* * * * * *  * * * * * * *

            Buffy made her way home in a fog. She didn’t even really remember how she had gotten to her street. She walked up the steps and opened the door slowly. She stepped inside and ran right into Dawn.

“Buffy! There you are. Willow and I were getting worried.” Dawn said with concern.

            “Sorry.” Buffy said quietly.

            “Is everything okay?” Dawn asked, noticing Buffy’s cut hands and the sadness that hung around her.

            Buffy looked up at her and didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure how Dawn would react to the news of Spike’s death. She knew they were close and Buffy didn’t want to upset Dawn. Not right before school.

            “Things are fine. I just got into a little tangle. It took longer than I thought. I’m okay.” She said attempting a smile.

            “Okay.” Dawn nodded her head reluctantly. “I’m off to school, so I’ll see you later?”

            “Yeah. I should be here.”

            Dawn smiled and headed out the door. Buffy started up the stairs when Willow came out of the kitchen.

            “Buffy! You’re back. I didn’t even know you had left last night.” Willow said to her.

            “Yeah. I couldn’t sleep, so I went patrolling.”

            “Oh. Are your hands okay?”

            “Yeah.”

            Willow noticed that Buffy’s eyes were red and it looked like she had been crying. She walked over and touched her on the shoulder.

            “Buffy? Did something happen? You look…I don’t know. Weepy?”

            Buffy thought about lying to her then figured it wasn’t worth it. She might as well just tell her.

            “Spike’s gone.” She told her.

            “What? Where’d he go?” Willow asked.

            “No, I mean he’s gone. Dead. Or deader than usual. He got dusted.”

            Willow looked at her for a minute and tried to comprehend what she had told her. She also tried to read the intense sadness on Buffy’s face.

            “Wow. Really? I-I mean, he’s really dust?” Willow asked. It was almost unreal. They’d all wanted him dead before at some point, but now that he was, it was just strange. And also a little sad.

            “Yeah, he’s really dust.” Buffy said sadly.

            “Did you…I-I mean, did he do something to you?” Willow asked nervously.

            “No. I didn’t do it. It just happened.” Buffy told her as she wiped away a tear.

            “You seem pretty sad.” Willow said observing Buffy’s red eyes again.

            “You have no idea.” Buffy said softly as she turned and walked up the stairs.

 She didn’t feel like getting into things with Willow right now. If Will was confused, she could talk to Xander. Buffy was sure that he’d be throwing a party when he found out. Problem solved. No more Spike, thus no more Buffy and Spike. Xander should be thrilled.

Willow watched her disappear up the stairs and wondered what she was missing. She knew that Buffy and her had been distant with each other for a long time, but surely Buffy would have told her if there was something going on with her and Spike. She knew that they patrolled together a lot, but Willow didn’t think anything of it. Suddenly she realized how stupid she had been.

It was obvious now. All that patrolling, and Buffy never coming home at night. The hickeys on her neck that Xander had told her about. It was like a veil had been lifted. Buffy and Spike had been together, and now he was gone. Willow felt her heart ache for her friend.

“Poor Buffy.” Willow said sadly.

* * * * * * * *   * * * * * *

Willow had gone to class and Buffy had to fight the urge to crawl up in a little ball and cry all day. She needed to get out of the house. She needed to do something to get her mind off what had happened. She felt so lonely because for once, she didn’t have Spike to turn to when something was bothering her. All at once, the tears came again when realized how much she had relied on him.

She pulled herself together and headed to the Magic Box. She figured she’d do a little training to work away some of her grief. She opened the door and saw Xander and Anya talking behind the counter. They looked up when she walked in.

“Hey Buff.” Xander said with a forced smile.

He was still in shock over finding out about Buffy and Spike’s secret little affair.

“I’m going to train.” Buffy said flatly, not wanting to watch Xander jump for joy at the news of Spike’s demise.

She walked past them and into the back room. Xander looked at Anya.

“What’s wrong with her? You think she’s pissed at me? You think she knows I told you about her and Spike?” He asked, feeling bad for spilling the secret.

He just had to tell someone. But he had only told Anya, and they were engaged. He couldn’t keep secrets from her. Plus he really needed someone to complain to.

“I don’t know how she’d know that. Besides, she just broke up with Spike. It’s bound to make her a little cranky.” Anya offered.

“I guess. But she seemed okay last night. She said it was a mistake to be with him. I agreed and everything was fine. I think so, anyway.” Xander shook his head.

“Go talk to her.”

“Yeah. I will.”

He walked into the back room and watched Buffy beating the punching bag. He didn’t see the tears running down her face as she tried to lose herself in the fight. Xander decided to announce his presence by clearing his throat loudly. Buffy stopped and turned around.

“Xander not now.” She said giving him a desperate look.

“Buffy, what’s wrong?” He asked sincerely.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Now please just leave me alone.”

“Look, if this about what happened last night—.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m just trying to help. I’m sorry if I freaked out a little. It’s just the thought of you and Spike…”

“There is no me and Spike.”

“I know. I mean, you said it was over—.”

“It is.”

“It’s just…”

“Xander, Spike is gone. So you don’t have to worry about me running off with him. He’s gone.” She said with quickly.

“Gone? What happened? Did you make him leave town? Cause I have to say, it’s about time.” Xander told her.

“He’s dead. I-I mean…Well, you know…really dead.” She said stumbling over her words.

Xander looked at her with shock. He didn’t believe it.

“What? What happened? Did he hurt you? Did you stake him?” He asked.

“No, I didn’t stake him. It’s a long story. But he’s gone, so you can let out your sigh of relief or do your happy dance because he won’t be bothering any of us anymore.”

Xander didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t actually as happy about this as he thought he would be. And it wasn’t just because Buffy was upset. Some deep, dark corner of his  mind would actually kind of miss the guy. At least a little. He’d become sort of a fixture in all their lives. An annoying fixture, but a fixture all the same.

“Buffy, I’m sorry.” He told her softly.

“Don’t. Please don’t pretend that you care that he’s gone. I know you hated him and I know you hated him with me.” She said wiping her eyes hastily.

“That’s true. I won’t deny it. And I’m a little surprised that he’s gone. It feels weird. But, he was still a vampire. Maybe I’ll miss his annoying comments and some of his really bad jokes, but he was a vampire. You kill them all the time, Buffy. Sooner or later, he was bound to get his.”

“That’s a pretty heartless way of thinking about it. It doesn’t matter that he’s dead because he was a vampire? I should be happy, right? Guess it doesn’t matter that I loved him either.” She said angrily.

