Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Mutant Enemy owns everything.
Spoilers: BtVS through 'Chosen' and AtS through 'Just Rewards'. I borrowed the location of the Cleveland Hellmouth from Kallysten's If They Ever Came to Cleveland.
True Nature
Chapter 10
A few days after Eve's revelation, Spike and Buffy moved into their own place. They found a nice three-bedroom house in Encino, in anticipation of Dawn moving in with them.
However, Dawn opted to stay in Cleveland for the remainder of the semester. She planned to move in with them in December. She did visit them for Thanksgiving, though. She and Spike managed to recapture some of their previous closeness. Buffy was relieved to see them talking and joking around before Dawn returned to Cleveland.
Spike officially joined the Wolfram and Hart team as Wesley's associate in the Research and Intelligence Division. He and Wesley continued to patrol nightly with Buffy.
A side effect of Giles' role in the new Watcher's Council was that he convinced them to provide the Slayers with an income. They liquidated some of the Council's holdings around the world and were able to provide the 15-18 year olds with minimum wage. The under 15 year olds had their money placed in a trust until they were of age. The Slayers who were adults, especially those who were heads of their own households, were paid a living wage.
The Council hired financial advisors to help them invest the money they had from their current holdings in order fully optimize their assets. Kennedy and Willow were majoring in finance and accounting, respectively, so that they would be able to take over the Council's finances in a few years.
So, Buffy had an income from the Council, and with references from Giles and Robin, she had secured a job working with counselors for victims of violent crimes. She also taught self-defense at UCLA. And, between her incomes and Spike's, as well as a little help from financial aid, she was able to take some classes at UCLA also. She wanted to get her degree so that she could be a full-time counselor. She really liked working with young people, and she felt like she was really making a difference helping victims recover and take back their lives.
They settled into a comfortable domestic routine. Then, a few days before Christmas, Dawn showed up on their front porch, earlier than expected, along with Giles, a willowy brunette, and a petite redhead with long, curly hair. Buffy remembered the teenage girls from Cleveland.
Buffy hugged Dawn and pulled her into the house. Then she turned to Giles. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"
"No, no. But, I need to speak with you. It's rather important. May I?" He gestured inside.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry." She stepped aside and let Giles and the two girls step into the house.
Spike and Wesley came into the entryway to see what was going on. Spike smirked at Buffy's careful refusal to extend a verbal invitation. Wesley noticed the smirk and smiled himself when he realized the reason behind it.
"Hello, Spike."
"Watcher." Spike nodded amiably at Giles. He was still not used to the other man's friendly behavior toward him.
"Wesley, good, you're here as well. I need to speak to all of you."
They looked at him apprehensively, but headed into the living room to hear him out. Buffy and Spike settled on the couch. Wesley sat in his favorite overstuffed armchair. Giles sat in the other chair, while the Slayers sat on the loveseat. Dawn went to her room to start unpacking.
"So, what's so important, Giles? And why are Caitlyn and Darby here?"
"Well, many of the Slayers are far enough along in their training that they are ready to take on their own assignments. The problem is that most of them have no idea how to integrate their personal lives with their Slayer calling. Some of them will have a better chance because, like you, they had normal lives before Willow's spell made them Slayers. But, others who were raised by their Watchers, like Kendra, have no idea how to function in the real world."
He stared intently at Buffy. "We don't have the assets to provide for all of them. We don't have enough Watchers for all of them; we don't have space to keep them all in Cleveland. Some, like Vi and Rona, will stay there and help us train the new Slayers. But, we don't need all of our more experienced Slayers to train our newer ones. Not to mention that there is not enough demonic activity, even in Cleveland, to occupy all of the Slayers.
"So, we need to prepare them to live as normal lives as possible, while still fulfilling their duties. Since you're the only Slayer to accomplish that, we need you to train them."
"But, you said you needed Wes and Spike, too."
