Transylvanian Concubine

by CassBlake

Sequel of Gone to the Chapel. AU. SB. Drama, Angst, Humor, Romance. Takes place a few months after Gone to the Chapel. When Dru comes to town, Buffy and the Scoobies will pay the piper, because "Hell have no fury like that of a woman's scorn..." Complete.

"Transylvanian Concubine"
By C.K. Blake

She was in Brazil, lying next to a chaos demon, when her eyes snapped open, and pain stabbed at her unbeating heart. She gracefully climbed out of the bed and looked at the chaos demon she'd been using to make Spike jealous, in hopes that he would come to his senses. Her ploy had obviously not worked, because her dreams seldom lied. She felt the presence of a swollen full moon and smiled, the night had come and she had too many things to do.

"You've been a naughty boy, my William, marrying a slayer, what a bad childe... Now how do you suppose we should punish my bad boy?" The airy vampiress whispered dreamily to herself.

A thought occurred to her and she knew how to hurt her former lover, the perfect way to destroy his mind the way Angelus, her Idaddy/I, had destroyed her before turning her into the mad vampiress that she was. She'd had powers before she'd been changed, she'd been a seer, she could have been a witch if she'd been taught the ways of the craft, but she'd been raised to know and serve the church. She would go to her former lover, but first she would see an old witch that lived in a village somewhere in the Brazilian jungle.

She took her favorite doll, the one Spike had given her before they'd gone to Sunnydale, Miss Edith, and spoke in a singsong voice, "Naughty childe, we come to you bearing presents. We shall give you breath where once we stole it, life where once was death. The stars speak through us and we condemn you only to save you and kill you over and over. With breath of life we'll see you to the ground again."

She took a trunk from her wardrobe and packed a few of her finest dresses and under things carefully away, then put on a soft satiny white dress trimmed in lace. As she prepared to leave she pulled a red velvet cape with a hood around her and tied it at her throat, pulling the hood over her head, then picked up the trunk in one arm and cradled Miss Edith in the other as she left behind her Brazilian grotto and the inadequate lover that was a disgusting chaos demon.

As soon as she was outside she looked to the sky, smiling at the stars and opened her powers up to the night, seeking the old witch that lived somewhere in the jungle. She soon sensed the power of the witch, her smile brightened as she headed north into the dark danger that was the jungle. She pitied the poor leopard that had picked up on her scent. Foolish cat didn't realize it was hunting a hunter, seeking its own death.

She reached her destination after stopping off for a bit of a spat. The foolish cat had leapt at her, but it wasn't going to ruin her dress or cloak, or harm Miss Edith for that matter. She caught it in midair by the throat and snapped its neck, then threw it against a tree. She would stop for supper at the witch's home once she got what she came for. Foolish kitties were far from a filling meal for one such as herself.

The vampiress smiled, drawing her cloak closer around her slight figure and opened the door of the simple shack that housed a very powerful crone, she'd been invited inside the shack once before years ago. The haggard old witch looked up with a smile of old yellow teeth and fire in her old rheumy eyes. Witch and vampire stared at each other; strange smiles on both faces, each knowing death was near. The vampiress could smell the death hanging in the air; the witch's body was decaying, already close to delivering the old crone to death's eager hands.

"Oh sweet woman, we want our story now, the stars speak to me, tell me. Oh the flowers in the garden deliver beautiful song, that you have a secret to tell," The vampiress spoke softly to the old woman.

The woman nodded, and Dru realized that she wasn't Brazilian as the woman spoke in English, Americanized English, "Well, vampire, our paths finally cross. What secrets do you think I possess?"

"You know of my dear William? You speak with the stars as we do? Tell us, old one, what have you seen? Let the gardens sing of your secret, the valleys need to hear song."

"You come to me for magick. Foolish vampire, magick cannot help you now. You want him to suffer, ah, and the slayer. What can an old woman like me do to help you?" The crone answered and questioned the vampiress.

"Witch, sings the stars to us. You can help us; will help us. We'll sing the song together, the secret that will give him breath again. Yes, the voices, they whisper that you can give my William breath, life, rushing red rivers flowing through his body. Witch you will do this. The stars tell us so."

The witch took a deep breath, knowing she would give into the vampire's request, "You're right you mad fool. I'll give in because the stars tell me it must be so, but you will have the price to pay."

"Yes, the jingle of coins, I hear the tiny clinking of coins. We have the price to pay, yes a nice little sum. A tiny drink. Suppertime is drawing near. Hurry, we must have the presents for Spike and his nasty slayer."

The witch sighed, shuffled over to an old and dusty trunk, opened the lid and pulled out an old dusty black leather bound volume. The pages were yellow and brittle. The vampire's eyes widened as she looked at the book and clapped.

"Yes, time for secrets and presents sing the daisies. Oh, he'll love the gifts from us," Dru sang, her voice full of excitement.

"Foolhardy vampire. Have you no shame to realize what you're doing?" The witch sighed.

The vampire clapped again as the witch opened the book to the page of the spell and then preceded to shuffle about her shack finding the ingredients for needed. She put her cauldron on the fire, cast three circles of protection and then took a dove from the small cage in her shack. She looked at the dove and shook her head as she drew a knife across its soft white throat and let the blood drip into the cauldron. She put the carcass on the dirt floor and proceeded to add herbs and the tongue of a python to the mixture. She lit an incense stick of dragon's blood and dropped it into the cauldron as well. Thick red smoke began to fill the cauldron and waft upward until it filled the room. The crone's tired and strained voice chanted words of an ancient and long forgotten tongue as the smoke departed from the shack and went on its way to find a certain vampire and his slayer. A powerful force erupted from the cauldron and knocked both witch and vampire to the floor as it left the room.

The witch's eyes widened in fear, "Fool! You've unleashed your doom."

"Precious dear heart will awake to breath and sunlight. So sing the stars. The secrets that whisper at the edges of my mind. The daisies and violets sing to the valley again, yes the garden is filled with song. It is done," The vampiress spoke with a lilting laugh at the edge of her soft voice.

"Leave this place, you've gotten your Ipresents/I for him. Leave an old woman to die in peace," The crone snapped.

The vampiress smiled in a crazed expression, "Oh, poor precious. My stomach speaks to me. It is suppertime and we are hungry. I smell food, sweet wine hides from us in your veins. Yes, we hunger. Peace is yours dear one."

With that the vampire slipped into her true face and grabbed the witch by her old gnarled shoulders. She pulled the crones head back and struck with the deadly accuracy of a viper. She drank the blood of the powerful crone, savoring the power that she tasted in the blood. The power began to flow through the vampiress. The vampiress dropped the body of the witch and used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth. She smiled, feeling the hunger in her satisfied for the moment. She looked at her dress, years of practice taught her how to drink without soiling her pretty dresses. She picked up her trunk from where she'd dropped it upon entering the crone's home and gathered Miss Edith in her arms. She looked at the doll and smiled.

"Tonight we go home. The voices tell us to find our childe and bring him presents. Yes, we go to him now. The daisies in the garden will sing for us as we journey. Oh, oh, we go to bring him back to us and teach that naughty slayer a lesson. Yes, she should be invited to supper with us. She would be so tasty," The vampiress whispered to the night and to the burden she cradled in her arms.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

bIn Sunnydale:/b

The sun rose in the east as it always did, and the alarm clock went off like clockwork. Spike groaned as he slapped the silly contraption designed to ruin a perfectly good slumber, and smiled when he recalled the night he'd spent with Buffy, funny how she always came home with so much energy after slaying; then he rolled over and shook Buffy awake. As she groaned and began to move around, he realized that he felt different, physically speaking. His chest rose and fell, with every breath he took, he was breathing again as though it were a natural occurrence. He jumped out of the bed he shared with his wife, the slayer, and stared around seeing everything and nothing in his panic. He ran to his wife, his eyes wide, and put his hands on her shoulder.

"Buffy, put your head on my chest and tell me what you hear!" He managed to get out.

Buffy looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "I thought you said you quit drinking."

"I have, now just do it and tell me what you bloody hear!" He snapped.

She smiled, but decided to humor him. She leaned against his chest, he felt warm and that wasn't right, and then she heard the impossible. She looked up at him, her eyes wide in shock and wonder.

"Your heart. It's beating. You're." Buffy couldn't say it.

"Alive," Spike finished for her.

Buffy nodded, ran to the curtains jerking them open and then she opened the blinds. Spike covered his eyes with his arm to protect them against the brightness, but he didn't start to smoke and burst into flame like a vampire would have.

"Oh my God," Buffy whispered.

"Bloody hell," Spike answered. "How did this happen? Only on the bleedin' hell mouth!"

"Well, let's get dressed, get me to school and you to the library so Giles can do some research. We have to find out what happened to you," Buffy took control of the situation.

Spike nodded and pulled on his black leather pants, a black muscle shirt, and a blue button up shirt, which he left open over the black t-shirt he wore. He considered putting on his duster, but it was still warm in Sunnydale, and it was obvious that the heat would bother him in his current state. They both went downstairs and ate a bowl of cereal, Buffy settled for Wheaties while Spike indulged on Fruit Loops and both had a cup of coffee.

Once they finished breakfast Buffy grabbed her book bag and Spike drove her to school, and with her giving him directions, parked in the student parking lot next to a nice red convertible. They got out of the old de Sota and walked into the building together. Buffy shouldering her book bag and Spike walking beside her, close but not touching. Students watched as Buffy walked into the school with the gothic man beside her, probably in his twenties. Harmony, the school bitch, looked on in envy at the hot guy that walked with Buffy and turned to Cordelia to find out who the guy was.

"Him? Please, Goth is so over now. Honestly Harm, he's so out of date with fashion, not to mention the split ends he should have from all the peroxide he uses on his head. Besides they're married. Not to mention he's so got an attitude problem among other things," Cordelia answered Harmony's inquiry.

"Awww, that's too bad. With the right woman in his life his fashion sense could be improved and he's just so hot," Harmony said.

Cordelia looked at the blonde ditz in disgust, "Yeah, and you're talking to me to get the gossip on some peroxide gothic married guy and put me down for my lapse of dating Xander. You know what? Don't talk to me. I like you better when we're so not talking."

With that Cordelia stormed off to the library and realized with a shock that Spike was walking around in broad daylight without smoking or bursting into flames or whatever vampires did in the sunlight. She met up with an open mouthed Xander in the hall and they both continued to the library. They watched as Spike and Buffy walked past Principle Snyder and couldn't suppress a grin as the small rodent-like man shuddered at the sight of Spike.

Spike threw open the library door and walked in followed by Buffy, Xander, and Cordelia. Giles looked up from his place behind the library counter, scrunched his eyebrows, took off his glasses, cleaned them, and replaced them onto their perch on the bridge of his nose. Willow was in the library browsing through books of Wicca and Witchcraft, and when she looked up her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Buffy? What's going on? And Spike, its good to see you, but how did you get here, and where's your coat? It didn't catch on fire on the way in here did it?" Willow asked in concern.

Spike shook his head, "No, none of that. Wish it were that simple. Have you been working mojo, Red? Because I woke up this morning more alive than I've been in over a bloody century, now I know magick is involved. And there's this other thing. No more demon-Spike inside, my soul's back and in full swing. Do you know what guilt does to people? Look at Peaches, he was a brooding, soddin' mess. And I can't enjoy my twilight mug of blood and wheat-a-bits anymore!"

"You mean you're human? But how? That's not possible. Why, this has never occurred before. I should notify the council at once," Giles spoke up from behind the counter.

"What? So I can play guinea pig to a bunch of dimwits in tweed suits. The bloody hell you'll notify those bastards. I'm tellin' you magick is afoot here. Someone's gone and played with the dark arts and now I'm breathing, with the whole heart beat and everything."

"You've still got the strength thing going for you. Looks like the school's going to have to request a new set of doors for the library," Xander piped up from behind Spike.

"What?" Buffy asked and turned to face Xander and her eyes widened as she looked at the doors that were laying on the floor in the hallway, the doorframes were cracked and splintered where the hinges had been.

"Looks like someone should consider Anger Management," Cordelia added in her usual snide way of commenting on things.

Spike glared at her, "It's been awhile since I was a living, breathing man. Bloody hell! Now I'm back to being twenty-four, hope this doesn't mean I start spouting poetry like a right Nance again. That would be so bloody perfect! And Cheerleader, at least I was human, well and human again now, seems like a reoccurrence, what's your problem? Jealous you're not as human as me?"

"I'll have you know I'm very human you Goth fashion victim! Hello, black nail polish was so over last month. Tell me after you got over whatever fashion statement you made the last time you were human, did you suddenly wake up in the eighties? Hello, the Billy Idol look has been over for a decade!" Cordelia lashed out.

"I'd like you to know that he got that look from me, thank you very much! Oh and the clothespin deal, peroxide, holes in the jeans, I was the trendsetter. Now leave me, and my 'style', alone. I'm still strong and I'm not above ripping what little bit of a brain you have through those pretty little nostrils of yours," Spike growled.

Buffy stepped between the two and put her hand on Spike's very warm chest, "There will be no ripping of any kind, unless I'm doing it to some really gross demon. Clear? Now Spike you go to your corner, and Cordy take a trip to the mall, History class won't miss your lectures on Mary Antoinette saying 'Let them eat cake'!"

Cordelia gave Buffy an incredulous look and then retaliated, "Excuse me, little Miss I'm the Slayer, and I date vampires, get drunk and marry one! You so need a reality check! You slay vampires, isn't that your job description? You don't go out banging them and then you marry one. Please, I'm not the one in total denial, at least I'm with a human."

"Hey, Cheers, last time I bloody checked I was human. Get your facts straight before insulting my wife," Spike spat.

"Oh go home and play house husband, like she'll ever let you help her out with the slaying now. You're so useless. You know Buffy; you were kind of pretty you could have gotten a live one after Angel. Why do you always seem to settle?"

Buffy's eyebrow arched, "Oh, you're so going to get it now Prom Queen wannabe. As I remember it you used to have a thing for my ex, before he lost his soul! You used to hang on to every little thing that came out of his mouth. Now you're with Xander, and according to you, wasn't that total social suicide? Leave my love life alone!"

"Hey!" Xander said in his own defense.

"Shut up, Xander! You had a crush on Buffy for like all of sophomore year and remember Bug girl and Inca Mummy girl? Hello, demon magnet before I started dating you," Cordy snapped, her words like daggers.

Willow stood up and her voice was icy, "Stop it! Enough with the arguing and pettiness! Cordy we know your completely inhuman, Xander we know you're in demon dating rehab although dating Cordelia is beyond even my intellect, Spike um, Drusilla is enough said, and Buffy you've had trouble dating, and me I date a werewolf. Now all the dirty laundry is out for all to see. Can we get back to the main picture? Hello! Spike human, needs explaining!"

"Finally, someone with a voice of reason. Now I do need to consult the council. There has to be some book with an explanation," Giles said.

Spike gave him an incredulous look, "No, you don't tell them anything. You know as well as I do they'll come to investigate me and take me back to England with them, then no more Spike in Sunnyhell. It's not happening, you are not keeping me away from Buffy. That's the kind of soddin' opportunity you've been looking for, aye?"

"We both know she could do better than you!" Giles snapped, which was completely unlike him unless he was scolding Buffy.

"Oh, name a bleedin' improvement. Rupert, do you have someone in mind? She's always gone for the older ones; think you qualify? You don't have the century backing you, mate."

Silence permeated the library. All eyes were on Spike and the huffy librarian. Cordelia looked eager to get the latest gossip in Scooby-Ville, while Buffy, Willow, and Xander were simply in a state of shock. Giles took off his glasses and began methodically cleaning them, yet again. When he put them back on he looked at Spike, anger and hatred in his eyes. He closed his fist and power filled the room, as Spike was dragged from where he was standing until he was face to face, in close proximity, with the angered librarian-watcher.

"My concern is the well being of the slayer. Do not bring that into question again. I look after her and I do what is required of me," Giles spoke through clenched teeth as he grabbed Spike by the front of the shirt and shook him. "I've put up with dealing with your commentary for long enough, and I've been dealing with Buffy's lapse in judgment as far as her relationships go, but I will not allow you to speak to me in that way again. Do we have an understanding?"

Spike smiled, that simple smirk that could irritate anyone, "We'll have an understanding as soon as you admit that you love her. I knew it since that night we got back after the merry nuptials."

Buffy looked at Giles, as if for the first time, "Is it true? Do you feel that way?"

"Buffy, I. It doesn't matter. I'm a watcher, you're the slayer and you're still alive. Now back to the matter at hand," Giles said with a clearing of his throat.

"No, I. We need to get to class. Spike, stay here and look through some books to see if you can find out what happened. I'll be back during lunch and sixth period and then we're going home," Buffy said.

"What about your training? You've been neglecting your training," Giles said wearily.

Buffy turned to look at him, shadows clouding her green eyes; "I'm going home after school today. I'll patrol tonight, but there will be no more training, with you, until I think this all through. Giles, you leave me alone until I get things straight in my head."

"Talk about weird love connection. See where dating an older guy gets you? It's so heartbreaking," Cordelia sighed and whipped her hair back.

"Cordy, please, let's get to class, they can do without the commentary. This is bad enough," Xander said and put his hands on Cordelia's shoulders.

Cordelia gave into Xander and soon all the Scoobies filed out of the library and to class just as the tardy bell rang. They each had a lot to think about. Cordelia was thinking of some new put downs for the latest Sunnydale High fashion victim, while Xander and Willow worried about dealing with the hell mouth's latest love triangle, and Buffy thought about the situation with Spike and the things he'd said to Giles.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The train pulled into the station at Sunnydale with a loud screeching of breaks, but no one got off, the train just stopped on the tracks, funny the stationmaster hadn't even heard the whistle being blown. The elderly man sighed, left his post at the ticket booth, and grunted as he climbed the steps of the train. A strange smell came from the doorway of the passenger car. He opened the door and bile rose to the back of his throat as he gazed in horror at the massacre that had taken place. Men, women, even a few children were strewn about the car, pale in death, some of the victims had marks on their throats. Fighting back the nausea he went to the other car, the one that had private seating for passengers willing to toss out the extra buck.

He opened the first private cabin, and a pair of delicate looking hands jerked him inside. Before he knew what was happening his head was being jerked back as an oddly deformed woman opened her mouth, and bit into his throat. She drained him before he even had the chance to scream. The vampiress dropped the newly made corpse, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and smiled. All she had to do was bide her time until the sunset.

She gleefully picked up the doll that was sitting on her trunk and had witnessed her mistress feeding on the stationmaster. "See Miss Edith, when you behave, you get to watch mummy feed. Isn't it so much fun? Now all we have to do is wait for the moon to come out and sing our welcome and then we shall pay Spike and his nasty slayer a visit. My William would very much enjoy that, the daisies sing to us, telling us he's already gotten two of our presents. Oh, Miss Edith! He will be so pleased to see us. My William, breathing again. Oh the joy on his face when I give him the night blood again! It will be as before and he will dance with us, as before, when the stars and daisies sang."

The doll looked up, a queer and lifeless smile painted to perfection on her porcelain lips. The vampiress looked at the doll with sudden anger. "Miss Edith, you're being naughty again. Mummy told you never to speak of daddy's garden. Oh. Oh. Everything I put into the ground to grow dies. My touch makes everything die. Oh, the roses sing to me now, the roses sing of burial, oh. oh."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Spike looked up from the book he'd been flipping though for the past ten minutes. Nothing had struck his interest except for an excerpt on summoning and the succubus, which as it turned out, was a rather messy affair of business. He slammed the book shut and pushed it away, having no desire to get a headache so early in the day. The commotion he'd been responsible for had made Giles jump, which put a smirk on Spike's face again.

The librarian looked sharply over his glasses and shook his head, "If you must stay in this library until Buffy is dismissed, then the least you could possibly do is help find out whatever it is that happened to you. Honestly, I don't know why Joyce hasn't contested this folly of a marriage. Do you honestly think it could work between the two of you? You're a demon for God's sakes. What could you possibly provide for the slayer?"

"Jealous, are you Rupes? Think she went for the wrong Englishman? She got the scoundrel instead of the gentleman? You're like a father to her, did you Ihonestly/I think you had a chance with her? She likes her men with a little demon. Wasn't Peaches enough proof of that? She is beautiful. I remember when I first saw her, dancing in the club, what a body. Then I watched her slay a no name vampire and told her I'd be killing her on Saturday. Never knew I'd get her loaded and down the aisle. That was a lot of liquor and spontaneity that got me, and the Slayer, there. Funny, I've never been happier," Spike said with a grin and then a thought occurred to him, "Hey, that thing you did earlier, you've dabbled in the mojo? You're a powerful one. Ever consider ditching the council and working for yourself? You could start with fixing whatever magick went wrong with me."

"Let's get one thing straight right now, Spike. I'm not helping you; in fact I rather dislike you and how you refer to Buffy. I'm helping my slayer, and my abilities and my past are of no concern of yours. I have devoted my services to the Watchers' Council and I have no intention of abandoning my post," The librarian snapped.

"But she's not yours. Doesn't that just get to you? I'm over one hundred and twenty-seven years old, not to mention the twenty-four years of my human life and I have her. That eats away at you Specks. Doesn't it just tick in that little clockwork head of yours?" Spike baited him.

Giles walked from behind the counter, over to where Spike sat, pulled his fist back and threw a punch that landed Spike in the nose. The punch threw both chair and Spike to the floor back first. Spike grabbed his nose with a howl of pain. Spike moved around his nose and felt another spurt of pain.

He glared up at the angry librarian and yelled, "Bloody Hell! You broke my soddin nose!" br "You'll be fine, just quit howling and set it before it starts to heal. I'm assuming that you still possess your healing abilities as well as your strength. Although if it were to heal crooked I would be more than pleased to break again so you'll have the chance to set it correctly," Giles offered. br Spike jerked his nose into place with a little crack, and as Giles had assumed his nose mended almost instantly. Spike wiggled his nose and noticed the pain was gone. He shot a glance up at the librarian daring him to try that again as he stood up. Giles briskly walked back behind his counter with a satisfied smile. Things might have been difficult and frustrating, but at least he'd dealt Spike a good blow that he deserved.

"Bloody hell! Where does a librarian learn to hit like that?" Spike asked.

The corner of Giles' mouth lifted in smirk, "I wasn't always a librarian. I didn't come out of the womb wearing tweed and glasses looking forward to perusing the classics. Besides as I recall, weren't you a poet before your were changed? I believe they called you 'William the Bloody'? Now what was the reason behind that name?"

"That was a low blow, mate."

"Ah, so I still possess the ability to strike a nerve? I owe you a lot more than a broken nose that can heal instantly. You had no right to say the things you did. Buffy now doubts my abilities as her watcher," Giles spoke tiredly.

Spike smirked, "Yeah, but I was right! You know you love her. It's not so hard to see. When you spend over a century and two decades trying to love someone out of your reach you can recognize it in another man. Rupes, I had the same problem with Dru. I was devoted to her every desire. I gave her beautiful jewels, and beautiful dresses with beautiful girls in them. I doted on her like soddin poof. I'm still jealous of the bastard. She only cared for her 'daddy'. Seems like there's a lot of that goin' 'round. I'm always falling for the ones Angelus leaves behind."

"Well, at least Angelus left behind your girls. Not a week goes by where I don't lay a bouquet of roses on my Jenny's grave. I could have settled down with her, a house, garden, children, all of it, Watchers' Council be damned. Your sire stole that from me," Giles sighed.

