“Okay, I wasn’t sure how you’d take to being immortal, so I’m willing to become mortal in order to stay with you. Cause you know I would do anything to be with you Buffy, I love you—“
She pushed at him, effectively making him free her and she bounded to her feet, shaking her head. “I knew it.”
Spike stood, eyes widening, “You knew?”
Buffy turned, “Knew what?”
”About my heritage.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m not sure if that means you think I did a bad job of keeping it secret or—“
“Spike, stop!” she nearly shouted and Spike froze. “You escaped from a mental institution didn’t you? That’s why you didn’t have any identification for so long. That’s why you haven’t wanted to talk about where you’ve come from and what you were doing before you strolled into my business. Just admit it.”
Spike looked hurt by the accusation, God help him, he actually looked hurt—as if she were making false accusations and incriminating him into something that was completely false.
“No, Buffy,” he said, shaking his head. “I was . . . this is hard.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that! Spike, you can’t expect me to – Do you really want to be with me or are you just making this shit up to get away from me?”
“What? No!” he stalked towards her and she held up her hands urgently.
“Don’t come near me,” she said.
“Buffy, how can you think I’m lying?”
“Spike, how can you possibly think I’d believe this outrageous story? You’re . . . completely crazy.”
“Don’t you dare call my boy crazy!”
Suddenly a woman was in the room with them wearing a long white flowing skirt and a gauzy pink tank top with lace edging. Her blond hair was pulled back in a long ponytail and her blue eyes were blazing with venom. She was pointing a finger at Buffy and Buffy was beginning to feel dizzy.
“Where did you come from?” she squeaked out.
“Mom, you were supposed to butt out!” Spike barked at the woman.
“How can I butt out when she’s attacking you this way?” The woman asked innocently to Spike and then turned back to Buffy and hissed, “Vile mortal.”
”Hey! Don’t you dare call her that,” Spike yelled. “You’re talking to my future wife.”
Now Buffy felt cold and all she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears and everything was starting to blur and spin. Her only thought was of how that woman had simply appeared before she tumbled to the floor.
Buffy’s eyes opened slowly and she blinked up at the ceiling fan and shut her eyes again. That was not her ceiling fan. That was the hotel ceiling fan. She popped her eyes open again. Okay, so she wasn’t home, she was still at the hotel in Kauai and vacation was not a dream. That didn’t mean that the other stuff wasn’t a dream though. She didn’t remember falling asleep after her and Spike had talked—because it didn’t happen. Because that was a dream. What really had happened was she was mad at Spike for not telling her about himself so she’d come up to get away from him and had fallen asleep. Yes, that’s what happened.
“You’re awake,” Spike’s voice drifted to her.
She bent her head slightly and watched him walk across the room, concern evident on his gorgeous face. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
She nodded, “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”
He shook his head, “No, Buffy it’s okay, I understand,” he said and took her hand in his.
“I just want to learn about you Spike. I want to know about your family and your childhood. So when I push you for information it’s only because I want to know all there is to know about--“
“Buffy,” he interrupted, his eyebrows furrowing, “What was the last thing you remember?”
She swallowed, “Uh, we were on the beach and I got mad at you –and why are you shaking your head?” She was beginning to get afraid. Again.
“Is the mortal up?” A woman’s voice broke through the room.
Buffy’s eyes snapped to the door. Oh God. It wasn’t a dream. Scurrying away from Spike, and tugging her hand back, Buffy moved to the head of the bed and stared at them wild-eyed.
“You remember now?” Spike asked dryly.
“I wanted it to be a dream.”
“It’s not,” he said, shaking his head. He looked over his shoulder at his mother, “Mom, can you please leave us alone for a few?”
The woman frowned at him and then walked out the room, huffing. Spike turned back to
Buffy. “Buffy, luv, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. I’ve finally done it.”
“Done what?”
“Lost it. I’m crazy. I’m definitely committed now.”
“Buffy, you’re not crazy. What I told you is true. You know it, deep down you know it,” he told her gently.
