It's taking me a while to read all the TtM stories this week - but I'm glad I have persisted. This is great. It fills the gap between Lovers Walk and Light of Day nicely and also somehow it does make it more reasonable that the gem was in Sunnydale - it always struck me as incredible that every mystical artifact happened to be so close at hand when needed *g* - and how Spike knew where to look.
Nice to see Marcus too. His attitude towards Spike is just right, and Spike's back.
Very nice.