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Not Beneath Me by Tasha
 
Epilogue
 
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Not Beneath Me - Epilogue

By Tasha


Previous Chapter Summary: Glory was defeated. The Scoobies and Fang Gang are all intact. They did lose a couple of the Council's Watchers in the battle though. The Gem of Amara saved Spike's life when he and Doc flew out the window.

Final Chapter Summary: It's been quite a ride from start to finish, but we're at the end of our journey for this story. Angel keeps his promise to perform a ritual that will protect Spike and Buffy's claims from any other clan member, including himself. There are some concerns still, but read on to see what happens to our Scoobies.

NOTES: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed on this story since it began in February 2005. It's been a long journey, but I hope that you will feel it was a worthwhile one. This was the first story that I wrote for this fandom, and I am thankful to MissKitty who actually started this one at the BSC. She was unable to continue it, and she offered it up for adoption. Thanks Kitty! It has been sticky at times to get to the next chapter, but I did enjoy writing this story and sharing it with everyone.

(Disclaimer and Distribution notes are listed in the Prologue of this story. Thank you ahead of time for reading and accepting or abiding by them.)

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.




(Takes place 6 months after the battle with Glory)

"Spike!" Buffy shouted into the training room at the Magic Box, and then she lowered her voice. "Would you please stop pacing?"

"It's all I can bloody do." Spike threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "The sun's set. He'll be here any minute."

"He'll do right by us." Buffy walked across the training room. She rested her hand on Spike's arm.

"There are still so many ways this can all go to Hell." Spike pressed his lips to the top of Buffy's head. "We should have insisted on the wrist. I don't want that git anywhere near your neck again."

Buffy lifted her head. "We have to give him some of our trust." Her gaze locked with her Mate's. "You and I belong together, and he knows it."

"Knowing it and giving up the chase are two different things." Spike's brow furrowed.

Buffy lifted Spike's right hand. She inspected the gaudy, but effective, piece of jewelry on one of his fingers. "He never tried to take this back from you." She kissed the encased gem.

"He complained enough about giving it to me after the battle with Glory," Spike grumbled. "He doesn't realize the curse that comes with wearing it, or he wouldn't want it back."

"Curse?" Buffy asked in bewilderment. "Is it a curse to feel the warmth of the sun on your face without fear? Is it a curse knowing you can't be killed while wearing it?"

"Yeah, it's a curse because now I am stuck waiting hand and foot as a pack mule for three very bossy ladies." Spike teased. He ducked low and to the right to avoid the punch Buffy threw his way.

"You infuriating ... obnoxious ... vampire!" Buffy continued with a flurry of punches aimed at various parts of Spike's body. She loved him so much, but sometimes he really got on her nerves too.

Spike grabbed Buffy's arm, twisted it behind her, and pulled her back flat against his chest. "There are only one vampire's fangs that should ever be near your neck." He lightly pierced Buffy's skin with the tips of his incisors. "Mine."

Buffy shivered in Spike's arms from desire. She lifted her free arm behind her and placed it at the back of Spike's head while she ground her butt into his denim covered erection. "Always yours. Trust that I won't let him take the claim from you."

Spike supped gently on the powerful elixir that flowed through Buffy's veins. The loving bond between then was unmistakable. He tasted his own essence within her life force. "I trust you with all that I am, beloved," He whispered in her ear.

Buffy slowly turned around in Spike's arm. She cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips. Tiny fangs pricked Spike's lower lip. She suckled several droplets of Spike's blood before the tiny wound sealed itself. "You are mine, and he will not take that from me."

Spike purred in contentment, "Yours, Buffy, until I'm ashes."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Angel if you don't get your undead ass in that store, I'm going to stake you myself," Cordelia ground out between tight lips in frustration.

Angel continued to pace out in the back alley of the Magic Box. The sun had set 15 minutes earlier, but he couldn't force himself to take the last few steps into the store. "What if I mess this up?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I told you that I wouldn't let you do that." She rested a hand on Angel's arm.

"You don't understand how powerful her blood will be to me." Angel ran a hand through his stiff hair. "The last time I drank from her I almost killed her."

