Buffy woke up first feeling rested and complete. She grinned down at the man she would soon call her husband who was now known as her mate and she felt happy. She felt more than happy; she felt more than words could even express. She ran her fingertips down his face tracing his eyes, nose and mouth amazed as she heard him sigh softly. He was so human sometimes. She giggled slightly as she ran her fingers down his neck and then stopped.
She remembered Spike had said all other marks would disappear and as she glanced at his neck, she realized she wouldn’t be the only one affected. The sire mark of Dru’s was gone. There was no trace of it ever being there and she wondered what that meant. She laid her ear against his chest hearing the silence of no beating hear and no required breaths but yet his sire marking was gone. She remembered her neck and raced from the bed, to the mirror at the dresser and looked at her neck. There were two tiny pinpricks surrounded by red skin where Spike had bitten her.
She flipped her head and admired the clean side of the other neck. For the first time since she moved to Sunnydale, she had no marks on that side of her neck. No ugly reminder of the Master’s death, no reminder of her death by Angel and no reminder of her thrall from Dracula. It was as though none of that happened. She glanced towards the bed crawling onto it straddling Spike as she leaned down placing a chaste kiss on his lips. He whispered, “Morning Buffy. We spent the afternoon sleeping away.”
Buffy giggled as she glanced down admiring the way the diamond sparkled in the light, “How long were you carrying this around?”
Spike shrugged not wanting to admit it and Buffy leaned down tickling him as he yelled, “Stop stop, I’ll tell you. Bloody Hell I’ll tell you I said!”
He gently pushed her to the side and rolled over onto his side to face her, “3 months. After we met Tasha and Kingsley, they got me thinking about what I was missing in life. Before then I was happy thinking nothing like this was possible and then you talked about us moving in and I took Xander out and asked his opinion during one of our shopping trips. He said it was beautiful and that you’d like it. So I found a ring in your jewelry box along with the skull ring you kept.”
He peered at her and at her blush continued, “So I borrowed it and got it sized for you. Then I carried it around for the exact perfect moment. I was going to do better than Xander who proposed when he thought Glory was going to kill them and what did I do? I ended up proposing when we thought the Initiative was going to kill us. I did no better.”
He let out a sigh as Buffy used her hands to frame his face, “It was perfect and I shall never forget both times you proposed to me. I’m surprised you didn’t get another skull ring for me.”
Spike laughed as he shook his head, “Nah you still have the first, why would you need another?”
Buffy grinned and said, “We should go downstairs and fix dinner.”
Spike agreed so the two of them disappeared downstairs.
Buffy and Spike were laughing as they returned from patrol. They had fought a purple demon that had sprayed them with some disgusting goo so Spike had dumped her into the water at the beach to get her to be quiet about her clothes. Amazingly enough the salt water had cleaned the purple goo off but probably because it was still fresh. She had stood up sputtering and when Spike laughed she yanked him by the foot into the water as well. Instead of patrolling, they had spent the night splashing at the docks having a good time.
On the way home they had done a walk through two cemeteries and luckily found nothing, as they were still drenched. Spike opened the door and as Buffy entered behind him just as he shook spraying water everywhere. Buffy laughed holding up her hands protecting herself from the spraying salt water. When he finished she put her hands on her hips saying, “I just cleaned those stairs! You are going to have to do it this time so they don’t get water spots and paint the wall if you don’t clean off those spots as well.”
She pretended to glare but that was quickly ruined as Spike slammed her up against the wall crushing his lips against hers causing her to moan out in pleasure as he used her to wipe the wall dry. Then he lifted her into his arms and placed her butt on the wetted stair rubbing it back and forth as he continued to kiss her. As her butt grew wet she broke the kiss slapping him chest hard, “Hey I’m not towel! Do I look ultra absorbent to you?”
Spike smirked, “You certainly do accept anything I put inside of you.”
Buffy blushed but was silenced before she could even think of a come back by yet another kiss, leaving her breathless. She heard a familiar voice clearing his voice behind her and Spike broke the kiss turning around to see an annoyed Giles clearing his glasses while giving death glares to the couple. Spike helped Buffy to stand up and she engulfed Giles with a big hug, “Giles I’ve missed you. How’s England?”
Spike felt awkward and retreated to the kitchen but unfortunately it wasn’t far enough as he could still hear Giles talking to Buffy. He sighed kicking the cabinet as he went outside to smoke a cigarette.
