thanks to my betas Tami, karyn and aribelle.

Chapter 1

Spike pulled away from Buffy to stare down into her tear filled eyes. He could feel the gut-wrenching pain of the LoveWater spell breaking and he knew she was feeling it to. He knew that now that the spell was broken she would think he didn't love her; that the promises that he made while under the influence of the water were false. The Watcher had said the effects of the fountain were permanent, but something was terribly wrong.

"My darling Spike, I broke the spell for you. So you wouldn't be tied to that nasty Slayer," Drusilla sang as she floated out of the shadows towards the blonde couple.

Buffy stared at Drusilla, her hand coming up to smother a gasp. Without a word, she turned and ran away. In spite of the tears that blurred her eyes, she made it home. Climbing in her window, Buffy threw herself on her bed, sobbing brokenly.

She knew she loved Spike. Everything she had done and said had been the truth. She allowed herself to brush against Spike one last time through the claim before clamping it off. She didn't want to feel Spike returning to Drusilla. Buffy laid there in her bed, her heart and soul shattered.

~~~~

Back in the cemetery, Spike watched helplessly as his heartbroken mate ran away. He could feel every emotion pouring off of Buffy through the claim, compounding his own pain from the spell being torn away from them. Spike tried to reach out to her, but in Buffy's headlong race to get away from her pain, she either ignored him or was too overwhelmed to feel him.

Growling savagely, Spike turned on his sire and stalked across the expanse between them. Backhanding her viciously, he sent her flying into the side of a crypt.

Drusilla looked up at Spike, in surprised shock. In her insanity, she wondered what she did wrong He had never hit her in anger before. Up to this moment, he had always been her gallant protector and an attentive lover; her beautiful dark prince.

"You bloody bitch," Spike spat through gritted teeth, "Did it ever occur to you I was right where I wanted to be? Right where I belonged? Get out of Sunnydale. If I ever see you again, I'll dust you, sire or no."

Spike whirled to follow the path that the Slayer had taken, leaving a sobbing Drusilla behind of him. He paused at the cemetery entrance trying to use the claim to find Buffy when he felt her close herself off from him. Tears filled his eyes as he realized just how heartbroken his mate was. He had to make this right. He started off in search of the Watcher. Maybe he could help. As Spike wandered through the streets, he thought back to just a few days ago, when he woke up in his Slayer's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Flashback)

Buffy was awakened from a particularly pleasant dream by the slamming of a door. She noticed a few things. One, she was naked under a black coat. Two, she was with Spike. And three, she was still at the library at school. She began shaking a sleeping Spike.

"Spike, wake up! Someone's here. Put on your pants and throw me my clothes. I would prefer not to be totally naked in front of everyone," hissed Buffy. Spike was instantly awake. He could hear voices
downstairs in the main library. With supernatural speed he hopped up to put his jeans on. He could see Buffy had already got her thong out of his duster and had it on.

Spike threw her skirt and shirt at her, which she caught and quickly dressed herself in. Then she gave him a sultry look and patted the training mat beside her. He slinked across to her, laying down beside her on his back. Spike pressed her against his side and whispered.

"Where's my morning kiss, Slayer?" Buffy smiled a little dreamy smile before draping herself across his hard chest and covered his lips with hers. They continued to kiss, just happy to be with each other, when a gasp broke them apart. Buffy looked up, smiling.

"Hey guys!"

Willow and Cordy both stood staring at the sight in front of them, speechless. Buffy the Vampire Slayer laid nestled up next to a bare-chested William the Bloody, master vampire. The girls had to admit it was a fine looking chest, though, for a vampire's. While they stood there struggling to comprehend the scene in front of them, Buffy began speaking again.

"Those my clothes, Willow?" she asked pointing to the bundle of clothes that the redhead held. Willow nodded mutely. Buffy hopped up and took the clothes from her friend. "Let me get dressed and I'll be out in a minute."

When neither girl made the move to leave, Buffy made shooing gestures with her hands. They finally got the message and moved to the main part of the library.

Buffy grinned at Spike before quickly beginning to change her clothes. Spike smirked at her, eyeing her appreciatively.

"Come on, luv, one more kiss before you join your friends," he demanded.

"In a minute, baby, but I can't be late for school. Snyder has it in for me. One wrong move and he might expel me," Buffy answer was disheartened. There was nothing she would like better than to spend the day cuddling with her new mate.

"I could kill him for you, luv," Spike offered. Buffy cocked her head as if she really was considering the idea, but then shook it.

"If he was a demon, I would say go for it, but he's all with the human-y." When she was dressed, she sat down by Spike and began to caress his face. Spike was so handsome it almost made her jealous, but he was all hers. She knew it in her heart of hearts.

"I could vamp him like I did your friend." he persisted. Buffy shook her head, again, laughing softly. Spike was dead serious in his offer, even though he knew his mate would reject the idea.

"Thanks for the offer, baby, but we're going to have to discuss your killing people soon. Anyway, love you," Buffy said, leaning in for a kiss.

Spike kissed his golden goddess back. He knew that he was going to have to change his habits to keep her. She was so warm and giving, he didn't want to mess anything up. She smiled before getting up to go join her friends for the school day.

"Giles doesn't come back here during the day. You should be safe. I'll sneak in and see you at lunchtime," Buffy promised giving him a little wave. He blew a kiss at her before settling back down under his duster to get a bit more sleep.

Meanwhile, in the main part of the library, Willow and Cordy were telling Oz and Xander what they had seen. The four of them were sitting around the research table in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Willow couldn't wait to get her friend alone to find out all the details. Cordy wondered if this meant Angel was free. Xander was stewing in his own jealousy. Oz was being his usual stoic self and kept quiet about matters that he had no control over.

When Buffy finally joined her friends, everyone but Oz began talking at once. Buffy shook her head and held her hand up, "One at a time, guys."

"How could you, Buffy? You were kissing on an evil, soulless demon," sputtered Xander. He still held in the deep recesses of his heart the delusion that someday Buffy would open her eyes and see him as more than just a friend.

"I did more than kiss on him, Xander. We belong to each other now...we're mated," Buffy's face became dreamy, her eyes unfocused as she caught her lower lip between her small pearly teeth.

Xander grimaced as the tendrils of jealousy in his heart grew stronger and blacker. When both Cordy and Willow began to question Buffy about what happened, Xander couldn't stand it a moment longer. He jumped to his feet, grabbed his books and stormed out of the library; leaving the others staring after him in shock.

Before Buffy could tell the other girls anything about what had happened the first bell of the day rang.

"You have to tell us all the details at lunch," gushed Willow. Then she too grabbed her books and rushed out of the library doors. Oz quirked an eyebrow at Buffy before he rose to follow ...he wasn't sure what Willow was yet, but he knew she was the one for him. Cordy stayed a moment longer because she just had a burning question on her mind.

"So this means the salty goodness known as Angel is free for the taking, right?"

"Yes, Cordelia," Buffy said laughingly. Buffy grabbed her books from the table where Willow had deposited them, but before she could get out of the library Principal Snyder showed up. Buffy gave Cordy a pointed look and rolled her eyes. Cordelia hid a smile behind her hand.

"You best get to class, Miss Chase. Hanging out with riffraff like Miss Summers can damage your reputation," snarked Snyder. Cordelia threw Buffy a sympathetic look as she escaped the library unscathed.

"Can I help you, Principal Snyder?" asked Buffy, sweetly, all the while seething inside. Snyder was such a pompous little toad. He lived for making her life hell.

"Yes, Miss Summers. Apparently your mother called Mr. Giles in sick today. And since I can't get a replacement on such short notice, you will fill in today," replied Snyder. He rubbed his hands together. Snyder loved it when he could stick it to one of these stuck-up little teenagers.

"But what about my classes?" asked Buffy.

"I told your teachers you are on in-school suspension and are working it off. Miss Rosenberg will get your assignments for you," Snyder informed her. He laughed with glee when he saw her astonishment and ire. God, he loved being the king of his castle.

"But I haven't done anything wrong," Buffy protested.

"They don't know that," chortled Snyder as he swept out of the library.

Buffy sighed before going to sit behind the counter. She couldn't believe she was thinking this, but Buffy hoped Willow would drop off some of the schoolwork soon. In the meantime, she began to doodle on a pad of paper that Giles had stuck under the counter. As she began to draw, symbols that she remembered from the fountain began to emerge.

Three distinct sets of symbols emerged on the paper. The first set was very simplistic in design; three wavy lines drawn horizontally, one on top of another. The second was a bit more intricate; the top symbol looked like a snake laying on a flat surface with its tail hanging down, the middle symbol was a half-circle flat side down and the bottom symbol was a narrow rectangle that underlined the entire symbol. The last set of symbols were a bit harder to draw; the top symbol looked a bit like an A, laying on it's side, it was directly above an eye shape, beside these two symbols was what looked like a man kneeling, his weight on one leg while the other was bent with the knee pointing towards the sky.

