TITLE: With Hope (1/1)

SERIES: Phases (#9)

AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

DISCLAIMER: I own no-one, as I am not Joss.

RATING: Probably R-ish, but barely...

PAIRING: A/W/S

DISTRIBUTION: Charity is a goddess and can have this for 'Bite Me... Please?'; anyone else I've said yes to for anything else is golden, too. Otherwise, ask...

FEEDBACK: is my friend...

DEDICATIONS: to:Caroline, Lucinda, Sue, Teri, Nutmeg, and Katie... thanks for the feedback, luvs...*G*

NOTES: Immediately after 'And Strength...'--- Willow's given the boys her ultimatum, and they need to decide what to do.*giggle* MUCH less angst in this one... cuz I'm a sucker for happy endings (*sigh*)!!! YAY!!! A series finally FINISHED!!! WOO-HOO!!!

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

He watched her silently as she walked into the bedroom that had once been his, a sad sigh slipping from his lips when she closed the door. He had no idea of what to say to the blond vampire seated just a few feet away, and he *really* had no idea of what-- exactly-- he was supposed to do now. The woman he loved was, for all practical purposes, immortal, and while that was-- in and of itself-- cause for rejoicing, she wanted his *childe*! And granted, not instead of him, but... in addition? A large part of him didn't care about that too much, mostly because he still wanted the blond so badly himself, but... the rest of him wasn't too thrilled. Sure, they'd always been good together, but he remembered just how... talented Spike was, and he just wasn't sure that he could measure up, especially considering how... out of *practice* he was. Besides, there was still the whole issue of...

Spike almost screamed when his childe left the room. He didn't know how she could be treating him that way, what with him being her Sire and all, but... finally he figured that it had to be because of her soul. After all, Angel had been given a soul, and he'd staked his own Sire, so... maybe that was it. Maybe having a soul in control of the demon negated the Sire/childe bond in some way? He wasn't sure, but it seemed to be as reasonable an hypothesis as any other would be. He glanced at the great poof from the corner of his eye, wondering what the Brood-master General thought of this turn of events. He wasn't entirely thrilled with it himself, so he figured that Angel wouldn't be any happier than he was. Not that he didn't *want* his Sire back in his life... his bed, because he *did*, but... Not because Willow had made it some sort of requirement. No, if he was going to 'make up' with the King of Brood, he wanted it to be because they *both* wanted that, equally, and... regardless of whether *he* did, and *Willow* did, it just wouldn't feel right if Angel didn't want it as well. And besides, what about... "What about your *soul*, Sire?" he finally demanded, "How can she have us both if you're gonna lose your soul the first time you touch her with more than just your hands?"

The dark-haired vampire sighed deeply yet again before turning to meet his childe's blue eyes. "I don't know, Spike. I mean, to the best of *my* knowledge, I still have that damned 'happiness clause', and... I think we *both* know that she'd make me very, *very*, um... happy. Of course, add *you* in to the mix, and..." He shook his head slowly, grabbing the blond's hand hard when he tried to move away. "Look, Spike, I..."

The younger vampire shrugged, trying to pull his hand from his Sire's tight grip. "It's alright, mate," he said, trying to hide his anger and hurt-- after all, the prick wasn't telling him anything he didn't already *know*. "I know you don't want that anymore, and... it's fine. But maybe," he said, perking up as a thought came to him, "Maybe that's the way around it! I mean, sure she'd make you happy, but... if *I'm* there, too, wouldn't that add just enough misery to everything to keep you all... *souled*?"

Angel sighed as he realized that Spike just didn't get it, and... he was tired of pussy-footing and skating around the truth. And how could his boy even *think* that, anyway? Had he ever, in all the years they'd known each other, given Spike any reason to think that he made him... He hung his head in both sorrow and shame as he realized that that was all he *had* done, since the very first time he'd awakened with a soul. Finally, he raised his head again, his brown eyes stabbing forcefully into his childe's blue ones. "No, Spike," he said, almost angrily, "Having you there would just make the soul disappear that much *sooner*." He waited for a moment, until he could see the hope replacing the confusion in the blond's eyes. "I never stopped wanting you," he said softly, his free hand rising to entangle in his childe's hair, "Never stopped... loving you, either, but Spike!" He tightened his fingers in his childe's bleached locks, "That doesn't *change* anything. I would still lose my soul, whether it be in you or in her, and..." he sighed one more time before vowing not to do so again... for a little while at least, but... "I don't think that *any* of us want that. I remember the last time, and..."