"I beg to differ. Angelus is my grandsire. He made Dru. Dru made me. Right painful it was too. He taught her well. They were well matched; let me tell you, they liked a lot of painful foreplay. She really enjoyed the screaming. After she seduced me she drank and made me scream for death before she opened up her throat to me. You know my woman troubles began with Cecily, she broke my heart and sent me crying into the night where I met Dru." Spike trailed looking both sad and whimsical.

"You know you don't have to go on if it's to personal," Giles offered.

Spike smiled, "Naw, I don't mind. At first I thought she. Dru was a pickpocket, and then she said something kind of like from the poem I'd written earlier that night for Cecily. I didn't know she could read minds until I was dead, demonic, and long in the canines. It's funny; I loved the world as a demon. I lived in it, reveled in the life that fills you humans. I truly appreciated it, and what with all of you like little happy meals on legs. Just my cup of tea. Now it's all changed. I'm not sure when my heart started beating again, I didn't realize it until this morning, but I'm seeing all the things I did rerunning in my head and I feel guilt and revulsion for every life I took, well maybe not every life. Those blokes that I took care of with the railway spikes had it coming. I'm the 'Big Bad'. I'm not supposed to feel like this. Humanity was taken from me back when I was a sorry mess of a pathetic human being. I wasn't supposed to have it all back. I don't want it back, but when I looked at Buffy this morning and realized what I had, I liked it. It's almost like a gift, a second chance; a way to give back life for all the lives I stole. Bleedin' hell, now I do sound like Peaches."

Giles looked at Spike as if seeing him for the first time, "You're right, I'm drawn to the slayer, to Buffy. I do love her, but I see her as a daughter figure. You completely skewed the emotions that I feel for her. I want to be her guide and protector in this world. You're not so bad Spike, you have a bit of humanity in you somewhere. I can't believe I just said that. Of course I still don't approve of such a hasty marriage, or the means in which it was entered. Both of you so drunk that you could hardly remember taking the vows. How irresponsible."

"Oh like you never lived it up in your glory days!"

"I'll admit I had my share of irresponsibleness. More than my fair share. In fact that is why I grew up so fast. I know there is little for me to do with the two of you already married and her mother seems to be quite fond of you, for reasons I can't even begin to imagine. If Joyce can like you, then I suppose I could tolerate you. Now you mistreat my slayer in any way and you know very well what I'm capable of. Oh and could you please talk to Buffy and tell her how I feel. Remember, father figure. I think you owe me that much, for all the trouble you caused this morning," Giles answered.

"Fair enough, old man."

"Old? I'll have you know I'm not one hundred and fifty one years of age, aren't you even a little ashamed? Talk about cradle robbing, your blushing bride isn't even eighteen yet! You're old enough to be an ancestor," Giles spoke curtly.

"Why are you complaining about me? Peaches celebrated a bi-centennial!" Spike snapped jokingly.

The odd pair continued to joke and reminisce over their separate pasts. Spike told Giles about the two previous slayers that he'd killed. He mentioned something about having one good day, and the slayers having a death wish, and their blood working like an aphrodisiac. He also commented on Buffy's friends and family keeping her away from the death wish factor. Giles listened, commented, and laughed at some of Spike's stories, and even brought up some of his wilder days when he'd been known as "Ripper". Spike would never let him live down the nickname Ripper.

When the final bell had rang Spike and Giles were in the middle of a very in depth conversation when the Scoobies and Buffy filed into the library. Buffy and the Scoobies mouths were hanging open as they witnessed the impossible, Spike and Giles talking civilly and laughing over cups of tea.

"Okay, who are you and where are the real Spike and Giles? Does anyone else think we're caught in the twilight zone here? G-man, are you okay?" Xander spoke up from the doorway of the library; the doors had been cleared away shortly before first period had ended.

"Haven't I already told you not to call me that? Really Xander, that G-man thing is rather annoying," Giles said as he turned to look toward the door.

Spike smirked, "He seems to be quite fond of the name Ripper though. From what he's told me he was a bleedin' rebel in his day. Had to be for his mates to call him Ripper."

"Well, we certainly lacked any regard for the rules and authority," Giles added with a whimsy smile.

"Whoa, did we miss something here? When we all left this morning you were at each other's throats. When we returned I expected to find scraps of bloody tweed and black clothing with a few bookshelves over turned. Hello, you guys hate each other. Is there, like, something in that tea?" Cordelia asked.

Giles sighed, "If it makes you feel any better I broke his nose and knocked him flat, before we had a nice cheery chat over tea."

"Um if you broke his nose and he's human wouldn't he have had to gone to the hospital? His nose isn't even discolored or swollen. He'd look like a nose job patient if you'd hit him like you said," Cordelia commented.

"Oh, I still heal like a vampire. I'm like the male counter part of the slayer. So Buffy, can I still help you with the slaying?" Spike asked and wiggled his eyebrows.

Buffy's eyebrows, "What and ruin my concentration? I don't think so Willy."

Spike's jaw dropped as he looked at her incredulously and Xander repeated "Willy" with a laugh.

"Hey, you said you would never use that name in front of anyone!" Spike said with a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Willy? Buffy, you call him Willy? But I'm Wills. And then there's Willy the snitch. That just doesn't seem right," Willow said.

Buffy looked at Willow and then a light sparked in her eye, "I call him Billy too. So you can still be Wills, oh forgot about him, and Spike'll have to live with Billy? That good with everyone?"

Giles cracked up at that, "Billy? Oh call me Ripper all you want Billy. Oh that is just priceless."

"Have you added something to that tea mate? Why didn't you offer me a drop or two?" Spike asked.

"Okay, enough with the merry friend thing, its giving me major wiggins. Spike, are you ready to go? We should be getting home. Mom will wonder where you've been all day," Buffy said, spun on her heel, readjusted her backpack on her shoulder, and began walking down the hall.

"I'm with her. Xander are you coming? I have this new lipstick in my car that I'm dying to try out on you," Cordelia said and then took off down the hall following Buffy.

Xander's lips widened in a grin as he chased after the cheerleader. How could he resist Cordelia and her fruit flavored lipsticks? Spike finished drinking his tea, put the cup down on the table, and took off down the hallway after Buffy. He got to the student parking lot just in time to hear Cordelia complaining about his 'pile of junk' being parked next to her car that her daddy had just had re-detailed. Spike smiled, satisfied that he'd inadvertently pissed off the whelp's cheerleading girlfriend. It was definitely a good day for him.

Spike tossed his keys into the air and caught them with a smile. By that time Cordelia was glaring daggers at him and Buffy was losing her inward battle to control her giggles as Xander tried in vain to calm his Cordy. Spike sauntered over to his de Sota and unlocked the door, then he leaned over and unlocked Buffy's door.

Cordelia just had to open her mouth, "How could you park that HEAP next to my newly detailed work of art on wheels? Why your car parked so close to mine, just made my car lose a lot of major value. Seriously, what's your deal?" br Spike gave her a little wave as he got in his car and sped out of the school parking lot, and Buffy's petite frame shook with her laughter as she gazed back to look at the fuming Cordelia Chase ranting on and on about the junk that had been next to her beautiful car.

"You really know how to push peoples buttons. How do you do it Spike?" Buffy asked.

Spike turned toward her, "I don't care about all those other people. I only want to push your buttons. Can't wait to get you home."

Buffy leaned over towards him in the seat and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. He looked at her, his eyebrow with the scar rose.

"Come on Slayer, I know you can do better than that," He challenged.

She smiled slyly, "Yeah, but we're not home yet."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

"Oh, Miss Edith, I have an idea. The nasty sun is down, and we have a visit to pay. The stars tell us the boy remains. We have a present for him too. Miss Edith, if you behave and sing no more of the garden and the roses you will see mummy feed. Oh the daisies sing of an old friend returning. Do you suppose it's daddy?" The vampiress chorused to the unblinking doll she cradled in her arms.

"We must be ready!" The vampiress squealed in child-like excitement. "Daddy always liked it when I wore the red velvet."

She had left the train as soon as the sun had left the sky and found her way to the old factory. It was in a sorry state of abandonment. Still that mattered little to her. She would find her home soon enough. She opened her trunk and pulled out her close fitting red velvet dress with the long skirt, high bodice, and low neck. Daddy would love it when he saw her in the gown. She giggled and clutched the dress in her excited grasp. She had so many things to prepare.

When she was dressed, complete with old-fashioned black Victorian lady's boots, she gently put Miss Edith in the trunk and dropped the lid. Miss Edith had insisted on singing of the roses. Then the vampiress left the old factory in search of supper and the boy. She had to give him his present.

Her search didn't lead her to far astray of the factory. She found herself at a place with loud pulsing music, the sign above the door read, "The Bronze". She smiled and sensed that the boy was at this place. Yes, she would have fun with him. She looked at the bouncer standing by the door, he was there mostly as a threat or fail safe if a fight began, he never kept anyone from entering though.

She walked in, her movements inhuman, smooth, serpent-like, and graceful. She slipped through the crowd and noticed a table near the dance floor. There he sat, sipping something from a mug and laughing with a pair of girls, one red headed and the other with dark hair. She smiled, happy to see, his dark hair and dark laughing eyes had changed very little. He was still handsome and hopelessly human, as her William had been.

"The stars have gathered, Kitten, come outside and look at them. Here their song and come to us, outside. Come alone my precious." She whispered, both with her voice and her mind.

Suddenly the boy stopped laughing and looked toward the door. The vampiress smiled, slipping through the crowd and out of the door before she was followed. She could sense him pushing his way through the crowd, closer and closer to the door. She watched the door with eager eyes. There he stood and she laughed, a slight tinkling laugh that she saw dancing on the wind. He followed the sound of her laughter as she led him to a dark and abandoned alley.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

"Xander? Are you okay? You got this far away look in your eyes," Willow asked as she looked at her best friend in concern.

He turned to her his dark eyes still focusing on something far away, "Huh?"

"Hello, Xander? We were just conversing over history or some old person from like the 1800's and you zoned out. What's your deal?" Cordelia snapped at him.

He shook his head, a queer expression on his face, "Um, will you two ladies excuse me? I have to go."

With that he got up and left the table. The two girls stood up and watched as he pushed his way through the crowd and disappeared out the door. The dark headed one stopped staring at the doorway her boyfriend had just vacated and turned to the redhead.

"Okay, I can understand why he'd leave you here, no offense, but why did he just take off when I'm his designated driver? Is this Ime/I getting brushed off? Oh, I don't think so. He better have some colossal explanation and huge make up gift for this move, or it is so over," Cordelia snapped.

Willow just shook herself and nodded at whatever Cordelia had just said.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Xander came back to himself as he stepped into the dark and deserted alley. He shook himself and looked around, wondering how he'd gone from weird funny conversation with Willow and Cordelia to dark scary alley. Then he remembered the singsong voice that had called out to him. Xander turned around to leave, but someone stepped out of the shadows and blocked his path. She was a woman with long dark hair, dressed in some old fashioned red dress and she looked familiar.

"Hello Kitten. Such a pretty face. Do they appreciate you? Always you are doing things for them and they treat you as someone in the way. Poor baby. My precious, do you want to be strong like the slayer? I have a present for you. I come on behalf of the stars. The night wants you to drink. The stars, they sing through me." The woman said.

Xander swallowed thickly in anxious fear. "Look I just left a couple of my friends back there. I really should be getting back. They'll be worried and. Hey, didn't you say something about the slayer? How would you know about."

"Shhh. Dear boy, you must come with me. I have a present for you. Now will you follow or must we carry you from this dirty place?" She asked.

"Who. Who are you?" He asked.

The woman looked hurt, "You don't remember me? My William hasn't spoken of me? That hurts us. How unlike him to forget his mummy."

Xander's brown eyes widened, "Dru? You're Drusilla?"

She nodded and ran her tongue seductively over her lips, "Yes, precious. And before the night is over you'll have your present and a new mummy."

"What are you talking about?"

She smiled and raised her hand to lightly stroke his cheek. She drew a nail across it, breaking the skin, and licked the blood that welled from the cut. He winced and she gave a lilting laugh in response. He began to panic, and tried to push past her. She grabbed him by the arms and pulled him against her. She brought her nose close to his chest, a mad grin on her face. She loved the smell of his fear.

"Foolish precious. It only hurts if you want it to. The stars sing through me, telling me to give you this present. Now come with me and be a good boy or mummy will have a lot of fun tonight," She whispered and then licked the edges of his ear.

A shudder went through his body, but he still fought, he struggled against her, yanking on his arms, doing everything he could think of to break free of her grasp. When he finally realized that was pointless he began to scream. Drusilla quickly covered his mouth with her hand to smother his cries for help.

"Why must you be a bad boy? The stars tell me that you want your presents. We have a lot in mind for you. Don't you want eternal youth? Never you mind, there is fun to be had tonight, and it's almost time for mummy's supper. Do you hear my stomach singing? We must eat soon. If Miss Edith hadn't been so naughty singing about the roses then she could have enjoyed our fun. You will like our little game. My William was a good boy. He didn't fight. He saved the fighting for when he became Spike. Oh and the fun we had together." She sighed and looked at the boy she had in her arms. "But soon we'll all be together and we'll dance in the gardens again. We'll dance where the daisies sing, and jasmines bloom, we'll be a family again. All of us. Even daddy."

The mention of "daddy" added a new fear inside Xander. He began to struggle again and managed to break free. He took off running, but Dru with her vampire speed caught him and knocked him out. She cradled him in her arms and carried him back with her to the factory. Once there she smiled and found the old bed she'd shared with Spike. It was dusty, but it would have to do, and laid out the unconscious boy on the bed. She found one of the old trunks she'd left behind. She blew the dust off and opened the lid. She reached in with glee and pulled out several sets of shackles. She smiled to herself and snapped the shackles in place two sets at the head of the bed and two at the foot of the bed.

"I'm happy that you were a bad boy. Now we'll have some fun. You'll wake up to the sound of your own screams, and they will be more beautiful than all the singing of garden. Kitten, you'll be everything that my William was afraid of becoming," She whispered as she ripped opened the unconscious boy's shirt.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Buffy giggled as Spike tickled her. When he found one of her most ticklish places she kicked out and landed him in the stomach. He went flying off of her and landed on the floor with a grunt. She quickly moved to the edge of the bed and looked down at him sheepishly. He got up and gingerly rubbed his backside.

"There's never a dull moment with you, Slayer. Hardly ever a painless one either. Well, it still hurts like before, I just haven't had the wind knocked out of me in over a century. Bloody hell, it was worse than getting thrown out of that carriage after one of the blokes did an unscheduled reading of my poetry," Spike commented.

Buffy got off of the bed and knelt down next to Spike, "Was it really so bad? How bad can a few flowery words thrown together be?"

"Well," Spike sighed and then laughed, "Ever try finding a word that rhymes with effulgent?"

"Um, no, but I've never been into the whole writing thing either. I'm the slayer not Anne Rice," Buffy said.

"Luv, her husband is the poet. Maybe you meant Emily Dickenson."

"Oh yeah, I read some of her stuff. There was this guy I liked my sophomore year. He was heavy into the poetry, but he wanted danger thrills and after our first date I realized I could get him killed, so there ended my dating life until Angel, and well we know how that ended. I sent him to hell. When he got his soul back I sent him to hell," Buffy sniffled as she remembered that moment.

She was happy with Spike, she was in love, but she still had issues and unfinished business to deal with. She still had the dreams where she'd seen his soul return, where he'd looked at her not understanding what was going on, then she kissed him, told him she loved him, and killed him. Her heart had broken as she watched him being sucked into hell. Spike had just managed to put the pieces back together and made her feel again.

"You did what you had too. I'm sure the poofter understood," He whispered and then attempted to make amends when he saw the look on her face, "I'm sorry luv. I'm sure Angel understood once he regained his senses. It had to be done. It was either him, or the world."

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close into his embrace. She let the tears and sobs take her, as she broke down in Spike's arms. Once she came back to herself she noticed the rise and fall of his chest again, which was something new to her since vampires had been the main squeeze in her love life. He gently rocked her and she leaned into him, feeling safe, she remembered feeling that way in Angel's arms that night at the ice skating ring, when she'd kissed him and hadn't even realized he'd been in vamp face until he said something about it. She shook herself and then sighed. He withdrew his arms and let her up.

"Is there something wrong? I don't like seeing you cry. Breaks my heart every bleedin time."

Buffy wiped her eyes with her thumbs and drew in a deep breath, "I'll be fine. There's just something I have to do."

Spike stood up and she looked at him and shook her head, "I have to do this alone. It's time I let go. I'm already moving on, and it's not fair to you or me if I keep holding onto something in the past."

"Are you at least going to tell me where you're going?" He asked.

She smiled in a sad way and dug in her jewelry box until she found what she was looking for, the Claddagh ring that Angel had given her, the ring that represented love, friendship, and fidelity. She sighed and put it in her pocket. She turned to Spike and grabbed her burgundy leather jacket.

"You already know where I'm going. Please don't follow me. I have to let him go on my own," She whispered.

Spike nodded, "So it's off to Peaches' Palace you go? Well merrily on your way. Sooner you go, the sooner you come home, back to me. Oh and Buffy."

She looked up acknowledging that she'd heard him.

"That thing with Giles. The librarian and I had a talk. He's not in love with you. He just loves you and looks after you in your best interest. He fancies being a dad to ya. That's all. Sorry if I caused any hard feelings."

Buffy smiled, "Thanks Spike. You saved me a lot of wigged moments with Giles. I kind of think of him like a father. My dad abandoned me after the divorce. Like one summer entitles him to a father of the year plaque. He forgot me. At least Giles is there, he's put his life on the line for me more than my dad every would."

Spike nodded, relieved that he'd straightened out the mess he'd made without too many hard feelings. He watched her as she turned and walked out of the bedroom. How had he made that one perfect mistake that brought her into his arms? He had only wanted her blood and ended up with her heart. He shook his head, wondering if she knew how much power she had over him. He had betrayed all of his kind to be with her, and had even killed his kind to protect her and her friends. Now he was human again, well at least as human as she was.

"Being of the breathing sort isn't so bad. A fellow could get used to this," He sighed and fell back into Buffy's favorite wicker chair. He leaned towards her shelf and plucked Mr. Gordo, Buffy's favorite stuffed pig, from its perch on the shelf's corner and held it gently in his hand. He smiled thinking, "Did the Watchers' Council know what they'd gotten themselves into when a valley girl picked up the stake?"

As Spike sat in the wicker chair cuddling Mr. Gordo and musing over his existence to its current status, Buffy was on her way to Angel's home. The place where Angelus had summoned Acathla and nearly destroyed the world. The place where she'd killed Angel and sent him to hell. Buffy was on an emotional roller coaster ride, going with the twists, turns, curves, and drops and having no idea when the ride would end.

When she found herself at Angel's doorstep she could barely recall how she'd gotten there. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring Angel had given her. Tears came to her eyes. He'd been her first love, the one she would always wonder "what if" about, no matter how happy she was or would ever be with Spike. It seemed like Angel would always be in the background, a shadow always hovering above her. He'd always been good to her, and it hadn't been his fault when he lost his soul. She was in love with Spike, Buffy knew that, but she sighed as she realized that a piece of her would always belong to Angel.

She pulled open the double doors and walked inside. Her footsteps echoing in the empty room. She looked around seeing the sharp corners and angles of the mansion. It was a beautiful place. She knelt in the spot where she'd run Angel through with a sword, kissed the ring, and placed it on the floor. Tears slid down her cheeks and hit the floor next to the ring. Angel was gone, she belonged to Spike, mind, body, and soul; she knew that for certain. The time had finally come to let go.

"I'm sorry Angel, but I had to. A part of me is always yours though," She whispered, stood up, and walked out of the mansion; leaving behind the ring and some of the guilt she'd been dealing with for the past few months.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Pain, loss, infinite sadness, the screams of all his victims forever tormenting him. His soul could only take so much. Suddenly the darkness surrounding him brightened. His body was bruised, he was exhausted, and shaking from fatigue. He closed his eyes against the brightness, praying that what was to come was less tormenting that what had already been.

The light surrounded him, and instead of tormenting him, provided him with comfort. He felt himself being lifted. Then something was pulling at him. He was falling, air was rushing around him and he hit something solid, landing hard. He was naked and thought he should feel cold, but that wasn't right, vampires didn't feel cold, he wasn't cold. He felt something digging into his side. He reached down and picked up a tiny silver circlet. His vision was blurry, but the ring seemed familiar. He put it on his pinky finger and let out a defeated breath, feeling that he really didn't need to breathe.

Fire began to build inside of him, racing through his veins, stealing away all of his reason. He felt the change his face underwent. He was changing to his true form. He possessed enough senses to find some clothes. He got up staggered to a doorway, a closet, found a pair of pants and put them on. Feeling he was clothed well enough he staggered to the double doors that led out of the mansion and felt the night waning. He wouldn't have much time to feed and find his way home again. He had to hurry. He lifted his nose to the air and picked up on the scent of fresh blood, and cocked his head sideways and heard the sound of something breathing. He growled and instinct took over. He sensed the thing panicking and took off running after whatever was giving chase. He ran the living creature down, jumped it, and ripped into its throat, drinking greedily, and savoring every moment of the sweet liquid pouring down his throat.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Dru lifted her head and smiled. She'd felt a jolt, and a vision filled her head. She saw him, her daddy, he was back, he'd been hunting, he'd caught it, ripped open its throat and drank, drank as he used to. Uninhibited. The vampiress leaned down and purred as she ran her tongue up the boy's chest licking at one of the many wounds she'd dug into his chest with her fingernails. He was unconscious again from the pain.

She ran her hands through his soft brown hair, tangled her fingers in it, and shook his head until his eyes opened and he screamed again, "Shhh, Dear Heart, daddy will come to us soon, and then we can be a family. Haven't you always wanted a family? I've seen into the wonders in your pretty little head. All of these scratches can be healed. Say yes to me kitten, say yes and the pain will become pleasure for you."

"No," He moaned and used what little strength he still possessed to shake his head.

"Awww," She clucked her tongue as if reprimanding a small naughty child, "Poor foolish boy, you make us so happy. It's so much more fun when you refuse."

She grabbed a fist full of his hair and jerked his head back, exposing his throat. She growled and then struck a vein. She drank long and fierce, and moaned every time the boy screamed or cried out. He was much more fun that Spike had been. When the boy was but a breath or more from death she withdrew from his neck.

"Now," She whispered, "You must drink. I know you don't want to die."

She drew one of her sharp fingernails across her throat and leaned down, she held the boy's head up so his lips could reach the wound she'd made on her throat. She sighed as his lips began moving over the wound and she heard the soft sucking sounds as he drank death and nightlife eternal from her veins.

"You fought bravely boy, now you shall be repaid handsomely. Drink my precious, drink to our family. The daisies will sing a great song of your rebirth. Dear one, you've been a good knight," She spoke gently and withdrew from his lips.

She kissed him softly on the lips and looked at him. The cuts she'd made on his chest began to close up, the bruises faded, and then his body started to quiver and his screams began a new. A smile played across the mad vampiress's lips. She giggled, dancing in time with the death screams of the boy that was shackled to a dusty old bed in an abandoned factory building.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Cordelia had driven Willow home, Xander had never returned from wherever it was that he'd gone, and she and Will had waited at the risk of missing curfew and getting grounded. That whole "you're still under our roof and will follow the rules" parents deal really had its disadvantages. Cordelia pulled into her driveway, noticed the porch light on and sighed. She unlocked the door and slipped into the house, turned off the light, closed and locked the door behind her, then smiled when she noticed her father asleep in his favorite armchair in his study that was conveniently close to the front door. She tiptoed upstairs and to her room and let out a relieved sigh as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She'd made it home without getting caught. Hopefully her father had fallen asleep without looking at the clock, so she would probably get out of the scolding and grounding threats.

