Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, or any of the text from the episode.

Buffy ran; she had never run faster in her life. She had to get to the park. She had to tell him. She couldn't let him leave. He had to know how she felt about him. She had to get there in time.

Riley stood there, please let her come, he needed her, he needed her to come and tell him that she wanted him to stay.

Buffy looked at her watch, she could make it in five minutes, she was sure that's eh could.

Riley looked up and saw Buffy. He blinked a few times, he had prayed that she would come but he hadn't actually let himself think that she would. Riley ran from the helicopter and threw his arms around the tiny girl.

Buffy held Riley tight to her. She had made it.

Spike watched from the corner of the park. She had made her choice then. He had seen the elation on the soldiers face as he held the girl that Spike was in love with. Spike wanted to go over there and kill them both, and he wanted to go over there and tell the boy to take good care off her. He wanted to tell Buffy that he loved her. He did none of the above; he just waked back to his crypt and started packing.

Riley pulled back, "I thought for a minute then that you weren't going to come. I thought that you . . ."

Buffy touched Riley's face, "There's something that I have to tell you."

Riley smiled, "You can tell me anything." Riley lowered his head to kiss her, "What do you think? Think you can forgive me?"

Buffy pulled away, "I think . . .I think that you should get on that plane."

"What?"

Riley had gone very pale, "I'm sorry Riley. Everything you said was true. I don't . . . I can't need you. I never really gave everything about me to you. It's not because I didn't care about you. You were so good to me. And I know that what I'm saying hurts you, but I have to tell you. We could go back to pretending, and then we'd be here again in a few months, I don't want to go through that and I don't want to put you through it."

Riley stared at her for a second, "Why? Why did you let me think that you loved me for so long and why can't we make it work now?"

Buffy bit her lip, "I wanted to love you. So bad. You were everything that I had wanted for so long and I finally had it. I didn't want to let you or that dream go forever I wasn't even sure that I could. But no matter how much I wanted a normal relationship with a normal person, I'm not normal. Every time I try to cling to something normal it disappears or dies, and I know why now."

"Then could you tell me?"

"Because I don't fit with normal. I'll never be normal. I need to stop looking for what I think I need and hold on to what I do need. I'm sorry." Buffy pointed to the helicopter, "They need you Riley. You can make a difference. You can do so much good. I'll never forget you. Your special and you will make someone very happy. It just wasn't meant to be me."

Riley nodded his head as he cried. He leaned down and hugged the small woman. Buffy kissed him on the cheek. He touched her face and then he turned and walked back over to the helicopter. Climbing in he looked back to her. He felt such an urge to run back, shake her and tell her they'd make it work, but for the first time, he knew that they wouldn't make it work, they couldn't. Buffy waved him off as he left.

Buffy ran again. She felt so good. She was going to have to buy Xander a present or something. Granted he thought that he was talking about Riley, but as far as she was concerned, he had told her what she needed to tell Spike.

Buffy pushed open the door to the crypt, "Spike? Spike where are you? Spike are you here?" Buffy looked over and around and saw that the chest was open. She bent over the open box and saw that it was empty. Buffy felt a horrible sick feeling rise in her throat, she jumped down to the bottom level of the crypt and saw that everything was gone. All his clothes. The linen. Everything. Buffy put her hand to her stomach. Oh God, he had left. Buffy quickly climbed out of the basement and ran. She got to the edge of the cemetery and saw that Spike's car was gone.

Buffy was in a kind of trance. Tears were streaming down her face and she could barely see where she was going. She stumbled down the street. She was just glad that Dawn was staying at Willow and Tara's tonight and her mom was still at hospital. She could just have tonight. To be sad and depressed. To cry. Buffy noticed that she was at the top of Revello Drive. Turning she began to fumble through her pockets for her key to the front door. Buffy looked up and saw a black car parked outside her house, a Desoto. Spike's Desoto. Buffy's heart leapt. He couldn't be here could he? She saw him. He was pushing something through her letterbox. She tried to make her eyes believe what she was seeing. Spike turned and saw her, "I'm just going Slayer."

Buffy hurried forward, "Going? Why? Why would you go without telling me first?"

"I just dropped a note through your door pet to let you know."

"Spike I don't want you to go. I want you to stay."

Spike smiled a little bitterly, "I saw you at the park pet. You made your choice."

Buffy reached out and took his hand, "You're right I did but I didn't choose Riley."

"What?"

"I went to tell him. He's gone I told him to go away with the military. They wanted him back. I told him to go with them. They need him. I don't."

Spike felt himself shake, "Who do you need pet."

Buffy slipped her arms around her neck, "I need you. I love you."

Spike pushed her away and held her by the shoulders, "Say it again."

Buffy smiled and bit her lip a little, "I love you."

Spike pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Buffy moaned into his kiss and slipped her hands under his duster. "Are you coming in?"

Spike lifted his eyebrows, "That's an interesting offer."

Buffy's mouth opened in shock "You pig Spike!"

"You want me to go?" The look on Spike's face showed that the question didn't need asking.

"Didn't say that."

Spike threw Buffy over his shoulder as she squealed. "Well, then you're stuck with me for the night."

Buffy giggles, "Spike put me down. Put me down right now."

Spike stopped at the door, "Give me your key."

Laughing Buffy slipped her hand in her pockets and at last found key, "Here."

Spike opened the door with Buffy still over his shoulder, kicked it shut behind him and climbed the stairs.

He carried her into her room and span around pretending to check the room over, "Yes this'll do very well."

Buffy pinched his ass, "Down Spike go down. I'm getting dizzy."

Spike smiled and dropped her gently on the bed, "Down?"

Buffy smiled back, "Yes"

Spike nodded and undid her pants. "Whatever you say pet."