"If you're not ready, William, you don't have to," Buffy cajoled. William was back in her arms, his warm cheek laying on her chest between the valley of her breasts. They were nude and laying atop William's own bed with the afternoon sunshine blanketing them in warmth and light. Buffy's legs found their way around his torso and her were hands running through and through his long hair. They'd spent the afternoon in rapture, making love and saying beautiful words to each other. Buffy sipped a spirit from a crystal flute, her head swooning from the alcohol and the innumerable orgasms William had given her. Fortunately for them, Anne was away calling on her society friends until the evening. The servants were well aware of what was occurring upstairs, but held their tongues and stayed below.

"No, my love, I wish very much to do this, I'm merely uncertain that my abilities will be apt or sufficient to do you justice." He huffed out a breath of frustration and hid his face against a breast, squeezing her tight. Buffy replaced her glass on the night table and gave him her full attention.

"You're joking, right? William are you aware of the fact that you are by far the most spectacular lover on the planet?"

"Generous endowments that you claim I have, coupled with my love for you does not make me a spectacular lover as you say."

"I'd have thought the multiple orgasms would have been a good enough clue."

"Right...er, forgot about that part."

"Gee thanks." He leapt back from her, suddenly horrified with himself.

"I've insulted you! My apologies, sincerely. Buffy you alone have shown me that there is another, more soaring, glorious side of life! Passion and physical sensations I never dreamed existed!" Buffy laughed softly and pulled him back down to his original position.

"You're so sensitive, William! Is this a Victorian thing? 'Cause this kind of hyperness is gonna make you pop a blood vessel! I have complete confidence in you. It's a very intimate thing I'm suggesting, and yes, it does take a certain amount of skill, but I know for a fact your instincts are amazing and there is nothing that you can do that won't bring me incredible pleasure. Are you ready to try?"

"Yes, my love. Tell me how?"

"Start like you always do, kiss me, taste my skin, work your way down." He took her breasts in both hands and pushed them together until the nipples near touched, and he could lave his tongue over them both at the same time. He licked her with the tensed tip of his tongue, until her nipples hardened and stood taut. He sucked vigorously on one and then the other until Buffy was mewing like a kitten. He slid steadily, slowly down her stomach, all the while worshiping her flesh with kisses and languorous long licks,"William, that's wonderful...mmmmm..."

He took hold of her knees and pushed them apart, until she was spread wide open to him,"Such a beautiful flower." Buffy blushed at his compliment, not exactly sharing in the analogy, but certainly appreciating the sentiment."A unique fragrance, sweeter than spring blossoms, heady like the finest wine...."

"Really not, honey, but thanks for saying it...now...you were about to..."

"Yes, yes, of course." He nuzzled along the line of soft curls with the tip of his nose, tickling his cheek as he slid further down. He had vague memories then of falling asleep out alone in some far off field at the country house when he'd been a small boy. Like now he'd been exhausted from playing, hot and soporific, totally happy. Laying down in Mother Earth's bosom, a bed of sweet grass to cradle him, he'd never felt so sublime, until now. His fingers danced around the outer lips, testing and teasing, his head lulled against her inner thigh. Buffy was twisting and whimpering with anticipation, which served to excite her lover more."How you tremble for me, Miss Buffy. I do please you, do I not?"

"So much....William, please!" He surge against her, pressing his lips to her sex, slipping his tongue between her folds and giving her one long lick from bottom to top. The tangy, full flavor of her was a divine elixir to him.

"Ambrosia!" he exclaimed, smiling brightly up at her. Buffy laughed out loud and tossed her head back into the pillows. This was going to be an afternoon to cherish. William dove down again, still uncertain of how to proceed, but eager to give it that old college try. He imagined this oasis before him were as if he'd been traversing the arid desert on hands and knees, wishing every moment for death, yet struggling on and then was rewarded for his determination and faith with this eternal spring. He closed his eyes and consumed his love.

His tongue pierced through and deep up inside her, making Buffy cry out and clutch angry fistfuls of the bedspread. Her dramatic reaction only made him increase the ardor with which he was pleasuring her. He curled his tongue, twisted it, drew it back, then plunged in again. The plains of his face rubbed hard against her swollen nub, the duel sensations driving her mad. He tongue slipped out of her and slid up to swish over her clit. She jerked and moaned so loudly he feared she'd disturb the entire household. Though at this time he honestly couldn't' have cared less. He merely wished to make her sound out like that again and again.

