REPLAY



Author: Heather Martin (SinisterChic)

Rating: PG13

Spoilers: Season 6, Season 7, Angel season 5

Summary: S/B, Learning of Spike’s resurrection Dawn and she venture to LA in search of him. But they are too late. . . Or are they? Is there a way to fix things before they began to get dark?

Archive: Just let me know where







Chapter 20- As You Are



Munching on some corn chips, Xander kept his eyes glued to the dance floor. “Look at them. So . . . steamy. It makes my skin crawl.”



The sound of music boomed through the club. Lots of young couples danced away to it. There was one couple that stood out amongst them, that of a pair of blondes. They gyrated to the heavy beat, oblivious to everything else around them.



A sound of irritation came from Anya. She reached over and snatched the snack bag away from her fiancé. “Can you take your attention away from Spike and Buffy, and put your focus on more important matters? Like the wedding. We only have a miniscule amount of time left before the big day. The seating is way off. It has to be fixed.”



Xander tore his gaze away from the writhing bodies. “Sorry. I can’t help it. I can’t believe she’d voluntarily touch the bleached undead. All those times I told him he didn’t have a chance. Every time I see them together I want to pull them apart and knock some sense into her.” He gestured to his best friend and the vampire. “Why him? I know one of these days he’s going to turn on us.”



“Oh, quit!” Anya shook her head. She dug into the Doritos bag. “Have you ever seen Buffy so happy?”



“No, and that’s my point. When he does pull an Angelus on her, the loss it going to tear her to pieces.”



“That’s her business, Xander. Not yours. She needs to make her own decisions. Now, where should we put your uncle?”



He sighed. “It isn’t the table settings; it’s the arrangements that need to be redone. We can’t have my family so close to your friends.”



“Well we can’t put up a brick wall to separate them.” She paused. “Can we?”



Xander took the sack of chips back. “I think I love that plan. Why did we ever invite ‘everyone’? I’d be perfectly happy with just the gang.”



“The invitations have already been sent out.”



“I know that . . . I’m just saying . . .”



“Stop eating! You eat when you’re nervous.”



“So do you,” he pointed out.



Anya pouted, aware that he was right. After a moment she gave in and stole a chip. They both wallowed in wedding woes, pigging out on fattening junk food.



+ + +



Dawn was having a blast. Everyone she loved was all together at the Bronze. Well, except Tara. She went over to Willow and handed her a soda.



“How are Mr. and Mrs. High Strung?” Willow questioned.



“I’m betting they explode,” Dawn said. She took a sip of her drink.



“You know, when I was little, I used to spend hours imagining what my wedding to Xander would be like. Now I look at them . . . I just think . . . Nee-hee-hee!”



Dawn giggled at that. “You seem chipper.”



“Can’t hide it.” Willow grinned.



“Is it because of Tara?”



“Partly.”



“You gonna call her and invite her over?”



“Not yet. But if I did she wouldn’t hang up.”



“That’s progress.”



“Hence the happy.”



All of a sudden hands reached out and grabbed Dawn. She squealed in surprise. Willow rescued the girl’s drink before it spilled all over.



“Come on, bit. Get your groove on with us,” Spike demanded. He dragged the teen off with him. “You too, Willow.”



Willow set the drinks down and joined them. Dawn and her spun around together with the music.



+ + +



She smiled as she recognized the title. “That one’s a good one,” she said while scanning the movie through.



The girl’s eyes lit up, clearly glad she chose well. “Really?”



“Definitely one of my favorites. I’m normally an action gal, but this one is great. Sure it is a chick flick, but there is also sword fights and stuff.”



“Cool.”



The customer paid. Buffy handed the girl The Princess Bride. “Thanks and enjoy.”



Buffy turned toward the returned videos, prepared to put them away. She sensed someone approach the counter.



“H-“ She met the person’s eyes. “-Hi!”



She gaped up at Riley Finn. The first thing she noticed was the scar across his left eye. She wondered again how it happened. He was dressed all in black, complete with a bulletproof vest. She didn’t know what she felt at that moment. What was the date? How could it have slipped her mind that today was the day her ex came back to town?



“Hey,” Riley said in greeting. His voice was anything but glad, his expression grim.



“H-hey,” she stammered.



“Sorry to drop in on you, Buffy.”



She got her brain to work a little. “That’s okay.”



“Look, this isn't the way I wanted it. But something's come up, something big. We don't have much time. You understand?”



