How long had it been she didn't know nor cared. It might have been hours, or it could have been even days. She didn't know anymore all that existed was them in this moment. Just herself and Spike. The room was stuffy and hot, smelling of their combine scents and filled with their moans and groans. Their clothing on the floor, long since discarded and no longer needed. It was just them in this moment nothing else drowning in an endless ocean of pleasure. Pleasure was the only constant, only the degree varied. Sometimes she rode him all the way until he felt like he had been reborn in heaven. Other times he kept her hovering on the edge of cumming, perfectly balanced ready to fall into the abyss at any moment. He fucked her and made her cum. Then fucked each other again and again both cumming long and hard. They had continued to do this over and over again. Her pussy feels like it's worn paper thin, but it hurts so good. His own body was pushing itself beyond its limits to satisfise their lovemaking. Her whole body burned gloriously at Spike's touch and being in a body of a slayer she could meet him as an equal, match him, body to body.

She ran a hand up his firm back up to the back of his head as he thrust slowly into her. Running her fingers in his hair she moaned as he moved deeper in her. She brought her leg up and ran it along his leg enjoying the skin-on-skin contract. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open as she focused on the sensations of Spike and the pleasure, he was giving her. She arches and opens herself wider for him, as greedy for his flesh as he is for hers. The love she felt for him was overwhelming almost scaring her but in Spike's arms was the greatest place in the world.

He could feel it ever present. The beat of her heart, the sound of her pulse. It was like a drumbeat never ending in his ears. Oh, how he longed play with it, but he knew that was impossible given his chip in his head. So, he had to content with simply playing with her and thanks to the love spell she was a very willing partner. He could control her with a few words, a gesture, a look thanks to the spell. Oh, how he had longed for this. His dreams of such a moment like this with her had preserved his sanity His Joyce, his now and forever. He could not tell it was day, but what day was a mystery. He had long since given up on trying to keep track of time. There was no time here just her, here forever.

The feel of his tongue, slightly rough and cool on her skin stokes the fire building inside her. Her clit throbs around him. She gives herself fully into the feelings. Drowning in them, letting them wash over her. She placed her hands on his motionless chest, circled the pale pink nipples with her fingers and pinched them lightly. She felt him shiver as she moved lower down caressing him. She loved his skin. It was so perfectly white, pore less and smooth, blue veins visible through its translucence. He looks down at her as she gazes up at him in an expression of pure bliss. His Joyce, Faith's body but his Joyce's soul and mind inside it. His queen, his sweetness whispering to him how much she loves him. How she wishes to be loved by him forever. It was too beautiful for words. He increased his thrusts as he felt both of them reach their peaks. They were so entuned with each other that they could bring themselves off without even giving commands or instructions.

She arched clutching him as she came again, her pussy clamping down on him and he gave into her as he always did cumming in her arms. They whispered their love for each other in their ears as they recovered from yet another orgasm. He slid off her and lay silent next to her still as the corpse he almost was. Grunting to himself he slowly and slightly painfully got up to his feet.

"Don't go," Joyce pouted reaching for him.

"Have to go love," Spike told her. "I need some blood in me if you want more of that."

"You going to get that supply from the fridge?" She asked him getting up himself and he couldn't help but smirk slightly. The old Joyce, the one he first met all those years ago would have likely panicked at her nudity. This one who he had engaged in an affair with and whom was now under the control of a love spell… she was far more expressive in her nudity and body.

"That's the plan," he said almost with a grimace. Sadly, since the power had gone out a few days ago the blood was starting to warm and turn. It was still blood so it would sustain and feed him, but it did add a distaste to his meal. He would have asked that demon Tim to go out and get some fresh blood, but that bugger had gone off now that he had been paid complaining about the noise that Spike and Joyce had made.

She sensed that he wasn't very happy about feeding on the blood downstairs and the idea of her beloved Spike unhappy turned her insides. "Than drink me," she almost commanded.

