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“Giles?” Buffy’s voice called from behind Giles’ shoulders.
The man turned. Although that wasn’t the real Buffy, but just part
of a complex spell, it was hard for him, to remember that.
They had been in that gallery for hours; each of them had a
powerful flashlight, and plenty of stakes. He had been walking
lightly ahead of the others but he slowed his pace and she was
immediately next to him, so close to him that her shoulder brushed
against his forearm.
“Yes, Buffy?” he said, feeling more tired than he had ever felt in
his life.
“Are you all right?” the Slayer asked, grazing the back of his
hand with a finger.
Giles shook his head no and said, “It’s hard to remember it is a
spell…and…”
“That I’m just part of your worst nightmare?” she finished in a
low voice.
“Your death is my worst nightmare, Buffy…not you…”
“I’m not dead…I’m here next to you, now…why don’t you talk to me?”
“Because….”
“Because I’m not real?” she asked.
Giles slowly nodded at her words. “I’m sorry….”
“Do you really love her? The real Buffy, I mean…”
“With everything I am…”
“Does she love you back?”
“I don’t know….”
“We always feel the truth deep within ourselves …and since I’m a
part of you…I’d say that she loves you back…”
“I wish it were true…”
“I’ll tell you what …You’ll ask her when you come back and then
you’ll tell me the answer in your dreams…”
Giles stopped and looked at her smiling face. Even if she wasn’t
the real Buffy, she had the same power on him…she gave him hope,
his hand sought hers, their fingers intertwined. Buffy shrugged
and said, “We’d better hurry, Giles…I want to tell you ‘I told you
so’ as soon as possible”
Giles shook his head and chuckled. Buffy Summers was even in his
dreams, the most exasperating, impossible, incorrigible woman he
had ever met.
He wouldn’t want her any other way.
~~*~~*~~*~~
There was too much light, too much silence in that gallery.
They all felt they were almost at the end of the road. They knew
they were close and that silence didn’t hold anything good.
Smell of death and decay hit their nostrils. The evilness of that
place was almost palpable like a thick veil.
“Are they ever going to show up?” Buffy asked suddenly. Goosebumps
had covered her arms and face.
“Don’t be too impatient, Slayer….they’ll show up…they’re just
waiting for the right moment…”
“How do you know about all this?” Spike asked.
“Research, William…if you hadn’t rushed down here and you had read
better the information on the floppy we sent you, you would have
known…. ”
“Gee…you almost sounded like Giles…” Buffy remarked.
Eric ignored her and said, “They need your blood William…yours and
the Slayer’s…”
“Why didn’t they take us during the first battle?” Buffy asked.
“Because it was still soon, don’t you remember, ducks? We weren’t
ready for them…we had to be weaker….both physically and
emotionally….that’s why they took Red and Giles… ”
“They probably hadn’t realized that your love for them has given
you strength…by the way, when did you fall in love with the
witch?” Eric asked.
Spike snorted and said, “Mind your own business, Eric…”
“That’s my business, William…you know the rules…”
“Bugger the rules, Eric! You can’t decide whom I fall in love
with…I've given up my *life* for the Eletti…I’m probably going to
get dusted to stop the end of the world…but I’m not going to let a
bunch of old tossers like you to interfere with this!”
“You really love her…” Buffy said.
“Are you surprised?” both Spike and Eric asked in unison.
“After the last three days? You’ve got to be kidding me…” she
mumbled.
Eric chuckled, then turning toward Spike said, “William…I’m not
going to interfere…I’m the only old tosser who know about this…but
be careful…just because you’ve got a soul it doesn’t mean she’s
safe…”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Spike said, looking at Eric, the
other vampire was about to say something when Buffy interrupted
him saying, “Rewind…*soul*? What are you talking about?”
"You didn't tell her?" Eric asked looking at Spike.
Spike shrugged and said looking at Buffy, "Oh, yes…I forgot to
tell you, I still have my soul…all the Eletti keep it…”
Buffy didn’t have the time to speak; the earth seemed to suddenly
shatter all around them, while the too bright lights in the
gallery slowly faded replaced by the sinister purple light.
They could all feel it. They could feel the presence of the
powerful entity that was behind it; the powerful entity that had
decided to take Willow and Giles.
Your tricks aren’t going to help you…I know you are here…
The voice said. Eric and Spike exchanged a glance, then Spike
lightly grabbed Buffy’s wrist and pointed with a look at a corner
of the little hall they were in.
Buffy silently nodded at him and moved toward the right coming out
from the magic shield Eric had created.
Spike turned toward Eric and murmured, “To stand against the
darkness. To be the light within the darkness…to aid the Slayer in
her never ending….”
“ battle against the darkness…to lighten her burden…to fight by
her side and die for her…to protect the world …always”
“Always” Spike repeated, he smiled at his friend and said before
going out from the shield, “It’s good to see you, mate….”
Eric smiled back at him and once he had exited the shield
murmured, “It’s good to be here, son…”
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