1880 - Chapter 9

Buffy felt like her head was splitting in two as she came around. She moaned as she tried to open her eyes and the brightness of the world seemed to blind her. Gradually coming to, she almost gasped as everything became suddenly clear and the memory of where she’d been came flooding back.

Her eyes shot open as she heard voices nearby and she found herself staring at a ceiling.

Her ceiling.

She frowned at it and then realised that the voice she had heard was Dawn.

She was in her bed, in her room.

She was home.

“Buffy?” Dawn appeared in view, smiling wide with relief as she looked down at her. Buffy closed her eyes as she was wrapped in a tight hug, her sister’s hair covering her face and the familiar scent of her making her want to cry. “You had us all so scared.”

“I’m home now.” Buffy smiled as her sister released her and then noticed the confused look that had settled on her face.

“Where did you go?” Dawn asked, not understanding what her sister was talking about.

“I was in London, it was so long ago. Was I gone long? Seemed like days.” Buffy smiled weakly at Dawn, everything appeared to be the same so far. She had a pulse still, Dawn was still her sister and her room was the same. Now she just needed to see that the gang was all okay, that Sunnydale was the same and that Spike was still around.

She smiled.

Spike. She couldn’t wait to see him again.

“It was just a dream. You’ve been unconscious for a few hours, nothing more. Spike found you in the road a few minutes after you gave chase to that man. Anya’s gonna be pissed that you didn’t get the amulet thingy back.” Dawn explained with a giggle and then looked serious. “Did you really think you’d gone somewhere? You must have hit your head pretty hard.”

Buffy frowned at what her sister had said. She had gone somewhere, she must have. It had felt so real, too real to be nothing more than a dream.

“I’ll tell the gang.” Dawn smiled and then left her.

As her senses kicked back in, Buffy felt a familiar signature in her stomach and her eyes immediately sought him out.

He was such a sight for sore eyes. Tears immediately filled her eyes, obscuring her vision as she looked at him, drinking in the sight of him. She’d missed him so much.

She smiled shakily as he rose from his chair to sit on the bed next to her and then closed her eyes as he brushed away her tears with his fingers.

“Was it a dream?” She searched his eyes as he looked at her, hoping to find a sign of recognition in them, something that would tell her that what she had been through had been real and he’d been right there with her.

When he didn’t say anything, doubt began to creep in.

It all seemed obscure enough to be a dream and nothing had changed. Maybe it was a dream after all.

“Spike…” She started and then realised that it wasn’t like him to be so quiet. “Spike… say something.”

He just looked at her, seemingly wholly concerned with wiping away her tears and then smoothing her hair. It looked terribly to her like he was avoiding her gaze.

“Spike, say something dammit.” She felt her temper beginning to fray as he remained silent and she decided that she was going to give him one last go before boxing him on the nose. “Spike! Speak!”

He fumbled with something in his hand and she looked down at them. His left hand was balled into a fist and she figured he was probably playing with his lighter like he always did when he was nervous.

Her eyes widened as she realised her hands were empty. She began frantically searching under the bed covers for the locket that William had given her. If she had that, then it must have been real.

Spike smiled at her as she threw the bed covers aside, looking for something as though it was the most important thing in the world and she couldn’t live without it.

Holding his hand up, he let the locket drop down and dangle from his fingers in front of her.

Buffy froze as she heard the sound of a chain and her eyes immediately shot around to look at what he was holding. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw the silver heart swinging from the chain that Spike was holding and warmth washed through her as she realised it hadn’t been a dream after all.

Raising her eyes to meet his, she held her breath as he opened his mouth.

“I love you.” Spike smiled at her.

Buffy gave him her best smile as she felt warm inside. She couldn’t stop her smile from becoming a wide grin as he ducked his head shyly and reminded her of William. She watched his hands as he fumbled with the locket.

Taking the locket up, he frowned at it, letting his fingers run over the intricately decorated metal and the inscription he’d placed on it. He could still remember the day he’d bought it for her, he could remember it like it was yesterday. Which to her, he supposed it was.

Buffy watched as a smile spread across his face as though he had remembered something.

