This is driving me nuts. IIRC it's told from William's perspective. It's a fic set in a heavenly dimension where Buffy ends up after The Gift. It seems more like a beach resort than anything else but it's not the real afterlife. It's more of a holding dimension or a Purgatory like place because she ends up meeting William, Dru and even Darla's souls while there. She falls for William, but ends up fading away when the Scoobies do their resurrection spell and pull her out. The fic then continues on with William missing Buffy until he also ends up fading out because Spike sought his soul.
Help?

Sounds terribly sad - but like an interesting story to read. hope someone can help you -

Oh Wow. Is it a really old fic? I think I remember reading something like that a looooonnnggg time ago. Could it be by lizzerbeathan? I know she's done at least one involving souls and heaven. This sound like it could be that fic.

Yep. Extremely old.

ETA: Looked into your suggestion and YES! It's Life After Wartime by Lizerrrbeathan! Thank you!

Are you sure it's Life After Wartime? In that fic it is post-Chosen and Spike is in heaven reviewing his life choices with Joyce before he can go back to earth. Buffy & Co are recovering from the battle from the 1st at one of the potential's grandma's farm and Spike is eventually returned to earth without his memory...

I only ask because I think I've read the fic you described and I'd love to read it again if anyone can remember it...

The one I'm thinking of had Dru, Angel & Darla in this purgatory as well, William referred to Dru as "the Mad Girl" or something like that, she was terrified of Angel's soul. Angel's soul also left for a time then returned (when his soul was restored and then when he lost it in SSN 2 it came back, then left again when Willow restored it.)

Secret as the Grave by Miss Murchison

You guys are right. I only looked at the description of Lizzzerbeathan's fic and it seemed right, but since I was still in the middle of reading something else I haven't actually had a chance to go and open it and read it thoroughly but I went chapter by chater through Miss Murchison's fic listed above and the one I'm looking for *is* actually that one and chapter 11 is the one I'm remembering.

Thank you, everyone for the help!

I also thank you, SheriJ! Because I am a weirdo obsessive I spent like 3 hours looking for this until I gave up in extreme frustration!

Thanks, Peyton, for asking the question, too. I've been wanting to re-read this fic.

Happy to help, I just read it yesterday so it was an easy one t o find.

Thanks so much for the updates - really wanted to read this one - thanks SheriJ - I will start it today.

On the Lizzzerbeathan stories - I tried using TWBM links I had and they don't work no - I Would Hate for those stories to disappear - Does anyone have good working links for this Classic FF writer. I love all the Lizzzerbeathan works and would hate not to be able to read them again. In fact I was wanting to read Life After Wartime again the other night when I got back the note from WBM that the site/pages we No Longer Available.

Please - if anyone has a good working link post it for us.

Her www.lizerrrrbeathan.com site has been removed from the Wayback Machine but 3 of her fics can be found at the Slayer Offline clone site for Sinister Attraction Life After Wartime, Snow Virgins, and Spike by Snowlight.

I found a site listed but for some reason my office IT department is blocking it so I can't check it on the Wayback right now. http://lizerrrbeathan.weebly.com/ Which is a bit weird because I work for a University and they don't often block sites.

I have rough copies of Justice, Just Us; Separation Anxiety; I Bequeath Thee; Boxing Day; Adieu, A Dew, I Do; The Book of William; Summing Blue; Kissed Awake; and Regardless in RTF but you may have to format them if appearance matters to you since I haven't gotten around to removing extraneous formatting code on some of them yet.

I'm sorry to hear her stuff is getting hard to find. She was one of the first authors I read. Adieu, A Dew, I Do will always be one of my favorite fics, but as I'm seeing these other titles, I'm recognizing several others that I liked enough to reread. I forget sometimes that I can't just so back and read things from years ago. It's very sad.
I followed the link to the Weebly site - it seems to be information on her ideas about Love, Life, Religion - I couldn't find any links to her fanfiction, although she has a picture of Spike and Buffy on the top along with another bit of a painting. It sounds as if she is saying the only think she's interested in writing now is related to what she has discovered in her journey to wherever.