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Author's Chapter Notes:
This story is NOT over. This is NOT the last chapter.
Spike heard the door of his crypt slide open. He frowned, grabbing a sword that was leaning against the wall before going to the upper level. Usually when something came looking for his blood, they were a little louder than this, but maybe it was a stealthy demon…

He stopped when he saw who was standing there, the sword sliding to the ground with a loud clang. Buffy was staring at him. He could hear her rapid heartbeat, could see the fear in her wide, green eyes. The silence was heavy between them, and he felt like he had to say something—anything—before she bolted.

"You're all muddy."

Spike winced as soon as the words left his mouth. That wasn't exactly the way to make the girl want to stay…

"I got in a fight with a vamp. He pushed me down. His name was Ralph."

"Ralph?"

"Yeah. And there was one named Leroy, too. There was a third one, but I didn't find out his name. Just staked him."

"Oh."

Silence fell again, Buffy's nervous rambling doing nothing to ease the tension between them. She glanced between Spike and the still open door, and Spike knew what was on her mind. He could sense her inner conflict, could see the tense way she held herself. "Don't go. Please, Buffy…don't go."

"I wanted to see you, but…I'm all gross now."

"I don't care about that. Jus' making an observation, was all. You wear mud very well, kitten. Make it look beautiful."

"I don't…"

"I have a shower downstairs," Spike said quickly. "Well, not really a shower so much as something I rigged with a pipe, but it works. Could clean that mud right off. It's cold water, but…"

Buffy glanced back at the door again, the rain coming down as hard as it had all night. She had come here because she'd wanted to be with him, had been drawn to him. If she tried to run now, she knew she'd only be pulled right back. Spike had her heart, whether she'd wanted to give it to him or not. She walked towards the door, only to shut it before turning to face Spike again. "Okay."

A relieved grin broke out across Spike's face. "It's downstairs. Come on."

Buffy followed him into the lower level of the crypt. It was dark, and she reached out, grabbing hold of Spike's arm.

He stopped at the feel of her fingers against his skin. "Can't see, pet?"

"No."

"I'll get some light. Wait here for me?"

Buffy nodded, too nervous to speak, knowing that his vampiric senses would allow him to see the gesture. As she felt Spike leave, her nervousness rose towards panic levels. She was standing in the dark in a vampire's crypt. It went against every bit of her Slayer training. But then Spike was back, carrying with him a large candle that was just enough to let her see what was right in front of her.

"It's over here, kitten," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the "shower." He set the candle up on a ledge, then turned on the water. "Should be enough to rinse the mud off."

Buffy self-consciously wrapped her arms around herself. "Can I have something for when I finish? No more of Harmony's clothes. Just…maybe a towel?"

Spike smiled. "I can do that. Be back in a few minutes, yeah?"

"Okay…"

When Spike was gone again, Buffy stripped off her wet, mud-covered clothes and stood under the running water, goosebumps rising to her skin as the cold water hit her. She tried to work quickly, wanting to rid herself of the mud as quickly as possible.

Spike got a towel from nearby, but stayed in the dark, watching Buffy as she rinsed herself off. He knew she'd most likely prefer him to be a little less voyeuristic, but even the few days that they'd been apart had been too long, and he missed the sight of her body.

Besides, how could he possibly miss the chance to get an eyeful of wet, naked Buffy? Add cold to that, and he was damn near in heaven.

Buffy tried to turn off the water, only to bring the cold water down on her harder. She yelped, jumping back. "Spike!"

He stepped out of the shadows then, turning off the water. "Here, luv," he said softly, handing her the towel.

"Thanks," Buffy replied, her teeth chattering. She wrapped herself up in the large, fluffy towel, desperate to get warm again.

Unable to keep himself away from her, Spike walked up behind her, rubbing her arms through the towel. Even with his lack of body heat, his nearness alone was enough to warm Buffy up. "Come on, pet," he said softly. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

He started to lead her back through the dark, but Buffy stayed put. "I still can't see."

