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Author's Chapter Notes:
I own nothing but the storyline. Spoilers thru Something Blue. Dialog taken from Something Blue. This was supposed to be in response to Challenge # 274 on the Bloodshedverse.
“In Season 4's episode "Something Blue" Willow's spell works on Buffy but not on Spike write us a fic of Buffy chasing around a terrified Spike demanding he marry her. To the point that she claims him only seconds before the spell ends :P



Must Haves
1. Poor Spike is sooooo not interested :P”
But I don’t think I have Spike being appropriately Buffy-resistant. Oh well. Hope you enjoy
Three Days Later…

There was no way around it. She had been avoiding him. Buffy didn’t like to admit that she was capable of such cowardice, but could no longer deny it. Catching a glimpse of him while patrolling last night, and then turning and walking, well… running, the other way, was a big clue. She had been a coward since the night the spell broke. She’d run from him then, too.

The thing was, she’d had no idea how she felt. After everything was said and done, The Scoobies gathered back at Giles’ place. He was happy to report a full return of his eyesight. Willow threw herself into a flurry of guilt baking, as though chocolate chip cookies were going to fix anything. Xander alternated between joking about his magnetic personality, and letting fly snide comments about Spike. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care, every time Buffy winced at his comments. Spike had not come back, and Buffy wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed by that. Finally, they all went home, and she was left alone with Giles. That conversation had been an eye opener.

She had been sitting quietly on the couch, lost in her thoughts. She started when Giles sat down next to her. “Buffy,” he began, hesitantly, “are you alright?”

“I don’t know, Giles,” was her quiet response. “I…god this is hard…” she trailed off.

“Take your time,” he assured, “you know you can tell me anything.”

“Can I Giles? Can I really?”

He was alarmed at the skeptical tone of voice. She’d always trusted him, he didn’t know what had happened to make he doubt him now. “Of course. I won’t judge you. I just want to help.”

Well, time to find out if he really wouldn’t judge. “What do you know about claims, Giles?” She’d read a little after Angel had almost drained her, but other then assuring herself that he did not, in fact, claim her, she hadn’t paid attention to any other information.

“The bastard claimed you?!?” Giles outraged shout caused her to jump. “That bloody pillock! I knew I couldn’t trust a word from his viper’s mouth. No wonder you’re upset, we’ll find a way to break—” Buffy cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“No, Giles.” She shook her head. “He didn’t claim me, I claimed him.”

Giles was struck speechless. He took off his glasses, and started cleaning furiously, while he attempted to gather his thoughts.

Buffy’s heart sank. “Are you disappointed?”

Her forlorn tone roused Giles from his stupor. “No, dear,” he assured. “I’m not disappointed. Just shocked. What prompted you to…” he trailed off.

Buffy tried to swallow back the sob. “I loved him, Giles. I loved him so much, and he didn’t believe me. I wanted to prove it to him, and when he found out he could hit demons, he was just so happy, and I was so happy for him, and all I could think about was proving to him that I loved him, and I wanted him to love me…” her run-on sentence trailed off as she lost her grip on the tears. Giles enfolded her in his embrace and let her cry it out. When she had calmed somewhat, he asked the question plaguing him.

“He can hit demons? His chip…”

“No, Giles. His chip still works on people. Being able to fight again made him so happy…” she trailed off again, and Giles, sensing the return of tears, attempted to calm her.

“I can imagine it would have. He is a vampire, after all. Fighting is inherent to his nature. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to be rendered effectively helpless and harmless.” Thinking back on his recent bought of blindness he changed his mind. “Maybe I can. But, Buffy, how did you even know HOW to claim him?”

She explained the reading she had done after Angel had bitten her. She also explained her ignorance of the majority of the information, excepting how it was done.

“Oh, Buffy,” Giles sighed.


“You ARE disappointed,” she cried.

“No, I am not,” Giles insisted with a shake of his head. “I just don’t relish having to tell you what you’re not going to want to hear.”

Buffy swallowed hard, and with a grim look on her face, replied, “Lay it on me, Giles.”

