“You listening, pet? Says right here if we’re focused on our connection enough we can talk to each other telepathically. It’d be handy in a fight, you know.”

“I really don’t want to be in anyone else’s head, Spike. I learned that lesson before.”

“Yeah, but you’ll only be in my head and vice versa. And we can control it. I don’t think you’ve been listening, have you, love? Do I have to start all over again?”

“No! I’ve been listening, really. Got it.”

“I’m not failing Their bloody test just because you have a short attention span.”

“We won’t fail!”

“We will if you don’t focus, pet. So please, shut your gob and listen. ‘Chapter Three, Dimension Crossings, Ethereal Powers and You.’ Oooh, this one sounds like fun. ‘One of the first things that must be discussed for the recently etherealized is the appearance of dangers and the necessity for a viable escape plan, utilizing all available resources, especially the unquantifiable valuable resource of multiple dimensions. The ethereal vampire and Slayer (that’s you), and their progeny will be able to switch dimensions to any number of “safe zones” within the world, including, but not limited to, purgatory for the two of you, and numerous other worlds for the two of you and your progeny….’ ”

Eyeing the bulge in Spike’s pants, Buffy licked her lips.

“Oh, I’ll show you focus.”

Buffy straddled Spike, trying to grab the book out of his hands and focus his attention where it rightly should have been…on her. After a few attempts, with Spike swatting her hands away from himself as he continued to read aloud, Buffy sighed and rolled over next to him.

“Are you sick of me already, Spike? We haven’t even been ‘married’ a week.”

“Bout four days from our perspective, pet, but it’s been months for the real world,” Spike said, placing the book down on the black nightstand next to the bed, “And since when do you call our situation a ‘marriage’?”

Buffy shuffled her feet as best she could as she lay on the bed, a coy smile falling on her lips.

“Well…I figured we’re all with the being together until death do us part…and we bicker! And I made you breakfast…this has all the symptoms of a marriage,” she said, her smile faltering, “But if you don’t want to call it that, it’s fine…or…if you don’t want to be with me that’s fine too…just…try not to get yourself killed or anything because I really don’t want to spend my afterlife with someone who doesn’t….”

Spike cut her ranting off with a penetrating kiss, and slid his hand up to her shirt, ripping it off of her in one fell swoop. Making short work of her pants, Spike sent the tattered remains of her outfit into a heap on the floor. Buffy pulled back when he tried to kiss her again, bit her lip, and ripped Spike’s clothes off of his frame with the same force he had used. Light danced in her eyes as he thrust into her.

“I hope They’ll give us more clothes after we’re done…I doubt anyone is going to want to talk to naked us.”

“Oh hush, you silly bint, I’m trying to make love to you.”

“This is what this is, isn’t it? It’s weird…before we died, all we ever did was fu….”

Spike rolled his eyes and covered her mouth again with his own.

“Slayer talks too bloody much.”

“Oh, I talk too much? Well you think too much.”

“We’re doing it, love! Bloody hell!”

“Oooh really? I didn’t realize.”

“Ha bloody ha.”

“I thought it was funny.”

“Afraid not.”

“Angel would have laughed.”

“That is especially not funny.”

“Whatever. Come here and stop being shirty.”

“If anyone’s shirty it’s you, love.”

“Open your eyes, you can’t see me sticking my tongue out at you.”

“Go to sleep, love.”

“I love you, you dolt.”

“Love you too, pet.”

“Spike?”

“What now, Slayer?”

“What does ‘progeny’ mean?”

--



Angel hunched over his desk, his head pulsing and throbbing. It was too much for him, Buffy and Spike, back from the dead, eternally bound together. He knew they weren’t telling him something important about their “arrangement.” He could smell it. Buffy wasn’t human anymore. Ethereal. That’s what Giles had said when he spoke to him on the phone. A prophesy about “The Two.” He had thought it was just a myth. A vampire and a Slayer, immolated together and bound for eternity to fight evil. And that wasn’t the half of the prophesy, Giles had said. Their children would be a new race. Immortals. Why didn’t he get to be the one to be bonded forever with Buffy? He deserved it, didn’t he? Angel’s mind raced for hours. Walking out into the night, his mind muddled, he barely heard the hardened voice call after him as he walked down the road.

“Hey, Baby, looking for a good time?”

Turning back to the voice, Angel nodded at the tall, thin blonde prostitute. Her pleather skirt hung off of jagged hips, her arms freckled with needle marks. Shrugging off his discomfort at her sickly appearance, Angel dug into his pocket for a fistful of cash.

“This enough?”

She nodded.

“That’s enough for me and Margie,” she said pointing to a shorter, but equally as thin and needle marked Asian girl who couldn’t have been more than 14.

“You’re all I need. Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and walking into a closed-off alley close by.

The prostitute drew back slightly, but shook off her fear by glancing over the bills she had shoved into her bra. She had counted at least $300. That would at least get herself and Margie through the next week without having to sleep on the street.

“So,” she said silkily as Angel pushed her lightly back against a wall so her back was facing him, “What do you want me to do for you, sweetie?”

Angel freed himself from his pants and shoved his cock into her, somehow knowing that she wouldn’t have worn any type of panties underneath her pleather skirt. A brief moment later, he came, roaring and shifting into his vampiric visage. The prostitute stifled a laugh at his short performance before turning around and screaming at the monster facing her. Ripping his fangs into her throat, Angel drained her body and grabbed the bills from her bra and shoved them into his pocket.

“It’s good to be back.”




******************
I've gotten a few notes about an error in this chapter about Angel losing his soul. The sex isn't why he loses his soul. It's the revenge...he's soooo mad about Buffy and Spike's new arrangement, he wants the ultimate revenge. He's changing into Angelus as he's walking outside, the sex was just the method to his end...bliss can come in all forms. :) Hope I cleared it up if you were wondering.