Buffy sighed deeply, glancing at the clock. Today was going to be long and boring, that was for sure. When she got up to put the papers with her doodles on Giles' desk she noticed his office phone. Making sure no one had come into the library while she was preoccupied, she quickly snatched up the receiver.

First she dialed her house where she once again got the answering machine. When she called her mom's gallery, the other employee told Buffy that her mom had called in sick today. Buffy began to get a little worried. Her mom was sick and Giles was sick. She racked her brain trying to remember Giles' phone number. When she finally did remember, she got no answer at his apartment either.

Buffy plopped down in the chair beside the desk and leaned haphazardly on her elbow. That's when she noticed a book on one of the shelves. The title was Vampire Lore. Interesting how Giles had never showed her this book before. Buffy grabbed it and returned to the counter.

She ignored the first couple of chapters. They were basically information she already knew; how vampires were made and how to kill them. The next chapter proved much more interesting. The title was Vampire Legends. Actually most of the chapter was pretty boring, until Buffy came across a small section about something called The Gem of Amara. According to legend, the gem could make a vampire impervious to all their weaknesses including sunshine. Buffy smiled to herself as she imagined Spike in the sunshine.

The next chapter that Buffy flipped to was about vampire mating rituals. The accompanying lithographs made Buffy's cheeks burn with embarrassment even though she couldn't pull her eyes away from them. As Buffy stared at the lithographs, she superimposed her and Spike's images over the faces of the drawings, causing the moisture to pool between her thighs. There was one picture that she found extremely intriguing so she kept going back to it. How she wanted to try that with Spike.

Buffy was innocently unaware of the impact her naughty thoughts had on her sleeping lover. Spike shifted in his sleep as the claim caused him to feel the excitement of his mate. He suddenly sat up, an image burned so deeply into his mind that his cock was rock hard and the desire to find his Slayer was overwhelming. Reaching out with his senses, he discovered only one heartbeat in the immediate vicinity; one that he easily recognized as his mate's.

Hopping up off the training mat, Spike adjusted his hard-on before grabbing his t shirt. He strolled out to the top of the stairs leading down to the main library. Spike sat down on the top step as he observed Buffy.

She was looking through some old book, presumably one that belonged to her Watcher's. When he finally spoke, Spike noticed the redness of her cheeks before she hid the book behind her back. He raised an eyebrow wondering what she was looking at that could embarrass her so much.

"So luv, it's not lunchtime yet. Where's the Watcher?"

"I don't know. Mom called him in sick, so Snyder decided I should take his place," Buffy pouted. Spike silently groaned as Buffy's full lower lip poked out and quivered. "Told all the teachers I'm on in school suspension."

"Are you sure you don't want me to eat him, luv?" joked Spike, chuckling at how the Slayer's cute nose wrinkled in disgust, "Gonna show me what you are hiding behind your back?"

"It's just a book, Spike," Buffy answered, blushing. Even after what they did last night, she was still a little shy and uncertain about her new relationship.

"Can't be 'just a book', Slayer. It got you hot enough to pull me out of a deep sleep. Why don't you come on up here and show it to me?" Spike patted the step beside him.

Buffy decided to take the bull by the horns. She rushed up the steps to plop the book down in Spike's lap, the page open to the picture that interested her so much.

"Can we do that one?" Buffy asked in a flirty voice, pointing to the picture.

Spike groaned when he saw the picture. He quickly reached out and grabbed the hand Buffy was pointing with. He spread his legs apart just a little, tugging at her until she was between his spread legs and standing over him; the book falling forgotten on the floor. Their lips met as Spike used his free hand to slide up the back of her leg and under her skirt.

Just as his fingers reached the curve of her ass, there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. The vampire and the slayer broke apart, hurriedly. Buffy whirled so fast that if not for Spike's lightening fast reflexes, she would have fallen face-first down the stairs.

"Hey," Willow gave the couple a small perky wave, "Here's your work so far, Buffy. And be careful, Snyder is roaming the halls." She dropped several pages of notes and some worksheets on the research table and hurried out of the library already late for her next class.

"That was embarrassing," whispered Buffy.

"I don't mind an audience, luv," Spike chuckled. Buffy smacked him on the shoulder, without strength and reached down, grabbed for the fallen book and quickly turned to the page about the Gem of Amara.

"You might like this, baby," Buffy said, showing him the small segment on the fabled jewel.

Spike quirked his eyebrow in agreement. Now, how does one go about researching a legend? Spike decided to get his best minion, Dalton, on the job. While he was mulling this over, Buffy hopped up to look at the things that Willow had dropped off. When she saw them, she grimaced.

"Whatcha got there, pet?" asked Spike when he saw the face she made.

"French. I suck at French," grumbled the Slayer. She slammed the books back down on the table.

"So you still think 'the cow should touch you from Thursday', luv?" he asked teasingly. Buffy gave him an odd look. When had Spike ever heard her speak French? She just had to ask and was surprised by the answer, "That first night, luv. You were practicing with Red. You tried really hard, but it didn't quite come out right."

"You were inside the Bronze? That was you I felt, not...you know who. No wonder he was confused later when I accused him of stalking me," Buffy huffed prettily, "Of course now I can tell the difference between you..."

She was interrupted by the library office telephone beginning to ring. As she moved quickly into the small room to answer it, she noticed Spike came down the stairs to follow her.

"Hello...Giles, where are you?" Buffy asked, looking up at Spike, her eyes wide, "Is that my mom giggling in the background? You're where?" She was too stunned to do more than mumbled yes and no to the rest of the Watcher's conversation. She let the receiver fall into its cradle, before plopping down on the office chair, "My mom and my Watcher drove to Vegas last night to get married."

"When will they be back, Buffy?"

"Giles said tomorrow evening," she answered. Her brain was still a bit addled from the news of finding out her Watcher was her new stepfather.

"So we have your house to ourselves, pet?" questioned Spike, leering suggestively.

Buffy nodded and grinned. They had the house to themselves! Now she just had to make plans to get everyone to leave them alone. She couldn't wait till lunchtime to talk to Willow.

Spike chuckled as he watched his mate start making plans for their evening alone together. He gave her a quick, fierce kiss before going back to the training mat for some more rest.

(End Flashback)

Chapter 2

Buffy laid on her bed clutching her pillow to her stomach. Her tears subsided into hiccupy hitches. Her emotions and feelings felt jumbled inside her. Just when she thought things were going great for her, something came along and messed it up. Unable to help herself, Buffy tentatively reached out to touch Spike's mind and jerked back when she realized he wasn't with Drusilla, but in fact her mate was searching for Giles.

Buffy hastily rubbed the tears off of her cheeks and sat up. If Spike was going to Giles, maybe he wasn't as disgusted by the LoveWater spell like she had thought. Buffy knew she wanted to be with Spike. The persona he showed to the public wasn't who he really was. She had seen that in the past few days with how he had treated her, her friends, and her mother. Buffy jumped up, climbed back out her window, shimmied down the tree and headed off towards Giles's apartment. She hoped that maybe she would run into Spike on the way.

Buffy was curious how Giles and her mother were handling themselves. Their spontaneous elopement had caught everyone by surprise, especially Buffy herself. Her mind drifted back to the meltdown she had in the library with Willow and Cordelia.

(Flashback)

Buffy was bored out of her mind dealing with the library. She had even broken down and did her schoolwork. Horrors. So, when Willow and Cordelia showed up bearing extras on their lunch trays, Buffy had never been so happy to see anyone before in her life. The three girls sat down at the research table and began to divvy up the food.

"Where's Oz?" Buffy asked. She glanced at the library doorway in an attempt to see if anyone else was going to join them.

"Xander is still being an ass, so Oz is trying to talk to him," Willow answered. She handed Buffy a plastic wrapped sandwich. "Now spill all the details of last night!"

"Well, I was patrolling in Restfield, and someone put up a fountain in the middle of it. A huge one with a cowhead covered in stars on the top of it. Oh, before I forget, I made drawings of some sort of markings that you can research, Willow," Buffy said between bites.

"Okay, yeah. I want to know the details of you and Spike. I mean this is Spike. Grr Argh. Gonna kill you on Saturday Spike," replied Willow while she winked at Cordelia. She took a bite out of her sandwich while she watched Buffy's face.

"Yep, I know it's Spike, but you know death threats can be pretty sexy from the right person," Buffy smirked. Her mind drifted to that first encounter in the alley behind the Bronze; the clapping, the death threat, the overall bad boy quality that Spike had exuded that night.

