Three Come Blondes part deux -

 Evenstar

The little girl's steps were carefully calculated, she knew each creak in the floor and avoided them cautiously. Her petite footfalls were a soft as butterfly wings, her fleece jammies adding extra cushioning under her. Clutched by ten little sausage fingers was Anya the velveteen bunny. Loyal friend, companion to the bitter end and good for a cuddle, Anya Bunny was the lookout for the monsters, while Fleur Joyce Anne Summers-Ainsley watched for grownups.

"Well, well, well, what have we here then?" a distinctive voice of English origin asked, his shadow cast over the girl's tiny form. She barely saw eye to eye with his knees. To her he was a giant. The Big Bad. Daddy. "Shouldn't bitty things like you n' the bunny there be all tucked into their beddy-byes by now?"

"I was firsty," she said, looking up at him with eyes as blue as robin eggs.

"I distinctly recall leaving your sippy-cup full of water right next to your Eeyore lamp. Sing us a new one princess." She gave him a pout so willful and darling he felt his heart melting like ice cream in July.

"Monsters."

"We put fresh wards up last night, pumpkin."

"Hug?" She opened her arms, reaching for the sky.

"Now that I can do, my perfect precious." He knelt down and was about to embrace his daughter when she let out a sinister little giggle, tossed Anya Bunny at him and sprinted away,"Why you little.......duped by a bloody three year old!" Spike was in hot pursuit of the pumpkin with legs as she made a mad dash for the staircase. The toddler moved with remarkable speed, her golden ringlets bobbing wildly. Spike took a couple of long strides and almost had her, until she leapt upon the ornate wooden railing, squealed victoriously, slid down and away. Spike was going to rue the day he ever showed her how to do that, Buffy would make sure of it.

Having already gotten a running start, the vampire leapt from the ledge and soared across the great expanse, landing just before she sailed off the end and into the suit of armor on the opposite wall by the main doors. Spike caught her in his arms, the pair of them laughing. The vampire brought forth his demon face and attacked her round belly with nips, growlies, kisses and raspberries. His daughter erupted in a fit of squeals and giggles.

"Big Bad's gonna gobble you up!" he snarled, eliciting another belly laugh from his little girl. Their reveries were violently brought to an abrupt end when Spike was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and spun around. A fist connected with the side of his head and Spike fell back defensively, shielding Fleur from the attack. The child screamed bloody blue murder and then dissolved into howling sobs. It turned out to be Robin Wood who had delivered the blow and when he went for the child, she screamed again and Spike leapt to his feet, hugging her close to him and snarling viciously at the former school principal.

The entirety of the household came rushing to the scene. A thundering stampede announced that the cavalry had arrived. Buffy was first to come upon them, having been in the lounge with Giles and Willow discussing the upcoming semester at the Slayer School. She found her baby holding onto her father so tightly that breathing ought to have been an issue for him, sobbing her little heart out. Spike remained on guard, a red bruise already forming on his cheek. Then she saw the newest arrival at the house with his fist clenched and a guilty look on his face.

"Look, Buffy, I'm sorry. It was instinct, the girl screamed..." Robin tried to explain, but Buffy would have none of it. She moved past him and came to Spike and their daughter. She rubbed her baby's back and kissed her tear stained face.

"Mama!" Fleur cried, half letting go of Spike and wrapping around arm around her mother's neck, still bawling.

"Shhh, it's okay sweetie," Buffy soothed. "Spike, why did you let him hit you?"

"It was either that or drop the pumpkin! Couldn't have that!" he replied, tightening his hold on the girl,"Come now poppet, hush hush. Mummy's here now."

He extricated himself from Fleur's lock and passed her into Buffy's arms. They cradled her between them and when her sobs began to quiet, the hiccups started,"Blood hell, not again! My poor flower." Lately, Fleur had been getting hiccups at the drop of a hat and it always upset her terribly. She started to cry again and Robin Wood found himself on the receiving end of a collection of the foulest glares Watchers and Slayers in Training could muster.

"Let's take her upstairs and back to bed," Buffy said.

"Would my princess like a story? Shall we visit Narnia again petite Fleur?" The child rubbed her nose on Buffy's shoulder and looked up at her father with jewel blue eyes the size of silver coins,"Say g'night pet."

"Nigh'," the girl spoke to the Slayers and the others, save for Robin Wood at whom she cast a malevolent glare just shy of an actual demon face like her father's. Robin felt like a jerk, which pleased Spike. The vampire wanted very much to cast him a smug look, but held back and focused instead on his wife and daughter. They took Fleur and on the way to her room, picked up Anya Bunny. They gave her some warm water to calm her hiccups and tucked her back into bed, staying with her until she fell asleep.

"Poor lamb got the fright of her life," Spike sighed as he pulled Buffy near while they watched her child sleep. "Ought to have repeated the lesson I thought I'd taught him four years ago."

"No, you did the right thing."

"I know, can't have little pudding see me hurt a person when I've got the lumpies on."

"I'll reward you for the good behavior and I appreciate it, sweetheart. I know this weekend isn't your idea of fun."

"Having the this annual reunion? Not bloody likely. Liked last year though."

"That's because Fleur had the flu and you spent the whole time cuddling her to your cool skin to break her fever. She's daddy's little girl through and through."

"You're daddy's girl too, aren't you, pet?" He gave her a wicked little growl and her ass a firm squeeze.

"God, you're so bad!"

"Oh yes, my love, very bad. I deserve spankings." Her own hand meandered down from his hip to squeeze his bum.

"Only if you do me too!"

Certain their girl was down for the night they left her to her dreams and stole away. Choosing to ignore the full household downstairs, Spike and Buffy dashed to their room.

"Your ass is mine Slayer!"

"You better use lube this time!"

Spike awoke to the tell tale signs of Buffy orgasming. Problem was, he had nothing to do with it. He opened his eyes and waited for them to adjust and focus on the two bodies undulating and writhing next to him on the mattress.

"Oh bloody hell! How'd you get out?!" Spike exclaimed. William looked up from fucking Buffy and smiled happily at his twin.

"Oh! Good morning old chum, how goes it....oh, GUH! That's it Buffy, oh Buffy!! Sweet merciless Buffy!"

"She doing that thing with the waves?"

"Yes, and I am quite sick with delight over it. Praise be to Slayer muscles! Uuuuuuughh!!" William's eyes rolled back and his mouth opened in an "O" of utter ecstasy as he came.

"Right then, off with you, my turn."

"Pardon me, but I'm not done quite yet spending inside our good lady wife." William wiggled his hips and let off a few more spurts of cum.

"Well, well, look at the poet being all territorial! Get off Wills, I want a ride."

