Elaisias

"Sure," Willow replied. Angel entered the room, shutting the door behind him. She moved the piles of paper and disks off the desk chair beside her, then patted it. "Have a seat."

"What are you doing?" Angel asked, sitting where she indicated. He ruffled her pixie-style red hair as he studied the computer monitor with interest.

"New game," Willow replied. "I'm testing it for bugs and glitches and stuff. You know, the usual."

Willow ran a home business software for design companies. She had moved to Los Angeles after graduating from USunnydale in order to be closer to the companies she wanted to work with. She also helped Angel on the side with research and providing magickal assistance.

She had been in LA for two years, and had become close friends with the dark-haired vampire outside of helping him. They went out together to the movies, the theater, or to other nighttime events. At times, he'd sit with her at her computer and help test the games, which was always fun.

"Did you come for a reason, or just visiting?" Willow asked.

"Visiting,"Angel replied with a small smile. "Tell me about the game."

*****

"Hello, pet," Spike said, not looking up from the laptop screen.

"Hey," Buffy said, closing the door behind her before crossing the living room to flop down on the couch beside the blond vampire. "What'cha up to?"

"Willow's new game," he replied. He glanced at her, then frowned. "You're early."

"I know," Buffy said, leaning closer to look at the laptop screen. "But I had to get out of the house before mom got home. I so cannot wait to move back into my place."

"How much longer is it quarantined?"

"Another week too long," she replied with a dramatic sigh.

Spike chuckled. "You can always move in here with me, luv. I wouldn't mind."

"I bet you wouldn't." Buffy ignored his leer and tapped on the screen. "Tell me about the new game."

Buffy had been partnered with Spike for six years, and between the two of them, they had decimated any evil that traveled to the Hellmouth over that time. The best of friends since Willow moved to LA, they hung out together when Buffy wasn't working and after patrol. They bickered incessantly, which sometimes turned into loud fights that led to physical violence, but they trusted each other implicitly. Six years was a long time to work in life and death situations without that sort of trust developing.

"It's an online game," Spike told Buffy. He pointed to the Instant Messaging window in the top corner of the screen, then typed out a quick message to Willow, telling her Buffy was there. "It's one of those fantasy type role playing games."

*****

"Each character comes with specific skills and powers," Willow explained to Angel. The computer beeped and she looked at her Instant Messaging window. "You get to choose which type you want to play and name the character." She typed a rapid message back to Spike about Angel's presence.

"What are the choices?" Angel asked.

*****

"Magick users, Monk, Thief, Stable Boy, Archer, Knight, Soldier, Mercenary, Merchant..." Spike rattled off the list to Buffy.

"What are you going to be?" Buffy asked, tugging on the five-inch, peroxide-blond pony tail tied off at the nape of his neck.

"Stable boy," Spike replied, swatting her hand away. Buffy giggled and he glared at her. "Hey, it's a good choice! The character skills include horsemanship, street fighting, thieving..."

*****

"...conjuring, controlling elements, and I can cast spells in any spellbook I find as a Sorceress," Willow said. "When playing online, it's good if you join up with people playing different types of characters."

"So you would want to join a group with a fighter of some sort," Angel surmised.

"Right," Willow said. "Spike picked a character with some of those skills. I can also create a second character myself and run both. Or you could play the second character."

*****

"I want to be the Archer," Buffy said to Spike.

"One Archer, coming right up," Spike said, using the touchpad mouse to add a second character. "Any particular reason you chose that character, Slayer?"

Buffy shrugged, pulling her waist-length braid over her shoulder. "I look good in green and..."

*****

"...the Thief wears all black." Angel gave Willow a wry smile.

Willow rolled her eyes, her hand moving the computer mouse over to the Start icon. "It's going to be you, me, Spike and Buffy in the party. Our object is to rescue the Princess from the evil Duke and..."

*****

"...also find the Bands of Kimara," Spike told Buffy. He moved the arrow over the Start icon with his finger on the touchpad. The Instant Messaging window in the corner of the screen beeped and he read the single word from Willow to Buffy. "Ready?"

*****

"Yes," Angel answered, an open spiral notebook and pen in his hands.

"Then welcome to Elaisias," Willow said, clicking on the Start icon.

*****

A flash of green light lit up the laptop screen when Spike clicked on the Start icon.