"Well, I can see why you think Spike's sexy. His chest is quite well defined," replied Cordelia. She opened her potato chip bag, and she popped one in her mouth. She talked around the chip, "So, anyway back to what happened last night."

Buffy swallowed the bite she was chewing on. "For some reason, I took most of my clothes off and climbed into the water." She blushed when she remembered her brazen behavior the night before. "Then, Spike came along and I seduced him out of his clothes."

"Buffy, you little slut, you," Cordelia snarked. "There's hope for you yet." She grinned cheekily at the blushing blond girl.

"Oh, hush, Cordy," Buffy hissed. Her face flushed even redder then before. "We did some things at the fountain, then the Bronze, and then we came back here." Buffy crammed a potato chip into her mouth.

"When did you bite each other?" Willow asked. She'd seen the bite marks on the vampire's neck earlier when she dropped of Buffy's homework.

"Um, between the fountain and the Bronze," Buffy said softly. "Before I called you. Spike gets really possessive when you mention Angel." She giggled when she felt a growl reverberate through her mind. Even asleep the blond vampire didn't like her mentioning the other vamp.

"What about Angel?" Willow asked. "I thought you were serious about him."

Buffy shrugged casually. "Well, Angel has the mysterious vibe going for him, and he hid who he was at first. To tell the truth, I'm tired of sitting around the Bronze trying to figure out if he's gonna show up or not." She looked down at her fingers drawing a nonsense design on the table. "Spike's always been up front from the very beginning. He treats me like an adult and a Slayer, not a child that needs guidance. I think he's everything I've been looking for in a boyfriend."

"Um ... but he's a vampire, Buffy!" Willow exclaimed. "I mean, sure Angel's a vampire, too, but the soul. Spike's evil and tried to kill you on several occasions. Xander's all wiggy, and I bet Giles will be, too..." She trailed off when she saw the look of aghast on Buffy's face. "What? What's happened to Giles?"

"Giles ... he married my mother." Buffy exclaimed while she dropped her head into her hands. "The same mother who doesn't even know I'm the Slayer. My mother married my Watcher." The blond girl began to giggle hysterically. In a matter of moments, Buffy was sobbing into Willow's shoulder.

"Shh, it'll be okay, Buffy. You'll see," Willow said soothingly. She petted the hysterical Slayer's hair. Willow had no idea how to proceed with this. She knew that Buffy was close to her mother, and she had always thought it silly that they had hid the truth from the older Summers woman.

"Would you like me to go get Spike?" Cordelia asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure she was up to waking up a sleeping vamp, but she thought it might be worth a try.

"N-no. Let him sleep," Buffy muttered through hiccups. "I just thought that, you know, if Mom ever got remarried I'd have longer to get use to the idea, but eloping to Vegas. I didn't think that would happen. Oh my God, how did this happen? They can't be married. It has to be a big joke, like April Fool's Day."

"It's not even Thanksgiving yet, Buffy," Cordelia announced. "Did it sound like they were joking?" She watched the Slayer shake her head negatively. Cordelia came to sit down on the other side of Buffy. "Why don't we get together later and plan a wedding shower for your mom and Giles? I'll bet they'll appreciate that."

"You think so?" Buffy's voice suddenly sounded like the sixteen year old girl she was instead of the fierce Slayer warrior she tended to be most of the time. She turned to look at the brunette cheerleader. "Um, how about after school? We can go to my house and talk while I get ready for..." Buffy blushed brightly.

"More hot monkey sex?" Cordelia snarked.

(End Flashback)

Buffy stopped in the middle of the courtyard outside Giles' apartment. She could feel Spike standing in the shadows watching her. Buffy wished she had the courage to open the link to find out what he was thinking about, if he was there to kill her. "I'm sorry I ran away, Spike. Please don't hate me."

Chapter 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike stepped out of the shadows to confront his distraught mate. "I have no plans on killin' you, luv. However, I'm thinkin' about warmin' your little arse for runnin' away before you knew for sure if I still loved you."

"I thought you'd be glad Drusilla figured out how to break the spell," Buffy whispered. She was now embarrassed by her actions in the graveyard.

"You're my mate, Buffy," Spike replied. "Do you really think Dru can compete with that?" He edged closer to the Slayer.

"But you can go back to being what you were before," Buffy protested. She was sure that was what the vampire would have wanted more than anything. "Isn't that what you'd want?"

"Why would I, luv?" Spike cupped Buffy's cheek. "I have everything I didn't know I wanted right here."

"Spike!" Buffy reached up to cover the hand on her face. "I'm sorry." She shyly dropped her eyes to the ground. "You can punish me for running away if you want."

Spike smirked when a shudder ran through Buffy's body. "Yes, I believe I will, Slayer." He pulled her close to his body, and he cupped her ass with his free hand. "You'll get a spankin' just as soon as we suss things out."

Buffy moaned low in her throat while she remembered their first 'punishment' session. She had never thought that she would be interested in the naughtiness that she had so willingly indulged in with Spike. There was nothing bubble gum about their sex life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Flashback)

Buffy puttered around the living room waiting for Spike to knock on the front door. She'd had a nice conversation with Cordelia and Willow about throwing a shower for Giles and Joyce. She was still confused by her Watcher and her mother eloping, but she knew she needed to keep her mouth shut about it if she was going to get them to accept her own choice in a mate.

Buffy knew Xander was still upset about her choices, but she didn't care any more. It wasn't like he was her boss or anything. Besides, Willow, Cordelia, and Oz didn't seem all that wigged by Spike. Of course Willow just wanted Buffy to be happy, Cordelia wanted a chance at Angel, and Oz took everything with a measure of stoicism.

Buffy's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door, and she knew her vampire had arrived. She hurried to answer the door, her heart clenching in anticipation.

"'lo, Slayer," Spike drawled. He dropped his cigarette, and he smashed it with his boot heel.

"Come in, Spike." Buffy issued the welcome in a breathless tone.

Spike stepped into the Summers' house. He removed his duster, and he dropped it on the newel post. Then, he allowed Buffy to draw him into the living room. Spike was pleased to see that the Slayer had already set the stage for their reenactment of the picture she had found in the Watcher's book.

"You really want me to paddle that cute little arse of yours, don't you, luv?" Spike could feel his cock harden at the thought. The Slayer was not the girl he had thought she would be when he first saw her dancing at the Bronze. She was much, much more.

"Yes," Buffy hissed. "I want you to spank me and fuck me..." She paused while she gulped as a wave of overwhelming arousal hit her. "I want you to bite me, Spike."

"Not a problem." The vampire's gaze raked over Buffy's body, noting her pebbled nipples and quivering thighs. "However, you're overdressed. Strip."

Buffy hurried to comply with Spike's wishes. She dragged the T-shirt over her head, baring her unfettered breasts. She dropped her shorts and panties with one small push. Buffy waited in anticipation for his first move.

Leering at her in appreciation, Spike stripped down to his jeans, undoing the heavy silver buckle of his belt and popping the first few buttons open as he swaggered towards her. He let his hand sweep down his chest towards his cock which he caressed through his jeans.

Buffy licked her suddenly dry lips as she remembered the fight back on Back to School night when the vampire had performed the same maneuver. She watched as he settled comfortably in a chair, and he patted one of his knees.

"When we have our own place, we'll set this up right," Spike vowed. "Now come here, Slayer." He adjusted himself when she bounced over to him, and she arranged herself on his lap. Her ass was exposed to his gaze. Spike adjusted her legs until he could just see the pink, slick folds of her sex.

Buffy squealed when Spike's cool hand landed hard on her rounded butt cheek. She closed her eyes and pictured the lithograph from Giles' books behind her eyelids. She made it come to life while she felt her slit grow wetter and wetter from the combined fantasy and spanking.

"You're thinking about that picture again, aren't you, pet?" Spike's husky whisper filled Buffy's ears. "Me, too. Having you chained up, hangin' from the ceiling. Having the Slayer at my mercy, ready to fulfill my every whim is quite a turn on for me too."

"Spike," Buffy whimpered.

Spike's hand landed on Buffy's ass. The sound blended with her moans. The vampire grinned to himself when her moan turned to an excited squeal. He wasn't surprised at all to learn his girl enjoyed a little kink. He'd always had the feeling that the only thing better than fighting a Slayer would be fucking one. His hand landed again on Buffy's round, plump butt, and with the movement of her body, he could smell her growing arousal. It was only a matter of time before she was ready.

Buffy felt the pleasure coiling between her thighs, and she wished her pussy didn't feel so empty. However she wasn't ready to beg for relief just yet. She could feel Spike's hard cock digging into the soft flesh of her belly, and it made her wonder if she could outlast him. She wanted to make him lose control and take her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I won!" Buffy panted from her spot beneath Spike. They had both collapsed after their wild round of sex.

