A/N : Wow, so many reviews! Thanx you guys, you totally rock - SpIkEs AnGeL, bherycherry, SouthernRain, Azrielle, mar, Atterb, RougeCrayon, Rachel/rarachie, Spoiler Babe, spikewuvsbuffy, LunarFaerie, Spikes Bint. I know Angel dying was a shock and it was kinda disturbing how most poeple were glad about that, but Angel was totally mean and nasty in this fic. I could never kill the real Angel, cos usually I kinda like him, even if he is lame and his hair grows straight up and sometimes he's bloody stupid ;-) Anyway, here's the next chaper, which I apologise for in advance, but please keep in mind tht there are only two chapters to go and I did promise you a happy Spuffy ending, didn't I? Keep on reviewing please! :-)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 22 - Not Again!

"Buffy?" Spike prompted some kind of reaction from the silent girl who sat staring at a non-existent spot about a foot above the carpet.

"Angel's gone?" she said in monotone "Really? Forever?" she turned her head slightly to look at him and he nodded in response.

"Yes, luv" he said gently, not sure exactly what her reaction was going to be. He wasn't wholly surprised when she burst into tears and collapsed into his arms sobbing.

"It's okay, sweetheart" he told her, rubbing a hand on her back in a soothing motion, holding onto her as she held onto him as if her life depended on it. He understood why she was upset really, she had loved the ponce after all, even if he had treated her appallingly. As her tears soaked through yet another of his shirts, Spike spared a thought for Darla. What that poor cow must have gone through being married to that bugger, but well done to her for finally bringing him down in a literal sense, at least he wouldn't hurt anyone else now.

"I'm sorry" he heard Buffy choke out and that just confused him. He held her tighter as he replied.

"Shush now, pet. You've got nothing to be sorry for" he assured her.

"I have" she protested, her sobs finally subsiding for a second as she sniffed loudly and moved to look at him "I'm so sorry and for so many things"

Spike couldn't help but smile, she looked so incredibly innocent and lost. All he wanted to do was be allowed to love her like he really wanted to and it was killing him that he couldn't. Still, he had the opportunity to make her feel better, if not himself.

"It's okay" he told her "it doesn't matter now, none of it does"

She looked thoughtfully at him before swallowing hard.

"You always understand"

"I try to..." he shrugged but never finished his sentence as Buffy's lips crashed into his. He didn't kiss her back, he was too shocked, instead he just leant back on the sofa until she became detached from his face.

All Spike could do was look at his friend in amazement and confusion as she tried to catch her breath.

"Spike..." she whispered his name and moved towards him again, the want in her eyes made him feel less good than it might have yesterday. She'd lost Angel, for good this time, that was why she wanted him he was sure. In seconds, Spike was on his feet.

"What the hell...?!" he couldn't form a whole sentenced, too shocked and disgusted that she could use him like this all over again "I can't believe you'd...I can't, I just, I can't" he ended lamely, grabbing his jacket and speeding out of the door as fast as he could, leaving a tearful and equally hurt and confused Buffy in his wake.

Knocking. Yes, someone was definitely knocking on something, possibly the door, Xander guessed as his sleep filled brain came back to reality. Willow's eyes opened and she sat up sharply as the sound reached her ears too.

"What's going on?" she asked a still half-asleep Xander. He just groaned as the noise continued.

"Just ignore it" he told her, encouraging her body back down next to his. He pulled her close and started to kiss her, but the person at the door refused to be ignored.

"Xander!" a voice joined the thumping of a fist on wood and suddenly Xander and Willow were both very awake.

"Spike?" Xander called as he hopped out of bed and pulled on his pants.

"Yeah mate, it's me" came Spike's voice, sounding decidedly pained "Can I come in?"

Xander shot a frantic look at Willow who jumped from the bed and threw on her clothes as quickly as she could.

"Just a second" Xander called to his bleach blond friend beyond the door, as he buttoned his shirt and tossed Willow her bra which he discovered between his left shoe and his underwear on the bedroom floor. Almost running to the front door and slightly out of breath, the brunette was confronted by Spike's back.

"Hey" he smiled until his friend turned around and he saw tear tracks down the man's cheeks, something he had seen no more than two or three times in the ten years or more that they'd known each other "What's wrong?" he gasped "Is it Buffy?"

"I'm such an idiot" came Spike's response as he stumbled into the apartment and landed on the sofa, running his hands back through his hair and looking like more tears could come at any moment. Xander looked to Willow as she exited the bedroom, arranging her hair. She'd heard what had been said and was so worried about her friend, but still there was a little voice in the back of head that said 'if he's so upset, at least he won't notice I just came out of Xander's bedroom looking dishevelled at eight thirty in the morning'

"What happened, Spike?" the red-head asked with concern as she came to sit beside him.

"It's that wanker Angel" he laughed humourlessly as he explained "still screwing up stuff for us even from six feet bleedin' under"

"Six feet und-...he's...?" Xander stammered, reality sinking in and shock taking over.

"Dead? Yeah, and I can't say I'm sorry, I hated the bloody ponce" Spike snorted, but sadness soon covered his features and cracked his voice again as he talked of Buffy "I thought she did too now but...I thought it was different..."

As his head went into his hands again, Xander stepped toward Willow, put a hand on her arm and silently gestured for her to come across the room with him.

"I'm gonna go check on Buffy" he whispered so that Spike wouldn't hear.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked him "Maybe I should go"

"You can't drive sweetie" Xander smiled at her eagerness to help "I can get there faster, and someone has to stay with Spike" he reasoned.

Willow agreed to the plan with a nod of her head but frowned as she glanced between her almost-in-tears friend, and her somewhat-secret boyfriend.

"What will you say to Buffy?" she asked Xander who shook his head in response.

"Hard to know, depends how upset she is...I still don't get why Spike's so upset about it" he frowned, it was a mystery, should he not be glad that Angel's finally gone for good? Something else must have happened...

"Spike" Willow called to him, as he looked up she gently asked "what exactly happened?"

Swallowing hard and breathing deeply, desperate not to cry like a poofter on his friends, the bleach blond explained.

"Got a letter from the git's wife, Buffy did" he told them "She cried over the ponce and then...God I can't believe she'd do that to me again, not after last time. I could never use her like that, but she..." he trailed off, staring into space, with a look on his face like he was trying to work out the most complicated of puzzles.

"She didn't try to...oh no" Willow gasped as she realised what he meant.

"Not again!" Xander groaned, it was getting ridiculous! He loved his friends, he really did, but if they didn't fix this situation soon he was going to scream and smack their heads together in the hope some sense might get knocked in.

"She wouldn't Xan" Willow protested Buffy's innocence "not after last time, not unless-"

"She loves him back?" the brunette interrupted "For real this time, like us?" the idea did seem plausible. Neither of them could believe that Buffy would risk her friendship with Spike again, not unless it was to move onto something greater.

"Exactly" Willow nodded, it was the only explanation "and I'll bet she thinks he hates her now" her triumphant smile turned into a frown at the realisation "You think we can fix this?" she asked her boyfriend, who dared to kiss her fast while Spike wasn't looking.

"Cupid, pull back your bow" he said quietly to the red-head, picking up his jacket and keys "cos I think we're gonna try"

To Be Continued...