AN Thanks again to Tamakin84 for inspiring this fic with that beautiful banner, and checking my grammar and spelling. And thanks to Gillypod for being a good friend and betaing it again. Thanks for the punctuation help from Always_jbj ;D. And I want to thank Thespacebetween for yesterday, when she nagged me so long that I had to promise not to stop trying to write when this fic is done :D
Thank you for the nice and lovely reviews, just keep them coming ;)

PS *insert big smile and thank you*
I was nominated in the categories Best Love Stories, Sexiest fic *raises eyebrow*, Best written and Best author *lol* for "Can I rest now?" at the Lost in Spike awards.
Lookie and clickie






Chapter 3

The first thing Buffy realized when she woke was that something was tickling her nose. She felt a warm body pressing into her back, and realised she had never felt as secure in her life. She was afraid to turn around in the bed and face the harsh truth that she was still dreaming, once more waking up alone.

If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up again. Taking a deep calming breath, she tried to work up the courage to turn around. It was then that her senses picked up the familiar odour of her companion. A whispered “Spike” fell from her lips. The body lying so close to her smelled like him and felt like him, but it couldn’t be him. Could it?

Trying to get her wits together, she slowly turned in the arms holding her. She still had her eyes closed, but when she forced them open she was greeted by his bleached blonde curls, the beloved sharp cheekbones and the beautiful bottom lip, which jutted out slightly.

Suddenly she knew that her own personal miracle had happened last night. She had been right. Spike had been visiting her during the nights and the dreams she had of him talking to her, were also true.

She considered waking him, but what if he disappeared again when he woke. She never wanted to let him go again.

Then, as if on cue, his eyes started to flutter and slowly open, green met blue and her world was right again.

“Spike, are you real? Am I awake? Please tell me that you won’t leave me again. You heard that I love you, right? I really do, Spike. Do… do you still love me or have I….”

The rest of her outburst was lost as Spike crushed his lips against hers silencing her with a passionate kiss. She still tasted like strawberries and vanilla and Spike felt he had gone to heaven. The kisses were urgent and Buffy tried to kiss every part of Spike’s face, just to make sure that he was really there. Their lips met again and their tongues started their loving play as if it hadn’t been over ten years since their last kiss.

Taking a break to let Buffy breathe, he trailed kisses down her neck and then up to her ear; nibbling at her earlobe and whispering to her over and over again that he loved her.

“Please, Spike, tell me that you’re staying, that you won’t leave. Stay with me, please?”

“I can’t answer that, pet. Last night you weren’t able to see me but you somehow knew I was there, so I just held you. Last night I slept for the first time in ten years, Buffy. I don’t know what’s happened, or if I will be allowed to stay.”

Suddenly the room was lit by a bright light, and a deep voice resonated round the room.

“Yes, William, you will stay.”

Buffy and Spike both reared up from the bed, screaming. Buffy was already in fighting stance and Spike was hovering a bit over the bed, his wings spread wide to keep him in the air, looking in shock at the intruders.

Just as the guides began to explain themselves to the reunited pair, there was a loud crash and the door to Buffy’s bedroom flew open as the Scoobies stormed into the room. They came to an abrupt halt when they spotted Spike beating his massive wings up and down, looking down at the gathered group.

A dishevelled looking Giles in his bathrobe and slippers was the first to recover from the sight.

“Oh, dear Lord!”

“Nah, Rupes, just one of his employees.”

Recognizing the intruders as his guides from ten years ago, Spike slowly landed on the bed again. Looking at the Scoobies, who still had their mouths open in shock, staring at him, he suddenly felt a bit shy; not that he would ever tell them.

“’ello, Scoobs.”

One minute he was standing on the bed, the next he was lying flat on his back with Dawn and Willow lying on him and hugging him tightly.

“Spike! Are you back for good? Will you stay?”

Dawn had tears shimmering in her eyes, as did Willow. They looked at him expectantly, still not letting him completely out of their embrace. He glanced, surprised, over at Buffy who was just watching the reunion with a smile on her face.

She knew that he hadn’t expected such a welcome from the girls. Especially not from Willow; she had always kept a bit of distance from Spike. It was obvious from the way he was looking at her, that he hadn’t believed her when she told him that the rest of the Scoobies forgave and missed him too. She went over to him and sat on the bed behind him with Willow and Dawn at each side.

“Oi, watch the feathers, luvs; and to answer your question, I don’t know, Nibblet. I’m just as surprised to be visible as you are. I think those nice gentlemen over there have something to say about it, though. Am I right? And Watcher, you better get your notebook. This could be interesting.”

Only now did the rest of the group turn their eyes back to the supposed threat that they had forgotten once they had seen Spike. A flustered Giles pulled a notepad out of his pocket.

“Thank you very much, William. We will be delighted to inform you of your new destination. Of course it wasn’t by chance that your last assignment, Tam, was a slayer and that you ended up here at the Watcher’s Council. You mastered that difficult task to set her back on the right track with great care, and had time to make peace with yourself, the Slayer and her friends.”

Something clicked then in Xander’s brain and he connected the dots and looked in wonder at Spike.

