Ill Met By Moonlight by Confused Muse

Chapter #1 - Act I

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a twisted imagination. A/N: Thanks to Spikesdeb and Spikespetslayer for their hard beta work on this fic :) It was written all as one fic, I've split it up for ease of reading. Ill Met by Moonlight - Act I Act 1, Scene 1 “Only four more days until the wedding,” Rupert Giles smiled into the face of his beloved. “I can hardly wait. Remind me why we had to leave it so long?” Jenny Calendar playfully poked her fiancé in the ribs. “Oh, come on, Rupert. There’s still so much to do, the time will fly by. And you know perfectly well we had to pick an auspicious alignment for the ceremony – we need all the help we can get, living on the Hellmouth.” “Yes, I’m fully aware of the reasons. It just seems so far away,” he grumbled, reaching for the telephone to confirm arrangements for the reception while Jenny gazed at him with love shining in her dark eyes. That task complete, he turned and took one of her graceful hands in both of his, marvelling at the joy this woman had brought into his battle torn life. “I realise it’s been a rough ride, Jenny, and I’m sorry. If I could have spared you any of the pain, I would have, and I hope you believe me. I really want our day to be the start of something happier, the beginning of a more positive time for both of us,” he professed earnestly, willing her to read his heart; his efforts were immediately rewarded with a dazzling smile and her lips against his forehead. The next four days were going to be torture, he was sure of it. “I’d better get to the Magic Shop, and let you get on with your day. Have you any specific plans?” He stood, reluctantly drawing away from her. “Uh-huh. Final fitting for the dress is this afternoon, and I need to see the florist one last time,” she explained, watching Giles’ eyes glaze over when he imagined her wedding gown and smirking. He wasn’t going to know what hit him. The Watcher was unpacking the last of the morning’s delivery when the bell over the door rang frantically, heralding the entrance of four rather harried individuals. “Mr Giles, I must insist that you speak with my daughter immediately!” Demanded a tall middle-aged man. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” Giles straightened, frowning as he took in the man’s possessive grasp of Tara’s arm along with Xander and Willow’s troubled and angry expressions. “I’m Kyle Maclay, Tara’s father. And this ungrateful wretch is refusing to do as she’s told. I’ve given this young man permission to date my daughter, but she’s insisting she won’t have a normal relationship with him, that she wants this… twisted thing with this girl!” The man exclaimed, turning to the red head next to him who was reaching to reassure Tara. ”Leave her be! You’ve corrupted her with all this talk of magick and the spells the two of you have been doing. Mr Giles, I understand you have some influence over these young people. Please, will you try to talk some sense into Tara?” Giles removed his glasses and took up a soft cloth, taking in the scene before him as he gathered his thoughts. “Tara?” He asked softly. “What have you to say on the matter? Your father has a point, having brought you up and paying for college. Xander’s not a bad young man, he’s caring and considerate,” he reasoned. Tara glanced between her two suitors, her expression softening with longing as her eyes fell upon Willow. “Willow’s my world,” Tara murmured adoringly, making Giles cough. “I know Willow’s very special, but your father’s the one who raised you, clothed and fed you, and paid for your education and living costs. Xander would be a better choice – this affair of yours may just be a phase.” “It’s not a phase. I wish Dad could see what I see,” Tara protested, looking at the floor. “Can you not understand your father’s concerns?” Giles struggled to make the young woman listen to reason. Mr Maclay was quite within his rights to take Tara far from Sunnydale if she refused to comply. “Please, Mr Giles. Be honest with me. If I don’t agree to give up Willow for Xander, what will happen to me?” The blonde’s eyes were luminous with hopeless tears as she pleaded her case. “Well, your father could remove you from college and Sunnydale, which would mean you’d have very little hope for a future career. He might also insist you continue to live with him and the rest of your family. In the worst case scenario, he might even decide to have you committed. Tara, I beg you, is your love for Willow worth that?” Giles tried to frighten the girl into obeying her father. Instead, Tara threw her shoulders back and swept the hair from her face. “So mote it be. I will not, under any circumstances, accept dating Xander,” she declared. The boy’s frustrated look crashed into one of abject misery at the blonde’s announcement, his hopes and dreams for them as a couple withering stillborn. Giles sighed once more, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture as he realised the range of negative emotions sweeping through the quartet. Willow was horrified, Tara’s father was frustrated and angry, and poor Xander looked as though his heart had shattered in his chest. “Why don’t you take some time to think about it, Tara? I really don’t want to deal with this before the wedding, and I think we all need some time to calm down. Why don’t we talk about this after Sunday, and see if we can reach a compromise?” The Watcher suggested, and Xander reached to stroke a lock of Tara’s hair. “Please, Tara. Please give us a chance? Willow, why can’t you just back off?” The lovestruck man begged, causing Willow’s green eyes to darken with determination. “You’re so well in with her Dad, Xander, why don’t you just take him instead? You’d make a great couple!” she retorted. Mr Maclay rounded on the girl once again, shaking his finger in her face. “You selfish girl! Yes, I want Tara to be with Xander, and so help me god, she will be with him.” Willow bit back on the flare of power that curled through her, praying to the goddess for patience. “Why, Mr Maclay? I’m smarter than Xander, I come from a good family, I’m not into drinking, drugs or anything illegal, and Tara and I are happy. We’re in love. Why can’t we be together? Besides, Xander’s been making moon eyes at Anya. He took her to Prom and she’s been stalking him ever since,” the witch crossed her arms with finality, resolve writ on her delicate features. Mr Maclay’s jaw twitched, and he’d just taken a breath to tell Willow exactly why she wasn’t good enough for his daughter when Giles interrupted. “Oh for god’s sake! Gentlemen, why don’t you come with me so we can discuss this in more depth. Tara, I suggest you spend your time thinking very carefully about the consequences of your decision. I’m sure that somewhere in all this I’ll be able to prepare for my upcoming marriage,” he rolled his eyes wryly, leading the two men to the table as Tara and Willow slipped out of the shop. “Oh sweetie, don’t cry!” Willow brushed Tara’s cheek with her fingertips, giving her a hesitant smile. “Why shouldn’t I cry? My father’s going to take me away from you,” the blonde witch sobbed, burying her face in her lover’s shoulder. “Shhh! Hey now, love’s not always easy, baby. We’ve just got to try and figure this out, okay?” Willow struggled to stay strong, choking back the tears that gathered at the back of her throat. “What give him the right to choose for me? It’s not fair!” Tara sniffled, clutching to the other girl. “Remember in English Lit., with all those epic romances and tales of thwarted love? We’re just like that…hero and heroine against the odds…or well, heroine and heroine,” Willow joked, trying to make Tara smile. The blonde pulled back, finding Willow’s eyes and wiping her own with the back of her hand. “Yeah, I guess so,” she timidly smiled. “We’ll just have to ride it out so we can get our happy ending then, huh?” “I like the sound of that. Happy ending, I mean,” Willow breathed. Her brow crinkled, an idea teasing the corners of her mind. “Tara… why don’t we go to the grove, you know, where we went a couple of months ago? We could do a handfasting. They wouldn’t be able to separate us then,” she bit her lip, wondering if she was moving too fast, startled by the sensation of Tara’s soft gentle lips pressing chastely against hers. “Oh, Willow, yes! I tell you what, why don’t you go ahead and set everything up, and I’ll grab some things from the dorm. Meet you there as soon as I can get away?” “You’d better, missy,” the redhead mock scowled at her. “Uh-oh, careful. Here comes Anya,” she added as the ex-demon stalked up to the couple, misery etched in harsh lines on her face. “Hey Anya. I like the new hair,” Tara, buoyed with the excitement of Willow’s plan, adopted a bouncy air. “Oh yeah, great,” the former demon spat sarcastically. “Now, if I could just get an extreme makeover to look like, say, you, everything’d be fine. Xander doesn’t want me, he wants you. I don’t understand the fascination, I really don’t. Show me what you did to make him love you, Tara. I have to know, it’s driving me crazy!” Anya lunged for the curvy blonde, only to be brought up short at a muttered word from Willow. “Let me go, dammit!” The newly blonde girl fought against the magical bonds Willow had hastily erected, her face contorted in rage. “I don’t want Xander, Anya. I keep telling him that,” Tara told their friend. ”Maybe I should try telling him I don’t want him as well, then! That seems to work for you as a pick-up line,” she sneered. “I can’t say it any clearer. He knows I love Willow, he knows I’m not interested in guys, and he knows I want him to leave me alone, but nothing seems to get through to him,” the frustrated witch wrung her hands in despair. “I wish I had that problem,” Anya huffed. The two lovers exchanged a knowing look, and at Willow’s slight nod, Tara stepped forward to lay a hand on Anya’s arm. “Anya, can you keep a secret? Willow and I are going to do a handfasting ceremony tonight, at midnight. We’re going out to the grove by Breakers’ Woods – you know, where we all went for a picnic a few months ago, and well, that will be that. Xander won’t be able to chase me any more. I’ll be bound to Willow. Trust me when I say he’ll be all yours,” she explained, pitching her voice low in case her father was still around. Moving away from a sullen and pouting Anya, Tara kissed Willow swiftly on the cheek, catching her in a brief hug. “I’d better get going. I’ll meet you later.” “Yeah, I’ll go and get some things from my room, and set up at the clearing. Don’t take too long?” Willow’s voice rose uncertainly, a goofy grin settling on her lips as Tara blushed in response. As they headed off in separate directions, a crafty glint stole into Anya’s eyes. ‘Where does she get off treating me like that? I’ve loved Xander forever. We went to Prom. We dated. He said we were a couple. Then he saw Tara and suddenly I’m dropped like a hot potato? Hmmm. If I tell Xander that she and Willow are running off tonight, maybe he’ll be so grateful he’ll buy me pretty things and love me again. I’d better go with him, though, make sure I’m on hand to give him lots of orgasm comfort when he finds them,” she smiled, clapping her hands together. Oh, this was such a good plan! Scene II – The Initiative Professor Maggie Walsh looked at Agent Finn critically. “Have you gathered your squad?” She asked. “Yes ma’am. All present and ready for briefing, as ordered,” he confirmed, standing to attention. “All right,” she approved, casting an eye over the group Riley had assembled. “Gentlemen,” she raised her voice, gratified when each man focussed on her. “We’ve received reports of a particularly violent sub-terrestrial on the outskirts of town. Your task is to track it, identify it, and capture it. You’ll leave as soon as this briefing is concluded, go out into the area, and get to work. I want this thing in custody by dawn. Now, Agent Finn will go over what we know about the creature. Agent Finn,” Maggie prompted before taking a seat. Riley cleared his throat, reading from the very small sheet he held. “Visual reports on the subject are patchy and contradictory. In some reports it’s over seven feet tall, and in others it’s barely three and a half feet. So far it’s restrained itself to extensive property damage – cars, houses, gardens – and killing a variety of household pets, leaving the bodies in plain sight. It’s not afraid of people, and leaves little or no traceable scent. We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way. Keep your eyes open; maintain radio communication at all times. If something so much as twitches out there, I want to know about it. Questions?” Riley paused for a moment, nodding his head once when he was met with silence. “Move out,” he ordered, grabbing his gear from Forrest and heading for the jeep.