"Yes, well with Wesley's training as a Watcher, we thought that he could assist you in continuing their training. We won't be able to send Watchers with all of them. And those we do send will have to understand how to help their Slayers achieve success; not only as Slayers, but also in whatever else they pursue. We believe Wesley can teach the new Watchers how to do that."
"And Spike?"
"We are hoping that he will assist both you and Wesley, as well as provide the girls with a sparring partner and source of information."
"A training tool?"
"No, a trainer. And an assistant to you and Wesley in training our new Slayers and new Watchers in the way we will be doing things in the new Council." He paused when they still seemed hesitant. "Of course, we will compensate you for your additional responsibilities. Wesley and Spike, as well."
They looked somewhat apprehensive at the proposition and exchanged glances.
"What if we refuse?" Spike asked quietly.
Giles looked at him, unconcerned. "Then, we will try to work out an alternative, but I sincerely hope that you will help us. But, we won't force the issue and there will be no consequences if you refuse."
That seemed to satisfy all of them. "Okay, I guess we're in." Buffy said. "Where do we start?"
"Well, the first step is to get Caitlyn and Darby enrolled in school with Dawn. Their Watchers will be here next week..."
"Whoa, wait a minute, Watcher." Spike interrupted. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but this is not the Ritz-Carlton. We're not a bloody hotel. Where are you planning on putting all these people?"
Giles looked surprised for a moment. "Oh dear. I forgot to explain, didn't I? We are going to aid you in finding a larger home. That way you can keep several girls at a time, along with their Watchers with no real inconvenience to you. Now, we have decided, since we have a shortage of Watchers, that only those Slayers who are under twenty-one will have full-time Watchers. The others will have Watchers during their initial training, then will have one only if they themselves feel they need one.
"We will also help with their room and board. They will be responsible for part of it themselves."
Buffy sat up straighter. "Wait, you're going to pay me to train them, and you're going to pay for them to live here and pay for their food?"
"Yes."
Buffy smiled. "Okay, I'm definitely in then. No more doubts. So, tell me about this house that you want us to get. Do you have one in mind, or do Spike and I get a say in it since we'll be living in it all the time"
Dawn walked back into the room. "And me, since I'll be living there, too. At least until I go to college."
"Are you already done unpacking?"
"Didn't you notice that I only brought one suitcase? The rest is coming on a truck with the training equipment the Council is sending for the new house."
Buffy and Spike turned to look at Giles.
"Uh, er, yes. We will have to make sure that there is sufficient space for training. We are providing the necessary equipment for training."
"Where are you finding the money for all of this, Rupert?" Wesley asked.
"Well, it turns out that the Council had its finger in alot of pies. Many of them were quite lucrative." Giles explained.
"Then why in the bloody hell was the Slayer scrimping and scraping to get by and support her sister? Couldn't the Council of Wankers part with a few quid to pay their most valuable employee?"
Wesley answered him. "They didn't see her that way, Spike. She wasn't the most valuable. She was the most expendable. There was always another Slayer."
Spike growled, leaving no doubts about his opinion of the former Council of Watchers.
Buffy saw Caitlyn and Darby flinch. "Girls, are you okay? You know that Spike won't hurt you, right? You both read Nature of the Beast and we talked about him."
"Y-yeah." Caitlyn said. "It's just, he sounded like, well like one of them just now. And, it was just, well, freaky sitting here listening to you guys talk like regular people and then suddenly he goes all 'grr'."
Darby just nodded.
"Oh, get used to it. Spike gets 'grr' when someone isn't treating the people he loves right." Dawn smiled from her spot by the door. "He won't go off on you unless you're the 'someone' in question, though."
Darby and Caitlyn looked at each other nervously then nodded. Buffy shook her head, but she had to admit, between them, Dawn and Spike had probably forestalled any potential problems. She noticed Giles and Wesley carefully concealing smiles.