William focused all his efforts on the tiny nub. That all her heartiest, strongest pleasures came from this one spot fascinated him to no end. He flexed his tongue to a hardened muscle, flicking and swirling around her clit. Buffy was writhing and sobbing, her stomach tightened and her thighs beginning to vibrate. William knew she was very close, therefore he increased his torment of her one hundred fold, then stabbed two fingers inside her, finding that sweet spot of softer tissue and pressing.

"Oh god! WILLIAM!!!" She nearly sent him careening to the floor, as it was, he was bucked off of her to the other end of the bed. She was crying and moaning and shaking, lost in an orgasm so powerful that it consumed her entire being. For all this time, William's cock was straining out away from his body, fully hard and aching for its own release. Possessed by a purely carnal, animal need to mate, William crawled over top Buffy and penetrated her to the hilt. She screamed and was sent spiraling into another, more powerful and intense orgasm. He tried to move, to thrust, but her passage had clenched down on him so tightly that his own climax was upon him even before he could realize it.

Buffy wrapped him up with her arms and legs and squeezed him with all her might. She felt his essence filling her womb, washing her with warm seed as he professed his love to her over and over.

When enough time had passed, he lift himself up a little to look upon her face. Though drenched with sweat, she was smiling, eyes bright and full of wonder.

"I love you, Buffy," William said, pressing his forehead to hers.

"I love you, William."

"Did I do good, my Miss Buffy?"

"You did....OH!!!" He'd only been soft inside her for a few seconds and suddenly he was at full erection again,"William! You did very good....let me be good to you now."

"You're always good to me."





Buffy clung to her last memory with William, and all the ones of Spike. There was nothing left to hold on to, nothing but memories and regrets now. She wasn't always good to him and she should have been. She lay alone on the floor in a dingy motel room. They were half way between the crater where Sunnydale and the Hellmouth once were and Los Angeles on the way to see Angel. She was next to the bed, the thought of being in it alone was sickening. She was curled in a fetal position, clutching their locket to her breast and she was sobbing, remembering his final moments.

"I love you," she spoke through her tears, their hands clasped together, burning with an eternal flame.

"I love you too. I love you forever. NOW GO!!" he shouted. The ground shook and they were torn apart,"BUFFY GO!!" With the last of his strength he pushed her away,"Please...you have to go on living.....one of us has to." She sobbed as she ran and left him behind. The light of his soul consumed him and burned him from the inside out until nothing was left but her memories.


Buffy tore the locket from around her neck, about to throw it, but it seemed as if an invisible hand stayed her. An idea was formulating itself, pushing past the grief in her mind. She opened the locket and looked at the stone. It really wasn't much, just a sliver of shiny black rock. The Prokaryote Stone had opened her to a whole new world, one without trials and tribulations, vampire and Slayers. There was her and there was William and a simple, normal life full of love and laughter. Her fingers hovered over it and she wondered if when she touched it and it turned to liquid, if would it take her to him, or being as he was dead, would it take her to a thoughtless, loveless void? A leap of faith was in order. Buffy closed her eyes and steeled herself, ready to do it.

"No, not here," she spoke aloud, closing her locket back up. She could almost feel his arms coming around her, pulling her back against him. She imagine his mouth at her ear, professing his love and devotion. She felt her soul stirring, longing to be wherever his was. But she couldn't have that here. She got up off the floor and straightened her clothing. She went into the bathroom and washed her face clean of her tears, then gathered the few possessions she had with her and left the room. She knocked on the door of the room which was occupied by Willow, Kennedy, Vi, and Dawn. To her surprise, Andrew answered. After the moment passed, he stepped aside, finding the room was full. Xander, Faith, Giles and Robin were also gathered.

"Buffy!" Willow gasped, rising from the bed where she was sitting and came over to her friend, pulling her inside. Buffy kept her eyes fixated on her sister,"We thought you'd still want to be alone, otherwise we'd have asked you..."

"It's okay Will...it's good you're all here. I've come to tell you.....that...." She knew she was crying, because Dawn was crying too,"I'm leaving. I'm going to go and be with him." Dawn turned away and into Xander who seemed to have a sort of quiet anger to him. He couldn't look at Buffy.

