Author's Notes:

I was just teasing, the ending's a done deal. No changing it based on reviews (but I still love reading them!). Although, if I was going to majorly overhaul anything, it would probably be to break up all this happiness and communication a little sooner. Luckily for our heroes I'm not rewriting this chapter...


The demon they were fighting let out a mighty bellow when Buffy caught it in a headlock, ready to snap its neck.

"Wait, pet, hold it a mite longer," Spike shouted, rushing to her side. "Lemme just… ah here," he said in satisfaction. "Go ahead now".

She twisted hard and let the body fall. Before it even touched the ground, it evaporated into thin air. "Well that was cool," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, but not as neat as this," Spike grinned, holding up a pouch for her to see. "Mercenaries," he said by way of explanation. "Figured he might have a bit of…"

"Diamonds?" she gasped as she gazed into the small black pouch.

"Was going to say gold, but diamonds will do," Spike replied, bemused. "Wonder what the Governor wanted him for?" he asked aloud, his eyes narrowed in consideration. "Think it's something my conscience would twinge over?"

"I have a feeling yes," Buffy answered.

"Shame. If I took the job, we could end up with two of these," he said, jiggling the bag in the palm of his hand.

"We can't keep that! Can we?" she frowned. "It's like blood money. Blood diamonds".

Spike shrugged. "Not like we have anybody to return them to. Can always give 'em to charity, I guess".

"How much do you think…?"

"Couple thou, maybe. Not worth a lot, but nothing to sneeze at. Would help out with those student loans of yours".

Buffy eyed the bag. "Angel charges for his services…"

"Pillock," Spike muttered reflexively. "Not like you charge, though, is it? More like a bonus. For a job well done".

"You think it's right?"

Spike smiled in surprise. "You're asking me?"

"Well, duh. Didn't I just?"

"Yeah, Buffy. I think there's nothing wrong with keeping these. Just a perk of the job. Done it myself plenty of times, emptied the pockets of demons".

"Huh. How come I never thought of that before?"

"Too busy with the vanquishing, I suspect, to worry 'bout robbing them first".

"Well, now I am. You're a bad influence on me".

Spike made a disgusted noise. "Not bad to steal from the bad guys. Be like Robin Hood, wouldn't it?"

"Except for the steal from the evil and give to the me part of it".

"Told you, give it to a sodding charity if it bothers you so much".

Buffy slipped her hand in his. "No, I think you're right. I just need to consider it for a bit. Make sure it feels okay to me". They began to walk home through the dark, chilly night. "That was fun, wasn't it? We haven't seen much action in Sacramento".

"Nothing the two of us couldn't handle, that's for sure".

"Mmmm. I think I'll actually be happy to get back to the Hellmouth. Not that this hasn't been a nice interlude, but… without the slaying, there's only so much I can do to burn all this energy I have". She smiled playfully. "And we've already had to replace the bedframe twice in a month. Probably should give it a break".

Spike backed her up against a tree. "If you insist, Slayer".


"And the kitchen was so sweet," Buffy gushed. She'd been gushing non-stop over the flat they'd picked out, the whole drive back from Sunnydale to Sacramento.

"T'was," he agreed absently, amused by her enthusiasm. She was worked up over the idea of having her own place with him. Of being a grown-up, she'd said. It was times like this that Spike remembered how much longer he'd been alive than she had.

Buffy eventually fell quiet, leaning against him sleepily, soothed by the rumble of the car's engine. Spike smiled to himself as he pulled her closer. He'd never known happiness like this before. With Drusilla, he'd been excited, exhilarated, amused and more, but never this feeling of quiet contentment, that all was right with his world. Even with the guilt he'd been experiencing, he couldn't imagine his unlife being more perfect. So what if he'd had to wait 150 years to be truly happy. It was worth it.

He gave a sardonic chuckle. It was a good thing his soul wasn't a curse, else he'd have lost it a hundred times over by now.


"At the risk of ruining our moment of bliss, can I ask you something?"

Spike tensed slightly, intuiting that it would be nothing good, but he nevertheless answered, "Of course, kitten".

She shifted in his arms where they were curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace, watching the flames burn while the Christmas lights adorning the mantle winked softly.

"You said, before, when we were having our wedding thing-y, that everybody you loved was either there or dead. And I've been wondering… what happened to Drusilla?"

He closed his eyes, repressing the rush of pain he still felt at the memory of what he'd done. "I wouldn't have thought you'd want her there, pet".

