Fairy Tales Do Come True

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By Beth Muramoto

Every woman, no matter how strong, independent, or successful, grew up with at least one fairy tale telling of a princess or someone ordinary like Snow White, finding her Prince Charming, her hero. Someone out there who would come to their rescue if they were in trouble, someone who would die for them and their love, someone who loved them unconditionally. It's when the girl becomes a woman that she realizes that no such man exists.

As Buffy thought about this grim reality, she knew, that her reality was even grimmer. She, above any average woman, would never have that. Who was she kidding? She's stronger than any human man and her lifestyle didn't beg heroic acts from princes or any other kind of man. She'd just as soon belt a guy who thought she was weak or needed saving at all. Her fate in life meant no fairy tale endings for Buffy.

She strolled through the cemetary doing her sacred duty, huffing about how unfair and lousy it was that she would never have anyone to come to her rescue for a change. She didn't know why it hurt so much that she would never have her Prince, but it did.

"Hello, cutie." A voice said as it strode in step with her.

Buffy just sighed. That's all she needed. Another reminder that all she would be good for is slaying.

"Hello, Spike. What are you doing here and can you do it somewhere else?"

"My, my we're in a testy mood tonight."

"I'm always testy around you."

"Well, that's true, but I think you're a little more testy than usual tonight. What brought this brooding-on-par-with-Angel on?"

"Nothing and I'm not brooding."

"Yeh, sure, and I'm really blonde." Spike teased as he glared at her.

Buffy stopped walking and looked at Spike.

"Are you really interested or are you pretending, because if you are pretending, leave now while you have a chance." Buffy said.

A part of her didn't want him to leave. They had developed a strange and comfortable friendship after he had come back all blue about Dru dumping him. Though initially annoyed by him, she knew what if felt like to lose someone or realize that the person you thought loved you, wasn't the person you thought. They began to talk and shared their feelings about love lost and other depressing unromantic topics. She grew to trust him. He had kept her secrets and seemed to be helped by her comfort. She still felt weird, but it was a nice kind of weird.

Spike looked into her eyes and she saw that he was really interested.

"Tell me what's wrong, luv." He softened.

"Remember, you've been warned." Buffy teased. "You weren't wrong about the brooding part only I'm not nearly as broody as Angel."

"I stand corrected."

They started walking again only at a slower pace.

"There are no Prince Charmings." Buffy said abruptly.

Spike waited for more information, but when he didn't get anything more, he just stared.

"I think you lost me, pet."

"I just realized that I will never have the Prince Charming ending that most girls dream about. I can't even dream about it."

"And this bothers you why? You don't like to be rescued. Believe me, I learned that the hard way."

"It's more than that…I guess I'm feeling that there is no one out there who would even try to rescue me even if I really needed it."

"I wouldn't say that. " Spike said, "I'm sure Xander would in a flash, as much as a bumbler I think he is, I know that he cares about you and would save you in a pinch."

"I know, but…Xander is…he's not…"

"He's not someone you love. You're looking for the romantic savior." Spike surmised. "You're looking for Angel to save you."

Spike twinged a bit at mentioning his name. He couldn't explain it, but it hurt a little that Buffy still harbored feelings for his Grand Sire.

"No, not anymore. I used to, but I know it is so not ever going to happen…I know that Angel and I are not going to be walking hand in hand into the sunset."

"Well, he can't anyway, luv. Vampire, you know."

Buffy just glared at him, telling him with her _expression that she knew that.

"It's not even just an Angel thing. It's no guy, no one. I'm not even meant to live long enough to even hope. That really sucks and it hurts."

"Well, pet, yes, you are a slayer. No changing that, but doesn't mean you won't find that Prince you want. There's probably someone out there who would come galloping to your rescue. You're not all together unattractive. It woudn't be hard to fall in love with you." Spike said, gulping a little. Saying those words made him feel almost warm and a little more than drawn to Buffy.

"You really think so?" Buffy said, hopefully.

"Well, yeh." Spike said quickly and if vampires could blush he would've been.

