Author's Chapter Notes:
Posted for Spikeluv84 by DragonflyLady77

Not mine, everything belongs to Joss and ME.
“So what’s the Avril brigade doing today?” quipped Spike.

Buffy smiled. He was coming up with new nicknames for them everyday. Standing at the sink, she shrugged and watched the girls on the beach.

When the Hellmouth had started to close and the building had begun to fall around them, Buffy had torn the chain from Spike’s neck and he’d been blasted to the ground, unconscious. To her surprise, the necklace had continued to hang in the air. Angel really hadn’t had a clue what he’d brought her.

Promising a hefty chewing out, she had dragged and carried Spike up the stairs and out of the school. Giving no thought to the sun, she’d carried him along with her and thrown him onto the bus. Running with it, she’d leapt to safety at the last second.

They had moved up the coast and out towards the beach. Everyone had been surprised to learn that Giles owned a secluded summer house on the beach. Gifting them with it, Giles had flown back to England with Faith, Wood, Andrew and also, surprisingly, Xander. They knew he needed time to grieve and quiet Bath seemed like just the place. It had come highly recommended by Willow.

Although not many of the girls had made it - they’d even lost Rona at the end - they had stuck together and had refused to return home. How could someone return to regularity after facing Evil itself?

It had taken months, but after watching their backs for a while, they had relaxed and looked towards recovery. Spike had taken the longest. He’d had no visible injuries, but apparently the necklace had wiped him out.

As he had healed, they’d tried to study the side effects but they really had no way to. It was an unprecedented situation. They slowly took it one day at a time.

As of late, Spike and Buffy had fallen into a relaxed day-to-day relationship. They weren’t having sex but they were definitely closer and the trust was at an all time high.

Buffy had contacted Angel about the amulet, but he’d said that he wanted no part of it and left it to her to handle. She’d heard from Wesley that a friend named Fred had died recently and Angel was understandably upset. She suspected more so from Wesley. She’d heard from Willow that Wesley had fallen in love with the girl. Her heart went out to him. Knowing there was nothing she could do, she didn’t contact Angel again.

Now it was just her, Dawn, Spike, Willow and a handful of tough new Slayers. Spike still laid low for the most part and helped with the training.

Glancing behind her, she smiled softly at Spike.

“Training.”

Approaching silently, Spike wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

“Agapi mou.”

Buffy smiled. She had no idea what it meant but ever since Spike had woken up, after the events in the Hellmouth, he’d uttered those words to her. He never said them around anyone else, but she knew they were special.

After his injuries had healed, Spike had become more affectionate and even quoted poetry to her sometimes. From what she understood, mostly Shakespeare and sonnets. She had giggled at first but then considered it their special time. The sound of his rumbling, soft British voice echoing in her head, lulling her to sleep, was the best feeling in the world. She felt so safe and cherished. But she never asked what those two words meant.

Buffy smiled softly as he rested his chin on her shoulder, watching the girls train with Kennedy.

“That Ms. Patton is a right general, isn’t she?” mused Spike.

Buffy watched as Kennedy kept the girls in line and issued demands.

“I think she’d rather be referred to as Mrs. Willow.”

Spike scoffed at that and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t say that. She’s the closest person I have to a bloke around these parts!”

Buffy laughed and snuggled back into his embrace. Looking past the girls to the ocean, she stared as the late afternoon sun glinted off the waves.

Suddenly the front door crashed open. Glaring across the open space towards the front door, Spike automatically put Buffy behind him and stepped forward. Shock covered his face as the sun blinded him.

There was a long silence.

“Why isn’t he on fire?”

“Xander!”

~~**~~**~~**~~

Xander stood shock still as he was rushed with hugs and pats on the back. He barely noticed them. He continued to stare over their heads at the non-flamey vampire. Spike stared right back.

“I don’t get it! How is he not dust?” he exclaimed.

Buffy started for a second and did a double take. Xander was right. Spike was standing in full sunlight and not… dusty.

Spike stood as if in a daze. Slowly his hand came up and he softly touched his chest.

“It’s like reliving it all again. The bright blinding light… the warmth… how can this be?”

Turning his pleading gaze to her, he whispered, “Buffy?”

Buffy stared at him, eyes burning with tears.

A door slammed at the back of the house.

“Xander!” yelled Willow, “I knew you’d-“ She skidded to a stop at the scene that greeted her.