“First, I must know. Did Spike accept your claim?” He allowed himself to feel some hope, if the claim went unaccepted, then there could be a way to reverse it. His hopes were dashed when Buffy nodded in affirmation. But, new thoughts were wending through his brain, interesting speculations about WHY Spike would have done such a thing.

“Alright. Firstly, the claim cannot be reversed. Once made, and accepted, it is permanent.” Buffy looked to the ground. She didn’t know how she felt about that.

“So, I’m bound to Spike for life?” Giles was surprised to here no disgust in her question, only concern and confusion. He realized then, that he needed to give her unbiased support. At this point, the claim was a given, they couldn’t reverse it, and he needed to accept that, and help her deal with the ramifications. And that meant supporting her in whatever decisions she made.

“A claim is a serious thing in the demon world.” Giles allowed himself to fall into lecture mode. “It’s rarely practiced anymore, because it is a commitment between two demons to cleave only unto each other. It is essentially a marriage, but it’s more binding then the human version. Death is the only way to sever the bond, and in that case, the remaining one of the pair usually wastes away from grief. As I said before, it’s a rare demon that will agree to be bound in such a way.”

“Why did Spike accept something so binding then?” Buffy queried.

“I have my own speculations about that, but ultimately, that is a question that only Spike can answer,” Giles responded.

“Does this mean he’ll have some kind of control over me?” A hint of fear shaded her voice, and Giles rushed to assure her.

“Not at all. A reciprocated claim, that is, where both individuals claim each other, are an equal share. Neither has control over the other. In a one sided claim, such as yours, it is the claimant that holds the power, in your case, you, Buffy, will have a measure of control over Spike.”

“Okay, so why do YOU think Spike accepted?” She asked again. “I mean, he must have known how claims work and he didn’t even try to place a recip-reci-“

“Reciprocal claim?”

“Yeah, that.”

“Spike and I talked a bit while you were out, earlier this evening. I believe that he felt that taking advantage of you, while you were under the influence of the spell would be akin to rape. He expressed disgust at the thought.”

“You’re telling me, that a soulless demon, has moral standards?” Buffy couldn’t contain her disbelief. All of her exposure to vampires disputed everything Giles was saying.

“I didn’t say it was easy to believe, but yes, that is what I’m telling you,” he confirmed. “And, I for one, believed him. His actions tonight, certainly indicated that he was speaking the truth. I never really got the feeling that he wanted you hurt as a result of this debacle.”

Buffy let her thoughts wander back to earlier. No, Spike hadn’t acted in any way to cause her pain. Even when she was crying on his shoulder, he went out of his way to make her feel better. He completely indulged her whims regarding the wedding, which, being aware that is was a spell; he was under no obligation to play along. He seemed to want to cause her as little distress as possible while they worked on getting the spell reversed. She was confused.

“I don’t think he did either.” She agreed with Giles, her voice soft and thoughtful.

“How do you feel about what has happened tonight?” Giles questioned.

“That’s the thing…I just don’t know!” The desperation and confusion in her voice tore at his heart. “First I hated him, then I loved him, now I don’t know what I feel.”

“Do you still think, that maybe you could still love him?”

“Spell’s over, Giles. Of course I don’t love him.” In direct contrast to her words, her voice was hesitant.

“I feel that I should point out, the wording of the spell, was for you to * marry * Spike, not love him. Spells are VERY specific. I think it is possible, that were certain…um…feelings not already present, you would have been compelled to marry for another reason. You must remember, that historically, marriages have very little to do with love. That is a modern luxury.”

Buffy tried to wrap her brain around this concept. It just wasn’t possible, was it? “That can’t be possible, Giles. I CAN’T love him. I’m the Slayer, he’s a vampire. Look at how it turned out with Angel. That proves that Slayers and vampires don’t mix, without the aid of a nice pointy stake. Xander was right, it was a freak show.”

