AUTHOR: Sophie
EMAIL: sophie_limbourg@hotmail.com
RATING: G
PAIRING: Buffy/Spike
SPOILERS: Based on the spoilers for Season 7 episode 17.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing is mine.
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He had betrayed her once, four years ago, but he had had no choice. And being locked in a house helpless with a crazy vampire was nothing compared to what she’s feeling right now.

This time, he had a choice, and he deliberately chose the one that he knows is going to hurt her. Because all he sees for the moment is the Slayer, and the Slayer is not supposed to feel that kind of warm and fuzzy feelings, especially towards a vampire. Doesn’t he realize that that particular vampire is one of the main reasons she’s able to go on? Because she knows he’s there, solid, full of love?

If she loses him, she won’t have the strength to fight anymore.

She knows Giles wants to protect her. He wants what’s best for her. But how can he possibly know what’s best for her? He’s never been a sixteen year old girl, chosen to stand against vampires and forces of darkness, yadda, yadda, yadda.

He just remembers how much of a mess she was after what happened with Angel, and that’s enough for him. But with Angel, she was the one who suffered the most. With Spike, it was he who suffered the most.

But taking her away under a stupid pretense so that Wood can perpetrate his vengeance…

That’s unforgivable.

If she doesn’t arrive in time…If it’s too late…No, she doesn’t want to think about this.

Too late is not an option.

She arrives in front of Wood’s door at the same time as Spike walks out.

Thank you God.

Without thinking, she rushes into his arms and locks him into a tight embrace.

“Did he hurt you? Did he hurt you?” she asks frantically, watching him. His face is badly bruised but he’s in one piece.

“I’m alright, luv.”

Wood appears on the threshold. He’s limping and his face is severely bruised as well. It looks like Spike had the upper hand. And once again she’s so grateful for the fact that she decided to remove the chip. If Spike had still had it…

She tries to repress the anger that boils beneath the surface. She understands Wood’s motives. His pain is legitimate. That doesn’t make her less furious, though.

She walks to him. “Robin…I’m sorry about what happened. But it’s been 25 years. Do you think that killing Spike will really make it better? He’s not the man he was. He has changed.”

“Buffy, you’re blinded by your feelings for him.”

She has a humorless laugh. “My feelings did not blind me…they helped me open my eyes.”

“You love him,” Wood says accusingly.

Spike, who has stayed silent, makes a step forward. “Of course not! She…”

“Yes. I love him.”

Her admission surprise them all, even herself. And the look on Spike’s face…He’s looking at her like she’s some sort of apparition. How she would love to go to him and tell him again, and oh, she needs to hear it from him, too. But it’s not the moment. She turns back to Wood.

“Robin, I need your help to fight the First with me. I’m glad to have a strong fighter like you by my side. But if you go after Spike once more…then the First won’t be your only enemy anymore.”

Wood looks at her, then at Spike, before nodding, imperceptibly. He goes back in the house and closes the door.

“Let’s go home,” Buffy says, and Spike knows better than starting a discussion right here, right now. And to be honest, he doesn’t dare to speak. He’s too afraid to wake up and discover that the three little words she just said were just another dream.

Spike is standing in the kitchen, trying to wipe the blood off of his face. Buffy arrives and takes the wet cloth he’s using.

“Here, let me do it.”

Gently, like she has done several times now, she cleans the remnants of dry blood. “Must not be easy to do that without a reflection,” she casually comments.

He shrugs. “You get used to it.”

The house is silent, everybody has gone to bed probably. It’s just the two of them in the dark kitchen. And a lot of questions hanging over their heads.

Buffy rinses the cloth and puts it on the counter.

Without a warning, she presses herself against him, putting her arms around his waist and her head on his chest.

Well, this has to definitely be a dream, he thinks, his arms encircling her. But if his Slayer needs comfort, who is he to deny it to her, even if it’s not for real? He feels her shaking slightly and realizes she’s crying. Bloody Hell. He hates to see her cry.

“Hey there, pet. Why the tears?”

“I can’t believe he betrayed me like that,” she says, her voice muffled by his T-shirt.

Confused, Spike frowns.

“Who? The Principal?”

“No. Giles.”

Of course. The Watcher. He should have known…although he can’t really blame him.

“He was only trying to protect you.”

She raises her head.

“Protect me? By having you get killed?”

“I know. Believe me, the bloke is not my favorite person in the world right now either. But I try to understand his motives. As I understand Wood’s.”

He caresses her hair smoothly. When she thinks how close she had been to lose him tonight, her grip on him tightens. She would have never have the chance to tell him…

“Spike?”

“Yes?”

“I love you, you know.”

“Oh.”

There, she said it again. His hand on her hair stops, the other one on her back starts to tremble lightly.

Their gaze meet.

“Actually, no, pet, I didn’t know that.”

She smiles. “Well then, it’s about time I tell you, right?”

“Right,” he smiles back, caressing her cheek now. So, he’s standing in Buffy’s kitchen, holding her in his arms, and she just told him she loved him. If this is a dream, he may at least make the best of it while it lasts.

“Buffy?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to kiss you now.”

“Ok.”

And their lips meet, and Buffy’s lips are so soft, and she smells so good, exactly like he remembers her. Only she has never been so tender and cuddly as she is now.

He takes her face in his hand and plunges his gaze in her green depths.

And what he sees inside makes him shiver in wonder.

And he knows that this time, it’s not just another dream.

FIN.