Chapter 1
 
 
Lady Buffy, guardian to High Summoner Yuna, sat at the table, facing a challenge greater than any she had known.
 
Behind her stood Spike, her friend, fellow guardian and her lover.
 
“I... I have no idea how you could even think of doing such a thing.” Xander spluttered. “How, why, it’s a vampire, a monster . What, you’ve forgotten that you fight monsters?”
 
Buffy sat, head down, looking at the table as she fiddled with the handle on her cup.
 
“Listen...” Spike said, stepping forward. “What Buffy does with her life is none of your concern...”
 
“Shut up, bloodsucker,” Xander shot back. “Buffy, I think you’re under some sort of spell...”
 
“Well, actually...” Tara began, but as Xander kept talking over her she lowered her head, dusty blonde hair falling over, and concealing most of her face, Willow put an arm around her shoulder.
 
“Where have you been all this time? What are you wearing? Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been? Buffy...” His voice softened, as he tried to talk some sense into her. “You don’t love him, you can’t love a vampire.”
 
Buffy raised her head, green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “But I...”
 
“No!” Xander yelled, his face turning red.
 
“Xander...” Giles warned. “Buffy... I would urge you to seriously consider what you are doing. It is your life, I agree, but, as much as I would like to see you happy, I am sure this is not the correct course. Spike...” He spoke the name with bitterness. “Is a vampire, a killer, he doesn’t even have a soul.”
 
“Everything has a soul...” Buffy interrupted.
 
Giles looked taken aback ; he removed his glasses and began wiping them. “Buffy, you know that isn’t true, vampires are devoid of souls.”
 
“Then why do they move, love, make decisions, there has to be something powering them. If they had no souls they would be hollow, they couldn’t be .”
 
“Buffy, I grant that vampires appear very human in some actions, however I assure you that they possess no human soul. What they are composed of is simply a hollow shell- as you aptly pointed out- filled with the essence of a demon.”
 
“You mean the soul?” Buffy asked, her eyes meeting Giles’.
 
“Well... well, I suppose from a, slightly warped, point of view- yes, the soul of a demon.”
 
“So then, vampires have souls.”
 
“But not human souls, Buffy, a vampire may act human but what drives it is alien, and evil.”
 
“I’ve seen evil drive humans,” Buffy stated. “I’ve seen what can happen to a perfectly normal human soul. And I’ve met demons who are so kind and gentle that they make Barney the Dinosaur look like Freddy Kruger.”
 
“Well, this may be the case, Buffy, but Spike is anything but gentle, he is a killer, a sadistic murderer.”
 
“I think...” Tara said.
 
“What?” Xander turned and practically spat at her. “You’re gonna argue for the rights of the evil undead too? I can’t believe I’m listening to this. I can’t believe I’m even in the same room as a vampire, a monster.”
 
Tara ducked her head. “Maybe, maybe all demons aren’t bad?” A note of desperation seemed to hang in her voice.
 
“Ha! Don’t tell me you’re a demon too?” Xander said rudely.
 
“Excuse me! All demons are bad, right? Evil, evil, evil, with no feelings? I didn’t know you felt that way.” Anya stood up, her dark eyes flashing angrily.
 
Tara stood up, casting her eyes around at the floor. “I... I can’t, I have to go... I...” Tears filled her eyes and she raced out of the door. Willow shot a murderous look in Xander’s direction.
 
“Will... I...”

 
“No!” Willow said, simply, she shook her head, following Tara out the door. 
 
“Well, I’d hate to demonise your little, all human club here so I think I’ll go.” Anya said, picking up her bag to leave.”
 
“Ahn, wait.”
 
“And don’t think we’re having sex any time soon, either.” Anya added angrily, storming out the door.
 
Buffy stood up. “I...”
 
“Buffy..?” A voice floated in from the door. “Buffy, what’s going on, your friends are on the lawn, and where were you the other day?”
 
“The other day?” Buffy asked.
 
“When I phoned, Dawn said you were out, she didn’t know when you were coming back, and... Hello Spike.”
 
“Uh, hello.” Spike said.
 
“That’s a lovely shirt.” Joyce said, looking at the embroidery on his shirt. “Where did you get it. Oh, hello Mr Giles, Xander.”
 
“Hello, Joyce.” Giles said. “I’m glad to see you are back, I trust everything went well.”
 
“Why yes, thankyou. Do you want anything, tea, coffee?”
 
“No... no thankyou, in fact, we were about to leave. We will talk about this tomorrow.” Giles added, turning to Buffy.
 
Xander glared at Spike as he left. Buffy stood there, looking numb.
 
“Buffy, dear, are you alright?” Joyce asked. She, suddenly noticed Buffy’s dress. “That dress is beautiful, Buffy. Did Riley buy it for you?”
 
“No... Spike did.” Buffy answered
 
“Spike?” Joyce turned once more to look at the vampire. “That was very nice of you, Spike,” Joyce told him. “You do look very nice. I apologise, but I would... I would like to talk to Buffy alone. And I’m tired.”
 
“Uh, well, yes, I’ll just go then,” Spike said. “Buffy.”
 
