DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

A/N: I've got a definite knowledge of where this story is going now. I would just like to say thank you to all the people who have followed and who have reviewed, it means a lot! This chapter is less action, more talky, I've been writing it to the tune of November Rain.

I-E-H

Buffy walked slowly to the campsite, knowing that Spike was already awake. He rose as the sun set, like the moon and just as pale. She giggled at her own little attempt at poetry but stopped as the vampire emerged from his hidey hole, dressed in old fatigues. He looked over to her and smiled, that crooked smirk that seemed to melt her inside. She'd always found him attractive, even when he was her mortal enemy. He had that bad boy, lick-me-from-head-to-toe look. And she really, really wanted to but it would probably be very hard to find whipped cream in this destroyed world.

A small voice in her head made an offhand comment about twinkies but she ignored it.

Spike swaggered towards her, and she smiled, motioning that they should head off. Under the pretence of searching for straggling hybrids, the two supernatural beings passed through the guard and out into the deserted streets of the city, hand in hand but without speaking a word to each other.

They were four blocks from the camp before Buffy spoke up.

'Giles figured out the prophecy. He also think that wherever Tiree got sucked to, it was the Powers That Be. They've sent this to us. And they restored her powers to what they should be.'

'Is she still human?' Spike asked, thinking of how Ryan would feed otherwise.

'The doctor said he couldn't find anything abnormal about her blood. She's just…supercharged.' Buffy said, dropping Spike's hand as she peered into a grocery store. 'Do you think they have any candy? I haven't had a Hershey in so long!' She exclaimed and then moved to the door. She jiggled the handle but couldn't get it open and pouted at the vampire.

Spike swiftly smashed the door window and reached in, opening the door from the inside and holding it open for his lady. She curtsied and went inside, waiting for him briefly before they scouted the store. It was deserted. Spike located some candles and a lighter, and as Buffy stood picking out chocolate bars, he lit the candles and placed them along the aisle, giving them some light. He then pulled some blankets off of a shelf in the houseware aisle and returned, placing them on the ground. Buffy retrieved some juice boxes and they sat down, Spike leaning against a shelf with Buffy up against him. She helped herself to a small pile of chocolate, the little voice in her head insisting this was stealing but the rest of her knowing it wasn't really.

Spike picked up a Mars bar and ripped the packet open with his teeth, savouring the chocolate taste.

'You eat chocolate?' Buffy asked, shovelling a handful of M&M's in her mouth.

'Yeah,' he replied. 'The stuff you got over here isn't as good as the stuff we got in England though. This Mars Bar is infinitely inferior to the ones back home.' He munched it thoughtfully. 'Will have to take you to London and try the good British menu, Slayer, you'll love it. Pork scratchings, pub lunches, proper cups of tea….' He sighed.

'You're a strange vampire.' Buffy said, swallowing her mouthful of chocolate. 'You want to take me on holiday?' She asked.

'I'd take you round the world, pet. You just say the word.'

'Would you go with me today?'

'If you wanted to leave in five minutes, I'd steal a boat and we'd be gone.' He said, meaning it. Then he slipped his hands round to rest on her waist. 'But we wouldn't. Because I would never make you turn your back on your duty. And I know that the mission is what matters to you.'

'This fight didn't have to be yours, Spike.' Buffy pulled out of his embrace and turned to face him, watching carefully as he studied her, the candlelight playing over the suddenly soft features of his face. 'You could have left any time.'

'No.' He smiled. 'No I really couldn't. I don't know how or when or why, Slayer….Buffy. But seeing you again after all that time, was the best thing that could have happened. I could have dusted, I could have given up, could have joined the bad guys, but no, because seeing you? Worth burning up in a thousand suns. Worth being alone for a million years. Just one minute of you smiling at me, just one touch of your hand on my skin, that is what I'm fighting for now. It's what I've waited for, for over a century. Dru will always have a place in my heart, but you….you are my heart, Buffy Summers and I'll be damned if anything but death is gonna tear me away from you.' He said, clasping her hand. 'And even then, I'll bloody well haunt you.'

She had tears in her eyes. She felt like launching herself at him but they had to clear everything. He had to know the truth.

'It seems so sudden.' She whispered. 'But it's not really. If I'd really, truly hated you, you'd have died when you first pissed me off. But I never did. I guess I always knew. When W…the spell happened,' she hoped he remembered, 'it hurt when it ended. I felt safe with you. I do now. No one has rescued me like you have. Even Angel didn't make me feel this way.' She took a breath. 'Giles says we were meant to be, that the prophecy Tiree came back with – we're supposed to be linked. Forever. And I need to know if we're that. The forever deal. Cos, I'm terrified. I don't want you to die. I don't want to lose someone else that I love, Spike.'

He stared, his mouth open. She'd said it. More or less anyway but he would take that any day. She loved him. Him. Spike. Of all people he never thought he'd hear it from, she'd said it. She loved him.

Peter Pan couldn't crow like he wanted to right now.

Instead he kissed her breathless. For what seemed like hours they lost themselves in the embrace, clinging on as if life depended.

Which in a way it did.

It took mountains of strength to pull away from him.

