Part 34

Anya heard the bell over the Magic Box door, and turned to see the
redhead rushing in from the night. Several other heads turned to see her as
well, including the slayer who let out a disgusted sigh. She did not want to be
doing research with Willow there, so without a word, she pulled herself up out
of her seat and headed for the training room. Willow slipped off her jacket and
hung it on the coat rack, giving everyone a weak smile, trying hard not to
flash her fangs.



“You’re late again. It’s like some kind of conspiracy with the not
showing up on time and saying la la la, I don’t care if I’m late,” Anya said in
frustration.



“Sorry, something came up,” Willow replied quietly, her voice shaking
slightly.



“Well,” Anya said, her voice softening at the obvious distress of the
redhead, “just try not to let it happen again, okay?”



“Hey, Wills, is everything all right?” Xander asked with concern.



“It’s fine. Are we doing a creature feature tonight?” she asked
noticing the books strewn about the table.



“Yeah, but nothing dire,” Dawn said hopping up from her seat. “I was
just about to go for coffee, can I get you something?”



“No, I’m good. Thanks though,” Willow replied, giving the girl a
brief hug before she made her exit.



“You know, Will, I really think something is bothering you. Why don’t
you come over here and tell the Xan man all about it.”



“That’s right; you should talk about it, because Oprah says that’s
the healthy thing to do. And stress gives you wrinkles and now that you’re
going to live forever, you should really try to reduce your stress and take
better care of your skin so you don’t end up spending eternity looking like an
old man,” Anya offered helpfully.



“An, honey, love of my life…so, so not helping.”



“I told you, I’m fine,” Willow said again, flopping into a chair with
a heavy sigh.



“And I’m still not believing you. Did dead boy jr. do something to
you? Because if he did…”



“No, Spike didn’t do anything wrong. My dad came back to town.”



“Oh, wow. How did he take the news about…err…everything?” Xander
asked with concern.



“Not so good. He kind of walked in on me and Spike in his bed, and
wigged out a bit.”



“I’ll say. There’s a sight that could chill you to the bone,” the
dark haired man said with a shudder.



“Xander,” Willow warned.



“Right, sorry. So what happened?”



“He freaked, and then I freaked, and then I threw him out.”



“You threw him out of his own house?” Xander asked in surprise.



“Well, I say good for you, Willow. After all, possession is nine
tenths of the law. Surely by now you would have squatter’s rights on that house
anyway,” Anya informed her, “You should look into having the property value
assessed.”



“Anya, I don’t really think the property value of the house is the
major issue here,” Xander quipped.



“No, she makes an interesting point. Say I did want to sell the
house, I mean it’s too big for just Spike and me anyway, how would I go about
that?”



Anya spent the better part of the next hour explaining mortgages and
how to tell when was a good time for real estate, plus the names of several
good agents to list the property with. Unknown to Xander, the ex-demon had been
out house shopping for a place for the two of them to move to after the
wedding. Xander took the news well, he simply sputtered for a few minutes about
not having enough money for a house, before Anya went into some long tirade
about high yield bonds and why couldn’t he ever listen to her and that they had
plenty of money, effectively putting the poor confused man out of his misery.



@@@@@@@@@@



Angelus pulled his long black convertible up to the curb on a street
running parallel with the Sunnydale promenade. Once all three vampires were
standing on the sidewalk, he fixed his two childer with a solid stare, making
sure he had their undivided attention.



“Okay, you two are free to hunt here, but be careful. I want you to
stay on the lookout for the slayer and her little pals. Do not, I repeat, do
NOT go to the Bronze, and stay away from the cemeteries, those seem to be the
places she frequents the most. Now I want you to stick together. Take care of
each other, do I make myself clear?”



“Oh yes, daddy, we will be like two eels in love,” Drusilla assured
him.



“Ewww! We so will not!” Cordelia said in disgust, but noticing
Angelus’ glare, she added, “But we will stick together.”



