SERIES: Nobility #3

AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

E-MAIL: tisatko@msn.com

DISCLAIMER: I have NO rights to anyone you know from TV. Other characters belong either to me or to themselves, depending upon whether they actually exist or not.

PAIRINGS: Primarily S/Dawn and A/W.

RATING: NC-17, overall.

DISTRIBUTION: MY site, and anywhere with other fic of mine. Others, just ask!!!

FEEDBACK: makes it happen, y'know???

DEDICATIONS: to Jeannette, of course, without whose tireless efforts on my behalf, I would HAVE no site!!! Also, to those who remember this and have asked for more. Thanks!!!

NOTES: Okay, it's 2007. The Hellmouth's been closed for a good while. Buffy died, but not like she did on the show. Giles adopted Dawn legally, and they moved to New Orleans, where he married a voudoun priestess. Willow went to LA, to see if she could help Angel, and the two soon discovered their true feelings for each other. They're mated. The rest of the Scooby gang, with the exception of Xander, followed soon after, becoming part of the Angel Investigations team. Dawn took up patrolling, partly as a memorial to her sister, and on one particular foray, she ran into a very drunk black-haired vampire. He used to be a bleached blond, of course. Things happened, as they always do, and Spike and Dawn are now Mated, as well. (Yes, I have a thing for mating the vamps and my fave humans. Sue me!!!) There's also a prophecy involved, and most of the A.I. team has traveled to the Crescent City to see what's going on with that. Oh, and * *= emphasis.

MORE NOTES: I actually recommend reading the first parts of this series if you're unfamiliar with it. This just won't make any sense, otherwise. Sorry about that.

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Three weeks since the night he and his Sire had talked. Three weeks since he'd torn the bits of leather and lace from his girl's pale, soft skin. A mere twenty-one days, and yet... so much had changed.

Most of the Los Angeles crew had returned to their own city, leaving only the mighty pouf, the little witch, and the Seer, along with her daughter. Spike had to admit he'd come to like the little girl, though. She wasn't all 'why, why, why' like most children he'd had the misfortune to meet. Of course, he was also looking at the time he spent with her as practice, and... if she was a reasonable example of what a human/demon cross-breed was like, then he figured he'd be okay when his own little nipper came along.

Of course, none of that changed the fact that he was supposed to be out in the living room in less than five minutes, ready to bind himself by human law to the smallish blonde girl who owned him.

One finger slid quickly around the inside of his collar, and he tugged at it, wondering how-- since he didn't breath-- the tightness was making him feel faint. He spun around, glaring hotly at the sound of a deep chuckle coming from behind him. "It's not funny, you sodding pouf!"

Angel couldn't help laughing even more at the outraged, but still panicked, look on his boy's face, and he shook his head slowly. "Actually, it *is*, Spike. I mean, the bow tie alone..." He chuckled once more, and stepped closer. "Here," he ordered, "Let me."

His hands rose before he could help it, and he slapped away the offered assistance, still staring daggers at the older man. "Fuck that," he growled, pulling the offending item from around his neck. "Don't know how I got talked into wearing this sodding penguin suit in the *first* place!" He unbuttoned the collar of his tuxedo shirt and heaved a sigh of relief. "And that's better," he admitted, although he still felt...

"Nervous, my boy?" Angel asked kindly, well aware of the fact. He could hear the anxiety singing in his childe's blood, after all, but "Don't be. It'll be *fine*."

Spike sighed deeply and shook his head. "You don't know that," he insisted. "You *can't* know it; not for certain. What if... what if I go out there, and she's changed her mind? What if she doesn't *want* to make this all legal? Hell, Angel," he demanded, almost begging, "What if this whole 'formal ceremony' thing is too *much* for her?"

And once again, he burst out laughing, only this time, he couldn't stop until his eyes were tearing. "You..." he began, only to double over once more. It was entirely inconceivable to him that Spike was actually worried about Dawn backing out of this. Not that the girl *could*, considering the fact that... "You're *Mated* to her, Spike," he finally chuckled breathlessly, "And bound by a *God*! So stop being a moron, and get your pale, lanky ass *out* *there*!" He managed to still his obvious amusement for long enough to give the younger vampire a push towards the door, and he followed in his childe's careful footsteps, a huge grin still splitting his face. This was one night he'd *never* let the boy forget; he was looking forward to the years of teasing to come.

