Amy, After the Dance
Summary: In this fic, Amy has written a stunningly beautiful Spike POV after his ensouled return to Sunnydale ... one of the best stories I've read in a very very long time. I wept much of the time that I was reading it ... full on sobbing. It's simply gorgeous. (Romantic, angsty drama)
Note: See also the sequel, "Spinning"
Thanks: To "The Other Amy," who recommended this fic to me, and introduced me to Amy's lovely work
Rating: PG-13/R
Length: Approximately 3,900-word short story
Spoilers: Through Ep. 6.22, "Grave"

Chelle, Walking After Midnight
Summary: Injured in a fight, Buffy finds herself paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Spike takes on the task of caring for her, while refusing to put up with her moping. This story is angsty and romantic, but the first half also includes a lot of humorous banter between Spike and Buffy. (Dramatic romance, with some adventure/suspense elements)
Rating: NC-17
Length: 23 chapters
Spoilers: Early Season 4

Chris, Yellow Was Desolate Without Stripe
Summary: After seeing Spike with Anya, Buffy skips town. Not knowing that Buffy has left, Spike leaves Sunnydale, too. Then Xander and Dawn take off after them. All four travellers have adventures on the road ... and learn a thing or two along the way. This lovely story is chock full of interesting characters, compelling plot, and mysterious beauty. (Romantic suspense / adventure / drama)
Rating: PG-13/R
Length: 11 chapters, consisting of approximately 22,500 words
Spoilers: General for Season 6, though this is mostly AU

Cousinjean, Future Imperfect
Summary: Wow. This is such a great adventure story! The author's summary: "Three centuries from now, vampires have literally taken over the world, relegating what's left of the human race to space colonies. The humans -- along with a defected Spike -- want their planet back, and there's only one person they know of who can hope to make that happen. Can Spike help Buffy cope with future shock enough to allow her to save the world one more time?" I normally don't like futurefics, but this one connects with the "present day" of Ep. 5.22 ("The Gift") in really poignant and interesting ways. The plot is complex and fascinating ... Spike is fabulous ... and Cousinjean's portrayal of Buffy is a breath of heroic fresh air after Season 6! (Romantic adventure-drama futurefic)
Rating: R, for graphic violence and some sex
Length: 6 chapters, consisting of approximately 37,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 5.22, "The Gift"

Cousinjean, Getaway
Summary: Spike and Buffy on a road-trip of self-discovery. Okay, okay, it's been done before and since, but this is Cousinjean's version, so you know it's gotta be good. And it is. Romantic, and funny, and angsty, and wonderful. Give it a read! (Romantic drama)
Rating: R
Length: 6 chapters, consisting of approximately 20,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 6.17, "Normal Again"

Fallowdoe, Axis
Summary: A lyrically-written exploration of the emotional aftermath of Season 6 ... from the perspective of not only Spike and Buffy, but also many other characters, including most notably Willow and Drusilla. This story is unique and lovely and sometimes reads almost like poetry. (Drama)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 10 parts, consisting of approximately 18,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 6.22, "Grave"

Herself, Bittersweets
Summary: In this multiple-award-winning novel-length series, Herself intimately examines the emotional complexities of Spike, Buffy, and their relationship ... the good and the bad, the joyful and the destructive ... the sex, the love, the fear, and the hate. Within this series, Herself creates a detailed, intimate world of emotional tangles. Not for the weak of heart, but most definitely worth the journey! (Romantic, angsty, joyful drama)
Rating: NC-17 for graphic sexuality and violence. This story also contains minor elements of slash and sado-masochism, which may bother some readers.
Length: Novel-length series, consisting of 11 separate stories intended to be read in sequence as follows:

Manhattan Nocturne (10,100 words)
All Wrong (3,800 words)
Near Enough (1,400 words)
Listening to Garnetta (3,300 words)
Who Am I? (7,900 words)
Forgive Me (16,000 words)
What's It To Be? (30,400 words)
Spike, or The Ambiguities (14,100 words)
Mr Grieves and the Fallen Woman (20,900 words)
The Littler Bit (32,000 words)
All Merry and Bright (4,400 words)

HLynn, Sideways Shanshu
Summary: Author's summary: "Takes place directly after 'The Body', and continues from there into a resolution of the season. Buffy has to try and deal with the aftermath, and it's just then that Glory decides to push things into overdrive." This story has a really interesting plot ... a very different perspective on the potential outcome of the Glory situation in Season 5 ... with a lot more focus on Dawn and Spike. (Drama)
Rating: PG-13
Length: Approximately 21,000-word short story
Spoilers: Takes place immediately after Ep. 5.16, "The Body"

Jericho TGF, When Eternity Lies in the Balance
Summary: Even about a year after I first read it, this multiple-award-winning story remains one of my favorites. After Buffy's death in "The Gift," the Powers That Be call on Spike to do them a favor to bring her back. This fic is full of magic, sacrifice, loyalty, determination, strength, and love. (A bit of everything ... drama, humor, angst, adventure, suspense, but most of all romance)
Rating: R (mostly for language)
Length: 16-chapter novella, consisting of approximately 82,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 5.22, "The Gift"

Nocte, Sacred Flame
Summary: The author's summary is as follows: "Future Fic. William the Bloody returns to Sunnydale after an extended absence (seventy five years) to find something crucial. He finds things very different. The Hellmouth is more deadly than ever and the denizens of Sunnydale do not welcome new arrivals. Set after the events of S6 up to Normal Again but further into the future." This is an achingly gorgeous, very angsty story by a new author, and I can't recommend it highly enough. (Angsty drama)
Rating: NC-17
Length: 16 chapters, consisting of approximately 27,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 6.16, "Hell's Bells"

Trisha, The Keeper of Truth
Summary: As Spike mentions in the episode "After Life," magic always has consequences. In this case, Buffy is resurrected by Willow's magic, but finds herself in the Season 2 Buffyverse instead of Season 6! This story is rich with tension, passion, fear, melancholy, hope, and at least a dozen other poignant emotions. The interactions between Season-6 Buffy and Season-2 Spike are wonderful: full of bickering, hesitant intimacy, and passion. (Romantic drama, with both some angst and some humor)
Rating: R
Length: 13 chapters, consisting of approximately 56,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 5.22, "The Gift"

Trisha, Slip of Mind
Summary: Warren's nerd trio gains control of Spike's chip, with the intention of using him as a weapon against Buffy and the Scoobies. This somewhat disturbing story makes a surprisingly intelligent, poignant parallel between Warren/Katrina and Spike/Buffy. My favorite quote: "But this monster on his knees before her, this beast who growled and snarled and spat, this wasn't Spike. If Warren was trying to show how much of a monster Spike was, he'd failed utterly. All Buffy learned was how much of a monster Spike was not." (Angsty drama)
Rating: R
Length: 7 chapters, consisting of approximately 25,000 words
Spoilers: Through Ep. 6.13, "Dead Things"