FROM TWO, TO THREE, TO FOUR (Sequel to “ CHANGE OF MIND, CHANGE OF LIFE”)
Author: Lu
Main Characters: Spike/Buffy and…
Disclaimer: I know these characters don’t belong to me
Thanks to: Maribel and Jill for their precious help! And also thanks to Weaver for this part!
Anyway, Sorry for mistakes...

Feedback: I’d like it
Summary: the title says everything. I can’t tell properly what kind of FF is… it’s as dark in some parts as it’s fluffy in some others. Besides, it’s an AU, so .. get yourself ready for very alternative events! Oh, I almost forgot: I’m not very good in the big fights scenes… so, sorry! ;)

PART 1

“ Tell me it again!” Buffy exclaimed, enjoying the wind coming from the rolled up window of the black Desoto that shot along the road.
“ But sweetie, it would be the fiftieth time…” the owner of the car protested, determined to cross with the red semaphore, because there was no chance of their dying in a car crash!
Quite the contrary, that taste of the risk, did nothing but increase their adrenaline.
“ I know, Spike, but I like so much hearing about the first Slayer you killed! I all of your adventures, and you have so many of them…”
“ Of course, pet, I’ve been a member of the ‘ Night time Lovers ‘ Club for more than a bloody century! Although you’ve been subscribed for just three months, we already had a good time full of fun in your town, remember?” he said, turning at a crossroad without even bothering to shift down, making the wheels screech.
But his dangerous and irresponsible driving was on the top ten of the endless list of what Buffy adored about Spike.
“ Sure, that’s what I call a revenge!” she smiled.
“ Yeah, especially when you burnt your former school, I couldn’t have done better myself!” he congratulated.
“ I’ve simply finished the job I had begun a long time ago…”
“ Uh?”
“ I had burnt the Gym, in order to defeat some vampires, but the Principal wasn’t very happy about it, and he expelled me! So, from now on, he can expel no one from it, for two reasons: the school doesn’t exist anymore… and, of course.. he’s dead!” she laughed, contaminating him, too.
“ Speaking of your town… still wonder why you haven’t kill your mother…” he observed, thoughtfully.
“ Well, you saw her when we paid her a visit; you saw how pathetic her life is, if I had killed her, I would have just done her a favor, believe me! By the way, the face she made when she saw you coming out from her bedroom was priceless! And your words: ‘ I’ve just met your man… an exquisite person! ‘, so funny! I wonder how she reacted when she got back in her room… Poor man, I’m sure they barely knew each other, they had just got blind drunk and ended up in her bed, as she always does.. He has just found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time!” and they both ended up laughing again.

“ Well, our road trip is done…” he commented, once they reached their destination.
“ So, kitten, ready to party?” he asked her rhetorically, turning off the car and dragging her to him for a rude kiss.
“ Mm.. sure! I’m sooo in the mood for a riot …” she smiled, straddling him.
“ Anyway, I was wondering if you are in the mood for… another kind of stuff, first…” she whispered, nibbling his ear, while she was taking his duster off.
His only answer, Spike reclined the seat.

After about an hour, they got out from the car and Spike took a look around, sighing contently.
“ Oh, my beloved U.K., I missed you so much!” he exclaimed, with a melancholic look.
“ What can I say, pet? I’m a sentimental guy!” he justified, smiling to Buffy.
“ And now, let’s get to our slaughter!” he added, linking arms with her.
“ One thing I really like’ bout the Watchers is that only their meetings are private, not the place!” the blond laughed as they got in the building.
At the entrance, they found a woman, who stopped them.
“ I’m sorry, but it’s a private meeting, you can’t get in!” she informed them.
Buffy looked at her annoyed, and Spike approached her, covering her mouth as the woman watched him with pure terror in her eyes.
“ Fresh news, my dear; we’re going to meet them. Here’s my business card!” he exclaimed, snapping her neck in a quick move, and throwing the dead body on the floor.
“ Spike! You have just killed a poor innocent woman, who didn’t do anything to you… So, Mr. Gentleman, where are your good manners?” Buffy blamed him, crossing her arms.
He looked at her, tilting his head to one side, not figuring out what it was happening.

< Since when is she bothered by a kill? >

“ Why haven’t you asked me if I wanted to do it, first?” she snorted, rolling her eyes. He smiled.
“ Sorry, pet! Anyway, there’s plenty of people to kill here, and she wasn’t much fun, believe me!” he confessed and she stopped pouting.
Meanwhile, their minions reached them, ready to intervene.
They stood in front of the Main Room, where the Watchers were having the meeting.
Although the whole room was sound proofed, due to their supernatural hearing, the two blondes could hear all the conversation. And the topic one of the Watchers was dealing with was nonetheless Spike.

-- William the Bloody had been seen in Sunnydale few months ago; so he’s back and it also seems that he’s no longer alone… there are some rumors his partner is vicious and wicked and dangerous just like him…--

On the other side, Buffy smiled to Spike.
“ They are talking about me, too, filling me with compliments! They are so nice… maybe I won’t kill them…” she commented, and Spike watched her in disbelief, so she chuckled.
“ Hun, I was just kidding: we are gonna kill them all!”

