-Disclaimers: Title belongs entirely to Gabriel Garcia Marquez--just borrowing it for the sake of the story. Buffy, Spike, Whistler and all the memories belong to Joss and his crew. All other characters are entirely mine.

-Summary: Series set 100 yrs after "The Gift," Season five finale. This is part AU and futuristic. Spike has been alive for 100 hundred years after Buffy's death. Whistler comes to him to let him know that Buffy has been summoned to fight a new evil. Therefore she will be brought back to life and needs a "guide". When Buffy wakes she finds that the only one to cling to is the only person left from her past. This is a B/S fiction. 

-Rating: Overall rating of series is R. (Language and Violence) 

-Spoilers: I will mention everything that has happened through "The Gift". 

-Distribution: The only people that have permission to post these series are those who already archive my fic and have asked me for permission. If you want to post it please ask me. I'll be happy to let you. I just want to know where my fic goes.  

-Author's Note: I adore Feedback, so please let me know what you think of the story so far! bih80reviews@yahoo.com

-Special Thanks: Wendy and Nmissi for the BETA and their awesome feedback *g*


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The lump in their throats grew thicker as the seconds ticked by and the reality of it solidified in their minds. "Glory?" Buffy whispered.

The minion said nothing. Spike stood up in fury and grasped both sides of his head, twisting it right off. The ashes of the screaming minion were as gentle petals falling to the floor. Spike stared down, hands clenched at his sides. He turned to the stunned room. The players’ faces wore an statement of fear; Buffy’s an statement of understanding.

"There's time for everything, kiddies. This...is time to kill."

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Sammy pulled his youngest daughter into an embrace as she ran up to him. "Mi munecita." My little doll, he said as she giggled. Her chubby arms went around his neck as she covered him in kisses.

"You spoil her, Samuel," said Risa as she came up behind him. "What will she do when you're gone?"

"You're leaving, papi?" the child asked.

The man laughed and hugged her closer. "No, mi flor, your papa will stay with you always."

"Samuel, what is that?" his wife pointed at the row of black SUV's driving up their driveway.

It took him three short seconds to react. " To the basement, get the kids--go now! Run!" he cried.

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Maps and diagrams were spread over the planning table. Lucy took the lead, as she explained where Glory might be hiding. The others listened intently as strategy and layout were decided.

"The south of the city is prominent mafia territory, we all know that. But that is were Chino would know we'd look.  The north is too rich--too many politicians and police that can't be paid off."

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to the slayer who stood up timidly.

Buffy's eyes searched the table, then she began. "The last time I tracked Glory down , she was living in a rich part of town. She likes nice places--luxury, the whole God-concept has really gotten to her."

Spike nodded "I agree, she had a pretty fancy place last time—it only makes sense that she'll chose another."

"Agreed by the experts, Mario--you and Zeta head out and search the place, see if you find any clues," said Lucy as she typed on her laptop.

"I want to go!" Buffy announced.

"No--stay here and give Lucy all the pointers on how you defeated Glory," Spike said.

The slayer placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You know how I did it. You were there."

"Sorry, pet, but I was busy being thrown off a fifty-foot tower," he spat back.

"You tell her, I'll go do my job." Buffy turned to leave.

Spike's fist hit the table and the lights blinked off and on. "Bloody 'ell!"

Buffy turned around to face a royally pissed off vampire. "You are not my boss!"

"I bloody well am!" Spike insisted.

"You forget, I quit the council long ago, I don't play by the rules," she countered.

"No, you play by my rules, and rule number one say you stay 'ere. I need to pack!" he cried out.

Buffy froze. Pack?

"Leaving so soon, cap't?" Mario asked, lighting a cigarette.

Spike's eyes never left Buffy. "Tonight," he said. "I leave tonight."

"Well, good seein' ya, man. Take care, good flight," Dalton said amiably, shaking his hand and patting him on his back.

"Thanks, good job," Spike answered sincerely. The man nodded.

"Want me to put up a protection spell?" Troll asked.

"Sure, you do that." Spike answered as he got to his feet.