*****

The notebook and pen fell to the floor unheeded, landing with a soft thud in a suddenly empty office.

Part One

Willow was the first one to break the stunned silence. "Uh, hi guys. Long time no see."

The four were sitting on a hard, dirt floor in a barren room, the walls made of crudely put together wood and mud. The ceiling was arched and open, exposing a thatched roof of straw. A few birds twittered at the intrusion, flying back and forth between the open log beams. Sunlight streamed through a window cut into one of the walls, providing light, but not where it could harm the vampires. A single closed door was centered on one of the walls.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Spike asked.

"And what the hell am I wearing?" Buffy added, looking down at her clothing. She was dressed in a v-necked, medium brown jerkin over a cream colored shirt. The jerkin went down to mid-thigh, covering dark brown hose, and was belted at the waist. Brown, deer-skin boots adorned her feet, which came up over her knees. There was a plain-hilt knife in a sheath attached to the belt and beside her on the dirt floor was a short bow and a quiver of black-feathered arrows.

She raised her head and looked at her friends, two of whom she hadn't seen in almost a year, not since she'd gone to LA to visit her father. "For that matter, what the hell are you guys wearing?"

Angel glanced down at himself and arched a dark brow at his appearance. He was dressed in all black, from his narrow breeches that went over his short hose, tied with leg bands at the knees, to the black, mid-calf, dyed deerskin boots he wore. A black doublet laced up the front as well as at the elbows, back of the arms, shoulders and at the waist, exposed a loose, low-neck black shirt under it.

He could feel several knives or daggers strapped to his wrists, in his boots and one strapped to his back under the doublet. With a quick search, he found many hidden pockets in his clothing, a pouch of coins, as well as a complete set of forged lockpick tools that were in a small, handmade leather case.

The ensouled vampire looked over to Willow as she stood and his mouth dropped slightly open. The redhead was wearing a fitted bliaut of dark emerald green, laced up the back from the neck to her hips. The skirts spread out in a semi-circular shape that gave a large amount of fullness to the hem. Her sleeves were full as well, cuffed tightly at the wrist and banded at her elbows. A black cape with hood was at her slipper encased feet, as well as a small saddle bag with thick leather strap.

"Spike, are those tights you're wearing?" Buffy asked, as the blond vampire stood and brushed the dirt off the back of his light grey shirt-tunic, which was tucked up slightly into the roughly cut brown hose he wore. Mid-calf, thin leather boots covered his feet and he had a short sword sheath attached to the loose belt around his waist.

"I'm a manly man in tights," Spike sang in an off-key voice. "I roam around the forest looking for fights. I'm a man. A man in tights. I rob from rich and give to the poor, that's right!"

"Spike, you are too strange," Buffy told him, rising to her feet as well.

Spike grabbed her and waltzed her in a quick circle, still singing. "I may look like a pansy, but look at me wrong and I'll put out lights. I'm a man, a manly man, in tights. When you're in a pinch just look for the man in tights."

Willow exchanged an amused smile with Angel, who had also stood. "He's your Childe," she pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Angel said.

Buffy laughed when Spike released her. "I can't believe that you know the words to that song."

Spike shrugged, then turned to Willow and Angel. "So, mates, care to tell us where we are?"

"One of the starting points in Elaisias," Willow answered without hesitation.

"What?" three voices chorused.

"The game," Willow said. "I think we're in the game."

"How do you know that?" Spike asked.

"How can we be in the game?" Buffy asked simultaneously.

"Because I've seen this building before," Willow said. "I played the game a little by myself to get the hang of what was going on before I sent it to Spike. As for how we're here..." She shrugged.

"Then you probably don't know how to get us out of here, either," Buffy surmised. Willow shook her head no. "Wonderful. I knew I should have paid attention to my horoscope."

"Why?" Willow asked.

"It told me that I was going to see friends I hadn't seen in awhile through unforeseen circumstances and that the world may seem like a fantasy today."

"Mine said I was going to shag," Spike commented, poking at one of the walls. He glanced over at Buffy and waggled his brows.

"Not in this lifetime, Spike," Buffy stated. "I don't sleep with the dead."

"What about Peaches?" Spike said pointedly.

"I make an exception for exceptionally gorgeous vampires," Buffy replied. She looked down her nose at Spike. "Which means you don't stand a chance."