-- … He left the town again, so I wonder where he might be… --

As the man spoke, the door fell down, making the whole crowd jump.
“ Closer than you can ever guess!” Spike exclaimed, showing the fangs, making his entrance with Buffy, escorted by their gang, which immobilized all of them.
“ Listen, everyone: be quiet and no one will be hurt…” the blond warned them, bursting out laughing evilly.
“ Who am I kidding? Scream, run, fight, be panic-stricken, and do whatever you bloody want; for you it’s over anyway!”
One of the Watchers pointed at Buffy, trembling.
“ Th… The Sl.. Slayer?! But .. you.. you were dead!” he stuttered, in disbelief.
“ Correction, dear: * Former * Slayer…” she smiled, going towards him.
“ … and please, I would prefer un-dead!” she kept talking, confining herself just to show her game face.
Spike had taught her to play with their preys, instead of attacking them immediately, and she seemed to have learnt the lesson perfectly.
In fact, no one had made a move yet: the Watchers were surrounded by Spike and Buffy ’s minions, and the two carried on turning around them, from opposite sides.
The unlucky people, caught off guard, couldn’t escape and had just few weapons at their disposal: few stakes and a couple of crossbows.
One of the watchers, the one who had recognized Buffy, set him free from the minion’s grip and, maybe driven by despair, grabbed a crossbow from the table, determined to hit Spike, but before he could pull the trigger, Buffy sent him to the floor with a vicious kick in his stomach, which made him slip the weapon.
She was the quickest to take it, aiming it to him.
“ Tsk, tsk, bad move! If you like it so much… here, have a taste of your own medicine!” she said, shooting an arrow to his heart.
“ So, who’s the next?” the blonde wondered.

That started a no holds barred fight, where everyone struggled for his existence.
After eliminating four or five people, Spike rushed to his main target: Quentin Travers, the boss of the Council, which, taking advantage of the mess, had tried to escape, uselessly.
In fact, the peroxide blond caught him by the throat, raising him.
“ So, did you want to leave right in the middle of my Party? I’m heart-broken!” he commented sarcastically, tightening his grip, almost suffocating him, but he didn’t wanna do it.
He slackened his grip, putting the man on the ground, but with a punch he smashed him against the wall.
“ Ah, Quentin, Quentin, when will you learn to mind your bloody business? Would you like if I kept a diary with every slightest detail of your whole life? But for you it’s not a problem…” he informed him, pressing him against the wall, with a sadistic smile.
“… your life is gonna end… more or less.. NOW!” he said, biting and draining him.
Spike noticed that Buffy had sunk her fangs into the neck of one of the last victims left: there were few piles of dust, maybe of some fledglings, and lots of corpses and dying people.
“ Well, I guess the party is over!” Buffy commented, throwing to the ground her ‘ snack ‘.
By then, they were the only two people left in the building, their minions had already run away, scared by the coming sunrise.
“ C’mon, my Queen, let’s go home!” he exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her waist and departing with her.
“ Oh, Spiiiiiike, it was a wonderful night, and there’s only a way to end it properly…” she smiled lasciviously, pushing him against the car door of the Desoto, clinging to him and putting a hand into his pants.
“ Oh, baby, bloody good! So, haven’t I satisfied you enough before? You seemed..” but she interrupted him, drawing out from his pocket what she was looking for, and parting from him.
“ Let me drive!” she exclaimed, waving the car-key in front of him.
He smiled.
“ Pet, you know I love you and I can’t deny anything to you, but …NO WAY!” he said, snatching the key from her hands, and putting him at the wheel.
“ You are evil!” she pouted, getting in on the other side.
“ Always, luv!” he sneered, setting the car in motion and shooting along the road.
-------------------------------------
A WEEK LATER (New York)

Buffy dashed into the bedroom of their new mansion.
Finding her Mate still asleep, she jumped on him, shaking him.
“ Spikey, Spikey! Rise and shine, my slacker, I’ve got big news!”
Just the time to finish her sentence, and she found herself with her back pinned on the cold floor and Spike straddling her, tightening his grasp on her wrists and growling against her, even if playfully.
“ What did you dare to call me, luv?” but the violent kiss that followed (showing her that he was anything but a slacker!) prevented Buffy from answering for a long time.
“ Hun, it’s not time to play the battle!” she smiled, setting her free from his grip.
“ You can’t imagine what I’ve found out!” she exclaimed mysteriously, leaving the room.
“ Well, enlighten me!” he struck back, following her to what seemed to be a study: there was a large desk and a shelf of books, mostly about magic, a subject that intrigued Spike.
Buffy sat at the table, where there was an odd book open, on the top.
“ When we had had that Party with the Watchers…” she exclaimed, smiling at the memory.
“… during the mess, I took a souvenir from that place: their Diary! And it’s kinda interesting… it talks about your Sire, you know?” she explained, and he sat close to her, more and more engrossed.
“ It describes the curse, but also the way to take it off…”
Spike lost his initial enthusiasm, hearing those words.
“ So, it’s only that? The way to take off his soul? Luv, I already knew ‘bout the happiness’ clause… and if what makes me happy makes him happy, too… NO BLOODY WAY!” he growled, pulling him to her, possessively.
“ So, you already knew…” she commented, upset.
“… and I guess you know the other way, too..”
“ Other way?” the vampire repeated, curious.
“ Yeah… there’s a ritual, something involving the blood of a Gypsy from the same descending line of the one who cursed Angelus… plus some mystic ingredients… I had no idea they could exist… it seems pretty impossible…” the vampiress explained, giving him the Diary.
After reading it, he burst out laughing.
“ Sweetie, it’s a piece of cake! I know where to find all we need, and the chanting is pretty easy: it’s Ancient Greek, and I was brilliant in the Classic Studies at school..” he smiled, remembering his human life.
“ There’s only one problem: how can we find a Gypsy ’s descendent?”
This time she was the one who laughed.
“ Honey, nothing easier…” she commented, drawing a sheet of paper from the Diary.
“ Our dear Watchers have thought ‘bout making a list of all the descendents scattered everywhere, in order to protect them, I suppose…Anyway, you know what? One of them lives in the nearby…” she kept talking, showing him the sheet.
“ …and I guess he’ll still live for few hours, am I right, my love?” she said with a smile, as evil as her Sire’s.
“ Have I ever told you that I. Love. You, pet?” he said, kissing her with all the passion he was capable of.
“ Mm.. more or less as much as I told you, which means only five or six… million times!” she laughed, kissing him the same way.
Spike lifted her up, laying her under him on the desk, throwing to the ground the books.
“ I guess that lucky Gypsy can wait a couple of hours, before dying…”

