Disclaimer: All the characters and recognizable dialog belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Certain dialog borrowed from Lies My Parents Told Me and Dirty Girls. 

Thanks for the reivews so far! This will be a fairly short fic, so you won't have to wait long for the end.

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Giles went back to the hospital after an hour or two, to find Willow sitting alone with Shannon, who was sleeping. “Hey, Giles,” she said quietly. “I think we can probably leave her now. No one seems to be coming to finish the job, and she just needs to rest.” Giles nodded, and followed Willow out into the hall.
 
“Where’s Buffy?” Giles asked. Buffy’s moody behavior was becoming more and more of an annoyance to him.
 
“She asked Shannon some more questions, then she went to patrol,” Willow answered as they walked down to the parking garage.
 
Well at least she’s remembered some of her duties, Giles thought. Aloud he said, “What did you find out?”
 
“The preacher guy’s name is Caleb. He seems to have a huge hatred for women going. Kept talking about sinful girls and things. He wasn’t the First, I mean, he could definitely touch things, but he seems to be in league with the First. Said the Bringers were ‘his boys’ and that he had something of the Slayer’s. That was about all Shannon remembered,” Willow finished.
 
“Hmm. I guess we’ll have to see what we can dig up about this Caleb,” Giles said. “We should go get some rest, get a fresh start in the morning.”
 
“Definitely. I’m beat.” At this point they had reached Willow’s car. She hesitated a moment, then said, “Giles, I’m worried about Buffy. She’s just going through the motions again, just like last year. It’s like she doesn’t care what happens.”
 
Giles took off his glasses and started polishing them as he considered. “I think we need to actively pull her into the circle. She cannot be allowed to wallow in the basement. I think if she goes through the right motions enough times she’ll see that there is a bigger concern out there than her feelings toward Spike. We should enlist Dawn’s help as well – Buffy may be angry at me, but she won’t abandon Dawn.”
 
“Guess there’s no harm in trying,” Willow said doubtfully. “See you back at the house, Giles.” She got in her car and drove back to Revello Drive. She considered different ways of drawing Buffy back into the group, but all the while the doubts lingered. Willow felt, deep down, that Giles had completely misread the situation and had made a potentially fatal error.
 
**********************
 
Buffy patrolled out of force of habit and a desire to be alone, but her heart wasn’t in it. She dusted a few fledglings, and interrupted some demon’s attempt at dragging off some co-ed, but otherwise didn’t make much of an effort to hunt down trouble. Her wanderings took her once more to Restfield, where she found herself drawn again to Spike’s old crypt. She wasn’t sure why it comforted her so much. He hadn’t lived there for months, and his stuff was all gone or destroyed. But somehow the memory of their wild couplings, the alternating bouts of fighting and unexpected tenderness, seemed to pervade the place. She went in and curled up once more in the armchair, closing her eyes and remembering.
 
There had been a night where she had come to him almost completely exhausted. She had worked a double shift on a really busy night, and had run into an enormous nest of vampires on patrol. She had contemplated just going home that night, but her feet and her ever present need had brought her to Spike’s crypt. Spike had been openly concerned about her, and had taken care of her. He had taken off her clothes gently, as opposed to their usual tearing and rending, and she had been too tired to protest. He had laid her down and massaged her back and neck until all the tension had melted away and she was a pliant puddle on his satin sheets. Then he had rolled her over and gone down on her, again taking his time, exploring every inch of her with his clever tongue and fingers. She had moaned and sighed, and when the orgasm finally hit she had screamed his name in utter ecstasy. When he moved up to enter her it was all done with infinite tenderness, touching her deeply in all her most sensitive spots, while his cool hands had worshipped her breasts, her neck, her face. He had been beautiful in the candlelight, and he had called her name like some sort of exultant prayer when he came. She had for once allowed herself to fall asleep in his embrace, and for a short while had found peace. She frowned to herself now, remembering how it had ended as always with her waking up, shoving him aside rudely, and bolting, disgusted with herself. Stupidest thing I ever did, she thought regretfully.
 
“So have you decided to move in or something?” Buffy looked up and saw the First, still wearing Spike’s form, smirking at her from across the room.
 
“Yeah, I really dig the ‘early dead stuff’ look,” Buffy shot back sarcastically. “Don’t you cosmic evil things have anything better to do than pester me?”
 