"What?" Spike asked her confused.

"Drink my blood," Joyce told him. "Feed off of me."

"I can't remember the chip in my head!" Spike said in annoyance pointing to his head. That bleeding, sodding, dirty, no thrills chip that prevented him from ever feeding off a human or causing any kind of violence on them. He was half surprised that some of insults didn't trigger the bloody thing.

Joyce frowned she had forgotten that but there had to be another way. Someway of getting around that… Yes! She grabbed a knife and before he could say anything sliced her hand. He moved to stop her, but she battered his hands away letting the blood drip into a nearby glass on a table. Spike watched as it began to fill. Once it was fairly fill Joyce brought it up to his lips. "Drink," she told him, and in amazement he did just that. Glorious fresh slayer blood filled his mouth. Rich, sweet and spicy all at once. There was nothing like it in the world. No other taste compared. He moaned as a glorious warmth spread through his body. He felt her power, the power of a slayer on his lips and flow inside him instantly feeding him and empowering him. It was sooooo good! Sensing his delight and energy returning Joyce looked at him with a smouldering expression. "It's all for you," she whispered seductively and smearing her bloody hand along his chest. "Every drop."

Spurred on by her declaration and with her blood coursing his veins Spike vamped out and grabbed the woman crushing her into him as he pushed her against a wall. Their tongues duelled as grappled together. She pushed him down the bed using her superior slayer strength and impaled herself on his cock. She moved and rubbed her bleeding hand down her chest covering her nipples with her blood. Spike growled his hands gripping her ass pushing himself deeply inside her. He leaned forward and ran his tongue roughly over her chest licking off the bloods she had smeared there. Grabbing the knife as she rode him hard, she gave herself a little cut on her upper arm. "Drink," she ordered to him moaning at the feel of him. He did just that licking and sucking on the cut as he moaned himself at her actions.

Once again, they were lost to each other.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Scoobies shifted awkwardly in silence in the small van stolen from Xander's work. One longed for something with abit more space like an RV or a stretched limo but alas time and money meant that this was the only option. Upfront Giles drove having taken over from Xander as soon as they had gotten out of Sunnydale while Willow tended to a mentally ill Tara. Anya meanwhile shot Buffy dirty looks but said nothing. This was it the grand plan? A little road trip to where? The beach? Canada? Buffy had never been the sharpest tool in the shed but now she had practically given up on using her head. They were basically a moving target now in Anya's eyes. She had seen it over time and time again for centuries victims running away from their fate. Not for the first time She found oddly wistful when thinking of her past deeds as a vengeance demon and had to admit at these tense moments she missed that stage of her life. Running away from certain death she was reminded of her own mortality and her inevitable death. Buffy, Anya looked across at the blond slayer once more what did Xander see in her. Oh, sure she could fancy slayer things but seriously her hair was up to par! Not the first time she ran her fingers in her own head of hair questioning the effectiveness of her hair. She would have continued if it had not been for an arrow coming into the truck sticking out next to her head.

"We got company!" Xander yelled from up front. The Knights of Byzantium, an order of knights with the pledge to seek out the key and destroy it had found them. A battle quickly broke out between the contingent of knights mounted in horses and the Scoobies in the van. While Buffy mounted the van's roof to fight off the knights, Giles weaved and spun the RV as best he could. Swords and arrows were burst into the RV as the knights battled to get to Dawn. The group pushed them back as Buffy took on the knights on the roof knocking them off one by one until there was no one left. The group took a second to take a breath as the knights retreated away. Buffy knew it was just temporary as they would regroup and attack them again.

