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Author's Chapter Notes:
I have to start with saying that I'm so happy for all the reviews I got for chapter 14, thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it!

I have chapter 16 finished, but my beta hasn't read it yet and won't be able to until I'm going for a little vacation again. So, if there isn't any update in a few days please don't think I've stopped writing it - I'm just without a computer! I'll see if I can get my beta to update. Anyway, you'll have lost of chapters when I get home again, promise! :) Once again, thanks to you all and to my beta Chriss!

You who have seen the movie this is loosley based on will recognize the plot in this chapter, but it takes a different turn than in the movie.
Please read the Author's Note in the beginning

Chapter 15 - Running

Buffy felt like everything went in slow motion. One second Angel and Spike were in the middle of a big fighting party and the next Lily was standing there – saying Connor had gone out on the Boneyard. It took a few seconds for her to remember the name and then suddenly – she remembered what Tara had told her, her first night in Cornwall.

“He actually has surfed out on the so called Bone Yard.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s stupid. I don’t know why they go there, they’re just putting themselves in danger. You see, it’s great reefs out there. Dangerous if you miss a wave, but it’s also the biggest waves. He’s been out there a few times and for what I know, he’s the only one that really dared to. Everyone else stay close to the beach.”

“Oh my god,” Buffy whispered as she saw Spike move towards his car which was sitting in the parking lot. Buffy acted quickly and followed him with Lily soon after her.

“And where are you going, huh?” Angel yelled after them but Buffy just threw him a glare and got in the car beside Spike. Angel sighed and turned to Hank. “Come on, let's go after them.”



Spike stopped the car when he saw the big mass of people at the end of the cliff and exchanged a knowing look with Buffy before getting out of the car.

A boy Buffy remembered was called Ryan turned around and a sigh of relief washed over his face when he saw Spike approach. “Coach! I have no idea what he’s doing out there, I –“

Spike went past the boy and glanced out over the water and swallowed when he saw the big waves. It was a good surfing day indeed but not out there. On the Bone yard it was dangerous. If he got to far out he wouldn’t have a chance to survive if a wave hit him.

“Did anyone see when he left?” Spike asked the crowd, still trying to catch a glimpse of Connor’s figure. He started to feel really worried… If he didn’t see him, could that mean that he had –

“He got upset, I think,” Brian said, who stood beside Ryan with a look of regret over his features. “It’s… We’ve been too hard on him.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” Spike mumbled, “right now our only goal is to find – “

“There!” Lily suddenly screamed and pointed towards the ocean were a small figure made himself known. “Connor!” But her cries were drowned by the thunder of the waves smashing against the cliffs.

“How far is it till we can get down there?” Buffy asked Spike who had kept his eyes on Connor the whole time. He was getting further and further out, soon he’d be swallowed by the crashing waves if he couldn’t get him to turn around.

“Too far away,” Spike mumbled and turned around and ran towards the back of the car and opening the trunk. Buffy raised an eyebrow as she went after him.

“W-what are you doing? We should get going Spike if we’re gonna reach him in time!”

“We won’t,” Spike answered and earned a shocked look from Buffy.

“What?” She hissed. “You’re saying that you’re abandoning him out there?” When he didn’t answer the anger seemed to grow and she threw her arms up in frustration. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Spike?”

“Leave it, Buffy,” Angel said who had just jumped out of his car with Hank following him. “Let the bleached wonder play his own game.”

Buffy whipped around and faced Angel, mouth tight with anger. “Shut. Up. And get the hell out of here before I’ll make sure you’ll never be able to use your precious parts again,” she threatened, growling. That seemed to shock Angel because he became speechless. Buffy took the opportunity to once again face Spike.

“You can’t just leave him out there! He’s just a boy, he’s…“ Buffy trailed off and glanced at Spike’s new outfit with a deep frown. “W-wait… what are you doing?”

Spike closed the trunk and turned to face Buffy. “We won’t get there in time. If I dive right now, I will,” he said, nodding towards the cliff and walking past Buffy in his surfing suit. Buffy opened and closed her mouth like a fish uncountable times as Spike gestured towards Ryan to borrow him his board.

Then everything became clear and Buffy rushed towards Spike. “You can’t do that, Spike!” She exclaimed, glancing at the high cliff. “It’s too dangerous; you’ll be hit by the reeves! I know I said you have to save him but you won’t be able to do that if you die!”

Spike threw down the board into the water before turning back to Buffy. “I won’t,” he replied. He was just about to jump when Buffy grabbed his arm and made him turn around to face her. “Spike,” she whispered, letting the worry take over her voice. Spike sighed and let his hand cup her cheek and softly said; “I promise, Buffy.”

