Chapter Sixteen

Angel couldn’t believe how badly Drusilla was acting, just because he asked her to stop feeding on humans. She was ranting about it being unnatural for a vampire to dine on bagged blood. Couldn’t she see how wrong it was to kill innocents? Maybe he should try and find a spell that would give her back her soul. Then he wouldn’t have to watch her constantly and listen to her fits.

“Dru, I want you to stay with me. I want to be able to take care of you and hold you in my arms when I sleep. I don’t think I can be without you anymore, sweetheart,” Angel pleaded, trying to make her see that his way was for the best.

Dru stopped beating her fists on the bed and let out a small giggle when Miss Edith whispered a lovely secret in her ear. If she could be patient, her greatest wish would come true. Drusilla sat up and turned to Angel with a sweet smile playing on her lips. “If Princess promises to be a good girl, will Daddy stay and make me all better?”

“Of course I will, Dru. I already told you I didn’t want to let you go again,” Angel replied. He was beginning to worry about Spike’s whereabouts.

“I wonder what happened to Spike. Where do you think he would go, Princess?” Angel hoped his grandchilde hadn’t gone out wreaking havoc and causing destruction everywhere. He started to pace, wondering if it might be best if he went out and looked for him.

“No need to worry about sweet William. He went to find the light. He loves her now, not his dark girl. She was dancing in his head until he couldn’t see anyone else. He’ll be here soon,” Drusilla said while dancing around the room. She was going to get her Daddy back and all she had to do was be good for just a few more days.

@~@~@~

They were happily loading Ethan’s things into the back of Giles’ car. Giles had asked Ethan if he wanted to stay at his apartment even though they’d only just been reunited. Waiting wasn’t an option when one lived on the Hellmouth, because you never knew when your life could end.

“You’re sure about this, right? I don’t think I could live with it if you decided after a couple of days that you want me to leave,” Ethan said with some apprehension. It had almost destroyed him completely the first time Giles had left. He knew he couldn’t live through that pain again.

“No need to worry, Ethan. As long as you’re honest with me and we keep no secrets from each other, I see no reason why I would ever want you to leave. I’m going to have to look for my young slayer soon, though. She needs to know that you aren’t going to hurt anyone. I really don’t want her coming after you. I also need to let her know that the ritual Angel’s childer will be doing isn’t going to cause any problems.”

Spike and Buffy were making their way to the motel after deciding that a shower and a change of clothes would be good before going to see Drusilla. On the way they’d discussed Spike’s feeding habits. Not wishing to upset her, he’d explained that feeding completely off animal blood wouldn’t work for him, but that he wouldn’t kill anyone either. He knew that would destroy his precious slayer. Taking nips from the underbelly of society would keep the bloodlust under control, and the violence he could always get while fighting by her side.

Coming around the corner of the motel, they were met with the sight of her watcher and the warlock smiling happily at one another.

“Hey, Giles. I thought we were supposed to stop the evil guy, not help him out,” Buffy called as she and Spike picked up their pace.

“Yes, well um…you see, Miss Summers, well…uh… Ethan has agreed to give up the practice of worshipping chaos,” Giles stammered out. Seeing Ethan’s stiff stance and the look in his eyes that said he was waiting to be rejected, Giles decided he wouldn’t hide what they shared. “Ethan is coming to stay with me at my flat and there is no concern for alarm since he will not be delving into the dark arts any longer.”

Buffy stood with her mouth agape, trying to process that the straight-laced watcher in all his tweedy glory was in love with a man who’d been pretty much bad for several years from what she understood. ‘Well’, she thought as she shrugged her shoulders, ‘to each his own.’

“Well, well! William the Bloody, what are you doing holding hands with the Slayer may I ask?” Ethan asked with a huge smile, realizing the first spell he’d cast had a totally different effect than he’d intended.

“Well mate, it seems that me and my Slayer owe ya one. Makin’ sure we were all in the same town, that ruddy fantastic spell… well, things just happened. Now I’ve got my girl and one hell of a fighter at my side,” Spike said, reaching his hand out to shake Ethan’s.

“You mean to tell me that you and Miss Summers are… involved?” Giles gasped in a high pitched voice.

“She’s mine. We’re mates and no one’ll take her from me. I love Buffy and she loves me, period.” Spike’s tone told them that there would be no arguments.

“You’ve no room to talk. Look at who you chose. Now, we’re gonna go get cleaned up so we can check on my sire. Talk with ya later.” Turning he pulled on Buffy’s hand, trying to get to her room.

“Wait,” Buffy finally spoke. “We still have the ritual in two nights and I need to make sure nothing is going to interfere with that.”

After Giles assured them that there were no plans to disrupt the ritual, they went their separate ways. Buffy and Spike took a little longer than they had planned. How could Spike resist a naked Buffy in the shower?

@~@~@~

Dru could feel them as they neared the factory, sending a giddy tingle through her body. She’d been so bored, sitting in the open area of the factory quietly chatting with Miss Edith as Angel brooded to himself.  But now there would be some fun.

She got to her feet and started to bounce up and down, clapping her hands. “Daddy, our Spike is coming. The pixies say he’s bringing his shiny light with him. You’ll still love me when you meet the golden girl, won’t you, my Angel? She already took away my dark knight.”

“Princess, you know no one could ever take your place in my heart,” Angel replied. He was really curious as to who the ‘light’ was. Spike’s leaving Dru alone when the spell started had confused him to no end. He’d been certain that fighting Spike for Dru that night was inevitable, but it seemed things had changed dramatically.

Dru threw herself onto Angel’s lap, ecstatic to hear his words. As she began to run her hands over him, she said, “I promise I’ll be a good girl and play nice with the light. Maybe she would like a tea party with Miss Edith.” She giggled, so proud of herself for the idea.

Angel would be completely happy if he didn’t know that keeping an eye on his beloved was going to be hard. He was afraid she wouldn’t be able to control her bloodlust for some time to come, but he would be at her side lovingly helping her become a new creature.

As they sat there enjoying the feel of being close to each other, the door to the factory opened. Angel helped Drusilla to her feet and they turned to see Spike walk in with someone behind him and who had his absolute attention.