Giles let out a sigh of relief and glanced back. "Everyone all right?" He asked and the group consisting of Xander, Willow, Anya, Tara and Dawn nodded back at him. Everyone seems to be all right. Giles smiled slightly as he turns back to the road. Only to see another knight on horseback coming straight at him, holding a spear. Giles looked horrified and tried to twist the wheel to get out of the knight's path. The knight threw the spear. It flew through the window and into Giles' side, impaling him. He gasped and is thrown forward onto the steering wheel. Everyone shrieked and gasped as the RV jostled, out of control. Buffy still on the roof, struggled to keep her balance. She leaped off the roof, landed on the ground and rolled. She sat up in time to see the RV go careening off the road, fall over onto its side, and come to a stop in a huge cloud of dust.

Not far away in their abandoned gas station Joyce and Spike broke apart from each other when they heard a loud crashing voice their bodies slick with sweat. "What was that?" Joyce asked her lover, her voice coarse from all the screaming as she was coming down from yet another orgasmic high.

"I don't know love," Spike muttered as Joyce rolled him, he got up slightly sore from a non-stop marathon of love making with a slayer. He slip on his jeans as he moved to the window peering outside carefully not to get burned by the sun. His eyes went wide as he saw a group heading towards him out of a winnebago still lying on its side. It was the damned slayer and her merry band. Of all the gas stations they had to come here. "Balls!" He cursed gritting his teeth. "Got to go now love!"

"Why?" Joyce asked him in confusion. "We have everything we need here!"

He quickly tossed her one of his shirts. "Put this on we are going on a honeymoon!" Spike muttered as he moved past her. They had to move now while there was still time. Where the slayer is there was always trouble. Why the hell hadn't that Hell God bitch Glory not spread the slayer across the side of the road with her guts on the outside! He had pretty much served the slayer and her made believe sister on a sliver platter for god's sake! He grabbed Joyce's hand and moved downstairs. He just had to get them in his car parked round the back and then he would gun the engine and be free from the slayer. He glanced at the entrance just as Buffy kicked the door open and hurrying inside. The others follow with Xander holding up an injured Giles.

"Mom!" Dawn cried spotting her mother. Buffy's head shot in that direction and Spike actually gulped as he saw the rage in her eyes. This was not good.

"Dawn! Buffy!" Joyce smiled happily looking forward to introducing her girls to their soon to be new father-in-law. Spike held her hand tightly time to go he decided as he moved quickly to the back of the gas station. Buffy screamed in frustration her whole being focused on Spike's rapidly disappearing figure. She leapt over the counter in the middle of the store following Spike and her mother. As Spike reached for the backdoor Buffy charged forward, she really enjoyed the expression of horrified realization on Spike's face that he was not going to get away this time. Buffy collided full force with Spike causing them to crash outside in the full force of the sun. Spike screamed as his skin began boil and fry the sun.

"Spike!" Screeched Joyce as she saw the man, she loved more than life in absolute pain before her very eyes. He glanced in pain at Joyce's direction and saw her rush towards him but be held back by Buffy. In agony but with a grunt of strength he staggered to his feet and dove into his car seeking protection from his blackened windows. Joyce pushed and pulled to reach him but was held firm by Buffy's iron grip. "Spike!" She cried out as she saw him start his car and move off. Buffy forced her inside as she watched Spike drive away.

"Buffy how could you!?" Joyce cried with tears rolling down her eyes as Buffy pushed her into the main room with others. Dawn rushed up to wrap her arms around her mother, but she pushed Dawn away her whole focus on Buffy.

"How could I?" Buffy asked her mother in rage. "I just saved you from that bastard!"

"I know it's difficult for you to understand but I love him!" Joyce spat back at her daughter. "I love him with all of my heart!"

"How can you say that?" Dawn asked in horror.