"How so, Slayer?" Spike growled. He rubbed his face on Buffy's neck where he nipped her skin.

Buffy giggled from the vampire's ticklish ministrations, and she tried to half-heartedly twist away from him. "I didn't do any begging!" she squealed when Spike's fingers joined in on the tickling rampage.

"You think I did?" Spike asked in an amused voice.

"Nope." Buffy shook her head wildly. "But, you couldn't resist my girlish 'charms'. You jumped me before I had a chance to beg."

"There's always next time," Spike teased.

"You're assuming there'll be a next time," Buffy retorted.

Spike just chuckled. He knew full well there'd be a next time.

"The party's all set up for Mom and Giles," Buffy said softly to change the subject. "Do you think you could demonstrate the whole vampy thing for her? Last time I said anything, her and Dad wigged, and I ended up in a loony bin."

"What?" Spike asked. The comment startled him. He hadn't realized that Buffy had tried to tell her mother about her Chosen status.

"It's not important." Buffy shrugged with pretended indifference. She didn't want to say how much the whole incident had hurt her feelings.

Spike realized that Buffy was lying, but for once he was willing to hold his tongue. There would be plenty of time later to delve into the Slayer's past.

"Cordy was gonna meet up with the gang after she left here tonight." Buffy sighed. "I hope it's all okay. Xander's still having problems with us. I hope he didn't cause too much trouble."

"She's the dark-haired one, isn't she?" Spike dropped to the bed beside Buffy.

"Yeah, she's a snob and a cheerleader. Exactly like I was... before." Buffy shrugged. "She's taken the whole vampire-demon thing pretty good, though."

"Is Harris interested in her?"

"Nah, I don't think so. He and Willow have a 'We hate Cordelia' club. Not to mention, Cordy's going to go after Angel." Buffy leaned in to kiss Spike. "I've got my guy."

Chapter 4

"Do you think it's odd that Cordelia didn't end up with Angel?" Buffy asked softly. "I mean, she was really interested in him."

"I don't think the fountain cares about who you think you're interested in." Spike smirked. "Look at us, or at Rupes. From everything you said he was interested in the gypsy bint."

Buffy giggled. "Yeah, and look who she ended up with."

"The cheerleader was with Harris when they found the fountain." Spike pulled Buffy closer to his body. "Remember, they said they had a brief moment of attraction before they went in search of more interesting prospects.

"True." Buffy nodded in agreement. "How do you explain the fact that their partners were strangers?"

"Don't know." Spike shrugged. "Did you notice that except for your Watcher and your mum, none of the couples are traditional, luv?"

"No, I hadn't thought about it." Buffy pulled back to look at Spike. "You're right though. Doyle and Anyanka aren't really normal, except maybe in a Hellmouth-y way."

Spike showed his agreement with a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Flashback)

Cordelia left Buffy's house with marriage shower plans swirling around in her head. She had told Willow and Oz that she'd take Xander duty while they went on a date that they had planned weeks in advance. Cordelia huffed in disgust. She had no idea what the boy's problem was. It was clear to her that Buffy had no romantic interest in Xander whatsoever.

"Your turn to babysit?" Xander sneered when he saw Cordelia approach.

"Only because you won't get the memo," Cordelia sneered in return. "Buffy's just not interested in you that way."

"Oh, shut up," Xander snapped.

"Look, it's not my fault you're too pathetic not to notice things around you," Cordelia sniffed with disdain.

"Oh, I've noticed that Buffy only goes for the undead," Xander snarled jealously. "What's a normal guy gotta do to get her attention?"

Cordelia shook her head in disbelief. She figured that Xander would be over his tantrum by now, but she had guessed wrong. She grabbed his arm and dragged him off towards Party Town where they could take a look at party supplies.

"I don't care what your problems are. They're not important," the cheerleader informed Xander. "What's important is that Giles and Joyce have a nice wedding shower."

"What?" Xander stopped in his tracks. "The G-man and Buffy's mom? How'd that happen?"

"Same way Buffy found her new vampire boyfriend," Cordelia sighed in exasperation. "Maybe if you hadn't gotten all huffy, you'd know that Giles called from Vegas today while Buffy was watching the library."

"But what about Ms. Calendar?"

"Guess she's out of luck, isn't she?" Cordelia rolled her eyes.

A flash of movement caught the teenagers' attention. They both glanced at the little park off to their right. They saw a fountain in the very middle of the open expanse.

"I didn't know that park had a fountain," Xander said.

"It doesn't, you dolt. That must be the fountain the others have found."

"Oh, maybe I can get Buffy to change her mind about me." Xander stalked off towards the fountain, leaving Cordelia behind to fend for herself. He didn't even realize how ridiculous his statement sounded.

"That'll never work," Cordelia called out. "Spike will kill you if you get near her. Crud, he's not listening." She slowly trailed after Xander.

Xander reached the LoveWater fountain, and he plunged his hands into the magical water. It cooled his hatred and anger until all he felt was calmness. Xander smiled over his shoulder at Cordelia.

"You gotta feel this, Cordy," Xander said in a pleasant voice. "It's the best thing I've ever felt."

"I don't think so, Harris." Cordelia shook her head. No way was she going to touch the water.

"No choice!" Xander turned suddenly, and he flicked water on the girl.

"Don't do that!" Cordelia screeched.

"This will really piss you off." Xander grabbed Cordelia's shoulders, pulled her close, and covered her lips with his own.

After a few awkward minutes of kissing, Xander and Cordelia broke apart. They stared at each other for a moment before Cordelia spoke.

"That was... close, but no cigar."

Xander nodded in agreement. "Yeah, like we would have tried, but it wouldn't work just right."

"Okay. So, we have to go find someone else to try with?" Cordelia wasn't too thrilled about that prospect.

"Excuse me, miss. I've seemed to take the wrong turn somewhere. Where can I find the high school?"

Cordelia whirled around to stare at the handsome dark-haired man. Something about him called to her.

"I could show you the way there, but first would you like to check out Sunnydale's finest fountain?" Cordelia gestured towards the gurgling fountain while she ignored Xander. "I'm Cordelia Chase, by the way."

"Francis Allen Doyle at your service, but everyone calls me Doyle." The man glanced at Xander before he asked. "Are you sure I wouldn't be interrupting your date?"

"Oh, Harris and I don't date," Cordelia replied. "I was just making sure he didn't bother Buffy and her newest boyfriend." She grabbed Doyle's arm, and she dragged him closer to the fountain.

"Oh, okay," Doyle said a tad reluctantly. "But I have a meeting with the librarian in just a little while."

"If you mean Giles, he eloped with Buffy's mom." Cordelia smiled happily. "They'll be back in a couple of days. I'll be happy to show you around Sunnydale in the meantime." She dipped her hand into the fountain, and she used a wet finger to draw patterns on the back of Doyle's hand.

"That would be great, Miss Chase," Doyle whispered in a gentle voice. "Maybe we can find someplace to be alone."

"I can do that," Cordelia cooed. "You can come to the wedding shower when Giles and Mrs. Summers come back from Vegas. I'll do the introductions."

"Don't mind me." Xander rolled his eyes at Cordelia's flirting.

"Did you say something, Harris?" Cordelia didn't take her eyes off Doyle.

"Well, I need to find a place to stay if Mr. Giles is unavailable." Doyle smiled softly at Cordelia. "Can you recommend someplace?"

"Of course." Cordelia led Doyle off in the direction of the new hotel just built across town. "Do you have a car, Doyle? Sunnydale can be kinda dangerous at night."

"Why of course, my lady," Doyle replied as he steered the lovely young woman towards the vehicle. "I know this is a question a man should never ask a woman, but how old are you?"

"Um, my birthday is next month," Cordelia said slowly. "I'll be eighteen then. Will that be a problem?"

"No, my lady. I just didn't want a daddy with a shotgun and a sheriff after me." Doyle didn't mention that he had recently separated from his wife, but no papers had been filed as of yet.

"I'm older than most of my friends," Cordelia replied. "Dad had business overseas. So, I ended up waiting a whole year before entering kindergarten. Besides, Dad's too busy to even know what I'm doing." She rolled her eyes. "He didn't even notice the vamp on Parent/Teacher night."

"Vampires?"

"Ooops, I meant 'gang members on PCP'."

"You know about vampires?" Doyle stared at the beautiful girl beside him.

"Well, Buffy's the Slayer and she's boinking a vampire as we speak." Cordelia giggled at Doyle's shocked expression. "It's kinda hard to avoid the vampires, especially when they attack the Bronze."

"So, you know who Mr. Giles is?"