Chapter #2 - Act II

A/N Continued thanks to Spikesdeb and Spikespetslayer for their beta work :) Act II, Scene One – Restfield Cemetery Robin Goodfellow was posing against a tombstone, picking his long needle-like teeth with his equally long nails. This place was definitely more fun than Tir-Na-Nog, he reflected; the inhabitants were so susceptible to his glamour that it was like having his own little mummery, hapless puppets dancing while he conducted the music. The centuries of captivity chafed still, time spent locked away in the faerie realm with no real meat, no real emotion to sate his appetite. But oh, what fun these mortals be! How could he ever have thought to give this up? The puck ran his spindly hands through the shock of green hair he was currently sporting, then smoothed the lines of his deep red tunic. It was time to meet his protagonists, and what a pair they were – blonde, noble, comely and stubborn. Robin suppressed a chuckle. These two were more Oberon and Titania than his king and queen had been for decades. Buffy moved at a brisk pace through the graveyard, senses alert for the slightest sign of demonic high jinks. She was hoping to make this quick, ever since Willow had called her inviting her to the handfasting the two witches had planned. It was so romantic, she thought, the star-cross’d lovers pledging themselves to one another. She hoped she’d dressed well enough for the occasion, deciding upon a flowing white chiffon shirt and an ankle-length deep blue suede skirt. She wondered idly what her friends would be wearing for their ceremony, only to be jerked from her imagination by the sense of being watched. He’d waited for her to come to him, determined not to show his weakness for her, and as she approached he stepped from the shadows, long black leather duster flaring like a cloak about his legs. The moonlight slashed across his face, accentuating the sharp angles and curving hollows of his cheek and jaw, yet concealing his hooded eyes, allowing only the tiniest glitter of sapphire to escape their depths. “Evening, pet,” Spike greeted her, his low voice as rich as chocolate and infinitely more sinful. Buffy’s guard dropped when she saw the vampire emerge, tiny little hands going to her hips in the defiantly bored stance which had become a habit around this particular thorn in her side. “Spike,” she acknowledged. “So not in the mood to do this. I’ll just be going.” In a second, he'd stalked swiftly to her side, his hand catching her round the waist and pulling her close, preventing her from disappearing. “Not so fast, love. We’ve unfinished business,” he murmured through her blonde hair. Buffy twisted like quicksilver in his grip, slithering from his arms before her body betrayed her. “Oh, you think? The only business we have is my kicking your ass for taking up with that bimbo Harmony as soon as Willow’s spell broke. Oh, and yeah, for everything you did to me while we were under the same spell. I mean…Harmony? But I hear she’s ditched you to set up shop on her own. Wow, you must be a real loser for Harmony to dump you,” the Slayer ranted, cursing herself for her slip. She hadn’t intended to let Spike know that dumping her for Harmony had stung. Spike’s temper, never far from the surface, roared into being. The bint was having a go at him? When she’d spat in revulsion at the thought of his lips on hers? She had some bloody nerve. “Oh, like you didn’t run off to play with the soldier boy without a backward glance? That poor lad must wonder whether he’s coming or going, with you playing him so hot and cold. Has he had his chance to get between those taut, limber thighs yet?” He lashed out. Buffy burned with embarrassment, her face flushing crimson. It wasn’t just the shame she felt at Spike’s suggestion she was a slut and a tease, it was shame at herself as she heard the truth and hurt in his voice. She had been the first of them to scream in denial and outrage when the illusion of their “engagement” had vanished, and she’d seen the tenderness and care of which the vampire was capable. And oh god, it had felt so right to be with him…. She took a deep breath. “This fighting isn’t getting us anywhere, Spike. We… we just rip and hack and tear at each other over and over again. We’re crippling each other with this; I know I’m not doing my job as well as I should – not when I spend most nights fighting with you instead of slaying. And you – how can you be happy with this? You’re not that masochistic. Why can’t we stop torturing ourselves?” She passionately threw herself into the argument, committed to all or nothing after the confusion of the last weeks. Spike cupped his hands around her face, drawing her eyes upwards. “It’s easy, pet. All you have to do is tell me you want me, and I’m yours. Three words, and it’s done,” he bared his heart to her, willing the girl to surrender to her feelings. A crumb, that was all he needed, for now. Buffy’s lower lip trembled enticingly, fear filling her hazel eyes, and he moved closer, all but brushing her mouth with his. “C’mon, Buffy. It’s not that hard to say,” Spike whispered in the ghost of a kiss. Oh, how she desperately wanted to say what he needed to hear, but memories of Angel cascaded through her mind’s eye, compelling her to judge this vampire by the conduct of the one before. She took one step backwards, and another. “I can’t, Spike. I can’t let myself do this again. Not after what…” ‘Angel’, the unspoken name hung between them like the abyss itself. “…What happened before with him. I don’t have it in me to survive that again, I’m sorry.” The blond vampire let his hands drop and closed his eyes, cursing his grandsire for what was neither the first time nor the last. A moment passed, and another. “So, what’s going on tonight then? You’re all dressed up,” he noted, changing the topic. “Just going to finish patrol, then I’m off to the woods to meet with Willow and Tara. They’re handfasting tonight,” Buffy informed him, happy to move on. “Want to come with me?” The words slipped out before she had a chance to censor them. ‘Now where did that come from? Asking Spike to be my date?’ “You know what to say if you want the company, kitten,” Spike sighed. Buffy stiffened. “I don’t deal very well with ultimatums, Spike. Guess I’m going alone,” and with that, she was gone, leaving the vampire wondering if he would ever break free from Willow’s spell and its repercussions. “Yeah, you run away, little girl. Every time it gets too much, you just run. I’m gonna make you see you won’t be happy until you’re with me,” he vowed. And lo, it was time for the puck’s entrance. Robin sidled forward and trailed his sharp nails over the marble face of an angel. “Need a little help, m’lord?” He enquired solicitously. Spike whirled. “Bloody hell! Where did you come from?” He stomped towards the pixie, who promptly vanished, to reappear on top of a mausoleum. “Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, swifter than the moon's sphere,” Robin quoted, congratulating himself on his memory. “Right. Of course,” Spike smirked. “I’ll give it to you mate, I’ve not seen fey in a long time. What type are you?” “It matters not, m’lord, suffice to say I have a charm or two that will suit your plans most admirably,” Robin smiled, tapping one finger to his head knowingly. “Shall we adjourn? The players converge upon the stage,” he smirked. Spike sighed, realizing that this was likely another quirk of the Hellmouth. What the hell. He was fresh out of ideas, so he might as well go with it. In the blink of an eye, he and the ugly little sprite were standing in the undergrowth by a path through the wooded hills surrounding Sunnydale. He was about to reprimand the creature when his ears registered the sound of humans approaching, and with a quick glance at his companion, he hunkered down to watch. “Listen, Anya, it’s over. We broke up. The only reason I’m here is because you told me Tara and Willow were out here somewhere. Now we can’t find them, so would you just get lost? Go back to Sunnydale or something,” Xander’s exasperated voice carried through the trees. “Xander, I can’t stop thinking about you. I feel empty when I’m not with you. Please, let me stay? God knows why I feel this way – it’s not like you’re the world’s greatest catch or anything,” the ex-demon groused as they made their way up the path, torches flashing. “Anya, there is not, nor is there ever going to be, any “us”. Just go away and stop following me.” Inspiration struck, and the young man paused, looking directly at the girl. “It’s late, it might be dangerous out here. The commando guys could be out here looking for demons, or demons could be out here looking for snacks. Anya, please – go home,” he begged. “But see, that’s why I’m here,” she said brightly. “We can look after each other. There’s nothing for me back in town, because you’re here, you see.” Xander’s fists clenched as his patience snapped. “Listen, either you leave me alone and go back to your place, or I’m just gonna leave you here, have you got that? God help me, I’m getting to the stage where I’m thinking of doing a Blair Witch on you myself!” Anya grasped at his shirt as he turned to leave, and he shook her off with sufficient force for her to tumble into a bush. Without waiting to see if she was alright, he plunged ahead, deeper into the woods, determined to find Tara. The girl he left behind struggled to her feet, desperation and anger warring for dominance. After a moment’s indecision, she checked her torch and pursued the object of her affections, while the two lurking in the undergrowth observed. “You say you have a few charms up your sleeve?” Spike asked the puck, who nodded enthusiastically. “Indeed, m’lord. Particularly a rare, potent love juice, known to affect even the strongest and most unwilling subject,” he grinned. Spike recoiled at the mouth full of jagged fangs, thanking his stars that the little monster was on his side. “Right, let’s split up then,” he instructed, an idea taking root. “I’ll go after the Slayer, and use this potion to show her that soldier boy’s not the one for her. When she wakes up, she’ll give in to what she wants – yours truly! You go after her little gang of Scoobies, get to Xander and give him some of this – make sure he hooks up with demon girl. Got that?” Robin gave a flourishing bow, along with another of those disconcerting grins. “As m’lord commands,” he agreed, starting after the couple and leaving Spike to track down the Slayer. ___________________________________ Scene II ‘Damn stupid vampire,’ Buffy thought to herself, ducking a long-armed blow from yet another slimy demon. ‘Never around when you need him!’ The pack of unpleasantly slippery beings jumped her at the boundary of the woods and the town, catching her by surprise as she hurried towards the grove Willow had described. The blonde ducked, dodged and kicked, aware that she was rapidly tiring and that if she took many more hits she wasn’t going to make it, but what could she do? She was too far from town to find backup, and she couldn’t very well lead them straight to Willow and Tara. Another kick to the small of her back floored her, and she felt darkness encroach on her vision. She protected herself as best she could, but inevitably the things overwhelmed her, knocking her out and closing in to feed. “Oi! Get away from her!” Spike was at once terrified and furious. Stupid chit, thinking she could take on that many Kol-raig demons by herself! Drawing on his own monstrous nature, his face rippled as he transformed and he tore into the pack surrounding his helpless girl. He dealt damage and mayhem with his fists, feet and fangs, viciously maiming and mutilating three before they ran off into the night. The blond bent, checking for a steady rhythm in the Slayer’s pulse, and smiling with relief when he heard it. He moved her into a more comfortable position before taking a little vial and moistening her lips. Buffy’s tongue snaked out, licking the concoction. ‘Now, just need to find soldier boy and the fairy,’ he smirked in satisfaction. _________________________________________________ “We’ve still got a little time before we can start the ceremony,” Willow said to her lover. “Want to just, I dunno, look at the stars or something?” She smiled shyly. “Sure,” Tara shrugged gracefully. Looking at Willow in the moonlight made her realise how lucky she was. This beautiful, sweet, powerful witch wanted to bind herself to her! She hugged her knees as shivers stole down her spine. She just hoped that this would be enough to keep them together as she lay back on the blanket, snuggling closer to the woman of her dreams as they both drifted into a light slumber. Robin snuck into the clearing, cloaking himself with a whispered word from prying eyes in both first and second sight, stealing ever closer to the two young women prone before him. Invisible and noiseless, he used his legerdemain to allow but one drop of his magick-laden liquid to fall into the redhead’s mouth, retiring to a nearby tree to watch the plot unravel. Sure enough, mere minutes passed before the young man and his besotted pursuer happened upon the grove, bickering. “Why are you still here?” Xander asked Anya irritably. “I’m scared. This place is dark, and creepy, and I don’t like being alone!” Anya cried piteously. The glare Xander turned upon her was cold. “I fail to see how that’s my problem, and I’m beginning to think this is all some little prank to get me out here alone. For the last time, Anya, get gone. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you don’t stop this insanity!” With that last parting threat, Xander stormed off. Tears rolled down Anya’s face and her sobs echoed through the grove, disturbing Willow, who looked up to see the ex-demon. Scrambling to her feet, the witch ran to Anya’s side and wrapped her arms around her thin frame. “Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry, sweetie,” she soothed, suddenly swamped with the need to cure the girl’s anguish. Seeing such a beautiful girl in inconsolable anguish was threatening to make her shed her own tears. Willow’s hands were stroking Anya’s back, then turned unbidden into caresses and Anya froze. “Willow? What are you doing?” “I’m comforting you,” the redhead explained, pulling back to see Anya’s pretty face, and brushing the girl’s hair behind her ears. How could she have been so blind? Anya was gorgeous, exquisite, unique. What on earth had she seen in Tara that could even begin to compare to the woman she now held in her arms? The handfasting was so very definitely off. “What about Tara?” Anya hiccupped, her eyes still red. “What about Tara?” Willow answered, smiling sweetly. “How could I ever want her when you’re around? You’re amazing. You’re so pretty, and funny, and with the whole former-demon thing! Who wouldn’t want you?” “Are you making fun of me? You are, aren’t you! What have I ever done to you to deserve this? I know Xander won’t even look at me, but this is just…it’s just cruel! If I was still a vengeance demon I’d flay you where you stand for this,” Anya hissed. Bad enough that Xander didn’t want her, but now he, Willow and Tara were ganging up to make her life a misery when she’d worked so hard to fit in. Damn them all! She wasn’t going to stay to be their laughing stock. Taking off at a sprint, Anya ran into the woods with Willow soon chasing behind her, leaving Tara forgotten. Some time later, the blonde awoke in the grove with a sure sense that something was very wrong, her intuition proving correct when she found herself alone. “Willow? Willow?” She called. “Willow, where are you?” The comforting quiet of nature began to seem rather menacing now that it was just her. Grabbing a candle, Tara set off in search of her girlfriend, leaving Robin clapping his hands in glee.

Chapter #3 - Act III

A/N - Thanks to Spikesdeb and Spikespetslayer for their beta work on this fic, and for not thinking I was crazy! Act III, Scene One “Everyone prepped and ready?” Riley Finn looked around for confirmation from his squad leaders, receiving nods from each. “You know the drill. Stay in your squad, check in every ten minutes, each squad taking a square mile and moving outwards. We don’t know what we’re looking for, so stay sharp – call in anything that looks suspicious. Go!” he barked, moving into the tree line with Forrest and Graham, one eye watching the other teams disperse. Robin Goodfellow crouched high above the small group, already having selected the next player in his entertainment. This one would be a joy to humiliate, the puffed-up, self-important little mortal. The puck knew they were hunting him, and felt a delicious sense of irony at the thought of what he was about to do. The bushes a little farther ahead rustled, drawing Finn’s attention, and he motioned to the two others to cover him as he approached, weapon ready. He saw nothing, and moved closer, circling behind the scrub. Shadows wrapped around his body, shielding him from view, and he barely had time to cry out before agony consumed him and he blacked out. Robin blew his fingers. Ah, glamour: how he had missed it. He watched with malicious joy as the soldier’s friends ran towards where he had fallen, searching the ground. A roar suddenly erupted behind them, causing both to whip round. Oh good, the boy was awake! Finn lurched to his feet, feeling as though every bone in his body had been broken and reset, and bumped his head against a low hanging branch, eliciting a groan of pain. His eyes opened to see Forrest and Graham aiming their guns at him, and he looked over his shoulder, thinking they had something in their sights that was about to attack him, puzzled when he saw nothing there. “Guys? What’s going on? Did you see whatever got me?” he said, panic blossoming in his stomach as first fear then steely determination came over his friends’ faces. He saw movement from Forrest and dove into the bushes, rolling to his feet and heading off in a blind rush. He heard Graham’s shout, telling Forrest to fall back and call in an HST sighting at their co-ordinates. Riley had the sickening feeling they were talking about him. As soon as he thought he was safe, he pulled off his crumpled body armour and tattered fatigue shirt, looking down in horror as his realised his skin was no longer tanned and warm, but grey, warty and …Oh my god, was he oozing slime? His hands flew to his face, and he was relived when he didn’t encounter ridges or bumps, but his relief was short lived when his hands ventured higher. Instead of hair, there were horns sprouting from his skull, and from the feeling, they too were slime covered. He needed to find the one person who could help him figure out what was going on and how to stop it. He had to find Buffy. Robin followed at his heels, guiding him by a mixture of illusions and persuasions in a circle through the wood, avoiding his comrades, until they neared the clearing where the Slayer lay unconscious. When he caught sight of the girl, Riley ran forward, concern for her safety overriding his instincts to be cautious. His thick gray fingers buried in her neck, searching for a pulse, and he released a pent-up sigh of relief when the strong steady throb beat against his skin. Her breathing seemed to be fine, and he sat back to watch her, stroking her hair from time to time. He hoped she wouldn’t freak too badly when she woke up – but then, hadn’t she been quick to defend Hostile 17, and to realise it was Giles in a demon form? Surely she’d understand that he was still Riley underneath the slime and antlers. Scarcely had the thought crossed his mind when Buffy began to stir, groaning as her bruises made their presence felt. Her eyes flickered open, and a shy smile curved her lips. “Oh, hi there,” she murmured, wishing for a hairbrush, a mirror and a shower. God, who was this? She sat up, automatically smoothing her hair and checking her clothes. Riley felt a surge of triumph – she knew it was him! She saw through the spell or illusion, whatever it was, and she knew it was him. And she seemed pleased to see him, too. “Buffy! Oh god, I’m so glad to see you. You would not believe… well, scratch that, maybe you would believe what’s happened to me tonight.” “Hush, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be just fine. You know, I just realised something,” Buffy looked down, a blush colouring her cheeks. “What? If you mean the slime and the antlers, I’m hoping that’s just temporary….” “No, silly, although they do look good on you. I just realized… I love you,” she confessed, and Riley’s heart nearly exploded. She really must love him, if she was saying it under these circumstances, when he was far from looking his best. He held open his arms, and she nestled between them happily. He was going to enjoy this moment; they could find her Watcher later. Scene II – Elsewhere in the woods Spike paced back and forth impatiently. Where the hell was that sodding fairy? He’d been gone long enough to enchant the whole damn town. “M’lord!” The puck materialised in front of him with a smile that would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame. “What’s going on? Did you find Xander and the soldier boy?” The vampire burst out. “Oh good my lord, I found the mortal with some fellows who were out hunting, cast a little glamour to change his visage to that which he hunts, and they chased him all over the forest!” Robin giggled maniacally. “I led him through the paths and bowers, until he happened upon the lady fair, and now she fancies herself in love with a creature of dripping slime and towering, gnarled horns.” An arrogant smirk settled over Spike’s face. This was too precious – Captain Cardboard turned into a chaos demon! Bugger, he wished he had a camera. “And Xander? What’s happening there?” Robin shot him a crafty look from lowered lids. “A lover’s entranced to love the girl, as you wished, m’lord,” he said truthfully. Ah, it was only a small sin, that of omission. For the second time that evening, Spike heard the approach of two very clumsy humans, and motioned to Robin