Spike inhaled. A chance second, one moment, and it all ended. He stared down at his chest and barely felt the vampire behind him dust as Stevo threw his stake. Spike looked up at Buffy, the world silent as she knelt in front of him. He reached up to brush away a tear he saw slide down her cheek.
This couldn't be it, couldn't be the end. He wasn't ready yet. He'd barely gotten a start.
The room lost its volume. Remaining vampires in the space were trying to run but got violently pulled back by angry superbeings covered in ashes and blood.
Antonia was blindsided; Blake lunged at her from the side. He wailed on her and wrapped his hands around her throat, and her eyes glowed at him as her magick was directed in a shadow-like attack. He felt hands around his neck but ignored them, watching the witch's powers fade along with her life.
Antonia choked, Ace helped Dylan off the ground, and Rex limped closer to the couple kneeling next to each other. Stevo stood still and silent except for his shaky breaths; the room had become a graveyard.
Buffy's eyes blurred as she cupped his face in her hands. "Don't- Don't you dare," she ordered. "Don't leave me, you promised."
"Buffy, I-"
"Don't you dare dust here, Spike!" she demanded. Her voice was strong, her bruised face covered with salty tears. Stevo walked closer and stared at Blake finishing off Antonia in the distance. It was rare that the empath lost control, and rarer still for Stevo himself to cry.
The gypsy wiped his eyes before he could notice that... Spike was still there.
It never took longer than five seconds for... He wasn't dusting. "Wait... Buffy-"
"What is it?!" Dylan finally ran up, out of breath, hunched over. He took in the scene. "No... Spike?"
The seconds ticked by, but Spike still knelt there. He groaned and took a breath, glancing up at the ceiling before he said, "Not that I'm not grateful, but how come..."
"Maybe it didn't go through the heart?" Ace hesitated, little to no hope in his voice.
"No... It did. I felt it." Spike's tone was raspy. "Feel it."
Silence resonated.
Until... "The Gem."
All eyes turned to Dylan. "You're... Buffy, you're wearing the Gem." She nodded, not even glancing at her wrist. "Well, don't you see?" The demon smiled as relief and wonder poured over him, the pieces clicking together, but the others remained suspended in unsure distress. "You two are mated," the demon explained, a big grin plastered onto his spiky green face. "Whatever happens to one, affects the other. Buffy has the Gem on, it-its powers must have protected him!"
The shock was enough to break a dam. Buffy released a shrill exhalation of breath. "Y-You're sure? What if we pull it out?"
"As long as you're wearing the Gem..." Dylan took a hesitant step forward, then shook his head. "Stev, you do it. I can't."
The gypsy looked around at his comrades, then down at the vampire he considered family. Gulping, and after Blake's somewhat approving nod from across the quiet room, he knelt behind Spike. "Ready, friend?"
He nodded, staring into Buffy's green eyes that shimmered with both worry, and hope. "As I'll ever be."
The gypsy took another breath. With a quick yank, the stake came out coated in blood.
No ashes followed. Spike swore and said, "Could've gone a little easier on me, mate." He leaned into Buffy's welcoming arms.
"Not really," Stevo replied, grinning from ear to ear. "There's only so many ways to pull a stake out of someone."
The vampire remained intact and Buffy's heart beat fast with elation and relief. She held Spike's head against her chest, and pressed her palm to the bloody wound barely concealed by a jagged hole in his duster. "We'll have to figure out a way to fix your coat," she laughed.
Spike wrapped his arms around her before raising his head. He checked her neck over quickly for marks and when he found none, said, "We'll figure a way to patch it up," he brushed his hand along the discoloration on one of her cheeks, a hard scowl on his tired face. "After we take care of you and get the bloody hell out a here."
Buffy smiled. "That's the best idea I've ever heard."
***
~Two Days Later~
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Buffy stood before the bathroom mirror, applying concealer and foundation to the slight bruising still present from Flora's attack.
"Yes, I'm sure. The marks have already faded quite a bit," Stevo replied, his arms casually crossed over his big chest.
Buffy sighed. "You did help us a lot. Thank you again. I'm really starting to depend on your gypsy magicks." She sent him a smile.
"Don't mention it."
"Is Blake still working on Spike?" she asked.
"Yes. As much as he can, anyhow. Your mate does not enjoy being made over like a woman."
"Makeup's not just for girls," Buffy said, "it's for anyone who wears it." She used a little brush to blend the thick tan colored goop into her slightly purple cheek.