“This is irresponsible of you, Buffy. I can’t believe what I saw when you came home. Don’t you have any pride? You’re a slayer who has certain duties and you are playing around with the enemy. I thought I taught you well.”
Buffy put her hands on her hips as she stated loudly, “This is for me. I love Spike and he loves me. He takes care of me when I’m out on patrol. He protects me and has for quite a while. Who shows up when I’m injured on patrol? You guys? No, you’re off in England having your own life, which you do have a right to have, but my life is here. Xander is busy being a newly wed with Anya and Tara and Willow are struggling with their relationship/magic. Who does that leave me with? Spike was always there. So what…he’s ok to save my sister but not to save me?”
Giles stuttered as he started to clean his glasses again, “That’s not what I said and for the record, I was against him helping with Glory as well. You over and over again ignored my advice. I told you to stay away from Spike. I told you to uninvite him from your house, I told you he was a bad influence on Dawn as well as innately evil but do you listen to any of it? No you go reinviting him into your house and your life. He’s a ticking time bomb Buffy. Don’t you see that? Being friends with a ticking time bomb is one thing but inviting him into your house to play with your family and friends even when you aren’t about, that’s just asking for it.”
Buffy sighed as she put her hand in front of Giles’s face, “Giles, I’m doing the best I can. Spike has made me happy, happier than I have been since I moved here. Actually probably the happiest I have been ever in my life. He protects me, cares for Dawn and me as well and would willingly die for any of us. He might have a demon inside of him but he has the ability to hold it back and has on numerous occasions. Won’t you please just give him a chance? Everyone else in the gang has seen how much he has changed but you haven’t been around. You left us to learn to stand on our own two feet and I found support in Spike to do so. We were just starting to get involved when you left and it only grew stronger.”
She had tears in her eyes at this point, “Please be ok with this. I need you as my father figure to be a part of the wedding and accept this. I’m not asking you to have tea and crumpets or whatever you call those things in England, together. I’m just asking you to walk me down the aisle and be ok with him with me.”
Giles sighed as he laid a hand on Buffy’s shoulders. She hadn’t been this upset and passionate about something for a very long time so he nodded relenting to her wishes, “I’ll try but it doesn’t mean I trust him myself.”
Buffy smiled wiping her eyes even as more tears filled them, “I’m not asking you to trust him. I do that enough for both of us. So you will give me away? I need to ask you a favor.”
Giles peered at her as he set the glasses back on his face, “Wasn’t the walking you down the aisle the favor?”
Buffy bit her lower lip and spoke quietly as she led Giles towards the kitchen window. She eyed Spike who automatically moved making room for both of them to sit. Buffy sat close to Spike as Giles sat next to her and she started her explanation, “Willow is using Tara as a catalyst and allowing her energy to flow through Tara.”
Giles spoke up quite angry about it, “We can’t allow that. Tara is innately good, and that means every time Willow performs a spell, Tara’s body is racked with evil even if it’s just rejected by her system. It’s…”
Spike muttered tossing his cigarette aside, “It’s bleeding suicide is what it is. The good bird is trying to help Red but in the process she is slowly destroying herself. Every time Red casts a spell she throws her system into shock so it has to clean itself out.”
Giles nodded, “I’m going to take Willow back with me and I think I’ll see about taking Tara as well since she is now exposed. Willow needs to learn to channel the energy into the ground.”
Spike and Buffy both nodded as Spike braved the question as Buffy toyed with the ring that was sparkling so much it was picking up even the moonlight, “So you ok with this watcher?”
Giles stood up looking down at Spike and seeing his boyish features in the moonlight. Here sitting beside Buffy, he appeared human and nervous. Giles sighed offering his hand out towards Spike, “Don’t expect me to be on your band wagon or be your best man.”
Spike chuckled, “Xander is already.”
Giles looked surprised but said nothing on that matter, “I’m staying at the hotel. I’ll return in the morning to discuss what is to be done with the witches. Night.”
Spike glanced towards Buffy with a slight smile, “I’m glad you’re happy now. I can’t wait.”
Buffy glanced up at the moon and saw in a few days it would be full and she shook her head either, “Me neither.”
She took his hand in hers and smiled whispering in his ear as her other hand rose higher on his thigh, “Let’s go try this making love thing with this bond. I can’t wait to see how it feels.”
Spike chuckled lifting her into her arms kissing her hard to silence her laughter as he raced up two flights of stairs eager to start their life together with their new chapter just beginning.