Connor tells Non he has back up coming. Spike thinks: he is just like his sodding father. Shut up and stab her! Non is delighted at the thought of killing the son of Angel. Connor prepares for her blow, but Spike strikes her down. He yells at Connor: “What do you think you’re doing? Get out of here!” Connor says he’s ‘helping the helpless.’ It doesn’t matter though – Non has recovered. She gets up and activates her powers, putting Spike down for the count. She grabs a hold of Connor – “Feed me!” she demands.

As her powers grow, she starts getting angry. She can’t feed from Connor’s life force – after all, Spike thinks, Connor is the son of two vampires and that makes him… well, whatever he is. Maria corners Spike and he spins, confused. Thought the spider had a thing for me, he muses. Then he finally notices something he hadn’t: a Sadecki demon. That’s what it is – that’s the missing piece of the puzzle. Non is using the Sadecki to control her followers. Take the demon out and the soldiers fall. Spike allows himself a minute of self-congratulations – he must be the smartest vampire in Hell! When Non finds out what he’s up to, she’s inclined to agree: Illyria heads towards her and the demon, blue thunder, now royally pissed.

As Illyria prepares to crush the Sadecki’s windpipe, the human emotions are slowly manipulated within her by the demon’s power and she reverts to Fred. Spike yells at her: do it anyway – kill the demon now. Fred hesitates – which is enough time for Non to get up and punch him down. She influences the demon to kill Fred, but Illyria is too strong. As the Sadecki begs Non to stop, Illyria ends the battle by ripping the demon’s head clean off her shoulders.

The influence over Non’s followers fades. But Non still stands: it doesn’t matter. She’s still their lord. They won’t disobey her. Spike chuckles. He challenges her to a one on one fight – no other combatants and no interference from anyone else. If he wins, he becomes lord. His anger prevails and round one goes to him. Non is weakened, but Spike suddenly realises her final plan.

Non starts to drain Jeremy’s life force. Spike hits her and orders Illyria to get Jeremy away so that she can’t kill him. As Spike turns around to check, Illyria has ended Jeremy’s link to Non – by punching her fist through his chest.

Spike is horrified. Non laughs. “What’s the matter saviour? Didn’t see that coming? No wonder you don’t make it to the end.” Spike looks at her. She keeps taunting him about his impending death. He’s had enough and swings his sword. It hits its target, and Non is decapitated. Illyria asks him if what she did was right – she needs validation. She repeats his own words back to him: “You told me, Spike. No one matters but me.”

As she speaks she changes back into Fred and time warps around her. Spike is massively concerned: she’s getting worse, more and more unstable. He tells her that she’s right. He gets Connor up off the ground and ponders the future.

An hour later, the entire place is burning.

Everyone that followed Spike is dead or zombified, lost in the battle or in the flames. He buries Jeremy Johns, labelling his gravestone with ‘a friend’. He approaches the demon lords with Illyria – if they leave them alone in Beverly Hills, he’ll keep Illyria secure and out of their way. He becomes the new co-lord of Beverly Hills, setting himself up in the Playboy mansion. The warrior women who served Non, now free of her influence, now sit by the pool in bikinis. Spike thinks about Non’s words – it doesn’t matter if he lasts to the future – he’s retiring right now.

One week later, on a rooftop overlooking a diner, Spike and Connor stand. Spike tells Connor he sucks at combat to which Connor smiles: he’s young and he’s learning. He’ll get there. Spike asks where the back up is – they’re late. Connor laughs. Fine, he thinks, we’ll do it without the girls.

They both launch themselves off the rooftop into the impending battle. Spike reckons he’ll help Connor – as long as he can go back to his Playboy bunnies later. They’ll make him feel better. No more attachments. No more mess. That’ll be okay for him.

For now.