jesterladyfic | Wend Their Ways Together: Chapter Twenty

Joyce opened the door to issue in the battle worn and spell-jazzed up gang.

“My, you all look ready to drop and you still want to have a party?”

“Tradition, Mom,” said Buffy. They all gathered in the living room with popcorn and drinks. Joyce handed Spike a steaming mug that, he thankfully noticed, did not have Kiss the Librarian printed on it.

“What’s this then, Mum?” he asked, wrapping his hands around it.

“Something special I picked up for you today. Try it.” He obliged her by taking a deep draught. A look of ecstasy passed over his face and he looked at her sharply.

“What’d you do, Joyce? Pop a vein?”

“No,” she laughed. “I was at the hospital today and one of the interns told me how much blood is going to waste due to expiration. They were just throwing it away. I told them I knew someone who could help. He looked new.” He grinned at her.

“Brilliant job. It’s like heaven and a feast.” They looked at all the others
who were staring at them wearing expressions of disgust.

“Eww,” was the collective comment. The phone rang and Joyce hurried to answer it. She turned and held it out.

“Buffy, it’s for you.” Buffy took it.

“Hello. Oh, hi, Riley.”

“Hi, Buffy. Listen, I’m at the debriefing. The Initiative is shutting down. I
thought you’d want to know.”

“How come? Not that I’m sad or anything, but why now?”

“The government was experimenting with the program to see if the hostiles could
be used for our purposes. Under the circumstances, they’ve concluded the hostiles cannot be controlled.”

“And about time. They have no way to deal with these things, no matter how
sophisticated your technology is.”

“Yeah, well, I’m being reassigned. So this is goodbye.”

“Where will you go?”

“Classified information I’m afraid.” She laughed.

“Of course it is. Well, be careful and good luck. Don’t let the beasties
getcha.”

“You too, Buffy. Be wary of the vampire.”

“Goodbye, Riley.”

“Goodbye, Buffy.” She hung up the phone and turned to the group.

“Initiative is officially closed.”

“All right!” said Xander. “Now we can all be killed instead of them!”

Eventually they all settled down to watch a movie, but everyone kept falling
asleep, so they decided to call it a night. Each headed to their respective places. Joyce upstairs; Tara to her dorm; Giles for some alone, grownup time playing guitar at his flat; Willow and Oz to his room; Jonathan and Andrew to their underground apartment; Xander and Anya to his basement and Buffy and Spike to their apartment. Everyone was filled with a sense of fulfillment and purpose, knowing the battle was over for now and they could rest.

***

Anya lay with her head nestled on Xander’s shoulder and her nose wrinkled at the bleach smell.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked him.

“My life. Some things need to change,” he replied.

“Like me? You’re breaking up with me!” She sat bolt upright. Xander looked at
her incredulously.

“Whoa! Slow down there. I’m not breaking up with you. Are you breaking up
with me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I tried that once. It doesn’t work.”

“Okay,” he said, calming himself. “Then nobody’s breaking up with each other and I can breathe again.”

“All right,” she said, settling herself back onto his chest. “Don’t scare me
like that again. It’s rude and frightening.” He opened his mouth for a second to argue, then closed it again. Why bother?

“What are you going to change that’s not me?” she asked after a moment.

“I’m gonna move. I need a place to live that’s not here.”

“Of course you do. This place is awful. Do you mean it?” Xander nodded. Anya
clapped her hands together.

“Oh, I’m so excited! I can’t contain it. You’re not going to live in this musty, old dungeon where I have to come and visit you if I want to see you and have sex.” She kissed him.

“With the construction work,” he said, avoiding her comments. “I’m finally getting enough to pay for someplace else. Some place nice for you.”

“Xander, that was very sweet. You are improving.” He grinned.

“Just don’t tell Spike. He’ll gloat and try to take credit for it.” Anya
smiled and kissed him again.

***

Willow looked around Oz’s room in satisfaction. It was once again full of his stuff, pictures of them and it even smelled like him, like them. Oz emerged from the bathroom and smiled down at her on the bed. He got in beside her and wrapped his arms around her.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

“Oddly enough, you,” he answered, quirking an eyebrow at her. “My mind seems to
do that automatically. It’s funny that way.” Willow smiled. She couldn’t believe he was with her again, that he was here after all that time apart.

“Did I ever tell you how glad I am you’re back? It’s like Christmas, only not actually Christmas, cause I’m Jewish, but you know the meaning of what I mean. It’s like the part where we watch movies and Xander does the Snoopy dance.”

“Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. ‘Yeah, Will, I do know.”

“You’re so Oz,” she said.

“Have been for some time. Actually, I can’t help it.”

“And I wouldn’t want you to. If you could, you wouldn’t be you and then I
wouldn’t have you, but somebody else and I’d probably lose control and magic you back.”