“Uh, I think so.”



God he was tall. He hovered over her, making her feel dwarf size. Spike never made her feel that way. Oh, God, Spike! How would he react to Riley Finn showing up? You know exactly how, Buffy. He’s going to gloat and throw your relationship in his face. Oh well. Let him.



“You’re working. I should have anticipated this.”



“I can’t just leave,” Buffy said. She was the only one there at the moment. It was a Tuesday, one of the video rental store’s slowest days. She glanced at the clock. 7:46.



“Of course.”



“But-But I close up at eight tonight. I can leave then.”



He nodded. “I’ll wait outside then.”



“O-kay.”



She watched him retreat out the door. She let out a sigh of relief. At least she didn’t have a cow on her head. She glanced down at her gray shirt and jeans. Why did she pick the gray t-shirt? She ran her fingers through her long locks.



The remaining fourteen minutes seemed to last forever. No one else entered the store that night, which she was thankful for. She locked up on record time. She grabbed her coat, fingering the stake within her pocket. She met up with Riley outside the door.



“So, what’s the what?”



“Suvolte demon. Rare, lethal ... nearly extinct, but not nearly enough.” He took out a device. It beeped, obviously telling Riley some kind of useful information. Buffy couldn’t decipher how or what. “It's close.”



Buffy cracked a smile. “You’re like James Bond. It’s so cute.”



Was she flirting? Stop, Buffy, stop. He’s married. And remember Spike.



He put the strange gadget away. “We've been tear-assing through every jungle from Paraguay up, taking out nests. As soon as we put one Suvolte down, a dozen take its place. They're breeders, Buffy. One turns into ten, ten becomes a hundred. This gets out of hand and there's a war with humans? Humans are gonna lose.”



She simply nodded, leaving the tribble comment out of it.



“We should drive,” Riley commented. “It’d be faster.”



They loaded up in the black vehicle. Buffy ran her hand over the SUV’s leather upholstery.



“Nice wheels.”



For the first time Riley smiled. “Came with the car.”



She smiled back.



“I take it you know where we’re going.”



“Got an idea. The tag's on-line. We'll find it,” he said. He watched the road. “Listen, if we ever get a minute I’ve got some stories to tell you.”



She shifted in her seat. “I’ve got some stuff to tell you too. Some you wouldn’t believe.” The last part was in a whisper.



Riley reached behind the seat. He handed her some clothing.



“Here. This is black ops.”



She eyed the questionable attire. “Ninja wear?”



“Battle gear. Lightweight Kevlar, state of the art.”



Buffy remembered the outfit being itchy. She didn’t want to argue with Riley, though, so she complied anyway.



“Don’t look,” she warned.



“Perfect gentleman.”



They were silent awhile. Buffy changed as quickly as possible.



“You know, there's not many people I'd ask to risk their life for me, Buffy. It's really good to see you.”



“Thanks. It’s good to see you as well.”



Miraculously it was. It was easier this time around. She knew what to expect. And the fact that she had her own honey waiting for her didn’t hurt.



The car screeched to a halt. They got out and made their way to the dam wall. When she held on to Riley as they slid down, she didn’t hold on so tight.



Riley detached the line from his belt when they hit the bottom. They ducked past a large pipe. A ways down was a ladder. Out of nowhere a demon jumped out. It tackled Riley from behind. He threw it off.



She had forgotten how vile the creature was. It slobbered and stunk. She attacked the thing, but was thrown aside. It went back at Riley. She got up and kicked at it until it fell off. It recovered quickly, hitting them both. They smashed into the stone wall. Then Riley got hit in the stomach. He grunted in pain.



“Riley!”





The slayer grabbed Riley and used him for leverage to lift both her feet. She smacked them into the demon. It fell to the ground.



A woman jumped down beside them. She straightened. Buffy took her in. She wore a battle gear outfit like Riley, and wow, she could pull it off. She glanced down at herself, feeling foolish in the suit.



“Hey there!” Sam called. “What exactly are you doing with my husband?”



Buffy took a step away from Riley. Nothing, absolutely nothing, her mind cried.



“Buffy, meet Sam. Sam, meet Buffy,” Riley said.



Sam smiled. She held out her hand. “Pleasure.”



“Demon,” Buffy said.



The demon had gotten up off the ground. It snarled at the triad.



Don’t kill it, she told herself.



Sam rushed at the demon. “Mine.”



