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Author's Chapter Notes:
Some dialog from Prophecy Girl
Chapter 7
Five days passed and Buffy was still refusing visitors, but it was easy enough for him to sneak past the nurse keeping watch over the room. As the door creaked open and he stepped in, he noticed Buffy was staring out the window. It was a dark, drab, room. The television wasn't even on. The only light in the room was that supplied by the window, which was half covered by the blinds.

“I told the nurse no visitors,” her voice called from the bed, though she never turned to see who had entered. Her voice held almost no emotion to it, giving him a hollow image in his mind that he wasn't used to associating with Buffy.

“Well then, I guess it's a good thing I don't care what the nurse said,” Spike replied as he closed the door behind him.

“Go away,” Buffy answered, finally turning to face Spike. Her face was pale and drawn and her eyes were circled in a deep purple that indicated her lack of any decent sleep. Her head was still bandaged, and she was covered in all too familiar bruises.

“Can't. Brought something of yours I think you'll want back,” Spike answered, as he took out the little chain with the silver ring attached to it and dangled it in offering as he stepped next to the bed. “The nurse gave it to me when I brought you in.”

Buffy looked at the necklace and ring longingly. Spike saw the fingers of her hand bend and flex, and he thought momentarily that she would reach for it, but then she turned away and stared out the window again.

“Give it back to your mom,” Buffy whispered defeatedly.

“Why would I do that?” Spike blurted. Wincing at his harshness, he continued much more softly, “It's yours now isn't it?”

“Nothing is mine anymore,” she wearily replied.

“Bit of an exaggeration don't you think?” Spike asked, brow creased in the way only Spike managed to pull off.

“How dare you!” Buffy spat out. “How can you come in here and tell me how to think, or feel. You have no idea what…what they…. You have no idea…” she trailed off.

“You think I don't know what happened?” Spike asked, incredulous. “I'm the one who found you, for Christ sake! Got an assortment of images of it burned into my brain. Can't stop the damn shaking when I even think about...”

Spike paused as he tried to reign in his emotions and calm his visible trembling. Pushing back the still fresh fear and anger, he spoke again, more quietly this time, “I know damn well what happened. What I don't know, is why you are using it to shut out everyone who cares about you.”

“No one really cares,” Buffy answered quietly. “It's all a big fairy tale. Good, and light, and love...all of it. Just stupid stories to make kids think there might be something right in this world.” After a moment, she added, “But there's not. I get it now. There is no happily ever after.”

“Just because a few sodding fucks have to be cavemen, you think no one gives a damn anymore?" Spike ranted. "What about dad and Jenny? What about Willow and Xander? Or your sis?”

“Obligation, guilt, opportunity, I don't know. It isn't good, or caring, or loving, or whatever you want to call it,” she paused. “Not for me,” Buffy finished as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“And what about m...” Spike started, but caught himself. His eyes closed and his hands fisted and flexed a few times before he continued. “What about Angel? You think he just stopped loving you because of what some two-bit wankers did?”

“I don't think.....” Buffy had to pause as her voice broke. After several seconds she tried again, “I don't think Angel will still...”

“Rubbish,” Spike interrupted. “Buffy look at me,” he ordered. When she made no move to do so, with two fingers he gently urged her to face him. “Buffy, he loves you. So much so, it's killing him that you won't see him or even talk to him. He doesn't know how not to love you.”

“Maybe I can't love him,” she whispered.

Spike drew in a deep breath as he studied the ceiling for several seconds before finally answering.

“Buffy, you have more love and more hope inside you than any person I've ever known. You've been through nine kinds of hell, and yet you still give a piece of your heart freely to anyone who'll take it. If anyone can love, it's you. Just don't forget to let others love you back.”

After what seemed like an infinity to Spike, Buffy looked up at him with tear filled eyes as she asked in a small voice, “You think he'll still want me?”

“I know he does,” Spike answered firmly, as he gently traced her cheek with his hand.

Buffy hesitated only a moment before leaning up and hugging Spike to her. Spike held on to her for what felt like both ages and only seconds, as he murmured words of comfort and rocked her as best he could in the awkward position. He rocked her to sleep with a story of a beautiful girl who marries a handsome if not broody fellow and they have beautiful babies together in a nice little house with a pretty picket fence. Nothing bad ever happened, no one ever died, and they all lived happily ever after.

And with every line, Spike's heart broke a little more.

**********

Buffy leveled the crossbow as the ancient vampire disappeared yet again. He effortlessly caught the bolt before it found it's mark, and snapped it in his hand.

“Well, the witty banter hasn't become any better over the centuries. Such a shame,” he mocked.

“Gee, and I thought we were having a meaningful discussion,” Buffy retorted. “Too bad your sense of humor died with you.”

“And just what, pray tell, died with you?” he grinned maliciously.

“You mean, besides some dumb prophecy?” Buffy batted her eyes innocently at The Master, eliciting an angry growl.

Buffy lunged forward, catching him off guard with a quick right punch. The Master quickly recovered and his hand shot out, his dangerous talons slashing towards her. Buffy anticipated the move, but not quick enough as one long claw caught her shoulder. It burned, but she fast forgot it as his other hand moved to grab her. She could not, would not, let his fangs find her throat again. At the last moment, she stepped back then sprung over the vampire's head in a somersault. She took only a fraction of a second to spring again as she landed behind him. Her left foot come into sharp contact with his pale, disfigured face. The vampire stumbled back and brought his hand to swipe at the blood erupting from his features, and looked at her in shock.

“This isn't right,” he indignantly informed her. “You were supposed to stay dead when I killed you!”

“What can I say? Don't believe everything your foretold,” Buffy shrugged.

The Master rushed forward in his anger, a fierce growl meant to freeze her in fear, erupting from him. Buffy planted her front foot, waiting a split second before she pivoted and stepped forward, leaning down and tucking her shoulder in. The move caught him square in the abdomen, and she used his own momentum to propel him over her back. As he landed in a heap of black leather, she spun back around, having retrieved the shattered crossbow bolt. With one quick motion, she rammed the small piece of wood home. A piercing scream echoed through the night air, as his flesh cleaved from his bone, and all that was left was a brittle skeleton. The little bolt, clacked noisily through the vacant ribcage onto the ground.

The battle was over. Apocalypse averted. She had won. Ok, so he'd killed her...briefly...early in the battle, but her friends had come through and saved her. She had overcome what should have been the end of her, and defeated The Master. A little smile lifted one corner of her lips. Maybe some things did turn out ok after all.



a/n- Thanks to everyone for your *incredible* patience as we start getting to the Spuffiness. However, the torture (yours that is!) has only begun!





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