They all stared; condemning looks of blame, and distrust. It was a long couple of days. The seeds of mutiny had begun to grow, and doubt along with it. They didn’t trust her anymore, and why should they? She had led them into the mouth of the beast, all because she had felt the need to show them she was right. But she’d been wrong.
So wrong.
They hadn’t revolted, and amazingly, it was Faith that had calmed the storm. She’d stepped up to Buffy’s side, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She’d told the group, Giles, Willow, Dawn and Xander included to grow up. To let “B’” do her thing, and that she was with her, and the rest of them should be.
She’d been wrong about a lot of things, and now Faith was added to that long list.
Buffy let out a grunt of pain as she landed hard on the cement floor. Now wasn’t the best time to be rehashing the events of the past couple of days. She was on the verge of becoming one more dead Slayer; Caleb stood over her scythe in hand.
“I was kind of hoping it'd go this way.” He sneered at her, and she stared coldly back, not giving an inch. She wasn’t ready to die, not again. Too much was at stake this time; she wasn’t worried about the pain, she was worried about the others. What would happen to them if she was killed tonight, now?
Spike’s face flashed before her eyes, and gave her new life. She couldn’t die, not before she told him, not before things were ok with him. She could have laughed just then; her first priority was Spike, not the fate of the world. Things really had gotten screwed up.
“HEY!” Caleb dropped the scythe and went flying. Buffy glanced up startled.
Angel.
Angel was here.
He pulled her to her feet; and grinned at her.
“I was never much for preachers. You look good Buffy.”
“You look timely; also good.” Actually you look fat. Cushy LA getting a bit too comfortable? She smiled at him, but was cracking up inside. She’d seen him a few times over the past couple of years, but he didn’t cause that flicker of warmth in her belly anymore. She looked at him and felt nothing.
He was a distant memory. An old friend come back and nothing more. She’d almost forgotten about him, he’d been gone so long. She’d spent so many years pining over him, missing him and for what? He’d left her, and she’d been ok with out him.
“Heard maybe you needed a hand.”
Caleb surged to his feet, and Buffy shook her head at Angel.
Angel sighed, leaned against the pillar and crossed his arms. “God, I missed watching this.”
***
Buffy stalked out of the crypt wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “God, Angel, did that seem like a good time for that?”
Angel loped after her, a confused expression on his face. “I thought you were glad to see me?”
Buffy turned, and rolled her eyes at him. “Surprised? Yes. Glad? That’s stretching it a bit.”
“Is it Spike? Is that why I’m getting the cold shoulder? You’re not telling me something. And his scent, I remember it pretty well.”
Buffy snorted. “That’s your issue not mine.”
Angel stalked forward grabbing Buffy, and spinning her around. “Is he your boyfriend?”
A look of pain flashed across her face. “Is that your business?”
“You in love with him? OK, maybe I'm outta line, but this is kind of a curve ball for me. I mean, we are talking about Spike here.”
“He’s different. He has a soul now.”
Angel shuffled his feet, and stared at the ground. “Oh, well great. Everyone has a soul now. But you didn’t answer my question.”
Buffy sighed tiredly. “What did you expect Angel? That you would ride in, and give me oversized bling and I would fall into your arms? Things have changed.”
“I didn’t expect to come back and find you acting as Spike’s new bed toy. He’s an idiot Buffy.”
The slap rang across the empty cemetery. Her fingers stung from the force of the impact.
“You don’t know anything.”
“I know his scent is all over you, and I do know the only thing Spike excels at is getting women into his bed. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re wrong y’ bloody ponce.”
Spike’s voice came out of nowhere, and Buffy’s heart just about stopped. He sauntered out from behind a tree, cigarette hanging from his lips.
Angel sighed dramatically. “Great.”
“Well if you two are going to make with the sodding Springer routine, figure it’d be a barrel of laughs if I joined the fun.”
Angel’s low growl raised the hairs on the back of Buffy’s neck. “GO. AWAY. SPIKE.”
“Not until you and me set a few things straight.” Spike flicked the cigarette to the ground. “You got no bleedin’ right comin’ in here and talking to the Slayer like that, and you know it. She isn’t anyone’s bed toy, never has been. She’d better than you, better than me.”
“Not going to argue with the last one,” Angel muttered.
“Oh give it a rest you git.” Spike spared a glance at Buffy, who was watching the pair with guarded eyes.
They stood at a stalemate; none of them speaking. Angel broke the silence.
“So now what?”
Buffy looked up. “Now you go back to LA; no more questions Angel. I need to you there just in case.”
“And what about him?” he glared at Spike.
“He does what he wants to. He knows where he’s needed, and it’s up to him.”
“He is standing right here.” Spike muttered.
“So this is it Buffy? Are you choosing him?”
Both Angel and Spike stared hard at her, and she froze. Her mind drew a blank. Was this it? Was this the moment she was supposed to decide who she wanted to be with? Were they tired of the games, tired of waiting?
It wasn’t fair, and it definitely wasn’t the time to be having this conversation. Angel and Spike didn’t look away, and continued to stare at her anxiously. Spike was fidgeting with his lighter, and Angel kept running his fingers through his hair.
She wanted to say “Yes, I choose Spike” but the words wouldn’t come out. She’d wanted to tell him in private that, she was in love with him, but not in front of Angel. Not now.
The more Spike stared at her, the worse she felt. He needed this. He needed to hear it now, in front of Angel. He would believe her if she said it now, and he could throw it in Angel’s face.
Spike’s expectant face drooped at her pause. He’d gotten his answer, and turned away. She stared at his back as he began to walk away, and then the answer came to her. If she didn’t tell him now, she’d probably lose him forever.
“Yes.” She whispered.
A/N: Dialogue taken from "End of Days" and "Chosen" S7.