“Merciful Zeus! It wasn’t a dream! It was real! I knew it felt strange because, hey, why would I dream about Spike; but you where in my room last night. You talked to me and I remember that I tried to talk with you too. I told you that I forgave you and that I was sorry for the way I treated you, but you couldn’t hear me. You may not believe it, but I really missed our fights. I hope they let you stay. There are way too many women here, and some more testosterone wouldn’t be bad.”

“Look who has done some growing up. Where did the whelp go? I hope with all this growing you haven’t improved your pool skills though, I enjoy woopin’ your ass!”

Spike was smiling at Xander so he knew he was only joking. Holding out his hand to Xander, they shook hands, and just like that they started a friendship which was likely to consist of a lot of teasing and barbs.

Giles had been scribbling in his notepad. Thinking about what he heard from the guides and not paying attention to the conversation around him, yet Xander’s description of his dream tickled something in the back of his brain, which made him remember his own.

“I think I may have experienced a dream of this kind last night too. And I felt similarly disturbed at the quality and texture of that dream as Xander.”

“Way to go, Giles. Was that the watchery way to tell us that the dream felt a bit wiggy? OK, I think we are all on the same page when I say that we dreamed of Spike last night. And judging by your looks, I’m right. We can discuss that revelation later. I just want to know from the cloaky guys if he can stay with me, because I don’t plan on letting him go anywhere for the next fifty years, so stop with the interrupting.”

Buffy was looking at the guides with a mixture of hope and her own special ‘don’t mess with the Slayer’ look. She had made herself comfortable behind Spike. Her chin was resting on Spike’s shoulder, while her arms and legs were wrapped around him from behind. Willow and Dawn were enjoying the warmth of Spike’s wings, which were draped over the girls on each side.

“Thank you, Slayer. Any questions any one of you may have will be answered later. William, we have watched you very closely over the last few years. You have developed an immense talent for helping your charges. You have helped thousands of souls to find their way and not end up in one of the hell dimensions without any rest, but your time as that guardian is now over. You will keep your wings and game face as you call it, but you will be able to hide them. You can go out in the sun without turning to dust, and you’ll still have your strength from when you were a vampire. This way you will be able to help someone of great importance to the Powers That Be; your soul mate. Which is of course you, Slayer. You will teach and train the younger slayers and fighting the good fight….”

Once again the guides were interrupted. This time by happy screaming from the girls who were hugging Spike excitedly on the bed. Even Giles and Xander were watching the scene of the shell-shocked and winged vampire covered with three laughing girls with some amusement. Over the years, they had begrudgingly declared that, yeah, they were in a way missing Spike and would be content if they could tell him that in person. Giles was looking forward to talking with Spike about his final death in Sunnydale, and his time as a guardian; when things had quietened down a bit.

“Ladies, if you would be so kind, we would like to go on with our explanations.”

Sheepishly, the girls went back to their positions around Spike. He was visibly glowing from the attention and positive welcome from the Scoobies, and the news the guides had for him. He couldn’t wait to start his new future with Buffy, his true soul mate. He would never have to worry again about whether he really was right for her and was what she needed.

“Thank you. Our explanations won’t take much longer and it’s only one last thing you need to know. Dear William, you are a true Immortal now. That means nothing can kill you and every bruise or injury will heal without a mark. This also applies to you, Immortal Slayer, as soon as you become his mate. But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean that you will have to stay here on earth for eternity. When you feel the need to leave this plane, or maybe simply take a break, you’ll be able to come to the realm of the higher beings. Does this solution suit you both?”

“Are you kidding? Bloody hell! You’re telling me that I can spend eternity with the woman I love, and wanted to worship for the rest of my life; which now is forever and you’re asking if that suits me? I don’t need to go to heaven, because right now, at this moment, I am. If you had faces I would kiss you both.”

Turning round on the bed, almost knocking Dawn and Willow to the floor, he took Buffy in his embrace and kissed her passionately.

“Buffy, do you want to be my mate? Will you spend eternity with me? We will be so good together. I’ll love you every day. Worship the ground you walk on. Help you train the slayerettes. Take care of the Scoobies. Fight for and with you forever. Say yes, and make me the happiest man on earth.”

Buffy had tears in her eyes, and had to laugh when she heard the reference to his proposal from so many years ago. There was only one answer that she could give to the man she wanted to spend eternity with.

“Oh, Spike! Of course it's yes!”

They wrapped themselves in each other’s arms, and soon forgot the rest of the world as they kissed. Spike embraced her with his wings, shielding her while she was sitting in his lap.

“It seems like our work is done. Mr. Giles, if you, or any of you, have questions we would be willing to answer them, but I think it would be better to change location. I don’t think the Slayer and her vampire are interested in any conversation at the moment. Perhaps we should leave them be and assemble in your office for the questions.”

“Yes of course, that would be no problem. Dawn, would you be so kind as to help Willow make some tea? And Xander, could you inform the rest of the teachers that they will have to take over Buffy’s classes for today. Oh, and please try to put up some kind of “Do Not Disturb” sign on Buffy’s door. I… er.. don’t think we will see them for some time, and I don’t want any of the younger slayers scared out of their wits by walking in on them by accident. We will inform the teachers and slayers of the new situation this evening at dinner.”

The Scoobies and the guides left the room with a last glance at the kissing couple.

tbc