~*~
Chapter 14

~*~

The ride back to Sunnydale was bittersweet. Alone with Spike, Buffy could let the rest of the world disappear. No problems, no pressures, no disapproval to face, just one loving vampire to hold onto as the scenery flew by.

There would never be a day at the beach basking in the sun with him, but she could happily bask in the afterglow of loving him. That was better than sunlight and not likely to cause aging skin or cancer.

About a mile outside of town, Buffy asked Spike to pull over, delaying the inevitable. "Just wanted one more chance to kiss you silly before the gang’s all around, that’s all"

Spike had a slightly hurt look on his face at that. "Don’t worry, pet, I know you don’t want any of them to know about us. I can be discreet." It was clear that being her dirty secret was hurting him, but if it were the only way he could have her, it would have to do.

"That’s not it! Well, not completely. I admit the whole going public thing gives me tummy rumbles, but not because of you. I’m not ashamed of you. Why would I be? I
think the girls will all be fine; Dawn’ll be over the moon even. Xander and Giles may be a different matter though. They mean well but just can’t get past the whole history of what happened with Angel. They love me and worry." Buffy knew that if it came down to it, she’d suffer the anger of all the men in her life rather than give up what she had found in Spike’s arms.

"’S okay. Can’t really blame them. I am a vampire and like you said, they love you. It’s all right. However you want to play this is fine with me," Spike offered.

"Giles has a lot of books about vampires." Buffy wanted to talk about that whole claim thing again but wasn’t sure how to lead up to it. She had found references in one of Giles’ reference books while working at the Magic Box earlier. It told what the claim was supposed to do and how Spike had been right about it being a rare occurrence. It hadn’t said a word on HOW the claim was made though.

"Your point, love? I mean Giles IS a watcher; stands to reason he’s got books on the enemy. How accurate anything written by those wankers may be is another thing." Spike smiled at some of the things he’d read in those books about his supposed origins.

"I looked up what they had on a claim bite," she ventured. "It didn’t say anything about vampires and humans with it. I was wondering if it’s possible? How’s it done?"

"Curious, love, or somethin’ you wanna share with me?" Spike wasn’t going to let his mind run down that path without an engraved invitation. Crushed hearts lay in that path. No one had ever wanted to claim him as a human or vampire. He wasn’t going to start dreaming of the impossible.

"Just curious." She had actually been toying with the idea of using the claim to have Spike become her official mate at some point. She couldn’t imagine anyone else being
in her heart the way he now was. Her life wasn’t normal and wouldn’t likely be long. Why not spend it with Spike at her side, hers in every way? Of course she hadn’t even been able to say the "L" word to him yet, but the information could always be used later when she sucked up the nerve.

"Pretty simple, imagine it works the same for vamp or human. The one making the claim bites the other and after having a little sip, says something like ‘mine’ to put out the intention of belonging, ya know. Then, if the claim is accepted, the other does the same. That’d be a real mating ritual. Most of the time that’s done while havin’ sex. You can have a claim without it being a full mating, and without the sex, with the other only agreeing to the claim by saying something like ‘yours’ or some such. That way the person or vamp being claimed agrees that they belong to the one doin’ the claiming. No other vamp will mess with the claimed one without knowin’ the vamp they
belong to will destroy them. It also is supposed to create an emotional bond that makes the two pretty much in tune with each other. Naturally, a full mating makes
all that even stronger." Spike was still a bit confused by her curiosity about vampire blood rituals. He knew she had enjoyed the two times he had bitten her before but wondered at her continued interest.

"So, other vamps can tell if someone’s been claimed?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. It warns ‘em to steer clear, respect the claim." Spike already knew that any vamp coming near Buffy was going to get the pointy end of a stick from him if they hurt her. With or without a claim, she was his and always would be.

They kissed some more and enjoyed the cool night breezes for a while, talking about trivial things and just enjoying each other’s company. "Guess we should head back. Think everyone’ll be asleep?" Buffy hoped they would be. Then she wouldn’t have to explain Spike joining her in her bedroom.

"Might be. We’ll be nice and quiet just in case they’re still awake though. Course, I could always just climb that tree outside your window and you could let me in that way. That is, if you’re wantin me to stay the night or what’s left of it," Spike hinted.

"Of course I want you to stay! We’ll figure it out later but you’ll come in through the front door just like anybody else." Buffy was pretty sure that none of her roommates would object at all. Giles had decided to move into an apartment that had recently become available. One of his customers was sub-letting it furnished. Buffy was amused at the look of relief on Giles’ face, knowing he wasn’t going to be
exiled to her couch with all that estrogen surrounding him.