“Not at present, kitten,” said the First. “I mean, my friend Caleb is going to be doing a lot of the legwork for me in the near future, so I can occupy myself elsewhere. Good to have a team, yeah?”
 
Buffy knew she shouldn’t listen. But her aching heart was desperate to hear the sound of Spike’s voice. That mellow, liquid accent had always had a certain allure, even when they were enemies. “So are you going to be a good little cosmic evil thing and tell me your grand plan?”
 
“This isn’t the movies, pet. No big monologue revealing all my evil secrets.”
 
“Then I guess you have nothing much to say, do you?” she responded.
 
The First looked at her with Spike’s smoldering blue eyes, and sauntered closer, leaning against the nearest sarcophagus and fixing her with a mocking stare. “He’s being tormented, you know,” said the First.
 
“What?” Buffy asked apprehensively.
 
“Your little tame vampire. Went straight to hell, he did. Seems that even getting a soul isn’t going to save you from your sins. He and his soul are burning.” Buffy paled and turned away, not wanting to hear any of this. The First moved nearer, crouching down to catch her eyes. “You’ve seen a vampire in the sunlight? The way they burn, and scream, and writhe. Imagine that forever, without dusting, without an end.” Spike’s voice softened to a low, deadly whisper. “That’s where your lover is, Slayer. Too bad you couldn’t have saved him. Might have had time to redeem himself. As it is, your failure means he will suffer for all eternity.” The last words were spoken into her ear, like the whispers of a terrible lover.
 
“NO!” screamed Buffy. She rocketed from her chair and ran from the crypt, leaving the First behind her laughing in her wake. Buffy ran home without stopping, tears running like rain down her cheeks as she fled. When she reached her house she bolted inside, knocking aside Dawn and Kennedy without even seeing them as she lunged for the basement door and sped downstairs, slamming it behind her. She curled up in a ball on Spike’s cot, weeping hysterically. After a few minutes Dawn came downstairs, and seeing her sister’s distress, came and sat next to her on the bed. Wordlessly she put her arms around Buffy, adding a few tears of her own as she comforted her sister.
 
It took ages for Buffy to calm down. At one point Willow looked in on them, but Dawn shook her head, warning her off. Buffy finally cried herself out and just lay there miserable and silent. “Do you want to talk about it?” Dawn asked.
 
“I can’t,” she croaked. “He’s gone. I failed him.”
 
“Buffy this wasn’t your fault,” Dawn argued.
 
“I should have gotten there sooner. I could have stopped it,” she insisted. They huddled together for a while longer until Buffy said, “You should probably go to bed, Dawnie.”
 
“You should too,” Dawn replied.
 
Buffy shook her head. “Please. I want to stay here. I feel closer to him here.”
 
Dawn’s heart ached for her sister, but in the end she left her there with Spike’s things and went upstairs. It was late, approaching midnight, but Giles was still there, having a cup of tea in the kitchen and discussing things with Willow in a low voice. “What happened?” he asked as Dawn came upstairs.
 
“She wouldn’t say,” Dawn said. “Giles, she’s blaming herself for Spike’s death. She just couldn’t stop crying.” Dawn sounded on the verge of tears again herself.
 
“What are we going to do?” Willow wondered. “We really need her.”
 
“I need to find some way to make things right with her,” Giles said. “I had no idea how badly this decision would affect her. I didn’t feel like we had the time to wait to get her on board with the idea.”
 
Willow said gently, “Giles, she never would have gone along with this idea. Not in a million years. I don’t think she’s ever going to trust you again.”
 
“She’s… broken Giles,” Dawn said, and this time the tears did slip out. “I’m so afraid she’s going to… get hurt.”
 
“Oh come now,” Giles said. “I know she is extremely upset, but I hardly think she is suicidal.”
 
“But is she going to keep fighting?” Willow asked.
 
“I hope so, for all our sakes,” Giles sighed. “I could try talking to her again, I suppose.”
 
“Not tonight, Giles,” Dawn said. “Just… leave her be, okay?” And Giles had no choice but to agree, and worry.
 