to take cover just as Tara and Xander came into view. “Why won’t you just give me a chance?” Xander whined, attempting to catch hold of the blonde witch’s hand. She shook him off as she kept walking. “What have you done with Willow? Where did you take her? Tell me, or I’ll just do a locator spell to take me to her,” Tara was frightened and angry. She’d found Xander in the woods, but there was still no sign of her girlfriend, and in his current state of mind the boy might just have done something hasty. She squashed the fear rising like a cold tide in her stomach. If he’d done something to Willow, he was going to pay. “I’d quite happily lock her up and throw away the key if I thought it would make any difference to you! I haven’t seen her, but if I did, I’d have some very strong words to say about her dragging you out here at night time. I mean, this is the Hellmouth! Anything could happen to you out here,” Xander shouted, trailing after his beloved. Tara spun to face him, her eyes glowing in the dark as magic flowed through her barely restrained. “Where is she, Xander?” The brunette recoiled in shock, wondering what possessed his shy, sweet Tara. “Nothing! I swear! I haven’t seen her,” he frantically tried to pacify the seething witch. Searching his aura, Tara knew that he was telling her the truth – she would waste no more time with him. “Leave me alone, Xander. I’m going to find her without you.” Xander sat down with his back to a tree, quite exhausted. He’d be a fool to rush after his love when she was in that kind of mood – he could end up as a rat, or worse. ‘Just rest here for a minute. Maybe even close my eyes. Just for a minute or two,’ he thought, his eyes closing as sleep took him unaware. “You plonker!” Hissed the vampire, catching the pixie a sharp blow around the head. “You’ve buggered it up somehow – he’s still after the witch when he’s meant to be after Anya! Quick – charm him now. We’ll have to figure the rest of it out later, although god only knows what you’ve managed to cock up.” Robin tiptoed over to the sleeping form of Xander, daubing his lips with the potion and slinking back to Spike’s side. “Someone else is coming. Get down,” the vampire ordered, oblivious to the puck’s delighted smile. Anya and Willow stumbled past, both tired and arguing. “Anya, please! Listen to me, look at me! I’m not making fun of you, I’m serious. I love you, I’ve only ever loved you, I promise. You have to believe me,” the redhead pleaded. “Yeah, like I’ll believe that! You being so lovey-dovey with Tara this afternoon makes this really convincing. On the other hand, maybe it was all an act with Tara, too – either way, I’m not buying it, Willow. Plus, I don’t like girls,” Anya added as an afterthought. Xander’s eyes opened with a start. Falling asleep out here was so not the smart thing to do. But waking up to see Anya? That was worthwhile and then some. “Anya? Did you change your hair? You look incredible,” he gushed compliments as he stood, moving to her side intent on pulling her to him and apologising for being such an idiot. How could he have dumped her? She was everything he had ever longed for in a woman. Anya ‘s gaze wavered from one to the other of them, her eyes filling with tears once more. “Oh, I see. This is all just a game of let’s make fun of the poor, defenceless demon! I should have known better – look at how you treat Spike! It’s ok to use him when you need him, then treat him like a leper afterwards. I’m not going to stand around and let you use and humiliate me like he does. Go ahead and laugh it up while you can,” she spat, fuming. “Xander, you’re in love with Tara – well, good luck to you both. Anya’s mine, and I’m not going to let you treat her this badly. You’ve made her cry!” Willow yelled, laying the blame squarely at his door. “You what? It’s you that’s all crazed over Tara, and you can take her with my blessing. I’ll tell her father tomorrow that I was wrong. Just leave Anya alone, okay? I love her,” he offered. At that moment Tara ran into the little clearing, sobbing with relief when she saw Willow. “Oh, thank goddess! You’re safe,” she panted, throwing her arms around her girlfriend. Willow stood stiffly, trying to break away from the embrace and feeling awkward. She tried to show Anya that she wasn’t reciprocating, but the newly blonde girl was too busy staring daggers at Tara. “Willow? Honey? What’s wrong? Has Xander hurt you?” Tara fussed, wondering why Willow was frozen in her arms, and worrying when she stepped away. “Tara, I have to tell you something. This has all been a big mistake,” she started. “I’ll say,” Anya snorted. “I don’t love you, Tara. I’m in love with Anya. I’m sorry, but we can’t be together,” Willow continued. Tara frowned in confusion and hurt. How could her lover be saying this to her now? Anya began a slow, steady clap. “Bravo! You three are really something. You should take this to Broadway, you’d make lots of money,” she drawled. “I admit, you really had me fooled, Tara. I thought you were different, that you actually liked me, but it turns out you’re a liar just like them.” “What? What are you talking about? I have no idea what’s going on, any more than you do!” The quiet blonde protested. “So you didn’t come up with this scheme then? Having both Willow and Xander chase me around the woods tonight telling me how much they both love me, when we know it’s not true? I never realised you could be that cruel, Tara. D’Hoffryn would love to meet you!” “Anya, I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I certainly haven’t put Willow or Xander up to anything! Please, listen to me. We must be able to figure this out,” Tara persevered, trying to convince her friend that she was telling the truth. “Well, I hope the three of you will be very happy together. I’m leaving!” Tara caught Anya’s shoulder as the furious and hurt girl turned away. “No! Don’t you see? This must be something weird, maybe evil. It’s possessed Willow and Xander. If we stay together we stand a chance of figuring out what it is, maybe do a spell to see what’s affecting them.” Tara had no idea what was happening, but she did know that splitting up was a bad idea. “Stay with me Anya, please,” Xander leapt forward, only to be pushed aside by Willow. “Hey! Watch who you’re pushing!” “Get away from her, Xander. Anya, I love you. I’ll do anything you want to prove it. I’ll conjure you pretty things – oh! You like roses? Give me a second,” Willow began chanting, only for Xander’s hand to land over her mouth, muffling her words. “No, there’ll be no turning people into rats or… other things. Anya, I love you. Come home with me?” The boy doubled over as Willow’s elbow shot into his stomach, winding him, and she turned eyes black with anger upon her former friend. “Kali, I call upon thee…” again the chanting was broken off as Xander tackled her to the ground. “Stop it! Both of you!” Tara shouted. “Screw you!” Willow yelled, and Tara recoiled from the hate filling her gentle lover’s face. “Wuh-Willow? What happened to you? Sweetheart, did someone do something to you?” she stammered. “Yes! Something happened to me! I woke up, and realised I could never love you because I already love Anya. I don’t want you, Tara,” the redhead screamed. Her heart breaking, Tara turned to Anya. “You called your vengeance friends, didn’t you? Did you wish away Willow’s love for me? You did, I can see it in your eyes. Tell me, and them, exactly what you did. Now!” Anya had never heard such a commanding and confident tone from Tara before, and something inside her recognised that the witch was close to losing control. “Tara, I didn’t do anything. I told Xander that you and Willow were going to do the handfasting ceremony tonight, yes, but I wanted him to come out here, find you and her together and happy, and realise that he couldn’t have you. I thought…maybe he’d want me instead. He’s done nothing but insult me and threaten me all night up until just now. I’m going to go now, and pack my things. I’ll be out of Sunnydale by morning, you have my word,” she promised. “No! Don’t go!” Xander and Willow called out in unison, but Anya simply shook her head and walked away. Shock froze the two wrestlers for a moment, but soon they were on their feet and tearing after the ex-demon, leaving Tara standing alone for the second time that night. She clung to her conviction that something was wrong here – if she really believed that Willow didn’t love her any more, she’d lie down and never move again. Trudging after the others, she moved on. Spike grabbed the fairy by the back of its neck and hauled him from the ground. He was fond of Red and her girlfriend, and was murderously angry with the sprite for the scene he’d just witnessed. No stranger to a broken heart, he had a good idea of what Glinda must be feeling round about now. “What is going on? You can’t tell me you mistook Red for the boy. You’re tearing them all apart. A year ago, I’d have been cheering you on, but that was the past. I care about what happens to them now, so why don’t you come clean? I might not have any iron on me, but my belt buckle? That’s steel, and I think that might do enough damage to make things interesting,” he growled. Robin did his best to look contrite, but he was fighting a losing battle. He flinched when he heard another growl from the vampire holding him. "M’lord, a thousand pardons! ‘Tis but my nature to make devilry and sport of mortals and I could not help myself! There’s a counter charm, I simply need to find the flame haired witch and utter it, and send them all to sleep. They’ll forget, and the lovers who are meant to be, will be once more,” he squeaked. “You’d best be telling the truth, and get a bloody move on. I don’t fancy being caught out here when the sun comes up.” Spike dropped the creature who promptly vanished mid-fall after giving him a jaunty wink. Spike sighed, wishing his unlife was just a little bit easier. He was already questioning his reaction to seeing Buffy’s friends screaming at each other over some ridiculous spell – he cared about them. The Big Bad who would have cheerfully chowed down on each and every one of them, having nearly killed Willow and Xander in the past with no pangs of conscience. Maybe it wasn’t just Buffy he’d let into his heart after all…. Oh yeah, he’d definitely turned into one of the good guys. Now he just needed Buffy to see that. And speaking of, he wondered how she was getting on with the boy. Time to go have a look-see. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Robin was having a fine old time abroad in the woods, leading each mortal separately in circles, drawing them ever closer to the sacred grove which was still arranged for a handfasting. One after another, he let them arrive exhausted in the circle of trees, whispering a rhyme to send them to sleep where they collapsed. He dribbled another potion between the lips of the red-haired witch, bidding the previous charm broken, and he stood up. His tale was nearly done, and he sighed. It had been fun while it lasted.