TBC

PART 2
3 WEEKS LATER (Sunnydale)

“ Great idea, making some of our guys sneak into the Master’s gang! We have first hand information on what he s been planning!” Buffy commented, getting out of the car.
“ Yeah, we could have come here just after killing that stupid gypsy, but we have done better waiting: tomorrow, it will be St. Vigious ‘ Day, sweetheart; you don’t know yet, but it’s a very important Celebration for vamps. They usually go around, creating havoc and making every sort of rituals..”
“ And you don’t, am I right?”
“ Pet, I’ve never been one for traditions! Besides, it’s the right occasion to defeat the Master: my guys will take care of some of his minions, they already know what to do; many of the others will be far away from the old warehouse, so there will be just a small crowd inside. Of course, they will surely be his most loyal, strong and dangerous minions; minions is not even the right word: they are his right arm. They’re extremely good fighters, but I’m sure we’ll come off better!” Spike explained, leading his beloved to the crypt they had fortunately found free.
“ You bet, my love! Anyway, we’d better train a little, do you agree?”
His only answer, Spike gave a powerful kick on her chin, which sent her against a sarcophagus.
“ I see you agree!” she sneered, before hitting him back, stronger, if possible.
They fought ‘till sunrise, when they fell asleep on a coffin, exhausted, but satisfied by all the training.
-----------------------------------------------
The evening after, the two blondes went towards the warehouse; after having a substantial dinner, after all, their mission required lots of energy!
Spike’s suppositions were right: due to the celebration, there were just a few vamps keeping guard at the entrance, and to get ride of them was as simple as drinking a glass of water, or better.. of blood!
But that was just the ‘ level 1 ‘ of the game they have to play: inside the building there was a considerable crowd, that’s why they decided to separate.

Buffy immediately found a dozen vamps welcoming her threateningly.
“ So, who would you be?” one of them exclaimed, approaching her.
She took a beam from the wall, and staked him with it, using the other tip to dust another one.
“ I’m the last person you’ll see!” she said, starting a furious fight, where of course she came off better.
“ Fine! Just like the old times!” she muttered, watching satisfied the several piles of ashes.
She took the beam and went towards the coming group of reinforcements.
“ Now, you have a chance: to choose the right side, or… to become a pile of dust!” she warned them, and seeing the show behind her shoulders, they realized the first chance was the better.
**************************************
Meanwhile, Spike had no troble dusting his adversaries; with some of them he didn’t even need a stake.
When the other minions came, they were shocked as they noticed the easiness with what he had defeat the major part of the fighters.
“ Wh… Who.. are you?” one of them asked shyly.
“ It’s up to you to decide: I can be a friend ….” and he smashed him to the wall with a leap, drawing out a stake and aiming it to his heart.
“… or an enemy! So, what do you prefer?” he said, pushing him to the ground, putting the stake back into his pocket and departing.
The fledging got up, took a piece of wood and launched himself towards Spike, irately.
The blond was expecting that, so he turned and grasped the stake.
“ So, you prefer me as an enemy? Bad choice!” he exclaimed, pushing the stake through his heart.
As the other exploded in a cloud of dust, Spike spoke to all of the other minions, who remained immobilized and speechless watching the whole scene,
“ I hope you won’t make the same mistake he did!” he said quietly, cleaning the dust from his duster.

Buffy and Spike met in the middle of the building, where they could already see from afar the big cage Angel was in.
And they also couls see who was already there to welcome them.
“ My compliments! You managed to arrive to this point.. . it’s a pity your run ends here!” Xander exclaimed, appearing from a side of the cage.
The two blondes could see Angel inside, unconscious, chained and wounded brutally everywhere.
“ I’m bored…” a female voice, coming from the other side exclaimed, and immediately after they saw Willow making an entrance, holding a pair of sharp scissors.
“… and when I’m bored, I like playing with my puppy, and if you take him away from me, I’ll be very unhappy!” she kept talking, approaching slowly, letting the scissors slide through the bars of the cage, making the sound echo in the whole warehouse.
The red head reached her partner, rubbing herself against him.
“ And I don’t want my babe to be sad!” the brunette commented, pulling her to himself vigorously, kissing her hard.
Buffy yawned bored, and Spike interrupted the kiss between Xander and Willow.
“ Excuse me, but I’m in a terrible hurry, so, if you two are done with your bloody entrance meant to impress …” and he punched Xander ’s jaw.
“… let’s fight!” the blond sneered.
Willow was about to attack him, but Buffy stopped her with a kick in her stomach.
“ Let’s leave the males alone! Fight against me!” Buffy smiled.
“ And who would you be, Blondie?” Willow sneered, sending a kick, but Buffy jumped in time to avoid it.
“ What a shame! You don’t know me? After all, we are from the same line, Reddie!” Buffy commented, but this time, Willow was faster and punched her mouth, making it bleed.
That did nothing but amuse the blonde, who wiped the blood with a hand, carrying her speech.
“ Let me think about this…” and meanwhile she punched her back, making her nose bleed.
“ … if I’m the Gran-Childe …” and she kicked her stomach viciously.
“… of the Childe..” she kept, kicking her ribs.
“… of your Sire’s Childe… I’m your… mm…” this time Willow didn’t fool her, because she stopped the coming punch of the enemy.
“… you are my mm… oh, bugger this! I have never been that good at figuring distant kinships!” she snapped, drawing out a stake.