"What are you suggesting Buffy? Surely, you're not referring to..." Giles stammered.

"Spike. Who else, Giles? Whoever else?" She looked over each of them, knowing the time for confessions was upon her,"The last words I said to him were I love you. I was going to stay with him until the end, but he wouldn't let me. He thinks that I should go on, have that perfect, normal life I thought I wanted, but the truth is, all I want is him."

"So suicide is the answer? You'd dishonor the sacrifice on the chance of the unknown?"

"I have faith....and it's not like that....the Prokaryote Stone..."

"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed,"Don't tell me you've been....you and Spike? With the stone? How long have you been doing this? Do you have any idea of the side effects? You could've be trapped inside Spike's mind forever! If you do it too many times....you just won't come back!"

"We didn't know, we didn't care. We were together. You don't understand, none of you do! This past month we've been together, we've been so in love...you don't understand! I don't want to live in a world without him! Will, you know, don't you? How hard it was without Tara, how bad it got?"

"I do, but Buffy....this is different. This is so different. At least think about this...we..."

"Willow, c'mon...please..." Buffy backed away from them, suddenly feeling defensive. She should've known they couldn't comprehend the depth of her love for Spike. They all came at her at once. There were accusations, demands, laments, pleas and Buffy felt as if Sunnydale and the Hellmouth was caving in on her just like it had Spike. One among them however was able to see past their own grief and accept the truth of Buffy's. This poor young woman before them, who was rapidly folding in on herself, had saved the world, a lot, and this time had paid a price greater than her own life. Her friends had torn her from eternal rest in Heaven, and now they would deny her the small of piece Heaven Spike had returned to her through his unconditional and undying love. Imagining Buffy living to old age with the void of a whole man consuming her heart and her soul was a worse fate than her leaving them now.

Dawn had always been somewhat, if not wholly selfish, for most of her time on Earth. Buffy had died for her! But this time the truest test of love between the sisters would be from Dawn letting Buffy go.

"STOP IT!!" the younger Summers screamed,"Leave her alone!" Dawn ran towards Buffy and wrapped her arms around her broken down sister, letting Buffy crumble into her.

"Dawnie, I'm sorry...I won't go, I promise...I'll stay with you....we'll...we'll go away somewhere, just you and me. We can start over and I'll wait to be with him," Buffy sobbed to her sister, the child that had been made from her own being's essence. Dawn gave Buffy a reassuring squeeze, and then let her go.

"When you get to wherever it is you're going you tell him for me that he better take really god care of you, or else!"

"Wh...what?"

"And you tell him that he and I, we're still friends. Okay?"

"No, Dawn, they're right....I'm only 22, I should be living, it's what he would've wanted."

"Buffy, the only thing Spike ever wanted was for you to be happy. Can you be happy without him?"

"I could learn."

"Which is a no. I'll be okay, Buffy, without you. They'll take care of me until I can take care of myself."

"I..."

"Time's wasting, he's waiting for you."

"I love you, Dawn."

"I love you too, Buffy." She hugged her sister again and went to say goodbye to her friends. She saw understanding and acceptance from some of them, others she'd have leave to sort our their feelings towards her in the coming years. She looked long on Xander, Willow, Faith and lastly Giles before returning to Dawn. Her sister gave her a little wave and without another word, Buffy turned and ran.



Buffy had been walking for one night and one day into Death Valley. It seemed appropriate somehow that this was where her Slayer's journey would end. She'd picked the desert because it fit. The First Slayer had come from a land of arid sands and heat, of the brutality and blood of fighting every day just to survive. She slept on a bed of bones and here Buffy would lay down her own life. But was it really death? Or just being reborn? She would fall under the spell of the Prokaryote Stone one last time and her soul, her true self would be free. The desert would take care of her body, and her bones would become dust, like his.

She was filthy and exhausted, but there was a quiet calm inside her that sustained her on this final journey. She found a spot, in the center of a megalithic circle of sharp jutting red rocks. She had gathered enough wood to make a small fire before she'd reached the desert. A fire that likely wouldn't last more than a few hours, more than enough time to do what must be done.

The flames rose high, licking the dusky sky that was streaked with pinks and violets. There was a definite sense of deja vu, hearkening back to the first vision quest Giles had taken her on. She thought life was complicated then! However, at present, things were very simple. She really had no clue where the stone would take her, but she had enough faith to risk it. He was worth risking the pain.