“Good. Meet me at Willow’s house before sunrise, and stay out of
trouble.”



“Wait,” Cordy asked as he turned to leave, “Where are you going to
be?”



“I’m going to find my witch,” he replied over his shoulder before
disappearing into the night.



@@@@@@@@@@



Spike leisurely made his way through the Fairview cemetery, looking
for something to fight. He had wanted to go to the Magic Box with Willow,
especially considering how upset she had been before, but she insisted on
having her space for awhile and he was determined to respect her wishes. That
didn’t mean he had to like it however.



Lost in thought, he almost lost his head when he stumbled on a pair
of Neda demons that were in the process of dismembering a body they had dug up.
Spike stumbled back; falling onto his ass, just as the large blade held by one
of the demons whooshed by his face. He did a quick kick flip and righted
himself, followed by a roundhouse kick that connected with the demon’s chest,
knocking him onto his back, and giving Spike some room to move.



He was a bit disappointed to only find two Nedas. As demons went,
they didn’t pose much of a challenge. They were slow, and mostly scavenged for
food, frequently digging up fresh graves for corpses to feed on. They were also
relatively short and not terribly muscular, with boar like tusks jutting out of
their mouths and reddish brown manes that reminded him of David Lee Roth and
the nightmare that was the 80s rocker hair-do.



With another well placed kick, the blonde vampire knocked the blade
from the second demon’s hand, and started in on him with a series of rabbit
punches, hoping to draw the fight out a bit. He noticed out of the corner of
his eye that the first demon was heading back into the fray. Spike grabbed the
second demon by the throat, quickly spinning their bodies together to face the
knife wielding demon coming their way, and used its body as a shield as the
long blade hacked into the back of the other demon’s head, spilling grey blood
and thicker things from the wound.



The demon went limp and became a dead weight in Spike’s hand, which he quickly
dropped. He watched the corpse fall to the ground and then brought his gaze
back up to the remaining demon, his vamp face sliding forward. The blonde
vampire gave an evil grin, reaching forward in a blur of speed and snapped the
demon’s neck, dropping his body on top of the other. ‘Well,’ he thought, ‘that
was over too quickly.’



“Not bad,” a familiar voice came from behind him. He turned with a groan and
found himself face to face with the slayer.



“Buffy, what do you want?” Spike asked as he lit a cigarette and started to
walk away.



“Nothing. I heard the fighting and thought I’d come see what’s the what,” she
replied, following him. “Hey, you’re not just going to leave those guys there,
are you?”



“As a matter of fact,” he said, glancing at her nonchalantly over his shoulder.
“I’m the Big Bad, I kill things. I’m not a maid. You want them gone, you clean
it up.”



“God, Spike, you may have a soul now, but you’re still a pain in the ass!”



“Thank you, slayer. Coming from you, I take that as very high praise indeed,”
Spike replied, quickening his steps trying to get away from the annoying blonde
woman.



“Yeah, well, just because you and your freak girlfriend are all soul having,
don’t think for a minute that I won’t bust both your asses if either of you
step out of line.” Spike stopped at this, spun around and stalked menacingly
back toward Buffy, who instinctively took a step back. Then, realizing what she
had done she stepped forward again and held her ground.



“You stay the hell away from Willow,” he said with a deadly tone, “I don’t know
why she ever considered you a friend, when you obviously don’t have a loyal
bone in your body, but I swear if you come anywhere near her I’ll kill you. I
don’t care whether she wants me to or not, you’ll just be dead. Got it, slayer?”



“Boy, you’ve really got it bad for that half breed, huh?”



Spike’s answer was a sharp punch in the face that came so fast and hard, that
Buffy was flat on her back with blood pouring out of her nose, before she ever
had a chance to react.



“I think you broke my nose!” Buffy accused, gingerly touching her face and
slowly climbing to her feet.