“William, where have you been? You left Dru all on her own,” Angel said with a bit of anger. “She could have been hurt in her weakened state.”

Spike looked up; a cocky grin plastered on his face that he knew would irritate his grandsire. “Well, grandpa, I knew once the spell was gone that you’d be here with her. I had to get to my girl, didn’t I?”

“Hi, Angel,” Buffy said with a wave. She was overflowing with joy to hear Spike say that in front of the other vampires. Catching sight of Dru, Buffy stepped forward “You must be Drusilla. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Angel’s jaw hit the floor when he saw the Slayer step out from behind Spike. His first thought was that Spike must have turned her, but then he heard her heartbeat. “Hello again, Slayer. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you here tonight, and especially not with Spike.”

“Oh, you would taste so sweet with all that power singing through you, but Daddy says I have to be his perfect little girl. Can’t bite the sunshine,” Dru said with a pout.

“Dru, has Angel been takin’ good care of you?” Spike asked.

“I am fine, Spike. Daddy has kept me safe,” Drusilla replied and then turned her attention back to Buffy.  “I was thinking we could have some tea with Miss Edith. Would you like that?”

“Why don’t we all have some of that tea, princess? We need to talk about making you all better,” Spike suggested, knowing this would keep Drusilla content.

Dru was so happy. She started to hum to herself, dancing around while preparing the table and Miss Edith for the party. When the table was all set with Dru’s imaginary tea and cakes, everyone sat down.

Buffy gave Spike a look of astonishment as Dru began to poor the fictitious tea into everyone’s cups while asking if they wanted cakes to go with it. She couldn’t fathom how he had done this for almost a century.

Angel smiled at Dru indulgently and accepted his cup. How could he not want to be with this childlike beauty and protect her for eternity? She seemed to have no problem with his soul like Darla had.

Spike began the conversation. “Buffy wants to be here for the ritual. She doesn’t want anythin’ to get in the way. We were both worried about somethin’ stoppin’ it. Angel, there is somethin’ I need to talk out with…”

Angel interrupted, “I know that you want to be with Buffy, Spike. I can feel the claims you’ve placed on each other and I was already planning on keeping Dru with me anyway.” Turning to Drusilla he asked. “You don’t mind if Buffy is here for the healing do you, my beautiful girl?”

“Pretty Buffy, if you want to take care of me I don’t mind. You glow. So perfectly shiny you are, and Miss Edith says you will take care of my Spike for me. I can see you love him deeply,” Dru responded to Buffy instead of Angel.

“Thank you, Dru. Is Miss Edith having a good time?” Buffy asked trying to make Drusilla happy. It was strange but she felt protective of the insane vampire. Dru was so much like an innocent child it was easy to forget she could rip someone’s throat out with a flick of her wrist.

Drusilla leaned down to her doll and whispered, then listened intently before turning to Buffy, “She’s having a splendid time. Thank you for asking.”

“Well, we’d best get goin’ before it gets too late since you and your mum are gonna be havin’ breakfast, pet. We’ll be back night after next for the spell, Angel. Dru, I’m really happy for you and Angel,” Spike said, getting to his feet and reaching his hand out to help Buffy stand. “Angel, you’d best take good care of her. She’s a very special girl.”

Drusilla, making sure she was the perfect hostess for her party, stood to show them to the door. Angel got up when she did.

Spike was thrilled with the way everything had gone. He leaned down and kissed Dru on the cheek as they reached the door.

“Thanks for the tea, pet. Everything was perfect and tell Miss Edith she was a delight,” he said, knowing that involving Drusilla’s silly doll would go far with her.

Leaving the other couple smiling in the doorway, the slayer and vampire stepped out into the evening air to walk in companionable silence back to the motel.

Chapter Seventeen

The rich smell of Buffy’s arousal enveloped Spike’s senses, making him dizzy with lust. He struggled to keep from tackling her to the ground, knowing that his simple caress to the back of her hand affected her in such a way.

When Buffy reached the door of her room, Spike stepped up behind her, molding his body into her lush backside. Feeling his erection pressed into her made it harder to concentrate on getting the door unlocked. He felt so good, all hard and lean muscles making her skin tingle and moisture rush into her now very damp panties. There it was. A lusty growl right in her ear. A sound that went straight to her womb. What was she doing again? Oh right… the door.

As the door closed behind her, a very surprised Buffy was pushed up against it while an extremely aroused vampire ground his steely member into her backside. “Can you feel what you do to me, luv? Make me so hard.” His roughened voice sent shivers of anticipation through her body.

Spike grabbed her hands and forcefully placed them above her head as he continued to sensually rub himself against her. Feeling his nude form pressed to hers, she wondered briefly when he’d managed to get his clothes off. He started pulling at her clothes, needing to feel her skin flush with his. “Brace yourself, little girl. The Big Bad’s comin’ in,” he huskily whispered into her ear as he ran his tongue along the shell of it.

Buffy let out a throaty moan as her head fell back onto Spike’s shoulder. Her body shuddered yearningly at the feel of his fangs scraping across her neck as he pushed her thighs further apart. She let out a gasp of surprise when she was quickly filled with his cool hard cock, sending pure pleasure throughout her whole being. Buffy screamed, “Yes, Spike! More.”

Spike had no control as he pounded into her supple body with unadulterated animalistic need, each stroke faster and harder than the one before. The fingers of one hand pinched her hard nipples as the other furiously rubbed her swollen clit.

“Aghhh…more, Spike…more,” Buffy wailed, head thrashing as her nails dug grooves into the wooden door.

She wanted more? Well, he was just the vamp for the job, Spike thought. The hand that was tending her plump breasts slid down her side to wet his thumb in her copious juices while slowing his thrusts and pulling her hips back farther.

A protesting whimper slipped through her lips, only to be replaced by a shocked but impassioned moan as his thumb pushed into her tight little ass.

“Fuck, slayer…can’t hold back…so hot…little cunny strangling me,” Spike hissed, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer.

He felt her heated walls flutter around him and he drove his fangs into her shoulder. Slamming into her deeply as she milked his hard length, he spilled his essence into her warmth.

Shrieking her satisfaction, Buffy’s body went limp in his arms. “Love you, Spike,” she murmured as her eyes drifted closed.

