Angel burst into the flat in a flash of swirling duster and his eyes sped around the room until they found Buffy curled up and sleeping with her head against Spike's shoulder. His threatening growl filled the room. Spike looked up at him, blue eyes accepting.
"We're in for it now, Pet" He murmured as Buffy blinked and awakened. "Captain Forehead has arrived to save the day, to bring order and hush the squalling of annoying whelps everywhere."
Buffy smacked his leg, but watched in awe as Xander rushed to greet Angel happily.
"Now, that is not something I ever expected to see." Buffy spoke quietly for Spike alone to hear. "He hates all things vampy and demonic. Is there an apocalypse in the offing?"
"Isn't there always, Pet? This is Sunny-bloody-dale, after all." Spike rubbed her shoulder with his fingers as Angel brushed off Xander and headed straight toward them.
"Thanks." She whispered and turned to look at Spike. "You're handling this well."
"No point in feeding into it. I'll just ride out the storm. No need to make this worse." He touched her cheek with a sad grin.
She was nodding when Angel's hands closed on her biceps from behind. He yanked her away from Spike. She screamed and bit her lip to keep from begging for release as he dragged her back. Spike sprang up, reaching for her.
"Let her go, Peaches. Right this bloody minute." Spike growled as his face shifted and his eyes glowed golden. "You are hurting her. Think, you bastard."
Angel hugged Buffy to him and snarled back. Buffy whimpered and struggled against his hold before he looked down and noticed her bloody lip and the tears streaming down her cheeks. He stared at her in horror as she shoved away from him and rushed to Spike's open arms.
"Did the soul knock all the sense from you?" Spike sneered over her trembling shoulder. "I know they told you what happened. Did you want to hurt her?"
"Of course not, William. I would never hurt Buffy." Angel scoffed.
Buffy snorted and then broke into full on hysterical laughter. Spike just rubbed her back and glared at the other vampire.
"What the hell is going on?" Xander looked from one vampire to the other in complete confusion. Buffy quieted as Spike continued stroking her back.
"Buffy, can't be touched by other males until the bond is fully formed." Anya chimed in. "Angel had to know, so Spike is accusing him of hurting her on purpose or having lost his mind. I think that was all pretty clear, really."
"How do you know so much about this Anya?" Giles asked.
"When I was a demon I specialized in wronged women. A great number of vampire females used to call for vengeance against their Masters when the pairings were forced. They were so creative. It was always fun. Why do you think the old Master of Aurelius looked like that? He forced his favorite into a mating and she called on me."
"You're the reason why old Nest did the bat face impression?" Spike smiled at Anya. "That was fine work. He used to go on and on about vampire purity. Drusilla would start in on vain little pixies flitting about his head. Turns out old Nest was all mouth and no trousers."
"Why can I hear her?" Buffy asked in a quiet voice. "I mean Drusilla, I keep hearing her singing in my head."
Spike and Angel both looked at her in alarm. Angel reached out toward her, but pulled his fingers back before they could graze her skin. Spike tilted his head and nodded slowly.
"She is singing. I've learned to tune her out. Took for bloody ever, let me tell you." Spike shook his head in amusement. Angel sat down on the stairs and hung his head.
"She's an Aurelian." Angel's voice broke. "She's picking up on our internal link."
"I'm picking up on what?" Buffy looked between Spike and Angel.
"Blood bound family members share an ability to broadcast thoughts to one another. It takes a big energy outlay, so it's usually rare. Drusilla doesn't care. She'll sing for hours or natter on about her dollies. You'll get used to it."
"Spike, you don't like having my ex in the room." Buffy all but growled.
"That is not strictly because he's your ex, Pet. I hate him for reasons you're already acquainted with." Spike pushed her back a bit and looked into her eyes. They flashed to glowing green.
"You can't stand him here, but your ex is singing codswallop in my head." Buffy screamed. "Tell me how to shut her up. Now."
"You can't. I'm her sire and she won't stop for a direct order. Darla threatened to dust her regularly, but nothing keeps her quiet for more than a few days." Angel said softly.
"You get used to it, like having a radio on in the room but not listening to it." Spike rubbed her shoulder and she jerked away from him.