"Who said I wanted to get a leg over on you anyway?" Spike said, turning back to his perusal of the room. "Maybe I want to find out if the poof is wearing drawers under his breeches."

"Leave me out of this," Angel spoke up, not raising his eyes from one of the spellbooks he'd found in Willow's saddle bag. "I don't have sex with men who look better in hose than some women."

"Shut up," Spike muttered.

"But you...do that thing with guys?" Willow asked Angel in a soft, surprised voice.

Angel glanced over at the young woman beside him and winked. "Not lately."

Willow blushed and turned back to Buffy. "So, uh, we're in Elaisias..."

"Yeow!" Spike exclaimed, causing all eyes to turn to him. He was standing near the window, shaking his left, somewhat smoking hand.

"Let me guess," Buffy mocked. "Sunlight bad."

"It doesn't burn immediately," Spike said in defense. Buffy snickered at him. "Sod off."

"So, what now?" Buffy asked, picking up her short bow and testing its tension.

"Well, we can stay here," Willow said. "Which is kinda necessary to do, at least until the sun sets, because of Angel and Spike. Don't want them to go poof. But after the sun goes down, we can leave and go...somewhere."

"You said you played the game a little bit?" Angel confirmed. Willow nodded. "Do you remember what's in this...town?"

"Town, yes," Willow replied. "The town of Elaisias, which is why the game is named Elaisias. The town has the usual role playing game stuff, like taverns and inns, apocatharies, weapons shops, general stores, and stables."

"I say we go to the tavern, get pissed and stay that way until we're zapped back to where we belong," Spike said, looking into a pouch he had found in his sleeve. "It looks like whatever did this gave us funds-"

"It's your character's starting money," Willow interrupted, growing excited. "Remember when we picked out characters? I picked a Sorceress, which means I should be able to do this..." She held out her hand, palm open and smiled brightly when a small lightball formed.

"I didn't know you were that advanced in witchcraft, Wills," Buffy said.

"I am," Willow said. "But it's also one of the character skills of a Sorceress, so my powers are amplified to the character skill level, which is like ten times my level as a witch."

"Does that mean we have skills we normally don't have?" Buffy asked.

"Well, Buffy, you picked an Archer, but you were already good at that," Willow replied. "Angel and Spike picked characters that have skills they already had, too, so I don't know."

"What other races are in this game?" Angel asked. "The last one I helped you with had Gnomes, Ogres, Elves, Goblins, Dwarves..."

"They're all here," Willow answered. "I'm just glad all of us picked human. I'd hate to see what would have happened if someone had chosen a Goblin."

"But we're still vampires," Spike pointed out.

"Sunlight burn," Buffy teased. Spike glared at her.

"I wonder if we'll have to play the game," Willow said more to herself than the others. The other three, however, heard her and looked her way. "Well, we're in Elaisias from what I can tell, wearing our character choices' clothing, so it would be a logical conclusion that we'll somehow be pulled into the actual events of the game."

"So, a Princess who doesn't really exist has been kidnapped by an evil Duke and we're suppose to care?" Spike said.

"She exists here," Buffy replied.

"And?" Spike said to her.

"And if someone needs help, it's our job to help," Buffy said.

"Not my job."

"Then what have you been doing for the past six years?" Buffy growled, stepping closer to him.

"Not something I've wanted to be doing," Spike growled back, also taking a step towards her.

"Then why do you bother?" Step.

"Because I have to." Step.

"So you could care less if I died?" Step.

"You'd finally shut up then." Step.

By now, Buffy and Spike were practically nose to nose, glaring at each other. Willow and Angel exchanged worried looks, wondering if they should intervene.

"Were they always like this?" Angel asked the redhead quietly. He hadn't been back to Sunnydale in over five years, not having reason to go once it was ascertained Spike was really helping Buffy.

"No," Willow replied. "Not that I remember, but I wasn't always with them."

"Have I told you how much I can't abide you lately?" Buffy hissed at Spike.

"Have I told you how much I don't care?" Spike hissed back.

"That's enough, you two," Angel said loudly when it looked like they were going to come to blows. "We don't know if we have to play the game or not. We'll decide what to do as things happen, okay?"