**************************************
A few meters away there was another fight going on between Spike and Xander, and the latter had hit Spike back with a kick to his face.
“ Alright! You know, it’s so hard to find a good opponent nowadays!” the more expert vampire laughed, before punching him in the stomach, kicking his mouth and then his legs.
Then, he raised him and threw him on the ground.
The time the brunette took to recover allowed Spike to light a cigarette and glance at the two fighting vampiresses: Buffy seemed to be managing superbly and seeing her holding a stake reassured him.
He dodged just in time to avoid a powerful kick from his adversary, who had came back to fight again.
“ What? Do you smoke during a battle?” he asked surprised, ready to punch his face.
“ You’re right, buddy! I should quit!” Spike said, blocking the punch with a hand, using the other to take the cigarette from his mouth.
“ Smoking can hurt you!” he sneered, pressed the still lighted stump on the brunette’s cheek, making him scream from the pain.
But another scream captured Spike’s whole attention: Buffy ’s.
He turned, seeing her on the ground, bleeding a lot after Willow had hit her arm and shoulder with the scissors.
He wanted to help her, but Xander pushed him to the ground, with a strong kick on his back.
“ Hey, you’re gonna pay for this!” the younger vampire exclaimed, massaging the marked cheek.
Blinded by rage, Spike jumped up growling and showing his fangs.
“ Do you accept checks…” he said, throwing himself on Xander and making his head hit the bars of the cage.
“… or do you prefer cash?” he roared, punching him franticly, until he made him lose consciousness.
Spike saw that his Mate had got up, wobbling and covering her wounds with the other hand, which still held the stake firmly.
He was about to run to lend a hand, when he heard her laughing, despite the pain.
“ Stupid bitch! It hurts like hell, but it’s not the heart.. and it’s not wood!” she said, approaching her.
“ It’s useless, poor ingenuous; you can’t beat me: I’m a strong vampiress, while you are just a weak little fledging!” the red head laughed, approaching her, determined to give her the deathblow.
But with a last effort, Buffy made her lose her scissors with a kick, and she jumped on her, making her fall on the ground.
“ You can’t even begin to imagine whom you’re dealing with: I was a Slayer, I remember perfectly every single stake I shoved through the heart of every vamp I killed…” she explained, raising the stake on her.
“ … but I’m sure I’ll remember with an unbelievable pleasure * this*!” she said, turning her into a pile of ashes.

Xander had just recovered, and that show drove him insane.
“ NOOOOOOO! Willow, NOOOOO!” he screamed, grabbing the scissors and dashing towards Buffy, determined to cut her head.
She was too weak to react or escape, but Spike was more than ready to protect her, holding the same stake she used to eliminate Willow.
“ What are you complaining about? You’ll reach your beloved soon…more like.. “ Spike said, throwing the stake right through his heart, before he could dodge.
“…NOW!” he commented, seeing him explode in a cloud of dust.

Buffy hung to Spike, feeling dizzy.
“ Pet, are you ok?” he asked concerned, supporting her.
“ Don’t worry, it’s just a scratch, it will heal soon!” she said, making a huge effort not to grimace in pain.
Spike knew she was lying: those wounds were very deep, and she had lost lots of blood, and that was making her weaker and weaker.
Without thinking, he ripped off a tail of his shirt, using it to bandage her arm and shoulder, in order to stop the hemorrhage.
“ It was your fave shirt!” she commented with a faint voice, enjoying the gesture.
“ It doesn’t matter, I care ‘bout you more!” he answered, finishing to bandage her.
“ See, my love? We won!” the blonde smiled weakly, putting her head on his shoulder.
“ Did you have any doubt?” he smiled back.
“ Most of it is done… the other minions have taken care of the Master, as we ordered them; we still have to set my Sire free…”he explained, caressing her face and glancing the cage, seeing Angel still on the ground, asleep.
“ Sorry, luv… I’m afraid you’ll have to do it alone, ‘cause I think I’ll pass out for a while…” Buffy warned him, just before fainting in his arms.

After all, Spike expected it; due to all the blood her beloved had lost it was inevitable.
He lifted her up in his arms carefully, reaching the main room, where the former Master’s minions (now siding with Spike, whom they had recognized as the stronger vamp) were waiting for him.
“ We did as you had ordered us to; here’s the key to the cage. The Master held it on his belt!” one of them said, giving Spike the key.
He came back to the cage, opening it and unlocking the chains, carrying Angel out of his captivity.
He put him on his right shoulder, while on the others he was carrying Buffy, and he went to his car.
The other minions helped him to put Angel inside the car, on the back seats, with the other unconscious ‘ guest ‘.
“ Good work, guys! So, now enjoy your freedom: there’s not any Master to rule you anymore!” he exclaimed, laying Buffy on the front seat, and putting himself on the wheel.
“ So, aren’t you gonna be our Leader?” one of the minions asked.
“ Hell no! I hate this town! I’m gonna leave as soon as possible! So, good luck, buddies!” he said, setting the car in motion and shooting along the road.
“ Well, I’m in a car with three unconscious people….” he muttered, inserting a CD in the radio car.
“… so, keep me company, Nirvana!”

TBC

PART 3

Spike awoke later the next night, after the events of the previous night he really needed a long sleep to restore his energy.
In fact, after he had come back to his crypt, he had chained who he had to chain as quickly as possible, he had taken care of Buffy, making her drink some blood, although she was still unconscious, and then he had laid her on the bed, where he had joined her immediately after.

At this moment, his Mate was still sleeping and he sat on the bed, pulling her head to his lap, with extreme tenderness.
As he stroked her hair, he noticed with relief that her deep wounds had turned into small scratches that he was sure by the end of the night would be totally healed.
He sensed she was about to wake up: in fact, two seconds after, Buffy popped her eyes open.