Buffy lay herself a short distance from the fire, turned on her side so she could peer hazily at the flames, letting them lull her into a state on the cusp of dreaming. She let her hair fan out behind her, milling with the sand. She cast a furtive glance at the new moon and the stars, smiling to herself in this purely peaceful place. She slowed her breathing, closed her eyes, opened the locket and touched the stone.



When she opened her eyes again the room was dark, save for a sliver of moonlight coming through William's bedroom curtains. Across from her on a lounging chaise was a long satin and lace gown draped over the red wine velvet. It was her wedding dress. Buffy's other senses began to awaken also. The bed was warm and her naked body was nestled back against a man, his arm around her waist, his soft cock pressed to her backside, and his chin was burrowed deep into the hollow by her collar bone. There were golden wedding bands on their fingers. In his sleep, he squeezed her tighter and murmured her name. Buffy looked towards Heaven and said a prayer of gratitude, tears coming unbidden to her eyes.

Her hand went to wipe them away, but his arrived first, along with a kiss upon her jawbone.

"You're happy, aren't you, my love?" her husband asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, I am....never so happy in all my life," Buffy replied. She turned herself around in his embrace, her eyes falling on the sharp features of his beautiful face. She touched his cheek, then his lips with her fingertips,"I love you so much."

"I love you too, Buffy." Her fingers went through his bed tussled hair, smiling at how shaggy and unkempt he was. It must've been a wonderful wedding night. She lamented a bit that she couldn't have woken up with him a few hours previously. It didn't matter, they had forever now. He looked up at her hand playing in his long locks and he scowled. He took her hand away and it left Buffy confused.

"What?"

"Dunno your opinion on the matter, Slayer, but first thing tomorrow I'm shaving off these sodding sideburns n' getting a haircut. Screw Victorian fashions n' all that rot, I look like a damned poof. Not sure if there's anything that can be done 'bout the color tho. Bloody shame if you ask me, but I'll manage somehow." He cocked his head to one side, and smirked, obviously holding in his laughter at the astounded, shocked look on her face.

"Spike?!"

"Yeah, love?"

"SPIKE!!??"

"In the flesh, and speaking of flesh, yours is lookin' might scrumptious right now....fancy another go? Or a first go, since you just got here. You have any idea how boring it is here without you? All I could do to not go out of my bleedin' mind!"

"SPIKE!?!"

"What?" He was having too much fun at her expense. Buffy forcefully pushed him back and climbed on top of him, straddling his middle.

"Spike?" She was shaking, tears streaming down her face, hands running maniacally over the plain of his chest, touching him and making sure he was real. He stopped her frantic movements by taking hold of her wrists and pulling her down to him.

"It's me, Buffy." He kissed her and wrapped her up in his arms. She melted into him, still crying, but now with tears of joy. He rolled them over, hardening cock nudging into her soft center, then sinking in. Her legs locked around his waist and he settled down, letting her tight sheath massage and warm him while he gently kissed her. He parted their lips from each other after a time, hands stroking her face and wiping away her tears.

"How?"

"Dunno. No bloody clue, actually! Time's different here, I just know I've been waiting for you and now you're here."

"I used the stone, one last time. Willow said I probably wouldn't come back, to them. I don't want to go back."

"The only way to stay forever, pet, is if you died too and I don't want that..."

"Too late."

"What? Buffy no!"

"I...I...I had to be with you, Spike. I couldn't live without you, please don't be angry."

"I'm not. It's just....I wanted you to live, be happy, have a family, grow old. I would've waited."

"I wouldn't have wanted any of that if it wasn't with you. I know, Spike, know it with my whole soul, if I'm not with you, I'm nothing."

"You're not nothing, you're everything."

"This is it then? Really? We don't ever have to be apart again?"

"No, love, never again. I'm not sure where we are....but this place is forever. I don't know how it will go, if we're alive here, if there are others - I haven't been beyond our bedroom. I don't know if the whole world's out there or just London. I don't know if we'll have babies, or if we'll grow old. I just know we'll not be separated again."

"Promise?"

"I promise, love." He kissed her again, and made love to her for the first time since they died. Since they were reborn.



THE END

interlude to follow...





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