"Vampire, I do suggest you show yourself to have a modicum of class. You're being terribly rude."

"Rude? As opposed to you, who the moment he found himself on the outside got himself a hard-on and took her while she still slept?"

"I didn't mind," Buffy quipped, bucking her hips up into William's for another frisson of stimulation and sending her into another orgasm. "Oh god......"

"As I was saying," Spike continued, his hand sneaking between where William and Buffy were joined and fiddling with her clit. Buffy moaned and keened yet again. William spurt into her once more, then dutifully rolled off.

"There you are now, patience is a virtue," William said.

"Nuts to that!" He pounced on Buffy and rammed into her, then began thrusting like a thundering legion of Roman chariots.

"Oh Spike! Oh God! Oh! OH!!! Ooooh!!!!!!!!" Buffy screamed. Spike grabbed her by the calves and brought her knees up over his shoulders, held her by the hips and pulled her hard against him to meet his punishing thrusts. William's mouth closed vacuously over a nipple of hers, devouring a goodly portion of her breast as well, while his hand pinched and pulled at the other.

Buffy had already come four times with William, and now Spike was driving her full throttle to what was promising to be the most colossal orgasm in the history thereof. Spike angled her hips at a sharp angel and twisted himself to the left just a little. He was stroking her g-spot with every push and every pull.

"She's about to go off like Godzilla on Tokyo, Will, put a cork in her!" Spike commanded. William let her nipple pop out of his mouth, the little rosette was slick and tight.

"Beg pardon?" he asked.

"When she gets to havin' multiples you know what a racket she makes. She'll wake the whole bloody household n' we don't want the petite Fleur interrupting do we?"

"Oh! No, certainly not. Buffy, sweetheart, do kindly oblige me by opening your sweet, succulent mouth." Buffy did as her William asked, even though her body was vibrating under the power of Spike's fucking her. William straddled her chest and presented her with his penis. Buffy caught the tip of the semi-hard column of flesh with her tongue and pulled it into her mouth, swallowing him down. "I dare say, she's rather apt at this, isn't she?"

"Bloody rights...aw fuck, Buffy your hot cunt...squeeze me, love...yeah, that's it...so bloody tight!!!" The three of them pushed, pulled, writhed and thrust as one conjoined body until almost simultaneously they erupted in ecstasy. William was the first to move afterwards, worried that his darling Buffy might be a tad uncomfortable with his penis down her throat, after which Spike rolled off Buffy and on top of William,"Hello, William."

"Good day, Spike." The two of them began to kiss, but were promptly interrupted by Buffy mockingly clearing her throat.

"Not to put a damper on you two and your over active sex drives, cause hey, orgasms of the good, but something's got to be up and I don't mean you two, otherwise you guys wouldn't be separated. We need to find out what's happened." Tongues still dueling, William and Spike gave her a resigned look and eventually pulled apart.

"But he's so nice, love," Spike whined.

"And he's such a glorious beast," William echoed. "I just want to touch him all over."

"And I wanna gobble you right up, William pet." Buffy sighed and kissed them each on the tips of their noses.

"You guys are sweet and I'm glad you're so attached to each other, but I think we've had our fun for now." The boys sighed and held on to each other for just a little bit more, then the three of them made their way to the shower.

"We have to get to the bottom of this," continued Buffy as they dried themselves off and got dressed for the day.

"Right, bottom," replied Spike, dropping to his knees behind her, pushing up her bathrobe and sinking his blunt teeth into the flesh of her ass. He was already dressed in his usual black t-shirt and black denim.

"Spike, quit it!" She batted at him like a kitten with a ball of yarn.

"Can't blame a fellow. Say, William, pet..." William groaned and rolled his eyes as he finished buttoning up his slate blue dress shirt and tucking it into his charcoal slacks, one of the few respectable outfits Spike owned.

"Do behave for once in your unlife," William chastised,"There is also the very important matter of explaining this to our daughter, or had you forgotten?"

"Bloody hell. Poor little lovely will go completely sack of hammers." As if on cue, a tiny sigh like the coo of a dove brought the trio's attention to the three foot angel in the doorway.

"Hi baby," Buffy said, trying to keep her head and desperately trying to think up an explanation to tell the three year old. Fleur looked at Spike, then William, then Spike again, then William once more. She approached cautiously, both men wearing the same expression of devoted love. To their surprise, she took hold of each of their hands, looking up at her mother and smiling.

"My daddies," Fleur affirmed.

"Well, that was....easy," said Spike, bending down to kiss his daughter good morning.

"Let it never be said that our girl is nothing short of a marvel," exclaimed William. "Come Fleur, treasure, I shall dress you and take you to the dining hall to break our fast." William scooped her up and kissed her forehead then turned back to his lovers. "I'll expect you two to be down in five minutes."

"That's not enough time...."

"Time enough to dress."

"But Will!"

"Say nothing more, vampire. Our wife is to be shared, not coveted."

"Soddin' Victorian git."

"Language! Mind yourself in front of the child." William kissed Buffy's cheek."Dearest, I'm putting my confidence in you."

"Don't worry, William, we'll be down right away. We need to talk to Willow, too. Maybe she can figure this out and get you two back together," said Buffy

"Capital plan, but after we three do it s'more."

"William! Dirty boy."

"Quite, quite."

When Buffy came downstairs to breakfast, the table was already full of students and their guests. The dining hall was massive, with vaulted ceilings. It was located in the oldest part of the house that had once been the beginnings of a cathedral. A table that spaciously sat forty eight was nearly full. Everyone from Los Angeles, including Angel and the newly risen Cordelia were already seated. Willow and Wesley seemed embroiled in conversation. Angel and Cordelia seemed close and that made Buffy smile. William was seating Fleur in her high chair between a gaggle of Slayers who always vied for the little girl's attention and volunteered to feed her breakfast. An extra place had been set next to where Buffy usually sat. Obviously William had informed the staff of there being the need for an extra. William met Buffy at the hall entrance and escorted her to the table.

"Spike?" Dawn asked, sitting across from him,"What the hell did you do to your hair? And are you wearing glasses?"

"Dear nibblet, something has occurred," William answered, and he suddenly found himself addressing the entire group. "No doubt you are all familiar with what occurred when I was first brought back. Well, it seems that the split has occurred again. You may refer to me now as William for I am my human self." Gasps of shock echoed in the room.

"Where's Spike then?"

