Car ride

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: Review Please!

An hour later the quest for Angelus had begun. Will sat shotgun trying to put some physical space between his parents. Joy sat next to Spike in the second row of seats while Buffy took the rear. The van had specially made tinted windows and plastic panel between the front seats and the back that came down like an old movie screen so no direct sunlight could come in. Perfect for the vampire family on the go. Truth was Gabriella and her children didn't burst into flame in direct sunlight but extensive exposure did make them sick.

The highway stretched in front of the travelers. Will began to play with the radio, wishing to distract his mother. He left the station playing an old eighties song, 'Don't you forget about me,' by Simple Minds. It was a song Gabriella loved and both her children knew the words to. Will got his wish, Ella became fixated on the song. When the first verse started Gabriella began to sing along. Will picked up at the chorus with little Joy picking up right after.

Spike watched his love sing along with the radio with such joy. She was such a ham when she sang because she knew how to play to a crowd. Now she played to her children. When all three started to 'la la la' along in the song, he saw the enjoyment singing with their mother brought the kids.

"Mum…CD…" Will offered handing her a disk. She eyed it for a second.

"When did you make this?" she asked.

"While ago…Seems like a good time to hear my mummy sing."

Spike lean forward, "What'd he do?"

Gabriella cleared her throat, "He made a mixed CD of a bunch eighties music that I have a tendency to sing while driving… some other stuff too but you get the idea."

"I want to hear mummy sing," Joy put her two cents in.

"Buffy?" The slayer looked up. "Ya mind hearing me sing?"

"Go right ahead."

Gabriella sang Hit me with your best shot, American Pie, Sweet Dreams, and One way or another. Buffy marveled at how much fun Gabriella and her kids seem to have singing along to these old songs. Spike also appeared to get into the act stretching his vocal chords a bit. Buffy remembered how nice Spike's voice was from their Musical day. She had to admit he sounded much better harmonizing with Gabriella than laying his heart before her.

Once the singing was finished Spike looked about the car at the occupants. Buffy was catching a few Z's as were Will and Joy. "Ella?" he whispered from behind her ear, he chose to sit directly behind her. He once again chose the demonic tongue to speak in just in case anyone was awake. Spike slid his hand down Gabriella's shoulder continuing down her arm. "I love the silk of your skin… I have missed you so."

Buffy's ears picked up Spike's voice whispering. She listened not understanding the words but the meaning was quite clear. Her former lover was running his hands up and down another woman's shoulders…he was seducing her.

"Spike!" Gabriella snipped in English.

He responded in English as well, "What? I can't compliment my fiancée on her lovely ivory skin?"

Buffy's air caught in her throat… Fiancée… It was over. In fact it was more than over. Spike was completely oblivious to her presence. Since the moment this woman arrived not only was Buffy second choice…she really wasn't even noticed. With Druscilla around Buffy still had Spike's attention and vice versa. It wasn't as if either woman was invisible to him. Now invisible is what Buffy felt like.

"Luv," Gabriella said sweetly. "I'm not sure when the claiming will take place but we should be prepared. If Dru was willing to kill me last time…I bet she may try again."

"She will be dust before she harms one hair on your or the children's head. I lost eighteen years of my life. In the great scheme of things that's not much but in the growth of a child that is huge…I thought there was nothing that Dru could do that would burn her entirely from my heart. I was wrong. Keeping me from my son and from his mother… She attacks. She is dust," Spike said solemnly.

Buffy took in what Spike had said. If he were willing to dust Druscilla then that was it for Buffy. Maybe he would never stop loving her, but he would also never walk away from this woman. Buffy would have to be content with friendship because that was all that was left on the table.

"The ring is beautiful, by the way. I'm proud to wear something of your mother's. She raised a good man," Gabriella whispered petting the hand that lay in her lap.

Spike interlaced their fingers. "I have everything I could ever need and so much more than I ever hoped for."

"Still a poet deep down…I heard a bit of it in that last statement," she softly cooed. "Try your hand again William. I bet the 'Bloody awful poet' wasn't bloody awful at all. I bet that he was sweet and sensitive… and completely wonderful. See luv, you live now. And in these moments you are loved and accepted as yourself…even before the soul. I would imagine what will flow from your head and your heart now will be amazing."

