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Disclaimer: None of the characters relating to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" belong to me or Swirly Head. They belong to Joss, Fox, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and probably a bunch of other people. But c'mon... how could you sue somebody with a cute name like Swirly Head, you heartless dogs...

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*****
Lucille felt a strong urge to run after the girl, but the shackles stopped her. She strained with all her might, but she was old and the bonds were magick.

�Stupid, stupid�the old must die before the next is called��

Suddenly the shackles dropped to the floor. Lucille moaned.

< He isn�t concentrating on me anymore. Something else has got his full attention�the Slayers. >

She ran on unreliable legs, hoping that she wouldn�t be too late.

*****

Spike saw Buffy fall victim to Darius� claws, and leapt on to the dragon�s head. It roared in anger as his hit it repeatedly, then easily shook him off. He glanced at Buffy.

�Is it�supposed�to...go as well as�this?�

She looked puzzled. �I don�t feel�any stronger. And there�s no connection.�

They both leapt to their feet and Giles waved for their attention. While Buffy dodged Darius, Giles threw Spike two swords.

�Where the hell did they come from?�

Giles indicated the bag. �I came�er...prepared.�

Spike looked at the man appreciatively. �Thanks. Hey, Slayer��

She caught the sword and in one graceful move sliced one of the dragon�s toes off. This time the roar was one of pain, and he flew high into the air. All was silent. The Slayers unknowingly moved closer to one another. Buffy felt faint, her leg still hurt and the sword was heavy. Spike had stopped bleeding but was swaying ever so slightly on his feet. When he felt her eyes on him, he continued to look skywards.

�We�we�re going to die, aren�t we?�

�I wanted to dance with you again. One last time.�

�Shall we?�

Spike looked at Buffy, eyebrows raised. Then the familiar grin crossed his face.

�I�d love too.�

And they faced each other, squaring off. Darius swooped down low, but they ducked. Concentrated solely on each other. He wondered what they were doing. And stayed to watch.

*****

Jameson was paralysed. The Slayers were fighting magnificently. Passionate blows, great swordmanship, full of grace and beauty. However, they were fighting each other.

He hurried across the ground and called out.

�Spike! Slayer! Stop!�

Then another voice joined with his.

�Buffy! Wait! Stop!�

A voice, cracked and distorted with age that he would always know anywhere.

�Lucille?�

�Jameson?�

The old woman turned to face the older vampire. He didn�t wear his human ace, not anymore. The five friends of the Slayer didn�t know which pair to watch. Their duelling companions or the older couple.

He looked into her eyes. The only thing that hadn�t changed.

She sighed. �You know�what we have to do?�

He held her hands. �I know.�

One crystalline tear rolled down her lined face. �I shouldn�t be so�scared. I�m old. I should heave died when I was 24. Before all this��

�I�m glad we lived through it all. Or I would never have met you.�

The tears flowed fast and free. Jameson turned to the five onlookers.

�Please. May I have a stake?�

The oldest man looked uncertain, but the younger one quickly obliged. Jameson caught it. He pulled Lucille close to him, and gave her the stake. She pressed it against his chest. With one last look at the new Slayers, he tilted her head back. Sank his fangs into her neck.

It hurt. Those two sharp teeth cutting into her flesh and through the vein. Lucille felt her own hot blood pumping out, away from her. With her dying breath she whispered to Jameson.

�Good�bye. It wasn�t such�a bad thing��

He turned to ash, and she slumped to the floor. The Scoobies crowded round the bodies, before they heard Buffy gasp and Spike growl.
*****

�We�we�re going to die, aren�t we?�

�I wanted to dance with you. One last time.�

�Shall we?�

He looked at her, surprised. Then the familiar wicked grin crossed his face.

�I�d love to.�

Buffy and Spike circled one another. Her thoughts ran freely, and she moved on instinct alone.

< This is right. This feels right. >

Steel met steel as the swords moved in a blur. She jumped and arched her body like a cat, and he followed suit. It was a deadly dance, full of grace and evil. Men and women had done this since the beginning of time, though none so well. He invited and she accepted, bringing her sword to his neck. He trust and parried, moving her back. She leapt over his head and caught him from behind. Again the steel met, and they pushed against one another. Then the swords dropped to the floor.

Buffy felt an enormous power flow through her veins. She felt more alive than ever before.

