The two couples walked down the hallway of the dorm. As they neared Willow and Buffy's room, Xander began to grumble about Spike's presence there. He was getting loud when Buffy finally decided to let him have it.
"Be quiet, Xander!! I love Spike, and I'm going to marry Spike. I have never said anything about who you date. Your dating record isn't exactly the best, you know." Buffy turned to Anya. "Sorry, Anya. I like you a lot. You really grow on a person, honest." She turned to face Xander. "I just want to be happy, Xander. Spike makes me happy. He is sweet, considerate, strong, and most importantly I feel safe with him. He can change to be a better man. I know he can. Now shut up before I lose my temper." Buffy got up close to Xander's face, and she stuck her finger in his chest.
"We are at your room, luv," Spike broke in. Good going, luv. Maybe a few more times and he'll get a clue. He opened the dorm room door. They all peered into the room, but Willow wasn't there. The only thing out of place in the room was a large burnt spot on the floor.
Anya studied the spot closely. "Looks like D'hoffyrn. That bastard opened a portal here," replied the ex-vengeance demon.
"D'hoffyrn is the one who made you, right?" Buffy asked. She remembered the tall bluish demon from the wedding from Hell. She turned to look at Spike who was no longer at her side. "Get out of my clothes, honey. You aren't stalker guy anymore." Her voice caused Spike to guiltily drop the skirt he was holding.
"Yeah, he's the one who made me 1120 years ago, but I don't think he actually attacked Willow," Anya grumbled, "I think I can summon him if we go find a crypt to do it in."
The two couples moved out of the dorm room, and they closed the door behind them. They walked quickly to the closest cemetery that held crypts. They listened again to Anya's story of how she became a vengeance demon.
"So anyway, I was dumped and I was miserable. I did a few spells; warts on penises, that sort of thing. Then I turned my boyfriend into a troll for having orgasms with the big breasted tavern maid. So, D'hoffryn got wind of it, and he offered to elevate me to a demon," Anya said. She didn't notice that Xander wanted the story over right that instant, but Spike and Buffy actually nodded along with her.
Buffy looked around her while she searched for a crypt. When she had found one that would fulfill the purpose for their jaunt through the cemetery, she focused on the conversation again. She touched Anya's arm to indicate the crypt to the ex-vengeance demon. "Anya! Hey, can you summon him from that crypt there?"
A demon wandered their way. Since it hadn't noticed Xander yet, Spike and Buffy herded the other couple into the crypt and barricaded the door. Anya rushed to the back of the crypt. Once there she knelt in a circle with dirt around herself, and then she began to chant. Unfortunately, the demons realized that their prey was in the crypt, and they swarmed it. One grabbed Buffy through the window and proceeded to put a chokehold on her.
"Spike, a little help here," Buffy gagged out. She clawed at the hand holding her throat.
Spike hurried over to help Buffy. He twisted the demon's fingers away from his mate's throat. When he finally got the demon off of Buffy, they joined Xander at the door where they helped the male Scooby hold the barricade harder.
"Hurry, demon-girl. I don't think we are strong enough to hold them all off for much longer," Spike grunted when the demons burst through the door. Soon the four were overrun by demons. Each tried valiantly to fight the overwhelming odds. The demon that attacked Spike knocked him across the crypt. The effect of Willow's spell made Buffy mad and more than just a bit worried he might be hurt. She walloped on the demon she was attacking, and she knocked it unconscious. Then, she ran over to Spike where she ran her hands over his limbs to check for injuries.
"Oh Spike, are you hurt?"
"Slayer..." Willow should be here any moment, luv.
Buffy and Spike became lost in their kiss, and they were totally oblivious to everyone and everything else in the room. Anya and Xander were still beating up on a demon when Willow appeared in the room.
Willow stared at the chaos in astonishment. She quickly chanted out the spell to lift her previous spell. "Let the healing power begin. Let my will be safe again. As these words of peace are spoken, let this harmful spell be broken." Thunder and lightening crashed through the tomb, and the demons disappeared. It took a few more seconds for Spike and Buffy stop their passionate lip lock.
"MMM Spike lips. Lips of Spike," Buffy purred. She gave Spike another sweet little peck on the lips. No ick factor this time. I'm all for the kissing of Spike, she teased.
"Bloody hell, luv. We have an audience," Spike muttered.
Buffy and Spike turned their heads to look at Xander, Anya and Willow, who stared back at them flabbergasted. Buffy leapt up off of Spike, and she offered him her hand. Once he stood, he brought her knuckles to his lips for a nice gentlemanly kiss.
Buffy looked at her astonished friends, and announced, "I told you I loved him, and I'm going to marry him. Sheesh." Buffy rolled her eyes when no one spoke. "Come on, Spike. We need to check on Giles and then make some more comfortable sleeping arrangements for you. No way is my guy going to sleep in the bathtub anymore," Buffy pulled Spike out of the crypt leaving the flummoxed Scoobies to follow in their wake.
