Spike stood in front of the funeral home, he didn't like this, he didn't want this. He saw Dawn standing outside the door, she was wearing a small black dress with short sleeves, and her hair blew in the wind and whipped around her face. Her face was a pale, tear stained her flushed cheeks, as did his.

He walked over to his princess, the one he promised to protect and smiled softly down at the crying girl as she ran into his arms. "I'm glad you came." She whispered.

Spike sighed heavily, "Me too." He told her holding the shaking girl, he ran his hands threw her hair trying to calm her. He said it out loud and it scared him, he wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to lose her... not yet... not ever.

Dawn latched her hand in his and smiled up at him, "Come inside?" Dawn asked and she saw the fear in his eyes. "It'll be okay." She promised.

Spike nodded and followed the girl into the funeral house; he walked to the big red doors, he sighed looking at the board in the front of the door, 'Buffy Anne Summers, may her Soul rest in Peace.' He felt another tear roll down her cheek. He quickly whipped it away.

"She would have wanted you hear." Dawn whispered and looked up at her 'big brother'.

Spike took a deep, unneeded breath. Dawn pushed the doors open and let go of him and ran to Willow. He looked everywhere but the coffin, the coffin with the woman he loved lying lifelessly in it. He finally looked up and saw the flowers, thousands of flowers surrounding her, her body was pale, he could feel the coldness coming off of her, even in death she was breathtaking, her hair curved around her face, her hands folded over her stomach. He didn't want to be here but at the same time didn't want to leave her. Pretending she was just sleeping. 'Come on, love, wake up...' He begged.

He cursed at himself, leaving the roses he brought in the car... he walked back toward the door and out of the room, for a second thinking about the thousands of people he made feel this way, the thousands of people he made hate themselves because someone they loved was taken away from them. He pushed the thoughts away and started to the car when he got to the parking lot he noticed Angel and Cordelia come out of a car and walk to him.

"What are you doing here?" Angel growled at his childe.

Spike looked at angel, he knew he looked like a wreck, his eyes were welling with tears and he didn't care. "Not now." Spike growled back. For the first time in so long his grandsire had no impact on him.

Angel growled low in his throat when Spike pushed past him he grabbed him by the arm and pushed him back, "You better not go back in there," Angel warned.

Spike gave Angel a deadly look, "Look, I'm not going to fight you, not today." He said walking past him again.

Angel was about to say something but Cordelia stopped him, "Angel, he's going threw everything we are... maybe more." She said calmly, "Just leave him."

Angel growled again and walked into the home.

Spike walked to the car grabbed the flowers out of the front seat and sighed, looking back at the funeral house. He gulped; he needed to be strong about this... he was going to be. He walked back into the home clutching the flowers in a bruising grip. He walked into the room watching as the family and friends gathered around the girl.

He noticed Angel and Cordy took a seat next to Willow and Xander as they cried together. He stood there more alone then he'd ever felt before. He walked slowly up to the coffin placing the roses next to his princess. "Hey, love." He said softly looking down at her. "I just uh... wanted to thank you." He said softly. "For every thing. I wish I was someone you could have wanted here." He said softly chocking on each word, "But, love, you have to know how much I've missed you and... you've hardly been gone." Said Spike, "I want you to know that my promise to you, with Dawn, I'll look after her... with my life." He promised, "I wont mess up again, love, I promise." He said softly.

Willow saw Spike and smiled softly threw tears, she stood up and walked over to the vampire she laid and assuring hand on his shoulder, "Hey." She whispered.

Spike turned to her and for the first time Willow said it, the vulnerability in his eyes, he was scared, lonely, and emotional. "Hey, Red." He said softly not letting himself cry in front of her. "Don't worry." He said taking a deep breath. "I was just leaving."

"You don't have to." Willow whispered, "You should stay, for the speeches."

Spike gulped not sure how long he could take anymore of this. He nodded softly.

Dawn moved to the small booth next to the coffin, "Hey, everyone." She said taking a deep breath. "Some of you know me as her sister, and others don't know me at all." Dawn said softly "To be truthful when I was asked to do a speech I didn't want to, knowing how much it would hurt, and it does." She said tears slipping down her slippery cheeks. "I woke up this morning knowing she wasn't in the next room, she wasn't there to boss me around and tell what to do." Dawn explained, "And it... it hurts so much." "She was amazing, I was always majorly jealous of her, she had everything I wanted, the friends, boyfriend, superpowers." Dawn chocked out. "And she was always complaining, she had everything I could want and I could never understand how she could be so upset." Dawn paused, "So much happened in such a big blur." She explained looking down at her sister, "She was always there for me. She died so I wouldn't have to, so I could live on." Dawn looked up at the audience, "So all of us can live in this world she fought to protect." Dawn cried, "You might think Glory killed her, but she didn't." Dawn said, "She didn't." Dawn sobbed, "glory had not one bit of power over my sister, my sister was a champion."

Spike smiled softly.

"She loved you all," Dawn told them, "She told me to take care of you, just like she did... but I don't think I can do that." Dawn said softly, "Not like she did." Dawn smiled threw the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks, "I don't really know what else to say." She said frustrated looking down at the wrinkled piece of paper in front of her, "Nothing I wrote was really good enough." She explained, "I've tried."

Dawn walked off of the podium and over to the CD player and pressed play and a song started to play... a soothing one. She moved to the back of the room where Spike sat and sat next to him laying her head on his shoulder. "You did great, pet." Spike whispered and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

Dawn smiled lightly looking up at him, "you should say something."

Spike shook his head, "Don't think anyone should see that." He told her softly.

Buffy stood at the doorway in tears she wore a white dress. Her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders; the dress fell to her bare feet, it had sparkles all over it and was beautiful. "I love you too." She whispered softly. She walked down the isle to her coffin. She looked at herself moving her hand to touch her face but her hand went right threw. Buffy smiled lightly and looked back at all the people who'd come to see her... say goodbye... She looked at her sister with Spike and was okay with leaving them. All of them.

She wasn't really going to be gone; she'd be with them.

She moved to Dawn where Spike held her close to him and she smiled at Spike, she bent over to him, "I believe in you." She whispered softly in his ear before disappearing.

Spike looked over his shoulder and saw nothing, but he could have sworn he had heard her. Those simple words stayed with him, with them.

She wasn't gone...

"I believe in you."

The End ... or is it???