Disclaimer - Nothing I own but the idea of this story. All hail Joss!

This better hold you lot over as my kids have just gone back to school and I have to move house. So that means I might get heaps of chapters written as I hide from my adult responsibilities or I might be an adult and ignore my writing and do boring stuff... we'll wait and see, lol!


Faith stood shoulder to shoulder with Buffy as they stared down the warehouse at the busted up cages. Angel watched them back silently but thankfully no longer paced or growled constantly. Spike had been the greatest surprise. Instead of laying around sleeping, he now moved around, often following Buffy as she puttered around the warehouse. It was almost like the battle had reminded him, well both of them, of their previous lives. Angel and Spike seemed to stay close, at least within arms reach at all times. More often than not, it was Angel that would move as Spike followed Buffy along the cage walls.

But that wasn't why the Slayers were watching. No, after 3 days, they were used to the vamps again. The reason they were standing there was the interesting information that Andrew had called that morning with.

According to the spineless one, he had suddenly been barred from council meetings. As he was practically Giles' assistant (according to him) he hadn't noticed at first as Giles or Willow had been sending him out on search missions – "Go and collect this book from this collector" or "Andrew, I need this delivered to the storage centre in LA central". After Buffy's call, he asked if he shouldn't stay and write notes and in Andrew speak "The Willowly Witch used the force of her smile and scared me out of the room, just like when Sherlock smiled at Mary's ex David in the wedding episode..." Andrew tried to sneak around and hadn't found anything, but he quietly told the deadly silent slayer that something was going on. He was sure of it. So sure in fact that he would be willing to bet his Star Trek Collector's Edition DVD set with Special Features. Buffy had ended the rambling by the simple act of disconnecting the call.

But she was worried and by the tenseness of Faith, knew her sister slayer was too.

It was one thing to walk away from her friends and essentially her family and cut all ties. But to find that they were still trying to control your life was both sad and infuriating. Buffy had no doubt that they were somehow behind the attack. Even though it was difficult to think about, as Buffy watched Spike and Angel in their cage, she knew in her own soul that they WERE involved. Somehow.

But the thought of souls got Buffy thinking. Did her vampires still have theirs? It seemed unlikely as she watched the two vampires stride around, their vampire faces never receding since the slayers rescued them from the other dimension.

"Faith? You have connections? Can we get someone to come and see if they still have their... you knows?" Buffy kept her eyes firmly on the vamps and away from any questions Faith might allow on her face.

After a minute of silence, Faith shifted and turned towards Buffy.

"Sure Buff, I think we can drag something up." A loaded pause filled the quiet. "If it IS Giles and the witch, should we do something mystical here as well, ya know, protection wise?"

Buffy thought for a split second and agreed. While she knew Willow was strong, it might slow down any other attack they might have.

Two hours later and they had a witch setting up in the warehouse. She was not the stereotypical witch Buffy was used to. With Willow and Tara and the few witches Buffy had met, they were all flowly skirts and Mother Earthy. This woman was hard angles, black leather pants and a hard rock cafe t-shirt. Buffy looked wistfully at Spikes raggy jeans. Seeing the witch reminded the Slayer of the long missing leather duster that had seemed so much a part of Spike.

The black haired witch arranged her crystals and did the familiar chant and minutes later, nodded at the waiting Slayers.

"Both retain their souls. I did a search spell while I was looking and while their vampire sides are visible now, I could sense the humanness of both just under the surface, as though looking through murky water. If you like, I could lead you on the spirit plane and maybe bring them back to you."

Both Buffy and Faith looked in shock at the rocker witch's offer. She threw her head back and laughed out loud at their surprise. Angel snarling in counterpoint in the background

"Oh yes girls! You are well known, both of you. And we have been watching you both closely since you left your 'council', as well as ... other things. Your 'Willow' was sent by agreement to our UK coven and learnt much, but we all knew that power like that requires long training, something that the child has yet to learn. Her mentor should know better. His own delvings into the mystical world should have taught him that, but he has allowed himself to become darkened lately."

She paused as she contemplated the two warriors in front of her and came to a decision, nodding sharply to herself. Unknown to the slayer community, other supernatural beings of this world had been in long discussion about the going ons of this one small group.

