TITLE: Proposals
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: Spike/Other, Giles/Other, Xander/Other, Buffy/Other, Willow/Oz.
SUMMARY: Get this: Giles is getting married, and wackiness ensues.
SPOILERS: Set in my own little universe.
DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, I don't own it. Joss Whedon, Kazui Sandollar, The WB, UPN, et. al. most likely do.
FEEDBACK: Please send it offlist and let me know it's feedback; I do rapid delete on my account due to a lot of spam.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Originally, this was posted as parts 3 & 4.

***

"I can't believe he did that!" Patricia exclaimed, sobbing into a tissue.

"How much did he get away with?" Willow asked.

"Everything! The dress money, the deposits...it's all ruined."

Buffy put her arm around Patricia's shoulders. "Everything will be fine. Something good will happen."

Alex and Spike walked into the library, totally unaware of what had happened. "What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"The wedding coordinator took everything!" she said, sobbing once again. "And the wedding is in three weeks!"

"Hold on, hold on. How much did you loose? Monetary wise?"

"Over $10,000." Patricia cried some more. "Over two months of planning wasted!"

"If I pay to get some of this stuff back, would that help?" Alex asked.

Patricia looked up. "Could you?"

Alex nodded. "Let me make some phone calls and stuff." She bent over to hug the woman that would soon be her aunt. "I'll try to get everything set up for 3 weeks, but you might have to postpone for a week."

Patricia looked at her. "But you're pretty sure you can do it?"

"Almost totally sure."

Patricia nodded. "Do it, then." Alex turned around, grabbed Spike's arm and pulled him out of the library.

"That ass. I can't believe he did that to my family! If I ever see him, I'll kill him!"

"Calm down, love. You said you can help."

"Yeah, but both of them are bringing people outside of town to be in the wedding party. That's where the problem happens."

"And that problem is...?"

Alex sighed. "Any reservations are probably canceled, which makes it hard for me to get bridesmaids dresses and tuxes for the guys. But I think I can do it. I just have to make some calls and use the jet."

***

Two days later, Alex's apartment was filled with people. But the most important person wasn't there yet.

"Where the hell is Genevieve?" Alex muttered, pacing by the door.

Spike walked up to her and blocked her path. She ran right into him. "Love, she'll be here." Just then, the doorbell rang.

Alex opened the door and threw her arms around a young woman's neck. "Genevieve!"

"Alexandra!" Genevieve Church was tall, at 5'11, and she had a very light brown hair color and hazel eyes. She looked as though she was a model. "And who is this exquisite man?" she said seductively, with a slight French accent.

"He's my boyfriend. Like the live-in type," Alex said with a look that clearly said "hands off." She quickly shut the door, making sure that it got locked. "How's your job at Vera Wang going?"

"Great! Vera herself is letting me help design the next line of wedding dresses. So what's the emergency here?"

"Come into the den and I'll tell all of you." The three walked into the darkened den.

"Can someone open a window?" a young looking man said.

"No!" Alex and Spike yelled. Alex continued. "You all know about vampires and stuff, so that's why I called you, since they are around. I know at least one of you recognizes my boyfriend, Spike. Formerly known as William the Bloody."

The assorted people there gasped a little, more at the fact of who he was rather than that he was a vampire. "I won't bite. I promise," Spike said wryly. A nervous laughter filled the room.

"Look, he has a soul," Alex said. "The problem we're facing is much worse. But not demon related. My uncle's getting married, and he was the victim of a scam. So I need a bunch of wedding stuff done in three weeks. You'll all be paid enormous amounts of money to make it look like it's been planned months in advance."

She pulled a list out of her bookbag and consulted it. "I need bridesmaids dresses, tuxedoes, a wedding gown, caterers, and musicians. All of you are allowed to work here, but you guys have to stay somewhere else and follow three major rules. One is never, ever open a curtain in this house while the sun is out, two is never come upstairs, and three is be out of here by ten p.m. and don't come back before nine a.m."

Everyone in the room nodded. Genevieve raised her hand. "For those who can't be here to be measured, do you have a copy of their measurements? And will the bride visit to give input?"

"Yes and yes. Patricia should be here as soon as her shift ends." She looked at the six people in the room. "James and Josh, both of you are in charge of the reception. Ask Patricia where she had wanted it. Genevieve, you design the dresses and help make them, and I can get help getting stuff for it."

Alex paused. "I might be able to get the bridesmaids dresses, but if not, have a design ready. Malcolm and Katie, you guys are in charge of the actual wedding. You know, where, when, what it'll look like. And Samantha, you get to help me plan anything else that can possibly happen. And guys, please note I still work, so don't mess with the computer."

Everyone in the room nodded as someone knocked on the door. It was Patricia, along with Giles. "Hey!" Alex said, smiling as she opened the door. "Come on in. Your helpers are here."

Patricia hugged Alex. "Thank you so much."

"No problem. Just don't expect a wedding present."

Giles laughed and hugged his niece. "Seriously, though. Thank you."

"Welcome." She shut the door behind them, and made the introductions. "I'm going to go upstairs and make some calls, okay? Genevieve, if there are any problems, yell for me."

Alex walked upstairs as Spike followed. "Are you really going to be making calls?" he asked as they walked towards the bedroom.

"Yeah. Just to see if I can salvage the bridesmaids dresses." Alex opened the door to their bedroom and sat on the bed. "I am going to be so stressed out for the next month or so," she moaned.

"Yes, but you're doing something nice for someone you love, right?"

"True. But I might not have any patience left to enjoy it."

***

Genevieve did some quick sketches of various designs that might look good on Patricia. The two sat huddled at the kitchen table, making various changes and finally selecting a dress design.

"Wow. You are extremely talented," Patricia said.

Genevieve blushed. "Thank you. I've always loved designing dresses and stuff."

"So how is this going to look again?"

"Well, it's slightly off the shoulder with small sleeves. You have a combination scoop neck and v neck top. The bodice will be iridescent white with silver embroidered roses on the neckline and at the skirt. The skirt will be full, and a white material. At the bottom of that will be embroidered roses as well. Your veil will be lace, and held in place with a small diamond tiara."

"It looks so beautiful. What kind of material are you thinking of using?"

"Silk, hopefully. It's easier to work with. At least for skirts. I might make the bodice in velvet if I can't get the iridescent material."

Patrica went up and left to get something to drink, returning with a glass of water for Genevieve. "So, how did you and Alex become friends?"