Spike picked her up and carried her to their bed, laying her down gently. He then slipped in beside her, pulling the covers over them and drawing her into his strong embrace. “Love you, kitten. Rest now,” he said as he nuzzled the back of her neck, breathing in her scent before falling asleep.

~*~*~

Spike awoke warm and satisfied. He opened his eyes to see the beauty that had her head pillowed on his chest. Buffy was sleeping soundly, making the cutest little snoring noises. He smiled at the thought of her being by his side forever.

Wait. Not forever. She was human and a slayer. Panic infused his being. Slayer. That word always meant early death. He knew there was no way he could survive without her. What was he going to do?

He pulled her tighter against him, not realizing he’d started squeezing her hard enough to awaken her.

“Spike, need to breath here. What’s wrong?” Buffy asked, feeling the panic coming through the claim.

Spike knew then what he had to talk to her about. There was only one way to keep her with him. If she didn’t agree, he’d dust himself upon her death.

“Sorry, luv. I got somethin’ important I need to talk to you about. This isn’t gonna be easy and you won’t wanna hear it, but please listen without interruptin’.”

Buffy snuggled into his side. “You know I will, Spike. I don’t think you’d say anything to hurt me. I promise to keep quiet until you’re done.”

“Let’s sit up, love, so I can look in your eyes while we talk,” Spike suggested.

“Okay, now spill,” Buffy sat up facing him with concern marring her features.

“Buffy, I love you so much. You’re my world and I’d do anythin’ to keep you safe with me. I woke up happy, truly happy for the first time in my existence. While I was thinkin’ how havin’ you by my side for eternity was gonna be glorious, I remembered you’re the Slayer. You’ll die young and leave me alone. I can’t live without you, pet. Need you always,” Spike sighed, running his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture.

“Bloody hell, let me just tell you some things about vamps that aren’t in those stupid watcher’s journals. When you’re turned, you don’t lose your soul. It’s buried by the demon. See, it’s like this. Most vamps are turned to be minions. They’re left to rise alone. If they make it through the next few days after awakenin’ then the vampire who sired them will come for them, ‘cause they’re strong enough to do whatever the sire wants. When you first wake, the bloodlust is so strong and painful you’ve gotta kill on instinct to survive. If you don’t feed right off you aren’t gonna make it. Vamps need lots of blood in the first twenty four hours.” Spike was staring intently at Buffy, trying to gage her reaction to what he’d said so far. He needed her to understand all of it.

“With childer, it’s different. They’re turned to make the familial bloodline more powerful. We rise with the same hunger and needs as the rest, but we have our sire there with us. The sire wants to make the childe love the hunt and kill. Wants to turn us into the evil you see. There’s torture combined with rewards that younger vamps see as love, makin’ you do whatever your sire wants. It makes the demon stronger than the soul. You do these things so your sire’ll love you, ‘cause you crave it just like the blood.”

He took her small hands in his and held them tightly. “Buffy, I want to turn you. I know this is somethin’ you’re afraid of, but you won’t wake up alone and I won’t try to make you into the evil thing you hate. If I have plenty of bagged blood on hand then you’ll never know a kill. I want you to be my Buffy, not some cruel creature. I’ll care for you and keep you away from people the first couple of weeks. Then your soul will be integrated with the demon and you’ll still be you. What do you think, love?” Spike asked with fear in his voice. He waited for her to scream or hit him and runaway.

“I don’t know what to say, Spike,” Buffy replied, extremely worried of what would happen if she said no.

Spike grabbed her hands knowing she was frightened. “If you say no, I’ll accept that and dust myself when you die. I’d rather live with you for eternity, but it’s your decision Buffy, not mine.”

The bond kept him from being able to lie to her so she knew everything he said was the truth. Buffy decided to give it some thought even as she was leaning towards no at the moment. She could give him that much. “Spike, I need to think about it. Will you give me a little time?”

Spike pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly to him. He was elated that she hadn’t said no right away. “’F course, kitten. You think on it and then let me know. I love you, Buffy Anne Summers. No matter what you decide, I’ll never leave your side.” He kissed her so sweetly then that it brought tears to her eyes.

Buffy knew that he would be with her always and knowing that he could’ve tried to force this on her and instead had talked to her about it, filled her with awe. He was her everything.

The sun would be rising soon and Buffy knew she’d have to leave Spike’s comforting embrace so that she could get ready to see her mother. The talk they’d had was monumental, but holding her mate was more important than anything at the moment.

Pulling away from her, Spike looked her in the eyes before brushing his lips to hers in a soft caress and telling her to go get ready.

Standing in the bathroom as she turned on the shower, she mulled over Spike’s question. She wasn’t afraid of living forever as long as he was by her side, but to be turned into the thing that she was supposed to kill was another story. Fear of becoming a mindless, bloodsucking creature and needing Spike to keep her from people when she first rose was tormenting her thoughts.

Spike had done his best to explain everything in detail to her and still she was confused. She was seriously afraid that even with a soul and Spike keeping her from doing anything to harm others, that she would become evil. Every other vampire she’d come up against had been, so why wouldn’t she? But that wasn’t exactly true either. Look at the one she loved. He’d change anything she asked him to because he loved her so deeply.

Then there was the nagging question that she needed Giles to answer for her. Why, if Angel already had a soul, did he need to be cursed with one? Wouldn’t it make more sense to pull his own soul to the fore and allow that to be his guiding conscience? Was the soul so weak against the demon that it couldn’t stop the demon from hurting others?

This is where her anxiety sprung from. If the soul was weaker, then she wouldn’t be able to control the demon inside and she would have to live out an eternity with this horrible form of torture of constantly fighting within herself.

Finally she pulled herself from her musings and reluctantly stepped out of the nice warm shower. Emerging from the bathroom, Buffy stood in front of the mirror above the dresser with a pout on her face as she applied a light coat of make up and pulled her hair into a pony tail.

“Come ‘ere, luv,” Spike said, opening his arms in invitation, knowing she was letting her mind get the better of her right now. “Love you. Don’t worry about anythin’. Go have fun with your mum.”

Nuzzling his neck, she inhaled his scent before leaning back and kissing him passionately.

“I love you too, baby,” Buffy whimpered against his lips. Leaving him alone without an answer from her made her feel slightly guilty. Even now she knew he was trying to keep his feelings about the whole thing to himself. Not wanting to influence her in any way.

Hesitantly, she left his arms and with a smile she hoped would ease his turmoil, she exited the room.

Walking through the streets of Sunnydale, she continued to ponder the revelations he had laid before her the previous evening. Knowing the soul stayed upon being turned was a plus in his favor, while the thought that he would dust himself as soon as she was dead hurt more than she wanted to admit. Maybe she could talk to her mom about it in a round about way, she thought as she reached the front door of Joyce’s home.

Joyce was heading for her door the moment she heard someone step on the porch. She couldn’t contain her excitement that Buffy was actually there. There had been some doubts throughout the night and she’d almost convinced herself that it had all been a dream. A wonderful yet insanely strange dream.

Joyce swung the door inward just in time to catch her daughter’s expression. It was obvious that she was in thinking hard about something.

“Buffy, I’m so happy you came,” Joyce spoke as she wrapped her in a motherly hug.

“I told you I’d be here, mom,” she replied, basking in the feelings of love and safety within the warm embrace.

“Come on, honey. Let’s go to the kitchen. The food’s almost done,” Joyce stated smiling down at her little girl. She was so happy to have her back.

Buffy nodded and followed her into a bright room. It was nice and homey. There was an island in the middle with stools on one side and the food smelled delicious. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed her mother’s cooking. All these things and the huge smile that lit up Joyce’s face engulfed her, releasing some of the tension that had been building on her way over.

“How are you this morning, sweetheart? When I opened the door you looked like you had a lot on your mind. Is there something I can do to help, or maybe we could just talk about it?” she asked, hoping Buffy would open up to her and wanting to be close to her daughter again.

Buffy sighed, wondering how to say it without letting her mother know what she was really talking about. There was no reason to cause the woman to have a heart attack before she’d even made a decision about it herself.

“Mom, can I ask you something?” She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as Joyce piled heaping spoonfuls of scrambled eggs onto the already full plate of bacon and jelly toast. All of which Buffy loved.

“You can ask me anything you like. What do you want to know?” Joyce asked, placing the plate down in front of her daughter.

“If you love someone- and I mean truly deeply love them- would it be wrong to do something you’re afraid of even if it meant you could be together? I don’t mean something bad. At least, I don’t think it’s bad.” Buffy looked up at her mother from where she’d been pondering the floor, unsure that anything she’d babbled had made sense.

“Buffy, I don’t think you’d do anything wrong. You’re a good person. I understand what you’re trying to say though, and if its just fear keeping you from being happy… well, sometimes you have to take a leap of faith,” Joyce told her, hoping it was the right thing to say.

The rest of their morning went well and Buffy realized that being in her mother’s company after their long separation didn’t feel awkward in the least. When it was time for Joyce to leave for work, she asked if Buffy and Spike could come to dinner that night. Buffy readily agreed, hugging her mother tight before leaving to go back to her hotel room.

On the way back to Spike, Buffy was still undecided about what to do, although she was much more at ease with the idea. She hoped talking to the Watcher would give her a little more insight on the matter.

Opening the door to their room, she saw Spike sitting on the bed staring blankly at the wall in front of him. The expression on his face was full of sadness, causing her stomach to roll with worry.

“What’s wrong, baby?” she questioned, walking over to sit beside him and lay her head on his shoulder.

Spike pulled her to him in a crushing hug and lay down on the bed. He knew she’d been agonizing over their talk, and he’d berated himself for not having the courage to just let things be. What kind of poncey git allowed his own fears of loss to override the needs of the person he loved? How was he supposed to undo what he’d already done?

Soon Buffy started to drift off to sleep after trying to get him to tell her what was affecting him so much. After refusing to answer for the hundredth time, she’d let it go and told him about going to her mother’s that evening.

As the sky began to darken, he loosened the firm hold he’d had on her all day as she slept and whispered softly in her ear, trying to rouse her. He wanted to make sure they had plenty of time to stop by the watcher’s before going to her mum’s house.

“Come on, luv. Time for sleeping beauty to wake,” he whispered. “Does my girl need a kiss to make her open those gorgeous eyes?”

“Kisses are always a good way to wake up,” she answered with her eyes still closed.

Perfect. She was completely perfect for him, he thought as their lips met and her tongue played against his bottom lip asking for entrance. His earlier agitation and guilt slammed into him once more. Buffy was his everything and he’d made her think about becoming the thing she was made to destroy. It was getting harder to keep her closed off from these emotions that were rocketing through him, but he refused to allow anything else from him to cause her distress.

“Mmmm…sweet lips of Spike,” Buffy smiled, pulling away from the kiss. “Oh crap, I almost forgot about having dinner with mom! We’d better go see Giles while we still have time.”

@~@~@~

Sitting in Giles’ living room, Spike couldn’t help but glare menacingly at the watcher for just a moment before snickering to himself. Yep, he still had it. He was a vampire, after all.

“Enough with the teasing, baby. We need to get down with the question asking,” Buffy admonished while trying to suppress a grin. Making Giles uncomfortable was fine with her, but they had to be somewhere soon so there was no time for him to play.

“Giles, Spike and I had a long talk about vampires earlier. There are a lot of things I didn’t know; the most important thing being that vampires don’t loose their soul when they’re turned, it’s just buried under the demon,” Buffy informed him.

“WHAT!” Giles spluttered indignantly. “I have never heard of such a preposterous thing!”

“Giles, let her get to her point. She is correct; vampires don’t lose their souls,” Ethan interrupted. He knew he had a lot more knowledge on this subject than Giles. Being evil, he’d made it his business to find out anything he could that the council elders wanted to keep hidden from the world as well as its own watchers and slayers. It wouldn’t do for anyone to find out that these creatures had the exact same feelings of love, devotion, loyalty and guilt as any human.

“What I wanted to know is why the gypsies would curse Angel with a soul if he already had one?” Buffy asked.

