tired and having to push yourself to full limits, to keep fighting and keep going.” His William accent and voice broke off, and Buffy could see he was trying to keep his tears back.

“Sweetheart, no,” she whispered, stepping forward and pulling him into her arms. Spike clutched at her, arms shaking slightly. Why hadn't he said anything? He'd let this eat at him for days, and she'd thought it was just about her being injured. She was an idiot.

“You listen to me,” she said firmly. “I didn't do any realizing of the sort in LA, besides that I shouldn't wear heels when I run. You were the reason I stopped pushing myself to an early death. You helped me, baby. You kept me safe, kept me healthy, wouldn't take no for an answer.

“And the normal life?” She closed her eyes, imagining it. Two story house with a huge staircase for sledding down, a chandelier above it for swinging on. Big doorways and rooms for tag and water gun fights. Outside there'd be a huge yard with a fence to keep the little ones in and the bad guys out. She'd paint it purple. And there'd be cats all over the place.

And the only person she could see sharing that with her was him. It was always him.

“You're the reason I want it so much,” she said, pulling back to look at him. His tears were gone, and they exchanged smiles. “I'm not raising six kids by myself, you know,” she teased. “I'll need more than Slayer strength to do that.”

He laughed, and she watched the last traces of stress disappear. “Love you so bloody much,” he said, placing a kiss on top of her head.

“Love you too,” she said, before sniffing the air. “You know, I have this really bad feeling that my breakfast won't be there anymore.”

Spike shook his head as they ascended. “Don't worry 'bout it: I'll flash some fang, get someone to give you some sort of food.”

“My hero.”

Chapter 70:

He could do this. Right. Wasn't that hard. I mean, if Spike could do it, then he could too. He used to be good at this. Wouldn't be too hard to pick it up again. I mean, it was just Cordelia, right?

Angel groaned and placed his head into his hands. Spike had always been better at talking to women then he had. And Cordelia was someone he really didn't want to mess this up with. He figured he had one chance to get this right.

Buffy, Faith, and a few of the other girls had headed out to look for the place the scythe had come from. They wanted to know more about it. Buffy had said something about a tug leading her to it, and that had started the researchers. He wondered himself, but there was an able-bodied crew of at least five people downstairs looking it up now. Fred and Wesley were among them, and earlier that day, Angel had even seen the man smile. An honest, genuine smile at something Fred had said. It made Angel miss his friend.

“You about done broodin'?”

Angel glared at Spike, who was leaning in the doorway. “I don't brood,” he said, knowing full well that he did. From the look on Spike's face, he did too.

Spike sighed, and a few moments later the bed shifted from his weight. “What's on your mind, Peaches?”

“How'd you do it?”

Spike glanced over at him, honestly puzzled. “What?”

“The soul. How did you do it?”

“Oh, that,” Spike said, leaning back on his elbows. “Went down to Africa, saw a demon. Passed a few nasty trials, then got what I wanted. Simple as that.”

“It's not going anywhere?” Angel pressed.

Slowly Spike began to frown. “What does it...”

“It's anchored in for good?” Angel demanded.

Spike gazed at him for a few moments, before nodding. “Yeah. For good.” His voice was soft, and Angel was surprised to see genuine worry in the other vampire's eyes. For him.

“What's goin' on?” Spike finally asked.

Angel said nothing, turning his gaze back to the carpet. He'd retreated to Buffy's room with permission from the concerned Slayer, saying he just needed time to think. He could smell Spike and Buffy's scents mingling in here to become one powerful one. It wasn't a bitter scent: it was sweet and gentle on his senses.

“Angel?”

Spike really WAS worried: he'd used Angel's real name. “You and Buffy can be happy, then,” he said softly.

Spike tensed up next to him. “Listen, mate, I thought Buffy and you had gone over this in LA. She still cares about you, but her and me, we're good. And I'd rather see myself staked before seein' her hurt.”

“I want that with me and Cordy,” he said, ignoring Spike's nervous reply.

“Oh,” Spike said, sounding relieved. Then, “Oh,” as Spike finally got it. “You mean you're...”

Angel nodded. “And I can't do anything about it.”

“She know?”

Angel snorted, shaking his head. “Maybe. Not enough. What's the point if I can't give her anything? I thought I'd never have a chance, but...but yours is anchored. Maybe I could have that done, too.”

“Trials are nasty buggers,” Spike warned him. “Rip you up mentally and physically.”

“I don't care,” Angel said. “As soon as the apocalypse is over, I'll head out. Then...then I'll let Cordy know I love her.”

“You love me?”

Angel's head whipped to the doorway. Cordelia stood, illuminated by the hallway light. Her mouth hung open slightly, her eyes wide as she stared at him. For once, it didn't look like Cordelia had something to say.

Silently Spike rose and headed out. “I'll give you the address later,” he said, then ducked around Cordelia and headed downstairs. Of course: the one time Angel didn't want him to leave, and what did he do? Leave.

Step by step Cordelia inched her way into the room. “Did you...I mean, I knew you liked me, but...love? You actually love me?”

“Well, yeah,” Angel said, standing. He fidgeted with his hands, then stuck them in his pockets. “I do.”

“Then why didn't you say something?” she asked, bewildered.

Angel sighed. “It's just...when could I, Cordy? The whole Connor thing, which I get to explain to Buffy sometime soon, threw everyone for a loop. Then you disappeared, and I...I thought you were dead,” he whispered. “Then you were back, but weren't still, and then when I finally did get you back, we only had the short time there before we got pulled into the Beast and then this. And that's not even touching on the reasons why I shouldn't have told you. It's not anchored in, and what's the point of being in love with someone if you can't be happy with them?”

“We don't have to have sex,” Cordelia said bluntly.

Angel rolled his eyes, but Cordelia was already nodding. “I know, there's more than one way to achieve happiness,” she said with a sigh. “But seriously, can you be that dense?” She stepped over to him, glaring up at him. Then with her sharp nail, she poked him in the middle of his chest.

