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enigmatist17 · 6 months

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Weight of the World

Part 1 (sorta kinda)

2 3 4 5

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Spike hadn't left since that night.

Well, that wasn't entirely accurate, he sometimes would leave Sunnydale to do...whatever it was he did.

But he always came back to a house he was slowly starting to call home.

Dawn found she couldn't sleep unless she heard the distant sounds of Passions downstairs in the living room, the clink of his lighter being flicked on and off better than any music she used to sleep sometimes. Breakfast was always waiting for her before she left for school, a task that was still hard some days, sometimes finding a small ring or cheat sheet for an exam in her bag on those days. She would never know how he knew when it was one of those days, but the tears she would dab away would be her knowledge and hers alone.

Something would tug at Buffy's heart whenever she didn't see his duster slung over the banister after a long day. Usually, he would be asleep in said coat, long limbs sprawled out over the couch as he slept under it, and other times passed out in the basement that was slowly being converted into an apartment of sorts.

The crypt had been abandoned shortly after Buffy had asked him to stay with her and Dawn, and the Slayer wondered why she hadn't found an issue with his living situation before the world turned upside down.

The best nights were sparse at first.

Buffy, Dawn, and Spike had been watching some movie, laughter, and giggles filling the air as popcorn was fought over and commentary about how the actors were phoning performances in leading late into the night. Dawn fell asleep first, using Spike's lap as a pillow after pulling his duster over her like a blanket. One hand gently runs through her hair while he and Buffy watch another movie, the Slayer slowly curling under his other arm and resting her head on his chest. It's strange not to hear a heartbeat, chest rising and falling on instinct rather than to fill long useless lungs, but it's also comforting in a way she'd never felt with Riley. Spike knows when she's finally fallen asleep, and for a moment drinks in the sight before tucking it carefully in the back of his mind for when this would inevitably end, as things often did with his luck.

A dam had broken after that, Spike sometimes lounging on the cough with Dawn until she fell asleep from homework or general exhaustion, the vampire looking at her with doting eyes he'd never shared with anyone aside from his mother. Other times, he and Buffy would be in her room, sometimes enjoying the peace after patrol and others going through albums and poking fun until she grew exhausted. The first time he'd gotten up to leave, but stilled when he heard Buffy pat the spot beside her with a small smile, the implication hanging between them until he slowly sat on the bed. He'd held her close that night, his dead heart aching with something he couldn't understand as he played with her golden hair, wondering when the hell a Slayer had made him feel...human.

----

The moments were stolen too soon.

Glory couldn't wait forever, and struck all at once. Dawn being snatched from them tore his heart from his chest, the vampire having to push the unfamiliar feeling of the mixture of raw fear and fury down and away as they scrambled for what to do. Willow surprisingly breaks up the chaos, the witch standing tall as she comes up with a plan that, admittedly, is better than his urge to go and fight his chip to kill whoever stood in their way. The relief when Buffy is drawn out from her mind nearly sends most of the Scoobies to the floor in relief, knowing that the only reason they don't is because the fight ahead still looms, and they all linger in the Magic Box for a few precious hours before they begin. Revello Dr. is quiet when he and Buffy return to gather weapons, the both of them silent as he heads for the living room and she upstairs.

"Spike..." The rummaging stops as he glances over, Buffy looking at him from the bottom step. "We won't all make it."

"Yea," Grabbing the closest axe he quickly moves so he can properly see her, and for the first time can see how tired she is. "Hey, I always know I'd go down fightin'."

"I'm counting on you...to protect her." It's a whisper that holds more weight than either of them can bear, yet their gaze is unshakeable.

"Till the end of the world. Even if that happens to be tonight." The world is silent as they hold each other's gaze before Buffy turns and begins to head upstairs.

"Buffy..." His words get lodged in his throat as she turns, wanting desperately to spill everything he feels. "I know that I'm a monster, but you've always treated me like a man...and it's all I could ever want."

"I..." His heart aches at the look she gives him, and for the unlife of him he doesn't know what it is. Is it love? Is it pity? When he'd been human he might have known, might have been able to make sense of something that the demon he was couldn't comprehend, might have been able to place with a song in his heart. He doesn't realize she's come down the stairs until gentle hands take hold of his head, those brilliant eyes of hers looking into his with that look.

"I-When we make it through this, I want to try." Her voice quivers as one thumb gently rests on his lips. "I can't promise anything, but I see you trying, and it's enough for me."

His heart aches fiercely now, and Spike knows what he needs to do now after they fight and win.

"I'll hold you to that pet." He kisses her thumb before stepping back, feeling so cold now. "Go, I'll wait." Buffy holds his gaze for a moment longer before her shoulders slump, the Slayer coming forth to do whatever is necessary to kill the big baddie and save the world.