"Okay, well, school got out yesterday, so they're free for now. I guess we can go ahead and start house hunting now, if you want. The campus closed last week, and if Wesley gives the okay, then Angel won't have a problem with Spike taking the day off."
"Actually, if I'm going to be part of this, I'd like to participate, as well. Why don't we start with the Internet?" Wesley stood up and moved into the bedroom that Buffy and Spike used as an office.
Buffy and Spike shrugged and followed him. Giles went with them. Caitlyn and Darby looked at Dawn who shrugged and flopped down on the now empty couch and picked up the remote. They joined her and soon all three were engrossed in The Real World.
******************
The Internet search yielded five potential properties. The next day was Saturday, so the whole group piled into two cars and went out to look at them. One was smaller than the owner's clearly doctored photos made it appear. One was literally falling apart, the pictures on the 'net had been at least ten years old. A third had turned out to be very close to a big name celebrity. There were far too many members of the paparazzi around for the comfort of the Slayers and Watchers. The fourth had promise, but the fifth turned out to be perfect.
It had been a large mansion built by a studio mogul several decades earlier. But, quite a while back, it had been sold and converted into apartments. The ground floor had still been a residence for the owner. The upper floors had been the ones converted to apartments. There was also a large basement that was perfectly suited for a training room.
Buffy, Spike, and Dawn would live on the ground floor. The Slayers and their Watchers would be able to live in the apartments. Some were one bedroom, some were two bedroom. There were ten apartments in all. There was even room for Wesley to move in, so that he would have more time to work with them while still continuing to work with Wolfram and Hart.
Giles went back to Cleveland after an early Christmas celebration with Buffy, Spike, Dawn, and Wesley. The Council had paid for the two Slayers to fly home for Christmas. The small family group had their own Christmas in Spike and Buffy's home.
Spike and Buffy thoroughly enjoyed their first Christmas together. Spike gave Buffy some lingerie and a locket with a picture of himself on one side and a photo of Joyce and Dawn on the other side. Buffy gave Spike a book of Romantic poetry, some silk boxers, and a copy of The Kama Sutra. The last gift got a laugh from everyone, but also drew a very heated and intent, if concealed, stare between Buffy and Spike.
Wesley and Spike gave each other souvenir books on their favorite football clubs. Wesley gave Buffy a black duster that matched Spike's. Dawn gave Spike a photo album with photos of herself, Buffy, and Joyce. She gave Buffy one with photos of all of her friends and family, as well as some pictures of Spike that Buffy had never seen. Dawn had taken them the summer after Buffy died. Dawn received a book of languages and one new outfit from everyone.
Caitlyn and Darby came back two days after Christmas. After Christmas, the Council pulled a few strings to get the paperwork pushed through quickly and the group moved into the new house before New Year's Day.
The Council also got them set up to look like a legitimate halfway house for young women recovering from near-fatal injuries, and their families. That way, no one questioned the number of young people of various ages, races, and backgrounds who came and stayed for a little while and then left again. Some with "parents" and some without.
A few days after New Year's, Dawn, Caitlyn, and Darby started school. Buffy sent them off on the first day with a cell phone for each of them and a few pieces of advice. "Whatever you do, don't set the gym on fire. If some guy suddenly starts looking really good after he puts his jacket on, ask him to take it off. Don't ignore the nerds. They could end up being your best friends, or your worst nightmare. Oh, and if you come across a tweed-wearing nancy-boy who screams like a woman, don't underestimate him." That last comment earned her a smack on the back of her head from Wesley. She responded with a giggle and snuggled up to Spike.
The girls rolled their eyes at her as they turned to leave. But before they were away from the house, she heard Dawn. "She may sound like a freak, but you should have been there for my first day of school at the new high school in Sunnydale. You know the one that got flattened when Spike sealed the Hellmouth? Way freaky. Manifest spirits stabbing me with pencils, bathroom floors opening up and dropping me into the basement with more manifest spirits, getting lost in said basement. So not fun."