"So, I get to hear her in my head for the rest of my life or I can hunt her down and dust her." Buffy stalked around the room. "Dusting her is sounding good right now. Where is she?"
"No," Angel and Spike spoke in unison. Spike grimaced and Angel glared at him.
"What does all this have to do with anything?" Willow asked and every set of eyes swiveled to her. "I mean we called Angel to come and fix it."
"I can't fix this, Willow. They are mated. Look at her, pacing and agitated. It's what he does when he's upset." Angel shook his head. "It won't be long before the bond sets. All I can do is answer questions."
"And stare longingly at my mate. No droit du seigneur here." Spike snarled.
"No real need for it, is there, boy?" Angel responded without thinking. Buffy jumped over the couch and vaulted over Spike by pressing on his shoulder. Her feet landed square on Angel's chest and she knocked him flat. She dropped onto his chest, straddling him pressing one hand to his throat.
"You don't get to talk about it like that. I won't have it. After all the crap you put him through…" She shoved back from him, jumped to her feet, and pointed one finger at him. "Next time, I will rip your fucking head off. Do I make myself clear?"
Angel nodded slowly and Spike burst into laughter. Everyone looked at him oddly, but he just plopped down on the couch holding his stomach. Buffy tossed her hands up in the air and stormed off to the kitchen.
"Was Spike referring to what I would imagine…" Giles blushed and rubbed his glasses.
"Yes." Angel snapped as he stood up.
Giles handed his glasses to Willow and punched Angel in the nose, breaking it and causing blood to gush down his face. Spike fell from the couch to the floor as he erupted in laughter once more.
"Too good." He managed to squeeze out the words in between guffaws.
"What is too damn good?" Buffy demanded from the kitchen.
"First, my mate knocks him on his ass, then her human watcher shatters his nose. I could dust happily."
"If it wouldn't kill Buffy, I'd help you with that." Angel snarled and stared at Spike with loathing.
"Finally something we need," Xander pushed forward. "She's acting strangely. She screams when he touches her, but attacks him just fine."
"That's the difference." Anya smiled. "She can defend herself or fight if need be, but until the bond sets casual touching is off the menu."
"That's not normal." Xander pointed at Buffy. "This bond thing is dangerous for her."
"In the strictest sense, yes, but so is the air in a closed room or half the things she calls food." Angel looked at the rug under his feet. "Spike's harder than hell to kill, he'll be no drain on her life expectancy."
"There has to be a way to break these bonds." Willow looked at him pleadingly. "Some rumor you heard a hundred years ago, something."
"No. I've known a bonded pair, one. Some supposedly survive the passing of their mate for a while, but they usually welcome death when it comes. Most just dust at the same moment."
"If there is a difference, there's a reason." Willow tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Willow, the stuff I know is hearsay. Vamp orders stopped doing this shit centuries ago." Angel shoved one hand in his pocket and looked away.
"Hell, Anya seems to know more than you." Xander glared at Angel with his normal animosity restored.
"She probably does. She's a millennia older than I am. Aurelius was still the Master of our line when she was human the first time." Angel shrugged. "She might be the best source alive. There are a few vamps that might know more, but you don't want that kind of attention here."
"Let's listen to Anya. Angel can tell us if what she says coincides with his knowledge." Giles looked over at Buffy as she kept her back to them.
"Let her be," Spike said softly. "She loves Angel. Having him here, with all that she's learned, hurts her."
"What do you mean by all that she's learned?" Willow looked at Buffy as she moved about in the kitchen.
"She knows." Angel rubbed his hand along his forehead. "I never wanted her to see me like that, as Angelus."
"She's seen you as Angelus." Xander looked at the grim faces on both vampires. "She's kicked your ass as Angelus. What's the problem?"
"She remembers my fledgling years, shares the memories, and to a lesser extent what happened here in Sunnydale. I wasn't much fun for you in the wheelchair." Spike said bitterly.
"I was beyond crazy, Spike. I'm sorry." Angel touched Spike's shoulder and Buffy growled.
"Hands off my mate or you will have no use of them ever again. No use for a mate of your own either. Hey, that might be better for everyone all around." She swung over the counter on one arm and landed with easy grace on her feet. She stared at Angel aggressively.
