Yes, the chip didn't work anymore and hadn't for some time. He'd wager that there wasn't even a chip in his head anymore. Not that it mattered. Before he got his soul back, the night he found out that the chip didn't work on Buffy, before he discovered that it only didn't work on her, Spike knew that he could never bite or fight another innocent human. The girl he had tried to bite in the alley that night, he'd had to talk himself into even trying it. It wasn't that the thrill was gone, the blood would always call to him, but the act, the attack and taking against the victim's will- for lack of a better word-disgusted him. Between being conditioned by the chip, spending quality time with the Scoobies, and trying to prove to Buffy that he could be good, Spike's nature had changed.

How Spike knew that the chip was no longer a factor came about as a sort of coincidence. He'd barely stepped off the boat in the good ol' U.S. of A. when he was jumped by a group of wanna-be gang-bangers. It wasn't until he had dispatched of the fifth and final gang member that Spike realized his assailants were human, and yet he felt no searing pain threatening to rip his skull in two. He hadn't even felt a twinge.

After a week at sea with only rats to feed upon, he was feeling a bit peckish. With no chip restraining him, he was free to feed on all the Happy Meals with Legs trotting around oblivious, right? Soul or no soul, he knew that he could never do it again. It went beyond having a conscience and knowing what was acceptable and not, it went to the very heart of whom he was-he didn't want to give in to his animalistic demon hunger to feed anymore.

~*~

"Spike, can I speak to you outside?" Buffy said pulling him out the door, making it clear that she wasn't really asking.

Outside, Buffy looked at Spike, her face betraying her internal conflict. Please don't let this be another game. She fought with her old self and decided she should hear his side-she needed him to explain it to her. They had started over; she owed him an open mind. "I'm going to give you the chance to explain for once. I want the truth, whatever it is," she looked at him unblinkingly. "The chip doesn't work anymore?"

"It doesn't."

"How long?"

"I'm thinking it was while I was in Africa," he smirked.

"You were in Africa?" Something tugged at the edge of her memory.

"One of the farthest places from you, luv, and I heard there was a bloke there that might be able to help me. He helped me alright. Believe me, vengeance demons aren't the only ones you need to be careful what you wish for around."

"You can hurt other humans, besides me now?" She flashed on Spike fighting in a dark place, a cave, and there were flames.

"I think the whelp can attest to that."

"But why still visit the butcher? You've made it clear that you can't stand pig's blood. Is it to keep up appearances? To-"

"Contrary to popular belief, Slayer, my world doest not always revolve around you. No chip doesn't mean that I can resume my old habits. You and the Bit are part of the reason. Like I said, the demon in Africa 'helped' me."

"What happened, Spike?" Even though she already knew and had known for months.

"No worries, Slayer. I'll tell you what I told Dawn: ol' Spike's as toothless as ever."

Buffy held his eyes for a moment, searching. "I know you aren't lying. But I need to know. What did the demon do to you?" She saw the demon placing his hand on Spike's chest, heard Spike's scream when the demon-

"It doesn't matter."

Touching the same place the demon had, she answered her own question, "You got your soul back."

~*~

Spike jumped back as if she had just burned him. There was no possible way she could know what happened in Africa. Only he and the demon knew.

"How . . ."

"You fought . . . a lot . . ." her brow was furrowed with concentration. "It was a test. And if you passed . . . he'd give you what you desired?"

There was no possible way that she could know what went on there.

~*~

"I think I dreamt it shortly after Willow was stopped. After that I couldn't get you out of my mind. So I started sleeping less and working more." She didn't mention her other dreams, the less prophetic more erotic dreams that followed. "I'm right, aren't I? That is what happened, isn't it?"

~*~

She wanted the truth, even if she already knew; he had to tell her the rest of it, what he'd really wanted. "It wasn't quite what I was asking for, mind you. I wanted to be the vampire I was before Sunnydale so I could come back, destroy you, and be rid of the god-awful pain that I've been in since the moment I laid eyes on you."

He remembered that night in the Bronze, when he'd set out to find who the infamous Slayer of Sunnydale was. That first glimpse. Dancing with Red and the whelp. In that one instant, her completely unaware, he saw everything. Her strengths and weaknesses. And though he wouldn't admit it at the time, he knew he never would kill her. He could. He'd done it twice before and he knew he could do it a third. But he wouldn't. There were so many opportunities; especially that Halloween. Had she not come back to herself when she did, something else would have stopped him. From that first sighting it had been a dance, leading up to where they were now. He could have killed her when he found out about the chip-that's when it had all come into focus. It wasn't the chip and it wasn't her, it had always been him.

"I just forgot to clarify how long before Sunnydale I wanted to go back to. And as of late, good ol' William, the poncy git, is a bit more difficult to repress than he used to be. Bloody hell."

"But having a soul doesn't really keep you from doing what you used to."

"True, the soulled are as likely to be evil as the soulless. You've encountered that a few times haven't you, pet?"

~*~

Principal Snyder and Faith, to name a few. Buffy had almost given in to that desire herself on a few occasions, which is why she was always so quick to condemn him in the past. Buffy reached up and touched his cheek, "Thank you."

Spike gave a start.

"First, for telling me. And second," she smiled, "for giving Xander what he deserved and saving me the task of doing it myself."

He laughed at the last part. "You would have decked the whelp? One of your fellow Scoobs?"

"Yes," she said somewhat sadly, thinking back on when she had taken on Willow. Even gone evil, Willow was Willow. She knew that had it come to it, she would have killed her best friend to save the world. She'd sent her first love to Hell. Buffy shook it off, and looked at Spike with a slight smile, "I know Xander is the king of lame one-liners, but that one . . . well, it's one you'd expect to see in a really bad romance novel."

"Well, he did use 'manly.' I can't say as I have any complaints with that."

She punched his arm playfully, trying her best not to smile.

"It's the closest I'll ever come to a compliment from the likes of one Alexander Harris," he said in a serious tone.

"Ugh! I give up," Buffy turned to go back inside, but was stopped as Spike grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

"Slayer," he growled, cocking his scarred eyebrow slightly. "You've never walked away from a good fight before."

Buffy looked at Spike. This was only going to lead one place if she didn't- and then he was kissing her deeply and she had no thoughts beyond that.

~*~

Finally Spike broke away. Much as he would love to take her right then and there, there were more pressing matters to take care of. Bleeding conscience. He saw her slight pout. "Pet, you don't know how hard this is for me."

"Oh, I don't do I?" she grinned, pressing closer.

"Buffy . . ."

"Aw, the Big Bad vampire can't finish what he started?" she began to trace his jaw with her tongue, moving up to nibble on his ear.

"Slayer," he growled much like the first time.

"Just one more little kiss, promise I'll bite," she whispered.

He gave in at last. He wasn't meant to be the duty-bound one anyway.

~*~

They were slowly working their way into the dark alley when the sound of approaching footsteps made them stop. Both turned to see-

"A new way to slay, Buffy?" Cordelia smiled. Behind her stood a very broody Angel and a young man who appeared to be a younger and even broodier Angel.