She leant into the touch a few seconds before he slowly pulled away, giving her a sad smile and jumped. Buffy’s heart raced as he stood by the end of the cliff and watched him disappear under the water. Oh, God, let him be okay.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who was worried. Lily sniffled to the left of her and a few of Spike students mumbled stuff to each other with worry gracing their features. She didn’t know how long it took, mere seconds or minutes… It felt more like hours before she finally saw his form start to swim towards the board and she let relief wash over her as she let out a sigh.

Spike had started to paddle out in the sea now and Buffy made a quick decision. Grabbing Lily by the arm she dragged her towards Spike’s car and set her down in the front seat while she took the driver’s one and swallowed as she turned on the engine. She did have a license, only… She wasn’t very good at driving…

“Okay, were is the closest beach we can drive to, Lily?” Buffy asked her as they started to drive. In the mirror she could see Angel talk to her father and also getting into their car, driving after them. She shook her head and decided to ignore them. “The closest beach were we can see them?”

“I think I know one,” Lily said. “C’mon, drive faster!”

And she did. Soon, they parked the car at the side of the road and ran down the narrow precipice towards the beach. Shortly after they reached the beach they were able to see Spike, getting closer to the waves.

“Oh, my god,” Lily whispered and Buffy gulped when she saw what Lily had her eyes attached to. Connor. Connor and a big freakin’ wave. There was no way Spike would get there in time and it seemed like Spike had realized that too. He stopped to let a wave pass and then started to paddle again only to watch Connor getting on one of the waves.

Buffy held her breath. Everything appeared to go so slow… Connor standing up, letting go of the rail, slowly riding over the wave… For a long time it seemed like he was going to make it, he held his position but just when Buffy started to relax she saw how he began to lose balance and slowly, oh so slowly, falling off the board and disappearing into the deep ocean. Buffy let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands in shock.

Lily threw her hands around Buffy and hid her face in her shirt. Buffy didn’t even hear her name being called by Angel and Hank from behind. Neither did she hear a few other people approaching them. Her eyes were wide and not leaving the spot were Connor had fallen.

“I-Is he alright?” Ryan asked who came up beside Buffy, glancing out over the water but Buffy didn’t answer. Her eyes fell on Spike with a confused frown. Her eyes went between Spike and were Connor had fallen only to realize that Spike was making distance from him. “What is he doing?”

The confusion turned to anger. What was he thinking? He couldn’t possibly just assume that Connor… “What the hell is he doing?” Buffy hissed, causing Lily to tear her face towards the sea. “He can’t just skip it!”

“Buffy…” Lily started but Buffy wasn’t really paying attention to her.

“Spike, I swear,” she continued, “if you do not turn around right now I’ll –”

“Buffy!” Lily yelled, finally getting her attention. Ryan pointed towards Spike.

“Look. He’s catching the wave to get over there,” he told her, then a smile tugged at his lips. “Smart stroke.”

And as Ryan had said, Spike soon stood up and balanced on the enormous wave. Buffy realized that she had actually never seen Spike surf before, but that he was that good as everyone had said. He held his balance, making sure he knew were he was going and suddenly – he jumped off the board, diving into the water, being totally swallowed by the ocean.

Buffy felt like her heart had stopped beating. The wave’s power ceased, only to be replaced by another one. Seconds turned to minutes and still no sign of Connor or Spike. Spike’s board was easily floating in the water and Buffy found herself staring at it, hypnotized, until the water around it suddenly splashed and not from a wave… It was -.

“Spike!” Lily screamed, jumping and clasping her hands together in clear happiness.

In his arms he had Connor who seemed unconscious by the way he was hanging in Spike’s arm. He helped Connor up on the board and made sure his face wasn’t under the water then he jumped onto the board and started to paddle towards the beach were the “audience” were standing.

Buffy let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and let her shoulders slump in relief as a smile lit up on her face. They were okay.

Slowly they came closer to the beach and Buffy found herself throwing off her shoes, being ready to meet them in the water. When they finally came within a reach for Buffy she saw that Connor seemed to have woken up and gradually started to stand up. Spike threw the board towards the beach and grabbed Connor by the shoulders.

“What the hell were you thinking, Connor?” He yelled with anger and worry filling his voice as he shook him slightly. Connor gulped. “Why did you go out there? You nearly got yourself bloody killed!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Connor stuttered, glancing away from Spike’s face and for the first time Buffy got a real look at his face. His nose was covered in blood and he had a big gash on his forehead. “I just wanted you to see I wasn’t a bad surfer but…” He trailed off, swallowing the lump in his throat as he finally made eye contact with Spike a tear trailing down his cheek. “I screwed up.”