“I know the answer to this one,” Ethan offered smugly. He couldn’t help being filled with pride at knowing more than the rest of them. “Living in the demon world and having access to a number of books that the council doesn’t even know exist has kept me well informed. I have read the history of the gypsy clan that cursed Angelus. Before he was turned, Liam, as he was once known, was a right bastard. He was a lay-about and a drunken womanizer who did nothing unless it benefited him directly. If the gypsies had used a curse to pull his own soul forward, it would have done them no good. They decided to give him the soul of someone good- someone with morals- so that he would suffer for all he had done over the years. So you see, Angel actually has two souls residing in him.”

Giles’ jaw was almost touching the floor by the time Ethan finished. He had a lot more questions to ask him as soon as they were alone. A sappy grin suddenly spread across his face when he came to the realization that he could have the most informed watcher’s journal ever written. With Ethan’s help, of course. Showing up the head of the council would be so much fun. The man was an arse.

“I guess now that my big question got answered, Spike and I can go. Mom will be upset if we’re late for supper,” Buffy articulated, rising to her feet and pulling Spike up with her.

“Your mother? I thought she wasn’t around anymore and that you lived on your own?” Giles looked at her in confusion.

“I do. I didn’t have a clue she was here until last night when she was attacked by a group of vamps and I had to kick some demon butt,” Buffy answered as she followed Spike to the door.

“Well, I guess it’s good that you came to Sunnydale. I hope you enjoy your evening,” Giles said as they left. Shutting the door, he heard Spike’s muffled shout of ‘later, Watcher’ and smiled. That vampire wasn’t too bad once you were around him for a little while.

Now, on to the more exciting things that Ethan could tell him. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be sleeping at all tonight. He was going to be thanking his lover in all the best possible ways before his hand got too tired from writing to show his appreciation later.

After a relaxing evening with Joyce, the two lovers strolled through the streets holding hands and just enjoying each other’s presence. Leaning into his mate, Spike kissed her cheek sweetly. She was so beautiful and made him more than happy. Words could never come close to describing the way she affected him.

She smells so bloody good, Spike thought as he breathed in the scent of her skin and the sweet tang of her musk wafting through the cool night air. For a moment he lost himself in staring at her luscious mouth, imagining those soft pink lips wrapped around his cock. His pants became more constricting by the minute, and his left hand slid slowly up and down her back while his mind supplied delectable images of running his tongue all over her soft skin.

Looking up, he saw Buffy staring intently at the bulge in his jeans. Her moist little tongue darted out to lick her full lips. Any restraint he’d placed on himself to keep from taking her out in the open broke. He quickly pulled her through the gates of the nearest cemetery and into the darkest corner.

Buffy’s skin flushed with heat. The cool night air on her exposed, tingling limbs only fueled her craving for him. She knew that whatever Spike conjured up would have her begging for more. As Spike lifted her onto a cold, flat tombstone, copious amounts of moisture flooded her thong and began running down the inside of her thighs.

Once he had her positioned just so, Spike immediately dropped to his knees, pushing her short skirt up and burying his face in between her quivering thighs. Inhaling deeply, he ran his tongue along the damp cloth, tasting her exquisite flavor before ripping the slip of cotton from her with an eager snarl. Plunging his tongue into her swollen folds, he grunted with pleasure as he lapped at the tangy juices flowing from her center.

Throwing her head back and mewling, Buffy was overwhelmed by the most intense sensations her young body had ever felt. Her mewls turned to harsh pants and moans as Spike’s tongue stabbed deeper into her core before moving up to flick at her engorged clit.

Spike was in heaven. Everything in his unlife was wrapped up in his ball of sunshine thrashing above him. He looked up, wanting to see her face distorted with ecstasy as he wrapped his lips around her sensitive bundle of nerves and suckled lightly. The taste of her and the noises she made was causing his jeans to become uncomfortably tight. Reaching down, he released his hard member from its denim prison to give him some relief.

Buffy’s head began to flail from side to side as Spike nipped her clit with his teeth and sucked her further into his mouth. A keening wail pierced the night as he slid two fingers deep into her velvet core and curved them upwards, hitting her spongy bundle of flesh and sending her into a fierce earth shattering orgasm.

Unable to contain his need any longer, Spike rose to his feet and quickly placed himself at her entrance, sliding home in one hard stroke. Still pulsating from her release, her inner muscles massaged his hardness as he gripped her thighs and slammed their lower bodies together. Every time they met, he would grind his pelvis into her clit, sending electrical shocks through her body.

“My girl…my love…my beautiful Buffy… aaaahhh, so good…feels…unnnhhhh… so warm and wet…..so tight,” he hissed, his voice thick with desire.

Buffy’s body was already beginning to shake as she moved closer to bliss for a second time, each word from Spike’s lips sending her higher.

“Spike…so close…need…need….” was all she could get out between whimpers.

Knowing she was close and what she needed, he bent forward to run his tongue sensually along her jugular, biting with blunt teeth.

“Do it, Spike. Please,” Buffy begged on a breathy sigh as he continued to tease and stimulate her further.

Shifting to his true form, he dragged his sharp fangs up and down her neck until Buffy couldn’t take anymore and pushed his head down, effectively impaling herself on his teeth. As her blood poured into his suctioning mouth, Buffy latched onto Spike’s neck, ripping his flesh and drawing his essence into her. They reached the pinnacle together, both howling in completion.

Resting her forehead against Spike’s, Buffy looked into his eyes lovingly. She would never get enough of those stunningly expressive eyes.

Spike pulled her to him, licking languorously at the mark on her neck and purring. This girl was everything he had ever wanted and more. He was loved as much as he loved her for the first time in his existence, and he was content

Pulling back to look at her he said in a thick voice, “Do you know how much I love you?”

“I know, because I love you just as much,” Buffy replied, kissing him softly.

“We need to get goin’, kitten,” he told her, kissing the end of her nose before straightening and putting them to rights again. “You know, we need to look for a new place if we’re goin’ to stick around here for a while.”

“I don’t have much money left. Maybe I need to find a big sugar daddy,” she teased. A warning growl reverberated through the air before she could even finish the sentence.

“Your mine! No one else will ever touch you,” Spike fumed. The thought of anyone touching her enraged his demon, even though he knew she was only joking.