Buffy felt like she was shrinking. Can skin shrink, she wondered? She felt the walls closing in around her as she watched his broad back moving towards the elevator. She thought about going after him; she thought about running away. All her life she’d complained about being left alone, left behind. It was happening again, and now it was total and very real. There was no Willow to tell her she’d always be there for her, or to take her for a girls’ night out. There was no Xander to stand by her through thick and thin and alleviate her suffering with bad jokes. There was no Mom to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay, there was no Giles to lecture her on the importance of proper training and vast quantities of knowledge she cared nothing about. There wasn’t even Dawn to annoy or protect. There was no Anya to roll eyes at, no Tara to fill her with quiet understanding.

There wasn’t Angel to be her doomed lover that she couldn’t count on.

And now there wasn't even a Spike on which to vent her anger and frustration. She couldn’t beat him down, or call him names, because he was perfect. And he was leaving.

Like her father before him. Like Angel, Riley, Mom, Dawn.

Like all those who had lived their lives and died their deaths and did it all without her.

This time she was truly alone.

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Glory watched the massacre with a smile on her face.

"My day of Glory has come," she said, looking out over the crying innocents, the blood-splattered grass, and the limp, lifeless bodies.

"And mine," Chino said coming up behind her. He pulled her hair off her neck and started nibbling on her neck.

"All this bloodshed turns me on," she murmured. He licked the rim of her ear.

"Really, amor?” he said. He turned her around and slid down the thin silk strap of her red dress. She smiled as he kissed her firm white skin with his wrinkled lips. Placing a hand on either side of his head she leaned in close and whispered, “You know what I do when I’m horny.”

The old man continued his ministrations, kissing her along her collarbones in the center of the bloody field.

"I kill."

Before the man could move, the slim hands that had once held him gently twisted his neck . There was the sickening sound of shattered vertebrae. He fell at her feet as she looked on in annoyance.

"That was truly disgusting," she said. She straightened her dress and smoothed her hair, then turned to face Chino’s men, their guns positioned to shoot her.

"Hello boys!" she said, smiling. "Your leader is dead. I am your god now. Your most beautiful god, and you'll make sure to remind me as often as you can of about that, okay? Now...the first order of business is to make sure that the vampire finds his friends. I’m thinkin’ pictures, you know- living color. Express mail, naturally. Something very artistic. I want true craftsmanship; I want him to feel as if he’s right there in the room, smelling their blood, and feeling the heat leak out of their bodies. This has got to be a work of ART, gentlemen. I won’t settle for less than your personal best. Do it fast. I grow impatient."

Most of them stared at her as if she had grown two heads.

She sighed, exasperated.  "Someone translate! I can't be expected be all Righteous Godly Vengeance and learn Spanish at the same time, can I?”

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The warm cup of coffee rested in her cupped hands as she watched the players at their various tasks. They were looking to her for guidance now.

"We need to get our forces within their establishment rapidly, " Loret explained to Mario and Dalton that peered over her shoulder unto the map on the table.

"That's plan A," Dalton stated.

"What's plan B?" Zeta asked rolling her chair in front of the rest of her team.

Loret jerked her head at Buffy. "She is."

Buffy paled. All she knew was fighting; she didn't know codes or technologically advanced weapons. "Me?"

"You," Loret stated. She lifted herself onto the high table and crossed her legs.

"What do I do? I've kicked Glory's ass before but it was different. My turf--my conditions, my people." Buffy set her cup down and crossed her arms.

"Don't worry, Barbie, Lucy will give you step by step instructions on what to do. That is, if you can follow orders," she smirked.

Buffy glared at her hard. Several seconds passed before Lucy intervened. "Loret, fuck off. Buffy, come with me." Buffy followed Lucy to the door outside, glaring at Loret all the way.

Once the two women disappeared Mario turned to the red head. "You need a good screw."

Loret smiled suggestively. "You volunteering?"

Mario though for a second, "Yeah, c'mon--back room's empty."

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"What is it?" Buffy asked confused as she followed the brunette up the stairs.

"Just follow," she replied.

Buffy sighed mumbled under her breath. They reached the top floor. Buffy recognized the door to Spike's penthouse. She backed up. "What are we doing here?" she asked.

Lucy sighed and pulled out a cigarette. She lit it and stared at Buffy. "He's leaving," she said.

A cool mask settled over Buffy’s features. "I know."

