Revenge For Love - (14) Surprises and Explanations
By Tasha

Chapter Summary: Angelus is dead. Dru is waiting for the sunrise at the mansion. A Council representative has showed up to "reclaim" Buffy, but Spike and a surprising appearance by Xander stopped it from happening. How in the world is Xander alive or has he just escaped Dalton's bonds? Kendra showed up to help with the battle in the cemetery. What happens now that the battle is over? Will Kendra stay? Will the Council succeed in taking Buffy back to England?

(All disclaimers are noted in the first chapter of this story.)

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

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Dalton looked at Xander from head to toe. He hadn't sensed a vampire coming near. This boy hadn't felt like a vampire either, and he knew that he should be a vampire if he was walking around. There was no way the boy would have survived the blood loss and vampire blood given to him. He walked over behind Xander.

Xander watched the vampire move behind him. He remembered his name was Dalton from the time he visited them in the high school library. He kept his main gaze on the Council representative, but he was curious as to why the vampire circled him.

Spike gazed at Buffy in confusion. 'Pet, I thought you said that problem was taken care of?' He questioned her in their thoughts.

'So did I.' Buffy followed Dalton's movements. He seemed to be as confused as they were. She knew her "son" would not have failed them. 'I gave Xander to Dalton, and he was quite upset with Xander. There is no way he let him live. Look at him.' She nodded towards Dalton.

Spike glanced over at Dalton. He tilted his head to the side while Dalton examined Xander. 'He does seem perplexed.'

Buffy nodded at Spike. 'Yes, he does.' She let her concern about the Council representative wander since Xander had the gun pointed at him. She walked over to Xander. She sniffed him near his neck. When Xander was passed out at Giles, she'd been too busy to make any sense of Xander's actions. They had so much more to work out at the time. She hadn't paid attention to his scent.

Dalton sniffed Xander again. He looked at his Mistress and shook his head. He whispered softly enough that only Spike and Buffy would hear. Of course Xander heard too since Dalton was right near his ear. "This is not the one I turned. There is no way he could have escaped, and he does not even smell like the one I killed."

Buffy nodded in agreement. "He isn't a vampire either." She added to the conversation. "So, if you turned him, this isn't the man you took with you." She was highly confused. Who was this person before her? She never really smelled Xander when she was completely human.

"Buffster," Xander briefly switched his glance to Buffy. "I will explain everything as soon as I can. I promise." He returned his gaze to the cross wielding Council member. "Right now we need to take care of tweed boy here."

Buffy stepped back next to Spike. She motioned for Dalton to keep an eye on Xander. "Don't let him out of your sight." She said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Willow moved next to Buffy. "Why, Buffy?"

"Something isn't right, Wills." Buffy told her friend. "Until we get it all figured out, no one is leaving."

Xander stepped closer to the man with the cross. "Move it, buster. Inside." He waved the front of his weapon in a motion towards the front door.

Giles, who had been watching everything going on with avid interest, whispered to Joyce, "Go in through the back door to unlock the front door please."

Joyce nodded. She disappeared around the side of the house to the back door. Lights flickered on from the kitchen to the entryway. Then the door opened. She stepped aside for the strange man to enter followed by Xander, Dalton, Spike, Buffy, Kendra, Willow and Giles.

"Mom, how did we get in?" Buffy knew that she had no need for an invitation because he mom told her earlier that she'd been invited just in case, but Spike and Dalton still did.

"I invited them each in vocally when I went home to rest," Joyce answered. "Just in case they'd have to get in quickly when I wasn't here."

"Thank you, Mommy." Buffy hugged her mother tightly. She was amazed at how well her mother was handling everything. Joyce accepted her vampiric family as if they were human. It made her feel good to know that she had her mother's support.

"Breathing, Buffy. I really need to do that still." Joyce choked out.

"Oops. Sorry. I always forget that." Buffy blushed.

Buffy walked over to the man from the Council. She ripped the cross out of his hand. "Oooo ... Owwww." She teased then rolled her eyes. "Stupid Council." She tossed the cross to Giles. "Do we have anything we can tie this idiot up with?

Joyce headed downstairs for some ropes she had. The banging of various storage items being sifted through was heard up the stairs from the basement. Finally Joyce Summers emerged with thick nylon ropes in her hand. She handed them to Buffy.

Spike chuckled and winked while Buffy tied the man to one of the kitchen chairs that had been placed in the living room. 'I'll have to keep in mind that she has those, pet.'

'Pervert.' Buffy laughed, even though her thoughts held a note of chastisement.

'And you love me for it, sweetheart.' Spike answered her with a gleam in his eye.

Buffy secured the last knot around the man's feet. "All right, now someone better start explaining a few things." She pointed at Xander. "You first because I know darn well that you should not be able to be here right now."

Willow shivered at the coldness in Buffy's tone. "Buffy, maybe he just woke up."

"He shouldn't have survived something if my guess is right." The dawn of realization was upon Giles. The strange looks that passed between Spike, Buffy and Dalton made more sense now. "Right, Buffy?"

Buffy faced her Watcher, mother and friends. "You're right, Giles." Her voice held no remorse. She gave Willow a sympathetic look though. She doubted that she would understand her reasoning. "I had to protect myself and my family, Willow. I'm sorry, but I gave the person at Giles' house to Dalton to take care of."

Willow gasped in shock. "Oh my gosh." Her hands slapped over her mouth. "You told Dalton to kill Xander?" She looked over at Xander's strangely calm face.

"Yes, Willow. That is what I did." Buffy sighed. "I knew Dalton would do right by his family. I don't know how to help you understand why I had to do what I did."

The man tied to the chair spoke up. "See, this just proves that you need to let the Council take care of her. She isn't stable." He squirmed in the chair to try to get loose. "She's killing humans."

Kendra stood next to the couch. She leaned against the wall. She was ready to make a move at a moment's notice if Giles' gave any indication that Buffy should be staked.

Giles shared a look with Spike. "You said that not all of your family would understand why you hadn't killed Xander right away." He spoke about their conversation earlier in the day at his house. "Did you know what was being planned?"

"Not specifically." Spike stood at Buffy's side in a show of solidarity. "I felt the anger from our son. I had a feeling that he would seek retribution." He wrapped his arm around Buffy's waist. "I was not going to stop him. It was his right."

"The rights of a vampire are inconsequential!" The Council representative yelled out. He looked at Giles. "Surely you can't condone the death of a human."

Xander raised the butt of his weapon. He brought it down hard on the back of the Council representative's head to knock him unconscious. He looked up at the shocked faces around the room. "He was getting annoying."

Dalton spoke up for the first time since they stepped inside the house. "The one who is waiting for the sunrise is not this one." He pointed to Xander. "I would know. His scent is embedded in my brain because of all that I did to him."

"He smells familiar to me." Buffy walked around Xander. "But I didn't pay attention to his scent the first night I saw him as I am now."

"You know there is a way you can tell, pet." Spike offered a suggestion to everyone. He knew they wouldn't like it, but it would answer a lot of questions. "You bit him the first night you saw him."

Buffy nibbled her lower lip. "Yes, I did." She shyly looked around the room at the various expressions on everyone's face.

"But ... Buff ... Buffy." Willow stuttered. "You can't mean that you want to bite Xander again?"

Giles glasses were quickly ripped off his face and cleaned vigorously. "As much as I hate to agree, that would be a sure way to find out. Faces may be glamoured, but blood does not lie." He sighed. "Not that I condone it mind you. It is Xander's choice."

Xander gulped and stiffened. They'd told him that he would be required to do something that would scare him, but they assured him that it was necessary for the greater good. "I have an explanation for what happened, but you'd just think I was lying if you weren't sure of who I was, eh?"