“Chill! Just kidding you,” Buffy laughed. She couldn’t help baiting him a little. Possessive Spike was always of the good.

“Sorry, luv,” he said sheepishly. Then he grinned. “And money’s not a problem, ‘cause I’ve got tons of it.”

@~@~@~

Anxiety and excitement warred within Angel. Soon Drusilla would be cured and everything would be like it should; or at least he hoped. The only thing they were waiting on was the setting of the sun and Spike and Buffy’s arrival.

Angel couldn’t let Dru go this time, even if he had to physically keep her from feeding off of the populous. The many years of solitude had taken their toll on him and the last few days with her had been almost perfect. Once the ritual was done and she accepted her new feeding restrictions, they would be tremendously happy together.

Dru had her own thoughts on the matter. Miss Edith had been whispering in her ear throughout the day. Her daddy would be there when the ritual was finished. All of her worries had been whisked away by coming to this quaint town. Her Spike no longer needed looking after, for he had his golden girl to take care of him now. Soon she would be strong enough to rip and tear and play in the blood again, and her Angelus would be at her side where he belonged.

Spike and Buffy would be there soon. The shadows began to overtake the day and night began to fall. Everything was coming together perfectly.

@~@~@~

Giles and Ethan sat comfortably at the table having tea as Giles recorded every word that Ethan spoke in his watcher’s journal. Ethan enjoyed recounting everything he could remember on demons and the secrets the council didn’t want others to know. It made him feel important, and the awe and tenderness that shone from Giles’ eyes when he would look up from his writing made Ethan feel loved as well.

He was in the middle of the gypsy’s tale he’d read on Angelus when he suddenly remembered there was something a little odd about the curse.

“There was this problem with the curse as I recall…something about a moment of true happiness. Oh! Oh yes, I remember now. If Angel has a moment of pure happiness, his soul will be lost and he will become Angelus again.”

“What?” Giles bellowed. “How could they put that in the curse? What good could come from that?”

“I think they wanted him to stay miserable for eternity, so he was never informed of the clause. Of course, even if he had known, his soul would never allow him to do anything to earn that moment of happiness. Still, I think we should have a chat with him about it in the near future.”

Ethan smirked. He could tell he had managed to shock Giles again by the look on his face. Those idiotic council elders were always either lying to everyone or just didn’t know what they were talking about.

Giles’ mind was turning everything over when a terrifying thought struck him. Angel had been happy that his family was in town, even though he tried not to show it. If he was happy about that, then healing the creature he’d created and loved could bring about a moment that might rip away his soul.

“Bloody buggerin’ fuck! We have to get to him before he starts the healing!” Giles was on his feet in a flash, running to his weapons chest and grabbing a crossbow just in case they were too late. He didn’t even notice that Ethan’s jaw had practically hit the floor in shock at the profanity that spewed from the proper watcher’s mouth.

“Are you going to sit there and stare all night or get off your arse and come help me?” Giles asked, Ripper showing through loud and clear. Ethan hadn’t seen Giles like this since they were young men and was becoming extremely aroused. He quickly jumped to his feet, racing after his domineering lover.

Giles was running at breakneck speed. Angel had given him the location of Spike and Drusilla’s lair, and he was anxious to reach the factory before the ritual he’d spoken of could take place. Angel losing his soul and bringing Angelus out to play was one of the worst things that could happen. Every life he’d saved and apocalypse he’d helped to avert would be all for nothing.

Ethan struggled to keep up while hiding his mirth at the situation they were in. It would only upset Giles. The only reason he’d stopped being evil was for him, but the possibility of a little chaotic uproar he couldn’t be blamed for made him giddy with excitement.

All this running was exhausting and he wondered why they hadn’t taken Giles’ car. Of course when one considered the shape it was in, it was probably much faster to run down alleys and across people’s yards. He was definitely going to speak with Giles about them getting a new car. Possibly something red and sporty.

@~@~@~

Leaping from her seat at the table, Dru clapped her hands as she bounced like a spirited child.

“Spike and Buffy are coming!” she squealed. “My Angel, do you think Buffy would like to play? Her violence is so beautiful, even if she is deadly to our kind.”

Angel smiled, thinking this was a step in the right direction for her. She couldn’t be completely evil if she was willing to be friendly to the slayer. He noticed Dru’s smile growing larger as the other couple came through the door.

Buffy’s eyes widened to comical proportions when she saw a smiling Dru coming full speed at her with her arms outstretched. This was something new. How many vampires were ever happy to see her besides Spike?

Dru flung her arms around Buffy and hugged her tight. “After Daddy makes me all better, can we dance under the stars? Can we spin until we’re dizzy?”

Spike was stunned that Dru really seemed to like Buffy, but it also made him happy to know his sire accepted his choice of mate.

“Sure Dru, we can do whatever you like,” Buffy said, hugging her back with affection. It was hard to think of Drusilla as a bloodthirsty being. She made one feel protective- as if she was placed there for you to take care of.

When Drusilla let go of Buffy, she gave Spike a small smile and hugged him quickly. She didn’t want to do anything to upset the sunny Buffy. “Can we fix me now?”

“Sure thing, pet. We’re all ready when you are,” Spike answered, grinning broadly.

For once, everything seemed to be going like it should. They all thought simultaneously.

Chapter 20

Angel led Drusilla into the room they’d prepared to do the ritual in. Wanting everything to go smoothly, he’d made sure the room was cleansed so that the magic would be well focused before he’d created the mystical circle in the center of the floor. The only things left to be done were the mixing of the herbs, the two of them taking their places in the circle and lighting the candles.

They had set up red candles for strength and health, magenta for energizing the ritual to make it work immediately, and white for balance and healing. Angel wasn’t taking any chances with Dru.

Dru pulled Angel to the circle and allowed him to sit with his legs crossed first so that she could sit in his lap. They sat quietly, contemplating what was to come as Spike and Buffy finished the preparations.

She knew she was going to have to talk fast once it was over. The soul that held Angelus prisoner would be no more. He hadn’t been feeding properly, so while he wasn’t as strong as he once was, he’d be ready to rip and tear anything in his path. She couldn’t allow that. It was her fervent hope that Spike and Buffy wouldn’t realize what had happened before they got away.

