"So your telling me you're a shapeshifter?" Spike asked incredulous. "And you're 300 years old?" Skylark nodded and drained the rest of her smernoff ice. "That about sums it up". Spike shook his head in disbelief and swigged his beer. "So why the hell did you come to Sunnydale?" Skylark looked down and inspected her fingernails. "In Shapeshifter lore, it states that every single shapeshifter in the world is destined to have a soulmate, whether it be another shapeshifter or a human. I have reasons to believe that my soulmate is in Sunnydale and so I have come looking for him." "How long have you been looking for him?" Spike asked, getting more interested and fascinated by this woman by the minute. "Ever since I first became a shapeshifter, basically after my initiation ceremony". Skylark indicated Spike's now empty beer bottle. "Another?" Spike nodded and watched this extraordinary woman glide to the bar and order their drinks. Spike could feel familiar eyes boring into him and turned around to see Buffy and her "scoobie" gang entering the club. Skylark returned with the drinks and followed his gaze. "Oh she's a pretty one indeed". Spike turned back and shook his head. "Where ever I go she's bloody there, haunting me!" Skylark raised her eyebrows. "I take it you're not particularly fond of this woman then?" She asked, setting the drinks on the table. Spike grumbled. "Sodding Slayer's always threatening to stake me". 'Ah the Slayer' thought Skylark and made a mental note. "Forget her" she said aloud, "here have a drink". Spike took his beer and gulped down half the contents. The steady beat of Blink 182 had finished and R Kelly's "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" came on. "I love this song, it's so calming". Skylark sighed and looked dreamingly into the distance. Spike cleared his throat. "Well.uh.would you like to dance?" he asked tentatively. Skylark snapped back to reality and beamed. She nodded and Spike held out his hand, which she took. As soon as Skylark fell into Spike's arms and felt them enclose her, she knew this was the one.

"How could I ever let you slip away? Never knowing I'd be singing this song someday. And now I'm sinking, Sinking to rise no more. Ever since you closed the door."

As both Spike and Skylark swayed to the music, both of them blocked out everything except each other and the music. Spike even failed to notice Buffy, Riley, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara all staring at him in shock.

"If I could turn back the hands of time, Then my darling you would be mine. If I could turn, turn back the hands of time, Then darling you'd, you'd still be mine."

Sinking, sinking further and further into each other blissfully unaware of the couples surrounding them.

"Funny, funny how time goes by, And blessings are made in a wink of an eye. Oh why oh why oh why? Should one have to go on suffering? When everyday I pray, Please come back to me"

Skylark sighed in contempt and Spike hugged her closer. He felt happier now than he had when he was with Dru. It seemed so strange as he had only just met this woman and she seemed to have this powerful hold on him.

"And if I could turn, Turn back the hands of time. Then my darling you would be mine. If I could turn, Turn back the hands of time. Then my darling you'd still be mine."

After all those years searching she had finally found him. Her soulmate. Her one true love. Skylark moved her hands up and placed her arms around Spike's neck and rested her head on his chest.

"And you had enough love for the both of us, And I, I did you wrong, I admit I did. And now I'm facing the rest of my life alone."

Spike moved his hands up aswell and placed them on the small of her back. He lifted his head and stroked her smooth, silky hair. Buffy and the gang still stared on in disbelief.

"Woah if I could turn, Turn back the hands of time, Then my darling you would be mine. Oh if I could turn, Turn back the hands of time, Then my darling you'd still be mine."

Skylark raised her head and looked deep into Spike's eyes and he looked into hers. Their gazes firmly locked, Spike leant in and kissed Skylark's lips tenderly. He moved his hands down to her waist.

"Oh I'd never hurt you, Never do you wrong. And never leave aside, Turn back the hands of time."

Skylark kissed back and ran her fingers through his hair. Finally drawing apart, Spike smiled and Skylark smiled back. Pulling her close again, Spike rested his head on hers and closed his eyes.

"If I could just turn back that little clock on the wall, Then I'd come to realise, I love you, love you, love you. If I could turn back those hands."

As the song ended, slowly both Spike and Skylark drifted back to reality amid stares from kids close by. Without saying a word, Spike took Skylark's hand and led her back to the table. They sat and stared at each other. "Well that was an interesting experience," Spike said, finally. Skylark merely nodded and smiled shyly. As they both sat in silence and drank their drinks, neither one took their eyes off the other. With both of their drinks now empty, Spike stood up and took out a cigarette. "I dunno 'bout you but I could do with some fresh air". Skylark stood with Spike and followed him out past Buffy and outside to the alley behind the Bronze. Buffy glared at Spike when they strolled by. "I wonder where he picked up that slut, and how hard I have to kill her". Riley closed his hand over Buffy's. "Hey, do ya think maybe we could leave of the slaying and Spike topic's for one night?" Buffy looked at Riley and smiled. "I'm sorry, my bad. From now on, no more Spike or slaying talk". "Who does that big mooch think he is coming in here with his honey and getting all smoochy anyway?" Xander remarked. He looked at the rest of the gang. "Sorry". "Well the guy's entitled to some romance even if she is a bloodthirsty vampire!" Anya said, picking up her soda. "Annnn!" Xander jerked his head in Buffy and Riley's direction. "What?" She looked at the rest of the gang. "What!?"

Spike leant against the wall and lit his cigarette. Skylark leant with him and took out her special silver lighter. "Could I have one of your smoke's?" Spike raised his eyebrows but got her one out anyway. Skylark thanked him and lit up. "Maybe it's just me looking for things that aint there, but when you mentioned Angel earlier you got this.look in your eye". Skylark smiled. "Observant aren't you? Well.I'll tell you. One of my best friends' had a brother who used to come in drunk most nights always rambling on about how many girls he'd had that night. Know what his name was? It was Liam. And this Liam never even knew she existed so when he came home a monster he didn't realise he hadn't killed ALL the family". Spike blinked but said nothing. After a while Spike frowned. "But Angel always said he killed his sister". He looked at Skylark and saw her eyes grow misty. She sniffed. "He met his sister later on in life and he almost killed her, luckily she escaped with her life. With a little help from me." "But how can she still be alive? Is she a vampire?" "No, she met up with a Gypsy clan and they blessed her, or cursed her depends how you look at it, with immortality". Spike shook his head. "I can't bloody believe it! God after all this time and he was lying!" Spike looked at Skylark and saw that she had become quite upset. But he couldn't help prying. "Where is she now?" "I don't know, I think she took of to L.A because she'd heard he was there.I haven't heard from her and I'm worried.I'm sorry I can't talk about this now.I.I had better get going". Skylark abruptly stood up straight and walked off. Spike shook his head and watched her slowly drift away into the darkness. 'Strange woman' he thought, taking a drag on his cigarette. He was rather disturbed that he couldn't seem to stop thinking about the mysterious Skylark. By the time he had finished his cigarette and dropped the stub, he found himself wishing he was with her.

Back at her motel, Skylark felt exactly the same. As she lay on her bumpy bed, her mind was spinning from the thoughts of Spike. She had discovered her soul mate. Yet she felt something wasn't quite right. Something was missing she knew it was important but she couldn't quite put finger on it. Skylark's mind was still humming as she dozed off into a deep sleep with Spike filled dreams.