Buffy and Spike remounted the Harley and made the last mile to Revello Drive wrapped up in their own thoughts.

***

"Slayer, know who drives that tank of a convertible parked in front of the house?" Spike had a feeling he’d seen the older car somewhere before but couldn’t place it.

"Not really, no. Maybe the neighbors have guests?" Buffy couldn’t think of anyone it could belong to that might be visiting her house. Her dad drove a newer car and none of her friends had mentioned getting a different car.

They walked up to the porch with their arms entwined around each other’s waists. Like the Victorian gentleman he once was, Spike opened the door for Buffy and waited for her to go through first.

The door had barely closed behind them when a voice came from the direction of the living room. "Hello Buffy, Spike. Kind of unexpected seeing the two of you together. Want to explain that little fact?"

"Angel!" Buffy’s heart rate sped to the level of a triathlete. "What on earth are you doing here, and in the dark?"

"Came to see you. Save you from a horrible mistake. Do some pest control. I didn’t want to believe Xander when he called, but looks like he was right." Angel turned to Spike and spat out, "So, boy, think you’d get back at me by seducing Buffy? You don’t touch what’s mine, William. Thought you learned that a century ago."

"Buffy’s not yours, not anyone’s. She’s her own woman. She can chose who she spends time with like any other grown up. Besides, YOU left her, you wanker. Can’t be all ‘dog in a manger’ and expect her to pine away for you the rest of her life." Spike faced off with his grandsire, angry at the intrusion. "Bloody Xander," he thought, "had to stick his nose in it."

"I left her for her own good. Unlike you, I have a soul, a conscience. She’s human, Spike; she needs a normal life. One day she’ll meet a nice guy who’ll give her that. You’re like me, a creature out of a horror movie. Only you’re worse, you don’t have a soul. You are evil. You touching her is a travesty." Angel glared at the younger vamp.

"You don’t know a thing, Peaches. Twenty years with me when I was just learnin’ how to be a vamp, with you teachin’ me all the dirty uglies, I might add…that’s not sayin’ you know me at all. You know who I was then, not now. Besides, it’s none of your business what either of us do. Once again, YOU left HER. That makes you her ex, nothin’ else.

"You’re a demon, Spike. Demons don’t change," Angel snorted

Spike tilted his head and huffed in disgust, "They say we can’t love either, but we both know that’s not true."

"What … you’re trying to say you LOVE Buffy?" Angel laughed at the thought.

"Yes, I love Buffy. Always will. Now you know, now you can leave." Spike opened the door and motioned with his head for Angel to hit the road.

"God! This would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic! You ‘love’ Buffy because I was there first, Spike. You want what’s mine like you always have." Angel lunged at Spike, pinning him to the open front door. "You touch her and you’re dust. You try to mess with her in any way and you’re dust. Got that, boy?"

Spike had trouble answering with the larger vamp’s hand around his throat but managed to gasp out, "Why ….Don’t …. You …. Ask …. The …. Lady?"

"Finally someone thinks I have some say in how I live MY life!" She pulled Angel off Spike and shoved him back towards the living room. "I get to decide the kind of life I want and I get to decide who I love. I don’t belong to you; you never wanted me to." With that, she leaned into Spike’s neck and bit deeply enough to draw blood. Raising her head after a small, coppery tasting sip, she spoke loudly enough for Angel to be sure to hear. "MINE."

When a shocked Spike didn’t answer, Buffy prodded him. "Well? Don’t you want to be mine?"

He blinked several times and then looked deeply into her eyes and said, "Yours, always yours."

"Well, Angel, I guess we all know who belongs to who now. I think you can head back to your life in L.A. now and stop worrying about us. We do just fine without you." Buffy smiled smugly at her gaping ex.

Angel beat a hasty retreat. Clearly Buffy had lost her mind. Well, he would be around to let her know he’d told her so. For now, he had to get back home before
Fred’s parents got there.

"Did you mean to do that, love?" Spike was still in shock over Buffy’s actions.

"Of course I did, you idiot. Didn’t you hear me telling Angel I would be the one to decide who I love? Well, I decided a while ago…it’s you. Might as well let the demon world know along with the human one." She smiled at the look of awe on her vampire’s face. "If you want to do this right and return the gesture, I wouldn’t say no."

"You’d let me claim you? Full mating and all?" At Buffy’s ready nod, Spike burst into a wide grin."

"I’d rather do that in private though, yeah?" He lifted Buffy in his arms and carried her upstairs to what he now hoped would be their bedroom to join his unlife with hers for all time.

"Think we can manage a little honeymoon before I have to look for that job I still don’t have?" Buffy teased as they ascended to the bedroom.

