Fueled Enchantment

Chapter Six

Earlier that same ing:ing:

Buffy brushed her silky brown hair, admiring the streaks Anya had put in it for her. It wasn't
blond, like the other two Buffys, of course, but it was a pretty change to have honey brown
streaks near her face. She hadn't thought about her looks, or clothes-other than the laundry issue-
in months. Maybe years. During this enforced vacation she had found herself thinking of both, like
the girl she had once been, so long ago.


It was too early for bed and it hadn't started raining yet so she decided to go out to the garden for
a bit. It was overgrown but still green and lovely, so different from her small efficiency apartment
near down town Sunnydale. There was a park bench on a little hill that overlooked a pond. She
went there most evenings, watched the sunset, with a sack of bread heels for the ducks.


She sat on the bench, enjoying the damp breeze, smiling at the duck's antics. This had been a nice
vacation, a respite from the pain and weariness her life had become. A respite from loneliness,
too.


She had a Watcher, of course, a practical, cold woman named Marianne Harkins. Giles had move
back to England years ago, to take a research position with the Council. Her friends from
highschool had found careers and families, and decided that they needed to be far away from the
Hell Mouth and nightly cemetery patrols. They kept in touch, of course, but she knew she
reminded them of dark things, dark times. She didn't blame them for separating themselves from
Sunnydale and the Slayer. Heck, she wished she could separate herself.


It wouldn't be for much longer, she knew. The past few years she had sustained more and more
injuries, finally getting this shattered leg in a fall from a high ledge. The doctors had wanted to
amputate, but she had waited for the slayer healing to kick in. It had healed, sort of. The doctors
considered it a miracle that she could even walk on it with a cane. So her days were numbered.
This year, her twenty ninth, a new record for slayers, would be her last.


Maybe she would die here on this little dimensional glitch vacation. The Grimali Queen sounded
hellish enough that even with all the extra Spikes and Buffys running around, it wasn't a sure
thing.


It was odd how their lives had turned out so differently, following Willow's spell. She had had
those dreams, too, and lost sleep. She had begged Willow for a sleeping potion. Spike, as she
recalled, had been reeling drunk just about every time she'd seen him. Then Glory had arrived,
Mom had died, and Dawnie had jumped, while she lay helpless with a dagger in her chest, blood
filling her lungs. Spike had been grievously wounded, too. He had grabbed at Dawn but missed
her. So he had chosen to follow her. She had seen him turn to dust when they hit the vortex.
Glittering, swirling dust, covering Dawnie...


Wonder if there's some dimension where Dawn and her vampire babysitter exist?


The married Buffy and Spike, who had run away from all things Sunnydale-they had the best life
of any of them. And she had run away with him, before he got a soul! Their Dawn had grown up,
healthy and happy. Had a baby now! And their world hadn't seemed to suffer because the Slayer
left Sunnydale and her Chosen Duties. Maybe I'll leave Sunnydale when I get back. Move
somewhere far away, take a new name.


It was something to think about.


A vampire was near, she felt that tingle. She turned and saw the black clad, unsouled Spike. He
joined her on the bench. He joined her most nights at sun down, and they sat mostly in silence.


"Mind if I smoke?"


"No, go ahead." She paused. "Can I ask you something?"


He shrugged. "Won't answer if I don't want to."


"What did you do, after Willow's spell. Did you have the dreams?" She was glad for the twilight,
it covered her sudden blush.


"Yeah. Thought it was just me, though, not her, too. Ripped off a pharmacy. Enough downers
and booze and even a vampire will sleep. Stayed away from her for awhile. Didn't want to do
something stupid and get staked."


"And then Glory came?"


"Yeah. I got pushed off the tower, early on. Don't know just what happened up there, if one tried
to jump, and the other tried to stop her. Don't know. Just know they were together."


"Do you think there's a dimension where they are together?"


"Don't know much about this dimension stuff. I always fid thd they were in heaven, with their
mom."


"Heaven!" Buffy took a deep breath, and leaned back. " I had forgotten all about heaven. I
wonder if I'll go to heaven."


"Course you will. You're the Slayer, right? Got a soul, been a good girl for Santa." He finished
his cigarette and was ready to flick the butt until he felt Buffy's pointed glare. He waited for it to
cool and then shoved it into his pocket. "See? You're the grand high poobah of all righteousness."


"So," he continued. "Why are you thinking about your afterlife?"


She slapped the cane against her boot. "Suspect it's in my near future."


"Yeah. Could turn you if you want."


She gasped, outraged, until she saw the smirk. She gave him a shove. He grinned and pulled a
flask from his coat. He took a big gulp, and then handed it to her. "Drink?"


Why not. Being a good Slayer had gotten her precisely nothing. She took a swig. "Ah! gak! eew!"
It burned all the way down. "H...how can you drink that!"


"Wait a couple minutes. It gets better."


It did, very warm and relaxing. When he offered the flask again, she took another swig.


"Well, this is what I don't get," she said, after her third swallow. "I did everything right. I took
the sleeping potion, slept through all those dreams. Went out with nice, All American boys,
patrolled every night, rain or shine, sick or well. Never took a vacation longer than three days.
Follow Giles' advice. Dusted like a million vampires. And what did I get for being so good? A
crappy one room apartment, paid for by a crummy job in a diner. No husband, no boyfriend, no
girl friends because they all figure out that I'm into something weird. This is the first time I've
been out of California since I was thirteen years old. My watcher, Ms. Hawkins, is scarier than
most of the stuff I kill."


She grabbed the flask from him and continued her tirade. "And the married Buffy! She went to
bed with him just weeks after Willow's spell. And kept seeing him for months and months. And
ran away with him, whendidndidn't even have a soul, and quit slaying! She teaches nursery rhymes
to four year olds, and has a pretty house with a garden. And a baby nephew she can visit anytime.
And her husband adores her."


Spike grabbed the flask from her before she could take another gulp. "Yeah, but you can see that
she cares about him, too."


"That's true."


"The other Buffy and Spike haven't had it so easy, even though they were together for awhile. "
said Spike.


"But they ended up being friends and allies. And he got a soul for her."


"Yeah. And I suspect they will do the deed before this little jaunt is over."


"Really? Cuz she told me they haven't seen each other in years."


"It's not over. Not for him. Probably never be over for him. I've seen the way he looks at her."


"And if they do, they'll probably be happy." Buffy looked out into the stars. "They did everything
I was taught was wrong, but it turned out so right. I did the right things and it turned
out...wretched. Why?"


Spike drank the rest of the scotch and slipped the flask back into his pocket


"Because they did what was honest. What was really in their hearts. Not artificial, what would
make their friends happy. Or their Watcher. They made it happen. They wanted it to be good, and
refused to listen to all those fools, and it's good. No regrets."


He rose abruptld wad was yards away in a moment.


He does this all the time, Buffy thought, just hops up and runs off. Irritating vampire!


"Spike, wait up." He stopped and turned to watch her and she was embarrassed at her awkward
lurching stride, when he was so fluid and graceful. "Why did you leave?"


His long cool fingers touched the side of her face, felt a lock of hair and then slowly drew to her
lips, barely touching. He stared at her face, unblinking, intense.


She felt a slight tremor in his fingers, and echoed it with her whole body.


"Because it's not over for me, either."