“Ow!”

“Serves you right,” she said. “You should've said something. Did it occur to you that maybe I'd like to say it back?”

Angel paused, staring down at the frustrated woman. He began to smile. “You...”

“Yes, doofus. I love you, too,” she said, before she smiled back. She was so beautiful when she did that. The way she got excited over a sale at her favorite store. The way she smirked when Lorne made the coffee after Gunn had tried and failed. The laughter in her eyes when he walked in covered in demon slime. The way she didn't hurt anymore from those damnable visions. So beautiful, and so his now. She loved him. She really, truly, loved...

“OW! Cordy!”

“Quit being so happy,” she said, heading out of the room. “Not until the soul's anchored.”

Angel rubbed his sore arm, but couldn't help the small smile that lingered. Yup, she loved him.

Wesley was, more than anything, seriously confounded.

When he'd offered to help Willow research, he hadn't expected Fred to raise her arm and join his group. Especially since Gunn had opted for going with the other group for back-up. She'd stayed with him and not Gunn, and neither had looked unhappy about the arrangement.

He remembered that they'd gone out to talk the previous night, but then...he didn't really know what words had been exchanged. Whatever it had been had caused them to be a lot happier, but they hadn't asked to be paired up when the sleeping arrangements had been made.

That was why Wesley was confused.

“Hello? Are you in there?”

Wesley shook himself and glanced over at Fred, who was waving her hand in front of his face. “I know it's not anything really exciting to read, but it can't be that bad,” she said, grinning. “And if I can keep awake to read it, so can you.”

“I wasn't sleeping,” Wesley defended, but gave a smile all the same. It was nice to be included in the group again. He'd forgotten how good it felt.

“I take it you haven't found anything, either,” he said.

Fred sighed and shook her head, tossing another book into the reject pile. “Nope. Not a thing. Kinda annoying, you know? Like there should be somethin' out there. About the First. Or that scythe. I still wonder if it's solid gold,” she mused.

“It feels like it,” Wesley said. “She asked me to bring it to her before she left, and it's got a substantial weight to it. I don't know how she could possibly fight with it.”

“She did, though. It was pretty cool to watch, wasn't it?”

Wesley smiled. “Yes, it really was,” he agreed softly. “She's gotten better. Much better. I'm glad Giles stayed on as her Watcher. I would've done a horrible job.”

“You would've done just fine, Wesley,” Giles said, peering up from his book. “But I appreciate the noting of me being the better choice.”

“It's the truth,” Wesley said, frowning as he caught sight of the size book Giles was holding. “Good lord, how large...”

“Don't ask,” Giles advised. “And don't ask about the text size, either.”

“Yick,” Fred summed up, giving the huge book a disgusted glance. She turned to Wesley and whispered, “Better him than us, right?”

“I heard that.”

Fred giggled, and Wesley couldn't help but chuckle. Fred's laughter had always been contagious. “I think you would've been a great Watcher,” she said, reaching for the next book. “I bet you were cute back then, always dressing in suits.”

Wesley shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint, but no, I looked absolutely ridiculous. Trust me, this is a great improvement.”

“You can say that again,” Angel said, coming downstairs. “Though, I'm not sure where to put that leather stage you had: was it worse than the suits, or better?”

“Please don't remind me,” Wesley groaned. He'd been such an absolute ponce, thinking himself a great demon hunter. It was absurd; he hadn't even been able to hold a sword properly.

Angel smirked and headed into the kitchen. That was another thing that confused Wesley. Gunn, Fred, Angel, Cordelia...they were all being nice to him. As if they were accepting him back into the group. But surely...

“You've got that zoned out look again.”

Wesley sighed and turned back to the pile. “Sorry, it's just...I'm merely surprised that Angel's speaking to me at all, let alone on a friendly basis. It's not just him, either. All of you.”

He sifted through the books, trying to find one that might have anything. Demons on a Daily Basis? No thank you. Vampires and Chemistry? Absolutely not. 101 Ways to Keep Your Lover...oh my. That didn't belong in the pile at all. He briefly wondered who it belonged to.

“Things really did get messed up, huh?”

Wesley glanced over at Fred and found a melancholy look on her face. “They did,” he said softly. “I'm to blame for it.”

“Not all of it,” Fred said, staring at him incredulously. “You didn't really think that everything that happened was your fault, did you?”

Wesley blinked, thinking it over. He really had considered everything to have been his fault. Cordelia, Connor, Holtz, Lilah...so many parts interwove into their lives, causing grief and destruction. Because of him.

“You really did,” she breathed. “Oh gosh, Wesley...Connor, okay, I can see. And even there it's partial: Holtz wasn't your fault. That weird demon in the jar, he brought Holtz to this time. That wasn't you.

“But Angel staying mad at you, even when Connor came back...that was wrong. And I think he's starting to get that. Hopefully. Cordy's trying to show him.”

“It wasn't just Angel, though,” Wesley whispered. And it hadn't been. He would've gotten through things a lot easier if someone had stayed on his side. Someone had still called him a friend.

They'd all turned their backs on him. Because of what he'd done, he'd assumed.

“That's our fault, though,” Fred said, scooting over towards him. Her hand rested on his shoulder, and he glanced up, shocked at the gentle touch. Fred gave him a rueful smile. “We didn't think things through. We all got emotional. We all got ripped apart. We're working on the gluing ourselves back together thing-a-ma-bob. Only a few pieces left: Connor...and you. We've missed you, Wesley.”

She leaned in even closer, and Wesley could count the number of hairs in her eyebrows. He glanced down into her eyes and saw her smile reflected there. “I've missed you,” she whispered, before she leaned up and closed the gap between them, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

The briefest of touches, and Wesley wondered how he'd thought Lilah could ever have been a substitute. Fred couldn't be compared to anything. She was warmth, sunshine, smarts, with that taste of a home that was perfect.