Spike stared at the dark-haired boy in surprise. He figured that the human would be all running away right now. "You'd be right about that, Whelp." There was no doubt that the teenager was afraid. The scent of fear radiated off the boy, but he hadn't run away yet.

Spike hadn't spent much time around the boy before now. So, his sense of the boy's scent was useless. He only knew the scent of the one who attacked him the last time.

Xander rested the M-16 against the wall by the front door. He gulped hard, and his breath caught in his throat. He moved to stand in front of Buffy with his hands in the air to show that he had no weapon against her. He closed his eyes and turned his head. "Just do it quickly." He put his faith in Giles and Kendra to stake Buffy if she started to take too much. He'd been shown so much of the future and what would happen if he let his anger get in the way. He had to trust Buffy this time. He only hoped that his trust was well placed and that his worst fears wouldn't come true.

Buffy looked at Xander with wide eyes. She shook off her shock, reached for one of Xander's hand, and brought his wrist to her lips. Blood was blood. She didn't have to take it from his neck. She thought it might make the whole thing easier for him if she took the sample from his wrist. She looked over at Giles one more time to see if he was going to stake her.

Giles edged to the front of the couch, but he kept his hands in his lap. The look on his face told her that he didn't like it, but he wasn't stepping in. He held his breath when Buffy slipped into her demon's guise.

Buffy's elongated fangs pressed against the skin of Xander's wrist. Their sharpness met no resistance to pierce the vein and pull the needed taste into her mouth.

Xander gasped the moment Buffy's fangs pricked him. It was different than the first time he'd been bitten. Sure he was scared this time too, but he was more confident that he would survive the encounter this time. He felt the shiver of slight pleasure go through him, and it shocked him into opening his eyes. "Oh my."

Buffy stopped pulling on Xander's blood. She licked the twin prick holes closed. The saliva on her tongue held healing properties to hasten the sealing of the wound. She released Xander's hand, stepped back into Spike's arms, and trembled. "That is Xander." She'd been unprepared for her own reactions to sampling Xander's blood that way.

Xander slumped against the wall. His heart raced from the encounter. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it all. It certainly didn't feel like he'd expected it to. He tried to calm his quickened breathing.

Everyone watched Buffy and Xander's reactions with interest. Each person had a different angle or thought on what they'd witnessed.

Willow moved over to Xander to hug him. She held him in a tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you Xander." The fact that Xander went from trying to kill Buffy and Spike to helping them was huge. Though now she was confused as to who Dalton killed.

"You shouldn't be, Wills." Xander found his voice again. He hugged his best friend then let go. "If they hadn't found me after I called the Council, I might be the one who was dead. I was full of hate."

"Who are they?" Giles questioned. "And what possessed you to call the Council?"

"I was upset, G-Man." Xander began his tale. "She went from one evil dead to another."

Spike growled deeply. He tightened his arms around Buffy.

"Give me a minute to explain, bleach boy." Xander held a hand up to silence Spike. "I have to tell the bad to get to the good."

Buffy rested her hand on Spike's chest. "Let him finish."

"Only for your sake," Spike answered Buffy. He pulled her over to the other side of the room to sit down in a chair together.

"There is so much more at stake here than any of us probably realize." Xander picked up the gun when the man started to rouse awake again. He didn't want to have to deal with him too. So, he used the butt end of the gun again to knock him out. "All I wanted to do in the beginning was get Spike away from Buffy. So, on the way home the first night I snuck into the high school to get the Council's number from Giles' office."

Giles mentally went through where he had the number stashed. "How did you even know where to find it?"

"I came in one afternoon after school when you needed to make a report. I just waited out in the main library area until you were done, but I saw where you put the book away at."

"I'll have to move that, it seems." Giles huffed, a bit flustered. That drawer should have been locked.

"I'll replace the lock." Xander answered the unasked question.

"Oh Xander." Willow whimpered in exasperation and sympathy.

"I was desperate." Xander explained. "So anyways, I called them the first night. Then when I came back to Giles' place the one day I saw Spike and Buffy all over each other on the floor, I turned right back around and headed home. That was when Mister Tweed here showed up."

Joyce listened to the boy who was supposed to be one of Buffy's best friends, talk about how he betrayed her. Her motherly instincts wanted to slap the boy upside the head.

"It turns out that they've had operatives here every other week watching Buffy since the Master killed her. This week was their off week, but the operatives were close enough to get back in a hurry when I called."

Spike growled at the mention of his Great-Great-GrandSire. "Stupid bat faced git."

Buffy chuckled. "Watch it. He's family."

"Was family, luv. Thankfully you dusted the idiot." Spike snorted. "He deserved it. No one touches my girl."

Kendra raised an eyebrow. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She might be silent, but she hadn't missed any of the exchanges between anyone. She wasn't here for most of what they spoke of, and her last trip taught her to get all her facts before reacting. So, she was trying to be patient. It was hard to do in the presence of so many vampires. She was itching to stake them all, including her Slayer sister.

"Believe it or not, I actually refused to go back to the house and stake Spike." Xander found himself still a bit unsure of why they wanted him to do it instead of them. "They said they needed me to stake Spike so they could take Buffy back to England. That wasn't why I called the Council. I thought I was protecting Buffy from evil boy there. I didn't want anyone taking her anywhere."

Giles sighed. "You were very foolish to call them especially with everything you've read and heard about the Council. You should have known they wouldn't let Buffy go if she was a vampire."

"I know Giles. It was pretty stupid." Xander frowned. "When I refused they tied me up, gagged me, and put me in the closet of my room. Before they put me in the closet I saw one of the Council guys actually change into my clothing, and he had my face on him. I have no idea how they did it, but right before my eyes was another me."

"That explains why Xander tried to stake Spike." Willow entered the conversation. "I didn't think Xander could be that hateful to kill Spike after Buffy's warning."

"What changed your mind about Spike though, Xander?" Buffy questioned. "You were defending him, as well as me, with that gun on the Council guy. Also, how did you escape?"

"There are a lot more people that know about Buffy's predicament than we've been told. The Coven explained a lot of things to me about how wrong I was about vampires." Xander started to speak again when a loud knocking came from the door. He quickly walked over to see who it was.

"Careful Xander. Council members won't need an invitation." Giles cautioned. Spike stood up ready to attack if necessary.

"No one else from the Council should be able to get past the street now." Xander opened the door. He revealed the face of a middle aged woman with piercing green eyes and auburn hair. "Hello Athena."

Athena stepped into the Summers' home. She smiled brightly at Giles. "Hello, Rupert." Her voice held a clear and crisp British accent. She opened her arms up to Giles.

"Athena?" Giles stood up, walked over to the new woman, and hugged her. "It has been forever since I've seen you. You don't usually leave the Coven in England. What brings you here?"

Athena looked around the room until she rested on the blonde head of Buffy Summers. She took two steps forward before the bleach blonde vampire blocked her path.

Giles clapped Spike on the shoulder. "Athena is an old friend. I trust her with my life." He looked at Athena. "Do you promise not to bring any harm to my charge?"

Athena nodded. She watched the vampire as he reluctantly stepped to the side of his Mate. "This young lady is what brings us here earlier than we intended." She extended a hand out to Buffy. "We've waited a long time for another Slayer to emerge this way."

Buffy accepted the lady's hand. She stood up in front of Athena. "You've waited for me?"

Xander's voice from the other side of the room brought the attention back to him. "Seems like you are all prophecy girl again, Buffy." He half chuckled. "Except this time you got to come back from death with a lot more perks."

"An interesting way to put it, Xander, but it is so much more than that." Athena stepped back to face the entire room. "We've known about the one who would bring light to the darkness and darkness to light for hundreds of years. When the last Slayer was turned, Antoinette, we tried to defend her, but we weren't strong enough. We knew she wasn't the one the scrolls spoke of, but we tried anyways. It was the Coven who gave the monks the amulet you used William."