Flora may be dead but she'd left her mark. Antonia, also dead, her body buried and the ground soaked in a potion Stevo had concocted to keep the witch's spirit at rest, had been the cause of so many problems. Her vampire lackeys, though most of them were dust now, had managed to inflict damage onto everyone, including Spike.
And for a nice dinner with Grams back at the house, bruises were not something you wanted to show off.
Buffy picked up her compact and powdered her face until it was almost white, sighing once again. Spike had to be in much more pain than she was.
Not physically, but... emotionally? It was more his pride than anything that was taking a beating from having to apply face makeup. She didn't understand it, he'd worn eyeliner before, what was the difference? Even so, she was grateful he had agreed, despite his griping.
Buffy called Grams the second they'd arrived back home after the fight. Apologizing for not calling until then, and explaining that she wanted to spend the next few nights at Spike's place, preceded her grandmother's assurances that all was well, and Buffy should enjoy her time with her beau.
She felt guilty. Buffy asked Grams if she was sure she didn't want her home. It hadn't been long since the earthquake, after all, and Spike had no problem driving or walking her over right that minute (though he did, and Buffy wasn't exactly keen on the idea of being separated from him either, but she had to be sure Grams was okay).
Which she was, the old woman promised, and in order to make Buffy feel better- and alleviate some personal curiosity, most likely -Anne invited Spike to dinner.
That's why the mated pair were both currently applying thick concealer to their faces; Buffy wanted to tell Grams everything, the vampire stuff and the supernatural lowdown, but injuries presented wouldn't exactly set her at ease.
Perhaps tonight wasn't the best time anyway...
Everything was only now simmering down. Flora was gone, thanks to one of Stevo's spells they knew for sure. The Gem of Amara was no longer on Buffy's wrist, and had been put in a safe deposit box at a bank outside of MayBell.
Yeah, yeah, a bank? Really? Well, it had seemed so ridiculously human an idea, that Spike and the guys figured it might actually provide safe coverage for the bracelet. Buffy's dream charm was back in Spike's room, for she hadn't been able to part with it, even after Blake suggested they put it inside the safe deposit box with the Gem as a sort of a decoy.
Anyone who wanted that thing would simply take both, Buffy had said in defense. Besides, the charm was hers, Stevo had made it and Spike have given it to her; it was special, like her Papa's watch and her mom's locket. She wasn't giving it up.
Buffy fingered the heart around her neck, and smiled. She couldn't imagine parting with her nightmare bracelet, even if bad dreams weren't to come, not like she could with the Gem.
A part of her wanted Spike to have it; another, was afraid of it. The Gem of Amara may protect Spike from things like sunlight and staking, but it was also a magnet, a beacon for enemies to follow if they so desired. If someone broke into the bank and took it, Spike would find out. But even with its powerful shield effects, neither he nor Buffy felt safe with the Gem in the house.
It was for emergencies now, and Spike would simply have to be extra careful. They'd thought maybe they could break off just a little bit of the stone and keep that, but Stevo said it was impossible. The Gem of Amara couldn't be broken, and even if it could, the powers would disappear like water down a drain.
The gypsy leaned against the doorframe as he watched Buffy finish up with blush, before finally switching to mascara. "I thought you already did that," he said.
She shook her head. "I applied eye shadow, then liner. I haven't done this part yet."
"Oh." He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know how you can put something so pointy so close to your eyes. Is it very difficult?"
Buffy smiled. "Not for me, but I've been doing this since I was thirteen."
A sudden bang came from the floor below. Stevo moved out of the way as Buffy sighed and headed for the stairs. "I think Spike's about out of patience," he said.
"I know. I can feel it."
Reaching the first floor, Buffy wasn't prepared to see Dylan running backwards into the living room as he dodged a flying book. He was laughing, but Buffy heard growly protests coming from the end of the house where Blake was supposed to be working on Spike's face.
Buffy made a swift turn and headed to them. Inside the room with flowery vases she discovered two irate superbeings, one holding a makeup sponge in his hand tinged pasty beige. "What's going on?" she asked the empath.
"Your beau is protesting," Blake replied. "He won't change back to human visage. I can't apply with the wrinkles in the way."
Spike's fanged face was in a glower, directed at the brunette standing above him. He left his chair and approached Buffy; she studied his pale face with obvious surprise that went unnoticed by him.
"Love-"
"Spike, the bruises are gone," she said, astonished.
The vampire frowned at her.
"Well," she corrected, "concealed."
"You mean all of this torture wasn't for nothin?"
