September 25, 2001

Buffy stood on the stairs staring at the bleached blonde vampire frozen below her. The looks of awe, of love and of amazement on his face shook her to the core of her very being. However, she knew something that was going to shock him to his core. Death had shown her something; something someone had tried to cover up. Death had brought her the knowledge of why Willow's 'Thy Will Be Done' spell had affected the Slayer and the vampire in the way that it had. Buffy couldn't stand being apart from Spike moment longer. She launched herself down the stairs into Spike's arms.

Spike's arms automatically encircled his beloved Slayer. Inhaling deeply he could smell the decay of death that lingered on her skin, the soil that Buffy dug her way through to escape her grave, and the blood on her hands where she had clawed and clutched at the dirt on her way to the surface. Those stupid insufferable gits was his last thought before he felt Buffy's teeth rip the flesh on his neck.

"Mine?" Buffy asked. Her body and soul needed the reconnection that her mind and heart already knew were there.

"Yours. Forever yours, Slayer," Spike uttered quietly. His demon automatically came to the surface and his fangs pierced Buffy's throat. After several quick sips of her powerful blood, he pulled away and growled, "Mine."

"Yours. Forever yours, Spike," Buffy whispered. She felt the link snap into place and she let all of her newfound memories wash over Spike.

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

October 31, 1997

Buffy, or at least that's what she thought her name was, screamed when the smelly pirate attempted to grab her arm. She backed up trying to get away and ran into something quite male and quite solid. Buffy whirled to find the most beautiful man she was sure she had ever laid eyes upon. He was dressed in black except for a blood red button up shirt that peeked out from his overcoat and, he had the most piercing blue eyes below the blondest of hair.

"Help me, good sir. There are monsters trying to get me," Buffy cried as she buried her face in his chest.

Spike was taken back by the Slayer's cry for him to help her. Something unusually instinctual took over his actions. "This one belongs to me," he growled at the pirate who had just exited the alleyway, "She's mine. Go find your own woman."

Buffy heard the pirate let out a shriek of terror and, then the sound of his feet echoed off the buildings as he ran back down the alley. She pulled back to study the face of the man holding her. "I belong to you? Truly?" Buffy asked quietly.

"That's what I said, pet. Let's go," the man answered. He gripped Buffy's arm in an unbreakable hold and dragged her down the street behind him. He studied the buildings carefully. He wanted to find somewhere that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Please slow down. I can't walk that fast," Buffy cried and stumbled along in the man's wake.

"Don't really care, luv," the man growled even as he slowed down marginally. His grip on her arm, however, remained steadfast.

"Can you at least tell me your name, sir? I think my name is Buffy." Buffy started to worry that her choice of a savior was a poor one.

"M' name's Spike. Ah, here's the perfect place" the man said as they found themselves in front of a deserted warehouse. Spike pulled the door open and roughly shoved Buffy through the opening making her stumble towards some crates. He followed her inside and locked the door behind them.

Buffy stumbled towards the crates, but she caught herself before she could fall to the ground. She awkwardly whirled to watch Spike advance on her. The hunger in his eyes made her shiver with anticpation.

"I'm... I'm sure I would never call you such a vulgar name as Spike. You must have another name," Buffy said, mustering all of the false bravado she could find.

"Some people call me William the Bloody." Spike sniffed the air, anticipating the sweet smell of fear to be rolling off the girl. Much to his surprise she seemed more aroused than scared. Hmmm that changes things. Nothing like a good shag to go with a hot meal, the vampire chuckled to himself. With Drusilla sick for such a long time, it had been ages sine he'd had the pleasure of a good slap and tickle.

"William," Buffy said coyly as she could. She smiled at the man advancing towards her. "I like that. So, William, how long have we known each other?"

"Just long enough, pet," Spike smirked at the girl.

"Long enough for what?" Buffy was entranced by the lustful gaze directed towards her.

"Long enough for me to know you're mine to have and nobody else's," Spike growled softly as he reached out and touched Buffy's hair. He smiled inwardly as she visibly trembled with desire and the smell of her arousal grew. Spike shrugged his shoulders gracefully and let his duster slide down his arms. With a flick of his wrist, he had it laid out on the floor for later.

"Red's definitely your color, William," Buffy murmured as she took in the silky dress shirt Spike wore over his t-shirt. She tentatively reached out to caress the sleeve of the shirt and in turn the arm underneath it. Buffy did not know where her boldness came from, but something within her wanted this man desperately. She looked directly into his blue eyes and licked her lips.

Spike's cock hardened as the tip of Buffy's pink tongue wetted her pouty lips. He groaned at the thought of that hot little appendage licking him in so very many wonderful spots. Spike grabbed Buffy's shoulders, and her arms automatically circled his waist as she moved closer to him.

Buffy gasped at the feel of Spike's lean muscular body against hers. All thoughts fled as his soft lips covered hers in the most sensual kiss she was sure she had ever experienced before. His soft tongue dueled with hers as his hands moved towards the back of her dress. He undid each buttons slowly once he had gotten to his goal. Buffy didn't even notice that Spike had the buttons completely undone and her dress off until the cool October air caused goosebumps to erupt across her bare back. Buffy pulled away from the kiss in an attempt to cover her naked breasts.

"I ... I don't think I am very experienced, William," Buffy whispered. Her blush deepened and her face turned scarlet.

"That's okay, kitten. I am very, very experienced," Spike smirked at the girl with his tongue curled behind his teeth, "Mmm, don't cover up those pretty titties of yours. I want to see them."

Buffy continued to blush, but she moved her hands away from her chest and towards his. Under his gaze, Buffy could feel her nipples harden. Her embarrassment quickly turned back to desire as he brought his hands up to let his black enameled fingers tug gently at her pink-tipped breasts, and his lips moved down her jawline to her neck.

Spike smiled to himself when the Slayer turned her head to the side and let him have full access to her neck. He could feel her little hands creep up his body to pull his dress shirt off his shoulders. Spike pulled his hands away from her breasts and quickly stripped off both his shirts. As she began to undo his jeans, he dropped his hands to the top of her pantaloons and pushed them down over her rounded hips causing them to fall the rest of the way to the floor. Spike stepped back to study the naked girl in front of him.

"You're a luscious peach, kitten." Spike kicked his jeans off and took Buffy's hand. He lead her to where his duster was on the floor and laid her down on it. Something told him that should take her with care, even though his demon clamored for a violent shag. Her show of innocence stirred something deep inside him.

Buffy felt a bit like she was on display, but she was too busy staring at Spike to care. The rest of his body was as beautiful as his face. He was totally unlike anything she had ever seen before. She was absolutely sure of that. Buffy lifted her arms to welcome him to her embrace.

"You're not so bad yourself, William." Buffy ducked her head just a bit to watch him through her eyelashes. She was surprised such a handsome male was interested in her. The pleased rumblings from Spike's chest went straight to Buffy's core, causing her arousal to skyrocket even higher.

Spike dropped to his knees to prowl up Buffy's body like a big cat. When he reached the apex of her thighs, he stopped to bury his nose in the curls adorning her sex. As he took in a deep whiff of her arousal, Spike was amazed to hear the rumbling in his chest increase to almost a true purr. Wait a tick. This is suppose to be a quick shag before dinner. Why the hell are you purring like you are happy, mate?

As Spike buried his nose in her pubic hairs, Buffy bit back a moan. Her skin felt like it was ice cold and on fire at the same time. Buffy's legs fell open in supplication. She gasped when Spike bumped the bundle of nerves hidden there with his nose. Her back arched as she writhed in an attempt to initiate further contact.

"You are so wet and juicy, kitten. What do you want me to do?" Spike gazed into Buffy's face, pleased to see how flushed and wanting she looked.

"Please, William," Buffy begged. "Please just touch me."

"Guess you're the begging kind after all, Slayer," Spike declared before he buried his face in her wet pussy. He missed the confused look upon Buffy's face.

With each little lick and nibble, Buffy's rich juices flowed, and Spike feasted. He licked her from top to bottom and back again, making Buffy moan and thrash wildly. Finally Spike had to put a forearm across her pelvic bone to keep her in place. He wrapped his lips around her clit, and he thrust one finger to the first knuckle into her tight opening. The feel of her pussy clenching around his finger and the membrane blocking his further entrance, almost made Spike come right then and there. It was only concentrating on his purring and her satisfaction that lessened his lust enough to fulfill her pleasure before his own. Inwardly he told himself that he only wanted to fulfill her pleasure first because the blood always tasted sweeter after an orgasm, but somehow he knew that it was much more than that.

Buffy trembled under the onslaught of Spike's talented mouth on her overheated sex. She barely had time to realize how cool his tongue felt before the glorious climb towards release begin to build within her. The vibrations of his purring against her clit chased all thought from her mind as she began to reach the pinnacle of orgasm and cascaded over to the other side.

Spike's eyes drifted to Buffy's face as she cried out his name with a voice laced in pleasure. He was amazed to find that he liked that; pleasure rather than pain. Spike let out a silent groan when his finger was crushed in the entrance of her tight passage while she came. He had no idea how he was going to sheath himself inside her without spilling his seed upon entry. Maybe I can get her to stroke me off first. Spike shuddered thinking about her hot hands touching him. Okay, maybe this hadn't been a good idea after all. 'm enjoyin' this way too much.

"What a sweet little pussy you are, kitten." Spike sat back on his haunches as he watched the girl in front of him open glazed eyes and stare at him. "Mmmmm," Spike hummed, "Sit up here, luv It's your turn to touch me."

"Touch you where?" Buffy's eyes opened wide with surprise when Spike grabbed her hand and placed it on his cock. She sat the rest of the way up and scooted backwards just enough to sit comfortably with her legs surrounding him. Buffy tentatively touched the hard organ in her hand, reveling in how the skin felt the smoothest of satin. He was even silkier than the dress he had peeled from her body earlier.

"Harder, little one. I can take it." Spike's head rolled back when she tightened her grip. It made him glad he was a vampire and not a fragile human. His purring groans echoed off the walls of the giant warehouse. Spike tensed his muscles in an attempt not to throw her backwards and start pounding her into the ground.

Buffy wasn't sure why, but the sounds emanating from Spike's throat and chest sparked an arousal in her that shot straight to her heart. She was still stunned at how amazing he looked without his clothes on. Buffy worshipped his body with her eyes: the smooth column of his neck, the corded muscles on his arms that shifted and rolled as he clenched his fists, and his classic washboard abs. However, it was the hard dusky nipples on his defined pecs that caught Buffy's eye. Her mouth watered at the thought of tasting them.

Spike's eyes shot open when he felt a hot little tongue laving at one of his nipples in time with the hand further down his body. His hand flew to Buffy's hair, holding her in place.

"Gonna cum, luv." Spike shivered against Buffy's body when she moaned over his words.

Buffy felt as Spike began to pulsate in her hand. His cool spendings coated her stomach and breasts in jetting spurts. He jerked her head away from his chest and crushed his lips down on hers. Buffy shuddered as his hands combed down through her hair to her shoulders, then further down as he massaged his cream into her skin.

Spike kept his lips pressed against Buffy's lips, and his hands pushed against her breasts while he laid her back into his jacket. He settled himself between her legs, not letting up his passionate assault until she was again writhing for him. This time it was his entire body that trapped her.

Buffy wrapped her arms and legs around Spike as she tried desperately to get closer to him. She could feel his cock rubbing her clit and the upper folds of her pussy. She wondered how it was going to fit inside her. When Spike pulled away slightly to give Buffy time to catch her breath, Buffy took the opportunity to caress his sculpted cheekbones, and she stared into his eyes.

Spike leaned slightly onto one elbow as he positioned his cock into the tight entrance of Buffy's slick channel. He was pleased to see her eyes open wide in anticipation as he started to rub her clit. Spike watched as Buffy's eyes began to drift closed in pleasure, and at that moment he flexed his hips encasing his hard rod fully into her virginal passage. His heart lurched when Buffy's eyes shot open in shock and pain. Reassurances began to tumble from his lips before he could stop himself.

"'m so sorry, baby. It'll stop hurtin' in a minute." Spike continued to caress her clit as he allowed her to adjust to his size. "'m gonna make you feel so good."

Buffy took deep breaths to work through the pain as she listened to Spike continue to babble sweet things to her. She watched his eyes fill with amber flecks and felt proud that she could affect him so greatly. Buffy was getting a niggling at the back of her mind that she should be frightened of this magnificent creature, but for some reason just couldn't muster the desire to do it. Instead, all of her desires were focused on the pleasure being shared between them.

"Little devil," Spike groaned as the girl beneath him began to gently flex her internal muscles. He moved his hips ever so slightly, causing Buffy to moan and grasp at his shoulders with her fingers.

"Oh God. You feel so good." Buffy muttered first. Then she looked at Spike with a small smirk. "Takes one to know one, Spike. Harder." Her eyes rolled back in her head. She exposed her neck as she threw her legs around him, effectively trapping him in the circle of her limbs.

Spike began to piston in and out of Buffy's pussy. Each stroke became longer until he removed his entire length and slammed it back to full hilt inside her body. He dropped his mouth to her pulse point, laving it with his soft human tongue.

"Oh God, Spike," Buffy cried as she clutched harder at his shoulders, ripping his skin with her nails.

"What do you want, my luscious peach?" Spike lifted his head from her throat as she tipped her face to look into his eyes.

"I want to feel your fangs as I come." Buffy had no idea why she wanted this, but she knew that what she asked for was what she needed from him.

When Buffy said those words, Spike lost the tight control over his demon. His face shifted. It erupted in forehead bumps, yellow demon eyes and vicious fangs. He continued to pump his hips as he held his unneeded breath.

Buffy stared up into the amber eyes of the creature joined to her in such a intimate way. She found herself caressing the more pronounced cheekbones, and new brow ridges, with fascination instead of fear. The Slayer part of her screamed to fight the creature above her. Instead she wanted give everything to him, as if she knew that it was meant to be.

Spike leaned into the hand that was caressed his face and purred. He smirked toothily when the Slayer tilted her head back and reexposed her neck to his demon. However, when he buried his face there, he noticed something. "You've been marked," Spike growled, "Marked by an Aurelian. The Master."

"He's dead, Spike." For some reason, Buffy wanted to reassure the vampire above her. "I staked his sorry ass a few months ago and ground his bones to dust just before you came to Sunnydale."

"Good, because you're mine," Spike spat through gritted teeth, daring her to protest. Spike could feel Buffy's walls flutter around his cock as he uttered those words. He licked her neck with his rough demon tongue.

"Now, William!" Buffy moaned and twitched beneath Spike. "Please!"

Spike sunk his teeth into Buffy's slender neck. Her powerful Slayer blood flowed into his mouth and down his throat. He felt her tighten around his shaft as she came. Her teeth entering the hard muscle of his shoulder while she screamed, and she drew blood into her mouth. One more hard plunge into her hot body and he came, spilling his cool spending inside her. He tore his fangs away from her throat. "You are mine. We belong together. Eternity will never be enough."

Buffy stared at Spike with wide green eyes. There was no way she should have understood what he growled out at her, but deep within her came the knowledge. "I am yours. We belong together. Eternity will never be enough." Buffy smiled shyly at her new mate and affectionately rubbed her cheek across the bite mark on his shoulder.

"Tired, luv?" Spike asked as he rolled over on his back, settling the Slayer on his chest. He smiled at the mumble he got from her before she fell asleep, her head tucked into his neck. Good thing California's warm in October. Wouldn't want m'girl to get cold. Spike fell into a deep sleep. The next thing he knew the door of the warehouse was being opened ...

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

September 25, 2001

... by the Scoobies.

The four of them spilled into the house on Revello Drive like a bundle of unruly puppies causing Buffy to flinch from the noise. She looked from Spike's face down to her damaged hands that he carefully cradled in his. His thumbs caressed the outsides of her wrists. When he tilted his head at the door, as if to indicate he was willing to leave, Buffy shook her head slightly and mouthed the word "Mine," at him.

"Is she here?" Willow asked.

"She's here," Anya announced.

"We didn't know where you were," Xander said.

"You ran away," Anya said.

"Buffy!" Willow cried.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked shyly.

The Scoobies moved in closer to Spike and Buffy, who had at that point had jumped to their feet. Buffy cringed at the noise and turned her body into Spike's. She hid her face against his shoulder. Spike's arm automatically went around Buffy's shoulder, and a look of disgust settled onto his features. Dawn moved to their side in Spuffy solidarity.

"You knew she was back?" Dawn's face showed her shock before a tight-lipped 'resolve face' settled into her features. "How did you know?"

"You're not a zombie, are you?" Anya asked bluntly getting an annoyed exclamation of her name from Xander.

"Are you in pain?" Willow asked at the same time as Xander began speaking.

"What are you doing here, Spike? Get away from her. You better not be starting your little obsession again." The rest of the room was surprised at how fast the stake appeared in Xander's hand.

"You will not touch Spike, Xander. He is mine. My mate," Buffy growled as she turned and faced her friends for the first time that evening, "He's been my mate for a very long time." She gripped Spike's hand tightly. "I won't let anyone take him away from me again."

"How long?" Dawn asked quietly. She was pretty sure that the little incident in the foyer was the first time the blonde couple had done anything like that before.

Buffy turned to her little sister and said just as quietly, "Since that first Halloween when we all turned into our costumes."

More????

Chapter 2

September 25, 2001

"How long?" Dawn asked quietly. She was pretty sure that the little incident in the foyer was the first time the blonde couple had done anything like that before.

Buffy turned to her little sister and said just as quietly, "Since that first Halloween when we all turned into our costumes."

"What? I think we would remember something like that, Buffy," Xander sputtered. He attempted to move towards the Slayer and the vampire, but he was stopped when Anya grabbed his arm.

"Not if someone did a spell to break the claim and make us forget about it, Xander," Buffy announced, "It's also why we all hated Spike so much. They did several spells on all of us."

"They who, Buffy?" Willow asked, but she had a niggling in the back of her mind that she knew exactly who had cast the spells. Back then there were only one or two people capable of casting such powerful spells, and she knew she wasn't one of them.

"I think it'd be easier if we found a reversal spell and you guys remembered for yourselves," Buffy answered. She smiled up at Spike who grinned back at her as he pulled her close against his side.

"I don't think I have the ingredients to do a reversal spell here. Not to mention, finding the right one," Willow said as she racked her brain trying to remember what she had stashed around the house. "I think we should go to the Magic Box."

"You came back from that hell dimension wrong, didn't you, Buffy?" Xander accused the Slayer. The other Scoobies rushed to admonish him, but he ignored them and glared at Spike as if the vampire was directly responsible.

"I wasn't in Hell, Xander," Buffy whispered. She leaned into her mate as she felt him mentally soothe her. Buffy knew Spike's memories wouldn't totally return until the reversal spell was cast, but his total acceptance of what she now knew to be the truth went a long way in boosting her self-confidence.

"So you were in heaven?" Dawn asked gently. She moved to the other side of Buffy and put her hand on her skittish sister's shoulder.

"No, I was in ... I guess, a limbo where I suddenly knew things." Buffy closed her eyes as she rubbed her face with the hand that wasn't attached to Spike's.