"No. Of course not. I just… you were with her so long, surely you must wonder about her?"

"Don't need to wonder". He swallowed, then made himself say it. "I killed her".

"Oh!" Buffy moved to look up at him, her eyes wide. "Spike, I'm so sorry. When?"

"You're sorry?" he asked, confused.

"Well, not for her. But for you. I mean, I know you loved her. You were together for… geez, for five of my lifetimes. That's major. It must have been awful".

"You're bloody amazing, Buffy," he breathed, resting his forehead against hers, the guilt he felt over still mourning what he'd done to Drusilla suddenly melting away.

"I know," she teased. "Will you… can you talk about it?"

"You understand that what I felt for Dru is nothing compared to you, yeah?"

"And same for me and Angel. Not the point though. It still nearly destroyed me to send him to hell".

"Get that". Spike pulled her closer, as close as he could be without being inside of her. "It was that night. When she showed up at the hotel in New York. She was going to go after you and I knew… as long as she was around, you'd never be safe from her. Couldn't let that happen".

Saying it out loud, the pain lessened. It had been the only choice, and he didn't regret making it one bit.

"You never told me," Buffy said quietly. "All that time I thought… well… and you never said a thing to me about it".

"Would it have mattered?"

"Then? I don't know if I would have got it. What a big deal it was. But it still would have mattered. I can't believe you've kept it to yourself all this time". She squeezed him. "I'm sorry, Spike, I really am".


Buffy sat with Dawn in the food court of the mall, the remains of their mid-shopping pitstop spread out before them.

"So there's really a spare bedroom?"

"Yup. You can come visit us whenever you want".

"Hmm. Is the bedroom right next to yours? 'Cause I'm thinking, I'd never get any sleep".

"Dawn!" Buffy squeaked.

"What? Sometimes I can hear you from upstairs. Two floors up".

Buffy blushed furiously, mortified. "Really?" she asked in embarrassment.

Dawn took pity on her. "It was just that one day when it was hot and you had your windows open. And I did too. But still. I don't think old Mrs. Marley is ever going to look at the two of you the same again".

"Good thing we're leaving next week," Buffy muttered. "I'll never be able to look her in the eye again".

"Yeah. Just remember that for your new neighbours. You guys are loud".

"Thanks for the tip," she replied sourly.

Dawn shrugged and stood, throwing the trash away. "Come on. I still need to get a Christmas present for Spike. What did you get him?"

Buffy smiled and walked beside her. "A long time ago, he told me about this poetry book he'd had before he was turned, how he'd never been able to find another copy of it. I found a copy. Or, well. Giles did, back in England".

Dawn cocked her head, studying her sister. "Wow. Sometimes you can be really tuned in".

With a frown, Buffy asked, "What do you mean?"

"Just – look at you, with the big sensitive present. Not the you I'm used to".

Her eyes grew distant, thoughtful. "I know. It's just… he's like that, right? He makes me feel good when he sees what I need before I even do. Makes me want to try harder. I know I can be really self-centered, and I don't want to be around Spike". Her face grew softer. "He's always saying how I make him want to be a better man, but… he's making me a better person too".

Dawn interrupted her reverie. "You know you guys are setting me up for a lifetime of misery, don't you? My standards are too high now. I'll never find anybody who loves me as much as you two love each other".

Buffy came to with a startled glance at her sister. "Oh, Dawnie, don't say that. You're incredible. And some day – when you're very much older than you are now – you'll meet some guy who will sweep you off your feet. And you'll know he's the one when Spike doesn't go ballistic upon meeting him".

Dawn giggled. "Yeah. It's probably a good thing you guys are moving away. He scares all my dates off". She hesitated, then said, "So you guys are really good? All over the… past?"

Buffy gave her a sharp look. "I know you were into my diaries, peanut butter fingers. There were things in there…"

"Trust me, I'd blot them out of my mind if I could. But since I do already know everything that happened, you may as well talk to me. I – I love Spike too, you know. He was there for me when you were… gone. He's my… brother, I guess. And he's a long-haul kinda guy. You know that, right?"

She gave her not-so-little sister an appraising glance, and moved to sit on a nearby bench. "I do," Buffy agreed as Dawn sat beside her. "In the back of my mind, I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because, I'm happy, and that's just asking for trouble. There's a part of me that wants to hold back, so that when it does all go to hell I'm not crushed". She smiled wryly. "I'm like that. I pull back from people, expect to be on my own. But Spike's all in, and I have to make myself give him my everything in return. It's – he's good for me like that".

