Disclaimer: Joss owns the BTVS characters. Not me. Sad but true.

Author’s note: Thanks to the wonderful Bloodytearsoflife for the fab betaing.

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Chapter 32: A Wish

Dawn and Buffy stepped into the New York apartment to see Spike pacing back and forth across the carpet, clad in his jeans.

“About bloody time you got back!” he growled. One look at his Nibblet’s face though changed his tone. “What happened?”

“Tara...” sniffled Dawn.

Spike stepped towards Dawn and wrapped her up in his arms. Buffy looked at her family with sad eyes and decided that Dawn, now safely in Spike’s arms, would be ok if she took time to get dressed. By the time she returned from the bathroom clad in more presentable clothes, Dawn was still sitting on Spike’s lap, but her sobs had quieted down to sniffles.

“What’s going to happen now?” the teen asked.

Spike planted a kiss on the top of Dawn’s head and sighed.

“Your sis’ll fix everything. It’s what she does, Slayer and all that,” soothed Spike.

Dawn nodded. “Do you have hot chocolate?”
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The next morning Buffy decided to try distracting Dawn with shopping. Nothing better than retail therapy to avoid thinking about the death of a friend, and the fact that very soon the world could be ending.

“So, does D’Hoffryn pay you in like money? Or is there some kind of demon currency? Or is it kinda like a barter system?” asked Dawn, swinging her bag of purchased goodies. “And how do you have money? I mean, so happy about the top and the fun shorts, but where does your money come from?”

Buffy smiled. “D’Hoffryn doesn’t pay me, really. It’s more like he provides for my every need in Arashamahar. Food, my lair, the ability to teleport, good stuff like that. Anything I want for myself outside of Arashamahar has to come from either my own money, or what I am gifted from wishers. My apartment, given to me by the girl who owned it, she was dying, I granted her wish and poof, apartment.”

“What did she wish for?”

“Oh I can’t tell you that. It’s vengeance demon/wisher confidentiality.”

“Sure it is,” said Dawn, rolling her eyes. “So you had money when you were human?”

Buffy nodded. “I was quite the little heiress actually. Of course when Noël died, her fortune reverted to me. It’s the way Spike set up her will, she had no children,” she continued sadly. “And Spike’s loaded too.”

“And Liz works at the Double Meat Palace...Ironic...”noted Dawn. “So can I assume my college education is paid for?” she said with a smile.

“Little gold digger aren’t you?”

“What can I say?” giggled Dawn. “I have aristocratic blood.”

“Funny girl.”

“It’s a gift.”
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They were sitting down to dinner at a fancy restaurant at a private table when Buffy suddenly heard Liz’s voice in her head and sighed.

“Your sister wants you back,” Buffy commented, taking another bite of her chicken.

“Well she can just wait until I’m done eating!” declared Dawn.

Buffy giggled softly and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Unfortunately, if I don’t show up with you before too long she’s libel to...”

Buffy was cut off by Anyanka appearing in their midst.

“Anya!” protested Dawn. “You can’t go teleporting all over. Someone will see you!” she chided in a harsh whisper.

“Oh fiddle faddle,” observed the demon waving her hand dismissively. “Once again, an apocalypse has been averted and the world is safe. Liz wants you back in Sunnydale pronto.”

“I’m eating dinner, Anya,” said Dawn, shovelling another bite of food into her mouth. “Liz can wait until I’m done.”

“Hey! This wasn’t my idea you know. When Rixy didn’t appear right away Liz was all ‘fetch demon girl fetch.’ Like I’m suddenly Spike’s replacement. It was either come get you or listen to her whine and bitch until you brought her back. I’m starved. What are we having for dinner anyway?” asked Anya eagerly as Spike looked at her with sympathy.

“Waiter?” piped up Spike. “Can we get another chair and a menu?”
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Buffy settled into bed as the sun started to rise. The automatic blinds came down covering the windows and leaving the room a muted blue. Dawn had been returned home with hugs and promises to visit.