----

Everything ached from the battle raging below, but Spike's only thought was Dawn, his vampiric speed all but phasing him from sight as he climbed. The doc was there waiting, knife glinting when he turned to face Spike the moment he got to the platform at Dawn's cry.

"Doesn't a fella stay dead when you kill him?" It takes everything not to pull forth his demon face as he stares down the other, hackles raised as he slowly approaches the two.

"Look who's talking." The ponce is smirking, and Spike snarls as she shifts his stance.

"C'mon Doc, let's you and me 'ave a go." Murder drips from every word as the other looks down at his knife before looking up, the smile raising Spike's hair on the back of his neck.

"I...do have a prior appointment." Eyes flicker towards Dawn, and Spike knows it's time.

"This won't take long."

"No. I don't imagine it will." Spike knows he fucks up when he moves to strike, the man flickering between the blink of an eye to end up behind the vampire, sticking the blade right in with a fierce jab. An uppercut sends the demon stumbling back just enough for Spike to surge for Dawn, the knife making him groan as he yanks it out and drops it, now squarely between Dawn and the danger right in front of her.

"You don't come near the girl, Doc." He can see the other demon pause in surprise, eyes looking over him like one would observe a fine cut of meat.

"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you," He hums, clearly curious by the behavior before him. "Why do you even care?"

"I made a promise to a lady, an' I'd never let some soddin' freak harm my little girl." Spike and the demon now speak as one, clearly ready to tear the other apart. He's able to dodge the tongue strike, but wasn't fast enough to avoid having his legs kicked out from underneath, the other demon easily grabbed Spike into a headlock and spun him so he was facing Dawn.

"Oh? Well, I'll send the lady your regrets."

Dawn looks at him with terror for the moment time seems to slow, and Spike wants to scream.

"No." The gasp is all he manages before he's suddenly falling towards the earth, the ground meeting him with a sickening set of cracks. It burns when the ground starts to rumble what feels like hours later, and he has to move to avoid a large crack that appears as whatever is happening above starts. Every shattered bone in his body protests as he gets up to his feet, trying hard to see what's happening in the strange portal above before suddenly...it stops. The air stills, the rumbles cease, and the world seems to let out a sigh of peace as the dust settles.

Willow is the first to start screaming.

The noise is only one of pain as Spike limps towards the small familiar crowd forming around something, and when he turns a corner, he sees.

His leg gives out a few feet away, but it doesn't matter as he just stares, those beautiful eyes closed as if she were merely asleep. Tears begin to burn his cheeks as he cradles his head in his hands, letting out his own animalistic wail as he grieves for his Slayer. The noise rattles in the bones of the Scoobies nearby, any vampires or demons nearby squirreling for cover as a vampire in agony was a greater danger than one who was not, and he keeps making it until someone carefully hugs him close.

"It'll be okay." Dawn's voice was hoarse as she held him close, no one saying a word before Giles finally found his voice.

"Xander...find a car, we need to get everyone - well - most everyone to the hospital." The contractor nodded and moved for the exit, carrying Anya despite her soft protests, regarding Spike with sheer concern. "Spike..."

"I'll take him," Tara speaks up, kissing Willow's cheek. "G-Go, keep Dawn safe for me okay?" The witch is too shellshocked to do more than nod, the couple carefully picking their way across the floor towards the remaining Summers', who looked distraught at leaving the man in her arms. "It'll be okay."

"b-But he fell, a-and his bones are broken, and we don't have any blood left." She whimpers, jumping a little when Spike squeezes her knee.

"Go pet, I'll be right as rain." They all know it's a lie, and he's able to hold himself vaguely upright just long enough for Willow and Dawn to head out of sight before turning his head and coughing, the floor stained with blood as he does so.

"Take him to Willy's, he knows." It was all Giles said at the wordless look, and only years of enduring pain prevented the vampire from crying out as he was helped back onto his feet. For all the horror in the world at the moment, the demon bar was not far, the patrons long cleared out from his wail save the bartender, who only looked at the duo sadly.

"Back room, I've got it stocked." Tara is grateful when the man rounds the bar, taking up the slack of Spike's increasing body weight as he sags from the pain.

He passes out the moment he's hauled up and onto an awaiting bed, grateful that the Powers That Be gave him some solace.

#spuffy #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy summers #spike #spike btvs #dawn summers #rupert giles #tara maclay #willow rosenberg #I am literally climbing up the wall #season 5 #absolutely crawling up the wall #I will change things so they're better #because fuck season 6 for the most part tbh

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