"Do vampires find humans attractive, I mean, other than Angel, and other than as something to eat?" Buffy asked. She didn't know why she was pursuing the subject, but a part of her wanted Spike to find her attractive.

"Sure. I've taken more than a passing fancy at a lot of pretty women in my day. Some of them I, well, you know and others, I just sat back and enjoyed the view. " Spike smiled longingly. "Course, I didn't let Dru know otherwise I'd be deader than dead."

"Do you find me attractive?" Buffy asked as she was slapping herself mentally. Why did she care about what he thought?

Spike blinked for a second. At first he didn't know what to say, but when he looked into her eyes, he was suddenly awash in desire and something deeper he wasn't sure about, "Pet, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. A man or demon would be a right git to let you pass by without taking more than a second glance."

Buffy wasn't expecting that answer from him, but couldn't help but smile back.

"Really? Do you mean it?" She asked, feeling her heart beat a little faster at the prospect that Spike found her beautiful, not just attractive, but beautiful. The difference was huge. She, too, suddenly felt herself strongly attracted to him.

Spike just nodded. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with the slayer. It was all too confusing for him, but he had grown to care about her over the last few months. He had found a kindred spirit in Buffy when Dru broke his heart. She had taken the time to listen to him instead of staking him. She had understood, having gone through the same thing with Angel. She still irritated him at times, but the desire to kill her diminished every night that he spent with her and in a scary, but wonderfully odd way, he had begun to want to see her every night to talk to her. He had never felt that way about anyone in his unlife. It was unnerving, but exciting. Then suddenly all of Buffy's questions tonight brought out feelings that he didn't realize were there and then a thought came to him. He would save her.

Throughout the night, they battled the nasties together in comfortable silence. Their conversation was still weighing heavily in the air around them every time that they continued walking. It wasn't uncomfortable, just that things had changed between them in a good way and neither of them knew what to do next.

They were suddenly distracted from their thoughts when two large green demons with large claws for hands confronted them. They went into fighting stances and each took one demon. Though they were tired, they fought hard, but Buffy was tiring a lot faster and the beast was so large that despite her strength, her blows seemed to be bouncing off with little effect. Spike was faring better, but he, too, was tiring. Finally, in a fit of frustration, he flipped onto the back of his and with all his strength, twisted its head and broke its neck. It fell lifelessly to the ground. He looked over and saw Buffy weakening. He saw the demon hurl her off of it and raise its clawed left hand to strike her. Spike had only moments to decide his strategy, too short a time to do anything, but block the blow. Without hesitation, he ran in front of her and caught the swipe of the claw. All of the talons slashed into him and the pain was so searing, he thought for sure that he had been sliced into pieces. He fell to the ground writhing and screaming. Buffy regained her senses in time to see Spike get injured and through some kind of newfound adrenalin, she grabbed one of the claws and broke it off. She then plunged it into the demon's midsection. It cried out and collapsed instantly. Next to her, she heard Spike's pain-laced grunts. She turned to see him gashed in 3 places on his chest. They were so deep, she nearly gagged from seeing the blood and what she thought were his internal organs spilling out.

"Spike, oh my god, can you hear me?"

"Buf…fy…are…you…all…right?" Spike uttered raggedly, as he curled up trying to clutch his stomach. "God…hurts…so…much…can't move…feel like…I've been…sliced…to pieces…"
Buffy cringed and empathically felt Spike's pain.

"I've got to get you to some place safe, but I don't dare move you with those wounds."

Buffy whipped out her cell phone and called Giles.

"Giles! Giles! Spike and I were attacked in the Grimm Cemetary and he's been hurt really badly. I can't move him, please, can you get here as soon as you can with your car?" Buffy cried, trying to keep her hysteria to a minimum, but failing. She didn't understand her emotions other than she didn't want Spike to die and the idea of it scared her.

**

Moments later, Giles arrived in his car and Buffy helped him get Spike into it. He, too, was shocked at Spike's horrific injuries and that he had managed to survive the attack. Also, not unlike a trauma surgeon seeing savage wounds, he felt momentarily that there was no hope, that Spike's injuries were too severe for him to survive and that they should take him out of his misery like any wounded animal. After seeing Buffy's tear stained face, he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. Her reaction perplexed him, but he didn't have time to evaluate it.

