Devil's In The Details

Spike quietly stalked the halls hoping to find Buffy; while at the same time he hoped he wouldn’t be able to find her. Then he felt a presence, he both turned around and then he saw her, Buffy. That’s the moment Buffy saw him. Stupid peroxide hair, gangly frame and that smile that reserved only for her. She ran at him full steam and banged into his chest almost reeling him over but he held fast. She had to be sure he was real. She put her arms around him.
“You’re not dead, you’re not dead.” She said as tears dripped down her cheeks. She felt his hand reluctantly on her hair, slowly stroking it. She looked up and he was still there. She pulled back slightly and looked at him. She grazed his cheek with her hand and he looked like he was going to cry. He looked at her with such happiness on his face like he had finally come home after a long crusade.
She pulled back from him and he smiled at her.
“How are you not dead?”
“The trinket, a device devised by Wolfram and Hart to make trouble for Angel. So far it’s working pretty well.”
“Angel knows you’re alive?”
“Been working for him for about a year.”
“And you didn’t come and see me?”
“Why?”
“How about to tell me that you weren’t dead?”
“It never came up.”
“It never came up?”
“Well I was a ghost for a long time, and then well I..” He trailed off and she continued to look at him for an answer.
“Well what?” He didn’t want to tell her why he really never came to see her. He touched her hair again; he had always loved her hair so much.
“I was terrified if I ever saw you again that I would never want to let you go.”
“And there’s something wrong with that?”
“Listen, do you really want to have the big confession in the middle of the hallway?”
Buffy pointed to the door down the hall and they walked in. Unfortunately for Spike it was Buffy’s bedroom.
“What is it with you vampires?! What happened to loving me forever, and being with me always huh? How long is forever for you people!”
“Buffy, we’re not good for each other.”
“So!” She found herself saying but she felt stupid after she said it.
“Buffy, we don’t belong together, just because we have feelings doesn’t mean that there right. I was a crutch longer than I was anything, just something for you to lean on, not something for you to keep.”
“You could have still told me.” She said and moved closer to him, he put his arms around her.
“I know, but I’ve messed up your life enough, haven’t I?”
Buffy looked at him expectantly. “Did Angel tell you about Xander and me?”
“Yea, he did.” Spike didn’t want to talk about this, more than anything; he didn’t want to talk about the guy who was going to get his girl.
“Good.” She said and she rested her head on his chest. “Is it alright if I you just hold me for a little while?”
“Sure.”
“I just want to make sure that you’re real.” She said and he laughed, and nodded his head.
“Whatever you need, you know that.”
“I’m not going to forget us.” She told him, and he held her in his arms, feeling her warmth against his cold, and he tried as hard as he could not to be in love with her. “Everywhere I go I’m saying goodbye to people.” Buffy said and Spike looked down at her.
“Things end, other things begin, and that’s how it goes, forever.”
“You’re really good at putting things in perspective, you know that?”
Angel lay in his coffin and tried to think of a reason to keep living. Wolfram and Hart would chase him until he died, even with Buffy’s protection, which he was pretty sure he didn’t want anymore, how could he survive the full power of an evil all powerful law firm. Then he heard a knock on his coffin. He pulled it open and he stared up at the only other woman he had even loved in his two hundred and fifty years on the planet.
“Is this a single coffin, or is it built for two?” Cordelia Chase asked as she looked down at Angel.
Angel pulled himself out of the coffin, the pink goo slide across his chest and Cordelia frowned at him.
“This is not exactly the look I was hoping to see, you all gooey and disgusting.” She said and then she leaned in and kissed him. “But I suppose it has to do.” She said and smiled at him. She grabbed the towel near the coffin and began to wipe him off slowly.
“What are you, how are you..”
“Powers that be, gave me a special pass to come down and help you.” She told him and she wiped the goo off his face. He smiled as he watched her just existing in front of him.
“What for?”
“To tell you that Wolfram and Hart are coming.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“That if you survive, they won’t come after you ever again,” Angel stopped her from toweling him off, and held her hands, he loved the warmth he felt when he touched her.
“What do you mean, one push and that’s it?”
“Well you certainly screwed things up for them; the word is if they don’t get you on this go ‘round they won’t be trying again even in your lifetime.” She told him, Angel wanted to scream, but instead he grabbed her and hugged her.
“ANGEL!” She said as they slowly pulled themselves apart. He smiled warmly down at her and moved a lock of hair out of her face.
“Did I mention that I miss you?” He said and she used her finger to move some goo from his forehead.
“I miss you too.” She told him and they just looked at each other for the moment. Angel, just for a moment wanted to bask in the fact that he was holding Cordelia in his arms.
They kissed lightly, and then she pulled away.
“What’s their plan?” Angel whispered onto her lips, Cordelia shook her head.
“I don’t know, but don’t worry, either way I’ll be waiting.” She told him and she leaned in to kiss him again. Angel closed his eyes, when he opened them, she was gone.
“I love you.” Angel said to empty air.