"You were close to dying and half out of your mind at the time too." Cordelia reminded him of the events that surrounded his last feeding from Buffy. "She pushed the demon as far as she could to bring him out. You aren't that same person any more, Angel."

Angel looked up at Cordelia. There was a sense of fear that shone in his eyes, but it melted some after he saw the love shining from Cordelia's eyes at him. "We've tried so hard the last 6 months to put everything behind us and start fresh."

Cordelia stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Angel's waist, and hugged him tightly. She rested her head against his shoulder. "I'd say we've succeeded quite nicely." She kissed the side of his neck.

Angel visibly relaxed in Cordy's arms. "Oh Delia," He sighed softly. "I don't want to ruin what we've accomplished already."

"Then let that lead you, Angel." Cordy pulled back enough to look at Angel. "If you think you'll lose control, focus on everything we have in L.A. together. There are a lot of happy things waiting for us to get back to them."

"Not too happy though," Angel teased.

"We'll see." Cordy smiled at the befuddled look on Angel's face. "Trust me." She hoped that Willow's idea worked. If it didn't, at least Angel wouldn't have known it was possible and been disappointed.

"Always, Delia." Angel kissed Cordy's lips softly. "Let's get this over with." He squared his shoulders, opened the back door to the Magic Box, and stepped into the training room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy and Spike looked up at the opened door. Cordelia and Angel stood just inside the opened door. The tension in the room was palpable, and no one made a move or spoke.

Dawn, Willow, and Tara walked into the training room from the main part of the store. "Did someone cast a freezing spell?" Dawn teased. "It looks like we have four mannequins in here."

Dawn's words broke through the tension. Buffy and Spike laughed. Angel and Cordelia rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"Much better." Dawn walked closer to Buffy and Spike. Willow and Tara let out a collective sigh of relief. The Wiccas walked hand in hand to oversized gold cloth that would serve as their workplace.

"What is she doing here?" Angel asked. Ever since the battle with Glory, Angel felt intimidated by the power in Dawn's presence. "I know you wanted Willow and Tara for witnesses, but is it a good idea for Dawn to be here to see this?"

"She is necessary for something we have planned afterwards," Willow explained. "Besides we couldn't talk her out of wanting to be here."

"What about Anya and Xander?" Cordelia had been sure that the other two Scoobies would be present.

"They threw us all a curve ball." Spike chuckled. "Instead of waiting to plan their wedding for next year, they decided to elope. Guess Harris didn't want to worry about Anya's side of the family eating his side or his side insulting her side. They left for their honeymoon yesterday."

"They were only engaged for two months though," Cordelia was more than happy with Angel, but she still cared about Xander enough to not want to see him hurt.

Angel watched Cordelia for any signs of heartbreak over the news of her ex-boyfriend getting married. He softly smiled when he noted only a genuine concern for the well being of a friend.

"Everything will be fine for them. Tara did a reading on their aura's when they returned to be sure." Willow knew that many of them had doubts about the newly married couple. They only wanted Xander and Anya to be happy. So, they were all relieved after Tara checked their aura's. Even Xander and Anya seemed to relax a bit more when Tara was done.

"Yep, lots of big fat Harris babies will be scaring the Hell out of the Hellmouth soon enough." Spike grabbed his gut, "Ugh," He moaned from the elbow Buffy jabbed him with. "Easy there, Slayer."

"Be nice." Buffy smiled. She knew that Spike and Xander got along better each day, but they still loved to tease each other. At least it seemed like more of a good-natured kind of teasing now.

"Always pet." Spike rested his arms on Buffy's shoulders. "Are we ready? Joyce and Rupert are expecting us all for a late dinner."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joyce Summers and Rupert Giles worked in tandem in the Summers' kitchen to get dinner ready. They both worked without needing to ask the other person for each ingredient. Both were quite comfortable in their surroundings.

"How do you think they're doing?" Joyce asked without looking up from the carrots she shredded on top of a mass of lettuce in a large salad bowl.

"I'm sure things are going smoothly, or we would have heard something already." Giles tried to ease Joyce's nerves. In truth he wanted to be there to observe the rituals. Angel asked the ex-Watcher not to come. Angel wouldn't even let Wesley view it.