She was going to have to make him see that leaving Sunnydale for the moment was the best thing they could do. If he wanted to come back when he was at full strength, then she wouldn’t stop him. Whatever her daddy wanted, she would do. Drusilla hoped that he wouldn’t want to destroy Spike or Buffy. They were family and she thought family should always stick together.

After grinding the herbs together, Spike handed them to Angel as Buffy began to light all the candles with shaky hands. She was feeling a little nervous, never having been involved in magiks before. Spike tried reassuring her with a bright smile.

Once all was in place, Buffy and Spike moved to guard the open door of the room, keeping an eye out for anything that might interrupt.

Angel began the ritual by pulling Drusilla snug against his chest with one arm while biting down on his other wrist. Drusilla carefully mixed the herbs into the blood pooling on the surface, and as Angel began to chant in Latin, she sank her fangs into the marks he had opened on his wrist.

“Spiritus of orbis terra audite meus placitum. EGO tribuo libere meus cruor sano is infractus parvulus. Take me quod tribuo eius vires.”

Buffy listened to the soothing tone coming from Angel as he said the necessary words but didn’t understand any of it. Turning to Spike she asked, “What’s he saying?”

“Well pet, as close as I can come to it he’s sayin’ ‘Spirits of the earth hear my plea. I give freely my blood to heal this broken child. Take from me and give her strength’.”

Coppery sweet sire’s blood was filling Dru’s senses with each pull, the herbs only heightening the delicious flavor of him. Every swallow was sending jolts through her body like lightening bolts. Heat was spreading to each limb, infusing her with strength that sent tingles across the surface of her skin. It was glorious.

Suddenly, the factory door slammed open. Buffy and Spike moved quickly to block the entrance so that the healing wouldn’t be interrupted. They were confused by the sight of the Watcher with a loaded crossbow in his hands and Ethan Rayne running in behind him.

“What the bloody hell’s got your knickers in a twist, Watcher?” Spike snarled. Something big and bad must be right behind Giles if he were acting like this.

“We have to stop the ritual now! Angel could lose his soul!” Giles bellowed, completely prepared to do whatever was necessary to bring the mystical proceedings to a halt.

“NO! We’re not doin’ anything of the sort. Understand, mate?” Spike angrily responded as Buffy moved into position to block Giles from getting anywhere near Angel and Drusilla.

Giles continued to advance slowly. Peering around them through the open doorway, he could see Angel’s back with its distinctive tattoo and just a glimpse of Drusilla’s lush dark curls as she fed from him.

He was too late. The ritual had begun.

Angel couldn’t remember ever feeling this kind of pleasure. It was coursing through his shaking body as he continually rubbed his cheek against the soft black cloud of Drusilla’s hair.

Her body was perfectly pliable, her slight curves molding to his form. Drusilla felt the hard bulge of his erection pushing into her bottom. She couldn’t help but move, gliding against him sensually and moaning her joy as she suckled from his wrist.

Angel slid his free hand slowly down her flat abdomen and along the top of her thigh. Carefully pulling her dress up her leg, he was able to get his hand in just the right spot, throwing Drusilla over the edge into orgasm immediately. His body convulsed as he followed her, making a mess of his pants.

At that moment, a brilliant blue light flashed in his eyes as the soul took flight and Angelus was reborn. Searing fire spread through him as Drusilla used her position in his lap to keep him from shouting out his agony, holding him as still as possible. All she’d planned would be lost if anyone else noticed.

Quickly Angelus’ pain began to subside as he forced himself to take control of his own body. Chanting the final words, he completed the ritual and exhaustedly nuzzled at his dark girl’s neck.

Dru was elated and couldn’t help the little giggle that sprung from her lips. She could sense Angelus’ demon in full control. There was no longer the stench of that sour soul upon him.

“Now Daddy, you must play nice with the light. We can go before they know anything is different. Somewhere with pretty girls who flow crimson rivers from their torn flesh to help get your strength back. Then we can come back and play with all the pretty dollies again,” Dru whispered into his ear.

“What a wickedly smart girl I have,” Angelus cooed, licking the spot just behind her ear. He was going to have to make that stupid watcher pay eventually for turning him into a white hat, but for the moment he needed to be with her.

Over by the door, chaos reigned. Spike moved forward to stop Giles just as the Watcher was firing a shot off at Angel. Seeing what was about to happen, Buffy leapt forward, throwing herself into the path of the wooden bolt. She screamed as it embedded itself in her bicep.

Hearing her cry out in pain and smelling her rich blood in the air, Spike turned quickly to find Buffy pulling the offending object out of her arm. Snarling with rage, he vamped and lunged for Giles, his demon in full control. Nothing less than a bloody death would do for the man who dared to hurt his mate.

Ethan knew he had to stop Spike before he could get to Giles. Yelling ‘freeze!’, he immobilized him in mid air. The look in the master vampire’s eyes screamed vengeance and he knew he needed Buffy to help calm him down so he could get Giles out of harms way.

Upon seeing the sheer terror in her mate’s eyes because of the wound, Buffy made her decision. The knowledge that he wouldn’t try to change who she was and how much he loved her made it easy. She never wanted to see that look on his face again and as soon as everything was back to normal, she’d tell him.

“Spike? Look at me baby. I’m fine. It’s just a tiny little hole, really.” She attempted to pacify him so that Ethan would release him. “Giles didn’t mean to hit me, and I’m sure that there is a good explanation for his actions tonight. Will you promise not to hurt him so that Ethan will let you go? Please, my Love?”

Spike’s eyes softened minimally at her words, letting her know he wouldn’t attack unless further provoked.

Taking Buffy’s nod, Ethan released Spike. Rushing to her side, he gently lifted her arm to his mouth, laving it with his cool tongue to clean and seal it. Once the injury closed, he proceeded to clean the blood that had run down her arm in slow licks, whimpering with fear the entire time.

“What’s going on in here?” Angelus came into the room with his now healthy girl on his arm, trying to sound concerned and act like a big brooding poof. He knew he’d have to put on a good show to keep Spike from figuring out what was going on.