Spike blinked in surprise. Athena knew his name. Why would a Coven, which he knew consisted of a bunch of witches, care about knowing him?

"Yes, William, we know who you are." Athena read the waves of curiosity off of the vampire.

"How did you know Antoinette wasn't the one the prophecy spoke of?" Giles itched to have his notepad in front of him. He looked around the room for any kind of paper and pen that he could take notes with.

"Mom, I think we need to get Giles some paper before he starts writing on his arm or the furniture." Buffy laughed.

Joyce chuckled. In the time she'd spent with Buffy since her turning, they talked about Giles and his research. Joyce had read some of Giles' journal entries into the Watcher's Diaries as well. He was quite thorough in his quests. She opened her roll top desk, picked up a pad of paper, chose a suitable pen, and walked back over to Giles. "Here you go, Rupert."

Giles actually blushed at the gesture. "Thank you, Joyce." He hastily opened the notebook and started writing furiously.

'Some things never change.' Athena smiled and shook her head. She'd known Rupert Giles for many years. "Antoinette only died once. The scrolls speak of one Chosen in the land of the sun who would die at the hands of a Master. We didn't realize it actually meant THE Master. Also it is told that she would be shaded from then on until her second death, where she would find her peace in the darkness."

Buffy squeezed Spike's hand. 'That part is right. I have found my peace in the darkness. You are my peace, beloved.' She kissed the back of Spike's hand.

'You bring light to my darkness, pet. You are my sun.' Spike turned their joined hands over and kissed the back of Buffy's hand.

Athena sighed happily at the sight of the two lovers. They seemed to be a good match. This bode well for what they would face later. "The Council also knew of these scrolls. There are many things that the hierarchy of Council members actually keeps from the general Watcher eye. This is one of them."

"I always suspected that they held things back, but the last few days have shown me so much that I never knew about." Giles sighed in disgust. "The group that I thought I was protecting from evil has shown that it holds a lot of evil in its own. They taught us so many lies."

"Yes, they have. Lies that have tainted the origins of demons and Slayers enough to cause friends to turn on one another." Athena looked Xander squarely in the eye. "Though thankfully once we explained a few things, and showed him bits of time, he turned around."

"I won't make the same mistake again." Xander promised Spike and Buffy. "I may not like it, but I'm not going to like everything and everyone. This is what you want. So, I'll deal."

Buffy jumped off the chair and ran at Xander. She hugged him with tears in her eyes. "Oh Xander, I'm so glad you feel that way. I didn't want to see you dead, but I thought you tried to kill my family." She looked at Willow. "I don't regret sending the man that hurt my Mate and I to his death, but I'm glad it wasn't really you Xander." She turned back to Xander to hug him again.

"You gave us a bit of a scare with that one, Buffy." Athena interjected. "We thought that our calculations were incorrect when we saw that you allowed the death of a human. Once we looked at the situation further, we realized why you did it. Evil comes in many forms, and not all things evil are demons. You did what you had to do."

Spike relaxed some in the chair. Maybe if this Coven supported their rights in this way, they would have a chance to convince the Watcher and Red that Buffy was justified in her actions.

"How did you know about Buffy's transformation though? Other than Xander's call to the Council we haven't told anyone about it." Giles shook the pen in his hand to make sure the ink continued to flow.

"We have been watching Sunnydale for a long time." Athena pointed to Willow. "We felt the presence of a new power itching to emerge from that young lady there. Although she hasn't realized it yet, she will be quite powerful in the future. We were watching to be sure that she was trained before her power took her."

Athena crossed one leg over the other as she sat down in a chair. "It made the arc of emergence more noticeable to us when Buffy was turned. Immediately we watched the Council to see if they realized what happened. As soon as we were aware that they knew, we warned them to stay away from the Slayer."

"I'll bet the wankers didn't like that too much." Spike snorted in disgust. "They think they own the Slayers, as if they aren't even people."

"You are correct, William. They laughed at us and told us to mind our own business." Athena huffed.

Giles actually laughed. "The Council told a coven of the most powerful witches in this realm to mind their own business?"

"I had the same reaction to Quentin Travers when he told me that." Athena nodded. "That man has gotten far too power hungry." She shook her head back and forth. "We warned them that the Coven would protect this one. I told him that we knew of the prophecy, and we would not allow the Council to destroy this girl."

"You can't keep us from what belongs to us." The Council operative was conscious again. "You stupid and foolish woman. She isn't yours to control. She's ours."

"Arrogant fool." Athena smirked. She flicked her fingertips at the man, and he disappeared. She blew the end of her fingers with a grin on her face. "Never liked Charles."

Willow blinked. "What did you do to him?"

"Don't worry, my little Wicca." Athena smiled. "I just sent him back to the Council with a little present of warning. He is alive."

Giles wished he could see the look on Travers' face when his operative was returned to him magically. "So the Coven will protect Buffy whenever possible?"

"Yes, she will be magically warded as well as her natural defense enhancements." Athena pulled a book from a bag that appeared on her wrist. She opened it to a specific page. "Buffy's Slayer demon, and yes Slayers were originally created from a vampiric like demon, has turned Buffy into what we call a daywalker." She pointed out several passages. "The Council found this information a few hundred years ago around the time of Antoinette's turning. She will be able to walk in sunlight, crosses will not harm her, and she will not dust from a staking. Though she could still die from it since it could cause her to bleed to death if her healing abilities were weakened. Of course having her head cut off would have the same effect as it would to a human or vampire."

Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy tighter. He held her against his chest. He knew that he would rather dust himself than see any harm come to Buffy.

"We assumed that Buffy would have some vampires willing to help her, but we did not expect a full claiming and mating to occur." Athena sat down facing Spike and Buffy again. "Antoinette and Charmand shared a deep bond, but it was not as strong as what you two share. We aren't sure why."

"Maybe I kept more of my humanity than he did?" Spike interjected his thoughts. "I also became a Master vampire fairly quickly. Though that was because of the Slayer I killed during the Boxer Rebellion, but with the blood of two Slayers in my veins that would increase my demon as well, right?"

"Perhaps that is it." Athena pondered the information. "You do realize that you never lost your soul completely when you were turned? Not all vampires do." She looked over at Dalton. "Your son is the same way." She realized the connection between the vampires here was strong. She turned back to Buffy and Spike. "Also the auras we've seen from you two show that when you mated Buffy's soul connected with what remained of yours. It enhanced its strength and solidified it within you."

"Bloody hell. I'd better not resort to my namby pamby days, Slayer, or so help me ..." Spike growled.

Buffy laughed. "You're still the Big Bad to me, love. Always."

"That's easy for you to say. You have no idea what a poncey git I was when I was a human." Spike huffed.

"You are as you always have been when you've allowed your true self to show, William. You will share more of an even balance with your demon now." Athena interrupted. "We don't know what other benefits you will see as time goes by. The more blood you two share, the stronger things will be between you.

"What does this prophecy say about me?" Buffy needed to know what she should expect.

"You are the guardian of the mouth of hell. That must refer to the Hellmouth." Athena looked over at Kendra. "The Slayer line runs through Kendra now. There is only one blood Slayer." She focused on Buffy again. "You will live for quite a long time if your Mate, friends, and the Coven have any say in it. You will actually outlive the Council itself. That is one reason why the Council wants you. It is said that you will abolish the Council in time."

Giles gasped. "Abolish it?"

"We don't know why. We only know that it is destined to happen." Athena saw how worn the faces of everyone around her were. "I know this is a lot to take in at once. You may keep that book. It holds all the information you need. Rest assured the Council will not be interfering again. I will be having a personal little chat with Quentin Travers today. If he doesn't behave, the end of the Council will be sooner over later." Her voice held the note of a threat and anger in it. "They will not be allowed to destroy the Chosen One. We will make sure several Coven members are present in Sunnydale for the time being to be sure our instructions are followed to the Council."