Chapter #4 - Act IV

A/N: Here's the spuffiness you've been waiting for.... Thanks to Spikesdeb and Spikespetslayer for their beta work on this fic. Ill Met By Moonlight - Act IV Buffy led Riley hand in hand through the woods, hoping she hadn’t missed Willow and Tara’s big event, and determined to show off her new boyfriend. “It can’t be far. Come on,” the blonde flashed him a smile as she tugged him forward again. Riley was speechless, in awe of the girl’s grace and beauty, as well as her perceptive heart. He thought himself the happiest man on earth. Well, if he was still a man…. "Uh, Buffy?" He rumbled uncertainly. "What, lover?" She paused, stepping lightly back towards him and leaning her body into his. Riley stifled a groan, fighting the urge to take advantage of the gorgeous young woman’s flirtatious behaviour. She'd played him hot and cold for weeks, keeping him guessing, even yanking his chain with a faux engagement, and he'd seen some of the looks exchanged between her and Hostile 17. But tonight was different, and it wasn't just his transformation. Buffy seemed to have genuinely opened up to him, allowed him to see her heart and the fragility of the vessel who embodied the Slayer essence. And that girl was driving him even further out of his mind than he already was. "I'm just thinking... I'd really like to get back to normal before spending any time with Willow and the gang. Can't we just go to Giles? The Initiative are going to be out here all night, and I have a class to teach tomorrow." 'Focus, Finn, focus. Mission objective here is to get back to normal, not to get physical with Buffy.' Buffy trailed a finger over the dip in his throat, hooking it lower beneath his torn shirt and stroking lightly, making it hard for him to concentrate. "I really don't want to miss Willow and Tara's big day, sweetie, and you don’t want me to have to go all on my own, do you?" She unleashed the pout that made men tremble, and Riley was by no means immune. He curled his elongated, scaly arm around her waist and nodded. "Sure, I guess we can spare a little more time, just until the girls get hitched," he conceded, grinning like an imbecile when Buffy’s face lit up, and happily following her through the woods. Damn, but she was something else. ~~~~~~~~~ "When would m'lord like me to lift the enchantment on the lady?" Robin was feeling rather peculiar. He couldn't quite pin down what was wrong with him: it was as though his skin was trying to crawl away from his spindly skeleton, and he simply couldn't stay still. Couple that with the serpents slithering in his belly, and he was faced with an entirely new sensation, and all of his symptoms were caused by the vampire at his side. Spike's jaw was clenched so tight it looked like he was chewing walnuts, and the scowl on his face created ridges and furrows that almost made his demonic visage redundant. "M'lord?" The puck repeated nervously. Ah, that was this feeling. Robin added nausea to the list of symptoms, although he suspected that was more due to self-disgust. He was immortal, truly beyond death's reaching grasp, and he was nervous around a vampire, of all things. Maybe he was losing his touch. Spike's thoughts were racing, even as he mastered his temper. Seeing Buffy throwing herself at the all-american from Iowa had been amusing for a while, but as the night wore on amusement had begun to turn to jealousy and resentment, his human emotions fuelled and augmented by the demon concealed within until his body screamed to attack his rival. That wouldn't get him an inch closer to his true goal, though, so he was going to have to come up with a more cunning scenario. A sliver of an idea peeked through the confusion in his mind, and he lunged after it, closing his eyes as he built on his inspiration. "Let the pair of them get to the grove, and I'll go talk to her. Keep the boy occupied for a bit, until I give you the nod. He's predictable, so I expect fireworks when he sees me with the girl, and then we'll let it play out. Got that?" Spike glared at the puck, brooking no opposition. The small green-haired creature quailed under the vampire's appraisal, then bowed his head, nodding. "As you wish, m'lord, so shall it be. I'll keep our transformed friend a-dazzle with the wonders of faery whilst you woo your lady dear," he solemnly promised, one long-fingered hand pressed over his chest. "Right, then. Time for the finale," Spike muttered, causing Robin to look up sharply. No, the enchantment held fast, but he couldn't help but wonder if it would hold long enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Entering the grove, Buffy failed to notice the scattered fallen forms of her friends as they lay concealed amongst the brush, covered by Robin Goodfellow's glamour. "They're not here yet," she pouted. "I really hope we didn't miss everything." Riley cast his eyes over the clearing, taking in the cleared space, the candles, and the blanket with various odd-looking paraphernalia laid out on top. "I don't think we did - wouldn't they have packed up when they were done?" he suggested, grimacing as he felt yet another drip of viscous gloop land on the back of his neck. "Oh! Yeah, looks like they haven't started yet. Wonder where they are?" The girl frowned, but only for a brief second as she turned to her paramour. "Still...that gives us a little 'alone time'," she purred, pulling Riley to her, and he felt his pulse race. He then realised he was feeling distinctly...moist in certain areas, and backed off hurriedly. This was just too grossly weird for him to contemplate, much as the thought of getting up close and personal with Buffy appealed. His unease had been growing as the night wore on, and it was only now that another thought struck him. The girl had behaved strangely for months, and he'd found that intriguing, charming and mysterious, but she'd never let him close to her. But now, tonight, when he’d been turned into a demon, she was all over him. He'd seen her interactions with Hostile 17, or Spike as she called him, and he knew there was history between them. The bantering, the fighting, the looks.... Maybe Buffy really was more at home with the monsters than with normal people. Perhaps the only reason she wanted him now was because he'd been changed. Did the Slayer just have a fetish for demons? How perverted would that be? And yet... it wasn't as though she was exactly normal herself. All that mystical power, the strength, the healing, the speed - his brain was really taking him to a place he didn't want to go, but it was all logical, now he considered it. He couldn't prevent the distaste he felt from showing in his eyes, and Buffy reached up to his cheek. "What is it? What's wrong, sweetie?" "Nothing. Let's just have a look round, see if we can find any sign of Willow and Tara." He backed away from her touch, crossing the clearing, wanting to put some distance between them and refusing to acknowledge the forlorn expression on Buffy's face. "Trouble in paradise, pet?" Spike enquired from his slouching pose against a nearby tree. Now why wasn't she surprised to see him out here? She shook her head, blonde curls bouncing, her shoulders slumping. "I don't know what's going on. I came round in the woods after a bunch of uglies jumped me, and he was right there, making sure I was okay. I looked at him, and it just hit me - I love him. I really, really love him. But there's something wrong, and he won't tell me," she sighed. Peeling himself from the trunk, and stifling the flare of anger at hearing her profess her feelings for the boy (albeit magically induced), Spike sauntered lightly to Buffy's side and placed his hands on her shoulders, cradling her gently. "He'll come round, love - maybe he's just needing some time to adjust," he fought hard to keep the snigger from his voice. "You do tend to overwhelm a bloke." Instead of making one of her usual cutting retorts, Spike was amazed when she covered one of his hands with her own and squeezed gently. A tentative smile curved her lips as she gazed into his face. "Thank you, Spike. Somehow, I knew you'd understand. Funny really - you always have understood what I'm feeling, even back when we were kicking the crap out of each other. How do you do that?" Buffy asked him, hazel eyes clear even in the dappled moonlight. Her candid expression made him want to weep: she was finally asking him the question that would set him free, and she had no idea whatsoever of the consequences. "Slayer... Buffy," he tightened his hold on her and took a breath. "I know because I can feel you as though you're a part of me. Always have felt you, like the call of blood deep inside. Think that's why I couldn't kill you, y'know? It'd be like staking myself. Then, with Red's spell... well, I couldn't fool myself any more. So I ran off to Harmony, trying to live in denial. I didn't want to think about... about loving you. You went off and wrapped yourself around soldier boy, and somehow I knew you were doing the same as me, trying to ignore the call of your heart. Though him being one of the wankers that stuck this chip in my head, I did wonder if you were doing it just to spite me," Spike confessed, staring deep into her eyes and twitching his lips in a half smile to remove the sting of his last words. He braced himself for the worst, ready for the fight that would be her inevitable reaction to his speech, but when Buffy didn't move, he felt hope blossom for the first time in decades. "I know," she breathed, awestruck that he would share so much of his emotions with her. Always before, it had been an elaborate game between them, each attempting to keep the other off balance, never letting their guard down for a moment. But this raw honesty was new ground, not just a shift in the rules but a move to a whole new playing field. Ordinarily, a situation like this would have sent her running for the hills, she could admit that much to herself. She glanced across the clearing at the being she'd fallen head over heels for, and then looked up into the vampire's crystal blue eyes. "I felt that way too, although it wasn't until I saw you when you came back that first time that I realised what it might mean. Up until you fought with me and Angel in the shop, I figured I was just hyper aware of you as a safety mechanism, but when you did your little speech about love…. Then you left again, and I was all caught up in Faith and the Mayor, and afterwards, I could barely function with Angel gone. I survived, thought I’d dealt, and suddenly you came back, and it scared me. It scared me because I know how much it hurts when things don't work out, when you want someone that much..... Will's spell really did a number on me, reminding me of how intense it can be, and I just ran. I'm really good at that," she half-joked, looking at her shoes. Spike lifted her chin with one hand, forcing her to look at him once more. "So why tell me now?" he asked. He knew he was pushing, but even as he wanted to go easy on her, he couldn’t help himself. He wanted desperately to break through the barriers she'd placed between her head and her heart, and prove to her both would be safe in his keeping. And yes, he wanted to drag her into the forest and make her utterly and completely his, but right now his libido was not the main priority. Buffy shrugged, lowering her eyes. "I'm not sure. Maybe because I'm in love and happy, and that makes me feel safe enough to be honest. Maybe because I need to tell you so that I can enjoy what I have right now. But probably because I know you'll understand why I can tell you right now what I couldn't before. Oh, god, I don't know why I'm telling you! I just know that I hear you saying all this stuff, and it makes me want to be brave and honest right back," she murmured, her rambling tailing into silence. Spike could scarcely believe his ears. Finally, she'd admitted their connection to herself and to him, and his elation was unparalleled. It was all he could do not to snatch her to him, kiss her soundly and never let her go, but there was still the business of the soldier boy to deal with. The unnerving little sprite, Robin, had assured him that Buffy would remember everything of the evening's events once the love spell was lifted, and Spike was certainly not going to let her back out of this little chat later. He bent closer, his voice low, "How about a kiss goodbye then, love? For old time's sake?" Buffy gulped, and the vampire heard her pulse accelerate, wishing he knew if it was from excitement or just plain discomfort. He wished all the harder as she nodded and raised her face to his, her tongue moistening her lips in preparation. Slowly, prolonging the moment for as long as he could, he dipped his head, not closing his eyes until the satin of her mouth was but a glimmer away. Then there was nothing but pure sensation, the world around him paling into shadow as he revelled in the movement of her warm lips against his own. Soft, sweet and willing, her lips pressed against his like a promise of a more fulfilling act, a prelude that ached to be repeated and echoed time and again as a haunting refrain. His arms curved around her of their own accord, tightening to bring Buffy flush against his body, eliciting a murmur of approval and longing from them both as she reciprocated by sliding her fingers into his hair. Both taking advantage of the synchronised moans, the tips of their tongues met and teased lightly, flickering wetness between them. "What the hell are you doing?" snarled Riley, grabbing a blond in each meaty hand and prising the two apart, his fury lending him unnecessary strength. Buffy went flying when the temporary chaos demon released her and she landed with an exclamation of pain in a crumpled heap. Spike sneered at the erstwhile soldier as he hung from one outstretched arm. "Well look who's gone and got himself an extreme makeover! Maybe you should have watched what your mates were feeding you as well as us demons, eh? Still, you have to be glad it didn't stunt your growth, I guess," he laughed disparagingly. Riley's control, already slipping, careened into freefall. He roared, swinging his free hand in an overhead sweep designed to wipe that smug grin from the vampire's face, only to find his wrist caught at the last by Spike's hand. An instant later, the blond's boot connected with Riley's stomach, making the boy double over and releasing his grip on Spike's throat, which in turn sent the smaller man tumbling to the ground. With lithe grace, Spike leaped to his feet, gaining some distance and waiting for Riley to recover. "You have no business touching her, you disgusting vampire," the boy wheezed, rage sizzling in the glare he focused on the blond. "Look who's talking," came the retort. "I'm not a demon! It's just some spell, or something. Buffy knows who I am, and more importantly, what I am," spat Riley, standing upright and closing in on Spike. "So you think that what you are is more important than who you are, do you?" The clear female voice rang through the air, giving both men pause. "If there's one thing I've learned, what you are is determined by circumstance. Who you are is all about personal choice, and frankly, your choices have sucked, Riley," Buffy continued, circling around to stand by Spike's side. The vampire exulted - Robin had finally done something right, removing the love charm while the Slayer was stunned and letting her get a really good look at the creature she'd been towing around. "How can you say that? How can you stand next to an evil thing like him and say that to me?" Riley demanded, incredulous. "Because what I am is the Slayer, Riley. But you don't have a clue who I am, and I don't think you've ever given a damn. You captured Spike, experimented on him and god alone knows how many others, including Oz, and you still call Spike evil. He's saved the world twice, Riley. He's saved my life, and my friends' lives, several times. He made choices to do those things, even before the government decided to tamper with him, and all the time you just blindly follow orders because it means not making up your own mind. You're not responsible or righteous - you're blind and hypocritical. I don't know what happened tonight, but believe me when I say I do not love you. I don't even like you most of the time. You're boring, overbearing and bigoted. Stay the hell away from me, my friends and Spike, Riley. I know who the bad guys are - I might have been confused for a while, but finally everything is crystal clear. If the Initiative were good guys, you wouldn't be afraid to go back to them and explain why you look like that," she finished, and the blond vampire by her side honestly thought she had never looked so radiant. Determination and defiance glowed like an aura around her, and her impassioned words left him in no doubt that she remembered her earlier admissions. Riley lifted a hand to his antlers, opened his mouth as if to speak, but then turned and crashed into the forest. Robin Goodfellow didn't know whether to applaud or simply grin - the scene he'd watched below him restored his faith in the mortal realm, and reminded him that nobility dwelt in the hearts of some of these lower beings still. Truthfully, he had wondered what the vampire, his substitute Oberon, was hoping for when he intruded on the odd couple, but Spike had handled the whole encounter with nimble cunning. And never had he seen his own queen Titania so regal as the Slayer. Maybe there was more to this plane than easily led puppets. Spike hesitatingly reached out his hand to stroke Buffy's golden hair, feeling her trembling in the aftermath of the confrontation with Riley. "Buffy?" He pitched his voice low, not wanting to startle her, and she blinked, almost as though she had forgotten his presence, then breathed out hard. "Wow," she said, as though to herself. "Guess that whole sharing and honesty vibe from earlier really kicked in, huh?" She giggled a little sheepishly, blushing, looking everywhere but at the vampire standing so close. "Well, as break-ups go, I think that one ranks up there with the best of 'em, pet," he tried to reassure her. "Thank you," he added. "What for?" Buffy was confused. "For what you said to him. About choices. About the difference between what and who someone is. And for before, when you told me how you feel," he looked directly at her as he spoke and saw the widening of her eyes. Buffy tried to move away, but his other hand came up to cup her arm, holding her in place. "It's alright, pet. Hell, it's a bleeding sight better than alright! Buffy, I love you, and I want you to feel you're able to love me. We've both been a bit thick-headed about how things are between us, but we can do this. I want to try. I can't promise I'll be perfect, but I can promise I will never leave you, sweetheart. Not in a million years. And it's not like I can hurt anyone now, is it? And we don't have that problem of the yo-yo soul - " His babbling was abruptly silenced by the Slayer's mouth once again locking with his own in a kiss which would have robbed him of his breath if he'd had any. The thought crossed his mind that she literally breathed life back into his body, a gift so precious he knew he didn't deserve it. But she was here, in his arms, kissing him as though it was her sole reason for existence, and who was he to argue with a lady? Robin decided that while watching the reconciled lovers' reunion might prove amusing, the pair had earned their privacy. The four humans in the clearing were in the thrall of enchanted slumber, and wouldn't wake until the sun rose, which was about an hour away if he was any judge. Watching the progress of the still bespelled boy might be entertaining, however, and the puck vanished from sight. Spike and Buffy's embrace deepened in the clearing, and before he knew it, the vampire realised he was being pulled gently but insistently to the central circle, towards the blanket prepared for the witches' ceremony. "Love, not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing?" He broke the kiss with an effort of will, lifting his head to search her expressive eyes and seeing a myriad of vibrant emotions held within. "We've waited long enough, don't you think? I can't bear it, Spike - I can't bear not being with you for a second longer. I've fought it, resisted it, tried to forget about it and move on, and I can't. I want you, and I don't want to take the chance that we'll forget about all of this in the morning. I want to make this connection we have real, here and now," Buffy pleaded with him to understand. She was the Slayer - capturing the moment was all she had, because she never knew how many moments there might be. The blond vampire lifted his hand, running one finger along her trembling lower lip as he chuckled. "Like I'd turn that offer down, pet," his voice was dark and heated, matched by the smouldering look in his eyes. Buffy released a breath she hadn't been conscious of holding, the ache around her heart easing somewhat, and the fear pervading her stomach receded. She'd been so worried that he wouldn't want her after everything that had passed between them - and after all, not wanting her seemed to be a theme for the men in her life. But he was here, and he did want her, and he loved her. She knew with absolute certainty that the game they'd been playing for years was finally drawing to a conclusion and they were on the verge of something wondrous. Suddenly shy, Buffy turned and gracefully stepped into the circle of unlit candles, half sitting, half lying on the blanket. She watched with fascination as an idea seemed to strike the vampire, and he moved around her, flicking his Zippo and lighting each of the candles. He looked bashful as she quirked one eyebrow at him. "Just setting the mood a bit," he mumbled. "It's beautiful, Spike. Thank you. Now, get over here, will you?" She finished with a pout, not wanting their time together spoiled by the memory of their previous treatment of each other. Spike shrugged out of his duster before joining her in the circle, and Buffy was once again amazed by how his movements were always so lithe and liquid, one long, unbroken dance to music just beyond hearing. The flickering light caught all the planes and angles of his face, and she had never seen him more beautiful than right now. Sprawling next to her, he ran one flat palm along her face and body, less than an inch above the skin yet not touching her. His hand tingled even as his mind marvelled at the bounty almost within his grasp. 'Almost?' he thought to himself. 'Bugger that!' And he wrapped his arm around her, his hands possessive, needy, exploratory, sliding between skin and fabric to touch the incredible woman beside him. Buffy moaned softly, shuddering, his touch bringing goosebumps to her flesh that had little to do with cold, and her own fingers slid underneath his shirt, around his back, and under his t-shirt. His skin was cool and soft, the perfect complement to the muscles so hard and lean underneath. The pair kissed, delicately at first until their rising hunger consumed them, turning the soft touches into brutal urgency. Spike's hand unhooked her bra and slide underneath the flimsy material to cup Buffy's small breast, a flick of his thumb to the nipple making her back bow from the blanket underneath him. "Oh, you like that, don't you, kitten?" He breathed against her mouth, smiling when Buffy's inarticulate mumble reached his ears. He decided to be merciful, licking and kissing a path down her neck while he lifted her floaty white shirt to her shoulders, pausing only to help her remove it completely before his voracious mouth feasted on the puckered tips of her breasts. Buffy's moans in response to his devilishly agile tongue spurred him on, and he bit down gently, unable to believe his ears when she groaned in approval. "Ah, Spike! Oh god yes...harder," she panted, her hands clutching at his shoulders and in his hair, pressing her small mounds into his face. 