"I don't understand. If the spell was meant to break the claim, how..." Dawn began to ask. She dragged her eyes away from her sister and the vampire as Anya interrupted her.

"Not all claims are the same," Anya announced. She shrugged when Xander and Willow gave her a strange look. "Look, I was an 1100 year old vengeance demon. I know things. It's not my fault you all treat me like I'm stupid just because I'd rather talk about money and orgasms."

"Is that what happened guys?" Dawn questioned. She looked again at Buffy and Spike.

"Yes, Nibblet. They never asked what kind of claim we did." Spike smiled down at his blond mate and tightened his arm even harder around her. "The spell covered it, but it couldn't break it." Different bits of memory returned to him. He wanted to know the whole story, and he wasn't about to wait for the Scoobies to talk the situation to death. He wanted action. "Okay, let's get to the Magic Box and get this over with."

Spike, Buffy and Dawn moved into the foyer. When Dawn opened the door she gave out a little shriek. The entire gang moved into the hallway from the living room to see what frightened the teenager. Standing there, ready to knock on the door, was Cordelia Chase. Cordelia opened her fist and gave the group a little wave.

"Hi guys. I ... um ... I had a vision that Buffy was alive and that there was some weird mojo going on up here in Sunnydale," the ex-cheerleader announced.

"Ya, we found out that Spike and Buffy got together and did the horizontal mambo back when Ethan Rayne did that spell on Halloween," Xander screeched. He moved towards the vampire in question, but he was held back by Anya and Willow.

"It was more than that, Whelp. Vamps don't go claimin' everyone they shag," Spike barked, "Now let's get a move on it. Darkness is burning and we've a spell to break." Spike hustled Buffy and Dawn out the door and towards the Magic Box, not caring if the others followed or not.

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

"Okay, okay, I think this is the best one we can find. It's very similar to the one I used to break the 'My Will Be Done' spell," Willow announced. She studied the big tome on the table in front of her. Suddenly the crack of thunder was heard and lightening flashed through the sky. The lights flickered off and on several times before settling off.

"Anyone besides me gotta light?" Spike asked. The sound of several cigarette lighters was heard in the room, and the flickering flames cast weird shadows into the room.

"Reminds me a bit of the cheeseman dream," Willow muttered.

"I have some flashlights behind the counter for just such emergencies." Anya hurried over to the counter and began to rummage around behind it. She emerged a few minutes later with flashlights in each hand. Anya handed one to Buffy and the other to Willow.

"Okay, here goes nothing. 'Let the healing power begin. Let the spells bound upon these persons be removed: Willow Rosenburg, Alexander Harris, Cordelia Chase, William the Bloody, Rupert Giles, Angelus, Dawn Summers, and Daniel Osbourne. As these words of peace are spoken, let this harmful spell be broken." Willow finished the spell. The memories rushed back to the group.

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

October 31, 1997

The door of the warehouse burst open, and two teenage girls spilled into the building. Spike didn't recognize the brunette, but he knew the redheaded girl was his mate's friend. He smirked at the girls as he felt Buffy awaken, and her body temperature rise when she became embarrassed.

"Buffy, we have been looking all over for you and here we find you boinking..." Cordelia trailed off as she attempted to identify the hunky male specimen laying next to the Slayer.

"Spike," Willow filled in the blank for Cordelia. She watched in amazement as her embarrassed friend stared at the ground and then at the vampire through her eyelashes, but the Slayer never moved away from him. In fact she seemed to lean into him. That's when Willow realized that the vampire was naked, and she was soon as red as her hair.

"Spike!" Cordelia screeched, "The same Spike that came to the school and caused me to be locked in the closet with you?"

"Yep, that would be him," Willow answered. She gasped when Spike suddenly stood up in all his naked glory. Willow whirled around so she wasn't looking at him. Cordelia, on the other hand, looked the vampire up and down until she heard the Slayer growling at her. Then she turned around, too.

"Is he gonna to kill us now that our backs are turned?" Cordelia asked

"No, he isn't, and keep your eyes off my guy, Cordy." Buffy reached her hand out to Spike who helped her up. The pair began pulling on their clothes, and soon they were dressed.

"We've been looking all over for you, Buffy. The shop where we got our costumes belonged to some old friend of Giles's and that guy did a spell to make us turn into our costumes," Willow informed the Slayer. Once she realized that her friend and the vampire were dressed, she turned to study them. Spike was being a gentleman and buttoning up the back of Buffy's dress. This was something that seemed, at least to Willow, very out of odds for the bad boy persona he exuded.

Cordelia noticed the bite mark on Buffy's neck when the Slayer turned her head to smile shyly at the vampire behind her. "Whoa there, Buffy. What happened to your neck?" Cordelia asked, "I think that's gonna freak Giles out."

Buffy put her hand to her neck and blushed even redder than before as Spike got the biggest grin on his face. Much to Buffy's dismay her mate stuck his thumbs in the waistband of his pants and splayed his outstretched fingers across his groin. She reached back to smack him on the arm when she realized that Willow was embarrassed again, and Cordelia was enjoying the show.

"Suppose we should go check in with Giles." A thought occured to Buffy before she moved towards the door. "Oh no, Dawn got her costume from the shop, too. Do either of you know who's group she was in?" Buffy asked Willow and Cordelia anxiously.

"Who's Dawn, luv?"

"My pain in the butt little sister. She dressed up as a furry little gremlin creature. Last time I saw her was at the high school." Buffy snapped her fingers as she remembered who Dawn had been with. "She was in Jonathon's group."

"It's okay, Buffy. She's already back at the school with Giles," Willow assured Buffy.

The group of four moved out of the warehouse into the street. Buffy grabbed Spike's arm as the walked down the street. They skirted a van parked in the alley before the service door of the Bronze banged open, and the sound echoed off the buildings.

A short redheaded boy slipped out the door, his arms full of stereo equipment. He set the load in the van. It was then that he noticed the foursome standing next to his van.

"Hey Cordelia," he greeted the cheerleader amiably, "Who's your friends?" The boy's eyes lighted on Willow and refused to move.

"Hey Oz. This is Willow and Buffy. The 80's reject is Spike. Guys, this is Oz. He's the lead guitarist for Dingos Ate My Baby," Cordelia introduced the others. Willow and Buffy gave little waves while Spike just arched an eyebrow and dug around in his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter.

"Hey, need a ride?" Oz asked. He moved to the open door of the Bronze, closed it and then closed the van door.

"You two go ahead," Buffy told Willow and Cordelia, "I think Spike and I need to talk before we get there. So we'll walk." The other two teenage girls nodded, and they climbed into the van with Oz. The Slayer and the vampire watched the van pull away.

Now that the others were gone, Buffy was a bit nervous. Things had happened in the warehouse so fast. She hadn't had time to analyze her actions yet. Buffy played with her necklace as she watched Spike finish his cigarette, drop it on the ground, and use the heel of his boot to ground it out.

"What happened in there, Spike? What was with the sex and the biting? Why the hell did I understand what you growled at me?"

"Thought I was goin' to shag you and drain you, Slayer. The set up was perfect, but then ... I don't know what happened. For some reason my demon and I wanted more. Maybe it was because you weren't scared of me before or after you got your memories back." Spike watched the young girl beside him process what he had said.

"You have never scared me, Spike, not even before mom thumped you with the axe. So where do we go from here?" Buffy asked. She noticed that they had started walking towards the high school without even realizing it.

"Haven't a bloody clue, luv. I don't think that a master vampire mating with a Slayer is in the Slayer soddin' brochure, right along with Slayers with friends and family. You, my luscious peach, are one of a kind," Spike muttered. He stopped up short when they reached the outer doors of the school.

"You're not playing with me are you? I don't think I could handle that," Buffy whispered. She looked down at her the flounce of her skirt. She didn't want to see the look on Spike's face if he was just using this to get close to her for some other evil purpose. Buffy eeped when Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, enclosing her in his arms.

"No, pet, mating isn't playing with someone. Vampires are very serious when it comes to taking a mate, and ours was no normal claiming, Slayer. Humans say 'until death do us part' ... won't be happening with us." Spike buried his face in Buffy's hair, inhaling sharply to memorize her scent. "The claim we initiated was an Eternity claim, pet. You are mine even after we die or dust as the case may be."

"Mine forever? Never leave me?" Buffy asked, her voice uncertain. She leaned into the vampire, and she hugged him tightly.

"Forever, luv. Never leave you willingly. I'll always return to you, no matter what," Spike vowed solemnly. The magic of the vow zipped through the couple, neither of them realized how important it would be in the future.

"Okay, we better go inside. I'm sure everyone will be waiting to pounce on us. Giles and Angel won't be happy, you know," Buffy muttered. She pulled away from Spike to open the heavy door into the school.

"Let 'em be unhappy. We belong to each other. There's nothing they can do to tear us apart, luv." Spike smiled. For once Spike felt secure that his Grandsire couldn't interfere. He brushed the back of his hand down Buffy's cheek in reassurance. Spike continued the path down her neck, where he brushed his claim mark, and was he pleased with her shudder of pleasure. Then he moved on across her shoulder, gracing his fingers down Buffy's arm until he captured her hand in his.

The two supernatural beings strolled down the school hallways, their hands entwined. When they got to the library, Buffy stopped to take a big breath, before she pushed the swinging doors open.

"Buffy, you're okay." Dawn rushed to give her sister a hug. When the spell had broken, the little girl had been quite frightened, and she was grateful when her sister's Watcher found her.

"I'm fine, Dawnie. Spike found me and took good care of me," Buffy assured her little sister as she hugged her in return.

"So you're Spike, huh? Buffy was right. You are a hottie," Dawn exclaimed, much to her sister's embarrassment. "Well, you didn't tell me it was a secret!" Dawn flounced off as only a prepubescent girl can and flopped into a chair at the research table.

Spike chuckled, and he curled his tongue behind his upper teeth. It was nice to know he hadn't been the only one affected by the prior fight between himself and the petite Slayer. Spike lead Buffy over to the table, and pulled a chair out for her to sit in. Once the Slayer was setttled into her chair, he sat between the two Summers's girls. Spike leaned in and whispered to Dawn, "I think your sis is a hottie, too."

Growling from the other vampire in the room, interrupted anything else that Spike was going to say to Dawn. He was about to open his mouth to say something when he felt Buffy's small warm hand on his arm. Spike looked at her pleading face, and knew he was already Slayer-whipped so he just settled for saying, "You got something to say, Peaches. Spit it out."

"What kind of sick game are you playing?" Angel growled. He stood in the shadows, arms crossed, and glowered at his grandchilde.

"I don't play sick games, Angelus. You seem to have mistaken me for yourself," Spike announced. He felt the waves of calming vibes from his mate flow through him.

"You had sex with her. I can smell it from here, and you bit her. What else could it be other than a sick game?" Angel asked, his voice getting more irate.

"I did more than bite her. I made her mine. Nothing is going to change that." Spike smiled down at his mate. He ghosted his hand across Buffy's cheek as she returned his smile.

"What about Dru, William?" Angel questioned. He didn't like what he was seeing, but unless Buffy allowed him to take over the claim he wasn't sure he could do anything about it. So at this point, all Angel had to work with was his words.

"What about Dru?" Spike questioned back, sarcastically, "She was never my mate. Her heart's reserved for one vampire only, and that's you. If you are so bloody concerned about her, you'll find her at the factory."

"I will not have my Slayer wooed by an evil, soulless demon," Giles snarled. When Willow and Cordelia had shown up with Oz a few minutes earlier and announced that they had found Buffy with Spike in a warehouse, Giles's heart fell. It was one thing for her to be involved with Angel, at least he had a soul. Now knowing his Slayer was now connected to Spike in such a base manner, Giles knew he needed to break the connection as soon as possible.

"The wooing's already done, Giles. Spike issued his death threat. I issued mine back. We fought, and found each other..."

Giles interrupted Buffy before she could finish her thought, "This will not do, Buffy. The Council does not condone such behavior from the Slayers."

"I don't care what the Council condones, Giles. I picked Spike for my mate. I can see something in him that makes him different than the other vampires I have come across." Buffy jumped to her feet, knocking over the chair she had been sitting in. "He never hid who or what he was, unlike some people in this room. Come on, Dawn, we need to get you home." Buffy grabbed Spike's arm, pulled him out of his chair, and left out the library doors.

Dawn glared at Giles and Angel before she too left the library. The rest of the Scoobies took in the fierce expressions on the two older men's faces, and they decided that leaving was the best thing for them, too. They all hurried to catch up to Spike, Buffy and Dawn. If the Scoobies were surprised at how happy Buffy appeared to be with Spike, none of them let on. In fact, they all gladly piled into Oz's van and went to Buffy's house for a post-Halloween get together. Luckily for them, Joyce had a showing that night at the art gallery. So Spike's presence didn't need to be explained.

The next week proved interesting, to say the least, for the Scooby gang. They were each surprised to find that Spike could be as charming as he could be evil. This surprised them more than once about by differences in the two master vampires in their midst.

While Angel continued to brood and lurk in the shadows, Spike somehow managed to sway each of the Scoobies into his corner. With his mate and her younger sister, it was the easy way he seemed to fit into their lives that struck a chord in everyone. In the evenings, just after dark, Spike would show up at the library to visit with Buffy. He helped Dawn with her homework, and soon he had several nicknames for the young girl, including: Nibblet, Platelet, and Bit. Then, he sparred with Buffy. He pointed out her weak spots, and he helping her correct them.

With the other two Scooby girls, their acceptance came when several vampires attacked the library while Willow and Cordelia were there alone, studying for a test. Spike was early for his usual meeting with the Summers girls when he came upon Willow and Cordelia holding off a gang of vamps with crosses and crossbows. Spike jumped into the fray with wild abandon, dusting the minions left and right until he got to the last one. This last one he held by the throat, and he issued an order.

"Tell all the vamps in town that the Slayer and her friends are protected by William the Bloody. They are not to be touched," Spike growled. He threw the minion towards the library doors. It scrambled away, and ran for its life. "You two girls gonna be alright?"

Willow and Cordelia both nodded before heaving sighs. They threw their weapons down on the table before returning to their studies. Spike prowled the library, brassed off that minions had dared to touch those who belonged to him and the Slayer.

With Xander, the acceptance came one evening at the Bronze. Buffy and Dawn were having dinner out with their mom, so Spike went out for a quiet drink away from his Sire and minions. He had been sitting quietly at the bar, sipping on a beer, when he noticed that Xander was playing pool by himself. Before Spike could stand up to join Xander, five of the jocks came over to harrass the boy. Spike watched with grudging admiration as Xander attempted to stand up to the jocks, all of whom were bigger and stronger than him. That's when Spike knew why Buffy kept the Whelp around. What the boy lacked in strength and brains, he made up in courage.

Spike sauntered over to the pool table. "Hey, Harris, glad you kept the table warm," Spike drawled. He faced a nearby table, set down his beer mug and took off his duster.

"Nice coat, dude. Think I'll take it after we beat you to a pulp," one of the jocks announced.

Spike went into game face, and he whirled on the unsuspecting teenager. "Like to see you try."

The jocks all screamed like little girls. They fell over themselves trying to get away from the scary, deformed man. The rest of the people congregated at the Bronze laughed at the sight, and the next day the jock's credibility took a nose dive as the tale of their hilarious retreat was told and retold around the high school.

"So, wanna play, Harris?" Spike asked. That's what Willow, Cordelia and Oz found the master vampire and the teenager doing ten minutes later; playing pool and trading half-hearted insults.

While all this bonding was going on, little did the Slayer, her vampire and the Scoobies know there was plotting going on between the other vampire and the Watcher. Giles had scoured his magic books looking for a spell to break the claim. As he watched the growing comeraderie between Spike and the teenagers, he also began to look for a forgetting spell combined with a hatred spell.

~~~~~~~~~~~

September 25, 2001

"Bloody Hell. Well, that explains why I couldn't keep away from Sunnyhell and Buffy," Spike exclaimed. He pulled the cigarettes from his pocket, but his hands were trembling so badly he couldn't get one out of the pack. Spike watched with love glazed eyes as his mate calmly took the pack, tapped out a single cigarette, and handed it to him. He leaned into her as she flicked his Zippo. Once the cigarette was lit, he took a few calming puffs.

"What do you mean, Spike?" Willow asked. Each person had gotten their portion of memories, but she was unclear what he was talking about. Her gasp was lost among the others when Spike's eyes lit upon the petite Slayer, all of his love showing for the first time.

"Made a vow to never leave her, always return to her and because of the claim I was bound to keep it," Spike whispered. His hand reached out to ghost Buffy's cheek. Spike smiled slightly as her luminious hazel eyes shined up at him in the glow of the flashlights.

"We've read about claims. No where did it say anything about that," Willow exclaimed.

"I told you back at the house not all claims are the same, didn't I?" Anya jumped up and flounced over to the bookcase. She touched a hidden button, and a secret panel popped open. She reached in to remove a big leather covered tome. "We got this book in a shipment a few months ago. I was worried Giles would destroy it, so I hid it from him. It was actually written by a vampire several centuries ago. So I am pretty sure the information is accurate."

"Do you get many things that you hide from Giles?" Dawn asked, intrigued by the secret panel now.

"This was the first thing, actually." Anya flipped through a few pages, studying the words carefully under the glare of the flashlight, "Ah-ha, here it is. 'One claim is held above all others. It is known as the Eternity claim. Vampires initiate such a claim because they hold their mate to be equal, and in such high regard, that they wish to extend the claim to reach beyond dust. One of the most common aspects of the Eternity claim is that when one mate vows something to the other, not even death can break the vow.'"

"So if this claim thingie means that mates follow each other into death, why didn't Spike dust himself when Buffy did her swandive?" Cordelia asked.

"Because he vowed to protect Dawn until the end of the world," Buffy whispered as her love filled eyes stared into Spike's. She gave a dry little chuckle before continuing, "Explains a whole hell of a lot, too." She explained all the pieces of the puzzle from the last two years that now fit. "The way we have always has some sorta innate communication, the way that the only time I have staked Spike and he let me was when he was protected, and the way Willow's little spell mess up made us feel complete. Of course there's also the insane jealousy over our 'significant others'. Although on my part I thought my jealousy of Dru was because of Angel and I hated Harmony in life. Her being a vampire just heightened the hate."

"I was so pissed when I discovered Peaches'd returned from Hell that first time I came back. Dru knew, maybe not conciously, but she knew. Nattered on about how I was covered by the Slayer, that Buffy was floatin' all around me. She kept asking me why I couldn't push her away." Spike arched an eyebrow in memory.

The group sat in silence until Xander finally said in total disbelif, "I can't believe I was friends with Captain Peroxide here."

The lights popped on just at that moment. It caused the room's occupants to jump just a little, including the vampire. The phone rang. After a minute the answering machine turned on, and a familar voice filled the Magic Box.

Chapter 3

September 26, 2001, Somewhere in South America, approximately the same time as the spell was broken in Sunnydale

Half a world away, and on a different continent, Drusilla's eyes popped open. She felt the anguish of her Childe as the powerful spell cast upon him was broken. She moaned, and tears filled the evil vampiress' eyes. She muttered to herself, "I warned you, Daddy. Now all the bad little children know your secret. My dark prince and his sunshine will have their revenge on you".

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


September 26, 2001, London England. at the same time

Giles sat straight up in bed gasping as the memories of what he had done nearly three years in the past filled his mind. Shame flooded the Watcher as he realized what had been his first betrayal of his beloved Slayer. For the first time since her untimely demise, he was actually glad that Buffy was dead.

Giles' mind flitted to how he had told Buffy during that time that 'at least Angel has his soul'. If only he and Angel hadn't meddled. Maybe Jenny Calender wouldn't have paid for it with her life. Spike had been right, way back then. Magic had consequences, and for Rupert Giles, the consequence was to lose the love of his life to a sadistic vampire by the name of Angelus.

"Oh God, Jenny, my love, what have I done?" Giles muttered. He sadly let himself remember everything he'd done.

