She opened her eyes to the night sky; the stars twinkled down at her, smiling and laughing. She heaved in a deep breath and expelled it; the air was cool and refreshing. The stench of death and disaster was gone; no more dust, no more ruin.
Buffy stood in the grass, and looked at the twinkling lights of the city far in the distance. Los Angeles, haven…home? For the first time in years Buffy’s entire body was relaxed; and the inner Slayer was taking a much-needed rest.
The low hum of the school bus had quieted hours ago, and now they just waited. Angel and his gang were coming to rescue them from the side of the road, somewhere between the ruins of Sunnydale and the city of angels. All the survivors slept soundly on the bus, while she stood outside gazing at the night sky.
The presence of the other slayers overwhelmed her. She could feel their power suffocating her in the small confines of the bus. Their heavy breathing screeched to her ears like nails on a chalkboard. No longer was she the Chosen one, but one among many.
“Easy luv, I can see the steam comin’ out of yer ears from over here,” his voice carried quietly along the night air. She smiled as she felt him approach, and then his arms slipped around her waist.
“Nah, no heavy thinking here I promise; low-level, silly, unstressful thoughts only.”
“Yer gonna have to try a little harder to convince me of that Slayer.” He whispered against her ear, and she shivered.
“Not the Slayer anymore Spike remember? Just another one of the gang, nothing special.”
“I’m thinking you’re just fishing for compliments pet,” she just could imagine the grin on his face as he mumbled into her hair.
She didn’t respond just stared at the lights in the distance. They’d come so far…
“We really did it Spike, its over, all over, finally.”
“Casualties were a might lighter than I would have wagered,” Spike said softly.
Buffy’s body went cold, and she watched the images of the dead slayers pass before her eyes. Not every one had been saved, everything wasn’t all right, they hadn’t even begun grieving yet.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for LA,” Buffy half turned and gazed up at Spike who was looking thoughtful down at her.
“You’ll do just fine in LA luv, and you won’t be alone.”
She frowned slightly his words triggering something in her brain, something she felt she was forgetting.
“I don’t know if I ready to hop back into the fight Spike; I was thinking more of like a Club Med for Slayers. What do you think?”
Spike didn’t smile; he just looked down at her wistfully, and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. “I love you Buffy.”
She smiled at him, and twisted fully in his arms, laying her head on his chest. “I love–“ Buffy was shoved back sharply from Spike, and she looked at him understanding blossoming in her eyes.
He was smiling at her now, but she could barely see it, the glow radiating from the amulet on his chest blinded her.
“SPIKE!” she tried to rush toward him, but found her legs would not move. She watched in horror as flames began to lick up his legs, and cover his body. He just continued to smile at her.
“NOOOOOOOO!!!” her arms flailed wildly, and the tears coursed down her face. “SPIKE! I LOVE-“
“BUFFY!!”
Her eyes snapped open; there was no sky, only the cold gray metal ceiling of the bus. She focused on the worried face of Dawn who was staring down at her.
“Buffy, it’s just a dream!” Dawn’s voice was edged with hysteria, and Buffy shifted in her seat so that she was sitting.
Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she surveyed the sleeping figures on the bus. It was so quiet; the only evidence of life was standing before her with a worried expression on her face.
“Buffy, are you OK?” Dawn whispered.
Buffy rubbed her eyes, and then scrunched up her face in thought. “Dawnie, where Sp–“
Dead.
The thought hit her with such force she stopped speaking, and the air went out of her lungs.
Dead
Gone
Dust.
The dream came back to her then; the peaceful happiness, and then the fire…
There was no happy ending, there was only pain.
“Dammnit B we’ve got to get out of here, it’s coming down on us!”
Buffy tried to shove her way through the Slayers trying to flee the Hellmouth, but Faith’s hand on her arm held her back.
“Let me GO Faith, I need to get to Spike, I need…”
“B there is NO TIME!”
Her gaze searched the cavern until it rested on the glowing form of Spike about 25 yards away. She couldn’t see his face, but she could see the flames, and she could hear him swearing.
She struggled against Faith’s arms. “We have to get him, its over, he’s done it killed them all, we have to GET HIM!”
The earth shuddered again, and a rock crashed down to the left sending Buffy and Faith sprawling.
“No way B, we ain’t gonna make it!”
“I have to try–“
Laughter echoed throughout the cave, and Buffy stopped struggling. Spike was gone.
“NOOOOO!” Buffy fought like a mad woman, scratching at Faith as the other slayer dragged her back away from the Hellmouth. There was a groan, and a crack as the rocks began falling faster, and soon Buffy’s view of where Spike had been standing was gone.
Just like him.
***
“Spike is dead.”
“Yes, Buffy, Spike is gone.” Dawn looked at her sister sadly, and Buffy’s face crumbled.
“I forgot for a minute Dawnie, I forgot.”
Dawn slid onto the vinyl seat next to her and put an arm over her shoulder. “Its ok Buffy, it’ll be ok.”
But it wasn’t ok.
She didn’t cry, but her heart burned. The familiar emptiness so common after her resurrection the previous year began to seep into her chest.
Spike was dead.
She barely heard Dawn speaking, and she turned her head and stared out the window. In the distance the light of LA twinkled brightly. People sleeping soundly, safe and cozy in their beds, so unaware of the apocalypse that had almost landed on their doorsteps.
He’d saved them all. Not just her, and the Scoobies, but all of them.
The flash of headlights caused the bus to stir, the other survivors sat up in their seats, and a low chatter began. There was a creak, and the doors to the school bus snapped open.
“Buffy?”
She didn’t look up, but continued to stare out the window. She felt Angel move down the isle toward her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. Instead she stared at the darkness that surrounded them, letting herself slip into it.
I love you Spike.
A/N:This in't the end, so bear with me, I know this wasn't the happiest of chapters.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
2 in 1 week!