Author's Chapter Notes:
so I don't know much...apparently Chapter 55 and the epilogue are both short so they're posted together, so.....the story's done?




In other news, I have a website

It has Spuffy, other BtVS, SPN and some other fics

Also this fic, Learning Curve, All the Fun (of the Fair) and myself are nominated at Spark & Burn Awards


(and I'm really sorry about the huge break in posting, I've been pretty sick for a while and...sorry)

I hope I'll have another story to post here (as well as finish Cold as Summer sometime... email me if you want (suzeefic@gmail.com)
Chapter 55

“Of course we sound surprised to see you!” Buffy exclaimed. “Or are you forgetting—you do know…what do you remember?” Buffy wondered if perhaps her mother did not in fact know she had been in a coma.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I know I’ve been in some sort of a coma for quite a while now. It was all explained to me.”

“Explained to you?” Buffy started feeling funny talking to her mother about something so serious while Spike was holding her.

“Why don’t we all go downstairs and eat and I’ll explain it to both of you? How’s that sound?”

Joyce smiled at her daughter and William before heading down the stairs. Looked like she had ‘come back’ just in time to see the fun



Once all of the hugging and Dawn’s squeeing was over and done with, Joyce, Spike, Buffy, and Dawn sat down to the table, ready to eat and talk; Anya had left just a little while after Dawn came downstairs.

“So,” Spike began when no one else said anything.

“Yes, so,” Joyce replied.

“You know you were in a coma?” Dawn asked.

“Yes; it was all explained to me—“

“By who?” Dawn interrupted.

“It was explained to me,” Joyce went on, “that I was being taken care of—my tumor, which was apparently coming back, being healed—because I was your mother,” she looked at her two daughters. “Because I was taking such good care of the Slayer and the Key.”

“So, it’s…because of us?” Dawn asked.

Spike noticed that Buffy was sitting there quietly, not saying or doing anything, and quietly scooted his chair closer to her, reaching over to rub light circles on his back.

“That I’m still doing well? Yes, that is most assuredly because of the two of you.”

“What,” Buffy finally spoke up, “about the rest of it?”

“What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“The…the cancer, was that because of us, too?”

“Why would you think that, honey?” Joyce asked.

Spike just looked at Buffy, concern evident on his face.

“If…if they could heal it magically…then it had to be caused magically too, didn’t it?”

“No, Buffy…sweetheart, no. It wasn’t you at all; not at all baby. The tumor…it just happened, honey. It just happened,” Joyce repeated. “It had nothing to do with anything; the only thing that is because of you girls is that I’m here and not dead—that’s the only thing. And that’s not exactly something little, either.”

“You’re…you’re really okay now?”

“Yes, baby, I’m okay now.”

Spike didn’t think Joyce or Dawn were expecting Buffy to break into tears then, but it was, oddly enough, not surprising to him. Scooting close enough that he was nearly sitting in her char, Spike hugged Buffy comfortingly while his hand continued rubbing light circles on her back.

“Everyone’s going to be alright now, luv,” he promised her soothingly. “It’s all going to be okay.”




Epilogue

It had been six months since that day that Buffy was currently referring to, at least mentally, as the turning point; her mother was healthy again, she was healthy again, she and Spike were dating. Things were great.

She was still only talking to Willow, Giles, and Xander maybe once a week or so—usually less with Giles and Xander because they still thought she was insane for being with Spike—but other than that things were great. It was hard making new friends when you couldn’t tell them the real reason your—extremely sexy—boyfriend couldn’t be outside during the day and didn’t have a reflection. It was hard but not impossible.

She had considered living in the dorms, but when Spike pointed out the limited time that would leave them for certain ‘activities’ she had decided that maybe living off campus would be a better idea. Having grown tired of Dawn’s complaining and ‘Ewww! Get a room’s, they had easily decided that her mother’s was not the place for her either. What Buffy had not known though, was that Spike had been finding somewhere for them to live together.

In less than a year, she’d gone from truly wanting Spike dead and gone, to being in love with him and living with him. Only problem there was that he didn’t know about one of those latter facts. It was stupid and immature—and completely unjustified—but Buffy still hadn’t said the words to him yet. She was scared, plain and simple. Not because of Spike or anything to do with him…no, she was scared because of her. She was still scared she was going to screw things up.

But then he’d had to go and do what he’d done yesterday and she knew she had to tell him. She had to tell him because just yesterday, Spike had bought her—or actually them a puppy.

Of course, given that it was Spike he had gotten them a big, scary dog. Well, a dog that had the capacity to be big and scary; right now the tiny German Shepherd was just adorable. With its huge paws and gigantic floppy ears, she couldn’t imagine anyone ever being scared of Tila—she’d stupidly told Spike he could name the puppy and for whatever reason, possibly just to show her it was a bad idea, he’d named her Tequila.

So now, Buffy and Tequila—who would be known as Tila thank you very much—were waiting for Spike to come home so Buffy could put her little plan into motion. The apartment (she hadn’t let him buy a house even though he sure had seemed to want to) was illuminated by, and she had counted, one hundred and fifty six candles, dinner had been delivered, and Tila was confined to the kitchen to keep her safe from all of the candles.

All that was missing now was Spike.

Buffy had just finished checking over the table for the seventh time when she heard the door being unlocked. As she turned to face the door, watching as Spike walked into their apartment, a sense of peace washed over her. Maybe tonight she could finally show him just how thankful she was for everything he’d done for her over the past several months; how grateful she was for him.

She knew it sounded corny, but Spike had not only saved her life, he’d made it an enjoyable life to lead. Even with as hard as it had been to get where she was right then, she wouldn’t change a second of it if it meant the outcome would be even the slightest bit different.

She was happy and loved; there was nothing more she could ask for.


THE END





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