~~~~~~~~~~~

November 8, 1997

"Angel, I feel we must do this spell as soon as possible. I can not take the chance that Spike's evil purposes will somehow have a detrimental effect on my Slayer," Giles announced. He was busy writing a spell as he spoke to the vampire.

"Giles, I don't think..."

"I don't care what you think, Angel. I refuse to have my Slayer involved with William the Bloody. I never approved of her relationship with you, but at least you have a soul. Now either you're a help or a hindrance. Take your pick," Giles growled. He stood up to begin preparation for the spell. Giles was lacking a few spell components. So, he knew he had to pick those up before the scheduled Scooby meeting the next evening.

"Alright, Giles. I will help, but I have to let you know I think you are making a big mistake. If Buffy or Spike ever discover what you are doing, I don't think they will be too forgiving. I know I wouldn't be." Angel sighed. He slowly left the library, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

Angel had observed Spike and Buffy for the past week. He noticed that not once had Spike tried to change Buffy in any way. In fact, the ensouled vampire was reminded more and more of the fledgling that Drusilla had brought home all those decades ago. The fledgling, who to his great shame, he had molded into his own image.

Once Angel was outside in the darkness, he wandered the town without thought or direction. So, he was surprised when a dark figure melted out of the shadows.

"Bad Daddy. Bad Watcher. Trying to take my William from his Sunshine," Drusilla sing-songed as she danced gracefully around Angel. "The pixies will be very angry with you, my Angel. Nothing will keep William from basking in the light now."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Drusilla." Angel attempted to deny the plans he'd made with Giles.

"No lying, Daddy. It won't do you any good," Drusilla tutted. She waved her forefinger in Angel's face. "Do you really think a little magic is going to keep William from his sunshine? She will always be his mate no matter what you do."

Angel watched as his Childe retreated from lucidity into her own world. A minion drifted out of the shadows to take Drusilla's arm, and he murmured that Master Spike would be unhappy if anything happened to his Sire.

Meanwhile back at the library, Giles watched Spike and Buffy playfully spar. The pair danced around each other throwing fake punches at each other and snarked laughingly at each other.

"What are you searching for, Slayer, a weak spot? Hmm?" Spike asked. He bit his lower lip as he flirted shamelessly. Spike and Buffy continued to circle one another slowly. "Try me, give me the best you've got."

Buffy launched herself halfheartedly at Spike. She wasn't trying very hard since they were playing around, and Spike easily ducked out of her way. Buffy grunted softly as Spike grabbed her from behind with one arm around her neck and the other grabbing her stake-filled hand.

"Is this really your best, Slayer?" Spike whispered huskily in Buffy's ear. He ground his engorged cock against her rounded ass cheeks.

"No." Buffy's eyes fluttered shut, and her knees weakened when Spike blew cool air on his mark on her neck.

"Why not?" Spike pressed his lips to the mark. He was pleased as his mate melted against him.

"I ... I wanna hurt you, but I can't resist your sinister attraction," Buffy murmured in a sweet little girl voice. She planted kisses along the forearm against her neck.

"Maybe I should repay you for your gentleness." Spike glanced at the Watcher while he outlined Buffy's ear with the tip of his tongue. "Maybe I should let you go."

"No! No, Spike," Buffy groaned with desire, "Never let me go."

"You know you should be afraid of me," Spike snarked, "I'm bad."

"Yes, you are. You are very, very bad," Buffy said seductively. She smoothed her hand along Spike's arm following the path of her earlier kisses.

Giles finally got tired of watching their antics, and he left the sparring room to go do some more research on the spell he was planning performing. The spell completion that couldn't come too soon, in his opinion.

"Finally," Buffy said loudly. She suddenly twisted out of Spike's grasp, and she flung him across the room. Buffy launched herself at him before he had even landed on the floor. She jumped on top of him, and she pressed her stake against his chest. Buffy pressed her aching core snugly down upon Spike's hardened cock. Her head fell back in desire.

"Bet I could make you cum right here with all your clothes on, luv," Spike purred. He knew the vibrations would flow through his body into hers where they were intimately joined.

"God. You're evil." Buffy's husky voice was barely a whisper. She dropped the stake to the side, and she began to inch Spike's shirt up so she could gently scratch at his abs.

"And that excites you, doesn't it, Slayer?" Spike continued to purr out his words. He smirked to himself as he watched his mate's eyes glaze over with excitement as she drew closer to her orgasm.

"Yes, it excites me, baby," Buffy whispered, "I tried so hard to resist you, but I couldn't."

"Yeah?" Spike purred the word out, long and hard. The scent of Buffy's arousal filled the vampire's nostrils. His gameface rippled forth so he could watch Buffy with demon-yellow eyes as he continued his rumbling purr.

"Oh God, William," Buffy whimpered with a desire laden voice, "I want you to bite me. Please devour me until there's nothing left."

"My pleasure, luv," Spike growled. He sat up, and he buried his hands in her hair. Spike pressed his lips against Buffy's while he felt her arms encircle him underneath his duster.

Buffy wiggled in pleasure as Spike's mouth left hers and trailed down her jawline to her throat. She shuddered in anticipation just as she felt her mate drag his sharp fangs up and down her jugular. When he suddenly struck, and he dug his fangs in fiercely, Buffy came fast and hard. Her hands fluttered under his jacket, and she gained purchase on his t-shirt.

Spike felt Buffy's nails skim his skin on the outside of his shirt as he gave her pleasure. His sweet little mate was so responsive and so easily pleased. As much as he adored his Sire, he had never before realized how tiring a high-maintanance relationship was until he mated with the Slayer. Everything that made the Slayer unique, Spike adored; the taste of her blood, the smell of her arousal, the sound of her quiet little mewls. All together they delivered a delicious little package that the vampire knew he would never get enough of.

Buffy shivered pleasurably as Spike removed his teeth from her skin and licked the holes closed. Her eyes fluttered open so she could study his face. He was so handsome in vamp face. She had thought so the first night they fought right there in the school hallway. Buffy knew she had lost that night because his physical presence had wreaked havoc upon her senses.

"You're mine, Buffy," Spike growled.

"Yours. Only yours." Buffy looked at the vampire through her lashes shyly as her hand boldly caressed the bulge she still cradled between her thighs. "Mom's working late, and Dawnie's going to Janice's. Why don't you come over after I patrol and I return the favor?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away, luv," Spike murmured, and shook his gameface away. "I've an errand to do. So, 'll meet you at your house in say, an hour?"

Buffy nibbled her lower lip while she nodded. She hopped up off of Spike's lap, and she offered him her hand. Once the vampire was standing, they stood there staring into each othe'rs eyes. A loud banging in the main section of the library broke them out of their trance.

"See ya in an hour, Slayer," Spike whispered seductively. He whirled in a flurry of black leather, and he exited the library out the back entrance.

Buffy bounced into the main part of the library where she told the others she was off to patrol. She waved off all offers for company on her rounds. Buffy quickly left the library, and she made a short round of the more popular cemeteries. She really wanted to get back to the house and set up the seduction scene.

Spike arrived at Buffy's at the appointed time, and he let himself into the house. He took off his duster. Spike glanced around the foyer before he decided to toss the jacket over the banister for easy access later. Then he heard soft music from the living room. Spike leaned against the doorjamb as he watched a scantly clad Slayer use a lighter on some scented candles. His undead heart flipped in his chest when she looked up at him and smiled.

"Hi, baby," Buffy cooed. She led the vampire to one of the armchairs. Buffy gently pushed him down into the overstuffed softness, and she settled across his lap. She put her arms around Spike's neck. Like during the play sparring of before, she pressed the apex of her thighs snuggly against his manly parts. Buffy ground her clit against the button flies of his jeans until she had a mini orgasm Buffy's lips caressed his ear as she whispered into it, "I'm ready to return the favor."

"You better be, luv," Spike growled, "Teasin' me all week with those short little skirts of yours." He lightly gripped the arms of the chair. Spike knew if he touched her that things wouldn't go the way she had planned.

"You don't like them," Buffy pouted. She stuck her lip out as far as she could. Her hands busily touched Spike's shoulders and chest.

"I didn't say that, luv, and if you keep that lip stuck out like that you're just askin' for it to be bitten." Spike snapped his blunt teeth a few inches from the said pouty lip.

"Not asking, begging," Buffy murmured, "I dream every night about you biting me. I have ever since I saw you behind the Bronze."

"Must be having the same dreams, Slayer. Cause've dreamed about bitin' you ever since I laid eyes on you," Spike purred. He waggled his tongue at her, and he got a slight slap on the shoulder for his trouble.

"Mmmm," Buffy groaned throatily. She pressed her lips to Spike's. She rubbed her tongue along his lower lip, and she sighed when he obliged her by opening his mouth. Buffy gently swiped her tongue along the sheaths that housed Spike's fangs. She smirked to herself as a rumbling purr resonated from his chest. Buffy continued to kiss him until she could feel him harden beneath her.

Buffy pulled Spike's t-shirt out of his pants. She only detached her lips from his when she couldn't lift the shirt off any further. Buffy had his shirt up and off in a manner of seconds, and she had reattached her lips to his. Her fingers found their way to his nipples, and she rubbed and tweaked them gently. Buffy became progressively rougher as Spike's purring became louder and more pronounced.

Spike's hips instinctively thrust upwards towards the heated core of his mate while she moved her mouth down his jawline to his neck. He growled out loud when Buffy moved her mouth along his shoulder to suck on her claiming mark. Spike fought for rigid control as the combination of sensations almost made the vampire cum in his pants. He automatically slipped into game face when Buffy bit down on her mark.

Buffy hummed in delight as she made open mouthed kissed down Spike's chest until she could take one of his rock hard nipples into her mouth. She was surprised that his nipples were as sensitive as, if not more than, her own. Buffy loved how she could make the otherwise cool and collected vampire lose his control. She backed her body up off of his lap, and she fell to the floor. Buffy kept his legs trapped between her thighs as she kissed down his abdomen to his waistband. Once there, she swept her tongue back and forth across the sensitive skin. She rubbed and squeezed Spike's thighs, each time she stopped just short of his crotch.

"Take off my boots, kitten," Spike rumbled. He undid his belt buckle and button-fly as Buffy removed his boots. Spike lifted his hips a bit to push his jeans down to his knees. He chuckled when he noticed that Buffy's eyes were locked on his now exposed and erect shaft.

Buffy ogled her mate's engorged cock. It looked different than last time. It looked larger and harder, the head rounder and darker in color. Without realizing it, Buffy's hand reached for him as she remembered how soft he had been when she touched him before. Her eyes glanced up to his when she heard him quietly chuckle. It was then that she realized he was still in gameface and that explained the difference in his penis.

"You want me to change back, luv?" Spike asked. He chuckled again when Buffy quickly shook her head negatively, and her hand continued on its journey to his aching member. Spike let out a shuddering groan as her hand made first contact. He tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the sensations.

Buffy caressed Spike gently at first, and like with his nipples before, slowly her grip became firmer and tighter. She licked her lips as precum started to ooze from the slit in the tip. Gotta taste, she thought to herself. Buffy shuffled between Spike's legs, and she leaned up to touch the tip of her tongue to the tip of Spike's cock.

Spike's eyes popped open when he felt Buffy move closer to him. He looked down at her just in time to see her little pink tongue shoot out and wipe against the tip of his shaft. Spike groaned loudly, and he buried his hands in Buffy's blond locks. In a few seconds, he was rewarded with Buffy's hot little mouth engulfing the head of his dick. Encouragements fell from his lips without him even realizing he was doing it.

Buffy's confidence soared at the praise. Her free hand wandered up his thigh to cup and massage his balls while she took in as much of his hard shaft as she could. Buffy sucked hard, her cheeks hollowed out, and she swirled her tongue along the prominent vein on the underside. She felt her own arousal climb as her thighs became wet with her juices. Buffy hummed with tension. Her eyes flew to Spike's face when his growly purring got louder. Buffy smirked to herself before humming louder and harder.

Spike knew he was rapidly losing control. He knew he wanted to be buried in his mate's hot little quim when he came. He loosened his hold on her hair, and he slid his hands down her body to her breasts. Spike ripped the satiny fabric that impeded his path to his mate's body. He tweaked her nipples roughly on his journey to her hips where he caught her in his grip. Spike pulled Buffy's mouth away from his raging hard-on, and he lifted her onto his lap where he slid her back and forth across his cock.

Buffy whimpered as Spike hit her clit several times before finally raising her high enough for him to slide into her heated depths. She thrashed her head back and forth because he hit all the right spots as he filled her up. She whimpered as she tried to wiggle around for some added friction.

"Don't move, kitten," Spike crooned in Buffy's ear, "Just feel how I fill you up. It feels so good to have your hot little pussy surrounding me."

Buffy whimpered louder. She wanted to move so badly, to feel him as he slide in and out of her body. Buffy could feel her needy nipples tighten. She tried rubbing them against Spike's chest, but his skin was too smooth and satiny for the friction that she desired. Buffy leaned back a little, and she gasped as she felt his cock hit something deep inside her. She panted, and she twisted her nipples between her own fingers.

Spike growled as he watched Buffy knead her breasts. He moved her up and down his rod ever so slightly. Spike's eyes fluttered shut when her attempt to squirm around on his lap caused her internal muscles to flex around his cock.

"Oh god, Spike," Buffy cried as she came. Before she could even recover, she started the climb again. Buffy threw her arms around Spike's neck, and she honed in on the mark on his shoulder. She licked and worried it with her tongue.

Desire flooded Spike's system when Buffy sucked her claim mark. He slipped his fangs into his own mark on her neck. Spike didn't drink from his mate since he had earlier at the library, and he didn't want her to weaken. Spike helped Buffy move faster. As they raced towards their final completion, Spike was surprised to hear a little voice in his head.

Mine, mine, mine, it whispered, My Spike, my vampire.

My Buffy, my Slayer, he found himself whispering back. Spike moved one hand along the front of Buffy's body enough that he was able to brush his thumb against her engorged clit. He stroked it in time with his upward thrust. In a matter of moments, Buffy was keening sharply against his shoulder, and she came again. That was all it took for Spike come himself. He thrust up into his mate's body, and he spilled his cool seed deep inside her willing body.

The pair sat in the chair, Spike still buried deep within Buffy as they talked and cuddled for about fifteen minutes. They kissed deeply, tongues intertwined and hands caressing softly. Buffy glanced at the clock on the mantle.

"Mom's gonna be home soon," Buffy sighed heavily, "I can't wait till we can spend a whole night together." She wrapped her arms tightly around the vampire.

"Soon, luv," Spike replied. He lifted her off of his lap. Spike saw the shine of their combined juices on his mate's thighs. He
wanted to throw her down on the floor and lick her clean with his tongue, but he knew that this time he couldn't. He resolved that the next time he was alone with his mate, nothing was going to get in the way of enjoying the full bounty of each other's bodies.

"Scooby meeting tomorrow right after dusk," Buffy asked shly, "Can you come?"

"You know how well I can come, pet," Spike snarked. He put on his jeans, buttoned the fly and buckled the belt. Spike grabbed his shirts to put on while Buffy grabbed a robe she had laid out nearby.

"You are so bad," Buffy muttered. She smacked the vampire lightly on his bicep. "But I love you anyway."

"Love you, too, Buffy." Spike pulled Buffy into his arms. He kissed her soundly before he grabbed his coat. Spike was out the door before Buffy even had a chance to say good-bye.

Buffy wasn't worried about Spike's abrupt departure. She knew he really cared for her. After all he claimed her instead of killing her. The thought of Buffy's mother made the vampire a bit nervous. Buffy wasn't sure if it was the Victorian gentleman hidden in the depths of Spike's mind or the axe to the back of the skull that made the vampire more nervous. She smiled dreamily to herself as she hurried to clean up the living room.

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

Buffy had errands to run the next day before the Scooby meeting. So, she arrived back at the school building at the same time Spike did. They kissed for a few minutes before they entered the school hand in hand. The couple walked slowly to the library where they entered through the swinging doors. That's when they noticed that Giles and Angel were the only ones in the room.

"Hey guys," Buffy greeted the two men, "Where's everyone?" She and Spike moved to the research table and sat down beside one another.

Giles advanced slowly towards the table. When he got a few feet away, he suddenly threw some dust in Buffy's face.

"I can't move," Buffy cried, "What are you doing, Giles?" She struggled in vain against the magical bindings.

Before Spike could come to the rescue of his mate, Angel had grabbed him and dragged him halfway across the library. Angel held the younger vampire in a headlock.

"I said before I would not allow you to be mated to an evil, soulless vampire, Buffy," Giles informed the Slayer. He moved back to the checkout counter where he took some spell components out, and he placed them on the top. "I'm going to perform a spell that should break the claim and remove all our memories of the monstrous thing."

"No, please, Giles," Buffy cried again, "Please don't do this to me. He loves me."

"Please, Buffy, don't make this any harder than it already is," Giles muttered, "He can't love you." He continued to prepare for the spell.

"You know nothing, Watcher," Spike growled, "Someday you will regret this because that's the thing about magic. There's always consequences. Always."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Giles said haughtily. He lit the candles surrounding the bowl in front of him. Giles threw a pinch of something into the bowl which caused a small flame to dance inside the rim. He began to chant, "I call upon the four elements, Earth, wind, fire and water. I summon thee now. Grant me the power to cast this spell. Let this vile claim between Buffy Summers and William the Bloody be broken. Let those who care the most be filled with hatred. Let our memories be reshaped. So mote it be."

Spike snarled from his spot in Angels' arms, "What the bloody hell am I doing here? Slayer, you're going down."

Angel dropped his arms from Spike's neck in confusion, allowing the younger vampire to escape out the swinging doors. Why was Spike here in the library?

Giles wondered what spell he was performing. He couldn't remember doing a spell. Why was Spike here in the library? Was everyone okay?

Buffy felt strange for a few seconds. It felt like she couldn't move and like she was losing something precious to her. Why did the feeling grow as Spike rushed out of the library doors? She shrugged her shoulders and chatted with her boyfriend, Angel.