Spike’s angry face crumbled and he dragged Connor into his arms and embraced him hard, making the waist-high water around them splash. Connor’s shoulder shook as he sobbed into his chest. “It’s all right now, it’s all right…”

A sad expression crossed Buffy’s face as she watched the scene played in front of her. After a few moments, Spike carefully made some distance between him and Connor looking him in the face and mumbling something Buffy couldn’t hear. Connor nodded and started to walk towards the beach were Buffy caught him in a tight hug. “Are you okay?” She asked and he nodded, giving her a small smile.

“I’m okay”, he replied, moving towards his mother who came running along the beach apparently hysterical and hugging him. Buffy turned her attention back to Spike and her eyes widened when he saw his wounded face and limp. Without thinking that she’d get wet, she ran into the water and caught him.

“Spike!” Buffy cried out. “Oh my god, you’re really hurt…”

Spike winced as she slowly darted out a hand to touch the nasty cut running along his cheek. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and bit her lip as she saw his other wounds. His lip was broken and he had a cut right over his right eyebrow she guessed would be a scar later on. Buffy swallowed back the tears and brought an arm around him to help him up.

“I can walk, Buffy,” he grinned, only to once again wince in pain as the cut on his lip hurt. But honestly, he was happy Buffy had caught him when she did because he felt his knees start to get really jelly like. When they got out of the water Spike mumbled; “Buffy, I think I have to sit down.”

“O-of course,” she murmured and tried to keep him from falling right down in the sand without much luck. She ended up hovering over him once his back rested on a stone behind him and she felt her cheeks start to burn as she quickly moved and sat on her knees in front of him, holding his hands. “You’re really brave,” she smiled sadly, a single tear escaping from her eye. Spike frowned and brought his hand up to her cheek like he had done minutes earlier, wiping away the tear.

“Don’t cry,” he spoke with a soft voice, giving her a weak smile. “I’m not worth it.”

“You could’ve died,” Buffy replied tremulous.

“Well, I didn’t,” he joked only to get a glare from Buffy. “Okay, not funny. Why are you crying, luv?”

Buffy choked back a sob. “Because all of this is my fault,” she sniffled and Spike frowned at her.

“How is this your fault?”

“You didn’t want Connor to compete, I persuaded you to let him. After the competition… You wanted to go to him and once again I told you not to. God, Spike, it’s my fault you’re limping and Connor’s bleeding. It’s all my fault.”

A sob escaped from her and Spike gathered her up in his arms. “No, don’t blame yourself, Buffy. This isn’t your fault! If it is fault anyone’s, it’s mine. Don’t blame yourself for something you didn’t do.”

“But, it’s true,” Buffy mumbled. “I kept you from going after Connor, I –“

“I could’ve gone after him at anytime, Buffy. It was my call, not your.”

Suddenly, they heard someone clear his throat behind them and Buffy turned to meet her father who had a surprisingly… weird expression on his face.

“Buffy, I just wanted to let you know that we are leaving now, Liam and I.”

Angel let out a shocked yell. “What? We are most definitely not! Buffy hasn’t answered my question yet.”

“If I want to marry you? Well, you figure it out yourself, Angel. Since I said no more than one time I think that means no,” she replied, calmly. “I’m sorry, Angel. But we have no future together.”

Angel scoffed. “Like he hell we do. Hank?”

“Go to the car, Liam,” Hank said, keeping his eyes at the couple in front of him.

“No, I –”

“Go. To. The. Car. Now,” he said once again, a bit more sharply this time and Angel slumped his shoulders in defeat. He threw one last glare at Buffy and then turned around and walked away.

“How come you asked him to go?” Buffy wondered and Hank shrugged.

“I realized something. I thought you and Angel O’Neill would’ve made the perfect couple, but,” he added when he saw Buffy open her mouth to insist. “I realize now, that you are not. You don’t love Angel even if he may love you in his own way.”

Buffy was in deep shock at his words. In so many years her dad had always been on Angel’s side, and even before that he had always chose to ignore Buffy’s opinion or not cared at all. This was a whole new side of Hank Summers. He glanced from Spike to Buffy and smiled.

“That”, he said, gesturing towards them. “That is real love.”

Spike didn’t dare to look at Buffy, to see her face, her disapproving face. He waited for her to tell her dad ‘no’ but much to his surprise, she didn’t insist. She just smiled at him.





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