[Reviews - 34]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1350 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
I had completely forgotten that this was left unfinished. Thanks to momieal for letting me know about it. This is the last chapter, and I hope you like it.
27. Beautiful

Pieces of fact and fiction flutter back into Buffy’s brain like a fractured dream. The water had been so cold and it constricted her making it near impossible to breathe, but the snowflakes. She remembers their clear crystalline branches, jutting out like perfect spokes from one central point. They had stuck to her lashes blurring her vision. She remembers walking through snow, remembers inhaling a deep breath of salty sea water. She remembers the icy waves, remembers icy hands. She submerged herself in the water, let the tide suck her in. A chill ran up her side as cold digits traced across soft skin. She swayed with the current. Cold lips kissed her neck, cold hands held her bare hips. She was sucked in, pulled under. The cold consumed her.

Bright light assaults her vision as she opens her eyes. Through just a sliver green eyes peer out with hazy vision. Spots of golden sunlight mingle among the harsh fluorescents. She hears a beeping and the whirr of a large machine. She smells the soft perfume of roses mixed in with an overbearing aroma of chemical cleanliness. With a sigh she pushes the rest of her sleep away and opens her eyes completely.

At first Buffy finds herself shocked at the sight of the hospital room around her. She doesn’t remember how she got here, but then slowly it all comes back to her. Her hands move down to her now bump-less belly and she feels a sense of emptiness, then she looks around the room. It’s spotlessly clean, tope walls with white trim, a vase with yellow roses sits on the table across the room, and in the arm chair in the corner she sees Spike sleeping. He sits in the shadows just beyond the deadly rays of the sun, curled up in an unnatural and seemingly uncomfortable position. She stares at him; sleep makes his features seem softer. His hair lies in a mess of blonde curls and his eyes twitch beneath their lids.

Then as if he can feel her gaze upon him Spike wakes up, his eyes open and find her immediately. Neither says a word as he sits up straight staring at her the entire time. He thought he lost her, and now here she is.

“Buffy,” he says in a soft voice as if he were worried that his words would betray him.

“What happened?” Buffy asks, knowing she had never expected to wake up after jumping off the pier. For a moment she worries that if she’s alive that that means her baby is not. “Is Ashlyn…”

“The baby’s fine, she’s healthy… bloody perfect.” Buffy sighs in relief.

After a moment of silence Spike stands and moves toward the door.

“Your mates are all out in the waitin’ room, I’ll um, go…”

“Wait,” she says and he stops. ”Spike, I… I’m sorry about all of this, I know what I did must have hurt you, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…”

“Tell me what? That you were going to kill yourself for our baby to live?” Spike shakes his head and walks over to sit at the end of her bed. “Best you didn’t, I woulda tried to stop you.” Buffy nods. “It was the only way, I understand that.”

“Did you read my letters?”

“Just got to the one… and don’ worry slayer, I know you wrote it expecting not to come outta this.” Buffy’s brow creases, he thought she didn’t mean it.

“Spike, stop it.” Buffy sighs and the vampire looks at her with confusion written across his features. “I am tired of defensiveness and weird mixed signals; I’m tired of this… this… thing we’ve been doing. This not telling each other the truth… I feel something for you, and God, I know you’re scared because I’m scared too, but we’re a family now and I need to know how you feel about me.” Her eyes search his.

“You know how I feel Buffy, you always have.”

“I know, but I never accepted it, never let you… love me, not really.”

“Is that what you want, to let me love you?”

Buffy is silent for a moment, her nerves begin to rattle, but the depths of his blue eyes pull her in and calm her.

“I want… I want for us to be in love together.”

His eyes search hers and then he takes a deep trembling breath. He stands up and runs his fingers through his hair and begins to pace. Spike doesn’t know what to think about any of this. Is it real, does she mean it? He looks at her then has to look away. He’s too scared to let himself really believe that this has all worked out. He’s gotten his hopes up in the past and watched them fall.

“Buffy,” he begins and the slayer can tell he’s ready to run. “I just, I have to…” he continues and Buffy knows she has to stop him, has to make him see.

Her hands brace the metal rail of the hospital bed and she lifts herself up. She swings her legs over the edge and as she does she feels the painful burn in her abdomen as she stretches her stitches, but that won’t stop her. Spike’s eyes go wide watching her move. As her bare feet hit the floor he’s at her side. She stumbles unsure of her footing and his arms are around her in seconds. He catches her and their eyes meet.

“What the hell are you tryin’ to…”

“Spike, shut up.” Her eyes search his. “I love you,” she says and he sees the truth of it in her eyes.

Spike feels like his whole body is turning to jelly as he runs those words over in his mind, but the feel of her in his arms keeps him grounded. He finds his hands moving up her back, finds himself pulling her closer to him. The sensation of her fingers twisting in his hair flutters through his mind, and then he’s kissing her. Soft lips and soft skin and Spike realizes that she’s here. She’s here with him, she’s alive and in his arms and he has her. He pulls her tighter to him and their kiss deepens. In that moment Spike feels like he couldn’t ever ask for anything more.