"Buffy, Faith. You are both involved in your own destinies, of which even we cannot see, for all our skill. But we do know that there is coming a battle, a storm like you haven't seen or fought before. Sides are forming as we speak. Our seers are getting portents, even when we are spelling other things. We don't know why you are so important,' she held her hand up at the sounds of huffs coming from the two in front of her "No, listen. While you two are important, you are NOT the only fighters against evil in this world. There are many, of many different types. You are but ONE of those many. Why this is affecting so many is worrying. "She cocked an eyebrow at the two. "What we do know is this. You will need help. Not armies like you have in the past, but warriors, battle-ready and willing.' She threw a glance over her shoulder. Both vampires were standing at the cage bars closest to them, their stares like daggers, cold and determined. "What better than two heroes already proven and blessed by the powers?" With that, she sank down at her casting circle, pulled her bag over and started packing and unpacking.

Buffy looked at Faith, the question clear in her eyes and with an almighty sigh and a curse, Faith nodded.

"Jeeeezuz B, the things I do..."

Quickly, they found themselves seated in the circle, hands holding tight as the brightly coloured smoke spun slowly around them. Buffy swore she could feel it nudging at her hair and clothes but with her eyes shut tight, she couldn't be sure.

But she DID feel the temperature of the warehouse seeming to rise. Then a floatly feeling and suddenly, even though she KNEW her eyes were shut, she could see everything in greys and blacks, like an oldie film with no soundtrack. She looked at the witch and saw her surrounded by a pink and silvery haze. Her aura! Is this what Tara had seen all those years ago? Buffy turned to Faith and saw red and white and touches of black swirling around her sister slayer. Faith's eyes were also open and looking at awe around her as well. Buffy looked down and gasped. Her own aura was white and red with strands of gold shot through it. Like those paintings of saints or gods she saw in research books.

Looking around the warehouse, she saw the same red and white auras like Faith's, without the black, scattered around. 'Other Slayers' the thought slid into her head. But it sounded like the witch. 'Melis' And Buffy looked over to the witch and saw her smile. Nodding her acknowledgement at Melis, she then sought the one her heart was anxious to see.

From the middle of the cage, two distinct auras were visible. One was a washed out sort of white, but liberally marked with muted greys, blacks and red, like sprinkles on cupcakes. The other was like her own, glowingly white and red with silvery gold strands mixed in liberally but covered in a film of grey.

'You see the vampires as they are. Angel and Spike, their lives and their souls are visible when on this plane. 'Melis explained in her wispy, insert-straight-into-your-brain voice. 'Angel fights his very nature and takes to blaming others for his deeds instead of seeing to them himself. He sabotages his own redemption. Spike on the other hand, embraces his past and seeks to redeem himself by simply wanting better in the future. His desire to sacrifice for the greater good shows in his aura. A True Champion. While both are Champions, both chosen by the PTBs, Spike has embraced his destiny. As I suspect he does with everything.' The chuckle startled Buffy slightly and she smiled as well. It sounded so much like both of them, heroes to the core, but where Angel was a reluctant one, Spike bounded in with both fists and a smile on his face, daring the world to make him other than he was.

Buffy felt Melis and Faith take her hands again – strange feeling when you don't actually HAVE hands - and the world changed again. They were standing by cages again, but these were tiny and twisted, blood of many staining and rotting on the bars. Buffy looked around and met Faith's gaze. They were back in the Putorna dimension, Spike and Angel in their cages in their filthy room. Echoes of screams seemed to tease at their edges of their hearing.

But the difference was that the vampires weren't their demons, not yet. Spike lay curled up in a sobbing ball on the floor of his cage, arms wrapped tight around his middle, knees drawn up hard against his chest, forehead pressed to the floor of his cage. Angel had his arm stretched between the cages, pulling angrily at the sobbing vampire. They could see him talking, but like the screams, it seemed to be far away on the edge of hearing. It seemed like Angel was yelling at Spike, his hand yanking harshly on Spike's arm, trying to drag him closer up to the bars. Spike shook the hand off and a familiar look of derision on his face. It seemed they argued and suddenly Angel pulled his wrist back and with a single movement, slashed his wrist on a fang and thrust it back through the bars. Spike sprung back as far as he could, snarling at his Sire, his back flat against the far cage bars. But the lure was obviously too strong and after a moment of watching the blood drip to the floor, he was on Angel's arm in a blinking flash. A few gulps and a lick and Spike was gently pushing Angel's arm back through the cage bars.