"Fine," Buffy and Spike spat simultaneously, then turned away from each other. The blond vampire stalked to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

The atmosphere in the building became thick and tense, the silence extremely uncomfortable for Willow and Angel. Buffy sat down on the dirt floor and took an arrow out of the quiver examining it. She raised her eyes after a moment and pinned Spike with a glare, then pointed at him with the arrow as she began to sing, "He looks like a pansy, but look at him wrong and you'll run away in fright. He's a man, a pathetic man, in tights..."

Spike's lips twitched as he tried to hold back his smile. He gave up after a moment and rolled his eyes before walking over to her and sitting down beside her on the floor. "Your singing is terrible, pet."

"Better than yours," Buffy said, handing him the arrow.

Spike held it up and eyed its straightness. "You're just jealous because I sing like an angel."

"An angel with his throat ripped out maybe," Buffy responded.

"What just happened here?" Willow asked Angel, staring at the two blonds with incomprehension. "A second ago they were going to do that violence thing. Now they're sitting next to each other, smiling." She frowned. "Do you thing Elaisias is on a Hellmouth?"

Angel chuckled, then bent his head to whisper in her ear. "I think they're both just nuts."

*****

When the sun set, the four left the building they had found themselves in and began to explore the town. Willow had drawn a map from memory on the dirt floor and had labeled it as best as she could, giving the ideas of the size of the town and where some of the shops and homes were located.

The dirt roads that separated the buildings were rock strewn and were littered with piles of manure. Horses were tethered outside of wood and mud structures, some single storey, some two to three storeys. The roads were unlit, but lamplights spilled from unshuttered windows, as did voices when they passed by one of several busy taverns.

The town was set up in sections. The small farms and residential area took up the majority of the east end of Elaisias. Merchants and trades, such as blacksmiths, made up the west end of town. The guilds and government buildings were located in the very center, and were more ornate and larger than the others.

The River Sargauth flowed along the south banks of the town, which ended at the Port of Gondsmen near the southwest corner of town, from what Willow remembered. Cable Island was directly south from the Port, connected to Elaisias by a narrow, two lane land bridge. The Island was where prisoners were held before being sent on the ships to points unknown. On the highest point of the Island was the Tower of Seven Woes, which Willow described as a shear-faced tower made of black obsidian. The instruction guide that had come with the game did not say what the Tower was for, however, only a description of what it looked like from the outside.

As Willow had predicted, they saw many different races on their tour of the town. From the tall, slender elves with pointed ears and silver eyes, to the short, squat dwarves with full beards and muscular bodies. Ogres, with their cro-magnum-like human faces, laughed drunkenly with long-limbed, grey-skinned Goblins. Humans of various shapes and sizes bustled between buildings, side-stepping the tiny human-like Gnomes that darted about.

"Well, guys, what do you want to do?" Willow asked, as they headed down yet another street.

"Feed," Spike said. "I'm hungry."

"I doubt they're going to have an all-night blood bank here," Buffy said.

"Yes, but I'm sure they have a butchers," Angel said.

"How about this," Buffy said. "You two go off and do your vampire thing, Willow and I will find us a place to stay for tomorrow. We'll meet at...what's that stone square called with the big telephone pole in the middle?"

"Herald's Meet," Willow answered. "And it's a ship's mast, not a telephone pole."

"We'll meet at Herald's Meet." Buffy grinned. "I sound like Willow."

"Hey!" Willow playfully hit Buffy on the shoulder.

"Are you sure we should split up?" Angel said. "We're not in Sunnydale. Or Los Angeles."

"Or the real soddin' world," Spike added.

"I'm still the Slayer," Buffy said. She gestured to Willow. "And she's still a witch. We'll be fine."

"You sure?" Angel asked, looking down at Willow with concerned, brown eyes.

"Go," Willow said with a smile. "We don't want growly vampire stomachs."

Spike gave Buffy a pointed look. "Watch your back, Slayer."

"When have I not?" Buffy replied with a grin.

"If I answered you, we'd be here all night, and I'm hungry," Spike said.

"Get gone," Buffy said, linking her arm with Willow's. "We'll meet you at the telephone ship."

Spike and Angel watched the two girls walk away until they were out of sight before the dark-haired vampire said, "Why do I get the feeling this was a bad idea?"

Part Two

Angel reached out and tugged on Spike's ponytail. "What's this?" he asked, grinning when Spike batted his hand away.

"A bet," Spike answered, glaring at his Sire. "And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't pull on my bleedin' hair. The Slayer does it enough as it is."