"Well, when I lived in London, Alex was there on the Council. My brother is a Watcher as well, so I knew her through that. Anyway, I was dating this great guy, named Nick, and we were planning on getting married. One day, Alex and I ran into each other and ended up having lunch together. We got to talking and realized we were dating the same guy!"

"Oh my," Patricia said. "What happened next?"

Genevieve smiled. "She was supposed to go out on a date with him that night, so I waited at her apartment. She let him in and said she needed to finish getting dressed, and then I walked out as she went into her room. I was putting the moves on him, and she came back out. Then we dumped him. We've been friends ever since."

"That's nice." The two continued to sit and talk until Giles motioned to Patricia to look at some things.

"I think they may have everything in control, dear," Giles said. "They seem to know what they're doing, and there isn't much more we can do. Would you like to go home now?"

Patricia nodded. "Just let me say goodnight to Alex." She walked up the stairs and knocked on the bedroom door. "Alex, Rupert and I are leaving now."

After a few moments, the door opened. "Okay. Did you decide on the dress and some of the other things?" Patricia nodded. "Well, I managed to save the bridesmaids dresses. I have to take the check over tomorrow."

"That's good. Oh, and dear?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd button your shirt correctly before going downstairs." Alex blushed and nodded, shutting the door.

***

The Scooby gang, minus Alex and Spike, met at the library that evening. The demon was still a problem, but having been dormant for two months, there wasn't much to be done. Every book had been read, every manuscript scoured, and now all they could do was wait.

"So the demon Rokna is supposed to be involved in the Apocalypse?" Buffy asked, whittling stakes as she spoke.

Giles nodded. "He is a demon who is supposed to lead the tortured souls out of Hell to take over the earth. However, we have no idea when he will strike, and that poses a problem." He looked up as Gaby fell out of her chair trying to lean back in it..

"Sorry. I'm a klutz." She stood up and moved the chair back to where it had been. "Continue?"

"However, from what Spike could find out, unlike most demons Rokna is actually gathering forces of vampire to help. He's also augmenting their powers. Spike was approached, but...well..."

"Well what?" Gillian asked.

"A fight ensued before any more information could be gotten." Giles paused for a moment. "I wonder, though..." He walked over towards the phone and rang up a number.

***

Alex stirred in bed. It was the first chance at sleep she'd gotten in almost a week. And of course someone had to call and wake her up.

Then it hit her. It wasn't the house phone that was ringing. It was her cell phone, used only in emergencies by the Scoobies. She picked it up and yawned, looking at her clock. It was 11 o'clock. "Hello?" she asked.

"Oh, dear. Did I wake you?" her uncle asked.

"Yeah, but that's cool. What's up?" She walked out of the bedroom and downstairs, heading towards the kitchen. Spike was at the table, playing solitaire. Alex smiled.

"Well, about those vampires. Any more news?"

"I wouldn't know," Alex said, startling Spike. "But Spike probably would." She handed him the phone and said, "It's Giles. Wondering about the stronger vamps. Know anything new?" She sat down in a chair next to him and put her head on her arms, which were folded in front of her.

"Yeah. Let me tell him," he said, and Alex handed him the phone. "Look, they're hiding out in the Master's old lair. All of them. And Rokna is there hiding. From what I've heard, they're doing tentative attacks to find our weak spots, but have had no success so far. Their full scale attack should be in about a month. Does that help?"

"Thank you. That was what we needed to know." Giles hung up, as did Spike.

"I'm going back to sleep, if I can," Alex said. She closed her eyes.

"Mind some company?"

"Not really, no. But I really do need sleep," she mumbled. Spike turned around in order to see her face, and saw the dark circles under her eye.

"You sleep as late as you want tomorrow. I'll deal with everything. Just get some rest, love." He then picked her up and carried her up the stairs as she fell asleep in his arms.

***

Giles looked back at the others. "We now know where they are hidden and what their agenda is. Now all we need to do is work on fighting them."

Gillian jumped as her pager beeped. She checked the number. "Oh shit," she muttered, knowing Alex would be getting the same page in a minute. "A Council emergency popped up. I recognize that number. I need to call them." She walked over to the phone, dialed a series of numbers, and waited.

"Emma? Hey! What's up?" Gillian hit speaker phone so everyone could hear.

"Is Alex there as well?" Emma Neill said with her Australian accent, which sounded a bit tired.

"No, she's at home. Why?" Giles asked.

"George Gooding had a heart attack and died. Which means no formal full council meetings for the rest of the month." Emma paused. "I'm going to miss him. And now I may not be leading the council when we reconvene."

"There shouldn't be a problem. You're next in line to head the Council, aren't you?" Gillian asked her friend.

"I am, but there seems to be a dispute. However, we are having a meeting tonight, and I need to know if you need anything to be brought up."

"Yes, actually," Giles said. "We may need the assistance of another Slayer for a bit, and I would like the Council's permission. And Alex was talking about a hidden clause in the Handbook, but I forgot the details."

Emma groaned. "I guess I will have to make another call tonight."

"She'll kill you if you wake her up," Willow said. "I know what it was. The handbook states that Slayers over the age of 21 are, in effect, inactive Slayers. She needed to know if there was a way to either get rid of that if there is an emergency or get a new Slayer. Buffy's almost 21 and Gaby's 19. Gaby's the next Slayer to be activated."

"You might just be better off getting a younger Slayer, but still having Buffy help if needed," Emma said. "I'll see what we can do, and I'll get them to let the Slayer in Los Angeles to come down, if her Watcher can let her. From what I understand, you already know a few of her helpers."

"Ah, yes. Whistler, Angel and Cordelia," Giles said. "Is that all?"

"One last thing. Tom and Elizabeth had their baby. Or I should say, babies."

Gaby squealed a little. "How many?"

"Triplets, one girl and two boys. The girl has the mark of the Slayer, by the way."

"What are their names?" Gillian asked.

"The boys are named Thomas Christopher Andrews, Jr., and Alexander Lavelle Andrews, after Xander."

"Aww, how sweet," Buffy said. "What about the girl?"

"She has a longer name, and I think you'll be pleased. Anne Gillian Gabriella Andrews." The two girls looked shocked.

"Wow," Willow said. "Any reason for the name Anne?"

"Well, it was her mothers name, from what I understand." She paused for a minute. "I have to go. I'll bring those items up, Giles. Tell Spike and Alex I said hello." She hung up.

"Wow," Gillian said. "I'm going to miss George."

Buffy had her own deep thoughts, though. "Giles, I won't be a Slayer anymore in six months?"

Giles shook his head. "You'll always be a Slayer. All that happens is that another Slayer is activated, but you keep your powers. What poses a problem is that Gaby is the first Slayer to have been tested and forced to slay while still being inactive. By the time she gets activated, she'll almost be 20."