Without a word, Spike lifted her off her feet, Buffy's arms immediately going around his neck. He smiled to himself at her acceptance of his help. He carried her to his bed, gently sitting her down on the edge. "Just a moment and I'll get some light in here for you."

Slowly, the room became more illuminated as Spike lit the candles he had around his bed. Buffy glanced around, taking in the seemingly mismatched décor of the room. The area around the bed was quite clearly a crypt, but the bed itself was lush, large and inviting. She felt safe there, as if it were a haven in this place of death.

She looked up at Spike, realizing how much the room fit the man. Even in death, there was warmth. Comfort. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I came here to talk to you."

Spike gave her a half smile. "Figure you didn't come just to use my shower."

Buffy looked down at her hands. She could do this. She was the Slayer. She could be brave. "I think maybe I'm in love with you."

"Maybe?"

Buffy glanced up slightly. His eyebrow was arched, his expression outwardly stern, but with a hint of amusement under it. "Probably?" Buffy said, her voice rising.

"Try again, pet."

"Definitely?"

The smile that had been threatening for the past couple of moments finally broke on Spike's face. "That's more like it."

"And…and you still love me, don't you?"

Her vulnerability now reminded Spike of Elizabeth, and he realized then how much she'd been the girl beneath the Slayer, desperate for and scared of love at the same time. He moved slowly, careful not to spook her, and knelt in front of her, taking her shaking hands in his. "I love you, Buffy. Don't need a soul to tell me you're a dream come true. You let me in now, I won't let you down. I'll be a man for you. Can't be a man like William, with a beating heart, but I can do the best I can."

His words surprised her. Buffy had feared that he wouldn't want her now that he was back to being a vampire, but she'd never thought that he'd be afraid that she wouldn't want the vampire. Not because of that anyway. She pulled one of her hands away from his, caressing his face. "I don't need your heart to beat as long as it's mine."

"Oh, it is, kitten. It's all yours. Forever."

"Mine's yours, too. It's a little worse for wear, but…"

Spike pressed a soft kiss against her lips. "I'll treasure it, sweetheart. Won't let it break again."

He pulled back slightly, and Buffy met his eyes, holding her gaze steady with his as she unwrapped the towel from around her, letting it fall to the floor. She could see Spike's eyes darken, even in the soft candlelight, and it made a shiver run up her spine. She crawled backwards up the bed, resting up on the pillows, waiting for her lover to pounce.

She didn't have to wait long. Spike was on top of her at a speed beyond anything a human could've been capable of, his mouth and hands seemingly all over her as he caressed her into a fevered arousal. Buffy clung to him, wondering how she'd ever thought she could deny herself this. Spike made her feel something that no other man ever had, stirred a fire deep within her soul. Right or wrong didn't matter anymore. She was passed that point. She needed him now. She needed him always.

Spike reveled in the new level of intensity his vampiric senses brought to this act. In the book, Buffy had smelled and felt wonderful. But now… He was surrounded by her, drowning in her. The scent of her arousal beckoning to him, Spike slid down her body, resting his head between her thighs. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing her in. The desire was rolling off of her, and it was because of him.

He lowered his mouth, smiling at the way Buffy's hips shot off the bed at the first lick. He wasted no time finding her clit, his tongue moving over it rapidly as he plunged two fingers inside her, pressing them against the spot he knew would make her scream. He could tease later. Now was about imprinting himself on her skin, burning himself into her very soul until she could never try to reject him again.

Spike grew harder at every scream that he ripped from her throat, every whimper that fell from her lips. But he kept himself in check, wanting this to be about her. He'd get his pleasure soon enough, but not until he'd driven her wild. She reached down and took hold of his hair, wrapping the curls around fingers hard enough to hurt, but he didn't pull away, didn't stop. He only sped up his movements, pushing her closer to the edge.

Buffy came with a near-primal scream, her fingers pulling so hard that Spike was surprised his hair wasn't coming out in clumps. He felt her fall slack against him, but he still didn't stop. Buffy gasped, her hips bucking. "Spike…I can't…" she said, her voice hoarse.