He'd missed her, too. So much.

Fred grinned at the wide-eyed gaze he was sure he was giving her, before she pulled away and reached for yet another book. She didn't move back to her original spot, though.

It let Wesley stay close enough to brush his hand over hers.

Chapter 71:

Spike sensed them coming before they arrived. He hurried out, letting the others pass him as he headed towards his target. “Find anything?” he asked.

Buffy sighed and shook her head. “Nothing. No sign that said 'Here be a pretty toy' or anything. Dead end. Again. Why am I not surprised?”

Spike chuckled and led her inside. “We'll find it. Always do, don't we?”

She nodded, though she didn't look thrilled. “Cheer up, pet: we'll figure somethin' out,” he said in a softer tone, before closing the front door behind them.

“I just wish we'd find something now,” Buffy said.

“Wish granted,” Anya said suddenly, causing everyone to turn towards her. She had a book in her hands, and Giles was peering over at it as well. “We found your scythe. No info, but it does mention something about a holy order. I think. It's pretty vague, but it does describe it perfectly. It says it's to be used by and for the warrior. Another puzzle.”

“I hate puzzles,” Fred mumbled from her place on the floor. Wesley gave her a sympathetic look.

“Holy order?” Dawn asked.

Giles nodded. “It shows a symbol of some type. A pyramid, but it's surrounded by trees.”

“Wait a minute,” Willow said, scooting her chair up to the computer. “A pyramid? Surrounded by trees? Are the trees bigger than the pyramid?”

Giles frowned. “As a matter of fact, they are. Why?”

Spike headed over to glance at what Willow was doing. She was typing furiously, and soon had the web up and was digging through what he was sure were confidential files. Easy as one, two, three, and she had the layout for a very familiar place.

“That's one of our cemeteries,” he said, giving her a puzzled frown. By now Xander and Buffy had joined them.

“Good eye,” Willow praised, still typing, “Keep going.” It went in depth as to where certain crypts were, and Spike could practically see the cemetery in front of him. They were moving off into the more forested area of the place now, where there was a nice grove of trees. He couldn't recall having ever been back there: he didn't think there were any graves there. No graves, no vampires.

She stopped the plans right in the middle of the grove, and he frowned. “Uh, Red?” he asked. “What point was it you were tryin' to make?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “You might not get it. Buffy would, though.”

“It's there, isn't it?” Buffy asked suddenly. “The pyramid?”

Willow nodded, giving her friend a triumphant grin. “Yup. Remember we teased Xander about it, saying there might be another Incan mummy down there?”

Buffy smirked. Xander glared. Giles cleared his throat, apparently remembering this. “It would be worth checking out,” he said.

“Maybe you should come with us,” Buffy said, giving Xander a cheeky grin.

“Or maybe you can stop bringing it up,” Xander said, still glaring at her. Spike could see the smile in his eye, however, and grinned himself. He'd been told about the Incan mummy incident.

“What are we waiting for?” Buffy said, standing straighter. Already charged up and ready to go again.

Spike offered her his arm, and with a tiny curtsy she accepted. “Don't be out late!” Dawn teased as they left.

“Don't be out late,” Buffy grumbled. “And how exactly are we supposed to prevent that from happening?”

Spike snorted, obviously agreeing with her. With a sigh Buffy pushed away another branch. Why did the trees have to have thorns? Wasn't that impossible or something?

“There,” Spike said suddenly, causing her to glance up. Sure enough, a tiny pyramid lay straight ahead. It looked much like a crypt, which was probably how it had stayed hidden.

And right in the front was a door.

“Let's go,” Buffy said, stepping over to the entrance. Cautiously she made her way down the small staircase, then stepped out into the huge room. Stone pillars were placed in two rows, leaving her a path almost to the back of the room where curtains were hung.

Where a long, white haired woman was standing.

She heard Spike behind her falter on his last step, having caught sight of the woman as well. “Who are you?” she called out.

The woman looked up and smiled. “Much older than you,” she replied, glancing back at Spike with a raised eyebrow. “Much older than the both of you combined,” she said, before returning her gaze to Buffy. “There isn't much time.”

“I figured that out pretty fast,” Buffy muttered, stepping forward. She clutched the scythe in her hands, not sure where to place this woman. Friend, ally, enemy...so many choices, so little time.

The woman seemed to read her mind. “I am on your side,” she assured her.

“Mind tellin' us how and why?” Spike said.

The woman nodded. “When the shadow men became the watchers, they watched over the Slayers, whom they'd created.”

“Shadow men?” Spike asked, frowning.

Buffy's eyes widened. “You know who they are, unfortunately,” the woman said, reading her gaze.

Buffy nodded, swallowing. “Yeah. Didn't really like them all that much. What with the vision of the future and all that.”

The woman sighed. “Idiots,” she grumbled, before glancing back up at them. “We watched the watchers and helped the Slayers when we could. We are, you could say, the Slayers' guardians. We're here to protect them. But now our time is over. I am the last one of their kind. I'm here to give you our final message. The rest is up to you.”

She reached her hands out, and carefully Buffy placed the scythe in her worn hands. She handled it as it if were made of nothing. “We created this,” she explained when Buffy blinked, surprised. “It was intended for the Slayer line. To beat back the oncoming darkness. To sum it up, it was made for you, Slayer. For this war.”

Buffy blinked, surprise giving way to stunned. “Oh,” was all she managed.

“Why wasn't this brought up earlier?” Spike asked. “She could've used it before. Earlier fights. Why now?”

Buffy knew what he was asking: Is the war really going to take this much power to face?

The woman smiled kindly at them. “It would've let her know,” she said simply. “It knew when it needed to be released, to be used. It was merely waiting.”

She handed the scythe back, and Buffy took it almost reverently. She was holding some serious power in her hands. Someone up there really liked her.