"Thank you, Athena." Buffy sighed a bit in relief. "I've been worried about so many things since I woke up. I feel so much safer now."

Athena stood up. She cupped Buffy's face in her hand. "You have such a great love inside you, Buffy. Share it with the world. Let your heart guide you. You will find the right way to live then."

Athena moved in front of Spike. "Your love and devotion will serve you for many decades to come, William. Forget the pain, but remember the lessons learned from them. Do not return to the life of mayhem that you led, or it will destroy you and your Childe." She offered her hand to Spike to bring him to his feet. She leaned forward.

Spike felt the warmth caress his cheek and course through his body when Athena kissed his cheek briefly. He looked at her with widened eyes. "Wha ..."

"A gift, fair warrior." Athena stepped away from Spike. She moved over to Willow. "We will be watching you young lady. Soon, you will need to begin your training." She smiled warmly at Willow. "It is time for me to leave. Your home will be protected with our wards. You can all rest easy."

Joyce and Giles nodded in synchronization. "Thank you, Athena." Joyce was happy to know that her daughter would live for a lot longer. She would never have the kind of life Joyce envisioned for her, but she would be happy. That was all that mattered to her now.

Xander let Athena out of the door. Then he sat down on the couch next to Willow. He hugged her.

"So another apocalypse averted." Willow chirped. "No more Angelus trying to eat all of Sunnydale."

"Yep. The Hellmouth is not so hell mouthy right now." Xander quipped. He smiled at Buffy and Spike. They did look very good together. He bit back the jealousy in his heart. He never would have had her in the first place.

"Do you think you'll be staying, Kendra?" Buffy asked her sister warrior.

Kendra shook her head no. "Dis is yawr playce to be."

"I doubt the Council would keep her here." Giles sat back on the couch. "Especially since the Coven will be clear about Buffy remaining on the Hellmouth." For the first time in weeks he felt relaxed. "The Council won't want to incur the wrath of those powerful Wiccas. You two should be safe."

"For now." Buffy sighed. "Until the next time someone thinks they are bad enough to take me on."

"We'll always be ready, luv." Spike kissed Buffy's cheek chastely. "With everyone here, they wouldn't survive any attempt they made on you."

"You're right." Buffy stretched out in the chair she and Spike shared. "If I can tame the "Big Bad" no one else will even be a challenge."

Everyone in the room laughed but Spike. He pinched her butt and tickled her mercilessly. "I'll show you who's big and bad."

Buffy jumped up off the chair and ran for the stairs. She squealed the whole way up while she tried to escape Spike.

Everyone heard the door to Buffy's bedroom slam closed with much giggling and shrieking. They all looked back and forth at each other. No one wanted to acknowledge what would be happening next up stairs.

Giles cleared his throat. "Well ..."

"Yes ... I suppose I should go grab the sleeping bags for everyone to sleep in and some sheets for the couch." Joyce stood up. "I think it would be best if we all stayed together still."

"Quite right." Giles agreed. "At least until we are sure the Coven was able to get through to the Council."

"Dibs on the couch." Xander chimed in.

"Giles gets the couch." Joyce corrected. "He deserves to be as comfortable as possible."

"Darn relegated to the floor." Xander mock pouted.

"Be happy you even get the floor after what you did." Joyce waggled a finger at him. "You'd better not hurt my baby girl again, or you will meet Mama Bear Joyce."

Xander gulped and nodded. Willow giggled. Giles smirked.

"What about me, Mrs. Summers?" Dalton questioned.

"Please call me Joyce." Joyce Summers smiled warmly. "I have a cot that I can put in the basement for you. That way you will be safe from the sun. I'm sure Buffy will take care of covering her window for her and Spike."

"Thank you, Joyce."

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

As the sun rose from beneath the horizon two separate vampires went to meet their end. One male vampire, recently turned, was sent to the hell he deserved for his many actions against those he should have tried to protect instead of kill. He left this realm screaming in pain and cursing his fate.

In another part of Sunnydale an old vampiress went from flesh to dust peacefully and quietly. No screams rent the air when the flames consumed her. She left this world with a smile on her face because her soul was leaving for heaven. The insanity she suffered from all those years after being turned was no more. Her soul, long buried deep within her to protect it, was set free to join her family in the sky. She was at peace, her destiny fulfilled.

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

Revenge For Love - (15) The End of the Beginning
By Tasha

Chapter Summary: Athena from the Coven in England informed the Scoobies about a great deal of what was happening to Buffy and Spike. We found out just who the real Xander really is. This chapter is written for 6 months after the last chapter. We catch up on what has been happening with the Scoobies and how everyone has adjusted or not adjusted to the changes.

Author's Note: I have had several people express interest and request a sequel to this story after Ch. 14 was sent out. I do have ideas in the works for it, but it will not be the next story I go into. I have a promise to keep to Bloodshedbaby for a story to one of her challenges. I might start the sequel once I'm into that story if I see in reviews for this chapter that the interest for a sequel is still there. The way I end this story, you can take it as an end or a set up for a sequel. {Smiles}

(All disclaimers are noted in the first chapter of this story.)

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

---

Buffy's voice penetrated the Summers' residence before the blonde daywalker stepped inside followed by Giles. "I don't work for them anymore. I refuse to babysit and train who could actually be here to kill Spike and I. If we let her that close, I don't know what affect it will have on the wards."

"Remember the wards are based on blood now, Buffy. It won't affect that. I've checked out the Council's story with a few of my trusted colleagues." Giles closed the door behind him, blocking out the mid-day sun. "The new Slayer is quite a rebel. She bawks their authority at every step. She's already gone through two Watchers."

"So why should I take this Faith off their hands?" Only six months passed by in their lives since the final battle with Angelus. Three months after Kendra returned home they received word from the Coven of the Slayer's death. Buffy tried to keep busy with her new life since then. She wasn't ready to face Kendra's replacement yet. "It sounds like her rebelling is actually helping our cause to keep the Council off balance."

Joyce Summers stepped into the living room from the direction of the kitchen. She heard the argument between her boyfriend and her daughter in full swing outside. So, she had a feeling Rupert would appreciated something to drink. She kissed Giles briefly and handed a glass of bourbon to him. "Rough day, dear?"

"Yes. Thank you, Joyce." Giles returned a short, but sweet kiss. After tentatively, then seriously, dating for 5 months Joyce and Giles decided he should move in with Joyce. Buffy and Spike had their own place to live, and Giles only rented his apartment. With both Giles and Joyce living alone it seemed reasonable for them to advance their relationship on many levels. The Summers' residence became Scooby Central. Although their lives were never quiet or sedate, Joyce and Giles were happy together.

"That bastard Travers called Giles today to tell us he was sending the new Slayer and her new Watcher to Sunnydale." Buffy hoped her mother sided with her in the argument. Joyce acted like a mother bear ever since she found out about Buffy's death and new calling. "Make Giles tell Travers to go to Hell."

"Language please, Buffy." Joyce rolled her eyes. Spike took excellent care of her daughter. She'd never seen Buffy happier, but his cursing was one thing Joyce wished Buffy hadn't followed in his footsteps with. "I'm sure Rupert has a good reason why he is willing to accept this." Her tone indicated that Giles better have a good reason for putting her daughter in danger.

Giles gulped the bourbon down in one swig. One thing he learned quickly while he dated Joyce was that Buffy's spirit, determination, and stubbornness were not Slayer traits. They were in the Summers' family genes. He admired Joyce's tenacity, but he didn't want to be on the wrong side of an argument with her. "I don't believe Faith is a plant. My sources actually believe the Council is sending Faith here with the hope that her reckless behavior will get her killed and maybe her Watcher too."