Angel tugged the ponytail again with an innocent smile. "What kind of bet? How good of a woman you'd make?"

"Like you haven't had long hair," Spike said defensively, smacking Angel's hand again. "And the bet is none of your bloody business."

"You lost, eh?"

"Shut up. I gave my word to the Slayer when we first started working together that I wouldn't rip your throat out. Don't make me break it," Spike said.

"Spike, I haven't seen you in years," Angel pointed out.

"And so far, I've kept my word," Spike said logically.

Angel chuckled, then fell into a companionable silence as the two vampires searched for a butcher's shop. After roughly an hour of wandering, they found one that was luckily still open and used their funds to purchase blood. The human butcher gave them strange looks at their order, but did not comment.

The duo drank down the blood around the corner from the shop, sticking to the shadows of the alleyway on the outskirts of town. Spike licked his chops exaggeratedly when he finished, causing Angel to roll his eyes at the obnoxious action. "You never grow up, do you?"

"Why should I?" Spike replied. "I look perpetually young and beautiful-"

"Someone's full of himself."

"-so I can act anyway I want," the blond finished. "So there." He stuck out his tongue in a juvenile manner.

Angel's retort was cut off by a shoddily-clothed figure barreling into him from around the corner. He grabbed the smaller person by the shoulders to steady both of them and was greeted by the startled face of a young halfling. Before he could say anything, the boy shoved something into his hand, then broke free and took off running down the alleyway.

The dark-haired vampire looked down to find a small, onyx statuette of a cat in his hand.

Then several men who were obviously the Elaisian police came running around the corner and all hell broke loose.

*****

Willow and Buffy looked at each other, then took off running towards the sound of a fight. Under her breath, the redhead began to chant a general protection spell for herself, so that when the time came to use her magick, she'd have the time to cast her spells.

Buffy didn't even bother to pull her bow. She charged around the corner to an alleyway without thought, her protective instincts whenever she heard a cry for help flaring up. "Willow, what are they?!" she yelled as she literally dove into the fight.

"Two tall cavemen are orcs, small grey guy is a goblin!" Willow yelled back. She stopped at the mouth of the alley to pull a spellbook out of her bag.

The blond Slayer rolled under one of the orcs' legs, coming up to her feet behind him. She quickly lashed out with her foot at the back of his knee, then had to duck when a sword came swinging in her directions from the second orc.

The cloaked human who'd been cowering on the ground rose up to his feet. His arm shot out quickly, a knife in his hand. The goblin grunted in pain as the blade hit its mark.

Buffy grabbed the sword-arm of the orc and swung him into his companion. The orc she had dove under staggered backward and tripped over a pile of trash, falling to the ground. Without stopping, the Slayer went after the still-standing orc.

Willow found a spell and began chanting, tracing symbols in the air with her left hand. The once invisible symbols began to glow as the magick flowed through her. Underneath the fallen orc, the dirt ground began to liquefy.

The goblin growled something unintelligible and threw himself at the cloaked human. They went down in a tangle of limbs, punching and kicking at each other with little finesse.

Buffy kicked the standing orc across the jaw and followed up with a hard side kick to his unarmored torso. The slowly sinking orc grabbed his companion as the kicked one flew backwards, pulling him free of the mud with a loud slurp. The Slayer turned and grabbed the goblin, who was on top of the human pounding into his face. She lifted him by the tufts of hair and easily threw him across the alleyway and into the wall of the next building.

Willow squeaked in alarm as the two orcs came running towards her after they had scrambled to their feet. She threw up her hands, dropping her spellbook in the process, and twin bright flashes of light flew from her palms, blinding them. She jumped out of their now-staggering head-long run and watched as they disappeared down the street.

Buffy glared at the goblin as he rose. The goblin grunted and took off running in the opposite direction of the orcs. He vanished around the corner of the building. The blond looked over at the cloaked man and walked to him, her hand extended.

"Thank you," he said, clasping her wrist and allowing her to pull him to his feet. "It is not often that I'm in a position of thanking a woman who fights as well as you."

"Uh, you're welcome," Buffy said. Willow skirted around the mud puddle to join them. "So...fight here often?"

The tall, dark-haired, green-eyed man chuckled. "Seldom, if at all," he replied. "Oh, do forgive my rudeness. I am Lord Kelvar, at your humble service." He executed a short bow, looking slightly down his straight nose at them.