Spike felt like he�d drunk from a Slayer. It was almost like breathing�pure exhilaration.

Darius moved forward with sinuous style. He spoke again with slurred words.

�Nowssss�youssss�fight messss, yessssss? Dragon Ssssslayersss?�

The Slayers slowly bent to retrieve their weapons. And moved in a blur of speed.

Connection.

< william�love and blood and poetry�fine thing to be love�s bitch�slayer�god�I�ll kill the slayer�.love the slayer�love the kill�love the dance�the dance is everything�no-one else can compete�no-one accepts me�I�m lonely�so lonely>

< buffy�love and death and feelings�sad�angry�hurt and betrayed�no-one cares�no-one stays�they all leave�they all do�.spike�s the only one who stayed�I want my family�my real family�I�m lonely�so lonely>

And then they knew that they�d never be alone anymore.

She grabbed his hand. He looked at the dragon. They took a step back, balanced the swords, and did a back flip.

Darius� eyes widened.

Their feet kicked out, slammed through the hard wall of his skin, into his chest.

The flashing swords cut into his wings, punctured them, made him less than whole. He was a lesser being.

Blood filled the dragon�s lungs and he couldn�t breathe. The Dragon Slayers landed on their feet. Spike held on to Buffy�s hand for a moment longer then was necessary, and then she let it go. Darius� body hit the floor.

�Wow.�

�Shut up, Xander.�

*****

Buffy towelled her hair dry and sat down on the bed.

< Soft. Warm. Clean. Dry. All good things. >

After slaying Darius, the entire gang had trooped to Giles� house, where Spike and Buffy had related their story in full. Well, not quite in full. By silent agreement they had left out the argument about Riley, and the most painful bit. The bit where they had to leave. Buffy had tried to say something, but she just couldn�t do it. Giles� eyes had shone with proud tears as he looked at her�the others had congratulated her on the achievement�and her mom had just looked happy to see her alive. There had been one odd thing about the whole conversation. For some reason, the other guys had thought that she and Spike were...together. She quickly set them right on that one, and had later found out that Dawn was responsible.

Dawn.

She was supposed to protect Dawn from Glory. And if she had to leave, well, that just couldn�t be done. A new destiny. Dawn wasn�t her concern anymore, although in a way she�d always be her concern�still, a new Slayer had been called. Maybe Giles� could arrange for her to come and work in Sunnydale. He could be her Watcher�

A small sob escaped her throat as the door opened. She drew her bathrobe tighter and composed herself.

�Dawn? What is it��

�It�s not Dawn, Slay...Buffy.�

�Oh. It�s you.�

�Don�t sound so happy.�

�This isn�t a time to be happy. It�s a time to be very, very sad.�

�Don�t exaggerate.�

�I�m not. I already thought I was giving up a lot being the Vampire Slayer�now it looks like I have to give up even more.�

�But think about what you�ve gained.�

�A sidekick with a bad attitude and worse hair?�

�I am not your sidekick. We�re equals now.�

�And that really cheers me up.�

�Stop being so damn�wallowing!�

�What?�

�Wallowing in misery! Anyone would think you liked being unhappy!�

�Not only do I never get to see my friends again, I have to spend the rest of me life with you? Oh yeah, that is so a reason to be happy.�

�I�m happy.�

�You did not just say that.�

�Yes. I did, didn�t I? I feel so much bloody better�Slay...Buffy, we made a connection! You felt it, you must have done!�

�We�re both�lonely.�

�And we won�t be anymore�we�ll always have someone.�

�Everyone leaves me...I�m like a disease��

�I won�t leave you�I can�t. We�re two of a kind. Unique.�

Buffy and Spike stood a foot or so apart. Spike could hear her heartbeat, and closed his eyes to listen. Buffy laughed, breaking the silence.

�What are you doing?�

�listening to your heartbeat so I know when you�ve calmed down.�

�You can hear my heart all the way over there?�

�I�m right in front of you, Buffy. Or didn�t you notice?�

She looked at him then. Really looked. Same clothes he�d worn that first night they�d met, when she was just a young girl. Just the Slayer. Same hairstyle, and still arrogant, still self assured. Something else had changed. He seemed more real. More human, and someone who meant something too her.

His handsome face < Handsome? Did I really only just notice that? > changed then into vampiric visage. < Now that�s just gross. >

�Boo. Hello? Slayer...I mean, Buffy, wake up��

Buffy blinked.

