TITLE:Ritual of Fire and Ice

AUTHOR:Nightmelody

EMAIL:nightmelody@hotmail.com

PAIRING:Buffy and Spike

EPISODE:Spoilers up to DIRTY GIRLS, au ending of season seven

RATING: R

DISCLAIMER: BTVS belongs to Joss, I just borrowed them for fun.

RITUAL OF FIRE AND ICE

"Oh, this just keeps getting better!" Spike leaped up and slammed

out of the house.

"Apocalypses are kind of like that," Dawn muttered, slouched on the

living room couch. The rest of the Scoobies, except for Xander, who

was still in the hospital, were in the living room, too.

"Oh, he is so infuriating!" Buffy grabbed her jacket and headed to

the door to follow Spike.

"Buffy, wait! We need to talk about this ritual. It's very

complicated." said Willow.

Buffy paused at the door. "It's not all that complicated to me! I'm

the one who has to have sex with someone in this stupid sacred

circle. I know it makes you all uncomfortable, but I've had sex with

Spike before. I am NOT considering Wood, or Giles, or poor

Xander--or, or Andrew!" Her voice rose to a panicked squeal on that

last name.

She tore off after Spike.

"Well, it's probably for the best," said Anya, leaning over Willow's

shoulder and reading the ancient text. "Vampire, human--it fits with

the whole fire and ice theme."

" That's a good observation, Anya," said Willow. " And sex with one

of you guys, seems kind of...incesty."

"She has feeling for Spike, she told me so. They worked out their

bad time together . She trusts him." said Dawn. "And he ...loves

her."

Wood gave a disgusted snort.

Willow skewered Wood and Giles with a look, reminiscent of her Dark

Willow period. "You two will just have to get over it. It's Buffy's

choice."

Two nights later, Willow was helping Buffy dress for the ritual in

Buffy's bedroom.

"Here's your gown. It's linen. Oh! and no underwear."

Buffy, wrapped in a towel, lifted the white gown.

"It's sheer! Are you crazy?"

"Well, sheer, yes, but it's loose, so it won't be too revealing.

And...the lighting will be dim." Willow spoke in a pleading tone.

"BLOODY HELL!" reverberated through the second story of the Summer's

home.

Buffy looked at Willow, eyebrows raised.

"Uh, Spike has the same outfit. Without the red ribbons, of course."

"Of course."

Joyce' room had been emptied of furniture and prepared for the

ritual. A ring of candles, red and white together, sat in crystal

bowls of ice. A white comforter and pillows lay in the middle of the

circle. A small altar had been set up in the corner.

The four cardinal directions had been marked, by humans, Dawn,

Giles, Anya, and Xander, in a wheel chair, looking so fragile.

Buffy arrived, holding her arms in front of her, hiding.

Spike came in, stomping and scowling , not trying to cover anything.

"Okay, then," said Willow in a false upbeat tone. "You two need to

clasp hands and stand, touching, just like that." She positioned

them so they were pressed together, their hands clasped at shoulder

height.

Buffy stood, eyes down cast, and Spike looked down at her, a

concerned expression on his face.

"I have a few instructions before we begin. Don't drop hands until I

tell you to stop. Then, umm," Willow lowered her voice to a whisper.

"It is best... there's more power if you both... you know..."

"Spit. It. Out." said Spike, through his teeth.

"Orgasm. At the same time. Or..or close."

Willow's face was bright red, and Buffy buried hers into Spike's

chest at this.

"Is this crowd staying to watch? Or do we get some privacy?" Spike

asked.

Buffy looked at Willow, eyes huge, horrified.

"No, no we all leave after the chanting."

Buffy let out a relieved breath and Spike visibly relaxed.

"Now, about the blood bond. I didn't know if you wanted to use a

knife , or do it the more fangy way--"

"What?" Spike exploded.

"Blood bond. You need to taste each others blood. Just a little

taste." Willow spoke matter of factly.

"Buffy! We can't do this! This is just wrong, on so many levels!"

Spike spoke in a near panicked tone, backing toward the door.

A hand clasped his wrist. Xander.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?"

"Xander, you've got to stop this. It's crazy."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Okay. Me. Buffy. Sex. Blood. Doesn't anybody see the big picture

here?"

"You're afraid you're going to turn her?" Xander asked.

"NO! ARHH" He roared in frustration.

"Blood bond," said Buffy. "Like a vampire marriage. Like what you

had with Dru."

"Oh sort of. But Dru was sodding insane. Like bonding with a... a

shark or something. With us it would be more... binding."

