1. Chapter 1. Introductions by dusty273 [Reviews - 24] (2257 words)
I’ve been dreaming of writing a story like this one for a long time and the Art-A-Thon provided me with a reason to write it. And then my oh so wise IBE convinced me to write a very detailed outline which provided me with the final push, I fell in love with the idea, with the characters and so far it’s coming along nicely. (I think at least) So now I know this story will be somewhere around 12 chapters, which is not too bad I guess.

Also, no worries over AOI going on hiatus because I’m writing this one, that story is my priority and next chapter is about 2/3rds perhaps of being done, it’s just that RL has been not too kind this last week and I haven’t had much time to write.

This is a work of fantasy, set in London, England, 1810 and while I might use a few places which existed in that era, the majority of names, titles and places are not based in real historic references. So I beg your leniency in that aspect.



Warnings: Buffy/Other, nothing graphic (more like mentions really) I simply couldn’t stomach writing it. *shudders* This Spike is the ‘want, take, have’ type of man, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. While I can’t promise there won’t be angst, you should know by now I don’t like to drag it endlessly so it will be resolved fairly quick.



Beta: The lovely IBE stepped to the plate to correct all my boo-boos and make sure I don’t mangle the English language that much. ;) Mil gracias, cariño! You wouldn’t believe how grateful I am to have a little sister as wonderful as you! *smooches* And a special thank you to OKDeanna and Tammy for the read through and assuring me the story wasn’t as awful as I imagined.

A huge, enormous thank you to the lovely jamies_lady who stepped in to save me from several historical mistakes I had made and has been so kind as to offer her expertise in the period, so it doesn't happen again. Thank you, darling! .

2. Chapter 2. Double or Nothing by dusty273 [Reviews - 20] (2377 words)
I’m floored by the reception this story got, thank you so very much for that! I do hope you enjoy the rest of it as well.



I know many of you are waiting for AoI, sorry for that. I’m dealing with some RL troubles that have been preventing me from finishing the chapter. It’s not lack of time; it’s mostly that with the things I’m dealing with, a romantic perfect night is not precisely what tickles my muse’s fancy at the moment. I beg your patience, hopefully things will improve soon and I’ll get back to AoI.



Many thanks to IBE and OKDeanna for the edits and being their lovely selves, you can’t begin to imagine how much your friendship and encouragement means to me. *smooches* And a very special thank you to jamies_lady for having offered to pre-read the chapters to make sure they’re historically accurate. She’s an expert in the period and has infected me with her passion for it as well, so don’t be surprised if the story turns out longer than I thought initially. ;)

Gorgeous banner by drkdevin.

3. Chapter 3. Marriage is the Death of Hope by dusty273 [Reviews - 22] (3600 words)
Again, many thanks for the reviews for the latest chapter. I’m ecstatic you’re enjoying this story. And also for the wishes, prayers and thoughts concerning my dad’s health. Thank God the results of the biopsy came back clean and while we’re not out of the woods yet, I’ve faith everything will turn alright in the end.



A thousand thanks to my lovely IBE, for being there for me always, but especially this past week, *glomps* for the edits, for the encouragement and the little surprise you’ll find at the end of this chapter. ;) Thank you as well to jamies_lady, I don’t think I can thank you enough for all the help with this chapter and the whole story. And thanks to OKDeanna and Tammy for the read-through and Sotia for being her very sweet self. *snuggles* I’m truly grateful for having friends like you.

4. Chapter 4. Between a Rock and a Hard Place by dusty273 [Reviews - 19] (3488 words)
Many thanks for the reviews. I truly appreciate the time you take to leave them, you wouldn’t believe how much it means to me that you’re enjoying this story. And again thank you for the wishes regarding my dad. He has another biopsy scheduled for tomorrow (or by the time I finish posting this, today ;)), this time to gather a sample from his column and a kidney tac and with God’s favor, we’ll get the same results as with the other biopsy.


Mil gracias to my little sister IBE, without whom I would be truly lost, no matter how much she tries to downplay all she does for me. You’re too wonderful for words, cariño! *smooches* A huge boatload of thanks to the lovely jamies_lady as well, whose help is truly invaluable. I’m learning so much from you, darling. *hugs* And again, thank you to OKDeanna and Sotia, just for being their lovely selves. ;)

5. Chapter 5. A Walk to Remember by dusty273 [Reviews - 20] (3669 words)
Thank you very much for the reviews, it makes me very happy to know you’re enjoying this story.



