As always, Betaed by Maria and Flight Of Fancy.


“Giles.” Buffy moved away from the doorway. “Welcome.”

“Thank you.” Giles looked around, taking it all in. “It’s a big place you have here.” He passed two bottles to his nervous hostess. “I hope these are alright. I bought two when I heard Merrick and Joyce would be here as well.”

“Thank you. They’re already here. This way.” Buffy moved ahead with a bottle in each hand, leading Giles up the stairs.

Buffy was several feet ahead of him, and halfway across the living room, when she heard her former Watcher stutter something. “What did you say, Giles?” Turning around she saw Giles thrusting a cross towards her, a panicked look on his face.

“What's wrong with you?” Buffy tucked one of the bottles under her arm, and then used her free hand to push the cross away from her face.

“You...you...that's Spike...William the Bloody.” Giles turned his body until the wall was against his back, the cross held out in an attempt to protect himself from the notorious vampire.

“I know who he is...Ah, I get it. You think that Spike has turned me. Well, he hasn't and he won't," Buffy stated, placing the bottles on a side table and walking to stand behind the seated Spike. With her hands on her mate's shoulders, Buffy kept steady eye contact with Giles. “Yes, this is Spike, William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, but he's also my mate. My other half. He's the reason I'm here.”

A dull thud was heard. Giles had fainted.

The former Slayer sighed. Oh well, at least the worst is over and they both know now. Mom took it pretty well, too. That's a 50% success rate...or 50% failure, I suppose. Buffy quickly came to the conclusion that it didn't matter in the end. Spike was her mate and he had the Gem of Amara now. A satisfied smile flashed briefly on her face, before she went to help her mother and Merrick get Giles off the floor.

Spike was snickering, as he watched Merrick grab Giles around his chest, and Buffy grab the Watcher's feet. They carried him over to the couch, Joyce hurrying ahead to make sure a corner was cleared to receive the unconscious gentleman.

Merrick was better than Spike at keeping his feelings under wrap, but when his eyes did meet Spike's a rueful smile was exchanged.

Buffy and Joyce got Giles settled at the end of the leather corner-couch furthest from Spike. Half lying down, Giles almost slid to the floor again as he started to wake, but Buffy caught him under his arms and heaved him up onto his seat once more, before leaving him to the care of her mother.

Joyce sat down beside Giles, and Merrick passed her a glass containing three fingers of neat scotch for the overwhelmed man. She placed the glass in Giles' hand, and then wrapped his fingers around it when he didn't seem to understand what the glass was for. Giles was shaking so hard that Joyce had to steady his hand, and help him take his first sip of the bracing spirits.

On the opposite end of the couch, Buffy had placed herself on her mate's lap, an arm around Spike's neck. With a smile on her lips, Buffy watched Giles sip his drink.

Spike watched Buffy watching Giles. The look in her eyes contradicted how she had behaved when Giles fainted. Buffy seemed pleased with herself. Spike opened his mind and reached out for Buffy's thoughts.

As she felt Spike's gentle probing, she straightened up and turned to look at him.

A quick lift of Spike's questioning eyebrow seemed to be enough for Buffy to understand what Spike wanted, and she opened her mind to him without further hesitation.

In the past, Spike had been made privy to some of Buffy’s happy memories, but she had deliberately avoided sharing some of her more painful ones because she didn’t want to influence him before he had a chance to make his own decision about her social circle. Her earlier memories of the Scooby Gang might have been positive, but the later ones…especially after his final passing in her previous life…were not.

Buffy's memories were a jumble, but Spike was able to clearly understand the reason for her resentment and distrust of Giles. More importantly, he understood that the feelings Buffy had experienced were still running through her body, just as powerful today as they were when she first felt them.

Gaining knowledge of Buffy's history through her memories caused Spike to tighten his arms around her, as if to protect her from further pain. Fucking bastard. Spike wanted to hurt Giles, to rip the Watcher's fucking head off in an effort to pay him back for all the anguish Buffy had suffered. It was only Buffy's soothing hand, stroking his neck, that kept Spike from losing his temper.

When Giles became aware of his surroundings again, the first thing he saw was Buffy sitting on the lap of her mortal enemy.... Correction, her mate. The Light's other half.

Giles cleared his throat while he took off his glasses and started to polish them on his shirttail. “I gather from this, that Hell on Earth has been prevented?”

“As long as we're able to do our job.”

“Your job?” Giles looked confused. “I thought that if you were with your mate, the prophecy was fulfilled?”

“Mostly, but now it becomes our responsibility to take care of trouble that could potentially end the world, if left unnoticed.” Buffy licked her lips nervously. “In fact, we already have a case that we need to deal with.”

“May I inquire what situation demands your attention so soon after your mating?” Giles emptied his glass, leaning forward to put it on the table. “I don't know of any impending apocalypse.”

Buffy got up from Spike's lap. “It's Willow,” she muttered very abruptly. “Excuse me. I have to check on the food.” With that, Buffy fled into the kitchen.