"What if we're wrong about Dawn? My poor little girl already went through so much lately." Joyce's voice was laden with concern. Dawn was her daughter no matter what she began her "life" as.

In the six months since Glory's defeat, the Scoobies had worked tirelessly on Dawn's origins. Buffy and Spike followed any leads on the monk's origins and whereabouts. When they found a small sect of the monks still alive in the Colorado Mountains, they learned more than they ever thought they would. The monks were willing to share their knowledge since Glory had been defeated already.

It turned out that Dawn was not only a key to Glory's dimension, but she was a key to all dimensions. Dawn's blood was the conduit needed to channel enough energy for dimensional portals in time and reality.

The monks informed them that Dawn's bond with Buffy and Spike probably strengthened and reinforced the claiming bond between the two supernatural creatures. It explained why Spike and Buffy both felt like they actually lived the other one's life during that first night of dreams. It was suspected that Dawn's blood link with them sent them through to various points in time during the night.

When the subject of souls was brought up, no one was surprised when the monks said that the blood link with Dawn helped to strengthen all aspects of Spike's personality. Since the vampire was in a better state of balance with his human side, it strengthened his vampiric and human sides. Therefore his soul, which had been a little farther forward than most vampires, became more secure.

The reason for tonight's dinner was a two-fold celebration. It would be a celebration of security for Spike and Buffy's claims on each other. It would also be a celebration for the permanence of Angel's soul. If everything went according to plan, Angel would be happy clause free after tonight.

Everything depended on what Tara read from Angel's aura before he began the ceremony. If his aura was in balance, or if the human side was predominant, then they would proceed with the permanent ensouling using Dawn's blood as a catalyst.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Earlier in the day)

Spike gulped uneasily. Dawn pushed her wrist in front of Spike's face again. "Come on. We don't have all day." She tilted her head to the side. "What are you waiting for?"

"It is not easy for me to bite you, Bit." Spike sighed. "I hate hurting you."

"We both know that you are good at helping it not to hurt." Dawn raised a teasing brow at Spike. "So get on with it."

Buffy blushed a crimson color. She made a mental note to talk to Willow and Tara about a soundproofing spell for their bedroom at Spike's new house whenever Dawn spent the night with them. Despite their best intentions, they couldn't keep their hands off each other even when Dawn was sleeping in the next room.

"Bossy chit," Spike playfully growled. "You aren't getting the same treatment Buffy does when I bite her."

"Ewwww!" Dawn slapped Spike on the side of his head. "You're my brother and best friend. Pervert!"

While Dawn was distracted with her icky fest, Spike bit into her wrist. He siphoned out the necessary amounts of the Key's blood for the ritual. With his fangs still embedded in Dawn's wrist, he offered his neck to Buffy.

Buffy nodded, concentrated on letting her Slayer side take control, felt her little fangs descend, and buried them in Spike's neck to take back Aurelius/Slayer blood that was now mingled with Key blood. It was the necessary mixture that had to be in Buffy's system when Angel drank from her later.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Back to the present)

"Spike would never put Dawn's life in danger," Giles reassured the woman he loved. About a month after Joyce's last hospital stay during the battle with Glory, Giles moved into the Summers' house.

Spike bought Buffy a house of their own after much discussion between Giles, Joyce, Buffy and Spike. Joyce wanted Spike and Buffy to have a private place to live together. Two medical check ups and a multitude of reassurances from Joyce and Giles to call at any time if something was wrong, Buffy finally gave in.

Spike and Buffy still visited several time a week for dinner or movies. Dawn spent a couple nights a week at Spike and Buffy's new house to give Giles and Joyce some privacy.

"I know." Everyone seemed so much happier than they were a year ago, but Joyce kept waiting for the "other shoe to fall". She used her nervous energy to twist the vegetables together in the salad with her hands. "I'm worried about all of them."

"They have two witches, a Slayer, a semi-souled vampire, a key, and a seer." Giles smirked in true Spike fashion. "I think they can handle one grumpy soul-cursed vampire."

"You and Spike are not getting any more "pub" time, Rupert Giles," Joyce teased. She waggled her carrot covered finger at him. "You're starting to get too sassy."

Giles pounced on Joyce with a kiss, and he wrapped his hands around her waist. "It isn't my visits with Spike that gets me all feisty, you little vixen." He mock snarled in Joyce's ear.

