Date

The past few days passed by in a blur. Spike and I went out beating up some of the nasties, trying to get informations, and found out nothing. 'From beneath you it devours', my ass. Willow, Xander, Anya and Dawn have done research and haven't found out much, either. We called Giles in England but he is pretty sure that he'll not be able to make it here in time. The Council is looking for informations, too. Angel and his crew are supposed to be here tonight and those agents will be here by tomorrow. Everybody is jumpy. Will's running around readin' books for the umpteenth time. Anya doesn't even stop counting her money anymore, and Xander and Spike are just making me crazy with their glaring contest. At least they stopped arguing about five minutes ago and it's finally quiet . Dawn's being all silent and me -I am just fed up with all of this. I just want to get it over with. Nobody knows when it's going to happen or what is going to happen and in my opinion the whole thing's just strange. Since when does an apocalypse give us a call before it happens. Alright with the whole 'Oh, I can feel it coming' -stuff but I think, it's just ridiculouss. "Bloody hell, Harris, stop staring at me." Oh that's great, just what I needed, now. So much for quiet. "Guys..." But I'm interrupted by Dawn "Would you just shut up already, please?! We don't need to deal with the two of you now." That's my baby sister, couldn't have handled the guys any better. But I've got enough for today, I just wanna go home. "Hey, I really don't want to stay here all night, we could go over to our house and order some pizza. Angel's supposed to come there, so we should be there at least."

Shortly after the pizza arrived there's a knock on the door, and a groan heard from a certain vampire. "The bloody poof, just what I needed, now." Dawn stands up to open the door and I follow her. Cordelia's standing in the door, holding a baby, Angel's behind her with Wesley. And...that's it. I thought there were supposed to come some more people. Dawn greets Cordelia and immediateley grabs for the sleeping child in her arms. Cordelia walks past Dawn into the living room and mumbles a quiet 'hello', so she wouldn't wake Connor. Wesley walks in after her, greets Dawn and me and goes into the living room as well. Angel tries to follow but is held back by the door. He looks stunned. "Nothing personal. But I will only ask you in if you're going to promise to leave him alone." "He's here?" "Well, yeah, he lives here, where did you think he was going to be?" "He what? You can't be serious. I mean, I thought you were crazy as you told me you were with him, but actually living with him!" "Angel, I didn't ask for your opinion, I just asked you to leave him alone." "I can't promise anything, the guy has that thing about him that just makes me want to hurt him. Maybe it has something to do with him trying to kill me, and YOU...Buffy, don't make me do this." He whines. I just stare him down. "Yeah ok, I'll try." "Just be clear on the fact that I am going to hurt you, if you hurt him."

He looks like he's contemplating it, then nods. "Come in." He pushes past me and enters the living room. Dawn and Spike are sitting on the couch entertaining the baby, the others are scattered over the room. Spike looks really cute with a child -oh no, so not going there. "What are you doing with my son?" Spike stops making faces at Connor and looks up. "What does it look like Peaches? I am not going to bite snack-sized here, if that's what you mean." Angel changes into game face and tries to get to Spike. "Hey calm down there, soul-boy, don't wanna fight with you." I grab for Angel's arm and turn him away from Spike. He slips out of game face and takes some steps back. Time to change the topic, I think."So, where are the others?" I ask "Weren't there supposed to be some more guys comin'?" "They are still in LA, there's much to do at the moment, a lot of vampires and demons in town." I sit down on the floor in front of the couch and lean back against Spike. "Well, what do you know?" Angel looks at Wesley who starts filling us in on what they've got, and after half an hour of listening to him we know...still nothing. My sis' is looking rather tired and since there's nothing we can do at the moment. "Dawn, you can go to bed. No, you should go, there's school tomorrow." She has to be really tired because she doesn't even start an argument, just gets up and mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like 'G'night', kisses Spike and me on the cheek and goes upstairs. Angel's still in a pissing contest with my boyfriend -that still sounds strange- and I think Xander starts feeling left out. "Spike, could I talk to you?" He looks up then glares at Angel again, just for good measures. "Now!" He slowly gets up and follows me into the kitchen.

She's angry and she'll do some serious arse kicking and I've got this feeling that I'll be at the receiving end. "Whazup, Luv?!" She busies herself with pouring herself a glass of water then turns away from the sink and looks at me. "You perfectly well know what's up, Spike." "Well, care to enlighten me?!" "You're a soddin' idiot, you know that, don't you?" I guess she doesn't really want an answer to this one so I'll better keep quiet. "Spike, I knew that Angel was going to be, well, Angel. But I really thought you were over this. Ya don't need to act all jealous. Made a choice here. Hello, asked you to live with me not him." "I am not bloody jealous of the sodding Poof, I just...hate him. Have done for over a century now. And he isn't exactly helpful." "Spike, just let it be. Stop trying to provoke him." "I am not."

He's pouting, that's great, two whiny vampires in one evening, can it get any better? "Spike, your behaviour here is so not fitting your Big Bad reputation." "I am not fitting my reputation in any way. I am a pathetic excuse of a vampire, all slayer's puppy-dog." "Well, point taken there. But Spikey, come on, you can do it, I know you can." I smile at him in what I hope is a seductive way, seems to work, he starts smiling, too. "That's cheating slayer, ya know that?" He leans down and captures my lips with his. As we part I yell. "Did you get everything, Angel, or should we repeat something?"

