In a flash of the same blue light, they appeared back in the mansion to the very same room the battle had taken place in, the room that Angelus had become Angel again. But one of the group was missing. Slowly, they began to awaken.

Spike's head darted around, looking for his lover. "Raksha?" he asked very quietly. He stood up and looked at all of the people in the room, failing to locate his lover. A sound of pure agony ripped through the room, waking those that were still unconscious and jarring those who were awake. Spike became surprisingly still, just standing with his eyes closed.

Angel, forgetting his own pain, moved over to his childe. Spike's animalistic cry of mourning was one he could not ignore. Slowly, he placed a comforting hand on Spike's shoulder.

Angrily, Spike shook off his hand and reached for a near by vase. The vase crashed into a wall and shattered. Spike stalked over to the wall and grabbed a portrait that hung there. Tearing it in half, he launched the pieces across the room. His foot caught the edge of a table, hurling it across the room. Chairs were thrown, pillows shred and antiques broken. The others ducked to avoid flying debris.

Spike started to stalk out the door, but an unfortunate teen blocked his way. Spike picked up Xander by his shirt collar and threw him. Xander crashed into a wall and fell into a heap on the ground. Cordelia rushed over to him. Spike continued walking.

The room remained silent in Spike's wake. They heard the door slam as Spike exited the building.

"That went rather well," Giles commented turning toward Xander. "Is there a need for medical attention?"

Xander shook his head slowly. "No... A few aspirin and I'll be fine."

***

Raksha awoke with a groan. She opened her eyes to see Isis standing over her.

"It's good to see you awake," Isis commented. "We have much to do."

Raksha sat up slowly, gripping her head against the dizziness that threatened to over take her. She could feel power flowing through her veins...radiating from a source inside of her body. Slowly, she raised one of her hands. The hand shined gold. Yanking it down, she turned to Isis.

"What happened?" Raksha asked. "Where's Spike? Why do I feel so different?"

"You are different now," Isis answered. "And your differentness is going to take you away from Spike. There is a lot you must learn and know."

"I --," Raksha started.

"I'll answer all of your questions later," Isis interjected, cutting her off.

Isis grabbed one of Raksha's hands and pulled her up so that she was standing beside the bed. Isis motioned to some servants.

Three girls dressed in simple white shifts rushed over with lavish garments and ornaments and began dressing Raksha. One stood on a stool so that she could have easy access to Raksha's hair. She pulled it back into a simple, elegant style, fastening it with jeweled clips.

Raksha amazingly remained silent throughout this process, knowing that Isis would keep her word and explain everything in detail later. But that did not keep her mind from reeling with thoughts.

When the servants finished, Isis beckoned her. "Come, my daughter. You have much to learn."

****

Several Years Later

Spike silently stalked down the streets of Sunnydale toward, surprisingly, the only occult shop in town for the millionth time. Crysta's Wonders was the current headquarters of those who fought against evil. He had just completed a little espionage project for the current Slayer/Watcher team and was on his way to report what he had found out and then disappear. This was his typical behavior.

After he had finished rampage after Raksha's death, he had begun to help Buffy and the other Slayers that had come to the Hellmouth, offering tidbits of information and fighting when needed. He wasn't a *good* guy, so to speak. He still fed from humans, but rarely killed. He tended to keep to himself, avoiding other vampires.

Those who knew of Spike's story supposed it was his way of keeping Raksha's memory. And in some ways, they were right, but there was another reason. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to go back to his former life. It no longer appealed to him.

Spike turned a corner and went down the alley that led to the back entrance of the store. Suddenly, Spike found himself pinned against the brick wall of a building with the blunt end of a stake positioned over his heart. Spike looked down at the figure but couldn't make out its identity despite his enhanced vision, which should have enabled him to see the figure clearly.

"Some-one's get-ting slop-py," a familiar female voice sing-songed.

"Some-one's us-ing the wr-ong end of the st-ake," Spike said.

The female laughed. "I don't want to kill you, love." She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already would be dead, remember?"

But the words were lost on Spike. As she leaned forward, Spike was assaulted by her smell. His mind instantly placed it; it was a smell he would never forget. With a growl, he shifted into his demonic features and pushed the female into the light.

The woman smiled softly as her features were revealed. "Not who you were expecting, eh, love?"

Spike sank slowly to his knees. His face slowly turned back to normal. And he could only utter one word -- her name. "Raksha."

Raksha instantly frowned at his position. She grabbed the lapels of his duster and set him roughly on his feet. "I have enough people bowing to me... I don't need you, of all people, doing it as well."

Spike pushed her away. "What the hell are you doing here? You're dead," he spat.

Raksha laughed lightly. "I've been *dead* for over five thousand years, technically. A demon and then..." she broke off and shrugged. "You of all people should know that things are never as they seem to be."

