Here is the final chapter which is set during 'Chosen', the final episode of Buffy! I'm so glad everyone like my story but I'm upset that it has come to an end. Follow me for more Spuffy stories, I'm sure I'll be uploading some soon and I already have one or two ideas in mind. Enjoy:

Chapter 6: Loving

The basement suddenly felt claustrophobic as the first leaned in towards Buffy.

"I'm not afraid of you," she lied.

"Then why aren't you asleep in your dead lover's arms?" the first, disguised as Caleb, taunted.

The slayer paused and glanced back as Spike who was lying on the bed. He smiled; his dreams must be good.

'Cause he can't help you. Nor Faith, nor your friends... certainly not your little wanna-slay brigade. None of those girlies will ever know real power unless you're dead. You know the drill." Caleb paused, and grinned as his features began to morph. A second later, Buffy was staring back at herself. "Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to fight the... well there's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone."

Buffy said nothing.

"Where's your snappy comeback?" roared, almost annoyed.

"You're right," Buffy whispered softly.

"Not your best" the First remarked.

"I'm drowning in footwear!" cried Spike from the bed. Buffy looked over, wondering what he was dreaming about now. He woke with a start, murmuring, "Weird dream."

Buffy remained silent and the vampire studied her. "Buffy, is something worng?"

She took her time looking back at him, something quietly building inside her.

"No. Yes. I just realized something. Something that really never occurred to me before."

He looked at her expectantly.

"We're gonna win," she told Spike, only realising it for herself for the first time.

"Love?" Spike asked, confused about what she meant.

"I've got a plan," Buffy said excitedly, running towards the stairs. She stopped and ran back towards the vampire. Ecstatic, she threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on his lips. "Tonight, once its dark, meet me outside. I've got something for you."

Puzzled, Spike pulled on a shirt and hurried upstairs, eager to hear the slayer's strategy.

Moonlight shone across Buffy's garden. The air was cool on her bare shoulders and she wished that she had worn a jacket. With everything that had been going on, Buffy hadn't realised she was cold until now.

As the potentials and the scoobies had been hectically preparing to implement Buffy's plan as soon as possible, she hadn't had the chance to see Spike again all day, except to catch a glance of him organising the weapons or strategizing where to park their getaway vehicle.

Now, she hoped – assuming that he would come – they could finally be alone.

Out of the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out her engagement ring. In the last few months especially, she had fondled and fiddled with the small piece of metal, slipping it on and off of her finger whenever she was thinking.

Buffy smiled, reminiscing about her short engagement to the vampire. At the time, she abhorred the situation and had been determined to cast it from her mind.

Now she wished that her life was so simple, that the worst thing was a spell which gave her the most wonderful, protective and loving fiancé that she could ever wish for.

Behind her, the slayer heard the back door open and clicked shut. Hastily, she shoved the ring back in her pocket.

"Buffy."

His voice was as soft as quiet as the sighs of the wind but it made Buffy quake with fear.

What if this didn't go the way she wanted it to? How would she be able to fight without Spike by her side? Maybe she didn't want to do this.

But she wouldn't be able to fight tomorrow without doing it.

"Hey," she said, motioning for Spike to take a seat on the back step beside her.

There was a silence as both of them stared out across the garden.

"Will you wear the amulet tomorrow?" Buffy asked quietly.

"If you want me to," Spike responded with only the hesitation of a few seconds.

"I do. Just…be careful. I couldn't bear it if…" she stopped. Spike was intelligent enough to fill in the blanks.

"I will, love. But you're the slayer and someone's got to protect you," he told her, silently vowing to do so.

"That's why I wanted to talk," Buffy explained. "If anything does happen to me tomorrow-"

"It won't," Spike promised.

"But if it does-"

"I won't let anything happen to you, Buffy."

The slayer smiled and took his hands, wrapping her fingers around his. "You can't protect me forever, William." She paused and started again. "If anything happens to me tomorrow, I don't want you to do anything stupid. Don't sacrifice yourself, don't wallow in grief and don't get rid of your soul."

"Buffy, I wou-"

He was halted as Buffy place a finger on his lips.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"There's something else.

"Anything."

"I thought I should give this back to you." Buffy reached into her pocket and took out the ring again. She dropped it into his hand.

"You kept it. After all this time?"