“ Hey, my kitten, how do you feel?” he smiled, caressing her face with the back of his hand.
“ Mm.. as good as new!” she purred, reaching out to hold his hand.
“ Great! ‘Cause there’s a lot of work we have to do!” he said, getting up, but she pulled him to her and rolled on the mattress, placing herself upon him and tearing out in a move what was left of his shirt.
“ Hey, pet! Glad to see you are fully recovered!” he chuckled, and then he tried to get up again.
“ C’mon, sweetie, we have to work...” but he found himself on his back, because Buffy wasn’t hearing any reasons.
And she showed him that, by tracing all the length of his chest with a long lick.
“ Work, work,... since when have you been such a hard worker?” she watched him, with a malicious smirk, as she began undoing his belt.
“ Buffy, you know I want it as much as you, but... we are behind the schedule...” Spike tried to dissuade her, but then he felt her pulling down the zipper of his jeans.
“ Oh, Bugger this!” he growled, taking her roughly and pulling her under him.
“ Now, baby, come meet your Big Bad!”

After about an hour, they finally got dressed and Spike showed her the place in adjoining room where Angel was chained up.
He had woke up by then, but ill at ease as ever.
Spike remained hidden, while Buffy approached the prisoner.

“ Well, well, I thought my Sire used too much hair gel, but I hadn’t seen you, yet!” she smiled, while he observed her curiously, trying to find a way to set himself free.
He was agitated and he felt a familiar presence, so he was sure they weren’t alone there.
“ Where am I? Why am I here? And who are you?”
“ I used to be a pathetic Slayer...” she answered, ignoring the first two questions and leaving, she came back almost immediately hugged to Spike.
“... but since then I’ve become his Queen! By the way, I’m Buffy, and i don’t think you two need to be introduced...” she commented, drawing out some keys from the pocket of her jeans.
Angel couldn’t believe his eyes: that’s the feeling he had!
“ Spike!”
“ Long time no see, Sire!” he smirked, while Buffy was taking care of his chains.
“ You rescued me... thank you!” Angel said, once he was free, approaching to the exit, but Spike grabbed him by the shoulders, smashing him against the wall
After all, Angel was still too weak to react.
“ Not so fast, old man!” the blond exclaimed, giving him to Buffy who blocked him, keeping his hands behind his back.
“ I didn’t rescue you to let you go... I rescued you so we can go back to the golden times!”
“ You know better than I do that I can’t go around killing people and destroying towns...” he said, trying to set himself free from Buffy’s grip, uselessly.
“ Yeah, you can’t... but Angelus can!” the blond commented, going to the other room and coming back holding two glasses full of blood; giving one to Buffy who brought it closer to Angel’s lips.
“ By the way, I suggest a toast to his prompt return!” Spike smiled, raising the glass.
“ What the hell are you blathering about? What are you going to do?” Angel asked nervously, looking lustfully at the dense red liquid dangling in front of his eyes.
He had realized it was human blood, but he didn’t dare taste it.
“ Now, we are going to play a funny game: I’ve named it ‘ One, Two, Three... Soulless you’ll be ‘!” Spike sneered, drinking from his glass.
“ I ‘ll explain the rules to you shortly; it starts this way: DRINK!” Buffy said, pushing the glass into Angel’s mouth, forcing him to drink.

After the first sips it wasn’t necessary to force him anymore: his instinct had overwhelmed his conscience and, recovering, he broke free from Buffy’s grip, snatching the glass from her hand, he began to drink eagerly.
“ Good boy! You like it, don’t you? ‘ Cause this blood for you is specially for you and it comes from a descendant of the Gypsy that cursed you!” Buffy laughed, helping Spike to light up some strange candles that started expelling a disquieting black smoke.
The bleached vampire opened the Watchers’ Diary on the page of Angel’s ritual and began chanting in Ancient Greek.
After a quarter of an hour, Spike ended the spell and all the candles went out at the same time, although they weren’t consumed at all; and from Angel’s eyes a bright spark came out, fading away.
Immediately after, Angel fell on the floor, unconscious.

As Spike and Buffy wondered if something had gone wrong with the ritual, they heard him laughing as he got up.
“ Be happy, children: Daddy is back!” he exclaimed with a sneer and an evil light in his eyes, which Spike knew very well.
“ Welcome back, Angelus!” he smiled and then he found himself with his back pinned at the wall and his Sire’s hand was tightening around his neck.
“ You dared to chain me, you dared to smash me against a wall... you must be punished...” he said, threateningly.
“ Yeah... but it wasn’t really you... after all... and anyway... I rescued you, and most important thing... I brought someone on whom you can give vent to your rage: the Master is downstairs, you can have fun with him...” Spike said laboriously, managing to break free from his iron grip.
“ Mm... well.. you make a good case, boy...” Angelus smiled, and then he looked at Buffy who was throwing him evil glares, it seemed she hadn’t appreciated the aggression towards Spike.
“ Well, well, my boy, my compliments, she is beautiful!” he commented, earning a half smile from the girl.
“ Anyway, what’s the matter? Did killing Slayers become unfashionable, so now you turn them?” he added with a smirk.
“ Hey!” the blondes protested in unison.
“ I did not turn a Slayer, I turned the woman I love!” Spike clarified, wrapping an arm around Buffy’s waist, and watching his Sire with a proud look.
“ I almost died to save your ass and this is the way you thank me? Maybe... I would have done better leave that damn diary to the Council and let your soulful alter-ego rot in that cage!” she snapped, watching him coldly.