"How screwed up is that?" Buffy snorted in disgust. "I'm with Spike on his Council of Wankers analogy. It's sounding better and more true everyday."

"Be that as it may, I feel we should take this girl under our wing." Giles tried to reason with Buffy. "She was not discovered as a Potential until after she was already Chosen. She hasn't lived her whole life with Watcher training."

"Still not seeing why I should care." Buffy crossed her arms in front of her against her chest. Her attitude may seem harsh to someone that hadn't lived her life the last few months, but her resentment came from her concerns for her friend's and family's well being.

"She, like you, hasn't spent her whole life being poisoned by their teachings." Giles handed the empty glass to Joyce. "She hasn't spent enough time with her last two Watcher's to be influenced by their teachings either. From what I've heard she didn't listen to them much anyways."

Joyce accepted the glass back from Giles. With the way the conversation was going, she decided to refill it for him. She knew her daughter was as stubborn as she was when it came to protecting those she loved. Buffy wanted them all prepared and protected.

Joyce spent the better part of the last 6 months training with Giles, Spike, Buffy and the other Scoobies. She was rather proficient with crossbows. She procured an artistic looking cane that she kept at the gallery for further protection. The cane held a sword in it should she need it as well. She was able to wield it easily, and it was sturdy enough to get the job done.

"We have a chance to bring her across to our way of life. Like Kendra, she could accept and be willing to protect the truth about Slayers, vampires and other demons." Giles stepped closer to Buffy. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know you are worried, but we need to do this. The more people who share our way, the better off the supernatural world will be handled properly."

"But is it really worth the risk?" Buffy hated arguing with Giles. She loved him like a father, but she feared any contact with the Council again, even indirectly. Yes they needed more people on their side, but they couldn't afford to be wrong about anyone.

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

The Council wasn't happy with the Coven's original demands, as the Scoobies expected, and for several weeks after the battle the Council tried to get around the Coven's spells. The Council had a few witches of their own that they relied on. They foolishly sent several Watchers and a dark ops unit to observe, infiltrate, capture and/or destroy Buffy and Spike.

The first attempt on Buffy's life merely annoyed the Coven's elders and Buffy. The protection wards and safety spells deflected the feeble attempts of the Council to test the Coven's seriousness and power. Buffy felt when anything challenged the magic surrounding her. It was a warning system to let her know something was going on. It allowed her to contact the Coven before any real damage was done to the wards.

The second attempt, two months later, was a more elaborate plan to bring down the wards and capture Buffy through indirect means. The dark ops team kidnapped Willow, Giles and Spike. They tranquilized Spike enough to keep him incoherent but conscious enough to keep the link open. They counted on Buffy's ability to track down her Mate to bring her to them.

What the Council overlooked was the determination and dedication of Joyce and Buffy to the men they loved, and the military edge to Xander's way of thinking that he cultivated more over time. At the time no one understood how the Council operatives were able to kidnap Willow, Giles and Spike in the first place. Later the Scoobies found out that three of the Coven members, three stationed in Sunnydale, took magically ill right before the kidnapping. Losing the magic of that many members at once, near Buffy, weakened the wards enough for the Council's team to sneak in close and grab them.

Buffy wanted to tear through every place in Sunnydale to find Spike once she realized her Mate was gone. Only the strength and patience of Xander and Joyce combined was able to stop the Slayer/Vampiress from raining down death and destruction in a raid of pure bloodshed. They used Buffy's connection with Spike to help pinpoint the area their friends and family were being held.

Xander worked up a plan for infiltration that included help from Joyce and Buffy. It would have been nice to have Oz's help, but he wasn't available to help the Scoobies. He wasn't even in Sunnydale anymore. His band got a U.S. touring opportunity that they couldn't afford to pass up about a month after the battle. He broke off his relationship with Willow because he said it wasn't fair to ask her to wait for him when he might never be back.

Willow was crushed, but she knew her place was with Buffy in Sunnydale. Giles made sure Oz had some tranquilizer darts and a list of names for others who could help him in certain cities on the full moon. Willow buried herself in her books, studying various aspects of witchcraft at the suggestion of the Coven members in Sunnydale. She visited them often to discuss specifics of certain spells.

Xander tried to ask Cordelia to help as well, but the ex-cheerleader no longer wanted to have anything to do with him or his "freakish" group of friends any longer. She refused to understand Xander's need to stick by and defend Buffy now that she was a vampire. She said their relationship wasn't worth having to deal with all the craziness that made up his life.

With the loss of Oz and Cordelia, and the strange loss of communication with the Coven, the remaining Scoobies felt deserted. So, it was a strange little trio of Scoobies who were forced to mount a rescue on their own. It was hard for each of them when several days passed by before they were ready to make a move. All of them were on edge by the time it came to move in.

Buffy figured they only had one shot at a rescue. If they failed, every one of them would be dead or a lab rat prisoner of the Council. Thankfully luck was on their side. The dark ops team never expected the three person rescue group to be so meticulous with their planning and execution.

The captors were taken completely by surprise in the middle of one of their taunting sessions of the captured Scoobies. In the midst of taunts and jeers that the former Slayer left them to die at their hands, the operatives were incapacitated with bolts and arrows through shoulders, knees, arms, and legs followed with punches, kicks and elbows at key pressure points to knock them unconscious.

Xander cradled an emotionally wrecked Willow in his arms after he released her from her bonds. Joyce wept in Giles arms. Both of them held each other up, comforting the other. When Buffy located her Mate in a separate room from the others, she growled. The guard barely had a moment to realize the Vampiress was in the room before his body hit the floor half drained.

Buffy lowered the bruised and bloodied body of her Sire to the floor. She pulled the still bleeding guard over to him. She lifted Spike's head to the guard's neck, and Spike awoke enough to finish the blood that remained in his tormentor.

All of the Scoobies' physical wounds healed in a few days, but the emotional and mental scars that were left on all of them took a lot longer to heal. The rest of the operatives were sent back to the Council magically bound with nightmares implanted in their brains that would keep them from even thinking about returning to Sunnydale again.

Dalton was furious when he returned to Sunnydale after his trip to England to visit the Coven. He apologized profusely for not being there when his Master and Mistress needed him. He informed them that he'd had the pleasure of tormenting Quentin Travers for a considerable amount of time in revenge and warning to leave them alone. He worried that they would be upset for him harming the human.

Spike and Buffy reassured their son that all was well. They held no anger towards Dalton. He did nothing wrong in their eyes. He protected his family, and he carried out the wishes of the Coven to show the seriousness of Travers' refusal to obey their directives. Being nearly drained by an enraged vampire was not something Travers was soon to forget. Quentin was allowed to live with the warning that should he ever cross them again he and his whole family would be wiped from the earth.

Athena visited Sunnydale after the kidnapping incident. She strengthened all of the wards and spells by linking them to Buffy's blood. Spike, Buffy and Dalton already shared a blood bond from feeding from each other and being linked through a familial claim. Joyce, being Buffy's mother, was also protected by her link to Buffy's blood automatically. Xander, Willow, and Giles agreed to share a familial blood link with Buffy to keep the protection spells more specific and unbreakable.

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

Buffy was pulled from her memories of the past few months by the sound of the front door being opened. Spike stood framed in the doorway by the sun. He pulled off his black leather duster and shook it outside. It was dusty from a mix of burnt herbs, dirt and sawdust. He slipped it back on once he was confidant that he wouldn't get Joyce's house dirty.

Joyce hugged Spike at the door. "I don't think I will ever tire of seeing you so handsome in the sunlight, Spike."

