Chapter One: Bliss in a Box
"I love L.A.! I wish we came here more. It's so pretty, especially at night." Dawn ranted as the group of two vampires, two witches, an ex-key, an ex-demon and two regular folk, made their way to the small night club at the end of a busy LA street.
"Don't you guys love it?" She practically squeaked with delight.
"Ok Dawn, maybe we shouldn't have had that last mocha Frappuccino" Buffy commented as rolled her eyes playfully at her little sister's bubbly self.
"You're with me right Hanna?" Dawn asked.
"Hanna?"
"Hanna?"
"Oh yeah they fell behind." Tara replied.
"How?" Dawn asked.
"Well cause some people haven't mastered the skill of making out and walking"
"Anya!" The group yelled in unison.
"What? What'd I say?"
The group just sighed collectively and continued their journey to the pounding night club.
*****************Somewhere on the streets of LA***************************************
"Spike, where are you taking me?"
"You'll see pet"
The vampire and his mate made their way up a small alley way towards a dark building hidden by shadow. The two came up to a large emerald colored door with an antique bronze knocker. Spike banged the knocker once and waited.
"Spike, it looks like no one has lived here for decades."
Hanna complained to her mate as she rubbed her arms against the slight Southern California wind.
"Just trust me baby. Have I ever led you wrong?"
"Would you like me answer that or should I laugh?"
"Watch it missy."
Hanna giggled in response.
Finally after what seemed like hours, a demon with pale wrinkled skin opened the door a crack. "Yes?"
"Clem, its Spike."
The door was instantly thrown open and Spike was grabbed into a big hug.
"Ole' buddy! I thought you would never show up! Come in, come in."
Clem led the couple through the doorway and into a brightly lit hallway. Pictures of demons lined the walls from top to bottom, and ancient artifacts littered small tables scattered around the hallway.
Hanna glanced at all the different types of demons. One had purple skin and bright green eyes that seemed to read your soul even though it was just a picture, but as Hanna continued to gaze at the picture, she thought the demon had gentleness about him, despite his odd features.
"Spike" Hanna whispered.
Spike glanced down at his mate. "Yeah love?"
"What type of demon is that?" Hanna asked and pointed to the picture.
"From the Farlock dimension. He's like an assassin type."
"Oh. Are they nice?" Hanna asked.
She wanted to know if her hunch was correct, or was she just trying to make herself feel better. After all she was still trying to adjust to how many things could kill her in this world. And some things aren't even from this world. It has been three years since she got back together with Spike. And three years of being a vampire's mate. When Spike had first discovered he had claimed her, he thought she was immortal like him. When a vampire claims another the abilities are taken from the strongest mate to protect itself. Hanna had so many questions buzzing in her head. She had been stuck in the hospital for a few days. After Spike had tried to kill her. With the thought of that horrible night, Hanna reached up and touched the scar on her neck. She did this periodically to ensure she was still Spike's mate. To ensure that this wasn't all a dream and she would wake up and Spike would still be in Brazil. After she was released from the hospital and her parents relaxed enough, Spike took her to see a witch in New Mexico. Belinda was her name. She was an expert on ancient vampire rituals. It made sense. She had been claimed to a vampire for centuries.
***********************Three Years Past: New Mexico**********************************
"Am I immortal like Spike?" Hanna asked the witch timidly.
Belinda laughed. "Well only if you started out that way."
Spike gave her a confused look.
"I thought the claim pulls from the stronger partner. It explains why she healed so quickly in the hospital. Most humans would have died from losing that much blood."
Spike clenched his jaw with anger at himself for losing control. Hanna laid her hand on Spike's back and rubbed small circles. She wanted to give her mate the comfort he needed.
"Spike" Hanna called softly.
Spike refused to look at her.
"Spike, come on."
Spike glanced at her. "Hey, I'm still here. You saved me remember? This is how we were claimed to each other. OK?"
Spike nodded slightly and reached over and placed a soft kiss to Hanna's forehead. "Thanks love."
Belinda coughed quickly to draw their attention back to her.
"Spike, Hanna is a human. If the Powers That Be made it as easy as getting a supernatural sweetheart to become immortal, they would be out of business and destiny and faith and hope and all that human crap would be useless."
"So how did Hanna heal so fast then?" Spike asked wanting to know all of the side effects to what he had to do to save Hanna's life.
"If you could step over here dear."
Belinda beckoned Hanna with her hand. Hanna looked over at Spike. When he gave her a nod of conformation, she stood and walked over to the witch. Belinda placed her hands on Hanna's temples and closed her eyes.
