Axis
by Fallowdoe
Action; Angst; post-S6
This is a lovely take on redemption and forgiveness, as Spike takes pity on an injured Drusilla, choosing to help her at the risk of his fragile understanding with Buffy. Totally unlike all the other versions of back-from-Africa. There's some great imagery here - the house covered in roses, Willow's dream of Tara on the river, Spike and Buffy sparring to a musical accompaniment. Plot-driven with the relationship mostly background until the final scene.

Bag of Bones
by Shadowlass
Drama; alt-S7; WIP
An unusual take on the "Back from Africa" genre that takes time to deal with the reactions of all the Scoobies to Spike's shiny new soul. Buffy forgives him, but nobody else is overjoyed to have him back - and someone is using black magic against him. Long and plot-driven with spot-on characterization.

Base Elements
by Limber
Drama; Action; Futurefic; WIP
Long series, still in progress, set a few years after season six. Dawn has been packed off to college in New England and is enjoying a hellmouth-free life with normal friends. Then Spike shows up, dechipped and acting strangely. This is eventually going to be B/S but the main character is Dawn - I adored her in this. The glimpse into her college life is very realistically written (I identified with most of it) and the relationship between her and Spike is terrific.

Giles and Spike Adventures
by Lori
Romance; Action; Drama; Futurefic; Humour; post S6
Buffy/Spike, Giles/Anya, some Dawn/Wesley in later parts
Run, do not walk, and find this story. Post-season 6 Spike meets up with Giles in the London Underground and they become best mates. Yes, it sounds implausible, but this is a hilarious series with a terrific plot. Too many favourite parts for me to mention, but Wesley babysitting Dawn - with the help of a fifty-page instruction manual from Spike, complete with appendices and colour-coding - is a highlight.

The Last Slow Hours of Morning
by Wisteria
Romance; Angst; Post S6
Wisteria's writing continues to astonish me with its beauty and style. This is a lovely post-Grave fic where Spike and Buffy just drive and talk - and more often than not, just think. On the way they deal with the events of Seeing Red; it's difficult and moving and something I could believe in. There are two prequels but it's not necessary to read them in order. ] Perfect World
by Cousin Jean
Drama; Angst; Post S6
After season 6, Spike is back in Sunnydale and wishing he'd never been chipped. Unfortunately he rashly wishes this aloud in front of Halfrek and finds himself in a world where Sunnydale is ruled by Adam. I loved how much thought has obviously gone into the world building - we learn what's happened to everyone, from Willow to Andrew to the AI gang.

The Price for Flight
Gwyneth Rhys
Angst; post-Grave
Proving that no matter how many hundred stories deal with Spike's return complete with soul, there are always a few that will surprise you. The Spike here has a soul, but he's edgy and hurting and still Spike. This brilliantly shows us his confused feelings for Buffy and deals in a believable way with the AR.

Redeeming Spike's Ass
by ValerieX
Humour; Romance; post-Grave; WIP
Written before season 7 aired. Not only does this fic have a nice (and believable) reunion between Spike and Buffy, it has wonderful Dawn and Anya. I adore the vengeance list, and part eight has one of the sweetest morning after scenes I've come across. WIP.

Ten Thousand
by Wisteria
Action; Drama; Angst; post-Grave
I dithered over whether to put this in the ships or not. True, Buffy doesn't appear, but she's constantly on Spike's mind as he spends the post-soul summer traveling the world. I love this writer's work, and with this I could see all the places Spike visited and what they meant to him as he found himself. Perfect for getting through the summer hiatus. Longish.

The Waiting Season
by Annie Sewell Jennings
Romance; post-Grave
Three connected vignettes set in the aftermath of Grave: I've linked to the middle one, a piece about Buffy and Anya that's one of the most beautiful pieces of fanfic I've ever read. Anya goes through her reminders of Xander and Buffy thinks about her relationship with Spike. If you're a B/S fan at all, please read this one.

Waking the Dead
by Annie Sewell Jennings
Angst; Horror; WIP
Anybody that can put an entirely new spin on "Spike comes back from Africa and gets back together with Buffy" is a great writer in my book… but then I already knew this writer was great. We - and Buffy - are unflinchingly shown the very worst of Spike's past. It's a very different kind of love story, as Buffy realises she loves him despite it all… and this is before she knows about the soul. It goes without saying that the writing is wonderful.

What She Deserves
by Herself
Buffy/Spike, Spike/m
Angst; post Grave
Warnings for slash, graphic violence, BDSM, but they're over with by about a quarter of the way through. The summer after season six, Buffy finds Spike in New York. He's really feeling the weight of the soul and rather than eating rats for a hundred years, his penance is to let himself be hurt and abused by strangers. This is writing so good it hurts. The complete antithesis of fluff, this is fanfic with a razor edge as neither the attempted rape or Spike's awful past get swept under the rug, and that makes the reconciliation with Buffy so much better because they both earn it. I loved the depiction of a Spike who's different after the soul (complete with dyed black hair) but who's still Spike. Made me cry my eyes out.

Lovingkindness
by Herself
Buffy/Spike, Spike/m
Angst; Slash; Romance
Sequel to the equally brilliant What She Deserves. Spike is back in Sunnydale, and after the end of WSD things should be fine and dandy. Unfortunately he decides to keep his distance from Buffy. Things get complicated when Jack - needy, clinging and desperately in love with him - turns up on his doorstep. This writer's work is always stunning. There are a couple of Spike scenes that I reread over and over; his beautiful "I love you like blazes" in the park scene with Buffy, and the poignant, lovely scene where he tells Giles what he was like pre-turning. My big surprise was how much I loved Buffy in this, to the extent that at least four times I wanted to smap Spike around the head for not seeing that he was hurting her. I could go on and on about this one (including the point that it proves fics can have original characters in relationships with canon characters and still work), but just read it. It will stay with you.

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