Spike leaned back against the trunk of a tree and lit a cigarette. The bitter flavor was less appealing now as his better half rarely tolerated the habit. He had to hide his packs or she ran water over them and binned them with glee. He looked at her and took another long drag, enjoying the borrowed warmth from the ember. Buffy laughed, drawing his eyes back to her. He was relatively safe from a tongue lashing at the moment.

Buffy was whirling and twirling, just playing with the two undisciplined minions. This pair was more stupid than the last. Angelus was plumbing the depths of vampire soiety if this was the best he could muster. He took a deep breath and smiled. She was magnificent. Each move was quicksilver fast. He stood transfixed by the moon's soft shading of her golden tresses. His long repressed inner poet was thriving in this new existence.

Her growl reached his ears and he pulled his eyes from her to look for the new threat. There was nothing. He stretched out his senses and still nothing. He turned back toward the battle to find his beloved glaring at him. Her eyes flashed for a moment and she grabbed the cigarette from his hand.

"No more of this crap, Spike." She snarled as she flipped back toward her hapless prey. He watched as she kicked one of the young fools square in the face and dropped his fag into the other dim wit's hoodie.

"Not like it will kill me, Love." He called as he watched the battle.

"I might if you don't quit. It isn't good for me, and it tastes awful. So, if you want to keep kissing these lips." She broke off her tirade to punch the now smoking minion square in the nose with one hand and sling the other over her shoulder to land at his feet. Spike kicked the insensate bugger and shrugged. It didn't bother him to kill off his own kind. It never really had, but now he had a reason. His gaze fixed on Buffy as he plunged a stake deep and ended the poor bastard's misery.

"You want me to quit a habit I've had for a century?" He stood, shook another fag free from the pack, and glared at her as he set the filter between his lips defiantly.

"Why not? You've given up the whole killing humans thing. How hard can kicking the stinky cancer sticks habit be?" She grinned as the smoldering ciggie in the hood finally caught fully and her opponent screamed as the flames burned him to dust. "Plus, I kinda like you not all in flames."

"Nicely done, Pet." He smiled as she stalked toward him, her determination to save him from himself clear in her eyes. She was bloody adorable. She snatched the focus of her ire from his lips and smashed it under her heel. "I'm not brainless enough to set myself aflame, you know."

"You breathe all the time, now, ya know. It could hurt you." She looked up at him with a mulish expression on her lovely face. He studied her face for a moment and squashed the urge to continue the playful banter. There was very real fear lurking under all her bluster. He trailed his fingers along her cheek and dragged her close with his other arm.

"I let you dress me. How much harder can this be?" He dropped his head forward and caught the outraged gasp on her lips. Her welcoming giggle and eager response to his kiss thrilled him. She was learning to enjoy their life together more every day, to trust in the tomorrows he would do anything to give to her.

"If we head home now, we can probably pig out on the leftover lasagna." Buffy said as he trailed kisses down her neck. He pulled back and looked into her flushed face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. She was just wanting their soft bed. He knew it for certain.

"If the whelp has left a cheesy residue in the pan, it would be a miracle, Love. If you're wanting to have your wicked way with me, you'll meet no resistance." He stroked her hair back and dropped a kiss on her nose. Her cheeks bloomed and he groaned, jerking her as close as possible. "My lovely blushing bride."

"What?" Buffy looked up into his face with wide eyes.

"We are married or as good as by vampire standards and as soon as things settle down I think we should have some kind of human ceremony. Your mum would appreciate it." He traced one finger along her scar and enjoyed her excited shiver. "I did mention it when we were telling her about the mating."

"I knew we were together forever, but I guess I didn't think of myself as a bride." She bit her plump lower lip and buried her face against his chest. "I'm a wife, wow."

"You are my everything, Buffy." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her and leaned back against the tree, lost in the peace of the moment.

Buffy stiffened as he picked up on the trace signature of a family member. He whirled and looked around.

"William," the voice rasped as a skeletal figure shuffled into the open. "Help me, please."

Spike touched Buffy's cheek, and stared into her eyes.

"Find out what's going on with your friend. I've got your back." She pushed him toward the starved creature that had disturbed their cuddle. He looked at the blonde with a sinking heart.

"Sophie, is that you, Pet?" He walked toward her and felt rage bubble up within him. "What has happened to you?"

"I got away, but he hadn't fed me in months. I'm hungry and it hurts. Please kill me. Don't take me back." Her dry rasping voice made him ache.

"Penn did this? I should have slaughtered the bastard in Germany." He snarled. She whimpered and he caught her frail form against him.

"Spike," Buffy approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "She's too weak to present any danger. Let's get her home where we can relax and figure out what is going on. We can keep the others away until it's safe."

"She can't feed from humans, Love. Her sire cursed her to punish her. She's no threat. She was never evil enough for the family. Angelus appreciated her brains or he would have slaughtered her himself."

"Is this one of those enemy of my enemy thingies?" Buffy asked.

"A human?" Sophie looked over at Buffy and he could here her dry skin disintegrating with each movement. "You're with a human? What happened to Drusilla?"

"Left her for my own bit of heaven. This is my mate, Buffy Summers the vampire slayer." He nodded toward Buffy and saw the flash of curiosity in the familiar grey eyes.

"A vampire slayer?" A grating chuckle rose through her desiccated lips. "You never did like the easy road. So this is why Angelus is summoning us. I wondered what could have spooked our grandsire so. I'm useless to you, if I could fight at your side I would, but..."

"I want to bring her home," Buffy said with authority. "She might know something and if she tries anything, I'll grant her wish."

"She said she'd fight with us if she could. Sophie always had a tender heart. She was always the one that cleaned me up after Angelus was done. There's a chance she wants to help us, but we can't bring her home. She could leave and let the others know our location."

"You gave her a ring like ours. You trusted her once." Buffy's voice soothed him.

"We were both evil and on the same side, more or less. I didn't have anything to lose by it." Buffy shoved him aside and gathered Sophie in her arms. Her glare quickly silencing any further protest.

"He wants you safe. A mate is everything." Sophie coughed.

"Hurt him and you will never die, I will make Angelus look like a fluffy puppy. Are we clear?"

Spike fought against the goofy grin that played across his features. His mate was so wonderfully fierce in his defense.

"I like her, William." Sophie rasped as they traveled quickly toward home.