Chapter 7 – Edge of Eternity
Destiny cannot be shaken
Fate will send us where we need to be
Many turns our love has taken
But in the end you're standing here with me
Now it's a long road to forever
But together I know we'll find a way
Now we're standin' on the edge
Edge of the eternity you and I
We're standin' hand in hand
Nothing will break our love
I'll cherish you each day 'til I die
For all eternity you and I
My heart's filled with such emotion
You're the reason for the air I breathe
I pledge to you all my devotion
Until death do part you away from me
I've never been so close to heaven
As the moment when I looked into your eyes
We're standin' on the edge
Edge of the eternity you and I
We're standin' hand in hand
Nothing will break our love
I'll cherish you each day 'til I die
For all eternity you and I
And baby together (and baby together)
There is so much we have yet to see
And now and forever (now and forever)
I pray you'll always be here with me
Eternally
Buffy leaned back watching Spike as he splashed at the girls and flung Connor into the water. She was absolutely beside herself watching her love so happy in the sun. Thinking back to the meeting they had last night, she knew they were right to take a day off to relax before the storm. They had hashed and rehashed every possible detail until they were ready to drop. Since learning of Willow and Dawn's trip to the realm she had been glad that they pretty much had the same information except for the parchment. The discussion about what they had become had ended them utterly giddy with excitement that they would all be together. Little else mattered to them as long as they weren't alone in their immortality.
Sighing, she sunk her feet into the sand and leaned back soaking in the sun. She knew she should be with the others, but she wanted to mull over what they had to do. They had all been in unanimous agreement that Willow should bind the witch Sidera's powers that Buffy had gone to when she wanted the ritual to go to Spike. Instead of doing it straight away they decided it could wait and made the decision to spend a day at the beach near Vatican City. Pouting, Buffy had wanted to go to a Naples beach but the others had insisted that it was too far. They agreed when the threats were somewhat over they would take off for a few days to Naples.
Laying back she closed her eyes and thought back to their meeting going over anything she missed because they couldn't afford any mistakes.
The Previous day…
“Kitten?” Spike nudged Buffy as he saw her eyes flutter opened.
Turning to Spike she placed a kiss to his delectable lips sighing happily. Breaking away she said idly stated, “We have to hurry up Willow and Dawn should be here soon!”
Buffy watched Spike as he dressed with her. She really owed Dawn for bringing him back to her. Bringing herself up from lacing her boots she walked over to Spike and placed a loving caress to his cheek.
“I love you…You still believe me right?” Buffy's insecurities shown as her bottom lip trembled awaiting his answer.
Tying up his last boot he swept her in his arms kissing her sweetly.
“Buffy, I love you too…I still believe you…My heart is yours as yours is mine, sweets. You're my mate.” Spike whispered passionately while stroking both sides of her face with his hands as he drew her in kissing her full lips longingly.
“Guys we're back!” Dawn shouted.
Breaking away Spike kissed her nose sweetly, and together they walked out hand in hand to meet not just Dawn and Willow but two others with them.
Before they could introduce each other Spike sprawled to the floor clutching his chest screaming.
Frantically, Buffy held onto her lover tears streaming down her face while he screamed.
“Spike baby, what's wrong?” Buffy sobbed uncontrollably looking around to Willow and Dawn.
“Willow, please do something! Fix him!” hysterically Buffy ordered out through her sobs.
“I can't Buffy he has to let it happen. He's becoming a living vampire,” Willow solemnly replied but internally squeaked, ‘I hope.'
Spike knew what was happening but the bloody buggering Powers couldn't even tell him it would be so bloody painful! Not only was it causing him pain; his pain had his Buffy in tears. He was drenched in sweat, which he wasn't as a vampire accustomed to. He shook uncontrollably in his love's arms.
“Buffy quickly, get him in the shower! Make it warm, not cold or hot water!” Willow shouted out as Buffy rushed him to the bathroom frantically turning the knobs while holding a shaking Spike. Testing the water she checked to make sure it was warm. As it reached the desired temperature she jumped fully clothed in with Spike rocking him back and forth while her tears fell with the combined water sprouting from the spray nozzle.
“DAWN!” Buffy screeched.
Dawn thundered towards the bathroom praying nothing had happened when she heard Buffy's demanding voice.
“We need some dry clothes, kay?”
“Sure Buffy. Buffy?” Dawn hesitantly asked looking at Buffy's very worrisome gaze.
“Is he going to be ok?” Dawn asked as Buffy nodded.
“Bloody Hell! Love why are we in the shower...And clothed” Spike groaned.
“Welcome back, cutie” Buffy lovingly stroked his curls gazing down into his eyes.
