I catch just a glimpse of Spike while I move to take care of Glory. As soon as I finish it, I look at Willow. "Please tell me I did not just imagine Spike?" She looks up at me.

"He's...it's complicated, Buffy." I shake my head, already moving forward.

"Where is he Willow?" Willow points to a door right off the corridor. I move forward, mind numb.

I walk into the room and find him embracing a girl with dark brown hair. It takes me a second, but I realize this is Fred, the girl whose body Illyria took over. A moment of jealousy fills me, but it disappears quickly. I realize he is simply trying to calm her.

"Shh. Illyria, it's okay pet. You're going to be fine. I promise." Spike looks up suddenly and sees me. His body seems to suddenly go limp. I rush forward.

I kneel down beside Spike, my heart racing. He looks up at me.

"Buffy." He says my name breathlessly. I reach out to touch him, but hesitate, fearing this isn't real.

"I'm here Spike." He smiles slightly, but then his body is racked with horrible coughs. Illyria jerks away from him.

"Spike is sick." She says, looking at me. She slowly fades back into her normal, blue-tinted appearance. "You must fix him." I move to Spike.

"What is it, Spike? What can I do to fix it?" I touch his cheek, noticing how warm he is.

"Poison," he rasps. He takes my hand and places it over his chest. I can feel his heart racing.

"Wait...what? When?" Eyes closed, he smiles softly.

"Not long." He opens his eyes and looks up at me. Willow is whispering to Illyria, who still seems not quite with it. "Red." Spike's voice is soft, and it seems to take an enormous amount of strength to speak.

Willow moves over to us. "I'm here Spike." Willow kneels down beside us. She's holding a knife with blood on it. She reaches over and uses it to cut his palm. "Makoto didn't say how long it would take to work."

Spike closes his eyes. With his uncut palm, he touches my face. "I'm sorry Buffy. I don't think...I have enough time." My heart sinks.
"What do you mean, Spike?" I touch his face. His skin is cold. Spike opens his eyes. They're unfocused, and he doesn't seem to be really looking at me. Not exactly. He takes a ragged breath.

Spike saw his mother. One moment, he was touching Buffy's cheek, the next? He was looking at his mother. She moved towards him.

"Oh, my poor William. Everything you did, all the good you've done. All for nothing." She shook her head sadly. Spike's body felt lighter and lighter as each second passed.

"Buffy." His voice was weak and raspy. He could feel her, but his eyes wouldn't focus on her.
"I'm here Spike. You can't...please. You can't leave me again." Her cheeks were damp with tears. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to promise her he wouldn't leave her. But he couldn't. His chest ached, both physically and emotionally. He could hear the love in her voice, the distress. He took a ragged breath. The very action was like moving a boulder.

"I don't understand. She said Illyria's blood would cure him. I did everything Makoto said." Willow's voice was absolutely distraught. Buffy didn't reply. She stroked Spike's forehead.

"Please stay with me this time." But Spike was already fading, fast. His vision narrowed to little more than a pinprick.

"I love you, Buffy." He said it softly, barely a whisper. Then, everything went black and he knew nothing.

-:~:~:~:

Buffy felt it the moment Spike's heart stopped. Her whole body went cold. This could not be happening. Not again. Not after he somehow became human.

"This is not happening." Buffy started doing CPR, glad she had taken a course in it.

"Buffy. It isn't going to do any good. Sweetie, you have to stop." Willow touched her shoulder but Buffy ignored her. She knew deep down that he wasn't gone. Not really. Illyria moved towards her.

"Move aside, Slayer." Illyria's voice was hard. Buffy glanced up at her and saw something in the Old One's face that made her do as asked. Illyria bent over Spike. Buffy couldn't see exactly what she did, but she appeared to mumble something.

Willow wrapped her arms around Buffy but a moment later something happened. There was a bright light. A woman in a black dress, her head and face covered, appeared out of thin air.

"Makoto?" Willow studied the woman, a weird look on her face. The woman turned to her.
"Willow. Nice to finally meet you in the flesh." The woman, Makoto, turned back to Spike. "Illyria. Let me help, please?" Illyria looked up at Makoto with something like recognition. She nodded. Makoto knelt down beside her. They started chanting together.

A moment later, Spike let out a loud, somewhat raspy gasp. His eyes flew open. "Buffy."

Buffy rushed to him. "I'm here, Spike. I'm right here." Makoto and Illyria moved out of the way. Buffy embraced Spike, kissing him fiercely.

"Buffy. You have to let him breathe." Willow watched her friend. Buffy helped Spike sit up.

"I thought-" Spike interrupted Buffy.

"I'm not going anywhere, love." He touched her face.

"Oh, Spike. I love you. More than I ever thought I could." Tears streamed down her cheeks. But these were happy tears. Tears of joy and relief.

"I love you too, Buffy. Always have, I think. I always will. But do you think we could maybe get out of here?" Buffy grinned at him and helped him up.

"We don't have long. The Senior Partners will know of Glory's demise by now. They'll be coming for you." Makoto spoke softly.

They raced to get everyone out of the complex. Makoto and Willow transported them back to the hotel. From there, it's easy to get the Slayer squads back where they belonged. Buffy and Spike sat in the lobby, unable to look away from each other.

"Peaches and I went to Italy. Andrew told me you were involved with the Immortal." Spike fought to not let his voice betray the jealousy.

"It was a cover-story. This group got footage of some of us, specifically me, and they wanted me to work for them. Let's just say their job offer wasn't exactly on the up-and-up. I declined. They tried to kill me. So Giles sent a decoy to Italy and made it look like Dawny and I were living there.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back, Spike? Having too much fun with Angel?" Buffy had been joking, but Spike's face showed he did not find it very funny.
"Honestly, Buffy. I meant to. At first, I was a ghost. I couldn't do anything."

"And afterward?"

"After I became corporeal, I guess I thought coming back ruined everything that I had done. I died to save the world. But then I came back. It somehow made it less important." Buffy shook her head adamantly.

"No. It doesn't. It wouldn't have. I swear to you, Spike." Spike smiled at her, and Buffy's heart soared. She smiled back at him.
"London is home for you now?" Buffy nodded.

"Me, and Dawn when she's not away at school. She got into a school in France. Fashion." Buffy shook her head. "She's all about the clothes nowadays." Spike grinned picturing it.

"And there hasn't been...I mean you aren't-" Spike sighed before continuing, "involved with anyone?" Buffy shook her head.

"Once I realized how I felt about you, there could never be anyone else, Spike." She lifted the chain out of her shirt so he could see it. He reached forward.
"I can't believe you kept it, love." He touched the ring.

"I still have your lighter too. Only things I kept, aside from the Scythe, from Sunnydale." Spike leaned over and kissed her.

"Lets go home," he said as they broke the kiss. "We can figure things out as we go." He took her hand and they stood up. Willow was ready for them, to teleport them home to London.