******************
 
Buffy woke early, after a night punctuated by tormented dreams. She kept seeing Spike burning, screaming, crying out to her for help, and being powerless to stop his pain. She sat up, her head aching and her mouth dry. She realized that she had forgotten to eat again. Bad habit, Buffy, she said to herself. She went upstairs into the quiet house, the sounds of sleeping girls trickling in from the living room. She went to the kitchen and scrounged around, coming up with some cold pizza which she ate as is. She finished and went upstairs to the bathroom, took a few painkillers, then got in the shower. She stood there for a long time under the spray, eyes closed. She was probably using all the hot water, but she found that she didn’t give a crap. Wonder if anyone would notice if I just stayed here forever, she mused. But she realized that someone would have to pee at some point, so she sighed, grabbed the shampoo, and finished up. Quietly, she opened the door to her room to find Faith in the bed, and a few other potentials on the floor. She stepped over them cautiously to get to her closet. She grabbed several outfits, and a handful of undergarments, then made her way back out.
 
Faith, who had woken up when she entered, watched her through half open eyes. Buffy had always been the tanned California girl, but now she seemed so pale, and skinny to the point of unhealthiness. Good God, B, what’s happened to you? Faith had been filled in by Willow about the whole death and resurrection thing, but she couldn’t have imagined her fellow Slayer in this state. Making up her mind, Faith got up and took a shower, then dressed and headed downstairs.
 
Buffy had changed, made herself a cup of instant coffee, and taken it out to the back porch. She sat there staring into the mug, remembering the night she found out about her mother’s tumor. Spike had come ready to kill her, but had unexpectedly sat down and comforted her instead. It had seemed so awkward at the time, but she had been grateful for someone who was just there for her. Why did he do that? I treated him like shit that night. Threw money at him like he was some kind of… information whore. He had every right to blow my brains out. Sometimes in her dark moments, she wished he had. Without the whole mystic death loophole, no one would have been able to pull her back. She would have been at peace. She never would have had to face her mom’s death, her own resurrection, all the pain she and Spike dished out for each other, and now losing Spike. Should have done that Slayer of Slayers thing and put me out of my misery.
 
Her morbid wallowing was interrupted by Faith coming out onto the porch. “Can I join you, B?” she asked.
 
Buffy shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
 
Faith sat down next to her and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “Do you mind?”
 
“Be my guest,” Buffy said. Normally she found the smell of cigarettes disgusting, but right now they reminded her of Spike, and she took in the scent with a little sigh.
 
“You really were sweet on this guy, huh?” Faith said, looking out into the morning as she smoked.
 
“Yeah,” Buffy said. “He was always there for me. He said he w… wouldn’t leave me.” She was having trouble keeping her voice under control, but something about Faith gave her the ability to open up somewhat.
 
“You and I’ve had a lot of folks run out on us,” Faith observed. “My dad was a no-show, same as yours. I always envied you your mom and your sister, your boyfriends, your watcher. I guess we’re on the same page now.”
 
“Seems like it,” Buffy said.
 
“Everyone’s pretty scared about what’s going down around here,” Faith said after a few moments.
 
“I know. And I know I should be doing something all leader-y to make them feel better. But I just don’t have the strength anymore. I’m just so tired of it all.”
 
“What is this First Evil thing anyway? I thought it can’t touch you. So if you can take out those Bringers, should be able to keep a handle on things.”
 
“It gets into your head,” Buffy said, staring at the ground. “I mean, it doesn’t seem to control people the way it controlled Spike. But it tells you just enough of the truth to really hurt you. It plays with you, and torments you.”
 
Faith looked at Buffy searchingly. “Messed with you, huh?”
 
“Yeah,” Buffy said softly. “It takes the form of people who… who died. Sometimes Spike said it looked like me, or Drusilla, or the Master. When it comes to me, it looks like Spike,” she finished in a broken whisper.
 
“What did it say?” Faith asked. Then she realized that Buffy might not want to talk about it, and backpedaled, saying, “Sorry, I had no right to ask about that.”
 
“It told me Spike was in hell,” she whispered. She didn’t even notice Faith’s troubled look as the words started spilling out. “It told me he was being tormented. That his soul didn’t save him. It said… that I had doomed him to pain for all time because I didn’t get there in time…” Buffy covered her face with her hands, shuddering.
 
“But you didn’t kill him, B,” Faith said. “That’s on Giles and what’s his name. Wood. They killed him, not you.”
 
“I know,” Buffy said in a small voice. “But if I was faster I could have stopped them.” She wrapped her arms around herself in her misery.
 
