The Dinner

Two hours later and there was an ominous knock at the door.

After brief greetings everyone looked hesitantly at Buffy, and Giles began cleaning his glasses as Spike's arm slid around Buffy's waist and she didn't shrug him off. His soft purring was reassuring her, sending through every ounce of love he had in him.

When Buffy looked up at him for final reassurance she had tears in her eyes, she was genuinely scared of Giles's response, and it took all of Spike's willpower not to pull her into a fierce hug.

"OK, I asked you all here for, well dinner, and to tell you, properly........" Buffy laughed nervously, feeling Spike's reassurances through the claim and hearing his encouraging purrs helped her to continue "......Spike and I are together, we're in love and...... he has a soul!"

At that last statement Giles jumped up and walked into the kitchen. Buffy looked imploringly at Spike, who clearly wanted to rip Giles apart for making his Slayer upset. "OK, Luv" he relented as she felt his anger, and silently begged him to follow Giles and talk to him.

Xander sat on the couch, aware everyone was watching him, waiting for his reaction. He studied Buffy for a moment, his eyes lingering on her neck where Spike had completed his claim on his mate just hours before. He finally stood and walked to her "Buff.... I.... I'm not happy about the biting, and I'm not exactly thrilled about Spike being so permanently in our lives, and it's gonna take me some time to forgive him what he tried to do to you but.... he has done a lot of good, very glad he has a soul and if he makes you happy..... well, at least it's Spike and not deadboy!" He pulled Buffy into a hug, confirming his words that he was happy for her, pleased when she hugged him back.

At that Dawn and Anya jumped up and made a group hug, all laughing and demanding more details. As Buffy started to explain there was no curse and that she was so happy, she suddenly turned and saw Willow in the doorway, and everyone followed her gaze with a gasp.

"Willow, you came! I....... Ummm........" Buffy broke off, unsure what to say to the girl who had once been her best friend and who had, just a few months before, tried to kill her.

"Buffy, I...... I just wanted to say congratulations on finally seeing who Spike really is, he always had William inside him, he just needed a little push from a demon I once knew. I'll always be around if you need me. Be happy!" And with that, Willow was gone, just a puff of smoke left where she once stood.

Before Buffy and the others had time to fully digest what Willow had done for her, Spike called to her silently. "Spike needs me!" They all followed, only Anya understanding the claim, into the kitchen to find Giles on one side, looking very Ripper-like, and Spike on the other, his hand bleeding visciously where he'd crushed a beer bottle to stop himself from hitting Giles.

"Spike, Oh God your bleeding! What happened?" Spike closed his eyes and remembered, Buffy saw the whole thing. "Giles, how could you? You know Angel is in the past! Surely you can see how happy Spike makes me? Doesn't my happiness matter to you anymore?"

*******

[What happened?]

Spike had walked into the kitchen to find Giles just staring out of the window, but he could feel the hate and anger radiating off him in waves. "Look mate, can't we agree to at least appear on friendly terms? For Buffy's sake?"

"Friends? With you? You're a vampire Spike! Something which you, Buffy and the rest of them seem to gave conveniently forgotten! I do remember, however, the reasons you gained your name 'William the bloody' and why 'Spike' is your nickname. At least Angel was half way decent, and knew that leaving was the only thing he could do. 'He' really loved her! You don't know what love is!" Giles spat the last words at him, hoping to have some effect, so the others could see what a monster Spike really was. He couldn't deny that Spike had also done a lot of good, but he couldn't let his Slayer love another vampire, it wasn't right.

Sure enough Spike's demon came forth, but William fought back the urge to rip out the throat of the man who Buffy considered to be a father. But, how could he compare him to Angel? "Angel? Or Angelus? Which one is it you prefer to me? This is me, just me! I won't turn evil on her, no curse, and I would never hurt her! You know that! I will protect her and the bit 'til the end!" At this Spike turned to the fridge, to occupy his hands, and grabbed a beer from inside the door, downed it, and turned to face Giles as he spoke.

"At least she loved Angel! How could she ever love you?"

At that Spike growled, and squeezed the bottle so hard it smashed. Even Giles was surprised he could contain his demon at that, he was sure he'd react.

"Never say that again!" was all Spike said before he sensed his mate and called for her. She came running in with the rest of the scoobies and reprimanded him.

*******

Spike said nothing though, just stared into his mate's concerned eyes, watching her reaction as he sent what happened to her. Her eyes and emotions went from hurt and concerned to severely pissed off.

Spike leant down as she put them on the stool to see his hand, nuzzling the mark as she worried for him, making her shiver.

"You've lost a lot of blood!" She also asked him mentally "do you want mine or from the fridge?" He blinked up at her in surprise, she didn't mind? In front of everyone? He was about to protest and offer to take from the fridge so as not to make things worse between her and the watcher, when he saw the look of disgust on his face just at their caress. He decided.