Although the vampire still wasn't accustomed to showing a lot of open affection around most humans, he loved Joyce as much as he did his own mother. He returned the hug with tenderness. "I'm not sure I'll ever get completely used to being able to walk in the sun again. Sometimes the minions forget I can go out during the day. They try to stop me from leaving and almost dust themselves." He shook his head back and forth.

Buffy ran over to her Mate eagerly. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately. Being apart from Spike for long periods of times was still hard for her to handle. Her only consolation was the link they shared. It grew stronger with each passing day. They'd spent the last week apart, except for brief times during the days when they met to talk out current plans or strategies.

Spike grinned at his beautiful Childe after they separated from their kiss. He rested his hands on Buffy's waist. Seeing her beauty in the clarity of the sunlight still made his unbeating heart flutter. Buffy was always gorgeous to him, but in the sunlight she was even more breathtaking. He'd never forget the first time he saw her in full sunlight.

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

The morning after the battle, Spike awoke from a deep slumber by Buffy's screams. They'd forgotten to close the curtains amidst their frolicking earlier. The sun shone brightly through the window.

"Spike!" Buffy screamed. "Oh my gosh!" She jumped up to close the curtains. She stopped after she realized that Spike wasn't even smoking. "Spike?"

Spike opened his eyes groggily. "Oy, pet. Turn off the lights." He raised his hand to cover his eyes from the brightness.

Buffy tugged on Spike's arm. "It's not the lights, Spike." She pulled his hand away from his eyes. "It's the sun."

"Sun?" Spike jumped from the bed out of reflex. "You trying to dust me, Slayer?"

Buffy giggled. She imagined the worried look on his face mirrored the one she had when she woke up. "No, silly. You weren't smoking. Come back here and see."

Joyce, Giles, Willow, Xander and Dalton burst through Buffy's bedroom door. Dalton jumped back into the hall to avoid the sunlight. The other four stared at the naked pair of vampires, one of which who wasn't smoking and should have been.

"What is going on?" Joyce grabbed Buffy's robe from behind the door and tossed it to her. She threw Spike a towel from the hall closet. She was dealing with her daughter being intimate with another man, but that didn't mean she wanted to see it so openly. "Why were you screaming, Buffy?"

"I woke up, and the sun was beating down on Spike. I panicked. Shouldn't he be dusty?" Buffy started to explain and question.

Giles looked over at the half covered vampire. "Fascinating." He adjusted his glasses. Enough direct sunlight still hit Spike's body, and there was no sign of smoke or blistering.

Dalton peeked out from behind Giles' body. He was careful to avoid the sunlight by staying in Giles' shadow. "Master?" His worried voice questioned. His Master's and Mistress' panic hit him while he was in the middle of drinking a mug of blood downstairs.

"It's all right, son. I'm fine." Spike's comforting voice soothed Dalton's nerves. "Looks like that kiss from the witch really did mean something." He laughed heartily. "And here I thought she just found me too irresistible to pass up." He teased.

Buffy slapped Spike playfully on the arm. "You think this was the gift she meant?" Buffy asked.

"It's quite possible," Giles answered. "If Spike was unable to go with you during the day, you would be at more risk. The Coven has taken up the mantle of your well being. This could be another way to ensure you are safe."

Spike stepped back into the sun fully. He closed his eyes. He practically giggled like a small boy with delight at the warmth of the sun on his skin. His demon wanted to shrink back from the light, but Spike pushed forward until his body was covered completely in light.

"So beautiful, Sire." Buffy stared at her lover in awe. His alabaster skin appeared to glow in the brightness because it was so pale. It almost looked like he had a halo surrounding his whole body. "Like an angel."

Spike opened his eyes. With a feral growl he pounced on Buffy on the bed. "I'll show you that I'm nothing like an angel." He grinned like a predator at his Childe. "I'll always be a little devil."

Willow shrieked. "I think that is our cue to vacate." She rushed out of the room, pulling Xander with her.

"Yes, quite." Giles wrapped an arm around Joyce's waist. Dalton preceded them into the hallway, and they all headed back to the kitchen for their interrupted lunch.

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

Giles extended his hand for Spike to shake. "Everything finished at the house?" Any doubts Giles had of Spike continued to be eradicated with each day that passed. He couldn't deny the fact that Spike put Buffy's needs always before his own. He'd put up with the entire Scooby gang's quirks and protected them. At first it was because Buffy wanted him too. Now it seemed that he'd grown to care for each of them in his own. He was a part of their family, as was Dalton.

Buffy and Spike lived at the mansion since the battle, but Spike wanted a place that he and Buffy could call their own without the memories of the past. The two of them picked out a fixer upper house only a short distance away from Revello Drive. It was close enough for visiting but far enough away to give everyone his or her privacy.

"Yep." Spike accepted the extended hand and shook Giles' hand firmly. "I finished sanding the porch this morning, and the stain is curing on the deck right as we speak."

"I'm so excited." Buffy bounced up and down in Spike's embrace. "He hasn't let me back into the house for the last month. Once he let me pick things out and tell him what I'd like, he kicked me out. I've hardly seen him at all the last week." She pouted.

"Oooo ... look at that lip." Spike flicked his fingertips over Buffy's extended lower lip. "Gonna get it."

Buffy pulled out of Spike's arms. "Not until I get to see my house." She hid behind Joyce's back and stuck her tongue out at Spike on the side. "No more spiking for Spike until I'm in my new home."

Spike laughed. Joyce and Giles shared a knowing look. They loved to see how much joy Buffy got out of life now. Her calling was dangerous before. Now it was even more dangerous since her calling had been altered. Both were amazed that Buffy seemed more alive now that she was technically dead than when her heart beat.

Giles cleared his throat. "There is still the matter of Faith to discuss, Buffy."

"Is that the new Slayer bird?" Spike heard about the Council's call from Xander second hand. Xander showed a knack for carpentry and construction over the time Spike worked to fix the house up. The two shared a camaraderie while they worked. It strengthened a growing friendship between the two of them.

"Yes." Giles turned to Buffy. "I am certain that Quentin is going to send the girl and her Watcher no matter what we say."

"Why is that, Rupert?" During the last few months, Spike and Giles also found a common ground or means to base a friendship on. Spike was able to read, write and speak several languages, including a few demonic ones like Fyarl. He surprised Giles with his knowledge of history and literature as well. Things were not anywhere near as tense between the two now. The pair would often be caught sharing a drink and chatting or watching British football on the television.

"My sources indicate that Quentin already feels this new Slayer is a liability." Giles inhaled deeply. "She won't follow his orders, and she's already gone through two other Watchers. Her last Watcher was killed because of her refusal to follow orders. At least that is the story he's giving the rest of the Council."

"You think he's lying?" Joyce piped up. She felt nothing but loathing for the head of the Council. He'd done nothing but put her daughter into danger from the moment of her calling. She knew that most of that was due to Buffy's calling itself, but the Council wanted to take her little girl away from her family and friends. That was not something she was willing to tolerate.

"Richard Wadsworth, an old Watcher friend of mine, told me that the order would have obviously resulted in Faith's own death. Faith must have realized that, and she refused to follow the order." Giles removed his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. "Faith's Watcher, a Miss Gwendolyn Post, was found dead the next day. Richard indicated the cause of death being highly suspicious. We fear that she was eliminated because she couldn't control Faith."

"That's awful!" Joyce exclaimed.

"Bloody wankers!" Spike echoed Joyce's sentiment.

"A new Watcher has been assigned to Faith named Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. He's rather green, and his father is a bit of a prat, but Wesley's pretty harmless." Giles sighed. He knew how hard it was to follow in your father's footsteps. He was born into a family of Council serving Watchers and support staff. He fought what was expected of him for many years. He felt a draw to help the young man break free of the ties that bound him.

"So, it would be of no consequence to the Council if the new Watcher was killed along with the girl?" Spike questioned.

