Thanks guys for reading this story untill the very end. And Thanks for all the review! (especially Becca1806!)

Chapter 37

Fourteen days later.

"The pentacle is drawn on the ground…" Willow set the chalk on Lilea's hand.

"Good, We need to make it powerful, so it can open the portal toward the day."

"Have you any clue how we can do it?" Buffy asked her, while her fingers were absently laying with Spike's hand.

"As the prophecy said… everyone will help, so you all have stay on the pentagram, Whatever is going to happen inside the circle NEVER break it, until Willow says so. Dawn, Spike, Buffy and I will be inside the circle. I could need Dawn's energy if I feel a little out with mine." She looked toward the slayer's color in order to reassure her. "Don't worry it won't hurt and not harm her in any way... she will feel a little tired but nothing more."

"How do you now that?" The slayer asked, even if she trusted her friend.

Lilea scratched her head embarrassed. "I just know it. In my head everything is pretty clear. It's like if I've already done it."

"What about us?" Buffy asked trying to avoid the feeling of fear she had.

"Spike's soul will bring the day back… and your love, Buffy, will make it possible."

"Hey, she doesn't love him!" Xander shouted without thinking.

And at the same moment all the people in the room but Lilea, who still feel a little unwelcome and embarrassed by the guy's hatred for Spike, said "Shut up, Xander."

"What about you?" The vampire asked after some silent second.

"I'll be inside the circle." She said smiling, avoiding a real answer.

"Doing what?"

"Don't be suspicious, luv." Lilea made the word roll on her tongue in the same way Spike was used to. "I have to recorder a CD with some Clem's friends… I don't want to do anything dangerous… and I want to meet again Buffy's principal…" She turned toward the older girl. "I can, can't I?"

"Of course you can, he seemed quite interested into you." Buffy answered quite enthusiastically.

"Hey, I don't want the principal to be around my place! Can you wait until I graduate?" Dawn asked a little disappointed. "My class-mate will kill me, if my brother in law's sister dates with Wood."

"Don't avoid the question. What are you doing inside the circle?" Spike was quite focused on Liliea's tentative of avoiding a simple question.

"Actually I don't know… I'll improvise something." She shrugged.

"Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea of improvising while fighting the apocalypse?" Xander asked rhetorically.

"No you're not." Spike's voice was glacial.

"I suppose I have just to make the amulet and Spike's communicate somehow… it's something about the Nam –I don't know what languages I'm speaking - thing."

"When did Clem asked to sing with his friends? And who are his friends?" Spike was again in his big brother mode, but still Lilea's strange behavior didn't have a good impression on him, especially alter the latest time she kept something secret.

"Oh please!!! Since you're with Buffy you're worse than ever!!!! Even if you're not with me 24/7 I can keep my self safe, you know that? And then it's Clem we're talking about!" Lilea was smiling, even with her eyes. She didn't seemed worried at all.

Xander's clock sounded breaking the discussion. "Sunset in 5 minutes."

"Ok, everyone in the right place." They positioned themselves. "Light the candles. Concentrate about the day… let energy flue inside and outside yourself. You're are just energy." Lilea extracted the amulet from her pocket and set it in the middle of the small circle Dawn, Spike, Buffy and herself made.

She moved it toward Spike, her face changed expression. She seemed to loose completely the sense of reality. It was just like the previous time when she "connected" with the day. Everything around didn't matter. She could see Spike's color focus on what she guessed was his soul. All the energy around them was growing. She could see Spike's color interact with Buffy's, in a strange way, it was as Buffy's were protecting him, keeping him safe, from danger. But there wasn't supposed to be any danger for him. His soul should have called the day…

The ceiling seemed to open, Lilea wasn't sure if other saw it crumble too. Ground started to tremble.

"Hey this wasn't supposed to be an apocalypse!" Xander shouted.

"Spike are you ok?" Buffy asked with worry.

His face morphed in a painful expression, and then his vampire face came on and off several times. He was fighting against a invisible enemy.

Lilea started to speak aloud again that unknown language, in her prospective the time had different length. Everything was happening in slow-motion for her. She could hear voice, scream and then a voice she remembered from her dream.