"Mine" Spike said for all to hear, ecstatic when, as his fangs sank back into their mark, she replied just as loudly "Yours", as he pulled her on to his lap easily.

"Buffy? Doesn't that hurt?" Dawn asked, incredulous that she was a) letting Spike bite her, b) that he was doing it in front of them all, and c) that she seemed to be enjoying it, to the point that Dawn was beginning to blush at the moans she was letting slip.

As soon as Spike released her she kissed him gently, and turned towards Dawn, but refusing to get off his lap. "It's amazing Dawnie, like being kissed on the inside out! Sorry, sometimes it gets the better of me" Buffy said, noticing Dawn was blushing. "Wait! I have an idea, no not that! Can you guys all wait in the other room?" Even Giles followed the others out, he was obviously trying his best for her, it was just going to take time.

Buffy turned to Spike. "You okay honey?"

"I'll be fine luv, just a bit shook up. You?" Spike always worried more about her than himself, earning himself a smile and a nod.

"Honey, is there any way you could mark Dawn in some way, to show other vampires she's under your protection? Like you have with me, but different?"

"You want me to bite Dawn? I don't know luv, I mean it might not hold for long, she's have to completely trust me for it to work at all and......" Spike saw the look of hope on her face and gave in ".... I can try, if it's what you really want?" Spike grinned at her cheekily, Buffy knew full well he wanted to mark Dawn as part of his growing family.

"But you mighr want to ring Angel and ask for permission, he is head of the family again and I wouldn't be a very good childe, Master Vampire or not, if we didn't ask him. Or I could call if you'd prefer?" Spike said, sensing her hesitation.

"No, it's okay. She's my sister, and soon to be yours, so I should call. What do you think he'll say?" Spike just shrugged his shoulders, dialled, and handed her the phone.

"One way to find out luv!"

"Angel Investigations! We help the hopeless!" Angel's voice still sent shivers through Buffy and heard Spike growl when he felt it, and she had to pause to kiss him for reassurance before speaking.

"Angel? It's Buffy, how are you?"

"Good! I mean, finw. you?" Angel hoped Buffy could tell him about her and Spike, he already knew, he had felt their claim through the link with his childe, but he wanted Buffy to say it. It was an important thing but he needed to know it meant as much to her as well.

"I'm good, better than good, fantastic actually. Ummmmmmm.... I have something to tell you! Spike and I well..... I...... we're mate's now, he claimed me, I have never been so happy, I'm sorry if that hurts....... I want him to mark Dawn as a protected member of his family, but we wanted to ask your permission, so I am, asking I mean. Well?" Buffy had just taken a deep breath and felt the words come tumbling out.

Spike could tell she was nervous and sent loving emotions to her as well as an image of what he wanted to do to her later, and laughed when she blushed and tried not to stutter. Moments later she nearly made him fall off his stool with images she sent back to him.

"Bloody Hell!" Spike muttered, standing up to relieve some of the pressure she had produced.

"Buffy?"

"Sorry Angel, Spike was being....... sorry. So what do you think?" Buffy tried not to sound too embarassed and looked sheepish when Spike stood up.

"I'm coming to Sunnydale, tonight." Angel said, putting the phone down before she could reply.

"He's on his way!" Buffy said, turning to Spike, she was completely stunned.

"I had a feeling he might! As my Sire he........... ummmmmmmmmm he has a right, and duty, to ummmm...... watch us..... uhhhh..... joining!" Spike said, carefully watching the news dawn on her quickly.

"What? You mean... while we're.....?" Buffy said, eyes wider than he had ever seen them, although he felt no anger coming from her, just surprise.

"Yes, you see, although the claim has been completed, we still have to join! It's sort of an initiation into the family, basically luv, he has to watch us..... has to be present while we mate. 'From Dusk until Dawn we must be as one' then he has to say some stuff in a Vampiric language to assure my demon understands what the joining means, and stays bound to you as well as my soul. Then I bite you, he bites me at the same time. You're the first human to be admitted to our clan, so when you're supposed to bite Angel and me we'll have to think of something else!"

Buffy just looked at him, just stared at Spike for ages, until a thought popped into her head. "I get to have sex with you for 12 hours, while someone else watches? And you thought I;d say no to this? Why?" Spike just grinnedm he like the idea of it too. The idea of Angel seeing all the pleasure he could give her was a bonus, even if he was his Sire again, he could still enjoy himself. He was just surprised she felt the same.

Buffy quickly closed the distance between them, pulling Spike into a passionate kiss.

Breathless, she suddenly heard the doorbell ring "oooooh, pizza's here." Then looked sheepish as Spike laughed, realising they'd forgotten to cook, they were too.... busy.

Authors Note: Please review. I have already written the next few chapters, but if you have any ideas let me know and I might incorporate them.