"Probably not. He's green, and his father seems a bit unhappy with his performance even though his marks are quite high." Giles drank down the second glass of bourbon that Joyce offered to him earlier. "If we could persuade both Faith and Wesley to our cause, it would go a long way to securing Buffy's safety from the Council."

"It won't be easy," Spike intoned. "A wet behind the ears Watcher is more likely to spout off the handbook and regulations than he will be to accept the direct opposite to what he'd been taught."

"Or he might be more willing to accept the proof that the Council isn't what he thought it was when he realizes they sent him to his death without a second thought." Giles countered.

"This is all irrelevant if I don't want them coming." Buffy growled low. Sometimes it frustrated her when Spike and Giles got going on different topics. The two talked almost as if no one else was in the room. It was both scary and comforting that the two got along so well now.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Buffy. Quentin is sending them here whether we like it or not." Giles put his glasses back on. "We either remove the possible threat as soon as they get here, or we give it time to see which way they are willing to go. I vote for giving them that chance."

"I'm willing to give it a try." Spike put in his two cents worth. "Either way we watch her and the Watcher carefully to be sure if they are on the up and up. If they aren't, then we know what we have to do. Might as well give them a chance first."

Joyce nodded in agreement with Spike. She hugged Buffy who was now at her side instead of behind her. "They deserve a chance. What kind of people would we be if we didn't give them an opportunity to prove themselves."

Buffy sighed. She saw that she was outnumbered even amongst the four of them. She wondered what the other three of their official family of Scoobies would vote for. "I'm not comfortable with it, but I'll back up whatever the majority wants."

"I'll call the others to come over to discuss it." Giles headed for the phone.

"I'm taking my girl home." Spike dove for Buffy. He lifted her into his arms easily. "Since we've already given our vote, we're not needed. Right, Watcher?"

"That's fine, Spike." Giles dialed Willow's number. It was more than likely that Xander would be at Willow's house since he wasn't at Spike's. Hopefully he'd reach two people at once. "We'll let you know what is decided."

"Thanks, Rupert." Spike juggled the squirming Slayer in his arms to open the door. He hooked his foot behind it to close it.

"Hello?" Giles spoke into the phone. "Yes, it's Giles. We need to have a meeting tonight. Can you be here by 4?" There was a pause as the person on the other end of the line answered. "Great. We'll see both of you then, Xander." He hung up, and he dialed Dalton's cell phone number.

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

About a block from their home, Buffy squirmed right out of Spike's arms. She took off in a dead run towards the house. "Catch me if you can." She taunted back to Spike.

Spike growled playfully. "Oh, I'll catch you all right, missy. Then you'll be in trouble." He bolted down the street after her.

"Promises, promises."

Anyone who looked out their windows would have been surprised to see only a blur of color as the two supernatural beings ran with full strength and speed down the lazy Sunnydale street.

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks at the edge of the front yard. Her mouth gaped open. She stared at the house that only a few weeks ago looked about ready to be condemned. She'd been skeptical when Spike spoke of buying the house and fixing it up. They picked all the colors and styles out together, but she never imagined it would look so good. If the outside looked this great, she had a feeling the inside was going to blow her away.

Spike grabbed Buffy around the waist from behind. He twirled her around and tossed her up in the air. He caught her in his arms. With confident steps he strode up the recently stained deck to the front door. "Welcome home, pet."

Buffy leaned over in Spike's arms. She turned the doorknob. The door opened easily. The lock wasn't based on a physical key but a mystical one. It was based on blood ... their blood.

Spike carried Buffy over the threshold. Although they weren't considered married in the human world, they were mated which was considered stronger than being wed in the demon world.

"Such a romantic." Buffy kissed Spike's lips. "You big softie." She teased.

"Oh really?" Spike carried Buffy upstairs to their new bedroom. He turned the corner through the doorway into the lavishly decorated room. During the renovations, he knocked down the wall adjoined to what used to be a bedroom next door to make a huge Master suite. In the center of the room, along the outside wall, was a four poster cherry wood bed adorned with crimson silk sheets.

"Wow." Buffy slid from Spike's arms to the ground. "This is gorgeous. It's like I envisioned it could be and so much more." She leaned back against Spike's chest.

"Only the best for you, pet." Spike cradled Buffy in his arms, and he rocked her from side to side. He rested his chin on her shoulder, kissing her neck.

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

Giles followed the maitre' d with Joyce to a table at one of Sunnydale's more ritzy restaurants. The Scooby meeting completed, he whisked Joyce off for a night on the town. Each Scooby would send their vote in to Giles' phone once they thought about it overnight. For now Giles put his full concentration on Joyce. He had something special planned for her.

Joyce noticed Giles was fidgeting a bit more tonight. She hadn't seen him this nervous around her in quite some time. She wondered what he was up to. When the maitre' d directed them to a private room with candles gracing a table for two, she became even more suspicious. "What's going on Rupert?"

Giles smiled warmly. He waited for the gentleman to pour two glasses of champagne and walk out of the room before he pulled out Joyce's chair for her. "Something special, darling." Instead of pushing the chair back in, he lowered himself to one knee next to Joyce.

Joyce's eyes widened. Giles seemed in a hurry to get the Scooby meeting over with, but she had no idea that he was planning something like this. When he practically ran up their bedroom before they left for dinner, she figured he needed to get his wallet. Now she wondered just what he picked up.

Giles looked up longingly at the woman who stole his heart so quickly. After Jenny he thought he wouldn't find love again. He certainly didn't expect to fall in love again so quickly, but he knew without a doubt that Joyce was the woman for him. "Joyce," he began, "I know we've only been dating for a short time, but you are already firmly wrapped around my heart."

Joyce held her breath. Her hands trembled against her thighs where they twisted around each other.

"Your fire and devotion warm me to the center of my being. Your tenacity and love complete me." Giles foraged through his pants pocket for the tiny velvet box he bought at a jewelry story weeks ago. Using one of Joyce's rings from her jewelry box, he had it sized to fit her perfectly. "I can not imagine my life without you, and I want you to know how much you are cherished and loved."

Joyce gasped at the now opened velvet jewelry box. She stared at the heart shaped emerald nestled in a bed of tiny ruby and diamond chips around it. She looked up at Giles with love shining in her eyes. "Oh Rupert."

Giles breathed a little easier because Joyce wasn't laughing at him. He'd never asked someone to marry him before, and he was very nervous. He pulled the ring from its home. He cradled one of Joyce's hands in his while the other readied the ring at the ring finger of her right hand. "Joyce Summers, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife for the rest of our days on this earth and beyond."

"Yes!" Joyce hugged Giles tightly after he slipped the ring on her finger. They shared a passionate kiss followed by more hugging and tears of joy falling down their faces. "I never thought I'd let another man into my life like this, Rupert, but I love you so much."

"And I you, Joyce. All my heart is yours. I want to spend the rest of my lifetime showing how much you are loved." Giles kissed her again. They were interrupted by the knock of their waiter on the door outside. Giles stood up behind Joyce and scooted her chair in. He leaned down to whisper into her ear after he called the waiter in, "We'll celebrate properly later." He kissed her cheek softly.

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

Buffy turned in Spike's arms. She backed away from him towards the bed. She ran her fingers down the buttons on the front of her blouse. Starting at the bottom she slipped each pearlized button through its buttonhole.

Spike watched with fascination at the little seductive display Buffy gave him. He stepped closer to her. He ached to touch her. While he worked on finishing the house, Buffy stayed at the mansion. He wanted it to be a surprise for her. It had been too long since they'd touched and shared a bed.

Buffy stopped revealing the skin underneath her shirt when Spike moved. She shook her head at him. "Nuh uh," She spoke. "You teased me through our link with all those images as you stroked yourself the last few nights. My turn to tease."