“My time is over,” the woman said, stepping back. Buffy watched as she slowly began to fade. Yet only seconds ago, she'd touched her. Was that what happened when you reached that ancient of an age? You just faded? Or had she learned how, back when the shadow men had...wait...

“Wait!” Buffy cried, hurrying forward. “The shadow men showed me the future. Is that really what's going to happen?”

The woman smiled slightly. “The future can always change: it's not set in any particular way. You of all people should know this. Time is bendable, flexible. With the right power, you can control it. That's what you did. That's all they've done.”

Buffy stared, watching as she disappeared for good, a smile still on her face. “Buffy?” she heard Spike call when she didn't move. His hand gently caressed her shoulder, and she turned to him, gazing at his worried face.

Then she was smiling, more than she had in a long time. “We're really going to make this,” she breathed.

They were going to win.

“So that little gadget is meant for us? I mean, really, truly, for us?”

Buffy sighed and nodded, sitting back in her seat. “Yup. That scythe belongs to the Slayer. For us, that means Slayers. Plural.”

There was a new life to her now. Spike could see it in the way she sat up straighter, eyes glancing around at the group as she fingered the scythe.

A gentle scratching at his ankle caused him to look down. The kitten stood before him, paw raised to scratch again, if need be. She meowed softly, and Spike sighed, before reaching down and carefully lifting the fluffy thing onto his lap. He began to pet it, and the kitten purred her approval, snuggling down.

He glanced up and caught Buffy giving him a tiny smirk, before she continued to explain to the others what the woman had told her. Every woman had him whipped. Even the damn kitten.

“It looks like Juliet likes you.”

Spike paused, looking up at Dawn. “Huh?”

“The kitten? Juliet?” she said, rolling her eyes. “We finally named her. She just seemed like the romantic sort. And she likes guys a lot. Plus, she has the softest hair, which is what Juliet translates to. So she's been named.”

Juliet continued purring. It was a big name for a little kitten, but Spike had no doubt she'd grow into it. Dawn had done her homework, though. He hadn't expected any less.

“So what now?” Cassie asked. “Do we get ready for the big day? Do we know when the big day is?”

“We set the big day, so to speak,” Buffy said. “It's up to us, now. When we want to end it. Providing they don't try anything first, but I think we've actually managed to hurt the First for the time being. I don't think it will last long, so we're not going to dawdle. It's time to get yourselves ready. Whatever you need to do, do it.”

Silence fell on the kitchen, but it wasn't from fear: all the girls stood tall and absolute, ready to fight when they had to. Spike was sure his pride in them didn't even compare to the pride Buffy had.

“Should we be picking a favorite weapon?” Kennedy asked.

Faith nodded. “If you've got one, claim it now. We'll make sure everyone gets something, though.”

Megan sighed, sitting back on her stool. “I might do better with a crossbow. I just don't like the idea of them getting too close to me. I don't do well with up close and personal. Give me something with range, and I'm your girl.”

“Too bad we can't get a sniper rifle, or I'd be on the roof,” Amanda joked, and the girls giggled.

None of them caught the wide-eyed look Xander and Buffy were currently exchanging, but the others did. They were sharing something between their gaze, and Buffy finally nodded. “Xander and I need to take care of something, but we'll be back,” she said, giving Spike a kiss before heading for the door.

Guess he'd be finding out along with the rest of them.

A meow had him turning back to a not happy Juliet, who appeared to be wondering where her ear scratcher had gone. Sighing, Spike continued his scritching, wondering what they were up to. She had her cell, and Xander had his. They'd be fine, whatever it was.

Chapter 72:

“Ready?”

“Yeah. This is easier with everyone gone now.”

“Tell me about it. Okay, on three. One...two...”

The gate slid back with a high-pitched grinding sound, causing Buffy and Xander to wince. They pulled it away enough for them to get through, then stopped. “Damn did that hurt,” Xander groaned, rubbing at his ears.

“C'mon,” Buffy whispered, sliding in. With a sigh Xander followed.

There was no one around anymore. Even the military had abandoned Sunnydale. Buffy hoped they'd been in such of a hurry, they'd left behind a few things. “Which way?” she hissed.

Xander paused, thinking it over. Then, “That way,” and he led her towards the back right corner of the base. They scurried around left over crates and cardboard boxes, thrown every which way in the scramble to leave.

The storage room was locked shut with a code. “Even if we knew it, the electricity's out,” Buffy said with a sigh. “Their generator's down.”

Xander grinned and headed around to the back. Buffy frowned but followed, trusting him to know what he was doing. That Halloween incident had given him more military training and knowledge then he let on. “That means we can get in without tripping any alarms,” he said, pointing to something on the wall. It was an iron barred window, bolted down.

The two exchanged grins. A piece of cake. “Stand back,” Buffy ordered, stepping over and grabbing the bars. Pressing one foot against the building, she gave a harsh tug. The entire metal piece came off, leaving only glass to be taken care of. And since there weren't any alarms to trip anymore...

A rock on the ground did the trick. “I'll head in and open the door,” Xander said. “There's no point in both of us ripping ourselves up with the glass.”

“Point taken,” Buffy agreed. “Besides, we need the door open to get everything out.”

“And you wouldn't want to rip that nice shirt of yours,” Xander teased. Buffy stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed as he cleared the last bits of glass from the window. With a boost from Buffy he was in.

She hurried back around to the door, waiting impatiently for it to open. If this worked, then they'd have a huge advantage in the final battle. She mentally thanked the girls for the unconsciously made suggestion.

A tiny click was heard, and the door slid open, now operating on manual overdrive. Xander leaned against it, smirking at her. “Welcome, my friend, to the place where exploding dreams are made of,” he said, sweeping his arm back towards the warehouse.

Buffy pulled out her flashlight and clicked it on. Boxes and crates as far as the eye could see, all meticulously labeled: WARNING! EXPLOSIVE CONTENT! HANDLE WITH CARE.