Buffy watched the fight. “She’s good.”



“She’s a special one.”



Buffy remained silent.



“I meant to tell you,” he went on.



“I know.”



The demon hit Sam across the face. She went down. Riley grabbed a discarded taser. He aimed, but didn’t get a chance to fire. The gun went flying, and then him as well.



Screw not killing the demon! Slayers did what had to be done. She entered the fight. She grappled with the demon before getting the upper hand. She broke the Suvolte’s neck.



Buffy panted. “Sorry, guys. You might not have wanted me to kill it.”



Sam shook her head. “No, that’s okay. It was good you did. It would have got us all given the chance.”



+ + +



Buffy and Sam made their way through the cemetery. Their mission was to find the Suvolte nest by Riley’s request.



“Thanks for letting me tag along,” Sam said.



“No problem.”



“Maybe not for you. I gotta tell you, Buffy, I'm a little bit intimidated. I mean, patrolling with the real live Slayer, you're like ... Santa Claus, or Buddha, or something.”



What was she supposed to say to that?



“You’re legendary. And it's not just slayer status I'm talking about. It's you,” Sam continued.



“Riley talks about me?”



“He didn't say anything for a long time, but I could tell. He was ripped up inside.”



Buffy looked down at her feet. “I’m glad he has you.”



“More like miraculous. I went down to Central America with the Peace Corps. One night, my entire infirmary got slaughtered by...” Sam shook her head. “I didn't know what they were. I got saved, quit the Corps, joined the squad. My first firefight, I met Riley.We started talking, you know, first about tactics, missions, stuff like that. And then about you.”



“He thinks ... I let him go.”



“Do you wish you hadn’t?”



What a question. Buffy thought about that one. Really thought about it. She glanced at Sam, the perfect woman. Buffy realized something then. She could never be perfect. She didn’t want to be perfect. She didn’t want someone who wanted perfect. She wanted to be herself. She wanted someone who wanted her to be imperfect. Just Buffy, slayer, girl, and all.



“I just regret giving him pain.” A smile formed on Buffy’s lips. “But I don’t regret where we both are now. He’s moved on to something good. And so have I.”



“So, you seeing anyone new? Someone special?” Sam asked.



Warmth spread through Buffy. “Yeah. Someone special.”



They stopped walking.



“Good,” Sam told her. “I’m glad.”



Thoughts of Spike led Buffy to a realization. Spike was connected to the Sulvolte eggs. But he wouldn’t . . . Not after . . .



“Sam. You know what? Um, I think we should split up,” Buffy blurted.



“Oh, I'm slowing you down. I knew I would, this was just selfish of me,” Sam apologized.



“No! Nothing like that. There’s this guy. He might know where to find the nest.”



“Cool. I'm guessing Finn needs me about now.” She glanced around at the graves. “He's probably off somewhere gettin' his ass kicked. You know how wild he gets.” She backed away. “Don't worry about Rye and me, we're good.”



+ + +



Buffy paused outside Spike’s crypt. Her heart raced. She was scared to go in. She was scared of what she would find. She kept telling herself that Spike wouldn’t let her down this time. He couldn’t. She didn’t know what she would do if he did.



She opened the door and stepped in. She found Spike perched on the edge of his sarcophagus. He glanced up from his book. She took note that it was a compilation of poetry. Poetry?



Spike put the book aside. He smiled at her and hopped down. “Hello, luv. Wasn’t expecting you. Pleasant surprise and all.”



She came up to him. She met him with pleading eyes. “Tell me you love me.”



He cocked his head. “I love you. You know I do.”



“You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me?”



Worry crept across his gaze. “Is something bothering you?”



“I love you.” It came out in a choked sob.



He hushed her. His cold lips came down on her warm ones. She surrendered to the touch. She needed assurance that everything would be all right. Please, Spike, tell me it will be all right. You aren’t bad. I know you can be good for me.



Spike’s hand ventured to her breast. She broke away. He gave her a confused look.



“Not here.” She gathered her courage. She swallowed. “Let’s go. . . down to the bed.”



She saw a glimpse of hesitation and her heart sank. No, please no.



“You don’t mind, do you?”



Spike cupped her cheek. “Course not.” He took her hand. “Come on.”



He led her down to the lower level. She surveyed the bedroom. It was clean. Tears slipped from her eyes.



“Buffy?” Spike asked in concern.



She hugged him. She cried into his dark shirt. “Oh, God, Spike. I was so scared. But everything is all right.”