"He's around here somewhere," Buffy said. "He's always late to breakfast, you know that. Let's eat? Okay?" Buffy seemed especially nervous and William soon found out why, when from under the table, a familiar hand was placed on his knee and it didn't belong to Buffy. William sat up straight and pulled his chair in, trying to kick away the vampire hiding down there without giving the game away to the others. The kitchen staff brought in the trays of eggs, bacon, hot cakes, waffles and all the trimmings and set them along the table. It was at this time that William's belt and trousers were undone and Buffy's panties were pushed aside under her skirt. Still a bit slippery from having made love to her husbands not too long ago, Spike pushed two fingers into her pussy like a hot knife through butter. She whimpered, but got no sympathy from William, who's cock was presently erecting itself as it was consumed in the cool mouth of the vampire. William wanted to be ashamed that such debauchery was occurring at the breakfast table, but Spike was swallowing.

Keeping his composure while Buffy began to perspire, William served them breakfast, filling up both their plates. He cast a glance at Angel who was glaring at the couple. His vampire senses were obviously picking up on what was going on and he wasn't pleased in the least. Spike was gently massaging his wife's g-spot with the pads of his fingers. Buffy was all but crying from the ecstatic sensation, wolfing down her breakfast, occasionally having to stiffle a whimper when her womb tightened from Spike's deep massaging of her inner tissues. William was acting casual, too casual for Buffy's liking. He should be suffering along with her, not enjoying the vampire blow job.

Buffy leaned into William and whispered in his ear,"I swear I'm gonna stake him one of these days!!" Spike took offense and began to polish her clit with his thumb,"Oohhhhh!!!" Buffy moaned, unable to control herself as she achieved orgasm.

"Take a drink of juice, dearest," William said, trying to help her cover. "Perhaps it will clear that bit of food that's gone down the wrong passage?" She took the orange juice and chugged it down. Spike's fingers eased themselves out of her still twitching sex and he pinched her inner thigh as a parting gesture. William meanwhile was about to cum. He pounded his fist down on the table and his face was scrunched up tight

"William, are you quite alright?" Giles asked from his position at the head of the table.

"Too..too.....mmmmmuch! Pepp....pepper on my egggah!" William masked his ejaculating by pretending to sneeze. Spike dutifully swallowed every spot of cum, then tucked William back in his pants and left him as he found him. The stealth of a vampire, especially one so sexually charged as Spike, is a remarkable thing. He came out from under the table and dashed out of the dining hall without detection, save for Angel who looked uncomfortable.

"Morning all!" Spike announced as he cheerily came bounding back into the room. Angel scowled, as did Robin Wood, while most of the young Slayers sighed dreamily. Spike passed behind William and stroked the back of his neck affectionately, then kissed the top of Buffy's head before taking his seat next to her.

"Hi daddy!" Fleur called from down the table.

"Good morning my precious," he called back,"Got your num nums?"

"Un-huh!"

"Jolly good, petite Fleur. So, what's a bloke got to do to get his cuppa?" One of the serving staff quickly dashed away to get his morning blood.

"How are you this morning, Spike?" Giles asked with a critical eye. He hadn't seen the vampire at his demonic purest in several years.

"Well, to be honest, Rupert, not quite myself. A little disjointed, like I'm missing something. Almost as if part of me is gone, as if somehow I was magically torn in half and I'm looking at you, Red!" He looked pointedly at Willow, just as the witch was putting a forkful of pancake in her mouth. All eyes turned to the redhead and she froze. She squeaked and put down her fork.

"I didn't mean to," she replied meekly.

"Willow?" Buffy gasped,"What did you do!?"

"I'm sure I can put them back together. Wes and I..."

"Ah yes, Watcher, Jr." Spike said accusedly,"The other culprit."

"No that kinda was my fault."

"Thought so."

"I don't understand...." Buffy said.

"Simple, love. First off, got vampire hearing and sound carries well along the vacant drafty hallways, as I'm sure tall dark and forehead over there will confirm. Willow likes it when Wes talks to her in ancient Sumeric when they're going at it."

"Spike, Willow's gay."

"Not so much anymore I'm thinking."

"Willow, you're gay."

Willow giggled nervously."Uh....hey! Bi now," the witch announced.

"Terrific," Buffy said, rolling her eyes and sighed. Over in the corner Xander was gaping like a guppy."Is this why Kennedy wouldn't come this year? Because you're dating Wes now? And he's what all those trips to LA were about? And why didn't I know about this? Best friend privileges?!"

"Like you told me about you and Spike when you guys started up. So I talked back to my boyfriend during sex and repeated some obscure words that turned out to be an unbinding spell between the demon and the soul....."

"Will..."

"Sorry. We'll fix it after breakfast. Not like you're not having fun."

"That's beside the point....sure two husbands have an advantage, what with them both...." Buffy's voice trailed off and she blushed. "But they want to get back together and it's better for Fleur that way too, a daytime daddy and a nighttime daddy isn't going to work in the long run."

"Wes and I'll fix them."

"Okay. Good. And next time Wes, try French instead!"

Wes hung his head in shame.

Lunch came and went, and so did dinner, and the boys were still separated. The three of them and their daughter were presently lounging in their living quarters in the east wing of the estate. Buffy sat hip to hip between Spike and William, with Fleur laying across their laps. Spike was rubbing his darling girl's feet, while William toyed with the golden ringlets of her hair and Buffy patted her round tummy.

"It could work, couldn't it?" Buffy asked rhetorically. "I mean, we all love each other, right?"

"Course, pet," said Spike.

"Indeed," echoed William.

"And Fleur likes having two daddies, right pumpkin?" The child yawned and dozed. "And mommy could really get used to the two husbands thingie, what with you both....anyways......"

"'Cept what happens when two of us get in a row and the other has to take sides, or if our girl here chooses one man over the other, even for an infinitesimal thing," Spike put forth. "And honestly...I miss the soul."

"And I miss the demon," William added,"Buffy, most darling, if Willow and Wesley are unable to rejoin our halves, we will find compromise; our bond will never be in question. The three of us are as one."

"Yeah, what he said," Spike agreed. Fleur let out a little piglet sound and her head drooped against William's abdomen.

"And consider this, with myself in human form, we'll be able to have more children. That is one bright thought, certainly!"

Spike seemed to look a little sad at William's comment, knowing that technically speaking he wasn't precisely Fleur's father. More children would be wonderful, but they'd be William's, not his. William reacted to his twin's look of sadness and scooped the sleeping child up in his arms, then rose from the couch and went to Spike. It was a gesture that nearly broke the poor demon's heart as Fleur was laid in his arms. "It's a bright thought, isn't it?" William repeated.

"Yeah, mate, bloody effulgent one." Spike kissed the top of their daughter's head and hugged her close. William took his seat and curled himself against his wife, who was a little weepy herself.

