Spike sent the girls straight upstairs to get washed up, they'd tackled a pretty nasty demon and gotten showered in its gooey green blood. He was impressed though, only a few of them had shrieked and they'd all been in the splash zone. Much better than Xander's first demon blooding, or so he'd heard. He groaned as he lifted all of the heavy battle axes back into the case and traipsed through into the kitchen to sponge some blood off of his duster.

"Spike?" Angel called into the kitchen.

Spike spun around. "Alright?"

"Yeah I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving."

"What you and Buffy chasing some demon or something?" Spike asked absent-mindedly as he hung his coat on the back of a chair.

"Or something..." Angel replied.

"Well when you coming back?" Spike wondered. "Wanna know how long I gotta hold the fort down for."

"It's just me. Buffy's staying."

"Alright, but it's your funeral." Spike shrugged.

"I'm going to Faith. Gonna go be with her and everyone on the Cleveland Hellmouth. There's nothing left for me here now."

Spike suddenly exploded and Angel almost jumped at the outburst. "Are you kidding me? You poncy bugger! Gonna run off into the night, coat tails a-blazin' and leave Buffy alone, again. For all your talk of 'forever love' you sure do run away from it a lot!" Spike smacked the counter top in anger.

"That's not what I'm doing." Angel growled. "For once, we're actually making the right decision."

"Yeah right." Spike scoffed, pushing past him out of the kitchen.

Angel hurried after him, catching him on the stairs. "Spike! Think whatever you want but, I'm really going. So I just wanted to say...thanks for saving my life." Angel mumbled embarrassedly.

"Don't get all soppy on me, Peaches." Spike grimaced. "And for the record, thanks for having me in LA."

"It wasn't so much out of hospitality as it was out of I couldn't kill you." Angel shrugged honestly.

"In our line of work? Potato, potahto."

"Take good care of her." Angel said warningly.

"Always do."

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"Hey, Buff." Xander noticed Buffy sitting atop the stairs as him and Willow rounded the corner.

"Hi guys."

Willow and Xander slumped down next to her on the stairs.

"Feel like it hasn't been just the three of us in forever." Willow realised.

"Yeah try seven years." Xander quipped.

"Yeah, sorry I've been so busy with Angel and Spike. I just wanted to get things up and running, you know?"

"Don't sweat it. You did what you had to do." Willow assured Buffy.

"Yep, I really did." Buffy thought back to her moment of clarity with Angel.

"Earth to Buffster." Xander waved a hand in front of Buffy's face.

"Sorry. Just thinking."

"He already left, huh?" Willow guessed.

"Yup." Buffy nodded.

"You okay?" Xander asked, nudging her a little.

"You know what? I think I actually am. And that's made me feel all guilt girl."

"Worst superhero ever." Xander joked.

"So you and Angel? You're really over?" Willow asked gently.

"Uh huh. Done. Fin. Finito. Gonzo. Finished. Finally over."

"What about Spike?" Willow wondered.

"Spike? The second vampire I fell in love with who came back from the dead, didn't even tell me and has been fighting by my side for months and a grand total of zilch has happened between us? That Spike?"

"So that's a no-go?"

"Honestly, Will, I have no clue."

"As much as I hate to say this, and emphasis on the hate here, you and Spike...you've been through a lot together. And yes Fang Boy Jr has screwed up more times than I can count...but he's proved you can trust him, that we can all trust him. He became a fully-fledged Scooby after you died and looked after Dawn every day. He fought by your side even without a soul. And speaking of which, he got a soul for you. When faced with the First he didn't back down and he died like a hero, saving the world. If a track record like that doesn't get you in the good books of Buffy, then there's no hope for the rest of us. Give the guy a chance." Xander announced.

"When did you get so wise?" Buffy smiled.

"I've always been this way, I just play dumb."

"I don't think you've been playing dumb for twenty plus years, Harris." Willow raised an eyebrow.