He ignored her, moving his tongue over her as fast as he could. Buffy clawed desperately at the comforter, her eyes rolling back in her head. He hadn't stopped since he'd started, and her last coherent thought before she fell apart again was that there were definite perks to being with a man that didn't need to breathe…

Spike licked her slowly, bringing her back down before looking up at her, a smug smile on his face. "Pleased with yourself?" Buffy asked, panting.

"Should I be?" Spike asked, though his cocky tone belied what he thought the answer should be.

Buffy didn't disagree. She'd thought he'd been amazing in the book, but that… "Yeah, as a matter of fact, you should," she said, in too good of a mood to bother arguing the point.

Spike gave her a quick kiss between her legs before standing up, shedding his clothes as fast as he could before settling his body over hers. "Gonna let me in, kitten?"

Buffy replied by locking her legs behind him, pulling him down so their hips were flush against each other. "Yes. Spike…yes." She reached between them, and Spike hissed with pleasure when he felt her hand wrap around his cock. Buffy kept her eyes on his as she guided him inside, both vampire and Slayer crying out in unison once he was fully sheathed in her warmth. She moved her hands up and down his back, caressing the rippling muscles as he thrust in and out.

"This…this feels right," Buffy whispered, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"It is right, Buffy. This'll always be right. Never…never do anything to make it wrong. Can't lose you," Spike said, his voice rough with emotion. Buffy responded by pulling his mouth down to hers, needing to kiss him, needing to be even closer.

As his thrusts got harder, their combined movements more frantic, Spike pulled up, looking back down at her. Buffy saw his eyes flash yellow, and knew he was fighting to keep his demon reigned in. She thought about what he'd said before they'd started this, his concern over no longer having a heartbeat for her, and decided she had to do something for him, to show him it was all right. Having him now, inside her, she knew he was the same man she'd been with every time in the book. This was her Spike and her William.

He was her husband.

She needed that bond with him, needed it to be here what it was in the book. And despite her plans under Willow's spell the year before, a legal wedding ceremony with a vampire wasn't exactly in the realm of possibilities. Besides, she needed more than that. She needed to be his, for him to be hers. She needed assurance, both for him and herself.

She needed to know he'd never leave, never break her. She needed him to know she could accept that outside the book, he was a vampire.

She pushed up slightly on his chest, halting his movements. "Spike…"

He looked down at her, brow furrowed. "Buffy? Do…do you want me to stop? Have you changed…"

Buffy pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "No. None of that. I…I want you to claim me."

Spike's eyes widened. "You want me to what?"

"I want you to claim me."

"Buffy…pet…do you know what a claim is?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Duh, Spike. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't know what it was. I do pay some attention to my Slayer training. A claim's a blood bond between mates. It would bind us together. Right?"

"That's the simplified version."

"And…and it would be like a marriage?"

Spike pulled out of her and rolled over to the side, despite the extreme protest his body gave at that. He couldn't respond to her request rationally when he was buried inside her heat. "That what this is about? You want what we had in the book and think this is the only way to get it?"

"Not really." Buffy rolled over, looking him in the eye. "Well, maybe a little. But I…I want to be your mate, too."

"You do realize this is a forever thing. Once a claim's in place, that's it. Tied to each other for all eternity."

"I know. I want forever, Spike."

And he did, too. More than he could ever tell her. But the idea that Buffy would really want that from him was something in the realm of unbelievable. Ever since she'd shown up that night, he'd been expecting her to run off, and now she was asking for this? It was too good to be true. All Spike could figure was that she was caught up in the moment and didn't know what she was talking about. "No vampire's ever claimed a Slayer, pet. And vampire-human claims are rare. Usually, the vampire turns the human."

"We could be the first."

"Buffy, I…"

"Please, Spike. I need this."

"It's forever, Buffy…" he stressed again.