Giles sighed. He never thought he’d be playing devil’s advocate, but the emotions ringing in Buffy’s voice, indicated that she was far less certain about her feelings than her words implied. He hated the thought of her with another vampire, especially a self professed Slayer-Killer, but Buffy’s happiness had to come first. That meant making her face ideas and concepts that she’d rather not, and helping her to determine what her feelings really were. Once she knew, then he would support her no matter what. Even if her decision was Spike.

“As much as I hate to admit it, Spike is more than your average vampire, more even than Angel. His love for Drusilla is well documented, so much so, that I’m surprised they never claimed one another. Whatever reason he had for not making that commitment to his paramour, he obviously didn’t feel applied to you. He essentially agreed to place you in a position of control, accepted that it would be binding, and then refused to equalize the claim while you were bespelled. I think it’s time to consider that he might be harboring feelings towards you.” Buffy opened her mouth, probably to loose a string of denials, but Giles continued speaking.

“As much as you might wish to think differently Buffy, your relationship with Angel proved only one thing. That you and Angel don’t work. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you and Angel would never have worked in the long term. Ignoring his disappearing-reappearing soul, what do you think it means that his demon hated you? The Council teaches that demons can’t love, but I have seen first hand that that is incorrect. I won’t lie to you this time, Buffy. It’s not all black and white; there are shades of gray to consider.

And as for Xander, since when do you worry about his opinion of your actions? He’s your friend, he’ll either come around or he won’t, but are you going to make your life decisions based entirely on what he or Willow or even myself and Joyce would think? What about what you think? I just want you to be happy, Buffy, whatever you decide.”

Buffy was struck speechless at his vehemence. Did he really mean that? And what would make her happy, anyway? “I don’t know what I want, Giles.” Her voice was tired, and she struggled to repress a yawn. There was just too much to think about tonight. She wanted to go home, and hide under the covers for a day or so, while she thought everything out. Seeing her tiredness, he decided to leave the conversation where it stood tonight. He offered her a ride, which she gratefully accepted. He wasn’t surprised when she requested to go to her house, rather than back to the dorms and Willow.

As she got out of the car, he grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable tonight. That wasn’t my intention, and I apologized if I seemed…pushy.”

Buffy smiled tiredly. “The only thing that made me uncomfortable tonight was the information overload, Giles. I swear it wasn’t you.”

“You will let me know what you decide? Or if you have any other questions?”

“She nodded. “Goodnight, Giles.” She turned and started up the walk. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “Thank you. For listening. And for not being disappointed in me,” before continuing into the house.

Giles sighed, and headed back to his apartment. He hoped Buffy would be able to come to some sort of reconciliation with what had happened. And, he decided that first thing tomorrow, he was going to see what he could do about Willow’s magical tendencies. Something like this could never be allowed to happen again.

She’d spent the next few days thinking about what Giles had told her, and avoiding, not only Spike, but Willow and Xander as well. Every time she had seen Willow, the witch was brimming with apologies, and wanting to gush about how horrible the experience must have been for her. Buffy just couldn’t bring herself to explain that she had been horrified that it was over, not that it had happened at all. Willow wouldn’t understand, and would put on her worried face. She was still pushing her to date Riley, who she had successfully and finally put off.

After explaining that the wedding thing had been a joke, he’d been anxious to resume their courting, but she wasn’t fooling herself anymore. There was no passion there, no fire. Sure, it was safe, but since when was her life safe? He’d taken it well, and agreed that they could remain friends. Buffy was sorry that she’d hurt his feelings, but she wasn’t going to pretend that something was there when it just wasn’t. Her life was short, why should she settle?

But, she still hadn’t decided what she was going to do about Spike. Buffy knew he was still in town. She could feel him. Giles had confirmed that was part of the claiming link. She couldn’t tell his exact location, but she had no doubt that if she needed him, her tinglies would lead her straight to him. She had also discovered a disconcerting side effect. She could feel what he was feeling. When she’d told Giles, panicked that Spike could feel her emotions as well, Giles assured her that it only went both ways in an equalized claim. As it stood, she could feel him, but he couldn’t feel her.