I knew that the Poof was standing in the hall outside the kitchen but didn't that she knew that, too. This could be fun. He enters and immediately glares at me I just look away, promised my girl, so am not going to mess with the bloody Poof. Toldcha, I'm whipped. "Angel could you come here, I need to have a word with you." He seems to think the floor is amazing somehow, the way he stares at it. He doesn't even look up as he takes place on one of the kitchen chairs. This should really be fun. "You're such a baby, Angel." She begins. "You were the one that left me. Don't forget that. You've no right to be jealous. And acting, well like you do." "But it's Spike." "Bloody hell Angel, stop being so whiny!" I seem to rub off on her, she already talks like me, Angel seems to have noticed it, too because he gets even more broody. Hey, haven't though myself that was possible. Angel starts to say something but Buffy doesn't even let him start. "Don't you dare tell me that it's Spike and that he's all evil. He got himself a soul so you should be the one that understands what he's going through. Everybody had to forgive you when you got your soul back, so why is it any different with him? You keep rambling on about what he did but hey, Angelus, want to tell us what you did?" I think she shut him up for good and it's times like this that I miss seeing my reflections and what must be a shit-eating grin on my face. Just as Angel wants to start again -so much for shutting the Poof up -we are saved by...the witch. "Buffy, we found something!" She comes running into the kitchen almost jumping up and down. The two of us and Peaches follow a very exited Willow into the living room. The watcher guy is leaning over some kind of documents. Seem to be very old. "In these we found some prophecies before, about Angel and Connor and about the role Angel's going to play in the future." He starts to explain. "It's a very ancient language so I can only translate little parts and it's mostly very confusing. Nevertheless, we now have found something that could maybe give some hints on what is ahead of us. There's this sentence that could mean something remotely like 'From...'" "Don't say it. If you do, I might have to kill you." Buffy interrupts him. "Well, it could mean...that. And there's something about the First standing in the text, the sheer evil. I don't understand very much about it, but it's a very powerful force. More powerful than anything you ever fought Buffy, and there seems to be no way to stop it." Well, that's very encouraging. "Something else?" "Well, yeah. It says something about the slayer, about you. And about the ensouled one. A vampire with a soul to be specific." "That'd be Angel." Cordelia pipes up. Wait, why Angel. "Hello, vampire with soul here, too." I say waving my hand stupidly. That has to make some impression, William the Bloody waving his hand like a bloody ponce. Cordelia and Wesley look at me incredulously. "He, he has a soul?" They ask. "Yeah, thought I take up with the family tradition and got myself one." "Angel did not tell you?" Buffy demands. "Well, no. You got yourself one?" The Watcher says looking at me. "Yeah. Had to do some funstuff for it. Fight some demons and things like that. In fact I wanted to give the slayer what she deserved. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind but worked out just fine." The Watcher guy gets up to get a closer look at me and I start feeling like some Guinea pig in a lab. "But he can't. He, he's Spike. Evil Spike, the guy who tortured Angel and tried to kill all of us. And I don't see any difference to him without soul. He, he just can't have one." Cordelia says. "Bollocks. Need to remind you that your nice friend sitting over there tried to kill you, too?! And about being different. I am not bloody Angelus and I am definitely not the bleeding Poof. I changed before I got the soul, changed for the Slayer, wasn't evil at all anymore and not because of the chip, either. And I am so not going to get all broody like Nancy Boy there." This Wesley guy seems really interested in me. Must have something to do with being a Watcher 'cause all of a sudden Giles wanted to talk to me, too. He's still watching me and I give him a dirty look, 'fraid he'll put me in a little box next and do tests. He quickly looks away. Angel's being all his quiet broody self, Buffy seems to have made a point with him after all. "So that'd make it two. The prophecy could be about either Spike or Angel." Buffy says. She's sitting next to me on the couch and is really tired, her head is resting on my shoulder and she yawns every now and then. "Ok, that's it, Luv. I think it's time to go to bed for little slayers." "Spike, I can't just go to bed, there are things to be done." "Slayer, you haven't slept in how many days? You won't be any good if you fall asleep on us when you're supposed to be fighting. Now be a good gril and maybe I'll tuck you in." She's struggling with herself but I know I've won. "Alright. Cordy, you can sleep in Willows room with the baby, if that's ok. Wesley, you can have the couch. Angel, there's another one in the cellar, if you want to sleep there." She stands up and turns to Cordelia. "Come on I'll show you up. Think that Willows staying with Wesley a little longer." Cordelia gets up as well and takes the sleeping baby with her.

"Spike brought Dawn's old crib from the cellar, I hope it'll do.", I tell Cordelia while changing the sheets. "Yeah, of course, it's great actually." She seems to contemplate something. "Buffy, what is this between you and Spike. And since when does he have a soul and above all, why didn't you tell me?" "First. Spike and me are a couple. We were before he got the soul. He was there after,...after I came back. But I didn't love him, or I didn't let myself love him, back then. We broke up. He went away shortly before Tara was shot and Willow tried to end the world. Why I didn't tell you? Well I suppose I wasn't ready to talk to Angel and I thought there was the chance that you might tell him and...I am still trying to cope with it myself. I mean everything went so fast. After he came back he was all..., crazy. Heard voices, that kinda stuff. Then I've got the new job and Dawn to care for. I have to deal with Xander. Spike lived with him but they didn't get along very well, Xander doesn't like seeing me with him. Willow accepted it quite well. Wasn't all enthusiastic at first but they've become, yeah I think they've become friends since he,... since he lives here." "You are living with him?" Cordelia looks at me stunned, then lays Connor down into the crib. I finish the bed and sit down on it. She comes over and sits next to me. "Yes I am." "That's crazy, you know that? What if he loses his soul or something like that?" "He can't. It isn't a gypsy curse like with Angel's. He got it by his own free will even if he didn't know it then, that this is what he wanted. He can't lose the soul and even if he could...Angelus is totally different from Angel. Spike is just Spike. As he said, he hasn't been evil for a very long time, now. He's just more considerate since he's got the soul, and he feels guilty. But that he did before. He denies it, but I know him, he was aware of what he did before he got his soul back. He just feels the pain now and hears them." I look at my hands almost scared of how she will react to all of this. "Are you happy, Buffy?" I look up and into her eyes. "Yeah, yeah I am. Haven't been that happy in a very long time. But I'm scared, too. Of what's coming, that maybe we can't beat it and that I'm going to die again and take the whole world with me. Of losing somebody I love. Of the future and especially of the possibility that ther is no future at all."

Wesley's still reading in the documents, Red is surfing the net, Dawn's upstairs hopefully sleeping and Buffy's upstairs with the cheerleader.