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

September 26, 2001

Giles looked at the clock, and he decided that he didn't care what time it was in California he was going to call Angel. First though, he was going to fortify himself with some whiskey laden tea. While he waited for the tea water to boil, Giles contemplated the things he had done that Buffy considered betrayals. The Cruciamentum and telling her she had to let Dawn die had been at the top of the list. However, Giles knew they would pale in comparison to what he had done so long ago when she was only sixteen.

Giles's mind wandered away from Buffy and Spike individually and towards them collectively. Spike came back even after saying he would stay gone, and Buffy let him live several times, in fact. He came to her after the chip was inserted, sure in his knowledge that she would help him. Spike had an almost insane jealousy of all Buffy's boyfriends. Now that Giles studied it closely, it appeared Buffy felt the same way of Spike's girlfriends. What baffled the Watcher the most was how despite the hatred spell invoked on the pair, they seemed to gravitate towards each other enough that the vampire fell in love with the Slayer a second time.

Giles shook himself out of his thoughts when he heard the teapot whistle. He slowly made his tea, added the whiskey to the drink, and sat sipping it while he thought about what to say to Angel. Finally after he knew he couldn't put it off any longer, he reached for the phone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

L.A. California, Hyperion Hotel

Angel's head popped up as Rupert Giles's voice filled the lobby of the Hyperion "The spell is broken, Angel. We better be glad that Buffy is dead and both hope that Spike doesn't come after us. I always blamed Angelus for Jenny Calender's death, but now I just don't know anymore. I'm going to call Sunnydale now to try and find out what's happening there." The answering machine clicked off as Giles hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Gunn asked.

"I'm curious, too," Wesley replied.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Angel grumbled. He folded his arms across his chest as he tried to shove the memories out of his head.

"I can call Giles back and ask him if you aren't too forthcoming," Wesley threatened. He was starting to find Angel's secretive nature grating.

"I suppose you won't leave me alone until I do," Angel sighed, "It started the Halloween after Spike arrived in Sunnydale. He and Buffy mated, but Giles and I did a spell to break the claim and make us all forget it."

"And it worked?" Gunn asked. He sat back in his chair and got comfortable. Somehow he knew this was going to be a long story.

"It worked fine," Angel barked, "At least until I came back from Hell..."

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

October 20, 1998

The feral vampire sniffed the air. William's mate? Where's William? Attack or be attack. He launched himself at the petite blond girl, but he was surprised she was so strong. Slayer. William's mate Slayer? He growled at her, and he rushed her again. This time he knocked her to the ground. As he charged her again, she grabbed him to throw him on the ground but not before she was knocked on the ground by his weight. The feral vampire rolled away from the girl, and when he came to a stop he crawled back towards her.

The feral vampire lunged at William's mate again, but she used his forward motion to flip him away from her. He landed on his back hard, and he lost his unneeded breath. She was on him in a heartbeat. William's mate punched him while he tried to regain his footing. The feral vampire ignored the blow as he searched his surroundings for any sign of his grandchilde. He punched the Slayer with the back of his hand, and she fell to the ground. The feral vampire jumped on her again, but once again the sneaky Slayer used his forward motion to throw him onto his back. William picked well. Good fighter.

The feral vampire twisted his body enough so that he could punch the Slayer in the stomach. She quickly rolled away from him, and she was in a standing position in a manner of moments. The Slayer spun around, and she quickly kicked him in the head as he tried to stand up. Smart. William teach well. Kick when down, the feral vampire thought groggily as darkness engulfed him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shackled. Not dust? The feral vampire woke slowly and got to his knees. William's mate? Here. Where here? He lunged out at the Slayer, but between the shackles and her jumping out of the way, he missed catching a hold of her. The feral vampire leaned against his bonds, and he growled menacingly at her before he crouched down to cower like a trapped animal. At William's mercy. At Slayer's mercy. Be careful.