Spike yawned pleasantly as he lifted the covers to their bed and climbed in beside his mate. He had a good life. Blood in the fridge, a whole city to call his own and the love of the woman he adored. But still there was something that made it less than perfect.

Drusilla.

She was out there, somewhere and seething mad that he’d chosen Buffy over her this time.

He didn’t want to tell Buffy just how bad this confrontation between the three of them was going to be, but with each hour that passed he knew she was getting closer.

Spike wrapped his arms around his mate and nuzzled into the marks on her neck.

“Mine,” he whispered before biting into her flesh, two drops of blood escaping his mouth and trailing down her skin.

“Yours,” she countered, letting her body give in to the waves of pleasure that the bite was causing in her. “Oh, Spike!” she moaned as she orgasmed.

Spike tenderly licked his marks closed tenderly before rolling her onto her back and spreading her legs. Her gaze held his in a lustful stare, only closing her eyes for a second as he entered her, his girth filling her completely. With a decidedly slow pace, he began pumping in and out of her tight wet channel.

The look of concentration on his face, his eyes looking past her own into what remained of her soul slipped past all barriers. In an instant he knew that she loved him, trusted him, would never leave him. From the opposite end of their connection, Buffy knew that he was worried.

His thrusts became faster and harder, Spike leaned down to capture her lips with his own, only to have them refused for his neck.

“Mine,” she gasped, burying her blunt teeth into his neck, drawing blood.

“Yours!” he roared, his climax overtaking him.

Buffy unlatched her teeth from his neck and flipped them so he was on the bottom, his softening cock still intimately inside her body. She could feel his cum sliding out of her, but she didn’t care.

“We are going to talk about what’s worrying you,” she stated bluntly, squeezing her inner muscles. His cock jumped inside of her and she knew she had his attention.

“I don’t want to talk about it, love.”

“Too bad,” she replied, refusing to move against his not so subtle movements. “And don’t you try to get me all ’fuck me I’m yours.’ I’ve had a lot more abstinence in my life than you have. We are going to talk about this or you are going to be teased very mercilessly.”

She stared him down.

“Not an unpleasant way to fall asleep,” he said slyly, closing his eyes.

“Oh no you don’t!” she said poking him in the ribs. “Please? Why are you so worried? Why can’t you tell me?”

Fluidly, using that vampire talent for moving without anticipation, Spike rolled them, Buffy once more beneath him. He touched her face tenderly. His cock, hard and still nestled in her moist heat, started to move within her slowly as he spoke.

“Dru’s on her way. Can feel her getting closer. She wants to make trouble for us,” he admitted, burying his face in her hair.

Buffy nodded and wrapped her legs around her mate’s waist bringing him deeper with in her. “Bring it on.”
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Buffy preened in front of a mirror in the hotel lobby she was standing in, waiting for her ‘client’ to appear. Spike was off doing vampire things, probably kitten poker or something. Just as long as he didn’t bring the kittens back to the apartment she was fine with it. She just didn’t want to get attached to next week’s ante.

She took a glance at the elevators again, watching out for the girl she was trailing only to glimpse Spike walking towards her.

With a smile she stepped into his arms.

“Visiting me at work? Aren’t you all possessive and cute!”

“Not a social call, luv,” he explained. “I wanted to tell you, she’s here.”

“Here? Here, like in this hotel here? Or here in town here and likely to stop by for coffee?” Buffy asked as she looked around the lobby.

Spike turned the both of them around to face the entrance, as Drusilla and a pack of about ten minions followed her graceful steps into the hotel lobby.

“Thought I could get here before she found you, sorry luv.”

“Nothing to apologise for, Spike,” she started, giving him a quick kiss. “I’ve been meaning to have some words with her since China.”

“Luv?”

“Oh this is going to be a bitch fight,” noted Buffy with an evil glint in her eyes. “You think I’m going to pass up an opportunity to beat her ass?”

“She’s more dangerous than she looks...”