“You stay away from my mate, or I’ll break a lot more than that,” Spike replied
before storming off to the Magic Box to check up on the redhead.



@@@@@@@@@@



Angelus had been all over town. He had checked Willow’s house first,
realizing quickly that she was not at home, and had apparently never revoked
his invitation, since he was still able to enter without any pesky barriers
getting in the way. It was immediately obvious that his childe was living there
with her; his scent was everywhere, especially the bed. Angelus let out a small
growl at the thought of his childe sleeping with the witch. She belonged with
him, and soon she would be.



He had tried the Bronze next, careful to keep an eye out for the
slayer. Still he had no luck, but he did find a cute little blonde that looked
a little like Buffy, and greatly enjoyed luring her outside and draining her
dry in a nearby alley. He was also unsuccessful at the Espresso Pump, and then
he remembered the magic store the watcher had bought. It was as good a place as
any for a witch to hang out. The dark vampire looked up the address in a phone
book at the coffee shop, and headed over. By the time he got there, it was
after eleven and peering through the windows, he was delighted to find his
witch there and alone.



Willow heard the bells above the shop door, and turned to tell
whoever it was that they had just closed and to try again in the morning, when
she saw none other than Angelus staring back at her. Instantly her heart sped
up with a combination of lust and dread. Oh goddess, what is he doing here?!
She moved from behind the counter and cautiously walked toward him.



“Angelus, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”



There was something different about her, something that called
strongly to his blood, like a childe to their sire, but he could hear her heart
racing. Spike had not yet turned her. What the hell was going on?



“Willow, you look delicious,” he said with an evil grin.



Willow couldn’t help but return his grin with one of her own,
momentarily flashing her petite fangs. However, a moment was enough for Angelus
to notice them, and he cocked his head to the side with a curious expression.



“It seems we have a lot to talk about, little one. Why don’t we head
back to your place now so I can fuck you senseless before the girls show up,
and then you can tell us all what’s been happening here,” the dark vampire said
reasonably.



“We are not fucking, Spike would kill you, and did you really bring
Dru and Cordy along?”



“I sure did, but don’t worry, I told them to avoid the slayer. And
don’t you worry about my wayward childe either, he always did like to watch,”
he said with a leer.



“it doesn’t count when you tie him to a chair, and besides, I don’t
want to sleep with you.”



“Oh please, Willow. You are a woman of exceptional character. Lies do
not become you. But no matter, we’ll just go back to your house and talk then.
You may not admit to wanting me there, but Drusilla is very eager to see you,
and I know you would never turn her out into the daylight, so what do you say?”



“Fine, but I expect you to behave yourself and get along with Spike
if you’re going to stay the day.”



“You got it,” he said with a triumphant grin, offering her his arm.
Willow paused for a moment before slipping her arm through his, stopping
briefly on the way out to lock up the shop.



@@@@@@@@@@



Spike rounded the corner to the Magic Box, still muttering under his
breath about the slayer and what a pleasure it would be to kill her, when he
saw them. His mate was coming out of the shop with her arm laced together with
that of his sire. The blonde vampire felt his face instantly shift to that of
his demon, a low growl escaping his lips. What in the hell was peaches doing
here, and why was Willow going with him so happily, like some bloody groupie?!
His demon was screaming for blood as a jealous rage washed over him. How dare
she betray him, she belonged to him! Spike gritted his teeth, stalking forward.
His demon wanted blood and it was going to get it.

Part 35

Willow and Angelus had started out toward home when they heard the
sound of boots pounding the pavement. The pair spun around in time to see a
very enraged Spike barreling down on them, knocking both of them to the ground
with a howl before either could react. Instantly the blonde vampire was on top
of his sire, taking full advantage of the element of surprise and pummeling him
into the ground. The shock only lasted for a moment though before Angelus threw
him off and staggered to his feet. Willow also stumbled to her feet, although
with difficulty, having hit her head hard on the sidewalk.