Xander stood to the side, with most of the Slayers around him facing her. To his right stood Buffy, crying softly. In the center or it all, stood Spike. In the direct stream of sunshine from the open front door. It shone on him so brightly, he looked like he was glowing. A slightly dazed euphoric look was on his face as he gazed at Buffy, hand resting on his chest. He looked like a descended angel.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Spike looked over his right shoulder and gave her soft smile.

“Holy Crapola…” Willow whispered.

Buffy fainted.

~~**~~**~~**~~

“Well, that got us nowhere,” sighed Willow, slamming the phone down.

“What does that mean?” asked Buffy, who was doing some non-stop pacing.

Xander calmly sat in the living room, flipping channels on the television. Every so often, he’d glance outside and shake his head before returning his attention on the TV.
The girls, led by a very giddy Dawn, had dragged a protesting Spike outside. Dawn had gifted him with sunglasses and said, “You have to get a little pink!”

Spike and Xander had both had a little coughing fit.

Muttering about boys under their breaths, the girls had dragged Spike outside, determined to get some color on him. Spike had protested but hadn’t fought back. He stood awkwardly on the beach as the girls cheered and ran circles around him. Every time he tried to bow out, the girls dragged him back. Finally he started to pick them up, three at a time, and was throwing them in the water. They were now using him as a piggyback ride in the waves.

Buffy stared at the sight as Spike laughed and fell back into the water. “What does it mean?” she asked again urgently.

Willow had called Giles after Buffy had come to. Now that he was Head of the Council, he sent Buffy a little stipend every month, as well as a progress report.

“Giles is looking into it but so far there is no info or prophecy about this,” Willow replied.

“Call Angel,” Buffy said firmly.

“Are you sure about that? I mean-“

“Spike is more important right now. Call. Him.”

Willow sighed and picked up the phone to call Wolfram and Hart.

Buffy understood that Angel would be upset. After losing Cordy and now Fred, Angel was walking a tight rope. The last time she’d spoken to Angel, she had suspected that he’d had some strong feelings for Cordy; and had oddly not felt the tug of jealousy. She had realized that she’d put those long ago feelings to bed and had moved on.

Yes, she’d moved on to another vampire, but Spike was different.

Spike tried.

Spike changed.

Spike had gotten his soul for her. He had almost died for her.

She was almost sorry to say that Spike was more of a man than Angel would ever be. He had shown that he truly and honestly loved her. She was stunned by it every day. More times than not, she felt like a giddy schoolgirl around him. Felt it so much so that she felt like the spinning German nanny from that fifties’ musical, the one with the Mary Poppins lady. Now she had this new situation on her hands.

What was happening to Spike?

~~**~~**~~**~~

Spike felt oddly numb. He was standing on a beach in broad daylight, flinging Slayers left and right, absorbing the sun beating down on him. He felt the heat pounding on top of his head and his shoulders. It was almost too hot to stand.

He loved it.

Thank God for sunglasses!

Settling down on the sand, he laughed as Dawn and the girls charged him. They seemed to be more excited than he was. Tumbling back, he let the girls start burying him in the sand.

“You dames put sand in my ears and I’ll bite you!” he warned. The girls just laughed and rolled their eyes. Some Big Bad he was. More like a bloody marshmallow.

“Spike, you’re all talk and no bite,” replied Kennedy.

“He knows he loooooooves us,” cooed Dawn.

“Oi! I do not!” Spike protested. He continued to lie there, sand piked all around him.

“Pretty Spike nice man,” said Cho-An, smiling softly at him.

Spike glared at her as the girls laughed. He grumbled under his breath as Cho-An patted his leg.

“That’s what you get for teaching her English, “ Dawn teased.

Spike vamped out in frustration, hoping to scare them off. They just patted more sand around him, and Dawn patted him on the head.

“It’s no use, Spike. We’re immune to your vampiness.”

Spike said something to Cho-An in Cantonese. Her head shot up and she stared at Spike in horror. She replied rapidly and shook her head. Switching to English, she said, “Ice cream no good! Tell Buffy! Bad Spike!” She patted sand around his legs harder.

Spike sulked.

Dawn giggled. “Did you just threaten her with ice cream?”

Spike glared at the sand. “Only thing the bint is scared of.”

Cho-An laughed and shook her head. “Spike silly. Good we love you.”

The girls smiled at Spike.

He didn’t say a word.

~~**~~**~~**~~

Later that night, Spike sighed as Buffy rubbed aloe on his shoulders.

“You shouldn’t have let them keep you out there so long,” she chided.

Spike shrugged and smiled.

