A/N: Glad you all liked the last chapter!!! Especially the Spike part!!! hehehehe!!!! Thanks for all the reviews!!!! MWAH!!!

Chapter Twelve: Soulful

Buffy winced at the state her arm was in. There were big blue bruises on it, and her other arm was bleeding from Max's nasty scratches. Must be a cat thing. She thought with an amused grin. She sat in the kitchen, carefully tending her wounds while she waited for the two transgenics to explain all these to her.

"Ow, that looks nasty." Jewel walked into the kitchen followed by a dazed-looking Alec. He was mumbling incoherently under his breath. She distinctly caught the words 'damn, crazy, scent, Max'. Buffy's grin broadened. Obviously, what ever was happening to Max was driving Alec crazy.

"Okay, so do you guys mind explaining what that was all about?" the slayer asked. "Because Alec was seconds from beating Spike into a bloody pulp."

Jewel rolled her eyes. "Alec would've murdered him."

Alec's head snapped up. "Stop talking like I'm not here."

"Mentally speaking, you aren't here."

Alec didn't seem to hear her, for he had gone back to his mumbling.

"See what I mean?" Jewel asked, and Buffy nodded.

"You said that Max had gone into heat..." Buffy trailed off curiously.

"It's because we're part feline," Jewel replied. "Heat is a cycle that cats go through during mating season." She grinned impishly. "Get what I mean?"

Buffy thought for a moment then grinned as well. "Yeah I think I get what you mean. Although that doesn't explain why Alec's acting the way he is right now..."

"When a female X5 is in heat, all other X5 males could feel or rather, smell the female's – um, heat. And they go out of control. They'd do anything to get to the female first." Jewel grimaced. "And that's that. They're mated for life. I'm just keeping Alec from making a mistake."

"Mistake?" Buffy echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Before you arrived, the two of them were pretty cozy upstairs – unless it was her heat starting?"

"Maybe--"

"No it wasn't," Alec suddenly spoke up, his face dead somber. "That was real. But anyway, I agree with Jewel. Taking advantage of Max would just be the biggest mistake of my life. I'm treading on very fine ground here." He glanced down. "I don't want to lose her, just when I finally have her."

"But if it was real," Buffy said. "This would be your one chance of becoming her erm, mate."

Jewel shook her head. "Not really. There's still her next heat."

Alec grinned rakishly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It would be so much better than doing it now. We'd do it at the--"

The two women wore horrified expressions. "Too much information, Alec!"

Alec shrugged. "Hey, I'm a guy. You can't blame me."

"BUFFY!" Dawn's voice rang out from outside the kitchen.

"What?"

"Spike wants to talk to you!"

"Ah," Alec smirked. "Prince 'bloody' Charming is waiting for you."

Buffy merely bit her lip, and exited the kitchen, her heart thudding wildly in her chest.

The basement was overcrowded with people. Giles stood in the center, clutching a piece of paper that was, when Buffy looked closer, was a map of Sunnydale High. He was relaying the plan to the Potentials and the rest of the Scooby Gang. Andrew and Anya stood behind Giles drawing stick figures on a miniature chalkboard.

Buffy glanced around. Spike was nowhere to be seen.

"Buffy," Dawn materialized at her size, a knowing look on her face. "Spike's out in the backyard. He's waiting for you."

The eldest slayer nodded, and cut through the small crowd of potential slayers to the back door. She then found herself standing in the backyard, empty, save for a figure clad in nothing but black.

He stood with his back to her, hands in his pockets, with his head tilted up to the sky which was turning from black to gray. "Spike," Buffy said softly. "What are you doing here? It's going to be light soon."

"I still have a half hour left," he replied without turning around. "That should be enough."

Enough for what? She asked in her head.

As if he heard her silent question, he turned around, his icy-blue eyes glimmering with something unreadable. And slowly, Buffy approached him. "Faith said you wanted to tell me something...?"

"Not in so many words," Spike said, and he crushed his lips to hers in a dizzying kiss. Buffy fell into it, drowned herself in it. It had been so long since she had felt those cold beautiful lips on hers. The last time it had been there, it was unwanted. At this thought, she pushed Spike away.

"What the hell was that Spike?" she barked, stunned at the cruelty of her tone. Spike's face shone with hurt. He has a soul now...Buffy remembered. He can feel...

"Before I die, Buffy." He said, not backing down. "I want you to know that I love you."

Buffy, for a moment, was speechless. But not for long. "No you don't."

"Yes I do," he said through clenched teeth. "Don't be so bloody naïve, Buffy. I got my soul back just for you."

"What for?" Buffy snapped, unexpected tears streaming down her face. "You raped me Spike."

This time, it wasn't just Buffy who had tears falling down her face. "Is my soul not enough proof for you? I fought several demons to become what I used to be. If not a man...then a vampire with a soul. All those pains that you felt during that night? I feel it now too. And you know what, Buffy? It hurts." Spike spat.

"You deserved it," she spat back. And before Spike could reply, Buffy's lips were on his again. A heart-wrenching kiss that would break both of their hearts in the end.

A/N: Sniffle! I had fun writing this chappie...I'm such a drama queen!!! Please review!!! ;-)