The black-haired, tuxedo-clad vampire walked slowly down the hall, knowing his Sire was right. Didn't stop him from being nervous, though, and... "Yeah, we'll see how you act when Red puts *you* through this, you great broody prick," he mumbled. He smirked slightly when he heard the older man's steps falter. "What?" he said, amused suddenly, himself, "You don't think she's gonna have your baby and *not* make you marry her, do you?" He glanced over his shoulder into his Sire's stunned face. "Somehow don't see Willow going for that, mate. But maybe I'm wrong." And the teasing had suddenly made everything better. He was ready for this, and... Dawn wouldn't say no; not now, and not ever. He felt it all the way down to his bones. "Let's get a move on, then," he demanded.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Angel stood by his Mate's side, glancing anxiously at her from the corner of his eye as she watched Dawn and Spike being bound in a somewhat traditional voudoun ceremony. He stared fixedly at her, although he tried not to look like he was, and he swallowed hard when he saw her getting all teary-eyed. He wasn't entirely sure that his childe was right about Will wanting to formalize their bond, but... *he* wanted to, he realized suddenly. He wanted her to be his in accordance with *human* law, just as she was by the traditions of demon-kind. He wanted every single male in the entire world to know that his sweet, perfect, glorious woman was *taken*, and... he wanted to know that she loved him that much, because as much as he tried to ignore it, the fact that she'd waited so long to enact the third binding with him made him feel kind of... unbalanced. He brushed one finger lightly against the back of her hand, and smiled softly when her fingers were suddenly entangled with his own. He would ask her, he decided, as soon as this ceremony was over.

Willow had felt his eyes on her, and sensed his turmoil through their bond. Still, this was Dawny's moment, and Spike's, so she didn't dare ask him what was wrong; she had a feeling that when she did, it was going to get loud. No, she couldn't ruin this moment for either of them. She wove her fingers through his large, cool ones when he reached for her, and hid a deep sigh of relief when his emotions suddenly became more calm. Maybe it wouldn't get loud, after all. A few tears slipped from her eyes as Gabriella spoke the words to complete the ritualistic binding of vampire and key, and she smiled widely when the black-haired form of Spike let out a loud shout of victory. "Well, good for them," she sighed, glad to see that Dawn was just as thrilled, although less vocal about it. "They're so right together."

Angel smiled more broadly and pulled his Mate closer. "I never thought I'd say this, but... Yeah. They are." His eyes closed, and he buried his nose deep in the hair at the side of her neck, breathing in her soft, almost fruity scent. "It was a nice ceremony," he said tentatively, "With the 'no church, no priest' thing. Gabby's good at this, isn't she?"

"Mmmm," Willow agreed, enjoying their small moment of peace in the sea of congratulations and merriment. "And Dawny was a beautiful bride. She picked out that scarlet dress just for Spike, you know," she added, leaning harder against her Mate's broad chest, "She said wearing white to be bound to a vampire was just... stupid." Her hands rested lightly on his waist, and she kissed him softly through his shirt. "I have to say, she's right, too. It's a beautiful gown; perfect for the ceremony."

Angel chuckled, his hands roaming slowly up and down his witch's spine. "Maybe..." he began, only to stop and swallow hard. "Maybe*you* should get one like it?" He held one deep, unnecessary breath as he waited for her to figure out what he was saying, only to sigh sadly when she shook her head.

"Oh, come on, Angel," she murmured, pulling back to gaze into his dark brown eyes, "It's a great dress, but it's not like I have anyplace to wear it. Maybe if we go to the opera or something someday, but..." She shook her head quickly and stood up, taking his hand again. "We should congratulate your childe."

He groaned silently, even as he let her pull him from his chair. He'd thought his intention was clear, but... obviously, he'd been mistaken, and... But maybe it was for the best. His Will deserved more than a sudden proposal, after all; she deserved to have that moment be special, and perfect, and entirely memorable. He could *do* that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn's entire body was already trembling violently as Spike helped her from the limousine. She stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the white-painted hotel with its wrought-iron balconies, and shivered even more. He eyes were drawn to the pale, tense form of her... husband, she supposed, as he shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and placed it lightly around her shoulders. "Th-thanks," she managed to say before pulling her eyes from him.

