Catching up: "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned. "See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back." "Guys," Tara's started, "I think we need to get Spike back." Buffy's hand shot out faster than any of them could have imagined possible. Her fingers wrapped around Tara's neck and squeezed tightly. Tara gasped for breath, but even her pitiful gasps subsided while her lips turned blue.

Redemption (part 2).

"Hello William," The demon whispered through the night, sitting on the sill of Buffy's bedroom window.

Spike snarled at her, "You'd better get out of 'ere, 'fore I rip your bloody head off." He leaned towards the demon, every muscle in his body wanting to kill her, but the little voice in the back of his head warning him not to wake Buffy.

"I just wanted to say thank you." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Game face on, he could see her clearly despite the moonless dark. Her skin was a shade of red that reminded him of the devil he'd rescued Buffy's soul from. Perhaps she was just one of his little tricks. "Oh please," Spike laughed. "Now tell me what it is you want 'fore I rip your soddin' head off!" The voice in his head shushed him.

"I just need one teensy favor William." She pinched the air with her thumb and index finger.

He laughed again humorlessly. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

She smiled and brushed her hand along his chest, standing over him like an eagle staring at it's mouse prey. She bent down, and kissed him, and then sucked the air from his lungs. He tried to gasp, to shove her away, but she held him down. The voice in his head was screaming at him, the shrill loudness of it made his head feel as if it were about to explode. His vision clouded, and everything went black.

Spike awoke to cool fingers stroking his hair. He purred in pleasure and looked up with yellow eyes to face the irresistible blonde beside him. She smiled down at him, curious about whatever he'd dreamt. She wondered if he realized he had his game face on.

"Good morning," She kissed him faintly, and pulled back. He was watching her like a hawk. "What's up lover?" She asked warmly as she feathered her fingers along the bumpies on his forehead.

He reached his jaw up and nipped at her wrist, then purred again and pulled her against him. He nuzzled behind her ear, smirking when she giggled.

"I have to get Dawn ready for school." She laughed flicking her hair behind her shoulder. Instead of getting up though, she bent her head and kissed him again. She was surprised when instead of kissing back he nipped her lip. He drew no blood, but never the less; Spike was usually all for the kissing. "Are you ok?" She asked him, slightly concerned. She never thought to question whether his losing his soul could have any after effects.

He only smiled up at her.

"Spike talk to me." She almost pleaded, confusion was overwhelming her. Then she noticed the window was open, blowing the curtains inward. She moved to close the window, and found that the lock had been broken off. She'd locked it before bed, so it must have happened afterward. "Spike did you open the window last night?"

He shook his head and pulled her back to him by the waist, snaking his arms around her. He leaned his chin on her chest and stared up at her with eyes that were still a demonic yellow. She stared back at him, curious at his strange behavior, and ran her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes.

"Prithee Buffy, stay away from him." It was Spike's voice, but his mouth never opened.

Eyes wide, Buffy turned around to stare into the face of a very transparent William Pratt. Brown hair curled atop his head, blue eyes looking alarmingly nervous in comparison to Spike's very yellow wild yet calm ones.

"What's going on?" She looked between Spike and the ghost of William. "Who are you?" Spike seemed completely at ease with the imposter standing only a few feet from him.

"Buffy please, he is very dangerous. I couldn't bare him hurting you, not for a second." He raised his hand to her, but made no move to close any different between himself and Spike.

"Who are you?" She exploded in anger towards the ghost who shied away from her wincing.

"Please, Buffy I am William, I am him." He waved his hand towards Spike, and frowned. "I beg of you to understand. I am his human. The succubus pulled me out of him. She wants to be rid of you. Her plan was that the demon that was inside of me would kill you." He looked nervously at Spike again.

But Spike seemed the complete opposite of 'kill Buffy'. He was marveling at her, smiling affectionately with worshiping eyes. Buffy stroked his hair again and felt his purr vibrate in his chest.

"Oh," She whispered. This was why Spike was acting so strange. The game face that was forward was Spike, the calm reserved face of William that she usually saw was the ghost of a man behind her. A few seconds passed while the news sunk into Buffy, and then she screamed, "Willow!"

Everyone that was in the house burst into the room. Spike locked his jaw and turned his face from her, holding her tightly. She couldn't have moved away from him if she wanted to. William was backed up in the corner, hands over his heart. Willow and Tara both gasped when they saw the ghost, and then Spike's demon. Dawn didn't seem surprised, she assumed the demon had taken form in Buffy's room, and she waited anxiously for someone to destroy it.

"Someone call Giles." She said leaning against Spike. "We have a problem." Her eyes turned red with tears, as anger and fear flooded her.

"What's going on?" Dawn stared alarmed at the ghost. Could this demon be more for her big sister to handle? Surely he didn't look like much. But then again neither did Glorificus.

"The demon we're facing is a succubus. She got in here last night." She began to explain. "She took away Spike's soul," a deep breath, "and then separated his human and his demon." She gestured to each half of the vampire in turn.

"Buffy stay away from him," William pleaded again. Tara fled the room for a phone. They needed the gang together. "His job is to kill you and he won't rest until he's succeeded. I know myself Buffy, and that demon is part of me and he is powerful."

Spike snarled heavily at the ghost of himself. Here he was, still redeeming himself to her, proving that he could be good without a soul, and this used-to-be human was making him look all big bad all over again. He wasn't like Angel. Angel's human had been devotedly in love with her sure, but his demon had wanted nothing more than to watch her die slowly and painfully at his hand. Spike on the other hand, had loved her before his soul, and nothing had changed after he'd gotten it back and lost it again. His demon and his human loved this woman equally and that was how it was going to stay.

Spike whined pitifully and looked sadly at Buffy. She took on of his hands and squeezed it gently. He whined again and stood up. He paced madly back and forth, and turned and grabbed her.

"No!" William shouted, watching the beast try to harm his lovely lady.

Spike didn't hurt her though, he just held her. How could he make her see how sorry he was, if he could no longer speak her language? Demons like him didn't kiss, they didn't speak human language, he hardly knew how to hold her. His amazing yellow eyes bore into her with an intensity that filled the room. He would make this better, he would right all of these wrongs caused by the succubus. He would be the Spike she wanted, even if that meant finding away to reunite William with the demon.