"Well, that's life on a Hellmouth." Caitlyn quipped. The pretty brunette shrugged.
"Yeah, at least our school in Cleveland wasn't on the Hellmouth." Darby added. "And I don't like football that much anyway, so at least we weren't on top of it every day."
Caitlyn nodded. "Yeah, at least LA isn't anywhere near a Hellmouth."
They all agreed and chatted as they walked the rest of the way to school.
*******************
The girls did well at school. They patrolled nightly with Buffy, Spike, and Wesley. They made some friends and went to basketball games and parties. Darby turned out to be gifted at research. She and Dawn got internships with Wesley and Spike doing at Wolfram and Hart, while Caitlyn helped Buffy teach self-defense. Their Watchers, Constance and Gunther, were counseled by Buffy, Spike, and Wesley to allow them to attend the games and parties. They were encouraged to allow them to participate in the internship and after-school job that would help prepare them for a life outside of slaying once they graduated from high school.
The Watchers were survivors of the old Council and struggled with the new ways, but when they saw how much more successful and confident their Slayers were in the field, they relented and listened to everything the others told them. They then passed on word of their positive experiences to the other surviving Watchers. The good new spread and soon Buffy, Spike, and Wesley had the reputation as the most gifted trainers the Council had ever known.
Two months after their arrival, Darby and Caitlyn left to return home and protect their own towns from demons and vampires. Sandrine, Wu-Jin, and Lyric followed them. Sandrine was a twenty-five-year-old French national who had been a teacher before being called. She wanted to return to it. She audited some educational courses at UCLA and worked in the college bookstore during her stay in LA. When she returned to France, she was thrilled with what she had learned; not only her Slayer training, but the new techniques and information she had picked up at the college.
Wu-Jin was a peasant from mainland China who was able to benefit from the ESL classes at the local high school. When she returned to China, she knew that she would not stay in her village, but would travel around the countryside to help as many villages as she could and she would find someone to help her continue her education.
Lyric was an African-American girl in her early teens from a small suburb of Dallas. She was able to return home more confident and secure in her own abilities. She succeeded in everything she did, and not only became an extraordinary Slayer; she made the honor roll at school and was well liked among her peers. She often sent Buffy and Dawn e-mails thanking them for all of their help and encouragement.
About six months after they had begun their "re-integration' training, Buffy, Spike and Wesley welcomed three new Slayers to their facility. Katie was a college student who had continued taking courses in Cleveland and wanted to go back to her home school in the fall. Irene was a twenty-year-old Ojibwa who couldn't wait to get home and help her people. The third Slayer was Annie, a twenty-seven-year-old attorney from Georgia who never would have been called if not for Willow's spell.
She was a petite, pretty brunette with a wicked sense of humor and a sharp wit, with a tongue to match. She and Spike hit it off immediately. They both loved dog racing, Passions, and punk rock, and had a fondness for black leather. At first, Buffy was a little jealous, until Spike realized what was going on. He cornered her in the kitchen after breakfast a few days after Annie's arrival.
"Buffy, are you jealous of Annie?"
"What? No." Buffy scoffed. "Of course not."
"Really? So, all the little looks and the little comments, 'Oh, good, you guys are getting along.' They don't mean anything?"
"No, well..." Buffy faltered. "Well, you do have a lot in common with her. Maybe more than..."
"Buffy, luv, we've been over this before. There isn't another girl anywhere who means anything to me. You're the one, Buffy."
Buffy grinned and pulled him down for a kiss. As the kiss deepened, he lifted her onto the counter. He pulled her tank top over her head and latched onto one breast as he slipped one hand beneath the waistband of her pants.
*************************
Annie was coming out of the basement where she'd been training with Wesley and her eyes widened at the sounds coming from the other Slayer's apartment.
