"Wake up, Nibblet. We're almost there."

"Huh?" Dawn blinked her eyes open and lifted her head from the blacked out window of Spike's new car. He was still driving, the midday sun shining through the small slit they created in the windshield so he could see the road from behind his extra strength sunglasses. "Wha- where are we?"

"Outside Flagstaff."

"Arizona?!" Dawn shot up and tried to look over his shoulder to see the road. "How long was I out? I thought we were going to LA. Hijack a plane. Go to Paris, like you promised. Any of this ringing a bell?"

"Yeah well plans change. Now shut up. We're making a stop."

"Where?"

"To see a gypsy."

"What gypsy? Not the same gypsy that you and Buffy went to-"

"She's the one that stuffed that soul in."

"What?! We talked about this! There's nothing we can do for Buffy. She's stuck with that soul." It had been quite the discussion after running away from the water's edge. After realizing what Buffy had changed into neither really felt like sticking around. They stole the first car they saw, spray painted the windows black, and made a run for it. When Spike asked her where she wanted to go, Dawn said Paris. It had always been a dream of hers. That was the plan. Sunnydale wasn't their life anymore. There was nothing they could do. "You said we could get away."

"Well I lied." He looked over to her with a smile that showed his pearly whites. "Vampire."

Dawn growled and folded back into her seat, seriously doubting his decision making skills when he was running on no sleep. Actually, she doubted his decision making skills on a full night's too. "What're we doing Spike?"

"We both saw Buffy. We both saw what that soul is doing to her."

"No, I saw. You were half unconscious because she tossed you in the creek."

"You tossed us in the creek."

"She was going to kill me!"

"No she wasn't!"

"So what was the stake for then? S'mores by the campfire so we can all hold hands and sing kumbaya? Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure the only fires there were meant for us to burn in."

"You're the one that attacked her!" Spike vehemently argued back, the car swerving along the vacant road as he flipped to yell at her face. "She was just pulling me out."

"Yeah, so she could kill you."

"Will you shut up? Buffy wants that soul out. That's why we're going. End of story. No more arguing or I swear I will push you out the window."

"What makes you think this gypsy will help? If I remember correctly, she wasn't all friendly with you or Buffy. I'm pretty sure she was quite murdery."

"She'll help us because she's got to."

"Oh real nice logic. I'm sure you'll convince her, really."

"Then I'll make her," Spike growled and the steering wheel beneath his clenched fists started to give into the pressure and crack. Stupid Dawn was sounding a lot like her older sister and it was not helping his temper.

"You saw how powerful she is! She looked more powerful than Willow!"

"And that's why she's the one to do it. I know her type. We find the right price, we pay it. It'll happen."

"What if it doesn't happen?"

"It'll happen. We'll find a way."

"What if we can't?! What if Buffy is stuck with that soul? What if the fine print is too fine this time?"

"Then we'll lawyer up. I know just the law firm in fact."

"Cut it out Spike. What if there isn't a way? What then?"

"Then I get one. For me."

"One what?" Dawn glared at the side of his face but he refused to look at her, a distant gaze tunneling on the horizon as he slammed down on the gas. "Spike?" He still would not listen and that made his intentions quite clear. "You're not talking about a soul are you? You can't!"

"Watch me!" He sneered out the window as he pressed on the pedal harder and sent the engine into overdrive.

"So you're gonna leave me too?!"

"I can't leave her Little Bit. You saw what that soul is doing to her. You think all of those humans understand what's happening? That they don't only see the vamp? They see Buffy the vampire and Angel the soul. They don't see her. They don't understand. I can understand. I can help her."

"What about me?"

"We'll find one for you too."

"What if I don't want one?!"

"Tough luck kiddo. Life's a bitch. Best you understand that now. Just cus you got teeth, don't mean that changes."

"You're the bitch," Dawn muttered, too angry to argue past getting in the last word.