“Best I save you the temptation and stay me.” He paused. “Witchdom okay these days? That spell was pretty freaky and I worry about you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna go all wicked witch of the west on you. The spell was…it was incredible, like nothing I’d ever done before, even re-ensouling Angel. That was like I had no control. I wasn’t doing the spell; it was doing itself through me. And it was always like that, even after I started studying witchcraft. But this time, I had the power. It wasn’t me just grabbing something else to get what I wanted. I was using my own power to channel the magic and I could feel. Like the three of them were inside me and I was inside them and we were so unstoppable. I’m gonna keep learning, because I want that again. I want to do it right and not keep losing it.” She looked at him and he smiled at her, his eyes expressing so much more than his simple words.

“You’re amazing, Will. Like nothing I’ve ever known. It’s scary, but you’re worth it.” He kissed her gently and she responded in like kind.

“Just don’t go mating with other wolves,” she whispered. He smiled again.

“No worries. My wolf chose you for its mate. Oz for life: your new mantra.”

“I can handle that,” she said and kissed him some more.

***

“Not even a little tired, love?” Spike nibbled on Buffy’s ear. She mewled in pleasure.

“Nope, just us two nocturnal creatures here.”

“Good. So, you gonna tell me what it was like?”

“You don’t like magic, remember?” she teased.

“I’ll deal with the pain. Come on, give, Slayer.”

“It was a rush. More power and knowledge than I knew what to do with. It was
certainty and composure and all the things you want when you can’t get them. It was quite cool.” They lay in silence for a few minutes before Buffy reached over and nuzzled his neck. “Watcha thinking about?”

“Your Mum, brilliant lady.”

“Eww. Why are you thinking about my mother in our bed? That’s very, very
gross.” He looked horrified.

“Not like that! Give me a heart attack, or the vampire equivalent anyway. I
was thinking about the blood she’s getting me.”

“Again, eww.” But after a moment, Buffy asked. “What’s blood taste like?”

“Haven’t you ever bit yourself, love?”

“Well, yeah, but does all blood taste the same? What makes a difference in who you bite?” He shifted to look at her.

“Age, sex, what you eat. It all depends. Girls are sweeter, but men are more sustaining. Alcoholics are a ride, same for junkies. Younger people are a fresher, lighter meal. Can be hot or cold, thick or thin. Bloody variety of reasons.”

“So why’s animal blood so disgusting?”

“It’s like eating molding cheese compared to the fruit of the gods. Congrats, pet, your race just happens to be absolutely delicious. Not all animal blood is really nasty though. Otter, for example, is quite tasty, but Gramps can tell you that rat and pig--way down on the edible scale. Besides, I think there’s something about humans that we need, probably cause we come from you. But could be just the taste, don’t know really.”

“I’ve been bitten, you know,” she said softly.

“I know,” he said, just as quiet. “I can feel the marks, even without seeing them.”

“The first time wasn’t fun at all. The second was pleasurable in a weird way, but not fun.” He tensed at the mention of the intimacy she and Angel had shared. “Biting is important to you guys, isn’t it? Blood, it’s your life.” Buffy stared at the ceiling, then looked into Spike’s eyes. “Will you bite me?” His eyes widened in shock and he practically recoiled.

“No bloody way. I’m not treating you like a sodding appetizer.” She pulled him toward her.

“It’s not just about eating. I’m the Slayer, I know. It’s about connecting and sharing life. I want to connect with a vampire in a bite that’s not just about raw need, but love.” Spike continued to stare at her, jaw set stubbornly. “Don’t you want to?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he gulped. “I do, but I-"

“Come on, Spike. Remember all that blood just pumping away,” she tempted him, drawing out the word pumping as she had done before. He stared in longing at her neck, so delicious and willingly offered and gave in.

”A taste.” Buffy lifted her neck and his senses blared, all the blood under her skin singing to him.

Slowly, deliberately and with great care not to hurt, his features changed and he sank his teeth into her.

Warm ecstasy flowed into his mouth and overwhelmed his entire body. She was hot and expectant, fruity and golden, sweet and willing. It was all he could do not to howl with pleasure to the night and partake forever in this life-giving ambrosia.

Under him, Buffy opened her mouth to scream at the pain, but no sound came out, then pleasure rolled over her in waves and she gasped with the weight of it. This wasn’t like before, this was better. Like all of her being was being treasured and loved and fondled and devoured at the same time. She thought the spell was a rush! This far outweighed it and she cried out in loss as he stopped and his lips moved from her neck.

It had been as he promised, only a taste and yet what had transpired in those few seconds. He licked the wounds closed and rested on her shoulder. Spike couldn’t believe his own audacity.

“Are you okay, love? Not hurt?” Buffy shook her head.

“Never better.” But she was overcome with a need for more of him and she grabbed his head and pulled it to hers so their lips met and once again the entire world pulled away. There was just the Slayer and the Vampire and their impossible love.