Fire and darkness. A dizzy plummeting sensation filled her. There was nothing except him, filling everything. Her life ebbed away before her, but she didn't feel afraid. She sank into the terrible passion of the moment.

He swept her around in circles, enhancing the effect. There was no remorse in his face as he watched her die in front of him. Drusilla stepped from the shadows to watch. Spike spoke to her so softly that she could not tell if she was dreaming or not. "Buffy....didn't I tell you that becoming a vampire was a powerful experience pet?" Buffy was fading into a flash of past memories. Mortal memories. So response was not an option right now. Making sense of what was going on was. She could not grasp it. It consumed her. Through blurry vision she saw Spike, grinning evilly down on her. Then, everything went dark for a long, long time.

Later, she awoke with a start. Some kind of cloth was wrapped around her body, and a weight pressed on her chest. Frantically, she began to claw her way free. When she emerged to the open air, she found that she had been buried in the dirt, about a foot under. She tried to think, tried to make sense of what was happening to her. Suddenly, a voice startled her, breaking into her thoughts.

"A little confused Buffy? Here, let me help." Spike suddenly appeared in her line of vision. Taking her hand, he placed her fingers over the artery on her neck. With a start, she realized that she had no pulse. Her eyes went wide.

"That's right baby. You're dead. Well, undead."

Buffy stared at him angrily. �How could you? How could you do this to me? To make me like you! A vile disgusting killer!" Drusilla satin a rocking chair across the room. She was singing to Miss Edith. Buffy regarded her quickly, then back at Spike. All she could think about at that moment was running. Running right to Giles and finding something to reverse it. Spike had now demanded that she thrive on the very humanity she was called on to protect. It was just not right. It made her ill to her stomach; she vomited just off to the right side of Spike. He laughed at her for being sick. Mocking her every move when he taunted. "Now you'll know what it's like to be a vampire Buffy. If you wouldn't love me as a human, by God you'll learn to love me this way."

He knelt to where she was bent over breathing heavily from shock. Pulling her long blonde hair away from one small ear he whispered into it..."Because when you've run as far as you can run, tried every spell Red can conjour up, you'll realize that this is what fate has paved for you. And you'll have to come crawling back to me. You're going to need me Buffy. Even though your one of us now, do you really think a once slayer now vampire has any chance in this town without protection?" She glared up at him through the few strands of hair that hung loosely in front of her face.

Spike smirked. "I told you I'd have myself one good day." Spike stood, crossing the room to Drucilla.Let her stew on that for awhile He thought amusedly. Gathering all her strength, Buffy stood and made for the door. Giles, I need Giles. In the background she heard Drusilla laughing insanely while she clapped. Spike hollered after her ."Oh Buffy..." What else could he possibly say now? She turned back to him and glared. A hatred in her eyes. "Don't forget now pet. No sunlight, crosses, holy water, well you know the drill. And if you can't find it in you yet to actually kill a human yourself, Ol Dave at the Bronze keeps some O neg in the fridge for vampires like you."

No comeback was needed. He heard her loud and clear with her eyes and the back of her as she slammed the door to the crypt open and shut, knocking it off its hinge. As soon as she was out of his sight, she took off running. hot tears streamed down her face as she ran all the way to the Magic Box. When she burst inside the Magic Box moments later, the force with which she opened the door, knocked the bell off it's hinge.

Giles just happened to be awake still and taking inventory. He dropped the basket of wheatbix in his hand, dashing her side. "My dear God Buffy, what�s the matter?" Giles took a hankie from his pocket and dried her eyes as quickly as he could. New tears were forming too fast. She tried to speak past the sob that was lodged in her throat. All she could manage was "Sp...Spike" Pointing to her neck and the two fresh holes left behind by his razor sharp teeth.

He looked confused. "But the chip? How?" Giles pulled her close and held her. "There Buffy, its alright." With her face buried against her watchers chest she wept. He rocked her back and forth like a tiny baby that desperately needed sleep. That�s just what she did. She fell into a deep sleep. Too exhausted with her situation to do much more.

The gang showed up a few minutes after Giles phoned them. Looking half shocked and angry they piled in the shop and gathered around the table. Buffy lay sleeping on the couch, covered in a plaid blanket. Giles had kept it in the backroom knowing that one day he was sure to need it.

"How is she?" Xander asked. His eye's were pained as he watched Buffy sleep. Most of the gang refocused to Giles waiting for his answer. "Well she um....she�s been sleeping. Almost since she got here." Anya made an observation that the others most likely did not want to hear. So she got that 'Anya shut up' look from them all ."Buffy looks dead." Giles nodded.