I pick up dirty glasses standing on the coffee table and bring them into the kitchen. "What do you want, Peaches?" He walks up next to me. I fill the sink with water and start cleaning the dishes. "Take a towel or bugger off, but you are not going to stand beside me and watch me doing the work." He still doesn't say anything just grabs for a towel and starts drying the dishes. "You know I am going to kill you, if you hurt her." "I'm sorry Peaches not very likely, you are only the fifth on the list, slayer, the Lil' Bit, Red and the Whelp were faster. But you are number five. Have my word on that." He watches me from the side and I think I even see a hint of a smile. "You know, Peaches, I'd never hurt her. Been there, done that. Didn't work out very well. I couldn't do it, not even if I wanted to, she means the world to me." "Of course you can't hurt her, Chip Boy." "Oh, that, chip doesn't work on her." "It doesn't?" " Tara...she said it has something to do with Buffy's cells having changed with the resurrection spell." I miss the witch, has always been fair, never treated me like shit. "You cared for her, didn't you?" "Who? The witch? She treated me like a man, not like a thing, talked to me. Was a great woman." "You didn't have a soul then Spike." " Yeah, I didn't. So what?" "You still cared for her?!" "Told you, am not like you. Learned about her death after I came back. Still think I should have stayed, maybe it wouldn't have happened. Fucked up royally, again. The same with the Platelet last year, if I'd done it right Buffy wouldn't have died." "Really didn't think I'd say that one day, but you are not to blame." We are done with the dishes and this is just creepy, I'm having a talk with the Great Poof. He sits down at the kitchen counter. "Want something to drink, Peaches?" "Nah, thanks, don't fancy the stuff you're drinking. No beer for me." "Well, you don't have to like it but I am living here. So I eat here. I was talking about blood, want a cup, or not?" He looks stunned then nods. "Yes, I actually am hungry." I pour some blood into two cups and put them in the microwave. "Well, so a cup of blood it is, don't want you to drain my family." "Your family?" He looks at me quizzically. "Look Angel, I understand that you don't trust me and that you don't like me. Wouldn't like myself either if I were you, but I love Buffy and the Nibblet. The witch, too. Would die for them, even for the whelp and demon girl, because I know that Buffy and the Lil' Bit love 'em." I take out the mugs and hand one to Angel. "Thanks Spike." He takes a deep breath. "I left for L.A. because I wanted Buffy to have a normal life. A life with a normal boyfriend and just normal things. You weren't exactly what I had in mind." "I know, and I would have left yesterday if I knew she could build up a normal life then, believe me on this one. Even told her so. But that's not what she wants. She isn't normal, either. She's the Chosen One, has to fight evil until she dies. Not exactly what other women at her age do. She was even already dead and then came back. She fought the master, a hell god, you know the stories. Not normal, either, is it?! She tried 'normal'. Look at Captain Cardboard didn't work out that well now, did it?! She'll never have normal, no matter how hard she tries. And she's happy the way it is." Peaches sips his blood and stares into his cup. "I hated that wanker." "I think that might be the first time we've got something in common." This time I actually get a smile from my grandsire. "It can never work. You are a creature of the night." "Yes that's what I am, that's what we are. You, too, don't forget that. But she loves me nevertheless, it amazes me every second that she does. I'll never leave her. Only if she asks for it. I'd do anything to make her happy and I hope that I can keep her save. That I can help her make her way. Everyone she loved left her, on purpose or not. Her mother died as she needed her the most, you and Giles both left her because you thought it was the best thing to do. Her father, we don't need to talk about him. I'd bite him if I ever saw him, chip or no chip. The wanker didn't even help her as she needed it the most, didn't even send her money. But I am not going to do it. Even if it would be the best thing to do. Call me selfish, maybe I am, but I'll fight with her until one of us dies, and if she dies I'm gonna wait on her grave for the sun to come up." "You really do love her." He says sounding surprised. "Of course I do." He just nods, then gets up and leaves me alone.

I wake up to find myself alone in bed. There's a smell; pancakes, somebody made pancakes. I get up and pull on my robe and go down into the kitchen. Oh my god. The *evil* vampire is standing in the middle of the kitchen, covered in flour, holding a pan in his right and a plate in his left hand, looking a little stunned and wearing a 'Kiss the cook'-apron. I can't help myself, I screech. Then I burst into a fit of giggles and laugh until I'm holding my belly in pain. "Spike what are you doing? You're looking ridiculous." Spike's glaring at me and I just laugh harder. There's one thing lying on the plate that looks remotely like a pancake. There are broken eggs lying on the floor and everything's covered in flour. Angel storms into the kitchen. "There was a scream, did ..." Then he stops dead in his tracks and takes in the whole picture before him. Then he starts laughing as well. I think it's the first time I see him laugh that hard. Dawn's the next to enter what once was our kitchen, followed by Willow. They both join into the laughing. "Bloody hell, could you please pull yourself together?!" Willow goes over to him and takes the pan out of his hand, then kisses him on the cheek. He looks stunned again. "What was that for?" "Just did what is written on your very manly and all 'grr' looking apron." Then she bursts out laughing again. I try to get something out between hiccups. "I ask again, what are you doing Spike?" "I.Am.Cooking." He punctures every word and is all serious. Dawn's still giggling and Angel's actually grinning. The back door opens and Xander and Anya come in. They went home together yesterday evening. I think they are finally making up. Both just stare openmouthed at Spike, who is getting annoyed. Can't have that now, can we?! Don't think so. So I go over to him, point at the apron and then use it to pull him down for a real kiss.He puts the plate with this pathetic-looking pancake on the counter and pulls me closer. When Dawn mumbles that we should get a room we eventually break the kiss. He still holds me close, then whispers. "Thought I'd make breakfast, didn't work that well now, did it?! " "S'pose not.", I whisper back. "Ok guys, get outta here, I am going to make the pancakes, but Spike I am so not going to clean up this mess.", Willow announces. "Alright, I'll clean up after breakfast." he answers. Then he looks at me and I start to laugh again, he's just looking too ridiculous. Dawn leaves the kitchen and Angel busies himself with warming up a bottle for Connor. I ruffle Spike's hair -had to do that, just looks too cute covered in all that flour. "Now go upstairs and take a shower and get this stuff off of you, will ya?!" "Whipped puppy-dog-vampire, that's what I am. Used to be the Scourge of Europe, now I'm covered in flour and get sent upstairs by the slayer, I am such a wanker.", He mumbles as he makes his way upstairs. He passes Cordelia, who is carrying the baby, on his way out and glares at her as she looks at him wide-eyed. Her eyes get even wider as she sees what the kitchen looks like. "Don't ask." I tell her. She handles Connor over to Angel who starts feeding him. He still looks quite amused. "Was it the first time or does he do things like that on a regular basis?" he asks grinning. Before I can answer, the doorbell rings. "Your luck, Mister." I tell Angel before making my way to the front door. I know who it is before I open the door.