"I think that’s a grand idea, my love. As for the job…well, no reason I can’t look into a few things too. Gotta take care of my girls, don’t I?"

As soon as they cleared the door frame, Spike kicked the door closed behind them. Carefully placing his precious burden on the bed, he bent to remove his boots.

Buffy had already kicked her boots off and was halfway to getting her pants off as well. Spike stopped his own stripping to grasp the bottoms of her pant legs and tug them off. He leaned in, one hand on each side of her hips, and kissed her senseless.

As he continued to kiss her, Spike felt Buffy fumbling with his belt buckle and broke free to help her release him from his jeans. He shuddered as her hand clasped
his rigid cock and began to pump gently.

He ripped his tee shirt over his head in one quick jerk and then reached for her blouse, pulling it roughly from her in his eagerness to touch her flesh.


He was hers. She had marked him as belonging to her and now they were about to take it the distance. She would be his in reality--not just in his heart, but openly for all the world to see. His mate, his love.

"Come here, my vampire." She leaned back and pulled Spike with her, feeling him settle between her thighs. "You belong to me! Nobody else better ever put their hands on you either." She smiled at his look of amazement.

Spike unhooked her bra with his teeth while trailing kisses up her stomach on the way to her breasts. As it fell free, his hands began to palm her breasts, teasing her nipples until they were dusky and rock hard. He continued his kisses up to the base of her throat, then along her jaw to her ear.

Buffy was equally active, raining kisses on any part of Spike she could reach as her hands continued to glide up and down on his cock. She felt him rip her thong from her hips, making her warm, wet channel accessible to him at last.

As his mouth moved to cover hers in a searing kiss that drove all thought of anything but him from her mind, she felt him enter her. He took her in one thrust, stopping only when their pelvic bones made contact. "You are mine", Buffy said again when she
pulled away to catch a breath. "I do love you, Spike. Always, like you said."

Spike had a dreamy look on his face as he replied, ‘I love you, Buffy Summers. Have from the first dance and will ‘til my last. I was yours without you ever makin’
that claim. No one’s ever wanted me ‘cept my mum, and not that way either. Can hardly believe you want me, much less want me as your mate. Having a bit of a time
wrappin’ my mind around the idea that you love me too.’

Buffy looked at him tenderly and reaffirmed her vow, "I do, Spike. I love you and want you for always. While you get used to it, feel free to wrap whatever you want around me." She smiled at her little teasing joke and then wrapped her legs around his hips to illustrate the point.

As Spike pumped forcefully into her, he shifted into game face and found his previous mark on her neck. He carefully let his fangs sink into her neck and drew in a mouthful of her blood. He only took the one swallow before removing his fangs to say, "Mine, Buffy, you’re mine now and for eternity."

Buffy took her lead from him and bit into him where she had earlier, reopening the wound and drawing in a small amount of his blood replying, "Yes, Spike, Yours
for always." She wished if only for that moment that she had fangs to make the bite easier. The taste was not so bad to make her miss out on the pleasure biting her mate gave to her but she didn’t want to inflict too much pain in the process.

Whatever the future was to hold for them, they would see it together, joined in mind, spirit and heart as they now were in body.

Spike let himself move back to her neck for another pull at her blood as they both neared climax. The feel of his fangs sent Buffy over the edge first with Spike right behind her.

Spike licked the two holes marking their mystical bonding until the bleeding stopped. He then placed a reverent kiss on the place that told the demon world she was his. He rolled to his side, drawing Buffy with him so that they were still face to face,
grinning like idiots at one another.

"’Bout that honeymoon…I was thinkin’ we could go through L.A. on the way south, maybe pay a little return visit to the grandsire. Let him have a chance to offer congratulations and what all." Spike ducked as Buffy playfully smacked his arm.

"Well, I, for one, don’t care what Angel thinks. Maybe we’ll just send him a wedding announcement. I’d kind of like to see about a cabin around that State Park we went to
tonight. I think it would be a perfect place for a few days honeymoon," Buffy suggested.

"Anything my lady desires. As you wish," Spike replied.

"Don’t tell me, Dawn had you watching The Princess Bride this summer, didn’t she?" Buffy laughed at her sweetly human vampire mate.

"Yes, Buttercup and I shall fight all the giants and swordsmen and armies of evil and even outwit any evil genius that dare try to hurt you. I’ll be your Dread Pirate Spike," he teased back.

As Buffy giggled, he kissed the place that forever marked her as his and watched as she shuddered in pleasure. "Wow, I felt that, like, everywhere! Is that the way it works?" Then she kissed the place she had bitten him.

