It was sunny and bright the day Donna Sabine was laid to rest, a bright spring day in fact thought Winnie as she placed her rose on the casket of one of her best friends. It had been two agonizing weeks since they had lost Donna to Marcus Faber.

Winnie she was supposed Connect Respect Protect but she was really glad that Ed had shot Faber. He had been responsible for to many horrible things.

As Winnie walked away her eyes landed on the back Spike, her Spike the man she loved more than anything. They had barely spoken for the last week, Team one had been on a leave of absence. No one was going to deny them that not after what they had lost.

Lost.

That small for letter word meant so much. It symbolizes so much.

You cold loose many things a purse, a ring, your job, your life. You could lose someone you care about. That was the real reason Winnie didn't date cops, if she lost them she would never put herself back together.

Then the perfect guy wormed his way in to her life.

Michelangelo Spike Scarlatti was the perfect man in very sense; He was funny, honest, and sensitive all around nice guy.

When he had asked her out to dinner, she had been so close to saying yes but then she remembered what he did he was the bomb tech, probably in more danger then the rest of them. That's why she refused because if she let him in and he… died. Winnie Camden could never put herself back together again.

Now she was here at Donna Sabine's funeral, and this was when she realized. If Spike had died in that nightmare she couldn't have put herself back together, it didn't matter that they weren't together in the most traditional sense of the word she still loved him and she'd be damned if she couldn't tell him.

As she walked towards the exit of the cemetery she spotted his retreating back.

"Spike!" she called out.

As he turned around she got a look at his tearstained face and there was only one thing to do; she ran towards to him, kicking of her impossible to run in heels and wrapped him in an enormous hug.

"Spike I need to say something-, "

"Winnie I-"

And then they both stopped both waiting for the other to go first.

Gesturing at her, Spike said

"Ladies first," with a weak grin.

Then she started talking and there was no going back.

"Spike I need to explain something to you," Winnie started searching his face for reaction and finding none

"The reason I don't date cops is so I won't be hurt at the end of the day".

"I know what can happen to you and I don't date cops so that they can't break open my heart and then leave it shattered when they don't come home."

Then she saw his reaction his eyes softened and he tried to say something but she quickly intervened

"That's why I turned you down…I was afraid to lose you. I can't lose you Spike," tears started to stream down her face.

"But after the explosion and Donna," there her voice broke "I realized something that you were already there in my heart and I couldn't lose you without you knowing that you are the one worth breaking that rule. I love you Michelangelo Spike Scarlatti with all my heart."

Then she looked up into his eyes and tried to guess what he was thinking, and hoping impossibly that he wouldn't reject her.

Suddenly his arms wrapped around her and their lips met, and Winnie knew that everything would be okay.

When they both broke apart gasping for air he gently wiped a tear from her cheek

"Winnie I will never leave you in pieces I promise," he said while grasping her hands in his.

As they started walked out of the cemetery hand in hand at last Winnie noticed something

"Spike, I forgot my shoes," and then their laughter rang through the cemetery.

Their love affirmed in the wake of Donna's death like a phoenix rising from the ashes.