The Slayer walked around him in a wide arc, and she stopped at a blackened area on the floor. She knelt down to study the outline his body made when he fell through the portal. The feral vampire continued to growl and rattle his chains. He was surprised to see the Slayer cringe at the sound. When he lunged at her again, she also cringed at his actions. He struggled with his chains for a few more moments before he slumped to the floor, one arm raised high on the chain.

~~~~~~~~~~

The feral vampire crouched against the wall and whimpered. William's mate back. Why she stare at me? He watched covertly as the Slayer moved closer to him. He remained crouched over and didn't do anything to acknowledge her presence. Still no William. Where William?

"Angel," The Slayer said softly.

Don't answer. Don't answer.

"Do you understand me?" The Slayer asked in the same soft voice. She moved closer to him, and her hand reached out to touch him on the shoulder.

The feral vampire suddenly lashed out at the Slayer, and he roared at her. Must not touch me. William jealous. Weak, can't fight him. As soon as she had stepped away from him, he whimpered in torment. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he recognized William's mate as something more than that, but his thoughts were buried in cotton. It hurt the feral vampire to think about anything.

William's mate cry. Why? the feral vampire sniffed the air. The scent of William was old in the building, like he hadn't been there is several months. William not dead. Feel him far away. The feral vampire watched as the Slayer ran out of the building. He growled, and he pulled against the shackles. He looked up curiously when dust fell on him.

The vampire continued to pull against the chains. They loosened considerably when he yanked them with all of his weight. Soon the bracket anchoring the shackles to the wall pulled free, and it fell to the floor. The vampire fell to his hands and knees, but he quickly recovered enough to pull the chain free from the broken bracket. He jumped up and ran out of the mansion, following the scent of William's mate.

The vampire entered the very familiar high school. He snarled when he realized a human boy was attacking William's mate. His demonic visage appeared just as he opened the door to a storage room. The Slayer looked back over her shoulder at him. The vampire roared when he launched himself at the boy.

The vampire hit the boy in the face with the chains still attached at wrists, first one direction and then the other. The need to protect family was still strong in the vampire's psyche. Even if he wasn't on friendly terms with William, he knew he needed to protect his mate.

The boy lunged at the vampire, and he was able to get a momentary advantage. The boy bent the vampire over a nearby crate. He had his hands around the vampire's neck for a few moments before he threw the vampire to the ground nearby. He ignored the vampire, and once again he advanced on the Slayer.

The vampire snarled to himself. Protect William's mate. Family. He ambled to his feet, his body still weak from his sojourn in hell. The vampire lunged at the boy, and he wrapped the chains around the human's neck. He lifted the human over his back, and he slammed him down onto the floor. The vampire wrapped the chains around the boy's neck, and he twisted until the boy's neck broke.

The vampire looked down at his kill. Slowly his identity returned to him. He was Angel, Angelus of the Clan Aurelius. He looked up at the Slayer, at William's mate. Angel slowly walked towards her, and they stared at each other. The memory of the spell that he and Giles conspired to do just a short year ago hit Angel's mind. He took a long and intense look at the Slayer. She doesn't remember. The spell still works for her. What am I going to do? Her name is Buffy.

"Buffy?"

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

November 23, 1998

Angel was strolling through the neighborhood hoping he would catch a glimpse of Buffy. He was in such conflict when it came to the petite blond Slayer. He knew he loved her, and yet he knew he couldn't be with her because of the curse. He refused to think about the whole thing with her being Spike's mate.

Angel had seriously considered hunting the other male vampire down and challenging him for the girl, but there were several points against him. He realized he was too weak to take on the younger vampire at this time, not to mention the time span to challenge a claim was short. That time had already passed. Then, there was the fact that the spell that Giles had invoked hadn't really broken the claim. It was just hidden in the deepest recesses of everyone's minds. Angel had a feeling deep inside him that it was no ordinary claim, but there was no one to ask.

Angel paused outside of Buffy's house. He glanced through the open door and saw the vampire his thoughts had just touched on sitting in the kitchen with Buffy's mom. He ran towards the door as fast as he could, jumped over the porch railing and bounced off the invisible barrier. Angel sniffed the air cautiously. No fear on Joyce. Spike is doing nothing to her. Why? Does he remember something? This can't be good. Angel growled angrily at Spike, "Spike."

Joyce jumped out of her chair. She backed away from the growling vampire standing outside her back door. "Oh, my God. Get out of here!"

Spike went to stand behind Joyce. He smiled and said, "Yeah. You're not invited."

"He's crazy. He'll kill us," Joyce cried in terror. She stepped back a little more, and she bumped into Spike.

"Not while I breathe." Spike's eyebrows bunched together as if he was wondering why he said that, but then he began to taunt Angel, "Well, actually, I don't breathe."

Angel saw the look on Spike's face as he promised to protect the mother of his enemy. He realized that the younger vampire didn't remember the claim on the Slayer anymore than Buffy herself did, but it was still there beneath the surface. Spike had just proved it to the elder vampire. Angel decided he had to play this to the hilt. There was no way he could tell any of them about the spell and the claim. He didn't think he could handle the looks of disappointment and anger that would be cast his way by both Spike and Buffy.

"Joyce, listen to me..."

"You get out of this house, or I will stake you myself," the elder Summers woman threatened.

"You're a very bad man," Spike announced.

"Joyce, you can't trust him. Invite me in," Angel's voice seethed with anger. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. Spike had a way of seeing right through a person's carefully erected facades and seeing the truth. Angel hoped that his grandchilde wasn't planning on staying in town too long.

Spike scrunched up his face and curled his fingers into claws pretending he was going to attack Joyce. He carefully studied the dark haired vampire outside. He knew something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You touch her, and I'll cut your head off," Angel threatened.

"Yeah? You and what army?" Spike said tauntingly. He was concentrating so much on the vampire in front of him that he failed to feel the Slayer come up behind him until she grabbed his shoulder.

"That would be me," Buffy growled. She knocked him onto his back on the kitchen island, her hand closed tightly around his throat. "Angel, why don't you come in?"

Joyce panicked as soon as Angel entered the house. She moved to the farthest side of the island, away from the dark haired vampire.

"You shouldn't have come back, Spike," Buffy declared.

"I do what I please," Spike rebutted.

"Okay, I'm confused again," Joyce said, but she realized no one was listening to her as Spike attempted to grab Buffy's arm.

Angel grabbed Spike's arm away from Buffy, and he pinned it to the kitchen island. He watched as Buffy grabbed a wooden spoon, and she pressed it against the other vampire's chest. Angel saw confusion and desperation in both the Slayer's and Spike's faces as they both attempted to come up with a reason for Spike to stay undusted.

"Willow," Spike finally squeaked out, and Angel saw the relief on both of the faces of his beloved family.

"You took Willow," Buffy stated. Her hand holding the spoon stopped moving.

"You do me now, you'll never find the little witch," Spike responded.

"And Xander?" Buffy asked as she and the two vampires ignored Joyce's 'Willow's a witch?' in the background.

"Him, too," Spike acknowledged.

"What? Xander's a witch, too? I..." Joyce continued on in a confused voice.

Angel grabbed Spike by the coat and lifted him off the island. He got close to Spike's face, and he growled, "Where are they?"

Spike shoved Angel away. "Doesn't work like that, Peaches, and when did you become all soul having again? Thought you outgrew that." He turned to Buffy. "Your friend's gonna work a little magic for me. She does my spell, I let them both go."

"You're not famous for keeping your promises, Spike," Buffy grumbled, but Angel could see the confusion flit through her eyes again. Did Spike promise her something before the spell? Damn Giles. I told him the spell was a bad idea.

"Well, you and your great poof here wanna tag along, that's fine. You get in my way, and you kill your friends," Spike announced. He made his way out of the house, not looking to see if they had followed him.

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

Angel watched Spike as they walked through the town towards the magic shop. He had a feeling there was more to this than Drusilla dumping the blond vampire. Angel wondered how much the spell had affected the insane seer. He vaguely remembered her muttering something about the sunshine and William during his stay as Angelus. Now that he remembered the events leading up to the spell, he remembered the little visit that he had with Drusilla.

When Spike attacked Angel and began yelling that 'she' belonged to him, Angel knew that the other vampire wasn't really speaking about Drusilla. When Angel heard Buffy call Spike a loser, a pathetic shell of a loser, and Spike began to return the insults, Angel's heart broke. There was no way he was going to tell anyone about the secret he carried deep within his heart now. It would only bring harm and hurt feelings to everyone involved.

Spike faced the pair down, and commented, "The last time I looked in on you two, you were fighting to the death. Now you're back making googly-eyes at each other like nothing happened. Makes me want to heave." Before Spike could turn away from them, Angel saw the jealousy seething below the surface. It was a jealousy the younger vampire refused to notice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy denied everything.

"Oh yeah. You're just friends," Spike countered sarcastically. He continued to look at the bottles of spell components on the shelf.

"That's right," Angel commented.

Spike turned around to face them. "You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends." Spike tapped himself on the temple. "Love isn't brains, children, it's blood..." Spike then grasped at his chest. "Blood screaming inside you to work its will."

Angel glanced at Buffy, who refused to look at him. The dark-haired vampire glanced at the blond vampire, and he noticed the intense look Spike was giving the Slayer.

"I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it." Spike turned back to finding the spell components and missed the look that Buffy darted between himself and the other vampire.

When the trio left the magic shop with the bag of supplies, they were surprised to find themselves surrounded by a gang of vampires. Angel stood behind Spike and Buffy. He watched the byplay between the two of them. The look of communication between the Slayer and the blond vampire told Angel everything he needed to know. The claim was as strong as ever, even if the pair didn't realize it was there.

It's over between us. My beloved Buffy doesn't belong to me, and she never will, Angel thought to himself later as he watched Spike and Buffy fight together. I will stay and help as long as I can for William's sake, but I don't know how long I can stay close to her knowing...

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

September 26, 2001

Los Angeles, California at the Hyperian Hotel

"You knew this and you said nothing?" Wesley asked. He put down the pen he had been making notes with.

"Yes, I thought it was for the best," Angel mumbled. "Even after I realized Spike was extremely angry for my deserting her," Angel chuckled morosely. "Not that he knew that was part of his reason for torturing me when I had the Gem of Amara."

"I think you better explain yourself, Angel," the ex-watcher exclaimed.

"When Buffy took the gem from Spike, she sent it to me, and he came to retrieve it," Angel explained, "He called her Slutty the Vampire Layer to piss me off, but I could really see that he was jealous of some twat of a human boy and mad at me as the head of the clan for deserting his mate."

"Do you think this Spike guy will come after you again?" Gunn asked. He picked up a nearby crossbow as if he expected Spike to swoop down on the hotel at any moment.

"Probably," the broody vampire said.

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

September 26, 2001 Sunnydale, California.

The Scoobies, the Summers girls, Spike and Cordelia looked at the answering machine as Giles's voice filled the room. "Hello, is anyone there? I've been ringing everyone trying to find someone to talk to. What the hell is going on in Sunnydale?" Desperation started to fill the Watcher's voice. "Someone pick up and speak to me."

The others looked at Buffy for guidance. She shook her head to indicate that she wasn't ready to speak to the Watcher quite yet. Buffy turned pleading eyes on Spike, who huffed as he acquiesced to his mate's wishes and answered the phone.

"Rupes," Spike said into the receiver coldly, "I guess you felt the spell break, too."

"Yes, quite right. I called and spoke to Angel's answering machine," Giles stammered. He hadn't expected Spike to be the one to answer the phone. "Um, how did it happen?"

"Red brought the Slayer back," Spike answered the Watcher's question.

"Buffy's there right now?" Giles asked, "She's alright?"

"She's just fine, Watcher, but she did bring back a bit of knowledge with her in regards to something you and Peaches did to us a few years back," Spike spit out from between gritted teeth.

"But ... but how?"

"When Buffy's ready to talk to you, she'll give you a call." Spike wasn't ready to deal with the Watcher yet, and he was sure Buffy wasn't either.

"I'm coming to Sunnydale as soon as I can," Giles announced. He hung up on the astonished vampire.

Spike put the phone down, and he turned to the others, "Giles is on his way to Sunnydale, and I suppose the big brooding poofter will be, too.

Spike put the phone down, and he turned to the others, "Giles is on his way to Sunnydale, and I suppose the big brooding poofter will be, too.

"I don't think that Angel will be coming," Buffy whispered. She looked down at her battered hands. How was she going to tell the others that she suspected that Angel knew about the spell three years ago when he returned from Hell?

Spike heard the question silently spoken by his mate. Luv, what do you mean? he questioned silently. He was rewarded with the insight about the instant the spell broke for Buffy. It was when she hit the dimensional barrier opened with Dawn's blood. Spike saw himself through her eyes as he lay on the ground bleeding from the fall from the tower. Then, he watched as Buffy told Angel to close his eyes, kissed him, and rammed the sword through Angel's stomach. Spike watched as Angel was sucked into the portal opened by Acathla. He returned to his mate's side, and he took her hands into his before she could hurt them by twisting them together too much.

"Why don't you think so, Buffy?" Willow asked. She noticed the silent understanding spark between Buffy and Spike. Willow watched as the vampire and the Slayer exchanged a look of silent communication. This was a look she had seen before between the two blonds, but with the new informaton those looks took on new meaning. So, she wasn't surprised when Spike answered her question instead of Buffy.

"The Slayer thinks that the son of a bitch has known about the spell ever since Hell spit his sorry ass back into this dimension," Spike growled. His anger at his grandsire hung on every word.

For several century long minutes silence reigned over the Magic Box. The pandemonium that followed caused the still traumatized Slayer to cover her ears and whimper. Her nerves were now on overload from finding herself in her grave, the subsquent climb to the surface, and the reconnection to Spike. The reactions of her friends over the knowledge that Angel knew about the spell and decided it was best not to confide in anyone sent her over the edge of sanity.

Spike felt the panic inside his mate escalate, and his ire jumped right along with it. A soft growl started deep in his chest that grew with its intensity until it drowned out the rest of the noise. All eyes swung around to look at the irate master vampire and the quaking woman sitting beside him with her face buried in her hands.

Dawn slid closer to Buffy, and she put her arms around her sister. She whispered reassurances into her older sibling's ear. At the back of her mind though, Dawn wondered how exactly the monks were able to insert the memories of her childhood into two different sets of awareness.

"What is it with him and his need to decide what's best for others?" Cordelia growled.

"Who? Angel or Giles?" Dawn asked. She caught the look on the seer's face. Dawn was glad she wasn't involved in the spell in any way.

"I meant Angel. That lying sack of..." Cordelia stopped to consider the actions of the men in question, "But I guess Giles falls in the same category, doesn't he?"

"Those two won't be making any decisions for us ever again," Dawn hissed, "I can't believe Angel told Buffy to get a normal boyfriend knowing that she was mated to Spike." She reached over, and she gripped Spike's hand. "Wow, and you fell in love with Buffy even with the spell in force, Spike. That's amazing, poetic even."

"Wasn't just him, Dawnie," Buffy whispered, "I fell in love, too. After he protected your identity how could I not?" She leaned into the vampire's shoulder. "Things happened so fast, though. I was scared to say anything." Buffy allowed her feelings to wash over Spike.

"W-why were you scared, Buffy?" Tara asked. She was sitting next to Dawn. So, she had heard what the Slayer had whispered.

Buffy glanced up into Spike's face, and then she attempted to twist her hands together in her lap. A single tear trickled down Buffy's face when Spike grabbed her hands to still them, and he kissed her on the forehead.

"It's okay, luv," Spike said quietly, "You can tell them."

"The spell filled me with so much hatred," Buffy glanced around at the others in the room, "So, when I realized I had fallen in love with another vampire, I was terrified, and yet, I just had to kiss him to know what it felt like again." She traced her lips with her fingers. "Then I thought of all of you and how upset you would get. I knew how upset Giles would get if I got involved with another vampire especially since this one evil and soulless."

Spike winced beside Buffy. He understood where she was coming from. Honestly, he did. Angelus had done a real number on the Slayer and her friends while he had toured Sunnyhell years before. Understanding her feelings didn't make it hurt any less.

Buffy collected her thoughts, and she stared off into space while she continued talking, "I think though, that was because part of me remembered Giles doing the spell. I felt helpless when he blew the dust on me so I couldn't move. He made it so I couldn't get Spike away from Angel or get to Giles to make him shut up."

Spike knew how distressed Buffy felt about being helpless. Her memories shifted around, and he relived his mate's 18th birthday. He learned how Giles had made his charge helpless at the Council's request. He knew how she felt when she found the photo of her kidnapped mother, and how she had fought a crazed vampire with nothing but her wits. He realized that her two most vulnerable moments had happened at the hands of her Watcher. This had affected her more deeply than anything ever had before or since. Spike felt admiration for the strength of his Slayer.

"At the time, I was so scared something would happen, and I would have to kill another person I loved." Buffy's fingers slid through a lock of Dawn's dark brown hair, and her voice turned fierce. "Especially after Giles told me I had to kill Dawn to save the world. A little dolly told me that if Giles and Angel hadn't played God with us, I wouldn't have had to die. We would have seen Glory for what she was from the beginning."

"What little dolly?" Dawn asked. She thought that those words coming from her sister were very strange. Was all this really driving Buffy over the edge that far?

"Can I have something to drink, please?" Buffy asked. She waited to continue until after Anya brought her a glass of water. "Limbo's an interesting place. You meet the most interesting people there. I met Liam. He's a drunken womanizer, and you'd think after that many years he would outgrow the tendencies, wouldn't you? I also met Edith. She was so sweet and innocent, and I liked her."

Spike jumped just a bit when Buffy said the name Edith. He has spent over 100 years hauling around Drusilla's doll, Miss Edith. Spike felt a little smirk come through the claim, and he suddenly feared that his mate was going to reveal all of his secrets.

"Then I met Will." Buffy leaned in very close to Spike, and she whispered into his ear too low for anyone to hear. That included her sister sitting right next to her, "I adore nerdy poets."

Spike pretended to mishear what the Slayer had whispered to him. He was still evil, you know. "You adore dirty poems, luv? I have the perfect one to tell you. I heard it at kitten poker the other night. There was a demon from Nantucket..." Spike stopped speaking when Buffy clapped a hand over his mouth.

Buffy had seen where the joke was going. She hissed loudly at her mate, "Not in front of Dawn. I said nerdy poets, not dirty poems." This caused the others to start giggling.

Spike blanched even paler than normal, until he realized that the laughter the others were engaged in wasn't cruel. He even managed a chuckle or two himself before Xander decided it was his turn to speak up.

"See, this is what they took away from me. A guy to make jokes with," Xander announced, "There are just some things that only another male understands." He sighed. He'd spent the last several years feeling like the odd man out in a sea of estrogen when he was suppose to have had a true male friend instead.

"Did you just call me a guy, Harris?" Spike snarked.

Xander thought about what he had just said, and he chuckled, "I guess I did." Xander sensed the return of what he felt towards the vampire before Giles's hate spell. He remembered bonding over jock terrorization and pool. It made Xander ashamed of how he treated Spike for the past couple of years. Xander put his best foot forward, and he took a leap. "I'm sorry about how I've treated you the past few years. I hope we can be friends, again."

"No worries, mate. Can't help what you can't remember." Spike stuck his hand out towards the other man. "I seem to remember your pool playing skills have improved. Maybe we should get together so I can wipe up the Bronze with your arse."

Xander narrowed his eyes at the vampire, and then his face broke out in a grin. He grabbed Spike's hand. Xander teased, his voice full of confidence, "I'd like to see you try."

"We'll make it a double date. Me and the Slayer and you and the demon-bird," Spike announced. The years of hate filled taunting disappeared, and it was replaced by the banter of two long lost friends.

Dawn laid her hand on Buffy's arm to get her attention. "What was this Will like?"

"Oh Dawnie, he was..." Buffy bit her lower lip when she glanced up at Spike from under her lashes, "Beautiful. You could see the chord that connected him to his earthly body. It was so ... eflugent."

"Slayer," Spike growled in caution.

"Well, he was, Spike," Buffy assured her mate, "And it was. The chord was as bright as a sun. Edith had one, too, but it wasn't as bright as Will's. We won't talk about Liam except to say I should have kicked him harder in the nuts in the mall."

"What about the bitch?" Spike asked. He was curious about where Darla was in this little story of Buffy's. Spike ignored the curious looks the others gave him.

"Will said she disappeared some time ago, and she hadn't returned. I think Cordy can tell us about Darla," Buffy answered. She turned her attention from Spike to Cordelia.

"Last year Wolfram and Hart somehow resurrected Darla," Cordelia announced, "Before you say she was dusted by Angel. Yeah, she was, but they undusted her and made her living. Well, and dying, too."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"Grandmum loved to brag that the Master rescued her from her deathbed," Spike informed the redheaded witch, "Seems she was dying from that nasty little disease Harris had for Thanksgiving just a couple of years ago. Of course, hers wasn't a mystical curse from Native Amercian vengeance spirits. She was a whore."

"Why the hell would anyone bring back that... ?" Dawn was at a loss of word for the right word to call Darla, but that was a good thing since both Spike and Buffy were giving her a look that said 'you better not continue that question'.

"Wolfram and Hart wanted Angelus to reemerge." Cordelia seemed to be lost in her memories. "They didn't get the reaction they expected." She shuddered as she remembered the events of the previous winter.

Spike glanced at Buffy to gauge her reaction to what Cordelia said, and he felt her reassurances of his place in her life pass over him. He smirked down at her when he reminded her of one of their past bad experiences that involved chains and jealous exs. "That's when he let the bitch and Dru eat the lawyers, isn't it?"

Cordelia gasped, "How did you know that?" She was quite sure Angel hadn't shared any confidences with the Sunnydale people.

"Had a right informative little visit from Dru this past spring. Didn't we, pet?" Spike directed his question to Buffy.

"You didn't mention dead lawyers, though, Spike," Buffy replied. She arched an eyebrow at the vampire.

"Had our own little drama goin', luv," Spike continued to smirk at Buffy.

Buffy looked down at her hands in shame as she remembered her reaction to Spike's declaration of love. The cruel jibes paired with the disinvite spell had caused more heartbreak in the amorous vampire. Buffy's own fear of rejection caused the Slayer not to reveal that her own feelings towards Spike had changed. "I was scared of you, too, Spike."

"Ah luv," Spike whispered. He gathered his mate into his arms and into his lap. Spike was privy to the inside info on all of Buffy's past relationships, and that was before they reestablished the claim.