“The girls wanted to have some fun. I wasn’t going to stop them.”

After twenty minutes in the shower he’d finally gotten all the sand off. It had gone into some very uncomfortable places. The shower had felt so relaxing he’d almost stayed longer.

Over the past couple of months, Spike’s hair had grown out, almost to how it was when he’d come back from Africa. Buffy and the girls had claimed it was “majorly cute” so he’d put off coloring it. He’d taken a chance after his shower and looked in the mirror.

No reflection.

Shaking his head, he sighed as Buffy wrapped her arms around him from behind. He felt her tense as she softly laid her hand on his chest. He turned towards her and softly shook his head.

“It’s not beating, luv.”

Tears pinpricked her eyelids and she blinked rapidly. Shaking her head, she leaned into him.

“I don’t get it! It’s not fair! How can you go in the sun but still not have a heartbeat?”

“I don’t have a reflection either, pet,” he murmured.

“WHY?” she yelled.

Spike turned around and cupped her face. Stroking her cheek, he shook his head.

“I don’t have the answers, luv. I can’t fully say what that bloody charm did to me. We’ll just take it one day at a time, like we’ve been doing.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her close.

“What did Angel say?”

Buffy shook her head.

“He had no information but he’s having Wesley look into it.”

Spike rubbed her back as he slowly laid her down on their bed. Crawling in beside her, he pulled her close as she pulled up the covers. Spiked turned away and switched off the light. Hugging her close, he rubbed her back as she sighed.

“Goodnight Spike.”

Spike kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

“Agapi mou,” he whispered.

~~**~~**~~**~~

The next morning Spike still had a slightly pink hue to his skin. Apparently he still had vampire healing too. Buffy sighed as Spike calmly looked out the window, drinking a cup of blood. Not saying a word, he grasped her hand and pulled her close. They both stared at the ocean, content.

Setting his cup down, Spike leaned down and kissed her temple.

“Agapi mou,” he whispered.

“What the Hell does that mean?” asked Xander, standing in the doorway. Buffy and Spike looked over their shoulders at him, silently.

“What does what mean?” asked Buffy.

Spike just quirked an eyebrow.

“A Gap E Moo.”

Spike looked at him, brow furrowed in confusion. Turning silently to Buffy, he rolled his eyes and tilted his head towards Xander, as if to say ‘he’s your friend’.

Buffy bit back a laugh and cleared her throat.

“Hmm, Xander, we don’t know what it means. Spike’s been saying it ever since he woke up after the Hellmouth collapsed.”

Xander snapped his fingers and clapped his hands together.

“Well, okay! Alright! Let’s get on that! You never know. Might be a curse or a chant of some kind!”

He put up his hands and his gaze got serious.

“Hey, he could’ve gotten some more old exotic demon put in him! Like that time we brought you back. Wouldn’t want anymore of that running around, trying to kill people!”

His gaze darted back and forth from Buffy to Spike. They were staring silently at him, like statues.

Buffy smiled softly.

“Xander, I don’t think Spike has any demon in him.”

She shot a quick look at Spike, who crossed his arms and raised at eyebrow at her.

“Well… anymore than usual. It’s just something he says every once in a while.”

Smiling, she walked towards Xander. Patting him on the arm, she went around him.

“I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Xander glanced at her as she went into the living room.

“Yeah, well, it sounds Greek to me. I still say we check it out.”

Sighing, he faced Spike, only to find him facing the window again. Silently grabbing a cup of coffee, Xander stood beside him and they gazed out at the girls training.

“I’m sorry about Anya.”

Xander froze for a second, then looked at Spike, who was gazing down into his own cup, frowning. Looking back outside, Xander sighed.

“I’ll always love her. I had her for four years and… she went down fighting the good fight. Now she’s gone… I’m still working through it.”

Spike nodded and squinted his eyes at the sun as he looked outside again.

“We can spar if you want, like old times. Get out some aggression if need be. Chip’s gone but I won’t hit you back.”

Xander gave a little smile and shook his head.

“Nah, wouldn’t be as fun.” Chuckling, he said, “You know, you being resouled and all… I think I’m finally believing that you’re good for Buffy.”

Spike looked at Xander for a good, hard minute.

“I love Buffy. That’s all this bleedin’ soul is good for.”

They both gazed back out at the beach. Xander sipped from his cup and sighed again.

“Yeah, I’m starting to see that.”

~~**~~**~**~~

“Paydirt!” exclaimed Willow.

Buffy came running downstairs, looking for danger. Seeing none, she frowned at Willow.