When they got to Giles's apartment, they laid Spike on the bed, all the while he was incoherently babbling in between cries of agonized pain. They addressed his wounds as best as they could and hoped that vampire healing would do the rest. They were both concerned about Spike's babbling. It was almost like he was hallucinating.

Giles hit the books after Buffy described the demon to him. Maybe there was something else involved other than the wounds. Buffy stayed by Spike's side, holding his hand, feeling him clench it whenever a severe jab of pain hit him. She couldn't stop crying and was so worried about him.

"Spike, hang on, Giles is trying to figure out what to do. Please don't die…" Buffy said plaintively.

"Prince…Charming…want…to…save…you…Angel…love…you." Spike babbled, "Hurts…"

Buffy was so torn up with sadness. Spike was reliving their conversation earlier. He had made her feel better. He had thought she was beautiful.

Spike looked over to her and smiled weakly though his face kept contorting with every wave of pain.

"Are you all right, luv?" He asked, momentarily coherent, but struggling to talk, "What happened? I feel hot…I -" Spike words were cut off by a surge of pain and he arched up as he groaned.

"Don't talk, Spike." Buffy said, so touched he had asked if she was all right, "I'm okay…you're going to be okay…We were attacked by some clawed demony thing. Giles is looking into it along with the rest of the gang right now. We'll figure out something soon." She reassured.

Spike licked his lips and smiled tiredly again up at her.

"I'm glad you're okay…that's all that matters…I can rest…I saved you…"

"Yes, Spike, you did save me…" Buffy smiled though it was trembling and then suddenly realized what he meant. "You saved me…"

"Sorry…I'm not Angel…" He then said suddenly out of context.

"What?"

"Sorry, I'm…not…the…one you…love…but I'd save…you…I lo-" Spike cried out.

"Rest, don't waste your energy on talking. We can talk later…You're not making any sense…"

"No…later…no time…know these demons…poison…fatal to…vampires…" Spike struggled to talk through his pain.

"No, you're wrong, you're mistaking them for another demon." Buffy said alarmed and with a tinge of desperation in her voice, "You're not going to d-"

"Must…tell…you…before…I…I…love…you, Buffy…" Spike breathed raggedly as he cut her off. "Loved…you…for a long…time…now…just didn't know it…until tonight…until you asked…if I-."

"Spike, you're delirious, you don't mean -"

"I…do…Not…a…prince, I know…not…Angel, I know…wish I could…be…the kind of hero…but-" Spike grunted, "…but…I saved…you…always…know…that I'd always…save…you."

"Spike, please…rest…"

"Thank you, luv…" Spike said with a weak smile.

"For what?"

"For accepting me…for making me…believe in love…again…for making me feel…love…again…"

"No, Spike, don't give up on me!" Buffy cried.

"Not…giving up…just can't…fight it…poison…too strong…the pain…" Spike said as he jerked in pain.

He caressed her cheek even though moving caused him more excrutiating pain.

"Would…never…leave you if…I could help…it. Ggggoddd." Spike cringed from the intensity of the pain and could only moan.

"Giles!!" She screamed.

Giles heard her and ran up to his room.

"Buffy, what is it?"

"Spike said he knew this demon. He said that it had a poison fatal to vampires…He's trembling, Giles. I have never seen him that way. I'm scared." Buffy babbled.

"Buffy, I can't lie to you," Giles said grasping her shoulders and looking straight into her eyes, "Spike is dying. He was right. There is no cure for the venom in him. We'll keep looking, but I'm afraid he's lost unless we do."

Buffy's eyes became wide and they filled with tears.

"No, no, you're lying to me…it can't be true!" She wailed as she broke away from his grasp.

"I could never do that to you. I know you care for him -"

"No, you don't understand, I love him, Giles. He can't be dying."

"Buffy, I-"

"Find something!!! You have to find something!!!" She yelled.