Spike feared for her, but Angelus’ reaction wasn’t the one he expected: in fact, he burst out laughing.
“ Well, your blondie has got temper!” the brunette smiling, approaching to give her a pinch on her cheek.
“ Yeah, but you heard me, buddy: * Mine* !” Spike growled, holding Buffy tight and she smiled to her Mate, ignoring the other vampire.
“ Ok, calm down, William! I’m not playing to steal your precious fiancé; that feeble bimbo is not even my type! “ he replied, irritating Buffy, not only for the obvious reason but also because he kept talking with Spike as if she weren’t there.
“ You are not my type either, stupid bighead!” she struck back, but Spike hit her with his elbow, giving her a warning glance.
“ What? He’s your Sire, not mine: I don’t have to show him any respect!”
“ I’m the Sire of your Sire, you, cocky little girl with a talky mouth: you must show me double respect!” Angelus yelled, losing his patience.
“ Should I?” she asked to her Sire, looking at him with hope in her eyes.
But he nodded.
“ You must, honey!”
“ Ok, I’m sorry, Angelus. I didn’t mean what I said before...” she apologized to the older vampire, looking at the floor, just like a child who argued with another child and is forced to make it up with him.
“ Forgive her, she is so young after all, she has still so much to learn about our kind...” Spike justified her.
“ That’s fun: it seems that you still have to learn much ‘bout it, too! You turned a Slayer, I guess this is the most forbidden of all the things you could have done!” Angelus commented, placing himself in front of him with superiority.
But Spike wasn’t intimidated at that, he faced his Sire’s look without showing any submission.
“ Well, you know me: I’m a free spirit!” the blond sneered.
Angelus smiled.
“ That’s my boy! Ok, Buffy, I forgive you this time; but try to behave better in the future.... you have such a pretty face... it would be a pity to ruin it...” he threatened her.
With a big effort, Buffy confined herself to just nod.
“ Fine! So, now I guess I’ll pay a visit to an old pal...” he said, approaching the downstairs.
“ There are also some toys there, have fun! Buffy and I will take a stroll, see ya!” Spike informed him, departing with his Queen.

Angelus found the Master chained to a wall, gagged. He started, seeing him.
Angelus also noticed that on a table there were the ‘ toys ‘ Spike referred to: a couple of axes, a stake, a small bottle of holy water, some railroad spikes ( of course!!) and a long sharp knife.
He decided to begin with the last one, approaching to the Master: he could already feel his fear.
“ You know... torturing someone is like riding a bicycle: you never forget it!” he said, tracing with a finger all the length of the knife.
“ Now I’m a bit out of practice... let’s see if I can cycle again! After all, you were the one who taught me, Grandpa! It’s time to find out if the pupil surpassed the teacher !” he laughed evilly, aiming the knife few centimeters away from his face.
“ Ops, I almost forgot!” he said, tearing out the gag on his mouth, roughly.
“ It’s not fun if you don’t scream!”

***********************************************
“ Luv, can you hear the screams? It sounds like your Sire is enjoying himself a lot!” Buffy commented, holding tight to Spike as they went away.
He smiled to her.
“ What about us? Do you want to have some fun, too? What about we torture the Watcher left here?” the blond proposed, nibbling her neck.
“ Mm.. you know... I don’t feel much like killing him: I talked to him the first day I arrived here, and I can say he’s different from all the other watchers, he’s a rebel... and I have a thing for rebels!” she confessed, before giving him a savage kiss.
“ So, what else can we do? Bloody Hell, this sodding town is so boring! Can’t wait to leave!” he exclaimed, approaching to his Childe to give her another kiss, but she didn’t have the same idea.
She got away from him, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
“ Hey! Let me remind you that it was in this ‘ sodding town ‘ where we first met!” she snapped, walking faster, leaving him behind purposely.
Spike smiled to himself, finally he had found something to do: to make up with Buffy; no matter what, he always succeeded.
It wasn’t the first time they argued, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
After all... love isn’t fun if it’s not difficult!

TBC

PART 4

A WEEK LATER (NEW YORK)

“ I can’t believe it! You two are still in bed! I can’t understand what you see in it!” Angelus exclaimed.
“ Well...” Buffy chuckled, pulling the red satin sheet up to cover herself better.
“ Maybe you should find someone, too, since there’s NO BLOODY WAY we’ll be having a threesome!” Spike clarified, lighting up a cigarette.
“ Hey, what about Darla? You could go back with her...” he suggested, taking a drag.
“ She’s dead!” Angelus informed him, growling at the memory.
“ She was the Master’s favorite, so Willow was jealous... and she and Xander killed her in front of me...” he ended with a faint voice.
“ Not that she loved me; quite the contrary, Darla hated me with all her being after I got back my stupid soul, but ... anyway, instead of punishing Willow, the Master enjoyed that and congratulated her... THAT BASTARD! I wish I hadn’t kill him so fast!” he roared, punching the wall so hard his hand bled.
“ So fast?! Angelus, when we came back to the crypt, you were still torturing him, and you carried on for three bloody days, until he begged you to kill him!”
“ Spike is right, I think you took your revenge! And about Willow and Xander, they are dust, too, they got what they deserved! Anyway, I’m sorry for Darla... it seems she was very important to you...” Buffy commented, showing him all her pity.
“ Of course she was, she was my Sire!”
“ Well, nothing prevents you from finding another Mate. There’s plenty of girls outside, buddy!”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever find another one... Darla was special.. those other girls are so boring and empty... they are just good as a tasty snack! Speaking of which, I guess I’ll go out to take a walk... and dinner, too! So, see ya later, love birds!” Angelus greeted them, departing.