Faith was at a loss. “Don’t know what to say,” she said finally.
 
“It’s o..okay,” Buffy stammered, sniffling and wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands. “Thanks.”
 
“For what?”
 
“For just listening and not telling me to get over it,” Buffy explained. “Hasn’t been a ton of support around here.”
 
“Hey, any time B,” Faith replied. She stubbed out her cigarette and stood up. “You coming inside? Sounds like the troops are waking up.”
 
“I’ll come in a bit,” she said. Faith nodded and left her sitting there. Her coffee was cold, and she still felt miserable, but it had helped to unburden herself a bit. Still wish you were here, Spike. She contemplated the coffee for a few more minutes, then dumped it into the bushes and went inside.
 
The troops were indeed up, and Buffy made a half-hearted attempt to smile at the ones who said good morning to her. Kennedy was still giving her dirty looks, but Buffy couldn’t summon up the urge to care. As the kitchen was becoming a morass of foraging teens, Buffy made her way to the living room. She curled up in a chair and closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly tired from her sleepless night.
 
The sound of the door opening woke her from her doze a while later, as Giles arrived to start the day. Buffy sat up as he came into the living room, regarding him with resignation. “Morning,” she said shortly.
 
“Good morning, Buffy. It’s good to see you,” Giles ventured.
 
“What’s on the to-do list for today?” she asked in a monotone.
 
Giles regarded her and made a decision. “Buffy, I owe you an apology. I should not have gone behind your back like that. I regret all the pain that I’ve caused you. Is there any way you can forgive me?”
 
“Not really, Giles. But thanks for saying it,” Buffy said.
 
Giles was taken aback by her forthrightness. He realized that he had gotten used to Buffy always acting strong, her natural generosity and concern for others surrounding her like a perfume. But now he wondered how much of it was an act. What was really going on in that head of hers? “I… appreciate your honesty,” he said at last. “I do hope we can find some way to work together to get past this crisis.”
 
Buffy shrugged. “We’ll see. So what do you want to do next?”
 
I want you to stop with the passive-aggressive bollocks and get back in the game! Giles thought with a heavy dose of irritation. Aloud he said, “We need to find out more about this Caleb character and his intentions.”
 
“I guess I should find him,” Buffy said. “He has something of mine. It could be a Potential.”
 
“It could be a stapler,” Giles countered. “We don’t want to go diving into a trap.”
 
“Well, unless he has a website called EvilPreacherGuys.com, we’re going to have to hunt him down in order to find more about him.”
 
Giles frowned. “I am just concerned about taking on this new threat before we have enough information.”
 
Buffy stood up, suddenly aggravated. “Giles, make up your damn mind. Do you want me to lead or not? If I make a decision you don’t like, you shoot me down, or do an end run around me. If I stay in the background, I’m not doing my duty. What the hell do you want from me?” Buffy’s voice had risen to a loud enough volume to draw a few curious heads poking in from the kitchen.
 
Giles started to reply, shut his mouth and frowned, then finally said, “Alright. You and Faith should go scout around after sunset. See what you can find. Between now and then, we will do as much research as we can to narrow down the search. You can work with the potentials on their weapons in the mean time.”
 
“Fine,” Buffy snarled. She stalked out of the room to go find Faith, leaving a troubled Giles behind her.
 
**********************
 
The day passed reasonably quickly. Buffy and Faith demonstrated techniques and held targets for the girls. Buffy said as little as she could get away with, leaving Faith struggling to explain things to the girls. In the end, several of them seemed to be really coming along, and Giles nodded approvingly as he watched from the porch. When it got to be dinner time, Faith called for an end to the session, and joined Buffy in putting away the gear. “How you doing, B?” she inquired carefully.
 
“Alright, I guess,” Buffy said. “Just trying to keep moving, you know?”
 
“Yeah, I get it,” Faith said. They went inside and helped Dawn and Andrew cook up a big pot of spaghetti with store bought sauce for everyone. Everyone praised their efforts, the potentials being starved after a long day of exercise, but Buffy found herself uninterested in eating.. She picked at her pasta, none of the conversation registering in her head at all. So when Faith asked her about going out to hunt for Caleb, she didn’t respond, but continued toying idly with her fork.
 
“Buffy? Are you there?” Faith asked.
 
