Catching up: "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy 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." "Guys," Tara's started, "I think we need to get Spike back." Buffy's hand shot out faster than any of them could have imagined possible. Her fingers wrapped around Tara's neck and squeezed tightly. Tara gasped for breath, but even her pitiful gasps subsided while her lips turned blue.

Redemption.

"The storm is at it's peak William, it is almost time." The dust stirred into a shape that looked almost human.

"Don't call me by my poncy human name, there's a reason I don't use that name and I'd appreciate your not callin' me by it." Spike raised a finger in warning at the spirit.

"I know you better than all William, giving me the knowledge I to know that you don't truly hate being called by your human name." The dust swept around itself.

"Yeah well keep dreaming." Thunder cracked and sent a brilliant grin across Spike's face. It was time.

A sort of glitter formed around the spirit, giving it a sparkly golden colour that added to the mystic of it's grey hue. Spike was ready, ready to finally be rid of his bloody soul, the soul that had trapped him like a dog in a crate for all this time. The spirit solidified in front of him, enveloping him inside it's depths. He felt the draining of a million years of pain, and a sensation much like having blood sucked from your body. The procedure lasted only a few minutes, but by the end Spike felt better than he'd ever felt in his life. Better than life in fact. He felt the pure evil that was him seeping back into his body. But then he felt weak, and he slowly dropped to the floor, hanging his head.

"Don't worry, this will end soon, and we will be together Spike." The voice that was once old and rusted was dark and seductive.

"You're a she?" He widened his eyes in disbelief. Then he laughed loudly. "You're a she!"

The dark haired woman reminded him an awful lot of Drucilla. Her locks curled loosely and fell down to her waist, he body was slim and nothing less than a goddess' figure. Her dark eyes were hypnotising, he couldn't tell where the dark brown ended and the pupil started.

The woman knelt before Spike, and kissed him gently on the lips. "Thank you for my body William." She fluttered her eyes at him. "You're service will not soon be forgotten." She stroked her long slender fingers along his cheek, tracing the high cheek bone. She disappeared in an instant.

"Oh god!" Spike threw himself out of the bed, sliding Buffy's arm off of him as he did so and stumbling forward and landing on the floor.

"Spike?" Buffy sat up, feeling the bed for her vampire. When her eyes adjusted, she scooted to the side of the bed and stared down at him. "Spike what's wrong?"

"You stay away from me." He backed up slowly, finding the wall for support before standing.

"I don't understand, did I do something wrong?" The concern in her eyes was sore, it gnawed at his heart like a raw burn.

"Just stay away you hear?" His voice was high in his hysterics. "Just stay away." He grabbed his shirt from the end of the bed and threw it on his back before making for the door.

"Spike!" Buffy grabbed Spike's arm and thrust him into the wall, forcing him to look at her with her hand. "What happened?" Her eyes were teary, but she kept herself from crying.

Spike looked at his love for a second, debating with himself. He drew a quick breath, released it, opened his mouth, closed it, and repeated this a few times before he could bring himself to tell her what he'd seen.

She rubbed her hand up his arm, and across his neck. The touch was supposed to be comforting, but even without his soul he felt purely guilt and disgust with himself. What would she think? What could she say to this? All of his hard work to finally get her – the result being his own death, but still – and now he would ruin it all by returning to his true identity. What Buffy'd always called 'the soulless thing'.

"I had this dream," he said hesitantly watching her face. "No, not a dream." He selected his words carefully. "A memory I s'pose. I," Another deep breath. "remember what happened to me." He looked up at her through his eyelashes, head aimed at the floor.

"Tell me," She whispered, caressing his cheek, reminding him of the demon.

He roughly shoved her hand away and looked away from her. She was hurt by the disgust on his face, not realizing it was towards himself.

"How can you look at me?" He choked the words out, tears verging. "After all I've done…" He didn't let her respond. He was afraid of what she'd say. Probably something like 'I love you Spike' or 'You're different now Spike'. "She made me… I…" He risked looking at her. Her face was confused, and that was worse than the anger he'd accepted. She was silent, waiting for him to go on. "I… Brought back the demon, and I let her take my soul." His jaw clenched on every syllable. "I gave it to her willingly, and now…" He closed his eyes, and prepared for her fists to meet his face. But the fist didn't come.

"You're soul is gone?" Buffy was staring at his face, trying to figure him out. He only nodded his head. "You know," She chuckled, surprising him. "When I brought you back, I kinda thought you wouldn't have your soul." She smiled at him, watching his confusion turn to awe.

"You're not mad…" He watched her smile as she leaned towards him, pressing her lips to his.

"Spike, a demon comes back into it's natural form, and you've lost your soul. You loved me before you had it and I slayed before the demon came. So I have nothing to worry about do I?" She kissed him again. Her eyes fluttered tiredly, and he laughed in relief.

"Come on then love," he kissed her forehead. "Let's get you back to bed." He picked her up and carried her back to bed, and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled brightly again when she put her arm over him and leaned her head against his chest.

"I love you Spike, don't forget it." She snuggled against him contentedly.

"I love you." He purred.

While Buffy drifted back to sleep, she realized that things wouldn't be the same as they were before. She might have to be careful with Spike. He was soulless now, who was to say he wouldn't go back to harming humans, not to mention her own friends? Could she trust them with this information? Tara and Anya and Dawn wouldn't be a problem. But the rest could pose as a threat to not only him but their relationship.

Spike knew he would have to be on his best behaviour, white hat forever. He would do it for her. Despite the nagging demon inside of him, begging to be released. He wouldn't hurt her, not for the world. He must already have a lot to redeem, bringing back a demon would probably prove hard on their relationship.