Miss Edith was being a bad girl to Drusilla. Whispering in her ear that her Spike still loved the Slayer. That she couldn’t change destiny. That he’d find his way back to her. That destiny was a funny thing Drusilla wouldn’t understand until it was too late.
She told Drusilla that Spike had doubts of his memories. He was starting to believe his dreams true. And Drusilla yelled back at bad Miss Edith that that was a lie. Her Spike loved being with her. Loved her. Loved Kita. Loved their life.
And she turned to the stars and the moon, asking them to tell her no lies. And they whispered the same as Miss Edith. Spike belonged to the Slayer now. He wasn’t hers. Not her Spike anymore. He was Buffy’s. Forever and ever. She was the light. He was the dark. Sometimes light needed a shadow. Sometimes the dark needed light.
The right thing would be for Drusilla to listen.
The right thing would be for Drusilla to reverse Kita’s spell.
The right thing would be for Drusilla to convince Spike to go to Sunnydale.
But, then again, Drusilla wasn’t known for doing the right thing.
I’m walking through a cemetery. And I know what my destination is. A crypt. Mine. Next to me is this petite blonde girl. I feel like I’ve known her for years. Four to be exact. She turns to me and she says, “Dawn says you came by yesterday. Just to talk to her, like you did before. She was all happy and excited. Hadn’t seen her like that…I guess our drama kinda stopped that, huh?”
Surprisingly, I know how to answer. I know exactly who she’s talking about, what to say. “Kind of got wrapped up in myself, and you, this year.”
The blonde smiles at me. “Who didn’t?”
“Talked to Harris?”
“Him and Anya. Together. Just call me ‘Buffy the Marriage Counselor’.” Buffy says perkily, slipping her hand in his.
“I prefer calling you Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” I answer.
I know this. The night before Spike disappeared. We ran to each other at the cemetery entrance. I was patrolling and he was homebound and we decided to go together. I say as expected, “You would call me that, wouldn’t you?”
“It’s what you are, isn’t it?” Spike asks.
“Yeah, but that’s not all.”
“It’s still a part of you. The sooner you realize that, the happier you’ll be.”
“Hey, I’m happy. I’m Happy Buffy. I’ve got a great job-“
Spike looks at me.
“A-a good job.”
He raises and eyebrow.
“A-an okay job?”
He smirks.
“A job with benefits. Not that much, but they’re there.”
I think that’s the first time we just laughed together. There was nothing malicious behind it. Pure, unadulterated laughter.
I stray out of character, “I miss you.” I turn to look at him.
“I miss you.” The blonde that I found not only to be named Buffy, but the Slayer, says. She then says, after stopping and turning to look at me, “I know this isn’t on the script and you have no idea who I’m talking about, but if you could somehow get this message to the real Spike. Tell him that Kita can’t be trusted. That-that she changed things-“
“Changed things? What things?” I ask. And what does she mean, the real Spike? Isn’t that me?
“Tonight we went to your crypt and talked. We made a date fore tomorrow and I went home. You went missing. I’ve been spending the past month looking for you with no luck.” Buffy says.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Or how I know where we are, who you are, or why I feel the need to come back to Sunnyhell, but Kita is Dru’s to deal with unless she attacks me. And you’re the bloody Slayer. Why should I trust you?”
He needs a reason. I’ve got a reason. Infuriating bastard.
“1878. William Hartwell. ‘I dream to hope.’” I say, searching his face for enlightenment.
“’I…hope…to dream.” He responds, looking shocked.
“’A face, so beautiful.’” This was her one chance. Her one chance to get him back. And she knew it.
“’Love shining for me.’”
He looks at me and I feel like I have “we’re a couple” written on my face.
“You know the poem?”
“We’ve talked about it a bit. Your memories are-“
“You know, Slayer, this is getting tiring.”
The sight of Kita is a surprise. I didn’t expect her. The Slayer is tempting. Her story isn’t unrealistic. That look as if they’d been together romantically.
“Kita?”
Kita walks to his side as if to protect him. “Bye, bye, slayer.”
“You-“
“Don’t say things you’ll regret.” Kita says. She looks me in the eyes. “Forget.”
I wake up in my bed and I remember every detail. Right to Kita showing up. And I know that was probably my last chance to reach him. And I lost it. Lost him. Forever.
I wake up, Drusilla’s arms around me. I’m trying to remember my dream, but I can’t conjure up any part of it. I shrug, figuring that fro once I didn’t dream, but as I sleep, I swear in my head I can hear a female voice and my own trading lines of an all but forgotten poem.
“I dream to hope.
I hope to dream.
A face, so beautiful.
Love shining for me.”
A/N: Poem by me. Well the four lines I actually showed. Moving on…