"He's Buffy's Watcher."

Doyle nodded in understanding. He wondered if Cordelia would freak when he revealed his true identity. That would come in time, he knew. Right now it was time to find someplace private where they could get to know each other better. Well, everything with her except his soon-to-be ex-wife and demonic heritage.

Meanwhile, back at the fountain, Xander was about to walk away when a popping noise caught his attention. He turned around to find a pretty dark-haired woman standing in the fountain.

"You're not a woman!" she said with indignation. Her face changed from human to demonic. "I am Anyanka, patron saint for scorned women. Are you gay? Because I'm totally the wrong vengeance demon to be here if you are."

"What?" Xander tried to act insulted, but he was too entranced by Anyanka's beauty and contrasting scariness. "No, I'm not gay. It's the fountain, I bet."

"How would a fountain get me here?" Anyanka muttered. "That's ridiculous."

Xander shrugged his shoulders. "Same way the Slayer is with an evil vamp, and her Watcher and mom eloped, I suppose."

"You are kinda cute... for a human." Anyanka shifted back into her human guise. "Do you give good orgasms?"

Xander gulped. How could he tell this beautiful demoness that he had terrible luck with the ladies without her laughing at him? "Uh, well... Buffy's had to slay my last two dating attempts. So, I'm not all that sure about that. Is that okay?" he asked a tad sheepishly.

"My very own boy toy that I can teach?" Anyanka clapped her hands in delight. "How wonderful."

"Uh, yeah," Xander mumbled, feeling a bit intimidated. "So, you, um, wanna go out for a soda or something?"

"Okay, maybe we can find a cheating no good man to emasculate while we're there." Anyanka nodded enthusiastically while she waded out of the fountain.

Xander paled at the thought, but he moved to help Anyanka out of the pool. Despite her demonic status, he felt the need to know her better. Xander just hoped she didn't try to kill him. That wouldn't bode well for the relationship. Besides, if Buffy could put up with a cold-blooded murderer so could he.

"The Bronze then?" Xander bowed over Anyanka's hand.

"Of course." The vengeance demon looked down at her wet feet. "Just let me change." She snapped her fingers, and she was wearing dry shoes. Anyanka didn't question why she was willing to go somewhere with a teenaged human boy. It just felt like the right thing to do.

"You do know that women aren't the only ones with bad dating experiences, don't you?" Xander led his new lady love away from the park. "Let me tell you all about Ms. French and Ampata."

As Xander and Anyanka walked away, they didn't see the two females stumble into the little park. The older woman slumped against the rim of the fountain in exhaustion.

"Mama, are you okay?" The younger girl dropped the two suitcases she was carrying.

"Yes, yes, Tara darling." The woman assured her daughter. "Just out of breath." She didn't want to tell her daughter just how sick she really was.

"We need to find someplace to spend the night." Tara looked around. "Are you sure this is the town where I need to be? It looks pretty scary."

"Of course it is, sweetie. Why don't you wet one of the handkerchiefs in the fountain? I need to wipe my face." Tara's mother Diedre requested in a soft voice. She knew the fountain was important to Tara, even though she wasn't sure how exactly.

Tara rushed to do as her mother requested. She was really worried about Diedre who was getting sicker by the day. The young woman wetted the handkerchief, and when she turned around she realized that her mother had totally collapsed.

"Mama!" Tara rushed to Diedre's side. "Mama, please be okay."

"Hey. It's dangerous to be out after dark. You should get inside."

Tara looked up to find a teenaged couple standing a few feet away. They were on the short side and both were redheads. Although, the girl's hair was like a flame while the boy's was green tipped.

"Your mom looks really sick." The boy nodded towards Diedre. "I'm Oz, and this is Willow."

"Oh, I didn't notice. I'm so sorry." Willow came to stand on Diedre's other side. "Do we need to go to the hospital?"

"No, they can't help," Diedre whispered. She could see the lovely auras around the redheads, and she knew they'd take good care of her Tara. "I'm afraid I'm dying, and there's no hope for me."

"Mama, don't say that." Tara started to cry. "Please don't leave me all alone."

"I'm not going yet." Diedre gasped for breath. "Besides you won't be alone. These two fine young people will care for you." She looked at Willow and Oz. "Destiny's an interesting thing. Look into the fountain, and I'll show you yours."

Willow and Oz glanced at each other with skepticism, but it was the Hellmouth. Stranger things had happened in Sunnydale. They both went to the water.

"Run your hands through the water." Then, Diedre silently said the words to project the visions she'd seen several weeks before to the surface of the pool.

"It's us," Willow whispered. "We're together and happy." She stared at the vision of the new girl, Oz, and herself surrounded by their friends and children.

"Wow, this water feels a little odd," Oz murmured.

"Oh my! This is Buffy's fountain." Willow suddenly noticed the hieroglyphs around the base of the pool. "It's the LoveWater fountain.'

"I'm sorry," Diedre whispered. "I needed to ensure Tara is protected from her father."

"We would have done that anyway," Willow replied.

"Even if the females in our family are demons?" Tara asked quietly. She wasn't ashamed of her mother or herself, but she worried about being shunned by the new couple.

Willow shrugged as if demons weren't an issue. "Buffy's the Slayer. If she can handle a big bad vampire like Spike, I'm sure you're easy peasy."

"She's 'handling' him, alright," Oz said with a chuckle. "I think we should get inside. We can talk then." He smiled at both Willow and Tara.

"Oz's van is just over there." Willow pointed to a van about halfway down the block. "Do you think you can make it?"

Diedre nodded. Now that the fountain magic was running through the teenagers, she was feeling much better mentally at least. She hated that they would be committed to each other at such a young age, but she didn't have much choice. Diedre knew that she wouldn't see her daughter's eighteenth birthday.

Tara and Willow helped Diedre to her feet while Oz grabbed their suitcases. It was decided that they'd go to Oz's house since his parents were as laid back and understanding as he tended to be.

(End flashback)

Chapter 5

Jenny Calendar sat in the rocking chair as she stared at her bed, or more specifically, the creature sleeping soundly in her bed. She had just spent the last twenty minutes in the shower ridding her body of his scent and touch. Jenny wasn't sure how well it worked, considering she was having a harder time ridding her mind of the memories.

Jenny felt only disgust with herself. She had allowed the monster that had killed her ancestor to bring her pleasure. Worse, she had lifted the curse on him. He still had his soul, but now there was no happiness clause. How stupid could she be? She groaned at the thought of how mad her uncle would be when he heard.

Angel moaned, and he remembered where he was at. Somehow he didn't think the gypsy would be thrilled with the past few days. The vampire knew Jenny would only feel disgust for herself and him. Angel sank further down under the blankets as he tried to hide from the world. He thought about how he and Jenny had met at the fountain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Flashback)

Angel searched the cemeteries for Buffy, but he couldn't find her anywhere. There was no sign of Spike either. He was positive he had smelled them together the night before at the Bronze.

Finding Buffy's friends and her Watcher seemed like a no go, too. Angel wondered what in the hell was going on. Why was everyone being so blasted elusive tonight?

Angel stopped in his tracks when he spotted Jenny Calendar sitting at the fountain where she was running her fingers through the water. She's a friend of Giles', he thought. Maybe she knows what is going on.

Jenny looked down into the waters of the fountain. She knew there was something off about the cool, clear liquid, but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out.

"Excuse me," Angel said softly, in the hopes of not startling the dark-haired woman.

Jenny turned to look at who was speaking. She immediately recognized Angelus, but she realized that she had never noticed before how handsome he was. She felt an undeniable pull towards the vampire.

"You're a friend of Giles', right?" Angel asked.

"Yes, I am," Jenny answered. She stared boldly at Angel.

"I was wondering if you had seen him today?" Angel shifted under the woman's brazen gaze. He was not used to women's interest in him.

"No, I haven't." Jenny shook her head. "From what I heard, he never showed up for work today. Buffy Summers had to watch the library because Snyder ordered her to. The little Nazi troll."

"Yes, Buffy's said that a few times," Angel chuckled. "She certainly chafes under authority."

"Come sit." Jenny batted her eyelashes at Angel. "The water is quite lovely." She dragged her fingers though the fountain.

"Well... um... I guess, for a minute," Angel answered in a hesitant voice. He slowly walked over to the fountain where he sat down next to Jenny.

"The water's so nice. You should feel it." Jenny smiled.

Angel was unsure of what he should do. So, he put his hand into the water. He watched his fingers pass through the liquid for a few moments before he looked up at Jenny. Angel decided that she was the most beautiful, intriguing woman he had ever seen. He leaned over to cover her lips with his own.