"The things I did and said before I died," Buffy murmured, "If you rejected me right now, I wouldn't blame you." She played with a button Spike's duster, and she pushed her lower lip out into a bit of a pout.

Spike looked at the quivering lower lip, and he growled, "Pouty." He curled his tongue behind his upper teeth when Buffy's head shot up, and she stared into his eyes.

"You gonna get it?" Buffy whispered. She smiled into the kiss that Spike planted on her lips. "Oh, stop." Memories of their brief engagement during Willow's "Thy Will Be Done" spell emerged, and she felt herself melting further into Spike's embrace.

Spike pulled slightly away from Buffy. "You've made me the happiest man in the world. Do you really think I'm goin' to reject you now that 've got you right where 've always wanted you?"

Buffy wiggled around on Spike's lap, and she shoved her hands into her jeans pocket. When she pulled her hand out of her pocket, the others saw a flash of silver that she quickly dropped into Spike's hand.

"Forgot you never gave that back, pet," Spike remarked. He gently put the silver skull ring on Buffy's left hand. "I can't believe you kept it."

"Not every day a girl gets engaged," Buffy said in return, "Even if it is to her mortal enemy." She smiled up at Spike when she cupped his jaw with her hand.

"Can I be blind, too?" Xander teased. He grinned when Spike and Buffy turned to stare at him, and the three of them burst out laughing. Everyone, except an extremely bored Anya, looked at them like they were crazy.

"You guys are really weird," Dawn grumbled.

"No, they're just pretending that Willow's spell happened again, and they're engaged again. Xander wants to be blind like Giles." Anya grimaced as a thought hit her. "Does that mean because you announced your engagement before mine, I have to wait to get married until after you do?"

"Anya!" Xander got a 'deer in the headlights' look on his face. "We agreed we weren't supposed to say anything till the time was right."

"Well, Spike and Buffy basically announced their re-engagement," Anya pointed out, "So why can't we announce ours?"

"I think you just did, demon-girl," Spike chuckled around his words. He refused to relinquish his grip on Buffy as she struggled in his lap. After a few seconds she resigned herself to being trapped against the vampire's body.

"Congratulations Anya, Xander," Buffy said from the confines of Spike's arms. The others seemed to have been waiting to see Spike and Buffy's response to the announcement. As soon as they saw the blonde couple's reaction to the news, the rest gathered around the darker haired couple to ooh and ahh over Anya's ring.

Spike held up Buffy's hand with his ring on it. He whispered into her ear. "I'm goin' to get you something a lot nicer than this."

Cordelia suddenly began to sneeze violently. She pressed her fists to her head when she spat out the word vision from between gritted teeth.

"Grab her before she falls," Spike shouted loudly. He recognized the signs of a person having a violent vision.

Xander and Willow grabbed the oblivious Cordelia and helped her back into her chair. Anya rushed to the bathroom for cool rags after Spike informed her that the woman would probably have a killer headache when the vision was over. Tara gathered ingredients for a spell to help ease the headache. Buffy and Dawn sat out of the way, and they let the others do the work for a change.

"Woozy," Cordelia muttered groggily. She moaned in pleasure when Anya gently laid a cool rag on her forehead. "I saw Buffy fighting a demon, but it's incorporeal. Willow and Tara chanting ... the demon is solid ... Buffy kills it." She sighed in relief as the small spell that Tara chanted took the edge off her pain.

"Have the nose bleeds started yet?" Anya asked in a very serious voice. She barely noticed the others looking at her as she continued on. "I've seen it before. Humans just are not strong enough to handle the visions sent by the Powers That Be. You've lasted longer than any of the others."

"What's going to happen to her?" Tara asked quietly. She could sense how much pain the ex-cheerleader was in. If this happened every time, the gentle hearted Wicca had no idea how Cordy kept a smiling face.

"First there are headaches that debilitate the seer. Then the nose bleeds start," Anya replied very matter of factly, "Usually that's followed by a gradual loss of brain function until the day the vision actually causes the brain to be scrambled. This usually leaves the seer either dead or brain dead."

"I-I didn't know it would do that," Cordelia gasped. She covered her face with her hands. "I finally have a good purpose for being in the group besides being the bait and it's going to get me killed anyway."

"Well, if you were a demon it wouldn't," Anya continued to speak in her matter of fact tone, "Of course there are very few ways for a human to become a demon. There are vengeance wishes. I remember this one time a few years before Giles so rudely smashed my pendant; a sweet young thing in Rio De Janeiro said that her boyfriend was slimy horny creep, So, she wished that's what he looked like. I turned him into a Chaos demon."

"Anya, the matter at hand, please?" Willow stated. She had no desire to listen to any of the ex-vengeance demon's stories even if they did pertain to what was happening.

"Oh sorry. So, vengeance wishes, the Powers that Be could actually change you into a demon or find a parasitic demon like a vampire to host inside your body." Anya finished in a hurry.

"I don't want to be a vampire," Cordelia screeched. This made her head throb, and she pressed her hands to her temples. "Ow. Ow. I don't want to be evil."

"Too late for that," Willow muttered. She didn't notice the looks of rebuke that Tara and Dawn gave her.

"Not all parasitic demons are evil," Anya replied, "They just don't reveal themselves like vampires do. The most common are known as the Penhuibin. They are a form of non-corporal angel."

"If they don't reveal themselves, how are we going to find one?" Buffy asked.

"That's no problem," Anya announced confidently, "Hassib at the Donut Drive-thru is a Penhuibin."

Xander's jaw actually dropped, and he sputtered, "How long has he been a demon?"

"How should I know? I just know he was already a demon when I met him," Anya replied. She sat down in her chair, unconcerned that she just shocked her fiance into near speechlessness.

"You met him on our first not-a-date," Xander sputtered some more, "That was 2 years ago."

"Yeah, so?" came the bored answer.

"Can we get back to me and the fact my brain is going to turn mush?" Cordelia grumbled, "Damn that Doyle. Why couldn't he have kissed someone else? Like say Angel." Cordelia thought about her coworkers in Los Angeles, and she jolted to attention as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh my God, I didn't tell Wes I was coming here."

"You can use the phone, but I expect to be compensated for the long distance charges," Anya declared. She showed Cordelia where the phone was, and the rest of the room tried hard not to appear like they were eavesdropping as the brunette seer made her call.

Cordelia dialed the familiar number, and then she fiddled with the cord while she waited for someone to answer. "Hey, Wesley." Cordelia paused. She looked at the others in the room. "Funny you should ask that. I'm in Sunnydale with the old gang. Is Angel close by?"

The Scoobies waited with baited breath for Cordelia to continue her conversation. They knew that when Angel found out that the reason the spell was broken was because Buffy had asked for it, that the broody vampire would rush to Sunnydale.

"No. I do not want to talk to him. I'm very mad at him right now." Cordelia gave the Scoobies a little smile. "You tell him he has a lot to make up for right now." Cordelia paused for a few very long minutes as she listened to what Wesley had to say. "You want to know who's here? Well, the whole gang. You know Willow, Xander and their girlfriends. Dawn too, of course. You won't believe how much she's grown. Spike's also here with his..." Cordelia hesitated for just a second. "mate."

The Scoobies jumped a little when Cordelia held the phone away from her ear. They could hear a voice yelling over the phone line. They all began to laugh when, after a few minutes, Cordelia hit the receiver on the counter a few times.

"Please give the phone back to Wesley," Cordelia declared hotly, "You're not the boss of me, Angel." She listened for a few more minutes before she growled, and she shoved the phone receiver out to the group. "Someone else talk to him before I do something really stupid like wish vengeance, again."

The Scoobies looked at the receiver like it was an acid spitting snot demon of unknown origins. They stared at Cordelia with wide eyes until she finally pushed the phone towards Buffy who buried her face in Spike's neck. Everyone could tell that Buffy wasn't ready to speak to the other Aurelian vampire. She curled into Spike's body and allowed him to soothe her with his purring.

Finally Xander had enough. Listening to Angel complain, plead and attempt to bribe Cordelia while he apparently held off the other people at his end of the phone prompted the young man to leap to his feet and grab the receiver from Cordelia's hand. "Hello, Deadboy," he deadpanned.

Chapter 5

"Xander, I want to speak to Buffy this instant," Angel demanded. He frowned when he heard Xander's dark chuckle.

"What makes you think she wants to speak to you?" Xander asked. He glanced over at Buffy who still looked like she was attempting to crawl inside Spike's body. "I think we have a handle on the situation. We don't need your meddling."

"I am not meddling, and I resent you implying that," Angel growled.

"Oh, so going along with Giles to rob of us our memories, not telling us about it when you did find out and telling Buffy to find a 'normal' guy all the while knowing she had someone......"

"Spike is not a someone," Angel broke in on Xander, "He's an evil, soulless demon who will turn on you in a heartbeat." He deftly avoided the memories that threatened to flood his mind.

"No, Deadboy, that's your job." Xander chuckled darkly again. He grinned for his audience.

"Tell me again why I'm speaking to you, Harris?"

"Because no one else wants to speak to you." Xander glanced at a piece of paper Cordelia pushed into his hands. "However Cordelia wants Wes to come to Sunnydale to discuss something with her." Xander paused when it became clear that Angel had finally handed the phone to Wesley. "Hey Wes..." He trailed off when Cordelia grabbed the phone from him.

"Wes, these visions are killing me," Cordelia said in a rush, "I need you to come to Sunnydale after you research for me. Have you ever heard of the Penhuibin?"

"I believe so," Wesley replied, "They are a non-corporal angel, correct. What's this got to do with your visions?" He jotted down notes in his journal.

"I'll tell you when you come to Sunnydale," Cordelia informed the ex-Watcher. "Do you think Fred will come out of her room so she and Gunn can come, too?"

"I have no idea, but the least I can do is ask. Do you want Angel to come with us?"

"Not really, but if you can't stop him, don't worry about it," Cordelia answered. "Meet us at the Magic Box." She gave Wesley the address before she hung up.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thought I'd find you out here, pet," Spike announced himself to his mate. He smiled down at her gently while he sat down next to her. Spike noticed her reaction to him was a marked difference from the last time they had sat together on the back porch of the Summers' house. His smile widened when she slid over next to him to loop her hands around his bicep and rested her head on his shoulder.

Buffy watched as Spike dug his cigarettes and lighter out of his duster pocket. She studied hands that tapped out a cigarette and placed the filtered end between his lips. Buffy thought it was cool the way he lit his cigarette one-handed. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're smoking?"

"No, don't believe you have, luv," Spike smirked. He pulled smoke deep into his undead lungs, and he expelled it away from Buffy. "How come you're not in bed?"

"You weren't there," Buffy answered in a little girl voice, and then she grimaced, "I was a little worried that I might have some bad dreams. I did last time I dug myself out of a grave."

"I think you need to run that one past me one more time, Slayer," Spike commented. He tapped the ash from his smoke into the ashtray that Dawn had gotten for him while Buffy was gone.

"Before you came to town the first time, there was a little boy who was having nightmares." Buffy shuddered as she remembered some of the dreams that had come to life. "At the time my biggest fear was to be vampire. So, the Master attacked me, threw me in a grave, buried me, and I awakened as a vampire." Buffy paused for a moment. "I dreamed I was buried alive for months. Well, until the Master drowned me, then I dreamed about that instead."

"Wouldn't have had to dig your way out if I had done my job right," Spike muttered, "I do remember what I said. I promised to protect Dawn." He paused to look up at the stars. "If I had done that you wouldn't have had to jump."

"No, Spike." Buffy exclaimed. She put her hand on his chin to turn his face towards her. "You kept your promise to protect her, and you're still protecting her."

Spike continued on softly, his voice riddled with guilt, "Every night after, I'd see it all again. I'd do something different. I'd be faster, or more clever, you know?" He shut his eyes when the tears threatened. What a nancyboy, he thought to himself before he continued, "Dozens of times in lots of different ways. Every night I save you."

"You are not a nancyboy, my big bad," Buffy cooed, and then her tone turned serious, "I came close to telling you how I felt that night when you said you were a monster. You're not a monster, Spike, and despite your protests, you're not evil either. I could never love someone who was entirely evil." She smiled sweetly at her mate.

"I love you, Buffy," Spike whispered. He crushed out his cigarette butt, and then he turned back to the Slayer. Spike slid his hand along Buffy's jaw line until he was cupping the side of her head in the palm of his hand. "'m gonna kiss you now, luv."

"Mmmm," Buffy murmured when their lips met. Her eyes drifted closed, and she could see stars behind them as Spike rubbed his tongue along her lower lip. Buffy opened her mouth to allow him entry. Their tongues entwined, and soon she was whimpering.

Spike pulled away slightly to speak, "Love the sounds you make, pet." He didn't get to say anything else before Buffy had her lips pressed against his again. Spike wasn't surprised at all when she crawled into his lap, and her hands crept inside his duster to glide along his back.

Buffy broke away from Spike's mouth, and she laid her head on his shoulder. She couldn't resist reaching out to playful lick the bite marks she had left on his neck. Buffy was delighted when a shudder passed through her vampire.

"Careful there, luv. I have no plans on ravishing you tonight." Spike tightened his grip on Buffy. "But if you keep that up..." He groaned deep in his chest when Buffy pressed her lips to the marks. His eyes drifted shut as his mate allowed all her feelings for him flow to over and through him. "It's a good thing I have the chip, luv, or I'd have your Watcher's guts for garters," Spike hissed.

"That's gross, Spike, but I don't blame you. I'm pissed at Giles, too." Buffy scrunched up her nose. "He's coming here and I have no idea what to say to him. If only he hadn't of cast that damned spell on us our lives would have been so different." Her eyes filled with tears.

"I know, Slayer, but we'll suss it out when he gets here," Spike said in a comforting voice, "But I think it might be best to be prepared for the poofter showing up with the other Watcher tomorrow. The Cheerleader's brassed off good and proper at him."

"Yeah, Cordy's good at being pissed at people. She's why Anya is here," Buffy giggled. "Angel's in for some big time groveling before he's in her good graces again."

"What about you, luv? His puppy dog eyes and groveling gonna put him in your good graces?"

"I hardly think so, Spike. I have my vampire right here in my arms." To emphasize her point, Buffy threw her arms around her mate, and she pressed herself closer to him. She whispered in his ear in a flirtatious manner, "Is that a railroad spike in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

"Vixen," Spike growled. He stood up with the Slayer still in his arms. "Time for good little girls to go to bed." Spike crossed the porch to the back door.

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

Spike woke up flat on his back with the Slayer holding him down to the mattress with her body. Her leg was flung over his thighs, and her arm was flung over his chest. Her face was buried in the crux of his neck with her soft cheek against her original claim mark and her hot breath caressing her new claim mark. Spike shuddered When he remembered the night before when during some very sweet kissing Buffy had sought out the mark on his shoulder and reclaimed the spot as hers.

Buffy snuggled closer to Spike even though really she couldn't get any closer to him than she already was. "Mmm. My Spike," she whispered, "Thank you for saving me in my dream. I didn't know you could do that."

"Me either, pet," Spike quietly replied, "Maybe we should take a look at that book of the demon-girl's." He tightened his arms around Buffy, and he brushed his lips along her forehead.

"Sounds like a plan, but for now I'm staying right here in bed with you." Buffy sighed. "I can't believe I had to slay something the first night home." She stopped talking as she thought about something. Did Willow seem a bit off to you last night? Buffy asked silently.

Glad 'm not the only one that noticed it, luv, Spike answered silently, She seemed pretty proud that she was able to bring you back.

She only opened the door. I was the one that stepped through it. Buffy stroked Spike's chest. She followed the path of her hand with her eyes, delighted to see goosebumps form on the cool, pale skin. When she raised her eyes to his, she got caught in his lustful blue gaze. I had to come back to you.

What about William?

All Will did was show me how so very much he's still connected to you. Besides, I love your demon, too. Buffy paused to plant a kiss on Spike's nearest nipple. Man and monster equally. Don't flip out now when I say this. Please listen to me. I could never do that with Angel. Not because I didn't want to but because...

"Angelus wouldn't let you," Spike finished for the Slayer. Before he could continue there was a soft knock at the door.

"A-m I interrupting anything?" Tara asked in a soft voice, "C-can I talk to you?"

"Come on in, Tara," Buffy answered, "We were just talking." She pulled away from Spike, and she sat up.

Tara opened the door to come in, but she glanced back out into the hall before she closed the door behind her. She crossed to the bed where she made a little gesture while she whispered a little incantation. Tara smiled shyly when Spike and Buffy looked at her with curiosity. "J-just a little muting spell. I-I'm worried about Willow. She was intentionally cruel to Cordelia after you two and Dawn left the Magic Box last night."

"What did she do, pet?" Spike asked. He sat up next to Buffy, but he was careful to keep the sheet around his waist even though he still wore his jeans. Spike had no intentions of embarrassing the shy Wiccan.

"W-Willow said that Cordelia didn't need to become a demon because she was a demon all-already because o-otherwise Xander would have never gone out with her," Tara stammered in a whisper. She played with the hem of her shirt nervously. "But that wasn't the worse part. T-then Willow said that..." Tara trailed off as she glanced up at Buffy and then back down at her hands.

"Lay it on us, Glinda," Spike declared, "It can't be that bad." He smiled encouragingly at Tara. Spike had a soft spot for the gentle Wiccan ever since he had popped her in the nose to prove she wasn't a demon.

"When Cordelia left she was telling Xander how arrogant Giles was for doing the spell to break the claim and make you forget while praising herself about the spell to bring you back," Tara's voice gained in confidence as she told the events of the night before. "When Anya went to say something, Willow's eyes flashed black. It scared me, and she's using her powers for stupid little things like starting the bath water while she's still in the bedroom."

"God, does this mean I have to confront Willow, too?" Buffy groaned, "Can we just run away now?" She turned pleading eyes towards Spike.

"As much as I would like to load Dawn, Glinda and you into the DeSoto and get away, luv," Spike rubbed Buffy's back as he spoke words of support. "I don't think that's the solution."

"Yeah. I figured," Buffy groaned, "I just don't know what to say to Willow." She turned so she could bury her face in Spike's neck again. Buffy was still feeling a bit worse for wear.

Tara turned her head to stare at the door. She turned back with her eyes open wide and filled with terror. Tara opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Spike saw the look on Tara's face, and he immediately understood that there was the possibility that Willow was standing outside the bedroom door. He racked his brain for some mundane conversation to start when the words engagement party popped into his mind, and he began to speak, "So, Glinda, you want to do an engagement party while the L.A. gang is here. Kinda short notice, don't cha think?"

"I-I don't know Cordelia that well, b-but I thought she might want a little celebration," Tara stammered, "Dawn and I could run out and gather some supplies. I-it'll be kinda limited because of funds, though."

Willow barged into the bedroom. "We don't have to worry about decorations. I'll just conjure some up. And, presto in a few hours there's no clean up. No biggie."

Spike smirked at Tara while he ignored Willow's comment. "'ve got some dosh, pet. The Gem of Amara wasn't the only part of the treasure I found." As he fully expected, Buffy pulled away from his neck to give him the evil eye.

"So, we didn't need to pay you for your services?" Buffy arched her eyebrow at her mate.

"Had to do something to keep my negotiating skills up." Spike curled his tongue behind his teeth. His eyes sparkled with merriment as he teased his Slayer.

Willow seethed with anger. Instead of taking her up on the offer of magical decorations, Spike and Buffy ignored her. So, she turned to Tara. "Tara, sweetie. You know I can do this. It's such an easy spell."

"Y-you're using too much magic, Willow," Tara stammered. When she saw the flash of black in her girlfriend's eyes she trembled, but she decided now wasn't the time to back down. She had Spike and Buffy's support behind her. "You're using it for small, stupid things."

"I agree with Tara, Wills," Buffy stated. She turned to look at one of her oldest friends, and she didn't miss the little flash of black that passed through the redhead's eyes. "You need to back off, and stop using magic for every little thing."

Willow narrowed her eyes. "You liked it just fine when I was your 'big gun'. Besides you should be grateful that I brought you back from the dead." She stood defiantly as if she wanted someone to cross her. Willow knew she was right in bringing Buffy back. No one could deny that for sure.

"You opened the door, Willow." Buffy shot to her feet. "I was the one that went through it. I am grateful you opened the door, but did you even think about what you were doing when you did the spell?"

"Magic has consequences. Always," Spike stated emphatically, "'ve always said that."

"Don't be a hypocrite, Spike," Willow growled, "You did a spell to save Dru. Then, later you kidnapped Xander and me for a love spell."

"I paid for my actions with that little spell to cure Dru, didn't I?" Spike spat out, "Spent months in a soddin' wheelchair. I knew there would be consequences to the spell. I had just tried everything else on the bloody planet to cure her." Spike stood up from the bed, and he smirked when Willow squeaked and hid her eyes. "Have you ever seen a vampire die of garlic poisoning, Red? It's not a pretty sight. The only reason Dru survived long enough to make it from Prague to Sunnyhell was because as a fledge I decided I wasn't going to be affect by garlic. So, I started to ingest small quantities. 've built up some immunity."

"H-how did you do that?" Tara stammered. She had seen Spike demolish a plate of spicy wings at the Bronze before, and she had been curious even then how he was able to do that. Especially since the smell of garlic literally poured from the spicy meat.

"When I was a fledge, Angelus loved to talk about different torture techniques." Spike grimaced at the memory. "One that he talked about but never had the patience to do was to feed poison to a person 'til their body was so saturated that they themselves became poison to others."

"What's that got to do with this?" Willow sneered. She hated the way Buffy and Tara were eating up every word coming out of the vampire's mouth. The shift in her thought patterns had been so slow and insidious that she hadn't realized they had changed.

Tara's head shot up, and she searched Willow's aura. Something was definitely off, but the Wiccan couldn't tell what it was exactly. Her girlfriend's usually bright and sharp aura colors were becoming muddy and sickly looking. Tara glanced quickly at Spike and Buffy, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with their perfectly matched coronas.

Spike noticed the gentle Wiccan's preoccupation with Willow. He knew she read auras, and he wondered what she was seeing in Willow's. Spike smirked at Willow, and he began to speak, "Not a thing, Red. Just sayin' is all. I knew what I was doing, and I was willing to accept the consequences of m'actions. You, on the other hand, are as arrogant as the Watcher."

"I am not," Willow screeched, "I've never played with anyone's memories, and I resent the implication that I'm anything like Giles." She whirled around and left the room.

Spike, Buffy and Tara could hear Willow stomp down the stairs. In another few minutes, they heard the front door open and slam shut. A few minutes after that, the three flabbergasted occupants of Buffy's bedroom heard Dawn coming up the stairs.

Dawn paused in the bedroom door. "What the heck just happened with Willow? Her eyes were all flashy black." Dawn shivered at the memory. "She was muttering something about 'showing them'."

"That can't be good," Buffy muttered. Then she addressed Dawn's question. "We told Willow that she was using too much magic, and she didn't like it."

"Well, she really is," Dawn replied. She moved inside the bedroom door. "She was using magic to sweep the kitchen while making pancakes this morning. I felt like I stepped into Mickey Mouse's Fantasia housecleaning fantasy." Dawn crossed to the window seat, and she settled herself there.

"Either of you know how it went with Cordy and Hassib?" Buffy asked. She knew that the Seer and the Penhuibin had planned on meeting earlier in the day to go over the ceremony to welcome Cordelia into the angel-demon's close-knit family.