"The soul is a key... he has to keep it… help him.. if he loses it everything will be doomed."

Tara's voice.

"Oh god…."

Lilea could hear Buffy's voice yelling Spike's name in slow-motion.

"You're so soulful, love! With all your soul" and in that moment Lilea understood.

Soul par soul.

She moved toward his best friends and suddenly the time was normal again.

"I need energy… all you guys can give me!!!" she yelled. She moved her hand on Spike's chest. A thunder resounded in the room. Earth trembled again. A light enfolded the vampire and the youngest slayer. "Fight Spike, for you soul… I need you to help me too."

Buffy and Spike's fingers entwined and they seemed to burn.

Lilea could see the fire from them, was that the spark of a future new life?

Lilea grabbed the amulet from the ground, holding it to her.

Her body started to floeat toward the ceiling. Her head almost brushed where it was the overhead wall then all the light in the room vanished, she crushed violently against the floor.

The Scoobies felt a wave of energy through their body

"It's done." Willow whispered. "The Night is stopped."

Buffy helped Spike to sit down, forcing her shoulder under his arm. "How are you?"

"We were burning…. But it didn't hurt… it felt nice…" He spoke with a real effort.

"I know… Are you ok?" Buffy was caressing his face, even paler than usual.

"Just a bit confused." He moved his gaze on the other slayer. "Lil?"

The girl was staring at them without moving her eyes from the couple. Giles moved in order to help her, and she smiled at him before he was close. "I always thought you were a charming man… Mr. Giles but you're more good looking and younger than I thought… If I could have seen you all this time, I'm pretty sure I would had a crush on you…."

"Lilea what…"

She turned toward Buffy and Spike, the expression on the vampire face let her know he understood, not why but what happened. She bent her head to her side, slowly standing up and walking toward him. "You're exactly how I thought you were." She moved her hand slowly toward his scar. "Sorry, luv, I don't speak Chinese… so that's her present…"

"On my God, Lilea you can see." Buffy moved closer to her and Lilea smiled at her too. "How…"

Lilea moved one hand on Spike chest. "I kept it safe… Spike's soul is still here…"

"Lilea what did you do it?"

"Everything is connected… so we all are… your soul wasn't different from anyone else's." She whispered.

"Lil, what did you do…"

"Eyes for eyes…"

Spike closed his eyes. "Soul for soul…"

"Oh my God…" Buffy's hand clasped on her mouth. "Lil what did you do…"

"You stupid bitch! You're human, you're not supposed to be without a soul… you're not…"

"…Gonna survive." Lilea whispered.

Buffy frowned. "Can a human being survive without…"

Buffy met Spike eyes, they were full of tears he was fighting to hold. "No… she can't."

Lilea closed her eyes for a moment, she smiled but her lips trembled. "Spike said that when you died you went to a nice place." She was looking at Buffy, "warm, no pain, you felt complete…" The girl let herself lean against his friend's body.

" Why did you do that?" Spike was caressing her hair, holding her tightly.

"A slayer in order to force you to have your soul back, one slayer to keep it safe… You're gonna to do great things, Spike." The girl stiffened against his body. Her hand clasped his jacket.

"Lil…"

"Don't be sad… I can feel it, Spike… the peace…" She was smiling, no pain this time.

"Lilea… Don't… speak to me… don't feel it! You can't… You don't have to go there! Look at me!"

Lilea turned her head toward Buffy. "Take care of him… for me."

Buffy's eyes were covered by a veil of tears, but she nodded. "I… will do it, I promise…"

She smiled again to the vampire who was hugging her tightly. "Goddess, luv, you have an hug that kills girls." The sound that came out from Spike's mouth was a mix between a laugh and a sob.

Lilea caressed his face with a moony gaze. "Love you… Spike. I will protect you…" She moved her eyes on Buffy's womb "the three of you."

Then she smiled, while her head rested against his chest.

THE END

Please don't hate me too much for the final :p Even If I just brooke my "Always an Happy Ending" Rule! Let me know if you liked it, what you think about this story!! So please Feedback me!!!!!!!!!! A lot (hopefully)!