She grabbed his hand and nodded. "Blake did a great job. I know I can't prove it to you with a mirror, but trust me, you look completely and totally presentable." She smiled. "Grams won't see a thing."
Before the vampire could wipe the doubt from his face, Buffy stepped around him. "Where'd you learn to apply makeup like that, Blake?"
The empath grinned proudly. "Picked it up from... companions, over the years. I learned quite a bit about applying makeup when I stayed at brothels, especially."
"Aren't you due back at one of those?" Spike grumbled; his right cheek felt heavier than his left and it was irritating him. "Some rot 'bout feedin off the sexual appetites of others?"
Blake laughed. "Are you kidding?" He scoffed, "I've been getting plenty of that with Buffy and you always under the same roof."
She blushed, and managed to say, "Well, thank you for making him over."
A low growl emanated from behind her.
Buffy rolled her eyes but turned to soothe her vampire. "For covering the bruises," she amended.
Spike's fangs disappeared as he reclaimed her hand, nodding to his friend in barely offered thanks before tugging Buffy out of the room.
They walked into the living area; she could hear Dylan and Stevo talking in the kitchen, while Ace and Rex both sat on the couch watching television. Buffy almost didn't notice their lack of greeting. They'd been in the room when Dylan had run in, quickly followed by that flying book, and neither had said a word then. The girl let her eyes rest on the TV. "Are you guys watching Passions?"
The utter shock in her tone didn't even pierce their arrested concentrations. Buffy gave Spike a look of question, and was surprised to see his eyes suddenly fixed on the television, as well. She shook her head. "I don't believe it."
Buffy looked at the TV again and crossed her arms, frowning. Inside, confusion blended with surprise, to be released in derision. "Tweety, Fangy and Sicky, all fans of a soap. I should have known, really."
Her insults caught their attention. Ace glanced back at her and then slouched into the couch cushions, a petulant look crossing his face. "I bet you've never even seen it."
"No, I'm proud to say that I haven't," Buffy declared.
Spike gave her a slight glare. "Oh, nice, judgin a show by its... genre."
"I didn't know you knew that word," Stevo walked in with a sardonic little smile on his face. "Impressive, 'Fangy.'"
Spike glowered and Rex said, "Can everyone be fucking quiet?"
Buffy snorted and looked at Spike. "Sorry," she said with insincerity. "Maybe you guys should like, form a club or something."
"Pet, you're treadin on thin ice."
"No, I'm serious," she claimed, a bright smile of pure mockery coming forth. "You could have T-shirts, mugs, meetings- The whole shebang! Why, I bet you could even create a website to go with it. I'm sure Dylan would help."
"Don't bet on it!" they heard from the kitchen.
"Buffy..." Spike warned, "You might want to zip those pretty lips of yours 'fore I shut em permanently."
"I'm just trying to be supportive."
"Stop tryin."
"Okay," she said, "I'll start stopping trying right now... by pulling you away from the TV."
"Wait- What? But the episode's not-"
"We have dinner with Grams in less than ten minutes. We should leave now."
"But-"
She shook her head and smiled. "Spike, she likes you, but if she knows we were late because you chose a soap opera over her cooking, she might stake you."
Spike didn't even want to try and pretend he hadn't seen Buffy's little nose twitch. It was difficult to say no to anything when she did something so damned cute. "Alright, fine," he sighed. "But if I'm forced to say Grace for food that ain't even keepin me upright and walkin, I'm gonna pitch a fit."
"No you won't." She saw right through the phony threat.
"No, I won't. But I'm not bowin my head." He pointed at her like he meant business.
"She doesn't usually say Grace, Spike, unless it's a holiday. Relax. She's just going to want to hear about us. As a couple. You and me."
Spike opened his mouth, then shut it quickly, before opening it slowly once again. "And what exactly do you wanna tell her about... you and me, pet?"
Buffy's self assured expression fairly crumbled after the question. She sighed, and replied, "Well, I- I don't know. I guess we'll... just see how the night goes. I think it might be too soon to tell her everything yet."
"She's gonna find out at some point."
"I know." Buffy looked down and nodded. "I know," she repeated. "We'll just wait for the right time to tell her."
***
"I knew it!"
Buffy's green eyes widened like a cartoon character's at her Grams' exclamation. The vampire at the table had just spit out a mouthful of water, the old lady was smiling gleefully at his side, and Spike's lips were smoking. "Grams, what did you do?!"
