Chapter Forty-Two
It’s Only Right…
The weeks following Spike’s ordeal passed quickly. He and Buffy moved into a hotel not far from the Hyperion. Spike chuckled at the fact that they were just another ‘ordinary’ couple staying there. They went to Angel’s daily but Spike wouldn’t spend a night there again. Every day Angel and Buffy pushed Spike to his limits in the training room to get him to fulfill his potential strength. As his strength and speed increased to almost that he had as a vampire, he returned to the cocky Spike of old - irritating as hell and uber confident, smirk ever present. Buffy was delighted to see him so happy in his own skin. Angel was too, though he’d admit it to no one.
Things had gotten much easier mentally for Spike after the night he shared the dream with Buffy. They’d asked Willow to try to find out its significance and she told them that the most likely thing was that the dream was real, just not in their timeline or dimension. Somehow they’d been pulled into a different one, perhaps because of the magics in Spike from the Shanshu Prophecy, so that Spike could get the peace of mind and closure that he needed to enable him to cope. He’d had no more dreams since that night. His demons were well and truly banished.
Buffy and Spike were inseparable. It became a joke between the group of friends that you never saw one without the other. Brad, Laura and Moira often joined Buffy, Spike and Angel for meals out and such. Spike was unable to resist teasing Angel for his sudden interest in ordinary human food. The only thing that none of the friends could have when they were dining in Spike’s presence was a rare steak; the smell of the blood still turned his stomach.
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One evening, as they were basking in the afterglow of some rather inventive and very satisfying lovemaking, Spike looked at Buffy seriously.
“What is it?” she asked anxiously.
“Been thinking about the future, pet,” he said, “I want to go back to England, to London. I haven’t been there in decades and I think it’s about time that I did.” He glanced at her. “What do you think?” He held his breath for a second, then starting talking again before giving her chance to speak. “Niblet can come and live with us too if you don’t want her to stay in Rome and…”
Buffy silenced him with a kiss.
“I’d love to go to live in London with you, and Dawn’s an adult now. She’s already told me that she’s staying in Rome at least until she finishes her studies.”
“Really?” said Spike, “You’re not just saying it to humour me?”
Buffy slapped his stomach lightly.
“I want to go where you want to go. It’s not humouring you, Spike, it’s being in love with you, you dope.”
Spike kissed her, “Thanks, pet. I hope that Peaches won’t mind too much.”
“Angel will be fine about it. He’s got an offer to make you.”
“What offer? And how come you know about it?” asked Spike.
Buffy looked a bit sheepish. “We were just talking and we both thought that you might want to go back to England at some point. But his offer would stand wherever you wanted to be,” she said, a bit cryptically.
“That right?” said Spike with a grin, “You bloody know me better than I do myself ‘cause I only decided last night.”
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Spike sought out Angel as soon as he and Buffy got to the Old Hyperion. He found him in the training room lifting some weights.
“What’s this offer you’ve got for me?”
“Good morning to you too,” said Angel sarcastically.
“Sorry mate, just puzzled as to what you’ve got planned in that thick skull of yours.”
Angel glared at him, “Yes, Spike’s definitely back to normal.” “Okay, I won’t bother telling you if you’re going to be like that,” replied Angel testily.
“Sod you then,” said Spike and he turned to go.
“All right,” sighed Angel, “I’ll tell you anyway.”
Spike turned back around with a smile playing on his lips. He knew that Angel would cave.
“Sit down,” said Angel, indicating a bench.
“Getting worried now, Peaches,” said Spike, “It sounds serious.”
Angel smiled at him, “It is but not in a bad way.”
“That’s okay then.”
“You know when Nemol had you that I had enough money, well more than enough money, to buy you from him?”
“Yeah,” said Spike, “How much did I make by the way? I never got told that part.”
“Five and a half million.”
Spike blinked. “No shit?”
“No shit,” replied Angel.
“Yeah, but you knew that you’d be getting it all back.”
“Thought I would but there was always a risk.”
Spike stared at him, “Bloody hell, you could afford to lose that money?” “How much did he steal from Wolfram & Hart?”
“It wouldn’t have been lost, would it, seeing as it would have gotten you back?” replied Angel seriously.
Spike smirked, “Didn’t know that you cared, love.”
Angel glared at him then they began to laugh. “Anyway, what I want to do is give you half of the money that I took from Wolfram & Hart,” said Angel, once they got their mirth under control.