We just rang the bell and I'm getting more and more excited. We are supposed to help them save the world. An apocalypse, that's quite a lot, even for me. Buffy opens the door and smiles at us. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, hello." "Just Mulder and Scully, ok?!" Scully asks."Hello Buffy." I say hello myself and enter after Scully. "Everybody's in the kitchen. We were about to have breakfast, did you eat anything? If not, you can eat with us.We'll fill you in on what we've found out afterwards." "We just checked in at the motel. So breakfast would be great, thanks." We follow her into the kitchen and it looks like the third world war has taken place there. And it's crowded. "What happened here? A fight?" I ask her. She smiles, then answer. "Sort of. Spike tried to make pancakes, so it was him against the eggs, really mean little things they are." Scully looks around the kitchen smiling, too and her gaze catches on a dark man holding a baby. He nods at us then concentrates on the child again. Buffy starts to make introductions. "These are Mulder and Scully. This is Willow." She points at a young woman with the same hair color as Scully's, who's preparing the breakfast. "These are Angel and his son, Connor." She introduces the man and the baby."You know Anya, that's Xander and this is Cordelia." She says pointing at Anya, a guy and a brunette woman. "And the girl standing behind you is my sister, Dawn. Then there's Wesley but I've got no idea where he is at the moment." Everybody nods politely. Scully goes over to Angel. "Can I hold him, maybe?!" He looks at her, then nods and lays the baby in her arms. "Have any children?" He asks. Scully looks up at him then shakes her head slowly. "No. I don't." He smiles, then says. "Well, you're still young. I waited over twohundred years." I choke. Scully doesn't seem to have noticed anything, she just says. "I can't have any children." "Oh." That's all Angel says. I need to know. "Did you say 200 years?" Angel nods again and Buffy throws in. "He is a vampire, too." "Wait.", I say. "You are a vampire and have a child?" "Some kind of prophecy.", Willow throws in. Angel, Angel...I read about him. "Are you that Angel? The one with the soul? Angelus." "You know me?" "I read about you, yeah." Buffy announces that breakfast is ready and that we all should go over to the living room. I carry a pancake and a cup of coffee for Scully because she's totally consumed by the baby. Once we're all seated in the living room I try to ask Angel some more questions but before I get there, Spike comes down. He looks at us. "Mornin'.", he says then sits down next to Buffy. Another guy enters and he's introduced as this Wesley guy. Seems to be British, too. "Ok." Buffy says. "I'm gonna tell you what we know." Scully looks up from the baby and tries to concentrate on Buffy. "We know now that what's coming is called the First, it's pure evil. And in the prophecy is written something about me and a vampire with a soul, but it's hard to translate -ancient language- so we don't really know what it says." "A vampire with a soul?" Scully asks. "So it means Angel?" So she paid attention after all. "Could be." Angel answers. "Or Spike." "He has a soul, too?" I ask, sounding surprised even to myself. "Why does everybody think this is so bloody unlikely?" "Well," I try to apologise to Spike. "I've read or tried to read some things about this stuff and there was always mentioned only one vampire with a soul." Buffy looks like she's ready to make an announcement. "I think there are some things, you should know." "We are all ears." Scully says. "Well, as you already know Spike and Angel are vampires. Spike can't attack or hurt humans. He has a chip in his head that punishes him if he does so. It was given to him by a government task force called 'Initiative.'. Y'know abou' that?!" We both shake our heads. "Anya over there was a vengeance-demon, she punished men by fulfilling wishes of women who got hurt by them. Cordelia there has visions, she sees things before they happen. Wesley's an ex-Watcher. Ev'ry slayer's got one. He was mine for a little while when my Watcher wasn't a Watcher anymore. Quite complicated. Then my Watcher, Giles, who I hope will make it here in time, got his job back while we were fighting a hell god. My sister was made by monks. She was some kind of key. The key opened portals between dimensions and therefore this hellgod wanted to get to her. That's the next point. The portal was opened and could only be closed if it got blood. So I jumped into it. I was dead and Willow brought me back. Willow's a witch and tried to end the world herself as some nerds killed her girlfriend, so you can imagine what kind of powers she has. I am telling you this so you won't find out another way or get confused while we need you to help. And maybe you'll get a better insight in what is going to come. I, we have fought a lot, but this is even bigger, so you have to be clear on the fact that you could die, that we all could." I stare at her in shock. This is even more unbelievable than anything I've ever read in the X-Files. Scully seems to be in shock as well. This needs some time to set.

After Dawn went to school everybody has continued doing what they did for the last days. Cordelia's been entertaining Connor, and the others tried to do some more research. I didn't help because of my patience, or lack of it. Even Spike tried to translate the prophecies and he started annoying me because he stared at some sentences for hours, trying to make sense of them. Mulder and Scully also tried to do something usefull and went to the Magic Box with Anya to pick up some more weapons. They came back with two bags full of axes, stakes and other things I don't even know how to use. They also brought some ingredients for spells. I busied myself in the kitchen trying to put something together that would make for a lunch, but since I'm not a better cook than Spike I came up with pretty much nothing. I am now sorting through the fridge for what has to be the hundredth time and still only find some left over pizza and...blood, and I think that's out of the possibilities. So I think ordering in it will be, after all. "Need some help?" Scully's standing in the doorway, looking bored. "Well, we have nothing in the fridge so it'll be take out, I'll make the call. You could take out set the table, plates are in the cupboard over there." I say pointing at the one above the sink. "What ya wanna eat?" "I'll take only a salad and Mulder eats pretty much everything. But has to be greasy and unhealthy." "That I can do.", I say and pick up the phone. After I've made the call I help Scully bring the plates and silverware into the living room. "Please tell me you didn't cook.", Willow says. "No I didn't, we ordered." She looks really relieved. "My cooking isn't that bad!" "Yes it is.", Willow says and immediately gets help from the un-dead. "My tasting isn't that good, with my taste buds being...dead. But honestly, Luv. You can't cook." "Well, thanks Spike. You just showed us this morning that you are much better at it than me, at least I am able to come up with something more than a big mess, even if nobody wants to actually eat it. And I cooked a whole thanksgiving dinner once." "I could cook if I really tried." Spike says, pouting. Angel to the rescue. "And what was this thing this morning about, just thought you could powder the kitchen with flour? Did you think it would look nice in white?" "Sod off, Peaches. Go and style your hair or something." "You are the right one to say that, did the peroxide burn away the rest of your brain already, or is there still something left?"