--

Spike eventually helped Buffy back into bed and shortly after went to get the Scoobies who quickly shuffled in to see her. Buffy watched as they entered. Xander had his arm wrapped tightly around Anya, Willow was wide eyed with concern, Angel looked at her with awe, Cordelia following behind with Connor in her arms, and Dawn was doing her best to appear strong and pulled together but Buffy could see where the tears had made rivers down her face.

She hugged her baby sister and then a calm fell over the room. They wanted to know that she was okay and she assured them of it, but beyond that they kept their questions to themselves. The time for explaining why she did what she did and how she could make that choice would come later, now was the time for family.

The door opens and all faces turn to see a nurse walk in with a rolling cart, the top of which has a clear plastic crib and a small child resting inside. Buffy’s eyes lock on her daughter and for a moment she can’t breathe. The Scoobies move out of the way as the nurse nears. She pushes the cart off to the side of Buffy’s bed.

“How are we feeling today,” the woman asks.

“Fine,” Buffy replies, “really, great really, lots better.” Her thoughts are a million miles away from her own wellbeing however as they’re focused on the tiny girl the nurse picks up.

“Would you like to hold your daughter?” She asks and all Buffy can do is nod.

The nurse hands over the newborn and Buffy takes her into her arms. Tears well in her eyes as she looks down and the tiny blue eyed girl in her arms, she never thought she’d see anything so beautiful. Buffy looks up to see Spike’s eyes, full of love and wonder, locked on her and their daughter. Dawn and her friends are smiling, behind them Angel holds Connor in his arms. Cordelia stands beside him and he looks at her with complete understanding. Buffy looks back down at her baby and knows this is exactly how all of this was meant to end up. She knows this is where she’s meant to be.

Epilogue:

Buffy looks at herself in the mirror. It’s been three months since she gave birth and while her body with her enhanced slayer strength and healing ability is nearly back to its normal toned to perfection shape she still feels a little self-conscious. She runs her hands over the long lavender dress she wears which has an empire waist and flowy skirt. She spins a little making the fabric swish around her. She thinks the bridesmaid dress is flattering, not necessarily what she would have picked for herself, but knowing Anya’s demon… heritage she’s grateful that it’s not burlap and bug larva.

Buffy turns around and sees Spike behind her straightening out his black suit. She smiles seeing him so pulled together. His eyes lock on her, looking her up and down and he smirks.

“I feel silly,” Buffy says running her hands down the sides of her dress.

“Well you look amazing,” Spike replies and pulls her up to him. Buffy smiles as he leans down for a kiss.

Their lips meet, soft and loving, stirring feelings in both of them. Then the door flies open and a loud whaling cry is head. Buffy turns to see Dawn with baby Ashlyn in her arms. Dawn’s blue eyes are wide with frustration.

“Take her,” Dawn says reaching her arms out handing the baby to Buffy who quickly takes her child. Dawn lets out a frustrated huff and walks off to finish getting ready.

“Shhh, Linnie, it’s alright,” Buffy says rocking the baby girl back and forth. “Why are you so crabby with auntie Dawnie?” The child’s cries begin to fade.

“Buffy!” Dawn yells from down the hall, “Have you seen the curling iron?”

Buffy turns to Spike and he chuckles softly.

“Go, I’ll take her.”

“Thanks,” Buffy says as she hands her daughter over to her father and walks out of their room.

Spike looks down at his baby girl and smiles.

--

Buffy stands beside Tara and Dawn watching as Anya takes the last step down the aisle. The ex-demon is glowing and smiles brightly as she approaches her groom. Buffy sees Willow tear up; the redhead stands on the other side of Xander as his best man. Behind her are two groomsmen, friends Xander met at work. Xander takes Anya’s hand in his and wonders if the whole room can hear how hard his heart is pounding, but then he looks in her eyes and sees his future in her.

To Buffy the words the preacher speaks seem to vanish, all she can focus on are the faces of her friends around her; the happy tears in Willow’s eyes, the look of love and maybe a little fear that Xander has across his face. She looks out to the crowd and sees Xander’s mom crying, sees demons of all shapes and sizes stare with love in their eyes. She sees Angel at the back with Cordelia, sees the look they give one another, and then she sees Spike. Sitting in the front row looking dashing in his usher’s tux, his eyes lock on hers and then she hears the preacher say till death do you part, and all she can see is him. Beside her Xander and Anya kiss and the whole church stands and applauds. Spike stands as well and claps his hands for the newlywed couple, but his eyes never leave Buffy. Green on blue, they see nothing but each other, and smiles cross both their faces.





You must login (register) to review.