“Was it real?” She looked at him with wide eyes as she waited for him to speak again, needing to have him confirm that they had met back in London in 1880.

Unclasping the necklace, he slipped it around her neck and fastened it. He ran his fingers down the chain and then held the locket in his fingers.

“Bloody right it was. Welcome home, pet. You tell anyone what I was like…”

He was cut short by Buffy wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Sighing, he wrapped his around her and closed his eyes, remembering when she’d hugged him tightly before leaping through the portal.

“Did you know all these years?” She whispered as she held him close, savouring the way it felt to be held in his strong embrace and how she felt as though she was finally home.

“No, just since I found you a few hours ago. I saw the locket in your hand and it came flooding back. I checked to make sure you still had the amulet and then carried you back here.” He pulled back to look at her, running his fingers gently through her hair and down her arm. “The split second after you’d left, these two weirdos visited me, dressed all in white they were. They said there were some thing’s I shouldn’t remember until it was time and I didn’t even have a chance to say anything. The next thing I know is no Buffy. I went home, unable to explain to my mum where I’d been, or what had happened. Life went back to like you had never existed… only now I remember it.”

“You were the only one there, Spike, the only one who could help me.” Buffy curled up into his arms and sighed as she remembered what it had been like to be so far away from him, but so close at the same time. She closed her eyes as he held her protectively and she smiled as she remembered what she’d said about him to William. Protective. In his arms, she felt as though she was safe from anything, even an apocalypse.

“I know, baby. You know I thought you were mad at first. I felt so comfortable with you though, like somehow I knew you. Then you spouted all the stuff at me about knowing me in the future and it all made more sense, but was more confusing at the same time.” He whispered into her hair as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and cradled her gently.

“You really didn’t know all this time?” Buffy leaned back so she could see his face and when he shook his head, she smiled. “You mean you fell in love with me all over again?”

“Like it was destiny.”

As he looked down at her, Buffy leaned up and pressed her lips against his. Spike didn’t question her. Subconsciously, he’d been waiting a century to feel her kissing him again and he wasn’t going to wait a second longer. Wrapping his arms tight around her, he kissed her back softly, nipping at her bottom lip so she smiled and he felt it in her kiss. He felt her warm tongue push its way gently into his mouth and he tackled it with his own, letting them play against each other for a few seconds. He paused.

Pulling back, Spike arched a brow as something came back to him. “Did you tell me you…”

“I love you.” Buffy said and then pulled him back to her and kissed him again but it only lasted seconds before he pulled back again.

“You told me. When you were leaving, you said that you didn’t love that me, you love the future me. You love me?” He looked incredulous.

“Wait… I said I didn’t love William, I love Spike… oh my god.” Buffy froze.

“You love the vampire me? Supposedly evil me?” He lifted a brow and she blushed.

“You were a prude.” She said as way of a defence.

“You were dressed like a boy.” His voice gained pitch as his brows furrowed.

“But you still fell for me, William the bloody.” She grinned triumphantly as he looked mortified.

“Think it was better when you were kissing me.” Spike captured her lips again and smiled inside as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, drawing him close to her.

“Ewww!”

Buffy and Spike broke apart and found Dawn standing in the doorway with a disgusted but happy look on her face.

She wasn’t alone.

The entire gang was stood there, staring at them with open mouths. Spike looked at Buffy and she slipped her hand into his. He smiled as he looked down at them, reassured that she wasn’t going to close up again and reject him now that her friends had seen them together.

“Buffy?” Giles looked at her and then at Spike.

Dawn grinned.

Willow and Tara shared a knowing smile as though they had been waiting for this moment to happen.

Anya looked at Xander as though she was waiting for him to explode.

“You want to tell us what’s happening here?” Xander was staring at Buffy and she looked at Spike.

“Shall we tell them?” Buffy said with a wide smile and Spike grinned.

Sitting up and arranging herself more comfortably beside Spike, Buffy took a deep breath and then began.

“It all started like this…”


The End

Review This Story/Chapter!

It only takes a minute to send me feedback, but it makes my whole day. Simply fill in the form below: