Part One

"Oomph!" the vampire grunted as his attacker, a small blond girl, rammed her fist into his stomach. "Stake me already!" His face was a bloody pulp, he had several teeth missing, and one of his arms was broken, all because of this one girl. Buffy Summers.

"Wow. Usually I don't have them begging for death. I don't like wusses." She motioned for him to stand still, and plunged her deathly thin stake into his heart, stepping back as he imploded into dust. "Idiot."

As she picked up her weapons bag and wiped off her hands, she heard a noise nearby in the cemetery. Her slayer instincts told her vampire, but there was something else… something much more evil. She ran softly toward the noise, and came upon Spike, fighting a huge, red, boil-covered demon with his bare hands. Something inside her clenched, and although usually she would have walked away and let him deal with the demon on his own, for some reason tonight she stopped.

"Hey! Crater face! You know, they have medicines to treat…" she motioned to the boils, "…that." The demon roared and turned on her. "Hey Fang, how do we kill it?" she shouted as she pummeled it, kicking it to the ground.

"Your guess is as good as mine, luv." He rummaged through her weapons bag, hissing softly when he inadvertently picked up a cross, and found his desired target. Not too big, not to small… the crossbow would come in handy too. For now he hefted the small axe, testing its weight.

"You know mate, you really should stay out of the sun. From the looks of it, you have a pretty bad burn…" he trailed off, leaving any snide remarks up in the air. The demon's attention was back on Spike now. Which meant that Spike had a clear target. He loaded the crossbow and shot the creature in its left eye. The boil-covered demon roared in pain and attacked Spike just as he was loading another bolt. The crossbow went flying. The angry demon slashed at Spike with his claws, causing the blond vampire to scream loudly. When he was finished mauling the vampire, the demon threw him against the wall of a crypt, a bloody, twitching mass. As the hideous creature turned again, it found the axe imbedded in its cranium. It fell to the ground with a dull thud, dead.

Buffy ran over to Spike. He was covered in large gashes and was bleeding profusely. She realized that the only way to help him now would be to give him blood… so she took a small knife out of her boot and slit her wrist, bringing it to his lips. Her Slayer senses went haywire as she felt the cold mouth against her pulse point. At first he didn't register the blood, but then he slowly began lapping at it. Finally his mouth clamped on her wrist, and he drank of her. Due to the power in her blood, his wounds healed within a few seconds. When she was certain he had most of his strength back, she pulled her wrist away, slightly woozy from blood loss.

He blinked and looked up at her, his blue eyes not incredulous as she would've thought, but rather they held an innocence that she had never seen before. He grinned. "Hello, pretty Buffy."

"Alright Spike, I fixed you. Now let's go to my house and fix me up." She pulled him to his feet.

"No." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Spike don't wanna."

"Spike…" she warned. "I gave you my blood. Now we're going to heal me." When he didn't move, she walked off, leaving him standing by himself.

"Pretty Buffy, wait!" He ran after her, soon catching up with her. "Spike didn't mean it… Don't leave Spike here in the bad place by himself…"

"Are you coming or not?" She was the one with her arms folded now.

"Yes, pretty Buffy. Spike wants to go with you. Spike will go anywhere with you." He grinned again, his eyes twinkling.

"Something's not quite right with you, fangface. You're acting pretty funny…" Buffy turned and walked back toward her home, motioning for Spike to follow. He scurried to catch up and tagged along like the proverbial puppy dog. When they reached her house, Buffy knocked weakly and fell promptly onto the floor after opening the door.

Dawn, upon hearing the dull thud when her sister had hit the floor, rushed over. "Buffy, what's going on?" With much effort, she maneuvered her sister to the couch and sat her down, noticing the cut and bite marks on her wrist. "What happened?"

"Pretty Buffy is hurt?" Spike asked, confused. "Spike wants to help."

Dawn noticed blood around the blond vampire's mouth and soon had him pinned in a corner, a stake pressed to his chest and a cross in his face. "You asshole. What did you do to Buffy?" she ground out through clenched teeth.

Spike's lower lip trembled and he began to cry, his blue eyes welling over with tears. "Spike didn't hurt nobody!" he wailed between sobs. He cowered in a fetal position as Dawn stood over him, dialling Xander and Anya's phone number on the cell phone she had recieved a week earlier from her sister. She kept Spike pinned in the corner as she informed Xander of the situation. Two minutes later, he arrived to find Dawn standing over Spike in a very threatening stance.

Xander pulled Spike from the corner and sent Dawn out of the room. "So, the Chipped Wonder found a loophole," Xander growled, punching the blond vampire in the face with a heavy fist. "What did you do to her?"

::thud::

The angry man turned to see Buffy slumped over the coffee table, passed out, and immediately rushed over to check her pulse. His eyes widened when he felt it slowing rapidly. Xander pulled his keys from his pocket and said to Spike, "Well, don't just sit there, evil dead, pick her up and bring her out to the car." Spike stood and wiped the tears from his cheeks before walking over to Buffy and picking her gently up and holding her like a baby. He carried her cradled to his chest and whispered in her ear, "Don't die, pretty Buffy. Spike needs you. Pretty Buffy, don't leave Spike. Please, pretty Buffy…" The blond vampire climbed into the backseat of the small car, the Slayer still held protectively by her former mortal enemy. Somehow those lines had blurred. When Xander reached to pull her out of Spike's embrace, the vampire snarled and pulled her closer to him.

Xander drove to the hospital in silence, Spike sitting in the backseat holding Buffy, whispering to her and stroking her hair. When they pulled into the emergency parking lot, Xander climbed out and opened the door for Spike to exit the car still holding the petite blond Slayer. They ran into the emergency room, the dark-haired man shouting, "We need help!" as the medical technicians swarmed over them to see what the problem was.

Spike finally let go of the Slayer as the doctors loaded her onto a gurney, then stood back, rocking slightly on his heels. The look of complete worry on his face was not clouded by his normal animosity toward Buffy, and Xander was curious. He walked over to the blond vampire and addressed him. "Spike. Look at me."

There were tears streaming down Spike's cheeks, but he paid no notice. "What happened, Spike?"

He sat down in the waiting area and motioned for the blond to follow. "Pretty Buffy says she saved Spike. Spike doesn't remember about what happened. Pretty Buffy says 'something's not quite right with you, fangface.' Who is fangface?"

Realization dawned on Xander as he began to digest what the pale man was mumbling through his tears. Buffy had fed Spike her blood to heal him. She had fed Spike.

"Mr. Harris?" Xander looked up at the scrubs-clad doctor. "Miss Summers lost a lot of blood. She's stable now, and she's demanding to see you and a person called 'Spike'." Both seated men rose to their feet.

Spike was grinning widely. "Pretty Buffy didn't leave Spike." They followed the doctor down the corridor to a private room, stopping along the way to buy some flowers for Buffy at the insistence of the blond vampire. He held the flowers in his fist as they entered the room. Three pillows propped up Buffy and she smiled weakly when she saw them.

"Buffy, why did you feed him? As far as I remember, whenever you come in contact with anyone in Deadboy's family and their fangs, you end up in the hospital. Last time, you almost didn't make it. You've only done a few incredibly stupid things in the amount of time that I've known you, and this one tops the list. Hello? Evil? Your mortal enemy?" Xander was irate. "A person can only die so many times, Buff!"

"Xander, shut up a second. Spike would have died if I hadn't saved him. And as heinous of a mortal enemy as he might be, he's also a fantastic patrol partner. He knows more about demons than any of your books could ever tell you. He just didn't recognize this one."

"A demon almost killed Spike?"

Spike's fist interjected, thrusting the flowers into Buffy's face. "Pretty Buffy, we got these flowers for you." He grinned.

"Thank you, Spike." She inhaled the sweet aroma of the blooms, then placed them on the bedside table and turned her attention back to Xander. "Yeah, a huge, red, one that looked like it could've used some extra-strength acne cream. It smelled bad, too. Anyway, I finished up some vamps, and I heard a noise on the other side of the cemetery, so I went to check it out. Spike was fighting the demon with his bare hands. This thing was about three times his size, too. So he took my crossbow, and shot it in the eye, and then it beat the crap out of him. He looked worse than a car accident victim by the time he went headfirst into a crypt wall."

"So instead of smashing his skull in, the giant dermatologist's ad gave him brain damage?" He laughed mockingly. "Isn't irony wonderful."

"We need to go to LA. Angel can probably help us find a doctor who can tell us what's wrong in Spike's noggin." Buffy sat up and climbed out of bed. She shooed the two men out of her room and pulled on her leather pants and slightly ripped tank top, then laced up her boots before walking out into the hallway. "Call Willow. We may need her."

Twenty minutes later, witch, Slayer, window worker, and vampire were back in Xander's car driving to Los Angeles.

~*~*~

"Pretty Buffy, Spike doesn't wanna go into the machine. Spike is scared." The frightened blond vampire clutched at the Slayer's hand, looking at her pleadingly.

"Spike, it's okay. I'll be right here if you need me. Just be good and close your eyes… it'll be over in five minutes." She pried his strong fingers from hers and rubbed his thigh as the MRI machine slowly drew him inside.

"He's really bad off, Buffy." The rich baritone came from behind her, startling her. It was unmistakable. She turned to face the one man she had dreaded ever seeing again. Her soulmate. Angel. "I've never seen him this bad, even when I… had more monster in me than man… I used to beat him… but this is the worst."

"A Tybar demon, Angel. That's what did this to him." Wesley looked up from his book to address the dark man. "From what I can deduce in the Codex, its purpose was to wipe out the… Order of Aurelius… systematically. Why do you suppose that is?"

"So a pus demon came to Sunnydale to kill you and your family, Angel?" Buffy was puzzled. "Who would want to do that to you?"

"Well, I couldn't tell you off the top of my head… I've killed a lot of beings in my unlife, so it could be any number of them that decided to get to me… Ashrok."

"Gesundheit." Xander said on instinct.

"No, Ashrok was lord of a clan of demons in Pasadena. I killed him a few months ago. His clan must want revenge. It's a weird demon hierarchy, I know. Their lord has been killed by the lord of another demon clan, so they wipe out his entire order…" Angel trailed off.

Wesley closed the book. "And since you're the lord of the Order of Aurelius…"

Willow, who had been standing by a computer screen watching the scan progress, spoke up. "The chip. When his head hit the crypt wall, it shattered. I can do a spell to remove the entire chip without hurting him more… and then there's another that I can do to heal him. The only problem is, whenever a healing spell is used on a vampire… they become human."

Buffy's eyes widened. "He'll be helpless. He'll get killed within a few days, Willow!" She walked over to her best friend and looked at her pleadingly. "Isn't there anything you can do about that?"

"Buffy, there is a spell, but I don't know whether you'd like it." Wesley cleared his throat. "It requires more of your blood… and would essentially create from Spike a male Slayer."

"Just fix him. And make sure he doesn't end up on some minion's menu." Buffy rolled up her sleeves, preparing to be bled. Angel inhaled sharply when he saw the scar on her wrist. Bite marks.

"You fed him?" the dark-haired vampire asked incredulously.

"He would have died. Of course I fed him. What was I supposed to do, leave him there? God, Angel, you'd think that a guy with a soul such as you would have more compassion for his own family members." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest.

"What I'm trying to figure out, Buffy, is why you have so much compassion for the man--demon--that you once regularly called your mortal enemy." Angel's eyes flashed as he said this.

The Slayer's eyes widened momentarily. "Angel, Spike was never my mortal enemy. I only realized now why I could never kill him. It's because we were meant to be allies. He's good... as good as a vampire can be. And he's my friend."

Buffy sensed that Angel was about to respond, when the machine beeped and Spike was slowly drawn back out by the platform he was lying on. His eyes were wide.

"Pretty Buffy, it was scary in there… it made funny noises… and it was so small…" He leapt off the bed and scurried over to Buffy, not noticing that he was mooning everyone in the room. Buffy, however, noticed.

Wow. Too bad he's probably in that stage where he thinks girls are yucky… I've never seen a nicer ass on anyone… She grasped the sheet that had been covering Spike and wrapped it quickly around his waist, saying, "Let's get you covered up, Spike."

"I's nekked!" Spike giggled.

"Yes, Spike, you're naked. Now let's find your clothes." Buffy sighed, rolling her eyes. If we're going to fight these bastards that sent that walking zit after Spike, he needs to be fixed… fast. "Angel, can you help him dress?"

Angel looked at his childe sadly. "Sure. Spike, come here."

Spike scowled at his sire, folding his arms across his chest. "Don't wanna. Want pretty Buffy to help Spike put on clothes."

"Fine." Buffy sighed again. "Let's go get your clothes."

As soon as they reached the curtained area, Spike dropped the johnny that he had been wearing, along with the sheet, to the floor. Buffy turned to hand him his jeans, and gasped. He was standing there completely naked. Oh my… wow. He… I… wow. She momentarily lost herself in gaping at his beautifully formed physique, but then quickly regained her composure as she handed his jeans to him. "Okay, naked boy. Pull these on." He did as she told him, but was unable to button them up. She looked down at his fly quickly. And almost giggled. He had pulled his jeans on so that his penis hung outside the fly. She became slightly red in the face as she said, "Okay, let's just tuck that in now…" and buttoned his fly. She tried not to notice that his jeans were beginning to tent in the front. Turning, she picked up his tattered red button-down, looked at it with a small grimace, threw it away, and handed him his duster instead. She pulled it tightly around him, covering his bare chest. Then she reached up and ruffled his hair. Much better.

"Spike, you should keep your hair like that." She smiled. "It looks better than when you put so much goop in it that it weighs ten pounds." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the waiting room behind her.

Angel was handing the doctor a brown paper bag. "Thanks for your time, John. It's all there. Ten thousand aught to be enough, right?" The short, balding doctor shook his head vigorously.

"Angel, we need to get him new clothes. Do you know his sizes?"

"32-32 in the jeans, medium shirts. Don't bother with the underwear. Once we get him back to normal, I doubt he'd wear them anyway." Buffy arched her eyebrow. "What?" Angel asked innocently.

"Wesley, you go back to the Hyperion with Willow and Xander. Angel, Spike, and I are going to Old Navy." She turned to Angel. "Go get your car."

"Buffy, I have a feeling that Spike wouldn't appreciate becoming a high school prep lookalike."

"You're right. Where would Angelus shop?"

Angel thought for a second before replying. "Hot Topic. The mall."

"Lead the way."

About an hour later, they walked out of Hot Topic laden with clothing not only for Spike, but also for Buffy. She had claimed that a lot of it would be good Slaying clothing. They had also bought a few pairs of jeans from Old Navy, just in case he got tired of black. Buffy had a hard time keeping her eyes off Spike. He had gone from ratty button-fly jeans and old, scuffed-up boots to black leather pants, Doc Martens, and a black button-down. He was the sexiest thing that thought like a six-year-old she had ever seen. Instead of drooling, she kept her thoughts on Angel. And the reason she was here. To kill whatever was after the Order of Aurelius.

Hmm… I can't think of anyone ugly in Angel's family… He picked them well, I guess. Angel has always been sexy. Even when he was Angelus, he still made me drool. The evil thing didn't have any effect on my hormones. I wonder why I never noticed Spike before? Oh, right. Because he was pigheaded the first time I met him, then I put him into a wheelchair, which isn't very sexy, and then he got neutered… but he did chain me up that one time… Stop it, Buffy! Okay, think… demons… demons…

Once Spike was buckled into the backseat, she climbed into the front of the convertible and turned to Angel. "So tell me about this Ashrok."

He glanced over at her, then focused on the road. "He was a Tybar, like the one that attacked Spike. He was huge, such a dark red that he was almost black. He had a fondness for kidnapping small children and eating them. One mother came to me saying she had seen her five-year-old son taken by a hideous demon, covered in boils. I knew it was a Tybar, and there was only one among them who ate human flesh. So I challenged him, telling him that the outcome would prove who was stronger and who was deader. We fought, I won, he was killed. The Tybar clan was outraged. Ashrok's son, Urso, swore that his father would be avenged. He sent a minion after Spike. That Tybar, the one you fought? It was maybe half-grown." Angel waited for this information to sink in before continuing. "I was lucky to escape unharmed. Luckily I remembered my sulfuric acid."

"Sulfuric acid?"

"I threw it in his face, and it blinded him. You'd need gallons to wipe out an entire clan, though. You had the right idea about the axe in the forehead to kill them. Another thing you might try is an enchanted sword." He turned into the parking lot next to the Hyperion. "Welcome to my humble abode." He swept his arms around.

Buffy's eyes widened momentarily, and she mumbled, "You like your space, I see. Come on, Spike. Let's go inside." Buffy unbuckled the blond vampire's seatbelt and took his hand. She pulled him out of the car and saw that he was exhausted. He looked at her through hooded eyes. There were purplish bags beneath them, highly pronounced due to his translucent skin.

"Pretty Buffy, I'm sleepy." His shoulders were sagged slightly, and he dragged his feet pronouncedly. He leaned against her for support, and she sighed, picking him up in her arms like a very large child.

She carried him into the hotel and asked Angel, "Where's his room?"

Angel motioned for her to follow her up the stairs. They walked down the corridor to one of the bedrooms Angel had remodeled, and walked in after he unlocked the door and handed Buffy the key. He turned and left them standing in the center of the room. Buffy pocketed the key and set Spike down on the queen-size bed.

He immediately fell back on the blood red comforter, close to nodding off. Buffy smiled, sitting him upright so she could help him remove his clothing. The duster was the most difficult article to remove. He wasn't much help, limp and fatigued as he was. She finally managed to pull it off him, then set to work unbuttoning his new shirt. She quickly undid all the buttons, then spread the sides of the shirt apart, pulling it off him gently. She then pushed him back so he lay on the bedspread and untied his Doc Martens, discarding them on the floor next to her. Her hands began to shake when she realized that the only article of clothing left was his pants. She unbuttoned them, her eyes growing wide as her fingers inadvertently brushed his crotch. Unzipping them was no easy task with her trembling fingers, but she managed somehow, then stared at his navel as he pulled them off his waist, trying desperately to ignore the slight arch of his hips as she pulled the leather pants from beneath him. She picked him up again and carried him around to the side of the bed, where she set him on his feet and braced his weight against her while using one hand to pull down the covers. She settled him beneath them and turned to leave after tucking him in and brushing a stray lock of near white hair from his forehead.

"Pretty Buffy?" he murmured from half-sleep.

"What is it, Spike?" She turned back to him again.

"Sing to Spike?" He asked it hopefully, his hooded eyes shining.

"Alright." She sat down on the edge of the bed and whispered, "But this isn't going to be an everyday thing. Okay?"

He nodded, smiling, his eyes now closed.

"Lullabye, and goodnight..." she began, singing Brahms' Lullabye quietly. She looked at Spike, and he was snuggling into the pillow, a boyish smile on his handsome face. She stroked his hair as she continued to sing. She was so scared for him. What if the spell didn't work? What if he was stuck in this state forever? The thought brought tears to her eyes. She wiped at them furiously.

When she'd finished the lullabye, Buffy looked down at the now-sleeping vampire. She brushed a soft kiss across his forehead, then stood and walked silently out of the bedroom, down the stairs to where the others were waiting for her.

"Let's get this spell going. How much blood do you need?" She pulled a small dagger out of her boot and held it to her arm. "Angel, get out of here. I don't want you to lose control. A hungry vamp won't help here." The brooding vampire turned and left the hotel, silently, passing Xander on his way out.

Wesley cleared his throat. "We need… just a few drops. And they need to be dropped on Spike's chest." From the way his eyes were diverted, Buffy could tell there was more to it than that.

"What's the catch, Wesley?" She walked over to him and looked up at him. "Tell me."

"For the spell to work, the Slayer whose blood is being shed must… be… having sex… with the vampire." He quickly looked at his feet.

Previously: "For the spell to work, the Slayer whose blood is being shed must… be… having sex… with the vampire."

Part Two

"WHAT?!" Buffy and Xander yelled in unison.

"Buffy has to who with what?"

"My thoughts exactly, Xand." Buffy was shocked. "So to heal Spike I have to sleep with him?"

"There's more." Willow made herself known. "The people performing the spell have to be within ten feet of the couple when the magick happens, or else it won't work."

"So I have to sleep with Spike while you guys watch. What else? Do I have to tap dance naked? Sing the national anthem?"

"We'll put a spell on you as well, so you don't realize that we're there." Willow stepped forward. "It's the only way."

"There aren't any other cures?"

"No."

"I'll do it. But on one condition. What happens in that room never leaves this building." She paused. "Someone go get Angel."

"Why?"

"Well… I… have to get… ready. You know?" Watcher and Wicca both turned beet red, and Xander made gagging noises.

"What's going on, guy-Xander? What are you doing here?" Cordelia dropped her bags and stood still, in a state of shock. "And Buffy! The person who I hoped I'd never see near Angel again, for fear of him going whacko on us again. How are you? And again, what are you doing here? Are those bite marks on your wrist?"

Buffy sighed. "Much too long of a story to tell the whole thing, so I'll summarize. Spike got crinkle-cut by a giant pimple demon, and he was going to die, so I gave him my blood, which as usual, sent me to the hospital. Spike got brain damage, so we came here to get him an MRI. Willow and Wesley are going to do a spell to cure him. Only thing is…"

"Buffy's gonna do the nasty with Spike so he doesn't end up being a regular Joe like the rest of us," Xander blurted.

"Xander!" Willow punched him in the arm.

"So is someone going to get Angel or not?" Buffy asked, slightly impatient.

"Right. I think he's outside." Wesley exited in search of Angel.

Moments later, Angel came inside. Buffy drew him into a corner and said softly, "We have a spell. But there's a problem. I have to… don't get mad… sleep with Spike. And I need you to help me get… ready. Please, Angel?"

"I've wanted to touch you for so long. And now the only reason I'm going to is to heal my idiot childe. Do you know how often I dream of being able to touch you freely?"

"I know, Angel. I dream the same. But we both know that it can't happen." Buffy lay her warm hand on his cool cheek. "I need you to do this, Angel." Her hand smoothed down the front of his black shirt.

"I think I can do this. But Buffy… are you sure?" His eyes were clouded with sadness.

"Positive." She took his hand in hers and began to lead him up the stairs.

She smiled as Cordelia protested. "Wait. If Buffy's going to boink Spike, where's she going with Angel?"

Cordelia started toward the office where she knew there were stakes stashed, but Willow stopped her. "Spike doesn't… you know… turn her on… in this state of mind."

"Oh. Eew."

Angel chuckled softly and they continued to his bedroom, closing the door behind them. She shyly stripped her clothes off and lay on the bed, her body thrumming in anticipation of the delectable caresses that she had only once experienced. He groaned and gathered her into his arms, kissing her fiercely. He trailed kisses down her body, lavishing attention on her breasts. Her body was aching for his touch. She took one of his hands and positioned it above her soft folds. He began to massage her with trembling hands as her body screamed for his.

"Oh, God, Angel… It's been so long..." she breathed.

"What do you want, Buffy?" He dipped his tongue into her navel before continuing down her body to her center. He placed a kiss on her sensitive nubbin before nibbling on the soft flesh there, spearing her on his cool, wet tongue. She drenched his face with her juices, rising off the bed, screaming in passion. As she came down from the plateau, Angel stood, watching her broodingly. He gently, silently, wrapped her in the flat sheet from his bed, handed her clothing to her, and sent her across the hall to Spike's room.

She opened the door to see that Willow and Wesley had already prepared for both spells. Willow held up a small, black plastic square, and it was evident that this was the chip. Buffy nodded, then turned toward the large bed, where a naked blond vampire lay huddled in the center. A quick chant, and her mind was on nothing but Spike. She walked silently to the bed, dropping the sheet and climbing under the covers with him. For a few moments she just snuggled up against him, and then she kissed him awake.

"Pretty Buffy, what…?"

"Shh." She silenced him with one hand as she reached down and fondled him with the other. His eyes widened and he gasped in pleasure as he became aroused. She knew that his six-year-old mind would be confused. "Don't worry, this will feel good, Spike," she whispered huskily.

She kissed him again, her tongue massaging his own. She straddled his hips quickly, her core still soaking from the attentions that Angel had given it moments ago. She slid effortlessly onto his cool length, rocking above him sensuously. When she could feel his climax approaching, she knicked her wrist with the knife she had placed on the pillow and dripped a few drops of blood onto his bare, muscular chest. The scent of the blood sent him over the edge, and he erupted inside her, whimpering.

A blue glow filled the room, saturated over Spike, and then soaked into his body, pulling Buffy's blood in with it, and disappeared. Wesley and Willow tossed their things together and ran out of the room. Buffy scrambled off him and leapt off the bed, dressing hurriedly. Then she went back over to the edge of the bed, expecting the worst. She sat there for five minutes, while Spike lay unmoving, his eyes closed.

Suddenly, his chest heaved and he began to cough. His eyes opened widely, unfocussed. Buffy pulled him to a sitting position and rubbed his back, massaging the tense muscles there. His coughs dissipated to wheezes, and he pulled back, looking at her scrutinously. He then took in his surroundings. And fell back on the bed, weak. He blinked a few times before asking, "Where am I?"

Confusion was evident in his beautiful eyes, and she asked, "Spike?" softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Buffy?" He felt strange. He was lying in a strange but very comfortable bed, naked, Buffy hovering over him. God, she's beautiful. And she was touching him gently. Not throwing him across the room, or out a window. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there. He folded his hands on his chest. ::thump thump::

He bolted upright, the covers falling to his waist. "What the hell?! What did you do to me? Why does it smell like sex in here? And why am I naked?"

"What do you remember, Spike?"

"I remember the giant pimple, and getting ripped to shreds, and being thrown against a wall… I'm not dead, am I? Tell me I'm not in Hell."

"After the Tybar demon almost killed you, I gave you my blood and saved your life. But you had brain damage. You were acting like a six-year-old. So we had to do a spell… and it was a healing spell… and when vamps have healing spells done on them, they turn human… so I used some of my blood while they were doing it, actually, we had to do it too… but I'll tell you about that later… and so now you're the first male Slayer ever to be made from a vampire."

"You slept with me?" A wicked look crossed his features.

Never mind the whole you being alive thing, dork. She sighed. "With Angel's help, yes."

"What?!" He asked.

"He got me ready." She lowered her head sheepishly.

"So I don't turn you on, is that it?" Spike looked insulted.

"Not when you're a six-year-old trapped in a man's body, no."

He grinned. "So you're saying that other times I do turn you on, eh?"

"Spike, you're sexy. Don't let it go to your head." She smacked him in the arm.

"Too late, luv." He motioned at the tent that was growing beneath the sheets.

Suddenly his hands shot out and he began tickling her ribs. She squealed in laughter and fell forward onto the bed. Spike used her momentum against her and soon had her pinned beneath him. Her soft laughs soon faded as he leaned over her, a serious expression on his face, his mouth inches from hers. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. That was a new sensation. "Thank you. For curing me. Thank you for caring enough to do that." He brushed his lips across hers softly. A spark of electricity jumped between them, and he kissed her again, his fingers entangling in her silky blond tresses.

After several agonizingly delicious moments, she broke off the kiss. "Spike…"

"What is it luv?" His eyes filled with concern.

"It's all so new… and it's so soon… I… I can't. I'm sorry." She wriggled out from underneath him and sat on the foot of the bed.

"Oh, so you can sleep with me to save my life, but when it comes down to it, when I want to make love with you, you won't have it. That it?" Spike ground out. He was fuming, and he didn't bother concealing it.

"No! Spike, I want you. Do you think that I would've agreed to the spell if I weren't attracted to you? But yesterday you were six years old, and the day before that you were my mortal enemy. If you can't let me have some time to think about all this, then whatever could have happened between us won't." She stood. "I'm sorry that I have to do this. You're probably insulted, or hurt, or a combination of the two. But it's what I have to do."

He leapt from the bed, uncaring of his nudity. "Buffy, what is there to think about? Whatever happened in the past isn't what's happening now. That spark-I know you felt it too. You can't tell me you didn't. There's electricity between us."

"I felt it. But… this is going to crush Angel. He loves me. It would crush him to find out that I had chosen you over him. I need to talk to him about this. I did some research on the ring he gave me-it's an ancient Irish wedding band, Spike! I've been married for over four years and I knew nothing about it. When I get this cleared up, then I can decide whether or not we're fated to be together. But until then, I need time. Lots of time. I hope you can care enough to give me at least that." She walked out of the bedroom, leaving Spike standing nude and confused in front of the lavish bed.

"Angel." Buffy walked out onto the balcony to confront her brooding soulmate. He stood looking down on the street, pensively. He turned at the sound of her voice and attempted a small smile. It was as though he already knew why she was there.

"Hi."

Buffy joined him at the balcony railing, leaning over the wrought iron. "I need to…"

"…talk to me?"

They both smiled, slightly bitter. "Yeah. Funny story, really. I was looking through a book of Irish fairy tales, came across a passage on claddagh rings, and found out that I've been married to you for over four years."

He faltered. "I meant to tell you…"

"I want a divorce." Buffy looked up into Angel's rich brown eyes, trying to discern the warring emotions behind them. She could almost see Angelus telling him to fight for her. Angel felt as though she had impaled him with a sword and sent him to Hell again.

"Spike." Angel swallowed convulsively. "He's the reason, isn't he?"

"Angel, before you go off and do something that someone will inevitably regret, hear me out. I will always love you. You will always be my soulmate. Nothing can change that." She paused, clearing her throat before continuing. "But I need someone who can lead a semi-normal life with me. As selfish as that may sound, I remember you wanting that for me when you left."

"You're right, Buffy. I wanted someone who could take you into the light. Who could give you a home and a family. It hurts so much, Buffy. But I can't do these things for you. Not now, at least." He paused, waiting to see if she caught that last statement.

She caught it. "Not now? What do you mean, not now?"

Angel sighed. "I have something coming. A Shanshu, the prophecy said. After I stop five apocalypses, I'll become human. But who knows how long that will be. It could be one year, or one thousand." His shoulders slumped. "And… I was doing some reading, and found out that if I mix the blood of a Mohra demon with my own, I'll become human."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Did you want to keep it hidden? Don't you love me?" A tear slipped down her cheek. "God, I've always dreamed of you being human. Of being able to make love to you without worrying about you becoming psychotic. Of eating ice cream in bed with you."

Angel's eyes widened momentarily. "Oops. I'm dripping." "Don't worry, I'll clean you up…" "I couldn't do that to you, Buffy. If I were human, the powers of good would have one less warrior on their side. I'd be weak. And I'd be one more burden on you. One more helpless being to protect."

"We… we could do the spell that we did on Spike. It would work, wouldn't it?" Her voice trembled.

He shook his head. "Only if I were badly injured, and I'm too careful to let that happen."

"Faith. Could we transfer her powers to you once you were human? She doesn't need them in prison." She was grasping at straws now.

Again, Angel sighed. "The only way that would happen is if you could find some very powerful magicians. I've never dealt with something like that before."

"Willow cursed you. Couldn't she do it?"

"Maybe, but it'd be too dangerous. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Buffy's stomach clenched as realization hit her. "You don't want to be with me."

"Buffy, I'm not the same man that you fell in love with. I'm afraid that all I'd do is hurt you."

"You can't possibly hurt me more than you did when you packed up and left. You didn't even say goodbye. So you don't want to become human. I can deal with that. It hurts badly right now, but with help, I'll get over you. I have Spike. He's as close to normal as I'm ever going to get. Do you know what happened to all my 'normal' boyfriends? Scott dumped me three weeks into our relationship because I was wigging him out. Parker got turned and I had to kill him. And Riley left for somewhere in South America. I'll never hear from him again." She cleared her throat and squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"I keep hoping that maybe by some strange miracle your soul will become permanent… but that will never happen. So I'm left with Spike. Yes, I'm attracted to him. Yes, I could love him. But I will have always loved you first. And my love for you will always be the most pure and innocent of any." She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Please understand."

"It hurts more when you're the one getting dumped," he said, smiling painfully.

"If it makes you feel any better, your place in my heart will never be filled by another man." Buffy kissed his cheek softly and turned, walking back into the building, up the stairs, and into her own bedroom, where she curled up into a fetal position on the floor and began to sob silently. She wept bitterly for Angel and the love she had lost, and for the agonizing wait she was putting Spike through.

She awoke in much the same position. She had a cramp in her leg from sleeping on the floor all night, but she shook it off quickly and dressed. She then descended the staircase to find out if food was an option at a hotel owned by a vampire. Everyone was sitting around the table, the mortals eating muffins and drinking orange juice or coffee, or in some cases both. Buffy avoided the eyes of both Spike and Angel. She instead concentrated on the matter at hand.

"So, Wesley, any new information on these Tybar demons?" she asked around a mouthful of muffin.

"Well, we've tracked them to a lair in the warehouse district. But you'll need enchanted swords to kill them." The Watcher straightened his glasses, cleared his throat, and continued, not noticing Angel slipping from the room. "And I have no idea where we'll get enough enchanted swords for the three of you-Spike, Angel, and you, that is."

A black duffel bag clanked to the table, its thrower following it into the room. Wesley peered inside. "Will those do?"

The Watcher was at a momentary loss for words. He stammered, "Wherever did you get those, Angel?"

"I have my sources. Let's just leave it at that." The tall, dark man was once again cryptic. He cringed internally at the torture he had experienced that night. They don't need to know what I went through to get those.

Buffy pulled one long, thin box out of the duffel. She opened it carefully, removing a sword in two parts: long, deadly thin blade and silver hilt gleaming in the light from the overhead lamps. Curious, she connected the two parts of the sword. The three warriors in the room heard a faint whirring sound that was too soft for the mortals. The shining blade began to glow, the metal itself becoming plasmic.

"Willow. Conjure me up a demon." The swirling metals of the blade fascinated her. Willow chanted softly in Romanian, and a medium-sized, scale-covered, green demon appeared. It sniffed the air, then roared in agony as Buffy scalloped it. Another short spell, and the mess was cleaned up. "I like."

She grinned, pressing the tiny button on the hilt that released the blade, then placing the hilt back into the box. She examined the blade for a few more moments, and then it joined its counterpart and she placed the box back into the duffel.

Buffy gathered up the courage to look at Angel. His face was hardened, but in his eyes she saw a deep sadness, and an undying love for her. She shook her head quickly and addressed him. "Angel, you said something about sulfuric acid?"

"Yeah. It blinds them. If you can get your hands on some…"

"Consider it done. I've got connections in the UC Sunnydale chemistry department." Willow piped up, having stayed fairly silent up until then. "How much?"

"A couple gallons aught to do it. We need to put it into fire extinguishers or something like that."

"How about Super Soakers?" Xander piped up. "We can carry those easier than fire extinguishers, and they're more fun."

"Those would work." The Watcher stood. "I'm going to Wal-Mart." The spectacled man walked out the door, car keys in hand. "I'll be back in awhile," he called over his shoulder as he exited.

A few minutes later, Buffy was washing the breakfast dishes in the large kitchen of the Hyperion. Someone entered the room, and she turned to see who it was. Spike stood, leaning against one of the gigantic metal refrigerators, his eyes focused directly on her.

"I was hoping it was you. We need to talk, Spike." Buffy grabbed a dishtowel and wiped her soapy hands on it. She tossed it to the side and hopped up onto the counter so she was eyelevel with him. "I talked to Angel last night."

Anger flared in the blond man's eyes, but he remained silent.

"I told him I couldn't be with him." Buffy waited for his reaction, but didn't expect him to rush over to her and embrace her tightly.

She pulled away, loosening his vicelike grip on her for a moment. She looked him in the eyes. "I also told him that no matter what happens, I would always love him."

Anger again. "But I also told him that I'm attracted to you and I could love you. That is, if you're willing to give it a chance."

He was still silent, but he kissed her softly, and when he finally pulled back, tears of joy were filling his beautiful eyes.

A startled yelp brought them back to reality. They ran into the lobby of the building, where Angel, unarmed, was battling a Tybar demon. Willow ran over to them, two sword boxes in her hands.

Buffy and Spike quickly assembled the enchanted swords and attacked the hideous demon from behind. The three of them soon made quick work of the demon, escaping with remarkably little injury, and Willow cleaned up the mess once again.

Angel glanced at the place where the demon had fallen, and noticed a sheet of parchment on the carpet. He unrolled the paper and read it quickly to himself. His eyes widened, and he passed the note to Buffy.

She cleared her throat before reading it aloud. "Slayer- you would do well to deliver any and all favored members of the Order of Aurelius to us before the next full moon if you wish to see your sister alive again." She gasped, before passing out.

Moments later she was revived by Willow, who gently pulled her back to consciousness. Someone-Spike? Angel? -had carried her to the couch and she lay there in shock for a few moments before saying sadly, "They always kidnap Dawnie." She regained her composure quickly, though, and asked, "Willow, when's the next full moon?"

"Today's the seventh, right? Umm… the night of the tenth is the next full moon… which gives us about two and a half days."

"Hmm. Can you do a spell to make everyone in Angel's family not hate me for about two days? Oh, and can you zap them here?"

"Three temporary souls coming up. Angel, I need nicknames for Penn, Darla and Drusilla. And the names of their demons, if you have them." The red-haired witch was quickly taking the initiative and running with it. "Cordy? I'm going to write a list of ingredients that I'll need for the spells. Can you and Xander go and pick them up? Oh, and do we want temporary sanity for Drusilla?"

"Better make that permanent, Red." Spike murmured, still hovering over Buffy protectively. "Oh, and don't bother with Penn. Dusted him myself in a fight few years back."

Willow scrawled a list of herbs and other ingredients that would be needed for the spell. "Don't forget the Orb of Thesula." She handed the list to Xander, who walked out of the building with Cordelia.

Angel walked back into the room, holding a withered and yellowed piece of parchment gingerly in front of him. "It's my family tree. The only one in existence. A few weeks after I… lost my soul… it reached me." Willow walked out of the room with it, into the office, and started up the computer. Buffy stammered, "Wait… wouldn't the Master have had to die in order for it to…"

"After what the Master did to you, I guess even evil me wanted him dead. I killed him. If you hadn't survived, my soul wouldn't have been lost, and my demon doesn't forgive easily."

"That makes you…" Buffy felt faint again.

"Yeah. I'm the Master. I'm the most powerful vampire on the planet, and I'm the laughingstock of the entire race." He laughed bitterly.

"I sent the Master to Hell?" The room was swimming.

Spike chuckled. "Nice going, luv. One Master kills you, you kill another."

"Now I know why you don't want to use the Mohra blood. Drusilla would become the next Master." She shuddered.

"Is my childe that bad?" he asked, smirking.

"Yes!" Buffy rolled her eyes.

That night, when Wesley finally returned from Wal-Mart, with the excuse of not finding the toy section for five hours, and afterwards having to try out the water guns before purchasing them, yet with a look of boyish glee on his face, he immediately noticed two individuals missing. Xander and Cordelia had long since returned from the magick shop. However, the Slayers, both Buffy and Spike, were nowhere in sight.

"Angel? Where are Buffy and Spike?" he asked, once again straightening his glasses.

Angel shrugged. "Dunno. Ask Cordy."

The Watcher scurried over to the aspiring actress and posed the same question.

"Erm… I think they went upstairs about… a half-hour ago. Why?" She didn't bother looking up from the romance novel she was reading.

"Dear God."