“Spike! What are you doing?!” the redhead screamed in confusion.



“I’m killing my bloody sire! What does it look like I’m doing?! But
don’t worry, you’re next you traitorous whore!”



She stood frozen in shock; she had never seen her mate so angry. She
knew he and Angelus had a bad history, but she had no idea he would react this
badly. For a moment she thought about trying to get between them and break it
up, she did have new super strength after all. However, the last time she had
interrupted their fighting, she had gotten a stake in the back and she didn’t
want a repeat of that nightmare. So instead, she watched in terror as her mate
and former lover tried to kill each other, punches and kicks flying almost
faster than could be seen.



Spike did a roundhouse kick to Angelus’ head, but his rage, while
driving him to kill, was making him sloppy and the older vampire caught the
boot before it connected with his jaw. He twisted the blonde’s foot, spinning
him though the air and slamming him into a nearby brick wall. Angelus lunged
forward, grabbing Spike and pulling his limp form up till they were face to
face.



“Don’t you get it, boy? You will never beat me, you just don’t have
it in you,” Angelus growled at his childe, watching as hate filled amber eyes
met his own.



“That’s what you think, mate,” Spike ground out before head butting
his sire, breaking his nose and making him release his hold on his childe.



Spike took advantage of the temporary blindness and choking sensation
that a broken nose often gives, to deliver another roundhouse kick, this time
making full contact with Angelus’ head, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
Instantly the blonde vampire was on him, ripping a stake from his pocket, and
striking down toward his heart.



“Stop!” Willow bellowed hands stretched out toward the brawling pair,
hurling them both through the air and pinning them to a nearby wall.



“Let me go! I’m going to kill him! Garrrrgh!” Spike growled,
struggling to get free.



“Not if I kill you first, boy!”



“Shut up, both of you! If anyone is going to kill anyone, it’s going
to be me, killing the both of you!” the redhead screamed, her hands clenched
into fists.



“Huh, funny, I thought you would just do me in, pet. Make way for you
and peaches to be together,” Spike said bitterly, but the hurt in his voice was
obvious.



“Spike, how can you even doubt how much I love you? What, did that
chip fry your brain or something?” Willow asked, while Angelus chuckled in the
background, however his laughing soon stopped when she shot a glare in his
direction.



“Gee, I don’t know, WILLOW, how about because you got out of that
place, but never once tried to find me. Or maybe, it was because that whole
time you were fucking my bloody sire!”



“Oh, right! And where were you when I was locked in that hell hole?!
You know what; I’m not even going to argue about this with you. Yes I fucked
your sire, like a million times and in a million ways, but I left him because I
loved you. If you’re too stupid to get that and too insecure to get over your
shit, then to hell with you!” She screamed at him, watching him flinch at her
words.



“That’s right, boy; she left because she loved you. And it only took
her a year in my bed to decide to go looking for you again,” Angelus said with
a sneer.



“Oh shut up, Angelus! The only reason you’re even goading him on like
this is because he’s finally got something you can’t take away from him. And
just between you and me, Drusilla was always better in bed than either of you
two assholes. Now, I’m tired, and I’m going home. I’m going to let you both go,
kill each other if you like, but leave me out of it.”



With a flick of the wrist, they were both free again, staring in
shock at her retreating form. The hatred still burned in both of them, but they
knew that if they didn’t follow her then, it was possible that she would never
talk to either of them again.



@@@@@@@@@@



Cordelia and Drusilla arrived at Willow’s house shortly before
sunrise to find Spike and Angelus both stretched out on the sofa bed, fighting
over the covers. The minute the front door opened though, their struggling
stopped as they both did their best to keep up their cool façade. Of course
both girls fell into fits of giggles seeing them like that, Drusilla quickly
crawling onto the bed with them, bouncing with joy at the sight of the two
gorgeous men in bed together.