"Why have you guys gotta be right all the time?" Buffy grinned at her two favourite people in the world.

"It's a blessing and a curse." Willow nodded seriously.

"All this lovey dovey talk all the time. Just tells me one thing, my girls have got game." Xander snaked an arm around both of the women pulling them into his chest.

0000000000000000000000000000000

"Mornin' luv."

"It's the middle of the afternoon." Buffy pointed out, Spike shrugged. "I guess you heard that Angel left."

"Yup. Bummer." Spike deadpanned.

Buffy crossed the room towards him and reached for his hands. He pulled away from her before they could touch and took a few steps back.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, hurt.

"I'm done being this, Buffy."

Buffy gasped at the sound of her real name on Spike's lips. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm done being the consolation prize. Done being the person you run to every time Angel isn't available. And now he's left you again and you've gone back to me. The lackey who's never brave enough to say no."

"Spike that's not-"

"No. I said no, Buffy. I'm done. I can't be that again."

Spike angrily stomped away from Buffy and out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Spike! Wait!" Buffy sprinted down the corridor after him, ignoring the confused looks from a few slayers as she rocketed past them. "Spike!!!!!"

"What?" He barked angrily, halting in the middle of the corridor.

"Can we talk about this?" Buffy pleaded.

"So go on then, Slayer. Talk." Spike dared.

Buffy gazed nervously around the corridor, there was a group of red-faced slayers in one corner, desperately looking anywhere but at them and Dawn was chatting with Kennedy at the other end. But it was now or never.

"Angel left because I didn't want him, Spike."

"What?"

"Me and Angel are done."

"Hate to point it out but you and Angel have been 'done' since '99." Spike snarked.

"I mean really this time." Buffy hastily added. "We talked, properly talked. Something we've been avoiding for way too long. And we did it. Ended our chapter, said goodbye, for real."

"So you're not in love with him?"

"No, and I don't think I have been for a while." Buffy took a few steps closer to him, drowning out the giggles from the slayers around them.

"Yeah? Anyone else in mind then?" Spike smirked.

"Spike, you became good for me. You got your soul for me. You risked your life time and time again for me. You've protected my family and my friends. And more importantly you've proved that you didn't do all of those things just for me. You did them for you and the man you've become. You're everything I've ever wanted or needed. Have we always got along? Fuck no." Spike grinned at that comment. "But have we always made up? Pretty much. I love you. All of you, from William to Spike, and everything in between."

"No you don't. But thanks for saying it." Spike couldn't resist. "Too soon?"

"Way too soon." Buffy glared but she still felt a smile tug at her lips.

Finally she closed the steps between them and interlocked her fingers with his. Spike stared down into her eyes, the pools of blue fixated on her determined gaze.

"I love you too."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Spike leant down and his lips met hers. It was soft and nervous at first, their lips slowing down, savouring the moment. Their bodies screamed out for more as Buffy's hands travelled to the back of his neck pulling him further into her and his hands tightened around her waist. They sparked with anticipation as their faces pulled apart and Buffy panted breathlessly. Then they became aware of the wolf whistles and applause engulfing them.

Buffy blushed furiously, her grip on Spike's hand tightening in embarrassment. "Oh my God."

"Not God, just Spike."

Buffy cackled as Spike yanked her along with him, pulling her into his bedroom.

And that's all she wrote! This fic has been an amazing experience for me, I've enjoyed every second of it and am very sad to see it go. I want to thank everybody who was kind enough to follow or favourite it, I've never received such positive feedback from a fic before so thank you so much. The sequel to this fic is up RIGHT NOW and is called Too Good to Be True, in case you're interested!

A huge thank you to all my reviewers: HIddenSoul1978, JayeMaru, rebekahpsweatman81, Moony.R.J.Lupin, nrdhrd3, Sunkissu9 and, as always, Mother Wilson for her continued support and honesty.

~BB x