Mil gracias to the lovely IBE, the best sister a girl could ask for and without whom I’d be truly lost *smooches* love you, cariño; to jamies_lady, for all her help and expertise and OKDeanna, for the read-through and being such a sweet friend. *huggles*

6. Chapter 6. Sense and Sensibility by dusty273 [Reviews - 21] (2489 words)
I’m so very sorry for the lack of updates but my muse was on strike. Just after I finished AoI, she decided to take a lengthy vacation and if it hadn’t been for my lovely IBE who gave her a swift kick in the rear to get her going, I don’t know how much longer it would’ve taken me.

Thank you to all of you who keep reading and reviewing, it really makes my day whenever I read your very kind words. Muchísimas gracias a mi hermanita IBE, who literally saved me last night when I was at my wits end and about to kill my muse for not letting me work in this story. *besos* And to the wonderful Vara, who keeps providing me with delicious information about the era so this story is as historically accurate as it can be and OkDeanna for sharing the poem which opens this chapter. *huggles*

7. Chapter 7. Tender Loving Care by dusty273 [Reviews - 20] (3996 words)
I almost can’t believe I finished another chapter and a scene from a latter chapter in one week. Guess being sickly is good for the muse, even if it’s not good for me. ;)



Thank you again for your support and lovely words for the last chapter. I love reading what you like or not like or think about the chapter, it does help me a lot at the time of writing. As always mil gracias to my lovely sister, Tina, who takes the time to correct all my silly mistakes and to listen to my muse’s crazy ideas and encourage her (and me) to actually make them a reality. Thanks as well to my awesome friend, Vara, who keeps me in the straight and narrow concerning historical accuracy, even if with this chapter I took a little more creative license than usually. ;)

8. Chapter 8. Turnabout is Fair Play by dusty273 [Reviews - 20] (3914 words)
A thousand thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. I’m so very happy you enjoyed the tender side of Spike and now I hope you’re ready for him confronting Hank. ;)



As always, un millón de gracias a mi hermanita IBE, for being there for me for everything and her invaluable help with this story. *smooches* Love you, cariño! And to Vara (jamies_lady), whose expertise in the period truly amazes me. I just adore all your suggestions, honey. And thank you to drkdevin who personalized the banner for me! And a huge thank you to Sotia for saving my life and resizing the banner for me, it seems that now it works.



Thank you as well to the kind person(s) who nominated this story for the Whole Lotta History Award at the Cradle of Humanity Awards, you made my week!

9. Chapter 9. The Truth Shall Set You Free by dusty273 [Reviews - 17] (2922 words)
I truly hadn’t thought of the ending of Chapter 8 as a cliffhanger, at least not until some of you mentioned it. But since muse actually behaved for once, at least a little better than she’s been behaving lately, I give you chapter 9. It’s shorter than the rest, but it will solve some of your questions… I hope. ;)



As always thank you to those of you who take the time to review and let me know how I’m doing with this story. Your kind words are fuel to the muse. Un millón de gracias to my lovely IBE for all her help and to Vara as well, for taking the time to pre-beta every chapter to make sure I don’t mess up too much. ;)

10. Chapter 10. A Midsummer Night's Dream by dusty273 [Reviews - 16] (5297 words)
First of all, I’m very sorry for the delay on posting this chapter and responding to reviews, I will finish with those ASAP I promise. Writer’s block and RL issues kept getting in the way, but I hope you’ll forgive me since I bring you a longer chapter? *bats eyelashes*

Some of you have inquired about Angel and when is he going to come back into the picture. I can just say it will be soon, around the time of the wedding date. Well, maybe not too soon, since I still have 3 weeks worth of engagement to go through before that. ;)

As always, many thanks to those of you who take the time to review, I just love knowing what you enjoyed (or not) of each chapter. A million thanks (which are never enough) to my lovely Tina, who always knows exactly what to do to help my muse get over her dreaded blocks. Love you, boo! And to Vara, Annie and Deanna for all their valued help with this chapter.

11. Chapter 11. All's Fair in Love and War by dusty273 [Reviews - 13] (2584 words)
I’m very sorry for the delay in posting, lots of things going on in RL and keeping me otherwise occupied and when I have time to write, muse refuses to cooperate. *sighs* However, since the lovely dampersandspoons requested an update so nicely, well, here it is. Hope you enjoy!