“Uh ok, I'll get the clothes for you…” Dawn made her quick getaway.
Both ignored Dawn's embarrassed remark lost in each other.
“You scared me Spike”
“Oh sweets…” Spike stopped short when he felt the thump. Deliriously happy he reached for Buffy's hand bringing it to his chest and beamed.
“Luv, I got me a bloody heartbeat!” Spike said astonishingly. Grabbing Buffy before she could speak, he kissed her fervently.
Buffy shivered as the water started to cool, but she was lost in Spike's kiss. This kiss spoke to her. This kiss told her everything she needed to know. There was no going back, she loved this ‘man' with her entire being and more. Nothing would tear them apart.
“Luv, lets get you out of the water, yeah?” Spike pulled away from their kiss lifting Buffy into his arms and out of the shower.
After he dried them both, he proceeded to dress them with the clothes Dawn brought. Buffy stood watching him fascinated at how he took good care of her even after scaring her to death so to speak.
“Buffy luv, look at me.” Spike lifted her chin gently.
Buffy looked up at him with wide eyes rimmed with tears of happiness, yet she was worried to death of losing him.
“I'm never leaving you again…I promise. You bloody hear me? Never…I love you so bloody much, Buffy Anne Summers.”
“I love you too William Pratt…Hey do you have a middle name too?” Buffy asked curiously.
Somewhat embarrassed he tried to hide, but he knew she already knew by the claim. Running his fingers through her hair he quietly told her, “Arthur, but you already knew that sweets.” Spike smirked.
“Come on mister we have some business to go over.” Buffy said as they helped each other dress.
Walking out to the living room Buffy finally noticed the two others and looked at Willow and Dawn puzzled but internally snickering because she knew who they were.
“Wait who are you two?” Buffy innocently asked.
Spike stood beside Buffy trying hard not to snicker as Buffy feigned innocence. Taking hold of her waist he planted a kiss to her head and cocked his eyebrow at the rest of the group.
Dawn knowing the two of them rolled her eyes and called them on their innocent stares.
“Knock it off we already know that you know. Meet Connor and Gianna.” Dawn spoke as she glared at them to try and continue their charade.
Buffy tried to maintain herself, but she giggled and gave up her act but Spike more than curious circled the two newcomers as his senses kicked in over drive. The others curiously looked on as they watched Spike make his way around the two.
Connor felt uncomfortable but not threatened as Spike made his way around him. Gianna however, felt incredibly nervous, and she felt her inner turmoil try to break at his questioning glares and pursuit of her.
Spike thought for a moment ‘If bloody Peaches is the father then this must be why he seems so powerful and that explains the touch of vampirism, I smell on him.'
‘Spike get on with it, I can sense the vampirism all the way over here too. What I am wigging about is Gianna.' Buffy crossed her arms and looked at Gianna but spared a glance at Spike and smirked at his look of shock from her speaking to him without speaking aloud.
‘Right then, bossy bint' Spike winked and continued his perusal of Gianna whom he noticed squirmed under his scrutiny.
“So doll care to bloody share with us why you are off the bloody charts as not being so human. Peaches kid I understand but you…”
Gianna struggled under their questioning and at any other time would have stood up to them but since this had changed her life, she knew deep within her, she had to come out sometime. Grumbling she knew that this group she could trust. Her Wicca family taught her that much, and she knew they would not fail her by telling them her secret. She sensed this group as her newfound family, and she trusted it.
Gianna sighed, “I am what you say I am. I am half demon but…” she paused as she looked at the others shocked faces and crumbled.
“I was left on the door step of Wiccans, and they have taken care of me ever since. I was told I am half vampire and half human, but you can't sense it while I wear the amulet my family gave me.” She informed them as she took off the amulet.
As soon as the small petite girl took off the amulet Spike and Buffy as well as Connor felt their senses as they went into overload. They were utterly confused but intrigued. Dawn and Willow watched in fascination. Willow as fascinated as she was, was more enraptured by the small petite woman stepped closer feeling the urgency to protect her new mate. This confused her even more as she only knew Gianna for a short time.
“Ok what is going on. Why do I want to protect Gianna so badly? Is this due to the Destiny?” Willow asked struggling with her confusion but running the question through her own mind to figure it all out.
Dawn took it upon herself to answer for them all, “Isn't obvious? I mean I want to claw out anyone who gets close to Connor. I'm sure you all just about want to pummel anyone on your own mate's defense. Am I correct?”
They all nodded.
“Ok then here's how it will go. What Tara told Willow and I, we are all mates. We must do the joining. I know this because well, putting it bluntly we have to do it soon, or we will die.” Dawn added.