Xander stood there speechless. He had no idea that Buffy loved him. He knew they were sleeping together, but he took Buffy’s word for it that it meant nothing. And now she said she loved him? Things were just getting even more complicated by the second.

“You loved him?”

“Yes. I did. Look, can we just stop talking about this?” She asked uncomfortably.

“I guess.” He said quietly.

“Good. Now let me finish my training okay?” She said as she turned around and began hitting the bag again.

Xander started to say something else, but stopped himself. It was clear there was nothing he could say that would make this easier for her. And the fact that she admitted to loving him, was still a shock. He turned around and walked back out to the front of the shop.

* * * * * *  * * * * * * *

            That evening Buffy headed out for her usual patrol. Only it didn’t feel the same when she knew she wasn’t going to run into Spike. Or meet him at his crypt for a little fun. Nothing felt the same anymore. She never even realized how much time she spent with him, or how many things she wanted to share with him, until he was gone.

            She had decided to wait a little longer to tell Dawn about what happened. Buffy knew that she would be devastated. Buffy wasn’t sure she could hold herself together with someone else who would be grieving as much as she was. It was easier to tell her friends, because she knew they weren’t exactly emotionally attached to Spike. Dawn had been. And Buffy just couldn’t deliver the news yet.

            She found herself walking through Spike’s cemetery. She smiled when she remembered the times they had spent here. Sometimes fighting each other, and sometimes fighting together. And even one time, they hadn’t been able to make it inside his crypt when they just had to have each other.

            They had taken each other against a tree just outside. It was insane and a little embarrassing, but at the time it was exciting. She’d never been with anyone like that before. There were times when they just couldn’t keep their hands off each other. At the time, she had just chalked it up to raging hormones, but it was so much more than that. She realized that now.

            She walked over to his crypt and headed inside. She wasn’t really sure why she was torturing herself like this but she felt the need to see his things again. To smell his scent, and feel the memories that lived inside this dingy mausoleum. Some of them were decidedly bad, but the others were special and meant something to her.

            She walked down the ladder and into his bedroom. His bed was messed up and there was an empty bottle of whiskey lying beside it. She picked it up and put it on a table. She knew she had driven him crazy last night. He had been drinking because she had hurt him. Again. She wondered if he had actually been so drunk at the time and that was why he let himself die to save her.

            Then she shook her head. He knew what he was doing. He knew and he didn’t care. She laid down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. They smelled like him. And they smelled like her. This was their bed. As much as she tried to deny it, this was their place. The one place where they could be together and no one would judge them. Inside this room and in this bed, she had been free for the first time. She could be herself.

            But that was over now. It was all over now. She had given herself to him over and over again, but it was never enough. She now understood that it could never have been enough because the one thing he wanted, she had kept locked away. Even the sanctity of this room hadn’t been enough for her to open her heart. And that was all he wanted. Not just her body, but her heart. He had captured it, and yet he never even knew. And now he never would.

            She lay there for a long time just staring at her surroundings, drinking it all in. She finally stood up and made her way out of the room. She paused once more before heading back up the ladder to take another look around. She knew that it was over now and that he was gone, but in this room there would always be proof that he existed. That they existed together for a short time. She knew she’d never forget him.

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

            Buffy woke up the next morning feeling groggy. Her eyes hurt from crying herself quietly to sleep. Willow had tried to talk to her when she got home, but Buffy just wanted to be alone. She knew she should talk to someone, and Willow was being very sympathetic, but Buffy always felt like she needed to be strong in front of everyone. She felt better keeping her tears to herself. In fact the only person she had ever cried freely in front of had been Spike. Now she just had to go it alone.

            She pulled herself out of bed and looked at the clock. It was already 9:00am. Dawn would have already left for school by now, so Buffy was relieved that she didn’t have to think about telling her the bad news until later.

            She walked downstairs and noticed that Willow was gone too. Buffy wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of juice. She knew she should eat, but she just wasn’t hungry yet. She looked down at her hands and noticed that the cuts she had gotten from the broken window glass, were completely gone. That was fast, even for her.

            “Hmm…Gotta love that super-healing thing.” She muttered to herself.

She headed upstairs and decided to get dressed. She pulled some clothes out of her dresser and stood in front of the mirror. She noticed the hickey marks on her neck and chest. Somehow, they seemed even more noticeable than they had before. They had started to fade, but now they were just as bright as the first day. She tossed her t-shirt aside and picked a turtleneck. She had decided to go to the shop to get a little more training in. It seemed to be the only thing that made her feel better.

            She walked into the shop and found it empty but the door was unlocked. She thought it was a little strange, but she shrugged it off. She figured Anya was in the basement or something. She walked into the training room and was startled to find everyone in there.

            Anya had a table set up with wedding cake samples and fabric swatches for bridesmaids dresses. A huge wave of déjà vu swept over Buffy. Everyone turned to look at her.

            “Nice of you to show up. An hour late, I might add.” Anya said huffily.

            “Yeah, Buff. Where were you?” Xander asked.

            “Huh?”

            “I told you we were all supposed to be here at nine. Did you forget?” Xander asked, knowing that Anya was highly irritated that Buffy hadn’t shown up.

            “I-I didn’t realize we were doing this again.” Buffy said confused.

            “Again? This is the first time.” Anya said equally as confused.

            “What?” Buffy had no idea what was going on.

            “It’s no big deal, guys. She’s here now. Just in time to pick a color for your dress.” Willow said with a smile as she tried to smooth things over.

            “I-I thought we decided on the purple one?” Buffy said with a strange look.

            “We did?” Willow asked.

            “Yeah.”

            “Okay. Purple is good. We pick purple.” Willow smiled.

            “Great. Then it’s settled. Honey, will you help me clean this stuff up? The store opens in ten minutes.” Anya said to  Xander.

            He got up and began putting things away while Willow walked over to Buffy.

            “You okay? You seem a little wacky this morning.” She asked.

            “Yeah, I guess I am a little out of it.” Buffy said shaking her head.

            “If it’s any consolation, you didn’t miss much. I kinda wished I’d forgotten about it too. But the cake was good. Just maybe not for breakfast. I feel a little icky now.” Willow made a face.

            “Yeah, me too.” Buffy said absently.

            “But you didn’t eat cake.”

            “I know. I just meant about…well, the other thing.” Buffy said quietly.

            Willow looked at her confused.

            “What other thing?”

            “You know, Spike?”

            “Spike? What about him? Did he do something to piss you off?” She asked.

            “Yeah, he died.” Buffy said giving Willow a confused look.

            “What? Spike died? Y-you mean like, he went all ‘poof’?” Willow asked with shock.

            “Yes. Remember? I told you yesterday.”

            “You did? B-but how? I mean, what happened?” She asked.