"Yeah. I get it". Dawn stood up abruptly. "Come on. I think I know what I want to get Spike now".


Buffy flopped back onto their bed with a huge sigh. "What was I thinking?" she wailed. "One week in and I already feel like I'm never going to catch up. I can't do college". She rolled over to look at Spike where he lay under the covers, sleepy and tousled. "Do you think I came back dumber?"

He smiled at her. "No, luv, I think you've been out of the game and it'll take a bit to settle back in". He pulled her bookbag towards him. "Now come on, let's get your homework done before we go patrol". He frowned at the biology textbook and set it aside, then held her history book aloft. "We'll have a go at this one".

Groaning, Buffy said, "Maybe we can do the stress-relief part first. Get me all non-stressy, and then I can be focus-y".

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "Much as I feel like the biggest poofter in history – no".

"No? What do you mean, no?"

"Because we've tried that for the last several days and that's why you're so far behind now. Homework first".

"Touchies first," Buffy pouted.

"Kitten…" Spike groaned.

"We'll set a time limit!" she promised. "Like ten… thirty minutes," she amended. "Then you can tie me down and make me do homework". She giggled at his face. "I lost you at tie me down, didn't I?"

"I… uh…" Spike shook his head. The idea of tying Buffy down was mixed in with all kinds of images in his head, memories mixed with remorse and desire. It wasn't somewhere he wanted to go with her, and he suspected that despite her light tone, she didn't either. "How 'bout this. We work for half an hour, then you get your thirty minutes if you've been a good girl".

"Meanie," Buffy stuck out her tongue, but she pulled her notebook out of her bag. "So the professor wants…"

Spike breathed an internal sigh of relief. He was supposed to be helping her get on with her life, not distracting her from it, but she made it hard to remember that when she so eagerly distracted herself.

He'd have to work harder at fitting himself back into human life. As a vampire, he'd spent his unlife doing whatever he wanted, in the pursuit of pleasure, and it was natural for him to fall back into that pattern. Sex, blood, violence, that was all that had mattered to him. Now he had to learn to care about homework and bills. It was a bit of a laugh, a vampire of his stature worrying about such mundane human issues, but it was a nothing of a thing if it meant having Buffy by his side.

He focused on what she was saying, nodding his understanding of the assignment. Pay attention, mate. The faster they got done, the more time for 'touchies' they'd have.

All in all, not a bad plan.


"So there's… nothing? No Big Bad to go after?" Buffy frowned. They were having their first Scooby meeting in the Magic Box, and she paced nervously, feeling as out of place as she had at school.

Willow shrugged apologetically. "Hate to say it, but those Council goons kept a pretty tight lid on everything. Of course, it was just your run-of-the-mill baddies as far as we know. I bet there was no way they could have dealt with a real threat," she offered.

"A-and, we'd rather have you than them," Tara added. "They creeped me out".

Anya shuddered visibly. "They did. I cannot tell you how often I caught them watching me. It's almost as if they knew what I was".

"But… nothing Big Bad-y?" Buffy asked again, slightly distressed. Here she was thinking she had a mission, and poof – no threats to fight. Almost as if she wasn't needed after all.

"Welllll…" Xander trailed off. "There have been some strange things, but nothing that we could pinpoint as demonic. Bank robbery, museum robbery, things like that".

Spike frowned, sitting up from the slouch he'd been engaged in. "What was stolen from the museum?"

"Some kind of crystal," Willow answered. "But not something with mystical properties as far as we could tell. It might just be… well, regular thieves".

"On the Hellmouth?" Buffy asked dubiously. "Since I've got nothing better to do I may as well look into it, make sure. Tell me everything you know".


"Petty crime is the worst I have to worry about? Makes me miss the days when you were the Big Bad," Buffy grumbled as they patrolled.

"Oi now! Still the Big Bad!"

She dropped her eyes pointedly. "Big, yes," she smiled. "Bad, not so much".

"Way to stroke a vamp's ego, Slayer".

"Thought you liked it better when I stroked other things".

"'Ve created a monster," he muttered.

"Yup!" she replied cheerfully. "You did. And you know you're all proud of yourself, so quit your complaining". She bumped her shoulder against him. "I know you're a big softie under all that bleach and attitude".

"That's the last time I read you poetry when you can't sleep," Spike complained, fighting off a smile nevertheless.

They strolled along quietly for a while, until Spike perked up, brow furrowed. "This way," he said softly, and they wound amongst the tombstones, going more slowly once the sound of chanting was distinguishable to Buffy's ears.