He didn't know what was going on, and it was making him insane. They'd had their sodding ceremony, said all the words and whatnot, and... ever since, his girl had been shutting him out. She'd closed down her end of their link, and he couldn't tell what she was feeling about any of this. Worry raced through his body, because he could think of only one reason that she'd be so withdrawn all of a sudden. She was regretting plunging into this whole thing with him; there was no other possibility. He wasn't sure of why she'd even gone through with it, unless... maybe she'd been afraid of disappointing Giles and Gabriella. Yeah, he told himself sadly; that was it. Still, what they'd done could be undone. Not the Mating, of course, or the God binding them, but... that hadn't been the problem, anyway. No; it was the whole 'marriage' thing, and they could fix that, much as it broke his heart. "C'mon, pet," he finally said quietly, "Let's go inside."

She followed him silently, her mind racing madly. She wished she knew how he really felt about all this, but she was afraid to open their link; afraid to find out that he'd only been pretending to happiness back at the house. It would make sense, seeing as he was a demon. How could he be happy about making things all... legal, and above-board? That she was the reason for his carefully hidden misery made her sadder than she'd ever been. She was so torn inside that she barely even noticed the lush suite David Nabbit had given them for the next week as a wedding present. She just sat down on the sofa, fingers clutching tightly at the lapels of Spike's jacket as she felt his eyes on her from across the room.

It was intolerable, he decided swiftly, and he stalked over the oriental rug, finally sitting down on the coffee table in front of her. His hands slipped out to rest lightly on her knees, and he tried to smile. "You all right, love?" he asked softly, hoping for some response other than just the nod she gave him. "Don't lie to me, Dawny," he ordered, barely keeping his true face in, "Just... tell me what's wrong so we can fix it, okay?"

She had to swallow hard a few times, just to clear the lump from her throat, and when she finally found her voice, she still couldn't meet his eyes. "I... I don't know if it *can* be fixed," she whispered. "I just feel so... guilty."

And that was the last thing he'd expected to hear. He blinked his surprise for a few moments, then leaned closer to her, his fingers gripping her gently. He saw the small, slow tears sliding down her cheeks, and raised one hand to her chin, tipping her face up, and he couldn't help but kiss those tiny tear-tracks. He started just below one eye, and when he reached her chin, began on the other side. Finally, he stopped, his cool lips just a hair away from brushing her warm, full ones. "Guilty?" he prodded, voice soft and low, "Not... sorry? That you've married me, I mean."

The bare edge of hope in his voice had her meeting his eyes curiously, and she gasped quietly at the pain in his expression. "No, I... I just... are you? Sorry?"

"Are you completely insane?" Spike demanded, his fingers moving to clench hard in her hair. "Am I *sorry*? For what?" He knew he was hissing, but he didn't care even slightly. "For belonging to you in *every* *possible* *way*; even legally? For wanting nothing more than to have everyone know it? Or for loving you so much that my blood screams out for you, every moment of every day? What exactly am I supposed to be sorry for, Dawn?" He stared hard into her large, wet eyes and growled. "For fuck's sake, love, the only thing I'm *sorry* about is that I didn't think of marrying you, myself! I'm sorry that it took the sodding ex-watcher to make me realize what I was missing out on!" He growled again and released her, jumping to his feet to pace angrily through their living room. "Sorry! Sorry!" he muttered, unable to wrap his mind around it.

After less than a moment, Dawn found his anger waking her own, and she pushed herself from the sofa, stalking towards him in a fury. "Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know?" she hollered, hands clenched into fists at her sides as she glared. "You're the Big-fucking-Bad, aren't you! And it's not like you ever *said* anything, Spike! You just announced that we were gonna get married, 'cause Giles and Gabby wanted us to! So how am I supposed to *know*, you fucking... *jerk*!" She spun away from his stunned expression, moving swiftly to the small bar beside the open kitchen area. It took less than a moment for her practiced hands to find a glass and pour out a healthy amount of whiskey, before turning back to face him, her eyes still blazing. "And there I was, wanting this so bad, but feeling *guilty* because Giles and Gabby forced you into this, and... Damn it, Spike!" she screamed, the last in response to his sudden movement.

He glared unhappily at the glass he'd snatched from her, then tossed it carelessly over his shoulder. One more step had her trapped between the bar and his body, and he pressed himself even closer to her, his hands holding her wrists gently but firmly. "Well, I'm not the one who closed down our link, now am I, love?" he said smoothly, chuckling when she struggled against him. "In fact, if you hadn't done that, we would've been in bed by now, consummating our brand new marriage; isn't that right, pet?" He chuckled again at the continuing anger in her eyes, and pressed his lips hard to hers, driving his tongue between her teeth and into the wet cavern of her mouth. He moaned deeply as she slowly relaxed against him, his hands sliding up her arms to her shoulders.