“Okay, I know you guys haven’t seen each other in a while,” Cordelia
said, but I thought you’d be all Grrr, not oh baby oh baby.”



“It’s not what you think. Willow wanted some time alone with Dru. And
she thought that you should get her old bedroom because you’re a girl and need
more space,” Angelus explained lamely.



“Yeah, right. That’s why we’re down here. Plus, um, she wanted us to
have a chance to catch up,” Spike added.



“Uh huh, sure. Well I guess I’ll head up to bed then. You play nice
with blondie,” Cordelia said over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs.



“Oooh, Daddy and Spike, together again, it’s just so delicious!”
Drusilla squealed, stroking her hands along their bare chests.



“I already said it wasn’t like that Dru, now stop it,” Angelus
snapped, pushing her hand away from him.



“Daddy, why are you mad at me?”



“Because, why didn’t you tell me that Willow had been turned into
some kind of vampire half breed?”



“But I did,” she replied with a pout, “I told you the little tree had
come out of the darkness with fresh teeth and eyes, and a heart that beats
wild.”



“Oh, right,” Angelus said, shaking his head in frustration while
Spike just laughed at him.



“Don’t feel bad, mate, even I couldn’t have figured that one out,”
the blonde said.



Drusilla pulled back the covers to reveal the two gloriously naked
men. As much as they hated each other at times, Drusilla was a common weakness
for both of them, and neither could resist when she again began to stroke their
chests, sliding her hands down, until she was gripping their quickly hardening
members. She lovingly rubbed and caressed the two men, until they were moaning
in passion. Then a loud thunk upstairs reminded her that her little tree was
still waiting for her. She gave them a wicked grin and crawled off the bed,
making them groan with frustration.



“I was right, mmm, delicious!” she said, before disappearing up the
stairs.



The two vampires looked at each other with a combination of disgust
and lust, both still thoroughly aroused, but neither wanting to admit they were
equally attracted to the other as much as they were to any woman they had ever
known. Soon they could hear the soft moans of their childer in the throes of
passion upstairs. It was painfully obvious to them that they were only inches
apart, but it may as well have been miles because neither was willing to give
the last inch. The sounds upstairs became louder, as they heard Willow giving
out a keen wail, and Drusilla crying out Angelus’ name.



The older vampire gave a low chuckle, until he turned his gaze from
the ceiling back to his childe lying next to him, and felt his cock harden
further to see him there, staring back at him, stroking his own hard length and
wearing a wicked grin.



“It’s not nice to tease, William.”



“Oh come on now, old man, you’re the one who taught me that teasing
is half the pleasure,” Spike replied, running his thumb across his swollen tip
with one hand, and pinching his nipple with the other, a slight gasp escaping
his lips.



Suddenly the dark vampire was on him, pressing him into the mattress
as his mouth moved to devour Spike’s. His tongue was demanding entrance, and
was soon granted it, both vampires probing with cool tongues, battling for
dominance. Their hands explored everywhere as the kiss became more intense,
searching and reacquainting themselves with long forgotten territory. Spike’s
nails raked across his sire’s back, drawing blood, and arousing both of them
further. He wanted to feel his sire inside him again, to feel dominated as
Angelus renewed his claim, but was too proud to ask for these needs to be
fulfilled. The dark vampire sensed his childe’s desires, feeling the same needs
within himself.



“Are you going to get some lube, boy, or do you want me to take you
dry?” Angelus asked, pulling back slightly.



Spike pushed him off with a smirk, and swaggered into the kitchen.
After much swearing and the sound of objects being moved about, he returned a
few minutes later with a tube of lubricant. He was still wearing an evil grin,
but there was something hesitant in his eyes, like a child that had been hurt
too many times. Angelus flashed him a grin of his own, giving him some
reassurance as he reached his hand out to his childe.



“It was in the kitchen?” he asked with a mixture of amusement and
confusion.