Against All Odds was nominated for Best Romance, Best Angst and Best WIP at Round 5 of the Spark & Burn Awards! Thank you very much to whoever nominated this story. *hugs*



And as always, thank you very much to all of you who read and review. You wouldn’t believe how happy it makes me to know you’re enjoying this story.



Mil gracias to my wonderful friend, OkDeanna, for stepping in and betaing this chapter for me, and not only that, but also providing me with very helpful suggestions while writing the chapter. Love you, sweetie! And thank you to Vara for all her help and pre-reading the chapters for me to make sure I keep in line with Regency customs and keep the story as accurately historic as it can possibly be. *snuggles*

12. Chapter 12. Trials and Tribulations by dusty273 [Reviews - 19] (3139 words)
Many thanks to all of you who keep on reading and reviewing, you truly make my days brighter with your very kind words. A special thank you to Carrie (darkrivertempest) for reading and reviewing every single chapter yesterday and for pre-reading chapter 12 today and given me some very good input and suggestions.



A million thanks to my lovely IBE for taking the time from her busy schedule to edit this chapter for me; I’ve missed you more than words can say, sweetie! Love you tons, amor! And to Vara, as always, for pre-betaing the chapter, she didn’t see the last part though, so if there are any historical inaccuracies there, I beg your leniency and I promise to correct as soon as I can. And to OkDeanna for reading the first part of the chapter and assuring me it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it was.



A little note, it recently came to my attention there’s a similar use for brunet and brunette as there is for blond/blonde: “Terms that came into English from French to designate hair color, such as the pairs blonde/blond and brunette/brunet, are sometimes treated in English as in French: the gender-marked form of the adjective or noun, ending in -e or -te, is used when referring to a female, and the non-gender-marked form is used when referring to a male.” (The American Heritage Book of English Usage.) I make this note in case you think I’m misspelling when I start using brunet. ;)

13. Chapter 13. Bitter Sweetness by dusty273 [Reviews - 22] (4055 words)
AAO won a lovely Runner Up banner for the Whole Lotta History Award at Round 1 in the Cradle of Humanity Awards! And I have all of you who voted for this story to thank that for. *squishes all of you*



I know I promised an update of Into the Night and that it’s been a while since I updated AAO, too, but the last few weeks I’ve been struggling with words and a very reticent muse and boy if it didn’t frustrate the hell out of me. *sighs* So I beg your patience and your understanding for the time being.



As always, many thanks to those of you who read and review, I promise I’ll finish answering to them as soon as I can. Un millón de gracias to IBE and OkDeanna for editing this chapter for me and to Vara for saving me from making atrocious historical mistakes.



This chapter is dedicated to my lovely friends Tina, Deanna, Carrie, Sotia, Vara, Beth, Annie and Lauriel, who in one way or the other were there for me through the ‘week from hell’. Thank you for your kind words, your encouragement and for not letting me quit when my frustration escalated to monstrous proportions. *snuggles*

14. Chapter 14. In Flagrante Delicto by dusty273 [Reviews - 19] (3183 words)
Thank you all for the awesome reviews for the last chapter! I’m so very happy so many of you are enjoying the dual love stories. I promise I'll answer them as soon as I can. There’s no Fred/Wes in this chapter, though. Hope you don’t mind too much. ;)



A million thanks to my lovely sister, IBE, for being the most wonderful friend and beta a girl could ask for. I’d truly be lost without you, cariño. Love you tons! *hugglesquishes* To Carrie for pre-reading part of the chapter and assuring me it was alright; and to Deanna, just because. *smooches* Love you, girls!



And special thanks to Vara (jamies_lady) to whom I dedicate this chapter (even if she had her work cut out for her with it). The happiest of birthdays to you, honey, even if it’s a day early. I know it’s not much, but it’s given with the utmost respect and love. *snuggles*



In Flagrante Delicto (*): (Latin: "in the blazing [progressing] offence [misdeed]") or sometimes simply in flagrante (Latin: "while blazing [during]") is a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence (compare corpus delicti). The colloquial "caught red-handed" or "caught in the act" are English equivalents.

15. Chapter 15. The Air You Breathe Into Me by dusty273 [Reviews - 16] (4063 words)
As always many, many thanks for your reviews. As you see, they do help the muse. *giggles* I have responded to all regarding chapter 14, I just need a little more time to respond to the ones before, so I beg your patience.