"Her eyes keep glowing." Xander whispered. "That can't be good."
"She can also bloody well hear you. She had slayer senses before the mating." Spike shook his head in exasperation. "She's magnificent, always knew it."
"This situation seems to be leaning toward the volatile, perhaps we should all sit and converse. Let cooler heads win the day." Giles looked at Buffy, but she only narrowed her gaze and growled.
"He's not going to touch me, Slayer. He knows better." Spike pushed his way through her pet humans and stood between her and Angel. "You don't love me. You don't want me. It's just the bond riding you. You love him. Do you really want to hurt him?"
Buffy stared up at him for a moment then grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him to her, slamming their lips together with brutality. Spike stroked her arms and kissed her back, letting her weather the storm. She broke her lips away and gasped for air. He pulled her into the circle of his arms.
"It's alright, Pet. It's just coming on faster because of all these emotions. Try to relax."
"Should I close my eyes and think of England?" Buffy snickered against his chest.
"Somehow, I don't think that will be much of a problem." He grinned against her hair. "I would rather not be the floor show for your assorted groupies though."
"He can't touch you. I keep thinking about all that he's done, and when he touches you," she shivered in his arms. "I can't begin to explain the rage."
"I'm with you," Spike traced a finger along her jaw forcing her eyes up. "We will sit in a chair together and get through all this bloody nattering."
"I understand that the social convention is to force us all to sit through endless hours of debate and hopeless research, but I am bored with it." Anya announced. "They probably won't allow us to observe the consummation, so really why are we sitting here?"
Spike and Buffy turned to look at her and then smiled at each other. Angel looked away from them.
"Just polish your glasses, Giles." Buffy smiled at her watcher as she noticed his blush. "You'll feel better."
"I have to say I like the demon bird. She's a bit of all right and perhaps the only one of that lot with a brain in her skull."
"Giles and Willow are all brainy, and Xander knows stuff. He can fix anything." Buffy smiled up at him. "But right now, she is the only one making any sense."
"We need some peace or things are going to get out of hand." Spike looked at Giles. "So can we talk particulars first?"
"I imagine so." Giles nodded.
"We need a place. What does the order still own?" Spike looked at Angel.
"I haven't sold the mansion." Angel said.
"Rather wrestle you naked in holy oil. Next." Spike spun his hand in the air encouragingly.
"Well, Darla bought a place by the college. It used to be something, but it needs work. It is habitable, but it's not much else."
"Old bird always did like to fix up places." Spike grinned.
"Do you still have that place in Paris?" Buffy asked. "That looked nice."
"We aren't settling in the city of light." Spike said.
"I know, but maybe a visit someday, if they have some demon emergency." Buffy bumped his shoulder gently.
"I haven't sold off anything. It's a bad investment idea." Angel replied.
"Then transfer Darla's place to me, and I need an account for the fixing and the maintenance." Spike looked at him steadily. "I'll make sure it transfers back to the family when it's time."
"Just live there." Angel said. "It was Darla's, so you should be able to stroll right in."
"No, for the rest of my life, you will have to be invited into my home. Are we clear?" Spike's eyes flashed golden as he stepped forward.
"Fine. I'll take care of it all tomorrow."
"No, get on a bloody phone and call the bank. You may not like dealing with the demons anymore, but they keep our hours. I want the deed in my hand as soon as possible." Spike stepped back and looked at Buffy. She nodded.
"Put my name on the deed as well, and the account." Buffy said and looked at Spike steadily. "I know it isn't my money, but we both need to be able to pay workers and the house will be safer if a human owns it with you."
"Buffy," Angel said softly. "I need to talk with Spike about all the financial arrangements, maybe you could give a list to Willow and the others of the things you need."
"Don't touch him." Buffy snarled and stepped away. Angel watched her walk toward her friends with naked longing in his eyes.
"You always did have luck." Angel looked at Spike and shook his head.
"Yeah, I spent the better part of my unlife with a broken vampiress so in love with you she never really saw me, and I'll spend the rest of it with a woman that loves you and mourns a future you denied her by leaving. Yes, sir, I sure am lucky." Spike turned his back to the group. 'Shall we get down to brass tacks?"