Spike tried to steady his breathing in an effort not to cry. Gabriella could sense it and chose to continue, "I love you William…the bloody awful poet of the past. I love you Spike…the impaler with railroad spikes. And I just love you…the man seated behind me. You are so much more then the titles others have given you. You are you. And I love that man… The man that has killed two slayers and also was willing to die for a teenage girl he loves so much she could be his own. I love the man that had a sex toy made of the woman he was obsessed with and also the man who took me on with no thought to self or reputation. I love the man who nearly raped his love and who fought to get his soul back. More than anything else I love the man that still looks at me the way he did twenty years ago as if a day hasn't past between us."

By the time she was done Spike had a couple tears rolling down his face. In a broken whisper he said, "Let Will drive."

"What?" she questioned.

Spike breathed deeply, "I need to hold you close Gabriella. I need to feel you in my arms to know your real and not some new form of torture that will be taken from me momentarily."

"Lean to the right," she whispered. Spike released her hand and brought his face next to hers. When a long stretch of road with no cars began Gabriella turned to Spike and kissed him hungrily. "You get more of those later…Now we get there."

Spike wasn't giving up. "Let Will drive. We'll have Buffy play navigator and you and I can go in the backseat for a bit of a snog."

Gabriella laughed, "I've always hated that term." Spike gave her a wicked look. "No…Driving… Setting up at the hotel… Getting Angelus…No time to snog."

"Oh I will find time… When you least expect it I will steal you away to the laundry room or some such place," he kissed her cheek.

"Sit back Romeo… We have miles to go before we sleep."

"Hey…I know there will be no premarital relations but can I slip into your room to snuggle up?"

"Spike…Go to sleep. All such things can be worried about later…" He kept looking at her so she continued. "Right now I would say no because of the kids but I don't know how bad I'm going to lose it once I see Angelus," Gabriella stated truthfully.

Spike shook his head, "You aren't going to lose it."

"You don't understand… Once I find Connor I am all too willing to let him sink Angelus back into the ocean," she confessed.

"What are you going to do once you find Connor?"

She sighed, "Make sure Angelus is far away but the kids are at hand. You should probably be far away too. The soul thing doesn't seem to effect his judgment on vamps, just that they are a vamp."

"Doesn't that put you at risk?" Spike questioned.

"Yeah…but if I walk up to him in direct sunlight with a bible in hand and a cross around my neck I think I have a fair shot getting through to him. Holtz…the guy that raised him twisted Christianity and vengeance together, not unlike the Crusaders. I'm going to bet that he is having visions too. Having someone who can tell him he isn't a vampire but he isn't all-human might work. If he can physically see I'm not damned then he probably will believe it for himself."

"Thought this all out?" Spike quipped.

"I've been seeing through Connor's eyes periodically. At first I got very confused because there were these two lives separate but intertwined…Connor and Holtz. I could see them both. Then they were both just gone. Abruptly they both came back now completely entwined. I know that Holtz had one of his followers kill him in order to make it look like Angelus did it, so the boy would be turned from him forever or at least would kill him. Connor is a lot like any other teenage boy, full of insecurities and an orphan to boot… I think because of what Angelus did to me I'll have enough common ground to work with him," Gabriella said.

"Are you going to tell Connor that Holtz's death was a set up?" Spike asked.

"Not right away… And you aren't going to tell anyone either. The last thing I need is to have this kid accuse me of lying to him about his father's death. Once he sees we can be trusted then I'll tell him that Angelus didn't kill his father. I don't think I'll ever mention the manipulation. As long as he realizes Angelus isn't responsible for the death then there really is no need to corrupt his view of the only father he ever had."

Buffy had listened keenly to the conversation especially the end. At first she was pissed off but then could see the validity in not bursting the kid's bubble. How often do you find out you were raised by your biological parent's archenemy as weapon against them? Why not let the kid think Holtz raised him like a human rather than as the ultimate revenge?

"So back to can I sleep next to my love tonight?" Spike questioned.

"We'll get adjoining rooms and see okay? That way if I say no you're right next door when my nightmares hit for the evening," Gabriella explained.