"Want Anya Bunny," little Fleur said, having roused a little from her nap.

"It's getting close to patrol time, are we going tonight?" Buffy asked.

"Don't see why not," Spike agreed,"But what about..."

"I shall take Fleur and find dear Anya," William offered,"Then await your return."

Buffy and Spike had been living in England for over three years now, but every time they went out on patrol they were reminded of how much they missed the warm Californian nights. Even Spike shivered when a cool wind rolled off the long expanse of the estate's well kept grounds. The village was located at the farthest end of the property, its cemetery the divide between the two locations. They patrolled most every night, though it wasn't truly necessary. Nine times out of ten they never found a single demon or vampire. This was their time alone together. Since giving up their London flat to live and work full time at the Slayer School, privacy was a privilege. Fleur had only ever lived in their wing of the mansion, and had always had dozens of people around her at all times. Sometimes they longed for the quiet life they begun, just the three of them, after Sunnydale.

Being out in the cold and the dark was exhilarating, making them feel sharp, free and feral. Spike's hand was on her back, then moved upwards until it was under her hair and on the back of her neck.

"Best get running, pet," Spike whispered.

"Running? Why?"

"Because I'm only going to give you another 57 seconds head start. It's been a while since the Big Bad's had free reign and he wants a bit of sport. A good scrapple for a bit o' apple."

She turned to look at him and saw that he was in vamp face. His nostrils flared and he bared his fangs. He growled deep in his throat and his eyes were so vibrant with lust that she thought they glowed. She broke free and sprinted across the the lawn towards the forest. Thirty seconds or so later she heard Spike gaining on her. The pair of them knew the forest like the backs of their hands, and even though Spike had the advantage of night vision, Buffy moved with all the stealth of a deer, bounding through the trees and eluding the vampire. Nonetheless, Spike had also the advantage of tracking her scent and was always just a few strides behind her.

They were without thought racing through the woods, opening themselves fully to instinct, feeling as only their base selves, Slayer and vampire. Buffy knew her breathing was getting labored, but her mind forced her body to press on. He could be anywhere and she had to keep ahead of him or she'd be in trouble. There was a stream ahead, the course of which was no more than 6ft wide. With her momentum already at top speed, jumping the divide would be a snap. As it was the water was only a couple of feet deep, but running through it would slow her down. She pushed herself on and leapt as her foot landed on the pebbled shore. At the climax of her ascent, she was tackled midair and brought crashing down into the frigid water.

"Spike!" she yelped, her clothes soaking through instantly. Spike had her by the waist and picked her up as he sprung back to his feet. As he trudged his way to the shore, he was already tearing her clothing from her body. His fanged mouth bit marks of foreplay into her neck and shoulders.

"Gotta have you," he growled her ear. On the banks of the water's flow, he dropped her on the ground. She landed on her hands a knees and he was behind her, yanking down her pants and tearing off her black satin panties. Buffy knew he'd regret that later, those had been his favorites. Buffy heard the distinct sound of a zipper being opened, felt two strong, cold hands moving down to grasp the front of her thighs. He pulled her back as he thrust himself inside her already drenched pussy, straight to the hilt.

"Ugh!! Yes! Oh Spike!!" He rocked his pelvis forward, touching the entrance to her womb and making her entire body quake. She let down a flood of wetness that trickled down over him. The vampire draped himself over her back, moving his hands over hers in front of them on the ground. He then began to move, not hard or fast, just pushing deeper into her. Steadily and evenly he thrust, her passage smooth as cream, her breathy sighs and heated moans music to the demon's ears. He was still in vamp face, constantly huffing and snarling as he fought for control, not wanting to come too soon.

Little by little, his pumping sped up until he was fucking her with all the power his demon could bring forth. Buffy fought for purchase in the muddy earth, trying not to fall forward with each punished thrust from behind, while at the same time endeavoring to match his stamina and enthusiasm. It hadn't been this wild and hard in a long time. The angst of those ugly days of using him when she'd first returned from the dead were long forgotten and now she was remembering how incredibly ecstatic it felt to be taken by an unrestrained master vampire.

Their coupling was reaching a frenzied pace and Buffy knew that any moment now her mate's fangs would penetrate her skin, and he would claim her as his again. Her breasts spilled out of her bra and the rivers of sweat and river water flowed down to the hardened tips of her nipples. One of Spike's arms went across her chest, the other around her thigh. He pulled them both up and sat back on his knees. She sank down to the hilt on him and grunted with the hard sensation. He grit out a possessive,"Mine!" and sunk his fangs into her shoulder. Her orgasm erupted in a scream that shattered the night.

William walked the halls of the Slayer School aimlessly. Fleur was in the company of the Slayers in the final hour before her bedtime. Usually, as when he and Spike were as one man, this was the time when he and Buffy did a patrol around the village. William, being a mere human, was unsuited for such dangerous excursions. So he dawdled, waiting for his lovers to return. From by way of a room ahead on the left he heard the sound of someone struggling, or rather just grunting lewdly. William knew it to be one of the training rooms for the Slayers - the weapons room, to be precise. Curiosity winning out, William entered the room. There he found the former principal, Robin Wood attacking, or at least seeming to, one of the wooden practice dummies with a foil. William could stilll feel the sore spot on the side of his face where he and Spike had been punched. He smiled wickedly to himself, noting how Wood's form and technique were atrocious. Perhaps he should be shown the correct way. William had, afterall, earned his merits as the finest swordsman at college.

"If....if I may..." William interrupted, stepping into Wood's line of sight. The darker man ceased the routine of parries and thrusts he'd devised for himself and nearly laughed at the sight of meek little William with his spectacles perched on his nose, his lengths of blond curls framing his docile face. "Your wrist..."

"What about it?" Robin asked, scoffing at the man with the visage of his mother's killer. The soul that was William had been inside Spike those years ago in Sunnydale. Yet this new man that had emerged from the demon looked as if he could be knocked over with a feather.

"Well, you see, I couldn't help but notice....it's rather tense."

"Tense?"

"Yes...if you'll allow me..." Robin was skeptical, but passed the weapon to the other man the nonetheless. "You see, you must grip the hilt as you would a lady's hand. You hold it with a firm enough grip to be certain she knows that your sole attention is upon her, but delicately enough not to pain her, so that when your kiss is bestowed, it is the only sensation her body is aware of...so that your warmth flows from that spot to the rest of her body....that sir, is the key to the fine art of fencing."

"You're a little bit gay aren't you?"

William smirked, and Wood immediately recognized the expression as one so often used by Spike.