Still something bothered her. Xander hadn't come back inside. She shook herself turned to the digital clock on her nightstand. It read two o'clock. Her eyes widened. She'd gotten away with a lot tonight. She picked up her phone and called Xander's house. A man picked up the phone, he slurred his words and growled into the phone about his good for nothing kid being out God only knew where, and hung up on her. Fear filled the cheerleader's stomach in the form of butterflies.

"Hello, we live in a town full of vampires. You don't go out wandering around like an idiot, unless you're my idiot boyfriend," She snapped at no one.

She rubbed at her temples and then decided to get undressed, into some nice comfy pajamas, and try to get some sleep. She noticed one of Xander's silly Hawaiian shirts hanging on the corner of her vanity table chair and she put it on and buttoned it up. Then she finished undressing and put on a pair of pajama bottoms with angel wings on them and crawled into bed. She closed her eyes and then growled.

"Xander, why did you leave? Now I'm going to lose hours of needed beauty sleep worrying about you, you dork!"

Unknown to Cordelia, Willow was tossing and turning, unable to sleep either. Something was wrong. Xander wouldn't have just left like that. They should have done something, anything to stop him. A dark feeling settled in the pit of Willow's stomach as she hoped that she'd still have her best friend when the morning came.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

After she'd left Angel's mansion Buffy had headed toward one of Sunnydale's twelve cemeteries to patrol. She'd found a particularly slimy demon she'd had to kill. She was covered in the slime when she walked through the front door and headed straight to the shower. Spike had been sitting in the living room, watching television and waiting up on her.

When she walked through the door he wrinkled his nose at the smell of her and looked her over from head to toe.

"Well nice fashion statement. I'm sure the cheerleader would have said something along the lines of the slime ball look going out of season a couple of years ago. I hear the French are bringing the look back. I must say though, it looks good on you, luv," He smirked.

She glared and him and tried to avoid retching because of the smell of the slime, "First shower, and then my bedroom so I can kick your ass!"

"Yes ma'am," Spike said curtly, and bent down in a bow.

Buffy sighed as best she could around the smell of the slime and trudged up the stairs and to the bathroom where she preceded to rid herself of the slime if not the stench. She had to shampoo and condition her hair three times to rid it of all of the slime, and when she finally smelled like Buffy she rung out her hair, stepped out of the tub, and toweled off. Then she remembered that she'd forgotten to stop by her room for clothes. She wrapped the towel around her and made a dash to her room, glad that her mom had gone to bed.

She quietly closed the door behind her and nearly jumped when she heard someone let out a deep breath. She sighed, realizing that Spike was already in bed and waiting on her, and then she laughed at herself

"Talk about jumpy Buffy, it's only the guy you married," She scolded herself.

"What's that?" Spike asked and then shook his head, "Um, the towel look works wonders for you Buff."

Buffy rolled her eyes, not sure if he could see that small action or not and her voice took on an edge of seduction, "Glad you like it, but terrycloth has always had a funny way of being all itchy."

She dropped the towel and felt his eyes roam from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She rolled her eyes again and made a mental note that Spike still had his night vision. She walked over to the bed as he pulled the sheets and blankets back, never taking his eyes off of her. His breathing had grown heavy and ragged as she got in bed beside him. She leaned over and kissed him, a simple chaste kiss on the lips. His hands tangled into her hair as the kiss grew more heated.

A shiver ran up Buffy's spine and she felt eyes on her. She broke from the kiss and turned to her bedroom window, noticed that it was opened and a familiar face was there, looking in, brown eyes staring at her. She yanked the sheet up around her and blinked. As she opened her eyes again the face was gone. Spike sat up and looked from her to the window and then asked what was wrong.

She began to shake and he got up, closed the window, pulled the blinds down, and shut the curtains as she said one word, "Angel."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The blood curdling screams in the old factory died abruptly. The mad vampiress gave a little clap as she leaned down to the body that lay stretched out on the bed. She gently ran a finger across his cool forehead, her smile in place again.

"No burying for you, precious. You have a full tummy and you'll be awake soon, then daddy will find us and we'll dance in the garden again and the roses will whither so the jasmines will bloom." Dru sang.

A moan resonated in the room. Dru's eyes widened as she looked at the body. There was movement. She'd given him a lot of blood. The greedy boy had drunk almost as fiercely as she had. Could he be changing so quickly? She leaned over the cold form and rested her head gently on his chest. She sighed as she heard a growl and felt the boy, now a vampire, straining against the chains again.

She looked up and saw his true face, his demon face, "Yes, my prince, you'll keep me company. I've been so lonely without my William. What shall you be called? The night sings in your veins, as your heart remains silent. The stars already have your likeness glowing among them."

"Xander," His voice came out a growl around his new fangs. "They called me Xander before. So what do I call you?"

"He always called me princess, until he found out that was daddy's name for me. Then he called me duchess," She giggled and then her face shifted to its demon form, "But before I was daddy's princess, I was Drusilla, although that was shortened to Dru. The stars sang to me even then, but it was wrong. Mummy and the priests said that demons sang to me. Now it's just the stars and the garden that sings to me. Oh. Oh. The roses bloom again. Daddy will be coming soon. He always comes with pretty red roses."

Xander looked at his sire in confusion, not understanding what she'd said, just feeling the burning in his veins. "Let me go, I'm hungry."

Dru smiled, "Yes, dear heart. There is still time for you to feed. Bring us back a treat."

Then she began to remove the shackles from his ankles and wrists. He sat up and rubbed his wrists, then frowned at the all too human gesture. Dru put her hands on either side of his face and held him long enough to kiss him. He nipped her tongue with one of his fangs and began to suck on it. She pulled back from him with desire in her vamp yellow eyes.

"There will be time for treats, my Dru. Always time for treats. I need to see a girl about dinner right now though," He whispered and then slipped back into human face.

"Yes, precious, yes. Oh, don't forget the treat, Kitten. A nice little morsel before bedtime," She called after him as he left the factory and headed toward the posh neighborhoods of Sunnydale.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Cordelia rolled over, not sure she'd heard correctly. When her wide-awake eyes focused on her window she almost choked in shock. There was Xander, with his shirt all torn open and looking completely worse for the wear. He was breathing hard and his dark eyes were staring through her window, pleading. She hurried out of bed and quickly pulled open the window.

"Xander? What happened to you? Do you have any idea how worried you had me? If I get premature wrinkles I'm so going to use my cheerleading skills to beat you up," She snapped.

"Cordy, enough with the jokes. I met with a vampire outside the Bronze. I got knocked out and woke up in a crypt. She liked games. I barely managed to escape. Let me in, I think she might have followed me. She can't get in your house. Please, let me in," He pleaded.

Her eyes widened and snapped, "Get your dorky butt in here right now. I swear you're a demon magnet, first bug lady, then Inca mummy girl, and now a vampire?"

Xander smiled as he climbed through Cordelia's window. Her eyes widened at that smile as she realized that she hadn't heard him clamoring up the tree to get to her room, and he hadn't fallen through her window like he had before. He was graceful. He drew closer to her and on impulse she backed away until the back of her knees was pressed against the edge of her bed. He grabbed her by the shoulders and she tried to push him away, but her struggles only caused them to fall back on her bed. He covered her mouth as he slipped into his demon face. Her eyes widened in horror as he drew back and struck, his fangs tearing into her throat. Tears came to her eyes and seeped from the corners of her eyes as the pain of her blood being taken against her will racked through her body.

"Is this what dying feels like?" She wondered as her breathing grew shorter, her heart skipped a beat, and the pain dulled.

She closed her eyes and then felt something opening her mouth, and then tasted something that was bittersweet on her lips. At first she choked on the strange liquid, but then the muscles in her jaw began to work as her lips closed around the source of the liquid and she drank. She continued to drink until she was pushed back and darkness caved in on her.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Spike sighed at the creaking of the mattress as Buffy shifted again. She was having a fitful sleep. She couldn't stop tossing and turning. He'd closed the window and wracked his brain to think of anything that could have that effect on her. She'd whispered, "Angel", but that was impossible. Angel was in hell; there was no way his grandsire would be back on earth to spy on him.

The rude buzzing of the alarm clock went off again. Spike shook Buffy awake and they both got up and dressed. Spike wasn't planning on leaving Buffy alone. He was going to drive her to school and spend some quality research and teatime with Giles.

Buffy groaned something about having nothing to wear. Spike sighed and went downstairs and found Joyce in the kitchen flipping pancakes. She smiled at the sight of her son-in-law and then laughed.

"What?" He asked.

Joyce tried to hold back her giggles, "Well if you had a reflection you would know that your hair is sticking straight up. Did you run out of gel again?"

"Hey, for your bleedin information I was kept up all night, and I do have a reflection now," Spike countered.

Joyce's eyes widened, "What? I know you and Buffy are married but please! Discretion Spike, learn to behave!"

"Um, Joyce, I'm kind of human now. Heartbeat, need for oxygen, even got a soul as a bonus. Depending on how long this mojo lasts you could be a grandmother. Oh and Buffy had nightmares. My intentions are honorable with your daughter. No shagging against her will, I promise. Now I'm going to go check a mirror. Haven't seen my handsome looks in over a century," Spike said and walked out the kitchen.

Joyce's eyebrow raised at her son-in-law's little comment of "no shagging". She would have a long talk about morals and marriage with her daughter, very soon.

Spike ran up the stairs and into the bathroom where he admired his reflection and grimaced at his wild hair. He hated bed head. He looked through the cabinet, found his gel and put it too good use, and once the hair was in place he brushed his teeth and admired himself in the mirror again, completely satisfied with the reflection smirking back at him. Then he went downstairs and silence suddenly filled the kitchen. He looked from Joyce to Buffy with a raised scarred eyebrow then sat down and attacked a plate full of chocolate chip pancakes. He grinned thinking, "Bloody hell, Joyce sure knew how to fill a man's stomach good and proper."

Once everyone was done eating Joyce offered to drive Buffy to school, but Spike said he would take Buffy. Joyce gave him a confused look and he brought up what he mentioned earlier, and Buffy confirmed Spike's new stint of humanity.

"So, now he's human?" Joyce got a funny look on her face.

"I thought I said that already. You're looking a bit sick. Joyce, are ya all right?" Spike asked.

She nodded and then her eyes widened. "Then if he's human. Oh. Oh my God. Buffy! Have you. Oh my."

"MOM! Oh God! I can't believe. Are you suggesting? Mom, he became human yesterday, and we're not gorillas!" Buffy said with disgust in her voice.

"Hey! Now I'm offended! You never." Spike yelled but fell to silence when Buffy gave him a 'shut up or get your ass kicked' look.

She looked at her mom with her best innocent face and winced at the look her mother was giving her, "Mommy."

"Don't mommy me young lady. We're going to have a nice little chat after training tonight. Mister Giles called last night and said you missed training so I know he'll want to keep you busy after school, but when you get home we are having a nice long talk. And you Spike, you're going to join us," Joyce spoke with a chilling calm edge to her voice.

"Are you trying to bloody ground me?" Spike asked incredulously.

"Damn straight. You married into this family and you take the consequences!" Joyce's voice dripped with conviction.

Spike turned to Buffy and then back to Joyce, "I'm over a century old! Are you out of your bloody mind? Bleedin hell!"

"And we'll also talk about that language tonight too. Now I'm going to leave for work. Buffy go to school, and if I get any calls that you're skipping, you're grounded end of discussion," Joyce's voice rang with finality.

With that, Joyce left, while one slayer and one vampire turned human, stared after her. Spike turned to Buffy as she got her book bag and headed toward the door. Her mom had already pulled out of the driveway. Buffy wasn't looking happy and Spike shook his head and smirked. He knew Joyce Summers was tough, but he didn't think she would be capable of putting a leash on him. After all, he was still the 'Big Bad'.

Spike sighed and grabbed his keys off the key hook and took off after Buffy. He found her fidgeting in his front seat and couldn't stop the smile that lit his face.

"Awww, mum make you nervous? Come on luv, there's always the window to sneak out of. Didn't you used to do that?" Spike asked with a grin.

"It wasn't that. It's just the expression on her face. It was like the time the cops brought me home in handcuffs after I set the gym at my old school, Hemery, on fire. She was so disappointed. That's what hurt the most. She wasn't proud of her little girl anymore; she was ashamed of me. I don't want that to ever happen again, and all that she was implying. Talk about major wiggins. Oh, and what did you say to her about shagging?"

Spike nearly choked, "She said shagging. Now that had to be fun. What did you tell her?"

"Tell her? What could I tell her?! My mouth was all hanging open and I was staring blankly, completely not believing what was coming out of her mouth. She's my mom! I don't want to talk love life with her! What did Iyou/I tell her? Because up until a few minutes ago shagging was not in my mom's vocabulary!" Buffy snapped.

Spike shrugged, "The word might have slipped out. All you bleedin Americans are the same! You over react to everything. I think Ripper would agree with me on that one. 'Ey, school, right. Can't have you being late, what with your mum all on the upset. Can't have my slayer under house arrest," Spike's eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Bloody hell! Do you think she'd insist on me taking up the guestroom? She wouldn't. I mean we're married and it's all good and proper."

Buffy bit back a laugh, "Get ready to see a side of my mom that few know about."

"Your mum is a Jeckyll-Hyde type?"

She turned toward him and nodded, "Big time."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The sun was up and something was happening. Drusilla turned to the door of the factory and shivered. Her new playmate had yet to return. She heard a screeching of hinges and then turned around and smiled. He knew the sewer system and had come into the factory from underground, and he'd brought a friend with him.

Dru smiled and swayed toward him, careful to dance away from the slivers of sunlight that passed through cracks in the painted over windows. "So you return to us Kitten. And you bring a present. You make us happy. Mummy could use a bit of a snack."

She put her hand on the forehead of the dark haired girl that he carried in his arms and frowned, "She's cold. Why do you bring Mummy cold things to eat? Cold things hurt us like the sun hurts us. We need warmth. Foolish boy, she's so cold."

"Yes, and she's mine. I didn't have time to get you anything. I had business to take care of. She's beautiful isn't she? I couldn't let her breathe. I had to taste her, and she was delicious," He whispered huskily as he walked toward the broken down bedroom with the dusty bed that was tucked away in one of the darkened corners of the factory.

"You fed well, she looks as though she may have been quite tasty, but why do you bring us dead things? Why do you bring dead things into our home? Everything I put into the ground withers and dies and now you, you bring me dead things! Why must you torture your Mummy, your princess so?" Dru questioned.

He laid the body down on the bed with a smile, then he turned to Dru, "I'm the guy now. I can do whatever I want and it doesn't matter. I can have what I want. Look at me! I'm perfection. I'm more alive now than I've ever been, and I have you to thank for it. You gave me everything. So I decided to give something back to the world. Even out the karma and keep things rolling in our favor."

"Go on. We're listening, dear heart, I wish to know more," Dru spoke softly.

Xander closed the shackles around the body's wrists and ankles, "She'll wake up hungry. I took everything from her, stole her last breath. The vision of her dying was the most beautiful moment of my life. She's mine now. Jesse wanted her, wanted to give her what I did. I guess he was a loser after all. We can use her. D, we can use her. You want Spike, right? Take him, but I want Buffy."

Dru laughed, "You called me D. How precious. Oh, Dear Heart, you make me laugh. You're freshly made. What makes you think you can kill a slayer?"

Xander smiled, "Do you think she would be capable of killing me? I'm her friend."

Dru's laughter filled the factory like tinkling bells. But then she froze, her eyes widened and she began to sway back and forth. Xander looked at her in confusion, wondering what his sire was doing and thinking that she was insane.

"The air it worries. It tells me that we are troubled. A soul has been returned from hell. Oh. Oh. He brings us roses. My Angel, he returns with a soul. My daddy is lost to me," She collapsed and began to rock back and forth as strange beastly sounds tore from her throat.

Xander knelt down and looked at her, feeling something strange, some attraction, a bond for her. He put his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Why do you need a daddy when you have me?" Imagine the fun we can have."

Then he licked her ear lobe and began to nibble on it. She ceased her rocking frenzy and the strange sounds changed to moans of desire. She drew back and a smile spread across her face as she looked at the young vampire. She drew a nail across his bare chest and blood welled around the cut. She dropped her head and like a cat with a saucer of milk, lapped at the blood with her tongue. Xander smiled and then pushed Drusilla back until she was lying beneath him. He smiled at her choice of clothing, a simple white night gown of lace and silk. He maneuvered and then slowly slid his hands up. Funny he'd always thought he'd get laid before he died, but life or unlife, as it currently stood, on the hell mouth was full of the unusual.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

School passed by in a blur. Buffy had gone through the day in a haze. She had been distracted that morning by her mom, but once at school, everything fell away and all she could think of was the night before when she'd seen Angel at her window looking in on her with Spike. Willow had seemed worried about something earlier, but Buffy's mind couldn't function around the thought of Angel at her window. She ended up at the school library when the final bell rang.

As soon as she got there she felt a thickness in the air and smelled freshly brewed tea. Spike and Giles sat at the table the Scoobies usually surrounded during a slayer meeting. They leafed through books and sipped tea and talked in anxious whispers. Buffy cleared her throat to get their attention and tea sloshed out of Giles' cup as he set it down on the table.

"Buffy, is school over so quickly? Honestly, where must the time go? Ah, training, yes. Well I'll get the equipment and then we'll get to work. You can practice combat with Spike while I get the dummy," Giles said and headed toward his office.

The slayer watched in suspicion as her watcher went into his office, "Okay, he's acting weirder than usual and what was all the whispering about? Doesn't anyone tell me anything anymore?"

"Xander and Cordelia are missing. Willow came by after first period and told us. Xander has been missing since last night and Cordelia wasn't at school today. Giles' called her house and she's missing, they've found blood in her room, some on the floor, most of it on her bed. Bloody hell, Buffy, I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you," sympathy filled Spike's voice.

Her jaw slackened as she fought back the urge to cry, "They're only missing. I'll go to Xander's house or search the sewers. You'll see, I'll find them, kill the big bads and save them."

"It's not going to be easy. There's more. Willow said that Xander left the Bronze last night like he was under some kind of spell or trance. A train came into the Sunnydale station the other day. All of its passengers were slaughtered and so was the stationmaster, and there are only two vampires I know who are capable of drawing people out of places in a trance. I felt that power before luv. Xander is gone, and I think Cordelia is too," Spike's voice was strained as he noticed the pain register on Buffy's face.

"No, they're okay. They have to be. I always save them. Who. Who are the vampires that are hypno specialists?"

Spike sighed, "I felt the power before. Dru used that power to call to me. Her voice in your mind is so powerful. She's always been something you can't ever ignore. Looks like my old princess could be in town. That train sounds like one of her tricks."

"You think Dru's here?" Buffy asked and then cocked her head to the side, "Who's the other vampire, Spike?"

"You already know, Pet. Angel. He loved the mind mojo. I could do it to. Not so much now, what with the breathing factor. I was never very good at it though. Didn't like the mind games. I always liked to grab someone off the street and sink my fangs in em. You know, I'm always one for the direct approach. No mind games or any of that bull shite with me. I was above that," Spike answered.

Buffy swayed on her feet. Spike reached out and took a hold of her shoulders, "Slayer? Are you all right? Maybe I should tell Ripper to sod off with the training and take you home to sit awhile. That sound good to you?"

She shook her head, "No, we have to go somewhere. No training today either. I have to see someone."

"Where are we going? Tell me first and then I'll tell Ripper you'll have a go around with the dummy later."

"Angel's mansion. I think he's there. We have to see. If he can Icall out/I to people like you said, then he could have taken Xander, and maybe Cordelia too. Oh God. I should have gone last night after I saw him at my window. Spike, if anything happens to them it will be my fault." She sounded determined and worried.

"Bloody hell, you think Angel's back?"

"Or Angelus."

"Yeah, well my vote's still out on Dru. I know we're on the bleedin' hell mouth, but I don't think that Hell has train stations."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Willow had been standing by the doors of the library, she'd heard something about Angel and Drusilla, and nearly choked when she thought of how strange Xander had been acting. She'd felt a piece of her dying all day. She had to go with Buffy and confront her worse fears. Xander was her life; he'd always been there for her. It had been one of the worst moments in her life when she found out what happened to Jesse and watched as Xander had staked him. Now she would have to confront Xander with a stake and hope she didn't go crazy or give into him.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as a hand landed gently on her shoulder. She turned around hoping that it was Xander, but she had to put on her brave face as she gazed into the eyes of her boyfriend, Daniel "Oz" Osborne. He could sense the pain and fear in her; also he could smell it with his wolf senses.

"What's up Willow and no 'nothing' speeches. You look like you lost your best friend. Say, where is Xander? Haven't seen him today," Oz and asked.

Before Willow could answer, Spike and Buffy were leaving the library, a bewildered Giles looking after them. Willow stepped in front of Buffy, fighting to hold the tears back.

"I'm going with you. Please Buffy. I have to know if he's." She looked down, unable to say the words.

"Willow, I don't want you getting hurt. You know me. I always save them. I can't have you with me. I'd be too worried about losing you," Buffy answered gently.

"He's Xander! I have to go. I owe it to him. All those Christmases when I went to his house to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and he did the Snoopy dance, and made Jesse and me laugh. I am going with you. If Angel is back and knows where I can find him." The red head answered with determination filling her voice and shining in her eyes.

"Pet, what if he's not the Xander you know? Red, becoming a vampire changes you. You lose your humanity. You can still feel, but you lose your past. If something's happened to him, he won't be your whelp anymore," Spike said.

Willow's head snapped up, and her eyes flashed black with hidden power, "I don't care. I'll make him the Xander I know! He won't be like Jesse! He'll never end up like Jesse! I won't live through that again!"

Oz put his arm around Willow's shoulder and looked at the blond duo. "Looks like we go. I'll be there to protect her, and I won't let anything happen to her."

"This is not some bloody field trip! We could be facing Angelus! Who knows what hell does to you when you had a soul going in!" Spike yelled.

Willow's eyes widened, "Buffy? You never said the spell worked. He had a soul?"

Buffy nodded as they began the walk to the student parking lot. The walk was in silence and instead of taking two vehicles, Buffy and Spike climbed into Oz's van and then they were on their way to confront the unexpected. Buffy and Willow prayed that they weren't too late, while Giles having heard most of the conversation began to pour through old volumes the library had just got in that morning, hoping that one of the cryptic texts had the secret to restoring a soul without the happiness clause, because he feared that if it was Angelus that was back, Xander, and perhaps Cordelia, were already lost to them unless their souls could be recovered.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

He was feeling again. After he'd fed his mind had become clearer. He remembered her, with her blonde hair and beauty, how she'd kissed him, told him goodbye, and then sent him into a hell dimension. Still he couldn't hate her, because he could still recall all of the screams of his victims and he felt a deep remorse. He was weak, and could feel that the sun was still out. He stumbled over to his bedroom and fell into his bed not even bothering with the silky silver covers. It was useless to wonder around the mansion. He had to regain his strength before he confronted Iher/I. Had he really seen her with someone else? Not just anybody, but.Spike.

He'd almost drifted off to sleep when he heard the hinges of his front door creak. Someone was there. He looked down at his right hand and the ring he wore on his pinky. It was hers. Did that mean that she'd let him go? He rolled off of the bed and managed to get to his feet. He dropped to his knees in physical weakness and then the bedroom door was flung open. A growl escaped his throat as he looked up and saw Spike. Before he could move, Spike hurried over and hit him in the back of the head with something that he'd pulled out of his duster pocket.