“Thrall doesn’t work on me, Spike. And there are more ways to kill her than she can kill me.”

“I don’t want either of you dead,” he said softly, squeezing her tightly.

“I know,” she responded. “I don’t know if it’s going to work out that way though.” Buffy stepped away from him and towards Drusilla. “Well isn’t this a nice surprise,” started Buffy pleasantly. “I had no idea that you’d travel all this way to wish us joy on our happy union.”

Drusilla hissed at Buffy. “Nasty girl. Broke my William’s heart. You need to pay for what you’ve done. Never yours. My William. My childe. Miss Edith is very cross with you and will eat your eyeballs.”

“Ewww,” responded Buffy crinkling up her nose. “And William is mine. Started out that way, I think your borrowing period is long over.”

Drusilla cocked her head to the side as if trying to figure out Erixel.

“Made him I did! Killed him, you did. Bad Slayer! Take away the little boy from his mummy.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Just spit it out already. The mad thing really isn’t holding my attention.”

“Very well,” Dru grinned. “I challenge your claim. I am his sire, I have that right.”

“You do,” Buffy agreed. “But I’m not a vampire. I don’t have to do the whole ritual thing. Vengeance Demon here.”

The vampires behind Dru started to whisper amongst themselves.

“Oh? She didn’t tell you just whom she decided to fight?” Buffy addressed the minions, raising her voice an octave or two. “Erixel, ring any bells?”

“Oh crap, we’re all screwed!” yelled one of the minions at the back.

“That you are,” responded Spike, who had moved to the back of the group of minions and started staking them one by one.

Chaos erupted all around them, the hotel lobby sent into confusion. Drusilla launched herself at Buffy, claws and fangs bared. Buffy repulsed the vampiress away from her, sending Dru to the floor.

“You see, Drusilla. I’m much more powerful than the average vampire. I don’t care that you’re a master vamp.”

Drusilla flew at her again and was once again she was repulsed.

“Tsk, tsk.” Buffy glared at her opponent with little feeling. “I have some choice wishes saved up for you Drusilla. D’Hoffryn even said I could have one of them granted the next time I saw you,” explained Buffy with a sinister tone.

Spike staked the last minion and approached the two women. “Just go back to Brazil Dru,” he started sadly.

Drusilla turned to look at her childe. “Mummy needs you to take care of her,” she moaned pitifully.

“Get yourself a new lap dog Dru,” continued Spike. “This one’s done.”

“Never!” spat Dru lunging towards him and grabbing the stake he held in his hand, pointing it at his heart.

“No!” screamed Buffy, realising Dru was using the only weapon she had against her. “Please.”

Drusilla cackled madly. “He’s mine!” declared Drusilla. “Always was. Good boy. Good dog,” she whispered as her free hand glossed Spike’s face.

“Please let him go,” pleaded Buffy, tears starting to show in her eyes.

In her mind’s eye she couldn’t help but think of all the horrible scenarios her life held for her if Spike wasn’t in the world with her, in some fashion. Even if he left her again, it would be more bearable to know that he was undead still.

“Dru?” asked Spike, feeling Buffy’s sadness through their bond.

The expression in Buffy’s face was heartbreaking. He wasn’t one to form plans that worked out, but he needed one now, or Buffy would be forced to either see him dusted or she’d give him up, just to keep him undead.

“My Spike wants to come home with mummy?” asked Dru, not moving the stake from above his heart. “You’ve been a naughty boy and must be punished...”

“That I have pet,” he conceded. “Before I go back to you though, I need to say something...”

Dru nodded attentively, but still refused to move the stake.

“Dru, pet, you made me what I am. I followed you wherever you wanted me, used me, abused me and I enjoyed it. All these years together, and apart I’ve often wondered what you’d be like with a soul and human again, with all your memories of what you’d done. In fact, I wish it.”

Buffy perked up with the word ‘wish’ and shifted into her demon face. “Wish granted.”
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tbc...