Spike was almost asleep when Buffy poked him in the ribs. "Spike, are you awake?"

      "I am now," he mumbled "what is it this time?"

"I heard a noise downstairs. Go be manly & check it out for me."

"Don’t want to. Want to go to sleep."

She simply looked at him until he stifled a curse and got out of bed. Pulling on his shorts, he said, "When I come back here & tell you it was nothing, you owe me a backrub."

She just smiled and cuddled deeper into the bedclothes. "We’ll see."

He muttered to himself as he walked through the house, not forgetting the basement. "Bloody woman. Knows I need my sleep. Wakes me up to go check out a figment of her imagination. Probably just a mouse."

He walked back up the stairs & into their room.

"See, I told you. Noth—"

"Hello, Spike. Miss Edith told me that you were playing house with pretty dolls. This is a pretty one. She didn’t want to play with me." She cradled an unconscious Buffy in her arms, fangs perilously close to her neck.

"Dru. What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Pretty little dolly thought I was her Mum. I gave her violets and nougat for her tea. Then she was naughty so I had to punish her. North Wind told me how to keep it a secret. Why didn’t you come for me, Spike? The man in the moon said you would, but the dark roses sang me to sleep at night. Many, many songs, full of blood and lies. Too many stars to play with, they all started fighting duels with each other."

"Put her down, pet. We’ll go away together, somewhere nice and warm. Won’t that be nice?"

"What’s that, Miss Edith? I think you’re right. My lovely Spike smells all cozy now. Daisies and violets around her head, but she will not have them for her tea. Lovely warm blood, Spike." She ran her tongue from Buffy’s collarbone to the hollow just behind her ear. "It’s all here for you. Take up your dark ways again. We’ll dance together in the moonlight and gather up all the moonbeams to make boats for the fairies."

"Of course, ducks. I’ve just been waiting for you. Passing the time is all."

She laughed then. "We don’t think so. We think you’re telling lies to us. I can smell her on you. I can smell you on her." Her face changed back to human form. "You don’t want me anymore. I think I shall be very cross with you in a minute." She took Buffy’s head between her hands. The sharp CRACK of her neck breaking drove Spike to his knees with grief.

She stood in front of him. "Yes, I shall be very cross with you. I must go now. The moon calls to me in my head. All the trees are going to the ball and I shan’t be late."

As she walked down the hallway, she pushed Dawn’s door open. Through his tears, he saw Dawn lying on her bed. Blood spattered the wall behind her and dripped off the comforter to the floor. He stumbled over to his duster and pulled out a stake. He climbed onto the bed and took Buffy in his arms. Stroking her hair back from her face, he settled her onto his shoulder. He kissed her one last time and then drove the stake into his heart.

Wine-dark tears dripped from Dru’s eyes as she stood on the lawn. "Goodbye my love. I’m not cross with you anymore."

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