When he came to he smelled blood, fresh blood all around him, life. He felt shame as instinct took over and his face shifted to its demon form. He heard a collective gasp, and found that he was bound. Shackles were around his wrists and it felt like he was suspended. They had him chained to his wall. He growled and struggled against the chains, unable to think beyond the need to feed and regain strength, and then his nose picked up on a familiar scent. His features shifted back to human form as emotion flowed over him in waves.

"Buffy?" He whispered, almost afraid to hope.

He sensed her near him and when he opened his eyes he saw her, standing before him. She held out her hand, her fingers lightly touching his face. Tears tinged with blood came to his eyes and flowed down his cheeks as his body began to shake against the chains.

"Oh God, it is you. You're real. When the screaming stopped they sent your image to torture me. You were never real. You were never real," He whimpered.

"I'm so sorry, Angel. I never wanted to send you to hell, but it was too late."

"I missed you," Angel continued in a weak voice and then his nostrils flared up at a strange but familiar scent on Buffy. He leaned his face as close to her as the chains would allow and then his demon face came to light again as he snarled. "You betrayed me with him? You let me go for Ihim/I?! Spike!"

Buffy's face fell as she stared in shock at Angel, straining against his restraints. He looked around the room and his yellow gaze stopped on his former grand childe. Spike shook his head and then looked at Buffy and her two terrified friends who'd just witnessed a happy reunion gone horribly wrong.

"Welcome back, mate. Almost good to see you. I would ask how things have been, but I could imagine. So you're souled and all? Almost couldn't tell with the demon look working so well for ya. Still clung to hope? You always were the dark and broody type, should have known you'd hang on to something tooth and nail," Spike said, amusement in his voice.

Angel licked his lips as he stared at Spike and smelled living blood in him, the shock sent his human face to the surface, "What happened to you? You're.alive."

"A recent development. Someone unknown worked the mystical mojo on me and what do you know, the heart beats and I'm breathing again. Red claims it wasn't her, and now we're looking for the whelp and the cheerleader. Seems like they've gone missing. After the Slayer saw you lurking at our window last night she thought you might have them or know where we could find them," Spike answered.

"I come back from hell and I'm the number one suspect. That would sound about right. Were you the one that suggested it was me?"

Spike shook his head with a wry grin and then began to remove the shackles that bound his wrists, "Naw mate. After the trip you had it's a wonder you can move and think straight. I thought of Dru. You know how she is about a good entrance, and a train came into the Sunnydale Station, all the passengers were dead, and then the stationmaster turned up dead in an empty private cabin in the train. Had funny little bite marks on their throat and no blood. Wonders never cease right? Imagine you're a bit hungry. Hey Red, you and the wolf go to Buffy's house. I still got some blood in the back of the fridge. Heat it up, put it in a thermos, and get it here as fast as you can. Wouldn't want my old grand sire getting hungry and having to look at the temptation of so many pretty young throats."

Willow gulped and then took Oz's hand as they left to do as Spike asked. Angel rubbed his wrists and then stared from Spike to Buffy and noticed the gold bands that they were on their left ring fingers. His eyes closed and he stumbled. Buffy caught him before he hit the floor and helped him over to the couch. Once he was on the couch he pulled away from Buffy and curled up, fighting the temptation to change into his game face and have a nice long drink of slayer with a former vampire as a chaser.

Buffy held her hand out and was going to touch his face again, but he shied away from her. Buffy snatched her hand back like she'd been burned. She noticed how he was playing with something on his right hand and her breath caught in her throat as she realized that it was the ring he'd given her. The one she'd brought to the mansion last night. She walked back to the place where she'd left the ring and noticed the shape of a body surrounded by charred marks. Spike had followed her, and as she knelt by the markings on the floor and ran her fingers around the place where a head had been Spike put his hands on her shoulders and noticed they were shaking. He helped her up and then held her in a tight embrace. He felt her nuzzling her face against his chest and felt the first of many tears as she began to cry.

Just as suddenly as she began to cry she pulled herself together and pushed away from Spike, and wiped her eyes with her thumbs. Nobody needed to see her in tears. She was the slayer. She had to be strong to face all the baddies of the world. She took a deep breath and then walked back to the room where Angel lay curled up on his couch, shaking from weakness and fatigue. She sat down beside him and took his shaking hand in hers. He looked up, his dark eyes meeting her green ones. He tried to smile, but his attempt was a weak one.

"I." She began and then took another deep breath, "There are some things you should know."

He closed his eyes and opened them slowly. "You don't have to explain anything. I just. Are you? Does he make you.happy?"

She nodded and then sighed. "He's been there for me, and we understand each other in ways I never thought possible. Who would have ever thought me and ISpike/I? The news was hard on Giles and Xander, my mom took it pretty well though."

"The news?" He asked and then took her left hand and looked at the ring on her ring finger, "Oh, you mean this?"

She blushed and turned to look at the empty fireplace, and Spike took it upon himself to answer.

"Dru left me for a chaos demon. I returned to Sunnyhell, drunk as all you could imagine. I made a stakeout in her room, and after the usual threats of her dusting me we opened up to each other. Started talking, well she talked I slurred. You get it. Well I got her to take a little drink, and she took to Jack Daniels like a vampire to blood. A week later we woke up in the honeymoon suite of some hotel casino in Vegas, complete with hangovers and matrimonial bliss. Did I mention the fifty grand I'd somehow won in my drunken stupor? Oh this human thing for me? That's only been going on for the past couple of days. We've been married what a few months?"

Buffy nodded.

Angel looked bewildered, "And no one contested the marriage? You're over a century old! She's not even eighteen yet! Didn't anyone do something?"

"Hey! You didn't get nailed for statutory Mr. Bicentennial. As I recall I remember you coming into the factory after losing your soul and bragging all out that you'd bedded the slayer. As I heard her say it, you made her feel less than perfect about her first time. Are you jealous that I have her and you can't? I love her!" Spike snapped.

"So do I!" Angel yelled and nearly jumped off the couch in his anger.

Spike drew closer to Angel. Buffy stood up and put her hands between the two of them and glared at both and raised her voice, "Will the two of you stop it! Spike we're married, Angel you're back. I love you both and I'm not going to have you fighting over me when there are more important things to deal with. Happy reunion, whatever! Now we know Angel has his soul, can we get to the issue of where Xander and Cordelia might be? Because when Willow gets back she'll want to know if we've come up with something. She grew up with Xander, and she won't stop until she knows he's okay. And there was something with her eyes. They turned black all of a sudden. I've never seen her like that before."

"Black?" Angel asked and then his eyes widened, "She's a real witch. Willow's tapped into her power. She can call on it at will now and probably hasn't even realized it. It's a good thing that she's gotten stronger now. Especially if we're dealing with Dru. Spike's humanity was no accident."

"It wasn't? Then what in bleeding hell is it?" Spike asked.

Angel shook his head, "My fault. What attracted me to Dru was her power. She was raised on Catholicism, but she was witch. That's why she had visions. She'd never learned to control her powers though, so the visions came on her suddenly and she was taught that what she was, was evil. Her father claimed that she had a demon inside of her. I drove her to madness to see her power as she grew more desperate. I took her in a convent where she'd gone after I killed her family. I tortured her and as she died I made her drink from me. She woke up a crazed demon in a convent. If anyone is capable of making Spike human, it's Dru. She had enough power, but no focus. She could have found a witch that was capable of such a spell."

Spike's face lit up, "The crazy old bint in the jungle. The villages all said she was a witch and Dru mentioned a vision of a witch in the woods. Could have been her."

"Since the two of you know so much, if Dru's back where would she be?" Buffy asked.

"The factory," Spike and Angel answered together.

Spike and Angel glared at each other, a mutual disliking quite evident between them, when a scream sounded outside. A scream followed by Oz's yelling and then a long howl. Buffy raced to the door, followed by Spike who practically dragged a worried and curious Angel with him.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Willow and Oz had made it to Buffy's house without too much trouble. The sun had gone down sometime while they'd been waiting on Angel to wake up and then proceeded to interrogate him. During the drive Oz had broken the silence with, "Some reunion. Did you get the feeling that we were appetizers and Buffy and Spike were main courses? They've got issues. Think it'll work out?"

Willow shook herself from her worries of Xander and smiled weakly, "Angel has his soul, so working out can happen. Although Spike and Angel have a lot to work out. Did you see Angel when he found out about Buffy and Spike? Hey how did he know anyway?"

"Probably smelled him on her," Oz answered.

Will shivered, "Okay, wiggins now. Smelled Spike on Buffy? I guess that's okay since they are married, but too much info for me."

Oz looked at her, "All of this has been too much for you. I'm sure Xander and Cordelia are fine. Probably close to killing each other, but that's normal, they're Xander and Cordelia. And if he's anything like you say he is, and they are in danger, he's probably keeping her safe."

"You're right. As much as I hate to admit it, he loves her. And I think somewhere in the core of her being Cordelia loves him. I have this feeling though, Oz. Something is not right. I feel like I've already lost him," She whispered.

By then they'd made it to Buffy's house. They gave Buffy's mom some excuse of needing the blood for interrogating a vampire over some new evil that had developed, and Joyce had sighed and looked relieved to have the blood out of her refrigerator. They heated the blood and then poured it into a thermos that Joyce gave them. Once they had what they came for, they thanked Joyce and then headed back to Angel's mansion.

Oz parallel parked and then they got out of the van, Oz held the thermos, to keep Willow's mind off of blood as much as possible. The were about to open Angel's front door and go in when something grabbed Willow and she started screaming. She was spun around to face a vampire in full on vampire face, it was a guy dressed in black leather pants, a white t-shirt, and a black leather coat. There was a girl vampire with him in vamp face, and she was dressed in black leather pants, a blood red top, and a black leather duster. They looked familiar, but Oz didn't have time to think about that. He dropped the thermos and let the wolf side take control. He had to protect his Willow at all costs. He growled and then a howl filled the air. He charged after the female vampire, the beginnings of the change evident with his black eyes and the extra hair on his face, not to mention the snout he had around the girl vampire's throat.

The boy vampire, who'd been about to strike Willow's throat stopped short of breaking her skin and looked at the werewolf that was threatening the girl vamp.

"You want your little witch? Fine, take her," He said in a voice that was surprisingly Xander's as he flung Willow down on the ground and then said, "She's a geek anyway. Poor little Willow, always nose caught in a book or hacking away on a computer. Talk about no life. Now let my girl go and give Angel a message. Tell him his princess will be paying him a visit soon."

Oz got off of the girl vampire and went to Willow's side, his human half taking control again and they stared after the two vampires as they took off down the street. Willow's eyes filled with tears. There was no mistaking the vampire couple. It was Xander and Cordelia. Oz put his arms around Willow and helped her up, as the two looked up at Angel's door they noticed Buffy at the door with Angel leaning on Spike for support. Willow wondered how much they'd seen. She bent to pick up the thermos that Oz had dropped and then she handed it to Buffy. They all went back inside. Shock and fear at what they'd seen waging battles in their minds.

Spike was the first to break the silence, "Looks like Dru is building a new family. The whelp is pretty strong, much stronger than I was. The cheerleader felt powerful too."

"That's because they were tortured. They were given vampire blood without wanting it. The more you fight the vampire, the stronger you'll be when you turn. Of course you gain power through the years, but the fighters are very strong, they always are. Dru fought me, that's why she was so strong, but I could control her because she was crazy and I made her believe I was her sole master," Angel spoke softly, although he gained some strength after drinking the thermos' contents.

Buffy was curled up in a over sized gray leather chair. She looked up and met Willow's stare. Willow was taking it the hardest. She just sat there, staring, and shaking. Buffy got up and knelt in front of Willow. She took the girl's hands in hers and took in a deep breath. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke.

"I'm sorry Will. I promise, Dru will die for this. I'll miss Xander too. I don't know how I'll have the strength to. But it has to be done."

"No," Willow snapped and her eyes flashed black, "I restored Angel's soul. That's what I'll do with Xander and Cordelia. You won't kill my best friend! I won't let you!"

Angel turned his dark gaze toward Willow, "When you restore their souls they'll have a lot to deal with. If you have the spell that returned my soul don't use it. Find some other way. The spell you used on me can't let me have true happiness. That is no way to exist. They're young, they deserve a chance at true happiness."

"If it's the only way, then I'll do it," Willow said, her words filled with finality. "I can't let him go on being evil. It would be torture."

Spike nodded, "With a soul like the whelp's you're right. It's trapped in there, with the demon side in control. He was pure, wasn't like Angel or me. He fought her."

Buffy's eyes widened as she looked up at Spike and then turned to Angel, "You mean. The soul doesn't leave the body when you change?"

"That's right luv. It's still there. That's why you remember your human life once you've turned. When I was a vampire there was a bit of William left in me. Same as now, I still got me Nancy boy side in me. It's torture when the soul is restored. Guilt hits you twice as hard. Vampires feel things more than humans do. Our emotions are heightened like are senses, although their a bit twisted, so no guilt, until the soul is back in full swing. That's why Angel is so moody," Spike said.

"Do you feel guilt now?" Buffy asked Spike.

He smirked, then turned serious, and nodded, "Yeah. I've done a lot I'm not proud of. Just got to buck up and move on. Bloody hell, you can't dwell on the past or you end up all broody like Peaches.

Angel looked like he was about to say something when Willow cut in, "Maybe we should go see Giles. He might be able to find something on soul restoration. He got some new books in. I could help him with the research. I think we should all do something to get Xander and Cordelia back. We can't just leave them like that."

"She's right," Oz said and drew Willow closer to him. "Sitting here isn't getting a whole lot done. So let's go to Giles and get into research mode."

Willow sniffled.

"What is it Wills?" Buffy asked.

Willow sighed, "It's just that. Well at this point Cordelia would be complaining and Xander would be coming up with excuses to avoid hitting the books. There are no Xander jokes to laugh at anymore."

Buffy hugged her and it turned into a group hug as Oz had his arms firmly around Willow. "We'll get them back Willow. I promise, we Iwill get them back."

With that they all headed towards Oz's van. Angel was steadier from the blood he'd drank. It was getting late, nearly eight o'clock, late by most standards, but early by the hours normally kept by the Slayer. They decided to go to Giles' apartment, because he probably wasn't at the school. They knocked and waited for an answer for nearly ten minutes, and then decided to check the school. Maybe the librarian was putting in Watcher overtime at Sunnydale High.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Giles was still going through volume after volume of books he'd gotten in. He tired of the exploits of the vengeance demon named Anyanka, and picked up a weathered volume bound in strange leather. He took a closer look and found that its leather bindings were made from tanned human flesh. He marveled and shuddered at the softness of the bindings. He opened the book and began to flip through the pages, noticed the golden edges of the pages. The book was written in an archaic form of Latin. He struggled through some of the texts and then found something of interest.

His eyes widened as he read on and found exactly what he was looking for. He read over the text again and closed his eyes, mentally thanking the individual that had penned the strange text. He had a dark feeling that before this experience was over he or Willow would be performing the spell he'd just discovered.

He left the book open and set it on the counter, and put an index card in the book to mark the page incase it were accidentally closed. He reached for the phone and was dialing Buffy's number when the library doors swung open. Giles looked up and his eyes widened. He removed his glasses, cleaned them, and then put them back on their perch on the bridge of his nose. He blinked and then took a step back. He shut the book and covered it with a couple of books that some students had returned earlier that day. He placed the books behind the counter and prayed that someone would find it. He walked around the counter and made an attempt at a smile.

"Hello, and what brings you around so late?" He asked.

All he got for an answer was a laugh. Then he was tackled. He fought as hard as he could. His glasses flew off in the scuffle leaving him blind. The last thing he remembered was a sharp pain in his head just before blackness caved in.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The crazed vampiress danced about the factory like a dervish. She turned in circles and was gracefully snake-like in her movements. The air seemed to be her dance partner as a breeze picked up in the old factory and engulfed her. Her black lacey gown and dark hair whipped around as she danced with the wind. Suddenly she stopped and the wind settled to gentle breezes leaving her hair and dress to flutter in its tender caress. The vampiress' eyes widened as she swallowed thickly.

Her light lilting voice filled the empty factory, "My childer bring us presents. Oh, the nasty slayer's favorite pet, the bookkeeper comes to us."

Her body began to tremble as a moan escaped her lips, "He sets out to betray me. He's always been a bad daddy, taking up with that dirty slayer. She takes them all away. Nasty slayer wants me all alone, but I'm never alone. The voices they always whisper and sing to me, and sometimes they even scream. The screams fill me with such delight."

She laughed at her cleverness, knowing she would never be alone, the voices would never leave her. When she heard the door of the factory creaking open her good humor was fully restored. She knew what she had to do. She would destroy her daddy until her Angel was returned to her. When the door to her room was opened she turned to face it and squealed with laughter. Xander was a good childe, he'd done well by changing Cordelia; both were truly evil as demons were meant to be. Spike, her sweet, had never understood. She slowly danced toward her family and was pleased to see the man that was kneeling, head bent before her. She smelled the drying blood on him and pleasure filled her.

"Poor, poor dearie. The wind whispered of your coming. Do you come to bring me pleasure? Does your blood taste as delicious as it smells?" Drusilla asked as she knelt by the man, leaned toward him, and licked the blood that still seeped from a cut on his cheek.

When she drew back, a smug smile on her lips, the beaten man spit in her pretty face. That was the last thing he remembered before a sharp pain at the back of his head rendered him unconscious.

The young boy vampire laughed cruelly, pleased at having kicked the watcher. His sire, Dru, clapped her hands and giggled, but he didn't care much for her approval. He turned to the dark haired girl by his side. She would always be so beautiful. She smiled at him and then tilted her head back toward the door. He understood immediately. They'd satisfied Dru, now it was time to hunt, and Cordelia loved the hunt, it was almost as fulfilling as the kill.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

What was left of the Scoobies got to the Sunnydale High Library too late. They found a couple of broken chairs and books scattered around. They all were shocked by the condition of Slayer Central. Buffy couldn't resist the urge to call out to Giles, but the librarian by day watcher by night didn't answer.

Angel was the one to speak up, "Looks like Dru's found a new toy. Buffy, she is playing this game like I would."

"Bloody Hell!" Spike shouted and looked in horror at Angel, "We have to see to Joyce. If Dru is anything like you were. God, luv, you're lucky we don't have a dog. Peaches, do you think she's going for Joyce or already has her?"

Buffy went straight to the book cage and found that the weapons locker was untouched. She fished the extra key out of her back pocket, glad that Giles had given it to her incase he wasn't around when she needed to pack a little extra punch. When stakes didn't work there was the crossbow, mace, clubby thing, knives, and tons of other things at her disposal, all tucked safely away in the locker of a high school library. Oh if Snyder caught wind of the weapons locker he would have major expelling power.

Buffy picked up the crossbow, loaded it with a few arrows, put a few stakes in some choice pockets in her jacket, and then checked to see that she had a cross around her neck. She wiggled her nosed thoughtfully and pulled out the extra cross she carried in the inside pocket of her jacket, the one over her heart, and tossed the silver necklace to Spike, who caught it with a wince and grinned when he realized it didn't burn. She winced when she realized that it was the silver cross that Angel had given her.

Still there was no time for reminiscing. She looked at Oz and Willow then at Angel and finally her husband, the man that possessed slayer strength from a recent human development.

"Right, now here's how it goes." Her voice trailed as images filled her mind, Giles holding a funny looking book that was made from.human skin, and he hid it behind the counter, wait he'd marked a page, then Xander and Cordelia had come, vamped out and wrecked the place until Cordelia had managed to knock Giles out.

She hadn't realized she was on the floor until she shook her head and felt a pair of cool strong arms around her and whispered, "Spike?"

The arms quickly withdrew and she realized that Angel had caught her. She stood up shakily at first and then regained her slayer strength.

"I know what happened, it was a vision or something," She said and then looked up to see everyone staring at her like a freak, "You guys! Xander and Cordelia took Giles, but there was this book, I think made from human skin. I know gross, but I think it has the secret to restoring a vampire's soul minus the curse thingy. Giles marked a page with an index card and hid it behind the counter."

Willow walked behind Giles counter and lifted the thick volume and dropped it on the counter with a sigh, "Yeesh! This thing is too soft to come from any cow I've heard of. You don't really think its human do you?"

Angel's eyes widened, "That's the Book of Daema. It was bound in human skin and possesses the secrets to restoring souls to demons, among other things, there's also a spell that will bring total chaos to the world, not to mention numerous spells on how to create the perfect apocalypse."

"Where does he buy those bleedin' books of his?" Spike cut in.

Willow made a face at having touched a book bound in human leather, "Oh, wow. I'm going to need to wash my hands very soon. Daema? Who's Daema?"

"The demon of lost souls. She's a demon of demons. Any demon that was once human fears her. She's our boogey man," Angel said with a shudder.

"Take it you know her well, Peaches?"

Angel gave Spike a seething look, "You met up with some of her mystical energy yourself."

"What are you goin on about?"

"Well, you're human, with fully functioning soul. Have you told Buffy about all the torment. You still feel with the intensity of a vampire. You hide it well. You always hid things well," Angel shot back.

"Hey, my mom!" Buffy snapped and got the attention of everyone, "Glad to know we're back on track here. Right, now Spike, grab some heavy artillery, Angel since you know that Damon book so well you help Willow go through it. Um, Oz, you help with them and gather whatever they need for the spell, and you keep her safe, I'm not going to chance losing her too."

"They'll take me before they ever think of touching her," Oz answered protectively.

"How poetic," Spike said with a smirk.

Angel made a face, "Buffy do you ever pronounce anything correctly? Daema is a demon to be feared and respected!"

Buffy sighed and glanced skyward, "If I live through this I'll pay better attention in English so I can annunciate or whatever, right now, my mom and peril, way unmixy things. Hit the icky book and Spike let's go!"

"Right!" Spike nodded and then followed Buffy as she headed out of the library armed to the teeth.

That left behind a young witch, a vampire returned from hell, and a werewolf to work some extreme dark magic to restore the souls of two young vampires. None of them were sure what they were up against as they each did their part. When Dru was involved who knew what would happen next, a mad vampiress was never predictable.

Angel looked after Buffy, then thought of Dru and sighed, "Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

A smile spread across the lips of the vampiress as she heard the awakening moans of her new toy.

"Ah, so he finally wakes. Much stronger than you look. You promise to be such good fun. I remember you from before. Such tasty lips, almost as delectable as your blood. Who was that woman you named? Jenny?" She whispered playfully and walked her long sharp nails slowly up his bare chest.

"Such a treat to have one of the slayer's pets to play with every night. You're an older pet, but your heart still beats so young and fresh, it hums to us. Your blood sings with power. You've tasted the dark arts. A devil's child, just as I was. Not even the church could save me. The devil sang too sweet and strong in my blood, ate my soul when I was very young. Gave me wicked visions. Mummy sang to me, and then when my visions came she scolded me. Angel stopped her scolding though. Now all I hear are her screams," Dru swayed her head and then her eyes lit up as she looked up at the librarian, "Do you hear her screams? She thought of you when her pretty neck snapped and the singing left her throat. Pity to waste such a tasty morsel. I though my Angel would give her to me. I so wanted her for a treat. But he's always been a selfish daddy. Always all the fun had to be his."

Giles groaned and Dru giggled, "But I'll teach him a lesson. Oh, so silly. My mind, it wanders you know. So many things sing to us, nothing seems to stay clear, and everything I put in the ground withers and dies, but not my Angel's roses. His roses always bloom so bright and red, they mock me.

