Buffy stretched, arching her back and moaning lightly as the cool silk sheets teased her sensitive nerve endings with their smooth sensuality. She allowed her mind to wander over the events of the day as she waited for her lover and soon to be mate to return from the urgent errand he'd had to run.

The day had started out well. Her dreams had somehow managed to achieve the thing that she didn't know she needed; balance. The effect of the new oneness she felt with her slayer had left her calmer and more alert at the same time; she hadn't felt so at peace with herself, ever.

She had happily headed off to school where the persistent scrutiny of her principal hadn't managed to pall her mood at all. Nothing seemed to faze her. Not even Cordelia Chase and her suspicious, almost accusing pronouncement that Buffy seemed more confident and self assured that she ever remembered. The Slayer had just smiled enigmatically and left the puzzled girl to her ponderings.

Her classes had all gone smoothly; she had even managed to ace a pop quiz that her history teacher had thrown at her. She was a little stunned to realise that apparently some part of her had actually been paying attention to her studies.

Giles was elated with her progress. Overnight, she'd managed to up her concentration level to a whole new state of consciousness. She was faster, stronger, and more focused than ever before. He had mused that if this was the result of just an internal balance, he couldn't wait to see the improvements that the mating brought with it.

Willow and Xander had both asked her when she was planning on bringing Spike along to the scooby meetings so that they could get a chance to bond with him and welcome him to their little family. Giles added his own curiosity to the others and Buffy happily announced that they would be mating that evening. Spike was going to join them all at the library the following night, as it was also the night that Angel was due back. She giddily suggested that after they informed the brunette vampire of the Powers' message, they all go to the Bronze afterwards to celebrate their union.

Buffy still cared for Angel, but Xander's glee at the upcoming confrontation had her smiling. She was more relieved by her friend's total acceptance of her guy than she was upset at the teens continued intolerance of her ex-boyfriend. Her insightful best female friend and her watcher noticed Buffy's reaction and shared her relief, but not the reason for the emotion. Buffy's happiness over her relationship with Spike was a far cry from the roller coaster of emotion that Angel's presence in her life had brought.

It really appeared that, with Spike at least, Buffy could have that touch of normal she had been lamenting for over the previous three years.

Unbeknownst to Buffy, while she had been going through her Monday at school, Spike had been busy, too. When the petite blonde arrived home after training, she discovered her boyfriend waiting for her. It wasn't until halfway through the evening that she found out what he and her mother had planned.

Spike had urged her to go up to her room and dress in ‘something pretty', her mother had been suspiciously missing. They had travelled by limousine to a tiny little French restaurant where Spike had enthralled her with his explanations of what each item of food that they ate meant. Buffy had had no idea that food even had meaning.

During the evening, Spike had awed her by explaining that he had thought about going out and buying them a house, but had decided that since she was going to live there, too, he should wait for her, the young blonde marvelled at the differences between her mate to be and her ex boyfriend. Angel would have chosen the house and just expected her to be happy that he had saved her from having to make the decision herself.

Spike then went on to inform his girl that one thing had been decided on without her input, but he hastened to add that he really hadn't been given much choice in the matter. Apparently, Buffy's mother had decided that until they had a place of their own, Spike would be living with them. He apologised earnestly and was clearly unsure as to how she would react to the knowledge that not only was all his stuff already at Revello Drive, but that her mother was rearranging her room while they were out.

The blond vampire almost collapsed with relief when his cheeky little girlfriend giggled and told him she was delighted that she would not be spending a night apart from him.

Their meal had been perfect. They had slow danced to the music of the house band then fed each other dessert. To everyone else in the room, they looked like a normal, albeit gorgeous, couple that was happily in love.

Their arrival home had brought their next surprise. Buffy's bedroom had been transformed into a romantic palace of seduction. Her bed was made with new white silk sheets. Her comforter cover had been changed to a gorgeous white with gold brocade. Pillar candles scented with vanilla adorned most surfaces. Heavy white velvet drapes covered a blackout curtain that would protect the sunlight vulnerable vampire from the damaging rays that could end his existence.

A note had been placed carefully on the pillows of the bed telling them that Joyce had made arrangements to stay with a friend for the night. The post script had both Buffy and her intended laughing.

Buffy was brought back to the present by the entrance of her vampire. She languidly shifted to sit, the sheet slipping to her waist, exposing her bared breasts. She silently lifted her left hand, reaching for him to grasp it.