"I suppose you believe yourself to be witty? I knew Oscar Wilde, you sir are no Mr. Wilde. I was an admirer of his way with words only, I feel I should say, given your obvious prejudices. However your little slight is irrelevant to the plain fact that your form was brimming with imbalances, lacking in discipline and, quite honestly just bloody sloppy."

"Sloppy?! I was trained by my mother's Watcher!"

"Clearly, then, the lineage was ill-tutored at some point. You cannot be faulted."

"You know something? You and Spike are more alike than I was giving you credit for."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You're both jerks."

"Perhaps, but we're both your betters. Foremost in combat."

"My ass!"

"Rather not. En garde!"

"What?"

"Get a sword you twit."

"Why?"

"So we may duel."

"Look, I'm sure you've got in your head that you need to prove something..."

With a quick whip of the foil, so quick as to be unseen, William cut through the threads at the shoulder of Wood's sweatshirt. The sleeve slid down his arm in slow motion. William unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, tucked the loose curls of his hair behind his ears and pushed his spectacles high up his nose. Robin huffed out a hard breath through his nose like an angry bull and stormed over to the weapons rack, taking up the twin to William's sword.

"Perhaps it is my own unique experience for having shared a body with a demon and adapting to a modus operandi based on pure instinct, but I dare say there isn't a scrap of fear in you at this moment." William theb unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt and practiced a few swishes in the air with the sword the warm up his wrist.

"Afraid a noodle limp fairy like you? Not in this lifetime."

William from ear to ear. He loved being underestimated, especially by testosterone driven thugs who thought they were better than him and, better than Spike. Robin Wood may have had a prestigious education and received much fine tutelage from his mother's Watcher, but at his core, all encounters were mere pissing contests when it came to other men. Having melded his consciousness with Spike's, William had learned that there was no comparison to having dealt with a demon's inherent traits. This presently was child's play, which is why William found it such delicious, wicked fun.

"Underestimating your opponent is a definite weakness. And by the by I do sense that you are transferring your dislike for my counterpart onto me. We, sir, have never been properly introduced. William Carmichael Ainsley at your service and quite prepared to repeat the lesson Spike and I taught you four years ago."

"Bastard."

"Hardly, Mother and Father were married a good nine years before I made an appearance. Are we to stand here trading barbs and slander, or are we to settle our feud as gentlemen were meant to? In single combat."

"Since when are we feuding?"

"Since you frightened my daughter last night and nearly caused her injury. I demand satisfaction. Furthermore, you're an impudent man and I don't like you."

"Mutual. And by the way, was it your idea to put my bedroom next to yours?"

William raised his epee, took a combative position and waited for Robin Wood to do the same. The darker man curled his lip in disdain and prepared for their duel.

"Woke you up this morning did we?"

Robin growled, ineffectually, and lunged forward. A quick side step and a counter turn of William's wrist and Wood stumbled past the other man,"Your weight is unevenly distributed and you're heavy on your feet. I take it you've never waltzed?" William said as he turned around and settled easily back into his previous posture. William remained calm as the other man breathed heavily in an effort to center and focus his raging emotions. The last thing the child of a Slayer should be doing is losing his temper when fighting only another man. Robin steadied himself and eased forward, leading with his sword, utilizing a skillful stroke aimed to slash across William's chest from shoulder to hip. Effortlessly, William curled his blade around the other, pushing through and penetrating Wood's shoulder with the tip, though deliberately shallow as to cause the barest injury. The darker man hissed and leapt back. First blood had been drawn and there was no turning away until one of them had victory over the other.

William's face was fixed with concentration, a perfect poker visage that would not allow for his opponent to anticipate his next move. William extended his stance and brought himself lower to the ground. The foil was poised and ready for the next onslaught. Robin rolled his shoulder and a small circle of blood formed on his shirt. They were at a standstill, Wood's mind obviously going over every move he was ever taught, while William's thoughts cast themselves to Spike and Buffy. William surprised his opponent with a swift lunge forward and sliced across Wood's chest, cutting only the fabric of his shirt. William bounded back, light upon his feet and surged forward again. This time he was given a bit of a challenge with a defensive move of Wood's that rolled into an offensive one. Fortunately for William, it was amateurish in nature by way of comparison to the Master under whom William had studied. William had excelled in academics all this life and been noted for it by his so-called peers, but his excellence in fencing had been a private accolade that only now was being demonstrated to someone other than his teacher.

In a mad flurry of spears, thrusts and parries, William and Robin fought. More often than not, the fair colored man had the advantage. Not one point was gained by Wood and William continued to make a series of marks on his opponent. The wounds only proved William's prowess and were nothing more than superficial scratches. Suddenly Wood found the tip of William's sword poised at his heart and knew that he'd lost. William made a subtle nod of his head and drew himself to full height, casually laid his sword on the pummel horse to their right and exited the room without so much as a second glance back at the defeated man.

William walked proudly down the hallway, perhaps even with a hint of a strut to his stride. He'd proved to himself that even though he wasn't as physically strong as his mates, he was still a formidable warrior, he merely required the right weapon and scenario. He now thought himself the sort of man that Fleur could be proud to call Father. William smiled and held his head high. He couldn't wait to share his victory with Spike and Buffy. There was nothing that could bring him down from this high.

"Dear lord, what happened to you two?!" a passing Giles cried as Spike and Buffy entered the mansion, looking every bit as if they'd belly crawled through the most heinous side of Qu'or Toth. They were holding onto each other, hobbling in whilst holding the scraps of their clothing together.

"Uh...Charrago!" Buffy blurted out.

"A Charrago demon you say?" Giles gasped. "There hasn't been a Charrago spotted in this part of the continent in centuries!"

Spike and Buffy shrugged their shoulders, feeling a tad ashamed for not, at least, coming up with a sensible lie.

"It's a wonder you weren't both seriously injured. And you say you managed to defeat it?"

"Yep," Buffy quipped, sounding far too chipper. "You know the old Spike and Buffy tag team!"

"Indeed." Giles didn't quite seem to be buying it. "Did you dispose of the body in the correct manner? You know what happens to a Charrago if it's corpse is not properly attended to, don't you?"

Buffy looked panicked, but then Spike stepped up, saving the day, at least he knew something about the demon she had foolishly named.

"Don't get your knickers in a knot Watcher, we were sure to bury the horns pointing east. We're not total incompetents," Spike said gruffly.

"Yes, well, very well."

Spike eased his hand under Buffy's elbow, urging her to come with him. "Well enough, now if you don't mind, me n' the missus are going to go get the forest out of our unmentionables, and find..."

There at the top of the staircase, was William. His mouth was agape and his eyes were teeming with emotion. His anguish was plain to anyone who would look upon him. He knew full well what had occurred out in the woods.