"Oh, so sorry," She quickly grabbed an ice cube from her own glass of water and wrapped it in a linen. "I didn't want to hurt you, I hope you understand."
Buffy, still confused, took the ice Grams was trying to press against Spike's mouth and did so herself. The cold felt good on his burning flesh once he stopped coughing, but he still looked pissed even as he leaned into Buffy's shoulder and sought her nearness.
The claim was in a tizzy, and Spike was only now sizzling down- literally speaking.
She'd never been so angry at Grams before as when the woman said, "I served him holy water."
Buffy hadn't been anything but concerned for her as of late. Any and all severe anger was directed at those who'd threatened Grams, with the earthquake; her mate and friends, with the fights and revenge tactics; and her own life, with the kidnapping and river incident. All offenders were dead now. It was suddenly frightening to be so angry at one of her loved ones.
"You served him HOLY WATER?!" the girl shouted. "Why would you do that?!"
"I had to know." Grams backed up and sat down again, across from the supernatural couple. "Figured the boy was a vamp, but-"
"A what?" Spike asked, his voice scratchy.
"A vampire." The old woman rose one thin eyebrow at their astonished faces. "You thought I didn't know 'bout the animals? Ya kiddin, right?"
Silence was her answer. In such moments, the mind often went on a speedy Ferris Wheel ride, and sloppily began piecing things together. Sometimes, though, the pieces didn't fit, so explanations- no matter how bizarre -were required.
"Sugar," Grams said to Buffy, "I've known about vampires since I was nearly eight. So d'your daddy. He never told you about them... said he didn't wanna show you that part of the world. Lord knows I disagreed, but," she sighed and shook her head a little, "he was the one raisin ya, and I had to respect that."
Buffy watched doe-eyed and gripping Spike's steady hand beneath the table as her grandmother leaned back in her chair. "I've had notions about you," the woman pointed quickly at Spike, "since you moved into town. But there weren't any people disappearing or bodies drained of blood showin up, so I figured you were one of the rare decent ones."
"Decent ones?" Spike asked dubiously.
"YES, decent ones." The woman clasped her hands over the tablecloth. "I know y'all mostly just demons, no souls and all, but there've been a couple over the centuries that didn't quite fit the bill. So, as long as you weren't hurtin nobody, and just stuck to the library most nights, I figured I'd leave you alone." She smiled in a Cheshire cat sort of way. "Then, ya started datin my granddaughter, and leavin you alone, William, wasn't an option."
Buffy swallowed hard, looked at Spike for guidance, then turned back to Grams before he could so much as blink at her. "That's... THAT'S why you made him drink holy water?"
"I had to be sure, honey."
"But Grams-!"
"Buffy, wait," Spike cut off her protests. She looked at him with confusion the shade of hazel green. He turned back to the intelligent old woman who was, evidently, much more aware of things than she let on. "So, now you know. How do you feel about it?"
Grams licked her lips in thought, but the abrupt question did not seem to rattle her. "So long as you don't hurt her-" she said, "and I know you won't -I'm not protestin the match."
"How come you're so sure I won't hurt her?" Spike's stomach roiled at the very idea.
Anne smile slyly at him, saying many more words than her next statement actually included. "You're a vampire, chances are, you were evil 'least once in your lifetime. Now you've got a human to care for, she ain't gonna put up with killin of any innocents, and you're capable of lovin her enough not to do that. There ain't nothin stronger than that sort of love." Grams smirked and her eyebrows shot up; an expression full of cocky, perceptive intelligence. "You two might already be mated, yet."
Buffy's mouth fell open and before she could stop herself, words started clamoring out in a jumble. "W-What- How- I-I-... HOW?!"
Grams smiled. "So you are. Well good, that assures me even more that you won't try and eat her, William."
Buffy's forehead was filled with so many lines, it looked like a racetrack. "Grams, how the hell do you know about all of this stuff?"
"Sugar, don't curse at the table."
"Grams!"
"My sister was mated to a vampire, too. Mary, the one you've seen in the photographs? She was a slayer."
At the same time, the vampire and human exclaimed: "Slayer?!"
Grams nodded matter-of-factly. "That she was. Tough woman. Ya see, she wasn't actually my sister. She was my great, great aunt, but I called her my sister. We were very close." Anne took a moment to pause, and she smiled almost sadly, light following the nostalgic expression in her eyes. "She died before you were born, her mate and her both. They didn't meet until she was into her later years. Slayers have abnormally long life spans, and she lived long enough to meet a vamp that wasn't quite like the rest."