Spike kept his left hand in his duster pocket as his right slipped into her offered possession. He stepped closer to the bed and gazed down on her relaxed form. An unneeded breath caught in his throat and his eyes darkened in response to her slow but purely feminine smile. Tugging her gently, he moved her closer to the edge of the bed. With fluid grace he dropped to one knee; her hand still firmly clasped in his. "In my world, after tonight, we will be married," he began softly. William's cultured intonation softened the brashness of Spike's adopted accent. Removing his left hand from his pocket, he offered for her perusal the open box he had left her to retrieve.

Buffy's breath hitched and she lifted a shaky right hand to her throat.

"I love you more than I can even begin to describe. You are the only sunshine I will ever need. I would ask that you choose to allow me the honour of calling you my wife in your world, too."

"Oh wow," Buffy gasped emotionally, her eyes never leaving the exquisite yellow gold ring. A large square diamond was set centred within four white gold prongs. Three small emeralds on each side stood sentinel. Tears of joy filled her eyes as she lifted them to his, hesitant but hopeful.

"Just say yes and make me the happiest man on earth," he urged her gently.

"Oh, Spike, of course it's yes!" she rushed, smiling tearfully.

Spike quickly removed the ring from its box and slipped it on her eagerly waiting finger, his hands shaking slightly. With a whoop of joy, the blond swept his girl into his arms and kissed her with abandon.

Unlife was good.

After a rousing round of celebratory sex, the newly engaged couple lay facing each other in their bed. Their soft caresses and gentle kisses heightened their level of intimacy; their need for one another never completely sated.

"You sure you're ready, kitten?" Spike asked softly, afraid she'd say no, but not as scared as he'd been before his ring had been placed on her finger.

"For more happies, or the whole mate-y thing, ‘cause, gotta say, that's' a big yes," she teased with a mock look of innocence.

Spike almost rolled his eyes in frustration, little bint was definitely gonna keep him on his toes. Smirking, he rolled over and pinned his lady to the mattress. "How ‘bout we try for both?" he suggested huskily.

Buffy's eyes softened in contentment. Her guy knew just the right thing to say and exactly when to say it. "I love you."

Spike whispered into her lips, "And I you, my love, I you."

Buffy had made Spike tell her the ritual well before hand; she had needed to know that she would be able to perform her part when the time came, but given her fiancé's rather skilful ability to make her brain cease functioning, it was probably a good thing that she'd taken the time to practice...a lot. She knew what he was to say and what she was to say and do. They had agreed that Spike would use the traditional Latin while she would stick to English. Buffy and other languages? Not so mix-y.

The petite slayer wallowed in the time warping kisses of her lover. His ability to have her drenched with desire with just a touch of his lips continued to amaze her. No one before him had ever even come close.

With foreplay unnecessary due to their heady emotions and mutual need to complete what they'd started less than a week before, Spike entered his love.

Velvet walls of steel titillated him with their warmth and muscular power while they caressed him with a touch softer than silk. Spikes eyes locked with those of his girl, his woman, his slayer, and was awed by the love he saw. Love that was directed solely at him. Never in his entire existence had he been blessed with such a look. It humbled in a way that was wholly new to him. This sprite loved him. Him; William the Bloody Awful Poet. And the beautiful poetry their bodies made together was enough to make him weep.

Buffy knew the moment was getting closer. She gasped in pleasure as the anticipation built higher, closer, more.

Spike knew the time had arrived; his eyes flashed gold as he began the Ancient ritual. "Quicumque ego sum quod quicumque ego ero, ego donum vobis."

Buffy reached for his neck and bit deeply, rupturing the skin and allowing his essence to fill her mouth. She swallowed and asked the question, "Mine?"

"Tui."

"All that I am and all that I will be, I gift to you," Buffy repeated the English translation with strong confidence.

Spike shifted into gameface and reverently allowed his razor sharp incisors to pierce her skin, reclaiming the place on her neck that he had already marked as his. He almost moaned as the elixir slipped down his throat. "Mei," he demanded possessively.

"Yours," Buffy assured him as she brushed her fingers lightly over his bumps.

The magnitude of their orgasms surprised them both. Wave after wave of pleasure inundated them, rolling through them then back again, over and over again. The echoing effect of the bliss increased further when Buffy felt a piece of her dislodge and latch onto her mate. The intensity of the moment exploded around them.

For Spike, everything felt the same, but different. More intense, yet more subdued. The pleasure bombarded him as he felt his mate lock into place. They each felt what they were feeling as they shared what the other was experiencing too. With a roar in their ears, the world turned dark as oblivion swept them away.

