A/N : Yes, it is the end of this fic. Buffy has decided that whether Sunnydale is real or not it's where she belongs! So here is the happy Spuffy ending I've been promising. Hope it doesn't disappoint.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 14

"Spike?" Buffy's eyes flickered open as one word came in a rough whisper from her lips, "Spike?"

"Buffy?" he gasped, wondering if he'd really heard her say his name.

She turned her head and looked straight at him, and Spike decided he couldn't be dreaming this, it had to be real.

"Oh luv, are you really back this time?" he asked, gripping tightly the hand he already held in both of his.

"I'm here" the Slayer nodded slowly, "at least, I think I am" she half smiled as she looked around the room and then back at the person beside her, the one she was so pleased to see.

The grin on Spike's face almost split it in two, he was so glad she was back. She vaguely heard her name from his lips as he gathered her up in his arms and held her close. He squeezed her so tight she felt as if she couldn't breathe, and yet she wouldn't complain, couldn't bear to, didn't want him to let go... but as she revelled in his embrace her mind wandered to William and that scared her.

"Where's Willow?" she said suddenly, pulling from his grasp.

"Oh, Red" Spike shook his head to clear his thoughts and Buffy noticed the tears that had escaped his eyes whilst he'd been hugging her, but she didn't say a word, "She's still checking for ways to bring you out of your trance-y thing" the vampire explained Willows absence, "but I guess we don't need that now" he smiled, rubbing his eyes roughly with the back of his hand.

"The antidote" Buffy said seriously, "from the demon, I need it"

"Yeah, right" Spike realised she was right as he scrambled to his feet, "I'll go get that" he told her, backing toward the door, afraid to take his eyes off the Slayer for a moment, "Right, I'm going" he repeated as he finally went out of view.

"Red! Willow!" Buffy heard him bellow over the banister rail. That really was her Spike in that hallway, all black clothes, bleached hair and the loudest, coarsest tone she'd ever heard, but that she'd missed so much

"Spike, what is it?" that was Willow's voice replying.

"The antidote from the demon..." the vampire said urgently, "Get it"

Willow sighed audibly as she peered up the stairs at a man she now called a friend.

"Spike, I told you, that's no good unless Buffy's awa..." she stopped mid word as a smile formed on his face and she knew what it meant, "Oh my God, Buffy's awake?" she gasped.

"Yeah" Spike confirmed, before realising there was no time for the happiness he felt right now, "Now the antidote, quick as you can" he pressed and the witch knew just how important it was if they were going to keep their friend in their own reality.

"I'm on it" she said with a nod, all but running to find what she needed.

Spike stood at the top of the stairs, for a second unable to move as realisation truly sunk in. His Buffy had returned again, and yet he was all too aware now that she really wasn't his at all. Although he had her back, she was never his to return to.

"Spike?" he heard her call from her bed and he went to her without a second thought. A reflex action for the Slayer's lap dog.

"I'm here, luv" he promised her, "How're you feeling?" he asked as he sat on the chair beside her bed once again.

"A little out of it" the Slayer admitted, "but... glad to be back here"

"Glad to have you back, pet" Spike smiled, warmly, "Really glad" he added quietly, looking down at his hands instead of her.

"Buffy!" she heard her name urgently called but Spike's lips hadn't moved and he'd have no need for panic when he spoke her name.

"Oh, no..." she shook her head as she realised the voice was William, trying to pull her back.

"What is it?" Spike asked quickly, his voice edged with alarm as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"No" Buffy repeated, her head still but her body now shaking, shivering, she was scared, "It's nothing" she lied, "Just please, keep talking to me, it helps"

"Oh, sure" Spike nodded, before realising he wasn't sure what to say.

He could say anything to her when she was catatonic but when she could actually hear his words, well, as weird as it sounded the Big Bad was scared.

"Right, er..." he stammered, before seeing the fright in her eyes, he knew he had to keep talking, keep her grounded there, "Did you hear anything I said before?" he blurted out for lack of anything else to say, "When you were... wherever?"

Buffy heard William's voice still but it faded into barely a whisper as she took in Spike's words, the look on his face, the feelings that ran deep inside him and showed most through his crystal blue eyes.

"Yes" she said softly, a small smile on her lips now, "Some of it, it's hazy" she admitted, "but yeah, I heard some stuff"

"Probably only the embarrassing stuff, right?" Spike shifted uncomfortably, "Me spilling my guts out, all poncy feelings and acting like a complete nancy boy..."

"Spike" she interrupted, grabbing his hand from where it fidgeted and played with the edge of his coat. She looked deep into his eyes a she spoke to him.

"You are the strongest man I know" she told him sincerely, "The strongest man I'll ever know"

He smiled at that, a dreamy kind of a smile which prompted Buffy to ask;

"What?"

"A man?" he repeated, so quietly she barely heard him, and she knew why. It was all he'd ever wanted to hear from her, apart from those three other words and they would come, given time, but time was not on their side right now as they were swiftly interrupted by one over-excited witch.

"Buffy! You're really back" Willow cried with delight as she bounded into the Slayer's bedroom, breaking up the pairs magic moment. She thrust a mug into Spike's hands as she hugged her friend tight to her and cried with the relief of having her back.

"Hey Will" Buffy smiled, "I missed you"

"We missed you, sweetie" the red-head told her, "It's so great to have you back, and look see I brought antidotey goodness for ya" she smiled, taking the mug back from Spike and handing it to her friend.

Buffy thanked her as she looked at the unappealing black liquid and lifted the mug to her lips taking a swig.

"Eurgh!" she made a disgusted sound as she swallowed, "God, that's worse than the stuff in your flask" she told Spike, and he smirked at that.