"William," Spike said, only as a whisper, sensing the other man's emotional state, immediately regretting what he and Buffy had done. Buffy moved past Giles to go to her husband, Spike following quickly after, but William did not wait for them. By the time the pair had reached the spot where the man had been, there was no trace of him.

They found William in the bedroom, gathering up clothing and other necessities for moving out. The guilty pair exchanged panicked looks before rushing in to stop him. Spike grabbed for William's wrist, but the man rebuffed him violently and pushing the vampire away. Neither Buffy nor Spike would ever have expected such an angry response.

"Don't touch me!" William snarled.

"William, come on, pet...we didn't mean to exclude you," Spike said, reaching for his twin again watching the pained faced of his human self back away.

"You always had trouble with taking no for an answer didn't you!?" William accused, tears streaming down his face out from under his spectacles.

"William, that's unfair. How could you say that?" Buffy gasped, horrorfied, as Spike's eyes let go tears that matched William's.

"No more unfair than casting me off for some sordid tryst!" William looked pointedly at the puncture wounds on Buffy's neck." I am well aware of my station now, fully comprehending that I am inconsequential and not needed by either of you, but I had hoped for a little more decorum. I am only a man and a man can only endure so much before reaching the breaking point. I know that I am neither strong in body, nor especially up to snuff when it comes to fighting the forces of evil, but you ought to have at least hidden the truth or come up with a more convincing lie. That would have been a kindness." William paused and took a deep breath,"Instead you walk in flaunting your betrayal in front of Giles as if I....I ought to have known better, I suppose. I'm hardly a suitable a mate for either a vampire or a Slayer. Fleur has asked for a story tonight and I'll be glad to oblige her. Pardon me." He turned to leave and Buffy rushed forward to stop him.

"William, please wait." She caught his forearm and looked up to him with tears in her eyes;"Please, I love you; don't go away angry."

"I'm not mad, not really." He plucked a twig from her hair and handed it to her. "Anger is not the emotion I feel, I am merely resigned to the truth. I am beneath you both. Now if you'll unhand me please. I'll come back for my things later."

Buffy could feel the hurt in him, how it radiated off every part of his being. She let him go and he walked down the hallway to their daughter's room. William saw her and Spike's tryst in the forest as a betrayal and that they didn't need or want him. He wasn't good enough to go on patrol and thus clearly didn't belong in their circle. She felt Spike's hand fall upon her shoulder.

"We screwed up, love," Spike sighed, a hint of anguish in his own voice. "He thinks he's useless to us. He didn't mean those things he said, he's just hurt."

Buffy turned back from watching William leaving. "What are we going to do?"

"Show him how much we love him. After we get cleaned up, though. Get rid of any evidence of our dalliance in the woods."

"What if he won't let us?"

"We'll drag him back here if need be. He's ours and we'll prove it to him all night long if we have to."

Neither Buffy nor Spike had the opportunity to speak with William again before the time came for everyone to gather to commemorate those fallen in the battle with the First Evil, and to celebrate the victory. The first anniversary had been an event, with Buffy enduring false labor with Fleur for most of the weekend. When the pair arrived with hair still wet from their shower, they found William apart from the assembly in the grand ballroom. He was alone in a corner, looking rather grieved. He knew they were there, but he couldn't face them. Champagne flutes were offered and when Giles took center stage, the room quieted. Giles was always the one to speak, and given Buffy's track record with her speeches, that was deemed a good thing.

Spike and Buffy were hardly listening as Giles went through his annual rhetoric of reliving the war they'd fought to save the world. Instead they were fixated on William, who was wishing he could disappear into the Morris style wallpaper. When Giles recited the names of those lost years ago, "Anya, Amanda...." all were silent and reverent.

"And lastly, Spike," Giles said, a hint of fatherly pride in his voice, "who's sacrifice saved us all and despite the fact that he returned to us less than a year later, does not lessen the monumental moment of redemption for a vampire..." Giles continued on and Spike listened to many murmurs of agreement from the Slayers and others. Spike nodded solemnly, accepting the accolades with quiet dignity, knowing full well that William was as much responsible as the demon for choosing to let them come to an end on the Hellmouth. He brought his head up and noticed immediately that William was gone. Buffy saw it, too, and gripped his forearm in a sudden panic. As the attention shifted away from the couple, they took the opportunity to sneak away.

William had left before the event had ended, hoping to escape the pursuit of Spike and Buffy and wanting to change bedrooms before they had a chance to confront him again. He'd almost made it when, suddenly, he was grabbed from behind in a huge bear hug and hoisted right off his feet. He was wrestled to the bed and secured by Spike's strong limbs a moment later.

"Unhand me!" William demanded, his tone angry.

"Nope, not until you listen to reason, mate," Spike growled back, tightening his arms and legs around William's body. William huffed out an angry sigh, while Spike lovingly kissed along the man's pulse points on his neck. The vampire's attentions were gentle, seeming to try and ferry his love for his soulful half through the soft caress of a mouth. William tried to resist, but Spike had insinuated his hand under William's shirt and was making an arousing friction on his bare abdomen.

"Please...please stop that. Where's....B...Buffy?"

"Checking on our pretty bitty; she'll be with us in a moment...until then..." Spike successfully pulled the shirt from William's trousers and unbuckled the man's belt. When the zipper was lowered, William's reluctant, but proud erection sprang out into Spike's cool hand. "There he is....ah Will, pet, you are a magnificent man."

"This...oh dear...um...won't, certainly certain it won't...work..."

"No? But it'll at least get me your undivided attention. I was wrong. I'm sorry. Buffy's sorry too." His hold upon the man was eased and William relaxed, sometimes unable to resist pitching his hips forward into Spike's stroking of his cock. Buffy entered the bedroom and quickly shed her clothing before joining them on the bed. Her eyes were full of woe and pleading with her human husband for forgiveness. Spike busied himself with attending to William while undressing themselves. Once the trio were naked before each other, William was cocooned in an all-encompassing embrace, forced not to deny them. Buffy stroked the side of William's face, while her other hand removed his spectacles.

"William, my sweet man, I love you so much." He cast his eyes away from her, but she persisted,"We hurt you, but I swear it wasn't deliberate. Maybe being the Slayer makes me blind to some things, blind to your needs. I haven't been showing you how important you are in this relationship. You give so much to us, love us so much."

"I do love you....both of you, but..." William stammered.

"But we made you think that we didn't love you as much as you love us. Can you forgive us? Let us show you our love?"

"Please, William," Spike added,"Please, love."

William acquiesced and maneuvered himself on to his back, then opened his arms to the Slayer and vampire.