            Buffy looked at her curiously. This day was starting to freak her out. It was as if no one had even listened to her the past two days.

            Just then Xander walked over with a smile.

            “What’s up guys?” He asked.

            “Spike got dusted.” Willow told him quickly.

            Buffy shut her eyes and shook her head.

            “What? Spike got dusted? When did this happen?” He asked completely thrown.

            Buffy looked at both of them puzzled beyond belief.

            “What is wrong with you two? Why are you acting like you didn’t know?” She asked.

            “We didn’t know.” Willow said shaking her head.

            “Yeah. I mean, I can’t say I’m falling on my knees crying or anything, but still, that’s not the kind of news I’d forget you mentioning.” Xander told her seriously.

            “Right. You were so disgusted when you found out about me and Spike you probably blocked all memories of it out of your head.” She told him with an annoyed look.

            His mouth fell open and he stared at her.

            “What? I found out about you and Spike? What exactly did I find out? Oh god, please don’t let it be what it sounds like.” He said desperately.

            She looked at him incredulously. Either he was really trying to piss her off, or he had completely blocked all memories out of his head.

            “Me and Spike? We’re getting it on? Remember?” She offered watching his face for any signs of recognition.

            “Oh God. What? You and Spike are getting it on?” Xander blurted out with a panicked expression.

            Willow’s eyes grew wide and she looked at Buffy expectantly.

            “What?” Willow asked.

            Buffy took note of their utter confusion and shook her head.

            “You guys have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” She asked both of them.

            “Um, no. When did all this happen?” Willow asked curiously.

             Buffy suddenly realized that something very strange was going on. It was like the last two days had never happened. Then it hit her. At the abandoned building, she had wished for a second chance. She had wished that none of this would have happened. She had been holding that stupid crystal at the time. Suddenly it all became a little clearer.

            “What day is it?” She asked Willow quickly.

            “Um, it’s Tuesday.” Willow said giving Buffy a puzzled look.

            “Tuesday? It’s not Thursday?”

            “No. It’s Tuesday. Just like I said.”

            “Oh my God…” Buffy muttered in disbelief.

            “Buffy are you alright?” Willow asked.

            “Yeah. I-I think I am.” She began to smile.

            “Good. So you never answered my question. You and Spike are doing it?” Xander asked with a cringe.

            Buffy looked at him and began to laugh loudly.

            “Oh please! Me and Spike? Are you crazy?” She laughed.

            “Huh? But you just said—.” He started.

            “I-I was kidding. Geez, you people can’t tell when I’m kidding? I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.” She said shaking her head.

            “So then, is Spike all dusty or not?” Willow asked.

            Buffy thought for a moment then she smiled.

            “No. I was just messing with you guys. What can I say? I’m in a weird mood.” She laughed.

            They both stared at her incredulously.

            “Well, it wasn’t really all that funny.” Willow told her.

            “Look, I gotta go. Talk to you guys later.” She said as she rushed off towards the door. Then she turned around again. “Um, Willow? If you feel like eating a tuna fish sandwich for lunch today, don’t. It’ll give you a stomach ache.” Buffy added with a smile.

            Willow and Xander watched her leave in total confusion. They had no idea what was wrong with her. Xander turned to Willow.

            “Okay, what the hell was all that?” Xander asked shaking his head.

            “I-I have no idea. You think she’s okay?”

            “No. Not really. She was acting like a crazy person. I feel like I fell asleep in class for like an entire year and then someone threw a final exam in my face. I have no idea what just happened.” Xander told her.

            “Me neither.” Willow agreed.

            “You think she was drunk or something?”

            “At this hour? I don’t think so.”

            “Yeah. Guess you’re right.”

            They both stood in silence trying to figure things out.

            “You don’t think she and Spike are really—.” Willow started.

            “No! Never. You heard her. It was a joke. A very bad and scary joke.” Xander shook his head vigorously.

            Willow nodded her head in agreement. The weirdest part about it was that she had been craving a tuna fish sandwich for lunch. She supposed she’d eat something else, just in case.

* * * * *  * * * *  *

            Buffy nearly ran the entire way to Spike’s crypt. She really had no clue what was going on. Apparently that mysterious crystal somehow granted wishes. Now she understood what they meant about just saying a simple phrase and then there would be no more Slayer. Only, they hadn’t gotten the chance to make their sinister wish. She had been the one with the wish, and now it had come true. Her heart was beating out of her chest by the time she reached the crypt door.

            She flung it open and rushed inside. She didn’t see Spike anywhere, so she called out to him.

            “Spike! Spike! Are you here?” She shouted.

            She ran over to where the ladder was and practically jumped down. Once inside his bedroom area she looked around. The bed looked rumpled just as it had last night when she had come here alone to mourn him. She called out again.

            “Spike?”

            Nothing but silence. She felt a tear fall from her eye and she felt her stomach drop. It didn’t work. The wish didn’t work. She sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to figure out what the hell was going on.  Was she stuck in some sort of dream? Nightmare? She didn’t even know what was real anymore.

Willow and Xander had told her it was Tuesday. They had acted like they didn’t know anything about Spike dying or her involvement with him. Time seemed to have turned back, but Spike was still gone. It didn’t make sense. She laid down on his bed again and held his pillow to her chest.

            “Well, well. Isn’t this a nice surprise.” Spike smirked as he walked out from one of the sewer tunnels that lead into his lair.

            Buffy jumped up from the bed and stared at him with her eyes wide.

            “Spike?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Oh my god…You have no idea how much I missed you.” She smiled at him.

            “You missed me?” He asked startled.

            “Yes.” She whispered as she walked over and embraced him tightly.

            He was taken aback at her display of emotion, but he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

            “Buffy, what’s up with you? First, I wake up and you’re gone. And now you’re acting like you haven’t seen me in days. Though I admit seeing you all curled up in my bed was nice surprise.” He added with a smile.

            “It’s just…You’re alive. I’m can’t believe you’re alive.” She said softly into his chest.

“Well, I guess I’m sort of alive, but technically—.”

            “No, I mean, you’re not dusty.” She said with a smile.

            “Why would I be dusty?” He asked perplexed.

            “I just…Never mind. You’re here and that’s all that matters.” She said burying her face in his chest again.

            He had no idea what had brought about this change. They had spent last night together, but when he woke up she was gone. He figured that she had run off again. It wasn’t the first time. But she was acting like she had actually missed him. That was strange. Welcome, but strange.

            “Love, what’s gotten into you? Why are you being nice to me?” He asked suspiciously.

            “What do you mean, ‘Why am I being nice to you’? I can’t be happy to see you?” She asked with a hurt look.