"Do you more good though I'd wager" he told her as she drank some more down, making that face she usually reserved for alcohol.

"Let's hope so" she said between mouthfuls, quickly gulping down the rest til the mug was empty.

"Oh Dawnie is at Janices, sleeping over" Willow said suddenly, "I said she should go and try to relax, she's been stressing over you, we all have" she explained.

"Let her have a fun night" Buffy replied, leaning back against the pillows, "I'll see her in the morning. I know she'll be all questions and I need some rest right now" she said, the trials of the day really catching up with her and the speed at which she'd drunk the potion making her feel a little nauseous.

"Oh sure you do, yeah" Willow nodded, scrambling to her feet, "I'll go call Xander, let him know you're okay, and tell him to drop by tomorrow, then I'll tidy downstairs and come wake you in the morning with pancakes, sound good?" she rambled through the whole speech without drawing breath and with an expression that made her look as if she had a hanger stuck in her mouth.

"It sounds great, Willow, thankyou" Buffy smiled warmly at her friend, getting another hug before the red-head turned towards the door.

"You coming Spike?" she asked as she passed by him, "I could make you some hot chocolate" she offered.

"I dunno, Red" he shrugged, glancing at her but finding it difficult to keep his eyes off Buffy, "Reckon I'll just have a word with the Slayer here and then push off seein' as it's dark"

"Oh, okay" she said, wondering why the sudden rush to evacuate but letting it go for now, she was just so pleased to know her friend was getting well again, nothing else mattered.

"Well then, luv" Spike smiled a little sadly as he stood by the bed and looked down at Buffy, "Reckon you'll sleep a lot sounder without me hanging around, right?"

"Wrong" she said just as he turned his back on her to leave, "Spike, everything's been so weird the last few weeks" she said, looking uncharacteristically scared and her voice shaking as he turned back to look at her, "You think you could maybe stay?" she asked him, "I kind of need you close to me" she admitted.

"Buffy, I love you" he sighed, "and I missed you so much but... I can't do that again, it's too complicated and..."

"No, not that!" Buffy cut him off, a disgusted look on her face, "Please, I came out of a catatonic state less than an hour ago and you think I want that!" she said, wondering how on Earth he could think that after everything... but then he didn't know about everything, didn't know how she'd changed since being in that other world, more importantly how her feelings had changed.

"I'm sorry" Spike said, finding the carpet very interesting, "I just thought, well, I guess I didn't think" he shrugged.

"I just need to feel safe tonight, Spike" Buffy told him softly as she reached for his hand and pulled him closer, "I know I'm safe with you here" she told him, as he met her eyes.

"Safe?" he echoed, "With me?"

"In your arms is the safest place I could ever be" she told him sincerely, shocking him to the very core, but in the best way possible.

"Then that's where you'll be tonight, luv" he said in a whisper as she moved over and made room for him to lie beside her on the bed. She moved into his embrace and laid her head on his chest, loving how they fit together perfectly, and how right it felt to be here like this.

"I really did miss you" he told her as he kissed the top of her head, wondering if he was delusional now instead of her - this all seemed so unreal.

"I missed you too" she replied in kind, shifting to look up at him, "Spike..."

"What is it, pet?" he asked a little worriedly and she smiled at the concern she saw in his eyes.

"Don't panic so much, it's nothing really" she said with a sly smile, "I just wanted to tell you... that I love you" she said eventually, watching a hundred different emotions pass over his face before he smiled.

"You do?" he checked, just in case he was going crazy and imagined it.

"I do" Buffy nodded firmly, "What happened only proved it to me, made me see... I could explain it all to you but none of it matters now" she said, her hand going to his face and wiping away the lone tear that escaped from his eye, "All that matters is that I know it's true, that I love you" she repeated, unable to say another word as his lips descended on hers and he kissed her tenderly.

"I love you, Buffy" he whispered words she already knew against her lips but could bear to hear again as many times as he wanted to tell her, "If this is a dream, that you feel the same, I hope I never bloody wake up" he told her and her heart broke for him. She hated herself for making him suffer so much, him and the one she'd left behind, but she was going to make it up to Spike.

"Things are going to be different" she said, pulling away a little so she could say all she needed to, "The way I treated you, it was awful, and I don't have excuses for it, I can't apologise because it won't be enough, but I can love you now, and I want to Spike, I want to love you and be loved by you. I want to be happy here" she smiled though tears ran from her eyes.

"I will do everything in my power to make you happy, Buffy" Spike told her, returning the favour and wiping her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, "It's all I ever wanted to do, I just needed you to give me a chance"

Buffy smiled as she went back into his arms and let him hold her tight. She fell asleep in his embrace knowing that whatever else happened from here on out, this was where she belonged, in this world with the man she loved.

Crystal blue water sparkled in the morning sun, beyond the sandy beach where one lone figure stood, not alone because he wanted to be, but because he had no choice. The girl he loved was not dead, but she was gone, which was somehow worse, since he could not mourn and move on.

William was caught in the middle between loss and having, as the beach beneath his feet was trapped between the city and the sea. He waited for the tide to come in and swallow him whole, almost wished it would, but it didn't.

She wasn't coming back this time, he knew it, though the doctors said there might be a chance. Before, she had been trapped, almost held against her will by others. This time she had been perfectly aware of the world and still she had chosen to go back.

Buffy Summers, the one true love of his life, was gone from this world and yet he could not hate her for leaving him, in part he would not even wish to have her back. She chose that other world, that other man that apparently wore his face. If she felt she could be happier there, then William only hoped she was right. She deserved happiness, and he really wanted that for her, even if it meant losing her forever to the other side.

The End