Chapter 3

The stab wound in his back still smarting, Spike put himself between Dawn and Doc. If he could just protect her long enough, the window of opportunity for the ritual would pass.

“You don't come near the girl, Doc.”

Doc peered at him with curiosity. “I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?”

“I made a promise to a lady.”

“Oh?” The demon's long tongue shot out from his mouth toward Spike. Spike ducked aside, and Doc dropped to his knees and pulled Spike's legs out from under him. They grappled a bit and when they got to their feet, Doc was pinning Spike’s arms behind him.

“Then I'll send the lady your regrets,” said Doc.

Spike set his jaw. “You won’t have to.” He ripped his arms from Doc’s grasp and teetered on the edge for a moment before losing his balance. Just before he fell, Spike grabbed hold of the demon and pulled him off the platform along with him.

The two of them wrestled as they plummeted to the ground. Spike managed to position himself on top just before they hit the ground, with Doc breaking his fall.

Shaking off the impact, Spike saw Doc’s large knife lying on the ground next to him. Grabbing it, he swung as hard as he could toward the demon’s neck, decapitating him swiftly. He stood up and dropped the knife, then turned toward the tower.

Buffy was descending the stairs, a shaken but unharmed Dawn at her side. Spike rushed to them and scooped them both into his arms. The others gathered around, fussing over Dawn. Spike found himself gazing into Buffy’s glittering eyes, and everyone else faded away.

“You saved her.” A single tear ran down her face. She stroked his cheek, her fingers light on his skin.

“I promised, didn’t I?” he replied, taking her into his arms. He dipped his head and she met him in a gentle kiss.

Spike’s eyes opened and he gasped, gulping down unnecessary air. He sat up in bed and ran his hands through his hair, trying to shake off the feelings the dream stirred up. His hands slid down from his hair to cover his face, contorted with pain. His body shook with sobs, curled into the fetal position to protect himself from the truth.

Every night, the dream was the same. Oh, the details changed, of course. Sometimes, he threw the demon off the platform and carried Dawn down to a waiting Buffy. Sometimes he got thrown off, but managed to grab hold of something and pull himself back up in time to save Dawn. Once, he actually caught Buffy when she fell. Even though he knew she’d have been killed long before she hit the ground, in his dream she landed safe in his arms.

He dreamed it a dozen different ways, but the theme always remained the same. He saved her. He kept his promise. And she was alive.

*****

It was the little things, Tara knew.

The little things they hadn’t even noticed until they were gone, that was when they would miss her. When they’d come to a gap in their lives, even the tiniest little detail, and realize that Buffy used to be there. It was the same way when Tara’s mother died.

Like on Thursday night, when Giles had cooked a healthy, balanced meal, instead of the usual ritual of pizza and mountains of junk food that Buffy and Dawn usually consumed while watching all of NBC’s must-see TV line-up before Buffy went out for a quick patrol.

Or, with the weekend looming, when they were all painfully aware that on any other weekend, they’d be planning nights at the Bronze or bowling or the movies, with Buffy chiming in, quipping about Anya’s dancing and Xander’s bowling skills. But Buffy wouldn’t be there, and they wouldn’t be able to bring themselves to have fun without her.

They didn’t have many routines, with life as crazy as it was, especially since Glory had entered the picture. They’d been running for their lives too often to maintain habits. But some things were sacrosanct, and when those things happened, they felt her loss most deeply.

The most prominent of these were the Scooby meetings. It was more than a little disconcerting when Giles called that first meeting, the night of Buffy’s funeral, but it was a pattern so ingrained that not even the loss of their leader could disrupt the order of things. And so, after the service, when Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley had gone to Giles’ apartment to give them space, the others gathered in the Summers living room.

“I know you’re all grieving for Buffy,” said Giles, “but there are some practical matters to discuss, and I felt it my duty to broach the subject.”

“Practical matters?” Tara repeated.

“Niblet, maybe you best go on up to bed.” Spike tapped Dawn on the shoulder where she sat on the floor at his feet.

“No!” Dawn jumped up and whirled to face him. “If you’re gonna talk about Buffy, I wanna be here.”

“Dawn,” Spike warned.

“She’s my sister!” Catching herself, she amended the statement. “Was.”

At the tremble in her voice, Spike softened. He got up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her. “Is, pet. Always will be.”

“Let her stay, Spike,” Giles said. Spike relented and resettled himself in the chair, giving Dawn a squeeze on the shoulder as she resumed her position by his feet.

“Now that Buffy is… gone,” Giles continued, addressing the group again, “we are faced with the problem of an unguarded Hellmouth.”

The Scoobies shifted uncomfortably and glanced at one another. “Well, we can keep it together,” said Tara, trying to be optimistic. “For a little while anyway, until the new Slayer is called.”

“Yes, Giles,” Anya said. “When is the new Slayer going to show up?”

Xander, Willow, and Giles exchanged worried looks.

“There is no new Slayer,” Giles said.

“What d’you mean?” Spike demanded. “One Slayer dies, new one rises, right? Isn’t that how it works?”

“Guess you would know,” Xander muttered under his breath.

Spike growled. “Shut the hell up, you bleeding –”

“Please!” Giles said, temporarily halting the escalating fight. “Spike is technically correct, but…”

“Buffy died once before,” Willow finished for him.

Giles nodded. “Indeed she did. And so the Slayer line continued, even though Buffy was resuscitated.” He glanced around the room. “Faith is the Slayer now. Only her death will bring about a new Chosen One.”

“But Faith’s in prison,” said Dawn.

“So we’re stuck on a Hellmouth with no Slayer,” Anya concluded.

“Precisely.” Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them, universally accepted among the Scoobies as a bad sign.

Xander slapped his thigh resolutely. “We’ll have to patrol.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “No, you’ll –” he glanced around at each of them – “have to get out of Dodge. Once word gets out there’s no Slayer –”

“What, and leave Sunnydale to be overrun with demons?” Xander shot back. “I don’t think –”

“It won’t be safe for you here!” Spike leapt out of his chair and started to pace. “All the minions of hell will come flocking to this town. How long do you think you can hold them back?” He stared at Xander until the boy flinched. “You’re not Buffy! You’re not junior Slayers. You’re children, and you’re going to get yourselves killed. Soon as they find out the Slayer’s gone, they’ll –”

“Then they don’t find out.”

Six pairs of eyes turned to Willow.

“How do we keep it a secret?” Anya asked. “Buffy’s dead.” There was visible flinching from the others at her candor.

Willow started to look more determined as she fleshed out the plan in her mind. “We just have to convince them that Buffy’s still out and patrolling.”

“How?” Xander asked.

“The Buffybot.”

“No.” Spike’s refusal was quiet but firm.

“I can fix it,” Willow persisted. “We all act as if Buffy’s still alive and –”

“NO!” Spike roared. This time, all eyes were on him.

“I won’t do it.” He’d paced his way to the doorway and he stood like a sentry, arms folded across his chest. “Look, I can help you out, patrol, take out demons, whatever you like. But not with that… thing.” He visibly suppressed a shudder at the thought of the Buffybot.

“So, it’s good enough to have sex with but not to –”

“Xander, please,” Giles said, cutting him off before he further angered Spike. “I don’t like it either, Spike, but it may be the only way to keep Sunnydale from –”

“Then do it without me. I won’t be part of – part of… It’s not real.” Spike stormed out of the house, leaving the others in stunned silence.