"See that it doesn't happen again; I was deeply wounded by the thought that you didn't desire me," William stated very seriously, then smirked and continued. "Now, I dare say that I am owed a certain recompense. You may begin with unleashing a torrent of sweet loving fury upon my cock."

"William!" Buffy gasped at the brazen words of the poet.

"Bloody hell, Will! Who corrupted you into such a cad?" Spike asked.

"I share a conscious with you, don't I?" William replied. "I'm not the one who found that unique use for a salad spinner!"

"Right...that..well...um."

"There's no excuse for that, vampire, it was depraved."

"Hey! It got us all off like rockets."

"Okay, guys, we promised never to talk about the salad spinner incident ever again, remember?" Buffy interjected, moved down William's body and took his stiff prick in her hand and gave it a hard jerk. "I think we have more important matter to tend to, right?"

"Quite, terribly sorry my goddess," William smiled. "You may now both worship my body and heal my wounded soul."

"You're going to milk this for all it's worth aren't you, pet?" Spike asked. William smirked and placed a hand behind Spike's hand and guided it down to his chest. William closed his eyes and succumbed to the sensations of his lovers' mouths on his bare chest. Buffy's hands grazed the muscles of his stomach and he shivered when her nails scratched him just a tiny bit. Spike had moved up to his neck and was gently sucking on a pulse point while his hand caressed the live male's face.

"You're so hot, Wills," Spike whispered, voice dripping with lust,"You n' Buffy radiating heat...smell divine, like a real man should, cock so hard for us, just wanna gobble it up. Beautiful man." Sentences of a similar nature continued to be dropped like caramel into William's ear. Buffy was rubbing her breasts over William's erect penis, then pushed them together to warmly cushion it between them. The human groaned and his hips jerked slightly and Buffy's tongue lashed the slit at the head. She continued to squeeze his cock between her breasts, rising up and down. Spike moved stealthily down his twin's body to join in with paying homage to William's penis. The vampire's cool tongue and lips were carnivorous as he nibbled, sucked and licked over his wife's breasts and William's erection.

Spike kissed Buffy hard, then descended to William's stomach, licking languorously, scraping his teeth on the muscles of his abdomen as he moved upwards. The poet quivered and gasped and writhed under the attention of his ravenous lovers, almost to the point of being uncomfortable. By the time Spike's mouth had reached the man's throat, William was on the verge of tears from so much stimulation. The vampire molded himself to William's body and with an encouraging nudge, Buffy abandoned her activities on William's lower half and did the same at his other side.

"William," Spike said, his voice deep and possessive. The affectionate vampire rubbed his face against William's, mimicking a feline,"Love you, you know. The poor ol' demon needs you, needs you with him forever. M'not right without you, without us together. I'm half a man otherwise. I'm sorry I hurt you. Blame me if you must put fault on someone. But....please forgive me?"

William closed his eyes and snuggled back against the vampire. "It...it's hard to know where I stand sometimes....but now, I suppose I know...come closer, both of you." They did as he bade, their cheeks against his,"I'm the bridge between you."

"William, that's beautiful," Buffy spoke, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You're more than that though. You remind us that our world isn't about Slayers and vampires. It's about this, right now and about our daughter. I love you William...and I love you, Spike and I'll always love you both, no matter what."

"Will, pet...." Spike began, sound perhaps a tad nervous. "Um...would you like to...I mean, if you like....I'd let you...or, what I ought to say is that I'd like you to...you know?" William was quite shocked at hearing Spike offering to be submissive. The man thought for a moment and decided the offer was sufficient. He turned into the vampire and kissed him sweetly.

"You're the strongest person I've ever known, Spike," William answered,"You're a demon, and neither of us think of that as something that shouldn't be embraced. You're unique in all the world. You've endured so much in your time since you came to dwell inside this body, so much anguish still haunts you...and yes, when you brought me back to you in Africa, it was not easy. In fact it was hellish, terribly hellish. We fought, we cried, we were frightened and we lost ourselves...but little by little we learned to cope, to work in conjunction for the greater good, for Buffy. It was you who kept me from the savagery of the First Evil, I felt you protecting me...and I love you for it. We'll find a way to return to our whole self...and if not, so be it. We'll still be together."

William sighed and changed the tune of the dance to something a tad more spicy. "Now, dear Mrs. Summers-Ainsley, if you'd be so kind..." William motioned in the direction of the still very eager erection he was sporting and Buffy prowled over his body, straddled him and leisurely took his entire length inside her. They both groaned appreciatively at the sensations of joining together. Buffy leaned down over him, until their torsos touched and they could kiss."Oh your lips do pursue me, so that I cannot escape from kissing them in purest self-defense! You're a bewitching vision, you have stolen my heart, my soul, and my spunk!"

"Less talk, more fucky," Buffy sing-songed.

"Watch your mouth Slayer," Spike interjected, smacking her ass hard enough to leave a red handprint. "Or I'll give you something better to do with it." Buffy reached out and grabbed her vampire by the scruff of his neck and crushed her mouth to his for a voracious kiss while at the same time she began to move atop William, slowly rising, then oh so slowly descending. She let Spike go and he curled himself at William's side, adding to the other two's love making with soft kisses and caresses on their bodies. At William's encouragement, he and Buffy rolled over so that he could come over her, thrusting at a languid, easy pace and drawing out their pleasure infinitely. Spike took his wife's hand in his, pressed a kiss to her palm and settled down next to the two lovers.

"Let's toss a bit of a prayer into the mix, shall we? If this is our only chance...would like a boy this time maybe...I always wanted a son."

"Might it be possible?" William asked. "Buffy?"

"Maybe...maybe....just...oh William, right there!" William twisted his pelvis ever so slightly and each time Buffy's entire body quaked from the intense sensation of him hitting that perfect spot inside her.

"We'll have our son, I'll see to it." With that he pumped faster, growling ferally at her as he stared into her eyes. Buffy's mouth opened and she gasped sharply, over and over as William propelled her to what was promising to be an intense orgasm. She may have been the Slayer, but William was pushing her hard, nearly to her limits. She was nearly crushing Spike's hand as he held, while her other had grabbed on to the back of the headboard and the wood would splinter if the pressure grew any greater. Somehow William got his knees under himself while he rooted his hands above her shoulders. Spike got himself involved again and slid a hand under her thigh to open her widely to William's punishing thrusts.

"Come for us, love," Spike snarled in her ear, scraping his fangs down the side of her throat,"Come for us...come on our William's thick cock...."