They crept forward together and peered around a crypt. "Hey, that's Jonathon!" Buffy exclaimed quietly.

"And robot-boy, what's his name?" Spike said.

"Warren," she supplied. "And – no wait, I don't know who the other one is. Doesn't matter, I'm thinking chanting in the graveyard is nothing good. It's time to bust up this party".

She strode forward, Spike hanging back on a hunch.

"Jonathon! I thought you were over doing spells," Buffy ground out, pulling the startled boy up by his ear.

"Buffy!" he squeaked. "You're – oh my God you're not dead! I'm so glad!" He'd turned to pull her into an emotional embrace, but the furious 'Hey!' from Warren made him stop. "I mean – we are Sunnydale's Masters now. You stand no chance against us!" he brayed in a voice that betrayed the confidence he was trying to project.

"Nice job, numb nuts," the one they didn't know muttered.

"Dude, she's the Slayer," Jonathon hissed. "And – it's Buffy!"

She almost would have smiled if it hadn't been so pathetic.

Jonathon still firmly in her grasp, she reached down for the other one and hauled him up. "And who are you?"

"I'm Andrew. Wells," he added importantly as it got no reaction. "Hello, the flying monkeys at the school play?" When Buffy still showed no signs of recognition, he sighed. "Tucker's brother".

That sparked something. "Hellhound Tucker?" She shook them both. "What are you boys doing here?"

"We're busy. And it's not your concern!" Tucker's brother said with a whine. "We're the masters of Sunnydale and you have no business here".

Buffy looked at the black candles and the symbols drawn on the cemetery lawn – and was that in blood? "You made it my business when you started working spells in a graveyard". Realizing something, she said, "Where's-".

"Right here, luv," Spike answered, Warren in his grasp, squirming pointlessly.

"Dude, I think that's Spike," Jonathon whispered.

"Of course it is," Warren hissed back.

"Right here, you gits. And yeah, I'm Spike. The biggest, baddest, truest master you'll ever meet. So if you don't want to end up as my dinner," he threatened, vamping, "you'll start spilling before your blood does".

Jonathon swallowed. "Buffy won't let you…"

She winked at Spike over their heads. "Don't be so sure. How do you know Spike here hasn't lured me over to the dark side with his sinister attraction?" The blond boy's eyes roved over the vampire appreciatively, and Buffy shook him slightly, his creepy once over triggering her possessiveness.

"You heard Spike. Talk". Warren and the other kid were silent, while Jonathon opened his mouth to say something then snapped it shut at Warren's glare.

"Here honey, you can have this one to eat," she said, shoving Tucker's brother at him. "Jonathon and I are going to have a little chat. Catch up on old times".

Buffy hauled him away, around the side of the crypt where he couldn't see the others. "Spill it".

Jonathon gulped. "Look, I didn't mean for things to get this far, okay? We teamed up to get rich, but then… and it was too late for me to back out and now I'm stuck".

Sighing, Buffy said, "Stuck with what? Come on Levinston, you know better than to hold out on me".

He darted a frightened glance around the side of the crypt, then whispered, "We killed a girl. By mistake. Warren's ex-girlfriend".

"Katrina?" she interrupted.

"Yes, her. And instead of doing the right thing, Warren made us cover it up. I – I didn't want to, but he talked me into it, and now… it's gone to his head. Getting away with murder. He's… well, he's scaring me, but I can't say no". He looked down, ashamed. "C-can you help me, Buffy?"`

She started to respond, but then an intense light coming from the side of the crypt momentarily distracted her, leaving her head fuzzy. 'Warren is my Master' flitted through her head, but she banished it with quick shake.

"Oh crap," Jonathon said.

"What?"

"Warren must have used the dampener. On Spike". He cringed at her look and hurried to explain. "It makes a person subservient. So now Spike will do whatever he says".

"Warren is his master," she repeated dully.

"Until it wears off. He boosted the dampener's power, but since Spike is a vampire I don't know how long it will last…"

"Crap," she echoed as Spike's enraged snarl came closer to her. "I can hold him off, but I'd rather not have to protect you too". She took in Jonathon's short stature. "How are you at running?" He gave her a dismayed look. "Get yourself someplace safe, find me tomorrow. How about the UC Sunnydale commons? At nine?"

He nodded and set off. Buffy turned just in time to see Spike lunging at her, Warren standing far behind him.

"Kill her!" Warren commanded.