Giles could only slump his shoulders in defeat and leave. She was inconsolable and he couldn't blame her. She had said that she loved him and she never said that unless it was true. She never loved half-heartedly, if not always wisely.

Buffy turned back to look at Spike and his face was riddled with pain.

"Spike, please don't leave me. I love you." Buffy cried, but Spike looked like he couldn't hear her anymore. He was panting with pain and couldn't speak.

Buffy could only sob uncontrollably, allowing the tears to fall down her face and onto Spike's wounds. Drop after drop fell until there was a river of tears running down her face, she didn't care to wipe them away. He twitched and grimaced as if the tears stung him. She then laid her face on the makeshift bandages they had wrapped his chest, wiping her tears on them inadvertently without caring. Suddenly, the wounds began to transform and they seemed to be healing.

Buffy was too upset to realize what was happening. She just continued to cry and let her tears fall, but Spike felt something change. The pain was easing and to his surprise, rapidly. His panting slowed to long breaths of relief as the pain continued to soften until he didn't feel it any more. All he then felt was weary, all enegry gone from his body.

"Buffy…the pain…what's happening?" Spike asked tiredly as he felt it subside.

"What is it, Spike? Tell me what to do." Buffy cried at first thinking something more was going wrong.

"It's…going away…no, it's gone. What did you do? Supposed to be no cure…" He asked incredulously.

"Nothing. I didn't do anything." Buffy said, puzzeled.

She then looked at his wounds herself and saw that they were closing, healing right in front of her eyes.

"Your wounds are closing." She said astonished, but happily. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I can feel them getting better, but I don't know why." Spike said weakly.

"I don't know either."

Buffy called for Giles, only more calmly this time. He came up the stairs and was shocked himself at Spike's dramatic recovery.

"Giles, Spike's wounds, they're healing…I don't know what happened."

"I don't know either. Maybe it's Spike's physiology. Maybe it's resisting the venom."

"Wait…" Spike said, weakly. "I remember feeling drops fall onto my wounds, it stung a little, but that's when it started to feel better."

"We didn't have anything and all I've been doing is crying…" Buffy said.

"Your tears! That must be it! Why didn't I think of it?" Giles said as he ran down the stairs.

Buffy and Spike just stared at the spot where Giles once was, not knowing what to say. Giles then returned with a book.

"Ah, it's as I thought. I totally missed it. These demons are a mutation of the type created from Grimm's Fairy Tales -"

"Grimm's a good word for it, but I still don't get-." Buffy said then gasped, "Wait! The cemetary was called Grimm, could that mean some thing?"

"Perhaps. Their venom is magic based. It's very much like the poisoned apple in Snow White. She could only be revived by a kiss from Prince Charming."

Buffy and Spike kept on staring, but now at each other.

"But I didn't kiss Spike, not that I wouldn't want to, but -"

"I get it, Watcher." Spike piped in. "I remember now too. These demons, their poison is influenced by whatever it was around just before it strikes and Buffy and I were talking about Prince Charmings and the like so the magicks in their venom must have changed to suit that."

"Right, exactly. Normally it would be incurable because no one would find the antidote until it was too late. In Spike's case, it was Buffy's tears that cured him, well, that and her declaration of love at the very same moment. I'm certain of that."

"That would make me Snow White, then?" Spike snarked.

"And that would make me Prince Charming?" Buffy asked.

"Well, obstenibly, yes. Just because the roles are reversed, doesn't make the outcome any different, I suspect."

Buffy and Spike could only stare in stunned realization.

"Well, best leave Spike to rest. I'm sure he'll be right as rain in no time now." Giles said as he left them alone.

Buffy could only look into Spike's eyes.

"Spike, I'll understand if you didn't mean…I mean, you were sick and I don't want you to feel-"

Spike just took her into a searing, passionate kiss to stop her from talking.

"I meant every bloody word, luv. Wouldn't take it back for anything. How about you?"

Buffy returned his kiss with equal passion.

"Never."

They then continued to kiss and hold each other as if the world had stopped. When they parted for Buffy to breathe, she breathlessly said, "And they lived happily ever after."

The End