“Yeah, I convinced Red we should break in the kitchen table a few
days ago. She must have scrubbed it clean a hundred times since then, but she
still won’t eat off it,” Spike answered with a chuckle. Although all laughter
stopped when his sire pulled him back on the bed and embraced him with another
bruising kiss.



“Get on your knees, boy,” Angelus purred in his ear, making shivers
of desire run through his body as he eagerly complied.



Angelus looked down on the pale perfection of his childe’s body with
the yearning of years lost. He ran his hand along the smooth, muscular back,
and down to his firm buttocks. He pushed his cheeks apart, spreading a liberal
amount of lubricant at his tight opening, and worked one finger and then two
past the ring of muscle in preparation. Spike moaned in pleasure, feeling his
cock grow incredibly hard in anticipation. Angelus spread lubricant over his
own hard length, pushing into his childe’s tight passage, one agonizing inch at
a time, until he had buried his full length within him.



“I’m not made of porcelain, fuck me hard, you broody bastard.”



Angelus didn’t need any further invitation as he began a brutal pace,
pounding his swollen cock into his childe. Both men were groaning in pleasure,
the sound of grunting and flesh slapping together filling the air. Angelus
reached around grabbing Spike’s cock in one hand and began pumping him
furiously. Years of buried desire was making their climax build quickly, as the
blonde vampire clenched his muscles tighter, increasing his sire’s pleasure.
The sensation was enough to push Angelus over the edge, his face shifting to
that of his demon. He clamped his hand tightly around Spike’s cock as he
emptied his cold seed into his tight passage, while his other hand pulled his
childe’s head back, burying his fangs into his throat. Spike’s orgasm soon
followed at the feel of his sire’s claim, spilling his release through his
Angelus’ fingers and across the sheets.



When Willow came down a few hours later, checking to make sure the
pair hadn’t killed each other while she slept, she was surprised to find them
fast asleep in each other’s arms, a fresh bite mark showing on Spike’s neck.
‘Well, it’s about damn time,’ she thought, ‘hopefully now they’ll behave
themselves a little better. Nah.’ She smiled as she looked at them, then with a
happy sigh, she headed back up to bed.



@@@@@@@@@@



As the next evening fell, Willow found herself with four hungry
vampires in the house, and not even enough blood bags to satisfy Spike’s
thirst. She needed to feed as well, so it looked like she was going to be
making a run to the butcher shop.



“Well, why don’t you just lure some people here instead, because I
can tell you right now I’m not drinking that pig’s blood crap,” Cordelia said
with a look of distaste.



“What do you mean, lure some people here? You can’t mean for me to
lure victims for you,” Willow asked incredulously.



“That’s exactly what I mean. After all, Spike here was explaining how
you’ve got this new mojo thing where you can lure guys to you in flocks, so why
not just go out and bring a few home for us.”



“Um, because it’s wrong,” Willow said as if she were speaking to a
small child.



“Look, Red, maybe we can take them to Willy’s. He’s always got fresh

O-Neg, and the slayer only ever goes in there if she’s looking for info, so it
should be safe. We could even drive there,” Spike suggested.



Willow didn’t like the sound of it, but it still sounded like a
better idea than luring men back to the house like walking blood bags. Besides,
they were together, and there was safety in numbers, right?



@@@@@@@@@@



They had had a great evening, joking and laughing like a real family.
Willow played patty cake with Drusilla, while Angelus and Spike played darts,
and Cordelia kept herself busy flirting with a Sawaro demon who kept buying her
drinks and asking her to rub his horns.



“I’m so happy to have my family back again. Your minds sing inside
mine, forever now,” Drusilla said with a quirky grin.



“I’m glad we’re a family too,” Willow said truthfully.



“No matter what, little tree, keep the family together, and my mind
will always sing with yours,” Drusilla said with a serious look, sounding more
sane than usual.



“What do you mean, Dru? Have you had another vision?” the redhead
asked with concern.