"I wasn't doing it intentionally, luv." Spike stopped and whimpered. "You didn't exactly help with that little display of thoughts while you showered last night."

Buffy huffed. "I was entitled to a little pleasure after the VERY graphic dream you had yesterday morning." She left the last two buttons alone. Her breasts were barely covered with the mostly open shirt. She lowered her hands to the waist of her jeans. "All those delicious images of our bodies mingling and grinding against each other."

Spike shivered in remembrance of the dream. "I missed you, pet." He felt himself grow harder every minute. His demon wanted to rip the rest of Buffy's shirt open, throw her on the bed and ravish her breasts with his teeth and tongue. "I can't be held responsible for what I dream."

Buffy grinned. She felt how close to the surface Spike's demon was. The power radiated off of him in waves of sexual tension and desire. She bent over, unzipped her boots, and then kicked them off. Her breasts exposed themselves when she bent over. They hung downward in the absence of a bra. When she woke up that morning she decided to torment her lover to the point of taking her. She knew how knowing that she had no bra on would tease him.

Spike growled. His cock pressed against his jeans so fully that it hurt to even move. 'Two can play at this game,' He thought. He unzipped his jeans, and his cock sprung forth quite happy to be out of its prison. He wrapped his hand around the pale shaft at the base. He caressed it in a couple full strokes and licked his lips.

Buffy groaned. 'That's not fair.' She unbuttoned her jeans then lowered the zipper. She slowly lowered the denim to reveal every inch of her tanned body. Once Buffy found out that she could still walk in the sun, she worked on maintaining her California golden tan. She kicked the discarded jeans at Spike's face followed by her wet panties.

Spike snatched Buffy's panties from the air. With his free hand he buried the silk and lace into his nose. He inhaled deeply the scent that was his lover's essence. His growl deepened. 'I'll never get enough of that scent, beloved.'

'I hope not,' Buffy answered. Speech wasn't possible during times like this when their bodies were as tight as a coiled spring. It was at these times that their telepathic link came in very handy.

'I'll never get enough of you, Buffy. Eternity isn't long enough to spend with you.' Spike narrowed his eyes on Buffy's body, laid out on the bed and exposing herself to his gaze. Her glistening mound called to him, and he forced himself to remain still. He wanted to bury his face into the sweet honey of her pussy. He practically drooled at the thought of her taste on his tongue.

Buffy followed Spike's lust filled eyes. She teased her fingertips up her stomach. One hand disappeared beneath her shirt to tease and pinch taunt nipples that showed through the shirt. The other hand worked to release the last two buttons. The shirt fell completely open, and it was removed shortly thereafter.

Spike followed the trail of her fingers. His tongue longed to trace the path her fingers took. When Buffy's hand dipped back down her stomach to nestle in the trimmed curls surrounding her sex, his patience broke. Before Buffy's fingers pinched her clit in the tips, Spike pounced on his lover.

Buffy squeaked out her surprise. She wondered how long she would be able to tease Spike before he would be unable to keep from responding to her scent and their shared needs. She found herself ably pinned to the bed with both her hands caught in one of Spike's hands.

Spike's t-shirt was pulled off of him before he ever made it to the bed. He kicked his boots off a few seconds after his body hit the bed. He grabbed Buffy's hands in one of his. His tongue lashed out to tease at Buffy's nipples. He licked and suckled his way around each breast then nibbled each nipple with care.

Buffy arched into Spike's touch. Her body hummed in the anticipation of their joining. She moaned out loud when his fangs, now extended into his mouth, grazed over her nipple enough to draw blood. The smell of her blood in the air called forth her own demon, and she "vamped" out.

Spike felt his lover change into her demon form. He looked up at her through hooded eyes of passion. He bit down harder into Buffy's breast around her nipple. He shook his head back and forth a little to bury his fangs into her deeper.

Buffy responded eagerly to her Sire's bite. She tried to pull her hands from Spike's grasp. She stilled when he growled deeply. She whimpered in need. "Please, Spike. I need ..."

"I know what you need, baby." Spike lifted his head from Buffy's breast. He kissed a trail down her stomach. "This sweet little place needs my attention?" He teased with a lick up between her nether lips to her extended clit. He let go of her hands.

"Yes!" Buffy's hands shot down into Spike's hair. She arched her hips up and ground her pussy into Spike's lips.

Spike removed his jeans with one hand. He worked his pants down with one foot and then the other. His face never left the sweet haven of his lover's sex. He lapped up every bit of her sweet essence. He felt her tense beneath him. He knew she was near her climax by the way she panted and squirmed. He felt the need for her release through their link. He knew what would send her over the edge.

Buffy screamed out her release the moment Spike's fangs pierced either side of her clit. Her whole body quaked and quivered in a wave of bliss. Her hands tightened in his hair to hold him in place while her body bucked repeatedly against his face.

Spike grinned in male pride at being able to pleasure the woman he loved. He drank in the mixture of her blood and cream of satisfaction deeply. When he felt Buffy's body come down from its high, he leapt up her body. His cock plunged into her still twitching pussy in one solid thrust.

"SPIKE!" Buffy screamed out in surprise. Her lover never ceased to amaze her. Sex with him was never the same. He varied positions, pleasures, and taught her something new every time.

Spike's cock beat at the back of her channel into her cervix. It plunged deeply and poked at the entrance of her womb.

Buffy lifted her legs straight towards the ceiling. She wrapped her ankles around his neck. Her ass lifted from the bed, and the angle of Spike's penetration changed. Both lovers moaned in delight at the new angle.

Spike's thrusts picked up speed. 'Gonna fuck you into the mattress so hard you won't leave this bed for days.' He snarled from the force of the next thrust into Buffy's tight canal.

Buffy squeezed her inner muscles around Spike's cock. She knew what he liked, and she was more than happy to oblige. Her muscles fluttered around the rock hard shaft piercing her body.

Spike threw his head back with a roar of pleasure. He would never tire of those wonderful Slayer muscles. His thrusts quickened in their pace. His gaze locked with Buffy's. In a flash his struck, his fangs buried into Buffy's neck.

Buffy howled her release into bliss yet again. She came hard. Her muscles tightened like a vice on Spike's cock in pulses, and she buried her own fangs in Spike's neck.

Spike came hard. His cock burst forth with thick streams of his cold seed. He buried his cock in deeply, and his seed pulsed against Buffy's cervix to fill her.

Buffy careened over the edge again the moment Spike's seed touched her womb. She shivered and bucked against Spike's body.

They both held each other tightly. When both of them came back down to earth, they retracted their fangs from each other's necks.

"Mine, as I am yours," Spike spoke softly and reverently.

"Yours, as you are mine," Buffy answered lovingly.

Spike flipped them over to ease the weight of his body off of Buffy. His semi-hard cock remained inside of her.

Buffy collapsed on top of Spike. Both of them panted even though neither needed to breathe. She buried her face into the crook of his neck. The Slayer within lay contently satisfied from the raw need she was able to bring forth in her Sire and lover. The woman within felt warm and complete, surrounded by the love of her beloved. The only time her demon and human sides were satisfied was in Spike's presence.

Spike wrapped his arms loosely around his Mate. He was content on so many levels. His demon languished in the aftermath of their passion and blood sharing. The man inside him relished in the love and connection he felt to the woman he loved. In Buffy's arms and presence was the only time he felt completely satiated and at peace.

While Spike and Buffy slept peacefully, spent after their night of lovemaking and passionate sex, a text message came through the encrypted system to their phones. The Scoobies' vote was finished. By majority vote in the positive, Giles and Buffy would meet Faith and Wesley upon entering Sunnydale. It was time to seek out more allies.

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**The End**

(If you wish a sequel to this story, please send me a review requesting one. Some people wrote me with interest, but I want to be sure that enough people are interested.)