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The others were already there when Buffy and Spike walked into the Magic Box. Their eyes all turned towards the couple as soon as they came in, and Buffy felt herself fill with cold dread. Never in her life had she been less excited at the prospect of talking to her friends.

"Ooh, you're here," Anya said, breaking the short but awkward silence that followed Buffy and Spike's entrance. She came around quickly from behind the counter and went to Buffy, dropping something in her hand. "I found this when I was cleaning earlier. I think it's yours."

Buffy's eyes grew wide as she saw what it was, a smile spreading over her face. "It's my… How?"

Anya shrugged. "Must've fallen out of the book. I thought that's what it was, from the description I read, and I figured you'd probably want it."

"I do! Thank you. It means so much to me to have it back."

"What is it?" Xander asked, trying to look over from the table without getting up and see what Buffy had.

"It's my wedding ring," Buffy said softly, staring down at it.

"Your what?" Xander asked, leaping to his feet. "Why on earth do you have a wedding ring?"

"Xander, I told you Buffy and Spike got married in the book," Anya said.

Xander replied with a wild look in his eyes, "No. No! You said William and Elizabeth got married in the book. And that wasn't real. That ring looks real to me. Why is that ring real?"

Buffy looked up at Spike, then slipped her hand in his for support. "That's why we wanted to talk to all of you. See, that marriage in the book, well, um, it felt real to us. So we found a way to make it real here, too." She took a deep breath, deciding to make telling them like pulling off a band-aid. "Spike claimed me."

The only sound in the room was that of Giles's glasses shattering as he whipped them off his face so quickly he accidentally flung them to the ground. After a moment, Xander spoke.

"What the hell is a claim?"

"It's a special kind of bite in which the vampire makes a mate his for all eternity. It's very rare, but is viewed throughout the demon community as a sign of eternal devotion," Anya replied, sounding very much like a demonology encyclopedia.

Xander, however, did not like the answer. "You bit her? You bit Buffy?!" he screamed at Spike. "You bastard!" He lunged at the vampire, knocking him to the ground and hitting him in the face.

Buffy didn't hesitate. She grabbed Xander, throwing him off of Spike. "Stay away from my mate," she said, her voice almost a growl.

Buffy knelt down beside Spike, helping him up as Anya went to Xander. "That wasn't very smart," the ex-demon told her boyfriend. "Attacking a claimed mate like that is just asking for trouble. If you'd put Spike in enough danger, Buffy could've killed you."

"Giles! Do something about this!" Xander said, pushing himself up without the help Anya that was offering. "He's done something to Buffy that has made her into a killer."

"That's not what I said!" Anya protested. "You twisted that."

"There's nothing I can do, Xander," Giles said, his tone cold. "What Buffy has done can never be undone. It's a mistake she will have to live with for a very, very long time."

Buffy turned slowly towards Giles. "Mistake?" she said softly. "Giles, please don't…"

"Do not ask me to approve of this," Giles said.

"But…"

"No!" Giles snapped. "You are the Slayer. What you have done is…well, I don't think disappointing is quite strong enough of a word."

Tears were forming in Buffy's eyes. She'd known she'd meet with resistance, but the way Giles was talking to her now… "Giles…"

"I can't…I can't look at you right now," Giles said, before walking out of the shop, the door slamming behind him.

Spike wrapped his arm around Buffy, pulling her to him and letting her cry on his chest.

"Don't touch her," Xander snapped.

Spike's eyes flashed yellow for a moment as he fought to reign in his demon's reaction. "Don't tell me not to touch my mate. She needs comfort right now."

"Oh, and like you can give it to her? You're the reason she's hurting right now," Xander sneered.

"Me?" Spike snarled at Xander. "You're the one hurting her, you git."

Xander's eyes narrowed. "When Buffy comes to her senses, you're dust. Come on Anya, we're leaving."

"No, I'm not," Anya replied. "I have inventory to do. Besides, I think a claim is very romantic, and I'm going to be supportive of Buffy and Spike." She crossed her arms in front of her. "That book was a beautiful love story, and I for one am quite happy to know that their love is still strong."

"Fine," Xander replied, angrily, storming out of the Magic Box.