"Ah, yes, Buffy and Spike. They are, er, quite vocal. You may hear them sometimes at night. You'll just have to get used to it." Wesley explained tersely. "I'm going to shower. I'll meet you down here in one hour." He walked up the stairs, leaving an irritated Slayer behind him.
She didn't understand it. She got along well with most people. Even Buffy. She knew Buffy was jealous of her friendship with Spike, but she was still polite, and Annie knew that it would pass. Spike's love for Buffy was so glaringly obvious that even a blind woman could see it. Besides, Annie wasn't really interested in Spike, except as a friend. He was fun to be around and spar with, but that was as far as it went.
And she and Buffy had still managed to find some common ground, despite Buffy's jealousy. Annie admired Buffy's strength in turning her back on the Council, more than once, to do what she felt was right. And, she respected her for finally having the guts to stand up to everyone and say, 'This is my life and I'm going to live it how I want and with whom I want.' Like the other Slayers, she had read Nature of the Beast during her training in Cleveland and she had been appalled by the refusal of the "Scooby Gang" to see what had been right in front of their faces for so long. She was glad that they'd finally come to their senses, she was just sorry it had taken them so long.
She understood how difficult things had been for Buffy, not that it excused all of her behavior, but she was glad that Buffy had finally decided not to let other people dictate how she lived her life.
For her part, Buffy respected and appreciated Annie's unwavering acceptance of Spike as one of the good guys. Not all of the Slayers were able to do that, even now. Some still had questions and reservations about his role in the new order.
But, for some reason, Annie and Wesley had just rubbed each other the wrong way from day one. If he told her to go left, she went right. When Spike suggested getting her a job at Wolfram and Hart, since she was a lawyer, Wesley had balked.
"I hardly think she can do justice to both jobs. How is she supposed to perform her Slaying duties if she's in an impromptu jailhouse meeting with a client?"
"I'm a tax attorney, not a defense attorney. I doubt there will be many jailhouse meetings with clients."
"Fine. If Angel clears it, then I won't object."
She had started the job the next day.
She shook her head as she heard him close the door to his second-floor apartment. She debated going back down to the basement again and doing a little more training before getting cleaned up for work.
"Oh, God, Spike!"
"Bloody Hell, Buffy!"
'Okay, shower it is.' Annie headed up the stairs to her apartment.
*******************
Wesley stomped up the stairs and into his apartment. He slammed the door behind him. He had to get away from her. He couldn't stand there, listening to those sounds without wanting to shove her up against the wall and make her cry out as loudly as Buffy was.
He'd wanted her from the day she arrived. She'd left him completely gobsmacked. She was bright, sarcastic, funny, and very attractive. She was also strong and independent, but he could see a vulnerable side of her that brought out his protective streak.
He wanted her, but he also wanted to protect her. Except, she was a Slayer, a warrior, and protector in her own right, and he doubted she would appreciate his manly rescue attempts. She could, quite literally, kick his ass from one side of Los Angeles to the other. She didn't need a knight in shining armor. But he still tried.
It was the reason he pushed her so hard during training and patrol. He wanted to make sure that she was able to protect herself. He didn't want he to be one of the Slayers who died early because she was caught off-guard.
It was also the reason he had opposed her employment at Wolfram and Hart. The employees there had a very high mortality rate. He wanted to keep her from that.
'Besides.' He thought as he entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. 'She clearly enjoys Spike's company and even if nothing can come of it, I still can't compete with his 'sexy bad boy' persona.'
He stripped off his sweaty workout clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water stream over him. He had hoped that he would calm down, but the workout and the subsequent soundshow downstairs had him too aroused.
He decided to take matters into his own hands, so to speak; he couldn't stop picturing her face. The way she looked when she was fighting, so focused and intense, her face flushed with excitement; her smile when she was amused; the look of triumph on her face after a slay, he couldn't get her out of his head.
He thought about how it would have felt to shove her against the wall and have his wicked way with her. In his fantasy, he imagined her screaming his name as she came. That was enough to send him over the edge.