Buffy cuddled against Spike, softly scratching his chest with her nails.
“ You know, I don’t like your Sire very much, but... I’d like him to be as happy as we are!”
“ And we are very, very happy, aren’t we, my love?” he whispered before kissing her violently.
Buffy’s only answer was a long moan, and soon they resumed their ‘ fighting ‘ under the covers.
That night there wouldn’t be any hunt for them!
-----------------------------------------------
In fact, when Angelus came back, he found them still in bed, but that didn’t seem to bother him, nothing seemed to bother him anymore.
“ I love this town!” he laughed, making the other two curious.
“ Are you sure you are the same person who left a couple of hours ago?” Spike asked, watching him in disbelief.
“ Yeah. Let’s say that something happened...” the brunette smiled.
“ A girl?” Buffy asked eager to know.
“ A goddess!” Angelus sighed.
“ There’s a Convent nearby, that’s where I met her. She is so beautiful, so pure, so innocent... I want her!” he sneered.
“ Let me see if I got it straight: did you fall in love with a nun?” Spike asked dumbfounded.
“ First: you fell in love with a Slayer, so shut up! And second: no, she is not a nun, not yet! And trust me, she’ll never be!” he laughed evilly.
“ So, I guess you’ll want to be alone, we will leave the mansion! How much will it take you to turn her? Two, maybe three days?” Buffy wondered, happy for him, although she didn’t dare to show him that.
The two male vampires laughed, so she questioned them with her eyes.
“ Pet, you don’t know my Sire...”
“ Well, girls like long and slow courtships... so, I guess it will take me a while! Anyway, the Convent is close to a graveyard... and I have already found a nice crypt. I’ll stay there, so I can watch her constantly. Can’t wait to make her mine eternally, it will be so wonderful to corrupt her innocence! So bye for now, I’ll let you know when I’m done!” he said, as he left.
--------------------------------------------------------
A MONTH LATER
“ I’m curious about her, hope she will be a nice girl!” Buffy commented, holding Spike’s hand, while they were heading to the graveyard where Angelus was waiting for them.
“ My Sire told me she is special, but I don’t know what he meant!”
“ You’re finally here! It was about time, too! C’mon, let’s go to my crypt! My Drusilla is eager to meet you!” Angelus said, showing them the way to his place.
When they got in, Spike and Buffy saw an enchanting girl with long black hair and big dark deep eyes.
She sat on a sarcophagus, dressed with a white long dress, now dirty with the blood of what seemed to be her first victim.
She held a porcelain doll on her lap, and she arranged her hair lovingly, with dreamy eyes, while watching the two vampires arriving with her Sire.
“ My compliments, Angelus, she is beautiful!” Spike exclaimed, but Buffy cleared her throat.
“ But you are way more beautiful, my Queen!”
“ Now that’s better! Anyway, you are right, she is very pretty, like the doll she is holding!” the blonde said, approaching to the sarcophagus.
“ Welcome to the club, my darling, I’m Buffy!” she smiled, stretching out her hand to her and wondering why she hadn’t spoken yet.
Suddenly, the girl got up and run out from the room.
The other three followed her.
She went out of the crypt, staring ecstatically at the starry sky, as she started twirling happily, chuckling.
“ Can’t you hear this sweet music? The stars are singing in the sky, saying that the little girl is happy; because she had found a new family now!” she exclaimed.
Spike approached his Sire.
“ What the bloody hell is she blathering about? Angelus, haven’t you read her manual of instructions before turning her?”
“ The one with shining hair is a naughty child... he won’t have any piece of cake at my tea party...” Drusilla said, watching Spike insulted.
That made Buffy laugh.
“ I like you and your talking nonsense, you know? I guess you are the little girl, so we three must be the family you found, right?” she smiled.
“ Yes, you’re right! You’ll get double cake!” Drusilla said, but suddenly she brought a hand to her temple, staring at her with major attention.
“ I feel you used to be another you, when good wasn’t evil and evil wasn’t good!” she sang song.

Her nonsense rhyme puzzled everyone, but then Spike smiled.
“ Hey, I ‘m starting to figure out how you work: you mean she was a Slayer before becoming my Mate, don’t you?”
“ Slayer?!” Drusilla frowned.
“ What’s a Slayer? Do you know?” she asked her doll, as she could answer.
“ What? Haven’t you told her about Slayers, Angelus?” Spike asked, watching dumbfounded at his Sire.
Angelus approached Drusilla, hugging her from behind and holding her hand.
“ Dru, love, a Slayer is our worst enemy, she kills our kind; but don’t worry, as long as I am with you, no one can even touch you, my baby!” he whispered, bending down to kiss her.
“ Mm.. but she...” Drusilla whined, pointing at Buffy and holding Angelus tighter.
“ I was just someone forced to care about the World, before realizing the World didn’t care about me! It just took the right person to show me that!” Buffy explained, smiling to Spike, before kissing him.
Drusilla calmed down, smiling to her.
“ Yeah, I see it, I feel it: now you are a killer, just like I ‘m a killer, am I not my Angel?”
“ Sure, you are, love. You are a vicious deadly and cold killer! I saw the way you killed that guy before...” Angelus whispered, nibbling her earlobe.
“ Mm.. yeah, I remember how much he screamed and cried... just like my uncle cried when you killed him, and my dad, my mom, all my family, you killed them all...” she murmured, rubbing her face against his.
“ Just for you, to have you only for me, my Princess!”
“ Isn’t he lovely?” she said, turning to the blondes, scratching Angelus’ cheek and licking the blood she dragged out, as he closed his eyes in pleasure.
“ Well, I prefer being knocked down, chained and bound to a bed... that’s pure romanticism!” Buffy said, smiling at the memory. Her Sire smiled at her, just before giving her the umpteenth hot kiss.
The two brunettes who didn’t want to be left behind followed their example.