Buffy turned her head away from Spike's chest, though she kept her arms wrapped tightly around him. "Willow?"

Willow was sitting at the table, frowning. "I don't know, Buffy. You and Spike…that just seems wrong to me. And he's bitten you? I don't get that."

"I love him," Buffy explained.

Willow stood up. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm just going to have to have some time here. I need to think about how I feel about this."

Buffy nodded, not sure of what to say. She'd wanted Willow's support, but at least she wasn't condemning it quite the way Giles and Xander had. "Okay."

"I'm heading back to the dorm. Tara?"

Tara glanced between Spike and Buffy and Willow. "I'll catch up in a minute, okay?"

"Sure," Willow replied. She gave Buffy a quick glance before walking out.

Tara got up then, slowly approaching the couple. "I…I just wanted to let you know that, um, your auras…together… They're…they're really beautiful."

Buffy felt her eyes tear up again, although this time for a different reason. "Thank you."

"From me, too, Glinda," Spike added. "Thanks."

"They'll come around," Tara said. "Or at least Willow will. She's just…surprised, I think. But I'll talk to her for you. I can see how much love you have for each other. It's brighter than I've ever seen before."

Buffy broke away from Spike to hug the other girl. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Tara nodded as Buffy pulled away. "Congratulations. Really."

"My mom's throwing us a reception at her gallery on Sunday. Can you be there?" Buffy asked Tara. She looked over at Anya. "You, too."

"I'll be there," Tara said. "And Willow will be, too."

"I'll show up," Anya said. "Can't promise Xander, though. He's being a jerk. Although I might be able to blackmail him by telling him he can't have any orgasms from me unless he does."

Buffy smiled slightly at that. "Thanks for the thought. But if he doesn't want to be there, well, I'd rather he wasn't."

Anya put her hand gently on Buffy's arm, a move that surprised the Slayer. "I'm sorry. About him. He just…he doesn't get it. I've stopped trying to talk to him about these things. He doesn't like thinking about me as a demon. But I am sorry for you and Spike. A claim—it's a big thing. You shouldn't have any pain associated with it."

"Thank you. Both of you," Buffy said. "It's nice to know I still have friends."

"Your mom's throwing the reception? Does that mean she took it well?" Tara asked.

"She wigged a bit at first, but she's accepting it," Buffy said. "She didn't like the biting thing."

"That's because she's never been bitten by a vampire during sex," Anya said. She leaned in and whispered to Tara, "It's very erotic."

Tara blushed. "I…I bet," she said, looking down. She glanced up a little then, although she couldn't quite look at Spike directly. "I should go catch up with Willow. Start that whole working on her thing."

"All right. Thanks again for your support," Buffy said.

"I couldn't not support you," Tara said. "Not with what I can see."

"Still means a lot," Spike said. "To me, too. I know how important Buffy's friends are to her. Don't much care for driving a wedge between her and them. Not that I'd really mind if Xander decided to move to Siberia on a permanent basis or anything, but I don't want Buffy to be hurt."

"I can see that," Tara said. "Your love for her radiates from you. I'll explain it to Willow. She should understand. This just took her by surprise. And we'll see you at the reception."

"Okay. Have a good night, Tara," Buffy said.

"You guys, too," Tara replied, smiling at the other three before she left.

"I'm going to go do some work," Anya said. "I'm angry with Xander, and working makes me feel better. Not quite as much as sex, but I don't want him touching me right now."

"I'm sorry. For causing trouble between you and Xander. I didn't mean to do that," Buffy said.

"You didn't, Buffy," Anya replied. "Xander did. He's the one being a total dumbass."

"Still, I…"

"Don't finish that sentence," Anya said. "Buffy, in all my years as a vengeance demon, do you know how many wishes I had to grant for a vampire's mate? None. Not a once did a woman who had been claimed by a vampire, be her vampire or human, require my services. Like I said earlier, vampiric claims are rare. But if they're made, they're taken very seriously. If Spike has claimed you, then I know that he loves you, and he will do everything in his power to make you happy. Xander's your friend. He should be happy to know his friend is going to be loved that dearly for the rest of her existence. It's a cause for celebration, not anger and threats."