They drove an hour longer, following the directions Spike weaseled out of a witch in LA while Dawn was sleeping. Dawn did not know this and did not bother to ask as she quietly fumed in the passenger's seat. When they reached the house, a simple looking one-story home at the end of a dead end road, the sun was still out so they sat in more angry silence until it dipped below the horizon.

Spike got out of the car first, not bothering to check if Dawn was following as he stomped up to the front door. Dawn got out anyway, ready to see all of this blow up in his face.

It took many furious, pounding knocks before Florica opened the door to glare at her guests, "What do you- oh it's you. How did you find me? Don't answer that. Get off my property."

"We need your help," Spike jumped to stop her from slamming the door in their face but he couldn't move his hand past the threshold to ensure it.

"You can't have it," Florica said with a smile, glaring at them both while slipping the door back into place. "Go away."

"Don't make me beg here!"

"Don't make me kill you."

"Alright!" Spike yelled when she started to slip the lock back in. He rolled his eyes and put on a handsome smile, fluttering his eyes through the window she could see them through. "Pretty please with a bloody cherry on top can we come in? We could really use your super witchy powers here."

"Will it get you to leave?"

"Vampire's honor," Spike lifted his hand in the air and gestured for Dawn to do the same but she just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, waiting for this all to go to hell.

Florica re-opened the door and stepped aside saying, "You have five minutes before I send you to China," before inviting them in. She led them to the first room they reached, plainly decorated and clearly not lived in. She took a seat on the only chair in the room and gestured for them to sit on the floor. They glared at each other but did what she wanted. "What is it that you want with me? Seeing as I want nothing to do with you."

"That soul," Spike started. "You shoved it in Buffy."

"I never said who I would return a soul to." She gave a cocky smirk and added, "And I am not the one that performed the spell."

"Might as well have," Spike mumbled.

Dawn sighed, and just got to the point, "He wants you to undo it."

"Thanks high school," Florica sneered. "I got that."

"So you will?" Spike asked hopefully.

"No."

"Why not?" Dawn asked, quickly taking Spike's side after the high school comment, suppressing the urge she had to let her fangs fall down and take a chomp out of their host's leg.

"Because she doesn't care," Spike answered. "We haven't offered her anything, yet."

"And what is it that you plan to give me?" Florica asked, waving her arms as she leaned back in her comfortable lounger.

"For starters," Spike reached into the pocket of his jacket and slipped out the dragon blade, its red eyes gleaming in the dim light of the room as he tossed it between them. "I'm returning this. Sign of good faith and all that."

"Good faith?" Florica scoffed and pulled the knife to her using magic, rocking it between her palms as she inspected it. "After you stole it from me in the first place. Do you know how much this is worth? And it's been used!"

"Yeah, really came in handy with all that letter opening," Spike chuckled and Dawn suppressed a smile but Florica's anger did not subside. "Alright not in the mood. Got it. No foreplay. To the point then. Just tell me what it'll cost and I'll do it."

Florica glared longer, her nostrils flaring and her fingers clenching. Her stare continued for an uncomfortable amount of time until her face relaxed and a mischievous smile crawled over her lips. It was then that she relaxed back into her chair and started to run her finger over the design of the dragon and said, "I see you want this desperately. The spell cannot easily be undone. Because she was not the original owner, extra precautions had to be taken. Blood is binding after all."

"What's done can always be undid," Spike snarled, ready to speed this up already. "So undo it. You made the contract with that knife so you have all you need."

"That's not true. You still haven't offered me anything."

"I said I'd do anything."

"On your word? Pointless." She sent a blast of wind in their direction and opened the door behind them, letting the dirt clouding in their eyes push them in the correct direction. "Stop wasting my time and leave."

"Spike…" Dawn started to get up and tugged at his jacket until he stood with her. The gypsy's eyes were now as black as Willow's but she gave no sign of ailment. She was pure power and Dawn could feel it. There was a danger at being in the same room with her and Dawn did not want to push it. "Let's go."

