Sunnydale, CA

Buffy had woken up later that day, first being worried about all of them, then being agnry and pissed at them for calling Spike back.

It would look like she'd had to lean on him because she couldn't handle things herself, and she hated that.

When she'd tried to prove to them that she didn't need any help, that she'd do fine by herself, she'd gotten up, stumbled a bit and ended up flat on her ass.

That had lead to Willow having to change the bandages she'd torn. And she'd gotten some aspirin too.

Now she was sitting in front of the TV with Dawn, pouting.

"Wiillooow!" Dawn howled up the stairs, and not long after a red head popped up there.

"Yes, Dawn?"

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" Dawn whined.

Willow's expression turned serious as she came to explain.

"It totally depends. I mean, the spell might've gone totally wrong, and done nothing at all. Giles and I were just researching it. You know, as it took, uh, a bit more power than I expected."

"Come on, Wills, stop the child talk already. I know you were totally drained."

"What? Drained? Willow? Dawn?" Buffy said irritably.

"And there's the Queen of one-word scentenses for ya!" Dawn joked, while Willow tried to explain.

"Well, it might be nothing…we're just making sure. We heven't come up with anything worthy of worry yet."

Buffy knew her protective friend, but also knew that Willow wouldn't lie straight to her face.

"Okay, good. But the secong you find something even mildly suspicious…"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be the first one to know."

"Willow? Where's Xander and Anya? Weren't they supposed to cook lunch?"

"They're uh, in the basement, uh, playing chess?"

"Worst cover-up ever, Wills." Dawn smiled at the redhead, knowing exactly what Xander and Anya would be doing, and earned and sheepish shrug from her before the Wicca went back up the stairs to find a wrinkle-browed Giles waiting for her.

"What is it?"

"Well, only a small problem, probably nothing, but we agreed to go through everything didn't we?"

"Yeah…" Willow motioned for Giles to get to the point.

"Well, are we absolutely positive that the coat was originally his?"

"The- Dawn said that- it'd- oh, I don't know. What if it wasn't?"

"Then we've just called for someone elses help, I guess. This spell has a lot of loopholes if you read it thoroughly. I hate to use clichés, but I'm afraid the only thing we can do is wait and see."

Despite Nikki's protests, Spike stole a car from LA to take them to Sunnydale.

"We'll return it later, luv, they'll never even know it was gone."

Nikki doubted that after they'd been chased by the furious owner for five blocks.

Spike hadn't even told her about Angel, as he was the last person he wanted to see right now.

And so they drived to Sunnydale in a stolen electric-blue van, the music from the radio blasting through the windows.

As Nikki scanned the back of the car, seeing not much but beer cans and different food packages, she decided to take her chance and ask Spike a question.

"You know exactly where we're heading, don't you?" Spike didn't take his eyes off the road, but his posture tensed visibly.

"I have a pretty strong hunch."

"And…? What's your 'hunch'?" She prodded.

"The current Slayer, or one of them at least, lives there. I… know her. She has a whole little merry band of friends and protectors there. Her sister, Dawn, the Key, is kinda my friend, I guess, and the little sister I never had. Then there's Red, or Willow, the witch. She's become pretty powerful lately. And Giles, the Slayer's watcher as well as father figure. And the Whelp, Xander, the all round friend and his ex-fiancée the ex demon Anya…and so on." He stopped abruptly.

"You seem to know a lot about them. Did you get to know them before or after the soul?"

"Before. I don't know them with the bloody soul, I never have I- I've just gotten it a few months ago, never seen them since. But I got this chip…"

Spike explained about the chip as well as he could. Nikki nodded but he was pretty sure she didn't understand the details.

"So do you still have this chip?"

"Nah, it got removed or neutered or I don't know what as I got the soul. Doesn't matter anymore though I can actually defend myself now, which is of the good."

"So, as I seem to be on a roll here, would you tell me about this woman you got the soul for?" Nikki had her suspicions, but wanted him to tell her himself.

He seemed to be having a inner conflict about it.

"Her name's Buffy. She's the Slayer." He stopped, waiting for a reaction from Nikki, but she only got her suspicions confirmed.

So Spike told her all about their relationship, watching as Nikki flinched a bit at the almost rape, but thinking about it, he'd done a much worse thing to Nikki herself. He also told her that his feelings for Buffy had changed, and that he didn't wan't to be with her anymore.

"She must be something if she can get a soulless vampire to fall in love with her."

Spike shrugged.

"She is. Nikki, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Uh, the whole killing you? Ring any bells? But I really am sorry, and I hadn't told you and…" He felt a small warm hand grip his firmly.

"Spike, it's in the nature of vampires to loathe and kill Slayers, nothing can change that. Well, except a soul I guess. But there's a very thin line between love and hate. And as you fell in love with one before the soul, so I guess you're special." She kissed him on the cheek, a gesture that was so gentle and kind that Spike actually thought he was glowing for a second.

The thought of seeing Buffy and the scoobies wasn't all that terrifying anymore.

They turned onto Revello Drive.