A/N: Hey, if you get this story on Author Alert I think it's been a bit iffy so you should probably check if you read the chapter before this one first, otherwise it won't make one bit of sense. That would be bad. Oh and words of warning – this is the Penultimate Chapter!

"You sure it was a good idea leaving Dawn with Harmony?" Spike asked as he kicked open the rusty door and motioned for her to go through.

Buffy strode onto the roof of the extremely tall building and tried not to feel agro-phobic "She'll be fine and, believe it of not, those two have actually bonded. Now that I think about it that kind of worries me"

Spike smiled and closed the door behind himself. He joined her to stand in the middle of the flat roof and they stood admiring the view. The view consisted of a lot of tall, well lit buildings in the night sky. Spike preferred the natural views – rolling hills, mountains, waterfalls that sort of thing but he had to admit that L.A also had a certain charm of its own. Eventually you might get sick of it but every now and then it was okay. It was pleasant even.

Of course, it didn't hurt that he was with the woman he loved either.

"So, love, any clues as to why we're standing on this big eye-sore?" Spike asked, acting casual and disinterested in the whole affair "'Cos there are better things we could be doing"

Buffy glanced at him "Like what?"

He lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

"Right. Should've known" She rolled her eyes but smiled "We're enjoying the view. It might be the last time we ever see the city. Should enjoy it while we can"

"Bollocks, you've been through worse that this. We both have" He dismissively waved a hand around in the air "We won't even break a sweat for these beasties"

Buffy looked at him "Sometimes things are harder than they seem"

Spike walked over to her and took her hand gently, threading his fingers through hers. He wondered if it would always evoke the memory of their hands ablaze, like it did now. Buffy sighed and leaned her head against his chest; he wrapped his other arm around her waist. It was almost like they were ready to dance but without any music. Both stood as still as possible to appreciate the nearness of each other. Buffy placed her hand against his chest, over where his dead heart did not beat. Her fingers stroked against his T-shirt and, in turn, his skin. Spike dipped his head down and planted a tender kiss against the side of her head.

Moments like this were when he truly appreciated his long existence.

If he had died when he ought to he never would have met Buffy, never would have gotten a chance to feel this way about someone. The thought of never having any of this made him tighten his grip on the Slayer.

"Fancy a dance, Slayer?"

Buffy pulled away enough to look up at him "There's no music"

"There is if you listen hard enough," He smiled taking her hand and twirling her around.

Buffy laughed but allowed herself to be pulled back into the circle of his arms and they began to sway against each other. A soft breeze blew around them lifting Buffy's hair gently in the wind. Spike had always loved her hair. He leaned in and nestled his face against her neck. She didn't even tense at all as she once might have. Instead she just slipped her hands underneath his coat, around him and up his T-shirt until they were pressing against his naked back. Spike sighed into her skin.

In all the years they had been separated he had never forgotten Buffy's scent. She always smelt so good. Good enough to eat, he would have said at one time.

"Buffy?" His voice came out muffled against her neck.

"Uh huh"

"What you said earlier about telling Angel about us...did...do you mean that we're...I suppose, what I'm trying to say is do you want us to be..." Spike stumbled over the words.

Buffy ran her hands up and down his back "Officially together?"

"Yeah. That"

There was a long pause. Or at least to Spike it seemed long. If he had needed to breathe he would have been holding his breath awaiting her answer.

"I guess it all depends" Buffy said slowly.

"On what?"

"On whether you want me in your life twenty four hours a day," Buffy said softly "I mean just give it some serious thought – I'm stubborn, I'm demanding, I'll eat all of your ice cream, and you just know I'll be leaving all of my girly doodads around our place. I mean, think of the doodads –"

Spike shut her up with a grin and a kiss. They held each other close as they kissed and swayed to some imaginary music only they could hear. Buffy's hair was whipped around in the breeze. It began to fly around faster and harder and it was then that Spike heard a noise. A very loud noise above them.

They broke apart and looked up just as a black helicopter appeared over the side of the building and flew up above their heads. Buffy's hair was whipped into a frenzy lashing her in the face as the Slayer and vampire gazed up and got into defensive stances.

A loud voice came over a megaphone "If you two are finished with making me lose my lunch, we have a problem"

Spike scowled. Angel was leaning out of the helicopter. As usual he had perfect timing.

"The Kraal's are attacking a little earlier than expected" He said, flinging a rope ladder out of the helicopter "As in now"

Buffy didn't hesitate. She jumped up onto the ladder and started scaling it. Spike sighed. He walked up to it and grabbed hold of the ladder starting to climb up it. Once Angel pulled Buffy into the helicopter they started flying back to Wolfram and Hart.

Spike started yelling all sorts of obscenities as he held onto the ladder for dear life. He didn't attempt to climb any further up just remained in a frozen statue-like pose.

Sure, the fall from up there probably wouldn't kill him but it would hurt like hell and may even squash him like a pancake. He didn't fancy that.

Spike huffed at her stared at the city below and around him. Angel probably thought this little stunt was so hilarious. It didn't pain him too much thought – after all, Buffy had chosen him. Not old Angelic Face up there.

"Ha" Spike snorted to himself.

Still, who knows what they're getting up to up there...Spike decided to risk life and limb and climbed quickly up the ladder without looking down. He lurched into the carriage of the helicopter and Buffy grabbed his arm pulling him in to sit between her and Angel.

"Nice of you to join us, Spike" Angel smirked.

"Yeah, nice timing, Angelus" Spike slung an arm around Buffy's shoulders smugly "If I was a suspicious man I'd say you'd called the Kraal's themselves and told 'em to come roughhouse"

Angel rolled his eyes.

Buffy sighed, shrugging Spike's arm off her casually "Can you two just stop for five minutes? Now, what's going on?"

"Got word the Kraal's are on the way. They might be there already by now. Wesley, Gunn and Illyria are heading a security team. We've got teams all around the perimeter of the building" Angel looked out of the 'copter "No way to tell how long this will hold them out. Seems the Kraal's are pretty desperate for Speed Beads and they think we still have one"

"Not to mention the fact that you killed their daddy" Spike looked at Angel pointedly.

"That too" He responded darkly "So the vengeance mixed with the pursuit for the drugs is going to make them..."

"Difficult to handle" Buffy nodded "Well, set the helicopter down as close as possible and then you two stay out of the way. I'll send Illyria to you as soon as I can"

Spike looked at her; eyebrows lifted "What?"

"Buffy, if you think I'm just going to leave you –" Angel started.

"You have to. Both of you," Buffy looked at each of them in turn "I have to set off the bomb. You can't be within in a half-mile radius, remember?"

They both started to protest "But –"

"No. You both stay back. That's the bottom line" Buffy folded her arms and looked away out of the helicopter.

Spike and Angel both looked at each other as the helicopter descended.

A/N: Oh dear. Will Buffy make it through? Or will it be death again for our Slayer? Third time's the charm, they say. Review please!