“ Anyway.... Princess?!” Buffy asked curious, looking at Angelus.
“ Yes. I’m his little Princess and he’s my dark Angel, who came to rescue me!” Drusilla explained.
“ Yeah, what’s wrong, blondie? Do you want to be called ‘ Princess ‘ , too?” Angelus wondered with a smirk.
“ NO, SHE DOESN’T!” Spike and Drusilla growled at the same time, their eyes flashing gold, claming their respective Mates’ lips.
“ Angelus, I couldn’t care less: I really prefer ‘ Queen ‘!” Buffy said, clinging to Spike.
“ I wouldn’t have called you that anyway: there’s only one Princess in my heart!” Angelus struck back, kissing his Child passionately.
“ Alright, alright! Now we are a family and we’ll bring death and pain and destruction wherever we’ll go: we’ll kill lots of people and dance on their graves, and rivers of blood will flow on our way....” Drusilla exclaimed, clapping her hands happily with dreaming eyes.
“ I definitely like the way you think!” Buffy commented with an evil smile.

TBC


(Author’s note: I know I said Drusilla never existed, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t exist: she was again a novice, I just changed place and time, but in an AU you can do stuff like that!!! ;)
And about Angelus’ ‘ courtship ‘... just think about the Becoming part 1!!!)

EPILOGUE

TWO YEARS LATER (SAN FRANCISCO)

”Druuuu! If I catch you, I’ll bash your face in! And don’t you dare try to justify yourself talking about your damn stars!” Buffy snapped furiously, dashing into their den, where Angelus and Spike were trying to decide what to do about a demon that would be arriving shortly to the city and that could become a menace to them, since they were the absolute Masters of the city.

Not that they would be spending much time there anyway, usually they’d live for about two months in one place, before moving to the other; by now, they had visited the major part of the States, and Spike and Angelus were planning their return to Europe.

Drusilla hadn’t been wrong when she had said they were a family: she and Buffy had that love-hate relationship so typical of two sisters; they fought for the dumbest things, but if someone dared to even eye one of them in the wrong way, the other was ready to defend her, no one could mess with them!

Spike felt a great respect for Angel, but he also felt like he should compete with him, just like he was an elder brother and their fights weren’t rare!

“Angel, my Angel! Defend Princess!” Drusilla whined, searching protection in his arms.

“What’s the matter, Buff?”

Buffy snorted; she hated being called that, but she already knew how to repay him.

“Well, *Angy*, your Princess used her bloody ‘Look at me, in me’ thrall thing with me, so I remained in trance while she was killing the Slayer we were hunting for weeks... ALL ALONE! It’s not fair!” she protested, throwing daggers with her eyes at Drusilla, who was hiding behind Angelus, making fun of her.

Angelus laughed, watching Drusilla with pride.

“Is it true, my love?”

“Good kids always do their homework, otherwise teachers get angry, and Santa Claus doesn’t bring them any gifts for Christmas...” she said quietly, as the others looked at each other frowning.

“What the hell is she blathering about?” Buffy said, turning to Angelus.

“I don’t have the slightest idea... but I love when she does it!” he answered, smiling to his Childe, before kissing her with violent passion.

“Bloody Hell, I give up understanding Miss Enigma-with-Visions!” Spike exclaimed, approaching Buffy.

“Anyway, she was *OUR* Slayer, not just hers!” Buffy protested, treading her feet on the ground like a naughty spoiled child.

“Oh, C’mon, my Queen...” Spike whispered, cuddling her. “... after all, you’ve already killed a Slayer on your own...”

“But I wanna reach your record! You have already killed five slayers!” she said, with puppy eyes.

Hearing them, Angelus broke the kiss.

“Liar! You killed only four Slayers, *I* killed five! The last one was mine, I snapped her neck, not you!” the brunette vampire clarified.

“She would have died anyway, after I beat her like that and drank her blood... she couldn’t survive! You just interfered!” the blonde accused him, taking a step closer.

“I drank more blood than you, then *I* killed her!” the other struck back, taking a step closer.

“I bloody did!” Spike growled, ready to attack him.

“No, I did!” Angelus growled, mirroring his actions.

A second after, they were rolling on the floor, punching each other hard.

Their Mates confined just to observe them, accustomed to their childish behavior.

“And then, they dare to say *we* act like children!” Buffy smiled, approaching Drusilla.

“Bad boys always do bad things...” the brunette commented, realizing the blonde had forgiven her.

“And ours are very bad, bad boys!” Buffy ended and they both laughed.

After a long fight without any winner, the two male vampires finally gave up.

“What about four Slayers and a half for each one?” Spike suggested, stretching a hand out to his Sire.

“Deal!” the other sneered, shaking it.

“All this violence excited me: pet, are you up for going out to create havoc somewhere?” Spike said, pulling Buffy to him, nibbling her neck.

Buffy’s only answer was a long passionate kiss.

“Mm… have you heard, Dru? I’m going with my Spike to a Party where you are not invited!” Buffy exclaimed, clinging to Spike and sticking her tongue out to Drusilla.

Maybe, she hadn’t forgiven her completely.

“I don’t care, because my Angel will take his Princess to a Party funnier than yours, right, my love?” she struck back, caressing her Sire’s face sensually and purring.

“Actually, I was thinking about enjoying our privacy right here...” Angelus explained and the purring became a yelp. “Ok, babe, you know it’s my weak point when you do that: you win! Let’s go kill whoever you want! And I’ll also buy you a new doll!” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Oh, Angel! I’m such a lucky girl!” she chuckled happily, holding him tight as the two couples went out.

Spike and Angelus thought the same thing, looking at their respective Mates.

< Women: can’t un-live with them... can’t un-live without them!>

THE END

p.s. I had lots of fun writing this fic... hope you had fun reading it! ;-)