"Go on, then."

"No, no! Y-You’ve done enough, you could still…"

"No, you’ve beat them back. It’s for me to do the cleanup."

Buffy looked back at the crumbling cavern. The entire place shook, and she fought to stay balanced. When she looked back at Spike, he was still standing there. Stubborn vampire, she thought sourly, her heart racing with panic and worry. Worry for the stubborn vampire who still wouldn’t budge.

A piece of the ceiling came down, almost hitting Spike. That was it. "Spike!" she yelled, "C’mon! We have to leave!"

"Buffy, luv, I told you, I’m stayin’. I gotta do this!"

He smiled at her, trying to comfort her and get her upstairs. She couldn’t do it, though. She just couldn’t leave him. He meant too much to her. He was her everything.

Suddenly she wasn’t worried anymore. She returned the serene smile, and Spike immediately frowned. "Buffy, go!" he said, not liking the calm look on her face.

"No," she said softly.

Horrified, he burst out, "WHAT?!? Buffy, luv, please!!"

"No," she repeated. "I’m not leaving you. I can’t."

"Wh-what?! Buffy, please, I want you safe, and…"

"I love you."

He stopped his panicked ramblings and stared at her. She really meant it, he could tell. Just the look in her eyes was enough to prove it.

"Buffy…" he started.

Buffy shushed him, placing a finger on his lips. "I love you," she said again, "and I realize I have for awhile now. If you’re staying, then I’m staying. I won’t leave you."

"But Dawn…"

"Is old enough now," Buffy finished for him. "She can take care of herself. There are more then enough Slayers now, and I can finally do what I want to do, without worrying about everyone else. And this is what I want to do. I love you, William."

She took his hand in hers, their fingers interlocking. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I love you too, Buffy," he said.

The two smiled at each other, before their lips met in a farewell kiss. They remained locked in each other’s embrace, kissing, when the amulet flashed twice. The two began to burn up, but they paid no heed, too wrapped up in each other. Their ashes were pulled into the amulet just as the cavern collapsed.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

19 DAYS LATER

"Buffy…she…"

"I’m sorry Angel," Willow said, looking down at the floor. Xander, Anya, Faith, Dawn, and Giles stood behind her, looking just as sorrowful.

Angel sat at his desk and sighed. "You’re sure she went down with the Hellmouth?"

Dawn nodded. "We waited another five minutes for her, but she never came out. We barely got out in time, then bam! The place went down. No Buffy, no Spike."

Angel nodded, standing. The deliveryman for Wolfram and Hart came in just then, handing him a few envelopes before heading out to deliver the rest.

"I’m sure she…wasn’t in any pain, Angel," Fred said, trying to comfort him.

Angel nodded again, opening various envelopes, anything to take his mind off of Buffy and the possible horrid death she had to endure.

He ripped open a semi-large yellow envelope, and something sparkling fell out and landed on the floor. "The amulet," Wesley and Xander said at the same time, as everyone leaned forward.

"But it went down with Sunnydale," Anya said, frowning.

"How do you know that?" Gunn asked. Angel continued to stare at it.

"Spike wore it to…" Faith started, but never finished.

Suddenly smoke began to swirl around the amulet, rising higher until it reached the ceiling. Sparks flew, and everyone turned away. When they looked back, two figures began to appear from the smoke.

Dawn’s eyes widened with joy as she saw her sister appear. "Buffy! You’re…" Her eyes widened even more as she caught sight of the second figure, and what Buffy was doing with it. "…kissing Spike?" she finished lamely.

Just then, Buffy and Spike pulled away, panting for breath. "Wow," Spike said, a goofy grin on his face.

"Yeah," Buffy said, equally as giggly. "That was…" Her eyes looked around the room, then focused on everyone staring at the two, their jaws on the floor. "…something…..incredible….."

"BUFFY?!?" a shocked voice said from behind them.

Buffy and Spike turned to the origin of the voice. "Hi Angel," Buffy said, smiling weakly.

The Scoobies cheered and rushed forward to hug their friends. Angel promptly fainted.

THE END