"Because it is the truth!" Joyce cried out. Can't her girls just be happy for her just for once! She had sacrificed so much for her daughters, and it was once again still not enough. Spike had been right this whole time. "I should have known you wouldn't stand to see me happy!" She snarled at Buffy as she moved in anger fists held high to attack. Buffy dodged but she wasn't fast enough to meet Joyce's attack who gave her one-two-three in her gut and a last full in her face. Buffy went down hard. Xander held back Dawn while Anya, Tara and Willow stayed out of the line of attack. Panting with effort Joyce moved towards Buffy who barely managed to roll out of the way of the foot Joyce aimed at her head. She got to her feet and shoved an attacking Joyce out of her way, her mother hit the wall hard. Moving quickly Buffy grabbed her arms tightly preventing her from lashing out. "You bitch! You are no daughter of mine!" Joyce growled at Buffy.

"How can you say that?!" Buffy asked her mother shocked at her actions and words.

"It's a love spell," Xander stated quietly coming to a realisation.

"What?" Buffy turned to him confused at what he was referring to.

"That time Amy and I messed up and caused everyone to fall in love with me!" Xander explained looking at the others. "That," he pointed to Joyce, "was the kind of stuff girls were all saying to me!"

Buffy looked to Giles for confirmation laying on the counter clutching his side who grimly nodded and said. "It would explain her mood." Buffy reacted to this in horror. That disgusting son of a bitch had cast a love spell on her mother. He had raped her mind not only her body just so he could have his fingers on her. That bastard was going to pay for this. He was going to pay big time.

XXXXX

Spike had barely made it on the road when he had to slam his brakes. The pain of his burns was maddening but he knew he wasn't seeing things. Right before him was a bunch of men in chainmail on horseback with swords and crossbows pointing at him. He gritted his teeth in pain and considered his options which were limited. He glanced behind him and saw a sphere comes through the walls from the gas station. Willow had cast a magical spell to prevent anyone getting in… damn witch! Turning back at the knights who looked like they had stepped outside the Crusades he saw their expressions darken as clearly, they were not happy with this latest development. "A vampire!" one of the knights sneered in disgust. The men raised their weapons clearly done with this conversation before it even would get started.

"Wait!" Spike cried out holding his charred hands up. "You want the slayer I want someone inside there!" Spike cried out. "Let's help each other out!"

"What could you possibly offer me that I don't already have?" Gregor their leader and general said gesturing to his small army.

"I know every crack and nail of that place plus I got first-hand knowledge of the slayer," Spike said firmly from inside his car. "I know how she thinks, what she does, what she will do and how she feels. Trust me you want to best the slayer you need me!"

Dante, Gregor's trusted second in command shook his head at Spike's declaration his sword raised. "She is still standing so I'm guessing whatever tricks and plans you pulled to try and kill her failed. So again, why do we need your information on the subject?"

"Yeah, she's a tough nut to crack that one," Spike agreed. "But she has weak spots just like you and me. Everyone has pressure points you see; you find one and you squeeze. Trouble is that slayer tends to lash out hard if you squeeze too long. The trick is to find another soft spot and switch to squeeze that point. Now you want me to help you find a soft spot mate. Or do you want to keep banging your sword against that magical barrier?" Gregor looked at Spike considering his offer.

XXXX

Hours had past and the Knight's clerics had so far been unsuccessful bringing down Willow's magical wall. Spike whined as he touched a burn on his face. Another few seconds and he would have dust in the air he was lucky only to look like a burnt marshmallow. He turned as he noticed a few knights stepping forward towards the gas station. A hole appeared in the barrier as Buffy comes out of the building followed by Xander. Gregor, Dante and a few other knights and a free to move around Spike come forward. They stop at the edge of the barrier and Gregor holds up a hand to stop the knights. At the sight of Spike Buffy instantly raises a stake her face twisted with fury and hate. "You son of bitch!" Buffy snarls at him but Gregor steps between Spike and Buffy.

"You came here to speak little girl so speak," he said firmly without any emotion.

"You have that bastard working for you!" Buffy roared in anger. Xander stepped forward to grab Buffy by the shoulders and hold her back while Spike looked almost smug at her fury as Gregor looked on with cold expression.

"If it gets me inside it is worth it," Gregor stated. "Children will never understand the decisions we adults have to make. He maybe evil but I will point out that he was working alongside you before me after all."