Buffy finally heard her and looked up, “I’m sorry. Wasn’t paying attention. What did you say?”
 
“I asked if we had a plan yet for hunting down this Caleb guy,” Faith repeated.
 
“Dunno. Did you guys find out anything?” Buffy asked Willow.
 
Willow shook her head. “There are a few possible leads – unsolved murders at churches and monasteries and stuff like that. But other than that weird burn mark showing up here and there, no real mention of this guy.”
 
Buffy stared at her plate for a moment. “Are there any old monasteries or stuff like that where he could hide around here?”
 
“I don’t think so,” Willow answered.
 
“What about that old winery place on the edge of town?” Xander offered. “Wasn’t that a monastery way back when?”
 
“You’re right,” Willow said. “Their label had some sort of drunken monk on it or something, didn’t it?”
 
“I guess we could check it out,” Faith offered. “What do you think, B?”
 
“Sounds like a plan,” she said. She stood up and cleared her place. “I’ll be downstairs. Let me know when you want to go.” She left the group and they listened as she quietly closed the basement door behind her.
 
“What do you think we’ll do if we find him?” Faith asked.
 
“We must be cautious,” Giles said. “We don’t know what we’re up against, and we don’t want to bite off more than we can chew.”
 
“Well, I guess Buffy and I should get going,” Faith said, noticing the sunset outside. She got up and went down to the basement, where Buffy sat reading Byron on the cot with one leg tucked under her. “Didn’t peg you for the literary type, B,” she commented.
 
“They were Spike’s,” Buffy answered softly. She closed the book and stroked the cover longingly. She reluctantly put it aside and stood up. “Time to go?”
 
“Yeah. We might as well check out that old vineyard first thing.” Buffy followed Faith upstairs to change into black outfits.
 
They headed out to the edge of town, walking quickly but not speaking. About halfway to their destination, Buffy grabbed Faith’s arm and whispered, “Look there!”
 
Faith saw the shadowy figure of a Bringer slinking into an alleyway. “Should we take him out?”
 
“No, let’s follow him, see where he goes,” said Buffy. They set off, trailing the Bringer silently, following him at a distance until they saw him heading directly to the old vineyard.
 
“Don’t have a good feeling about this, B,” Faith whispered. “He wants to be seen and followed. It’s obvious. It’s got to be a trap.”
 
They paused in some bushes and saw other bringers entering the old building as well. “Well whatever this Caleb guy has, it’s in there,” Buffy decided. “We should go tell Giles.” They got up and stealthily made their way back toward Revello Drive.
 
******************
 
Potentials filed into the living room the next morning to hear Buffy and Faith give their report of what they had seen. They described the Bringers congregating at the old vineyard. “I think we should take the fight to them,” Buffy said when they were finished. “We can get in, make sure there are no Potentials or anything tied up, take out this Caleb guy, and burn the place to the ground. It will set the First back a ways, give us some breathing room.”
 
“I don’t know, Buffy,” Xander said doubtfully. “This thing seems to have ‘trap’ written all over it in neon letters.”
 
“Well what do you propose? Sitting here waiting to be attacked? We can do a strike force with the most experienced girls, get in, and get out.”
 
“I still don’t feel we have enough information about this Caleb to mount a good defense,” Giles said.
 
“He’s a person. He should be killable,” Buffy said.
 
“Faith, what do you think?” Giles asked.
 
Faith considered. “I think it’s a trap as well,” she said at last. “But maybe we need to spring the trap if we’re going to find out anything useful.”
 
Giles hesitated. He knew that overriding the Slayers was going to undermine the leadership he was desperately trying to get them to assume, but at the same time he had grave doubts. “I would feel better if we had a way to make a hasty retreat,” he said at last.
 
“How about you, Xander, and Robin drive us all there,” Buffy said. “Willow can stay here to protect those that don’t come.”
 
Giles thought about it, then reluctantly said, “Alright. But you should go armed, and be prepared to retreat if things go badly.”
 
The meeting broke up, and Faith started working on a list of who should go. Buffy drifted downstairs again, back to Spike’s cot. The scent of cigarettes was fading from the pillow, and it caused her a physical ache to realize that. She had seen the hesitation in Giles’ eyes about the plan to go after Caleb. She supposed he had a point – it could be a trap. But she couldn’t bring herself to care very much. Either we’ll win, or we’ll lose. Either way, gives me something to do. She smoothed Spike’s pillow, then with a sigh went back upstairs to find weapons and prepare.
 
