Chapter 14
Buffy entered the recording studio. She had brought along the last two songs they had written. She felt weird being there without Spike. She suspected it was she finally admitted she loved him, and was aware of his presence on a more conscious level.
"My dear girl. Where is your vampire friend?"
"You mean Spike?"
"That's the one." Joe steered her towards the booth but she walked towards the conference room instead.
"He's sick." Buffy said. "And I came to talk to you, not to sing."
"I'm sure you have new material."
"I do. But I quit."
"You can't." He pulled a contract out of his pocket.
"I'm not singing material."
"You don't understand girl." His voice dropped. "You signed over your soul to me."
"What?" Buffy said with a tremble."
"Sing." Buffy felt her voice burst forth, like Ariel from the mermaid. How stupid she had been! This man was stealing her voice. He morphed, into a demon, towering over her.
"I understand. But it's not your voice I want." Joe snickered. "It's your soul."
\\The demons they ignore
The price that they pay for
Being evil
I can't ignore
The price I pay
For being good

I've seen more than you can understand
I've forged rivers when the world was dry
And I've been a firefighter
But I want to give in
I don't feel more than what he gives me

I'm a reflection and all I see is him
I'm an echo
I'm a shadow
Of air, and darkness
Don't you see I have no soul?//

Poor stupid Joe. He weaved his spell around the Slayer, not knowing, or caring about her song. He only wanted her soul. His spell had drained her, but what she was full of was not the essence of Buffy but of Spike. For Buffy was the essence of the Slayer. Joe hadn't understood. There was no pure Slayer, it was all one. But since she had come back it was a clone, formed from Spike's love.
He screamed in pain, in realization. All his plans were crumbling around him. In a final burst of song Buffy sang as loud as she could.
\\But from the ashes I will rise anew
For you see what is in me is you
I will weave a new world
For the Fates have given me a new string
To thread my spirit with//

Joe's heart burst and he was dead. Buffy stopped singing, and almost fainted. Then she heard her own voice, echoing softly like a choir, seeming to bounce off walls. It was a voice of light, golden and pure, spinning, catching her up until she could feel all the broken parts of her mending. The strength came back to her and she felt whole again.
She left the studio, lighter than air, running to find spike. For it was not only the spell that had saved her, it had been the realization that just like Spike's love for her was his soul, her love for him was her soul. Parts of her were scattered across the dimensions, but the most important part, her heart was safe in his hands alone.
"I'm back! Spike!" She banged the door open.
"So quick?"
"Oh Spike! I love you."
"What's all this Slayer. Ow! You're hurting me." She pulled back from kissing him. "I didn't say stop."
"I can't sing. I don't know why I thought I could. It was Joe. He was a demon. He tried to steal my soul. But he couldn't. Because I didn't have one. Not then. But I had your love, and it killed him."
"Woah. Slow down."
"I love you." She yelled. "I want the world to know I'm nuts. But I don't care. You saved my life. Again." She came back down and laid down next to him.
"Glad I could help."