"You won't mock me though? No, because I'm a jasmine, blooming in the night. Yes, always meant for the night. Do you think I'm pretty? The moon worries for you. What about you could possible trouble the moon? She sings that the stars shall mourn you. Weary watcher, we shall play for ages before anyone can sing your songs of mourning. You wish for it, you want her, but I can't allow you to go to your Jenny. No, that would make you like the nasty slayer, wanting to leave me alone to the voices. The voices are no fun unless they are screaming."

She brought a nail sharply across his chest and lapped up the blood with her tongue like a cat, and she smiled when he hissed in pain, "Poor dearie, won't you sing for mummy? Look at me, see with your heart."

Then her features twisted and changed to a soft and familiar face, the hair shortened and a familiar voice that was a sweet memory to Giles ears spoke, "Or do you only sing for me Rupert? Tell me your secrets. Sing for me."

"It can't be. It's a trick," Giles whispered.

"How can you say I'm only a trick? I love you Rupert. I've always loved you," Dru whispered in Jenny's voice and then slowly rose upward to gently kiss the watcher on the lips, "You still love me, don't you?"

"You're gone Jenny. You're no longer here," He managed to turn away from the tempting lips.

She grabbed his chin and kissed him, passion burning fire in the kiss and she was pleased when the watcher gave in, but then her features changed back to her natural human face and then to her demon visage as she pierced his tongue with her fangs, and thus he began to sing the song of agony in scream after scream.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Joyce had fallen asleep on the couch again, waiting on her daughter to return after patrolling. She'd been furious and had a word or two to say to Buffy and to Spike for that matter. She jumped awake and nearly fell off of the couch when her front door was thrown open by her daughter and son-in-law. She looked up the anger quickly fading as she saw the worried and relieved expressions on their faces.

"What's going on? You two look like there's another apocalypse in the making? Oh, not again," Joyce said as she noticed their expressions.

Buffy walked into the living room and flopped back on the couch by her mother and finally let the tears go. Joyce Summers wrapped her arms around her daughter and then looked hard at Spike.

"This isn't your doing, is it?" Joyce asked him.

He shook his head, "No, mum."

Joyce began to rock her daughter and watched as Spike sat in the chair he'd first sat in when she met him and found out her daughter was a chosen one, something beyond her control. She patted her daughter's back and wondered what had happened.

"Oh mommy, Angel's back, and Dru changed Xan. Xander and Cordelia. Giles is missing and everything is so wrong. Make it all go away. Why can't I be a little girl again. It's too much this time. If Willow can't bring back Xander and Cordelia it will be Hemery all over again and I'll have to kill my friends again. I can't go back. I don't want to go back to that," Buffy sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

"Oh, baby," Joyce sighed, fighting back her own tears, "Your life is so hard and you're so young. I wish I could take this all on myself, but I wouldn't know where or how to begin."

Then Joyce moved and pushed Buffy back, still having a firm grip on her daughter's shoulders and looked into her little girl's sad green eyes, "Honey, sometimes we're chosen to do things we can't imagine doing. I'm sorry you carry a load so heavy, but you do your best. That's how you live, making choices and doing your best. Things won't always turn out, and if they do, be very suspicious. I love you, you're my little girl, and I'm proud of how strong you are. It will be okay. You'll find a way to save your friends and you'll always be my little girl. Your old mom can hold the fort here, now you go out there and do what you do and let me worry, that's what I'm getting wrinkles for right?"

Buffy's lips trembled, but her eyes began to dry up, "Does this mean I'm not grounded?"

Joyce smiled, "That's a talk we'll have young lady, after this latest apocalypse, now go do what you're good at. Save the world, try not to stay out too late, and wait.did you say Angel was back?"

"Um." Buffy's eyes widened and she looked toward Spike.

He took his cue and broke in, "That's kind of like my human development, currently unexplainable and un-bloody-believable. Oh and Peaches is kind of sickly and souled."

"Okay," Joyce sighed, not even expecting an explanation, "They're all vampires right? So as long as I don't extend an invitation I'm safe? Well that takes care of me I'm house bound until this blows over. Where are Willow and is it Oz?"

Buffy nodded and her eyes widened as she wanted to smack her head, "Oh God! We left them at the library! Any vampire can get into that school! We have to get them and the book out of there and over here, like fifteen minutes ago!"

"Should I extend the invitation to Angel? I really don't feel comfortable about it and it doesn't seem altogether appropriate," Joyce said.

"I'm with your mum on this one, Slayer," Spike piped up.

"Hey, you said it yourself Spike. He's souled, and he'll need to be in a place where Dru and.the other vamps can't get to him. Besides you saw how weak he was. You have a soul! Show some heart," Buffy retaliated.

"Fine, but one bad move and we'll be burying him in a vacuum cleaner bag in the backyard," Joyce joked.

Spike grinned, "Knew I always liked your mum for a reason, luv."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Outside the Bronze the alleys were dark and had their fair share of being witness to many a gruesome death, and tonight was no different as Xander and Cordelia led a young couple into the alley and drank their fill. The pair snapped the neck of the corpses to be sure there was no coming back and then went on their way, still licking the fresh blood from their lips.

"What say you and I ditch the crazy vamp and set out on our own? We could have so much fun and enjoy this unlife thing together, and we could kill without worry about 'mummy' scolding us. Hello, not to mention that factory, ugh, can someone say major grandpa breath smell? Was that place made with sulfur?" Cordelia whispered next to Xander's ear and ran a cool hand across his shoulders.

"Still, we have a lot to thank her for, young and beautiful forever. Shouldn't we repay her for all she's given us?" Xander asked.

"Why? A Lexus wasn't in the care package so no thanks required."

Xander wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her to him, then ran his tongue along her throat and finally kissed her, "Mmmm. So practical. Hard to find girls like you anymore, even have pretty good taste in your men, if I do say so myself."

"Only the evil, vamp boy," She purred.

"Good," He whispered and then turned at the sound of footsteps crunching on rocks and uneven pavement.

Cordelia looked up with a grin, "Well, Xan man, looks like we have company. Still feeling playful?"

"Only if you're my playmate and it involves some rough and tumble later," He answered with a seductive smirk that was filled with a wicked evil charm the human Xander had never possessed.

"Deal," Cordelia agreed and they both turned to face the entrance of the alley.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Buffy had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach when they returned to Slayer Central and saw Angel deciphering the book and Willow nodding and saying she knew Latin. Oz was sitting in a chair and flipping through a book of demon lore trying to keep from laughing when Angel growled at Willow having snatched the Book of Daema out from under his nose.

"Hey, I was reading that," Angel snapped.

"Oh big bad vampire, look, I'm the witch I'm doing the spell and I read Latin. You're just looking over it and oh and awing. At least I'm not completely spellbound by the book. I can read it and not be afraid of the writer," Willow retaliated.

"Guys, you need to go to my house now. If Dru or Xander or Cordelia suspect any of us are here then the plans are ruined and again with the bloodshed. My house is officially closed to Dru, Xander, and Cordy, so off to my house, I have some patrolling to do, while my best friend and my ex duke it out over a book. Wow, since when were you so into books, Angel?" Buffy asked.

Angel looked up with a start and then tried to wrestle the book from Willow's ungiving grasp. Oz let out a sigh and Buffy could tell this had been going on for a while. Spike looked at Buffy and then nodded.

"Right, now everyone you heard the Slayer. Wolf boy go fire up that van of yours, Peaches, Red grab the book and any mojo stuff, bells, candles, flowers, whatever and hop into Wolfie's van and its to Buffy's mum's house we go, with a stop at the butchers for Peaches' sake," He said with a ring of authority.

"Yeah, that sums it up. Spike, go with them and keep them safe. I have to patrol, there's something new in Sunnydale. I feel it," Buffy said.

Spike raised his scarred eyebrow and cocked his head, "You out there alone with Dru's new family about? Have you gone soft you daft bint?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, "I need to be out there, just do what I say. Anything happens to them and you answer to me. Remember you have to live with me honey."

"Awww, but Pooh Bear, you promised no more matrimonial threats, bloody hell, holding the silent treatment over me head's not much fair is it?" Spike made with the pouty look, but Buffy didn't even flinch. "Fine, but if you're not back at your mum's in an hour I'm the search party, no arguing about it. Slayer or not, you could use back up every now and then."

"What? So I can laugh when the big bads throw you over tombstones and bash your head on the sturdier crypts? Comic relief is so not on the needs list right now, and no Pooh Bear, or I'll tell them all about that thing with Mr. Gordo," Buffy said with an evil grin twisting her lips.

Spike's eyes rose in shock, "You wouldn't! You're not that bleedin' cruel!"

"He did something with your stuffed pig?" Angel asked suspicion in his voice.

"Poor Mr. Gordo. He was always such a clean stuffed animal. OH, oh, I think I might already know what happened to that pig. Buffy why do you always mention the things that send Imy/I mind to the Sunnydale sewers?" Willow sighed.

Oz raised his eyebrows and looked at them all, "I'm not in the loop with the stuffed pig deal, but its not sounding like something I'd want to know. So everyone to the mystery machine. It's off to the Summers' house we go."

"It was completely innocent!" Spike said in his own defense.

They all left the library with the things they needed, Buffy with weapons and Spike herding his grandsire and what was left of the Scoobies to Oz's van and ultimately the Summers' home. He took one last glance and Buffy and hoped that it really wouldn't be the last. He smiled at the thought of how beautiful she was when she was determined. He then turned back to the group that was loading into Oz's van and noticed Angel staring after Buffy. Poor sod returned from hell only to realize he'd lost the love of his unlife. Spike shook his head in pity.

Buffy never turned to see her friends, Angel, and Spike getting into the van, she had more important things to deal with. There was something new in Sunnydale, she could feel it, and right now that something was in a fight with two vampires in the alley by the Bronze.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The two vampires in the alley smiled, as they looked the dark haired girl up and down. She was dressed in dark red leather pants that looked painted on, and she wore a black halter-top and finished off her look with a blue jean jacket. Her dark hair was a mass of messy curls and she carried the look well. She took off the jacket and tossed it on the ground, then rolled her shoulders and pounded her fist in her palm a couple of times.

"Looks like my lucky night for a little throw down. Just when I thought this was a nice sleepy town the vamps come out," She said in a seductive throaty voice and then laughed.

Xander smiled as his gaze wondered from her feet to her cleavage and finally her face, "You're pretty, but that doesn't tell me who you are. So care to enlighten us?"

The girl smiled, "Just when I thought you two might be smart you go and ask a thing like that. I'm Faith, down from Boston, M. A. You know the newest slayer in a long line of kick ass chicks."

"Hello, in case you don't know, this town has its slayer, and that would be Buffy, at least until we get tired of her," Cordelia said.

Faith chuckled, "Yo, the conversation is getting pretty long and leaning on dull here. So lets cut with the yawn fest and see what kind of fight you got."

Cordelia turned to Xander and smiled, "No time like the present to break in the newest Slayer."

With that Cordelia did a series of flips and threw a punch that caught Faith in the gut. Xander soon joined his girlfriend, the former cheerleader.

"Talk about bringing it on," Faith wheezed and then jumped back to her feet and got into a fighting stance.

The vampires began throwing punches and Faith blocked and threw a few of her own until the alley was a mass of flailing limbs, growls, and whooping. Just as things were really heating up Faith reached for her fallen jacket where a stake lay snug in her sleeve where she always kept it, but something kicked the jacket out of her reach.

She looked up in time to see a petite blonde girl with green eyes, and then turned back toward the vampires she'd been about to dust. The vampires seemed frozen in time as they looked from Faith to the blonde. Faith got the feeling that they new each other. The blonde picked up Faith's jacket and pulled the stake out of the sleeve and then turned her gaze to Faith.

"Let me guess. You're a slayer," The blonde said.

Faith raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, and they're vampires, so give me the wood and let me do my job, the talking can happen later."

"I can't let you do that," The blonde said.

"Hmmm. You must be Buffy. My watcher told me about you. Have a thing for fangs right? There was that whole issue about marrying a vampire. Talk about betraying that destiny crap. We're slayers, girlfriend, we don't lay 'em, we slay 'em," Faith said and then tried to snatch the stake.

Buffy blocked Faith's attempt and then said, "Look, there are things you don't know, now forget these two. There's a bigger mess to deal with."

"Sure B, when they're dust we can leave."

Faith did a high kick that caught Buffy off guard. Buffy staggered but regained her footing. The two vampires watched in awe as slayer fought slayer, it was classic. They were both so spontaneous in their fighting that they were perfectly matched against each other. Buffy hit the ground and used her legs to drag Faith down with her and then they were throwing punches like a good old fashioned street fight.

"Wow, where can we get popcorn with extra blood?" Cordelia asked.

Xander snapped out of his awe and then took Cordelia's hand, "Let's go before they stop fighting each other and try us on for a little Mike Tyson action."

"Wow, your secret crush just took up for you and now we do the running thing. We're all dead and evil and Buffy still tries to save us. I swear you would think she'd give us a fight until someone was dead or dust," Cordelia said as Xander took off running and dragged her along.

"Better to wait till that dust settles before we take on a slayer. Two of them is asking for trouble," Xander snarled.

"No, two of them equal appetizer and main course. Wonder what slayer blood tastes like," Cordelia answered and licked her lips and then jerked her hand out of his grasp causing him to stop dead in his tracks, "Hello, we're at the factory now, no alley, or Buffy and that other slayer in sight. Can't even smell them, so we weren't followed. Oh and how pathetic, even dead, you still run like a woman."

"You say that almost like it's a bad thing. Hey, we got away didn't we?" Xander growled.

Cordelia smiled and pressed herself against his leather-clad body, "But the fight looked like so much fun. I wanted a good round of violence."

"Cordy, I can be all the violence you need," Xander whispered and caught her lips with his in a raw kiss of fire.

He slipped into vamp face and bit into her tongue, she let out a little whine of surprise and pleasure, and then let him lead her into the factory and into a nice dark corner of seclusion, where violence and passion could run rampant in good kinky fun.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Faith caught Buffy in a headlock and then stopped, noticing that the vampires had hightailed it. She let Buffy go and then brushed the dirt off her leather pants. She offered a hand to Buffy and pulled her up. Then she snatched up her jacket from the ground.

"So, B, got an explanation for why you let a couple of vamps go? They could have been dust blowing in the wind and you go and protect them. Who's side you on anyway?" Faith asked.

"I can't kill my friends. They were my friends before they were vampires and I got another friend working on a soul restoration spell. She wouldn't be able to live if I brought Xander or Cordelia home in an ashtray," Buffy snapped.

"Geez, you do live on the edge. A slayer with friends? Thought that was against the rules. I wouldn't know personally though, never did flip through that handbook that came with the job. I just wing it and enjoy the ass kicking part," Faith turned and grinned at Buffy.

Buffy couldn't help the smile, "Yeah, that's the best part. My watcher didn't even bother with the handbook for me. Said I was too unconventional to tame. So who are you and where you come from?"

"Thought you'd never ask girlfriend," Faith said and then gave her shoulders another roll and moved her head from side to side to loosen up after the little tumble she'd had with her sister in arms, then she noticed the crossbow that had hit the ground sometime in their fight, "You pack a little heavy to play nice with all the bad boys and girls. I'm Faith, came from the dirty streets of Boston, M. A. Gotta say B, thought you'd be bigger, you're the reigning ass kicker of slayage, you know having died and then lived to tell the tale. Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Buffy asked as she brushed the dirt and grime off of her favorite aqua trench coat.

"You know, that you married a vampire, and not just any vampire, but old William the Bloody, the vampire that has taken out two slayers."

Buffy grinned and shook her head, "That was after a whole lot of drinking and was followed with a killer hangover. You should have seen the look on Giles' face. He was really grouchy when he called up the Watcher's Council with the news."

"So you're widowed before eighteen huh?" Faith asked.

Buffy stopped in her tracks, turned to the dark haired girl, and felt heat rise in her cheeks, "Well not exactly. You see Spike kinda grows on you after awhile."

Faith's eyes widened, "Seems like I got a lot to learn, so what, are they like Superman in the sack or something?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never been with a human, up until Spike's recent development, to compare. See first there was Angel, he had a soul then, but after we.he lost his soul, and that didn't go over so good. With Spike, well he didn't have a soul, so didn't have to worry about him losing what he didn't have, but now Spike is kind of human, and life as I know it is so not knowable anymore."

"You were with Angelus? I heard about him, major psycho before that curse deal. So that ring on your finger means something, and how is Spike kind of human?"

"Angel is back from hell, with soul intact, and not sure what the deal is with Spike. Now let's go to my place before trouble finds us," Buffy said.

"Your place got a fridge?"

Buffy nodded and Faith grinned as she spoke, "Great, then I'm five by five B. Isn't it funny how slaying always makes you hungry and horny?"

Buffy gave an uncomfortable laugh and cut her eyes at the dark haired girl full of energy, "Yeah real funny, now let's go or the search party comes looking."

"Huh?"

Buffy smiled sheepishly, "Spike gave me an hour before he'd coming looking for me."

"Oh, how sweet. Seems like you bagged a caring mosquito."

"Yeah," Buffy nodded, "He has his moments."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Angel looked up from the fresh mug of blood he held in his hands, he shook his head and took a sip as Spike stopped pacing and looked at the clock for the millionth time. He was amazed at the change in Spike; he hardly recognized his grandchilde. He remembered Spike as a reckless loose cannon that had only two cares in the world Dru and Spike, now Spike was different, he cared for Buffy and her friends, and he had a soul, not to mention he smelled like food.

Spike headed toward the door, Angel put his mug down and grabbed Spike's arm, "For God's sakes, sit down. All that pacing is making me dizzy, and she's still got five minutes, you did say an hour right?"

"Get off, wanker! She's been gone too long! She should have been back half an hour ago! Bloody hell, I can't take this!" Spike yelled and jerked his arm out of Angel's grip.

"You've got to take it! She will be back. She's Buffy, and she always comes back. I know what you're feeling, I feel it to, and damn it, if she's not back in five minutes I'm going with you, but you're going to give her that time," Angel snapped.

"If you didn't have a soul and I didn't have to face her after, I'd stake you so bleedin fast you'd be dust before ouch came to mind!" Spike growled.

Oz walked into the kitchen having heard the noise and looked at the two fuming vampires, "Hey, guys, we've got a lot dealing with Willow doing the spells, Buffy's mom is kind of jittery over the whole witchcraft deal, and with Buffy being out there. Maybe keeping it down in the kitchen might not be such a bad idea."

"Who asked you wolf boy?" Spike snarled.

"Easy with the hostility, I'm only saying." Oz trailed as all three heads turned toward the kitchen door leading to the living room.

Spike and Angel raced out of the kitchen at the sound of the front door being thrown open and Oz followed. Buffy walked into the door followed by a wiry dark haired girl. Both looked windy and sweaty. Spike looked from Buffy to the strange girl and then back to Buffy.

The dark haired girl looked at the three guys in the living room and spoke in a sultry voice, "Wow B. Thought you only racked up two, why are there three, and hmmm, judging by the feel of em the dark haired one must be Angel, so which one of the other two is old William the Bloody?"

"Um, that would be me, pet, I go by Spike, and who might you be?" Spike answered.

"Whoa, B. I can see why you go for the vamps. He looks like a good throw down. Angel's not so bad either, and who's the quiet guy?"

"That would be Oz, and he's off limits," Buffy answered.

Spike grinned, "Yeah wolf boy answers to Red, Sunnyhell's own little witch."

"This place has it all, hell mouth included," The dark haired girl said and then added, "Yeah I'm the slayer from Boston, name's Faith."

"It's a bleedin epidemic!" Spike said and then fell back in his favorite chair, sighed, and turned to face Buffy, "And you. Where in the bloody hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried out of my mind I was? Next time I'm going with you, nothing standing in my way."

"I had to go alone. Look I went to the Bronze and there was Faith and she was fighting with Xander and Cordelia, and I couldn't let her dust them. You know, I don't need to explain myself to you. You're not my mother!"

"You're right I'm not, but I'm your bloody husband or have you forgotten that drunken week of bliss that led to merry nuptials? You owe me a something. If you got killed where would that leave your mum or me for that matter?" Spike snapped.

"What do I owe you? I'm the slayer! Apparently being the chosen one means that I owe the whole world something. Come on William! Let it all out now! I want to hear what I owe you. What do I mean to you damn it? I'm starting to lose my friends and its like before. I lost everything once; I can't live through that again, because I wouldn't know how to get it all back. Give me some kind of meaning, something to keep fighting for!" Buffy's voice bordered on hysteria.

"Okay, I think I'll find that refrigerator now," Faith said and Oz took it upon himself to lead her to the kitchen with Angel bringing up the rear.

Spike got out of his chair and put his arms around Buffy, she tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. He held her as she tried to fight him and was thankful that his becoming human hadn't changed his strength. When she tired of struggling she just slumped in his arms and cried. She hated crying, it was such a girl thing to do, usually she fought and that was enough o keep the tears away, but he wouldn't let her fight.

"What in bleedin' hell do you want me to tell you? That there is some bloody higher purpose? All I know is the here and now, and I know that I'm scared of losing you and you're human, so I can lose you, and well your destiny kind of shortens your life expectancy. You're all that bloody matters to me now. I don't know what I had before with Dru, and I don't know what I have now with you, but I know what I feel when I'm with you, and that's real to me, more real than anything else in this world. I love you. And you're right you don't owe me a thing, I was a vampire up until a couple of days ago, and you deserve so much more than anything I could possibly give you. Now with this soul I hear all this screaming and see these faces and there is so much pain and I caused it. I tortured hundreds upon hundreds of people. I can see why Peaches had that bloody brooding thing down so well. I'm not Peaches and I'm not much to fight for, but I know that you are and I would fight to my dying breath for your life!" Spike cried out desperately, "You're everything I want to hold onto in this world, and you have friends to live and fight for. If you won't go on for me then think of them and your mum. Mothers aren't meant to bury their daughters luv, don't make Joyce go through that."

"I'm not strong. The powers that be, or whatever, made a mistake when they chose me," She whispered and pressed her face into his chest.

He let out a little laugh and this startled Buffy enough to make her look up, "They made the right choice, luv, although I doubt they knew what they were getting into. You're unlike anything I or this cancel has ever seen. The closest slayer I've ever seen that could compare with you was Nikki, the second slayer I killed. She was like you. I could have danced with her all night, that one. She had some of your style, but unlike you she didn't have much to live for. She let me in, gave me my one good day and I took it. I snapped her neck and took this leather duster off of 'er."

Buffy wrinkled her nose, "That's it? That's the pep talk?"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, we can start at the beginning, lesson the first and all that, but you're getting it, so I say here endeth the lesson."

"Never become a motivational speaker," Buffy said with a wry attempt at a laugh and patted his shoulder then added, "Now I know why you had to get me drunk to marry me."

"Hey, now that was a bit uncalled for," He answered and playfully slapped her on the rear.

Just then Faith came out of the kitchen with three ham and Swiss sandwiches and a soda. She put the soda on the coffee table and then began to eat the sandwiches; she was starting in on her second one when she asked, "So is it five by five with you two now? Oh and B, you're over with Angel right? Cause I could use a piece of action."

Spike nearly choked, "Um, Peaches' soul is under contract, a little carnal pleasure and the deal is terminated. And what is five by five?"

