l'androise blanc

Epilogue

Tara didn't look in Willow's direction when she left, simply took up her things and dashed out into the night.

Xander sternly asked Anya where her engagement ring had gone.

Giles rang the council and told them to cease their efforts to secure Faith a new attorney.

Willow took Dawn home. Dawn made chocolate chip cookies, which Willow didn't eat so much as nervously crumble into small pieces as she cried and asked Dawn if she thought Tara would ever come back.

Buffy said she'd be home soon, but first she had an errand to run.

The only light in the crypt came from the dim glow of the television. Spike stared blankly at the images, not processing them. If my heart could beat, he thought, be leapin' straight up into my throat by now, strangling me.

When he heard the door creak open slowly, it took everything he had in him not to jump to his feet and embrace her.

"Slayer," he said without turning around, "Red worked her mojo, didn't she?"

"Yeah," Buffy replied.

"Got your memories all back, then? Everybody's one big happy familly?"

Buffy came further into the room. "Yeah."

"Well, good." His eyes were still on the television. "Thanks for letting me know. 'Preciate it."

She saw him swallow then, the hard knot of his Adam's apple moving down his throat, betraying that this cold manner was a facade.

"Spike --"

He held up a hand to her. "Off you go. Give the Niblet a hug, get yourself all warm and snuggly and sleep in your own bed, right? Don't need to sully yourself hangin' out with me. We're not amnesia buddies anymore."

She knelt next to his chair, and he turned his face to hers. Something in her eyes was different, something small, but it was there, and his own welled up. "Buffy?"

She leaned close and kissed him gently. "You took care of me."

"Always will," he told her. "You know that."

She blinked hard and stood up. "I should go, though, um, you're right, Dawn... Will... they need me right now..."

Spike nodded.

Buffy left, the sound of the door shutting with such finality that Spike winced.

"I need you, too, Slayer," he whispered.

The End