            “Well, actually, no. I mean, you never are. It’s all a little…Well, it’s wonderful. But what’s wrong with you?” He asked pulling her out of their embrace and looking her in the eye.

            She wanted to tell him everything that had happened, but she knew she’d sound like an idiot. Plus, she didn’t know what to say. Suddenly she had this second chance to tell him all the things that she didn’t have the opportunity to tell him before. And now she was scared. This was real. If she told him that she loved him, she could never take it back. It would be out there, and suddenly she just couldn’t do it.

            “Nothing’s wrong with me. I-I just…” She didn’t know what to say.

            She looked into his eyes and remembered the smile he had given her before he had burst into flames in front of her. It was a look so full of love, and she could see it now. She leaned up and kissed him tenderly.

            The softness of her lips was startling. Usually when she kissed him, it was forceful and desperate. Almost bruising at times. But this was gentle. He pulled her closer to him and caressed her back gently. She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes and smiled. She grabbed his hand and walked them over to the bed. She sat down and pulled him towards her.

            She scooted back and laid herself down, bringing him with her. He kissed her softly, letting his tongue circle hers slowly. His hands moved over her clothed breasts and he caressed them gently. She kissed his ear and whispered to him.

            “I want to do something that we’ve never done before.” She told him.

            He pulled back and looked at her with surprise and vast expectation.

            “Something new? Sounds exciting. What would that be?” He purred seductively, nibbling on her ear.

            “I want you to make love to me.” She said seriously.

            He pulled back and looked at her curiously.

            “What?”

            “Make love to me.” She whispered as she covered his mouth with hers again.

            For a second he didn’t know what she was talking about. Then he realized that in her mind, their couplings had never been about love. This time she wanted it to mean more. He kissed his way down the side of her neck.

            “Buffy, I’ve never done anything else.” He murmured into her hair.

            She felt her heart beat just a little bit faster at his words, and she tugged his shirt over his head. She saw the marks she had left on his body and ran her fingertips over the bruises gently. He smiled down at her, when he noticed what she was looking at. She had laid claim to him last night, and he had done the same to her. The marks were proof of that.

            “I’m yours.” He told her, as he lifted her shirt over her head.

            He placed gentle kisses over her love bruises as well.

            “And you are mine.” He whispered as kissed her lips again.

            Every part of her body was on fire at his touch, but this time it felt different. She wasn’t blocking her emotions out anymore. She was allowing herself to experience everything he had to offer. The way he made her body react, and the way he made her heart feel. She might not have been ready to utter the words to him yet, but she fully intended to show him that she did love him.

            They removed the remainder of each others clothes and he lay himself down next to her. He ran his fingers over her soft skin, relishing the way she felt and the beauty of her body. He leaned over and kissed her breasts, as he gently ran his tongue over her nipples. She closed her eyes and moaned softly.

            “You are beautiful.” He whispered to her.

            He ran his hand between her legs to feel her desire for him. He rubbed her softly as he kissed his way down her stomach. She felt his tongue make contact with her throbbing flesh and she drew in a sharp breath.

            “I need you.” She whispered softly as she arched her back to bring his mouth closer to her body.

            He had never heard her say anything like that to him before. She had always insisted that she never needed him. It was like music to his ears. He brought himself up to her lips again and kissed her hungrily.

            She wrapped her legs around him tightly and she felt him slip inside of her. They both let out a soft gasp at the delight of the sensation. It was something that never failed to awe either one of them.

            He moved himself slowly within her, taking time to relish every second. His slow pace was like torture to her. Sweet, exquisite, torture. She arched her back and clamped her legs around his waist tightly, as she attempted to bring him deeper into her. The friction of his skin colliding with hers was making her dizzy. She felt his pace quicken, and she tightened her grip on him.

            She drew in a sharp breath and felt her body begin to quake. He threw his head back and moaned as he let his passion for her overtake him. He collapsed onto her, and felt her body trembling slightly underneath him. He attempted to roll away from her, but she clutched him tightly.

            “Don’t move. I want to stay like this forever.” She whispered softly.

            He looked into her eyes and for an instant, he thought he saw love there. Something had changed in her, and he didn’t know what. Somehow the walls that she had built around herself were crumbling. She was reaching out for him. It was something he never thought would happen.

            “I love you.” He told her sincerely.

            She looked at him and smiled softly. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too. She knew this would be a perfect time to just say it, but there was still a lot of fear inside her. She tried to push it back and she took a deep breath.

            “Spike…I—.” She started, then they heard the sound of the door crashing closed above them.

            “Spike? You in here?” Xander called out from above.

            “Oh my God! It’s Xander!” Buffy’s eyes grew wide and suddenly their tender moment was ruined.

            She pushed Spike off of her and scrambled to find her clothes.

            “Relax, pet.” He tried to calm her.

            “Relax? Xander can’t find me here like this. He’ll have a stroke.” She told him as she pulled her shirt over her head.

            “I’m comin’ down the ladder, so I hope you’re decent. Well, as decent as you can be anyway.” Xander called out.

            “Oh shit!” Buffy said frantically as she heard Xander’s footsteps on the ladder.

            Spike grabbed the sheet and covered himself with it.

            “Don’t come down here! I’m…I’m busy! And naked!” Spike called out then looked at Buffy for approval. He didn’t really care if Xander caught them or not, but obviously Buffy was not eager to announce their news.

            She nodded and tried to gather up the rest of her clothes quickly.

            “Well, cover yourself up. I need to talk to you.” Xander said. They heard him jump off the ladder and his footsteps grew closer.

            “Oh no! He’s coming.” Buffy said desperately as she ducked behind the bed, just as Xander walked into the room.

            Xander stood at the entrance to the room and noticed Spike looking down at the floor.

            “Spike? What are you looking at?” He asked.

            Spike’s head jerked up and he clutched the sheet to his naked body.

            “Nothin’. What do you want?” He asked anxiously.

            Xander started to walk over towards Spike and tripped over something on the floor.

            “Very smooth.” Spike mocked his clumsiness.

            “It’s not my fault. This place is mess.” Xander bent down to see what had gotten twisted around his shoe. He pulled it off and held it up. “I tripped over these…panties?” Xander said realizing what he was holding.

            He dropped them quickly and wiped his hand on his shirt frantically.

            “Oh sick! What the hell are those?” Xander asked.

            “What do they look like?” Spike asked with amusement.

            “They look like women’s panties. Whose are they?”

            Spike glanced down at Buffy and she shook her head desperately, mouthing the words “please don’t!” He sighed and looked back at Xander.

            “Well, they’re…mine.” He said calmly.

            Xander looked at him with disgust.

