Remember Me

Chapter 33


"How do you feel?" Buffy asked as she jumped up from her spot on the couch to help Lindsey make his way across the room.

"I'm fine, I'm okay. Just a little sore, but not in the ‘I've just been shot way' more in the ‘I just got pummeled way'. So, yeah, improvement."

"Do you need anything?" she asked as he sat down on the couch, wincing a
bit.

"Maybe some food."

"What do you want? I'll get it for you," she started for the kitchen.

"Buffy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you all right?" He met her eyes, looking at her inquisitively.

She stared at him, her eyes welling up. "You saved my life."

He looked down, shrugged.

"No, no, you don't get to do that." She made her way back to him and sat
across from him on the coffee table. "Don't just shrug it off. Lindsey. . . I. . .
I don't know how to thank you."

He looked up at her, a soft smile on his face. "You're alive. That's all the
thanks I need."

"You are a good man."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are. It's in you, Lindsey. I see it. I was hard on you when I
remembered and—"

"You had every right. It was human nature to feel that way Buffy. I was
part of the plan to take you from Spike and Angel. I was working alongside
the devil for Christ's sake. But later, later you defended me. You stood up
for me. And, you protected me too. You don't owe me anything. I did what I had to do. I. . . I love you Buffy."

She looked down, averting his eyes.

"And I know that if I couldn't imagine a world without you in it, then Spike
and Angel surely couldn't."

Taking his hands in hers, she whispered thank you again.

"Everything all right?" Spike asked, eyebrow raised as he and Angel
entered the room.

Buffy looked over and nodded. "Yep. I was just thanking Lindsey for
saving my life. Again."

Lindsey looked startled at the added ‘again', but didn't comment. Instead
he watched Spike enter the room and stand by Buffy while Angel leaned
against the wall, taking it all in.

"How does it feel?" Spike asked.

Lindsey looked up at him, wide – eyed. "Better, thanks."

Spike nodded. "Probably need some food and something to drink. Build
your strength back up."

Buffy beamed up at him, proud.

"Uh, thank you, that'd be great."

"How bout a hamburger?"

Lindsey nodded and Spike leaned down and kissed the top of Buffy's head
before retreating into the kitchen.

"See that? That was Spike's way of saying thank you," Buffy informed
Lindsey.

"Sure he won't poison me instead?" Lindsey chuckled.

"No, he won't." Angel moved away from the wall and stood next to Buffy
now. "Thank you Lindsey. You saved her. I'm still not completely
comfortable with everything before that, but. . . you proved yourself a good
man today."

"Thank you," Lindsey said quietly.

"Do you want anything, sweet heart?" Angel asked Buffy who was smiling
up at him.

"I could really go for some chocolate ice cream. We got any of that?"

Angel chuckled. "I don't know. I can check for you."

"How's Giles?"

"Still resting. He'll be all right. The bruises are already fading."

"I suppose we'll have a lot to talk about tomorrow," Lindsey sighed.

Angel nodded. "Yes, you're right. I'll check on that ice cream."

Between Spike and Buffy, a gallon of ice cream disappeared. They sat
outside under the stars on the lawn, talking and laughing easily, letting off
the steam of the day. Angel was inside speaking with Giles who had woken
up for a time. Angel, Lindsey and Giles seemed to be having an in depth
conversation that Buffy just didn't have the attention span for and neither
did Spike. When the gallon was gone, she rested her head on Spike's
shoulder as he told her stories of his boyhood in England. She weaved her
hands in his and listened, wishing she could have arrived in England on
good terms, seeing the city through Spike's eyes and then traveling to
Ireland to see it through Angel's.

"Do you think if I'd never been born with powers, we would have found
each other?" Buffy asked after a while.

"Yes."

"You do?"

"Without a doubt. We were meant to be together. Our souls, yours, mine
and Angels, they're entwined together. We were meant to be."

"You know, deep inside me, when we were separated, I knew that I
belonged somewhere, with someone. I just felt it in me."

Spike pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Buffy, when you were gone . . .
I never want to relive that again. We were so worried about you, we tried
everything we could think of to find you. Willow even tried doing a locater
spell.

That first night, when you disappeared. . . Angel and I spent that night
hunting for you. We stayed out so long; we got singed when the sun started
to rise."

Buffy shivered and a tear escaped. "I begged and pleaded when I could
talk to be returned home." She started to cry. "I was so scared."

"Never be apart again," Spike promised and she could feel tears dropping
on her head.

"Never," she whispered, clutching his hand tightly.

"I'll second that," Angel said and plunked down next to her. Grabbing his
hand in her free one, Buffy squeezed hard and leaned into him, hiding her
face in his strong chest.

"How's Giles?" she asked.

"He's better. He already has some plans for the new and improved
Council."

"So he's going to return?"

"Yes. He feels until the wrongs in that place get righted, he's the best
person for the job."

"And Lindsey? Does he want Lindsey with him?"

"Yes, he does. He feels Lindsey has great potential and since he's seen the
darker side of the Council under Quentin, he thinks he'd be the perfect one
to prime to take over when Giles decides to retire."

"Does Lindsey want back, I wonder," Buffy murmured.

"I want to help them, I do, but . . . " Angel paused. "I want to go back to
our life. I want to go home and have our lives back."

"I'll second that," Spike muttered.

"As far as I'm concerned, we're already there," Buffy sighed.




TBC