Lucy stared at her. "Let me tell you a story, slayer. I once met a man who was perfect. He was gentle, he was smart, and he had sad brown eyes that made me drown in them. And he loved me. I loved him. While I was with him I met another man, and our first conversation was an argument. God knows that every conversation after that was an argument--he had my own personality. Now I know I am not the sweetest fruit in the basket but like you I have something that most women lack. Respect for myself and personality. And this other man--he not only loved my wit he enjoyed everything that was me. He knew I was smarter than him and he stood by my side, we fought--and often, but he was always there. When my first love left he was there--reluctantly we became friends. One day I realized that he was in love with me--he must have been in love with me for years. It made me afraid, and I did something foolish. I made sure he saw me with another man. That night he left, and you know what I realized when I saw his pained face? I realized that I loved him. I let him walk away--because I was afraid, because I still am."

Buffy felt the pain of the woman before her radiate towards her. "Why don't you go after him?"

Lucy closed her eyes and smiled. "I did."

Buffy smiled at her.

"But I found his grave." Tears pricked at reddened eyes. "He died--he was a soldier and he died for his country."

"I am sorry," Buffy whispered as she felt her own eyes tear up.

Lucy composed herself. "Some people say you only love once--only once truly."

She exhaled her smoke. "But I say that's bullshit. People can learn to love more than once...but only once in your life do you meet someone so alike you it hurts to even admit that you give a damn about them. Only once."

"So that's your reason?" Buffy asked. "For the attitude."

"Yup,...what's yours?" she challenged.

Buffy was taken back, "What do you mean?"

Lucy stared at her without saying anything, she stared until Buffy sighed.

"Why are you doing this?" the slayer asked.

Lucy smiled and stubbed out her smoke. She opened the door for Buffy. "Let's just say there's still a little girl inside of me who wants an ending to her favorite fairy tale."

Buffy cringed. "I see."

"Go, If you don't, you will regret it."

This felt like a sudden flashback to Buffy, she was again standing in front of Xander as he gave her a long speech about Riley.

Then she saw herself running, she ran to find him--but it was too late. Riley had left. Fire sparked back into the green eyes and Lucy almost stumbled backwards at the intensity in them. The blonde slayer looked at her with a gaze of pure thanks and almost leaped into the door.

Lucy stared after the running girl and smiled. Memories with tears came to her but she pushed them back--it was her time to move on.

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The knock startled the players as they looked at the monitor in time to see a package being dropped off at the entrance of the building. The truck looked like any other UPS carrier, and the brown-dressed man looked like any other deliveryman.

But they knew better. "Bomb?" asked Dalton to Zeta who concentrated on her surroundings.

They waited for a couple of seconds until the brown-eyed woman opened her eyes. "No--just papers."

Troll cocked his head. "There is no evil around it so there is no spell of any sort."

"Just papers?" Mario asked as he combed his rumpled hair.

"Just papers," Zeta confirmed.

"Strange," Lucy said as she scanned the area with her laptop.

"Smells like shit, if you ask me," Loret responded.

"Good Lawd, 'oman!" Dalton cried out. "Yuh should wash yuh mouth out with soap, all ah heayuh outta you is cussin’”

Loret smiled. "That's part of my charm."

"We should tell Spike," Troll suggested.

"Spike is busy," Lucy responded quickly.

"Where's Buffy?" Mario asked.

"She's also busy," Lucy smiled.

"So they're busy...together?" Loret asked cocking her eyebrow.

Lucy gave her an innocent look. "Probably--it's not my place to question with whom either one of them gets busy. Neither is it yours."

Loret glared at her. "Then you go and get the package."

"Glad to," Lucy responded and placed down her headphones, standing up to walk to the door.

"Be careful," Zeta called after her.

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"You're leaving?"

Spike turned around slowly to face a slayer whose face he couldn't read. He looked down at the cashmere polo he had in his hand and then dumped it into the open leather case.

"Yes," he stated.

Buffy looked down at her hands, her knuckles were turned white--and she knew she was trembling. In a voice so low only a vampire could hear it she asked him. “Why?”

Spike sat down on the bed and sighed. "Because...this is the way it goes."

"The way it goes?" she asked, her eyes were now getting watery with fresh tears.

Spike played with the ring on his finger as he tried to avoid her eyes. "We've discussed this before."

Anger rose in the pit of her stomach. How could he infuriate her so much in such a short period of time? "We've discussed nothing! ‘You’ said and ‘you've’ made the decision. What I thought and what I wanted meant shit to you." Her fist balled at her sides as she struggled to control her anger.

Spike stood up and lit a cigarette. "Because it doesn't concern you," he said. He paced around the room, irritated with her behavior.