'To beat Adam, we need to be mated.' Buffy whispered. 'I read about claims a long time ago, I wasn't sure what it was about. But I know now. And I know I want that with you.' She swallowed. 'Do you want it with me?'

Spike could not have been any more humbled.

'Buffy, I would spend an eternity and more with you by my side.' He looked to the window. 'But we can't do it here. The company is moving out in the morning and this requires….a better situation than blankets on a grocery store floor.'

'The candlelight is kinda romantic.' Buffy pointed out.

'Lets get to DC first, yeah? This is the only chance we get, and even in this wretched world, I wanna make it special for you, k?' She nodded, touched by his compassion.

He pulled her to her feet. She started to follow him from the store but stopped and grabbed a couple of carrier bags. 'Let's take back as much as we can. Whatever is in date and tasty. It'll cheer the boys up.' She said, smiling. Spike smiled back, grabbing some bags himself. They filled up with as much as they could carry and then extinguished the candles.

The enemy already knew they were coming, no need to give them a massive beacon.

I-E-H

Tiree was tired. She felt exhausted, even though she had slept for hours. Ryan had begun to stir and she refused to leave his side. His injuries were healed – she'd somehow seen to that, but now she just wanted him to wake up before they had to ship out again for DC. The big fight.

She needed him awake.

Buffy appeared beside her and put something in her hand. It was a chocolate bar. Tiree smiled.

'Wanna sit down?' The girl asked and the Slayer nodded, taking the bench opposite.

'How is he?' She asked, gesturing to Ryan.

'He's healing. I gave him some of my blood. He should wake up soon. He's been twitching a lot in the last hour.' Tiree looked around. 'Where's Spike?'

'We raided a grocery store, brought back some sugary treats. He's kinda playing at Santa for a minute whilst I came to check on you two.' Buffy paused, her gaze travelling to the fully healed wings on Tiree's back. 'How are you feeling after your interdimensional trip?'

The girl shrugged. 'Okay I guess. It was freaky. This really soft voice just talking to me. I knew I was in a safe place but I just wanted to be back here you know? I must have known he needed me.' She placed her hand on Ryan's again.

'You really love him huh?' Buffy asked, her eyes lingering on their joined hands.

'Just as much as you love your vampire.' Tiree replied. 'Don't be afraid of love, Buffy. It's scary but in this world, it's the only thing they can't destroy. Even death can't break it.'

Buffy let the words sink in and then smiled, placing her hand on Tiree's shoulder affectionately. 'He'll wake up soon. Don't worry.'

I-E-H

They'd been on the road for an hour. It was daylight and Spike was sheltering under a pile of blankets. It was a time like these that Buffy was jealous of the vampire for his lack of body heat because Buffy was melting. The humidity was horrible.

As they neared Washington DC, the rain started to fall and clouds gathered. The storm that had threatened a few days earlier had come back, or had a sibling. The rain was hitting the roof of the Jeeps with an astonishing noise.

The outskirts of the capital were deserted. No patrols, nothing. They took it slow, sticking to the back roads. It didn't take long for them to be in view of the White House. Even with half the roof missing it was awe-inspiring for Buffy.

She wasn't sure how they were going to go about it though, seeing as the enemy was only three miles away and they couldn't exactly knock on the door. The jeeps ambled slowly through the roads, and cut off into a wooded area. Buffy looked confused as they lost sight of their target destination and looked to the driver quizzically.

'You'll see in a minute, ma'am.' There was a twinkle in his eye, and she felt good that the soldiers were retaining hope in this difficult time.

Then she caught on to what he had said.

'Ma'am?' The Slayer looked horrified. 'Do I look like a ma'am?'

A chuckle emerged from the pile of blankets next to her and she kicked the laughing vampire with her foot. The soldier smiled in the rear view mirror at her.

'S'just a title of respect, nothing reflecting your age, which is probably a good deal less than my number.' His southern drawl had a tone of humour about it. 'Ma'am.'

Buffy folded her arms and scowled. She knew Spike was still laughing at her – she could see the blankets shuddering. She aimed another kick at him. He snorted.

'Stupid vampire.'

The daylight suddenly disappeared and Buffy's gaze flew to the window. Spike pulled a corner of the blanket down and peeked out apprehensively. 'Where are we?'

The driver replied without turning his head. 'You're safe to come out now. The command centre is underground. We've accessed it from a tunnel in a multi-storey carpark about two miles out. It'll be dark from here on.'

Spike threw the rest of the blankets off and plonked himself down next to the Slayer.

'I guess we're nearly there.' Buffy whispered.

'You ready for this? Seeing everyone?' She knew what he meant, knew he was referring the rest of the supernatural crowd. Knew he specifically meant Angel.

'I'm not gonna lie. Not looking forward to the tension I just know is gonna require a knife. But at the same time….we need him. Need his strength.' She took her vampire's hand and squeezed it gently. 'But he won't change my mind. He's of the past. I always love him, but it's you I'm in love with, Spike. It's you I'm choosing this path with. It could never be him. I could never trust him enough.'

Spike's heart could have beat at that moment as he gazed at her. And then he smiled, kissing her hand clasped with his. 'You wait, Slayer. We'll be an unbeatable team, you and I.'

Buffy smiled. 'I bet we will.'

I-E-H