"And then it will be close to my retirement," Gaby finished. Her uncle nodded.

"This is the first time it has ever happened," he said gravely. "And that poses tremendous problems. There will be a rapid succession of Slayers. One will have to go to Los Angeles, and one will work here. I think." Giles rubbed his eyes. "It's rather confusing, but it is for the Council to deal with."

"Yeah. Which means more work for me and Alex," Gillian grumbled. She sighed. "I guess this means a lot of problems are going to come up, but we have a month before we have to start worrying about then again. Right now, though..."

Mike nodded. "So, we know where they are and what they've been doing. How do we stop them?"

Joe looked at him. "Idiot. We all should train, even those of us who aren't Watchers or Slayers. That way we'll be prepared."

Giles nodded. "Good idea. Gillian, Willow, you two are adept in the magicks. Practice defensive spells as much as possible, and they to do some spells as well. Gaby, you'll train with Patricia, and Buffy, train everyone in weapons skills. Especially with the crossbow and swordsmanship."

They all nodded. "Should we keep patrolling?" Buffy asked Giles.

"In pairs, if you can. Gillian, would you mind helping with patrols as well?"

"No problem," Gillian said. "In fact, I'll start." She walked over to the weapons cabinet and pulled out a small crossbow and some bolts. "Joe, want to come along?"

"Sure." He grabbed some of the stakes that Buffy had whittled. They walked out of the library together.

"The rest of you should go as well," Giles said. "Be back here tomorrow by four though."

"And don't forget the fittings are tomorrow at two," Patricia added. She watched as they left the room, then looked towards her fiancee. "How are we ever going to balance everything?" she asked simply.

Giles walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We'll manage. Besides, we have help. In both areas."

"True. I'm glad you asked me, by the way. I was almost starting to think you never would."

Giles feigned shock as he sat down in a chair next to her. "What?"

Patricia laughed. "You just took so long, that's all. We've been dating for over a year and a half. Almost."

Giles held her hand and smiled at her. "I almost didn't. I was too scared, and I was staring at the ring in the hall when Alexandra came out. She had guessed, but she finally said something that made me feel the time was right."

"What was that?"

"That I was given a beautiful present into my life, someone who loves me unconditionally. And I had better accept it instead of spend my life waiting for the perfect time." The smile faltered a bit.

"What's wrong?" Patricia asked.

"I just realized the real reason Alexandra's doing this. For us, of course, but also because she won't be able to have a wedding of her own."

Patricia gasped. "Oh my God! How could we have forgotten? And you know she'll never leave Spike."

Giles nodded. "Maybe as she's helping us, we can do something nice for her. Like let her get married, in a way. But I'll have to ask some permissions, first."

***

The cool air in the cemetery didn't bother Gillian much. It was the awkward silences between her and Joe that did that. They'd been out quite a bit in the last few months, and had even kissed each other. But their lives were so different that it overshadowed any feeling they had for each other.

"What are you thinking about?" Joe asked as he looked around the cemetery, focusing his eyes in the dark.

"Us," she said simply, noticing a movement in the corner of her eye. She loaded a bolt and let it fly, hitting the vampire in the heart. He turned to dust as she approached to retrieve the bolt. "And how different we really are."

"Well, how are we different?" Joe asked, staking a vampire after a brief fight.

"This is part of my destiny. To train others to do this. You don't have to, you choose to. And you're a business man. I'm just an artist, and I'm lucky enough to be able to work."

He stopped in front of her. "But we have things in common, too." He leaned in and kissed her briefly.

"True," she said as she pulled back after a few seconds to stake another vampire. After another brief fight she walked through his dust to get back to Joe. "But is it enough?"

"Why don't we, just for once, forget about what we think and stuff and just follow what we feel?" he said, grasping her hand.

"I'll try," she said, walking out of the cemetery still holding his hand.

***

Gaby, Xander, Mike and Buffy all walked out of the library towards the Bronze. Instead of going home, they were going to celebrate.

"I'm glad we got out early," Buffy said as she leaned on Mike. They got to the Bronze, paid the cover charge, and went inside. The music blasted, a cover of a rock song from the early nineties.

"Yeah. When was the last time we got to be...normal?" Xander asked.

"When we didn't know about the things that really go bump in the night," Mike said, holding Buffy's waist.

"I don't know about you guys, but I always knew," Gaby said. "I mean, look who I'm related to. Two Watchers. One of whom released a demon and the other is in love with one." She smiled at Xander as a slower song came on.

"Dance?" he asked, and led her to the dance floor. They swayed together, oblivious of the other couples on the floor.

Buffy sighed. "We get to stop the Apocalypse. Again. I'd at least like to have some fun doing it."

Mike nodded. "But you might get to stop doing it, you know."

"But now, it's so much a part of my life. I've been doing this since I was 15, and it's a big part of who I am."

"Yeah, but now someone else can do more of it. You don't have to stop. It just won't be all your burden anymore."

Buffy was quiet. Finally, she said, "I never thought of it that way before."

Xander and Gaby came back to the table as soon as the song was finished. "What have you been talking about?"

"Slaying, and stuff," Buffy said as Mike got up to get something for them to drink. "He was showing me another point of view about the whole slaying thing."

"I'm kinda glad I'm a Slayer," Gaby said. "I wouldn't fit into my family if I wasn't."

Mike laughed as he came back. "That's true. Normalcy isn't what it's cracked up to be, you know. Before all this, most of us were outcasts, and now we're a part of something big."

"Mike, you were popular the minute you were born!" Gaby said laughingly.

"That's why I said most. As I recall, you were pretty popular yourself."

"What do you mean was?" Gaby said indignantly.

"Were you two always like this?" Buffy asked with a smirk on her face.

"Actually, they were," Joe said as he and Gillian walked in.

"We patrolled and killed about six vamps. Anyone want to take over?" Gillian asked.

Buffy and Mike nodded, taking Gillian's bag and saying their good-byes to the group. Joe and Gillian sat down in their vacant spots.

"Are the vamps getting worse?" Xander asked. Gillian nodded. "That's just great," he mumbled.

"At least we know. I guess our rotation schedule will be two patrols a night. Order will be me and Joe, Buffy and Mike, then you two. Then Alex and Spike if they ever come back to the land of Scooby."

The music changed, and this time Gillian asked Joe to dance. "I hope they hook up," Gaby said.

"Why? You intent on playing matchmaker?" Xander asked.