Slowly she began to grin. Time to up the weapons to the 21st century.

The first thing Willow heard was the rumbling. She frowned, stepping away from the computer and feeling the tiny vibrations under her feet. Something big and heavy was coming their way.

Spike and Faith hurried over, obviously having heard it too. Angel wasn't far behind them. “What's going...” Faith started, but Willow shushed her, frowning as she listened. The rumbling was getting louder.

“Grab weapons,” Willow ordered. “Mount up. We might be getting visitors, and fast.”

The girls and guys hurried to grab some sort of defense. Dawn paused on her way to the weapons, then changed course and headed for the sofa. She parted the curtains and peered out, her eyes widening at what she saw. “Dawnie?” Willow asked.

“Whoa,” Dawn breathed.

Cassie came downstairs then, followed by Amanda and Kennedy. “Grab something to fight with,” Angel told them. “We've got company.”

Cassie frowned, holding Amanda and Kennedy back. “No we don't,” she said.

Spike gave her a look. “Somethin' you saw you might want to share?”

“She's right,” Dawn said, pulling back with a grin. “We're fine.”

“Then's what with the major noise?” Faith asked.

Cassie and Dawn headed for the front door. “Buffy and Xander,” Cassie said, before running out. Frowning, Willow followed after them.

She blinked as she caught sight of a huge military truck coming down the street, headed straight for the house. From the driver's seat, Buffy gave them a grin. Xander waved from his seat next to her.

“Bloody hell,” Willow heard from behind her, and she wasn't at all surprised to hear it from Giles and not Spike. Murmured exclamations were all around her as the truck came to a stop next to the curb.

“Buffy, luv...what is this?” Spike asked, completely confused. Willow didn't blame him.

Buffy hopped out of the truck, grinning from ear to ear. “We got toys,” she said simply, heading around the back to join Xander. Cassie and Dawn were already there and waiting, and Willow rolled her eyes but went to do the same.

Xander gave a short bow when everyone had gathered around. “Ladies and germs, I give you...” He pulled the canvas away from the back of the truck, and gasps arose from the group.

Crates and boxes could be seen, stacked to the roof of the back. Each was labeled and easy to read: M-16. FRAGMENTATION GRENADES. PISTOLS.

One long box was laid out in the front, and from past experience Willow knew exactly what was inside. A rocket launcher.

“Wow,” Fred finally said.

“Whoa,” Dawn said again.

“Dude,” Charlie breathed.

Buffy turned to Megan and Amanda, who were staring with dropped jaws at the cargo. “I thank you two for the idea,” she said, before speaking to the group as a whole. “Xander will be your drill sergeant for the next couple of days, showing you how all of this works. Besides the weapons you've been working with, you'll be given something like these. There's not just vampires down there. And even if there were, we've got things to deal with them, too.”

“Incendiary grenades,” Xander explained. “It's like magma in a can: liquid iron, so to speak. It'll burn through skin, and vampires really don't like that sort of thing. We've got two cases the military left.”

Anya stepped over and grabbed Xander's collar, yanking him down for a kiss. “Is it wrong to say that got me hot?” she panted when they parted.

Xander's eye widened happily. “Uh, it's still day out. Why don't you head back to the apartment for that?” Willow said quickly, hoping to stop anything she might have to hear. Spike and Buffy were bad enough.

Anya was practically dragging Xander away, and Spike shook his head, stepping over to join his girlfriend. “Neat idea,” he said, smiling.

Buffy shrugged. “Hey, it wasn't mine. Thank Megan and Amanda for that. Xander just used his know-how, and I used my super strength. We got the job done.”

Spike leaned down, and suddenly both of them were smiling at each other. Good grief, but Willow wasn't listening to them. Again. “A-hem,” she huffed, causing the blondes to sigh.

“Yes, Red?”

“We have to get this stuff inside,” she said, giving them looks. “Then you can go into a different house very far away and do things. Things I don't want to hear.”

She unlatched the back of the truck with Faith's help, ignoring their knowing smirks.

“What exactly is our plan?”

Spike glanced up at Dawn. “Hm?”

“Our plan? For attack?” She frowned, looking extremely clueless. “What exactly are we going to do?”

Spike began to answer, then stopped, realizing he knew as little as she did. As far as he knew, they didn't have a plan. “Just go in and fight?” he said weakly. It sounded pathetic, even to his ears.

From the look she gave him, it must've sounded pathetic to hers as well. “I'm just confused,” she said, sitting next to him. “I mean, we have the greatest weapon, the greatest fighters, and I still have a really bad feeling we'll be going down with our ship.”

“Thanks for the faith,” Buffy said dryly, entering the dining room. “Really helping our situation, Dawn. Keep up the morale, why don't you?”

Spike snorted, trying to hide his grin. Buffy flashed him a grin and took a seat next to the two, ducking out of the way of Dawn's well-aimed swat. “I mean it,” Dawn said. “What's our game plan?”

“We have two,” Buffy said, and Spike frowned. Why hadn't he been told?

“Two what?” Willow said, closely followed in by Tara and Xander.

“Two plans.”

They nodded, causing Spike to feel left out once again. Like he had all those years ago. “The first one is just run in, run out, but we like to complicate things,” Xander joked.

Willow and Tara threw him a glare, but it didn't look as heated as usual. “We actually just came up with the second one,” Buffy admitted, glancing over at Spike. He noticed for the first time that she looked...nervous, and suddenly he didn't want to know the second plan. He'd guessed the first one, which was why she hadn't told him. And she obviously hadn't told him the second one because she'd known his reaction. Wonderful.

“You had a valid point,” she said, turning to her sister. “We have a handful of good fighters. That leaves us vulnerable on the girls, which is the greater percentage of the group. I don't like the odds. I was thinking of maybe...upping their abilities.”