"Five by five is when you're ace and everything's okay. You up with the lingo bleach boy, and what's with the accent? Too bad about Angel, looks like he could give a real work out," Faith said, slapped her hips, gyrated them, and then sat down on the couch finishing off the second sandwich and starting off on the third.

Somewhere in between bites she managed a few swigs of her soda and let off a little belch after she finished with the food. She pounded her chest with the side of her fist a couple of times and then grinned and said, "Sorry, excuse me. Haven't had much contact with people lately. Mostly been hacking away at the demon population."

Buffy nodded and Spike tried to hide the smirk that was tugging at his lips. As Faith worked on finishing up her soda, Buffy realized that she hadn't seen her mom or Willow since she'd been home. She almost smacked herself in the forehead for not thinking about them sooner.

"Spike, where's my mom, and where's Willow?"

"Joyce heard Red chanting in your room and thought it was a good time for bed. And Red is still in your room working the mojo, powers that be, and whatever else that restores the soul to active duty," Spike answered.

Buffy raced up the stairs, checked first on her mother who was tossing in her sleep, and then Buffy went to her room. She heard a strange voice chanting in a funny language. Were there two people in her room? When she opened the door she gasped. Light engulfed Willow in a reddish glow, and her hair was completely white, and the voice and funny language was coming out of Willow's mouth, and Willow's eyes were black. Suddenly the chanting stopped, the light grew blindingly brighter and then there was something like an explosion, Willow slumped forward, her hair back to its bright red color and her eyes were closed.

Willow was inside a circle of sacred sand with four white candles placed evenly around the circle, and two black candles and two crystal spheres were set in front of her. The white candles suddenly lit themselves with bright red flame and the two black candles ignited with a bright green flame that changed to a violet color and then blew out as quickly as they were lit. Then there was a shattering, that sounding like crystal exploding. Buffy ducked as she realized that the crystal spheres were what exploded. Buffy went to help Willow and see if she was all right, but before she could get to the witch, Willow lifted her head and said, "No, Buffy, stop. Don't break the circle. The crystals are broken and the flames went out."

Willow opened her eyes; they were still black, Buffy's jaw slackened in shock. Willow then stood up and bent down, blowing out the four white candles, one at a time. When she was done she used her hand to break the circle of sand. Finally the witch stepped out of the circle and smiled at Buffy, "It's okay now. Xander and Cordy are back now. Something took over inside of me and then there were these words. I was talking to Daema, and she granted me the return of their souls. She said I had a mighty gift for a witch so young. I did it, and Xander is going to come back. He'll be back Buffy."

"What was the price Willow?" Buffy asked.

Willow looked down at the floor and then sheepishly lifted her head, "My life for their souls; my blood for theirs. Their souls will be fully restored when they drink from me. I'll keep my soul too. I have to Buffy. I'll still be me. I can sign up for night classes and still graduate, and it won't be so bad."

"Willow! You'll be a vampire? I can't let you do that," Buffy gasped.

"It's the only way and it has to be done! I'll die for Xander. Buffy you have to understand, I have to go. All those years he did the Snoopy dance, and all those times he listened to me. I lost Jesse. I can't lose Xander too. That's too much. Now Buffy, let me go. Don't make me use magic to leave this house," Willow spoke with a resignation and determination beyond her young years.

"I won't let you kill yourself Willow. Don't you get it? You'll die!"

Willow opened up her palm and Buffy couldn't move as the witch walked out of the room and then put her arms around Buffy in a hug, "It's ok, I'll come back, Daema said that was part of the prophecy, she said I would return with my soul. I have to do it. Now let me go Buffy."

With that Willow withdrew from her embrace and walked down the stairs. Tears streamed from the corners of Buffy's eyes. The paralysis soon faded and then Buffy ran down the stairs just as Willow was walking out of the door.

Willow stopped and turned, "Daema told me something else. IThere will be two who shall know the darkness of a demon and the light of soul, and walk in daylight. Hatred shall change one and love will change the other after a great sacrifice./I Buffy, I will be back and I'll have Xander and Cordelia with me. Don't follow me and make sure Oz knows that I love him."

"Willow!" Buffy screamed as Willow walked out of the door, Buffy tried to follow, but there was a force field surrounding the doorway that Buffy couldn't pass through.

Oz ran out of the kitchen and looked at Buffy as she slid to her knees at the front door. He looked from Buffy to the door and then asked, "What just happened? Where is Willow? Is she still in your room?"

"She loves you, Oz, she loves you so much. The spell isn't over; she has to pay the price before their souls are restored. I'm so sorry," Buffy said and then stood up. Oz pushed past her and tried to walk through the door, but like Buffy something kept him from walking through the doorway.

"What is this? Why can't I get out and go after her?" Oz asked with an edge of danger to his voice.

"She's using magic to keep us from going after her. Her life for their souls, her blood for theirs. That's the price the spell requires. She said she talked to Daema," Buffy whispered.

Oz shook his head, "No, she wouldn't sacrifice herself. Wait, there has to be some other way."

Oz turned to the kitchen and then stormed through it, but something was happening to him. When he reached the kitchen he'd sprouted extra facial hair and his hands had extended into claws. He went for Angel, spun him around, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back first against the counter and leaned over the vampire.

"Tell me what that damn book said, now," Oz growled and leaned close to Angel's face, "And be careful how you answer vampire."

Faith and Spike were in the kitchen too, obviously when Buffy had gone up to see Willow all the action had migrated back to the Summers' kitchen. Spike watched in fascination and Faith looked at Buffy wondering if she should intervene or not. Faith hadn't dealt with werewolves before. Buffy shook her head at Faith and then she edged closer to Oz and put her hand on his back, he turned and she hardly recognized the quiet gentle guy that Willow cared so much about under the beastly exterior.

"Oz, Angel couldn't have known. Willow said that Daema told her what she had to do," Buffy whispered.

Angel looked at Buffy and then realization dawned on his face, "The prophecy, oh my God, Willow is sacrificing her humanity to restore their souls. Then that means, oh God. Buffy, the last part of the prophecy is your sacrifice. You'll die."

"Not bloody likely," Spike cut in.

"What prophecy?" Faith asked.

Angel looked at Oz and felt the werewolf's grip loosen up as he took on his human form again, "Five souls shall be restored, the fifth of the slayer, a pure life given with great sacrifice."

"Willow, Xander, and Cordelia, that's three souls, there is going to be one more vampire with a restored soul and the fifth soul is the slayer's, yours Buffy, but yours will be given if I understand it correctly," Angel answered.

Spike looked panicked, "Peaches, what are you on about? What bloody prophecy are you spouting like bleedin poetry? I won't let her die."

"Hold it, no one is dying here. Spike I'm not going to die, I promise. Willow said something about two," Buffy said and shook her head because she couldn't remember any more.

Angel's face only grew graver, "That is the prophecy of Daema; it's about two vampires that keep their souls after they've changed and walk in the sun with out going up in smoke. Their souls aren't restored they just remain and are stronger than the demons inside the vampires. Kind of like me, except their demons won't ever have complete control of them. IThere will be two who shall know the darkness of a demon and the light of soul, and walk in daylight. Hatred shall change one and love will change the other after a great sacrifice./I I hear that it actually rhymes in Aramaic."

"That's what she said, now what was the first prophecy you mentioned?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

"Remember when I told you how I made Dru. She woke up in the monastery. I stayed with her, and when she woke up she said, 'Five souls shall be restored, the fifth of the slayer, a pure life given with great sacrifice, and so only one slayer remains yet in the world. The balance of the slayer line will be restored."

"By my death," Buffy finished.

Faith looked at the somber faces and said, "This is pretty heavy, and how do you know if it's not me that is going to die?"

"You're the newest in the line, Buffy has died once, so the slayer following her has been called, when she dies again she won't be coming back and there will be no slayer to follow her, because you followed Kendra and Kendra was the one that followed Buffy, so there is no other slayer to follow Buffy," Angel answered.

"Okay, now that this is all clear and out in the open can we work on finding Giles and coming up with a way to kill Drusilla?" Buffy asked, desperate for a change in subject.

Spike looked at Buffy, shook his head, and then he cut his eyes at Angel. Spike knew one thing for certain, fate be damned, he wasn't letting his slayer die. He would die long before her. Buffy, Angel, and Oz were filling Faith in on the current happenings around Sunnydale, while Spike thought of ways to protect Buffy, whatever the cost. Buffy turned to Spike and attempted a smile. He returned her efforts, knowing that she'd been trying to make him feel better.

Spike lost interest in their conversation immediately. He looked at Buffy and wondered how he could have lost himself so deeply to her. He thought what he'd had with Dru was as good as love got, but with Buffy there was warmth and the return of affection. Spike smiled as an idea came to him. He slipped out of the kitchen and then out the front door. The force field Willow had erected around the Summers' home had been lifted once Willow had gotten about a block away from the house, and Spike's smile widened at his good turn of luck, and he hoped he was right about Dru's possible location. If he could get to Dru before Buffy did then maybe he could keep his slayer out of danger.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The watcher's screams had died down to pathetic whimpers. Dru looked at him and playfully frowned. Her toy was losing its magic, he no longer screamed, soon he would lose the will to live and then what fun would he be? Torture was only fun if the song of pain followed.

"Poor dearie, are you growing hoarse? Why aren't you singing anymore for mummy? Your humming is so lovely. Your voice hums as your heart continues to race and sing for me. Such a strong voice your heart has. What is in your pretty little head? What can you whisper to us, my dear? Sing to mummy and you'll get presents," Dru encouraged.

"Damnable foul creature," Giles managed to groan.

Dru looked taken aback, "My, my, how naughty of you to say such things. Looks like mummy will have to punish you then. I have some nice little toys to play with. Naughty little boys always keep me busy with my toys."

She got off of the bed and lifted the lid off of one of her trunks when a vision came to her, "Oh, he comes. My naughty Spike is coming to me at last. I must get ready. I must look a fright."

Dru dropped the lid of the trunk she'd been about to go through and went to the one that contained her clothes. "White, he always loved it when I wore white. He called me his princess. Do you think white would do?"

Giles' groaned an answer that was not very clear as she pulled out a white antique dress trimmed in the finest Iris lace. Dru giggled and turned, as though she was dancing and the dress was her partner. She quickly undressed and then slipped into the white lacey dress. She smiled when she heard the door of the factory creak open and then a familiar voice curse under his breath.

She twirled about in circles and swayed to the music that played in her head as Spike opened the door to her room. He couldn't stop the smirk that pulled at his lips at the sight of her dancing. He'd had good times with her, but then he closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath and an image of Buffy filled his mind. He opened his eyes then turned his gaze toward the bed. There was Giles shackled to the bed, his body a bruised and bloody mess.

"I see you've been having a bit of fun, kitten," Spike said and nodded towards Giles.

Dru nodded and looked transfixed with him, "Oh my William, my naughty William, isn't he such pretty colors? The stars hummed and whispered that you would come to me sooner. Why did you stay away so long? I've missed my dear heart."

"I'm not your dear heart anymore, Dru. I'm happily married and incase you haven't noticed I'm not a demon anymore," He answered with annoyance.

"All of that can be changed Spike. Just let me drink, and then I'll give you the night again. It will be like old times, we'll travel and kill at our leisure. We were the scourges of Europe. The daisies, they whisper in the garden, they told me that you would return to me. Don't you love me anymore?" She whispered and ran a long nail down the front of his black t- shirt.

He shook his head at her, "That doesn't work anymore, princess. Let it go. Haven't you caused enough trouble? Leave Sunnydale and leave me to live my life with my wife in peace."

She chuckled, "Oh, poor Spike, I smell fresh blood flowing through your veins, oh how your heart sings, its sings of the nasty slayer. Your soul it hums too, it's so strong now. Yes, my dear William, you got the present we sent you. So human, and now I can make you mine again."

"No Dru," He said firmly and pushed away from her.

"The humanity in your sickens me Spike, you weren't demon enough before, but I will drink every drop of humanity out of you and you will be my demon prince again. I hate the blood that washes through you, I hate the heart that sings within you, and I hate the soul that hums its ugly song of life. You make me hate you, and that was my gift, and now you will be mine again," She whispered and ran her tongue over her lips.

She lifted her hand, her middle and index fingers extended and then she began to sway as a snake does when hypnotizing prey.

"Follow with your eyes dearie. Here the whispers in your head and follow with your eyes. Forget this life and follow." She whispered until she had him under her thrall.

Giles was fully awake and conscious of his surroundings. He watched as Drusilla hypnotized Spike and once he was under her spell she struck. Her face changed to its demon form and tore into Spike's throat. Spike cried out in pain and within a few minutes he was gasping for breath, fighting for the life he felt slipping away. Giles felt sympathetic towards William the Bloody at that moment as he watched death rising in those blue eyes. The watcher then looked on in horror as Dru ran one of her sharp talon-like nails across her throat and brought Spike up to drink, "Yes, dear heart, forget all your troubles and drink of the night. Soon you shall belong to me, and all will be as before. Yes, how it hurts as your heart stops singing, it will sing no more of your nasty slayer."

"We're doomed," Giles murmured and then winced in pain as he shifted on the bed.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Willow did a location spell she'd read about in one of the books she'd borrowed from Giles and she soon found herself face to face with Cordelia who was feeding on the point guard from the Sunnydale High football team. It didn't take that long to get noticed. As soon as Cordelia finished with the jock she threw him aside like a piece of garbage and then advanced on Willow.

The witch expected this and smiled as she held up her hand and Cordelia stopped moving, "Where is Xander?"

"Did someone call my name?" He asked from behind her.

She lowered her hand and turned around to face him. Xander, and Cordelia released from Willow's spell, circled the witch and licked their lips. Willow turned in the circle keeping her gaze locked on Xander. An instant of fear filled the witch, but looking at Xander she recalled all of their childhood moments and smiled.

"Mmmm, Xander, we haven't tried a witch, it might be a real treat. Think we could share her? She looks so delish. I think geeks and witches might taste the best," Cordelia purred.

Xander grinned, "I think you might be right, Cordy. She looks so tasty."

Willow looked at the two and then closed her eyes, preparing herself for the pain that was to come. Xander stopped and Cordelia followed his example. He stared into Willow's eyes and blinked.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" He snapped.

Willow swallowed and then forced herself to use her toughest voice, "It's power. Don't you want to taste it? What makes you think that the two of you could take me when I have so much power?"

"I think she's bluffing. Still a power rush might be good. We could use that energy a little later tonight," Cordelia whispered and then ran a hand across Willow's shoulder and began to gently massage the witch's throat, "Oh, Xander, she's so warm."

Xander looked at Cordelia and then nodded. The pair reared, changed into demon face, and struck together, each tearing into a side of Willow's throat. The witch cried out in pain, but the cry faded to whimpers and groans. They released the witch and as her knees hit the ground, a misty glowing violet light filled the eyes of the two vampires as they shifted back into their human faces, the light fade as quickly as it had appeared and then the two vampires looked at each other and then down at Willow. Xander knelt by the witch and scooped her up into his arms.

"Oh God, Willow, Willow, you can't do this to me. What's wrong with you? What do I do to save you?" He whispered.

Willow managed a low moan, "Blood."

Xander's eyes widened as he looked up at Cordelia and then everything that had happened came back to him. He was a vampire; he saw the horror in Cordelia's eyes and realized that she remembered everything, including the fact that he'd made her.

"Xander, she wants your blood, but if we give it to her, she'll be like us," Cordelia said.

Xander looked up from the frail redhead he cradled in his arms and his eyes flashed yellow, "Tell me something I don't know. She's my best friend. I can't let her go like that. I think she gave us our souls. Maybe if we change her we can use the same spell on her."

Cordelia chewed nervously on her bottom lip, "Okay, you go first though, and then I'll give her some of mine. I just hope we can find that spell before she does any major damage. Oh my God! I just killed Mark Laurie! I swear, Sunnydale High will never win a championship."

"Cordelia! Focus, Willow!" Xander snapped.

She winced, "Sorry, I just, I can't believe what we did. All those people and it's only been a couple of nights. We're total psycho killers."

Xander shifted into his demon face and ripped into his wrist with his teeth and held it out to Willow's lips, which were starting to turn blue. At first she didn't respond, but soon she was drinking. Xander pulled his wrist away after a few minutes and then looked up at Cordelia. A grossed out look passed over her human features and then she shifted into demon face and gnawed into her own wrist and held it to Willow's lips for the witch to drink. After a few minutes she pulled her wrist back and watched in awe as the wound closed with not so much as a scratch or scar marring the smooth flawless skin.

"We have to find Buffy now," Xander said.

Cordelia's eyes widened, "Oh come on Xander, that's crazy! Buffy is a stake now ask questions later kind of girl. She's not going to let us into her house, and she's not going to listen to anything we have to say. She probably has a crossbow and is waiting for us to show."

"She did protect us from that one girl. Did I hear right earlier? Did that dark haired girl say she was the new slayer?" Xander asked.

"Okay, if you're so keen on getting us dusted, lets go see Buffy and hand over a very cold Willow, scheduled to wake up from the dead! Oh yeah, very smart!"

Xander rolled his eyes, "And you have a better idea?"

Cordelia paused, then looked skyward and sighed, "Fine, bring on the slayer."

"Have you forgotten that she married a soulless vampire? We've got souls now, I think she would at least talk to us. Oh, and Angel is back from hell, he'll know we have a soul!" Xander's voice filled with excitement.

"You're crazy. Up until a few nights ago you disapproved of every vampire in existence, especially Angel and Spike, now you're their cheerleader. You so need to work on those priorities of yours."

"Cordy, we are what we are now, so we can deal or get dusted, either way it works out and this vampire thing isn't so bad, and hey I've got you right?" Xander said as he cradled Willow in his arms and the two vampires started off for Buffy's house.

Cordelia shuddered at the memories of the pain and betrayal as Xander had stolen her life and then made her into a vampire, "Right now I don't know. We'll go to Buffy's and hope she doesn't stake us. As for you and me, you're lucky I don't break off a nice little piece of someone's picket fence and shish ka bob you. I mean look at what you did to me! I'll never go out in the sunlight, never drive my daddy's car, and forget about being head cheerleader ever again. There will be no huge sunny mansion with a solarium, no more tanning, and no little brats of my own to yell at. After this just stay away."

Xander looked at Cordelia and then down at the frail cold redhead he carried in his arms. Tears came to his eyes and he felt guilt for everything he'd done. He blinked and the blood-tinged tears fell from the corners of his eyes. He leaned down and kissed Willow's forehead.

"I hope you can forgive me," He whispered.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Oz, Angel, Buffy, and Faith were in the kitchen in the middle of developing a plan when Buffy suddenly looked up and noticed that Spike was missing. She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, with Angel's gaze following her. She went upstairs to her room, looking in every place she could think of where Spike might be.

She heard a knock that sounded like it came from the kitchen door and then she heard Oz yelling, "What did you do to her. Willow! Willow! You killed her!"

Buffy ran down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. Angel was holding Oz back and Faith was holding the door open. Buffy saw Cordelia and Xander, and Xander had Willow in her arms. She closed her eyes and slowly opened them again as she took a deep breath, then turned to Angel.

"They have souls right? I sense that, but you're the expert there," She said.

Angel nodded as Oz fought him, trying to get free. Buffy walked to the door and took Willow from Xander. She noticed that neither Cordelia nor Xander made a move to attack, they even looked afraid of her. Faith changed her position into a fighting stance ready for action if the need arose.

"B, do we get to dust em now?" Faith asked.

Buffy looked at her incredulously, "No, they're my friends. They have souls. Xander, Cordelia, come in, but you know the rules no munching on humans."

The fight in Oz was slowly dying down as his gaze followed Buffy as she carried Willow out of the kitchen. Everyone followed her as she went into the living room and set Willow down on the couch. He fell to his knees by the couch where Willow lay, unmoving. Buffy didn't need to check for a pulse to know that she was dead. Willow said the price was her life and that had obviously been given. There were no bite marks on her throat or anywhere. They must have given her enough blood for her to start changing early.

"Buff, I understand if you want to dust me. I more than deserve it. I've killed so many people and look what I did to the people I cared about," Xander whimpered as he fell to his knees and grasped his head in hands.

Cordelia was standing in the door of the kitchen, avoiding looking at anyone. She looked down at her nails, and noticed how they shone like polished glass. She ran a hand through her long dark hair and wished she had a reflection so she could get a look at herself in a mirror. Eventually she couldn't help herself. She looked down at the mess that was Xander kneeling on the floor.

"You're so pathetic. Get up and quit begging for mercy, or forgiveness, or whatever. At least before the soul deal you acted like a man instead some sad little boy. Okay, you couldn't help what Drusilla did to you, although you didn't have to leave the Bronze that night. And you didn't have to change me. Big deal, now we know you're all remorseful, so stand up and be a man, or a manly vampire, or whatever," Cordelia snapped in her usual Cordy fashion.

Buffy looked at Cordelia with a whoa expression, "Still the same ol' Cordy."

"Yeah, except I totally killed Sunnydale High's chance at yet another championship. I killed Mark Laurie. OH and now I'm no longer the Squad Captain. Oh God, this totally sucks. Harmony is next in line for Cheerleading Captain and she couldn't cheer her way out of a paper bag! I swear no wonder Sunnydale High is so full of losers, all of the cool people get killed!" Cordial sighed.

Faith looked at Buffy, "Are you sure I can't kill her? I mean look at her. Pathetic waste of space and a vampire. Not to mention the whining is not something I like listening too."

Buffy was about to say something when Oz cut in, "Um, you guys, something is happening with Willow."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

Angel looked at Willow and saw her eyes open; they turned yellow and her face shifted to the demon face, and then said. "Buffy they gave her enough blood to speed up the change. She's hungry. Go get some blood quick, she might not know us at first. Get the blood and I'll hold her down if tries to move."

Angel got on top of Willow straddling her and then held her arms down as she started to struggle. Oz turned away and Xander got up and went to help Angel hold her arms down. Willow was just beginning to put on a good fight when Buffy came back with a mug of blood complete with bendy drinking straw. She held the straw to vamp Willow's lips and watched as the vampire sucked the mug dry. She shook herself and her face shifted to human form again, but her eyes were black, not the usual green they'd always been.

Willow looked up and was met with Angel's dark eyes, "Angel? What, where am I, and why are you on top of me? Buffy? A little help here. I had the strangest dream. Xander and Cordelia were vampires and then I was dying."

Angel slowly got off of Willow and Xander let Willow go. As Willow sat up she looked around the room, all eyes were on her. She looked at them all, Buffy, Angel, Xander, Cordelia, some strange dark haired girl with a tattoo on her arm, and finally Oz. Oz turned away from her and Willow swallowed thickly.

"So no dream? I've got the grrr face and everything?" She asked.

Buffy nodded and Xander took a seat next to Willow and put his arms around her in a tight hug and whispered, "I'm so sorry Wills. I never meant to hurt you."

Willow smiled and then said, "Well if I weren't dead, air would be a serious issue about now. It's okay Xander. I knew what I was doing when I went to find you and Cordelia. Seems like there's a price on souls these days, at least when you go through the soul gathering demon Daema."

"You mean you came looking for us, knowing you would die? Why would you do something so stupid? Weren't you the smart one?" Cordelia asked wide-eyed.

Willow moved back from Xander's arms, and wiped tears from the corner of her eyes.

"I remembered what happened to Jesse, and I didn't want that to happen to Xander or you. I mean giving up the sun is no biggie if Xander and his Snoopy dance are still in the world," Willow paused and looked at Xander, "I couldn't live without you. We've been together for too long to ever be apart. You're my best friend, and you listened when no one else would."

