HAPPILY EVER AFTER
By Len Rated R Spoilers: post-Dead Things Summary: Spike faces some hard truths about himself and his behavior. Pairing: B/S and W/T Notes: Not exactly the HappyFic I’ve been promising, but this had to be
written. Dedication: For anyone else who thinks that Joss has some explaining to
do… Feedback: Why yes, thanks! I’d love some! He was lying on his back, having finally summoned the energy to make it
home. The moment he heard her he knew something had happened. Will had
always been the emotional barometer of the gang - when she was happy,
everyone was. When things were going badly for her friends, she felt it.
Just another of those witchy things she had that made him more wary of her
than he should be, what with her being a mere human and all. Her breath was catching in her throat, but as she got closer she seemed to
get it under control. Spike guessed that she'd been crying. He didn't
bother to look up when she entered. "Spike?" "What?" "Are you…" she got a good look at his face and stopped. "What happened to
you?" "Got in a bit of a tussle. What happened to you?" "What? Huh? N-nothing." "Right. You're five seconds away from crying your heart out." "That's not true!" Spike sat up and raised an eyebrow. Her shoulders sagged. "Tara left." "For good?" She nodded miserably and sat down, setting something on the tomb lid beside
him. It clinked against the stone, but he was too caught up in the picture
of grief she made to wonder much about it. "For good." "Oh." "Yup." "You know what your problem is, Will?" "I bet you're going to tell me." "Too right. Your problem is that you fell for her." She looked at him incredulously. "You think?" "Yeah. I know your type – jump in with both feet before even making sure
that there's water below." "Maybe. But I can't help it. You can't help loving someone." "Well, of course you can't – that's your problem." "Thanks for the counseling, Spike. But I just came by because I thought you
might need-" Spike cut her off, not wanting her to miss the point. "I'm not trying to be
mean, pet. Well, not at the moment. But I've been it before." "Been….? "Love's bitch." "Hey! I am not!" "Sorry, Will. Come up with a more PC term if you like, but whatever it is
it's all over you." "Romantically accident-prone?" "That'll do." Willow watched his profile for a moment, seeing the fine lines of tension
around his eyes and mouth despite his battered and swollen appearance.
Maybe it was time for him to listen to his own advice. She sighed. "Why do
you put up with it, Spike?" "With what?" "You know with what. I can tell you didn't get your face beat in by walking
into a door." He blinked, trying to invent another plausible story. "Spike?" "Ran into a bit of trouble with some vamps, that's all." "Uh huh." "Listen, Will, believe me or no – I don't bloody care." "You shouldn't have to put up with it, Spike. It's abuse." He turned on her, suddenly furious. "You don't know the first fucking thing
about it! I love her. I. Love. Her. Can you get that through your thick
little skull?" "And the hitting? Where does that come into this grand love affair?" "Shut up!" "Or what, you'll kill me? I have to say this, Spike, as a friend. I love
Buffy. She's been one of my best friends. But she has no right to do this
to you." "I ran into a pack of vampires, Willow." "You ran into the person you think is the love of your life. This isn’t the
first time it’s happened, is it, Spike? You two have sex—" "We make love! Don't make this out to be something dirty!" "—you have sex, and she beats the crap out of you, and you both pretend
like nothing out of the ordinary is happening. This isn't healthy! For
either of you! Did you treat Drucilla like this?" "Leave Dru out of this, Willow. I'm warning you—" "I hate seeing you like this! Don't you understand? You two will never be
friends. You will never be happy. She will always be the slayer, and you
will always be a demon. I'm just afraid…" "What? That me an' Buffy will have our little happily ever after and leave
you all alone?" "No. I'm just…I'm afraid that one day she'll go to far, and she'll kill
you. That's what I'm afraid of. You deserve so much more than this, Spike.
Why won't you see that?" "You're one step away, missy…" A tear slowly made it’s way down her face. “W-why can’t you see…?” Spike rolled his eyes at the pathetic display. "Oh, now what the Hell
are you cryin' about, Witch? Why don’t you get off your soapbox and admit
it? Its jealousy, isn't it? That I've got the slayer, and you've got no-
one…" She sniffled and looked him in the eye. "Better no-one than being beaten by
someone I love." He glared at her. "I won’t sit by and watch this,” she said decisively. “Face it, Spike.
And deal with it. Because if you don't, I’m going to talk to Buffy." "Why you little – argh!" "And if you're going to try and eat me, then I'm leaving. Just remember
what I said." "Burned in my brain. Don't think I'll be forgetting any time soon, Witch,"
he snarled. Spike watched the redhead as she walked to the door, her own grief wrapped
around her bowed shoulders like a shroud. He continued to glare daggers at
her back until she disappeared, and continued to hate her for a long while
after that. After the moon had set and birds outside the crypt started to stir he
finally looked away from the doorway, feeling twice his age. And for a
vampire, that was really saying something. His gaze settled on the bottle
of blood next to him. That must have been why Willow had come by. How had
she known he needed it? He picked up the glass vessel and swirled the liquid around in it, watching
as the torch light reflected off its surface. Red. Such a beautiful color,
full of warmth and life. Even emotionally bruised as she was, Will had
thought to bring him this. "Happily ever after," he muttered. And then he threw the blood against the
wall, smiling as it shattered. The End Feedback?
Back Home Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Main Page