Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Glad most of you guys agree with my pairings. ;-) Here's the next chapter. Just a lil' bit of drama, guys. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Nine: Mind Games

"Buffy?"

The two wizards wore the same bewildered expressions when Buffy neglected to answer them. That was until they realized that she was staring at something several feet behind them. Her hazel eyes had gotten that distant, faraway look, almost as if she was remembering something.

Draco turned around and followed her gaze. He was startled to see a man with platinum-blonde hair standing silently beside a crypt, his eyes fixated on Buffy. Two seconds ticked by, and that was when he turned and ran in the opposite direction. The night swallowing him almost instantly.

"I – I have to go," Buffy said, her voice cracking.

And then she took off after him.

Neither wizard made a move to stop her, for something in them told them that this was something that Buffy had to deal with on her own.

…

Buffy sprinted through the cemetery as quickly as she could, careful not to lose sight of the distraught vampire. A full moon shone brightly above her, illuminating the dark sky with its ghostly color. She came to a stop twelve feet away from a small chapel. Two lanterns blazed blithely on either side of the half-open double doors.

Without further thought, she walked in.

Her eyes traveled curiously around the chapel, taking in the haunting beauty of the sacred place. Three stained glass arched windows were on each sidewall of the chapel, and an oval, medieval painting of Mary and baby Jesus hung on the wall, dimly-lit by the moonlight streaming into the small chapel. A dozen wooden pews were arranged on either side of a central aisle. A large crucifix stood at the front of the chapel. Its design was unmistakably gothic.

But there was no sign of the vampire.

"Hello."

She nearly jumped out of her skin. Spinning around, she watched warily as Spike appeared from the shadows. He was bare-chested, and she could clearly see the scars marring his pale skin. Buffy drew in her breath and tried to catch the vampire's gaze. He looked away almost immediately. "No more mind games, Spike." She said, almost pleading.

"No more mind games. No more mind." Spike answered forlornly.

Fingers slightly trembling, she reached out to touch the scars on his chest. "Tell me what happened to you." She whispered. He flinched and recoiled violently from her. Then he looked her in the eyes. Torment was swirling in those sapphire-blue orbs. "Please, Spike. Tell me. I'm listening."

Again, he looked away. "I tried to find it, of course."

"Find what?" she asked, confused.

"The spark. The missing…the piece that fit. That would make me fit. Because you didn't want…" he slowly backed away from her. A tear dripped down his cheek. And then he started to cry. "God I can't…not with you looking…"

Buffy's heart felt like it was going to shatter into a thousand pieces. But she still couldn't help feeling confused. Spike was crying. How was that possible?

He turned away from her and walked towards a nearby window, gazing off into the distance. He looked back over his shoulder and at her, his eyes still full of torment. "I dreamed of killing you."

On impulse, Buffy's hand traveled over to her pocket, where she kept her trusty stake. Warily, she watched as the anguished vampire started to pace. "I think they were dreams. So weak. Did you make me weak, thinking of you, holding myself, and spilling useless buckets of salt over your... ending? Angel—he should've warned me. He makes a good show of forgetting, but it's here, in me, all the time. The spark. I wanted to give you what you deserve, and I got it. They put the spark in me and now all it does is burn."

Buffy could only stare at him in shock as realization dawned on her, and then her face contorted to one of heartache. "Your soul." She whispered in disbelief. No wonder he's in so much pain…he's dealing with the guilt from his past.

Spike laughed mirthlessly. "Bit worse for lack of use."

"How?" she finally managed to choke out.

Spike looked up at the ceiling. "It's what you wanted, right?" He pressed his fingers to his temples, and slowly walked towards the altar. "And -- and now everybody's in here, talking. Everything I did...everyone I killed…and him... and it... the other, the thing beneath you. It's here too. Everybody. They all just tell me go..." he glanced back at Buffy. "…go to hell."

"Why Spike?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why would you do that?"

"Buffy, shame on you. Why does a man do what he mustn't? For her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would nev -- " he looked away guiltily. "…to be a kind of man."

And without further hesitation, he embraced the six foot tall crucifix in front of him, murmuring strange quotes under his breath. "And she will look with forgiveness, and everybody will forgive and love. He will be loved."

His body started to sizzle, and smoke started to rise from his burning skin. Buffy could only watch helplessly from her spot several feet away from him.

"Can – can we rest now? Buffy…can we rest?" he asked desolately.

And that's when her tears started to fall.

…

TBC

…

A/N: SO sorry for the incredibly short chapter, but I had to fit this in somewhere in the story. It's practically the same from the episode, with a few minor changes…And don't worry, Spike won't end up with Buffy. Although they'll become good friends in the story. Please review.