Hope was sat at the counter reading the newspaper when Buffy walked into the kitchen. She had taken a shower after they had finished sparring and changed into some fresh cloths before heading downstairs. Walking across to the fridge she pulled out an Pizza box.

"Leftover's from yesterday night." Buffy explained before placing the three slices on a plate she put it in the microwave.

"What are you looking at?" she asked

"Nothin' much just seeing what's happening in Sunnydale." Hope told her

"Kennedy do ok with the training?" Asked Buffy

"Yeah she's getting it down pretty fast she'll be kickin' your ass in no time." Hope joked as the microwave finished.

Buffy walked over to the counter and took a seat opposite Hope and put the plate on the counter between them.

Taking a slice Buffy pushed the plate across to Hope who looked a little surprised.

"Come on." said Buffy seeing Hope's look.

"You don't have to be so nice to me. I mean you hardly know me. It's enough that you let me stay here last night now you're feeding me too." Hope said

"So you're telling me that you're not hungry, and besides if that was a rule in this house then there would have been about thirty homeless potentials." Buffy told her.

"Thanks." Hope said before finally taking a slice. Taking a bite she noticed Buffy eyeing the basement door behind her.

"Would you go talk to him already?" she asked putting the pizza back on the plate.

"How did you know?" asked Buffy with a guilty smile on her face

"I'm from the future, remember?" Hope told her returning the smile

"Hope can I ask you something, what you told us the other night?" Buffy began

"You wanna know if you and Spike are together in the future?" Hope finished

"You are, and you're happy. This isn't some passing phase he doesn't leave you for you're own good or run off and come back months later married. This is the real deal. It's destiny, Forever." She tells Buffy.

"Thank you." Buffy tells her before heading towards the basement door and opening it.

Seeing the basement door close Hope turns around with a smile on her face and begins to eat her pizza.

Standing at the top of the basement stairs Buffy took a deep breath before descending them. She didn't need to call out to know that Spike was there she could sense him. Reaching the bottom of the stairs she saw he was laid asleep on the cot over in the corner, or at least he appeared to be. She stood there a moment just watching him, Hope's words repeating in her head, she was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Spike's voice.

"You know pet, it' awfully rude to disturb the dead." He joked before sitting up and walking over to her.

"I came to see you last night but you weren't here." Buffy said

"Yeah I got bored decided to go out." Spike told her

"You've been avoiding me." Buffy said getting straight to the point

"Ever since the day down in the Hell mouth, is this about what I said?" Buffy asked

"Look Slayer, you don't have to explain. I get it alright. Heat of the moment, the end was looking nigh, thing's got said." He said

"Is that what you think that the past few months meant nothing, that I didn't mean what I said?" Buffy asked stepping closer to him.

"I meant what I said Spike." Buffy said taking another step closer to him so that she was standing in front of him.

"I guess somewhere deep down I've always known, but I was always too scared to admit it." she said looking into his eyes.

"But I'm not afraid anymore. I love you." she told him

"I love you." he repeated before leaning in to kiss her.

Pulling back he looked into her eyes He remembered Hope's words from earlier, he hadn't been asleep. He pulled Buffy into his embrace and smiled, if the world were to end in the next ten seconds then he would die the happiest man alive, well undead in his case. No more words were said he just held her. Hope's words repeating in his mind, Destiny, Forever.