Buffy turned to him, gazing into his beautiful, blue eyes, full of concern. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
 
“Uh, I guess.” Buffy bit her lip.
 
Spike left, hardly knowing where to go. This wasn’t his home anymore, and to be away from Buffy was a torture past any he could have imagined. But then, he knew he should let Buffy be alone with her mom for a bit. He turned and began walking through streets which, only a week ago, had been all too familiar. Now, however, they seemed alien, he was alone, in a world not his own, lost in his thoughts he turned and headed towards the graveyard.
 
 
“Um.” Back in the Summers’ home Joyce and Buffy turned as Dawn walked in from the lounge room. “Did Giles leave, because... well, that- Ethan, he’s still here.”
 
Joyce gave Buffy a questioning look, walking into the room where Ethan was tied to a chair, gagged.
 
“Buffy?” Joyce turned to Buffy, looking for answers.
 
Buffy was helpless. “Mom, I’ve been, not here for a while, I only just got back.”
 
“With Spike?” Joyce asked.
 
“Yes.” Buffy ducked her head.
 
Joyce developed a look of concern. “Buffy. I hope you know what you are doing. I like Spike, however, he is older than you, and... are you sure it is safe?”
 
“Spike wouldn’t hurt me.” Buffy promised. “He has saved my life several times over the last week. And, Mom, he loves me.”
 
Joyce folded her arms. “Well, it is your life, I just have to know that you are aware of what you are doing.”
 
“Mmmm.” Ethan mumbled through his gag.
 
“And will you please untie this man.”
 
Buffy walked over to him, pulling his gag off. “Why are you here?”
 
Ethan looked up at her. “Well, my old friend, Rupert wanted a favour.”
 
“So he tied you up?” Buffy asked, disbelievingly.
 
“I don’t think he quite trusts me,” Ethan said. “He wanted me to cast a spell to bring you back from, wherever it is you were. I tried to tell him it was dangerous so he tied me up and forced me to do it.”
 
“Get out of here.” Buffy untied him, standing in front of him with her arms crossed, “If I see you in Sunnydale again...”
 
“I know, I know.” Ethan put his hands in the air. “Death... I’m leaving.”
 
Buffy watched as he walked out the door.
 
“Buffy, are you going to tell me what happened?” Joyce asked.
 
.........................
 
Rikku felt hope and joy surge through her as Yuna spoke, high on the balcony of the blitzball stadium Rikku, Lulu, Kimahri, Wakka, Buffy and Spike stood as Yuna told the world that Sin was dead. Sin, the great evil that had ravaged the world for over a thousand years had been killed. Joy and sorrow washed through the small, blonde girl as she thought about how quickly life had changed for her- for everyone and as she reflected upon the sacrifices made to ensure this.
 
As Yuna finished her speech everyone cheered. Rikku turned an alarming shade of pink as Buffy and Spike began to kiss. She scratched the side of her face, giggling slightly. This is what the world would be from now on, joyful crowds, time spent with the  her fellow guardians. And from the looks of things she had a wedding to attend. As she watched Buffy and Spike from the corner of her eye she saw a flicker of light. She gasped, in  less time than it took to cry out, Buffy and Spike disappeared, at the last second, Kirrel, who had been washing his face, leapt into the light, also disappearing.
 
..................
 
Buffy recounted the tale, glossing over several bits. As she spoke she relived the events of the past week, she felt herself being torn in half, she wanted to be back in Spira, more than that she needed to be back there. In Spira everyone knew who and what she was, they acknowledged and accepted her. Yuna would be so upset, Buffy had been planning ice-cream sessions with the Summoner after her boyfriend had quite literally disappeared. Everything that she had come to accept had been swept away in a second and she was back here, the world that was hard and cold. A world that both needed her and shunned her.
 
And Spike- everything had been perfect, they were going to build a house on the banks of the Moonflow, well, Buffy had planned for Spike to build the house, she was going to watch and enjoy the show. But here, in ‘her’ world she couldn’t have Spike- her friends... her duty, she felt a small, silver tear slip from her eye as she spoke while out on the street a shadowy figure listened, a smile on his face as a plan began to form in his mind.
 
“Oh, Slayer, you will see your friends again.” He chuckled, turning, his smirk twisted into a frown of confusion as his face was met with a fist.
 
.............
 
“Home sweet, bloody home.” Spike announced as he walked into his crypt, wishing he could swing his coat over the back of his chair, grab a drink- maybe the whole bottle- and sit there for a good amount of time. His coat, unfortunately, was in Spira, though. He sniffed the air, walking over to his chair and looking curiously at the half empty box of biscuits. A small, blue hair tie was lying on floor. “Dawn !” He said. As he spoke he was hit with a small, white missile. “Bloody hell.” He looked around the crypt, where had that come from, and where had it gone? A small, furry face looked out at him from behind a sarcophagus.
“Kirrel?”
 
When he heard his name Kirrel ran, gratefully to Spike, weaving between his legs and jumping up and down on the spot. “If you’re looking for Buffy she isn’t here.” Spike said, dispiritedly. The sun rose the next morning, as lethal as it had always been, to find Spike asleep, Kirrel curled up on his chest and an empty bottle lying on the ground.
tbc