Willow, Xander and Anya walked in silence. It appeared that Spike and Buffy were also silent. In reality, they were having a deep, meaningful conversation. Buffy held Spike's hand as they walked, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Soon, Willow and Xander got further and further behind as Xander began to make whispered accusations at Willow.
Spike, I have a confession to make. She caressed the back of the hand she was holding. Buffy was still amazed after all this time how satiny soft Spike's skin could be.
What is that, luv? Spike smiled down at Buffy. He had no idea the back of his hand could be such an erogenous zone.
Well you know how in the pep talk before Glory, how I said I love you all? Did you notice I wasn't one of the ones that protested?
I noticed, luv. That's why I was so convinced you cared later. Spike reached up with his free hand to caress Buffy's cheek.
I did, Spike. I think I started to love you when you sat with me the night before mom's test. That's why chaining me up and threatening to stake Dru scared me so much ... but when I came back I was.... Buffy sighed as she remembered exactly how she had felt the night of her resurrection when she had seen him at the bottom of the stairs. How much she had wanted to rush into his arms and have him never let her go.
Broken, Spike finished Buffy's thought for her.
Yes, and by the time I was fixed, you were....
Broken.
I am so sorry, Spike. If I hadn't been so stupid, you wouldn't have had to go to Africa. Buffy's eyes filled with tears as she remember how she had treated him even though she had known in her heart that she loved him.
Spike stopped dead in his tracks, swung Buffy around to face him, and put his hands on her face. Buffy's eyes grew wetter with her tears. Spike gently kissed her, and he wiped the tears away with his thumbs.
"I don't regret what I did, Buffy. It made you pick me to be your Champion. All is forgiven on both sides, right?" Spike asked. He could feel his mate's regrets for her actions almost as much as he regretted his own actions at the end of their ill-fated year from Hell. Spike kissed Buffy after she nodded her ascent. Then he pulled her close to his body in comfort.
Anya caught up with Spike and Buffy by the time of the hug. She left Xander and Willow behind because they had stopped to argue. "Those two are back there fighting. I don't think I am going to get very many orgasms tonight," replied Anya.
Buffy and Spike peered into the darkness behind Anya. Buffy sighed heavily. Spike was right about things needing to be nipped in the bud because Xander was being a pain in the ass and Willow wasn't far behind, in Buffy's opinion.
"Come on, you two. We gotta check on Giles. Then we can go to the Bronze," Buffy spoke loudly to the quarreling pair. Then she said something that was very cryptic to the others. "Spike and I need some post-apocalyptic celebration goodness.
When Willow and Xander caught up with the others, Xander scowled at Spike before he started spewing his usual anti-demon drivel at Buffy. "Buffy, how can you even consider doing anything with that evil, soulless creature? Didn't boinking Deadboy teach you anything? It's absolutely disgusting..." Xander broke off when he saw the looks he that he was getting from the people in question were downright scary. He knew Spike was chipped, but still the vampire could and did look menacing.
"Things aren't always the way they seem,Whelp," Spike growled, "Let's check on the Watcher. Then Buffy wants to go to the Bronze." Spike gave the human boy an evil smirk. "And what Buffy wants, I intend to let Buffy get."
"Yep, mom left me some money. First round of drinks are on me. I think I can even swing some wings for you, baby," Buffy chirped. She grabbed Spike's hand again. In a few minutes they all arrived at Giles's apartment. Buffy knocked before she opened the door. Inside they found a frantic Giles tidying up his apartment.
"What's the what, Giles?" Buffy asked. She pulled Spike into the room. They sat on the couch with their hands entwined, and then she leaned her head against Spike's shoulder. Xander sat in the armchair Spike and Buffy had vacated earlier, while Willow just stood, a bit embarrassed and a lot wigged.
"My friend, Olivia, called." Giles paced back and forth. "She is coming over for a visit from England. She will be here on Friday. I need ... I need somewhere for Spike to stay. He can't be here when she arrives." Giles's eyes became comically wide when he saw Buffy and Spike sitting close and being lovey-dovey still. "Willow, what is the meaning of this? I thought the spell was broken when I wasn't blind anymore?"
"My thoughts exactly," exclaimed Xander. He hopped up from his seat, and he accidentally knocked Anya off the arm of the chair.
When both Spike and Buffy jumped up to help Anya, and to inquire if she was okay, the others just stared at them in amazement. After settling Anya the wooden chair that Spike had been tied to just a few hours before, Giles finally had enough.
"What the bloody hell is going on, Buffy? The spell is over!" he exclaimed, "Willow...?"
Giles, Xander and Willow were all talking loudly. It soon escalated to full out yelling. Buffy and Spike just looked at each other, and they rolled their eyes. They pantomimed to Anya that they were leaving for the Bronze, and she hastily snuck out with them.