            “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared of you as I am now.” He said sarcastically.

            “Look, is there a reason behind this unwelcome visit of yours? I was kind of busy.” Spike told him.

            “Yeah, you and your panties must have been in for a fun time.” Xander said dryly.

            “Just get out of here.”

            “Look, I’m here because of Buffy.” Xander said as he walked closer to the bed.

            Spike noticed that he was coming around to the side of the bed where Buffy was hiding. He jumped up and stood in front of Xander, completely naked.

            “Where are you going?” Spike asked him anxiously.

            Xander covered his eyes and stopped walking.

            “Man, cover yourself. I don’t need to see that.” He stepped back and moved farther away from the bed.

            Spike grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around his waist. Buffy’s bra fell out and on to the floor at Xander’s feet. Spike cringed and looked at Xander who was trying to hold in his laughter.

            “Is that yours too?” Xander chuckled, pointing at the bra.

            Spike grabbed the bra and tossed it over the side, where it landed on Buffy’s head. She grabbed it and stuffed it under the bed. She silently wondered if Xander was buying any part of Spike’s ridiculous story at all.

            “Look, before I uncover anymore disturbing things about you, let me just cut to the chase.” Xander told him.

            “Please do. What is it about Buffy that you want to know?”

            “Well, she was acting really strange this morning. She was…Well, I don’t know, not herself. She said she was just joking, but she…Well, she said something really crazy.”

            “Like what?”

            “She said that you guys were getting it on.” Xander blurted out uncomfortably.

            Spike laughed out loud and glanced over his shoulder at Buffy. Her eyes were closed and she was visibly cringing. Spike faced Xander again.

            “She said that, did she?” Spike asked with amusement.

            “Yeah. But like I said, she told me it was a joke.”

            “So? What? You didn’t believe her?”

            “I did. I totally believed her.” He said quickly. “It was a joke, right?”

            Spike looked at Buffy who was nodding her head vigorously, urging him to go along with the lie. Spike gave her an annoyed look and he looked at Xander.

            “Obviously, it was a joke.” He said irritated at her unwillingness to tell her friends they were involved.

            Xander breathed a sigh of relief.

            “Good. I just wanted to make sure. I-I figured if it were true, you wouldn’t be able to get away with not rubbing it in my face.”

            “Yeah, if it were true, I’d want to tell everyone about it.” Spike said pointedly looking over at Buffy.

            She lowered her gaze away from him.

            “So, now you know the truth. You can leave now.” Spike told him.

            “Yeah, guess I can. Have fun, doing… whatever it is your doing in here. Of which, I don’t want to know.” Xander said, as he stepped over the panties on the ground again, and headed up the ladder.

            Once they heard the door upstairs close, Buffy stood up from her hiding place. Spike turned to face her.

            “Thanks for not blowing my cover.” She said softly.

            “Yeah. Wouldn’t want to do that.” He muttered bitterly as he tossed the sheet to the ground and picked his pants up to put them on.

            “Look, it’s not like I’m never going to tell them.” She tried to explain.

            “Well then, why don’t you? Are you ashamed of what we have together?” He asked as he went to his night table and lit a cigarette.

            She remembered the last time he had asked her that, and she had coldly told him that she was ashamed. He had been so hurt and angry with her. Only now, he didn’t remember that, because it hadn’t happened yet.

            “I’m not ashamed. It’s just that they won’t understand. You know that.” She told him.

            “Who cares if they understand? It’s not really up to them, is it?” He asked as he took a drag on his cigarette.

            “No. It’s not. Can we just forget this? We were having a good time before he got here.” She said as she went over to him and ran her hands over his chest.

            He was almost sucked in by her touch, but then he backed away.

            “You realize what just happened, don’t you? I made a sodding fool of myself. Now Xander thinks I sit around here all day playing with myself while wearing women’s underwear. You think he won’t leap at the chance to spread that news to everyone he knows?” He asked irritated.

            Buffy tried not to, but she burst out laughing.

            “It’s not funny! It’s humiliating.” He said defensively.

            “I’m sorry, it’s just, I have this mental picture in my head now.” She laughed.

            He shot her an annoyed look and tossed his cigarette to the ground. He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her.

            “You think that’s funny?” He asked pretending to be angry.

            She saw through his anger and knew he was playing. She decided to play back.

            “It is funny. Maybe next time we could really try something new. You could put on my underwear…It could be really fun.” She said playfully.

            His stern look melted into a smile. He pulled her into his arms.

            “I’m all for trying new things love, but even that is too strange for me.” He told her.

            “Good. Cause, I’m not sure I could keep a straight face. It’d probably ruin the mood.”

            She kissed him quickly, then pulled out of his embrace. She picked up her panties and pulled them on. Then she managed to get the rest of her clothes in order.

            “You leaving already?” He asked.

            “Yeah. I really should.” She said as she pulled her shoes on.

            He moved over to her and touched the top of her head, caressing her hair.

            “Buffy?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Before Xander the wonder friend crashed in here, were you going to say something to me?” He asked softly.

            He hadn’t forgotten about the tender moment that they had shared. He had been almost certain that she was going to tell him that she loved him. But the moment had been lost. He wanted to get it back.

            She looked at him nervously. At the time, she thought she was ready to tell him. The timing seemed perfect and right. Now, her familiar denial had firmly taken root again and she just couldn’t do it.

            “Um, I don’t remember. I-It probably wasn’t important.” She shrugged.

            His look deflated and he moved away from her.

            “Oh.”

            “I’ll see you later, okay?” She smiled, as she kissed him one more time.

            He watched as she left the room and he sat down on the bed. He was disappointed that she hadn’t said the words to him again. And maybe she never would. Maybe she’d never love him, but he still had more than he ever thought he would have with her. It wasn’t perfect, but nothing ever was. This was as close to heaven as he was ever going to get.

He decided that tonight, he’d do something nice for her. She had been into the tenderness and love thing with him today, so maybe she’d enjoy something like flowers. He smiled and made his decision to pick her up some roses before he saw her tonight.

* * * * * *  * * * * * *

            That evening, Spike headed over to see Buffy. He had gotten her some roses and he hoped that she didn’t think it was ridiculous. All women loved flowers, didn’t they? He asked himself. But for some reason with her, he never knew what to expect.

            He headed up to her house and rang the doorbell. He placed the roses on the step and went over to stand behind a tree. He knew Buffy wouldn’t be happy if Dawn or Willow came to the door and found him standing there with flowers.

            Buffy heard the doorbell, and went to answer it. She opened the door and saw the roses sitting at her feet. She smiled when she realized that he had still decided to bring them to her, even the second time around.