Grams laughed and looked at Spike as she said, "Ya know, they met when she was tryin to kill him? He flirted with her the entire time she was working on driving a stake through his chest."
Buffy's mind wandered as Anne talked. She recalled the dress she'd tried on in the attic, Mary's wedding gown. "That chiffon dress upstairs, the one in the wardrobe... it was-"
"She wore it when she wedded him," Grams said fondly. "I loved that vampire, he surely wasn't normal. He cared more about people than he liked to admit."
Spike heard an echo, Stevo's voice ringing in his ears like some sort of shout in a cavern. He squeezed Buffy's hand.
She squeezed back, and Grams continued.
"Mary and him died together, in battle. They actually won, but... Well, some battles are won when the war's lost." Anne's eyes crinkled at the edges. "I miss em quite a bit. Every day. And frankly, when I found out 'bout you two-" her bent finger wiggled at the blonde duo, "-I was excited. So long as you were a good one, William, I was happy with the match."
Shock MIGHT be a good word. Buffy wasn't sure if it could fully describe her astonishment at the moment. She took a huge drink of ice water and exhaled, then took another gulp and didn't come up for air until she'd emptied the glass.
Spike looked at her. "You okay, pet?"
"Peachy," she snapped.
"You aren't gettin mad, are you?" he asked with a frown.
She shook her head. She wasn't mad. She was caught off guard, she was a little wigged, mostly she was relieved, but... Grams knew about vampires?! And she'd never mentioned it?
Buffy knew what a slayer was, Spike had told her. To know there'd been one in the family, a woman whose dress Buffy had fallen in love with at first glance, was almost hard to take in. The fact Grams had been so involved with the supernatural world but had never told her about it, stunned the girl. "How come you never told me any of this?" she asked aloud.
Anne noted the hurt in that question. She sighed. "Dear, people in this town, as unaware as some of them can be, know to never go out alone after dark. And you are an adult, and you're smart." She said it with confidence, with such trust and knowledge; Buffy wasn't sure she had so much faith in herself. "I knew you would be alright. If you survived in San Francisco with your mom and grandpa, neither of whom knew 'bout vampires, I knew you'd do just fine here."
"I would have told you all about them if your daddy hadn't been so against the idea. He never once got attacked, thank the Lord, and so didn't like to entertain the thought of vampires bein a real threat." She licked her lips again and frowned. "Maybe I should have told you. I'd thought about doin so a dozen times after you moved down here with me, but there was never quite a good enough reason."
"What about protecting me?" Buffy said, her tone near accusation even with as quiet as it was.
"Would you have believed me?"
That, threw her for a loop.
Would she had believed her? If Grams had shown her books, pictures, shared stories... Would anything short of seeing a vampire standing less than five feet from her person have been enough to convince her of their existence?
She remembered her reaction to the nightmare bracelet.
No. It wouldn't have.
***
~The Christmas Party~
Spike wasn't in sight. Buffy kept looking everywhere. Grams was by the big Christmas tree covered in tinsel and ornaments. Lights above twinkled white, making the room look alive in a heavenly way.
The guys- all of them -were occupied near the buffet and refreshment tables. Dylan and Stevo were getting punch, Ace and Blake had found two pretty ladies to chat and flirt with, Rex was eyeing a redhead from across the room.
Spike wasn't here yet. Buffy had no clue what was taking him so long, and if it weren't for the claim reassuring her, she would have been worried over his late ass. Instead, she was simply growing impatient.
Everybody in the room, including her superbeing family, was out to impress. Suits and dresses danced throughout the ballroom, throughout the entire house to the music created by a string band. This mansion was beautiful and much too big for just one small family to inhabit, the floors in several rooms were the prettiest polished wood Buffy had ever dared walk on. She felt like she was at one of Gatsby's own parties.
She was surrounded by glitz, yet also, homey gentility. Everyone talked and exchanged greetings of warmth. Meg had come up to her, and then Harriet, as well as Leonard and other people like Chelsea and Doctor Cruse. Each one had kind words to deliver, and an interest in Buffy that couldn't have been faked.
Surprisingly, she didn't shy away from the conversations; she enjoyed them.
However, she also enjoyed the company of her loving mate, and Spike was unaccounted for. The man couldn't still be getting ready, a suit wasn't something that was hard to get into. Stevo and Blake both knew how to tie ties, and it'd been a collective assistance task force helping Rex finish with his. The thunderbird hated wearing anything around his neck, apparently, but when Buffy said he looked handsome, he'd reduced his complaints to a grumble.