Buffy shook her head furiously, “No, I’ve cracked up. I’m having . . . delusions. I’ve heard of it happening, I just never thought it would happen to me. And on vacation of all things—Oh God! Am I really on vacation or am I in some padded room? When will the visions stop! Am I on drugs? Where’s my doctor? You don’t exist, you’re not real. I want to get well again, you need to go. Go!” she yelled at him and buried her face in her hands.
“Buffy!” Spike shouted to get her attention.
Her head snapped up and he grabbed her arm, pulling her off the bed. “Buffy, you’re not crazy. I’m real. You’re real. Everything is real. I’ll prove it to you.”
“How?” Buffy whispered.
“How indeed?” A male voice said.
Not another one! Buffy screamed inside her head. She shut her eyes tightly.
“Uncle,” she heard Spike say.
“I wager you’re going to be needing my help?” the man said.
“Yes, Uncle, I’m sorry—“
“Just what were you thinking?”
Buffy covered her eyes with her hands and parted them slightly, opening her eyes and peering through the slits her fingers made. It was a move she adopted when watching scary movies. There before them was a man with a golden aura surrounding him. Looking at him, she felt her body relax and she dropped her hands to stare openly at him. He was so handsome he couldn’t be real. He could see some similarities between him and Spike. She had always thought Spike the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on and wondered how someone as gorgeous as Spike could even be real. Then, her eyes caught on to something that nearly knocked her back. Wings. White, fluffy
wings slightly spread as this man Spike called ‘Uncle’ stood before them in all his golden glory with his hands on his slender hips and a white loin cloth across his waist. He did not look very happy. On closer inspection though, as Buffy studied him, she found a
slight spark of amusement in his blue eyes. Slight, but there.
She looked over at Spike who puffed out his chest and looked at his uncle with determination. “I love her uncle, and I want to be with her.”
“You weren’t supposed to fall in love with your charge, Spike,” his uncle said.
“I couldn’t help it.”
His uncle rolled his eyes.
“Charge?” Buffy piped in.
The two looked at her as if they had just noticed she was in the room.
Spike rushed in, “Buffy, I was going to tell you everything.”
”Have you thought this completely through?” his uncle demanded.
“I have,” Spike said firmly. “Uncle, I know I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with her, that I was supposed to just help her but I couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with her.”
“Would somebody please tell me just what the freaking hell is going on around here?” Buffy yelled in frustration. “If I’m not cracking up,” she said, her voice calming, and pointed at Golden Man with Wings. “If I’m not cracking up, then who are you?”
Golden Man with Wings smiled. “Spike already told you dear, didn’t he? I’m Eros, The God of Love. Spike is my nephew.”
Buffy shook her head. “I’m not going to faint, I’m not going to faint,” she repeated like a mantra.
“You mean again?” Eros rumbled with laughter in his voice. “I’m sincerely glad to hear it.”
“You—you saw that?” Buffy asked.
“I did. I noticed my sister-in-law had taken flight down here to see her son when I looked in my crystal ball—“
”Crystal Ball. You have a crystal ball?” Buffy asked.
Eros nodded, “Yes, I have a crystal ball.”
“And I’m not cracking up?”
“No, you are not my dear Buffy. You are of sound mind.” He frowned at Spike. “My nephew has a knack for stirring up trouble.”
“Why are you here? Why are you all here?” Buffy asked.
“Now those are the right questions to be asking,” Eros said and smiled at her. Then he looked over at Spike. “I’ll leave that up to Spike.”
Buffy turned to Spike. “For some bizarre reason, I’m going to try and listen to you with an open mind though I can tell you that so many parts of me are warring over even considering this might be true. Before the parts take over that want me to drive myself to the fifth floor of the hospital, I think now would be a good time to explain yourself.”
Spike nodded glumly, “I think you should sit.”
”I’ll stand.”
“I’ll be in with your mother,” Eros said and disappeared.
Buffy closed her eyes, and then after a deep breath, popped them open and leveled her gaze to Spike. “I’m listening.”