"Oh, yeah, felt that too." He sighed in contentment

"I’m thinking if we can’t visit the Poof to share the joy, can I at least be the one to tell Xander?" Spike quirked a brow as he asked.

"Only if I’m in the same room. Not only to see the look on his face, but to make sure he doesn’t make me a widow!" Buffy grinned in agreement.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms, knowing they would never awaken alone again and dreamed of days ahead where ‘normal’ meant one very special vampire and his equally unusual slayer mate.

~*~
Epilogue
~*~


Dawn was the first to discover the lovers. She had walked into her sister’s room at sunrise to tell Buffy what a great time she had missed with the group.

"Eep!" Dawm didn’t see much, since Spike was covering her naked sister with his body and a sheet was around his important parts, but she knew what she was happening anyway.

Once the squealing and explanations were over, the entire household was up and in on the events of the previous night.

"So Angel just left then?" Willow asked.

"I’m kind of surprised. His aura was really violent when you introduced us." Tara had been worried about what might happen but was reassured by Willow that
Angel cared for Buffy and that she could handle him.

"Yep, that’s what he did. Of course, that was after a huge pissing contest between he and Spike and my finally showing him just who I wanted to be with." Buffy took Spike’s hand and held it.

The couple then explained about claiming/mating, leaving out all the "good bits" to keep from shocking the girls and traumatizing Dawn.

"Like I’m not already traumatized after this morning! No more walking into your room without knocking from now on," she promised. "Hey, does this mean you two are, like, married?"

Buffy and Spike looked at each other, devouring each other with their eyes before Buffy answered, "Oh yeah, married. The whole ‘death do us part’ thing, only without the church or dress and all that."

"Be glad to go through that too, if that’s what you want. Just no outdoors and no bloody ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ either." Spike wondered idly if Buffy still had his ring from that spell-induced engagement. ‘Need a proper one this time,’ he thought.

***

Giles took the news as expected with plenty of "Good Lord" comments and much polishing of his glasses. In the end, he focused on the unexpectedness of an unsouled vampire
choosing to be mated to a slayer and delved into research. "We mustn’t let the Council have so much as a hint of this though. Wankers would be on us all like a Biblical plague!"

Spike burst into laughter at Giles using the same term for his employers that he always had.

"Rupes, I was wondering if you could lend me a hand in getting some kind of passable forged papers. Got a wife to support now and that means a job. Time to show up on the legal radar, I think." Spike had waited until Buffy was occupied talking to Willow before approaching the Watcher with his request.

"I suppose I know a few people who could arrange things. Perhaps if you were to give me the real statistics--name, birthdate, education, that sort of thing--we could make them as close as possible to the real thing." Giles looked a bit too avid in his
request and Spike smirked, knowing he wanted the information for more reasons than false papers.

"Sure thing. Just don’t go sharin’ the information, right?" Might as well humor the old boy since he was as close to a father-in-law as Spike was going to get.

"Yes. Well, then, what sort of a job were you thinking of getting?" Giles asked.

"I’ve got a great idea," Anya exclaimed. She had been genuinely happy for Buffy and Spike, whereas Xander was still sitting in shock, mouth open. "Why don’t you and Buffy become martial arts instructors? You could use the training room and in this town there are lots of people who want to know how to defend themselves."

"That’s a great idea! We could put up posters on campus and Dawnie could put them up in the high school. With the Bot up and ready to help if you need more money with a ‘second job’, that would probably cover all of it! You wouldn’t even have to pay rent
on the training room." Willow enthused.

"Wait a minute. I think we need to rethink that ‘no rent’ part." Anya’s eyes began to get a calculating look at the thought of percentages. "Xander, honey, you need to close your mouth or it will dry out. Oh! And of course, Spike, you’ll have to be part of our wedding party now."

That snapped Xander out of it. "No way. He can come, but no way is he in the wedding party. Bad enough he’s married to my friend, that doesn’t mean I’m going to be looking at his picture every time I look at our wedding album!"

"Well, at least he’s wrapped his mind around the idea that we’re together, pet," said Spike.

"It’s a start. He’ll come around. Just don’t antagonize him too much and he might even come to love you as much as I do," Buffy advised.

"Don’t even say that!" Spike and Xander protested at the same time and then looked sheepishly at the floor as everyone else laughed at them.

"Notice Xander didn’t say it’s not love," Dawn pointed out. "This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

"That girl watches too many movies," grumbled Spike as he looked from Dawn to Xander. Then, with a shrug, he pulled his mate into the embrace of his arms and kissed her senseless in front of the lot of them.

~fin