"That's it, Peaches. That was enough." Spike gets up and immediately goes for Angel's throat. I plop down on the sofa and just watch. "Aren't you gonna do something about that?" Willow wants to know. "Nope. Not in the mood to deal with the big babies." She shrugs and Agents Scully starts to giggle. Didn't think she was the type who would actually giggle. Meanwhile Angel has broken free from Spike's grasp and tries to land a blow, but only succeeds in hitting the wall, which leaves a big hole in it. Wait...no, oh no. I stand up and try to separate tghem. "That's enough, Angel. It's one thing if you beat up my boyfriend, he'll heal but that was my wall, you put a hole into and that will cost me money to repair, so stop. Both of you." Here we go, they are pouting again. "You're making me crazy, ya know?! Does this whiny-thing come with the soul? Is it a package deal? You only get a soul if you get start pouting everytime somebody's not nice to you." Saved by the bell. Ehm...doorbell that is. "I think our food just arrived.", Scully announces and wlks to the door to get it, still grinning. I follow her and help bringing everything into the living room. I plop down on the couch again and start munching on my fries. Spike comes in from the kitchen carrying two mugs. His 'Kiss the Librarian' mug, yeah, he's still got it, and another one, he hands Angel without even looking at him. He sits down next to me and steals one of my fries, which he dips into the blood. "Gross, Spike, that's so disgusting." He gives me an innocent look and starts eating the fry. "It's kinda like ketchup, ya know, Luv?! Wanna try?" he asks holding the thing up to me. I slap his hand away. "Put. That. Away. Or I'm gonna puke."

The rest of the day is pretty quiet. They are still researching, and Dawn has been playing with the baby since she came back from school. I guess that's a better idea than watching the others reading, so I think I'll go upstairs. But not Dawn is with Connor. It's Spike sitting on the bed in my Mom's, now Willow's room, cooing over the infant. I stay behind the half open door and just listen. "Ya know, Little One, your Mom was a real bitch. Shouldn't tell ya that now, should I?! We are sorta related, ya know. You're something like my uncle, with your da' being my grand-sire. He's a real poof, your dad I mean. All broody and moping all the time, used to be all 'grr' and evil, just like me. Well, I still am. Evil that is...What, don't look at me like that. Yeah all right. Am not all that evil anymore. Back to your Dad. I really don't like him, ya know. Thinks he's the saviour of the world or something and he has this hair thing going. Promise me something?! If he ever wants to gel your hair, call me. I'll stake him for you, don't want ya poor little thing walking around like a bloody poof yourself, now, want we? Didn't think so. Better bleach it, that's cooler." Ok, I think that's enough. I walk into the room and Spike looks up, I smile at him and sit down with him stroking the baby's cheek."Does Angel know you're corrupting his son?!" "Am just telling snack-sized what's going on. Have only the best intentions and he likes me." "He's only a couple of months, how can you tell he likes you?" "He was all crying and fussing and stuff as I came in, now he's all quiet." "Maybe you just bored him." Ow...haven't seen the pillow until it hits me. There's a knock at the door. Willow's standing in the doorway whispering. "Could you two come down please?" Spike nods and says "We'll be there in a minute." Then he gets up and lays Connor down into the crib. "Sleep well, Baby." I stand up and hold my hand out for him. He takes it and we go downstairs together. I have to dadmit Spike would make a good father.

"So what is it?" I ask when we come into the living room. Wesley looks up from what he's been reading and starts to explain. "Well, they day the 'First' is going to rise will be a day when the moon and some other planets are in a special constellation. And that would be...." "...tomorrow night.", Willow finishes. "I've been on the net and looked it up. And we also know where it's going to happen. But that much we could guess before." "The Hell Mouth.", I say and Will nods. "Yeah it's going to open. We have to get into the school tomorrow night." "Shouldn't be that big of a problem, I could always go there do some paperwork and stuff." "Yeah, but we have to get into the principal's office or into the cellar below it, don't really know." "It's the cellar.", Spike says. "How do you know?" Mulder asks. "Just know. That's...where ya know, where I saw them." "Who did you see?!" Dawn, who just came down the stairs, asks. He looks at me and I nod for him to continue. "Well, as I just had come back to Sunny Dale, I heard all those voices, but ya know that already, don't you?! Anyways, in the school basement it was much worse. The night after the thing with the charm , with Dawn, I saw,... I saw them." He takes a deep breath -since when does he breathe?! "Glory, the Mayor, Adam, Dru, the Master. They told me I'd never be good enough. But that's not the point, they told me that we were going to go right back to the beginning." He looks as if deep in thought. He told me about it, but I guess I haven't gotten the importance until now. "Not the beginning of the world, the 'true' beginning', and that 'The next few months are going to be quite a ride.'", he says making quotation marks with his fingers. "That's what the Master said. And he said that we were all going to learn something about ourselves. He told me I was pathetic, trying to be good, and that it wasn't about right and wrong. Then he morphed into, into..." He looks into my eyes. "He morphed into Buffy and said it was about power." The whole room is silent. There's nothing to be heard, and it just becomes so clear. It's just like on that tower, before I jumped. I can hear my own voice telling Dawn that I love her and my friends. 'Tell Giles, tell Giles, I figured it out. And that I'm okay.' I just understand everything now. It isn't going to be me against the First, it's going to be good against evil; and if I, if we should fail it will mean the end of everything we know. It wouldn't be the end of Sunnydale like with the Mayor when he tried to destory it, it wouldn't be my end, or a hell god openening portals, it would be the end of everything. There would be nothing left, just evil. It's about if there's enough good to fight the evil, if the will to live is strong enough. 'The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.' It's about power, not right and not wrong, just power. The power of good against the power of bad. "We can't beat it.", I say, my voirce totally calm. They all look at me. "We can't, we just can't. Hell gods, demons, vampires, we can do. But this we can't do. I don't know how." I feel a tear running down my cheek. "It's about power. It isn't something or somebody we fight. It is a power, it is pure evil. Nothing you can stake or throw off towers." Willow is the first to speak. "Yes, we can. If we already give up, we are going to lose, but I won't give up. If I go down, I'll go down fighting." "Red's right. We'll face whatever is going to come." "But how?" Agent Scully whispers. "Love." I look up and see him standing in the doorway. I stand up and throw myself into his arms. "Oxygen, need oxygen." He says. "How long have you been standing there?" "Long enough to hear what Evil Dead said." "Just on time for the apocalypse, Watcher." Spike says. I let go of Giles and Dawn flies into his arms hugging him just the same. Willow is the next to embrace him. "Love..." Wesley whispers. "That's it." Angel is the one to ask. "That's what?" "It's what can stop it." I explain. "Spike said it was about power. And against evil stands good; love." Willow is the next one to get it. "If we could do some spell, like the one with Adam, when we combined out power with Buffy's to defeat him. If we could do that, with all of us, we could maybe close the Hell Mouth and defeat the First." "You'd have to do some heavy mojo, think you can do that, Red?!" "I don't know, I really don't. But I certainly hope I can. I'd need help, of course." "There'll be some demons comin' out of the Hell Mouth once it's opened. Dangerous one's." Giles says. "Spike, Buffy and Angel could keep them at bay while we do the spell.", Willow proposes. "I'm not talking about three or four demons, Willow, I'm talking about twenty, probably even more!" Willow looks down, then up again, obviously having an idea. "Then we'll do the thing we did with Adam again. We'll do the power spell for Buffy, Spike and Angel and combine it with the one against the First." "You think that'll work?" "Well, Agent Scully, I don't know. But I don't have a better idea, do you?!" "We'll do it." I say. "It's the best we have and I'm so not going to die again. So let's start, Willow, what do you need?" "I don't know, yet. I'm gonna make a list. Giles, would you help me?!" He nods and walks over to her. "Anya, Xander, I want you to get them everything they need, from the shop. Dawn, you won't like that, but you're going to stay here tomorrow and take care of Connor." "But Buffy..." "No but. Cordelia is going with us, you're staying." She gives me an angry glare but shuts up. "Angel, Spike, we'll need weapons a lot of them. I want to take them to school tomorrow morning. I have to work and we can bring them to the basement and keep them there until we need them Will, when is the thing going to start?" She turns around and says 'midnight'. "How fitting. Well, guys you're going to come to school with Dawn and me so we can take them there." "Not bloody likely, Luv. I'm not going to take a stroll in the sun, wouldn't be a big help as a pile of dust." "You have a point there. Okay, so Xander, you're gonna help me with the weapons." He nods. "Ithink we should all try to catch some sleep. Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, you can meet up here with Will, Wesley, Giles and the guys over there, who are again arguing again, here in the morning, they are going to tell you about the spell or what they know about it by then."