And if she thought she was confused… Buffy found herself feeling sorry for the bleached vampire. His emotions were constantly in turmoil. Rage, fear, despair, love, loathing, all twisted up inside him. Before this mess, she’d have thought the love would have wigged her out the most. Strangely it didn’t. If anything, the fact that he was feeling love for her, no matter how reluctant and grudging, was a relief. It meant she wasn’t alone. Because she still loved him, too. Loved him enough to want to put an end to his torment. To end the constant turbulence that only increased the longer she stayed away. It had taken her three days, and constant eavesdropping on Spike’s emotions to finally realize that she was willing to take the chance. Her friends would just have to deal, and she already had the support of her Watcher. Her mother would be harder to convince, but with Giles backing her, Buffy knew she’d eventually come around. Maybe, she allowed herself to think wistfully, if Spike was so inclined they’d even get around to equalizing the claim.

So that was how she found herself standing outside of a crypt in Restfield cemetery. Her earlier suspicions had been correct; she’d just followed the tinglies straight to him. She could feel him in the crypt now, moving around. He knew she was there as well, his emotional stew leaning heavily toward elation, fear, and just a hint of anger. This would be an interesting confrontation. She had just raised her fist to knock on the door, when it was pulled open.

Spike stared at her, longing written clearly in his eyes. “Buffy.” Her name was a whispered prayer.

“Spike.” Suddenly, Buffy had no idea what to say. She just wanted their separation to be over with. Wanted to touch him again, be near him again. She hated that she had to rely on words.

Spike felt just as awkward. He’d missed her terribly, while they were apart. These last three days had been absolute Hell, and he’d been starting to wonder if she’d ever want to see him again. He stepped back from the door and motioned her in.

Buffy looked around the crypt. It was dark and a little musty, but then what else would you expect from a building that held the long dead? He’d obviously made an attempt at making it more comfortable though. There was a beat up old chair and table, as well as a slightly battered microwave and a TV that she was sure was older then she was. Several candles had been lit, and placed in various places around the area, lending a warm glow. She didn’t suppose it was too bad for a vamp.

Spike watched her nervously, as she looked around his home. He’d done what he could, but it was a bloody crypt, and why the Hell did he give a buggering fuck what she thought of the place again? Oh yeah, because he’d gone and fallen in love with the chit, like a right wanker. He knew she knew. The claim would have allowed her to feel that, but he had no idea how she would react, and after Cecily, and then Dru…He didn’t think he could handle another rejection by a woman he loved. Hence the nervousness.

Buffy was slightly amused at the play of emotions radiating from him. She could feel his nerves, as well as the frustration caused by them. Beneath it all was a deep abiding love and an undercurrent of paralyzing fear. Well, that just wouldn’t do.

“Nice…crypt,” she said, then mentally kicked herself for the inanity of the comment.

“It’s not much,” Spike said, but it’ll do until my dosh comes through.”

Buffy started at that. “You have money?” There was honest curiosity behind the question, nothing devious, but the suspicion that flared within Spike had her backpedaling. “Not, that you wouldn’t have money, but I just thought you were broke, since you were staying with Giles for help, and we were buying you blood and cigarettes, and stuff, and…and it’s good that you have money, unless it’s like from stealing or something because that would be bad…”

Spike smiled bemusedly at her words. He’d first thought that she’d been interested in the money itself. Just because he was claimed, didn’t mean that he had any intention of being a sugar-vamp. Well, not unless the spoiling was his idea in the first place. Her nervous babbling, as well as the adorable flush that stained her cheeks, let him know that she’d meant the question innocently. Innocent, he mused. He’d have to get used to that. It had been a long time since he’d been anything other than a means to an end.

“Yeah, pet,” he cut off her string of increasingly nonsensical ramblings. “It’s legal. Scrounged up a fair amount of pretties when I went after the Gem. Just been waiting on the profits from the scavenge to come through.”

“Oh.” She frowned as another though struck her. “Then you’ll be paying Giles back for all the money he spent up keeping you, right?”

Spike snorted. “Not bloody likely. I’m evil, you dozy bint!”