"Buffy," she said. "And this is my friend, Willow."

"Honored, Lady Sorceress," Kelvar said, taking Willow's hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles.

Willow blushed faintly. "Um, hi."

"What brings you two fine ladies out at this dreadful hour of the night?" Kelvar asked.

"We're looking for an Inn," Willow answered, trying to extract her hand and failing.

"Well, I do know of several nice ones at a fair price. Permit me to escort you, or rather, you escort me to them?" He smiled wryly and without waiting for an answer, placed Willow's hand in the crook of his arm and started out of the alley.

Willow shot Buffy a helpless look, to which the blond shrugged and trailed after them.

"So, uh, what do you do, L-Lord Kelvar?" Willow asked.

"I am Lord of Kastlekeep, a small holding just outside of Elaisias," Kelvar replied. "I only have about fifty tenants on my land, but they are hard workers."

Buffy frowned at the back of Kelvar's dark head. "Tenants?"

"Farmers," Willow explained, turning her head to look over her shoulder at her friend. "They kind of rent the land from Lord Kelvar and pay him by selling what they grow at a market."

"Got it."

"Yes, it is a difficult position I am in," Kelvar commented with a dramatic sigh. "Problems constantly arise, my tenants always seem to want something from me, the taxes to the King are extraordinary, and now with the Princess gone missing I'm losing most of my staff to the bounty."

Buffy and Willow exchanged another look. "How long has she been missing?" Willow asked.

"Two fortnights," Kelvar replied. He gave the redhead a puzzled look. "But this is common knowledge."

"We're sort of new in town," Buffy said from behind them.

"Do not tell me that ladies such as yourselves are bounty hunters," Kelvar said. He shook his head. "'Tis not worth it. The rumor is the Princess was kidnapped by the Duke of Tarsahk, Dalagar the Cold, a ruthless elf who long ago sold his soul for power. He is compared to Lucifer, the most beautiful, the most perfect of all creations...before he fell."

Kelvar stopped in front of an inn, its wooden placard swinging lightly. "This inn should be suitable for your needs. I beseech you to not take up the bounty. Many have left my service and have disappeared in searching for the Princess."

"We'll keep that in mind," Buffy said, folding her arms in front of her chest.

He sighed, lifted Willow's hand from his arm and kissed her knuckles again. "Lady Sorceress, it has been a pleasure. If you ever come out to Kastlekeep, I shall be honored to have you."

"Th-thanks," Willow stammered, blushing again at the Lord's not-so-hidden meaning to his words. Lord Kelvar released her hand, gave Buffy a quick nod, then turned and headed off into the night.

*****

"Tell me why I haven't staked you yet?" Angel growled to Spike as they ran along the rooftop to one of the ornate buildings in the center of Elaisias.

"I'm cute?" Spike replied, nonplussed and grinning from ear to ear. The cacophony of the armed police chasing after them got louder as the mixture of humans and dwarves crashed through the door to the roof.

"This is no time for joking! We wouldn't be in this mess if you wouldn't have hit that guy," Angel snapped. "I could have just given over the statuette-"

"He shouldn't have tried to bloody grab me!" Spike exclaimed.

"-and we'd have been on our way to meet up with Willow and Buffy, not running from the police. If they catch us...," Angel let the sentence dangle as they reached the edge of the roof and hopped down with ease to the connecting building. The next closest rooftop was to the right, with an approximate ten-foot gap between the one they were running on and the slightly lower building.

Spike turned and headed straight towards the edge without pausing. "Afraid you can't outrun them, old man?" he taunted.

Angel shot a glare at his Childe. "The day I can't outrun a bunch of humans is the day I submit to you."

Then they were flying through the air, having dove off the edge of the roof towards the other building. They hit the other rooftop in a roll, coming up to their feet simultaneously, perfectly in sync with one another. Loud shouting was heard behind them, as well as a scream as one of their pursuers didn't make the jump.

Spike continued speaking without breaking stride. "I'll remember that, mate. Guaranteed."

Angel grunted in response. At the far edge of the building, they both jumped down the fifteen feet to the ground and disappeared in the maze of alleyways that made up the business sector of Elaisias.

Part Three

Spike giggled uncharacteristically when he saw the sign to the inn the girls had gotten rooms at. "Sorry," he said. "Inside joke."