When night fell, the chosen group packed into three cars and drove off to the vineyard, parking a ways down the road. It was agreed that the three drivers would hang toward the back, ready to race to the cars if a quick getaway was needed. Buffy and Faith went in first, the armed potentials grouped behind them. Inside they found a large warehouse-like space, filled with enormous wine casks and dust. They crept in cautiously, all senses on the alert.
 
“Welcome,” said a drawling voice, as Caleb stepped from the shadows. “I’ve been waiting for you girls. Come to try to redeem your weak souls?”
 
“No, come to kill your sorry ass,” Kennedy snarled.
 
“You need to watch your mouth, young lady,” Caleb said sternly. “Remember, the wages of sin are death.” With that a crowd of twenty Bringers emerged from the shadows and attacked. The girls fought like demons, felling several Bringers, but they were gradually being surrounded. Buffy and Faith joined in the fray, and the Bringers were soon reduced by half. But just as the girls started getting the upper hand, Caleb joined the battle. He grabbed Kennedy by the throat and squeezed as she struggled and kicked. “Not much to say now little lady?” he said. He reached up and with a resounding crack snapped her neck and tossed her body into the corner.
 
“NO!” yelled Faith, and she and Buffy turned to mount a full assault on the preacher. They were dismayed to find their blows parried with ease. Faith was thrown halfway across the room, landing dazed against a wine cask. A Bringer approached her, but she regained her feet in time to take her battle axe to his head.
 
“Faith, get them out of here!” screamed Buffy, still grappling with Caleb. Faith obeyed and yelled “Get out! Now!” to the remaining potentials. They turned and fought their way toward the door, losing Caridad along the way, but taking out the few Bringers that barred their path. Outside, Giles, Xander and Robin were dealing with Bringers who had come up behind them. “We gotta get out of here!” Faith cried to them. Together the girls and the men dispatched the remaining Bringers then moved as fast as they could toward the cars, nursing broken arms, bleeding cuts, and bruised skulls.
 
Halfway to the cars Giles realized who was missing. “Buffy! Where’s Buffy?”
 
Buffy was at that moment fighting tooth and nail. All the grief and anger was being channeled into her fists and feet as she desperately tried to land blows on the preacher. Caleb mocked her saying, “How the unrighteous do struggle. You have been a dirty little girl haven’t you? Spreading your sinful legs for every demon in Sunnydale. Whore.” He backhanded her and sent her sprawling.
 
“Got a point there, love,” said the First, suddenly appearing in Spike’s form. “You are quite the groupie, aren’t you?”
 
The distraction was enough for Caleb to suddenly get a hold of Buffy by the throat. “Need to learn the error of your ways, missy,” he said with a false smile. Without releasing her, he reached down to grab a Bringer’s fallen knife. “No time like the present.” With that he narrowed his eyes and stabbed her in the stomach. Buffy’s eyes widened in pain and shock and despair. Dropping the knife, Caleb grabbed her with both hands and pulled her close to his face. “Thus endeth the lesson,” he whispered. Then with supernatural strength he threw her through the door.
 
Faith was heading back to the building when the doors flew open and a body came flying through. “Buffy!” called Faith. She ran with her heart in her throat to where Buffy lay, crumpled and bleeding but still alive. Faith grabbed her and hauled her up, throwing Buffy over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry and sprinting toward Giles’ car. Faith and Giles maneuvered Buffy into the back seat. Giles ran around to start the car, while Faith climbed in beside Buffy. “Go! Get us out of here!” Faith screamed, and Giles complied, flooring it and spraying gravel as he spun around toward Sunnydale.
 
Buffy lay with wide open eyes, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Faith put her hand over the wound and pressed hard, trying to staunch the flow. “Giles she needs a hospital! Now!” Faith snapped frantically. “Buffy hang on. You gotta stay with us.”
 
Buffy’s drifting eyes focused on Faith’s and she broke into a faint smile. “No,” she whispered. “No, I really don’t.” Then she closed her eyes, with the smile still on her lips and softly whispered, “Spike,” before falling back. Faith called her name again and again, but the Slayer slipped away without another sound.