“I'll go give her a hand.” Spike got up and followed Buffy from the room, responding to the sadness he could sense coming from his love. As soon as Spike entered the kitchen, Buffy ran to him and he wrapped her in his arms as she started to sob.

“Giles didn't even congratulate us. He doesn't seem to care that I'm happy.” Buffy cried silently into Spike's neck.

“Shh, it's okay, Baby. He's just overwhelmed. His brain can't keep up with everything that's happing; it's going too fast for him. He's probably getting too old for this job. Another year or two and we’ll have to ship him off to a Watcher retirement home where he’ll spend his days wandering around in his slippers, searching the comics in the paper for hints of the next apocalypse and polishing his glasses.” Spike sighed in relief when he heard her giggle.

Pressing her mouth into Spike's neck, Buffy tried desperately to stop both her mirth and her tears.

At last Spike forced her head up and kissed her passionately.

It wasn't long before her giggling had stopped and she was moaning instead. “I'll have to thank you properly for that one later,” Buffy said, as she leaned her forehead on his and breathed deeply to fill her lungs.

“That'll get me through this evening,” Spike answered with a leer.

Blushing, Buffy pulled back. “Why don't you open the bottles of wine Giles brought, while I check on the food.”

“Sure.” Spike kissed her, before reluctantly releasing his hold on her hips so he could go find the corkscrew.

After Buffy had checked on dinner and closed the oven, she turned to see Spike peeling the wrapping away from the cork on one of the bottles of wine. Buffy circled her arms around him from behind and leaned into him, resting her cheek on his shoulder blade. His muscles rippled against her body, and she sighed in contentment. Buffy moved her chin up until it rested on his shoulder, her mouth close to his ear. “I love you.”

The last bottle opened, Spike placed it on the table and turned in Buffy's arms. He placed a hand on each side of her head, thumbs softly stroking her cheekbones. “Thank you for loving me.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “No one but my mum has ever really loved me. I love you too.” His eyes shone with unshed tears. After another kiss, he pulled her into his arms and hid his face in her neck, refusing to let go until Merrick interrupted, asking when they could eat.

Buffy pressed a quick kiss to Spike's lips before she answered, “In a few minutes.”

“A question, love. Am I allowed to eat human food, or is that against the rules? It doesn't do anything to keep me undead, I just like the taste of it sometimes.”

“It's okay. When The Powers were talking about food, they meant blood. From now on, only my blood will be nourishing your body.” Spike was trying hard to avoid mistakes, and Buffy loved him even more because of it. Unable to resist, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a bruising kiss.

Buffy, with Spike's help, was placing the food on the table as their guests came into the kitchen and sat down. Giles was careful to stay as far away from Spike as possible.

When Buffy walked past Spike, she gave him a poke in his ribs, silently asking him to stop glaring menacingly at Giles.

“Taking all my fun away,” Spike mumbled and ignored Giles, instead offering Joyce her choice of wines.

Giles was silent throughout the meal, eating with one hand hidden under the table. Everyone did their best to get the Watcher to join in the conversation, but they only managed to get a nod here and there.

Finally, Buffy could stand it no longer. As everyone else rose to clear the table before dessert, she pulled Giles aside.

Breathing deeply, she closed in on him. “What the heck is the matter with you? You were invited here to share in our happiness and to have a serious talk about Willow. All through the meal you just sat there and moped. I thought we had Angel for that.” The more Buffy spoke, the louder she got. Now she stood with folded arms and waited for Giles to answer her.

Giles had stepped back when Buffy invaded his space, ripping off his glasses. He was still polishing the lenses when she stopped talking.

“I...I...,” Giles sighed and placed his glasses on his nose. “Frankly, I don't know what to say.” He went over to the couch and sat down. “I would never have guessed that Spike would be your other half. Never in a million years.”

Slowly, Buffy sat down on the coffee table in front of him, hands between her knees.

“I thought it would be one of the Warriors for Good. Maybe one we don't know about yet. Not Spike, William the Bloody, the Slayer of Slayers, the Biggest Bad.” Giles leaned back, defeated. “Why him?”

“I love him. When he died, I was so sad that it nearly broke me. He died twice to save the world.” Buffy was looking at something only she could see. “I held his hand the first time, saw him incinerate... But he came back. The Powers brought him back.” Silent tears ran down her cheeks. “I didn't know... and when I found out, it was too late. He had already given his life for the world again in a battle Angel started....one that could easily have been avoided.”

“That's enough.” Spike came rushing in. Before Giles could react, Spike had gathered Buffy in his arms, carried her over to the other end of the couch and sat down with her in his lap, holding her close as he whispered comforting words for her ears only.

“Why can't you just be happy for Buffy and Spike?”

Even Giles could see Joyce's anger. Standing slightly behind her was Merrick, and he didn't look pleased either.