"Not yet," Spike brushed her off and glared at the black-eyed gypsy. "I'm staying till she gives me something."

"She's floating off the ground!" As Dawn yelled it was true. Florica had gone from sitting to standing to floating over them, keeping her intimidating height.

"Yeah, and your theatrics don't scare me! So you're gonna do what I say or-"

"Or what?" Florica cooed, charmed by his macho bravado.

"I'll give you my soul," Spike played his card. "In return for removing hers. You'll have two to do what you want with. Sell 'em, eat 'em, juggle 'em, I don't care."

"Do you know nothing?" Florica floated back to the ground and circled the two vamps as she explained. "Your soul does not inhabit your body. If I could freely pluck souls from the sky I would be the richest woman on earth. I can only take a soul that is contained within a vessel."

"Then put it in me first."

"Ohhhhhhh. I see. That's what this about? Either both your souls gone or both your souls in?"

"I said you could take it out again."

"But only if hers is gone as well or you would try to find a way to escape me. Besides, why would I want to remove a soul from you after placing it in? It would be torcher. Much like how your precious Buffy is feeling right now. That is why you want it out of her isn't it?"

"So put it in me then."

"No."

"What do you mean no?!"

"Because I don't want to do anything for you," Florica smiled at the pure hatred that came rolling off him. He was trying so desperately not to pin her to the wall and bash her head in but Dawn's hand on his arm was keeping him in place. "I don't have to. You lied to me, attacked me, destroyed my business. After dealing with you everyone blames me for you screwing up the entire world…I don't care to do what you want. I'm not going to help you."

"What part of anything don't you understand?"

Florica continued to circle them and hummed as she reiterated, "Anything I want?"

Spike could feel the subtext in her question, a rush of instinctual defense streaming to the top but he meant it. He would do anything for Buffy. "Did I stutter?"

"What about the girl?" Florica gestured to Dawn.

"She stays out of this."

"Hey-"

"Shut it," Spike said pushing her away before she could argue again.

"I would need something grand," the gypsy continued. "Something powerful. Something that would gain favor back with my clients."

"Name it. I'll get it."

"How old are you? William the Bloody…over a century, correct?"

"Yeah-"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Dawn interrupted.

"It is very hard to kill a vampire aged so long. Usually their death is only successful due to extreme amounts of luck, stupidity, or mania on their part. Most vampire deaths occur within the first week. The ashes of a run of the mill vampire," she pointedly looked to Dawn, "might be worth something to someone but the ashes of a century old vampire," she stroked a finger down Spike's prominent cheek bone, "are worth a lot to everyone. There are spells for prolonged life, youthfulness, and beauty that can be made from the leftovers of an ancient vampire's death. I have many clients who would be willing to sell their children for a spec of it."

"You want my ashes?" Spike asked behind a stoic face.

"And look who can keep up," Florica gave a final pat on the cheek before spinning away from him.

"No!" Dawn shouted. "No you can't-"

"Shut up Dawn," Spike threw her away again and chased after Florica. "That'll do it? My ashes for her soul out?"

"That'll do."

"No!" Dawn ran after him and shouted again. "No deal! You can't kill yourself over this!"

"Yes I can!" He yelled back, pushing her a few more steps towards the door so he could throw her out. "Do you know what a soul does to a vamp?Angel barely survived and all he did was hide in the shadows. Your sister is not gonna hide. The world isn't going back after what we did and she's going to try and fix it. I know her. Things won't get better for her. That soul will eat her alive and she won't fight as hard and she'll end up killing herself. I can't let her do that. I'm not going to live in a world without her but she can live in a world without me. I've seen enough anyway. Lived long life. Long enough to hear her say she loves me. That's all I need as long as she keeps on living. One of us has got to. I prefer it be her."