Joyce shivered in delight and desire. "Okay, back on your side of the kitchen." She reluctantly pushed Giles away. "Dinner first, visit with the kids, then Dawn gets to go visit Willow and Tara tonight."

Giles laughed. "Yes Ma'am."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cordelia sat down on a bench along the wall in the training room. Dawn sat next to her while Willow and Tara cleansed the room of any magical or supernatural influences except their own. They had to be sure that no one was trying to sneak something into the Magic Box without their knowledge.

Dawn lowered her hand to the bench and squeezed Cordy's hand. She smiled at the Seer with confidence. "We've dotted every i and crossed every t. Tara will watch the entire time."

Cordy nodded. She wanted this to work so badly, not only for Angel but for herself too. It was hard to want Angel so much but need to guard every little intimate moment they shared to keep Angelus from re-emerging.

Tara took up her place behind Angel on the edge of the cloth. Willow stood behind Buffy on the opposite edge of the cloth. Tara nodded to Willow. She indicated that Angel's aura was good.

Willow spoke up, "You can begin."

Buffy and Spike both inhaled deeply, one out of necessity and one out of concern. Spike kissed the back of Buffy's hand. He looked up into Angel's eyes, and he searched them for any sign of malice or anger. Satisfied with what he saw, he lifted Buffy's hand over to Angel and spoke, "My Mate, my life ... Your blessing we seek and your protection as leader of the Clan Aurelius."

Angel placed one hand under Buffy's hand and the other on top of Spike's hand. "The blessing you seek comes with a price, Childe of Aurelius." He pulled the joined hands closer to his mouth. "Once completed, your claim can not be broken by anyone. Do you willing accept that?"

"Yes, I do," Buffy answered first.

"I accept," Spike answered.

"A claim is a sacred bond between the two of you." Angel clasped the top hand around Spike's hand and lowered it to Angel's side. "One life entwined with another," He spoke as he stepped closer to Buffy. "When one perishes, the other will follow from the pain of loneliness and loss."

Buffy was mesmerized by the melodic tone in Angel's voice. It sounded musical and magical. Every word flowed through her with the power it held.

Angel dropped Buffy's hand. He moved Buffy's long golden hair away from her neck. "Knowing all this, do you accept William's claim on your body, heart and soul? Although you could leave his side, you will always be chained to his life and his death."

Spike stiffened beside Buffy. No matter how many times they talked about the ritual, this was one of two parts he feared. He knew Buffy was lost in the ancient magic of the ritual, and it would pull out the truth from her heart. If she had any doubts about Spike, they would come out now.

Angel's eyes never left Buffy's, but he squeezed Spike's hand gently. Even without tasting her blood again, he felt the power of Buffy's love radiating from her inner being. Strangely his demon was appeased with this knowledge. Angel may have loved Buffy, but Angelus' caring for William wanted to help Spike find the peace William always sought.

Buffy's mouth opened, and the words poured out from her heart. "My Mate, my life ... His. Where he goes, I will follow through Heaven or Hell."

Angel nodded his head. "My blessing I give." He switched to his vampiric countenance. "My protection you will receive." He lowered his face to Buffy's neck. He turned his and Buffy's heads to place his fangs in an intersecting fashion to Spike's mating mark.

Everyone on the outside of the ritual watched Angel with care and a little fear. If Angel was going to lose it, they all figured it would be now. Tara watched Angel's aura very carefully. She smiled when the aura changed to contain more purity in it and not less. She turned around and nodded to Dawn.

Dawn got up from the bench next to Cordelia. She slowly walked over to Angel, Buffy and Spike. The ritual needed to continue, and she couldn't make her presence too obvious to Angel.

Buffy's eyes closed. She felt the connection to Spike and Dawn. She felt the power of Angel's protection snap into place, and it seemed like the claim was being locked within her consciousness. She spoke the only name on her mind while Angel took her life into him, "Spike."

Angel broke away from Buffy's neck when she uttered the name of her Mate. He was pleased that she made her choice so vocally known. He yanked Spike's wrist to his mouth and tore into it quickly.

