"Will you wash my back?"

"No."

We were in the bathing room. James was sulking over by the door and I was stretched out in the tub Father imported for me. My guard filled it under the watchful eyes of James and I stripped slowly in front of him before I climbed in. I prompted, "Come on, James. I need my back washed. Are you going to let me be dirty?"

"Quit, Fawn. This is boring."

"It could be a lot less boring," I taunted.

"And you could be a lot more well behaved. Stop it, Fawn. When you take me to bed, it will not be because you're angry with me and want to prove a point. It will be because you realize I made a mistake and you decide to forgive me."

"Mm. Maybe hold your breath on that one, James."

"Mm. See, the problem is that I don't breathe, so I can wait on that, bunny."

"Do not call me that."

He chuckled! I heard him chuckle and I whipped around to glare at him over my shoulder. I sneered, "Do not irritate me, James."

"But I like it so much, princess."

"Now, James. That's not the way to get back in my good graces."

"Now, Fawn, god knows that's the only thing I think of, is how to get back into your good graces."

"You also think about me naked."

"It's not really helpful that you're sitting in front of me naked. Also, you're only going to give yourself worse migraines by trying to read my mind. You're ten days away from your ritual. You're not even at your best right now, so quit, you little shit."

"I love it when you sweet talk, James."

"I love it when you behave, bunny."

"You don't love anything, James. That was our problem, remember? The last time anyone mentioned love to you, you took off and disappeared for ten years."

That shut him up. I stretched my legs out and sank deeper in the water. After a long moment of silence, I said slowly, "I think we'll move North after my revival. We need a break from all this negativity. We need a break from all this heat. Don't you think?"

"I hear there's a land where it's night most of the time. But it'll be cold. You despise the cold. We should live in a more mild temperature. It's not good for your disposition."

"You're not good for my disposition. I could use the cold for a while. I'm not saying sixty years of it. But maybe twenty or thirty. We'd have to live in a place with people, so my guards can feed. We need to live somewhere where I can be alone. Where we don't have to worry about demons visiting us as often. Fewer people, less urge to feed."

"The more you talk about that, the nicer it sounds, Fawn. I could handle living out in the middle of nowhere for a while. I'd be a lot less worried about you. I wouldn't have to kill as many people."

"You don't have to kill any vampires. You choose to, James. I think you kind of hate your kind. For making you unable to love."

"I'm not unable to love, bunny, and you and I both know that. It's just a different kind of love. It's without soul."

"Is there love without a soul, Jamie?" It was the first time I'd called him anything other than James, and even I could tell that my voice was sad, forlorn.

His steps were soft, almost imperceptible on the cold stone floor, but I heard him approach and kneel behind me in the tub. As his hands dipped into the water to retrieve my wash cloth, he answered, "I don't know, bunny. Perhaps there is."

"Will we ever know if it's true?" I leaned forward so he could wash my back.

"It feels true to me."

"Are we ever going to truly say what we dance around?"

"Not until I've made it up to you. Not until I've fixed my disappearance."

"Well, I have an idea of how you can fix it."

"Anything you want, bunny."

Eleven days later was the gathering to celebrate my rebirth. I never truly got a break after being bathed in the blood of the innocent. It was always forward movement. Pushing forward. Never stop. Never look back. Father, as was tradition, threw a ball and, as was usual, James escorted me. But we weren't there together, as a couple. James was there as my most honored knight. And Angelus was there with William the Bloody as my most annoying dinner guests. Though, William was charming.

"Fawn, huh? Haven't met one like you before. I've been in Europe for a while now. Can't believe Bantheazar moved to the bloody colonies. Never pegged him as one for the colonists. You though, we all had you pegged. Bleeding little heart, aren't you? Cute as a button too. Have you met Dru? She's a blast. Where'd she get to now?" He wandered off.

"You spent time with him?" I murmured to James as William left.

"Yes. His….sire is quite interesting. Drucilla was driven insane by Angelus before she was turned. She's still quite…batty."

"You've spent too much time outside of our circle, James."

"Trust me, bunny. I know. Here comes the man of the hour himself."

James nodded towards the crowd just as Angelus sauntered over. As he reached us, I reached up to touch my forehead and moan lightly. James leaned forward to check on me, just as Angelus greeted, "There's the pet! And there's the Chosen One. What future are you contemplating today, Fawn?"

"Nobody's," I said carefully, my voice colored with the lie. "James, could you get me a glass of wine, please?"

"Yes, princess."

James released my arm and crossed the room, leaving me with Angelus, who repeated, "What future gives you pain today, princess?"

I frowned at his chosen name but replied, "To be honest, yours. When you come around, I can't help but look and see what deeds you will do this year."

Angelus laughed and asked, "And my deeds give you distress? Where do you see me?"

Angelus believed whole heartedly that nothing bad would come to him, so he never asked me if his decisions would be good or bad for him. I said half-heartedly, "You know I can't speak of the future, Angelus. It pains me so."

"Your pet is retrieving wine for you now. Just speak it, Fawn. You'll have temporary pain."

"I don't want pain, Angelus. I want wine."

"And James is on his way back to bring you wine. Now, tell me what I want to know."

"Is that a threat I'm sensing, Angelus? Because you do not need me to tell you it's a bad idea."

"Of course I'm not threatening you, Fawn. I'm just saying that if I'm frustrated, if I don't know that I will be safe in my decisions, I may have to calm my frustration with carnage, and I know how you hate that."

I frowned at him, but, on the inside, I was cheering. Angelus was doing as I wished him too. I said through gritted teeth, "Fine. Angelus….I see…death…death all around…and…the Roma…a girl…pretty…so pretty."