"Close your eyes please."
Hanna did as she was told and tried to relax. It was not every day you go to New Mexico with your vampire boyfriend to see a centuries old witch who asks to touch your head. She really needed to hang out with the Scoobies more….except for Xander….she hated him. Belinda hummed softly. Hanna felt more relaxed than before. Probably had something to do with that humming. It was really nice sounding. It was making Hanna sleepy.
Spike watched in fascination. By Belinda's simple humming, Hanna was drowsy to the point of rocking back and forth as if trying to keep from falling back onto the floor. Spike hated magic. He felt that it was too dangerous for any one person to dabble with. Especially humans. He was just getting to the point to trust Glinda. She had proven herself countless times with coming up with spells on the stop and that spell that saved them back in the Initiative. It was Willow that Spike didn't trust. She had a lot of curiosity of the dark arts. Everyone said it was innocent, but nothing about dark magic was innocent. Surprisingly, Tara voiced similar concerns to the red head. Willow brushed it off as nothing, but Spike and Tara shared a look of common worry. It doesn't take much to make a human drunk with power. Willow could lose control. One action against her or her loved ones could send her off the deep end and into a world full of regret and hatred and death. Spike talked to Hanna about it and she said that they needed to just keep an eye on her and inform Tara when she was doing spells without her. Spike loved that he didn't need to explain himself to Hanna. He said his worries and she accepted them as fact and trusted him enough to listen and give him a fair compromise. He loved her so much. Spike took his focus back to Belinda. Hanna was sleeping and Belinda was chanting. After a few more minutes, Belinda took her hands away from Hanna and Hanna's eyes popped open again. Belinda leaned back into the sofa. Going into someone's mind was exhausting for any creature, no matter how experienced.
"So what did you find?"
Spike asked as he stood to help Hanna back to the couch. She looked as though she was going to faint. Belinda grabbed a water pitcher and filled a crystal goblet with water and gulped it down, then handed an empty one to Spike, followed by the pitcher.
"Well, what is interesting is that Hanna is fully human still. But her senses have heightened, her healing abilities have tripled and her mind is much more open and receptive to telepathy. It sounds as if you gave her the abilities of…"
"A slayer." Spike finished her sentence and looked astonishingly at Hanna who was frozen mid sip and staring at Spike with wide confused eyes.
"Slayer? As in Buffy? Faith? Slayer?" Hanna babbled as she tried to piece together what Belinda was telling her.
She had slayer abilities? Because Spike claimed her?
"Ok, so let me get this right, cause right now, I feel completely mental…A human was claimed to a vampire and was given slayer abilities?"
Spike kept looking at Hanna like she sprouted a tail and horns.
Belinda shook her head. "It's not as though she was called, but it does make sense. She needed abilities so the claim could thrive, so what is the closest thing to a demon that a human girl can become? And from what I saw just now little Hanna, it seems that destiny is a very close friend of yours."
Hanna looked at Spike and then to Belinda. "I don't understand. What destiny? What did you see?"
"Do you think it was an accident that you just happened to live next to the slayer for five years?" Belinda asked.
"You think it was an accident that Spike just happened to be walking by to save you? When Spike doesn't give a crap about any human girl? Dawn went to your school. All of these things are not just coincidences Hanna."
Hanna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was what? Born for this life? She was supposed to live next to Buffy and meet Spike and Dawn and become Spike's mate? Hanna was still reeling from the news. Was she strong? Would people like Sam, or Dr. Walsh, Drusilla ever be able to hurt her again? She wanted to learn to be strong like Buffy and Angel and Spike. Now she could be. She could hone her skills and protect her mate with the same ferocity and passionate anger as her Spike. A smile spread across Hanna's face. It in that moment that she realized she would never need protecting again.
Spike was having similar thoughts, but these were not of confusion or fear but of pure joy. Finally, the faith he was looking for. The faith that this was not just one big screw up the Powers gave him. That Hanna was truly his and meant to be. She was born to be his. She was born for him, and he was born for her. So what that he had to wait over hundred years for her? His destiny was mixed with hers. His destiny was hers. He did not feel scared about losing Hanna because it was written in the bloody stars. A smile spread across his face. It was in that moment that he realized what he needed to do.
********************************Present: LA******************************************
Hanna was jolted from her flashback by the sudden swoosh of cold air hitting her face. It felt like they were outside somehow when she knew they had just walked in something. Hanna looked around her and saw she was in a grassy open field. The moon was shining down on the group making the grass look a dark blue, almost like an ocean. Hanna let her feet stop in their tracks and she looked at her surroundings.
