A N -: (Ok, so I took out the part about Xander, Connor and Angel appearing in the plaza as well 'cos I wanted to focus mainly on the Spuffiness. That's all that I changed in the previous chapter. Dawn is still there however.)

Buffy pulled back from the kiss as she and Spike stood up. Dawn ran over to her sister and held her in a crushing hug. "Don't ever do that again" she cried. They turned around to the spirits of their friends. "I'm guessing you guys had something to do with this" she smiled at them as she and Dawn helped Spike over towards them. He was badly beaten up from his fight with Wolfram and still weak from where he had tried to take Spike's heart.

"You could say that. Plus the Powers That Be wanted you both to remain on this earth and continue the fight against evil. You two are the strongest defenders of all that is good, that they have ever had." Cordy informed them.

"Well sooner or later they'll have to find a new defender in my place when I get too old to fight." Buffy said.

"That's not going to happen" Tara told her. On Buffy's questioning look she added, "Haven't you noticed how in the past few years you haven't aged a day since we resurrected you."

"Not really. I just thought I had a damn good moisturiser" Buffy smiled. Tara continued. "Well if someone is restored to life then they no longer age as a human does. You will age, only slower. Every fifty years you will have aged only one human year." "However you are still mortal, in the sense that you can be killed, just not by old age." Fred added.

Buffy looked astonished, as did Spike, but he couldn't complain. He had always feared, ever since he had fallen in love with Buffy, that he would have to watch her grow old and die, and he didn't know if he could take that.

"Yes, so that means you can have lots and lots of sex for hundreds of years without losing any of your vitality" Anya smiled. "I am going to pretend I heard none of that Anya" Joyce informed her.

Their attention turned to the right as Willow came slowly over, not believing what she was seeing. "Tara? Baby?" she whispered, tears in her eyes. "It's me Willow." She told her quietly. "Oh Tara, I love you so much" she didn't know how she was here, only that Tara's spirit was here and she had to tell her before she went away. "I'm so sorry. You must be so ashamed of me." Willow whispered. "Why?" Tara asked. "For everything I did after you died. Losing control, killing Warren. You warned me that the magick's would hurt me, but I just lost control. I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me" Willow sobbed. "Of course I do baby. I love you." Tara told her as a blue light started to form around her and the other spirits.

"Well time's up guys" Cordy said. They all started to disappear before them.

Spike, Buffy, Dawn and Willow, all stood mesmerised at the scene before them. As the spirits disappeared Xander appeared in the plaza having only just regained consciousness. "What'd I miss" he said breathlessly. "It's a long story." Buffy said "Buffy died, came back as a spirit, destroyed Wolfram, was made human again and informed she would no longer age like humans do." Spike informed him. "Ok not that long." Buffy said. Xander looked back over his shoulder up at Buffy's broken window. "How long was I up there?!" He asked himself.

"Buffy looked over to the horizon and saw the sun rising. "We need to get inside. I'm not having you burn to a crisp after everything we've been through tonight." Buffy said. "It doesn't seem like only one night. My god, I've lost you three times in, what, less than six hours." He said as he stopped to look at her. "I've lost you twice" she told him. "Twice?" he asked puzzled. "Once, when you got eaten by that dragon, and then again when Wolfram made you sign that contract so I would live. That's enough for one lifetime." She smiled at him.

"Ok we've all missed something major here" Willow said as they reached the inside of the apartment complex. "Maybe we'll tell you about it sometime. But now, I just wanna sleep for a week. I've fought in an apocalypse, been tortured almost to death, died and been brought back. Again. Ok make that two weeks." Buffy sighed as she rested her head on Spikes shoulder, while still helping him up the stairs into her apartment. "Ok we've missed a lot" Xander muttered.

They turned the corner onto the corridor that lead to Buffy's apartment and saw a very pissed off looking Mr Fabio, the owner of the apartment building. "Excuse me Miss Summers, would you mind explaining what in god's name had happened here." He cried, directing towards the remains of the door and the window leading outside. "Not now Mr Fabio" Buffy said wearily. "Oh I think now it the perfect opportunity." He really reminded her of Principal Snyder, perhaps this was him reincarnated. "Look, I've had a god awful night and I really don't want to deal with this now." She said as she walked past him. He went to stop her, but Spike grabbed his arm. "Lay one finger on her and you won't live to regret it" Spike told him as he followed Buffy into her apartment. Willow stood in front of Mr. Fabio and put her hand to his temple. "Erasio" she muttered. He stood there, staring into space. "Now, there is nothing wrong with the door or anything else in the apartment. You will not harass Buffy again." She went to head into the apartment, then turned back. "oh and you will decrease her rent as well" she smiled to her self and went back inside.

"Looks like you're gonna be confined to Buffy's room till the sun goes down Spikey" Xander said. "Ok, I've just realised how that can be a very good thing to you guys, so just pretend I didn't say anything." He turned his attention to the broken window. "ah, just like old times" he muttered to himself as Buffy and Spike headed for her bedroom, Willow and Dawn collapsed on the sofa.

Buffy kicked the door closed behind her as she helped Spike over to her bed. He sat down on the edge as she sat next to him and lay back, exhausted. "Oh thank god for bed's" she sighed as Spike took his duster off and lay down next to her. "Definitely one of god's greater creations" he agreed.

Buffy propped herself up on her elbow, resting her head on her hand. She ran her other hand tenderly down the side of his face as he stared deeply into her eyes. He pulled her down to him, capturing her lips in a heart searing kiss. He ran his hands over her body as she winced in pain. He pulled back abruptly. "What's wrong" he asked, fear in his eyes. "Oh, apparently the whole becoming a spirit, and then human again thing doesn't heal up old torture wounds." She moaned. "They're not as bad as they were, 'cos of the slayer healing thing but they still hurt.". She told him. "He lifted her shirt to look at the wounds. They had healed over, but tender, deep red marks were left in their place. He brought his lips gently down to one of them and kissed it ever so softly. He looked up at Buffy. "Sleep. It'll help." He whispered to her. She lay back on the pillow as Spike used his lips to sooth the pain away whilst Buffy stroked his hair leisurely.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep she whispered "Come here" to him and he moved to lie next to her. She rolled over on to her front as she laid her head on his chest. She placed her right leg in between Spike's as he rested his head on the top of hers. She took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his, trying to get as close to him as possible. She felt the safest she had ever been. "I love you Spike" Buffy whispered. "I love you Buffy" was his reply, as sleep washed over them both.

OK so that's the LAST chapter. I hope you liked the ending!