Dawn and Tara giggled together before Dawn answered Buffy's question. "I stopped in at the Magic Box during lunch, and from what I saw it was going fabulously. Hassib's been hiding his cutting wit behind doughnut sales all these years."

"Oh, yes." Tara nodded happily. "He got the rest of the family to come by. They adore Cordy." Tara paused for a moment while she got a pained look on her face. "Only problem that we might have is A-angel. He called here and the Magic Box demanding to talk to either to you, Buffy, or Cordy. He was very adamant about Cordy not accepting anything from the demon until he was in Sunnydale."

"Bet that went over like a lead balloon," Buffy muttered. She sat back down on the bed, and she leaned into Spike who pulled her close against his body. Buffy felt in need of some food, in need of more sleep and in need of a shower.

"'ve got money," Spike announced out of the blue, "Dawn knows where I keep it. Why don't you two ladies go get the party favors while the Slayer and I finish our nap and get some food in us?" He smiled down at Buffy when she sighed and closed her eyes.

"That sounds great, guy." Dawn hopped to her feet. "Let's get going, Tara. I am in need of shopping goodness." She bounced out of the room in search of her purse and jacket.

"Are you sure you should have let her have free reign with your loot, Spike?" Tara asked. She was surprised that the vampire was being so free with his cash.

"That's just emergency money, Glinda," Spike chuckled, "You really think I'd tell a Summers woman where I hid my dosh? Born shoppers, they are! Break the bank in a heartbeat." His chuckle became a full-blown laugh when his mate smacked him playfully across the chest.

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

Willow watched from the behind the tree across the street from the Summers' house. First Dawn and Tara came out happily planning for an engagement/celebration for Cordy party. She grimaced when she thought about the dark haired Seer that was visiting Sunnydale. All of her animosity towards the other woman pushed to the forefront of her mind.

Willow's mind wandered to the conversation with Spike and Buffy that Tara had muted. She knew it was about her, otherwise why would Buffy have turned on her? Spike's opinion didn't count, because, well, he was Spike. Willow pushed the fact that Buffy genuinely cared for the vampire out of her mind as she made up her plan.

"They think I'm using too much magic? They think Giles is the only one powerful enough to make them forgetful?" Willow muttered. Her voice seethed in jealousy. "I'll show them."

Willow jolted awake when she heard Spike and Buffy's voices floating across the street. She had no idea how long she had slept, but it was now dusk. It was just dark enough that Spike could leave the house without the worry of burning up. Willow listened to the blond pair who giggled and joked their way down the sidewalk. She was amazed at how much their teasing sounded like the snarky banter they had engaged in before Buffy's death.

Willow shook herself out of the reverie. She peeked out from behind the tree, and she watched Spike and Buffy walk down the sidewalk holding hands. Willow waited another five minutes before sneaking across the street to let herself into the Summers' house. Even though she knew there was no one in the house but her, she crept up the stairs into the room she shared with Tara. Willow grabbed one of the books on magic. She knew exactly which spell she wanted, and she was sure she had the ingredients all ready in the house. Willow grinned when she found the incantation she planned on using. Oh yeah, people were going to start respecting her now, she thought to herself.

Willow gathered her ingredients, and she went back downstairs. In the living room, she knelt in front of the fireplace where she pulled a large piece of Lethe's Bramble from a bag, and she placed it in the grate. "For those who mock me, this I char."

Willow struck a match on the bricks, and she set the Lethe's Bramble on fire. Then she continued with the incantation, "Let Lethe's Bramble do its chore. Purge their memories grim, of knowledge of recent slights and sins."

Willow reached into a small pouch on her belt, took out a clear crystal, and held it in the flames. "When the fire goes out, when the crystal turns black, the spell will be cast." She pulled the crytsal out of the flame. "Tabula Rasa. Tabula Rasa. Tabula Rasa."

Willow smiled to herself while she put the crystal back into the pouch on her belt. She knew it would be only a matter of time before things would fall into place. Willow hopped to her feet, and she left the house whistling a merry little tune. She failed to notice the spark that leapt from the Lethe's Bramble in the fireplace to the bag of the same herb she had left laying next to the grate.

"He's evil and soulless, Buffy." Angel spat out. "He's never going to change." He towered over the petite blonde Slayer, but she didn't seem to notice.

"That's bullshit, Angel," Buffy laughed. "You only see things the way you want to see them. He started changing the minute he came to me for help to defeat you and your big rock." She folded her arms across her chest, and she glared at the brunette vampire.

"He did that to get Dru back, Buffy. The only reason he helped was out of selfishness," Angel muttered. He glared at the gleeful vampire standing a few feet behind the Slayer.

"Well, duh. I was there for the whole 'vamps like to talk big' convo, you know." Buffy rolled her eyes. "I saw the look in his eyes when he talked about the big ho."

"He'll leave you, Buffy. If she ever comes back, he's gone." Angel said with the confidence of someone not in the know. "All she's have to do is wiggle her finger at him, and he'll drop you like yesterday's trash." He couldn't understand the snickers that erupted from several different people in the room.

"Spike, baby?" Buffy kept her eyes on Angel, but she directed her speech towards Spike. "Next time you see Dru, stake her for me."

"Sure thing, luv." Spike bounced on the balls of his feet. "But really you should have said something a few months ago when I had her tied up in the basement and I offered." He smirked when Angel's expression turned incredulous.

"Dru came here for a visit?" Angel's voice was laced with surprise. He hadn't expected that. Angel was sure that Dru was finished with the peroxide blond vampire.

"Sure did, Peaches." Spike sighed dramatically. "Nattered on about grandmum becomin' my sis, and how the lawyers got caught in her teeth." He just loved springing surprises on his grandsire. Big hair gelled know it all.

Angel suddenly felt panicked. His eyes darted around to the others in the room before he settled his sight back on Spike. Angel managed to squeak out, and boy howdy did that sound funny, "You know about the lawyers?"

"Keep back, Spike," Xander announced snarkily from his place next to Anya, "You know how much Deadboy likes to light his family members on fire." This little statement caused Buffy to step back towards her mate until her back was pressed up against his chest.

Willow slipped stealthily into the Magic Box in an attempt to avoid a confrontation with Buffy, Spike or Tara before her spell began. So, she was grateful that Angel was taking the full brunt of the Slayer's wrath at the moment. Willow stood behind Angel, and she suddenly felt really woozy. Before she could say anything, she blacked out.

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

The petite blonde woman raised her hand to her forehead. Something was really wrong, but she wasn't sure what it was. She realized her head was laying on something hard yet soft, and what ever it was, it smelled really good. The woman opened her eyes to find a pair of brilliant sapphire blue eyes staring into hers.

Hello, cutie, Blue Eyes thought. He was surprised when he got an answer.

Do you know me? The petite blond answered back.

Not sure, pet. You seem familiar, and how the bloody hell are we talking without moving our lips, Blue Eyes answered. He quickly looked around the room. He could tell they were in a shop, a magical supply shop by the looks of it, and they weren't alone. Not alone here, pet. Maybe we should wake the others up.

The blond couple cautiously got to their feet. They clung to each other while they oddly found total comfort in each other's arms. I think I'm in love with you, the woman thought. She tightened her arms around her male companion.

Blue Eyes looked down into the woman's face, and he smiled. He knew exactly how she felt. Something about her completed him as if they were two halves of one heart. "Which one should we wake first?" he whispered.

The woman studied the others in the room. She counted eight besides herself and her male companion, 5 females and 3 males. Their ages seemed to range from teenagers to late thirties. How the hell she knew that she had no idea. The woman pointed at one of the men asleep at the table in the middle of the room. "Him. He looks like the oldest."

"Right then." Blue Eyes carefully made his way over to the sleeping man. He gently shook the man until he groaned and opened his eyes. "Hey, mate. Do you know who we are?"

"Who you are? I... I... I don't know who the hell I am?" the man sputtered. "But we both sound British." He sat the rest of the way up to look around the room. "This is a magic shop. A ... a real magic shop."

From the other side of the room a deep voice piped up, "Magic! Magic's all balderdash and chicanery." A dark haired man scrambled to his feet, and he jostled his red-haired female companion while he did. He gave the girl a cheesy seductive grin while he drawled, "Hey."

"Um, hey," the redheaded girl returned hesitantly. "Uh, who are you?"

"I don't know, but I do know I want to get to know you," the dark haired man continued to grin at the girl while he winked at her. He waggled his eyebrows at her, and he ran his hand over his hair in a totally smarmy way.

"Ewwww gross, much." The blond woman wrinkled her nose at the flirting. "Quit doing that. It's wiggin' me out." She turned to the blond man she woke up next to, and she sent a thought towards him. You think we associate with someone so ... gross all the time?

I hope not, pet. Something about that git raises the hair on the back of my neck. Aloud he said, "Maybe we should get the others awake, too." He sauntered around the table to touch the young couple sleeping against each other.

The older British man gently awakened the dark haired woman next to him, while the blonde woman woke the dark-haired teenager, and the redheaded woman awakened the dishwater blonde woman. Once they were all awake, the blonde woman asked if anyone knew who they were. When they found out that no one knew who they were or anyone else, chaos ensued.

"Okay, who are you freaks?" the smarmy flirt shouted. He jumped away from the others.

"You don't know me?" the redheaded woman asked. She seemed saddened by the fact.

"Not a fucking clue."

"But you were like," she imitated his smarmy manner, "Oh hey." She sneered her lip at him while she smoothed her hair back.

"Yeah, 'cause I thought you were a girl, and I'd remember you, but ..." His eyes popped out of his head when the redheaded girl grabbed her breasts.

"Well, I am a girl! I'm not sure who I am exactly, but I can tell I'm a girl. I got boobs." She gave the said boobs a little squeeze.

"I was on the floor next to you. I figured we were together," the smarmy flirt yelled. "So, hey, those are my boobs to squeeze." He put his hands out towards the redheaded woman. He stopped when he realized the others were looking at him oddly. "Why are you all staring at me? Is this some kind of psych test? Am I getting paid for this?"

"It's not just you, you moronic git," the blonde Brit drawled. He rolled his eyes at the blond woman by his side. "Does anyone remember anything?"

"Nope," said the dark haired non-British male from the table. He clutched the hand of the strawberry blond woman he had been sitting beside. They had determined that she was wearing an engagement ring so that certainly made him the most likely candidate for her fiancé.
"Well maybe we all got really drunk, and this is some sort of blackout," the dark haired girl from the table piped up.

"I don't think I drink," replied the teenage girl in an uncertain voice. She felt a bit out of place in the room full of adults. She knew one of them must belong to her, and she just hoped it wasn't that smarmy flirt. In fact she hoped it was the blond couple that was curled around each other like they were two halves of a whole.

"I don't see any booze," the engaged woman said and looked around the shop, "I don't feel any head bumps, and I don't see Allen Funt." She tightened her grip on her fiancé’s hand.

"Who?" asked the smarmy flirt. What the hell was the stupid girl talking about? When the others looked at him, he started to panic. "Okay. I'm not panicking. I'm not. I'm really not." His voice raised a notch or two higher. "Stop looking at me like I'm panicking!"

"Hey, take it easy, guy," the blond woman said soothingly. "Okay, no one's hurt, right? None of us look all hatchety-murdery. So, we're probably safe here." She looked around the room. "Where ever here is."

"Why don't we look through our pockets for some identification," announced the older Brit. He felt around his body until he found his wallet in his hip pocket. He removed it, and he flipped through it in search of identification. "Ah, here it is. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. I have a name."

"Oh, I'm Willow Rosenberg," the redheaded woman announced. "Weird name Willow. Oh and I go to U.C. Sunnydale." She showed the ID to the smarmy flirt.

"My name's Tara, and I go to the same college," the shy dishwater blonde girl said. She smiled at the others through the curtain of her hair. "Maybe we're study buddies."

"My name's Alexander Harris," the dark haired young man from the table replied, "But it appears my girl doesn't have a wallet." He smiled down at her.

"Oh, but I have this key around my neck." She lifted the key to show the others. "Maybe I should see if it unlocks the register or something." The others nodded in agreement, and the strawberry blonde woman hurried behind the counter. She crowed when the key worked in the register lock. "Hey, my name is Anya. I run this shop with a Rupert Giles. I wonder which one of you is Rupert?"

"I'd off m'self if my name was Rupert," the blond Brit said sarcastically, "It's all yours, mate." He held his hand up, and he let the smarmy flirt take the newly found identity.

"Neato," the newly named Rupert Giles replied. "I'm a business owner. Bet I make lots of money." He winked smarmily at Willow, again. Only this time he included Tara.

"I'm Cordelia Chase of Los Angeles, California," the dark haired girl from the table said. "Hey, it says here I'm an actress. Wonder if I'm any good?"

"I don't have a wallet," the teenage girl muttered sadly. Now she wouldn't find out whom she belonged to.

"Neither do we," the blond woman declared while she indicated herself and the blond Brit. "Hey look." She pointed at the piece of jewelry around the teenager's neck. "A necklace with your name on it. You're Dawn."

"Or, Umad." Dawn smiled at the shorter woman. "So neither of you have a name?" She smiled at the blond man as well as the woman. They looked so good together. The newly named Dawn just hoped that someday she would find someone she fit with as good as these two seemed to.

"I'm sure we must." The blond woman smiled at the blond Brit. "Maybe we should name ourselves. How about Bob and Joan?"

"Don't bloody think so, luv," the blond Brit growled. "I like Sid and Nancy, myself." He pulled the blond woman against him, and he sniffed her hair. He suddenly realized his senses were heightened, and he felt very protective about certain people in the room.

"No, I don't think so," Dawn disagreed, "I think you look more like Will and Beth." She nodded her head before turning to the others. "I named them. This is Will and Beth."

"Hey, maybe I wanted to call myself Joan," Beth declared. She squinted her eyes menacingly at the teenager.

"No! That is such a blah name." Dawn turned back to Beth, not at all intimidated by the older female. "I don't care what you say. You're not naming yourself Joan, and that's final."

"God, you're a brat."

"Well, you're bossy."

"Do you think we're ... sisters?" Beth and Dawn exclaimed together. They immediately began to hug one another. Then Beth turned to the others. "I think we need to find some help. I think the hospital is our best bet."

Before anyone could respond to Beth's hospital suggestion, the door of the shop opened and a distinguished looking older man stepped into the store. He looked around at the group with a certain amount of uncertainty on his face. The expression turned to astonishment when the smarmy flirt rushed forward with his hand out for a handshake.

"Welcome to the shop. My name is Rupert Giles." The dark haired man shook the older man's hand. "Over there is my partner, Anya. Can we sell you something?"

"Angel, are you completely daft?"

"No, I don't think I'm daft." Angel turned to look at the others. "Do you all think I'm daft? What does daft mean?" He turned back to the other man. "You know us?"

"Of course I know you all," Giles replied indignantly. "Really Buffy, what is going on around here? Why the hell is Angel pretending to be me?" He moved towards the petite blond girl.

"I knew your name wasn't Joan," Dawn crowed triumphantly. She giggled when the blond woman gave her a dirty look.

"Well, you picked Beth."

"Well, both Beth and Buffy are formed from the name Elizabeth," Giles replied, and then he pointed to the blond man, "I'm sure Spike doesn't have any ID either, since he never carries any. What did you name him, and why are you naming each other?"

"He wanted to be Sid, but I overrode that and named him Will," Dawn answered. She watched in amazement when Giles burst into laughter.

"What the bloody hell is so funny, mate?" Spike growled. His eyes flashed yellow, but the only one to notice was Buffy.

Calm down, Will, Buffy said soothingly. Somehow Spike suited the blond man's style, but Will just felt more intimate, and for some reason it fit just right. She rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

"Oh God," Giles spoke between sputtering chuckles. "Your name from before was William. I can't believe Dawn was so spot on with your names." He slowly sobered up long enough to study the others in the room. "So, can anyone tell me what is happening here? How about you, Wesley?"

"Well, um," Wesley stuttered before he stood up confidently to continue, "We woke up here, and apparently none of us have any memory of who we are. So we checked our IDs to determine our identities." He pointed at the people as he called out their names. "Cordelia, Alexander, Willow, Tara, and myself had legitimate forms of identification. Anya determined her identity from the key to the register around her neck, and Spike didn't want to be called Rupert. That's how we assumed that Angel was Rupert Giles. Dawn has a necklace, and she in turn named Buffy and Spike. That about covers the progress we had made when you arrived."

"Other than a total loss of memory has anyone else felt anything unusual? Angel? Spike?"

"Only thing I'm feeling is the need to get these two lovely ladies between the sheets." Angel attempted to put his arms around Willow and Tara, but the two women slipped away from the embrace. They both shuddered, and they moved as far away from the smarmy man as they could.

"Must you, Angel. Besides I'm sure Willow and Tara don't need a male influence in their relationship, especially one like yours," Giles commented. He turned to the blond man. "How about yourself, Spike, anything out of the ordinary?"

Spike looked down at Buffy who smiled and nodded at him. He looked up at the older British man, and he replied, "Well, two things really. I've noticed my senses are quite extraordinary, and that Buffy and I can communicate without speaking."

Across the room Tara and Willow were digesting the news that they were in a relationship. They touched hands, and they were surprised at the spark of recognition between them. Tara and Willow sat down at the table, and they scooted as close together as they could, happy to find someone for themselves.

Angel inched closer to Cordelia, determined to find himself a companion, but she rebuffed him with a lifting of her aristocratic nose. He pouted while he thought about what might be wrong with him. Maybe it's my hair. Angel drifted over towards the mirror at the front of the store, but when he looked in it he couldn't see himself. He shrieked while he pointed at the mirror. "Something's wrong! Something's wrong! I can't see myself. I can't see myself. The mirror is broken."

"I'm sure the mirror's not broken, you nincompoop," Spike drawled. He moved to look in the mirror, too. "Look, see there's the others. It's not the mirror. Just you."

"If it's just me, then where the fuck are you, Spike?" Angel asked. He nodded to the place in the mirror where Spike was supposed to be standing.

"Well obviously I'm such a good looking bloke the mirror is jealous." Spike looked the other man up and down with obvious contempt. "In your case it's probably trying to save itself from breaking."

"You guys are weird," Dawn announced, "It's obvious you're both vampires." She flounced over to the table where she flopped down in one of the chairs.

"Vampires are just a myth," Wesley declared. "This is a magic shop. I'm sure it's just a trick of some kind." He laughed wryly. "You know, ha-ha let's have a bit of fun with those that are memory-impaired."

"I'm afraid Dawn is quite right, Wesley," Giles revealed. "Both Angel and Spike are vampires. Their circumstances are unique, and that is why they are with both of our groups."

"What circumstances are those, and who the hell are these groups exactly?" Xander exclaimed. He smiled down at the woman who was still clutching his hand as if she was afraid if she let go something bad would happen. Then Xander glanced at Angel and Spike as if he was gauging how soon they would be attacking anyone.

Now that Spike had moved away from Buffy, Angel decided it was time to try and make a move on the blond woman. He didn't really care that she had showed a marked interest in the blond vampire. Angel knew that all she really needed was to feel the full blast of his charm, and she would fall into his arms. He swaggered awkwardly across the room while he plastered his best seductive grin on his face. "Hey baby."

Buffy wrinkled up her nose, and let out a long 'ewwwwwwww' before hurrying to Spike's side. She pressed herself against the blond vampire while she threw disgusted looks at the other vampire. Angel made her feel icky, and why the hell did his hair look like that?

What the hell is wrong with me? Angel thought. His eyes landed on Wesley. Hmm, maybe the problem is I don't like girls. Before he could act on his thought he was intercepted by Giles.

"Angel, would you please go sit down before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have." Giles indicated a chair next to the front door, far away from the others in the room.

"I have a feeling this memory loss is the result of a localized spell." Giles crossed the room to the bookshelf where he took a book down. He flipped through the pages until he found the spell he wanted. "Willow, can you get me the Tagas root? It should be on the shelf at the front of the shop."

Willow jumped to her feet to help Giles, but in her rush she tripped over the chair leg. She fell to her hands and knees. In the commotion of Giles and Wesley helping her up, she failed to notice the crystal that fell out of her pocket. It rolled across the floor to stop next to Anya's foot. Willow walked carefully to the front of the store.

"Are any of you going to pay for this?" Anya asked. "I'm not sure how we make money if we are always doing spells around this place." She moved to one side when Willow brushed by her while the redhead gathered ingredients at Giles' instructions. "Ugh, I stepped on something crunchy!"

Spike stared into Buffy's eyes as they returned to themselves with full memories. Both of them realized that whatever had happened this time the claim hadn't been covered. It was too strong now. As one, they looked around the room to see horror and shock cross all of the faces except one; Willow. The only expression she had on her face was one of irritation.

Chapter 7

Tara gave Willow a look filled with anger and disgust. She chanced a look at Spike and Buffy before settling her eyes on her lap. Tara felt violated in a way that she had never been before. She now understood how the others had felt when they had realized that their memories had been played with. Tara wondered how Willow had justified to herself the casting of another spell to mess with people's memories.

"What the hell exactly is going on around here?" Giles asked. He gauged the emotions of the others carefully. Xander, Anya, Cordy and Wes expressed simple outrage for having their memories messed with. Angel was holding his head in his hands in what could only be embarrassment. Spike, Buffy, and Dawn had all gathered around the distraught Tara while throwing glares at the unrepentant Willow. "Willow, an explanation, please."

"I don't see why I have to explain anything to you, Giles," Willow replied haughtily. "It's not as if you are without your sins."

"Yes, I know that," Giles answered back. "But I'm starting to regret my actions, Willow. Don't you think that I realize that Jenny might still be here if I hadn't of done that blasted spell back when Spike and Buffy got together?" He rubbed the side of his head while he looked down at the floor.

"What about me?" Dawn announced. "What did I do to deserve you raping my mind? Or Tara? I thought we were your friends! She crossed her arms and glared from her spot beside Tara. "You knew we were all upset about Giles messing with our memories. In fact, I was under the impression you were upset, too."

"You're just a little girl, Dawn," Willow declared. "You know nothing." She looked around the room as she tried to find a sympathetic face.

"Wow, look at the arrogance. Little Willow thinks she's a grown up." Cordelia advanced on the redhead. "You're out of control. Hey, look, everyone! It's our own personal Big Bad right here in the room." The brunette was on a roll, and she ignored Spike's snort of laughter. "Look at you! Is this how you're going to live your life? Taking away people's memories and changing their thoughts to suit your wants and needs?"

"Quite right," Wesley said softly. "You're acting like a scared little girl who's afraid people will not want to be around you unless you make them. You really need some help with your control issues."

"Oh, the Cheerleader and the failed Watcher have said their piece," Willow muttered, "How about the rest of you? Xander? Anya? How about you, oh great and mighty ensouled one?"