It is past midnight when Spike and I go to bed. Dawnie is hopefully sleeping and Cordelia is in bed as well with the baby sleeping peacefully besides her. Willow and the two Watchers and Angel as well stayed in the living room trying to make up how to do the spell right. Xander and Anya went home around eleven, but Xander came back to bring Willow what she needed for the spell. I can't sleep, my mind just doesn't want to shut up. "What is it, Luv?!" I snort as an answer. "Ok, dump question, it's kinda obvious. But I really think we can do it. I trust in Willow. She's got the power to do it." "Spike?" "Yes, Pet." "Remember that nighht with Glory?" "I will never forget that." "Remember what you promised me?" "No, Buffy, no! We are so not going there. You are not going to die again." "Spike just in case, you have to take care of Dawn if something happens, you have to keep her save." "Buffy, you're not going to die. I won't need to look after Nibblet." "Just promise it, please." "No need to, already did that." I lay my head on his chest and can feel him shaking. "Spike, are you crying?" "No, of course not." I know he is, but I'm not going to ask anymore, I know it embarasses him. "You are going to survive this. We all are. I'd never make it again without you. 147 days. 147 days and I don't want one more without you."

I wake up with a bad feeling. Buffy's still lying beside me but she has to get up soon and go to work. Something is going to go terribly wrong tonight. I just know it. "Mornin'" She mumbles and kisses me on the cheek. "Morning yourself, Sweetheart." I say and pull her up into a real kiss. She rolls on top of me and smiles. Kisses me again and then gets up. "Come on, Sleepyhead. We've got a world to save." I pull the comforter over my head, really not wanting to get up and leave the warm bed. "Oh, come on Spikey." She says and pulls the blanket away. "Hello...Vampire here. Am supposed to sleep during the day." "I'll let you sleep when we've defeated the evil, now get up, fang-boy." I roll myself out of bed and actually make it into the bathroom and am able to put on some clothes. Buffy's already eating some cereal when I come into the kitchen and Dawn's sipping a glass of juice.

I help myself to a cuppa blood. Xander comes in through the backdoor, to pick up Buffy and Dawn. The Slayer pecks me on the cheek, then walks into the living room to retrieve the bag with the weapons. When they are gone I go into the living room to find Willow still reading in some books. She's wearing the same clothes as yesterday. "Red, did ya stay up the whole night?!" She looks totally beaten, then nods. I walk back into the kitchen to find the watchers discussing something in the dining room.