"Sorry!" Buffy smiled, cheekily.

Spike stared at it in shock. Since realising he loved Buffy, he had often thought about their brief engagement and wondered what happened to the ring. He had envisioned taking it back as soon as the spell broke; stealing it to make Riley and Angel jealous; finding it amongst Buffy's prize possessions; allowing it to comfort him in his grief and even discovering with her things in the basement.

Honestly, though, Spike had believed it would have ended up on a rubbish tip or at the bottom of the ocean. He had only dreamed that she would…

"Why now?"

"We may die tomorrow. I figured it was about time. It hasn't belonged to me for a while."

Spike smiled slowly before tentatively grinning. "Let's change that," only grinning more when he saw he quizzical expression. He jumped to his feet onto the grass.

"This ring has been yours since the first moment I laid eyes on you, even if neither of us knew it. Before that, even, when I was a new vampire, I was fascinated by the slayer. It turns out I was just waiting for the right one."

Then he knelt down on one knee.

"What are you doing?" Buffy exclaimed in shock.

"We may die tomorrow," Spike repeated her words. "But if we don't: Buffy, will you do me the honour, of becoming my wife."

Speechless for a moment, Buffy just stared.

Then she whispered two words.

"Yes, William."

Spike swept her off of the step and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Their lips melded together perfectly, as if they were always supposed to fit together.

They pulled apart, smiling.

"Are you sure?" Spike asked. "You aren't doing this because we might die?"

"I'm doing it because I love you, William."

"I love you too, Buffy." Spike glanced at the house. "Do you want to break the news to them?"

She looked between him and the house awkwardly. "Can we keep this between ourselves?" Buffy begged.

"If…If that's what you want, love," Spike agreed, disheartened.

"I'm not afraid or ashamed or doing this half-heartedly," Buffy promised, planting a kiss on his cheek. "But they need to focus on the battle."

The vampire nodded but still looked disappointed.

The slayer took the finger from where he was still clutching it tightly and pulled off a long piece of string which was wrapped around her wrist. It was the string on her original cross-bow and she had always worn it for luck. She slipped the ring onto it and tied it around her neck before looking at an impressed Spike.

"Just because I don't want them to know, doesn't mean I wont wear it." Reaching out for his hand, she led him back inside.

A bright white light erupted in the caves beneath Sunnydale and the fighting instantly ceased. The slayers and vampires alike twisted to stare at its source.

The source stood beside the stairs, the amulet beaming out the supernatural rays.

"Spike?" Buffy whispered.

The beams shot out, hitting each and every uber-vamp and making the cavern seem brighter than the red-hot surface of the sun. The earth shook beneath them and Buffy's eyes widened in fear.

She tried to run towards Spike but she was frozen on the spot.

The monsters shrieked and screamed and they disintegrated into a pile of dust.

There was another rumble and rocks fell from the ceiling. Faith glanced at Buffy but her eyes were fixated on the amulet, and the vampire who was wearing it. Instead, she took charge herself. "Everybody out! Now!" she ordered.

Immediately there was a flurry of movement as all the slayers fought their way towards the exit. Buffy made it most of the way but stopped in front of Spike.

Staring at him, Buffy opened her mouth but no words came out.

"I…I can feel it, Buffy," he told her, smiling.

"What?"

They were alone now as the others had all escaped the collapsing cave and were now making their way through endless school corridors to the parking lot.

"My soul. It's really there." He grinned, almost seeming surprised. "Kinda stings," he laughed.

She started to leave but halted when Buffy realised that he wasn't moving. "Spike? Come on, let's go." He looked forlorn. "Spike!"

"I can't, Buffy."

"What are you talking about? This cave is going to collapse."

"So you need to get out of here. Now," he insisted.

"Not without you."

"Yes, without me. You beat 'em back, it's for me to do the clean-up."

"Buffy! Come on!" Faith yelled from up the stairs while Buffy stood, split about what she should do.

"I can't leave you, Spike."

"Yes you can," he insisted. "It's fair to say that school's out for bloody summer. Go!"

"Spike…"

"I mean it. I've gotta do this," Spike begged now.

"No," she cried as tears formed in her eyes. "No, we were going to get married." She held up the ring which rested around her neck.

"Marriage is just a bit of paper, but to know that you would have married me…that's all I've ever wanted, Buffy," he confessed, his eyes watering too.