"I did introduce them, didn't I?" she said smiling. "No, I just want Joe to be happy. And Gillian too. And I think they'd be happy together."

"Like us?" Xander said, knowing how sappy he sounded.

"Yeah," Gaby said, leaning over to kiss him.

"You know, you're not like anyone I've ever met before."

"I would hope so. I've heard about some of the other people and things you've been attracted to."

"Like...?"

"Let's see. There's the praying mantis, the mummy, Cordelia, Faith and Willow. I think the last one was the best on the list. But now you have me."

Xander laughed. "How perceptive of you," he said in his best imitation of Giles.

Gaby was laughing harder than he was. "True," she said, imitating her sister. That resulted in even more laughter.

"And what's so funny over here?" Joe asked, leading Gillian off the dance floor.

"Imitations of those nearest and dearest," Xander said. "Mainly Gaby's family."

Gillian laughed. "Anyone with the last name Giles is either weird or different. That's what makes them so much fun to be around."

***

The next day dawned with brilliance. Unfortunately, Alex slept right through it. And most of the morning as well. Spike didn't let anyone make more than a whisper until she trudged down the stairs close to noon.

"Morning, love," he said, walking over to her with a cup of coffee. She kissed him on the cheek.

"My coffee machine is still in one piece, right?" she asked as she sipped the coffee. Spike had a tendency to destroy electronic stuff when he couldn't get it to work.

Spike grinned. "I didn't touch it. Genevieve has been making coffee."

Alex stared. "Three years ago, she couldn't make a pot of coffee to save her life."

"I heard that," Genevieve said as she walked up behind them. "Well, the life of a bachelorette made me change a few things. So I learned how to cook and stuff."

"That's cool," Alex said smiling.

"And it seems as if coupledom has made your life better as well," Genevieve added.

"That might just be because of the first decent night's sleep she's gotten in almost a bloody year," Spike said, putting his arms around Alex.

"She was much different the last time I saw her. I'm serious. She was so driven to do well in her business that she gave up a lot of personal time. She really had no life, and she rarely smiled."

Alex nodded. "I remember that time. I was a monster, wasn't I?"

"Oh, but of course. And now...you smile and laugh. You don't mind giving up time for fun. Or sleep, for that matter. And you just look happy."

"Thanks," Alex said, leaning into Spike and sipping the rest of her coffee. "Hey, did someone go over and pay for the bridesmaids dresses?"

Spike kissed the top of her head. "Of course. Josh went to do that, and everyone else has been busy on the phones and such. I'll make sure to stand behind you when you get the next phone bill," he said laughingly.

"And you guys are aiming for a daytime or nighttime wedding?" Alex asked.

"Night," Genevieve said. "It's easier in their case."

"It seems like you guys have everything under control. I might just go back to sleep," Alex said.

"You can, love, but you have a fitting today, remember?" Spike gently reminded her.

"I want to know how you got out of all this wedding party stuff," Alex said, looking up at Spike. She shook her head. "Never mind. I got enough sleep already. Well, I'm going back upstairs to change into something else. Coming?"

"Of course, pet," Spike said, keeping an arm around her waist as they headed up the stairs.

As they were halfway up the stairs, Samantha stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Alex, phone call for you. From Emma Neill."

"I'll get it upstairs," she said, and quickly ran up the stairs with Spike right behind her. She picked up the phone and said, "Got it." Hearing the click that meant Samantha had hung up, Alex said "Hi, Emma. What's up?"

"Was that Samantha Monet?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. She's helping me plan my uncle's wedding."

"Rupert's getting married?"

"Yeah. I would have told you guys earlier, but..."

"I understand. Anyway, I have bad news. George Gooding died."

"What?"

"He had a heart attack, which means no full formal Council meetings for a month."

"I know. Typical mourning period. Did you guys have a meeting already?"

"Yeah. I brought up the loophole. The Council has decided that if you are in need of another Slayer by the time Buffy is 21, we'll send one. It might be that you will only need one Slayer to protect the Sunnydale Hellmouth."

"Okay. Anything else that concerns me?"

"Yes. The Slayer from Los Angeles will be helping with fighting the demon Rokna, as well as three of her helpers."

"Oh, my. Not..."

"Yes. Angel, Cordelia and Whistler will be coming as well. And they should arrive in two or three days."

"Great. Just what we need. One really awkward reunion. Thanks, Emma. Bye."

"Bye Alex." The two girls hung up, and Alex laid on her bed.

"Bad news, sweet?" Spike said, lying down next to her.

"In a way. Do you want the good news or bad news first?"

"Good."

"The good news is that we'll have help in dealing with Rokna. And it'll be here soon."

"And the bad news?"

"Well, the head of the Watcher's Council died, so no formal meetings for a month. However, they just finished a meeting, and they decided the help we'd get would come from Los Angeles."

"That last part's not so bad."

"Did I forget to mention Whistler, Cordelia and Angel are coming as well?"

Spike was struck dumb. "Oh," he said finally.

"And the last time you and Angel were in the same place together was when you were drunk and looking for Dru. Cordy and Xander haven't spoken to each other in over two years. But Gaby can handle that. The big problem, though, is--"

"Buffy, Mike and Angel," Spike finished. "I can see the problem now. What about Angel and me, though?"

"Well, he knows you have a soul, and that we live together. It shouldn't be so bad unless both of you get mad. Then we're in trouble."

"Don't you just love those little surprises?" Spike said, rolling over and looking at Alex.

"Not really. You were the best surprise I ever got, though."

Spike smiled at her. "Me?"

"Yeah. But if you tell anyone else I said that, I'll totally deny it!" Alex got up and rummaged through her closet to get some clothes. "I know you like to watch me change, but I'll have to deny you that pleasure today. I have to go take a shower."

"Well, I'll have to admit. You do know how to torture someone," he said with a straight face.

"I learned from the best," she said, kissing him lightly before leaving the room.

"And she's made me damn proud," Spike muttered to himself as he headed downstairs again.

***

The five females were gathered in the bridal shop, trying on the pale blue bridesmaids dresses they were going to wear. "These look beautiful," Gillian and Gaby said at the same time. They cracked up at that.

"Much better than the ones my Mom had her bridesmaids wear," Buffy said, turning around in front of the mirror.

Willow was having hers pinned up a bit. "Wow, Patricia. These are nice!"

"Especially because you're not paying for them, I suppose," Patricia said wryly.

"Amend that, please. I'm paying for mine," Alex said from behind the changing room door. She walked out and looked at herself. "Not bad at all. Though I don't wear dresses that much." Her golden tan gleamed.