Buffy's fangs emerged, and her body glowed. Spike's own body glowed as well the moment Buffy's fangs embedded themselves into his neck. She twisted her head back and forth to deepen her previous mating mark. She drank his blood happily.

Spike accepted Angel's wrist to complete the triangle of mate, clan and family. He drank Angel's essence like a baby enjoying his mother's milk. He'd hungered so long for the link back to his vampiric family, that he hadn't realized how happy he would be to taste Angel's blood again.

Dawn took up a position next to Tara. Willow, who had moved to the other side of Dawn, clasped one of Dawn's hands. Tara held Dawn's other hand. Both witches stretched their free hands out to Angel, Buffy and Spike.

An emerald stream of light flowed from Dawn into Tara and Willow. The light was directed out to Angel and joined by the golden nimbus that surrounded Buffy and Spike. Flashes of green and gold pulsed into Angel's body while he drank.

Angel jerked up straight and screamed. Spike held onto Angel's wrist with his fangs, and Buffy kept connected with Angel through clasped hands. They both tightened their grip on Angel when he started to writhe and tremble.

Cordelia stood up. Tears fell from her eyes. Nothing so great came without the price of pain or suffering at some point. She saw the pain that Angel was in, but she fought herself to keep from disturbing the spell. Willow and Tara had warned her that if the spell was stopped halfway, they could lose the soul he was cursed with too.

The ritual between clan leader and the mates was completed, but Buffy and Spike held Angel firmly. Both of them shared a hug with Angel while the golden and emerald pulses continued to fire from the surrounding bodies into Angel's body.

"Hold on, Angel," Cordelia called over the crackling din of magic. She watched the good and evil war within Angel as each tendril of the spell locked itself in place. He had to want and accept the soul with his entire being. "Fight for me, Angel. I love you!"

The golden green nimbus flashed so bright that everyone in the room was temporarily blinded. When the light faded everyone was lying on the ground in a state of shock.

Cordelia crawled over to Angel. She cradled his head in her lap. "Angel, please say something." She caressed his cheek.

Angel opened his eyes slowly. He felt so warm and at peace. He kissed Cordy's palm tenderly. "What ... What happened? So ... happy."

Buffy and Spike crawled back to each other. They made their way over to check on Dawn and the two Wiccas. One nod from Tara told them that it worked. The five of them watched Angel and Cordy interact.

"Your soul, Angel," Cordelia started to explain. "It's anchored. Nothing can take it away from you."

"I'm not cursed any more?" Angel stared in disbelief and amazement at the woman he'd grown to love.

"Nope, you can make with as many happy moments as you want," Cordelia teased in a whisper closer to his ear.

Angel pulled back in shock. Then a small grin appeared on his face. It grew wider the more he thought about it. The others in the room were almost afraid to see him smiling after having watched him brood for so long. "You realize we're going to have to stay in Sunnydale overnight now, don't you?"

Cordelia frowned. Surely Angel wasn't going to try to go after Buffy now that his soul was permanent. The ritual was done. He wouldn't be able to break Spike's claim anyways. "Why?" Her voice trembled.

Angel pulled Cordy down to whisper in her ear, "Because I'm not waiting for after the drive back to L.A. to have you in my arms and my bed for the rest of the night."

Cordelia blushed, and Spike cleared his throat. "All right lovebirds. We need to get back to Mum's house for dinner." He held up his hand before Angel protested. "We planned this all out, and the least you can do is share a meal with us before you two go shag like bunnies."

Angel stood up. He offered a hand to Cordy to help her up too. "I'd better see you there too then Mister 'I look like I want to screw my Mate into the ground' Spike."

All of the girls laughed at the two vampires. Buffy and Spike escorted everyone out of the room. They locked up the Magic Box and headed back to Revello Drive.

Life would never be perfect for any of them, but life was surely as close as it could get because of those they loved being at their sides.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

THE END

Again thank you to all of you that have reviewed this story over the almost year that it's been in progress. If you haven't checked out my other fictions at www.heartsoftwilight.net, I'd recommend you do. Also, please join my updates list to find out when new fictions or sequels are coming out. You can send me an email through my web site or through the author ID link on whichever site you found my stories on. Thanks for all of your support. Have a safe and happy year in 2006.
 
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