Buffy and Spike walked back to Wolfram Hart hand in hand. It was like they were a proper couple. Buffy leant her head against Spike's shoulder and he smiled down at her. He felt like there was a balloon in his stomach that was swelling up deep inside him, it was wonderful.

'Their getting too close.'

'They were always too close.'

'True.....but I thought her not seeing him for months would go in our favour, instead their rebuilding their relationship.....and a lot quicker then we expected.'

'What should we do about it?'

'Get someone else to come in between them.'

'I know just the person.'
Buffy and Spike were outside each other's room.

'Well goodnight then', Spike said.

'Your not coming in?'

'Nah I think I better get back to my room.'

'Oh alright then, well I'll see you tomorrow', Buffy replied. Spike smiled weakly. A moments pause and then Buffy sighed and pointed at her room.

'Well I-I should go', She stammered and turned and walked away. Spike stood there long after she'd gone.
The next morning Buffy went out shopping with Willow and Kennedy and Spike was left alone with Giles. They sat at opposite sides of the room pondering on what to say.

'Active day today isn't it', Giles said

'Yeah', Spike sighed.

'So.... Are you seeing Buffy tonight?' Giles asked randomly.

'Yeah we all are, as soon as she gets back', Spike replied.

'You know what I mean', Giles said impatiently. Spike frowned.

'Er no I really don't think I do'

'Are you taking her out?'

'Not unless there's some business that needs doing, other wise I think it's a quite night in for us', Spike answered.

'You two seem pretty close....'

'We are.'

'I hope you know what you are getting yourself into', Giles said seriously. Spike looked at the floor.

'I know', Spike muttered.

'No I don't think you do, Spike you and her make a lovely couple no one can deny that but you can't give her what she needs.'

'I know that....I'm just trying to keep her happy', Spike said.

'I think you do, I mean you give her something that Angel never could or tried to, you give her a reason to win.' Spike looked up, Giles held his gaze.

'But she's not fighting evil any more so she doesn't need that, she needs a normal guy who she can have a normal life with', Giles added. Spike sat in silence for a minute; he knew he was right even though he hated it.

'I had to give her up, Spike said croakily after a while, on the last fight I had a choice, it was like it was my final test I could die a hero or get the one thing I wanted beyond anything.....Buffy's love, and I said no....Buffy told me she loved me but I told her she didn't, I pushed her away, do you have any idea how hard that was for me', Spike said. Giles felt a sudden pang of sympathy and respect for Spike.

'I know it must have been hard, but the fact that you chose to do the right thing even when offered the thing you desired more than anything made you a true hero', Giles said.

'She made me a true hero, without her, I would probably still be in the basement and out of my mind, she helped me realise that it wasn't me who'd killed all those people in the past, it was the demon inside me, of course it still haunts me now and again but I carry on you know, she gave me a reason to live', Spike said.

'You two rely on each other I know that, I told Buffy that when she was being selfish about you, she was blinded by her love for you....she does love you, she may have realised a bit late but I know that deep down she did love you and I know you love her, and you've proved it so many times, all I'm asking is that you prove it again', Giles said. Very slowly Spike nodded, unable to speak.
Buffy returned to Wolfram and Hart with all the clothes she'd bought later that day. She went to look for Spike to show him the top she'd bought for him but couldn't find him, instead she found Giles.

'Have you seen Spike?' Buffy asked him.

'I think he went out for a walk.'

'Oh', Buffy said thoroughly put out.

'He should be back soon', Giles said.

'Well if you see him tell him I was looking for him ok', Buff said. She rummaged through her bags.

'I er I bought you a jumper, she handed it to Giles, I saw it and it reminded me off you.' Giles was turning it over in his hands,

'Well this is.....this is really nice of you Buffy, thank you', Giles said.

'I thought you'd like it, I bought Spike something too.'

'Do you want me to pay you back for it?' Giles asked.

'No no it's yours consider it a thank-you-for-everything present', Buffy replied. Giles smiled.

'I really appreciate it.'
Meanwhile Spike was out alone, walking. He was thinking hard about what to do.

'Things would've been better if I just stayed dead', he muttered bitterly.

'Now, now don't fink like that Spikey.' Spike spun around to see who spoke, and what greeted his eyes shocked him. Standing there watching him was Drusilla.

'Dru', Spike whispered. Dru tilted her head to the side.

'Is Spike shocked to see me?'

'I think that's a bit of an understatement', Spike said.

'Aren't you happy to see me?' Dru said looking as though she was a child about to cry. Spike rolled his eyes

'What are you doing here Dru? Have you been following me?'

'Maybe', Dru smiled.

'Why?'

'I have some friends they told me what's going on, old friends they are, also old friends of Angel', Dru answered.

'I don't understand, Spike said, what did they tell you was going on?'

'Shanshu does that ring any bells....playground bells were wringing and wringing, Dru said waving her hand above her head, never stopped, they did my head in.'

'You know about the Shanshu?' Spike said ignoring her whining. Dru nodded.

'Vampire friends know Vargners, they know lots of demons, but these aren't demons, their god's', Dru told Spike.

'God's!?'

'Yes Spike God's, why do you think their so powerful, they could rip you in half', Dru said.

'Or turn me human.'

'What happened to you, you used to be mine, my bad Spikey', Dru said.

'I got a soul', Spike replied.

'No you started changing long before that', Dru said.

'I fell in love with the slayer, what can I say, it changes a guy.'

'You realised a bit late', Dru muttered. Spike didn't reply.

'It should have been me and you forever, but you messed it all up', Dru whispered into Spike's ear.

'No you did you left me for a chaos demon', Spike argued.

'Because you were falling for the slayer', Dru said.

'I have something with Buffy that I never had, she changed me, she made me want to be a better man', Spike said. Dru pouted.

'And now you are, you're the snivelling pathetic wreck you were when I first laid eyes on you', Dru hissed.

'I can make you what you were, and we can be evil together like old times, just you and me, that way everyone gets what they want, Angel's friends, Me and you.'

'That's not what I want', Spike said getting annoyed.

'But it's what you are, your weak with a soul', Dru said stroking his face.

'No it's not weak to go out every day and hold your head up high and try not to think of what've you've done, to tell yourself it wasn't you but to still hate yourself all the same.'

'Do you hate yourself sweet William', Dru asked softly.

'No not normally but sometimes reminders of what I've done will come up and I will hate myself all over again, but if you let your conscience take over you then you'll just go insane, I should know, when I first got my soul back I was crazy I loathed myself and I couldn't live with all the things I'd done but Buffy and principal Wood helped me out, I'm not so crazy now', Spike explained.

'Your still a fool though.....foolish William, can't see past love, he'd do anything for the ones he loves, blinded by love just like your friend Buffy', Dru whispered.

'You know when I remember how crazy I was when I first got my soul and now I see you, and I was nothing compared to you, your out of your mind Dru, seriously you need help.' Dru laughed coldly.

'Not the only one', she cackled and with that she turned and strode off.

'I'll be back to see if you've changed you mind, see if the fish swim the other way', Dru called back at him.