It was the dark, silky tone of his voice that got to her. Well, that and the fact that he was completely right. But even if he hadn't been, she would have had to give up, because... He was kissing her, and his long, cool body was pressed hard against her, and she could feel him hard and strong in his pants, and... "Spike," she moaned plaintively, her now-free hands slipping to his back. She pulled desperately at the back of his shirt, moaning again as it came free of his slacks, and she moved her fingers roughly against his cool skin. "Spike..."

Bloody hell, his Mate was exciting! And she'd chosen the perfect way to start their marriage, too-- with a nice, rousing fight. He pulled her as close as was possible, finally lifting her and placing her on the counter behind her. "Can't wait, pet," he groaned, lifting the yards of material that made up the skirt of her gown. He pushed in to her waist, throwing the excess behind her, and tore the tiny scrap of black lace from her body. He moaned deeply around her questing tongue as her soft, warm fingers freed him from his pants. "Dawn," he growled, true face emerging. He pulled back from her, meeting her eyes as he slammed himself fully into her tight, wet center.

Her eyes flew wide, and her hands clutched at his shoulders, and when his hips began pistoning harshly, she cried out, her nails digging into his shirt. Her legs wrapped wildly around his body as she rocked hard into each vicious thrust. She could feel her clit, throbbing, and already tender against his coarse curls, and when his head fell forward onto her shoulder, she arched her neck wickedly. "Now! Gods, Spike! Now!"

There had never been anyone like her before, and he knew it. He growled roughly, even as his fangs slid deep into his mark, and he moved harder, faster, more desperately within her. He felt her tightening around him as he drank her, and when she called out his name with that little hitch in her voice, he was almost there, himself. Then he felt her small, even teeth biting deep into the mark *he* bore, and he shouted, loud and long, as he spilled himself deep within her. His eyes closed as she drank him, and when she finally pulled away from his healing neck, he couldn't quite bring himself to let her go. His hands slid beneath her buttocks, and he held her tight to him, his cock still planted deep inside her perfect core as he carried her across the living room and through the far door. "God, Dawn," he sighed, collapsing back onto the mattress, her tight, hot body on top of him, "Love you, baby."

Dawn nodded sweetly, her earlier trembling returning, although this time for an entirely different reason. She forced herself to sit up on him, her fingers busily unfastening the studs of his shirt. "Love you, too, Spike," she said softly; "Love you more, naked..."

He could tell, through their once again wide-open link that she was joking, and he smiled wickedly. "Yeah," he smirked, his hands swiftly unzipping her dress, "You too, love... you, too."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hortense DeLanei sighed softly and turned from the house. She'd been keeping a low profile lately; mostly to see whether her sister or some other of her family might show themselves. None had, though, or... not yet, anyway.

It had been a nice little wedding, considering. She'd attended in disguise, of course, not wanting thoughts of the things to come to interfere with the Opener's enjoyment of her formal bonding to Evil. Still, she'd drawn Spike aside for a few minutes, and explained some of the more important details of what he and Dawn could expect throughout the pregnancy. Granted, most of it was an educated guess, but she was fairly certain that she was right. Of course, only time would tell.

The important thing was that Spike and Dawn were safe for the moment. The curse swirling about him couldn't infect Dawn, or their child, but it would have to be dealt with eventually, or the vampire was going to be leaving an enormous trail of damaged gifted-ones behind him wherever he went.

Still, Hortense realized, he and Dawn would most likely be holed up in their hotel room for the next week or so. That should be enough time for her to find a way to ward the vampire without making that curse any more tenacious than it already was. Of course, she might need some help.

Fortunately, she knew just who to call; it was only a matter of couching her request in such a way that it would appeal to the man she was thinking of.

She hailed a cab, and by the time she walked into her own hotel room, she'd decided on the best way to approach him. She picked up the phone and dialed the number she'd memorized years earlier, when the man had been a very young practitioner. Even then, he'd had a malicious streak, and it had only grown broader as the years passed.

A dangerous glint entered her eyes as the phone was answered, and her smile was definitely cold as she spoke. "Ethan Raines, please."

next

back