Merrick shook his head. “It couldn't be anyone else.” He guided Joyce to the couch between Spike and Giles. “I could get in trouble for telling you this, but you'll find out eventually anyway because it's in the book.”

Merrick walked between the kitchen and the couch several times, fetching wine glasses from the table. “First of all, they were made for each other from the start. One good and one evil; white and black. They complement each other perfectly, and that's what this world needs.... balance. ” He filled their glasses.

“The Light and her mate have a task. Now that they're here and mated, they've already prevented the presence of the First Evil from entering this realm. From now on, they'll act as judges, and occasionally as executioners, in order to keep the peace in this realm. They’re responsible for the world of demons, interactions between the demon and human communities, and for humans who become involved in the supernatural.” Merrick sat between Joyce and Giles.

“If the Judges become aware of a threat to humans, demons, or the world in general, they'll either find someone to take care of it, or deal with it themselves. That's all I can share with you. If that isn't enough, then I don't think you have a place in this circle.” Merrick turned away from Giles, lifting his glass towards the couple still snuggling on the couch. “Congratulations and best wishes for the future, Buffy and Spike .”

“I second that.”

Buffy looked up from Spike's throat, and saw the smiling faces of her mother and her first Watcher. “Thank you.” She reached out to hold her mother's hand, as she took the glass that Spike gave her.

Briefly, Giles closed his eyes. “I...I'm sorry. So truly sorry, Buffy and ...Spike. It's just the last thing I would have expected. Give me some time, and I'll get use to the two of you together. For now, allow me to offer my sincerest congratulations, and my hope that you’ll share a long and happy future.” He raised his glass with the others.

Giles’ attempt to be civil and repair bridges within the group seemed to be a turning point in the evening. He and Merrick remained in the living room and spoke of old acquaintances and enemies while Joyce helped Spike serve the dessert. Buffy took a few minutes while everyone else was busy, and retreated to the bathroom to remove the evidence of her tears and fix her makeup.

Once again reunited in the living room, everyone settled down to enjoy their dessert. Buffy and Spike played around, leaving ice cream on noses or other places, as they fed each other. Spike whispered things into Buffy’s ear that made her blush and squirm in her seat, and her whispers back to him had him licking his lips and leering at his mate.

Giles didn't want to know what the whispering was about, though he thought he could guess. He did notice, however, that Buffy and Spike were clearly devoted to each other, and their childish play managed to soften his heart when their words of reason had failed.

As the dessert was disposed of, either into happy tummies, or into the waste disposal as the plates were cleared, Buffy stood to refresh everyone’s drink. Returning to the couch and relaxing against Spike's side, Buffy told Giles about what they, in their role as the Judges, had done in an effort to restrain Willow‘s powers.

“She won't like it, but she'll eventually accept it. Xander and Angel are another matter. They'll be mad as Hell.” Giles sighed. “And I'll be the one caught in the crossfire at first.... then it'll be you and Spike. Likely, mostly Spike. He'll be their scapegoat.”

“What makes you think that?” Joyce leaned forward and placed her glass on the table.

“They'll say something about Buffy being in Spike's thrall. That Spike has ordered her to do it. Bad influence and all.”

“Then we'll just tell them the truth.” Joyce shrugged. “Inform them about the mating.”

Giles actually laughed out loud.

It was such a strange sound. At first, everyone just stared at him, but soon they all joined him as they saw the humour of the situation and began to image the faces of the others as they were told about Buffy and Spike, and how the couple would be together forever.

The group finally stopped laughing when their stomach muscles ached too much for them to continue. Clutching their midsections, they slowly sipped their drinks, occasionally letting out an odd giggle or choked off laugh when they made eye contact with someone else.

“Will they ever understand?” Merrick asked. He was the one that knew the Scoobies and Angel the least.

Like a bright candle left out in the rain, the smiles and laughter faded away.

“I can only hope.” Buffy sought comfort in Spike's arms.

“So, if I understand this correctly, if I bring information to you and you believe it to pose a threat to the welfare of the people or demons occupying this planet, then you will take steps to prevent such potential disasters from occurring?” Giles had leaned forward, glass between his hands. “Even though you're not the Slayer.”

“Pretty much, but it has nothing to do with whether I'm a Slayer or not. We,” Buffy took a firm grip on Spike's hand before she turned to face Giles again, “are the Judges. Some call us the Judges for Peace. We assess any given threat, and then if there isn't anyone who can execute our judgments, we'll take action ourselves.”

Spike tightened his arm around her shoulders, groaning as he hid his face in her neck. “God, watch it or I'll jump you. Sod the company.”

Buffy quickly turned to look at him, responding to his quietly growled comment. “What did I do?”

“You're letting that brain of yours show again. I've told you before, I think that's incredibly hot.” Pink coloured her cheeks, and she squeezed his hand.

Whatever she was going to say was lost, as Giles’ voice distracted her. “So if I ask you about the Master, you'll do something about him?” The clink of a wine bottle connecting with the rim of a glass was loud in the sudden silence.