After she told him she thought Chelsea would be impressed, he'd shut up completely.
That alone was reason enough for Buffy to hint to the pretty redhead that she might have a secret admirer, and then not so subtly point out Rex's tall form in the distance.
Buffy was still waiting for the woman to make her move.
Spike was one man who didn't object to wearing a suit. He'd been about to get changed when Buffy was leaving to go and get dressed herself and pick up Grams for the walk to the party.
Stevo, Rex and Blake tagged along for that trip. Grams had never met any of them, but she liked Blake immediately, Stevo gained her respect with his gentlemanly ways, and Rex she thought, looked like a dependable man who might just be a little rough around the edges.
Their true identities didn't come up, but Buffy thought... by some sort of sparkle she saw in her grandmother's eyes, that Anne might be aware these men weren't mere humans.
Buffy didn't know when she'd suddenly become so keen to her Grams' thought processes. Ever since the blatant acceptance of Spike's vampire identity, Buffy had noticed a different side to her grandmother that bordered on the witchy. Not bad witchy, just extremely intuitive. Buffy wouldn't be surprised if the woman asked Stevo to teach her some spells if/when she ever found out who he was.
And that was a pickpocket. A dirty pickpocket.
"Stev!" Buffy turned around with a reprimanding tone and expression, but a smile crept onto her face and gave her away. "Give it back."
Stevo grinned at the demand. "What did I take?" he asked in his mixed accents voice.
"My wallet." Buffy held out her hand.
In a split second, he'd placed the small item in her open palm. "It took you five minutes to notice."
"Don't mock me, I'm new at this," she pouted, putting her wallet back inside the small purse that hung from her shoulder.
"And you haven't attempted to steal from me in over a week. I must admit, I'm a little disappointed."
"I've decided you're too hard for a beginner."
Stevo rose one eyebrow, but something like pride twinkled in his bronze colored eyes. He'd been teaching her how to pickpocket, just like he'd promised, and though Buffy didn't plan on actually stealing from people, you never knew when such a skill could come in handy. The guys had no plans to leave anytime soon either, so she had plenty of opportunities to practice.
"Who is to be your guinea pig, then?" Stevo asked.
Buffy smiled mischievously. "I took Blake's wallet earlier today."
Stevo grinned big and bright. "That's why he couldn't find it for thirty minutes. I'm surprised your guilt didn't give you away to him."
"I left the room immediately," she admitted, laughing.
Stevo nodded proudly. "It is definitely an accomplishment." He leaned in close and tuned his voice down to a whisper. "Even if you hadn't been able to do it, know this Buffy: You have, without a doubt, already successfully stolen something no class-A pickpocket ever could have." The gypsy winked at her, then said very sincerely, "Spike's heart is yours as surely as the moon is full tonight and your blood is shared."
Buffy pulled away and smiled at him in warm surprise. "Stev... That's... That's very sweet."
"Honey, being sweet is not something I partake in," he claimed. "I'm stating a truth. Now," he nodded at something behind her and smiled again, "Let your mate finally see how lovely you look in your dress."
She turned around like she'd been pushed. She watched Spike's expression change from happiness, to shock, to wonder. It was like watching it frame by frame, but all she saw behind his reaction, all that caught her focus, was him.
Her mate stood tall and with a little red velvet box in his hands tied up in ribbon, dressed in a suit of black. She'd never seen him look more human, and a strong heartbeat beneath her chest felt like a reminder of how much she loved him; and she felt his love for her.
Buffy wore the dress. He knew she would, for he'd only agreed to attend this party if she did, but Spike couldn't have prepared himself for how she looked now. Surrounded by people and light and her hair pinned up high, with soft tendrils of blonde framing her cheeks, stunning wasn't even the word. Gorgeous, beautiful, effulgent- Hell, the woman looked inhuman, like a goddess or an angel bride. She looked amazing. And Spike sensed her heartbeat in his bones the moment he was ensnared.
Like before, the dress still fit as if made for her. The fabric draped and fell across her skin in creamy white, and Spike's hands fairly shook with the desire to touch.
He approached her quickly when brain function returned, a nearly nervous smile crossing his lips as he got close enough to wrap her in his arms. She leaned up, and they met for a kiss which was too short for both their tastes.
"You look... Gorgeous, Goldilocks. Bleedin gorgeous," he told her.
She grinned warmly at him. "Thank you. You're..." she glanced down and then up into his eyes again, her own shining. "You look great, too."
