"I really hate negotiating," Angel mumbled moodily as he walked up the wide marble steps to the demon lord's stone mansion.

"I would too, if I sucked at it like you do," Spike had sympathised. "You want me just to handle it Angel?"

Angel had wanted to do this alone and not put anyone's lives at risk. Other than Spike's. Spike was following him like a ghost haunting him, even though he was corporeal now, and should, you would think, have better things to do. Like calling Buffy. Not that Angel wanted him to. He didn't. But it did seem odd that Spike still hadn't, to Angel's knowledge, even let Buffy know he was alive. Surely the longer he left it the more awkward it was going to be. Not Angel's problem, of course. He didn't care if Buffy never found out.

"No, I don't want you interfering. In fact," Angel turned to face him, "you're staying in the car unless you promise not to say anything in there. Anything, Spike. I'm doing the talking."

"Right you are boss," Spike agreed. "Not what I was suggesting anyways," he added under his breath.

"What then? What do you suggest, huh?" Angel was easily annoyed these days by people questioning his decisions. As if he didn't question them enough himself. It was hard being CEO of an evil law firm when you weren't evil.

"That demon-lord. I'll kill him if you want. Can't exactly perform human sacrifices when he's dead."

"It's not that simple," Angel tried not to sound as frustrated as he felt. "I wish it was, but it's not."

"He's evil, right? Isn't that what we're supposed to do now we have souls, fight evil?" Spike asked.

Angel sighed. Had Spike learned nothing from getting his hands chopped off by that psychotic slayer that time? It never worked to rush in and start killing things willy-nilly, even if they were evil demons. "It won't help, Spike. Could even make things worse. Some other demon will just take his place. Maybe one that's even more blood-thirsty. One that's not willing to negotiate."

Spike shrugged. "Well, let me know if you change your mind. Just here to help."

"Right, of course you are. Here to help."

Now they found themselves being shown into the foyer of the large mansion by a rather poshly dressed demon servant. "My lordship says you may both enter," he said. "On the condition your valuables be surrendered as you pass through the cloakroom."

"What valuables?" Angel scoffed. "Is he expecting gifts?"

"My coat's valuable," Spike pointed out. "To me, anyways. You're not getting it off me."

"We don't want that thing, I can assure you," the usher said eying Spike's coat with disdain. He turned up his nose. "My master is hardly interested in such material possessions."

"Fine. Whatever. Just let us through." Angel strode ahead impatiently and two large demons heaved open the stone doors for them.

As soon as Spike and Angel stepped into the 'cloak room' and the doors were heaved shut behind them, Spike felt an all-consuming sense of dread overwhelm him. Some kind of dark magic was seeping in and taking hold of him. He panicked internally and looked towards Angel.

"Oh shit," Angel seemed to sense something also and immediately turned back to try and reopen the heavy doors with clawing fingers. "No!" Angel shouted in anger that quickly turned to anxious desperation. "Not this! Spike, we have to get out of here now! Oh God, not again!" He fell to his hands and knees before the unrelenting cold stone.

Spike leaned back against the wall, feeling as though he was being ripped apart. "Angel?" he asked, horrified that Angel not only seemed also to be experiencing the same ordeal as he was, but that he seemed to recognise it. "You know what this is?"

"This room must be enchanted," Angel gasped. "It's too late. Our valuables. They're gone." He got slowly to his feet and turned to Spike. "The most valuable things we possess have been taken from us." A slow smile was spreading across Angel's face and his dark eyes gleamed. "Our souls are gone."

As Angel said the words out loud, Spike knew it was true. A profound emptiness at the core of his being, a cold desolation he had endured for the majority of his long existence, it was unmistakable. He fell to the ground overcome with conflicting emotions, choking back what he thought were sobs but when they burst forth he found himself laughing like a maniac. He and Angelus. After all this time. Who'd have thought it could happen? Footloose and soul-free and together again. This was going to be one crazy night!