"Is everyone okay?"
Giles' voice broke into Buffy's consciousness, and her eyes flew open. She sat up slowly, her head aching.
"Is everyone alright?" Buffy recognized Willow's voice, and she looked at her friends. Cordelia was nudging Xander, who was slowly regaining consciousness. Oz was standing, looking at around the room with a dazed expression on his face. Buffy checked her watch. It was morning. She glanced at her mom. Joyce was leaning against the stone wall of the mourge, out cold. Buffy smiled. Her eyes travelled around the room and fell to rest on Spike. His body was badly contorted, and it looked like his back had been broken. Buffy wasn't sure he was dead, but he didn't look very lively. She closed her eyes, spilling tears over the death of her friend. And Spike was her friend. He'd helped her through a tough time, and had really come through at the last. He'd even saved her life. More than once.
"Hey, kid, you okay?" Whistler asked, and everyone in the room looked at Buffy. She stood, and smiled.
"I'm okay. Everyone else is fine?" she asked. Giles approached her, cleaning his glasses.
"Almost everyone." he said, looking pointedly at Spike's body. Buffy closed her eyes, and re-opened them, meeting the eyes of her Watcher. Giles touched her arm, and Buffy hugged him.
"Thank you." she whispered.
"For what?" he asked.
Buffy only shook her head, turning it and focusing on Spike's prone form.
***********************************
Everyone left the prison a bit shakedely. Joyce needed help standing, Oz and Willow were very woozy, and Xander had banged his head. He leaned on Cordelia heavilily, and she kissed his cheek.
"What was that for?" he asked her. Cordelia smiled.
"I love you." she said quietly, and Xander looked at her.
"Really?" he asked.
"Really." she replied, kissing him lightely on the lips. Soon, everyone reached the docks and the boat stood waiting to carry them all back to San Francisco, then Sunnydale. Buffy hung back a little with Whistler.
"You were right." Buffy told him.
"I was?" Whistler asked. The Slayer nodded.
"It was that one thing that saved me." Buffy replied. "At the end, I was all alone phsyically. But my friends were there, backing me up. And there were...ghosts." she said. Whistler nodded.
"That thing, that was gonna save you," he began, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You're right. In the end, it's your ability to love and understand that got you through it. Not ability or weapons or even yourself. You can't do this alone." said Whistler. "No one can."
"I know." Buffy nodded. She looked once more at her friends. They were all she had. And all she needed. It was a stupid thing to run from that, but something she had to do. Buffy's mother looked up, squinted in the sunlight, and walked unsturdily to Buffy.
"Buffy...."
"Mom...." they said at the same time. Both smiled.
"Mom, I'm not going home." Buffy said. "There are things I need to figure out....it's just not right yet."
"I understand." Joyce replied, sad and happy at the same time. "When you're ready, come home. You know that I love you, right?"
"I know, mom." Buffy said, hugging her. "I never really doubted it." Joyce pulled back and rubbed the tips of her fingers under her eyes, wiping way traces of tears.
"I'm glad you know that. Buffy, when you come home, things will be different..."Joyce began, but Buffy silenced her mother by holding out her hand. Joyce extened her own, and Buffy dropped something into it.
"Here." Buffy said. Joyce opened her palm. A small, delicate ring glinted in the sunlight.
"What is it?" Joyce breathed.
"It's a Claudigh." Buffy replied. "Wear it like this." she said, slipping it on her mom's hand. "It means you belong to somebody. The crown represents loalty, the hands represent friendship....You know, it doens't matter. Just hold this for me. I have some stuff to do, but when I come back, you can return it." Buffy said. "It's special, a bond of love. Keep it safe for me." she whispered in her mom's ear. Joyce nodded, fighting tears, and Buffy hugged her.
"I love you." the Slayer whispered. Joyce retreated, still wobbilily, and Xander approached Buffy.
"Things okay between you and your mom?" he asked. Buffy nodded.
"So, you'll be back soon, right?" Xander wanted to know.
"Yes. I have to do some things, but..."
"Hey, it's okay. I understand." he coughed. "Keep your chin up, and don't ever stop being Buff, okay?"
"I promise." Buffy said, laughing a little. She sniffed, and walked over to Willow. "Hey Will." she said by way of greeting.
"Oh, Buffy, hi." Willow said. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too, Will." The two girls hugged, and Buffy said her goodbyes to Oz and Cordelia. Then, her friends piled into the tourist boat, waving until the blue waves carried them out of sight.
"Well, looks like it's just you and me."
Buffy turned, grinning to the voice from the shadows.
"Thought you were dead!" Buffy exclaimed as she walked forward, smiling at Spike.
"Yeah, well, I'm wacky that way." he smiled.
"Are...are you gonna stick with me?" she asked, feeling more and more like her old self.
"Yeah." he decided. "There are still some loose ends...."
"Namely Drusilla." Buffy supplied.
"Yes, Dru. Well," Spike sighed, "you win some, you loose some. And I never really had her." Buffy smiled softly at that.
"Where to now?" she asked him.
Spike glanced out from the shadows at the blue sky and the seagulls soaring though the air.
"Wherever the wind takes us, I think." he replied.
"Sounds like a plan." Buffy Summers agreed.
Fin
Send feedback to Nos4a2