Spike sobered. He’d never had to think about money as a vampire. He just took what he wanted when he wanted, but he’d been worried about how he and Buffy were going to survive financially. The thought of a regular mundane job didn’t hold much appeal for him but he was prepared to do whatever it took to look after Buffy.
“And just how much would that be?”
“Just short of ten million.”
“What?” Spike goggled at Angel. “Dollars?”
“Of course dollars, you idiot. What did you think it would be?”
“Jesus,” whistled Spike through his teeth.
“I just figured that they wouldn’t need it anymore and it seemed a shame to let it go to waste.”
Spike just stared. Angel couldn’t believe it. He’d never seen Spike speechless before. It was a bit unnerving. After another couple of minutes of silence Angel could stand it no more.
“Are you all right?” he asked Spike, nudging him with his elbow.
“Huh?” said Spike. He blinked a couple of times. “’Course I’m okay, you pillock. It just takes a bit of getting used to being told that you’re a millionaire an’ all.”
“I think that even you won’t be able to run out of money in your lifetime.” Angel grinned.
Spike’s smile faltered a little as he realised once again that he’d get old and die and yet Angel would remain the same. He shook the thoughts off. He’d be with Buffy and that’s all that mattered.
“I’ll leave any left over to you in my will,” he joked.
“Leave it to Dawn or anyone else. I’ve got enough,” replied Angel seriously. “So you’re going to England.” It was a statement, not a question.
Spike dropped eye contact, “Yeah, that’s right. It’s just that to really move on I can’t be around this place or this city. They hold too many memories and a lot of them bad. Hell, the same goes for the whole of the country.” He glanced at Angel, relieved that he was not looking at him. “I’ll miss you, Angel.” Angel’s head snapped up to meet Spike’s eyes. “Of course if you tell anybody that I said that I’ll stake you.”
Angel grinned, “I’ll miss you too, Spike. We’ve seen some things in our time, haven’t we?”
“Oh shite, don’t go all maudlin on me,” said Spike, standing up and turning away so that Angel couldn’t see the emotion on his face.
Angel coughed a couple of times, getting his own emotions in check. “I’ll get the money organised for you so that you can get it transferred to London when you get there.”
“Cheers,” said Spike, walking out of the room without looking back.
Angel watched him go with mixed feelings. He had meant it when he said that he’d miss him. He still felt the ‘grandsire’ urge to protect him and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do that once he was on a different continent. The ringing of his cell disturbed his thoughts. He glanced at the caller I.D. and smiled, his mood immediately lifting.
“Moira, hi…”
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Three months later…
Buffy leant back casually against the stonewall surrounding the cemetery. It was one of the oldest in London and her favourite. The headstones here were all different, many with statues rather than the plain markers in the modern ones. It was her favourite and it was with the vampires too.
A grunt made her refocus her attentions away from the delicately carved cherub on a nearby headstone and back to the two men locked in mortal combat. Well, a vampire and a man would be more accurate. Her man. God, she loved watching him. The effortless grace of his movements as he fought took her breath away. She longed to join in but she didn’t. He’d told her to sit it out and so she just enjoyed the spectacle. The vampire didn’t know it but Spike was just fooling around, blowing off some steam. It’s been a quiet week and he’d missed getting some action.
Spike glanced over at her and smirked before turning back and ramming the stake through the vampire’s chest. He was barely out of breath. He was so fit and strong now that at times, when he was fighting, he forgot he was no longer a vampire. He chuckled softly.
“What’s so funny?”
“Just thinking about the time that I tried to bite that Telgip demon. Forgot I didn’t still have my fangs.” He grinned at her, head tilted on one side in the exact way that always made her melt.
“Don’t know which of you was the more surprised,” giggled Buffy.
He put the stake he was still holding into the pocket of his duster. He couldn’t give up the coat altogether but he did only wear it on patrol these days. Spike walked up to Buffy and placed his hand on her, pride evident in his eyes.
“You okay, pet?”
He leaned in and kissed her. Buffy put her own hand on his, pressing it to the curve of her stomach.
“I’m fine, Spike.”
He took her hand and they began to walk slowly toward home.
“Yes,” thought Buffy, “It’s only right that his son should be born in London.”
The End.
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BANNER BY DAWNOFMEAuthor's Chapter Notes:
thanks as ever to Carol for her beta work. ------- This is it - the final chapter! hope you enjoyed the ride!!
Chapter End Notes:
Please take the time to let me know what you think! I really appreciate all the reviews I've had! You guys know how much I appreciate it *big hugs* Watch out for Parallel Lives - sequel to Changing Lives coming very soon.....!!!