“I still don't like it, for the record,” Willow grumbled. Tara placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. “Too risky.”

“What's too risky?” Spike asked. When Buffy wouldn't meet his gaze, and the witches continued looking unhappy, Spike turned to his friend. “Xander?”

Xander sighed. “I just love being the bearer of good news,” he said sarcastically, before saying, “She wants to try and make them all Slayers.”

Dawn's jaw dropped. Spike did nothing. For the first few seconds, that is, while he tried to puzzle it out. He glanced at the witches, who were clutching each other, as if afraid of losing the other. Back to Buffy, whose entire being radiated misery and frustration. Which meant...

Spike's eyes widened. “No,” he growled. “Absolutely not.”

“You don't have the power to do anything like that,” Dawn started, but Spike waved her off.

“Not here, no. On the Hellmouth, they'd have enough. Which means riskin' you two,” he said, nodding his head towards Willow and Tara. “Just like hackin' into the computer, only this time, you're hackin' into the Slayer line, and guess who you're gonna have to start with to do it?”

Dawn gasped and turned to her sister as she figured it out. “It's not so much me as it is the scythe,” Buffy said quietly.

“Doesn't matter! It still all comes back to you. Red's right: too much of a risk. All three of you, but actually, all four of you. Faith's in on this too, then.”

“And Faith's already given her thumbs up,” Faith said, entering. “I don't like it either Blondie, but it's the only chance we'll have.”

“And if somethin' goes wrong?” Spike asked.

Buffy glanced at him then, and Spike frowned. Her gaze held a range of emotions, but over everything else, a sort of calm look that promised she'd take care of everything. Spike's stomach turned, and for some reason, her gaze caused more fear in him than if she'd been the one terrified. Buffy scared was enough to make him want to run for the hills. But this...

“The group'll make it,” she said softly, giving him a small smile before standing. “I've gotta go talk to the girls, make sure they're up for this. This is their future we'd be messing with. It's their choice.”

Willow nodded, though she still didn't look happy about it. Buffy headed out, stepping outside into the sunshine where they were practicing.

“She did that look again.”

Spike turned to Dawn, who had gone extremely pale. “She looked like that just...just before she told me that living in this world was the hardest thing to do. And then she jumped.”

The turning stomach knotted and refused to come loose. Spike glanced through the back door, catching a glimpse of golden hair pulled back into a loose pony. Something didn't feel right, but he didn't know what. He couldn't figure out what her look had meant now.

He wasn't sure he wanted to.

Chapter 73:

“Buffy?”

She sighed, then turned to her watcher. “What's up?” she asked quietly. She could hear the girls talking in the house, finishing up the pizza. Buffy had picked at her own slice, then had finally stood to leave, most of the pizza still on her plate. Spike had caught her wrist before she'd left, and she'd given him a small smile before heading out. She just hadn't been able to deal with it. Spike had merely nodded, letting her eating habits go for once.

The girls, now including Shannon, had been trained in the arts of guns and grenades, with Xander proudly leading the way. It had given him something else to think about besides his eye. That day in the base, when she'd told him that she'd drive...the look on his face had nearly crushed her heart. She wished she'd let Spike vamp Caleb like he'd wanted to: then she could've kept torturing him for days on end. He could never pay enough.

The final plans for heading in and taking out the Hellmouth were being talked over. Weapons had been picked out, teams had been set up...it was just down to final prep now. The 'just in case' plans Buffy knew they'd be using in one way or another.

Everything was set. It was time to bring the First down.

Giles took a seat next to her, gazing out at the back yard. No graves to see there. Spike and Xander had buried Annabelle in a corner of the cemetery on the other side of town. And there were no uber-vamps out and about; Willow and Tara's spell would take care of any that tried to get into the shield they'd put up to surround the house.

Then why was her stomach tied in double knots?

She felt his hand on her back, soothing her. He knew. “You do realize not all of us are going to make it,” he said softly.

Buffy swallowed but nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I know.”

“It doesn't make it any easier, does it?” Giles said, giving her a small smile.

She shook her head, glancing over at him. “I'm scared,” she admitted softly. “Giles, I...I depend on you all so much. And if you guys go, then...then I'm gone. The First knows it, I'm sure. Those people in there are my world. He is my world. If something were to happen to him, I...” She shook her head, sending images of Spike turning to dust out of her mind. She couldn't afford to entertain the possibility. If he went, she wouldn't be far behind him.

“I know,” Giles said, patting her. “I know.”

“Promise me something?”

He sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say something like this. Buffy, I can't promise...”

“Giles, please,” she begged quietly. “Hear me out.”

He gave her a look that said he'd rather do anything but, but he kept silent.

Buffy looked him in the eyes before saying, “Whatever happens, make sure he's on the trip out of Sunnydale. Dawn too. If it means leaving me behind, then so be it.”

“You don't even know how we're going to be leaving yet,” Giles protested weakly.

“It doesn't matter,” she said firmly. “Just promise me. You said you'd be the driver for whatever we took. I'm asking you to ensure two people get on that ride and don't get off until we're out. Until you're out, if that's the case. Please, Giles.”

Giles began to speak, then stopped at the look on her face. He looked down at the porch step beneath his feet, and Buffy closed her eyes in relief. One thing taken care of.

“Buffy?”

Buffy turned to see her sister in the doorway. “Ready for the meeting?” Dawn asked.

She nodded, standing. “Ready, Giles?” she asked.

Giles glanced up at her, then nodded slowly. “We'll meet you in there,” Buffy said, stepping inside. She knew Giles wasn't coming in anytime soon.

Spike gave her a worried look, but a quick kiss turned his frown upside down. “Love you,” she whispered, then turned to the group.

“What's first on the list of 'to do'?” Willow asked.

Vi raised her hand. “How, um, exactly are we getting out of Sunnydale? Is it just us, or our stuff, or...?”