Oz had been quiet the whole time. Willow suddenly looked up and saw the pain on his face, "Oz, I'm sorry, but I had too."

"Why?" He asked and fought the tears that came to his eyes.

"I couldn't live without my friends. Don't you understand that?" Willow asked.

Oz nodded, "Yeah, I do. You're dead Willow. You can't live without your friends, so you're dead now. This is. You gave in Willow. I fight with what I am everyday, and you gave in. I have to go."

"Oz, wait," Willow called after him, but he turned to her , his change already evident, his wolf form was taking over.

"No, Willow, I need to find control," He growled and struggled to control the conflicting wolf and human inside of him, "I can't stay here any more, until I deal with my own monster. I can't deal with yours until I take care of my own."

She grabbed him, but he shook her off and left. Willow collapsed to her knees and sobbed, calling out his name and begging him to stay. Xander knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her against him and rocked her as she cried. She slipped into demon face again and bit Xander in the neck. He winced, but let her deal with her pain. Faith watched in fascination, while Buffy turned away. Willow withdrew from Xander's throat with a shock. Cordelia walked back into the kitchen to deal her own way and Angel followed her.

Cordelia sat in one of the bar chairs, put her elbow on the table and leaned the side of her face against her knuckles. She looked at the kitchen doorway as Angel walked through and then rolled her eyes.

"Is this where I get the little pep talk that everything will be all right and I just need to adjust, because if it is, save it. You can waste your breath on the undead geek squad," She snapped viciously.

Angel winced at the harshness of her words, "Fine no motivational speaking, but anytime you want to talk I'll be around. I also know a few good butchers. It was Xander wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"He was your sire right? I would have felt something if Dru had changed you," Angel said.

Cordelia nodded, "Yeah, he came by my house, climbed up to my window, and did the 'I'm being chased by vampires' routine and I fell for it. Then I woke up and started munching on people. Now I'm all human-like again and it's like I feel things differently, like I feel things deeper than I did before. I know how they're thinking, 'She's Cordelia, like she was ever human.' I was though. I cared about people. I even loved Xander, but now I can't be with him anymore. Because I look at him and I see what he did to me, I feel the pain and betrayal, and I can never trust him again."

"Being a vampire with a soul isn't an easy thing, and there is that demon side too. I'm with you on that. So you're calling it quits with Xander. Does he know? It hurts even worse when it happens suddenly, or maybe you want to hurt him," Angel spoke gently.

She let out a bitter laugh, "Oh he knows. On the way over here I told him I wanted to shish ka bob him on a picket fence. I need space away from him and this whole place. Look at me talking and you get back from inferno land to see your old girlfriend with the guy you hate most."

"Did anyone see that coming? How did that happen? Buffy and Spike? I never would have thought it was possible," He sighed sadly and sat in the bar chair across from her.

She took his hand and squeezed it, "Strange things happen, and we live in the town over the hell mouth right? No one knew what happened. Buffy just sort of disappeared and when she came back a week later she was married to him. She said something about drinking too much, hangovers, and a red hotel room with pink carpeting. How tacky, ugh, red and pink so do not go together. What is wrong with people? And Spike was bragging about fifty grand he won at a craps table."

Angel nodded and looked down at his hand entwined with Cordelia's, "He always did move a little fast, not to mention how spontaneous he is. Hey, since you don't want to stay here. And I can't stay here, maybe after this is over I can look into some real estate in L.A. and we can see what kind of trouble we find there. You'd be up to fighting the good fight right?"

"Oh, L.A.! Are you serious? All of those clothing stores and boutiques! Armani, Versacci, and they probably keep hours after sunset. I'd love to! Fight the good fight, do whatever, Angel investigation gig sounds good," She said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Angel Investigations, I like that," He said and then made an attempt at smile, "So we have plans once we take care of Dru's mess?"

Cordelia nodded and smiled, "Sure boss, but this is a paying gig right? Designer clothes are so not cheap, and me in knock offs, I'm thinking no way."

"You'll be paid, I promise," He answered.

She let go of his hand and then they walked back into the living room. Willow and Xander were on the couch, Faith was leaning against a wall looking bored, and Buffy was pacing. Suddenly Angel staggered, his eyes shut, and he grabbed his head. Cordelia caught him before he toppled over and helped him to a chair. Buffy stopped pacing and was at Angel's side in a second.

Whatever had just happened passed as quickly as it had come and Angel looked up his gaze locking with Buffy's. He ran his tongue nervously over his lips and then spoke, "I know where Spike is."

"What?" Buffy's eyes widened in shock and hope, "Where is he?"

"With Dru," Angel answered.

"How do you know?" Buffy asked.

Angel looked at her, sorrow in his eyes, "A sire knows when his childe changes another."

Buffy's expression hardened as she started up the stairs, "All right. This game is over. I've been dying to see how my new crossbow is in action. I hope Dru is up for target practice. And if Spike is any different. I'm going to be the one to take care of Spike. Understood?"

They all followed her upstairs to her room. She had her trunk open and pulled a duffel bag out from under her bed. She loaded a dozen stakes, some arrows, a couple of crosses, and then zipped up the bag. She took out the cross bow and loaded it, then she looked up as her friends stared at her. Faith walked into the room and asked Buffy if she could borrow a few things. Buffy reached into the trunk and pulled out a couple of stakes that she tossed to the brunette. Faith put the stakes in her jean jacket and then pulled the jacket on.

"Well B, what do ya say to going out with our little vamp pack and kicking some demon ass?" Faith said with a whoop.

Just as they were heading out of the front door Buffy's mom ran down the stairs and said, "Where are you going young lady?"

"Uh mom, I'm going to save my husband and Giles, and take care of some unfinished business. We'll talk about me being grounded when someone's life isn't on the line? I'll try to be back before dawn," She called out as she headed out of the door followed by her motley group of friends.

Joyce went to the door and shouted, "Be careful honey, and remember, we talk as soon as you're back!"

Buffy smiled and then realized that for the first time in her life she was actually looking forward to a lecture from her mother. She adjusted her grip on the duffel bag and then took off in a jog as they all followed Angel at a superhuman pace. With every footfall on the pavement they drew closer to the factory and the final showdown between the Scoobies and Drusilla.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

Drusilla smiled as Spike began to wake up. His face shifted to demon form and she giggled and clapped, "There is my William. Oh, dear heart, are you hungry?"

"Mmmm, hello, Princess, what took you so long to come for me? Playing the tame little vampire is not a good gig. Playing lap dog to the slayer is even worse. What in the bloody hell got into me?" He spoke and then jumped up gathering Dru into his arms.

"Spike," She giggled and nipped at his ear, he moaned and nuzzled her throat with his nose.

"Yes, kitten?"

"Can we dance love?" She whispered.

He smiled and spun her around in his arms, "Until the end of time, but first we should take care of the slayer. I want to kill her for what she made me Ifeel/I. I love you Dru, you, and only you pet."

She began to hum as he set her down on her feet. He watched her as she began to sway and dance. She moved hypnotically, magic in her every step.

"Can we have a garden? I want a garden, with jasmine, and all the flowers that bloom at night. Oh and a birdie, I must have a birdie," She sang out in joy.

He took her hand and drew her close to his body and looked her in the eyes, "Anything you want. I'll treat you like the princess you are. You'll have all the bloody birds you want and you can plant anything you want in your garden. Where will this garden be?"

"We can go back to Prague. I liked it there. I know what I want to plant first in my garden. The slayer would be such a nice thing to put in the ground in my garden, and the jasmine shall grow around her, its roots always choking her," Dru's tinkling laughter filled the factory.

"Always so clever, kitten," Spike whispered against her ear and then he heard the groans that came from the bed.

He shifted to his human face and looked at the bed, and smiled at the sight, "Been having fun without me pet? What's this? The slayer's watcher? Let's have a taste."

Dru intervened and pulled Spike towards her, "No, baby will have his supper later. Mummy has a plan. Isn't he such pretty colors now Spike?"

"Yes, he looks good enough to eat, and I'm hungry Dru."

"It would be such fun to have him alive when the nasty slayer gets here. He can watch her die, and then he will be so much fun to play with afterward," She whispered and then began to sang about daisies in a garden.

Spike smirked and then looked at the watcher shackled on the bed. He leaned down and licked the watcher's throat then whispered next to his ear, "All's well Ripper. She'll come for us."

Giles' eyes widened and a hoarse sound of terror tore from his throat. Spike looked down at the watcher and shifted into his demon face.

"Now William, my sweet, mummy told you to behave. We want him to watch as the slayer screams his name and the life fades from her eyes," Dru scolded.

Spike nodded, "I was only having bit of fun."

Dru stopped dancing and her eyes grew wide. Spike caught her before she fell and realized that a vision had come upon her.

"Come on pet, what do you see?"

"Daddy, he's coming, and he brings my family and a strange vampire with power, and two slayers are with him, the nasty slayer, and a dark haired one with a troubled soul. They are coming now. The nasty slayer carries presents. Oh. Oh. The air it worries. It tells me that I'm to be betrayed. The earth trembles telling us of troubles. My Angel has been a very bad daddy. The rains will come to wash away the blood that the fire consumes. The roses.they bloom," Dru spoke in a far away child-like tone, then she slumped back in Spike's arms and looked up at him, "Why do the voices trouble us so tonight? We've almost won, my precious."

"We'll win tonight. I promise, kitten," He spoke gently trying to soothe her.

"Your eyes," She said and then she withdrew from his arms, "What is it that shines so human in your eyes?"

"What are you on about?" He snapped.

"A soul, your soul still remains. You.you.would betray us. You would lie and say you love me, when your soul stills sings your love for that nasty slayer and her presents?" Dru snarled and shifted into her demon face, but instead her eyes being yellow they were solid black. She opened her hands and energy sparked from her open palms. She held up her hands towards Spike and the energy hit him full in the chest and knocked him out.

"You will watch as the watcher watches," She said with an evil smile and then brought out some more shackles from her trunk, bound them around his wrists, and hung them on the hook that was suspended from the ceiling, then she took a whipping stick made of bamboo from her trunk and used her nails to rip open the back of Spike's shirt and lashed his back until he came back to consciousness howling in pain.

She then dropped the whipping stick to the floor and forced him around to face her. She ripped what was left of his shirt completely off and then raked her nails down his chest. Still she wasn't satisfied. She went back to her trunk and pulled out a glass vial that looked to be filled with water.

"You've been a bad boy Spike," She said playfully then pulled her hand back, giggled, and slapped him hard across the face.

Somehow he managed not to wince or cry out. Then she pulled the cork out of the vial and carefully poured the water onto the wounds she'd cut into his chest. He yelled out in pain as the holy water burned his chest.

~{*}~{*}~{*}~

The sounds of screaming could be heard nearly a block away from the abandoned factory. Buffy ran ahead of the others and was already moving through the factory with ease, following the sounds of the screaming. Before she opened the door of the room that the screaming seemed to be coming from a hand grabbed hold of her upper arm and stopped her.

"Buffy, whatever happens, just know I love you, and I'll try to understand any choices you make," Angel whispered and then moved back as Buffy kicked the door in.

The screams were coming from Spike, who was shackled and suspended from a hook in the ceiling. There were wounds all over his upper body, his chest looked severely burned, and bruises were on his cheeks from where Dru had slapped him around. Dru was using her nails to claw into his side, and her tongue lapped up the blood that seeped from the newer wounds. His screams stopped and his head slumped forward. Buffy closed her eyes for a second, memories of her time with Spike flashing through her mind, then she opened her eyes and saw Drusilla's crazed eyes locked on her.

"Nasty slayer, haven't I made my William such pretty colors? He wouldn't sing for me, so I had to persuade him to sing. He has such a pretty voice," Dru smiled and slashed a nail across Spike's cheek, and he winced as the blood welled up, then Dru laughed crazily and continued, "The moon tells us many things slayer. Yes, you have presents. She tells us, these presents were from Spike, and will be returned to him. The air troubles for you slayer. Oh, the white rose in Daddy's garden, it will be put to rest when you are buried."

Dru laughed and began to sway, "What can they do to save their precious slayer? Slayer's bodies weren't meant for such things. The moon she sings to me and it is your mourning song."

Anger flashed in Buffy's eyes, "I can't hear the moon singing, but I'm not dying tonight. Quit with the crazy wit. What's your deal? So you were tortured and changed in a church, if you have daddy issues there is major therapy available."

"Ouch, now quit with the talking, start kicking ass, and bash the bitch," Faith called from the doorway and then stepped into the room.

Dru looked towards the door and smiled, "She followed the dark skinned slayer. So much stronger than the dark one, she will continue your line for so short a time."

"Whatever. B, if you're not going to get the vamp, want me to step in?" Faith said.

Before Buffy could answer she heard muffled grunts and groaning. She turned towards the bed decked out in silks and lace and her mouth fell open. Giles was gagged on the bed and straining against shackles.

"Oh God, Giles, are you okay?" Buffy asked.

Giles doubled his struggling efforts and rolled his eyes at her, giving her that condescending look; still that same ol' Giles, even under stress. Giles stiffened on the bed as something powerful began to build in the room. Wind filled the room everyone's hair whipped back. Willow started walking through the door followed by Xander and Cordelia, but Dru lifted her hand and black energy flowed from her hand and hit Willow knocking her, Xander, and Cordelia back.

"You see, the reason Daddy liked me so much was because I was like your little witch, power was in me. Great power, that's why the voices whisper to me," Dru sing-songed and then gestured with her hands as though she were playing tiny gypsy finger cymbals by her ears, "My Angel, did you see so much power in me? You've been a bad daddy. I used to be your favorite. Remember the sweets you brought to me? So fresh and always in pretty dresses. And on Valentine's Day you always gave me someone's heart. Heart's blood is the sweetest, it satisfies the voices so."

Dru turned to Buffy and began to tiptoe closer to her. Finally she stood face to face with the slayer. She brought her hand up to the slayer's cheek and lightly caressed her hand across it, "We wonder if the slayer's heart will make the voices sing. Spike said I could plant you in my garden, but he was lying to me. My William would betray me for you, even after I made him human to change him back to the demon he was before. But I can still plant you in my garden, you will make the jasmines bloom, so their roots can always strangle you, tightening around your pretty neck, tighter, tighter with every night they grow."

Buffy shook herself as she realized she'd almost fallen under Dru's spell, and said, "No more mind games!"

She used her slayer strength to push the vampiress away from her. Dru hit the wall across from Buffy, and a low growling emitted from her throat as she stood up-, cupping her hands as it filled with black crackling energy. Willow, Xander, and Cordelia were trying frantically to get in through the doorway, but a force field kept them from entering. Faith and Angel struggled to move, but Dru's power was holding them in place. Giles was screaming against the gag in his mouth.

Suddenly Spike's head moved, he turned to see Dru, and then followed Dru's gaze to Buffy. He remembered how the hook that was attached to the ceiling could be moved around, like one of those meat hooks in the butcher shops. He looked up and noticed that it was attached to a sliding rail, just as he remembered. He made an attempt at a smile that turned into a grimace.

Things seemed to move in slow motion as Dru opened her hands to release the energy that would hit Buffy full force. Willow, Xander, and Cordelia yelled out Buffy's name, Giles managed an inaudible scream against his gag, Angel and Faith yelled too, but no one seemed to be able to move, until everyone heard the squealing of metal on metal. Spike used what strength he had left to position himself in front of Buffy. The force hit him straight on and crackled around him. He turned to Buffy, his blue eyes met hers, and he managed to say, "I love."

His head slumped forward before he could finish saying the words. Tears came to Buffy's eyes. She blinked back the tears. She'd dropped the crossbow sometime while she'd been under Dru's thrall, she quickly knelt down, retrieved the crossbow from where she'd dropped it, and quickly bounced back to her feet. She walked toward Dru, who was on her knees, weakened by the force of the power she'd just used. Buffy paused by Spike, aimed the crossbow at Dru, and smiled as the vampiress looked up, insanity glowing in her child-like gaze filled with carnal hatred. Buffy pulled the trigger and watched as the arrow hit its mark. Dru looked down at the arrow protruding from her chest, and then exploded into dust.

Once the threat was taken care of, Buffy leaned against Spike's torn body, reached up, and freed his hands from the shackles with the screw mechanism. She then struggled to drag him to the bed where Giles was shackled. She laid Spike down by Giles, and then proceeded to free Giles from his shackles. Giles slowly sat up and took the gag from his mouth, which turned out to be a silky doll's dress.

"How degrading, you couldn't have removed that gag first?" His lisped past his swollen tongue, it would be sore for a few days, he was just grateful that Drusilla hadn't ripped hit out when she'd bitten it, then he looked at Buffy leaning over Spike and brushing his curly bleached hair away from his forehead with her fingers, "Buffy, I'm sorry."

Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he looked at Buffy and managed to say in a scratchy lisp, "He is not ash. He isn't dead. He hasn't fed either."

"You mean he's. Angel told me she'd changed someone. For someone to survive that much raw power hitting them, they couldn't be human. Guess my mom won't ever be a grandmother. Well, I won't be a widow either, well you know what I mean. Quick, does anyone have a knife or do one of you vampires want to bite me?" She said, a determined edge to her voice.

Faith reached into her boot and pulled out a wicked looking knife and then said, "Heads up B," as she tossed the knife to Buffy.

Buffy caught the knife by the hilt and nodded toward the dark headed slayer. Faith shrugged. Buffy winced as she brought the across the side of her throat. Giles' gasped and everyone watched in horror as blood seeped from the wound, but she'd struck a vein, if she'd cut an artery then there would have been no saving her short of changing her. She leaned her neck down towards Spike, the blood dripped on his lips and his mouth slowly opened. She pressed her wounded neck to his lips and moaned when he lips locked around the wound and he began to drink.

She grew weaker as Spike continued to drink. She was unconscious when Spike finally stopped drinking and turned his head. He slowly woke up and felt something on top of him. He looked down, saw Buffy, smelled the fresh blood, sat up, and cradled her in his arms. He looked around at everyone in the room. Angel, Faith, Giles, and after Dru had turned to dust, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia had managed to get through the door, because it had been Dru's power that had created the barrier in the first place.

Spike looked accusingly at each of them, "How could you let her do it?"

He heard a light thump, and then a flutter. When he looked down he realized it was her heartbeat. He realized she was still alive. He got up and took off as fast as he could toward the hospital. He hadn't even noticed the rising sun. He made it to the hospital's emergency entrance and yelled for someone to help him. A nurse came out and noticed Spike in his current condition and the girl lying limply in his arms. She called for assistance and soon a stitched up Buffy was in a room getting a blood transfusion, and the nurse was busy trying to get Spike to see a doctor, but Spike refused to get any medical treatment; finally resorting to shifting into his vamp face to get the point across. The nurse quickly retreated after seeing his demonic side.

The nurses and doctors asked Spike a lot of questions regarding Buffy's injuries, but he wouldn't give them any straight answers. When the interrogation stopped Spike asked a nurse for some change to make a phone call. She smiled tiredly and gave him a quarter from her pocket. He thanked her, then went to the pay phone, and dialed the Summers' residence. Joyce picked up the line on the first ring.

"Hello?" She asked anxiously.

Spike winced at the sound of worry in her voice and then answered, "Joyce, its me luv. I'm at the hospital."

"Oh my God, is everyone okay? What happened?"

"Dru's dust and Buffy is getting some blood. Joyce, how soon can you get here, and can you bring me a bloody shirt?"

"I'm on my way, with the shirt too," She said.

Spike hung up and then went back to Buffy's room, where a stitched up Giles wearing Angel's duster was sitting in the chair by Buffy's bed. Spike raised his scarred eyebrow and asked how he'd gotten there.

Giles grimaced, "Faith dragged me along. How did you get here? It was past dawn when you brought Buffy in, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. You don't even look scorched.well, except your chest, of course, but as I remember it, that was from Dru's administrations."

Spike cocked his head sideways and then looked at Giles with a smirk and said, "Guess Dru had one last bloody present for me."

~{*}~{*}~{*}~ bSunnydale, After a Significant Passing of Time:/b

His eyes snapped awake as he hit the floor. He tenderly rubbed the small of his back where her knee had caught him, and then slowly stood up. He could hear her moaning, and then she sat up clutching her swollen abdomen, she panted and then her green eyes met his blue ones. His eyes widened and he began to panic when she nodded yes to his unspoken question.

"Joyce!" Spike yelled, "It's time!"

He heard his mother-in-law running down the hall and looked up when Buffy's door flew open, and her mother looked in and asked, "Are you sure?"

Buffy looked up, and grimaced as another pang hit her abdomen, "Mom, water broke, hospital! NOW!"

"Okay, honey, I'll go downstairs and crank up the car. Spike, you get her things and help her downstairs," Joyce said, as she ran back to her room, pulled on her robe, then ran downstairs, found the keys to Spike's de Sota and groaned.

"Right, now, luv, put on your robe, it's chilly out, and I'll get you and the bleedin' bag downstairs," He said.

Buffy glared at him as she put on her robe, and watched him snatch her duffel bag with her clothes out of the closet. He tossed her the bag, which she caught, and then he gathered her into his arms and rushed her downstairs. He couldn't stop the smirk that tugged at his lips when he noticed Joyce's lips moving in various swear words as she anxiously pounded the steering wheel of his de Sota.

He got in the passenger's side of his car and cradled Buffy in his arms and reminded her of her breathing as Joyce pulled out of the driveway and rushed to the hospital.

"I swear I could choke you. You try breathing with all the cramping, you bastard! Oh if you needed oxygen!" Buffy growled in between her breathing.

Spike looked taken aback and then glanced at Joyce, "Buffy! Language please. I'd hate to hear what you say to him in the delivery room."

"They'd let me back there with her?" He asked.

"Well, you are the father aren't you?" Joyce asked and then narrowed her glance at her daughter before returning her eyes to the road.

"Bloody hell! Of course I am!" He answered.

Buffy let out a cry and then snarled, "Why else would I want to kill him for doing this to me?! Oh my God! Is it supposed to hurt this much?!"

"Floor it if you bloody have to! Anything to stop this bleedin noise!" Spike yelled over Buffy's whining.

Joyce sped up and then turned to them for a split second before turning to the road, she snapped, "Will the both of you just SHUT UP! I'm tired of the whining, I know it hurts honey, I was in labor with you for nineteen hours."

"NINETEEN HOURS?!" Buffy screamed as Spike's jaw just dropped and hung open.

"Yes, nineteen hours, but honey you were worth it. At least you're eighteen now, and you did graduate, before you started showing. I can be thankful for that much. Now do your breathing and try not to put the fear of God into your husband. Remember, he's going to be the one in the delivery room with you," Joyce quipped.

Spike closed his mouth and then swallowed, "Joyce, pet, do you think we can negotiate that bit of a detail? I'm sure if the doctors knew your were her mum."

"Oh no you don't," Buffy said and grabbed the front of his shirt, he'd started sleeping in his clothes around the time the baby was due, and then she spoke hotly, "You put me in the hospital in excruciating pain, and I'll be damned if you miss out on whatever torture I can make you endure while I'm in that damn room!"

After a great deal of bickering, with screaming on behalf of Buffy and her current condition, Joyce finally pulled the beat up de Sota up to the emergency entrance. Spike threw open his door and then swept out of the car with Buffy in his arms. He walked into the emergency room and a nurse came out, took inventory of what was coming through the door and then called for a wheelchair.

"Wheelchair? He can carry me, bring me an epi.whatever! KNOCK ME OUT!" Buffy growled and reached out for the nurse.

"Now pet, leave the nice nurse to do her job, remember your strength. She is Ihuman/I, you know," Spike whispered sternly.