~*~*~

From a realm with a doorway to dreams, Jesse looked down on his charges and smiled before a slight frown marred his joyous expression. He wondered briefly if he should have warned them that with the return of the soul came a shanshu of the vampire's swimmers. ‘Nah! Why spoil all my fun,' he thought with a snicker.

~*~*~

Tuesday

Spike had discovered the flaw in having a soul. And as far as his demon was concerned, it was a major angst moment. That damn soul had made William not only more vocal, but stronger, too, and what did William think? Well, bloody William the White Hat felt that his demon's need to rub in his grandsire's broody face the fact that he got the girl that Angel really wanted was a little on the cruel side. Buggerin' soul had messed up all his fun. So here he was, sitting in the stacks waiting for his mate to drop the bombshell and all his poncy little soul would let him do was make an appearance if the oversized windbag wanted to know who the Powers had chosen if it wasn't him.

Spike thought about that for a moment.

‘Okay, so maybe William isn't so stupid after all' he thought with a grin.

~*~*~

Buffy felt her agitation lesson. Clearly something had put her mate in a happy place; she idly wondered what it was. Realising that she wouldn't be able to work out that little mystery until they got out of the library, she pushed her curiosity to the back of her mind and focused on the matter at hand.

With a quick glance around the room, she realised every one was in place. The maniacal gleam in her mother's eye as the elder woman slapped the side of the head of the axe she held against her palm and then the matching gleams in the eyes of her watcher and best male friend gave Buffy a moment's pause but the young blonde's ability to avoid what she didn't want to face had not left her when she'd mated. Scarlet O'Hara had clearly been resurrected as a California Valley Girl.

Buffy was relieved to see that Willow didn't look quite as rabid as her mother, father-figure, and pseudo brother. The little red head just looked like her normal nervous self.

Tingles in the pit of her stomach informed her of the arrival of her ex. She twisted her hands together in agitated expectation. She was so not looking forward to the upcoming confrontation.

Sweeping through the double door of the library entrance, Angel paused as he took in the room's occupants. He was a little nonplussed that the mother of his love was there, but shrugged with the realisation that her inclusion just meant that they could get everything out of the way in one go. He moved to embrace his girl but frowned in confused surprise when she agilely evaded his touch.

"Buffy?" he requested explanation for her avoidance of him then sighed in relief as he realised that she clearly hadn't been told of his plans. With a gentle smile of encouragement he opened his arms to her, attempting to coax her to him with his words. "My soul is anchored, sweetheart, we can be together."

Buffy frowned in confusion. "Didn't mom tell you I had a new boyfriend?"

It was Angel's turn to be off balance. "Well, yeah, but you don't have to settle for someone else now, Buffy."

Buffy stared at him in disbelief and not a little irritation. Did he really think her so shallow? "Okay, Angel, first: so not settling. My guy is definitely my number one choice. Second-"

"But we're soul mates," Angel interrupted, bewildered at her resistance.

Every person other than Angel seemed to snort in amusement.

"Angel, I'm a teenage girl, ‘soul mates' is a term we overuse all the time, that is, until we actually get it right," she told him with sad certainty. "You've missed some stuff since you've been away."

"What? What have I missed?" he pleaded with quiet desperation.

"The powers sent me a slayer dream, and in it I was shown my true soul mate. I've been keeping his soul safe since Xander brought me back. I was destined to be with him, Angel. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but we've already performed the mating ritual with the full support of the Powers That Be."

"I don't believe it," the brunette vampire gasped in denial. "Whistler showed you to me, you were meant to be mine! You've made a mistake."

"There has been no mistake, Angel. I have received verification from the Council's seers. They are united in their destiny and the bond has been sealed by the Powers. You have no recourse but to accept this," Giles informed him emotionlessly, his lips twitched suspiciously as he delivered his message. "We are all highly pleased with the events that have transpired."

"I didn't know you'd spoken to the Council, Giles," Buffy observed curiously.

Giles smiled at the girl. "Well, you have been rather preoccupied, my dear."

Buffy blushed in response as her mind strayed to some of the ways she had been ‘preoccupied' lately.

"Wait!" Angel exclaimed, frowning deeply. "You said you'd been keeping his soul safe. How come he wasn't keeping his own soul safe?"

Xander giggled in anticipation.

Buffy bit her bottom lip; this was the part where things could get messy.

"Um, well, because he sorta didn't come with one?" the little blonde offered hesitantly.

Angel looked at her as if she'd gained a second head, his mind racing to decipher her actual meaning. One idea came to him and he asked in disbelief, "He's a demon?"