“Why would we have to leave?” one of the other girls asked. “We'd be Slayers, right? The fight would be ours, then.”

Buffy sighed. “There's a huge chance that when we take out the First, we'll take out the Hellmouth. Sunnydale was built on top of it. If it goes, I'm betting that Sunnydale won't be far behind it. So transport out of the town is critical.”

Robin raised his hand, then rolled his eyes. “I'm supposed to be making sure kids do the raising of hands, not me,” he grumbled, but continued on. “If the fight's taking place at the school, I would advise using the huge bus there. It'll be faster than anything else, and it's meant to hold a significant amount of people.”

Dawn nodded eagerly. “You mean the bus the school uses whenever we go on a big field trip. Right?”

“That's the one,” Robin agreed. “It can hold about fifty people, give or take. If we cram, we can get in a lot more than that.”

“How fast will it go?” Angel asked.

Robin shrugged. “Average of fifty, but I think it can do a lot more than that if we have clear streets and green lights all the way, which we do.”

Buffy glanced over at Spike, and he gave her a nod. “All right, then we'll take the bus,” she said. “Giles has already said he'll drive whatever's going to be picked, so that part's taken care of. I need someone to get the bus prepped and ready to go, meaning the keys have to be found, it has be gassed up, tires ready, you know the drill. I want it ready to go that day when we need it.

“As for the clear path, I need a small team of people to haul out the street maps of Sunnydale and find us the shortest way out of here. The school is directly in the center of town, so pick a direction. Whichever one will be easier.”

“I'd recommend picking three routes at least,” Wesley spoke up. “You never know what could go wrong. In our case, something usually always goes wrong. We might as well have backup.”

“And backup for the backup, thus the three routes instead of two,” Xander finished.

Tara nodded. “I'll head the group. We'll make sure there's a way that all three paths can connect at any given time. There's enough parallel streets towards the exit, but then it's just the one road out.”

“Once you've hit the one road, though, it's clear straight out,” Cassie noted. “It's just getting there that'll be the hard part.”

“Um, our stuff?” Chloe asked. “Vi had a good point.”

Spike nodded. “That she did. We'll gather up your things, put 'em somewhere safe not far from here. Close enough to get to before nightfall, but not out in the open. Which means we'll have to pick a direction for the exit.”

“Leave that to us mappers,” Willow said, grinning.

Buffy smiled and nodded. Another point down. “Any other questions?” she asked.

One of the girls raised her hand, and Buffy nodded towards her. “What if...what if one of us falls? Injured?”

Silence descended on the room. “Take 'em,” Faith said. “If you're the closest, you take 'em and get the hell out. Let someone know, and backup will be provided. Okay?”

The girls nodded, though they didn't look happy about it. The one question that lingered in everyone's mind was one they couldn't really answer: what happens when someone dies?

As far as Buffy was concerned, she was making sure that question never became a possibility. She glanced behind her at Spike and Dawn, who were sharing a seat now. If it meant her life, then so be it. She wouldn't let either of them fall.

Chapter 74:

Everything was finally set up. The bus was ready and waiting, and three routes were planned out. The teams knew what they were supposed to do, and where to go in case they needed help. Weapons were laid out for the next day, along with the only set of clothes they'd need. The spell for the Slayers was prepped and ready to go.

Dawn had gotten a pet carrier for Juliet, making sure it worked securely before finding space on the bus for her. No one was getting left behind if she could help it.

People were doing different things for their possible final night. For all their planning, all their talk, everything could go horribly wrong the next day. They were going to lose people. She knew that.

Chao-Ahn, Megan, and a few of the other girls were playing a board game in the living room. Jillian was watching a cartoon or something with Juliet on the sofa. Xander and Anya were in the kitchen with her sister and Spike and possibly a few others, all quietly talking. Gunn was on the phone with someone; he hadn't named who.

A hand lightly touched her shoulder, causing her to turn. Jonathan gave her a smile and a small bowl of ice cream. “Figured we deserved a treat for the final night,” he said.

Dawn grinned and leaned forward, kissing him lightly. “See, this is why I keep you around,” she said, laughing as he threatened to flick a spoonful of ice cream at her.

She took a seat on the floor, watching the girls play and chat between themselves. He sat down beside her, and immediately she leaned her head on his shoulder. “Think we'll make it?” she asked.

“Hope so,” he replied. “I want to take you out again.”

Dawn's face lit up with a smile. “Yeah?”

Jonathan nodded. “Yeah. We were supposed to go out for prom, remember? I still owe you a dinner.”

“With roses?” she asked.

He smiled. “With roses,” he promised.

“...and I take two hits from that last attack. The troll is down to thirty points.”

“Why did you set the points so high?” Amanda asked.

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Silly girl. The stakes are higher, making it more heroic of a deed to take him down. More points to the victor!”

Amanda rolled her eyes and flicked the troll over with her finger. “I use my Mirror of Despair shard to take him out. Happy now?”

Andrew stared at her in horror. “You wasted your Mirror of Despair shard on a measly troll?! What's wrong with you?”

“Hey, it wasn't just a measly troll, buddy,” she retorted, leaning forward and poking her finger into his chest. “You upped his points. Besides, what's the point of having an ultimate item like that if you can't use it?”

“You might have met up with a demon in the deeper well later on and have needed it,” he argued, reaching forward to retrieve the die. “It was a stupid move. You shouldn't have done it.”

“It was not!”

“Was too!”

Amanda pinched her lips together. “Was not!”

Andrew glared back at her. “Was too!”

They both leaned forward at the same time to yell at the other, and suddenly found their lips connected. They stared at each other, lips lightly brushing together. Andrew swallowed and leaned just a little forward, turning his accidental move into a kiss.

Amanda closed her eyes and kissed him back. So it wasn't as romantic as they wrote about: they were both inexperienced, and they turned the same way at the same time, bumping noses and foreheads together. But she'd never really been kissed before, and she found that she liked the feeling of wet lips against hers.