“I am the cause of all the turmoil,” Giles responded before turning back to apologize to Buffy. “I am truly sorry for hurting you, Miss Summers. That was not my intention.”

“Giles, could you just call me Buffy? Miss Summers is getting on my nerves,” Buffy interrupted.

“Yes, yes of course. Now what was I saying? Oh yes, my only explanation is that I feared for the loss of Angel’s soul due to a moment of perfect happiness. If that were to happen, I can assure you that he would be able to destroy us as well as this town in no time. Angelus was once the epitome of evil, and I’m sure being locked behind a soul could only make his demon worse.

“Angel, I knew your family being here made you happy, even though you tried to hide it. My only thoughts were for everyone’s safety and for all the work you have done trying to be a better man. Again, I am sorry for the mess I caused tonight, for I can see that everything is well. Be careful, Angel. Maybe knowing you can lose the soul will help stop it from ever happening.”

“Awww, Giles, I didn’t know you cared,” Angelus said, trying not to burst with laughter. The stupid man still believed him to be souled! Torturing him for weeks was going to be so much fun when he was fully himself once more.

Lost in his grand thoughts of blood and pain, he almost didn’t see the glint in Spike’s eye. ‘Well shit,’ he thought. ‘I’m going to have to improve on my acting skills.’ Spike was already catching on and he needed to be far away from here with Dru before that happened.

“Nothing to worry about, Giles. I’m still here and will be ready to fight the good fight as soon as I get myself and Drusilla settled in my apartment. Thank you for worrying about me.” Angelus stoically looked down at the floor. He hoped they’d get out of there soon because trying to act soulful was leaving a bad taste in his mouth. A really vile kill would take care of that, though.

“Again, Miss Summers, ah I mean, Buffy, I’m sorry for inadvertently hurting you. Ethan and I will leave you four to whatever plans you have and get out of your way for the night.” Giles waved and grabbed Ethan’s hand, wanting to get as far away from Spike as he could. The vampire was still radiating with anger towards him and he didn’t want to give him any reason to act on it.

As soon as the watcher and his lover left the factory, Spike turned his attention back to Angel. He’d seen something in his eyes earlier that gave him pause, but the things Angel said were nothing like the Angelus he knew. Maybe Angel was just glad he had Drusilla back and well again, but not happy enough to cause the soul to do a runner.

Concentrating hard, he tried to discern if Angelus was still a prisoner. But then again if his true grandsire was before him, one would think that he would have already attacked- at least the watcher for all the do-gooder stuff. It was probably nothing and he was ready to get Buffy back to their room for a bit of ravishing. His demon felt the need to touch and taste every inch of her to make sure she was okay after seeing the bolt sticking out of her arm.

Drusilla knew she had to get Spike and Buffy to leave soon. She could tell her daddy was about to break under the scrutiny. Bad little boys needed to be taught not to stare at their elders, and oh what lessons her daddy could give. But not now. They needed to bath in blood red rivers and be whole again first.

Spinning into the center of the room, Dru began to sing, knowing this would help distract both her daddy and darling boy. Slowly she made her way to where Spike stood holding Buffy around the waist.

“Thank you for helping to make me all better, Glistening Light, for keeping my daddy safe from that horrid man. And you, Spike, my dark knight no longer, be careful of standing in the sun too long. It could cause you to turn to ashes.” She smiled before starting to sing again as she danced her way back to Angelus.

“Daddy, the party’s over. Can we go now?” Dru pouted up at him as she laid her head upon his shoulder.

“Let’s get your things and then we can go home and rest.” Angelus stroked her black mane as he led her to the room they’d shared in the factory. Remembering he was supposed to be Angel, he turned to say goodbye to Spike and Buffy.

“Thanks again for all your help. I really do need to get Dru back to my apartment so she can get some sleep. I hope you don’t mind seeing yourselves out,” he said in a sickeningly sweet voice before he proceeded to guide Drusilla out of the room.

Buffy wondered what Drusilla meant by Spike standing in the sun too long. It didn’t really matter. Everything had gone smoothly except for the Giles’ part of the evening and now she was going to take her mate home and show him just how much she loved him.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get ourselves gone so we can spend the rest of the night alone. I need to tell you something,” she seductively purred, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door. Spike would make a great sire as well as mate and she was going to let him know as soon as they were both naked. If she told him before she was sure he’d destroy what she had on trying to get her stripped anyway and she really liked this pair of jeans.

“Oh really. And what might that be, luv?” Spike asked with a leer, tucking her into his side as the walked towards home.

“You’ll just have to wait until we’ve made it back to the motel, mister, and stop doing your sexy tongue behind the teeth thing. Its not gonna make me tell you any sooner,” Buffy playfully admonished.

Yep, life was good and she was surrounded by love. What more could a girl want?

@~@~@~

Angelus watched as the mated couple walked away while Drusilla giddily packed up her things. They were leaving town as soon as they stopped at his place and picked up his clothes and cash.

His thoughts turned to the Watcher and his pathetic time spent as a white hat. They’d definitely be coming back to chain that old man to a wall. There were so many ways to make him scream and bleed without killing him. He was sure he could keep Giles in a constant state of agony for weeks- possibly months- until his demon was satisfied and then he could rip out his throat.

And that slayer. Umm, what a slayer. She was a hot little thing and into demons as well. With a little effort and punishment for being mated to his grandchilde, he was sure she’d beg him to take Spike’s place. No woman would ever choose a boy like Spike over a master vampire like him.

Angelus couldn’t hide the vicious smile that was plastered across his face at the thought of putting his boy back in his place. There would be plenty of beatings and domination, of course, as well as forcing Spike to watch as he took his mate to bed. Once again proving himself to be the better vampire.

This most certainly was not the end. They’d be back and bring with them glorious pain and destruction. Grabbing his dark girl’s things, they strode off into the night.

Unlife was perfect.

Finis

There will be a sequel but I won’t be starting on it until January. I need a little break from this story to get other things in order as well as figuring out exactly where I want to take the sequel. I have started another fic but it will be a little while before I start to post it. I also will be posting a ficlet soon but it is Spilliam so it will only be posted on my site and LJ. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing this story. It is the first fic I started writing and your reviews have meant a lot to me.