            “Who’s at the door?” Dawn called out.

            “No one. I’m going out to patrol. Don’t wait up.” She called out to Dawn.

            She picked up the roses and stepped outside.

            “Spike?” She called out.

            He stepped out from behind the tree and smiled.

            “You like them?” He asked somewhat nervously.

            “The flowers are beautiful.” She told him sincerely. This was what she had wanted to tell him the first time, but she couldn’t get the words out.

            “I hoped you would like them. I just thought since we were doing different things…” He said awkwardly.

            “I love them.” She walked over and kissed him passionately.

            He wrapped his arms around her and tried to fight the urge to fall down on the ground and take her right in her front yard. Finally, she pulled away breathlessly.

            “So, how come you stopped by? I never got the chance to ask you that last time.” She told him.

            He looked at her curiously.

            “Last time?”

            “Yeah. I-I mean, this time. I-I just meant, you hardly ever come here.” She stammered, realizing that she was confusing her days again.

            “Oh, well, aside from the flowers, I just thought maybe we should have a look around the cemetery where we killed those vamps last night.” He told her.

            “What vamps?”

            “The ones with the shiny rock? You know, you were all pissy that he got away. I figured we better try and get a lead on what that thing was for.” He explained.

            All of a sudden she realized that these vampires still had the crystal, and were still planning on wishing her existence away with it. She’d been so confused at first, then elated that Spike wasn’t dead, that she had forgotten all about the initial purpose of the crystal.

            “I totally forgot! We have to stop them. Now.” She said quickly.

            She ran up the steps and put her flowers down behind a planter. She’d make sure she remembered them later. Then she ran back down to Spike.

            “Let’s go.”

            “Wait. Where are we going? We don’t even know where he went.” He told her.

            “I know where they are.”

            She took his hand and pulled him down the street with her.

            “How do you know where they are?” He asked.

            “I just know. It’s a long story. But I found out what the crystal does. It grants wishes. They’re planning on wishing that I would die, or disappear or something.” She explained as they walked down the street.

            “How’d you figure that?”

            “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. But we need to do it now before something bad happens. Last time, we went in too late.”

            “Last time? Why do you keep saying things like that?” He asked quizzically.

            She ignored his question and continued to walk just in front of him. She glanced over at him.

            “You didn’t happen to run into Xander on your way over to my house tonight, did you?” She asked.

            “Thankfully, no. You realize I’m still mad at you for making me humiliate myself.” He told her pointedly.

            “I know, I know.” She muttered.

Obviously, Xander hadn’t gone to see Spike again.  He had gone in the morning this time. Everything was so jumbled in her mind, she was having trouble remembering everything that had happened.

Just as they rounded a corner they were confronted with a large group of vampires, gathered in an alleyway. They stopped short and held back. But it was too late. They were noticed. Immediately, everyone sprang into action.

Buffy and Spike were severely outnumbered, but they were used to that. They swiftly began throwing punches and kicks, attempting to thin the herd.

“This didn’t happen the last time.” She muttered to herself.

Spike dusted two of the vampires at once with a large plank of wood he’d picked up off the ground. Buffy was doing her share with the two stakes that she was carrying, but it seemed like the vampires kept coming.

All at once, one of the larger ones grabbed her from behind and slammed her up against the side of the building, and held her there, with her face pressed against the cold concrete.

“You’re the Slayer, aren’t you?” He hissed into her ear.

“That would be me.” She choked out, as she tried to breathe.

She struggled against his grip, but he clearly had the upper hand.

“Everyone! We’ve got ourselves a Slayer!” He shouted at the group.

Spike delivered the death blow to one of the vamps and looked up when he heard the declaration. He saw Buffy pinned against the wall and he felt his stomach lurch. She was in trouble. He attempted to run over to help her, but was held back when two of the other vampires grabbed his arms. They were both in trouble now.

“You’re a vampire?” One of Spike’s captors asked.

“Yeah. So?”

“Why are you hanging around with the Slayer? Are you crazy?”

“I might be.”

“He’s just a traitor. Let’s dust em’.” Another one shouted out.

“No! We’re not gonna kill either one of them. Yet.” The largest vampire informed them, as he smashed Buffy’s head against the wall, rendering her unconscious.

“We’re gonna have some fun.” He smiled.

“Don’t touch her!” Spike shouted as he watched the vampire looming over Buffy’s unconscious body.

“Ah, isn’t that sweet. You’re all protective over your little Slayer. It’s touching, really.” The big vamp taunted him. “I think it’ll be fun for you to watch us rip her to pieces.” He smiled evilly.

Spike felt like he could throw up at the thought of what they had planned for her. Before he could think anymore about it, he saw the large plank of wood that he had been using as a weapon, come crashing into his face. He immediately slipped into blackness.

* * * * * * *  * * * * * *

            Buffy slowly began to come to. She couldn’t remember what had just happened. She opened her eyes slowly and saw that she was in a dark room of some kind. The room was lit with torches, and she tried to make out her surroundings.

            She tried to move her arms and realized that they were tied firmly behind her back. She looked down and noticed that her ankles were bound as well. Next to her on the ground was Spike, still unconscious. He was tied up as well.

            She attempted to scoot over closer to him, but it wasn’t easy. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

            “This definitely didn’t happen before.” She muttered. “Probably because last time, I was still in my room busy being angry that Spike had told Xander about us.”

            The sound of her rambling roused Spike awake. He noticed their predicament and tried to lift his head to see Buffy.

            “You okay, pet?” He managed to choke out.

            “Yeah. I mean, other than the fact we’re tied up in some stinky hellhole, I’m just fine.” She told him sarcastically.

            “It’s not my fault.” He said defensively as he managed to upright himself.

            “How long do you think we’ve been in here?” She asked him.

            “I don’t know, but it’s been long enough. Can you get yourself untied?”

            She wrenched her arms around and attempted to wiggle out of her restraints.

            “No. It’s too tight.”

            Just then, a door opened and two vampires walked in. Just behind them was largest one. The apparent leader of this gang.

            “Oh good. You’re both awake. It wouldn’t have been as much fun if you were asleep.” He bent down and touched Buffy’s cheek. She pulled her face away quickly.

            “Untie me, so I can kill you.” She said to him.

            “Oh sure.” He said sarcastically. “How stupid do you think I am?”

            “Pretty stupid if you think you’re gonna kill me.” She told him with a determined look.

            “Is that right?”

            “She’s not as easy to kill as you might think.” Spike offered. “In fact last time she died, it didn’t take.”

            “That’s right.” Buffy nodded.

“You’re both going to die this time, and trust me, it’ll take.” The vampire sneered.