"I thought you spent most of your days indoors," Buffy said. "How did you get so tan?"

"Self tanning lotion," Alex said, shrugging. "Safer than staying in the sun."

"Yeah," Buffy said. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of a female walking by. "No way. That couldn't be!" She walked towards the door and stuck her head out. "Cordelia!"

The dark haired girl turned around as the others went to the door and window. "Buffy?" She ran back over to the door and chastely embraced Buffy. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Giles is getting married. We're bridesmaids."

"Who's we?" Cordelia asked. She walked inside and looked at the five other people in the room. She walked up to Willow. "Hi, Will," she said.

"Hey, Cordelia," she said hugging her a little.

"So, who is everyone?" Cordelia asked. Buffy stepped over to her.

"The older woman is Patricia, Giles' fiancee. The redhead is Alexandra Giles, the black haired girl is Gabriella Giles and the blonde is Gillian Streep. Alex and Gillian are Watchers, and Gaby's a Slayer." They stepped forward to shake Cordelia's hand.

"Where's the others?" Alex asked, getting puzzled looks from the others. "I found out this morning. Sorry."

"Rebekah's here. Angel and Whistler will be here tonight." Buffy gasped. "Oh. Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you just brought up Angel, that's all," Gaby said, giving Cordelia a strange look.

"Where are you guys staying?" Buffy asked.

Cordelia shrugged. "I have no idea. We're here to find that out. hold on a second," she said as a tall black girl walked by the window. "Rebekah! I'm in here!"

The girl turned around. "There you are! I went to get something to read, and you disappeared." She nodded towards the others. "Hello. I'm Rebekah Lee."

Cordelia repeated the introductions for Rebekah, noting what each of them was. "Why are we here, anyway?" she asked quietly.

"To help. We'll talk about it more tonight," Alex said. "First we need to get this done, and then I need to get home for a bit."

Buffy nodded. "Why don't you guys go look for a place to stay, and we'll meet at the library at sunset?" she said towards the two newcomers.

"Not a bad idea," Cordelia said. "See you in a few hours." They turned around and left.

Buffy glared a little at Alex. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought Emma had told my uncle that, and that you guys already knew. My bad," she said.

"Damn straight," Buffy replied. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Mike knows about him, right?" Gillian asked, and Buffy nodded. "Then introduce them and firmly tell Angel about your relationship with Mike."

Gaby was frowning. "That's Cordelia?" she asked, sitting down. "Wow. No wonder he liked her," she muttered.

Alex went over to her sister. "Hey, but he likes you now. Nothings going to change that."

"I hope so." The fitting continued, but everyone had frowns on their faces.

***

The meeting that evening was huge. Rebekah, Cordelia, Angel and Whistler sat off to one side of the room. The couples sat by each other, and the room was filled with an awkward silence.

Finally, Giles spoke. "Does everyone know each other?" he asked, looking around the room.

"No," Angel said simply, staring at Mike and Buffy.

"Fine, then. I'd say introductions are in order." As each of them introduced themselves, the silence was cleared for a bit, but returned as soon as they were over. Alex finally stood up.

"All right. The Council made a mistake, but we need to work together. I take it you know what has been happening?" she asked Angel.

"Just the demon related stuff," he replied.

"Well, what is it you know?" Spike asked. "That might help."

Angel shifted his eyes from Buffy to Spike and started to glare. "Why?"

"Because we need to know what fairy tales you think you know," he said, glaring right back at Angel.

"Assuming we're stupid, huh?" Angel said, getting up and heading towards Spike.

Alex threw her hands up in the air. "Angel, Spike, outside. Now." She headed towards the doors with the two vampires following. "We'll be back, I promise. Uncle Rupert, can you continue?"

The three of them walked out of the library and towards the quad. "Okay, fight," Alex said. She stood back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?" both of them asked.

"Fight. You both want to, so get it over with."

Spike looked at his lover. "Are you sure, pet?"

Alex nodded. "But no staking or anything that would cause either of you to die." She went to a bench and laid down on it. "Go ahead."

Angel looked at Spike, then at her. "Are you two...?"

Spike nodded. "Not like it's any of your damn business." He got into a fighting stance, as did Angel. After a few tentative punches, Spike landed one to Angel's jaw.

"One point for Spike," Alex said drily. They continued to fight each other until Spike had Angel up against the wall.

"Okay, you win," Angel said.

Spike backed off and went towards Alex. "Why'd you do this, anyway, Alex?"

"You idiots needed it," she said as Spike embraced her. "You were about to start a fight in there that would have ruined what we're trying to accomplish."

"She's right, you know," Spike said. "Look, what's past is past. Both of us have changed. Truce?"

Angel walked up to the two of them. "Yeah, but first, what's up with Buffy and that one guy?"

"They care about each other. He's actually the first guy she's seriously dated since you left. So don't screw it up and break her heart, okay? Or I'll stake you myself." She looked up at him with a serious look on her face.

Angel nodded. "Any other things I should tell my friends?"

Spike nudged Alex. "Your sister..."

"Oh yeah," Alex said. "Tell Cordelia that Xander is living with Gaby and not to ruin their relationship. I will get really pissed if I find my sister crying about that."

Angel nodded again. "Isn't it about time we went back inside?"

"Go in, we'll follow in a bit," Spike said. Angel turned around and left. "My, it felt good to fight again," Spike said. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on Alex's head.

"I'm glad you had fun," she said, looking at his face, which had attained some bruises. "How long will it take you to heal?"

"About a day," he said. "I think that was the right thing to do, love. You constantly amaze me."

"I was just afraid you'd start fighting with me in the middle, that's all," she said, eliciting a laugh from Spike.

"Maybe we should get back inside," he said, moving her towards the door with an arm still around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked back inside.

"Fine. I just want to get warm." They walked inside and back into the library.

***

They finally got some work done that night, and Buffy offered to take Rebekah on a patrol to show her the various sights of Sunnydale. Mike and Angel went along as well.

"The vampires are most likely at the cemeteries or at the Bronze. Also, some are in the Master's old lair," Buffy said, pointing out the direction.

Rebekah nodded. "You seem much older than what most Slayers are."

Buffy smiled. "I'm almost 21. Most Slayers don't live past 17, so Gaby and I have been very lucky." She held Mike's hand as they walked into a cemetery.

"Yeah. Good friends can do that," Angel said uncomfortably. "That's probably why Rebekah has survived this long."

"Really?" Mike asked. "What is it like Slaying in Los Angeles?"

Rebekah smiled. "Hectic. It's a bigger place than Sunnydale, and that's why I need so much help."