"So do *I*, Sire..." Spike said quietly, his eyes closed as he leaned back , Angel's hand in his hair the only thing holding him upright, "And you're right, it *wasn't* fun, by any stretch. But," he continued, his eyes opening again and locking on the older man's, "It was more of you than I'd had in a very long time, and..." He shrugged, closing his eyes again as his Sire's large fingers began to gently rub at his scalp. He leaned back into the small caress, purring slightly at the sensation. "So what do we do, mate?" he asked softly, not wanting to disturb the moment, but needing to know, "What do we tell her?"

Angel shook his head slowly, his eyes wide as he continued to move his fingers against his childe cool skin. "I don't know, Spike, but... trying to lie to her hasn't done us much good so far, so..." He shrugged, smiling slightly when the blond's eyes opened again.

Spike sighed, even though he knew sighing hopelessly was really his Sire's job. "So we tell her the *truth*, then..." he finished for him. "Fine. Then I guess we'd better just... get this over with." He stood slowly, almost frowning when Angel's hand left his hair, and he tightened his grip on the poof's other hand, determined not to let the older man withdraw into himself once again.

Willow smiled softly to herself from her spot just inside the bedroom door. She'd waited just long enough for them to get involved in their little... discussion before she'd opened the door a crack, and she was glad, too. It wasn't really *spying*, she told herself, not when they could have looked over and seen her at any time. Of course, she *had* been careful to stay completely silent for the duration, but... she blamed that on her demon. *It* was the one who'd wanted to listen in secret! She almost laughed aloud at her reasoning, but instead... she opened the door the rest of the way, and stepped out into the living room. "You won't have to worry about your *soul*, Angel," she said silkily, moving towards the vampires she loved, "I've got a spell, you see." She stopped in front of them, grinning up into their eyes as she took their free hands in her own. "It's not an *easy* spell, and the results will be... fairly serious, but..." She shrugged, leaning up to kiss her darker haired love. "As long as Spike's willing to be tied to the both of us for all eternity, and *you* are-- to him and *me*, I mean-- then you'll be fine, and *you*, forever!" She grinned again and pulled away from them both. "So..." she said, purring softly as their eyes followed her hungrily, "Are you boys... *up* for it?" Her eyes widened, and she let out a surprised shriek, when they glanced at each other and suddenly lunged for her. "The spell!" she cried out, giggling as they chased her into the bedroom, "We still have to do the *spell*!"

Spike scooped her up from the floor and tossed her gently onto the bed, grinning widely as he began unbuttoning his shirt. A quick glance to the other side of the bed showed him his Sire engaged in a very similar activity, and he smirked, meeting her laughing green eyes happily. "Well, you'd best get *cracking* then, love," he purred, liking his lips in anticipation, "Because as soon as you're done, I think Peaches is gonna want us to take it for a bit of a test-drive, as it were..."

Angel grinned back at his childe before transferring his lustful gaze to the small witch. "Blondie's *right*, my love," he murmured softly as he slipped on to the bed beside her. "I've waited long enough to feel you beneath me; above me... surrounding me with everything that is you..." He smiled against her neck when she shivered, and allowed his tongue one long, slow, sensual taste of her skin before forcing himself away. "And my boy's had you all to himself for the last year or so, so... don't think you're going to be getting much *sleep* for a while..."

The blond smirked a bit wickedly as he crawled across the mattress to settle on her other side. "Listen to Angel, love... we're gonna wear you out, especially the great poof. After all," he grinned, meeting his Sire's eyes over her head, "*He's* been sexually frustrated for *years* now!" An un-needed breath caught in his throat then, seeing the naked heat and desire in Angel's suddenly darker than usual eyes. "N... now, get *to* it!" he instructed the slightly trembling girl they both loved, and he smiled as she did just that.

He felt it when his soul was bound to the two people who meant more to him than anything else in the world ever had, and as he finally, *finally* sank deep into the little witch he'd longed to call his own, he smiled. He-- and his childe-- finally had everything right. It was the way it *should* be, and... whatever happened, he knew that he'd never regret the happenings that had brought him to this moment. And that conviction was only made more clear when he finally felt again, after far too long, his childe taking him while he continued making love to their witch, although... it was just as well that they were going to LA... Sunnydale just wouldn't know what to make of them.

And they lived happily ever after-- for the most part.

End With Hope.

End Series.

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