            He bent down over Buffy and went for her neck. She kicked her tied legs up and smashed them into his chest. He flew backwards and hit the wall. The two other vampires lunged for her. She kicked at one as she managed to head butt the other one.

            Spike was trying desperately to free his hands, so he could help her out. She managed to knock the vampires away from her, and scooted over to Spike. They sat back to back and tried to get each others hands freed. The vampire leader, pulled himself up and saw what they were doing.

            He went over and yanked them apart. He picked Spike up and hurled him into the wall. He slumped to the floor as the vampire grabbed Buffy by the throat. Her eyes grew wide as she looked over his shoulder.

            “You shoulda just killed us when you had the chance, mate.” Spike said as he came up behind him.

            The vampire whirled around just in time to see a freed Spike wielding one of the wooden torches. He jammed it into the vampires chest, sending him into a huge cloud of fire and ash. Before he could free Buffy, the other two vampires were descending on him. With one fluid motion, he spun around and jammed both ends of the torch into both of the vampires simultaneously. They exploded in a flash.

            Spike dropped the torch and rushed over to Buffy who was sitting on the ground out of breath from her near strangulation. He untied her hands and feet quickly and helped her up.

            “Are you okay?” He asked her.

            “Yeah. I’ll be fine. We need to get out of here now. I don’t know how much time we have left.” She urged him. She was still worried about stopping the other group of vampires before they had a chance to use the crystal.

            Spike picked up his torch and grabbed another to hand to Buffy.

            “I have no idea how many more there are out there.” He told her seriously.

            “Well, let’s hope we don’t have to fight them all. I have more important evil to fight tonight.” She told him as she headed off down the darkened corridor.

            They soon realized that they were in the sewers somewhere. They heard voices coming from one direction, so they decided to go the other. At this point Buffy just wanted out of there. She didn’t want another confrontation if she could help it. They walked for a long time, and luckily it seemed that the vampires were all at the other end. Buffy turned to Spike.

            “I think we can get out over there.” She said pointing to a metal ladder that led upwards.

            They walked over and dropped their torches on the ground and snuffed them out. Buffy climbed up first and managed to lift the metal grate and toss it aside. She lifted herself out and Spike followed her.

            They found themselves in the middle of the woods. Buffy looked around and felt a small pang of panic.

            “Where the hell are we?” She asked him.

            “Don’t know.” He shrugged.

            “My God…What time is it?” She asked him.

            “I don’t know. I don’t have a watch.” He told her.

            “Crap. Neither do I. Look, we just have to try and find our way out of here. They couldn’t have dragged us too far.”

            She grabbed his arm and they set off in what she hoped was the right direction. After awhile it seemed like they were walking in circles. Buffy was getting more and more agitated and concerned. Time was running out and she didn’t know what to do.

            “Damn! None of this was supposed to happen.” She said as she kicked a rock in frustration.

            “Calm down. We’ll get out of here.” He tried to reassure her.

            “Spike we don’t have much time. If we don’t get that crystal, I’m history.” She told him seriously.

            “I know.” He touched her face gently.

            He didn’t want to think of losing her again. He’d already come too close tonight, and it was way more than he could handle.

            “There isn’t even a moon out tonight, so I have no idea what direction we’re going. And it’s so dark. We should have kept the torches.”

            He looked around and tried to get his senses. It was like they were walking through a maze. Finally he turned to her.

            “Okay. We’ve gone this direction at least twice. We should turn around and head the other way. That’s bound to lead us somewhere. Hopefully out of here.” He told her.

            “Fine.”

            They turned around and began going the other way. After what seemed like hours, Buffy finally saw lights up ahead through the trees.

            “Look! Lights! Thank God. Let’s go.”

She grabbed his hand and they both ran towards the lights. They made their way out of the woods and found that the streetlights had led them to the park. She knew that the office building was only a few blocks away. Buffy looked up at the sky and noticed just the faintest hint of light on the horizon.

“It’s gonna be light soon. You need to go home. I can take care of this myself.” She told him seriously.

“What? Are you mad? I’m not gonna let you do this alone. We have no idea what you’re walking into.”

“Yes, I do. I know exactly what I’m walking into. I can handle it.”

She walked quickly down the street. He followed behind her. She kept walking and turned to look at him.

“Spike, go home. I told you, I don’t want you to come with me.”

“I don’t care. I’m not leaving now.”

They came up to the office building and Buffy stopped to face him again. She looked at the sky and saw that it was growing lighter by the moment. She guessed that the sunrise was probably less than twenty minutes away. She grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

“Spike, please. I’m telling you to go. If you don’t—.”

“Why are you being like this? I don’t care if it’s almost daybreak. We’ll be inside anyway. There’s no way I’m letting you go in there alone.” He said firmly and seriously.

“If you go in there with me, you won’t be coming back out.” She said with tears welling in her eyes.

“Sure I will.”

“No, you won’t. I-I don’t have time to explain this, but I know how this is gonna end, Spike. And it won’t end well.” She bit back her tears.

She cursed herself for not taking care of this sooner. She knew this would happen, and she should have just come back here right away and taken the vampires off guard. Now everything was doomed to happen the exact same way as before. She couldn’t lose him again. But then she knew that if she went in alone, she’d probably be the one who wouldn’t make it out again. Either way, there would be no happy ending.

“Buffy, if something happens to you in there and I just run away, I couldn’t stand it. I won’t lose you again.” He told her as he wiped the tears off her face.

“But I don’t want to lose you either. So please, just go. Get home before the sun comes up. You don’t have much time.” She urged him.

Finally he realized she wasn’t going to give in. He leaned over and kissed her softly.

“Alright. But this isn’t goodbye. You’ll kick their asses, and then you’ll come to me and we’ll celebrate.” He smiled.

“Count on it.” 

He kissed her again and she ran into the building. He sighed and looked at the sky. It was nearly morning and if he ran he could probably just make it home. He looked back up at the building where he knew his love was about to meet her fate again. He couldn’t stand that. There was no way he was going to go home so she could die in there. She said she had it covered and it would be okay, but something in her voice told him that she knew it wasn’t going to be.

“Bugger it. I’m going in.” He said to himself as he ran into the building.

Buffy was upstairs already and attempting to make her way over to where the crystal sat on the table. She had the upper hand slightly this time, since she already knew their moves from the last time. She staked one vampire, and before she could get another, she was grabbed from behind. Two more vampires descended upon her. She kicked them away, just as she had the last time. And to her shock and surprise, they exploded in a cloud of dust just as before.

Spike stood there with his stakes poised and he looked at her seriously.

“Sorry. I just couldn’t leave.” He told her as knocked one of the vampires away from him.