"We just have extraordinarily stubborn demons here," Buffy said, smiling. "So what's you're family life like?"

"My parents are both alive, but I don't see them much. They're too busy. I live on campus at UCLA."

"How old are you?" Mike asked.

"17. Just graduated last month." She smiled "I like being on my own, though. I feel...free." She turned around and quickly staked the vamp that had been following them. "And they don't ask me any questions about what I do, which is a good thing."

"I live on campus, too, though my Mom still lives here in town," Buffy said.

"How is Joyce?" Angel asked.

"Fine, actually. She's still running the gallery. In fact, she got remarried to a nice guy. He was the father of the Slayer before me, which is really weird. His name is David."

Angel nodded. "That's good. What about you two?"

Buffy cleared her throat. "Well, we met when I went to Beaufort, and when he came here to work, we started dating. We like each other a lot."

Angel nodded again, with a slight look of pain in his eyes. "I'm glad for you." He remained silent for a bit. "I really am."

"How are you, anyway?" Buffy asked.

Angel sighed. "Lonely, but I survive." The conversation hit a lull as they fought some more vampires. Mike and Buffy double-teamed a few vamps, and Angel glanced over at them often while fighting his own kind. Rebekah was doing well against the vampires she was fighting, and managed to do some things that Buffy had never tried.

"Wow," Buffy remarked as they got back in a group. "How did you do that last move?"

"I did a backflip, landed in a pounce stance and kicked up. Not too hard. I'll show it to you before I leave," Rebekah said.

"Cool," Buffy said. "Well, maybe we should check out some other places just to be on the safe side."

"That's a good idea," Angel said, picking up some of the stakes. "Where should we go?"

"Towards the Master's old lair," Buffy said. "They're gathered there anyway, so we would probably find quite a few."

"Lead the way," Mike said.

***

The others left in the library took a short break before getting back to work. "What kind of soda do you want?" Gaby asked the others in the room.

"Diet Dr. Pepper," Cordelia said.

"Surge?" Alex said, getting a laugh from Oz, Willow and Spike.

"Pepsi," Willow and Oz chorused.

"Fresca," Patricia said.

Whistler shook his head. "No, thanks anyway."

"I'll help you get them," Xander said, getting up and following Gaby to the vending machines.

"Thanks," she said, sounding a little depressed. "What did everyone want?"

"I remember," he said, looking at her carefully. "Are you okay?"

Gaby sighed. "Yeah, I guess. It's just not every day your boyfriend's beautiful ex-girlfriend comes back to town."

Xander laughed. "I love you, and Cordelia will just have to deal with it." He bent down and gently kissed her. "Besides, she dumped me, so I don't think she wants anything to do with me."

"Well, she looks interested in you still," Gaby said, leaning against him. "I just am so worried that she'll try something. I'm sorry."

"Hey, I understand," Xander said, touching her cheek. "Look, I promise nothing will happen. Have I broken a promise yet?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Gaby said with a slight catch in her voice.

"Let me rephrase that. Have I broken an important promise yet?" Xander said, looking very serious.

Gaby shook her head. "You haven't," she said quietly.

"Then why would I start now?"

Gaby looked up at him with tears starting to fill her eyes. "I don't know."

"Oh, Gaby," Xander said, pulling her into a rough embrace. "I promised I would never hurt you, and I meant it." They stood there, just holding on to each other. "Shouldn't we get their sodas?" he said as they pulled apart.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "You still remember what they wanted?"

"Diet Dr. Pepper, Fresca, Surge and two Pepsi's," he said, smiling. "Does that mean you feel better?"

"Yeah." She started getting the sodas, and handed them to Xander. "I wonder if they noticed the long pause."

"Doubt it," Xander said, smiling. "I think they probably have their heads stuck in books still."

"Well, I've got theirs. What do you want?"

"Cherry Coke."

Gaby hit the button and it rolled out. "Here you go," she said, handing him the soda.

"Thanks. You feeling better?" Xander asked.

Gaby nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Xander said, juggling the sodas so he'd be able to hold her hand. "I felt this way before when Cordelia started dating again. Not jealous, but worried. Well, jealous too."

They entered the library. "Where have you been?" Willow asked, grabbing her Pepsi.

"Talking," Xander said. He smiled at Gaby, and she blushed. "We had some things we had to work out."

"Sure," Alex said, grabbing her Surge.

"Sure you won't spill it, love?" Spike said, receiving a light punch from Alex.

"I'll dump it on your head first," she said, leaning over to kiss him.

"How do you get used to them?" Cordelia asked Willow.

"It's not so hard. They really love each other, even before he got his soul it was evident. It's sweet, actually."

"Yeah, but he tried to kill all of us. Do you forgive him so easily?" Cordelia asked, frowning towards the two.

Willow shrugged. "He's helped us a lot, even if he shouldn't have. But there's something you need to realize. He's changed, and all of us have as well. We grew up, and we all realized things change."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Cordelia said.

"Just that we've been through a lot that you haven't," Oz said.

"Like I haven't? Been through a lot, I mean."

Willow sighed. "Look, we went separate ways. Just accept that things aren't the same as they were a few years ago. That includes the various love stories from here. Though I will admit, their pairing was one of the most interesting."

"Fine." Cordelia stood up, sipping her soda. "I was hoping that maybe things were at least a bit more normal here, but I guess I was wrong."

"Is it that you don't fit in there?" Willow asked.

"I was always popular here, even after breaking up with Xander. But in L.A. I'm just another person." Cordelia started to pace a little bit. "I mean, yeah, I do something big, I help to save the world all the time, but I'm not popular anymore. And I feel alone."

"It's not so bad, being unpopular," Willow said wryly. "But then I wouldn't know what it's like to be popular, so I couldn't compare."

Giles stood up. "Somehow, I have a feeling that no more work will be getting done tonight. Why doesn't everyone go home?"

"That's not a bad idea, Uncle Rupert," Gaby said, getting up and grabbing her jacket. "Why don't we meet back here tomorrow afternoon?"

"I'm busy," Alex said, "but I can get here after sundown."

Giles nodded. "Very well. Tomorrow we will actually get something done, I hope."

"Do you need a lift anywhere?" Oz asked Cordelia, who shook her head.

"Whistler can walk me there, right?"

"Sure," he said, standing up. "Let's get going." They gathered up their belongings and left, saying good-byes as they walked out. Gaby and Xander followed, the tension lifted.

Willow was wrapping up her laptop items, and Alex was looking through a huge book for a spell. "What are you looking for, Alex?"