Xander gritted his teeth as he felt Buffy almost pulled his shoulder out of the socket in a rush to rid the world of Spike and he suspected this tattoo guy before she stopped. "Buffy," he hissed in her ear. "This isn't why we are here!" For a moment she looked as if she were going to ignore him and attack the men in front of her. But she simply sagged in defeat and tucked away her stake while glaring at Spike vowing to herself that his time would come.

"One of my friends was hurt when you attacked us." Buffy explained.

"And ten of our men are dead." Dante replied stepping forward alongside the general without care or interest in Buffy's problems. "Honourable men, he continued as he draws his sword. "Shall we balance the scale?"

Ignoring Dante Buffy focused on the general. "Will you let someone come and help him or not?" Buffy asked him desperate.

"Give quarter to an agent of the beast? What madness would move us to such action?" Dante fired back at her. Gregor raised his hand to signal Dante to back off but the younger man was done taking orders this time.

"I'm done asking." Buffy growled and she starts forward but Xander intervenes again, stopping her, as the knights were preparing for Buffy's attack.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Xander said nervous about the whole situation that was about to go down in front of his very eyes. "Uh ... this is war, isn't it? And if there's one thing I've learned from Sergeant Rock, it is in war ... there are rules." The general looks stern as Xander continued. "Or at least there should be, if you're as honourable as you think you are." It was a fair point and worth a shot Buffy decided as she looked to see if Gregor is convinced.

Gregor considered this for a moment before giving them both a stern look. "One person no more," and with that he turned around and walked away. Buffy and Xander turned back and walked though the hole in the barrier which again appeared.

Spike turned and quickly caught up to the knight's leader. "One person? Are you crazy?"

"I'm not a barbarian nor a monster." Gregor simply stated. He knew he was unyielding and steadfast in his beliefs but he still had his sense of morals.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Spike fried back sarcastically. "I hope you put that on a sign when the world goes to hell, I'm sure it will give a lot of people a lot of comfort seeing those words on display!"

Gregor spun round to face Spike. "What would you have me do vampire?!"

"Roll up your sleeves," Spike said firmly. "This is a messy job and in order to do it your hands are going to get messy!" He told the mortal man before calming himself down. "You are being presented with an opportunity here… I suggest we take it."

Gregor considered the bleached blond vampire for a moment. "Go on."

XXXX

Willow blew out the candle and the group all stared as Joyce finally stopped struggling against her chains which she had been doing ever since Buffy had chained her up. "Did it work?" Anya asked them as the group looked at Joyce trying to gaged her status. Joyce frowned as the magical energy seemed to leave her. She looked around confused as to how she came to be chained in front of the group.

"Buffy? Dawn?" She said looking at the pair of them. "What happened? I don't…" she was cut off by the memories coming back like a sledgehammer into her mind. She could remember every caress and every word she spoke. She remembered the feeling of loving Spike with her whole heart. He had cast a spell upon her altering her state of mind, wiping any resistance she had against him and having his way with her over and over again. She knew he was evil, that he had done many bad things such as killing Faith and kidnapping her, but this was totally a new low even for him.

Sensing her mother was about to have a panic attack or a mental breakdown Buffy moved forward. "It wasn't you!" she said firmly looking her mother straight in the eye. "It was him. All him. He is the sick bastard who does these kinds of things! Not you!" She would have said more but she was cut off by Xander looking out the window.

"Buff there is a car pulling up!" He said spotting the headlights.

"Stay here," Buffy told Dawn who pulled her mother into a hug.

The car drives up to the gas station where the army of knights stands around watching. Ben is at the wheel. He stops the car and looks fearfully out the window at the knights, who all hold weapons and glare at him. Buffy and Xander came out of the gas station and watched from inside the barrier at the gas station. Ben takes a deep breath, picks up his black bag from the seat, and gets out of the car. No sooner has Ben stepped out but Dante grabs the younger man from behind holding a dagger to the man's throat.