He smirked. "Just 'great?' Your heart rate says otherwise, love." He leaned closer and nibbled her ear, murmuring, "Among other things..."
She smiled brighter and giggled. "You look very, very handsome!"
"Alright, I'll take it," he claimed, pulling back. He presented the red velvet box to her. It was tied with a sparkly amber ribbon. "I was wrapping it up. That's why I'm late."
"Oh... Spike." Buffy began untying the bow. "My present for you's at home, I didn't think to bring it."
"That's alright. Just open up your gift for me, petal."
Buffy did just that. Upon lifting the little lid, she found a beautiful ring inside. A silver band, holding an emerald. Intricate designs like swirls surrounded the jewel and held it in place, and very tiny diamonds were imbedded in the silver, like sparkles playing peek-a-boo.
"I- I-... I-...."
"Fish-mouthed, eh love?"
Buffy nodded hard, looking up at his smiling face in disbelief. "I just got you Sex Pistols records."
Spike laughed loudly and said, "Kitten, that's a perfect gift. I wouldn't expect you to get me somethin like this..." He took the ring from its velvet lined perch and slowly placed it on her third finger on her left hand. "S'a bit too flashy for my taste," he joked.
Buffy stared at the green gem. "Where did you get it?"
"It was my sister's."
Buffy's head snapped up. "Dawn's?"
Spike nodded over a sweet, sad smile. "It was her wedding ring. I kept it after she passed... I wanted you to have it."
She was left speechless. That he would give her... It was so important and valuable to him. He trusted her to wear it, to keep it safe and... It was hers now?
Buffy forgot to breathe.
"I hope you like it. The green reminded me of your eyes," Spike said, "like how they get when it's real shadowy out, and I just hoped..."
Buffy lunged at him. "I love it, Spike! Thank you so much."
He laughed and gladly accepted her fierce embrace, inhaling deeply, then exhaling with relief inside her loving arms. "You're welcome, Buffy."
"Is it alright if I... Well," she shuffled nervously once he let her down, and she kept glancing between the ring and him. "People will think it's... It looks like what it is, a wedding ring," she said with uncertainty.
"I believe a claim's as good as married, pet."
They smiled together, and Buffy gave Spike another kiss. This one lasted longer.
Finally, when they parted, the vampire asked his mate: "Wanna dance?"
"I know you say you can, and I believe you, but proof is always nice."
He bit his lip and smirked at that grin of hers, it made him want to kiss her breathless again. "Then by all means," he offered her his hand, and lead the way to the middle of the crowded dance floor.
There was laughter around them. Moving feet and the hems of dresses swished by their ankles, but Spike kept her afloat. He twirled her and brought her in close, and the music flowed like a background melody to their thoughts. They shared conversations in silence sometimes, and Spike liked making her blush in public settings, for it drove Buffy nuts.
In the distance, she could see Rex dancing with a woman whose red curls looked like a flame moving throughout the crowded room. Buffy smiled, and Spike asked what she'd seen. When she pointed out a laughing thunderbird across the room, the vampire beamed.
In the Christmas lights' glow, an emerald sparkled as it went for a dance, gleaming with apparent pride or joy to finally be worn once again; and by a woman its last owner would have highly approved of.
***
~Four weeks later~
"Buffy!"
The girl came running down the stairs at Spike and Dylan's shouting. She could feel fear and apprehension coming from her mate, and immediately she was near. She didn't even give a glance to the sound and feeling of a hole tearing in the wrist of her sweater as it brushed the edge of the railing.
"What is it?!" she exclaimed once she reached the kitchen.
"Somethin's wrong with the cat," Dylan answered. "She'd acting weird and... Get back!"
Buffy frowned hard. She'd never once seen Dylan push Princess away. She finally spotted the animal, and she blinked.
Spike looked between the feline and Buffy, confusion and worry etched onto his face. "We've gotta get her to the vet. She's never acted like this before."
Buffy sighed and crossed her arms. "I'll bet."
"What's wrong with her?" Dylan asked, maneuvering behind Buffy as Princess came yowling closer.
"She can't have rabies, I never let her out," Spike said.
Buffy rolled her eyes very dramatically. "She's in heat."
The silence that followed that statement was astounding to her. Buffy walked over to Princess, who was currently rubbing against a chair leg and arching her back, still meowing and sounding like she might be dying, and picked the cat up very slowly. Buffy wrapped one hand around her front paws to keep them still.
Spike scowled hard and stared cautiously at his pet. "She can't be... she's only a kitten."