“Cordy has the special word pictures now. Make me some fishes,
poppet. Please?”



Willow cast the simple spell, sending a wave of rainbow colored fish
swimming around the vampire’s head, and she squealed in delight. Soon, her
laughter erased all thoughts of anything else, and the pair went back to
playing their games and giggling like a couple of kids. A few times, Angelus
and Spike looked over at the pair and couldn’t help smiling themselves. Things
were still far from perfect between them, their conversations were filled with
multiple barbs and three times already that evening they had almost come to
blows, but even they could feel the sense of unity among the group of them, the
sense of family.



Eventually the group of them were standing outside, waiting for
Drusilla, who had decided at the last minute to sing Willy a song because he
was such a funny little man. They were laughing and joking while they waited,
then they felt it, a familiar presence, the slayer.



Anya, Xander, and Buffy came around the corner on their way home from
patrol. All of them looked tired and slightly annoyed, but their expressions
soon turned into surprise when they saw the foursome standing in front of the
bar.



“Oh my god, Angel,” Buffy said, rushing toward the dark vampire, not
noticing the way he flinched at the name his former souled self carried, as the
small girl threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I hadn’t heard from
you in so long, I thought something had happened to you. What brings you and
Cordelia to town?”



“We came to visit family,” Angelus said with a sinister grin, nodding
toward Willow and Spike.



“Oh, yeah, right,” the slayer replied uncomfortably, “And Cordelia,
did you come to see your folks?”



“No, I came because I was told to. What happened to your hair? It looks
awful.”



“Yeah, well that’s the curse of slaying I guess. It sometimes messes
up your hair.”



“Right, whatever. So Xander, it’s been awhile. You’re looking, mmm,
yummy,” Cordelia said, licking her lips. Spike and Willow eyed each other
nervously, preparing to fight if things got out of hand.



“Hey! Xander is my man now! So you just back off. You already had
your chance with him and you weren’t woman enough to keep him,” Anya said
defensively.



“Hah! I don’t want him back, I want to eat him,” Cordelia replied,
her face shifting to that of her demon. For a moment it was so quiet you could
hear a pin drop.



“Hey!” Anya yelled at Xander, breaking the silence, her hands on her
hips, “You didn’t tell me Cordelia was a vampire now! Is there anyone you’ve
dated that wasn’t at some point a demon? I mean you get on my case about how
strange my clown fetish is, but clearly you have issues of your own…”



“Anya! Please! The whole Cordy vamp thing is news to me. And for the record she
wasn’t a demon when we were dating.”



“Well, that’s a matter of opinion,” Buffy muttered under her breath, then a
thought occurred to her and she turned with a mixture of shock and horror to
face a laughing Angelus.



“That’s right, Buff, I’m back,” he said with a maniacal grin.



“B-But how? Was it you and Cordelia?” she asked, still in shock.



“Oh, I’ll admit, Cordy is a nice piece of ass, but she’s hardly good enough to
dislodge that pesky soul. No, you can thank sweet Willow for that one.”



All eyes suddenly turned to Willow, who instantly felt six inches tall. Spike
instinctively moved in front of his mate in case the slayer got any funny
ideas, noticing that she had already slipped Mr. Pointy from inside her sleeve.



“You-You whore! All this time they were saying ‘Oh no, Willow’s good, we should
all be friends with her again,’ but the whole time, THE WHOLE TIME, you knew
that Angelus was free and killing again, and you were the one who let him out!
So tell me, did you have fun fucking my boyfriend, you slut?!”



Willow didn’t get a chance to answer however, because at that moment, Drusilla
came strolling out of the bar, not knowing the mess she was walking into. It
all happened so fast that years later, when she looked back on this moment,
Willow still wouldn’t know if there was anything she could have done to change
things. Drusilla came out the door and had only enough time to let out a gasp
of surprise before Buffy plunged the stake through her heart and Willow’s lover
and companion simply disappeared in a cloud of dust.