“That's exactly what Darla and Cordelia told us too, except, we got a parchment to explain everything.” Buffy also added while looking upon the shocked faces of Dawn and Willow.
“What?” Willow managed to croak out.
“Yeah we were bloody shocked Red, but she was a mite different.” Spike said while staring at Connor. Looking at the troubled look on the lads face Spike walked up to him and placed a hand to his shoulder.
“She loves you more than anything in the world. She bloody wanted to well see you, but it wasn't her time to see you yet.” Spike awkwardly patted his shoulder and was completely blown away when Connor grabbed and hugged him.
Spike was torn. This was Peaches kid, and yet he felt the urgency to take the boy under his wing. Pulling reluctantly away he looked on the group with curiosity.
“Not to add to the wantin' to protect your mate but does anyone else have a sodding clue why I also feel the need to bloody protect you all?”
Buffy stepped forward to take his hand reassuringly spoke, “I feel the same way.”
The others spoke out affirmatively and each of them agreed it was time to go over the parchment.
The parchment didn't offer them up much but what would be, and they decided after a grueling hour-long session it was time to make some plans.
Willow started.
“Ok I get all this basically we all need to do this joining but by my calculations we have to do it by tomorrow night. Wait, Buffy when did the witch Sidera wanted you to do the ritual to go to Spike?”
Buffy struggled to meet Spike's eyes sensing his concern about the ritual. Chewing on her lip she realized wide eyed, “Oh my god! I was doing the ritual tonight a-a-and I would have died and so would have you all. Oh my god what did I do?”
Buffy broke down in tears but Willow laid a gentle hand to her shoulder, “Buffy you didn't do the ritual, and now we are one up on the big bad here. We know who to look out for, and we can bind her powers. I can even do the binding without her here. Do you have something of hers? Maybe there was something she gave you for the ritual?”
Wiping at her face Buffy's face lit up, and she ran to her room. The others listened to a string of curses coming from the bedroom and couldn't hold in the laughter and the images floating around of Buffy flinging things around her room searching for some object that could answer their prayers.
Suddenly, they heard her shriek and saw her running into the room beaming.
“Luv, don't keep us bloody well waiting.” Spike smirked as Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.
Making her way over to Willow she handed the pouch to Willow and asked, “Um Willow, why would she give me something so personal as her hair for my ritual? I couldn't understand that.”
Willow flat out laughed and this confused Buffy.
“No she didn't” snicker, “What was she just plain dumb?” giggle, “She's supposed to be a witch!” snort, “This makes this too easy!”
Willow laughed so hard she had tears streaming down her face. The others besides Buffy caught onto what had her in a fit of giggles laughed right along with her. Buffy was getting annoyed.
“Will someone please tell me what is so damn funny!” Buffy stamped her foot and crossed her arms only to listen to them laugh harder.
Spike concerned controlled his mirth and wrapped his arms around a clearly annoyed Buffy.
“Kitten, let me ask you this. You give a witch something personal like your own hair; they can use that against you. This witch apparently didn't think you knew another witch and just freely gave something personal of her for the bloody ritual. Willow has the means to bind the witch's power with the lock of hair you gave her.” Spike spoke barely able to keep his laughter at bay. This was too good to be true.
Turning to Willow he said in a serious demeanor, “Red before we laugh off ourselves bloody silly we need to find out if this is truly her lock of hair.”
Gianna interrupted, “I can do that.”
Gianna took hold of the pouch and placed the lock of hair on her palm and whispered repeatedly until she rose in a chant.
“Ostendo sum alio, Ostendo sum alio, OSTENDO SUM ALIO.” Her voice boomed as she repeated it as she grabbed a hold of Willow's hand.
Understanding dawning on Willow, she too spoke the words repeatedly along with Gianna as the power radiated through them the lock of hair rose above Gianna's palm and shone brightly until it fluttered down to her palm.
Buffy watched fascinated at the power flowing through her best friend and Gianna, but she frowned when the light stopped and nothing seemed to happen.
“Wait.” Gianna spoke quietly.
The light appeared and an image was shown within the light.
Turning to Buffy Willow asked the question burning through everyone's mind, “Is this her Buffy?”
Stepping up to the light she looked at the image and knew this to be the witch but something was off.
“Um, it looks like her, but she looked different when we met.” Buffy said puzzled.
Gianna touched Buffy's temples and spoke, “Ostendo sum suus mens alio.”
Gianna reached and found what Buffy to say was true. Speaking softly she calmly chanted a calming spell and said quietly, “I'm sorry for the intrusion, but it had to be done Buffy. What you say is true. She altered her appearance but the lock of hair belongs to her. Willow I can assist you when we bind her power. She must not have the power. H-her heart is so black.”
