A/N: The End is Nigh! This is the penultimate chapter. The next one will be the last!...probably. Just like SMG I never say never. Read on, gentle viewers....

Spike felt Buffy's arm drop from around his waist and he instantly felt ten times worse. A demon had just crawled up through his body and out of his mouth and the thing that made him feel really bad? The Slayer's touch being withdrawn. She was obviously embarrassed by him, he turned and looked at her but she kept her face turned towards her friends, never once even glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

Buffy was covered in cuts and bruises and she held her arm around her ribs as if she was in a lot of pain. He wanted to reach over and comfort her but knew she did not want that. She was ashamed by what had happened last night.

Spike felt his shoulders sag. It's not like he should have expected anything different. Buffy was prone to breaking his heart. He should have known better than to hope for something more.

Giles was staring at him with a withering glare and the vampire felt like giving him the V sign. Bloody judgmental bastard.

Dawn and Willow were both looking at Buffy and the Slayer opened and closed her mouth like a ventriloquist dummy but not a word left her lips.

"Buffy," Dawn said softly "It's okay. It's not like you have to explain to us –"

"I'm..." The Slayer started, paused, "I'm hurt. I think...I think I need to have a shower"

Giles took a step towards her "Yes, of course. We should also tend to your wounds"

"Later. I just need to shower"

"Need any help?" Xander asked then blinked, stammered "Uh...not with the showering part! But with the walking up the stairs. Need someone to lean on?"

Buffy smiled a little "No, thanks. I'm gonna go to the guesthouse. I think Andrew needs the house bathroom more then me. He looks like he's about to pee his pants"

"Hey!" Andrew cried.

With that the Slayer turned and hobbled out of the room leaving Spike to stand in front of the Scoobies alone.

Dawn spoke first "Are you okay, Spike? I mean, there was that whole giving birth through your mouth thing..."

"Eww!" Xander gagged.

Spike was looking at the door Buffy had just vacated, he answered without his eyes straying "I'll be alright, little bit"

Willow stood shakily "Uh, Spike, there's something I need to talk to you about –"

"Later," Spike said as he grabbed the large blanket from the floor and walked out of the room and into the kitchen following the Slayer.

The sun was still shining brightly outside so Spike through the blanket over him and though he was in no physical state to run he did so because he had to find Buffy. He ran out of the back door and over the gravel towards the guesthouse. The bright sunlight was so warm through the blanket and the vampire was already feeling queasy enough. When he made it to the door he fell though onto the floor of the living room coughing deeply. Smoke wafted off his body and the room filled with the scent of singed flesh.

If Buffy heard his entrance she did not come down to greet him. Spike could hear her moving about upstairs, drawers being open and closed, feet stamping along the floorboards. Sometimes Buffy could be elegant and dainty but sometimes she could sound like an elephant on speed.

He loved both sides of her.

Spike picked himself off the floor and walked slowly and carefully up the stairs. He knocked on the door to Buffy's bedroom. Getting no response he shrugged and entered anyway. The bedroom was empty. Discarded clothes lay on the floor; crinkled and bloody from her injuries. The scent of Slayer blood was intoxicating but Spike paid it no mind.

He could hear the shower running in the en suite bathroom. Spike walked to the door and leant his forehead against the polished wood.

"Buffy" He spoke softly.

There was no answer.

"Buffy" Spike said a little louder, standing up straight again, worried.

Still no answer.

Right then. He was going in. Spike tried the door but it was locked. He took a few steps back and then ran at it full speed. The door splintered and flung open. He wasn't entirely sure what he had expected to see but Buffy standing in front of the shower door, a towel wrapped around her collarbone with her back to him wasn't it. He had expected to find her passed out, or in some sort of emotional distress. She hadn't even flinched when the door had burst open.

"Buffy?" Spike took a cautious step towards her.

Her shoulders tensed.

"Are you alright? Should I get Giles or –"

"No" She said voice just above a whisper "I'm fine"

Spike took another step towards her "You don't seem fine"

She sighed "Maybe fine isn't the right word"

He carefully laid a hand on her shoulder; she shivered "I understand"

"What? What do you understand?" She glanced at him over her shoulder before turning back.