Suddenly there was a screaming noise coming from somewhere, and it took the
redhead a moment to realize that she was the one who was crying out in horror
and grief. She fell to her knees, and watched as Angelus rushed his former
lover intent on slaughtering her, but before he had the chance, an arm appeared
around the slayer’s throat, and she watched as Spike broke her neck in one
swift move, shoving her body to the ground. His eyes were wild with grief that
was mirrored in the eyes of his sire and his mate. Angelus grabbed him and
pulled him into a tight embrace, letting his childe break down at the loss of
the woman he had loved for more than a century, then turned hard eyes on Xander
and Anya who were still frozen in shock. Willow saw the look he was giving, and
pulled herself together somewhat, moving between the angry vampire and her
friends.



“You two need to leave now,” she said over her shoulder, “Tell the others I’ll
miss them.”



She turned her head to look at Xander then and an understanding passed between
them. Things could never be the same after this. She couldn’t live without
Spike, and after what he had just done, Giles would never allow Spike to live.
They had to leave, and never come back. Sorrow filled Xander’s face, because he
understood too, and knew this time he would lose his friend for good, but it
was the only way. He nodded once, then grabbed Anya by the hand and left at a
brisk pace.

Part 36

Willow woke with a start, she had been dreaming of Drusilla again. It
had been four years since that horrible night, and still her dreams were
haunted with images of her friend and lover just disappearing in a cloud of
dust. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered everything she had
lost over the last several years. She snuggled down deeper in the covers, and
instinctively the two cold bodies of her lovers pressed in closer to her. Spike
reached his hand up, only half awake, and began smoothing her hair down and
whispering gentle reassurances in her ear.



Life was good for them, she had two men that she loved and was lucky
enough to spend eternity with. They had a beautiful two bedroom flat in Paris,
with a fantastic view. She could no longer enjoy the sunsets, but overlooking
the city at night was enough for her. Cordelia slept in the room down the hall
with her new fledgling boy-toy, Jacques. He didn’t speak a word of English, and
that was probably for the best. Willow didn’t have the heart to tell the former
cheerleader, that the little pet name he had given her actually meant ‘bossy
cow,’ but otherwise the pair seemed happy, not to mention that Angelus had made
it abundantly clear to the boy that if he did anything to hurt his seer, he
would be kissing daylight.



Some days the redhead would get sad, remembering the past. She still
kept in touch with Xander now and again, he had married Anya and less than a
year later they had had twins. She wished she could be there to watch them grow
up, but she knew that she could never return to that place, and at times it was
more than she could bear. When that would happen, Willow would leave town for a
few days. She never told anyone where she was going, but Spike knew. She would
go and visit her son, watching him from afar. She would see him with his
parents and his new baby sister, and it would reassure her that all was as it
should be. He was happy because he had a family that loved him, and she would
remember that she too had a family.



Of course there were also the times when the chaos of their lives
would drive her crazy, with Cordelia whining and complaining every time Angelus
ate some up and coming fashion designer she liked. Or the constant competition
between Angelus and Spike, leading to countless living room brawls and the
untimely demise of numerous lamps. But, every time Willow thought about staking
the whole lot of them, she remembered what Drusilla had said to her, all those
many nights ago, “No matter what, little tree, keep the family together and my
mind will always sing with yours.”



At the time, she hadn’t fully understand what she had meant, but now,
as she looked into the faces of her lovers, and listened to the loud snoring
sound coming from Cordelia down the hall, along with the occasional swear
coming from Jacques, she knew. As long as she kept the family together,
Drusilla would never truly be gone. Like ripples in a pond, she would go on
forever. Willow dried the tears from her eyes, pointed her hand into the air,
and with a few words of Latin, watched as a stream of rainbow colored fish
began to swim around the room, and for just a moment, she could swear she heard
Drusilla laughing.



THE END


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