"Vampire," Buffy replied, looking everywhere but at the one asking the question.

Angel closed his eyes and growled. He had a really bad feeling about this. As traces of gold flickered through his normally brown eyes, he snarled out his demand, "Who?"

Spike smiled and stepped out from behind the book shelves. "That would be me, Peaches." His soul kept his expression blank, but deep inside, his demon was doing his own person Michael Jackson impersonation - moonwalk included. He, he, he, whoo!

Willow silently mused that Angel might just have a double jointed jaw; given the distance it had dropped.

The brunette vampire's mind refused to form words. His eyebrows had lifted so high that they were in danger of disappearing forever under the gel saturated mop of hair that was fated to be a subject for derision with alarming regularity. His eyes returned again and again to his grandchilde, unable to believe what they were telling him. Words finally formed and were delivered without thought. "But it's Spike!"

Xander snickered. "Fate's funny like that."

"You don't understand. It's Spike!"

"Yeah, we know, the bleach gave it away," Xander mocked, he was having the time of his life.

Turning to Buffy, Angel again repeated his observation, "Buffy, it's Spike."

The tiny blonde rolled her eyes. "I know who it is, Angel."

"But-" he paused, confused and shocked. He felt forced to ask in disbelief, "You're picking Spike over me? That's impossible."

Buffy shook her head and tried desperately not to laugh. He was unbelievable. What the hell had she ever seen in him?

Angel straightened himself up to his full height. Clearly it was time to take charge. "We can fix this," he started talking as he paced back and forth like a caged beast. "I'll just find a way to go to the Powers and ask for intervention. I'm sure it's just a mistake."

"It is NOT a mistake!" Buffy shouted indignantly. She was beginning to loose her happy feeling and it was pissing her off.

"Buffy." Angel faced her, shaking his head in pity. "It has to be someone's screw up, there is no way you or anyone else would pick Spike over me."

"With the exception of Drusilla, who is certifiable by the way, name one person who actually picked you over Spike?" Buffy replied coldly, her arms crossed and her foot tapping in irritation as she waited for his reply.

Angel just stared at her. Unable to think of anyone at all, he replied with the only thing he could. "It's Spike!" His desperation made him careless. "You can't pick him over me, Buffy. The spell won't let you."

Before Angel even realised what he had said, an irate watcher was stepping into his personal space. "What spell?"

Normally nothing would have dragged that information from his lips, but the entire situation with which he had found himself in had him reeling and disorientated. "You told me Buffy would never willingly be with me again knowing that my demon hates her. So I had the muses cast a loyalty spell after they anchored my soul."

"You attempted to bespell my slayer?" Giles snarled, his fingers itching for the stake he held in his pocket.

"It's your fault," the brunette muttered petulantly. "You're the one that gave me the idea."

When Buffy realised what exactly Angel was saying she spun to face her mate, her smile luminescent. "The amulet!" she exclaimed. "It worked. It protected me."

Buffy raced to jump up and throw her arms around Spike's neck, her excitement infectious. He lifted her and spun her at dizzying speeds, laughing all the while.

"My daughter is happy, Angel. I think it's time for you to leave Sunnydale."

"Sorry, Big Guy, but the lady's right," a new voice spoke out, agreeing with Joyce.

Angel closed his eyes and dropped his head in resignation. He recognised the voice. "Whistler."

Angel said nothing to the group as he allowed himself to be herded out the door by the balance demon.

As the door swung closed, Whistler popped his head back in and focused his gaze on Spike. "You don't have to worry about buying out the local gem shop for all the agates in Sunnydale, Blondie. This one doesn't have a cheating bone in her body."

As the balance demon disappeared through the doors, Buffy faced her mate. "Spike I want to know the exact meaning of agates right now."

Spike dropped his gaze sheepishly. "Agate balances the physical, emotional, and intellectual parts of the body along with a general cleaning of the aura."

"And?" Buffy tapped her foot impatiently.

"It eliminates negativity and stimulates analytical abilities and perception. It's also been reported to strengthen sight." He looked at her hopefully.

Buffy lifted an eyebrow, letting him know that she was under no illusion and that he was still leaving something out.

"It promotes marital fidelity," he finally admitted.

Buffy's jaw dropped in shocked disbelief. She was so going to kill that skanky ho if the bitch ever came back to town. She slapped Spike lightly across the back of the head before turning back to her friends. "Bronze?"

Grabbing her mate's hand, Buffy pulled him down to the main level of the library to join the others. It was time to incorporate both sides of her life...and his. All it would take was a little trust.