Buffy looked at Melis and the witch smiled sadly.

'It is merely a memory, or that's the easiest way to describe it. We are seeing what occurred in the past with no ability to change or affect anything. But watch, for this will tell us much of what we need to know to reach the two champions.'

Buffy turned back to watch the rest of it unfold. Faith, having been silent until now, cursed softly and Buffy agreed. Having seen the end effect, they seriously didn't want to see the path that got them there. But with all things, their wants were not listened to as they saw the men enter the room with their demon minions. One man pointed at Spike and Angel lunged at the bars. You could clearly see him yell for them to take him instead, but a rod through the bars and what looked like an electric jolt through him against the bars and they left him there, shuddering, eyes rolling back into his head. Meanwhile Spike lashed wildly in his cage, struggling to reach any of the men or demon he could. They didn't zap him, rather they simply slammed heavy metal tipped staves through the bars and beat him in to the centre of his cage.

Time seemed to speed up and the witch and the slayers watched as Spike was returned, a shivering unconscious mass on the bottom of his cage. Then it was Angel's turn to vanish. Over and over they watched as the cages were carried in and out, only very occasionally was any food thrown to the two starving vampires. Buffy noticed that Spike was taken out much more often than Angel and that he looked worse and worse on each return. Angel's face clearly showed his anguish everytime the beaten and unconscious Spike was returned and they watched as he tried to doctor the weakening vampire as best he could.

Buffy turned away, bile rising in her throat. She knew it had been bad, but she had forced her mind away from just how bad it could have been. 'Do we need to see any more?' she thought at Melis. Faith's agreement followed her quickly.

Her answer was in the rushing of greys and blacks as they sped away from the tortuous scene.

This time they were in the warehouse, standing in front of the two damaged vampires. Angel's eyes pierced the greyness and Buffy could now see that his gaze was more protective of his childe than hateful of them. Melis warning of 'hold on' was only given seconds before another rush and Buffy found herself alone, in a large empty room, the floor and walls drenched in massive red splashes of blood. Buffy looked around and noticed that the room wasn't as empty as she first thought. Ashes and burnt and broken furniture littered the corners, along with what looked like bones and skeletons. Buffy turned a full circle. Yup, Melis and Faith were definitely not with her. But a murmur was reaching her ears. The first sound since starting this trippy ass journey. She turned back to the first corner she had glanced at. What she had taken for simply destroyed furniture was moving. She stepped closer and gasped. Spike was curled into such a tight ball the only reason she knew it was him was the blood soaked curls on his head and the line of his beloved back. He rocked minutely back and forth, murmuring softly under his breath. Buffy was taken straight back to the memory of the high school basement. She rushed to his side, surprised at she could feel his shaking body under her hand. He flinched at her touch and she fought the urge to pull back. Instead, she pulled him until he was facing her instead of the corner. He was a wreck. Blood and gore covered him from head to toe and he was as thin if not thinner than when they found him in the Putorna world. But it was his eyes that forced a scream from her throat. Milky white eyes stared up at her from the wounded creature crouching in the corner.

'Things are not as they appear here, remember that, Slayer.' Melis's voice whispered softly. Buffy glanced around wildly, but couldn't see her or Faith. But she did feel the hand on her shoulder and the whispered 'Buffy, I'm here with you. Faith is on her own journey to Angel.'

Feeling a little more buoyed, Buffy turned back to her vampire and crouched down beside him.

"Spike? Spike? Can you hear me love?" Her voice echoed loudly in the red room. The only thing that told her he did was the flinch and whimper.

'Reach him Buffy.'

"Spike it's me, it's Buffy. I'm here now. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you' flinch and a whimper, 'I won't hurt you ever again. Please Spike, please" She had no idea what she was pleading for.

Anything she thought. She repeated her mantra over and over and stroked his hair, his arms, and his back. It felt like it could have been hours and there was no response other than flinches and insane murmurings too soft to hear.