Buffy wrestled herself free and staked the one that had held her from behind.

“Spike, I told you to go. Why can’t you ever listen to me?” She asked angrily.

He was busy fighting two other vampires and didn’t answer her right away. He staked them, and looked over at her.

“What did you say?” He asked innocently.

“I said you never listen to me!” She shouted as she used her frustration to her advantage by twisting another vampires head clear off his neck.

He smiled at her and charged at a vamp who was coming up behind her. She ducked out of the way.

“Hold them off. I’m getting that crystal.” She told him.

“I got it covered. Go!” He told her.

“I will have a happy ending even if it kills me. Which of course it probably will.” She muttered to herself as she set off.

She ran over to where Overhoff and his guardian were chanting over the crystal. They saw her running at them.

“Stop her! The spell is nearly complete! She cannot ruin this now!” Overhoff shouted.

The minion leapt at her but she was ready this time. She grabbed him by the throat and plunged her stake into his chest. She never even broke her stride this time. She jumped onto the table and kicked the crystal to the ground. Overhoff shrieked and pulled the tablecloth out from under her. She went crashing down, shattering the table beneath her.

She grabbed one of the table legs and leapt up to face him. He knocked her down and grabbed her by the throat. She kicked him hard between the legs and he instinctively grabbed himself in pain. She tossed him off of her, and she stood over him ready to plunge her makeshift stake into his chest. Suddenly she was thrown off her feet by another vampire who managed to slip past Spike who was battling with two others.

Buffy wrestled herself free from his grasp and jammed her stake into his chest. By now Overhoff was on his feet again. Spike had managed to dispatch the other two vampires and was on his way over to help Buffy. Overhoff grabbed her from behind and lifted her over his head. With one swift move he tossed her at the window again. As she flew through the air, she couldn’t help but want to cry.

It was happening all over again. No matter how hard she tried to change things and stop it, it was still happening. And the worst part was, she still never told Spike that she loved him. She had her second chance, and she blew it again. Her body crashed into the glass and she gripped the window ledge as tightly as she could.

Suddenly a thought went through her mind. Last time her arm had been twisted and injured. That didn’t happen this time. She felt stronger. Maybe this time, she could pull herself back in.

Spike saw Buffy fall out the window and he leapt on top of Overhoff. He plunged his stake into him quickly and rushed over to where Buffy was hanging on. He stood to the side, trying to shield himself from the sunlight that was now streaming into the room.

“Buffy? Can you pull yourself back in?” He asked frantically.

“I’m trying! Stay back! Don’t get near the window!” She shouted at him.

She tried to pull herself up, but it was still difficult because her hands were still cut. The broken glass was protruding from the window sill, cutting into her flesh.

Spike watched desperately as the woman he loved fought to keep from falling. He couldn’t stand this. He could not watch her die again. Not like this. Even if it meant he wouldn’t make it, he had to pull her in.

“I’m gonna get you in. Just hold on.” He told her as he searched for something to cover himself.

“No! Don’t! Spike, don’t do it! Please don’t do it!” She screamed at him with tears in her eyes.

He didn’t listen as he pulled the table cloth over himself and went to the window.

“Stay back! Give me the edge of the table cloth and you can pull me in that way. Just stay out of the sun, Spike.” She told him as she thought of another plan.

He nodded his head and twisted the table cloth into a mock rope. He tossed the end to her, and she managed to grab it quickly. She let go of the ledge and held on with both hands. Spike braced himself against the wall in the shadows and pulled as hard as he could. Buffy came crashing in through window and landed in a heap on the floor. Spike reeled back at the force of her entry and tumbled backwards, safely into the shadows.

Buffy took a moment to gather her wits and realize what had just happened. She looked over and saw Spike laying on his back in the corner of the room. She rushed over to him worried. She bent over him and noticed that he was smiling. The same smile he had given her before, when he had sacrificed himself for her.

“You’re safe.” He told her.

“You saved me.” She smiled at him through her tears of happiness.

“I did, didn’t I?” He smirked satisfied with himself.

“This time it counted.” She whispered as she bent down and kissed him softly.

She pulled back from him and looked around the room. They were alone now, as all the other vampires were dust. She looked back down at him and smiled. He pulled her down to him she kissed him hungrily. She’d almost lost him again and he’d almost lost her. This was how their lives would always be. She knew that. There wasn’t time to waste being afraid anymore. She knew that now.

“Spike?”

“Yes, pet?” He stroked her hair gently as he looked into her eyes.

“I should have said this before, but well…you know me. I’m a pain sometimes…” She started.

“Sometimes?” He asked sarcastically.

“Shut up. Okay, a lot of the time.” She said rolling her eyes.

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” He smirked.

“Will you just be quiet and let me talk? This is a very special moment and you’re ruining it for me.” She pouted.

“Sorry. Continue.” He said with a smile.

“Okay. What I’m trying to say is…I’m trying to say…”

“Spit it out already, will you?” He teased her.

“I love you, okay? I love you. There, I said it.”

“Was it as bad as you thought it would be?” He asked with a grin.

“Actually, it wasn’t so bad. I thought I might pass out there for a second, but I’m good.” She said with a shy smile.

“So, you love me, huh? Took you long enough to realize it. I’ve known for awhile now.” He said smugly.

“Please. You did not.”

“Yes I did.”

“Fine. You’re always right.” She mocked him.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her down onto his chest. He looked into her eyes.

“What made you decide to finally say it?” He asked curiously.

She looked at him and kissed him softly.

“Sometimes, you just don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” She told him.

He wasn’t really sure what she meant by that, but he didn’t question her. He didn’t really care why she had said it, as long as she said it. He glanced over her shoulder at the sunlight streaming across the middle of the room.

“Sun’s up. Looks like I’m stuck here for awhile.” He told her with a seductive glance.

“Look’s like. Wonder what we could do to pass the time?” She asked innocently.

“I’m sure we could think of something.” He said as he flipped her over onto her back and began kissing her passionately.

They soon lost themselves in their passion and their clothes were discarded. They made love wildly in the darkened corner of the room, and Buffy hadn’t felt this happy in a very long time. Afterwards, they lay together, wrapped in the table cloth that he had used to save her.

She lay her head on his chest and smiled contentedly as he stroked her hair. She looked up at him.

“Don’t you just love it when you get a happy ending?” She asked dreamily.

“Yeah. I wish that you and I could always have the happy ending.” He smiled at her.

She laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Neither one of them noticed that the crystal that was lying amidst the rubble of the table had begun to glow and hum softly. In a flash it, went back to being dormant. Unbeknownst to them, they had just sealed their fate with a wish.

The End