"A bath mixture. I promised myself I'd be less stressed, so I'm looking for a relaxation spell." She flipped through a few pages and finally found one she liked. Writing it down quickly she smiled at Willow. "Found one."

"That's good," she said, putting everything in her bag. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Alex said, smiling. "Bye Will." Willow and Oz walked out the door, and Spike came up next to her.

"Found what you were looking for?"

Alex nodded. "I need to relax, so I got a purifying bath mixture. It should help."

"Ready to go home, then?"

"Oh, but of course." She smiled at him as she put her jacket on. "You promise you'll protect me, right?"

He kissed her forehead. "Why wouldn't I?"

She laughed and went over to her uncle. "We're leaving now, okay?"

Giles nodded. "Goodnight, dear."

"Night," she said as she and Spike walked out towards her car.

"What a night," Spike said as they climbed in and headed towards the apartment.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, the wind blowing through her air.

"Well, the new arrivals being here, and I know something happened between Gaby and Xander tonight. And of course the fight between me and Angel was interesting."

"Yeah, it was. Are you feeling any better?" she said, glancing over at him briefly.

"I still hurt a bit, if that's what you're wondering. I wonder where Angel learned to hit like that."

"Probably from the Slayer. I wouldn't want to go up against her ever," Alex said. She was nearing the house.

"How does the bridesmaids dress look?" Spike asked, changing the topic.

"Fine. It's a really pale blue, with silver embroidery on it. Each of us will have a small tiara to wear as well. I guess I look okay," she said, pulling into the driveway.

"I've rarely seen you dressed up," Spike said. "Only times have been when you were going to chaperone the formal school dances."

"I hate those," she said, scowling a bit. "I never went to my prom or anything. In fact, I wanted to stop dressing up for a long time after...Jacob died."

They got out and walked up to the door, with Spike unlocking it and letting Alex in first. "Thanks," she muttered, and set her stuff down on the bookcase near the door.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Spike asked Alex. She nodded and went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot chocolate.

Spike followed her there and watched her make the hot chocolate, and then waited as she finished her first few sips. "I've got a lot on my mind," she finally said, after getting up and putting some mini marshmallows in it. "Can I show you something?"

Spike nods. "Yeah. Will it hurt me?"

Alex laughed. "No, but it might make me feel better." She grasped his hand and led him up the stairs, and over to a closet. Puling on a string, she lowered a set of steps. "Did I ever tell you I have an attic?"

Spike shook his head. "More secrets?"

"Not bad ones. I keep a lot of my things here." They climbed up the stairs and into a large attic. There was dust on quite a few items, except a few scattered boxes. Ducking to avoid hitting a low beam, Alex arrived in front of a mirror that had a big box next to it.

"What's in that box?" Spike asked.

"What I wanted to show you," she said, carefully opening the box and motioning for him to bend down and look in it.

Inside was a beautiful wedding dress, as well as a veil. "Was that yours?" Spike asked.

Alex nodded, fighting back tears. "You're the only person other than Jacob to see it."

He reached over to her. "Want to talk about it or just cry for a bit?" A sudden sob escaped from her, answering his question. He moved the box and crawled forward a bit, getting over to her. Cradling her in his arms, he tried to comfort her, as best he can.

After about an hour of this, her crying subsided, and she pulled away. Her eyes were red, but she just wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "I've never gotten to wear it, you know. It had just been fitted, ready for my wedding. And it was only two weeks away."

She sat up a bit straighter, and looked at Spike. "I loved him a lot, but I need to get over him. My problem is what I should do with the dress. I'm thinking about giving it to Gaby."

"Are you sure?" he asked sincerely, then a thought came to him. "Before you give it to her, may I see you in it?"

She looked a bit startled, but nodded. "I don't mind." She pulled out the velvet dress, with it's short sleeves and full skirt. Moving behind a Chinese curtain of her mother's that was there, she changed out of the jeans and T-shirt she'd been wearing earlier and pulled the dress on.

As she walked back out, Spike looked amazed. Her hair, up in a French twist from earlier in the day, made her look even more beautiful than ever. She reached into the box and pulled out the veil and the gloves, as well as a set of heels. Slowly, she put the remaining items on, and stood in front of Spike. "Well?"

"My God, you look ravishing," he said, his voice getting thick. She smiled wanly at him.

"I feel like Cinderella in this dress. That was the reason I had bought it," she said, looking down on the floor. Spike stood up and walked up to her. Slowly, he removed the veil.

"Now you look like Cinderella. With the exception of glass slippers," he said. She blushed. "You look perfect." Never before had he loved anyone as much as he loved her at that moment, and he needed to tell her.

"Too bad this is the only time I'll ever get to wear this," she said.

"Maybe not," Spike said. "Your uncle called this morning while you were asleep. There are ceremonies done that aren't legal weddings but are similar. He has a Watcher friend who could do one, if you'd like."

Alex looked up, the tears in her eyes starting again. "You would do that...for me?"

"I can't tell you how much I love you. Best line I've ever heard was, 'You make me want to be a better man.' In my case, though, I actually went and became one."

Alex hugged his neck, holding him close. "I love you, you know," she said quietly.

"I should hope so," Spike said sardonically, and they both laughed. "I would suggest getting help in taking that dress off. For it's posterity, you understand." She pulled back and saw the glint in his eye.

"Sure," she said sarcastically, "but I'll let you help anyway."

***

Gaby and Xander had gone home and just talked. About everything: worries, doubts, great times and anything that they could think of about their relationship. After spending most of the evening talking, both were too tired to do much else.

The conversation in bed was slightly different, but still important.

"I wish that I could just make everything perfect here in Sunnydale for the wedding day," Gaby said.

"Well, the patrolling has helped," Xander said. "They're aren't so many vampires."

"But still," she said, "it's not everyday something big happens here that doesn't have to do with demons."

Xander nodded. "Of course. At least you get to see it, though. Maybe that's enough to make it perfect."

"What?"

"Just having close friends and family around. I mean, if I ever get married, that's all I really want. Just not my family."

"Notice how this impending wedding is bringing up all sorts of subjects?" Gaby said wryly.

"Yeah," Xander said. "But it's stuff we should think about anyway, especially the more serious couples among us. With one notable exception."

"I've been dreaming of the perfect wedding for years," Gaby said dreamily, moving next to Xander in the bed.

"And what would that be, milady?"

Gaby laughed. "Well, like you said, close friends and family need to be there. And I want to have it during the early evening, with a gorgeous sunset. But it is really simple, you know?"

Xander nodded. "And when are you planning for this to happen?" he asked with a slight arch in his voice.