“Huh?”

Excitedly, Willow danced around her chair.

“I said PAYDIRT!”

That yell brought in the rest of the Scooby gang. Spike and Xander rushed in from the kitchen. Dawn turned off the TV.

Gathering them around the phone, Willow hit the speaker button.

“Go ahead Giles.”

Giles cleared his throat and Buffy swore she could hear him clean his glasses.

“Yes… well… hello everyone.”

“Hey Giles!” squealed Dawn.

“Rupert,” acknowledged Spike.

“Aah, good, Spike is there. Good, good. Now, from what I could gather, Angel never told you the name of that amulet, did he, Buffy?”

Buffy crossed her arms, frowning.

“No, he didn’t.”

There was some faint shuffling of papers from Giles’ end.

“Yes, well… it appears from the Watchers’ extensive records that there was a good reason for that.”

“I thought all the records got destroyed?” asked Dawn.

“The British records, yes, but not all the records. There’s more than one Watchers Council in the world. The British Council was just the headquarters. Now, as I was saying…”

More rustling sounded over the line.

“C’mon with it, Rupes,” declared Spike.

“Yeah, what he said!” exclaimed Xander, doing a hurrying motion with his hands.

“Now, it seems that some two hundred years ago, Wolfram and Hart stole the amulet from the Council. Its name is ‘Keeper of Light’ or ‘Life Keeper’. Its mystical properties date back to early Greek or Middle Eastern, possibly Aramaic. It was said that – and bear with me on the translation – “

’And the ensouled keeper of the demon will be washed away in light and be made reborn. It will sweep away the darkness and in itself will be born of Life…’

There was a long hefty pause and Giles went through some more papers.

“Ah, here…”

‘The truly ensouled will be given light and its darkness will vanish. Those not true souled will be burned to cinder.’

There was a long pause.

“Buffy, do you realize what this means?”

The group was silent around the phone. Dawn was silently crying. Xander was patting her on the back, shooting a smile towards Spike. Willow was looking around the group, her smile wide and giddy. Buffy was staring at the phone, crying. Spike stared at the floor.

“Is Spike human?” she asked, sobbing.

Giles cleared his throat.

“Well, part of him, yes.”

Buffy started to collapse. Spike sprang forth and caught her, holding her to him.

“Can he have children?” asked Dawn.

“Dawn!” exclaimed Buffy.

“What?” replied Dawn, rolling her eyes. “I know you two sleep together and I would like to be an aunt someday.”

Spike smiled down at Buffy and ran his hands over her back.

“So let me get this straight. Spike had some human injected back into him. Will he die?” Xander asked.

Buffy buried her face in Spike’s chest.

“No. From what I understand, Spike is still a vampire. He’s just been given more human attributes.”

They all smiled at Spike.

“Buffy, this is why Angel couldn’t wear the amulet,” Giles continued. “Spike fought for his soul outright. It is his. Angel… if Angel had worn it, it would have immediately killed him. His soul is cursed and not permanent. If the amulet had cleansed him, he would have been Angelus again, before he died.”

“Wanker,” muttered Spike.

“I concur,” added Xander.

Willow clapped her hands together.

“So, Spike is more human and Buffy might be able to have children. Is that about right, Giles?”

Giles cleared his throat.

“Yes, and also… Spike… you might have more side effects show up as well. The scroll doesn’t say how soon they would appear thought. Be sure to report, though, will you?”

Spike nodded his head. He and Buffy were still wrapped around each other, smiling.

“Giles, Spike says ‘yeah’,” reported Dawn.

Spike kissed the top of Buffy’s head.

“Agapi mou,” he whispered.

“What was that?” asked Giles

“Oh, nothing,” Xander replied, rolling his eyes. “It’s just something Spike says to Buffy.”

“Yeah, he’s said it ever since the Hellmouth,” added Dawn.

Spike and Buffy smiled at each other. Spike kissed her nose and brushed the hair back from her face.

“Well, it really is quite lovely,” commented Giles.

“What does it mean?” asked Willow.

“Well, it’s Greek for one,” he said.

“I knew it!” exclaimed Xander.

Giles chuckled. “It means, basically translated, ‘my love’.”

The group smiled and looked away almost embarrassed as Spike kissed her again, deeply.

As they parted, Buffy smiled and whispered, “Agapi mou.”

FIN


Chapter End Notes:
i want to thank RG soooo much for posting this for me!! you so ROCK!!



You must login (register) to review.