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Chapter 27: The Light at the End of the Tunnel




Eli, Buffy, and Spike had traveled down into the musky sewer, of course after they agreed to untie the wizard. Then one by one they lowered there equipment into the hole just like an assembly line. They each took their time going over the map of Las Vegas, determining where the best place to set up and station their weapons. The most obvious place was directly under Angelus’s casino.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Buffy asked as she watched Eli and Spike prepare to set up the bombs.

Eli and Spike glanced up at the nervous slayer eyeing all the wires and dynamite that was laid out on the ground of the dark sewer. The only light they had was three lanterns that hung on the wall.

“These thing are not too hard to set up…a child could do it.” Eli explained as he looked back down at the dynamite and continued to set up the next one. “Do you want me to teach you how to—“

“No!” Buffy said quickly and took one step back, showing that she was frightened for just a second, “No thanks…I trust you…” and she let out a sigh.

Spike glanced up at Buffy’s nervous state with a smirk, ‘Seems to show some fear huh? Looks like the Slayer will be a real girl after all’ he thought to himself as he connected a bunch of wires.

“What about you? How do you know about this?” Buffy turned to Spike, looking at him with some curiosity.

Spike smirked but didn’t look up at his Slayer, “I’ll have to tell you later about my days in Europe during World War II sometime pet.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth in shock a little bit. However, she shook off the thoughts of what Spike would be like during the 1940s and focused her mind on the task. She turned her attention to the weapons bag that sat on the ground next to her feet. Buffy reached down and unzipped the bag and started to search inside with her back turned to Spike and Eli.

“You killed Nazi’s?” Eli whispered to Spike.

Spike snorted, “More like ate them.”

“What’s this?” Buffy spoke up and pulled something out of the weapons bag, a crystallized sphere of some sort---the the kind that resembled a crystal ball.

“Eli is this yours?” Buffy spoke up and turned around with the sphere in her hand. Since he was a wizard Buffy just assumed it belonged to him.

Eli just squinted at the globe and tilted his head to examine it with interest. When Spike raised his head his eyes widened and dropped everything he was doing and grabbed it out of Buffy’s hand.

“That’s mine and it’s nothing.” Spike muttered and placed it back in the bag.

“That looks like a…” Eli started but quickly shut his mouth when Spike gave him a deathly glare.

Buffy eyed Spike and Eli back and forth in confusion, “It looks sort of like the Dagon sphere we used to repel Glory…or that thing Willow used to help restore Angel’s---“ Buffy stopped in mid-sentence. The spark of recognition of what the globe was hit her like a punch in the stomach.

“It is the same—“

“Buffy I can explain.” Spike quickly said.

“Explain what?” Eli got up for his work, wanting to not be left in the dark about what was going on.

Buffy and Spike ignored the wizard, “I don’t understand.” Buffy whispered, “Why…of all people…”

“Would I want Angelus to get his soul back?” Spike finished her question.

“Where did you even get that?” Buffy shouted as she pointed to the Orb.

“Japan…after realizing the one Willow used could be only used once I had to go in search of another…this….” Spike looked down at the Orb, “This is one of three left in the world…”

“Now there will be only two left…” Buffy said as she reached for it.

Spike clenched on to it and held it close, “What? Buffy! You’re going to break it!” he shouted for her to back away while she kept advancing at him. He didn’t understand what made her suddenly act this way.

Eli just watched as the Slayer wrestled Spike down to the ground, fighting to get her hands on the Orb. After watching enough he rushed to both of them and took Spike off guard and grabbed it out of his grasp.

“Give it!” Buffy and Spike shouted as they saw Eli take hold of it.

“No!” Eli shouted, his voice echoing down the tunnels of the sewer causing Buffy and Spike stop fighting and look up at the wizard.

“Don’t destroy!”

“Destroy it!”

Buffy and Spike shouted out at the same time.

“What do you mean destroy it?” Spike turned to look at Buffy who was sitting on top of him, pinning him down.

“And what do you mean don’t…?” Buffy asked looking down at him.

“I’m going to go over here and continue setting up the dynamite…” Eli interrupted, “I’m taking the globe with me while you two TALK things out…” Eli walked a short distance about from Buffy and Spike.

“You going to get off me?” Spike asked.

“Not sure…” Buffy muttered.