"I knew you had feelings for the girl but this is knight in shining armor, dive on your sword honor," Florica cheered from the corner but was ignored by both vamps.

"She would be so pissed," Dawn shook her head, refusing to cry. She was a vampire, she would not cry. This was pathetic. She didn't have a soul why would she care? Dammit she cared. "She can't stand people sacrificing themselves for her. She says that's her job."

"Yeah, well, she'll get over it."

"She'll be extra pissed because it's you. You, Spike. She loves you."

"She'll have you. You are the most important thing to her. She might not get that across but it's true."

"We can figure out a different way. So we can all be together," Dawn pleaded and grabbed at his jacket to keep him from turning back to the gypsy. She let a few tears spill over but tried to hide them by curling her head into her shoulder. He still shook his head at her. "What am I gonna do?"

"You'll have her, she'll have you. Who'll I have anyway? Dru's gone. Angelus can go suck an egg. I don't care about the others. If I don't do this-"

"Then you'll have me!" She yelled and hit him hard in the chest, pushing him back a step as she followed. "We can go to Paris like we planned. You can show me London and where you were changed and-"

"You don't want to hang around me." He shook his head and backed away another step, keeping his arms over his chest in case she decided to throw another punch -Summers girls and their stupid surprise attacks. "You might not have a soul but you love your sister. I can't live with myself knowing what'll happen to her."

"You don't know what'll happen to her! Buffy is strong. She can live with a soul."

"It's not even hers. She'll reject it like a virus."

"Oh so you're the expert now?"

"He's not wrong," Florica sang.

"Shut up! Just- shut up!" Dawn screamed at her and turned back to Spike with the same malice. "You are not doing this!"

"Yes I am." He spun to the gypsy before Dawn could get a hold again. "Deal."

"Alright," Florica waved her hand and silenced Dawn with magic before she could scream and irritate her more. "I will remove her soul and you," she turned to the silent Dawn who was clawing at her throat as she tried to scream, "will send me the ashes to this address. If I do not get them by the time I leave this house then I will put it right back in and you will never see me again."

"Agreed," Spike nodded and raised his hand as Florica cut her palm with the same blade she used on Buffy and cut his as well.

"Don't ask me to do this," Dawn cried as soon as the spell of silence was taken from her.

"I'm sorry Little Bit," Spike grasped the gypsy's palm and the blood mingled and the magic did its job. "It's for the best."

Willow lifted her head from the ground with an ache that ran down her very spine. She promptly let it fall back into the softness behind her and she flipped to smell Tara under her head. She lifted her eyes in hope but the girl was not there. It was just her sweater.

She slowly pulled her body from the ground and leaned against the wall of a torn apart building as she tried to quell the headache and understand what had happened. From the destruction around her she could visualize the fight. She remembered the whistle and the Beastraki trying to attack her and the way she defeated it. She also remembered the horror on Tara's face when she saw her, the hatred, the disgust. She growled and her hands curled together as she pushed to her feet.

Tara said she looked terrible, that she was killing herself. Well it was time she fixed that and showed Tara what she was really all about. Tara would understand. Tara would see. All she needed to do was show her how powerful she was. Her human body could not contain her strength alone. She needed to fix that.

She started to walk towards the mansion, ignoring the vampire disappearances. She walked and walked, ignoring the call for her body to fall to the ground and sleep for weeks, until she passed one of the many bars that stayed open all hours of the night and day. Without bothering to open the door she mentally sent it flying, silencing all the demons inside in that single moment. She pointed to one of the fledgling vampires, a girl she had went to college with back when everything was less apocalyptic and much more about unending piles of homework in psychology.

The fledgling gulped but followed in fear as all were scared of the witch who controlled the demon dogs. Willow led her down the alley and pushed her against the wall, clinging her bloodied hands onto the girl's jacket as she said, "I need you to do something for me."

"Yeah?" The girl asked in fear but did not try to run.

"I need you to change me."