"That's what I want! I told you that. I already pledged myself to you on that ship, Spike. In my heart, I'm your wife. But I'm still scared. I can't help it. I need…I need assurance."

"And that's why you want a claim? Proof that I won't go away?"

"More than that. I need you. I need you to be a part of me."

"You already are a part of me, Buffy," he said softly, pushing her hair back from her face. "Nothing can change that."

"So let's make it official. I know what I'm asking for, Spike."

Spike gave her a sad smile. "Can't, luv. Chip won't let me. Claims require a bite."

"I know. But…but I think the chip would let you. It…it wouldn't be an act of violence. It would be an act of love."

The temptation was strong. Too strong. He couldn't turn her down. Even if she was wrong, and the chip turned his brain to a sticky paste, he couldn't stop himself from taking what she'd offered. The demon in him wanted it as much as the man, if not more. This would make her his. Nothing could take her away from him ever again, not even Buffy herself. It would be forever.

Just like William had promised her…

Spike moved back over her, positioning himself at her entrance. Buffy guided him in again, the determination on her face never wavering. Spike tried to move slowly, to savor the moment, but her talk of a claim had brought the demon too close to the surface. His bones shifted, his eyes now a feral yellow. He drove into her body with a near-bruising force, shaking Buffy to her very core. She clung to him as she tilted her neck, giving him access.

"Take it. It's yours," she said, tightening her grip on him.

Spike snarled, the demon in almost full force now. The woman he'd chosen as his mate was offering her neck to him for the first time. And he was taking.

He lowered his head, sinking his fangs into her with a gentleness that surprised Buffy. The demon didn't want to rip and tear her. It wanted to love her, the same as the man did. The slice of his fangs against her skin brought her nothing but pleasure, and she cried out in orgasm as he drank from her neck.

"Mine," Spike growled, licking the wounds. As he spoke the words, the scars left by other vampires in the past faded away, leaving only Spike's marks.

He pulled away as he felt the fluttering of her internal muscles slowing, his human face slipping back into place as he met her eyes again. "You need to complete the claim, pet," he said. "Can you do that? Can you bite me?"

Buffy lunged forward immediately, biting hard enough for her human teeth to draw blood. Spike's hips jerked and spasmed as he let go inside of her, filling her. "Mine," Buffy said, licking the marks she'd made. She pulled away from his neck and watched with satisfaction as Drusilla's marks faded as well. He was hers now.

Spike rolled over, pulling her with him. He held her close, still nestled in her depths. They were silent for a long while before Spike asked her what was running over and over again in his mind.

"Any regrets?"

"No. I feel…calm. Like I did back on the island. Things are back the way they should be."

Spike felt relief wash over him at her words. "They are, kitten."

"Although you know we're going to have to find a new place to live. I mean, as nice as this place is, it's still a crypt. And I don't want us to live with my mom. Not with all the loud, rowdy sex I plan on us having."

Spike blinked. "You want us to move in together?"

"Well, yeah." Buffy frowned. "Don't you?"

"Of course! I just…I didn't think you would."

"We're mated, Spike. I need you here. Besides, it's not a good sign for a marriage if you're living in different places."

"No, guess it isn't. I…I can't believe this is real. Keep expecting to wake up, you know. Yesterday you were pushing me away and now we're mated? What changed, luv?"

"Had to let myself let you in. I knew tonight I couldn't fight it. And I didn't want to try anymore. It was making me miserable."

"And you're happy now?"

"Yeah. I am." Buffy nuzzled up to his neck, giving the bite marks she'd left a long, slow lick.

Spike shivered, a deep growl rumbling through his chest. "Hope you weren't planning on sleeping tonight."

Buffy looked at him, her expression making him growl again. "Come on, vampire. Show this Slayer what you've got."

*** *** ***

Thanks very much to everyone who's left a review. I've been really pushing through this fic despite how busy I've been lately, and your encouragement is what's kept me going.

Although I must say to those of you who threatened my life after the last cliffhanger—how can I finish the fic if I'm dead? lol





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