The nurse made an attempt to smile and looked fairly nervous, "Women in her condition tend to be difficult, but that's understandable. For a woman, giving birth can be quite painful."

"Delivery room NOW!" Buffy snapped.

The nurse nodded and soon Buffy was prepped, on a gurney, and being wheeled into a delivery room. She insisted on Spike being present, so he donned scrubs over his clothes and joined her in the delivery room. Time seemed to slow in between the breathing, the doctor encouraging Buffy to push, and the vice-like grip that Buffy had on Spike's hand. After a few hours the sound of a baby crying filled the room and Spike could have sworn that for a moment his heart beat, but his blood ran cold as a blood curdling scream followed the cry of the baby, and Buffy's grip on his hand tightened, if that was even possible.

"Um, Doc, the baby's fine right? So what's wrong with the mum?" Spike called out.

The doctor, got scissors off of a cart, and then held the baby out to a nurse to get it cleaned up and Spike couldn't help the smile that spread from ear to ear as he noticed it was a boy. The doctor soon looked up and for a moment shock crossed his face. Spike pulled his hand out of Buffy's death grip with much effort and then approached the doctor with a bit of violence in mind.

"What is it, mate? Why do you look a bit surprised? Is there something wrong, because if there is any bloody thing wrong I want to know," Spike said through clenched teeth as he struggled to keep from shifting to his demon face.

The doctor swallowed thickly and looked up at Spike, "There is another baby on the way, twins never showed up in the ultrasounds, and I don't know if her body can withstand anymore. She's hemorrhaging and there may not be anything we can do for your wife, sir, but if we don't get the baby soon then you'll lose both."

"You do what you do doc, but you better make good with the bloody doing, or we'll have us a lesson and I'll show you how I got the name Spike," His voice was filled with the promise of violence if anything should go wrong.

Soon another cry filled the delivery room and a relieved sighed came from the doctor as he handed the second baby, a girl over to the nurse, but his sigh of relief quickly turned to one of terror, as Buffy began to convulse on the gurney. Spike looked at her in fear, fear of losing her, and then to the doctor.

"Sound a code blue, we need to get her to surgery now," The doctor ordered.

Spike looked after the nurse that was carrying his little girl, and then he looked at his wife as her body suddenly went still. Spike was told to leave as a medical team filed into the room. He left reluctantly and as soon as he was in the hallway he yanked off the scrubs and grabbed the first nurse unlucky enough to walk by. He asked where the waiting room was and she managed to squeak out directions.

Soon Spike was in the waiting room, where he found Joyce, Giles, and the Scoobies, Xander and Willow clothed in leather, minus one brunette slayer, one poofter, and a bloodsucking cheerleader. They all looked up at him expectantly. He swallowed thickly and tried to put on a smile.

"We've got two beautiful little babies, a boy and a girl." Spike's voice faltered as he fell to his knees and grabbed his head.

Joyce stood up and rushed to him as the others looked on in shock, Joyce asked the question that they all feared, "What about my daughter? What about Buffy?"

"It doesn't look good. After the little girl was born, something went wrong, she. The doc called a code blue and then all these bloody people came in and someone said something about surgery," Spike said as he looked up with tears in his eyes.

"Oh dear lord," Giles managed, and then went to cleaning his glasses.

Xander put his arms around Willow as she started crying, but Xander wasn't in much better shape himself. As everyone began to fear for the worse, the memory of those two squalling babies entered Spike's head, and he stood up and walked out of the waiting room. He had a couple of kids to look to, if Buffy didn't. He couldn't think like that, but if that were the case, then he would be all they had.

He found the nursery with little trouble and looked through the window, and he couldn't help smiling as he noticed the nurse pushing in two new carts one a boy and the other a girl, with Crawford boy and Crawford girl on the tags, he was glad that a week after Buffy's eighteenth birthday they'd remarried, and he reverted back to the use of the named he'd had when he was human, William Wesley Crawford, although everyone still called him Spike. He went to the nursery door and tapped at the window. The nurse looked up and acknowledged his disheveled appearance.

She opened the door and said, "Yes, sir? What is it?"

He swallowed nervously again, and if he'd been alive he would have blushed, as he spoke, "I'm their dad. You know the twins you brought in. I probably don't look to be much, never have been such a great bloke, but I got to have a good look at em, you understand? Their mum's in a bit of a bad way at the moment. Is it all right if I can go in and hold em? Mean the world to me, it would."

"You're their father?"

"Yeah, William Crawford, I haven't gotten 'round to the paperwork yet. I had to break the news to the family and all. Buffy Crawford is my wife. Oh, you can call me Spike, they all do, bloody hell, I'm sounding a bit jittery, they're just my children aye," He answered and then ran his hand nervously through his platinum hair.

The nurse smiled understandingly and then nodded, "All right Mister. I mean Spike, come in, and put on that gown on. Their newborns, antibodies haven't fully developed or anything. So only close family can be allowed in, two at the time. In a little while I'll have a bottle prepared for them if you care to feed them. If their mother is in a bad way its best to start them on the bottle as soon as possible."

"Thank you, nurse."

She smiled and waved the acknowledgement away, "Call me Roxy, they all do."

He nodded, "Sure, now let me get this bloody paper dress on so I can have a good look at the new brats in the Crawford family tree, haven't had any apples blooming on that tree in over a century. Thought the family name had died out years ago."

"Really," Roxy asked.

"Yeah, you could say I wasn't much for kids until I went a round with their mum. She's one to settle with that one. Throws some of best punches I've ever had to block. Now mind you, she's gentle as a lamb and all that, but she's got a tough job and all," He said.

"Really? She sounds like a fighter. She should pull through just fine. I have to say, those babies are the best newborns I've ever cared for, they only cried for a few minutes and not a peep more once they were clean and settled. And when you look in their eyes you just get this feeling that they're looking at you like they're getting to know you," She commented.

Spike raised his scarred eyebrow, "You don't say. Well I'm all dressed up for the lil' bits, so let's see if they know their ol' man."

She opened the door to where the babies were kept and had him sit in the rocking chair. She then brought over the cart and showed him how to hold them, making sure their heads were supported. He picked up the little girl and carefully cradled her in his arms and smiled down at her and then a name popped into his head.

"Dru was the reason we were able to have the two of you, and your mum might not be around for much longer, so what do you say little Dru? Think that's a name fitting you? Drusilla Anne Crawford?" He cooed at the baby and she seemed to look at him at the mention of the name.

"Well that's that then," He whispered and tucked her back into her cart and then picked up the little boy, "Still not a clue for you, although, knowing your mom, she'll want to name you for that bloody poofter. Imagine that, my son named after Peaches. The world has a good laugh with the idea of justice, aye mate?"

The boy looked up at him and Spike gently took his right hand. The baby grabbed Spike's index finger and held on. Spike was surprised by the baby's strength. He had a tough time getting his finger loose. He looked closely at the boy, and then put him back in his cart, and then he looked down at Drusilla Anne and back at the boy and shook his head, trying to avoid the thoughts that were swimming through his head.

He looked over at Roxy, who was checking on a squalling bundle, and said, "Hey, when are you planning on feeding em? I want to, if you don't mind."

"In about ten minutes, and I don't mind, I could use the extra hands, with two and all, plus the other babies. There will be another nurse helping me too, Nurse Tuddle, she's a character, be on your best with her," Roxy answered.

He nodded, left the baby room, and took off the gown. When he went out of the nursery he noticed that Joyce and the others were there. He raised his eyebrow at them and grew suspicious.

Xander walked up to him and put his hand on Spike's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "Never thought you could pull off the daddy routine, but from what we saw looks like your were doing just fine. So when do they eat?"

"In about ten minutes, I'll be back in there," Spike said and then he looked at Joyce, "Say Grandmum, there are two of them if you want to help me. Family is allowed in pairs. Oh and I thought up a name for the girl, Drusilla Anne."

"What?" They all chorused together.

Spike smirked and looked skyward, "I know, but if it hadn't been for Dru. Well, she's the reason we got the lil' bits. I don't know about the boy, though. I know she'll want him to be named for Peaches, but a boy always needs a decent first name."

"Well," Willow piped up and then looked and Xander with a shadow of a smile, "We had a friend, named Jesse, he died shortly after Buffy came to town. I mean, I know it doesn't mean much to you, but it's a thought right? Just don't name him anything that brings up frogs. Oh, that's scary. Kermit Angel Crawford."

Xander shuddered at the thought of any kid being named Kermit, and then smiled at Willow bringing up Jesse, "Thanks Willow. The thought's nice, but they're his and Buffy's kids."

"What'd he mean to ya?" Spike asked.

Xander smiled as he thought of his best friend, "He was our best friend, him, Willow, and me had been best friends since the first day of kindergarten. Then after Buffy came, he got snatched by one of the master's vamp cronies. They changed him and then I staked him."

"Sentimental. Sorry to hear how he ended up on the sharp end of the toothpick," Spike said and then looked thoughtful, "Jesse Angelus Crawford, that's not so bad. Joyce, what do you think."

"Do we call him Jesse or Angel?" She asked.

Spike smiled, "We'll know in a minute. Those lil' bits aren't like regular babies. I'm telling ya Joyce, something strange about em."

Just as Spike and Joyce were heading toward the nursery Faith came down the hall and waved at em, "So where we at today? Kids R' Us? Where's B? Wanted to ask how the mom gig was going."

She stopped when she noticed the somber looks, "What's with the sour looks? You act like someone died, where's the kid, and what room is Buffy in?"

Joyce trembled, Spike put his arm around her and led her into the nursery where they put on gowns and then went in to feed the twins. While they were feeding them, Joyce had Dru, Drusilla was such a mouthful for a kid so young, and Spike had Angel, the kid just seemed to respond to that name more than Jesse.

Spike grinned at the little boy as Joyce showed him how to burp the little tyke properly. "Fresh in the world and already working against me eh kid? Bloody hell, you're just like me, rebel at a young age. Let me know when you discover poetry, eh mate? Might help you find a word that rhymes with effulgent."

Joyce rocked Dru and smiled, thinking about the two precious bundles her daughter had brought into the world. Still there was something in their eyes, these were no ordinary babies; they hardly cried or made a fuss. She looked at Spike as he held Angel. They held the sleeping bundles for a long time and then eventually put them in their carts, and Spike went to see about the birth certificates.

While Spike was taking care of the birth certificates Joyce was being filled in on Buffy's current condition. The doctor had stopped by the nursery and asked to see one of Buffy's family members. Giles claimed to be her father and then they got the low down on Buffy's condition. The bleeding had stopped, but Buffy had lost consciousness and the ability to breathe on her own, it was like her body giving out on her. She was hooked up to a respirator and in a coma.

Joyce's knees gave out at the news. According to the doctor, a patient could wake up from a coma at any time, but usually after three months a patient in Buffy's condition was most likely not going to wake up. Giles said something about a slayer's body not being able to handle giving birth, since Buffy was the only slayer to ever have a children. All the other slayers had been chaste or died young.

Willow looked at them all, tears in her eyes and then she remembered what Daema had said, the prophecy of the two vampires, one changed from hatred and the other changed from love. Realization dawned on her that maybe Daema had been talking about Spike and Buffy. She didn't say anything however, there was still hope that Buffy would pull through, after all she had slayer healing abilities.

Faith lingered in the hallway watching the family scene. When Buffy's delicate condition had become known, she'd become the resident Sunnydale vampire slayer, and if things stayed the way they were, that would be a more permanent arrangement. She'd heard the doc mention Buffy's room number. She retreated from the family atmosphere as she heard high heels on the tile floor of the hallway and looked up to see Angel followed by Cordelia headed toward the Scoobies huddle. She eventually found Buffy's room, opened the door, and saw that someone had gotten there before her.

She looked in and saw Spike sitting in a chair holding Buffy's hand, there was an IV hooked up to her, there were the tubes that were in her mouth that kept her breathing, and the beeping of the heart monitor and the soft pumping of the respirator were the only sounds in the room.

Faith felt like a peeping tom as she watched, then Spike began to speak.

"Hello Gorgeous, I wish you could see the lil' bits. There beautiful, still a bit mushy with the facial features, but they have my piercing blue eyes, hopefully she'll look like you and he'll be my handsome spittin' image. The nurse said you could wake up at any time, and then she mentioned something about three months and then stopped, must have been something on my face. All right, can't keep anything from you. I vamped out on her. Sorry love, but without you, I sort of go my own way. No munching on the interns though, I promise.

"You don't have to worry about the bits, I'm a natural with em. Who'd of thought? I should be a deadbeat dad. I have the dead part down at least. Can't get the beat it part straight though. Already got the birth certificates filled out, even named em. Our little girl is Drusilla Anne, hope we don't fight over that one, she seemed to like it. We're calling her Dru. Our son is Jesse Angelus, the whelp told me about staking his best friend Jesse. You should be proud to know that kid is already against me, he responds more to being called Angel than being called Jesse. Please Buffy, where's my slayer? Your mum, your watcher, your friends, they need you, and you got the lil' bits to live for. And, I need you Slayer. I can go on for the twins, but I couldn't call it living without you. Who would be around for a nice spot of violence on a warm summer night in the cemetery? You've got to be around. Remember when we had our first agreement, right before the truce, that night you chucked Peaches to pits of fire and brimstone, I said, 'You want to go a round Pet, I'll have a gay old time with you.' Well, you can't let that just hang in the air. There's time yet."

He squeezed her hand then let go of it and stood up, began to pace, and as he paced he talked.

"Bloody hell, slayer, look at the mess you've made of me! You're going to get better and fix me, or so help me I'll follow you into heaven or hell, or wherever it is that you go and drag your stubborn arse back here!" He snarled, and then his voice softened, "Did I ever tell you I love you enough, Pet? I'll never stop saying it, if you come back. Wake up damn you, wake up right now!"

Faith stepped away from the door and then leaned against the wall. She watched as a group of nurses pushed a gurney down the hall, the body on the gurney was covered with a sheet and a tag fluttered from the toe. Faith shook herself and then said softly, "I'll never get knocked up."

B3 Months Later:/B

Night had fallen, and it was strange how it felt like morning to Willow. She turned over and found that Xander was already awake. Funny, he hardly ever woke up on time; early was not a possibility for him. She rolled out of bed, stood up, and stretched. She looked around and smiled. It had been a year since she'd become a vampire, a whole year, and she still marveled over her night vision. She climbed the stairs and out the door of the Summers' basement. She looked around and noticed Xander sitting on the couch, bouncing Jesse on his knee, while Angel was cooing over Dru. Usually Spike was playing with the twins when she woke up, she sighed and then recalled what night it was.

The twins had grown so much. There was some cursing coming from the kitchen, followed by Cordelia storming out of the kitchen door making a fuss and swishing around a pot filled with water and a couple of bottles of formula. Angel tried to hide his grin as she let out a frustrated growl. Willow just laughed.

"What are you laughing at? Do you know how complicated getting the temperature right is when you're a vampire? Argh! I swear those babies have it in for me, and the men around here are just! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED!" Cordelia snapped.

Angel's nose twitched and he looked down at Dru and wrinkled his nose then looked at Cordelia with a grin, "Would now be a bad time to ask you to change little Dru?"

Cordelia glared at him and stormed back into the kitchen. Xander looked at Angel, his goofy grin in place, "Looks like Peaches is up for diaper duty again."

"Hey, you've been talking to Spike again?" Angel asked.

"Maybe," Xander answered and then looked down at Jesse, "Make that double diaper duty. Whew, what does Cordy put in that formula? And why does Spike call you Peaches?"

Angel chuckled and then got up, holding Dru with one arm and then he scooped up Jesse with the other, "Best not tell that secret in front of the kiddies, and even if they weren't here I'd plead the fifth."

"You're no fair," Xander called after him as Angel went upstairs to the nursery, which was next to Spike's room.

"Are you forgetting I'm doing double diaper duty?" Angel replied.

"Ah, last time he peed on me," Xander said and waved Angel's comment off, then he looked at Willow and patted the cushion beside him on the couch, "Well, Wills, have a sit and lets do the chatty thing. Oh you might want to heat your own blood tonight, I think Cordy's feeling a little cranky, overworked, under appreciated, and in desperate need for a manicure or makeover or whatever makes her feel better."

"Shopping is good therapy," Cordelia yelled from the kitchen and then cursed, "Dammit, OW, HOT!"

Willow sighed, "When are they going to L.A? I think we're all a little edgy. Has Spike left yet?"

"Not sure. And, no, he got back maybe fifteen minutes ago, He's in the shower. The art gallery got a huge shipment in, and he did some overtime helping Joyce do inventory. Just because he can go out in the daytime he can make the money. It's not fair I tell you. Job hours are discriminatory to the solarly challenged," Xander said.

"Tonight's the big night. I heard Joyce talking to Giles about it last night. He's been looking through every book and manuscript he can find. I've looked through spell books. I haven't found anything that can help her. Xander, I feel so helpless. When they pull that plug, she's gone. No more Buffy. The doctors don't know what's keeping her from breathing on her own. How can they just." Willow looked up with tears glistening in her black eyes, her eyes had remained black since her change, just another adjustment to cope with, and continued, "They're going to kill her tonight. She hasn't even seen her children. Oh God, how can they be so cruel?"

Xander put his arms around her, "I know. I can't believe it either. It's not real. I keep thinking I'll wake up late on a school day and all of this was just some freaky dream. Every time I go to see her she looks so healthy, I mean her body is still so strong and the physical therapists are amazed with how her body hasn't you know.decayed or what's that word."

"Atrophy hasn't set in. The doctors can't explain it either. Her body is in perfect physical condition, but she still can't breathe on her own. Xander, there's no waking up from this. She's really dying. I don't know if I can take it. My heart is breaking all over again, like it did with Jesse, and then Oz. She's saved us and the world so many times."

He nodded, "Yeah, seems like slayers have a rotten deal. Giles found a theory about a slayer that had children. It basically read bad idea."

Willow cleared her throat as Spike came down the stairs pulling on his duster. He looked at Willow and Xander sitting on the couch together and felt a pang in his heart. The bloody whelp had the witch for company, the poofter had the cheerleader, and hell Joyce even had the bloody watcher! Yet, here he was going to the hospital to face the inevitable. Joyce made it clear that she didn't want Buffy to suffer if moving on was the only way. Three months on the respirator with not so much as a twitch meant she wouldn't wake up.

Then a thought occurred to him. He was a vampire. If Buffy had to die, then why not die and be able to come back. He had to do something, anything to save her. He looked at the vampire pair on the couch, shook his head, and then approached them. Willow looked up.

"Red, you've been reading those books of yours. You're still up on the mojo. Could you do another soul restoration spell?" He asked, pleading in his voice, Willow's eyes widened, she'd never heard Spike plead before.

She took his hand and smiled, "Consider it done."

"Thank you," He whispered.

Spike turned towards the door as Angel walked down the stairs with Jesse and Dru. Spike looked up at his grandsire and smirked. How long had he hated Angel, and over the past three months they'd grown so close he let Angel play nursemaid to his children.

"Bloody poofter, spoiling my Angel and Dru rotten, mate. What's she going to say when she comes home to her babies only to find a pair of brats crawling around your ankles?" Spike grinned.

Angel looked at Spike curiously, "I thought there was no change. Tonight is when they."

Spike shook his head, "Not if I have anything to say about it. Tell that cheerleader of yours to have an extra mug ready, and we have those mini marshmallows in the cupboard behind the wheat-a-bits, Joyce thought she was being so clever by hiding them. The marshmallows are for me."

"Where is Joyce?" Angel asked.

"Last minute inventory. She's meeting me at the hospital. I'm going to have a surprise ready for her. Red'll fill you in. Gotta go, Peaches. All the paper work you know," Spike said as he waved, walked out the front door and into the night.

The drive to the hospital wasn't so long. Spike flipped on the radio, anything to chase away the silence. The punk version of "My Way" filled the car and Spike tapped on the steering wheel as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. He noticed Joyce's SUV and Giles temperamental death trap and shook his head. He thought he'd get there before they did. He went into the hospital, took the stairs up a couple of floors and then went to Buffy's room.

Giles was in the hallway talking to Faith about patrolling, and she was describing a big bad that had gotten away in one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. Joyce was in Buffy's room, sitting in a chair by her daughter's bedside and holding her hand. Just then a doctor walked in with a clipboard in hand. He looked at Spike and then Joyce.

"Have you said your goodbyes?" He asked and then cleared his throat and glanced down at the floor, "And I really hate to ask, but whom do I see about the forms?"

Spike cleared his throat for emphasis and then said, "I'm her husband, so it must be me. Do you think I could have a moment alone with her before I sign anything?"

"It would be best to fill out the forms as soon as possible." The doctor said.

Spike couldn't take it, he shifted into his vamp face and glared at the doctor, "I'll have a moment with my wife, even if that means throwing you out personally. Want to go a round? I'm more than ready to take you on, bleedin' wanker."

"Spike, that's enough. Really you don't have to." Joyce stood up and looked at Spike's face and lost all comprehension for words, she'd seen him like that before, but this wasn't a take-charge moment and she knew it.

"Joyce, luv, I need a few minutes alone with her. All those little things I left unsaid. You know. I'll take care of everything," He spoke clearly around his fangs.

She nodded and pushed the doctor out of the room ahead of her, and then closed the door behind her. Spike sighed, glad to finally be alone with Buffy. He sat down beside her on the bed, pulled the IV out of her arm, and looked down at her. He ran his hand through her silky blonde hair and kissed her forehead.

"Slayer, you're going to be with me until we're both ready to go, if we ever are. Now don't be so stubborn and when I tell you to drink you drink for our kids. They need their mum. Believe me, Cordelia can't take another dirty nappy. Can't blame 'er, babies are a smelly lot at times, especially changing times. You can't miss out on all the good times. They are worth fighting for! You hear me you stubborn bitch, you're going to live and watch those two grow up!" Spike spoke with his usual determination.

Spike gently turned Buffy's head to the side and bit into her throat, the blood flowed into his mouth and he drank until her pulse was barely a whisper. He then took the tubes out of her mouth, gathered her into his arms, savaged his wrist with his fangs and held it to her lips. He tilted her head back so the blood would drip into her mouth. As the blood flowed into her mouth and down her throat something began to happen. The muscles in her throat began to work. Soon her hands clutched his arm as she drank. He jerked his arm back, before she took too much, and smiled down at her, but the smile soon faded. It would take a while for his blood to change her, he'd only given her enough for the change. Her body was strong enough to fight the vampire blood for a few days, leaving time to arrange a funeral.

Her body went limp in his arms as the wound on her neck closed. Spike closed his eyes as he heard the heart monitor make the steady hum of a flat line. He held her limp form in his arms and wept for her. He'd taken her humanity, because he loved her. Love was such a selfish and powerful emotion, but she had so much to go on for. The doctor came rushing in and looked at his patient in Spike's arms. He walked over to the pair and felt her throat for a pulse, and was surprised that her body was so cold.

He looked at Spike in horror and then asked what had happened. Spike took an unnecessary breath and felt his mouth curve into his old smirk, "Made your job a little easier, mate. Now give me the bleedin' paperwork."

Spike laid Buffy's still cold form out on the bed and then stood up. The doctor handed Spike the clipboard and a pen with no further questions, after having seen Spike's other half, he knew he couldn't tell anyone the particular circumstances of his patient's death. Spike signed and initialed where necessary on the forms.

He leaned down, kissed her softly on the mouth and then moved his lips to her ear and whispered, "Don't worry love, I'll have you out of the ground before you wake up, you'll meet the lil' bits, and then we'll dance."

END.