"What are you doing?!" Buffy cried out in shock. "We had a deal!"

"We are altering the deal, Buffy!" Spike chuckled walking next to Dante and Ben who was looking scared for his life. "Now be a good girl and get your mommy and baby sister."

"Spike I swear to god!" Buffy growled.

"Swear to all the gods you like slayer!" Spike fired back. "You don't release them this guy," he gestured to Ben, "will have his throat slit from ear to ear." Willow and Anya stepped out into view to see what was happening.

Gregor now moved forward into Buffy's view. "Lower the barrier slayer!" He called out. "I am offering the girl a quick and painless death."

"That's your offer? What kind of man are you?" Xander shouted in disgust.

"A determined one!" Gregor replied in total belief. "If we let this key live, if the beast finds it then dimensions will bleed into each other. Order will be overthrown, and the universe will tumble into chaos ... all dark ... forever. We must stop it here and now! There is no other way!"

"Please," Ben whispered in fear, but Dante silenced him by bringing his blade closer to his skin.

"Another death slayer, another death on your watch caused by your stupidity!" Spike yelled at Buffy pointing at Ben. "Give them your brat sister and this all ends this git can fix your watcher and I will head off never to bother you again."

"With my mother you sick fuck?" Buffy growled at him. "I've seen the mind fuck you pull on her. You are sick and desperate Spike. Some twisted evil vampire I should have staked years ago."

"Why thank you I thought I was losing my touch!" Spike grinned at her.

"Enough!" Gregor said. "The boy dies!" Dante nodded intent on stabbing Ben to death. Ben cries out and before anyone can say anything the man morphed into Glory.

"What the hell?" Anya whispered as she and the others stared opened mouth at the scene.

"The vessel!" Gregor said in surprise. Glory smiled a dazzling smile and grabbed Dante's arm with one hand ripping it clean off. The black man fell to the floor screaming as blood went everywhere. The knights moved in swarm Glory with their swords raised as Spike jumped out of the way. The knights began falling to the ground quickly dead as Glory laid waste to them. Spike looked at dismay as he saw Gregor's severed head come flying past him.

"Bugger me!" Spike shouted in horror. Glory paid him no attention as she moved toward the slayer. She swung an arm at the barrier and breaks a hole in it moving thought it to beat the key's location out of the slayer. Glory let out a little laugh as she saw Dawn standing fearful next to a chained-up Joyce.

"Well, what do you know. Little Ben finally did something right." Glory said as she backhanded Buffy easily knocking her off to the side. The others proved no match for the god as she came towards Dawn.

"Dawn get me out of here!" Joyce cried out at her youngest daughter. Frighten but thinking fast the teenager quickly tried to undo her chains that held her mother. But the God was simply too fast for her. Glory grabbed the teen's hand and smiled. "Got time for some girl talk?" Joyce moved to stand but was easily knocked back down.

Buffy painfully got to her fight and looked at the carnage in front of her. She walks slowly forward, looking around at all the men lying dead. Anya and Xander get up staring around. Tara whimpers and hides her face in Willow's shoulder.

Anya points to Ben's car "Get the keys." She yells at Xander who runs over to that direction. Buffy turns to see her mom looking at the scene with a total daze. Willow, Tara, and Anya start forward as Buffy moves to get to her mother. "Mom!" Buffy yells at her. "Mom, we have to find Dawn. We, we can't let Glory- "Buffy rips off the chains, but Joyce doesn't even seem to notice. She is not focused on Willow or anything for that matter as she abruptly sits down on the ground. "Mom? Mom!" Buffy continues to say confused.

Tears run down Joyce's face. Willow and Tara walk over to her concerned at Joyce's well-being.

Buffy gets right in her mother's face. "Mom, you have to get up! We need you!" But Joyce just sits, the tears flowing, staring in front of her. "Mom, please!"