William's face loomed over hers, then descended and disappeared into her throat and hair, sucking and kissing, all the while trusting his hips like a machine. Her body was wound tight, with an inner chord inside her taut and ready to snap as the tension came to the breaking point. William found the energy to step their mating up one more notch, the force of which managed to move a four poster Victorian era wooden bed.

Spike's secong bite of the night through her skin into the vein in her neck made her inner muscles clamp down hard enough to trap William, the shock of which was as lighting in a clear sky. William filled her womb with his release as the waves of her fluttering sex milked him of it. Spike supped gently upon her vein, barely taking more than a taste, but prolonging her pleasure. The cool splash of Spike cumming on their skin, fueled by the ecstasy of Slayer blood and the sheer thrill of his lovers doing the same, brought William and Buffy back to him. He released Buffy's throat and licked away any trickles of blood that remained.

William eased himself away from her and went slack beside her, panting, exhausted. Spike, on the other hand, was slithering his way down between Buffy's legs. He began to lick her in earnest, enjoying the mixture of his lovers' release, while bound and determined to make Buffy come again. Perhaps it was an old Victorian notion, but Spike was convinced the more times Buffy orgasmed, the better their chances of conception. Buffy would've liked to have been allowed to sleep, being as she was utterly spent, but then William's mouth latched on to a swollen breast and began suckling in tune with his hand toying with her other nipple. She lay back, relaxed and thought of England.

Buffy awoke some time later, shivering. She was still atop the covers, but neither one of her lovers were by her or had thought to cover her nude form as she slept. She found a nightgown for herself and slipped it on, then went in search of her husbands. The door to their daughter's room was slightly ajar. The house was so drafty that it was always kept closed. Fleur still slept, her tiny body snuggled deep under the covers with only her plump, pink face and Anya Bunny's ears peaking out. Spike was there also, sitting in his robe on the floor gazing upon her. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and his chin rested there. His gaze was unblinking and full of fascination.

"Spike?" Buffy whispered, creeping into the room."Where's..." He turned and looked at her and she saw William from behind his eyes. They were back together.

"Sorry to have left you, pet, we wanted to see her." His wife came down beside him and they wrapped their arms around each other.

"I get it, I can't get enough of her either. She's such a miracle."

"You've dealt in death since you were 15 years old....then you created something, created this little girl. You and William."

"You're William."

"In a round about way, demon and soul are living in sync in one body. When we're together, we're one consciousness, but they do talk to each other, fight, love, all that. You'd go stark raving mad if you took a tour inside my head."

"I doubt it, I'd probably just get royally shagged."

"Probably."

"You're trying to say something more, though aren't you?"

"Dunno about that...just trying to get m'thoughts in order, tell you how I feel."

"I'm not going anywhere; take your time."

"That's the thing, love, you're really not going anywhere, you're all mine, you n' the pumpkin. I used to think and act like the world was mine for the taking, and did so for over a century. Now my world is contained within these four walls, sitting next to me, sleeping in this bed. It's an odd thing to realize that it's better than everything else. William's taught me that, and it's not because he's tamed the demon or any such rot, but he has given me temperance, peace. I don't want destruction and blood like I was taught to, just want my family." He pulled Buffy onto his lap and nuzzled at her throat. "I think we might've done it, love, made ourselves another baby." He put his hand over her stomach and tried to listen, but he knew better. They'd have to wait a little while to find out. "We'll call him William."

"Sweetheart, don't get your hopes up."

"Too late."

"I know, it's okay. And if it turns out not to be, we still have our first miracle." As if on cue, Fleur opened her eyes and yawned. Her arms came out from under the covers and reached out to Buffy.

"Mama," she bade and Buffy moved up onto the bed and lay down next to her daughter.

"Daddy?"

"Yes pumpkin?"

"You too. Where'd other daddy go?"

"Back where he came from darling, inside me." He tapped a finger to his heart and Fleur smiled.

"Okay."

Spike shook his head and laughed, then crawled up on Fleur's other side so that he and Buffy could cradle her between them. The family snuggled up close together and Spike tossed an extra blanket over them. He kissed Fleur on her warm forehead and then lay his cheek there.

"I love you, petite Fleur."

"Wuv you daddy...n' mama....n' baby."

"Baby? What baby, luv?"

"Mama's baby."

"How do you figure that?" Buffy was giving Spike a perplexed look that mirrored his own.

"They told me."

"Who, Fleur?" She took away one hand from holding Anya Bunny and pointed to the two framed sketches than hung on the wall. Spike had drawn them so that Fleur would know what her grandmothers had looked like.

"Your....your grandmums?!" She yawned and nodded her head, then closed her eyes once more, falling quickly asleep.

"Spike, do think she really...?" Buffy whispered. He was too shocked to respond, but looked at the portraits of his mother and Joyce and then back at the child, named for both women. "Spike what if she's right? What if?"

"I....I dunno, Buffy. I can't think of a thing to say."

"Don't say anything then, just hold us and go to sleep. Miracles can still happen in the morning." Buffy inched in just a little more and lay an arm across Fleur and around Spike. He, however couldn't even bring himself to close his eyes, his gaze lingering long on his girls. Inside his head, demon and soul were unabashedly giddy at the prospect of fatherhood with a new child. Fleur was snuggled up against his chest, her breathing quiet while her voice made little sighs and coos. Buffy's thumb stroked gently on his back as she slowly slipped into dreams. His vampire's body warmed to them, their two heartbeats made up for his lack of one. Fleur stretched in her sleep and tossed her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight.

"My angels, my beautiful angels," he whispered, then closed his eyes. Unbeknownst to the sleeping family, two others had joined them in the room.

"My beautiful son...." the spectral woman spoke as she pressed a kiss to the sleeping vampire's temple. "And your daughter, dear Buffy...my William's salvation." The other woman, equally as undetected by the sleeping family, gently stroked her daughter's hair.

"I think they've been each other's salvation. Then of course, there's the children," Joyce replied.

"Oh yes, of course. I'm so delighted about the boy to come. William often spoke of wanting a son. Of course, the poor soul had to wait so long for one, but fate does have it's charms."

"I'll agree with you there, on the condition that it leaves our children alone for a while."

"They've earned their rest, there is no doubt." Fleur had wakened again and saw her two benevolent grandmothers watching over her and her parents.

"Go back to sleep, sweetie."

"M'kay gamma," the child replied sleepily.

"We best go now," Anne said. "We'll come back tomorrow, dear." Fleur accepted that and turned her face into her father's loving embrace. "Such a beautiful family."

"That they are, let's leave them to sleep."

"Alright, come Joyce, you were going to tell me about the night your first met William." Joyce sighed and laughed, remembering. She and Anne linked arms as they slowly faded away.

"He was always so polite, even when he was evil."