'Looks like she's not averse to a spot of biting, then,' he smirked, slightly astonished. He'd have thought a Slayer would be wired to attack at the feel of a vampire's teeth on her, but then again, Buffy had never been like any other Slayer. As the girl pushed herself to him, he obliged, clamping harder with blunt human teeth at first, then so very gradually allowing his fangs to emerge and place delicious, deadly pressure against her sensitised skin. At the first prickle of razor-sharp ivory to her nerve endings, Buffy spasmed, jac-knifing from the ground as her orgasm blew through her. Unprepared for the reaction, Spike was unable to pull away and his teeth were driven into her flesh. The tang of blood on his tongue shocked him, drove him crazy, but as he tried to withdraw, Buffy grabbed him tighter. "Don't!" her voice begged him. "Spike....drink," she whimpered, overwhelmed by the pleasure coursing through her system. The vampire tried again to pull away, certain that the girl couldn't know what she was asking of him, but her implacable strength refused to release him. "Do it, Spike," an inhuman growl ripped from Buffy's throat. An instinctive growl from Spike answered her, and he complied, throwing caution to the wind and sating one of his lusts for the beauty under him. Even as his fangs delved once more into her succulent breast, his fingers burrowed under her skirt, between her legs, and slid inside her panties. She was dripping wet and more than ready for him, and he knew he couldn't hold on any longer. Tearing at his jeans as he suckled the blood from his lover's body, he freed his aching erection and sheathed himself within her, the sudden fierce joining ripping yells of pleasure and fulfilment from them both. Spike held himself still for one long moment, taking a draw of Buffy's lifeblood and hearing her whimper, even as her sex pulsed around him. There. That was the rhythm he needed - the pounding of her heart and her wet centre in a harmonised beat, and now he'd caught it, he could move with her. Momentarily retreating from her moist heat, he paused then surged forward, driving them together with every ounce of strength he possessed, his tenderness overridden by a savage need. Buffy's wordless gasps of encouragement increased to drawn out cries of ecstasy with every stroke he took, and the forceful massage around his length that was close to liquefying his spine told him she was close. Which suited him fine, because he honestly didn't know how long he could restrain himself. Oh, but she was perfect in her passion: panting, delirious, taut and toned, and capable of taking everything he had to give. They were so perfectly matched; he couldn't believe he had been so oblivious to their mutual attraction for so long. Buffy's breath hitched, and he knew the time was near when they would be seamlessly moulded, an ourobouros of pleasure, love, joy, and all the darkness that made those virtues shine the brighter "Spike! I'm...ohhh...so nearly...there. I need you to bite me again. Over the... other mark," Buffy urged, the fingertips she embedded in his shoulder her sole remaining anchor to reality, and Spike raised his head, sapphire penetrating the hazel fog of her gaze. He knew what she was asking, no, begging for, and for a moment it completely threw him. "Buffy, love. Are you sure?" She nodded frantically, moisture pooling in her eyes as she bit her lip and smiled. "I've never been so sure of anything. Please, Spike...I don't want to hold on to that any longer. Make me yours, help me let go," the woman in his arms half-sobbed as she writhed and strained against him in her quest for blissful absolution. The lean, muscled vampire above hesitated for seconds more, studying Buffy's face as though he could read her heart and soul with those piercing and expressive azure orbs. The triumphant roar of his demon merged with the astonishment of his human psyche as he realised the woman he had fought, lusted for and admired was truly ready to cast off the remnants of her broken heart and allow their love to rise from the ashes. He lowered his fangs to her neck, plunging through the skin and releasing the fire to baptise them both. Buffy gasped at the fleeting pain before shuddering with the first tremors of her orgasm, her hands clutching Spike to her in a fierce grip, and Spike growled against her neck when he felt her spasming around his shaft. The last thread of his control snapped and he lunged into Buffy's core, sheathing himself completely and explosively. Tearing his mouth from her flesh, he screamed his pleasure into the night before incanting long-forgotten words over their joined bodies. "I claim thee as my own, my mate and equal, and offer the blood and honour of Aurelius to seal my love. Until darkness swallows the stars, thou art mine!" Spike's formal mutterings barely registered with Buffy, who was caught in the throes of a searing climax. Spike's fangs and cock within her had finally untangled the knot of self-doubt and isolation created by her romantic failures, and the all-consuming ecstasy she was experiencing was augmented by the emotions too long denied. Delirium claimed her, the fever of passion stealing her reason and leaving her only with instincts - and those instincts drove her teeth into Spike's throat, splitting the pale skin and freeing the dark, viscous fluid beneath. The vampire grimaced at the ferocity of the sensation, feeling his desire renewed and eager deep within his lover. Buffy suckled briefly from the wound, her sex still pulsing hotly around Spike, then threw her head back, panting for breath. She met Spike's eyes, his blood on her lips, and somehow, she knew what she must say. "I accept your gift of blood, childe of Aurelius, and acknowledge, accept and return your claim. As mate and equal, until the moon is but dust, I am yours to love as thou art mine," her husky voice confirmed, before her scarlet stained mouth was covered by his own, each tasting the other's lifeblood as their tongues entwined. A sudden flare of light surrounded them, driving the pair apart in apprehension. The flames of the candles marking the handfasting circle had leapt to three feet, creating a brief barrier of white before expanding in a sparkling rush to bathe the whole clearing just as Spike and Buffy collapsed, unconscious. *********** Robin Goodfellow's hackles rose the moment that Spike's elongated canines penetrated the Slayer's jugular several miles away. Fate and destiny had clearly taken a hand in the night's events, and as with all fey, he could not help but sense the gathering magical forces. Baiting and tormenting the bespelled human had proved an entertaining diversion, but the draw of the power in the woods was too strong to resist, so with a sigh and no small amount of trepidation, he slipped through the fabric of reality and back to the clearing. The scrawny fairy cloaked his presence from the pair, although truthfully, he needn't have bothered, so oblivious were they to all but each other. A crackling tension began to build at the base of his spine, the otherwordly energy gathering in the clearing racing along his nervous system and creating a feeling of extreme discomfort. The vampire, Robin's erstwhile Oberon, spoke mystical phrases with blood on his lips in a consecrated sacred circle and the forces centred on the couple twisted tighter around them. Robin was panting in his effort to prevent the magic from tearing him apart - no easy task given glamour ran through his veins and he was a creature of spells and artifice. He felt as though he was going insane, his wits evaporating on the rising tide of excruciating pain that bowed his back and brought him retching to his knees. Somewhere, through the cacophony of clashing forces that rang in his elongated skull, the puck heard the breathtaking blonde woman give voice to the completion of the spell and his long, many jointed fingers gripped his head in desperation. Only he heard the thunderclap of prophecy fulfilled, seconds before the expanding shockwave slammed into him, sending him tumbling. The ethereal power contracted, coiling back towards the circle to wrap around the rapturous lovers, binding them together beyond the handfasting intended by the young witches. Coloured light streamed through the air, coalescing into a glowing sphere and settling upon them. Robin scrambled to his feet as the glare dimmed, dumbstruck for the first time in centuries. Shaking the residual magic from his skin like a damp cat, he sighed. The happy ending he'd planned, and the chaos it would bring in its wake, had been hijacked by the Powers That Be, and he was left with four mortals and two semi-naked supernatural creatures to transport before dawn arrived to erase his enchantment. The universe was obviously trying to make an honest puck of him after all, he thought morosely, brightening moments later when he remembered there was still the finale to come. A/N: One part to go. Feedback would be lovely :)

Chapter #5 - Act V

A/N: This is the finale. Thanks to Spikesdeb and Spikespetslayer for beta work on this fic - I know it was a bit of a long one! Feedback is always appreciated :) Ill Met By Moonlight - Act V A pounding on the door brought Rupert Giles hurrying flustered from his kitchen, wondering what the crisis was now. If it was anything that would disrupt his wedding, then hellmouth or no, it was damn well going to be put on hold. Releasing the lock he stood back, having learned his lesson from one too many concussions caused by adrenaline-fuelled slayer strength; this time however, it was an overwrought gaggle of young people from which his Slayer was unusually absent. "Giles, something weird happened last night - " "Man, you have got to do something about Willow. She's lost it - " Xander and Willow bombarded the Watcher simultaneously, causing him to frown and throw up his hands. "One at a time! Willow, why don't you start. Something strange, you say?" Giles gestured for all four to take a seat while he himself remained standing, watching the rather nervous teenagers fidgeting. "Right. Well, after yesterday and Mr Maclay's laying down of the law, Tara and I decided to do a handfasting ritual in Breakers' Woods," the green-eyed young woman managed to look sheepish yet defiant, her glance of determination fastening upon Xander. "I see," Giles commented, placing his hands deep in his pockets. "You do realise that in doing that, you’ve given Mr Maclay no choice but to take Tara home, do you not? Which will jeopardise her education and her future." "Except it doesn't any more, Giles," Xander interrupted. "I don't know what I was thinking. I went out into the woods when Anya told me what Willow and Tara were planning, just to stop them. I was so mad I didn't know what I was gonna do. But while we were out there, Anya stuck close by and something just clicked inside me. I want to be with Anya, not Tara. If Anya will have me, that is," the boy finished, blushing and looking at the floor. The object of his affection gave a brilliant smile, rising to her feet and settling herself in his lap for a lingering kiss, before looking into his eyes and tipping her head slightly. Giles grimaced in embarrassment at the girl's suggestive grinding, but at least she hadn't voiced the thought clearly on her mind. "Let's go and have make-up sex," Anya stated loudly, and Rupert removed his glasses with a disgusted exclamation. He should have known it was too good to last, but thankfully, the reunited couple left his apartment in short order. Replacing his spectacles, he saw Willow and Tara smiling devotedly at one another, their happiness and love so plain to any who knew them. He was simply going to have to be firm with the blonde's father, he supposed - the witches were meant to be together and he'd be a fool to stand in their way. Not to mention that Jenny would make his life most uncomfortable if he didn't support the girls - they were her bridesmaids, after all. "Yes, well, I suppose that clarifies the situation. Now, if there's nothing else, there are several matters I must attend to for this weekend," he hinted, hoping to avoid any more affectionate displays before he'd eaten his breakfast. The witches stood up, giggling. "Oh, yes, sorry Giles," Willow grinned, capturing Tara's hand in her own. "Oh, and if you see Buffy, could you ask her to report in, please? She was going to patrol last night." "Sure. Oh, wait - she was supposed to meet us in the woods after patrolling, but she never showed up. Giles, you don't think..." Willow's expression turned into a mask of anxiety, and Tara hugged her impulsively. "Umm, Mr Giles? I think...I mean, I sensed... magic last night. People weren't acting like themselves at all, but I couldn't focus on what was wrong. Do you want us to look for her?" The shy blonde spoke up. "That might be wise. I'm sure I'd have heard if something had happened to her, but all the same.... I'll call her mother, see if she's at the house. Perhaps you could check the dorm?" Giles pondered, trying hard to quell a growing sense of unease. The witches nodded. "Will do. We'll call as soon as we get back to campus," Willow assured him as the girls let themselves out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy gave a small murmuring sigh, rolling onto her back and stretching, feeling the sensuous softness of satin against her skin. Wait up... satin? Since when did her dorm bed have satin sheets? And why couldn't she move? Phrase by phrase and action by action, the night's events patched together in her memory and Buffy tensed. She recalled her words to Riley, and her defence of Spike. She remembered Riley being all gross and icky in demon form, but frankly, she'd always thought part of him was gross and icky. Warm male bodies always equalled nasty sweat. Not like the one that was still firmly wedged on top of her, however. She seemed to remember in some hazy fashion thinking she was in love with Riley, but that couldn't be right, not with Spike around. Oh god. She'd had sex with Spike. And he was here, asleep on top of her. The diminutive Slayer tensed again, and realised he wasn't just on top of her. 