"I'll sleep in the doorway so I can hear you at the first sign of trouble."

Ella had to smile. "You remember right after I died I was constantly trying to get clean and would claw at my throat and eyes?"

"How could I forget? I thought I had another Dru on my hands."

She nodded. "I was burning myself with the bath water and you came in. I whimpered so…"

"It was the first time I realized he had raped you," Spike whispered. "All the bruises and cuts. I have never seen such deep red marks on breasts before. It looked like he vacuumed your chest…And the bite marks." He physical shook and grimaced remembering.

"I was shaking so bad. I thought you were going to do it again…" Gabriella confessed.

"Oh baby…" he murmured.

"But you drained the tub and draped a towel over my shoulders rubbing my back softly," she chuckled. "Then you towel dried my hair… You left the bathroom and I just stayed huddled on my knees. I saw you walk back in with a dark blue silk robe that you coaxed me into."

Spike watched her face as she spoke. "You showed me the bed next to yours that I could sleep in. If I needed anything you would be right next to me. Then you made me look you in the eyes as you said he would never hurt me again…you wouldn't allow it."

"I have no idea what came over me but I knew I would die for you…why I don't know. Cause I sure as hell was not that kind a fellow…I just loved you. No rhyme or reason. Just love…And it wasn't like I thought I was going to get any. I knew you were too traumatized for anything to happen. I just knew I had to protect you."

Gabriella smiled and kissed Spike's cheek. "That night I climbed in bed with you when the nightmares started. You just kept telling me you would keep me safe."

"That's when you told me you were a virgin," Spike whispered reverently stroking her cheek with two fingertips. "I wanted to rip his arms off or at least feed him his stones…Even if you got on your feet and could manage yourself I wasn't sure you would ever recover from what he did to your mind and spirit… I hated him so much. It wasn't like rape was a new concept with vampires or even with Angelus…its just you were so young and innocent…and it destroyed you in every way."

"You helped me stand," she stated boldly.

"You stood. I spotted for you. That's it. You did it on your own," he insisted.

She gazed at him fully and whispered, "Hold me tonight…It's been too long without you there in my bed."

Spike stroked Gabriella's hair, "I will hold you forever."

"Good."

Buffy opened her eyes for a moment to see the couple share a chaste kiss before Spike settled back in his seat. Such devotion and love…and Buffy had missed her chance.

Gabriella's cell phone rang as the car rested. "Spike? Would you get that?" she asked.

" 'ello?" he groaned into the phone.

A man cleared his throat, "May I please speak to Gabriella," the British voice said.

"Who is calling?"

"Wesley."

"Ella. It's the watcher…"

"Which one?" she asked.

"LA," Spike stated.

Earpiece on Gabriella took over the conversation. "Hello Wes. Please have a place for five of us. My kids can share a room and Spike and I were hoping for adjoining rooms. Buffy will be with us too."

"Buffy is with you? I didn't expect that," he said quickly.

"Did you get things squared with your employees?"

"They know that I will be arriving with people. They also know Lorn; a demon friend is coming to help find Angel as well but other than…" Wesley did not get to finish his statement.

"Wesley…As long as you are in my presence or in my children's presence he will be referred to as Angelus. I will not have this discussion again," she insisted.

"That might be a problem for Fred and Gunn."

"Fine. I will explain to them in no uncertain terms the how's and the why's Angelus revoked his right to be called by that name."

"Charles always did say you had a fire in you," Wesley complimented.

"Yes well… Wesley there is something you should know before I get there. The adjoining room with Spike…"

Wesley sighed, "Charles knew that one day he would pass on and you would find your way back to William. He said that one of your greatest gifts to him was that you loved him enough to let him be Will's father and your husband. He never believed he would be the great love of your life…but you never treated him like he was second best either. You were always quick to say he was Will's father in all the ways that mattered… He loved you Gabriella more than you'll ever know."

"Thank you Wesley… What I was going to say is I am wearing Spike's ring. Angelus will understand that is a sign of ownership…matrimony. I didn't want you to be surprised or contradict that fact. We have not claimed each other yet…but soon," she stated.

"I understand. We'll see you soon."

TBC…