I pour a cup of coffee and return to the living room. "There you go, Willow. Drink up." I tell her as I handle her the mug. "Thanks Spike." "Welcome." I sit down on the couch next to her. "I'm afraid." She says and sips her coffee. "I don't know why I'm telling you that." I smile and hope it reassures her. "Well, I'm here, I'm gonna listen, so go on." "I don't know if it'll work. I mean, the spell, I'm pretty sure it's all right and could work but I don't know if we, if I have enough power." "I don't know much about magic but I do know, that you're very powerful and that you can do it. You've had to deal with much stuff, since you've tried to end the world, but these powers are still in you, you just have to use them for a good cause this time. Believe in you, Red. I do." "Thanks Spike." She says and yawns. Then she actually lays her head against my shoulder and leans into me. We are quiet for a while until I hear her snoring. Rough night. I take the mug out of her hand and put it down on the coffee table, then lay her down on the couch and pull a blanket over her. I make my way into the dining room. Let's see what the watchers have to say. But then there's a knock at the door. I open it making sure I'm not standing in the sunlight. Agent Mulder and Scully are standing outside looking not very well rested as well and...holding hands. "Come in." I whisper. "But hush, Will just fell asleep, worked the whole night through." "They nod and follow me into the dining room, still holding hands. I take a seat next to Giles and Mulder and Scully sit down next to each other. "Well," Giles begins looking at the agents. "I'm gonna tell you what we're going to do, now." "I'll go take a shower." Wesley announces and gets up.Giles nods, then continues. "Well, we are going to combine our powers." He explains to them how we're going to proceed and I really don't need to hear that again, discussed it with Red last night, so I go into the kitchen. What would I give for a smoke now...Buffy made me stop as I moved in with her and Dawn. After some time, Rupert enters the kitchen and sits down at the kitchen island next to me. "Explained them the thing, Rupes?" He glares at me then nods. "Willow is going to do most of the spell, but they are looking into the books trying to become familiar with it." "Good." "So, Spike, how is it going? With Buffy, with the soul..." "With Buffy, great. The soul, I cope. " Agent Scully walks into the kitchen pouring herself a cup of coffee and yawns. "Didn't sleep well?" Giles asks. "No, didn't." "You could lay down upstairs, Pet." She smiles at the endearment, but hey, ever met anyone I didn't call Pet?! "Actually, that would be great." "You can lay down in Dawn's room, she wouldn't mind." I tell her. "I'll show her up." Giles announces. They walk into Mulder at the doorway and she briefly kisses him and tells him she'll lay down a bit. She gives him her mug and he sits down on a kitchen stool. "She didn't sleep at all, I think." He explains. "Normally I'm the one with insomnia but tonight. She has to deal with a lot. She's a scientist, she just can't explain all this rationally." I chuckle. "So you're the one into the paranormal?!" "Well, yeah. The X-Files were my life. There was nothing more important, 'til Scully walked into my life." "I understand what it means when your whole life changes because of a woman." "May I ask, how old are you?" "Interested in the stuff, aren't ya?! 'Round 120." "That's...a lot. Well, yeah. Like I said. Read a lot about it. That's why I knew about Angel. Read especially a real lot about him and what he did. Quite interesting. All this stuff 'bout him and those others. This 'Scouge of Europe' thing. Can't imagine how dangerous he must have been. You hate him quite a lot, don't you?" "Angelus tortured me. Stole my girl. Always thought about me as his minion or something, even after I became a master vampire. I did never do things like he did. He killed his own family I coulda never have done that. Then he got his soul and got all mopey and then he's got this hair." Mulder chuckles at that. "You're obsessed with his hair, you know that." "Well, I think he thanks the gods every night for the invention of hairgel." Mulder sips of Agent Scully's coffee, then looks at me again. "So you're a master vampire. Don't think I read about you." "Well you most certainly did. You read about Angel, so..." "Well, yeah, but I don't think you're Darla or the crazy woman with the funny name." "Drusilla." I tell him. "Well, yeah. And apart from there was only those other guy. Slayer of Slayers. William the Bloody, I think." I smile at that. "Good-looking guy he is, evil and fights really great. But then he fell in love and got himself a soul, it's a pity. But still good-looking, won't you say." He looks at me. "You're him?" I hold out my hand. "William the Bloody, pleased to meet you." He shakes it and grins. "Well, you killed two slayers, why didn't you kill Buffy?" "I wanted to, really did. Don't tell anyone, but she kicked my butt. Well, then I fell for her, never tried again. Every slayer has a death wish, that's why I could kill the other two. I never felt it in Buffy. Tried to make myself believe she had this wish, but she hadn't. She was told that death was her gift. And she did die. For her sister. I hadn't wanted to kill her anymore before that happened but when she was dead. I broke down. She was dead for 147 days. When she came back, when Red ripped her out of heaven, I knew that not only couldn't I ever kill her but I would never let anything happen to her. I fucked up once. That won't happen again." "So you think we're gonna survive?" "Yeah. Yeah, that I think." Oh great, here we go, the Poofter enters the kitchen. "Well, Angel. Where have you been? Ran out of hair styling products?" He doesn't even look at me, just walks over to the fridge and takes out the blood. "Spike, it's getting old, want some?" I nod. He puts the blood into the microwave and plops down on another kitchen stool. "So, was he annoying you much?" "Nope, was quite interesting." "Just don't believe everything he says. He talks a lot, and a lot crap that is." "Bollocks." The microwave dings and I get up to pour the blood into two mugs. I sit back down and there's some silence. After, I don't know how long, Buffy enters through the backdoor. "Already back, Luv?" "There was nothing to do, so I went home after we'd put away the weapons." I gulp down the rest of the blood. "Don't I get a kiss?" I ask her. "Gross much, Spike? Don't think so." She looks around the room, then asks. "Where is everybody?" "Will's sleeping on the couch, she was bloody exhausted, Scully laid down in Dawn's room. Wesley went to take a shower, I don't know how long the guy takes. I haven't even seen Cordelia today and Giles...Bloody hell, we lost Giles!" "Very funny, Spike." He says from the doorway. "Oh, luck." I say, trying to look relieved.

The sun has just set and I'm sick of waiting. We are all sitting in the living room. Demon-girl leaning against the Whelp, Dawn falling asleep every five minutes on Giles' shoulder, then waiking up again and saying that she's awake. Wesley's for once not reading, Cordelia is staring at the floor, the Great Poof ridicules himself by making faces at his son, and Buffy is fidgeting next to me. Me, I am not nervous, not a little, Big Bad here. "Spike, could you please sit still?!" "You are the one to tell me, Luv." Okay, maybe I am nervous. Dawn woke up from our talking and is now looking around the room, she takes a deep breath and..."We know you weren't asleep, Dawn." Buffy says. "You just snored and drooled on Giles." Nibblet gives her an evil glare. "I did not drool." Buffy glares back, then stands up. "Okay guys, enough of this, it's time to kick some ass." That's my slayer.

When we arrive at the high-school everybody is quiet. Just like everybody tries to comprehend for himself what is going to happen. I tried to pick some arguments with the Evild Deads, to pass the time, but they didn't even as much as look at me. Buffy and I are picking up the weapons we left here this morning. Some are in her 'office', so we have to go there. "Xander, no matter what happens, I want you never to forget that you're my friend." I want to say something but she holds up her hand to stop me. "Let me finish. If something should happen to me, try to get along with Spike. I don't want you to be friends, but you have to stick together. For Dawn. For me." I nod. "Nothing is going to happen to you." I tell her calmly. "I certainly hope so." We take the waeapons and make our way back silently. At the door to the basement she turns around and hugs me, then looks up and smiles." Just in case." Downstairs Willow is painting a circle on the floor and a pentagram into it. There's some talking but mostly there is silence.