When they pulled back, she was panting, and she knew it wasn't from being able to breathe. She was shaking slightly, and so was he. She could feel the blush starting in her cheeks, but she kept her eyes locked on his.

Then they turned back to the board and their character sheets. “It was too a bad idea,” Andrew muttered.

“Was not, and you just don't want to admit it,” Amanda said, rolling her eyes. She glanced over at him, and the two exchanged tiny smiles. Then Andrew rolled the die, and the game was on again.

Jennifer licked her spoon and dipped it back into her ice cream for more. “What's being married like?” she asked suddenly.

The others turned to Xander and Anya, who were blinking as if the lights had just been turned on. “Um...” Anya started, before frowning. “It's difficult to explain. It's great, obviously, but there's so many tiny emotions I can't put a name to. It's hard.”

“Was it easy getting married?” Jennifer asked. “I may not live to see my own wedding day. C'mon, indulge me.”

Spike glanced over at her and gave her a look, but she was already grinning and rolling her eyes. He shook his head and turned back to Buffy, who was trying to hide her smirk. Seemed Jennifer was taking her 'last night' privileges and exploiting them.

Not that Spike minded. He was curious himself.

Xander shifted on his stool, giving Anya time to snag another spoonful of the ice cream they were sharing. He gave her a look before answering. “Getting married is easy and hard at the same time. Part of you is terrified of what's going to happen next. You've known this person forever, and suddenly, you're seeing them in a totally different way. You guys are going to be together forever or until the sky falls on your heads. After the whole ceremony happens, though...then you realize it was worth it. Because it's together forever.”

Anya paused and smiled at her husband, long enough for him to snag a huge spoonful of ice cream. She gaped as he smirked at her, and she began to try and fight him for it.

Spike turned back to his own bowl he was sharing with Buffy but found a spoon blocking his way. He frowned and glanced up at her. She had a little half smile on her face as she gazed at the two, and her face held a dazed look. He smiled then, knowing what she was thinking about. The 'together forever' part. Not that he blamed her: an eternity with her would be his heaven on earth.

“Then...what's the easy part? After the ceremony?” Willow asked, rolling her eyes at her friends, who were still trying to get the spoonful of ice cream for themselves. Tara giggled quietly behind her hand.

Xander finally succeeded, causing Anya to stick her tongue out at him. “No, the easy part is the ceremony itself,” Anya said. “When everything is planned out, answers and all. Well, except for ours,” she added with a frown. “We had a few problems.”

Jennifer gave them looks, and everyone shook her off. Long story that wasn't worth repeating. “I never got the whole ceremony thing,” she said instead, after taking another bite. “I mean, those words have been heard countless numbers of times on T.V., in the movies, in books...they get worn out, you know?”

Xander and Anya exchanged glances, then slowly smiled. “Until the day they're said for you,” Xander said softly. “Then it's like...like hearing them for the first time.”

Buffy's spoon had dropped into the ice cream, completely forgotten as she listened to them. Spike placed his in the bowl as well, making a tiny chink sound. She turned at the noise, and her eyes caught his. They gazed at each other as Xander tried to explain.

“The minister asks if you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, so long as you both shall live,” he continued. “That's as forever as it gets. And when you're staring at the woman you love, holding her hands in yours...the only response you CAN give is...”

“I do,” Spike whispered, loud enough for the others to hear it. He didn't notice Xander nodding his agreement or the two witches giving the blond couple odd looks: his eyes were locked on Buffy's. Her lips were parted slightly in shock, and her hand stretched across the table to his. Gently they touched, and Spike realized Xander was right: it really WAS the only response you could give. Staring at the woman of your dreams, touching her, being with her...

Suddenly one more day wasn't enough. One year wasn't enough. Hell, eternity wasn't enough time to spend with her. He wanted forever and ever with this woman, to see her wake up and smile at him. To breathe in her scent of vanilla and jasmine. To see her laugh as she played with their child.

From the look on her face, she was thinking the same thing.

“...to the woman, and you're praying with all your heart that she's thinking the same thing, and you breathe this huge sigh of relief when she finally says...”

“I do,” Buffy breathed, and Spike could've sworn his heart lurched in his chest.

Maybe he didn't have eternity. Or a year. Or even a day. But he was taking what he had left.

“What she said,” Xander said, but Spike cut whatever he'd been about to say off.

“You mean it?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Buffy laughed nervously. “Yeah, I do. I really do.”

“What's going on here?” Cordelia asked, coming in with Angel in tow.

“Um...I think they just got engaged,” Willow said, sounding stunned.

Spike shook his head. “Not engaged. Married. Now.”

“Now?” everyone said.

“Right now,” Buffy agreed, turning to the redhead. “Wills? You guys have a ceremony or something you could do. Right?”

Willow blinked and turned to Tara, who looked just as shell-shocked as her partner. “Um...we really don't have the authority to do that,” Willow said apologetically.

“But we can do a promising spell,” Tara said suddenly. “It's not a marriage, but it's the next best thing. You guys are basically joined together in a promise until the actual day. It's a little more than an engagement.”

“Okay,” Buffy and Spike said together. He could hear her heartbeat pounding out erratically in her chest, but she had a huge smile on her face.

Silence descended on the kitchen. Then chairs and stools were being scraped as their occupants nearly leaped out of their seats. “Then what are you sitting here for? Let's get you ready!” Anya exclaimed, grabbing Buffy's elbow and hauling her towards the stairs. Cordelia quickly followed, muttering about hair emergencies.

Then Spike was being pulled up, Xander shoving him towards the basement. “My stuff...”

“Is upstairs, I'll get it,” he said. “You can't see the bride before the ceremony, remember?”

He slammed the door shut, and Spike began to laugh. He, William the Bloody, was getting married to the greatest Slayer there ever was.

Unlife didn't get any better.

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