"Um Spike…I know you said to trust you but….where are we?"
Clem stepped up next to Hanna and clapped her on the back. "A portal a friend of mine created. This is our hiding spot. Pretty sweet digs huh?"
Hanna just continued to stare. There was smoke rising from what looked like a large bonfire down the hill that they were standing on. She could see moving shapes, all kinds of shapes… she assumed they were more demons. Maybe the ones from the hallway of demon portraits.
"Wow, this is so a Harry Potter moment." Hanna whispered under her breath.
How could she go from being inside, to being outside? It was a shock that the things she read in books were actually true. I guess she would no longer be calling them fantasy novels. Spike took Hanna's hand and led her down the hill towards the large bonfire.
Spike could barely contain his happiness. He did not want to ruin the surprise that he had been planning for almost three years now. When they had met with Belinda and she dropped the bomb that Hanna and Spike were meant to be, the second they were back in Sunnydale, Spike started to plan. And he planned and searched and planned until finally, with Clem's help…he found it. When they arrived to the bonfire, Spike noticed all the small cabins the sprinkled the valley. Clem had worked so hard to create this place and the warlock that helped him build it as well. Spike had to admit, he never knew Clem was so intelligent or creative, or powerful. But Spike was used to surprises by now. With that thought he gave Hanna's little hand a squeeze, and gazed down at her face. It was illuminated by the moon light and her hair shown bright amber. Spike almost growled at the memory of that fragrant hair splayed out across his chest as Hanna rained sweet soft kisses across his chest and neck just the night before.
"Ok guys, here we are." Clem announced as they arrived at a small cabin with smoke rising from the chimney slightly.
Spike could see movement through the window and hoped it was who he thought it was.
"Knock knock." Clem called through the window.
To Hanna's surprise the person that answered the door was pleasant looking. Almost normal. She had long mousy brown hair, much like Dawn's, and a small sharp nose. She had pink lips that formed a warming smile. She had pleasant blue eyes and small petite pale hands. Hanna wondered what a girl like her was doing in a place where they had pictures of creatures everywhere. As Hanna was admiring the woman's deep blue embroidered dress, she realized why the woman was where she was. In place of a person's regular feet, she had goat's feet. Like a fawn! Hanna sighed. She would never see a normal person again as long as she was with Spike.
"Hi! I have been waiting for you!" The woman rushed out of the house and into Clem's arms.
He gave her a quick peck and then the woman turned to Hanna.
"We haven't had the pleasure yet dear. I'm Odessa. I'm Clem's mate."
Hanna smiled slightly. Ok well Clem is a great man and deserves someone just as kind. Maybe normal needed a new definition.
"Hi, I'm Hanna. Uh...Spike's mate. It's nice to meet you."
"Well it is wonderful to finally meet you. Spike here is quite the little chatter box when it comes to you."
Hanna looked over at Spike who was trying to not look at her and show his embarrassment. "Spike you know her?"
"Yeah, I've been visiting." Spike responded.
He could tell that Hanna was trying to absorb all of this new information. Spike knew how disorienting this could all be. He wanted to get this over quickly as well so they could go be alone. He really wanted this night to be perfect.
"So um…Odessa…what are all those portraits in the hallway?" Hanna asked.
She was really curious about them and wanted to know in case it was all the demons that like to eat people, or who have killed a slayer or something equally horrible. Although she doubted that Spike or Clem would be visiting a place like that anymore.
Odessa was trying to hide her laughter in her hand and kept looking at Clem with a look like "Isn't she cute?"
"What is so funny?" Hanna demanded.
She knew she was new to all this, but there was no reason to laugh at her. Even Spike was chuckling quietly.
"Dear don't look so scared. It's not what you think. We created a safe haven for demons who just want to do good in the world. We protect them from other demons that don't really see our vision…or any other for that matter besides their own and we also protect from the Slayer."
With the mention of Buffy, Hanna snapped her eyes to Odessa.
"Protection from the Slayer? Buffy wouldn't…"
Clem interrupted her with a sigh. "Although I don't want Buffy to ask every demon if they are good cause…wow would her life have ended quickly, but her Watcher should at least understand there are demons who are known for their kindness to humans. I mean there are volumes on it and stuff. But anyways, so because the Slayer is trained to slay first question later. We have a place where the good demons can come and live in peace."
Hanna frowned at that. "Well what if a demon pretends to be nice just to ruin what you have or freeload off of you?"