"Well, we need to decide right now. This is our only shot at this.

Some of the herbs and stuff, we won't have time to replace them."

said Willow.

"You need to pick somebody else!" Spike looked at Buffy and

swallowed hard.

"No! We'll deal with this bond thing when this is all over. We're

not going to worry about this now." said Buffy. She moved back into

position and clasped his hands in hers.

"Xander, promise me--if things get ugly, if she wants to be

free--you'll stake me. Promise." Spike's eyes, fixed on Xander,

looked wild, and there was an odd pleading tone to his request. "Cuz

I won't be able to leave."

"Okay, okay, man."

Spike nodded and turned back to Buffy. He slid his fingers between

hers.

"Do you want the knife?" Willow asked.

"No. I know how to do it."

"Okay. And you might feel..emotional. Part of the spell. Don't let

go of hands. Just try to relax."

Willow began the chanting.

"Are you sure, Buffy? I can leave right now--" Spike whispered into

her ear.

"No! No--I don't want anybody but you. I couldn't do it with anyone

else." Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Spike buried his face in her neck.

"This isn't a sex thing. Or blood thing, either. I love you, Buffy."

"I love you, too Spike. I'm glad we can do this together." Tears

continued to slide down her cheeks.

"Buffy." Tears fell down his cheeks also, and he slid his wet cheek

against hers. Their tears mingled.

Now is time for the blood bond." Willow said.

"Bond of blood.

Male and Female.

Darkness and Light.

Slayer and Demon.

Life and Death,

Lover and Enemy.

Day and Night.

Fire and Ice.

Become of one blood."

Spike raised his own wrist to his mouth, and revealed his vampire

fangs, though the rest of his face looked human. He bit himself, and

turned the blood to Buffy's lips. She sealed her mouth onto his

wrist.

Spike buried his face into her neck, not letting her see his game

face, and slid his fangs into her soft neck.

Tears continued to stream down their faces, even Spike's game face,

and splashed onto the floor.

"You may now kiss," Willow said in a soft voice, after a few moments.

Spike's face instantly softened into his human face. With no

awkwardness, they slanted their mouths together like they had so

many times before.

Drops of blood, his and hers, fell to the floor and mingled with

their tears. A mist, pale green and lavendar, began to rise from the

mingling, swirling around their feet.

Suddenly their sheer garments vanished, and they broke apart,

startled.

"Time to leave," Willow whispered.

The Scoobies left quietly , Willow pushing Xander's chair. As she

shut the door Willow saw them once again kissing, oblivious to their

leaving. The mist was ankle high and expanding in circles, like a

stone thrown into still water.

They sank to the comforter, now strewn with sweet smelling flower

petals and herbs.

"Make love to me Spike,"

"I will sweet, I will.You'll see, it'll be so different than before,

so sweet..."

And then he was everywhere, kissing, caressing, his lips finding her

small pink nipples, fingers finding the slick sweetness of her

center.

Her hands glided over him , relearning every muscle, every rib,

finally finding his hard, thrusting length, but he moved her hand

away with a moan.

"Got to remember the mission, pet."

His hands spread her thighs wide, opening her to him, and he paused

to look his fill, to smell her intoxicating arousal. Then he was on

her, devouring, licking, feasting, while she moaned and rolled her

hips against his beautiful face.

He could tell when she was almost there, and her strong slayer's

hands pulled him by his shoulders, up, covering her, eye to eye,and

then lip to lip, and her steal strong legs wrapped around him,

trapping him where he always wanted to be.Then there was the moment

of joining that caused them both to pause, to seek each others eyes,

locked together by more than their bodies.

"We dance," Buffy whispered, her gaze locked to his, barely able to

breath.

"We dance," he breathed, and they began to move in the most ancient

and holy of dances, delicious and consuming, shattering into

ecstasy.

The mist danced, too, and swirled, and seeped and poured out of the

house, rushing, speed of light, circle followed by larger circle.

As it swept through the town, mere humans understood it in awe and

wonder, feeling the miracle of their joining, kneeling before it,

making vows to life, feeling the hope for a better day.

The army of darkness felt it's sweeping purity, too, but in terror

and disgust, in defeat, in powerlessness, for where ever the mist

flowed it dissolved away the power of evil, causing it to evaporate

like ice in raging fire, until it was just...gone. Into nothing.

In the sacred circle, two champions, finally healed, slept, entwined

in the soft comforter and pillows. Finally at rest, finally at

peace, refreshening and strenghtening each other for their future

together, in a world forever changed by their love.