�What�s this sudden effort to call me Buffy?�

�Well I thought seeing as how we�re both Slayers, it could get confusing..�

�Should I call you William?�

�I hate that name�stick with Spike for now, pet.�

�I don�t mind if you still call me Slayer sometimes��

He put his hand on her arm.

�This is real. Isn�t it.�

She nodded, and he spoke again.

�You have to tell them. We have to leave.�

�I know...it�s hard.�

�It�s always been hard. Maybe now it can start to get easier.�

�Now we aren�t alone anymore?�

�Yes.�

*****

A young woman and man stood by the door to a blacked out car. It is night-time, and the soft moon highlights the tears on the girl�s face. They are encircled by a group of people. All seem to be taking it in turns to step forward and say their goodbyes, much to the girl�s distress. The young man simply looks uncomfortable.

Another blonde girl steps forward. �I�I didn�t know you for very long at all�but I see you. You�re a good person, and this is�sad. So I want you to have this��

She passes over a necklace. It�s a simple silver chain, with a ring on the bottom.

�It means eternity. It�s been blessed..�

�It�s beautiful. Thanks.�

They hesitantly hug, and the next steps forward. This girl is awkward, and doesn�t know what to say. �Thankyou for�well, I suppose being Xander�s friend. Otherwise, he would be dead, and I would never have met him.�

The petite blonde manages a smile. �Thanks�I think.�

There is a pause as the black haired youth walks to towards her. Then they embrace tightly. He speaks into her hair, tears starting at the corners of his eyes. �God Buff. I�m gonna miss you�don�t ever change, okay? Not your hairstyle or anything�because I want my memory to be real�like you�ll always be here. I love you��

The girl sobs. �I won�t. I won�t�I love you too�this isn�t happening��

�It is.� He reluctantly releases her, and turns to the silent peroxide punk. �Look after her, okay? And Buffy�.don�t let him anywhere near your plumbing.�

She manages a small laugh, which quickly disappears as the red-head breaks down into tears beside her.

�Buffy��

�Oh Will��

They hug each other tightly, and don�t say anything. Finally the taller girl draws back. �You�re my best friend. You�ll always be my best friend�whatever happens, and is happening now, even if Mr Gordo starts flying�� They both break into sobs again, then say goodbye and let go. Then the red head thrusts something into the blonde�s hand. �Here�it�s from me and Xander��

It�s a picture taken when the three were all around seventeen. They�re smiling at the camera, laughing together. They�re happy. It shows in sharp contrast to the faces we see today.

Three others are left. The first, a young girl with brown hair simply hugs her sister very tightly, and the older woman joins her. The mother kisses her oldest daughter gently, on the forehead. �I always thought�everyday I worried that you wouldn�t come home�and now you�re leaving��

�Mom��

The family embrace again tightly, and fall back. There is one left. He stands in front of the girl he has seen change from a carefree teenager to a young woman. �Buffy�.I can�t tell you how proud I am��
�Giles��

He pulls her close to him and she cries for a moment, then he holds her by the shoulders.

�I know one day we�ll all see each other again. This isn�t goodbye.�

She nods dumbly, and a loving smile forms on his lips.

�Go.�

And she climbs into the blacked out DeSoto with the silent young man. And the older man�s smile cracks as tears run down his face. And everyone is silent as they watch the car drive away.

*****

Music is playing inside the DeSoto. The two sit in silence.

I know your throat is raw from screamin
I know your eyes are sore from cryin
I know your people are absent from your life
I know you're pulling us down
I know you're screamin and your heart is breakin
And I know your need to be heard

She tried to stop crying, and it hurt her head.

And your night time company is to argue with a friend like me
And it's just as you need it to be
It needs to be

He looked at her. Broken and upset. Wondered what he should do.

Fingers get weary from blamin
And your friends are all leary of savin you
Searchin for some handle to hang on
Or just a warmer wind
I know you're unhappy and you feel like dyin
And I know your need to be heard

�Spike?�

�What?�

And your night time company is to bully a friend like me
And that's just as you need it to be
It needs to be

�You�re�you�re car stinks.�

�What!�

�Of smoke�it�s gross.�

And though he detected a faint waver in the voice and the eyes were still red-rimmed, things were starting to get better.

This was just how it needed to be.

And your night time company is to argue with a friend like me
And that's just as you need it to be
It needs to be

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