She didn't want to be a nay-sayer, but it seemed there were a few holes in Clem's grand scheme.
"Then I come into play."
A large booming voice like thunder spoke right behind Hanna's head. She turned to look and was confronted with a large gold and green belt buckle with a scarab as its shape. Hanna's eyes continued their path up until she was looking into bright green eyes and deep purple skin. It was the demon from the picture! Hanna's nerves were off the charts and her instincts were screaming at her to run. No wonder he was an assassin. He was a good seven feet tall. A large blue turban and matching blue pants. Chest void of shirt and the muscles looked triple to that of Spikes. The long daggers on each side of his legs added to the effect of "Holy crap this thing could kill you with one finger!" Speaking of his hands, his fingers were abnormally long. It looked as though there were two extra joints then humans have. Hanna guessing it was to have an easier time chocking someone. She shivered. Maybe she was wrong about them being nice.
Spike walked over to Hanna and put his arm around her.
"Still trust me?"
Hanna looked into his eyes. She wanted to say yes, but her voice was caught in her throat and she could barely breathe.
Clem walked straight towards the demon with a warm smile on his face. "Hey Percy. What can we do ya for?"
Hanna looked wide eyed at Spike. "Percy?" She whispered.
Spike shrugged.
"Well, that stupid little pygmy keeps opening my pasture gates at night and me and Sabbian have to chase our cows all night. Can you just tell the little runt that if he keeps doing that then I'm going to be forced to eat him?"
Hanna looked confused and pale at the same time. How could this even be real? This giant of a demon who could easily tare her head off and eat is as an olive. Or could just break her in half like a Twix is complaining about cows. Having to chase them…in a pasture…
Clem laughed. "Max has small man's complex. Just give him time. If you want, I'll go and talk to his wife. She can always keep him in line."
Percy laughed and Hanna swore she could feel the ground quiver because of it.
"True. What can we expect from a goblin? He's still learning to be good."
Percy sighed and it was like feeling the autumn wind on Hanna's face. "Ok, I'll just have Sabbian put up a spell or something to keep the gate locked."
Percy then turned to Hanna. "Sorry little one about scaring you. Sometimes I just really enjoy first impressions. You know being all big and scary."
Hanna just stared at him as if he was a giant purple demon speaking like one of her classmates in her classes. OH right, that's because he is. Hanna thought to herself. She really didn't want to be rude so she cleared her throat and found her voice.
"It's um..fine…Is um…Sabbian your wife?" Hanna asked trying really hard to make small talk.
Percy laughed at her and the group laughed at her again as well.
"What now?" Hanna huffed.
Spike leaned in and whispered. "Sabbian is a man. Percy is gay."
Spike thought for sure Hanna's mouth was going to hit the floor. She had gay friends. Look at Red and Glinda. Her little friend Jared's brother was gay as well.
"I didn't know demons could be gay." Hanna thought out loud.
Percy nodded. "They are species of demon like the Rosenbow clans of the East. They are all women who have adapted their bodies to not even need a male. They all live together and mate with each other."
"Sounds hot right?" Clem asked as he turned towards Hanna.
Spike smirked. "Yeah expect for their fox faces."
"Well anyways, Sabbian is the warlock that created this place." Clem indicated to the entire area with his arm.
"He's a great guy. And not half bad lookin' either." Everyone laughed.
Hanna had to join in on that one. Ok, she relented. So demons are kinda just like humans, minus the furry faces, purple skin, goat feet and the craving of human blood.
"It was nice meeting you young lady. Good to finally see Spike settling down. He is quite the looker." Percy said with a smile.
Spike gave him a traditional smirk. "It would never have worked out between us Ducks. I need to be the manly one in the relationship."
Percy smiled again and then turned and started his track to the small cabin to the far right of the large field.
"Alright enough chit chat. Are we ready then?" Odessa asked looking at Spike with a twinkle in her eye.
Spike nodded. With that Odessa disappeared back into the cabin. Clem followed leaving Spike and Hanna outside.
"Well that was interesting. This place seems a lot less scary. Even with a big assassin demon. To know that he just kills bad demons and then goes home to his warlock honey, oddly makes this place feel a lot like SunnyDale." Hanna smiled warmly at Spike.
"Are you glad I brought you here?" Spike asked her.