Jenny whimpered under the cool assault. Her hands crept up the vampire's chest to tangle in Angel's hair. She decided that it felt wonderful to be in his powerful arms, but she soon pulled away.

"What's wrong, my love?" Angel murmured.

"The curse. We can't." Jenny looked at Angel with concern. "If you're happy, you'll lose your soul."

"How do you know that?"

Jenny blushed. "I'm part of the gypsy clan. I was sent here to keep an eye on you and the Slayer."

"Does Giles know?" Angel asked. He wondered if the Watcher was keeping secrets from him. Then he decided no, because otherwise Giles would have limited his interactions with Buffy.

Jenny shook her head. "No, I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

"I want to make love to you," Angel whispered. "Kiss your body from head to toe, explore your fantasies, and give you your heart's desire."

Jenny gulped in arousal. She felt her juices flow, and she saw the vampire's nostrils flare when she knew he smelled her scent. "W-we have to lift the c-curse first," Jenny stammered. "Or anchor the soul."

"I agree, my love," Angel whispered. He pulled Jenny against his body. "Let's hurry. I'm not sure I can wait for very long."

"Me either," Jenny said. "Maybe Rupert has some books in his collection that will help us."

"Sounds good." Angel helped Jenny to her feet. The vampire was so intent on the dark-haired gypsy that he failed to notice an eavesdropper.

"Nasty, nasty water," Drusilla cooed. "Taking my dark prince and my Daddy away. Don't worry. I'll fix everything."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"I think this is it," Jenny said. She handed an open book to Angel. "The ingredients are pretty easy to get a hold of. The magic shop downtown should have them in stock."

Angel glanced at the clock. "It's not that late. The shop should still be open, if we hurry."

"Oh yes, let's go." Jenny rose to her feet. She closed the spell book, and she tucked it under her arm.

Angel took Jenny's free hand. Together they left the library, and they headed downtown towards the magic shop. They chatted quietly until they reached their destination. Angel opened the store door. With a slight bow, he let Jenny go into the shop first.

Jenny gasped when she saw the dead clerk lying on the floor behind the counter. Then, she noticed signs of theft. The shelves looked ransacked, and several broken bottles of ingredients lay on the floor next to the clerk.

Angel paused to sniff the air. He growled when he recognized the scent on the body. "Drusilla," he muttered.

"Your childe is here?" Jenny asked. "I thought she died recently."

"Apparently not," Angel grumbled. "Spike brought her here to heal. Of course, Spike's after Buffy. She has no idea the danger she's in from him."

"I'm sure Buffy can handle herself," Jenny reassured the vampire. She patted him on the arm. "Now, grab what we need. We'll call the police from down the street."

Angel nodded his agreement. He quickly grabbed a few bottles which he stuck in his pockets. Together Jenny and Angel slipped out the back door. Once they were in the alley, the vampire took a careful survey of the surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The two brunettes casually sauntered down the street to the nearest phone booth. They weren't too worried about witnesses. After all, the Sunnydale denial factor would protect them fairly well.

Jenny picked up the phone, and she dialed 9-1-1.

"Sunnydale Police Department. Please state your emergency."

"Yeah, I heard some screams inside that magic store on Main Street. I looked in the window, and I saw a dead boy. Please hurry!" Jenny hung up the phone before the operator could react.

"Let's go before they get here," Angel murmured. "Besides the sooner we get this spell done, the sooner we can be making sweet love. My place or yours?"

"Definitely mine!" Jenny replied. "I'm getting hungry. I'm pretty sure you're not stocked up for an overnight guest."

"Not yet, my love," Angel agreed. "I will now though." He threaded his arm through Jenny's as they walked off towards her apartment.

(END FLASHBACK)

Chapter 6

"We have to face your mum and Watcher sooner or later, pet," Spike told Buffy.

"I say later," Buffy pouted. "They're going to be so freaked out about all of this now."

"Yes, it's not often that the Slayer's mum is married to her Watcher." Spike pulled Buffy towards the front door of Giles' apartment.

"I'm pretty sure I'm breaking all kinds of Council rules," Buffy muttered as she let herself be led along by her mate.

"Makin' you own rules, if ask me." Spike lifted Buffy's hand to his mouth where he kissed the dainty appendage.

"Wait for us," a cacophony of voices said from a place behind Spike and Buffy.

Spike and Buffy turned to find the Scoobies and their LoveWater mates standing at the gate of the courtyard.

"Looks like the gang's all here," Spike quipped.

"Not quite," Xander replied. "We're missing Deadboy and Ms. Calendar."

"Remember how lovey-dovey they were at Giles and Joyce's wedding shower?" Willow asked. "I'd bet they're both regretting every little gesture about now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(FLASHBACK)

"Is everything in place?" Buffy looked around the living room anxiously. "Mom and Giles will be home soon."

"Why are you so freaked?" Anyanka asked in a curious voice. She couldn't understand why one of the most powerful beings on the planet was acting so jumpy.

"It's my mom ... and my Watcher!" Buffy tried to explain to the strange demon again. "Mom doesn't know I'm a Slayer! Last time I mentioned it, there were doctors, drugs, and straight jackets."

"Just have Spike demonstrate the bumps and fangs," Xander replied. Since finding his own LoveWater mate, the boy had come to accept the Slayer's relationship with a vampire. Honestly, it wasn't like he had any room to protest the whole demon thing.

"Maybe." Buffy looked doubtful. "I just wish she already knew and accepted it all."

"Maybe there was pillow talk," Xander said.

"I guess." Buffy gave an uncertain nod as the doorbell rang.

"People are here!" Anyanka rose to her feet. "You two answer the door. I'll get the food." She walked off towards the kitchen.

Xander and Buffy went to answer the door. Standing on the porch, they found Oz, Willow, and a young woman they didn't recognize.

"Hey, guys, this is Tara," Willow announced with a happy smile.

"Hi." Buffy gave Tara a welcoming smile.

"H-hi," Tara stammered. Even though both Willow and Oz had assured her she'd be welcomed by the Scoobies, the shy girl hadn't been as positive about meeting their friends as they had been.

A noisy black car rolled up in front of Buffy's house. The painted windows told most of the group exactly who had arrived.

"Your sweetie's here, Buff," Xander chortled. "That monstrosity he's driving is as old as he is."

Buffy stuck her tongue out at her friend. "You're just jealous. Kinda hard to go parking without anything to park."

"Don't remind me," Xander grimaced.

"Go in and get settled," Buffy told Willow and Oz. She gave Tara another smile of greeting before she slipped past them to go welcome Spike.

Spike grinned when Buffy practically tackled him in a hard Slayer hug. She pulled his head down, and he welcomed her sweet kisses.

"Must you do that in public?"

Buffy pulled away from Spike to give Cordelia a cheeky grin. "Every chance I get. Gotta place a claim on my vamp."

Spike leaned down to whisper in Buffy's ear. "You did that already, remember, pet?"

Buffy gave the vampire a half-hearted smack before she turned to Cordelia. "Xander said you found the fountain last night, but he was kinda vague on the details."

"Yeah, we did," Cordelia grinned. She turned to the man beside her. "Doyle, this is Buffy the Slayer and her vamptoy Spike. Guys, this is Doyle. He's here looking for Giles."

"A half-Brachen, huh?" Spike said with a sniff. "Don't come across many half-breeds."

"Just go spillin' all my secrets, why doncha?" Doyle muttered. He gave Cordelia a wary look. "Yes, I'm a half demon. Is that gonna bother you, lass?"

"Not as much as your marital state does," Cordelia answered with a haughty sniff. "If you plan on getting lucky any time soon, I suggest you get a good divorce lawyer ASAP."

"Oh, the Queen B has spoken," Buffy laughed.

Just then, Joyce and Giles pulled into the driveway of the Revello Drive home. The older couple climbed out of the Jeep where they were greeted by the younger people.

"Mom, how could you?" Buffy asked in a huffy voice. "Vegas? Really?"

Joyce flushed bright red. "It was Ripper's idea."

"Who's Ripper?"

"What is Spike doing here?" Giles demanded in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"He's my boyfriend." Buffy voice brooked no argument, but Giles ignored the warning.

"He's an evil soulless vampire," the Watcher protested. He stepped in front of Joyce to protect her.

"What?" Joyce looked from her new husband to her daughter. "What do you mean he's a vampire?"

Everyone, except Spike who was enjoying the dismay and discomfort of others, tried to look at everything and anything except Joyce Summers-Giles.

The bleached blond vampire stepped forward, and he laid on all the charm. "I'm so pleased to meet you, Joyce. I must say you look just as beautiful and fierce without your axe as you do with it." He bowed over the surprised woman's hand.

Joyce's eyebrow shot up. "I believe I told you to keep your hands off my daughter."

