Perfect ending! I didn't see the soul coming, but it makes such sense for season 5 Spike. As your Buffy points out, the limitations of his planning abilities and a laissez-faire attitude to details plus his impulsiveness could easily lead to this; assuming Crush didn't happen!

I've really enjoyed this story. You have such a great grasp of the character voices, and you keep the banter going believably. Thanks for such a fun read!