A little note regarding Im_bloody_English, she is going through a rough time and while she’s trying to get back into writing and recapturing her muse, she begs your patience and understanding and says she’ll come back as soon as she can. In the meantime, keep her in your thoughts and prayers are always welcome.



A million thanks to Tina, who as always worked her magic in this chapter despite not feeling completely up to par. To Beth, for the edits, her input and wonderful suggestions; but especially for the gorgeous banner she made for AAO and which I pasted at the end of the chapter. To Vara, for taking the time to educate me in the finer nuances of regency history, despite me being headstrong and not always minding her. And to Carrie, for reassuring me the chapter was alright as it stands. *smooches* Love you, girls!

16. Chapter 16. Truths and Revelations by dusty273 [Reviews - 22] (4514 words)
Thank you to those of you who’ve taken the time to review. I’m behind in replying (again), but now that my daughters’ birthday is finally past me, I hope to finally have more time to answer to them. Please, don’t think I don’t appreciate them or you, because I do, more than you can’t imagine.


As always a million thanks to my lovely hermanita Tina, writing while chatting with you is one of most wonderful experiences. ;) Thanks for the suggestions, edits and just for being there for me. *besos* To Vara, for editing the first part of the chapter and saving me from committing several historical inaccuracies; and to Beth and Carrie for reading part of the chapter and reassuring me it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. *hugs n’ kisses* Love you, girls! Ooh, and the quote in this chapter was provided by my gorgeous friend, Carrie. Thank you, sweetie!

17. Chapter 17. Playing with Fire by dusty273 [Reviews - 17] (3715 words)
First of all, thank you so very much to all of you who took the time to review, knowing you’re enjoying the story (even with Angel looming on the horizon) makes me very happy. I know I’ve been stringing you with the idea of him returning, but the thing is that this story took a life of its own and has changed so much from the original idea, that I haven’t been able to bring him into the story in a plausible way. Soon, though, just have to take care of a few details first. ;) Also, I answered all reviews for chapter 16, finally, and I’ll be getting to the ones from before as soon as I can.


Second, this chapter is dedicated to my awesome sister and beta extraordinaire, Tina, because she said she was in the mood for… hmm, what’s coming in the chapter. I was at a crossroad, and she twisted my arm to go the way I finally did and well, I can’t say no to her, now can I? ;)


And last but not least, thank you to Vara, Carrie and Beth, all who in one way or the other helped me with this chapter. Love you, girls!

18. Chapter 18. Sweet Surrender by dusty273 [Reviews - 13] (4714 words)
Sorry for the having taken so long to update again. Life in Casa de Mari hasn't been all that idyllic lately, what with my mother and my daughters taking turns to get sickly. Thankfully, they're on the mend by now and I finally managed to finish this chapter.


That said, I want to thank everyone that reviewed the latest chapter, I'm ecstatic you didn't mind the smutty interlude and that you're enjoying the Wes/Fred pairing almost as much as Spike/Buffy. This chapter is focused on Wes and Fred for the most part, but there's a bit of Spuffy thrown in for good measure. Hope you like it!


A million thanks to Tina for editing this chapter for me, for letting me bounce my ideas with you, for being there for me while I write or whenever I need an encouraging word. Love you, sweetie! To Vara, for taking the time to read and make wonderful suggestions so I can keep this story within realistic historic bounds. And to Beth and Carrie, who read part of the chapter when I started writing it, for your helpful advice and for being your lovely selves. This chapter is for Beth, who wanted more AAO and who is so awesome, I just can't say no to her. Love you, cariño!

19. Chapter 19. The Morning After by dusty273 [Reviews - 15] (2890 words)
I'm very, very sorry for the huge gaps between updates, I just hope I haven't lost all of you. RL hasn't been treating me too kindly lately and my muse decided to leave me when I need her the most. *sighs*



Thank you very much to those of you who read and reviewed the last chapter! I'm chuffed to bits (and very surprised) the majority of you are enjoying the Wes/Fred storyline just about as much as the Spuffy, I'm loving writing both pairings. Un millón de gracias to Tina for taking the time to cheer me on when my muse wasn't playing nice with me; to Beth for her very helpful suggestions and making my muse finish the damn chapter already *giggles* and to Vara, for her time and invaluable historical expertise. Love you, girls!