Once he had calmed, he finished his shower and dressed for work. When he arrived downstairs, he found her already waiting for him. He never ceased to be amazed by her. Gone were the comfortable workout clothes and tight leather patrol clothes. Today, she was wearing a light gray, pinstriped suit with a dark greenish-blue blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a sophisticated style. She looked every inch the tough professional, but soft and feminine at the same time. He felt himself growing aroused again.
"Well, we should go." He brushed past her and knocked on Buffy and Spike's door. Buffy opened the door, looking tousled, but happy.
"Hey, Wes. Spike'll be out in a minute. We, uh, got a late start this morning.
"Yes, so I heard." Wesley deadpanned. He chuckled as Buffy blushed.
Spike walked up behind her and dropped a kiss on top of her head. "What are you turnin' colors for, luv? Ol' Wes is probably just wishing he was the one making a woman sound like that."
"Spike!" Buffy elbowed him in the ribs. Spike just laughed and kissed her as he walked past her.
Buffy looked over Wesley's shoulder. "I hope he didn't embarrass you."
Annie just smirked and shrugged. "Nah. Besides, he's probably right."
Wesley turned toward Annie, a stricken look on his face. 'What did she mean by that?'
"Well, if you lot are quite through poking fun at my current relationship status, or lack thereof, then perhaps we could go to work." He walked out the front door, followed by Spike.
Annie watched Wesley walk away and thought about Spike's remark. She had to admit, despite their constant bickering, she found him very sexy. He was smart, charming, a strong fighter, and dangerous, but with a sensitive side. All in all, he got her very hot. She had no doubt that he could make her scream just as loud as Buffy had, if not louder.
********************
A week later, Spike sat down across from Wesley and leaned his elbows on the desk. "We need to talk, mate."
Wesley looked up from the text he was studying. "About what?"
"Annie."
Wesley's heart skipped a beat. "What? Why? Has something happened?"
Spike smiled at his friend's response. Apparently the sparks he and Buffy thought they had seen weren't imaginary. "Well, I'd say so. How long have you been in love with her?"
"What?" Wesley asked, incredulously.
"Oh, come on, Wes. I've seen the way you look at her, the way you fight with her. There's alot of passion there. And don't think I don't know what that's all about, either. Buffy and I have had plenty of fights because I don't want her taking unnecessary risks, even if her job is risky by definition. And, she feels the same way about me."
Wesley tried to appear disinterested. "I don't know what you're nattering on about. Of course I want to keep her safe, just like any other Slayer. That is part of my job, after all."
Spike looked at him skeptically and shook his head. "Whatever you say, mate. But, some things are worth the risk. And just remember, life is short, especially for our girls."
He stood up and swept out of the office in a swirl of black leather.
*****************
Six weeks later, on patrol, Spike and Buffy sat on a large sarcophagus watching in amusement as Annie and Wesley argued over her technique in staking a vampire.
"I don't care if it worked! It was too risky. Did it ever occur to you that you could have hit Spike when you threw that stake?"
"Hit...He was ten feet away! And he was behind me. I checked before I threw it!"
"So, how long do you think it'll take them to figure it out?" Buffy whispered.
"I don't know, pet. They're both human, and they're smarter than us..."
"Hey!" At Spike's pointed look, Buffy relented. "Okay, point taken."
"I wager they'll figure it out long before we did. But, they better figure it out soon. She won't be here much longer."
Buffy smiled and leaned over to kiss her lover. She was glad that they had finally figured it out.
"C'mon, let's leave the Bickersons to their fight and go find Katie and Irene. They should be right over..."
The two Slayers in question came barreling into the clearing as they spoke, followed by a large group of vampires. For the next several minutes, no one spoke, beyond Buffy and Spike's typical quips and puns, while they fought, and staked, the vampires pursuing the Slayers. Between the six of them, they were able to stake all but four of them, and those four escaped during the brouhaha.