"I…I'm feeling really bad for being kinda bitchy to you for the past couple of years," Buffy said.

"Eh, don't. I'm bitchy to you, too. It's how we relate. Now are you going to stand here all night, or can I go count my money?"

"We're going to have dinner with my mom," Buffy said.

"Good. Call me with the time of the reception later?"

"Sure. When my mother sets one," Buffy replied.

"All right. Bye now," Anya said with a bright smile before walking off to the back of the store.

"I'm sorry that didn't go very well, sweetheart," Spike said softly. "I can feel how much you hurt through the claim."

"I expected that from Xander," Buffy said. "And I can't say I'm all that surprised by Willow's reaction either. I think Tara's right about her coming around soon anyway. But Giles…" She fought back the fresh onslaught of tears that threatened to break. "I disappointed him, Spike. I didn't want to do that. Not ever again."

"Hey. Listen to me. If anyone here should be disappointed, it's you. What he said to you tonight, that's now how you talk to someone who's like a daughter to you. Look at your mum. It bothered her a bit, yeah, but she accepts it because it makes you happy. And she trusts that you can make this sort of decision about your own life. Giles should give you the same courtesy."

"I don't know, Spike, I just…"

"Are you having second thoughts about this?"

Buffy's eyes went wide. "What! No! Please, don't think that. I don't regret what we have, Spike. I never will." She opened up her hand, where she'd kept the ring tightly inside since Anya gave it to her. "Put this back where it belongs?"

Spike nodded, her request and adamant defense of her choice to be with him making him choked with emotion. He took the ring from her and slid it on her left ring finger. "I love you, Buffy Anne Summers."

"And I love you, too, William whatever-the-rest-of-your-name-is."

Spike chuckled, then kissed the top of her head. "Ready to go to your mum's then?"

"Yes. Let's get out of this place."

*** *** ***

Joyce was finishing dinner when Buffy came into the kitchen. She opened the cabinets, getting out a ziplock bag before taking it to the freezer and filling it with ice.

"Who hit Spike?" Joyce asked as she figured out her daughter was putting together an ice pack.

"Xander," Buffy said, wrapping a towel around the baggie of ice. "Gave him a black eye. Spike says the ice won't really do anything for him, and his vampire healing will take care of it soon enough anyway, but I feel like I have to do something."

"Of course you do, honey. He is your husband after all."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, he is. Oooh!" She put the ice pack down on the kitchen island. "Anya found my ring!"

"Your ring?"

"Yeah. My wedding ring, from the book. Anya found it when she was cleaning up in the Magic Box. I don't know how it got here, but I'm so happy it did." Buffy held out her hand for Joyce to see.

"Oh, honey, that's lovely," Joyce said, taking a good look at the emerald.

"Spike told me it was almost as beautiful as my eyes," Buffy said.

"Spike sounds like he has quite a romantic streak."

"He does," Buffy said. "At first I thought it was just the effects of the book, but now I know it's more than that. At night, when we were on the island, he'd recite me poetry until I fell asleep."

"That it. He's a keeper," Joyce said with a teasing smile.

Buffy giggled. "He is, isn't he?"

Joyce regarded her daughter. There was a spark back in her eyes that she hadn't seen since before they'd left Los Angeles. Buffy looked…happy. "Yeah, he is. Now go take care of his eye while I put dinner on the table, okay?"

"Okay." Buffy picked up the ice pack and walked out of the kitchen, feeling much better than she had when she'd left the Magic Box. The rejection of three of her friends stung, but she could survive. They'd come around, or they wouldn't. She stopped in the doorway of the living room for a moment, watching with a smile as Dawn talked to Spike animatedly about the reactions of all of her friends when she'd told them her sister had gotten married. Buffy knew then that whatever happened with Giles, Willow, and Xander, she'd still have people who loved her. Her sister. Her mother. Her husband.

She'd still have her family.

*** *** ***

Just to steer away any confusion, this is still not the end.

Is everyone still following this? I've never written a fic this long before, and I don't want to have gone on too long. It is winding down, but I wanted to fully deal with what happens when they come out of the book and not just make it mostly William and Elizabeth.

Review please!





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