Willow took a shaking Gianna in her arms and looked around worriedly towards the others.
“What should we do Buffy?” Dawn asked holding onto Conner fear rising.
‘Spike we need a break before this. What do you think? Could we take a day then do the joining? Do we even know what the joining entails? They didn't say…' Buffy looked expectedly at Spike hoping he could voice what she questioned.
With awe filled eyes he looked on his love as she spoke to him through their link and was so much more completely in love with her.
“We need to find out what the joining actually entails, but we do need a break to let go before the bloody world comes down in on us.” Spike questioned the others.
“I know what the joining entails.” Gianna spoke nervously.
All eyes turned to her in askance.
“I had a dream.” Gianna spoke with her eyes down fearful that they would think she was nuts.
Buffy laid a hand to her arm and urged her on.
Buffy gave Gianna the strength to go on and looking around, she more than saw the acceptance and continued, “We must all be in a circle with each of us beside our mate. I saw different candles in front of each of us that we need. Willow your candle is forest green and mine is a light blue.”
Looking to Connor and Dawn she said, “Connor yours is a dark blue and Dawn's is a bright green.”
Finally turning to Buffy and Spike, she spoke with a blush, “Buffy yours is Gold while Spike's was a flaming red.”
“Wait. Why are ours so different from yours?” Buffy questioned.
Willow giggled and stated, “Buffy isn't obvious that all our colors represent us in some way?”
“Oh.” Buffy turned a shade of red when she realized Spike's was for his passion and hers for her light.
After discovering their candle's meaning for each, they looked to Gianna who smiled.
“Yes I have the candles.” Gianna simply answered.
“We must do the joining by tomorrow evening. Your mate lights your candle as each of us speaks the words, which are ‘From here to eternity, I take thee as mine.' Then we join hands to form a circle and speak the words, ‘Destiny, we are bound, from here to eternity.' Now the tricky part and most of us will not have this problem except for Willow and Dawn. This is different than mating as this is a joining. In my dream I helped Willow as Connor will help Dawn. I will bite my wrist and offer it to Willow while I nick her wrist with my teeth and take of her blood. Connor will do the same.” Gianna looked at the others and noticed the discomfort of ingesting blood.
“We must do this. I'm sorry there is no other way. After we ingest our mates' blood, we leave the bite open, and together we join our bleeding wrists together and speak out, ‘Destiny bound, we are bound forever from here to eternity.' When we spoke the last word a bright white light shone and the candles formed a smoke that circled around us, and we fell into a deep sleep protected within the circle.” Gianna looked expectedly at the others and was relieved.
Dawn disgusted by the blood but let it go stated, “Okay, so we do the ritual tomorrow night, but we need to do a no one can enter spell while we are doing the spell.”
Spike countered, "Bloody right. We don't want anyone just happenin' on us specially while we are bloody out for the count.”
Willow added, “Gianna and I, can do that.”
Yawning Buffy concluded, “Ok, then we should get some sleep. I guess since we are all mates we bunk with our mate. Willow and Gianna, the couch pulls out so you have somewhere to sleep. Can we do something fun before all that is the seriousness of the joining happen tomorrow? Like lets say the beach? I wanna see Spike freckle.” She giggled into Spike's chest.
Dawn astounded by the bed arrangements pulled Connor with her to her room.
Spike growled and Buffy glared when both Dawn and Connor made their way towards Dawn's room.
“No funny business until after the joining Dawn and Connor. We know we can't fight it. Please,” Buffy pleaded.
“Sure thing Buffy.” Dawn took Connors hand.
Connor shook his head and placed a kiss to their joined hands, “I promise nothing but respect for her. We will just sleep.”
Both Spike and Buffy nodded and made their way towards Buffy's room.
“Luv, we need to get a bigger place.” Spike teased while she giggled closing the door.
Present day…
Sinking her toes she sighed and then shrieked, “Spike! You're getting me all wet!”
“That's the idea, pet.” Spike quipped as he scooped her up and ran towards the water.
“No more thinking. Have fun!” Spike snickered as he threw her in the water.
Coming to the surface she more than felt rage but when she saw the others giggling and Spike genuinely smiling she smirked and splashed them.
It was war and the water was flying to and fro. It was a good day to the edge of their eternity.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I own nothing but an immense gratitude to my beta, April. Even through RL you still stuck by me...A million hugs! To my reviewers sorry for the delay but as I said from Blood Ties I have been god awful sick...Hopefully it has passed...Enjoy! I really do love the reviews they are what keeps me going!
Chapter End Notes:
To be concluded until the next part of the series!