"So what they fuck are you?" he asked harshly. "A bloody vampire? You're different now. I can feel it." Spike took out a cigarette from a crumpled pack and lit it. "What the hell are you doing here now?! Where were you before? You just decided to leave me here."

Raksha looked at him with a pained expression. "Let's take a walk." She turned around and started to walk away, knowing that, in spite the fact that she had hurt him badly, he would follow.

Spike stared at her retreating back for a moment. A litany of curses directed at himself escaped from his lips as he jogged to catch up with her. They walked next to each other in silence. Raksha had tried to break the solitude with an explanation but every time she went to speak it seemed useless. Nothing could explain away the pain she knew she had caused him over the years. If she would have had a choice, she never would have left his side, his bed...or inevitably his heart. But often people, or whatever the hell you wanted to call her, were not able to do what they wanted to.

"Spit it out already," Spike said eventually. He had caught her attempts to speak and was growing impatient. He was never able to wait for anything. "Let's hear it, luv."

"It's complicated," Raksha said with a sigh. "A lot of things have changed. Why did I leave you?" She paused. "I didn't want to. I was needed and ordered to be elsewhere. I would never have left you, but I needed training and guidance because of what I am now..."

"And just *what* are you now?" he asked her sharply.

"What am I now? That's more confusing. I'm a freak. I'm not human or demon. Supposedly, I'm above all of that."

Spike gave her an odd look, causing her to laugh. "Long winded, aren't I?" She laughed some more. "I'm a goddess...of sorts. A minor deity, so far. One of magic and combat."

Spike laughed at that. "You?! A goddess, luv! Now I find that hard to believe!"

"It is, isn't it? I thought I was dying when Isis gave me that potion," Raksha sad sadly. "But I was given another type of life. A devine one. As long as someone believes in a god, they exist. As pagans, who can now worship freely, revive the old ceremonies they are going to make new goddesses and gods. It's inevitable...especially since most of the old manuscripts have been lost. Thus, I exist. I was basically a god before. Or at least, that's what Isis tells me. I only answered to the gods and now I only answer to my fellow gods. I was some what invincible as I am now. They've finished *preparing* me to live as a goddess. I am to return to fighting evil as I did before and then some. A goddess's actions tie her to her duties."

Spike looked at her for a few minutes and the turned to walk away.

Despite her hopes, Raksha had expected as much; however, her pride and her love for him could not accept his walking away without saying anything. "So you are just going to walk away, are you?" she called as she started to follow him. "Fine. I know I hurt you! But I did *not* have a choice. You have no idea how many nights that I would look out at the stars and long just to talk to you for a few moments. How I longed for your touch. How I was constantly replayed the memories of our time together in my head because I never though to would get to see you again."

Spike stopped, but Raksha kept walking, falling to her knees before him.

"You want to know how I was rewarded when I did something well?" she asked him. "Isis would tell me what you were doing -- how you were fighting for the side of good, how you thought I was dead, how you would not move on enough to seek the companionship of others. I begged and pleaded for you to find someone else, to be happy again." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I never thought that I would be allowed or able to see you again."

"I could never forget you, pet," Spike ground out in a low, emotion roughened voice.

"Nobody should ever forget his past loves," Raksha said calmly. "But moving on doesn't mean that you are forgetting. It means that you are healing."

"What do you want from me?" he demanded. "Would you like me to go bed the first cunt I find? Would that make you happy? Would that make you stop hurting me?"

Spike started to turn around, but Raksha stopped him by grabbing onto his jeans. He looked down at her, and the pain that clouded his eyes caused her breath to catch. His eyes mirrored the pain in her own heart. Within a heart beat, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his body. Her sobs were so soft that he almost couldn't hear them, but he could feel her tears dampening his shirt.

Slowly, Spike's resolve weakened, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Y' know," he said softly after her sobs ceased, "I've never had a goddess cry in my arms before."

Raksha laughed. "Now that, my dear Spike, is something that I can believe."

The two stayed in each others arms for minutes...hours, maybe, just holding on, enjoying the feel of each other.

Their silent embrace was soon interrupted, however. Two vampires, thinking that they had stumbled on a very foolish mortal couple, started creeping closer to the entwined. Raksha turned slightly in Spike's arms and waved a hand in front of her. The two demons exploded into dust.

"Bloody hell! That's something new," Spike said after a few seconds. "I guess I'll have to make sure that I don't twist your knickers into a knot from now on."

"I would never do that to yo-..." She trailed off. "'From now on'? Does that mean that you want us to...?"

Spike nodded. "Until I become dust."

Raksha seized Spike's lips for a lengthy kiss before starting to walk away from him. "Come on. We have an eternity to live." She turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "By the way, as far as I'm concerned, you can do anything with my knickers that you wish." She blew him a kiss and started to run.

Anyone who was out at that hour could hear the two's delighted laughter, followed by a long period of silence.

Spike hoped that he would be able to chase after her forever.