"Yes well that seems to be the case, although I am trying to solve this matter with what little Buffy had told me before she fell asleep". Giles started furiously cleaning his glasses. "Spike turned her. Apparently he must have had the chip removed."

"Well I know one thing. Spike is going to be dust." Growled Xander.

"Yeah, very poof." Added Willow.

Just then, Buffy began to stir. She placed one unsteady hand to her forehead and groaned. Quickly she scanned the room, recognizing her friends. "Oh Willow, Xander...it's been like a nightmare." She swung her legs over the side of the couch. "I dreampt that Spike turned me into a vampire. Can you imagine? Boy do I wish Faith were here. I need a vacation."

Buffy was met with a roomful of sad stares. Realization set in. Suddenly she felt as though the weight of the world was setting on her shoulders. Ten times. "It wasn't a dream was it?"

"No I'm afraid it wasn't." Giles told her quietly. Panic filled Buffy's voice. "Giles, can we change this right? I can't stay this way, I just can't! What am I going to tell my mother?"

Giles looked at his hands... "I... have never heard of a way to reverse it Buffy..." Her eyes pleaded to him. "There has to be a way, in those books, all those books and there�s not one way to reverse this?" Buffy started rummaging through the shelved books, franticly. Books fell to the floor haphazardly as she looked.

The gang just watched her rummage and mumble to herself. "There has to be one..." Tara sat there quiet and still, hands folded in her lap. "Giles, what about a time spell? Go back to the point of disaster? We can stop it from ever happening."

Giles contemplates that while he shoved his glasses back in his breast pocket. "You know... it could work... but those spells can be very dangerous... we could create a paradox." Buffy looked to her watcher with hope. "You could? We could, we could do that. Willow can do that and then I'll stake Spike. it'll never happen, I will stay mortal, Giles we have to try!"

Just then, a british voice rang out from the doorway. "It won't work. I tried it too. You'll just die some other way. The Powers That Be will make sure of it." They all turned to the doorway, and saw Spike standing there.

Xander Spoke first, "Your not welcome here Spike, and I'm sure we have more people than necessary wanting to stake you now." Buffy stared at him with fire in her eyes. "You have no say in this you...you monster." Noticing a stake peeking from her duffle bag she had left here earlier she grabbed it, lunging for Spike's heart. He caught her in mid lunge, ripping the stake from her hand, tossing it to the other end of the room.

Spike held her in front of himself while she wiggled and kicked. When the gang advanced on the two of them, he vamped out and growled. "This was your fate little one. Can't change it now. They can't do a thing for you." He spoke through her struggle. Even her strength was not enough to rival him right now. "If they want you dead, it'll happen, you could even go back and stop Dru from ever turning me, but then that would mess it all up now wouldn't it? Those slayers I killed would never die, and you may not ever be born so you could be called.

Buffy stopped struggling. She stood there, tears starting to stream down her face. Mascara made two streaks that proved the frequency of the tears. Giles looked to her with such pain in his eyes. "He�s right you know, If we change just one thing in time, several others may change and life as we know it...would simply just be gone."

Buffy looked at her hands. "So this is it..." She gave Spike a venomous glare. "I've never hated you more than I do now." The Scooby�s closed in around him, anger on their faces.

"You're going down Spike." Snapped Xander. "You can't stop all of us. One of us will kill you." Added Willow. "Not before I kill at least half of you." he said, calmly.

Buffy sighed. "He's right guys... please don't do it... I don't want you to get hurt, and killing him won't fix me." "Maybe not, but it would feel damn good." Said Xander. Willow looked at Buffy. "Do you want to come over to my house for a little while, and talk about this?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't want you to invite me in... if I lost my soul, you wouldn't be safe." Her eyes widened. "I... I can't go home! Who's going to take care of Dawn and Mom? Oh God... and... where will I live?"

Spike smiled. "Well I have a spare bedroom at my place, and you don't have to worry about being invited in and all that jazz"

Buffy began to snap at him, but realized that logically she had no other place to go. Buffy nodded reluctantly. "But I still hate you. " While the gang reluctantly agreed, Spike smiled. "I've come to realize that. In time, you'll change your mind." Buffy shook her head. "I'll never change my mind! I'll always hate you and hate what you've made me!" Buffy pushed her way past him, and out into the night.

Giles moved swiftly past the counter to where Spike was. Grabbing him harshly by his duster he spat at him "I will find a way to reverse what you've done to her you monster. Till then, you best see to it that nothing happens to her" Spike pushed Giles away and laughed. "She�s fine Watcher. She'll never want for anything." Spike disappeared into the night along side his new pet.