"Not for a while. I'm not really ready," Gaby said. "I mean, I'm a lot more responsible than before, but not enough to get married."

"You're responsible enough to share an apartment with me. For that, I'm satisfied." Xander yawned. "I need to get some sleep," he said, settling his head in the pillow and falling asleep.

"Me too," Gaby murmured, falling asleep as well. "Love you, Xander."

***

Instead of heading towards her dorm room, Mike and Buffy went to his apartment after the patrol was done.

Buffy looked at the new picture he'd put up. It was of a beach at sunrise or sunset. She couldn't tell, but it looked beautiful. "Who did that?" she asked, moving up and looking at the signature.

It read Mike Pearce.

"Me. Spare time, and stress relief. That was done about a month ago. I was waiting for the frame to get fitted."

"It's beautiful," she said, continuing to stare at it. He walked up next to her.

"I have more, actually. They're in another room. Come on, I'll show you." He took her hand and lead her towards a small room in the back. There was an easel and some canvases, as well as a myriad of paintings.

Buffy picked up a small picture of a rose. "Where'd you learn to paint like this?"

"My mom was an artist," Mike said, shrugging. "I watched her and she showed me basic techniques. It's just been a hobby for me, to pass the time."

He walked over to a large portrait sized piece of canvas. Pulling off the sheet, there was a picture of Buffy. "This is my favorite piece, though." She walked over to it and touched the canvas lightly, tracing her face and shoulders. She was sleeping, her face looking serene.

"Is this from memory?" she asked, looking at the lifelike portrait.

Mike shook his head. "No. Well, partly. I have some pictures of you from the last few months, and one of them was of you resting on your arms on the library table. So, I just created a different background and copied the picture."

"You do this so well," she said softly. "Why didn't you show me before?"

"I just finished this a few days ago. I was going to have you come over and have dinner with me, then show it to you. But things changed slightly."

"What things?" Buffy asked.

"The demon, the wedding, Angel," he said, looking away from her and straightening up his forty or so canvases. "You've just been so...so..."

"Nervous? Jumpy? Distant?" Buffy supplied.

"That about sums it up," he said, looking at her with a small smile.

"Wow. I didn't even know," she said, walking over to him. "They're all wonderful." She picked up the small picture of a rose. It was white, with dew on it. "May I have this one?"

He nodded. "I don't mind. That's one of my favorite pictures, though, so treat it well."

"I'll guard it with my life," she said with a lightly wry sounding voice.

"Like you do everything else?" Mike asked. He leaned over the canvasses stacked up in between them and looked at her.

"Yeah. Like I do everything else," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

***

The loud crash coming from outside their home made Spike and Alex wake up before dawn, which was rather early for them.

"God, what is that?" Spike muttered. "And what time is it?"

"Almost dawn," Alex said, squinting at the clock on his side of the bed. "I'll go check." She scampered out of bed as the banging got louder, throwing some clothes on as she headed out of the room.

Outside, the pale pink of the coming morning was painting the sky, and Alex was cold. Even in the summer, California could be a cold place to live. She went around to the side of the house and looked into her neighbors yard.

The man was standing there, banging all sorts of thing together.

"Excuse me!" she said repeatedly, trying to get his attention. Finally, she resorted to magic. The spell was simple, and forced him to look at her and stop what he was doing. "Can you stop? I'm trying to get some sleep."

He shook his head. "Sorry. There's vampires about, and I have to scare them away."

Alex looked at him and laughed. What he didn't know about them... "Look, vampires, if there really are any, are inside by now. They can't be in the sun. Besides, loud noises only irritate them." She knew that for a fact.

"Aren't you a vampire? Your windows are always closed, except at night, and you have heavy curtains up?" He tried to start banging again, but Alex recast the spell.

"No, I'm not. I have a lot of light sensitive computer equipment in my house, so I have to keep sunlight out. And what are you doing trying to look through my windows?"

"I'm protecting the neighborhood!" he started doing it again, and that was about all she could take.

"No, you're waking me up. Stop doing it or I'll call the police." He looked at her, with the sun hitting her back. "Now, stop it. I'm not a vampire, even if they did exist."

He nodded and went inside. Just to be safe, she muttered another spell to make him forget the notion of vampires. She shrugged, trying to warm up her bare arms and went back inside.

"What was it, love?" Spike asked, coming down the stairs in his boxers, yawning.

"Go back to sleep," she said smiling. "It's just a neighbor convinced I was a vampire."

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "You? Why?"

"The curtains, the fact I don't come out much during the day. He's just paranoid."

"You didn't...?"

Alex laughed. "Of course not! If I'd told him there actually was a vampire living next door to him, I'd be hauled off to the loony bin with him! I just said I had sensitive computer equipment, and that if he kept it up, I'd call the police."

"You used magic, didn't you?

"Nothing really noticeable," she said with an innocent expression on her face. "Just an attention spell twice and a forgetfulness spell."

He sighed. "You and your magic... Why does it make me feel so bloody useless?"

She smiled even more, walking up to him. "I don't think magic could make me a better lover than you, no matter how many spells I tried. Besides, you're most definitely useful."

He wrapped his arms around her neck, and she laid her head on his cold, bare chest. "How?"

"Well, you've saved my life and tolerated me for a very long time. You've kept me sane, and I need someone to love. May as well be you." He pulled back with a mock shocked look on his face, then quickly picked her up and threw her on his shoulder.

"I'll get you for that, Alex!" Literally kicking and screaming, as well as laughing, Alex tried to get down but to no avail. Spike had a firm grip on her as he carried her up the stairs again, a smirk on his face.

"What are you going to do?!?" she said, shrieking. He quickly went up into the room and gently lowered her onto the bed.

"Torture. It's worked so well for so long." He smiled at her before he got up and went to the bedroom door, locking it.

"You are going to be fair, right?" she asked.

"It's just torture. Not the kind used to kill someone, though. The one torture I know you hate."

"Oh no," she said, her eyes getting wide. "You wouldn't dare!"

"That's right. I wouldn't dare. I'm actually going to do it." He proceeded to find her most ticklish spots and torture her for over an hour. When they were finished, he stood up. "It wasn't so bad, now, love?"

Alex was glowing. "If I could get you back..."

"Just try it and I'll torture you again."

Alex was about to respond, but the doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell!" she said, knowing the pun was horrendous. She dashed downstairs after unlocking the door and opened it.

Genevieve stood there, her face cut up and bleeding, her clothes torn. "I...I...I just got attacked," she said, then proceeded to faint.