Catching up: Giles looked up to Buffy, "We may have some kind of elemental, a demon that takes its form as the weather, or control the elements as such." "Had a bit of an accident love." Spike winced as a piece of charred shirt rubbed his burned chest. "No biggy." Spike clenched his jaw, and then said through his teeth, "Some little beastie wants to 'ave a go." He sneered. "Well bring it on!" He shouted to the voice. Buffy edged carefully away from him. She remembered only too well what had happened the last time Spike had heard voices. "Spike will protect me." Buffy muttered turning her face to the side. "Spike loves me."

Bitter Betrayals.

"So he just went crazy?" Willow looked around at her friends nervously. "He just started talking to some invisible demon?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm not even sure it was real. I couldn't hear it." Buffy had been thinking hard about this. She'd considered chaining Spike up just in case, but he'd insisted it wasn't that kind of voice, it wasn't like the last time. This voice was only taunting him, not even talking directly at him.

"Very peculiar," Giles tapped his chin. He was sitting at the round table in the Magic Box, supporting his head with his hand. "You said he wanted to fight the demon?"

"He said the demon wanted to fight him, his exact words were 'some little beastie wants to 'ave a go,'" Buffy mocked his British accent almost successfully.

"That's very strange." He took off his glasses and began cleaning them with the handkerchief in his pocket.

"So let me get this straight." Xander raised his hand, palm up to get in his say. "Spike, who used to be one of the most evil things on the planet, who had to get a chip inserted into his brain to stop him from killing everyone, who – no offence – was too strong for Buffy to stop," he directed the last at the blonde sitting next to Giles. "Who then got a soul and was possessed by a crazy first evil thing, then was our champion to save the world…"

"Xander where are you going with this?" Anya crossed her arms.

"Hey I have a point I promise." He backed up his rant for a second.

"Then make it." Buffy said with a false calm.

"I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander was always weary of Spike; he'd been the same way with Angel. But Spike had proven himself, a lot. He'd fought the good fight, he'd taken care of Dawn, and he'd helped them through many apocalypses. Not to mention the soul and champion thing that no one wanted to reminisce about.

Buffy looked down at her lap. She'd lost Spike once already, and she wasn't about to do it again. She'd do anything to keep him with her. "I know," She whispered, not trusting her voice. For a moment, thoughts of hell drifted into her head. It was all the same, this world and that. The only real difference was that in this world they had a chance to stop the bad stuff, and she had her Spike to hold her hand through it.

Before anyone had time to react, a large ball of flames burst into the store, a scorched blanket fell to the floor, and Spike padded himself off quickly. "Something about a storm, a big storm with eyes." He breathed a sigh of relief at his unlife still being a reality.

The scoobies all stared at him. None of them so much as breathing. "Um, Spike?" Dawn giggled after a long uninterrupted silence. She pointed at his chest. "What's that?"

Spike looked down to see what it was that she was so interested in, and realized that in all the hassle getting there in one undusty piece, he had picked up a little hitch hiker. A silvery smoke was twirling around on his shirt. He brushed it off in a swift motion, and sent it flying across the room. "Little bugger," he muttered at the small spirit.

Dawn skipped up to him, and hugged him loosely about the waist and looked up to him like a small child. "Are you ok? You look a little singed." She rested her chin on his chest and he smiled at her affectionately.

"Oh, Spike," Tara practically jumped on him, and whispered something to him that none of the others heard. He looked at her for a moment before sliding away from Dawn and following her over to a large dusty volume.

The rest of them resumed talking idly about whatever the voice could be, but were interrupted again when Spike spoke loudly to Tara. "So we'll find it then." He said with enthusiasm. "Can't be that hard."

"Spike you don't understand," She shook her head. "There is only one of these things left in the world and we don't know where it is, who has it, or even if it still exists." She realized her words were hopeless against his unchanging determination. The enthusiasm never left his eyes.

"Guys, what are you talking about?" Buffy asked them expectedly. They glanced at each other, and if reading each other's minds they created a distraction.

"Oh god Spike, I'm so sorry!" Tara squealed when the candle she knocked over caused his shirt to burst into flames.

"Spike!" Buffy ran to the scene, heard beating fast. "Oh god," she pulled him against her once the flames were out and Spike was barely smoking where the remnants of his shirt still remained.

"Bloody hell woman!" Spike shouted angrily. "Nearly dusted me you did!" Without realizing it, he had wrapped his arms around Buffy and was gently stroking her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and held him closer, almost ignoring his hiss when she rubbed against a sore burn.

"Spike, that's the second time you've been set on fire this week." Buffy said through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry love," he purred. "'S not my fault." He calmly caressed her cheek, comforted by her concern. He knew she was his.

She turned her head slightly to kiss his palm, but stopped when she saw a little silvery mist crawling along the floor. Much like the one that had been on Spike's now very burnt shirt only minutes ago.

"The thing…" She whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned.

"See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back."