"I owe you an apology, Willow." Giles face hardened into that of his alter ego, Ripper. "I always assumed you were the smart one." He smirked at the young red haired witch.

"I am smart, and more powerful than you can ever imagine, Giles." Willow raised her arms in the air, and she started to utter an incantation.

Giles flicked his wrist in an offhand manner. "You are an arrogant little girl who wields her power in the wrong way. What if Buffy had been in Heaven, Willow? Would you have taken the responsibility of removing an angel from her rightful place?"

Willow fell to the floor in a screaming heap. "What did you do to me? My powers are gone!" She scrambled across the wood towards her girlfriend. "Tara, baby, help me. Tell them they're wrong. I need my powers. I can't survive them."

"They're not gone, Willow," Giles replied, "I merely bound them until a time when you are in control of yourself. You can live without them, and you will until you learn to use your magic in a less destructive way. You are not in control of other people's lives. I made that mistake, and it may have cost me everything I hold dear." He marched over to the cowering witch. Giles picked her up off the floor and promptly deposited her into a chair. He turned back to the others, and he announced. "I'll talk to the coven my friend belongs to. I'm sure she will be willing to take Willow in and teach her some control."

"Giles, how did you know I wasn't in Heaven?" Buffy asked quietly. She knew there was no way the Watcher could have known where she had really spent her time while dead.

"I don't really know, Buffy," Giles replied. "The knowledge flashed in my mind when I bound Willow's powers." He pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was trying to stave off a headache.

The bell above the door dinged loudly in the quiet that followed Giles' revelation. A short dark skinned man entered the shop followed by several men and four women covered from head to toe in black garments. "Cordelia," he sang out happily. "My family wishes to prepare you for the ceremony. You may pick two of your female friends to accompany you." Hassib looked around the room at the occupants, and he turned to dismiss the men.

"Hassib," Cordelia greeted the man. She rushed over to him, and she hugged him warmly. Then, she greeted each of the women with a kiss to the hand. "I'm so glad you're here. Come meet Wesley." Cordelia dragged the shorter man towards the ex-watcher.

"Ah, yes. The fallen Watcher," Hassib said softly. He leaned in to whisper in Wesley's ear. "False prophesies lead many good men astray."

Hassib's female relatives moved to stand by Cordelia while they indicated they were ready to prep her for the ceremony. Cordelia looked around the room at the women gathered there. She knew she didn't want Willow anywhere near her during this critical time, but Cordelia noticed that Tara could use the distraction from what was going on. The dark haired seer didn't know Xander's fiancé very well. That only left Dawn or Buffy. Cordelia made a quick decision, and she touched Tara and Dawn on their shoulders.

After Cordelia, Tara and Dawn followed the Penhuibin women into the back room, Wesley pulled Hassib to the upper levels to privately consult the man about the upcoming ceremony. The ex-Watcher might not be part of the council anymore, but that wasn't going to stop him from making journal entries.

Angel groaned silently when he remembered how he had acted while under the influence of Willow's spell. He had tried so hard to put the behavior he had indulged in as a human behind him, but it frequently came back to haunt him. He realized that Buffy might forgive him someday for not having Giles' spell broken when he returned from Hell, but she'd never really love him. If she wasn't there as the treasure at the end of the rainbow, what was the purpose?

Willow sulked like a child that the others had accused her of being. Why they couldn't see how great and powerful she was, was beyond her comprehension. She was busily plotting her revenge when Giles' voice echoed through her head. I wouldn't if I were you, Willow. They all love you very much. It would be a shame for you to lose Tara like I lost Jenny because of your stupidity. Willow turned to glare Giles, but was immediately frightened to see that it was Ripper and not Giles staring back at her.

Giles watched while Spike and Xander made plans to meet at the Bronze the following evening for a ruthless round of pool. Buffy and Anya giggled to each other while they watched their posturing men. When Dawn and Tara returned from the storage room, the two of them were immediately included in the little group. Giles noticed that despite the things going on, that the six of them were glowing with happiness. It was only when Tara glanced at Willow, did Giles realize how hurt she had been by the red haired witch's memory spell. He approached the group with trepidation. "I-I just want to say that I'm terribly sorry about what I did, Buffy and Spike. If there's anything I can do to make it up, please let me know. I'll do whatever you ask of me."

Buffy chewed her lip while she studied Giles' earnest face. She knew he probably would do anything to make it up to her, she just wasn't sure she was ready. How was she going to tell her Watcher, the man she thought of as her father, that if he hadn't of played with their lives that she and Spike would have claimed Dawn as family as soon as they knew her identity? That through this familial claiming that when Dawn had been in the locker room at the hospital with Ben, she would have remembered his changeover to Glory?

Spike cupped Buffy's face in the palm of his hand. Tell him, luv. He needs to know. His eyes shifted to the other vampire in the room. They both need to know.

"I know that, Giles. While I can forgive you, you're going to have to earn my ... no, our trust, again," Buffy said softly. "If you hadn't made decisions for us, we could have avoided the whole Glory debacle with a simple familial claiming of Dawn. We would have known about Ben and Glory even before the Council came to visit. We could have disposed of them without Dawn getting hurt or me dying."

"Giles only did what he thought was the right thing for you, Buffy," Angel announced. He leapt to his feet to enter the main area of the Magic Box. Okay, yeah, he protested the initial spellcasting, but that didn't change anything in his eyes. Buffy needed a normal guy to have a normal life with kids and house with a white picket fence.

Buffy turned furious hazel eyes on the brunette vampire. "You, on the other hand, I will not forgive or trust ever again. You knew, and you said nothing."

"You were enemies." Angel protested in his defense. "How could I do that to you, Buffy? I love you."

"No, you love the little girl that you pretend I am, because you never got to know all of me." Buffy smiled up at Spike. "I'm a bitch, Angel. Sorry to say it, but it's true. I'm hormonal, cranky, and downright pissy at time, but you know what? I think that's what Spike likes most about me."

"She's a pistol when she's brassed off," Spike agreed. "But, bloody hell, I love a girl with fire in her eyes." He leaned down to kiss Buffy on the cheek.

Wesley and Hassib came down from the upper level of the Magic Box. Hassib walked around the room, and he stared into each person's face carefully before moving to touch Willow on the forehead. She attempted to jerk away, but Hassib wouldn't allow her to. He looked down at her sadly, and he announced, "You are almost the most powerful person in this room, but you use your need to control as a means to boost your self confidence. You can not witness this ceremony."

Hassib moved to stand in front of Angel. He touched the dark-haired vampire on the forehead. "You have a darkness in you that does not come from your vampiric demon. The Shanshu will never be yours if you do not reconcile your two halves. Man and monster must learn to live as one. You could learn much from your grandchilde. You can not witness this ceremony."

"Spike doesn't have a soul," Angel spit out contemptuously.

"That's where you are wrong, Angelus. His soul stands holding his right hand, leaving his left hand free to fight. Just as he holds her left hand, leaving her right hand to free to fight." Hassib turned to point at Spike and Buffy across the room.

Hassib moved to Giles, and he touched the Watcher on the forehead. "You mean well in your actions, Ripper, but sometimes you pay no heed to the consequences. I hear the laughter of children that should have been. I see you playing with a little girl while smiling up at a beautifully pregnant wife. All is not lost, they will forgive you, in time. You can not witness this ceremony."

Hassib moved on to Wesley. He touched the ex-Watcher on the forehead. "Your power is in your wisdom, but you must have more confidence in yourself. You are many things; a friend with a heart as large as the world, a teacher willing to share your knowledge, and a warrior that outclasses your father and the other prigs at the Council. You are the Father." Hassib directed Wesley to prepare the room for the ceremony.

The Penhuibin walked over to Tara and Dawn. He touched their foreheads at the same time. "You are the Wiccan and the Key. Your powers are untapped and powerful beyond compare, yet no one can quite see you because you hide behind others. Changes are coming, be ready. You are two of the three witnesses." Hassib and the others deliberately ignored the snort that came from the direction of Willow's chair while he directed the two females to Wesley's side so that he could show them their part in the upcoming ceremony.

Hassib circled the table to stand in front of Xander and Anya. The engaged couple were holding hands, and when they started to pull apart, Hassib encouraged them not to. He touched their foreheads solemnly. "You are the female Water, and the male Earth. Without water, the earth becomes parched and barren. Water can shape and mold the earth. Earth can displace water causing a tidal wave. Separately you are mighty forces. Together you create and nurture life. You are the West and the South."

After Hassib directed Xander and Anya to Wesley for supplies and instructions, he moved on to Spike and Buffy. He smiled gently when he saw how close they were standing, and he touched them on the forehead. "You are the female Fire, and the male Air. Fire consumes everything in its path, burning high and bright. However, it is Air that controls it, either by helping it live and leading it in a merry dance or leaving it in a smothering void. You are the East and the North."

Hassib turned away from the Slayer and her vampire to address the room. "I had no plans on including any of you in the ceremony except as witnesses, but when I entered the room I found myself surrounded by the most beautiful group of people I've ever seen. I've never seen so much power in one place before, and I've lived in Sunnydale for decades. Cordelia is lucky to count you as her friends." He turned towards the door to the backroom when it opened. One of his women signaled that they were ready for the ceremony to begin. "Ah, yes, RoseSeri, please send in Brenna and Emmaline so that the witnesses may choose their third companion."

The three dark clad Penhuibin women stood at the back of the Magic Box, and they let Tara and Dawn look them over. The two witnesses looked at each other. Then, they both laid a hand on the middle woman, Brenna. RoseSeri and Emmaline returned to the back room to join Cordelia while the, now three, witnesses returned to Wesley for their supplies.

"Watcher, it's time for you to remove the bound witch and the cursed vampire. The ceremony is about to begin." He waited for the three banished beings to leave the Magic Box before he turned to the others. They each had their supplies, and were waiting to be placed where he needed them. Once placed, Hassib knocked on the back door to let the others know it was time to begin.

Cordelia gulped. This was such a big step, and she wasn't sure she was ready for it. She took several calming breaths when the knock finally sounded on the door. The three Penhuibin women helped her to her feet. Cordelia looked down at the ceremonial robe that now adorned her body. She wasn't sure she was pure enough of heart and soul for the joining. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and her palms became sweaty. Cordelia shuffled towards the door, unsure of what laid on the other side.

Hassib smiled at Cordelia when she laid her hand atop of his. He knew she had misgivings about being good enough to join his family, but she didn't see what he saw. She was a bitch, she freely admitted that, but she didn't see the greatness of her heart and the beauty of her soul. The changes that she had wrought over the past few years were substantial and for the good. Hassib remembered the dark haired woman from when she came into his shop several years before. He could see her growth. Now it was time to get her to see it.

Cordelia gasped when she saw the Scoobies. She had wondered what was going on in the other room, but she had no idea that Hassib was going to include anyone but his women and several witnesses. She composed herself enough to allow Hassib to lead her to the center of the group where they kneeled on two pillows. Between them, laying on its own pillow, was a beautiful ceremonial knife.

"I am Hassib of the Ezot clan. We call upon Avalokitesvara, the Mistress of mercy and compassion. You whom seeketh to bring mortals enlightenment out of their suffering. You with the divine power to assume any form at will. We invite you, Lady of Compassion, to be with us as we honor you and our ancestors. We thank you for your gift of enlightenment and joining, and we ask that you spark in each here spiritual growth. Please awaken in the worthy among us the wisdom of the Old Ones, that we may shine enough to awaken others." Hassib's head fell back as the magic of the ceremony took over his body.

Wesley felt the force of the magic bring forth words making him glad he had been judged fortunate enough to help Cordelia in her hour of need. "I am the father. I freely give of this child. I invite you all to this most sacred of ceremonies." Wesley/Father held his hands out in supplication towards Cordelia and Hassib.

Xander stepped forward with his hand full of sand. He began to walk in a counter clockwise circle around Cordelia and Hassib. While he poured the sand along behind him, his voice deepened from a magical influence, "Here lies the realm of structure, growth, leadership and connection with our deepest roots, those of Earth. We ask for the grounding presence of Earth to be with us here in the realm of the tribal leaders. We ask that all here may know the lesson of Earth - to be silent, to remember." When Xander/Earth completed the circle of sand, he returned to his position to the south of the circle.

Buffy smiled to herself while she caressed Spike's zippo lighter. She flicked it open while she carefully lit the candle she was holding. "Here lies the realm of self-confidence, passion, strength, courage and victory. We ask that the element of fire be among us tonight in this, the realm of the warrior. We ask that all here may know the lesson of fire - to will." Buffy/Fire cupped the flame so it wouldn't blow out.

Anya poured specially blessed water into the goblet she was holding while words magically flowed from her lips. "Here lies the realm of mystical wisdom and intuition. We ask of the presence of the element water in this the realm of the Mystics, the Priestly Ones, tonight. We ask that all here may know the lesson of water - to dare." Anya/Water raised the goblet towards Cordelia and Hassib.

Spike opened his mouth, and he found himself magically singing his words while accompanied by deeply melodic musical chimes. "Here lies the realm of inspiration and the intellect. We ask that the element of air be present tonight in this, the realm of the bards. We ask that all here may know the lesson of air - to know." Spike/Air finished in a rush while he hoped no one ribbed him later about his singing.

When the four elements finished their ceremonial requirements, Wesley felt the magic overtake him again. "Here lies the realm of the Wise Ones, the Old Ones, the Otherworld and the soul. This is the realm of the Spirit. Spirit is ever present; its challenge is to tune in. To consciously connect to the web of life, to experience self as part of all life, all nature and all energy. Mastering inner energies and uniting them with the cosmic energies."

The witnesses began the process of threading a necklace string through clear amulets. When they had finished, they moved forward towards the circle and spoke as one entity. "We call upon Avalokitesvara, the Mistress of mercy and compassion. You whom seeketh to bring mortals enlightenment out of their suffering. You with the divine power to assume any form at will. We invite you, Lady of Compassion, to be with us as we honor you and our ancestors. We thank you for your gift of enlightenment and joining, and we ask that you spark in each here spiritual growth. Please awaken in the worthy among us the wisdom of the Old Ones, that we may shine enough to awaken others." Together the witnesses dropped the amulets inside the circle while being careful not to disturb the sand.

Hassib's body tensed as tight as a bowstring, and a swirling, glittering essence broke itself off from his body. It hovered in the air for several minutes while it glowed and pulsated wildly. It zipped towards Cordelia where it appeared to be caressing her skin with its non-corporeal body. Then, it gently entered her body through her chest.

Cordelia tensed when the Penhuibin entered her body. It wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. She could feel the creature exploring every part of her mind and soul. Cordelia felt a great surge of happiness, and she was suddenly glad she hadn't chickened out of the ceremony. She felt like she had come home after a long journey, or having a feast after a terrible famine. Cordelia looked around at all of the people that had helped her get to this point, and she felt lucky to know each and every one of them.

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

Cordelia entered the main area of the Magic Box, and she was amazed at the transformation. No longer was it the place the ceremony took place, now it was set up for a party. Soft music was playing on the radio behind the checkout counter. The table had been moved to behind the ladder where it was laden with goodies. Buffy and Spike, as well as Xander and Anya, were slow dancing in the middle of the room. Cordelia saw that Fred and Gunn had showed up, and that Hassib was talking to Fred.

"Cordelia, my dear," Hassib said loudly while he announced her arrival into the room to the others. "Winifred is a delightful girl. She was just telling me about her stay in Pylea." He hurried over to the newest member of his family. Hassib knew she wasn't going to traditional like his other girls, because she had a purpose sanctioned by the Powers That Be. He whispered in her ear, "She'll start feeling better now. One thing we Penhuibin's can do is reduce mental anguish. It's not something we do consciously so the more time she spends with you the calmer she should begin to feel."

Hassib led Cordelia to the middle of the room where he announced, "All welcome, Cordelia of the Ezot clan. Seer and favored childe." He grinned when the entire room burst into applause. The females, except Tara, hurried forward to congratulate the brunette. Hassib gestured to his woman, who stood to leave. "Now, I have to make the doughnuts in a few hours. Earth, come by and pick up a few dozen for breakfast, on the house. We leave you to your festivities."

Anya rushed over to take Hassib's hand. "Thank-you so much for including me. It was the most beautiful ritual I've ever participated in." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll give you and any of your family a 5% discount. Just have them say 'Hassib sent me'.

"You are very welcome, Water. Thank you for joining us in the joyous occasion." Hassib looked over Anya's head at the rest of the group. "You also, Warrior, Bard and Earth, Father and Witnesses. Thank you." With that the Penhuibin and his women swept out of the Magic Box into the night.

"So, Bard, huh?" Xander hooted with glee. "You gonna write some poetry for us, Spike?"

Spike smirked at Xander. "No, I'm not! Besides, Bard's better than bein' called dirt." He playfully cuffed the brunette across the back of the head. "Now, how much do you want to bet I can whip your arse in pool tomorrow night?"

Xander chuckled, "If I win you have write Buffy a poem." He slung his arm around the blond vampire's shoulder. "If you win...."

Epilogue

"I can't believe you made Xander read that poem he wrote for Anya in front of the whole gang," Buffy announced from her place on the bed. She watched as her vampire hastily stripped off his clothes. The day had been spent switching Buffy and Tara's bedrooms around. The evening had been spent at the Bronze with the rest of the Scoobies and the gang from L.A. The only conspicuous absences had been Willow and Giles.

"That was bloody hilarious," Spike chuckled. "I have to admit, though. It was pretty good for a first try." He walked towards the bed, uncaring of his nudity. Spike slipped under the covers, and he was pleasantly surprised to find his mate just as naked. He slipped his cool hands around her waist to pull her close.

Buffy sighed when her body fit perfectly next to Spike's. She tightened her arms around her vampire mate and flung one of her legs over his. "This is perfect. I never want to leave this bed ever again."

"Me, either, pet." Spike kissed Buffy's forehead. "Did Giles and Red get off alright?"

"Yep, they drove to L.A. and caught the noon flight for London." Buffy chewed her lip. "It's my fault that Willow did all this stuff. If I had done my job and staked Angelus instead of having her reensouling him this wouldn't have happened."

"Don't you bloody say that, Slayer," Spike snarled. "If it hadn't of been that, it would have just been something else." Spike paused for a moment. "When I kidnapped her and Harris, she was going to attempt a delusting spell on them. So, you see, it's always been there, luv. She has a need to control things instead of letting them run their course."

Buffy buried her face in Spike's neck while she let his soothing thoughts wash over her. She lifted her face to his and moaned when he covered her lips with his. Buffy slid her tongue along Spike's bottom lip while she sought entrance inside. Mmmm, best kisser ever.

Spike chuckled, in spite of himself, when he heard Buffy's admittance. You, too, Goldilocks. He pulled away from his mate, and he stared down into her dazed face. Spike whispered, "We have to keep an eye on Glinda, pet. This has hit her hard."

"I know. We'll all be here for her. After finding out what Giles and Angel did, Willow seemed just as upset as the rest of us." Buffy laid her head on Spike's shoulder. "I hope the coven can help her. I'm gonna miss Willow. Her and Xander are my oldest friends, ever since the first day in Sunnydale."

"Ah, pet. Don't fret. It'll all work out, I promise." Spike vowed solemnly. "Hey, and the Cheerleader got something good out of her trip to Sunnyhell."

"Yeah, she did, didn't she?" Buffy replied. "Did you see her face when Brenna showed up to go with them to L.A? And the rest of them? Wes's in researcher heaven, Gunn's infatuated, and Fred babbles just like Willow. It was so cute." She laughed at the memory.

"Peaches looked more constipated than usual."

"Speaking of Angel, I asked Wesley what the problem is." Buffy twirled her forefinger around one of Spike's nipples. "It seems there's a prophecy about a vamp with a soul, averting an apocalypse and becoming human. Apparently, it's something that Angel's known for a few years, and he's been using it as an excuse for his actions."

"He's always used excuses for his actions, pet. Even back in the day." Spike shivered when Buffy tweaked the nipple she was caressing. "Now come here and give me some crumbs, Slayer."

"All you want is crumbs, Spike?" Buffy giggled, "I had planned on giving you the entire cookie jar."

"Been too damned long since we've been together," Spike growled gruffly. "I've seen the best and the worst in you. You're the one, Buffy. Always the one."

Buffy answered Spike by straddling his hips and licking the claim mark on his shoulder. She groaned when he reached down to hold his erection steady. Buffy flung her head back when he bucked his hips into hers, and his cock slid into her molten pussy.

"Ride me," Spike panted. His hands settled on Buffy's hips. When she sat up, he smoothed his fingers over her golden skin until he got to the full globes of her breasts. Spike gritted his teeth in an effort to stop his orgasm when Buffy began to raise and lower herself on his engorged shaft. He watched while her face grimaced in pleasure.

"Love you, Spike." Buffy looked down at her mate. "Change, baby." When Spike let his demon slip to the surface, she leaned down to run her tongue across his fangs. Her smirk turned to a gasping moan when his hips lifted off the bed, and he slammed his cock deeper into her depths.

The mated pair rolled until the vampire was a top the Slayer. Spike hissed when Buffy trapped his body against hers with her limbs. He lowered his mouth to her breast, and he sucked the nipple into a hardened point while being careful not to gouge her with his fangs.

"I'm different now, baby," Buffy whispered. "Your chip won't work." She arched her back until her breast slipped deeper between his cool lips. Buffy shuddered in wanton need when his fangs sliced open her flesh.

Spike slammed his cock hard into his mate when her blood filled his mouth. He braced his feet against the footboard while Buffy raised one hand to brace herself against the headboard. They hadn't planned on their first time being so wild and frenzied, but their control slipped as soon as they started the oldest dance known to man and vampire.

Buffy buried her face in Spike's shoulder. She felt her teeth enter his flesh as her orgasm took over her body. Her body went taut as if lightening had shot her, and she saw bursts of light behind her closed eyelids. Spike, she screamed into her mate's mind.

Spike squeezed his eyes closed while he lapped at Buffy's blood. He tried to hold on, to ride out her pussy tightening around his cock, but the pain-pleasure intensified with each wave of her orgasm. The final straw was her rapture-filled voice filling his mind. Spike slammed one last time into her willing body before spewing his cool cum against her silken walls.

They collapsed together, panting amid declarations of love and affection. Buffy snuggled up to Spike, at peace at last with her life. Oh, sure there were problems like Willow and the yet unknown Nerd Herd, but the Slayer and her vampire mate lived happily ever after... until the next crisis.

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

"Hello? Cheerleader? Slow down. What? Bloody buggerin' fuck. Yeah, we'll be there as soon as we can. Let me and the Slayer gather the herd. Talk to you then."

The End.