Spike and Buffy were uninjured. Katie had a cracked rib where she had been thrown against a tombstone with a little too much force. Irene had a dislocated shoulder. Wesley sported a large bruise on his cheek and a small gash over his left eye. Annie was bleeding from a wound in her shoulder, apparently inflicted by her own stake.
It wasn't very deep and thanks to Slayer healing was already closing up, but Wesley was furious. He grabbed her by the arm and steered her toward the car. The others followed. The drive home was made in silence. As soon as they got into the driveway, Katie and Irene bounded out of the car and up the front steps. They met Dawn in the entryway.
"You might want to get inside before Wes and Annie get in here." Katie whispered to Dawn.
"What now?"
"We got into a really bad fight with this big group of vampires and Annie got stabbed with her own stake. Wes is pissed off." Irene answered.
Dawn rolled her eyes. They were such idiots. They reminded her of a couple of other idiots she knew. And speaking of...
Buffy and Spike stumbled in the front door, clutching each other and trying not to laugh. Katie and Irene looked at the couple like they were insane. They shook their heads and hurried upstairs to clean up and help each other with some first aid before going to sleep.
Dawn looked at her sister and favorite vampire and burst out laughing. "How much longer do you think this is going to go on?"
"I don't know, Bit, but she's supposed to be leaving in two weeks, so one of them better get off their arse."
They heard loud voices on the front porch and slipped in their front door.
"You were reckless and you could have been killed!"
"Oh my God! Do you ever stop? I'm fine! Give it a rest. I did my job and okay I got hurt, but newsflash, I'm a Slayer, part of the job description, Einstein! And, what do you care anyway? There's always another Slayer, and as long as I get the job done..."
Her voice faded as she headed into the basement.
"Bloody hell, woman! What do you mean what do I care? I care. You need to be more careful..." Wesley followed Annie into the basement.
Buffy, Spike and Dawn shook their heads as the arguing couple went into the basement. The UST between the two was palpable. Spike and Buffy were nearly to the point of locking the two of them in the basement until they came to their senses.
*******************
"What do you mean 'what do I care'?" Wesley stormed into the basement.
Annie turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Come on, Wes. We've been working together for weeks now. All you ever do is criticize me when we're patrolling. You didn't want me at Wolfram and Hart. Everything I do pisses you off. I'm not an idiot. It's obvious that you don't want me around."
Wesley stared at her, too stunned to speak. 'How can she think...?'
Finally, he found his voice. "Well, you're obviously not as smart as I gave you credit for."
Her eyes widened and she started to push past him toward the stairs. He caught her and held her by the shoulders.
"What I mean is, my behavior has nothing to do with not wanting you around. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm critical of you on patrol because I can't stand the thought of you being hurt."
He gently caressed her shoulder where her earlier wound had already begun healing. "And I didn't want you at Wolfram and Hart for the same reason. It's a dangerous place. I know that you're the Slayer and you can take care of yourself, but you're also the woman I love and I am damn well going to do my best to keep you from harm."
He'd gotten so carried away that he hadn't realized what he'd said until she looked at him. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth.
"You, you love me?"
He stiffened. He'd been here before and had his heart trampled. He wasn't sure he could go through it again. But, he thought about his friends upstairs and all of the risks they had taken to be together and he decided to take the risk.
"Yes."
Annie threw her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him. As their lips met, he decided that this was one risk worth taking.
****************************
They went to their rooms to get ready for bed then came back out to grab a quick snack before hitting the sack. They once again heard raised voices coming from the basement.
"Oh God, Wesley! Yes!"
"Oh, bloody hell! So good!"
They all looked at each other. "Yes!" They shouted simultaneously. "It's about bloody time." Spike said.
Dawn and Buffy had to agree.
TBC
A/N: Some of the Slayers in this chapter are very loosely based on people in my life, I have borrowed a few names, and/or likenesses.