We were walking up to the cemetery somewhat in the style of The Good the Bad and the Ugly, but a lot more attractive. When my little girl runs up to us, with a lop-eared friend in toe.

"Nibblet! What the hell are you doing here."

She grabbed hold of me crying. "Spike, you came home. I knew you wouldn't leave us. Even when Xander was saying some really horrible things about you, I knew you wouldn't hurt us, and you'd never leave us. Buffy said you'd both had a misunderstanding, but he kept saying such horrible things. He wouldn't listen to me, it was so yuk."

I just held her close in a big hug. She's got even taller in the short time I was away, she's gonna catch me up soon. Hasn't even sunk in that its daytime and I'm not on fire she's in such a state. "I'm here, it's all right. Sorry Nibblet, had a mission to attend to. Left a message, with Clem here, that I'd be back. No way would I leave you both. Had to get some things fixed. Did more than I bargained for but it's worth it. Good to see you in sunlight. Looking good Pidge."

"God, Spike I hadn't even.It's a good look. I like, I very like. And Giles, you're back! I missed you. We all did so much. Don't think it would have all gone so screwy if you'd been here."

"People keep saying that Dawn. It's nice to know. Wish we didn't have to find out."

"What are you doing here pet? Not safe."

"I want to help stop Willow."

"It's too dangerous. I won't be able to protect you. Clem! I told you to keep an eye on her. Stop her getting into trouble. This isn't it! Take her to the crypt. There's weapons there.if the worst comes to the worst."

"I had to move all your stuff to my place. Sophie has a dust allergy."

"Great, just great."

"We did run all your stuff through the washing machine though. Boy were some of those stains tough to get out."

"Wait 'til we try the Africa clobber. Thanks, but we gotta get Nibblet to safety. Take her to the Magic Box, there's still a good selection of weapons in the back. We'll handle Red. Can't do that worrying about you two."

She was still holding on to me for dear life, but nodding. Giles handed Clem a key. When what worthless git should turn up but the whelp.

"Get away from her, you animal. Brought more evil demons to torment us I see. Giles? What are you doing with that scum? Ooh it's the ho, careful Giles she'll be after you too, or maybe Oz. That's right isn't it, ho? You go for the demons."

Nobody upsets Nibblet, hurts Anya, hurts and really pisses off Giles, and I'm sick of his self-righteous bigotry. Never could stand hypocritical bigots. Ate lots of Nazis in WW2 for that reason, and hey demon but still English.

"Anyanka, I wish that Xander Harris is only able to speak to say something pleasant."

She went all veiny and "Wish Granted." Whelp's mouth was opening and shutting like a fish, but nothing came out. Mm. "The Sound of Silence". I was never a Simon and Garfunkel fan but this was just neat, and such an improvement.

I sent Nibblet and Clem off to the relative safety of the Magic Box and the four of us continued on to the cemetery.

Monkey boy follows along. Being both thick and unpleasant he hasn't managed to say a word. But comes out swinging a punch towards me. I grab the fist and squeeze. Now this is where the old me would have loved popping the bones out of that particular fist and turning it to paste. Don't have an urge to do that. Don't feel anything forcing me to kiss it better either. Like this neutral business. Free Will that's the way to go - in both senses. But the idiot is delaying us and that could be bad.

"Anyanka, I wish that any pain or injury Xander Harris inflicts or attempts to inflict on me be felt by him times three."

Veiny. "Wish Granted." A bloke could get used to this. The look in the whelp's face was priceless. I let go of the fist.

We get to the cemetery. Buffy was busy fighting some demons. They looked just like the one the witch incinerated when she bust Nibblet's arm. Buffy's even thinner, but still poetry in lethal motion. Red is up on a ledge overlooking the cemetery. Her eyes were black, like they were in the gas station, when we were on the run from Glory, but now so is her hair, and even her lips. I don't think there are many geese wandering around Kensal Green Cemetery, but one definitely just wandered over my grave.

The Shaman started chanting. Giles nodded to me, agreeing to my unspoken intention to help Buffy with the demons. Anya faced Giles and they rested their foreheads together just for a moment. The Whelp looked sick, and tore off towards Red.

Giles made a wish to Anyanka that any pain or injury Willow Rosenberg tried to inflict would rebound on her times three. It was granted. I used the throwing knives on the demons - thinning the herd for Buffy.

A web of what looked like white lightening shot towards Red from the Shaman. She tried to counter with red energy bolts towards us, but they consumed her instead. She was screaming, but still fighting. She summoned more demons around us this time. The whelp was screaming to her that he loved her and would be there for her. She wasn't paying a blind bit of notice of him and continued to summon demons.

I got busy with the old slice and dice. Once I was through with Red's presents I could see the white lightening leaching the black from Red's hair and lips. Her eyes were still as black as obsidian. She launched a fireball at us, but it rebounded back to her. It didn't burn her, as she must have some shielding spells up - explaining why Buffy couldn't get at her - but it did enclose her in flame.

The Shaman now did some arm waving stuff, and as her eyes returned to green her shields went down. She was screaming at Buffy that it was all her fault and she'd put her back in the ground. Giles turned to Anyanka and wished Willlow Rosenberg would lose her voice until he allowed her to talk again. She granted it and Red fell silent.

She wasn't finished yet. The Whelp was still crying out to her that it would be all right, everything forgiven, as he loved her. Yeah, don't you just love a double standard? She looked at him and he flew backwards, knocking himself out.

Giles and the shaman were chanting together now, and the witch was visibly weakening. The way she was looking at us made my skin crawl, and remember I got brought up with the amusements of Darla, Angelus and Dru. But she was now starting to look frightened, as her magic no longer responded to her control. Looks like the boys have bound it - or dam close.

Anyanka and I ran towards her, as the boys continued to chant. Buffy killed the last of her demons and joined us, shouting to us not to kill Willow. Anyanka blew the powders into Red's face, and she started to topple to the ground. She took the blindfold and I took the chains. I yelled to Buffy that we weren't gonna kill Willow, and she held her while I did the chaining. Anyanka finally applied the ball-gag. I think she enjoyed that, after all the little put-downs over the years.

I could still hear Giles and the Shaman chanting, and could feel Red going into a deep state of unconsciousness, under the chains. The boys came up still chanting, and she finally went completely under. Finally I could breathe - metaphorically speaking of course.

"Spike, you're all non-flamey!"

" Had a re-tune luv. Good/Evil-wise. Courtesy of the Shaman here. Not evil anymore. Free of it, feels great. You don't have to worry about any urges for evil plotting anymore. Not flammable either. Get to go to the beach too. No more blanket, which is great coz bit old for carrying a blanket around. Never did like feeling like a Peanuts character - though that Snoopy was ok. Charlie Brown was a wuss though."

"You gave him a soul?"

"Why do you place such a weight on "having a soul""?

"You can't love without a soul!"

"Did Spike love you before he went away?"

"Yes, but that doesn't count! It can't!"

"Does your sister love you?"

"Of course. She means everything to me. She's all I have! And what's that got to do with anything."

"Your sister has no soul."

Buffy's jaw dropped in a floor wards direction.

"And you came back with the most important part of yours missing."