Pain rushed through Spike's body and he cried out, raising his right hand as light poured out of the amulet and Buffy shielded her face. She stepped towards him, despite the light and the heat that were being emitted, and interlocked her fingers with his.

There was a moment of silence before both their hands burst into flames, yet while Spike winced, Buffy felt nothing.

They couple hardly noticed, focusing instead on one another.

"I love you, William."

"I love you, too, Buffy."

She leaned in towards him and without the usual hesitance, Buffy planted her lips on top of his, the flames spreading across their bodies, bonding them together.

The floor began to shake – pulling them apart - as rocks tumbled from the ceiling, one only narrowly missing Buffy.

"It's your world up there. Now go!" he ordered, pushing her away towards the staircase.

Casting only a final forlorn glance back, Buffy hurried up into the school and sprinted down the corridors for the last time.

"I wanna see how it ends," Spike said to himself.

The flames that had surrounded him earlier consumed him, engulfing his body in a fiery heat as a bright white light soared from the amulet. He laughed as the rocks around him fell.

"Buffy…"

"I don't understand," Giles murmured in an out-of-character confusion. "What did this?" He looked over at his slayer and watched a tear trickle down her cheek.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked, concerned. "Are you..? Buffy?"

"Spike," she breathed.

"Pardon?" Giles said.

"Spike," Buffy choked on the word as a sob poured out of her throat. "It's was Spike."

She dropped to her knees.

Instantly Willow and Dawn crouched at her side, resting an arm around her shoulder and comforting her from the unknown problem.

Buffy reached behind her neck and pulled her ring off of the string, clutching it between her fingers and letting her tears fall freely onto it.

Her friends look at one another, unable to understand why Buffy was breaking down. Was it shock? Was she hurt? Was it happiness that it was finally over? Or was it something else?

"It's over," Willow finally told her. "We did it, Buffy. We won. We survived."

She wept harder. "Not all of us," she cried, her voice inaudible.

"I...I don't understand," Dawn admitted as Faith walked around and crouched down in front of Buffy. "Why are you-"

"You loved him," Faith told her, only just realising it herself. "Didn't you?"

In answer, Buffy took Faith's hand and closed hers around it, passing down thing over to her.

Faith frowned in puzzlement, opening her hand.

Resting in her palm was a skull ring, the metal glistening in the light of the sun.

"You were..?" Faith gasped in surprise as she guessed the extent of their relationship. "When did he..?" She asked, unable to form full sentences.

"Last night," Buffy sobbed. "What am I going to do now?" She fell into her fellow slayer's arms, tears streaking down her face and removing the traces of the battle. "My whole life is gone," she gestured to the crater where her home once stood, "and without him…"

Faith took Buffy's hands in her, running her fingers over the creases and cuts, and closed Buffy's hands around the ring. "You're going to grieve. And I won't lie, it's gonna hurt like hell. But at some point, whenever you're ready, you're gonna come out the other side. Although it may not feel like it, your life will move on."

"Yeah," Willow joined in, even though she had no idea who or what they were talking about. "We changed the world. I can feel them, Buffy. All over, there are Slayers awakening everywhere."

"We'll have to find them," Dawn realised.

"We will," Faith agreed. "But not yet, right, Buffy? Whenever you're ready."

The slayer stared into one another's eyes, a silent promise, and Buffy, on the spur of the moment engrossed Faith in a hug. "We did it," she whispered.

"Yeah, but now you're gonna get my hoodie covered in tears." Buffy laughed. "That's not a joke! I wanted it as a souvenir!"

The girl cried laughing, tears rolling down their face in a mixture of both grief and relief. Eventually, they helped each other up and joined the rest of the scoobies who were looking down over the edge of the crater.

"I…No one else knows," Buffy told Faith quietly. "About Spike and me, that is."

Faith said nothing.

"Can we…can we keep it between us?"

The brunette nodded.

Everyone stared silently into the pit. Suddenly, they all jumped as the 'Welcome To Sunnydale' sign that they were all so familiar with, fell backwards and tumbled down the slope.

Buffy smiled a little as she realised that – once again – it was Spike who had knocked it down.

She took a deep breath as she opened her hand and took another look at the ring. Another tear trickled down her cheek as she slipped the ring back onto her finger, into its rightful place.