'Oh god, oh god, oh god. He's still - oh my god," she panicked, her heart rate leaping. "Mmm, now that's what I consider a wake up call," purred a deep voice in her ear. Buffy turned and found herself confronted by Spike's knowing blue eyes, narrowed with sleep and tinged with something all together less fluffy. 'I can do this. Breathe and be grown-up,' she told herself. "I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy bluffed. Spike smirked, then did a little tensing of his own, drawing a gasp from her throat. "Liar," he accused mockingly. "If you don't want a bloke to get the wrong idea, Slayer, you shouldn't be using those muscles to give a massage." Buffy flushed a deep red, dropping her eyes only to have Spike raise her face to his with gentle fingertips. "Hey now, pet. No need to be embarrassed - I was just teasing. Have to say, though, you're adorable when you're all bashful and modest," he soothed, lowering his lips to kiss her neck, her jawline and finally her lips. Buffy resisted at first, unsure of herself and him, until she recalled their conversation the night before. For the first time since their truce two years ago, they'd been completely honest with themselves and each other, and there was no retracting their confessions now - even had she wanted to. ~~~~~~~~~~ Some time later, replete and fulfilled, another thought struck her. "Spike? How did we get here? I mean, what's the last thing you remember?" The vampire paused in his hand's lazy stroking of her skin. "Before we passed out in a mind-blowing orgasm, you mean?" He smiled, then frowned in puzzlement. "Now you come to mention it, I don't rightly know. Unless.... Oh, bollocks!" He swore, pulling away from her. "What's wrong? Spike, what's going on?" For a moment, Buffy was stricken. He couldn't be leaving her, could he? Not after last night. Not again. Her lover saw the distress and confusion on her face and hurried back to her side to run a hand through her hair. "Nothing's wrong, love. Least, not with you. I think I might know what's going on though - last night in the woods, I ran into a fairy. Tricky little bugger, and he had a bunch of spells and whatnot up his sleeve. Might be a good idea to go to the Watcher and let him know we've got a visitor in Sunnyhell," Spike reassured the girl, battling the temptation to slide back into bed and to hell with sprites and leprechauns. He brushed the hair back from her face, behind her shoulder, and it was then he saw the mark. His eyes widened as he stared at it, his own free hand rising to the side of his own neck, feeling the smooth stippled skin of a scar that by its very nature would never heal, despite his vampiric abilities. "Oh bloody hell," he breathed. Buffy had been feeling better, if a little intrigued by the mention of a fairy, but at his expression and the fix of his gaze she felt her alarm return. "What is it?" Her fingertips searched the spot that Spike could not tear his eyes from, finding not the old, faded scar from Angel's teeth but a new and slightly sore wound. "Oh," she breathed, not knowing what to say. In a kaleidoscope of images, the last few moments before she blacked out fell into place. "What does it mean?" she asked. "I think we both got a bit carried away last night, love. It's a mating claim. Not sure how we managed it without the full ritual, though," Spike admitted, shaken. Buffy leapt from the bed and started scrabbling around for something to wear, relieved when she found her top and skirt on the floor nearby. "It wasn't without a ritual, Spike. Willow and Tara had been all prepped and ready to go for their handfasting, though how that transferred to us I don't know. I think that visit to Giles is way overdue," she informed him, not trusting herself to analyse their predicament. After all, hadn't they talked it out last night and given in to their feelings? She just wasn't sure how to react to the news that now, breaking up really wasn't an option. It all seemed too final for her to deal with - she'd never been commitment girl, after all. But then, this was Spike she was talking about. Commitment was one of his raising detter thingies. It formed part of who he was - sticking with Drusilla for so long, then Harmony. The man was a serial monogamist, in terms of decades. Buffy sighed and straightened, turning to face him. "Listen, I don't know what any of this means, or whether it changes anything for right now. I meant every word I said last night, and nothing's changed that. I'm just a little freaked, okay?" She crossed the room to him as she spoke, reaching her hand out to caress his hair. The guarded, distanced look in his blue eyes faded to leave only concern, and a little humour as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling Buffy tight into him. "Please don't hate me for this, Buffy. Don't shut me out in the cold again," he whispered, and Buffy realised she wasn't the only one afraid. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scene II - The Magic Shop "If I understand correctly, then, you were all out in the woods and Spike ran into one of the fey folk? There aren't any left on this plane, according to research, you know. They decided this world was becoming too mundane and left to reside in a nearby dimension about seven hundred years ago. I think there's reports of the odd one or two occasionally travelling to our world, but not often," Giles mused, unaware of Spike's exasperated eye rolling. "Rupert, what if they're right? The magic required to cast this kind of glamour is immense - if this fairy escapes, it could do untold amounts of damage. Not to mention the fact that the Powers aren't going to appreciate destinies being overturned and derailed on the capricious whim of a fey," Jenny reasoned, wanting the matter solved before anything could ruin her big day and concerned that her fiancé was not taking the matter seriously. "Yeah, Giles. And what about Riley?" Buffy interjected, ignoring the scowl from Spike at her former boyfriend's name. "He got turned into a slimy demon and we don't know if it's going to wear off or anything. It's a menace, whatever this thing is." " It's worn off," came a voice from the training room, causing the gathered group to spin in surprise. Riley stood in the doorway, wearing mangled, torn commando gear and a defeated expression. "I slept here last night - I didn't want to go back to the Initiative looking like that. Sorry, Giles." "Er, of course Riley. Everything quite back to normal?" The former librarian's British nature took over while the younger Americans gaped at the soldier's dishevelled appearance. "Yes, thank you. I'll just be on my way," Finn moved forward through the shop, pausing when he reached Buffy. "I just want to apologise. If I'm not the guy, I'm not the guy. Although I'll never be able to understand what you see in him," he added, jerking a thumb tersely at Spike. Like a tennis match, all eyes swivelled away from Riley and locked onto the Slayer. "Um, something you want to tell us, Buff?" Willow tried to joke, only to be met with a stunned silence. Buffy cast an anguished look at Spike, begging for help, before looking up at Riley and then her Watcher. "Oh... about that. Will, you know that handfasting circle you set up? Spike and I kind of got trapped in it," she glossed over the events. 'Not that it's any of their business anyways,' she thought. "Trapped? Buffy, it only activates when the couple are saying their vows to one another," Willow explained, mystified. Realisation hit Giles with the force of a freight train. "Oh good lord!" The watcher's forceful and heartfelt exclamation began an onslaught of questions and comments from Willow and Xander, each trying to shout louder than the other. Anya, in the meantime, simply walked over to where Spike was now standing protectively next to the Slayer and cast a critical eye over them. "They're bound mates," she announced, calmly, before moving back to Xander. "What? How? What?" Came the boy’s reaction, somewhat predictably. Anya petted his arm reassuringly. "It's fine, Xander. They've claimed each other. You know, like a human marriage only permanent," she explained. "And this is fine by what definition? He's a vampire, Ahn. Buffy, what the hell happened?" The brunette was outraged. "Xander, calm down," Giles ordered. "I can only deduce that whatever glamour this creature in the woods cast, it influenced Spike and Buffy into behaving much as they did when Willow's spell was in effect, only this time it went much further -" "Now hang on, Watcher!" Spike figured he'd been quiet long enough. "There were strange things going on last night, right enough, but what went on with me and the Slayer had nothing to do with a spell. We claimed each other in accordance with tradition, and more than that, I love her. Since when do any of you lot have a right to judge that, especially after how you lot behaved?" He was trembling in anger, failing to realise it until Buffy's small hand rested lightly on his arm. He looked into her face, shocked and concerned to see tears streaming down her cheeks. "You love me?" She asked in a tiny voice, hardly able to keep the hope contained. Spike wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. "You know I do, I always have. Just took some time for me to realise it," he smiled at Buffy, wiping away her tears with his thumb and placing a kiss on her forehead. She nestled closer to him and sighed happily, leaving her friends speechless until Giles cleared his throat. "Buffy, you cannot expect us to accept this. As soon as Jenny and I are married, we'll research a way to nullify the claim. In the meantime, I suggest you hunt this fairy down and - " The puck in question shimmered into being cross-legged upon the table, a wide smile splitting his face. Xander stumbled to his feet, backing off. "Sheesh, what is it with these sudden entrances? Doesn't anyone use the door?" "Wherefore go a-hunting when all you seek is in plain sight? My knavery here is done, my tale told, the glamour ended," Robin was delighted with the confusion he had wrought, but he had to end the tale in a fitting fashion. Buffy surreptitiously looked around for a weapon while trying to keep an eye on the odd demon in their midst. She had to admit, she'd seen some strange monsters in her time but this one had them all beat hands down. A shocking fuzz of brilliant green hair, yellow eyes like a cat's, with elliptical pupils, gray knobbly skin and more teeth than a shark - this was one weird looking fairy. His limbs were long, multi-jointed and spindly, and he was so skinny as to be emaciated, but the power she could sense within him belied his fragile appearance. 'And let's not forget the magic, either,' the thought crept through her mind. "Be not afeared, my lady," Robin turned to Buffy briefly. "I mean no ill will, and beg pardon if I have troubled you unduly. For the rest, it was but a game, a diversion, and perhaps a cautionary tale for some. Have I not made amends? Is all not as it should be? And doubly so for our lord and lady here, guardians and warriors, the two who wander the night with purpose. 'Twas not my magic ensnared them, no - their own love caught them fast long before I was abroad in this mortal world once more. Power greater than mine blessed their union, freed them to give their hearts completely and unshackled. Fate walks with them, draws them close and bids them happy - you are all matched, why should they not be?" The gathered couples and Riley gaped at the unlikely messenger from the higher beings, but found any arguments and dissent withered at his speech, and perhaps, a final touch of glamour. Satisfied, Robin bounded to his feet and bowed low. "And so adieu, friends and lovers all. My merry wandering is far from done, and your happy ending has but begun," he intoned, and his parting laughter echoed long after the Puck vanished. The End Cast List: Riley as Bottom Spike – Oberon Buffy – Titania Robin Goodfellow, a Puck – as himself The lovers: Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara Tara as Hermia, Xander as Demetrius, Willow as Lysander, Anya as Helena Mr Maclay as Egreus (Hermia’s father) Giles as Theseus, Jenny Calendar as Hippolyta