"Concern me? You made this mess. Now you're throwing all the trash on me, running off to Spain, off to your whores!" She screamed at him.

"Bloody 'ell!" he cried out looking at her in disbelief.

"Yes, bloody hell! You're leaving," she paused. "You're leaving us...you're leaving me." she managed to whisper.

He looked at her pained eyes and turned away. He was sure he knew were this was going. "So you need me to help out in the Glory-bint fight?" he asked as he exhaled the smoke.

"Spike..."

"Or maybe you need me to stand by you so we can kick hell bitch's ass once and for all?"

"No..."

"Maybe you just need some type of a security...Spike is there , hey, no worries."

"That is not..." she was getting angry and frustrated with him.

"Say it!" he shouted, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her. “Why can’t you say it?”

"That's not it, that’s not the reason!" she cried out, tears slipping down her cheeks. Why did her life always have to be so damn dramatic?

"I know that. Say it! Say you need me to stay because you need me, you need my help, I am the only one strong enough, wise enough to even stand a chance!" He shook her harder.

"I love you!"

She stood stunned--more so than him. Those words had actually come from her mouth?

He said nothing but just stared at the mouth that had actually said the words. He was certain he was dreaming.

"There...I said it." She sniffed as his grip loosed on her upper arms. "I need you because I love...I love you. Nothing more...nothing less." She looked down at her feet, suddenly very interested in her bootlaces. Spike studied her bent head. His mouth hung open but no words would come. He swallowed hard, and the silence seemed to stretch out between them. Finally it broke with the sound of his voice.

"What game are you playing, slayer?"

Her head snapped up. Hurt eyes searched his confused face. "What do you mean?"

"I know you don’t- I know you'll never love me...I've learned to accept that," he said.

Buffy took a seat on his bed and sighed. "I should have told you that night...I'm sorry."

"That night?...What the hell do you mean?" he asked now clearly more bewildered than he had been.

"I...well you see..." she finally met his eyes. "That night...the night of the fight. You told me you would protect Dawn until the end...and you did. But I knew you would--never doubted it for a second. That's when I knew."

"You knew what, luv?" he asked, his knees weak as he slowly knelt before her.

She reached out and gently ran her finger through his gelled hair. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. He felt he was flying--there was no way life would get this good--never for him.

"That I loved you...but I never said it. I always thought there would be tomorrow, and the next day. But I guess there wasn't," she whispered.

A single painful tear escaped his closed eyes. She reached out and kissed it away. "I am sorry," she said to him.

He shook his head as he leaned his head into her chest and sighed. "It was worth it."

She wrapped her arms around this man that had lived so long without her and loved her all the while. The thought filled her with warmth and she sighed with him. He wrapped his arms around his slim waist and drank in her presence. "I would have waited another 100 years to hear you say those words."

She was stunned. She lifted his head and looked into his blue eyes. "Why?"

He kissed her lightly on her trembling lips. "Because you're worth it," Spike whispered against her skin. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him again when they were interrupted by a loud bang to the bedroom door. Spike groaned and glared back at the door. "Go 'way, I'm busy 'ere!"

Buffy giggled but brought her hand to her mouth so the intruder wouldn't hear her.

"Spike--NOW!!"

The voice belonged to Lucy, Buffy jumped. She knew the woman wouldn't interrupt them unless it was an emergency. The vampire reluctantly left his love's arms and yanked the door open. "Someone better be dead."

The tear streaked face of the woman before him and the pictures she was shoving at him gave him the answers he needed. Buffy stood behind the vampire as he looked carefully over the pictures.

He didn't move, he just looked from one picture to another. "I'm sorry," Buffy heard Lucy whisper.

The slayer instantly stood next to him and looked over the pictures. She felt bile rise to her throat. Dead--they were all dead. She hardly recognized the bloody dead face of Sammy, naked, holding his dead naked wife. The children and servants--dead. It was a blood bath.

At the back, behind the photographs, was a handwritten note in pretty script.

A little welcome back present, precious.

Glory

Spike dropped the pictures.

Buffy looked at him.

His jaw was so tight, she though it might break. There was rage behind those blue eyes that had looked at her so tenderly moments ago. "Oh god, Spike." she whispered, stroking his arm lightly.

He didn't answer but ran past her to the stairs.

"Spike!" she cried out after him. "Wait!"

With tears and pain in her heart she raced after him.

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