"Sounds intriguing. Where do you see this at, Fawn?"

I pressed my hand over my eyes and groaned. "East…Europe…Eastern Europe."

James reappeared and handed me a glass of wine. He leaned close and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to Europe. I think she's going to miss me," Angelus announced.

"Europe, huh? I've heard the Roma there are interesting. Is that where you were considering moving, Fawn?"

"No."

"Oh. I've heard tale that the Roma taste of everywhere they've been."

"Fascinating. Well, I'll leave you to deal with the princess. Glad to see that the two of you have recovered from a long absence. Fawn, happy rejuvenation."

With that, he spun on his heel and left. James put his arm around my shoulders and led me out of the room. When he passed my father, he informed him, "She's been doing it again. I'm going to take her to her room for a few moments."

"Thank you, James. Just bring her back in here when she's feeling better."

James led me out into the hall and we walked silently to the room. When we were in, James asked, "Do you think he bought it?"

"He seemed very into the idea of going to Europe. Though my head truly does hurt, James."

"What's going to happen to him in Europe?"

"You'll see. I'm so tired, James. I just want to sleep so much."

"Lay down and sleep. Drink and then sleep."

"Lie with me, James. Just for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll go back to being distant from you, but tonight I just need you in my bed. I'm just so tired."

"I will lie with you. But nothing will come of it."

"I know." James took his spot behind me to unlace my dress and help me slide it down my body. Once it was removed, I swallowed the rest of my wine and he removed the glass from my hand easily. I turned and unbuttoned his shirt slowly, sliding it down his body and tossing it across the room. James leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Come into bed, bunny." He walked backwards with his hands around my waist until he fell backwards onto the bed, pulling me with him. I curled into him and he wrapped himself around me. He admitted, "There are parts of me that have missed this more than you could ever know. You, princess, are the only thing that makes my muscles yearn. That makes me deeply want."

"And you are the only thing that I deeply want."

"Princess, Fawn, bunny, I am yours. Since the night I met you in that meadow, I have been yours. And I've tried to escape from it. And there is no amount of running that will ever do that. Everything about me belongs to you. If I had a soul, it would be yours."

"Sleep, please."

"So, what? You guys just decided that you loved each other and that was it? He started loving you and you just accepted it? And you were the ones who sent Angelus off to have his soul taken away?"

"We sent Angelus off for his own good. And, no, we didn't just decide we loved each other." Fawn frowned deeply and James's arms tightened around her.

"Don't tell me he took off again," Buffy sighed.

"I was gone. Who was going to encourage him to leave her?" Angel laughed.

"Nobody was taking me away from her," James sneered.

"But it was different. James didn't think he was good enough for me anymore. It was never a problem before. We were equal. He was a soulless monster and I was an abomination. But, when he came back, when he realized how much pain he put me through, when he realized that he couldn't undo the damages I'd done to myself in his absence, it drove him away from me. There was a bridge that couldn't be crossed between us."

"I wanted to deserve her," James added. "I needed to deserve her."

"You always deserved me."

"Just get back with the story telling," Buffy interrupted before they could kiss again. Fawn yawned and James stared up at her, his face contorted in worry.

"We'll have to continue again once she's had some sleep. Fawn, we've been talking for most of the night. You need your rest."

"Jamesy, you are being much too worried. I'm fine," Fawn waved him off.

"It's fine. We have a few moments before dawn," Angel spoke up. "Buffy and I will be back around nightfall. Is that okay?"

"Of course. We've gone organic, so no more humans. Grass fed cattle only. We don't hunt at night anymore. Of course, I do go on walks during the daylight hours."

"Take your boyfriend with you?" Buffy asked.

"Not every time. But he does enjoy the safety of an umbrella while I walk. And sometimes we even go to a restaurant, if it's close to nightfall. Also, husband."

"What?"

"James is my husband," Fawn corrected. "And I'm his wife."

"What?" Buffy repeated.

"We'll see you at nightfall." Fawn raised her hand and waved it at Buffy dismissively and it was then that they noticed the tiny gold ring that decorated the ring finger of her left hand. James had an identical ring on his. She rose off of James's lap and he stood up as well. "Come, we'll lead you out."

James intertwined his hand with hers and Buffy and Angel stood up as well. Fawn informed them with a smile, "We'll have snacks next time. We'll make sure we're better guests."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, no. I'll bake cookies. I've had thousands of years to practice. I've gotten pretty good at it."

Over her head, where she couldn't see it, James winced a little as if he were remembering accidents over the years. He explained, "Bunny went through a little housewife stage in the 1950's. She had a sudden craving to be more human."

"You are human."

"I am fragments of a human. I will see you in a few hours. It has been so fantastic to meet you. To speak to you."

Buffy and Angel left, leaving James and Fawn to slip upstairs to sleep. In the woods, Buffy asked, "They're married? They love each other? How's that possible?"

"Souls aren't needed to love," Angel informed her. "Not every time. There are vampires who can love. I knew one. William the Bloody. But it helps now that James has his soul again. But he didn't, when he first loved Fawn. He didn't have a soul."

"And I guess they're going to tell us how he got his soul back as well."

"Don't pretend you're not interested in what they're saying. You've been the one asking questions and hanging onto Fawn's words. You're interested in her."

"Well, it's a thousand year old woman. Of course I'm interested. I'm sixteen. Who wouldn't be interested?"

Angel chuckled and took her hand in his. "So you're definitely coming back at sunset?"

"Of course I am."