Just as she was about to give up, he moaned and shook harshly and she clutched him to her in fear. Now what?

"Sl...sssl..slay'rrr?"

"Oh My GOD! Spike! Spike!" Buffy clutched his face in both her hands and gave into the impulse to press a frantic kiss to the lips she had been dreaming of for years now. After a split second of stunnedness, she felt him respond. Suddenly, steel strong arms encircled her and crushed her to his bony chest. His tongue invaded her mouth and it was her turn to pause for a stunned second before responding wholeheartedly. But his strength faded quickly, and soon it was Buffy holding him to HER chest as she peppered kisses over his face.

"Sssllay'rrr, not that I'm complainin' mind, but wanna tell me what you're doin' 'ere?" he slurred out.

That reminded Buffy to the not quite real world setting they were in.

"Spike, I can't really explain, but this isn't home, so to speak. But I'm here to get you back. ..Actually, I didn't ask that bit... but we'll figure it out!"

Spike chuckled weakly. "You never were big on the plans luv."

Buffy leaned back and studied the face she had waited so long to see again. She stroked her thumbs over his gorgeous cheekbones, emphasised by his sheer gauntness. As she gazed into his white eyes, she watched in amazement as the whiteness seeped from the beautiful blue orbs until finally, she was gazing into HIS eyes.

"There you are Slayy'rrr" His lopsided grin made her heart clench and she smiled back, tears pooling in her eyes.

'We have to go Buffy'

She blinked her acknowledgement and stroked Spikes face once more.

"I gotta go, but you have to try to come back with me! I can't lose you again! I can't mourn you again!" She convulsively grabbed Spike to her.

"'Ere now luv, steady up, I'll go anywhere if it'll get me outta this place. 'ere, what IS this place? Did I end up in Hell again?" Glancing around the room, Buffy noticed that as he followed her gaze, his eyes started to glaze over with their soul-scaring fog of white.

"NO! No, Spike, look only at me, only at me!" She snatched at his head, ignoring his shouted 'Oi!' and wound her fingers through his. "Only on me!"

"Okay okay you bossy bint!" But the small smile on his lips belied his sharp words. The fog receded as his eyes met hers. "But I can't leave luv. This is my punishment for failing again. Better here than that other place I reckon anyway..."

"No, Spike, you're no longer in that place, You're safe, I promise! Faith and I got you out! Don't you remember?" But his slow head shake showed he didn't. "Doesn't matter. I'm here and I'm getting you out of here and back into your body, or out of your brain or whatever the hell this creepy ass place is!"

Spike nodded and Buffy hugged him, keeping their eye contact.

Buffy felt her shoulder being held by a strong hand and pull her away from the room of death and horror, but her gaze locked onto Spike's and refused to let go. She knew, just KNEW, that if he left her sight, she would lose him.

Slowly, the red room faded and the grey other-worldly version of the warehouse came into view. In the cage, Spike lay slumped over, appearing fast asleep, while Angel lay full length on the floor, as though felled by a vicious blow. Buffy felt Spike being pulled from her grip and she panicked!

NO! She just got him back! But a whispered encouragement and ghostly fingers gently prying at her hands and she reluctantly let him go. She watched as he faded from her sight, her heart seizing in terror. As the last bit of him, his gorgeous blue eyes, faded from sight, she screamed her fear.

"SSSPPPPIIIKKKKEEE! NNNNOOOOOOO!"

And found herself laying in the casting circle, her hands crushing those of the witch and Faith. Faith groaned and tugged her hand free.

"Holy crap B! Never, I repeat NEVER doing that shit again!" She grabbed her head and groaned loudly. "OOhhhh my fucking head!"

Buffy knew exactly when she meant. It felt as though elephants were tangoing around her skull.

But a groan from the cages banished all thought. Spike!

Scrabbling to her feet, tripping and grazing her hands on the concrete floor, she tumbled her way to the middle of the warehouse.

Just in time to see Spike sitting up holding his own head and Angel rolling to his hands and knees, his head hanging low.

Gulping down a scream of fear, Buffy clutched the bars of the cage.

"Ssssspike?"

And bright blue eyes met astonished hazel ones.

"Slayer?"