"You did, but I'm afraid she is hard to resist, especially when she pouts," Spike replied. "I'm her willing slave."

"Spike." Buffy let out an indignant snort. "I don't pout."

Spike looked at his lady love, his eyes glued to her mouth. "There it is. Pouty." The vampire had a hungry look in his eyes, and he leaned towards Buffy.

"Control yourself, man." Giles shook his head. "You're a master vampire, not a lovesick teenager."

"There's that vampire thing again," Joyce muttered.

"Chow's ready," Xander called from the porch.

"We better get inside before he eats it all," Cordelia said. Under her breath, she continued, "Human garbage disposal, I swear."

As the group drifted towards the Summers' house, Jenny and Angel walked up. Spike issued a small challenging growl, and Buffy laid a hand on the blond vampire's arm.

"What do you want, Angel?" The Slayer gave the older vampire a hard look.

"Oh, is your tutor dating Ms. Calendar now?" Joyce asked. She remembered meeting the woman at the school's open house a few months before.

"Angel's not my tutor, Mom," Buffy sighed. She hoped her mom didn't flip out now. So far, Joyce had been pretty easy going about Spike and vampirism. "He's my ex, AND he's a vampire like Spike."

"Gramps," Spike growled, his eyes flashed yellow. "If you challenge me, you'll find I'm not the fledge you knew before."

Angel held up his hands in surrender. "I just came to tell you that Jenny and I decided we have much in common." He put one arm around the dark-haired teacher. "I won't challenge you, William. You're not my first choice for Buffy, but you are loyal and loving."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Angelus." Spike gave Angel a surprised glance. He turned to Buffy. "He's never given up without a fight b'fore."

"They're both vampires?" Joyce appeared to be in shock. Apparently, things were starting to sink in. "Can they prove it?"

Both Spike and Angel shifted into game face for a few seconds before they returned to their human visages.

Joyce let out a muffled shriek. "Oh, Buffy, I'm so sorry. I let your father convince me you were delusional or on drugs."

"It's okay, Mom." Buffy put her arms around Joyce, and she led the older woman into the house. The others, including Angel and Jenny, followed them inside.

Chapter 7

(FLASHBACK CONTINUED)

“Giles, I think Mom could use a drink,” Buffy directed her words at her Watcher. “There should be something in the side cabinet. If not, ask Spike. I’m sure he’s got something out in his rattle bucket she can sip on.”

“Just rock gut booze, pet.” The bleached blond vamp arched an eyebrow. “I think your mum might need more than a stiff drink, Slayer. You got any Valium?”

“In the upstairs medicine cabinet,” Joyce replied in a dazed voice.

“I’ll go get them,” Cordelia said in a stage whisper. She had dealt with this type of thing before with her own mother.

Giles went to the side cabinet to pour his new wife a drink while Buffy settled the shocked woman in one of the armchairs. He poured Joyce a generous shot of whiskey. He had hoped to ease her into finding out about her daughter’s true identity. He certainly hadn’t expected Buffy’s affections to have transferred away from Angel.

Giles went to where Joyce was seated, and he handed the glass of alcohol to her. He looked up when Cordelia reentered the room with a prescription bottle in hand. After the teenaged girl tapped one pill out on her hand, he took it from her. Giles carefully watched Joyce take the pill before he took the whiskey away from her.

“Get your mother some water or something, Buffy,” Cordelia said. “She won’t be able to drink anything stronger now.”

Buffy nodded her head, relieved that she could do something to help Joyce. She snagged Spike’s arm as she went by him to the kitchen. She wanted to talk to him in relative privacy.

“Is Angel on the up and up?” the Slayer asked while she got a bottle of water from the fridge.

Spike shrugged. “I didn’t smell any deceit on the git, but he was always good at hiding his lies.”

Buffy nodded again. “That’s good because I won’t have him beating up my boyfriend.” She closed the fridge, and she went over to Spike. She leaned in to kiss the vampire on the lips.

“Hmm, watch it, luv.” Spike pulled Buffy closer. “We’ve already shocked your mum once tonight.”

Buffy gave a happy giggle. “Yeah, she’d really flip if she found us sexing each other up in the kitchen.”

“Hm, my naughty Slayer.” Spike slapped Buffy’s pert ass. He grinned when the faint scent of arousal hit his nostrils. He leaned in to kiss his mate again. Her warm lips parted under his own, and he explored her mouth with his cool tongue.

Buffy broke away, her voice breathless as she spoke, “We better get back to the others before they send out a search party.”

“Too late,” Oz’s sardonic voice sounded from the kitchen door. He was followed by Willow and the new girl Tara.

“We decided to check up on you while we got the snack trays.” Willow pointed at the trays on the table and counters. She turned to Tara. “Help me take a couple out.”

Tara continued to stare at the blonds while she nodded absentmindedly. Their auras were so beautiful; even more so than Oz and Willow’s. The other couples’ auras were very peaceful and loving to the Wicca as well, except the dark haired vampire’s and his LoveWater consort. She could see a darkness tingeing their connection.

Xander entered the room with a disgusted look on his face. “You never told me that Deadboy in there was so…” His mouth twisted in a moue of distaste. “… I don’t know… cuddly.”

“No, he wasn’t cuddly at all. That’s why I traded up in my vampire boyfriends.” Buffy smiled brightly at Spike.

Xander shook his head with a chuckle. This was a happy Buffy that he would have missed knowing if he hadn’t gotten his head out of his ass. Anyanka’s demonic state didn’t allow for him to look at other girls, and Xander knew he was clearly over his infatuation with Buffy. It was obvious she just wasn’t demonic enough for him.

“Everyone, grab a tray then,” Willow ordered as politely as possible. “Giles wants to distract Joyce with presents.” She pulled Tara over to the table where she handed the other girl a tray before she picked up one of her own.

“We might as well do as they say.” Oz tilted his head while he stared at Willow and Tara. “Tara’s been teaching Will some nice spells. They’re kinda scary together.”

“He can talk!” Xander teased. “I thought for sure the Oz man here was mute.”

“Be nice, silly,” Willow said as she went past Xander. “Or I’ll turn you into a bunny.” She and Tara left the kitchen.

“She better not,” Xander replied. “Anyanka hates bunnies.”

“Bunnies are cute,” Buffy protested. “How can bunnies be scary?”

“She gets too freaked out by them to explain.” Xander grabbed another tray of food to take out to the living room.

Oz followed Xander’s lead, and in a few seconds, Spike and Buffy were alone again.

“Guess we can’t put this off any longer, can we?” Buffy sighed. “Mom’s gonna want to know all the gory details.” She grabbed Spike’s hand before they followed the others out of the kitchen.

Once Buffy was in the living room, she gave the bottle of water to her mom while she waited for the inevitable questions to start.

Joyce looked up at her daughter. The Valium was making her feel much calmer now. “Tell me everything, dear.”

Buffy gave a half smile. With a nod, she sat down closer to her mother with Spike within reach, just in case she needed his support. She avoided looking at Angel and Jenny, who were kissing without any regard to anyone else in the room. Buffy turned to her mom, and she said, “It all started back in Los Angeles.”

Then, the Slayer went on to tell her mother about Merrick, the Hellmouth, the Master, her own death, Spike’s arrival to Sunnydale, and how they all ended up in their current situations.

“I still can’t find these symbols listed anywhere in Giles’ books.” Willow pulled out the notebook where she had copied the symbols that Buffy had shown her. She flipped open to the proper page, and she turned it to show the others the drawings.

Anyanka got a serious look on her face. “I know those. I’m sure of it.”

“Can you remember them?” Willow asked eagerly.

“I’ll have to think about them,” Anyanka replied. Her face was still scrunched in concentration.

(END FLASHBACK)

“I do remember what they are now,” Anyanka said. “They are the symbols of Hathor.”

“Hathor, the Egyptian Goddess of Love?” Willow asked. “Are you sure?”

“Oh yes, those are her personal symbols, not the ones that most mortals would even know.” Anyanka looked thoughtful.

“Where did you see them?” Giles asked.

“My last visit to Arashmahaar, my boss had a special visitor. She had those symbols tattooed on her skin.” Anyanka shrugged. “Hoffy told me that she was Hathor.

“Why would a goddess be interested in us?” Xander looked confused.

“Because I have seen how it could turn out, and I was determined to change it.”

The Scoobies turned to see a magnificent woman standing in the middle of the Summers’ living room. She was tall and majestic, dressed in ancient robes with a musical instrument in her arms. Poking out of her hair were horns in which a golden disc was suspended between by magic. Up her arms, in black ink, were the symbols that had appeared on the LoveWater fountain.