"Could you please come over here? All of you." Giles says. "Willow is going to explain how we're going to proceed." Will takes a deep breath, then starts her explanation. "I will go into the middle of the pentagram, while doing the spell, Anya, Cordy, Giles, Agent Scully, Mulder, each place yourself at one vertex of the pentagram. You will not have to do much, just link your hands and never let go of each other. I don't know what is going to happen, but we have to keep the circle." There are nods all around and then there's more waiting. It seems like everything is going on in slow motion. I look at my watch about every five minutes just to see that again almost no time has passed. This is like waiting for you execution, I can imagine, only worse because then you'd know what's coming. We...don't. "Harris?" Spike sits down on the floor next to me. "What is it, Spike?" "Just let me talk for once, okay?" I nod, he really seems serious. " I know something is going to happen here." I look at him questioningly. He shrugs then goes on. "Just have a feeling, here." He says pointing at his chest. "It isn't easy for me to ask you for this, but this is important to me. I can't ask the Poof, because, well, he is the Poof, reason enough. Neither can I ask Willow, she's got enough going on as it is. She's just startinng to deal with her own life again. Giles left and will do so again, I'm sure of that, so he's out, too. That leaves you." He stops and stares into the dark. "If something should happen to me, tonight, I want you to look after my girls. I just want you to be there for them. Would you do that? Not for me. But for Buffy and the Lil' Bit." I can't see it, it's too dark, but I'd say Spike's crying. He really seems to be afraid. When he looks up, I can indeed see tears in his eyes. "As much as I hate to admit that, Spike, but you're not going to die here. You can't do that to her. She needs you, you just can't. But if something should happen after all...then I'll take care of them. Always have, that'll never change." He nods then extends his hand. I shake it. He stands up and starts tp walk away. "Spike?" "Yeah?" He turns around again and I motion for him to sit down again. "Okay, I've never thought I'd say that, and least to you...but, look, I'm sorry." He looks like his eyes might fall out of his head. "You've changed but I just didn't want to admit that. You're good for Buffy, I haven't seen her that happy for a very long time, now. I want to thank you for that and I want us to get along for her and maybe even for ourselves." He looks at me like I've grown a second head then grins. "I'd like that, too, Xander." I think it's the first time he hasn't called me Whelp or Harris. After that he's gone again, annoying Angel, I suppose. I really could like the guy. Around half past eleven Willow asks us to come over and take our positions in the circle. When everybody stands where they should, Willow sits down in the middle and already starts to chant something in Latin or another language I don't understand. We all sit down and link our hands. For about half an hour nothing happens. Buffy, Spike and Peaches -well, I like this nickname, it's kinda fitting- are sitting on the ground waiting and, well, waiting. Exactly at midnight the floor starts to shake -this apocalypse is on time- and breaks open over the Hell Mouth. Out of nowhere there are demons, and a lot of them. Really ugly ones. Willow's, eyes are becoming black and she chants louder. I can see Buffy, Angel and Spike trying to hold the demons back but I don't think they stand a chance, there are too much of them. I really hope Willow can finish this soon. Some kind of black fog starts to come out of where the Hell Mouth. Buffy blows punches and fights like I've never seen her before. She's almost flying through the air with every kick. Spike and Angel hold their own as well. Until Spike's attacked from behind and struggles against the grip of the demon. An instant later Angel, throws the demon off of him and into the next wall. Willow is standing in the circle being held up by an unseen force. It's even worse than when we brought Buffy back. She looks weak. Something tries to rip our circle apart and it's hard to hold on to the hands of the others. We are all getting tired. There's more and more of this black fog. Buffy and the vampires are still fighting, but the demons become more, not less. The three are fighting back to back trying to overcome the demons. Some of them are trying to break through to us but are held back by the spell Willow did to save us from such attacks. It's terribly loud down here and I don't even know where it comes from. It goes on like this for I don't know how long, but eventually Willow breaks down. I can hear her scream and say she can't do it, she hasn't enough power. Some of the demons are now able to break through the magic wall Willow can't hold up anymore. Buffy, Angel and Spike are trying to keep them away from us. Above the opened Hell Mouth the black fog becomes even thicker. Willow's now on her knees and I can hear Buffy yelling to Angel and Spike to take over the deomons and that she's got an idea. Then she comes over to the circle and tries to get to Will. "Remember Will, after you came back, I shared my power with you." Willow looks up slowly the black gone from her eyes. "Give me your hand Willow!" With the last bit of strength Willow grabs at Buffy's hand and suddenly they are both being drawn up, their linked hands held up in the air. A white light comes from them and we are thrown away from the circle and against the next wall. Angel and Spike keep on fighting the nasties but I don't think they can go on much longer. The whole room fills with the light coming from Buffy and Willow. It's too bright to look into it, but I can still make them out. The black fog is pressed back into the Hell Mouth and the Hell Mouth closes. The demons begin to vanish, but just before all are gone I see one approaching Spike from behind, stake in hand. I try to warn him. But he doesn't hear me. One instant before the demon vanishes it puts the stake through Spike's heart from behind and Spike turns into dust. Buffy and Willow fall down into a heap and Buffy screams "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!", looking into Spike's direction. Then there is only -silence.

Buffy gets up and runs over to where Spike was standing moments ago. She falls down on her knees sobbing and pulling her hands through the dust that has been her love minutes ago.So he had been right after all. Giles and Willow are hugging each other as Cordelia and Anya are. Scully is leaning over Mulder, who is unconscious. Must have been hit by one of the demons. Angel is staring at Buffy, not able to move. Everybody's got tears in the eyes, I don't know whether from weakness or because of the blond vampire who let his un-life. I for one know I'm crying over him, for Buffy and for Dawn and for myself. I really had hoped we could leave the past behind. I don't have any buddies and when Buffy was gone, he was the nearest thing to one I got. I walk over to Buffy and kneel next to her, then take her into my arms. She's sobbing like a little child and clutching at me for dear life. "He....he can't. He said he would never leave me. Xander, he can't be gone. Make him come back. Everybody I love leaves me, no, not him, too. Please, no." I hold her even closer. Crying with her. "If only I could, Buffy, I'd do it. But I can't." I hold her and just let her cry. I don't know how much time passes but suddenly there's a light. I can't say where it comes from, but it's kinda warm and comforting. It shines onto the spot where Spike's dust laies. "Buffy, come on, I don't know what's going on!" I try tomake her stand up and take her away from there, but she doesn't move just stares into the light. I grab her around the waist and try to drag her away. The light is getting brighter until it fills the whole room, just like moments ago when Wills and Buffy linked their hands. When I can see again, I see Spike lying where only his dust was left. Buffy tries to run over to him but I still hold her. Angel motions for me not to let her go, then walks over to Spike, who doesn't move. He looks more dead than usually if that's even possible. Angel leans down and shakes him, then looks up in shock.

He looks from Buffy to me and back to Spike, then grabs at Spike's wrist, looks up again and says two words I'd never thought I'd hear and that bring Buffy running over to his side, falling down on her knees again and bringing his head to rest in her lap. "He's alive."

Beneath