“Hey!” She really wanted to be indignant, but frankly, she wasn’t there to fight, and just being in his presence seemed to have a soothing effect. She let the insult go, in favor of hitting him with something much more damaging. “You’re not as evil as you like to think you are, you know.” She smiled at him smugly.

Spike was struck almost speechless. “You…you…take that back!” The appalled expression on his face, just made Buffy’s grin widen.

“Oh, I’m not saying you’re good…”

“Bloody well, better not be.”

She ignored his disgruntled mumbling and continued. ”But, Giles told me about your behavior while I was under the spell. I gotta say, you surprised me. I would have thought…well I don’t know how to explain what I thought without it sounding completely egotistical, but that’s not how I mean it. I just mean that you could have hurt me and you didn’t. Hell, you were nice to me. Indulgent, even, once we figured out that I wasn’t really in control of my behavior. You didn’t want me hurt, even the me under the spell. How is that the behavior of a completely evil being?”

“Well, I could have just been trying to avoid being staked.” Spike had no idea why he was trying to convince her that he was evil and everything he did was selfishly motivated. This wasn’t the way that he had planned their first conversation. Though, to be fair, in his musings, it wasn’t so much conversation they’d been having…

Buffy smiled. His confusion was plain on his face, and he was just so cute in his denial. “You know, Angel once told me that you were never demon enough for Angelus,” she said carefully, knowing this was a thorny subject. Especially since Drusilla had left him for a similar reason. When he growled in warning, she hurriedly continued. “If it was Angelus who was in that situation, would he have been half as pleasant? Come to think of it, would Angelus have even come to us for help in the first place?”

“Bollocks!” Spike exploded. “Throw him in my face. What is it with that soddin’ wanker and women? Can you explain it to me, because I don’t bloody see it!” He began pacing in his agitation.

Buffy could she he was seconds away from becoming violent. Or, possibly sulky…his mood was too all-over-the-place to gauge. She rushed to interrupt him before he worked himself into an even bigger snit. “Spike, did you even hear what I said? I don’t care that you’re not ”demon enough” for anybody else.” The exasperation was clear in her voice. “I’m glad of it. I like it. I like you.”

Spike stopped. He’d obviously never quite thought of it that way. If anything, the maelstrom of his emotions became even more chaotic. “You…like me?” he asked, with a questioning tilt of his head.


“Yeah, I kinda do.” Buffy was suddenly shy. She hated words, and wished, not for the first time, that Spike could feel her emotions as she felt his. It would be so much easier. Since, he couldn’t she had to actually tell him what she was feeling. And given that she’d decided to be honest… “I kinda more than like you.”

“More than like?” He took a step closer to her. He watched her turn red for the umpteenth time that night. He smirked, suddenly feeling a little more sure of himself. She was leveling the playing field by telling him her feelings. Giving them equal vulnerability. It touched him, that she would do that. He found himself, not for the first time, being glad of the innate sense of fairness that the white-hats seemed to possess. He hesitantly reached for her hand. When she grasped it firmly, twining their fingers together, he could have sworn his heart started beating again.

“Yeah.” Her voice was husky from nerves and something else. Obviously rallying, she looked him with a directness he was proud of. There was his Slayer. “I’m in love with you, Spike.”

He smiled at her. A sweet smile that took her breath away, not his usual sardonic smirk. She resolved to do what she could to make that smile appear more often.

“That works out nicely then.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. “I love you too.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. They both relished the feel of being near each other after this last separation.

Leaning back slightly, Spike cleared his throat before asking, “Where do we go from here?”

“Well,” Buffy smiled shyly, “we’re together, right?” At her worried look, he kissed her again.

“What about your Scoobies?” He really didn’t relish the thought of having to watch his back for stakes when the whelp found out.

“You let me worry about my friends.” She grinned in anticipation. That would be interesting. Xander’s head might actually explode. “I might ask you to play nicely, though. Maybe help with patrolling.”

“So I get to kill demons and have myself a nice pretty Slayer for my very own?” Spike smirked. “I think I could be persuaded.” And he caught her lips in another kiss.



The End





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