"You're embarrassed about what happened between us," Spike closed his eyes, a sharp stabbing pain in his heart "About it being me"

"No" Buffy said clearly, turning around to face him, "It's because it wasn't you"

Spike opened his eyes; saw that the Slayer had been crying "What?"

"That demon...it told me. It said that it wasn't you last night," She took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped out of the reach of his hand "That I was stupid enough to believe that it would let you be in control. But it wasn't you, was it? It was the demon. It was the demon when I...when we..."

"No!" Spike said forcefully making Buffy jump a little, he laid both hands on her shoulders "I don't care what this sodding demon told you. It was me that night. And it was me the morning after. I don't know why I was able to get control but I did. Yeah, the demon was there but only in the back of my mind. Nothing could have taken my attention away from you"

Buffy tilted her head "Don't lie to make me feel better"

"I'm not!" Spike shook her again "You know better than to think I would lie to make anyone feel better. I'm an insensitive bastard" He gave her a grin.

Buffy smiled a little unable to help herself "Then why did it say –"

"Because it wanted to hurt you. It saw it was gonna die and it thought 'right then, I'll take her down with me'" He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger "'Cos that's what demons do. You know this, Slayer"

She nodded slowly "I know. I know I do. But...when it comes to this...to us...I'm kind of..."

"Blind as a bat?" Spike offered, eyebrow arched.

Buffy glared "...vulnerable"

"Ah, right," He nodded sagely "Well, me too"

She smiled "Yeah, I know. I shouldn't have left you in there. I'm sorry"

"S'alright I'm used to being under group scrutiny. Does the soul good," He smiled back "Just so long as we got this sorted?"

"Check. Vulnerable Buffy deleted" She nodded then turned her back on him "And now I must shower!"

Spike pressed himself against her from behind "Want some company?" He leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder.

"Let me think about that..." Buffy turned back, grinned and pulled him into the shower with her fully clothed.

Not that he minded.

---------------------------------------

About an hour or so later when both Buffy and Spike's skin had started to go all prune-y they had left the shower for the dryness of the bedroom. Buffy was pacing the room in a blue plaid robe that might have at one time belonged to Giles, she was jabbering on about taking Spike to London and that she expected him to show her all his old haunts.

Spike lay on the bed in a pair of old pajama bottoms that had also probably belonged to Giles. He never took his eyes off of Buffy, his arm tucked under his head to keep him half-propped up.

"Oh! We should go to Madame Tussauds! They have some cool wax models there. But, then again, knowing my luck they would all come alive and try and eat my arm or something..." Buffy was still yammering.

He loved her for it.

There was a knock at the door.

Buffy glanced at Spike and raised her eyebrows before calling "Come in"

The door opened slowly and Willow stepped in looking mighty embarrassed to be there. She first noticed Buffy then her gaze fell on Spike in the bed and she quickly looked away back to the Slayer.

"Willow, hey" Buffy walked over and sat on the side of the bed.

"Hey. Are you two healing any better?"

"Yup. Perks of Slayerdom" Buffy looked at Spike "And Vampiredom"

Willow smiled, pushed her hair back behind her ears "Uh, the reason I came over was...I've got something to tell you both"

"You're not really gay?" Spike offered.

Willow scowled "No. And be nice, Mister! This benefits you"

Spike put his hands up "Sorry. Do tell, Red"

"Okay" She nodded and began to pace the room much like Buffy had been doing earlier "So, I called Fred to get a cure for you – oh and Spike, she says to call her – "

"Will do" He nodded.

"Right, anyway. So she zapped us over a couple of vials of antidote. One was to turn you back into a vampire" Willow paused.

Buffy reached over and took Spike's hand "Willow, the suspense is killing us"

"Not me" Spike said,

"Not Spike" Buffy nodded.

"I'm immortal" He informed the witch.

Willow glared "Guys!"

"Sorry" They both chorused.

"Right," She took a deep breath "And the other vial it was to turn you...human"

Buffy's hand started to squeeze his painfully.

Spike gulped "Human?"

A/N: Gasp! Shudder! You all totally saw that coming, right? Sometimes I'm SO predictable. As always I beg for your wonderful reviews. You'd make a young girl very happy.