"She's growing up, Spike. Better face it and call a vet." Buffy looked at Princess with pity, "Just be glad the others are out grocery shopping right now, they would have only made this worse."
She walked out, cat in hand, and left an air of judgment in the room for the males. Apparently, even supernaturally endowed men, lacked sense and common knowledge when it came to feminine maturity.
She stroked Princess' head consolingly as the cat played with the thready edge of her torn sweater. Buffy called out, "Better not let any tomcats in the house Spike, or you'll become a grandpa!"
***
~Two days later~
"Spike, here's your blood."
The vampire looked up as Buffy came in the bedroom, holding a steaming mug of O-neg. He smiled as she handed him the cup. "Thanks, love." He took a gulp then watched as she sat beside him on the arm of his chair. "Still surprised you're willin to get me food," he said with a laugh.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Spike, I'm a girl."
He looked her over, in her white tank top and blue jeans, and smiled, trying not to bite his lip. *You obviously have no bloody idea how aware I am of that.* "I realize that, love."
"Look at Princess, okay," she said with a shrug, "who we still have locked in Stevo's bedroom. He's not happy about that, by the way- But, my point is, girls have to deal with blood every month," she gestured vaguely, making an expression of distaste as she continued, "coming out of our own bodies. It wasn't that hard for me to get used to the idea of you drinking the stuff." Her brow puckered cutely, and then she shrugged her shoulders again. "Well, once I got used to it, that is."
The sudden, concentrated look she noticed on Spike's face almost worried her. "What?"
"That's right, you are human, aren't you," he stated, somewhat to himself.
She nodded, her brow rising. "Duh... Just with a couple of extra vampy perks."
His lips went from firm, to a leisured smirk. A new awareness and something else wicked twinkled in his eyes.
It took Buffy a minute to understand, for the scowl of confusion to evaporate from her features, but suddenly, it hit her. Her eyes rounded, doubling in size, and her cheeks turned pink. "No!"
He glanced up and down her body, which only made her blush harder, and he licked his lips, obviously distracted. She took a step back and Spike said, "Don't knock it til you try-"
"I don't need to try it!"
"Might be fun."
"Spike," she shook off a cringe, and ignored the purely unreal and depraved voice in the back of her mind that suggested she hear him out. "We are NOT going to-..." Buffy trailed off awkwardly, avoiding looking at his handsome, smirking, and pleasantly intrigued face, "do THAT!"
He caught her gaze, finally. "Why not? Might help with cramps."
Her eyes bulged yet again, and Buffy threw up her hands in a display of several kinds of frustration before heading to the bathroom, and shutting the door on his insanity.
And his insanely provocative, indecent... IMPOSSIBLE suggestions.
She leaned against the cool wood of the door, sighing up at the ceiling, wondering how the hell she'd gotten involved with a vampire. And why she couldn't clear her mind of his last lewd proposal.
Meanwhile, Spike was still in his chair, smiling serenely as he sipped non-Buffy blood, and let plans drift through his head.
Almost as soon as she'd stormed into the bathroom, she stormed back out. "Spike?"
"Yes?" He noted the worried look on her face, felt it through their connection. "What's wrong, kitten?"
She got this look of panic in her eyes as she explained. "What if... What if I have periods for the rest of eternity? I'm immortal now."
He knew it wasn't a good idea, but Spike still said it. "I'm not complainin." He took another sip from his mug.
Two seconds later, a pillow hit him square in the face, making him spill his dinner on his chest. With a small growl, he glared at Buffy's furious form standing beside the bed.
He shot up out of his chair the same second she bolted for the door. And just like so long ago, back on a night filled with sugary memories, a kiss that started everything, and a beautiful dress tried on in an attic, the vampire caught his girl, and forever he kept her world spinning.
THE END
_________________________
This has been quite a ride, and I've loved every minute of it. I loved writing this story, I loved creating the original characters, and I loved writing Spike and Buffy's romance, as usual. Thank you all so so so so much for the reviews, reading, putting up with late updates- Really, I can't say thank you enough. Everyone who paid attention to this fic helped me write it, inspired me. I thank all of you, and I really hope this fic was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. There may be oneshot sequels (in the far off future), but I haven't any plans for them right now. I do hope, however, that other spuffy fanfics I decide to post on here will grab your interest as well as Be Fearless, My Dear did, because I know I won't be able to resist writing more spuffy fics. (: Thanks again, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this closing chapter of BFMD! *many hugs*
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