Spike raised an eyebrow, “Not the best place pet to have your way with me but if you like to—“

Buffy rolled her eyes and quickly rose to her feet, taking a few steps away from him.

“Pig.” She muttered to herself.

“Yeah I guess I am…soul didn’t change that much of me I guess…” Spike mumbled as he dusted himself off.

“Yeah…guess so…except for the part where you want to have Angel back to his soulful self….” Buffy pointed out, “Why you so keen on this plan?”

“Why you so keen on him not coming back?”

“I asked you first” Buffy argued.

“So…”

“Soooo….” Buffy rolled her eyes. She had to admit that both of them were acting like two five year olds fighting.

“I don’t want to get in this right now…but…if we MUST…” Spike took a deep breath, “I thought it would make you…happy.”

Buffy scrunched up her face and shook her head, “What?”

“Come on luv…I know you love Angel…he’ll be number one on you list till kingdom come…even if you did consider me as your…you know…special someone, I know he’ll be drifting in the back of your mind. So, by having him back to his old soulful self you don’t have to ever choose second best…being yours truly.”

By the time Spike was finished with his little explanation, Buffy was close to tears. She took a step forward and slapped him hard on the face, practically causing Spike’s head to whip to the side. Eli looked up from what he was doing at the two warriors when he heard the slap. And when Spike turned towards Buffy, holding his hand to his pained face, he saw the tears spilling down her cheek and her lip quivering.

“Buffy…” Spike started very softly but was quieted when the Slayer launched herself at him, attacking him in a hug.

Eli and Spike were surprised to see the sudden change in behavior…Spike especially. He slowly placed his arms around her and held her close to his body as she cried a river into his shoulder.

“You are so stupid…” Buffy muttered into his neck while still crying.

“Come again?” Spike whispered in pure bewilderment.

Buffy back away just a bit so she could look him in the eye. “How could you say that…how could you talk that way about yourself…?” she cried.

“Luv I don’t understand…”

“No! You don’t…you clearly don’t…” she said shaking her head and looking down at the ground for a moment and then back up at him, “I don’t love Angel anymore…and I never expected to get him back….I don’t even want him back Spike.”

“Pet, no you don’t mean that you—“

Buffy stopped Spike’s shaking head and placed her hands on both sides of his cheeks, “Yes I do.” She firmly said, “Angel is dead to me…he’s been dead to me for a long time…maybe longer than I’ve been dead…if I could pick, choose, between having him be the one being here and having you…it would be you…I would always pick you.”

Spike still wasn’t convinced, “Don’t say that Buffy…I know you would—“

“No…” interrupting his once again, “I don’t think you really know me if you keep thinking this way…if you did know me then you would know that when you stood at the bottom of those stairs in my house that night I jumped, you would know I felt close to you…it may have been for a brief moment…but there is no denying it…you sparked something inside of me William.”

Spike started to get teary eyed too. Watching the woman he loved stand there and say all these wonderful things about him and how he touched her heart some way was his idea of heaven.

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and touched his forehead to hers, “I trust you with my life…I could never say the same for Angel…” she whispered to him, “That’s why I wanted Dawn to be looked over by you… not him…”

“Love…”

“Shhh…” she whispered, “You reassure me all the time that I’m strong and such a wonderful person…now it’s my turn to say the same for you. Spike…William…I love you…”

“You don’t have to say it because I’m get all misty pet…”

“I’m not…and I’m not saying it because you’re vulnerable either…I’m saying it now because I have the strongest feeling at the moment to say it…and if it takes me a hundred years to persuade you that I love you then…so be it.”

Spike leaned back away from his Slayer and gently kissed her forehead, “I love you too...” he whispered with a sigh.

When he looked back at her Buffy didn’t give him a chance to say another word, she was already on top of his lips within seconds. The kiss was passionate and full of promise of love and devotion, however it was brief since they knew in the back of their mind there was wizard standing no more than twenty feet away.

When they broke away they glanced over at the Eli, who was busy himself with the bomb wires and trying to not interrupt anything between them.

Spike turned to Buffy and muttered, “After this is over…you and me…”

Buffy nodded at his plan, “You and me…big LONG vacation…”

Spike chuckled and hugged her close, “That and…well…maybe we can start a new chapter in out lives….”

“One that doesn’t involve smelly sewers and explosives?” she suggested.

“Here’s hoping luv…here’s hoping…” he sighed and they both went over to join the wizard



TBC.....





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