20. Chapter 20. The Courage to Love by dusty273 [Reviews - 13] (4256 words)
First of all, many thanks to those of you that are sticking with this story despite the irregular updates. Your reviews and the fact you’re enjoying both love stories made me unbelievably happy. So happy I managed to finish another chapter relatively fast (at least compared to the last one *g*). I think my muse wants to focus on this story for the time being, so I hope you forgive me for the lack of updates in my other WIPs. I promise I’ll get to those as soon as muse let’s go of AAO.


A million thanks as always to Tina, for betaing this chapter for me and for being your very lovely self; to Beth, for her wonderful suggestions; to Vara, for her historical expertise and saving me from making horrendous mistakes; and to Deanna, for inspiring my muse into action—it’d been a while since I wrote like that—and for editing for me. *snuggles* Love you, girls!

21. Chapter 21. Playing in the Garden of Eden by dusty273 [Reviews - 14] (4825 words)
I'm very sorry that I haven't answered reviews for the last chapter, I'm very thankful for them and I promise to respond to all when I return from visiting my grandma at my dad's hometown. I'm also sorry for how late it took me to complete this chapter. December has been crazy busy at the office and at home, plus I can't even begin to count how many times I re-wrote the damn chapter until it finally was to my liking.



This chapter is a birthday present to Carrie (darkrivertempest), albeit a little late *blushes*. You're such a wonderful friend, honey; always encouraging, supportive and caring and I simply couldn't imagine my life without you at this point. I love you, sweetie!


A million thanks to Tina (IBE) for putting up with me and all the changes I made to this chapter. She actually threatened to spank me if I dared try to change a few of the things I wrote yesterday, and really, if she hadn't done that and then beta this very early this morning, I wouldn't have finished in time to post before leaving. *smooches* I love you, darling! Thanks as well to Vara, Beth and Carrie for reading the first part of the chapter and assuring me it was fine, as well. And last but not least, to Deanna, for the edits and just being there being her sweet self. *hugs you all*

22. Chapter 22. A Taste of Temptation by dusty273 [Reviews - 20] (4129 words)
Sorry for the delay in posting, a flakey muse and my hectic life have been conspiring against me. I think muse is willing to cooperate now, though. *crosses fingers*


Anyway, I want to thank those of you who are still with me with this story and especially those who take the time to review. Believe it or not, you’re what keeps me trying, even when it feels like the road is all up-hill.

A million thanks to my lovely Tina, for spanking my muse when she’s being difficult, for making the time to listen and to help me in any way she can. Love you, sweetie! Thank you as well to Deanna and Vara, for the read-through and the very valuable suggestions. *hugs*


Last but not least, this chapter is dedicated to the lovely Sotia! Happy birthday, honey! Sorry I couldn’t post it in time, but better late than never. ;) *hugglesquishes*

23. Chapter 23. In the Aftermath of Temptation by dusty273 [Reviews - 13] (3220 words)
Many thanks for the awesome reviews for the last chapter, and again, I’m sorry for how long it’s taking me to update. Muse is a fickle girl that wants what she wants and I can’t do much to sway her.


A little while ago, I offered to write some drabbles in my journal and the lovely Caroline (jamalov29) requested: If you feel like it Mari, I would like a drabble in the Against all Odds verse. S/B it goes without saying .:-) Anything you want will please me. It also may be during their honeymoon (based on the belief that they shall get married sooner than later) :-) Turns out writing that this drabble was exactly what my muse needed to get her attention back to this story, so this chapter is for you, Caroline! Merci beaucoup, ma chère!


If you’re interested in reading the drabble I wrote for Caroline, you can find it at my journal: http://dusty273.livejournal.com/262297.html. Keep in mind it is set in the future, even if I don’t think it’s particularly spoilery.


A million thanks to Tina, Carrie and Deanna, for all their help, suggestions, edits and just for being the awesome friends that they are; and to Vara, especially, for pre-betaing the chapters and educating me in the finer nuances of the regency period. *hugs you all*

24. Chapter 24. Of Misunderstandings, Proposals and Other Affairs by dusty273 [Reviews - 13] (2859 words)
See, this time it didn’t take me as long to update, less than two months. *winces* I know it’s still not ideal, but I’m really trying to keep my promise to update all my stories. This was just first in line.


Thank you to those of you still reading and especially those reviewing, your kind words really make my day brighter. And to Deanna, really, if this chapter is any good it’s because of her awesome suggestions and her support while I was trying to lure Wes into speaking to me. *hugs* Thank you so much, honey! And last but not least, to Carrie and Vara, for the read-through and saving me from making awful historical mistakes. I couldn’t do this without you. *snuggles*