He held her to him, completely baffled. He didn’t ask her what it was all about. He simply told her it was okay.



She was so relieved, and so built up with emotion. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She knew she shouldn’t. They had demons to find. But she didn’t care. She began to remove his clothing.



+ + +



Afterward, Buffy and Spike cuddled together. Suddenly the trap door came open. Footsteps came down the ladder. Buffy immediately sat up with a gasp. She hugged the sheets to her naked body.



Spike rose as well. He glared at the soldier. “What are you doing here?”



Buffy shook. Spike put his arm around her, which helped a little.



Riley didn’t respond. He tried to keep his eyes averted.



“Must sting, huh? Me and your former? Must kill.”



“That’s not why I’m here,” Riley said. He lifted his gun and turned toward Spike. “Doctor.”



Buffy was so embarrassed. She reached for her clothes and started to dress.



“I thought we ran you out of town,” Spike told Riley. “Last time I saw you, if memory serves, you were getting the juice sucked out of you by some undead ladies of very questionable reputation. Be a good tin soldier and push off.”



Riley remained collected. “Where are they, Doctor?”



Spike furrowed his brow. “Why do you keep calling me that?” He got off the bed to put on his pants.



“Glad to be back in Sunnydale. The locals all speak English, and I know who to beat for information. It's all brought me here.”



Fastening his belt, Spike said, “You must have heard wrong.” He gestured to the bedroom. “Nothing is here as you can see.”



“Where are the eggs, Spike?”



“Eggs?”



Buffy came forward. “It can’t be Spike,” she insisted.



Riley punched Spike in the nose. Buffy stepped between the two.



“Riley, it isn’t Spike,” she repeated. “There isn’t anything here.”



“They must be somewhere else then,” Riley said.



“What are you lookin for anyway?” Spike asked. It was mostly directed at Buffy.



“Solvolte demon eggs,” Buffy said.



Spike’s eyes widened.



“You think I’d keep them here? You know me better than that.”



“I do. I know you. I just . . .”



Spike took her hand. “It’s all right, luv.”



The vampire looked at Riley. “I know where your Solvolte nest is.”



Riley pointed his gun. “Lead me to them, Doctor.”



Anger rose up in Spike. Buffy could feel it coming off of him in waves.



“You, git! I’m not the doctor. I was given the chance to keep the eggs for a friend, but I declined.” He squeezed Buffy’s palm. “Knew it’d hurt my lady. I’ll give you the eggs, but I’m not leading you to them. You’ll rush in there and blow the place to pieces. I owe my mate better than that.”



Riley’s eyes darkened. “It’s a demon, Buffy. That’s what they deserve.”



Buffy shook her head. She addressed her boyfriend. “I’ll go with you. We’ll collect the eggs together. I promise to leave your friend alone.”



Spike smiled. “Right then.”



“Buffy?” Riley protested.



The slayer’s resolve face was firm. “Meet me at the Magic Box.”



+ + +



It turned out to be a poker buddy of Spike’s. The bumpy-skinned demon apparently wasn’t having the best of luck at cards. He wasn’t happy about the violation of his home but didn’t fight them.



The eggs had been properly frozen this time. It was a cinch to gather them and hand them over.



+ + +



Buffy walked alone with Riley.



“So, where are you and Sam headed now?”



“Nepal.”



“Sounds fun.”



“I’ll send a postcard.”



They both stopped.



“Buffy-“



“Riley-“



She let him go first.



“I’m done here. I was supposed to take out the Doctor, but if you don’t want me to . . .”



“I’ll keep an eye on him. He’s mostly harmless.”



Riley nodded.



“So you and Spike are-“ Riley couldn’t finish the sentence.



“Yeah. But it’s more than that.” She took in a breath. “I love him.”



He blinked.



“Speechless, I gather.”



“I wish you luck,” he said. “I hope you never have to take him out.”



She froze, stunned. “Not the reaction I was anticipating.”



“I don’t like seeing you with that idiot.”



She smiled a little.



“But he makes you happy. You glow.”



“I do?” she asked, amazed.



“Not that you didn’t before. But-“



“I get it.” She paused. “So, we’re good.”



“I guess so.”



Buffy bid the happy couple farewell. She watched the helicopter depart into the night sky with satisfaction. She’d never have perfection like Riley and Sam, but she had what she wanted.



___________________________________________



That was long, you guys. Hope you liked.