Chapter 8

Hathor looked around the room. “There are some of you missing.”

“Yeah, Angel and Ms. Calendar aren’t here.” Buffy gave a sheepish grin. “I’m sure they’re both off bathing in bleach or something about now.”

“Yes, yes. That coupling was a calculated risk, but Angelus’ cursed soul was just too dangerous not to be anchored,” Hathor replied. “Jenna did a find job of doing just that.”

“Jenna?”

“Yes, Jenny Calendar is actually Jenna of the Kalderash tribe,” Hathor said informatively.

“No wonder she was so interested in us,” Giles replied. He turned to Joyce, and he kissed her on the cheek. “I’m delighted that you are my LoveWater mate, my dear.”

“Each of you was paired with your soul mate.” Hathor looked pleased with herself. “Which is easier said than done even for a Goddess such as myself.”

Willow raised her hand shyly. “So, does that mean both Oz and Tara are my soul mates?”

Hathor nodded. “It is extremely rare for such an occurrence, but it has happened one or two times in the past. Together as three, I see much greatness in your future. There is a certain strength in the ‘power of three’.”

“How bloody wrong could it have all gone?” Spike gave the Goddess a suspicious look.

Hathor turned to the vampire. “Very, very wrong, William. It all starts with your lovely mate here sleeping with Angel and unleashing Angelus. That is fixed now because she belongs to you as she should, and Jenna did the binding of Angel’s soul.”

Spike growled at the thought of Angel touching Buffy.

“Now, Buffy will not have to send her lover to Hell, deal with his return from said dimension, or deal with the guilt of not being able to slay the killer who wore her lover’s face,” Hathor said.

“What about Spike?” Xander asked. “He’s a killer and her lover.”

“Are you standing here dead or alive, Xander Harris?” Hathor smiled slightly.

“Hold on there. You said Buffy belongs to Spike as she should. What the hell does that mean?” Giles asked before Xander could answer the Goddess. “Slayers and vampires are not supposed to be mated.”

“How do you know that?” Hathor questioned in a haughty tone. “Just because the Council says it is, doesn’t mean that it is true.”

“But…” Giles spluttered.

“Not all vampires are controlled by the bloodlust, Giles,” Anyanka said. “I have met probably about one a century since I ascended into my demonship to back this up. Strangely enough, they have all been male vampires.” She stepped forward.

“Yes, I’m sure you have met such vampires, Anyanka.” Hathor nodded in approval of the demoness’ words. “I have been watching you for a very long time, awaiting this day.”

“It can’t be just Angel that was bad though,” Oz observed. He had been processing the information in his own quiet manner.

“No, not just Angelus,” Hathor agreed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We need to talk.”

Angel’s voice startled Jenny. She turned from the counter with her cup of coffee, and she stared at the wet-haired vampire. She had to admit that he was very handsome. She could easily understand why her great-great-great aunt had fallen for him long enough to come to her ultimate doom at his fangs. Jenny felt a fissure of disgust with herself for enjoying the attentions and cock of the vampire that had ruthlessly killed one of her own family.

Angel took a seat, and he looked at Jenny with expectancy in his eyes.

“What is there to talk about?” Jenny rolled her eyes. “You’re still the monster that destroyed my family! You took advantage of me.”

Angel’s jaw dropped in astonishment. He understood being in denial. After all, he had mastered the whole act during the last 100 years, but this was ridiculous. Angel shook his head to clear it.

“Don’t you shake your head at me,” Jenny grumbled.

“YOU are insane.” Angel rose to his feet. “I think you took advantage of me. You knew what and who I was even before you came to Sunnydale. You could have said something or anchored the soul before then, but you didn’t.”

“My only job was to make sure you didn’t get too close to Buffy Summers,” Jenny snarled. “You’ve been a rat-eating loner for decades now. We couldn’t take the chance that you’d get that moment of perfect happiness with the Slayer.”

“Well, don’t worry. That won’t be happening now, will it?” Angel gave the dark-haired woman a smirk. “Not since you anchored the pesky soul.”

Jenny gave Angel a suspicious look.

“Don’t worry, honey.” Angel leaned in close to whisper as he touched a bite mark on Jenny’s neck. “Why would I need Buffy when I have my very own little sex slave here?” He found himself enjoying the look of terror on the gypsy’s face.

Jenny whimpered in fear and unexpected arousal. She dropped the cup of coffee she was holding, and she heard it break as the cup hit the floor.

Angel stepped back with a leering upturn of the corner of his mouth. “But you see, I’m not that kind of guy anymore, and you made sure of it. I mean, I suppose I could be. Don’t the Ted Bundy’s and Jack the Ripper’s of the world have souls?”

“I… Uh…” Jenny looked startled. She didn’t know what to expect from the vampire now.

“This road to redemption will be so much easier now.” Angel nodded as he got a faraway look in his face. “I don’t need Buffy’s help anymore. I can go out and help the hopeless now like a true Champion of the people. Maybe I’ll give Los Angeles a try.”

“I… um… what?” Jenny was completely confused now. “You’re gonna leave Sunnydale.”

“Yes, I am, and I suggest you do the same.” Angel looked Jenny over carefully. “By now they’ll have figured out that you were cozying up to them to keep an eye on me.” He turned to leave her apartment.

Jenny stepped forward, and she held her hand out towards the vampire. She wanted to ask him if she could go with him. However, she found that she could not. Instead she turned towards her bedroom. Jenny heard the front door of her apartment slam closed as she pulled her suitcase out from under her bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, what else went bad?” Buffy asked softly. She stepped closer to Spike, and she grasped his hand.

“There was too much death and unhappiness.” Hathor looked saddened. The tattoos on her arms shifted shape as she moved closer to the Slayer. “I cannot change all of the death and unhappiness. There must be trials and tribulations in order to grow, but I have placed by your side a mate that will go through hell for you.”

Buffy smiled up at Spike before she said in a soft voice, “Thank-you.”

“Xander and Willow, you and your mates will stay here with the Slayer.” Hathor smiled. “She works best with friends after all.”

“What about us?” Cordelia asked.

“I need you and Doyle to keep Angel out of trouble now that his soul is anchored. Only the two of you could possibly put up with him.” Hathor crossed the room to stand by Cordelia and Doyle. “Angel will be leaving Sunnydale immediately, but you must wait. There will be a time when he is desperate for help, and that is when you will go to him.”

Doyle nodded his understanding. He had been wondering what had brought him to this little town, to this particular group of people. He had seen Giles in a vision that had caused him to seek out the older man.

“Aren’t you gonna spill all the gory details?” Xander asked.

“Some details are gorier than others, I’m afraid.” Hathor rolled her eyes at the pleading puppy dog look Xander gave her. “Oh, alright, Harris. You’re not your father. Oz, if your cousin bites you, cage yourself during the full moon. Joyce, headaches are NOT your friend.”

“Is that all?”

“What more do you want from me?” Hathor demanded. “I changed almost everything already as it is!”

“Sorry.” Xander had the dignity to look embarrassed about his comment.

“Don’t piss off the Goddess, Xander.” Willow glared at her oldest friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EPILOGUE

Buffy laid in the hospital bed, her white hair spread out on the pillow, and her gnarled hands clutching the sheet. “Those were the days, weren’t they?” she asked the man sitting in the chair beside the bed.

“They were, luv.” Spike nodded his head.

“I sure do miss all of our friends,” Buffy said softly. “Seeing their great grand-kids is all well and fine, but I miss the gang.”

“Me too.” Spike reached out to take Buffy’s hand into his own. He looked at the contrast between them. His were still as young as they had been so many years before when they had found each other during the LoveWater spell, while hers had taken on the toll of aging. Oh, she had aged slower than a regular human, but it had still snuck up on her like it had all the others. “You’ll be with them soon, Slayer. I’m sure of it.”

“But it won’t be the same without you.” Buffy’s green eyes filled up with tears. “I love you so much, Spike. It won’t be heaven without you.”

“I thought I told you that you are soul mates.”

“Hathor, you’re here.” Buffy smiled through her tears.

“My dear friend Jehovah owned me a favor.” Hathor nodded sagely. She held her hands out to the vampire and the Slayer. “Come with me, my dears. It’s time to join your friends.”

Spike and Buffy each took one of the Goddess’ hands. They fell away from their mortal bodies, and together they followed Hathor to a heavenly place where they joined all of their friends who had prepared a place for them to live forever.

The nurses were quite surprised to find the happy smile on Buffy’s face when they found her body. The oldest Slayer to have ever survived had been in a fair amount of pain the past few years. They knew of her consort’s real identity too. While one nurse prepared Buffy’s body for burial, the other scooped up the ashes in the seat next to the bed. The remains were buried together.