He knew she would warm up to the place soon enough. Odessa was kind, a lot like Anita and Clem was of coarse Spike's best mate. Percy he had known for years. Ever since the Boxer Rebellion when Spike had caught him carrying a small child back to safety from a gang of vampires. Spike had attempted to attack him, but Percy had just cracked him about the skull and told him this was not his fight to win and to calm down and not try to be a show off. Spike appreciated when a demon could beat him fairly. They had shaken hands and Spike left to look for the slayer. And since then they had called upon each other when they knew their services would be only one to help with whatever problem.
"Yeah. I am. Thank you. But why didn't you just tell me you were visiting Clem and his mate? Why did you have to keep it a secret?" Hanna had a look of hurt.
Spike knew why. Lying to her had only caused pain and suffering for them both in the past. But once she knew the reason, she wouldn't find it so terrible.
"I felt like a right prat lying to you for so long, but I had to keep it under wraps because …well you'll see."
"What is going on Spike? What is this place? Why are we here? Why have you been visiting this place and not telling me?" Hanna was trying to keep her voice down, but she was getting a little impatient.
She was the only one who didn't know the whole story and it bothered her that Spike would keep such big secretes from her again. Considering what happened to them when they came out. They lived together for heaven's sake! She should know if her boyfriend is running off to LA to meet with some woman that is dating his best friend. Hanna never thought badly of Spike, but this didn't seem like something Spike would do. While Hanna continued with her thoughts, Clem and Odessa opened the door once more. Odessa was carrying a small wooden box painted blue with what looked like small jewels decorating the boarder of the box. She handed it to Spike slowly. Treating it like the Hope Diamond was in there. Spike took it and held it in his hand. He gazed down at the box as if it was his newborn child. Hanna looked at it curiously. The box was beautiful. But what was so special about this box that Spike had been lying to her for?
"Thank you Odessa. You really out did yourself." Spike said.
Odessa smiled. "Anything for a friend of Clem's."
With that said, both Clem and Odessa walked back into their cabin while staring at Hanna as is she just announced her beat cancer or something. After they had shut the door, a small porch light came on illuminating Spike and making the jewels on the box sparkle like stars.
"Spike are you gonna ever tell me what the..." Hanna's sentence was swallowed by Spike's lips.
He grabbed Hanna was smashed his lips to hers. Holding her tightly Spike deepened his kiss with each breath him and Hanna shared. Hanna trembled under the wild desire of her mate's touch and his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. Spike sighed out a breath through his nose. He continued to kiss her and finally when he let go, they were both panting, with eyes glazed over with desire.
"Not…fair…this…doesn't…forgive…the…lying..." Hanna said between pants.
Spike chuckled breathlessly. "Well you're about to forgive me love."
"Why?" Hanna finally retained her composer and asked.
"Hanna."
"Spike." "I love you."
"I love you too Spike." She responded automatically.
Spike smiled at that. She never hesitated with responding to his declarations of love. The only woman he had ever known to do this with him.
"I love you so bloody much it pales in comparison to anything I have experienced in one hundred and fifty some off years I've been in existence. You are the entire reason why I exist at all. You are the reason why I am the man and demon I am today. I was born to love you Hanna Jenson."
Hanna was stunned. Spike said romantic things to her all of the time. But never so much of it at one time. "Spike that was..."
He held up his hand. "If I don't get this all out, I'll lose it." Hanna nodded.
"The reason I have been seeing Odessa is because she knew the whereabouts of something that belonged to my...my mother..."
Hanna's eyes snapped up to Spike's. "Your mother?"
Spike sighed. "Yes, and it took me a long time to find her and it just so happens that Clem just fell head over heels bonkers for the girl so it worked out. But it took me three years to find this. I've been waiting to give this to you now ever since we got back from Belinda's."
Hanna looked again at the box. What could this be? From his mother? She didn't know anything about her? He wanted her to have something that belonged to his mother? Three years?
The questions invaded Hanna's brain and all she could do was stare at the box.
Spike took a large gulp of air to try and calm his nerves. He had never done this sort of thing before. He didn't know if he was making any sense. All he knew was that he needed to tell Hanna everything he had been memorizing since he discovered that Odessa knew where his mother's safety deposit box was.
"My father gave it to her when they were married. And she always wanted me to have it." Spike took one last gulp and opened the box.
Hanna' eyes were immediately drawn to the perfectly round diamond stone and small gleaming emerald stones that boarded around the diamond. Delicate silver bands intertwined like knots that formed the most beautiful ring Hanna had ever seen.
"Spike this looks like a..."
"I want you to wear it..." Spike interrupted her once more.
Hanna's breath caught. Could he be...
Spike looked directly into Hanna's eyes. "As my wife."