The Guts and Garters Inn was a two-storey, wooden building connected to The Hell Hound's Muzzle tavern. Willow and Buffy had gotten two rooms at a gold piece each per night, which the redhead assured them was a good bargain. Their rooms were small, barely half the size of a normal bedroom, and each held a double bed with a husk mattress, a tiny night-stand that held a wash basin and pitcher, and a chamber pot. Heating pans could be rented at a copper piece per night.

The four of them, after much whining from Spike, decided to put off the room arrangements until later, and they went into the tavern. A multitude of races sat at the round, wooden tables scattered about the room, drinking from heavy tankards. The conversation was loud and boisterous, and a minstrel strummed a lyre in the corner near a large, stone fireplace. Human women dressed in tight, revealing clothing wove between the tables, serving the customers.

The misplaced group found an empty table near the minstrel and sat on the worn, wooden chairs. None of them garnered any attention from the other patrons of the tavern. A serving wench came up to them and practically stuck her ample bosom in both Angel's and Spike's faces. The blond vampire flirted shamelessly with the voluptuous woman, who bent down to whisper something in his ear, causing him to laugh heartily.

When they had gotten four tankards of ale, which Willow and Buffy took one sip of and turned green, the redhead told them about meeting Lord Kelvar and the kidnapped Princess.

"How long is two fortnights, anyway?" Buffy asked.

"Four weeks," Willow answered. "Each fortnight is two weeks."

"So she's been missing a month," Angel said. "What are the chances that she's already deceased?"

"None," Willow said firmly. "We're in the game, remember? We're the main players."

"Which means that if we don't rescue her, no one will," Buffy surmised. Willow nodded. The Slayer looked pointedly at Spike. "Translation for morons: we're going to find the Princess."

"That's what you're going to do," Spike said. "I am going to stay right here, get plastered and shag Ioana into unconsciousness."

"Who's Ioana?" Willow asked, a frown forming between her brows.

"Miss Look-At-My-Tits," Buffy told her.

"Oh." Willow blushed faintly.

"I really don't think we should split up again," Angel said.

"I agree," Willow said. "We could find a way home and someone could get stuck here indefinitely."

"I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that Spike can't be trusted to stay out of trouble," Angel said with a smirk.

"So very true," Buffy added.

"Sod off," Spike stated.

"So it's settled," Angel said. "We stick together, rescue the Princess, then find a way home."

"Sounds like a plan," Buffy said.

"One problem," Spike said. "How do we go about finding this bleedin' chit?"

"The same way we always try to find something," Willow replied. "Research."

"What do we know?" Angel said.

"The Princess was kidnapped four weeks ago," Buffy said. "Possibly by the Duke of Earl."

"Duke of Tarsahk," Willow corrected with a smile. "Dalagar the Cold."

"Then we find out as much as we can about the kidnapping itself and go from there," Angel said.

"Pardon me," the minstrel said over his strumming, leaning closer to the table where the four sat. "I couldn't help but overhear. You are going after the Princess?"

"That's right," Angel said.

The old human smiled, his weather-beaten face crinkling. The short grey goatee he had matched his shaggy grey hair and grey eyes. Dressed in a simple tunic and hose, hat perched at a jaunty angle on his head, the minstrel's fingers easily played his lyre while he conversed.

"I might have some information for you...for the right price," he said.

"And I can break that shoddy harp-thing over your head for free," Spike said.

"Spike," Buffy warned.

"How do we know this information you have is worth anything?" Angel asked.

"Because I am Nester Podgin," he said. "A favorite minstrel of the King himself!"

"'King of jesters, and jester to the King,'" Spike sung under his metaphorical breath. Buffy frowned at him and he sent her a quick grin.

"And I take it you preformed for the King at the time the Princess was kidnapped?" Angel questioned. Willow hid a smile behind her hand, knowing exactly what the dark-haired vampire was doing, having seen him do his investigative work before.

"Darn right I was." Nester nodded firmly. "I was playing during dinner. That's when it happened."

"If you were playing when it happened, how could you have seen anything?" Angel said.

"Well, a minstrel's got to take a break every once in a while," Nester said. "I went to take a constitutional when I saw the Princess in the courtyard. It looked like she was waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"My guess would be Aurin, the stable boy," Nester replied. He winked. "They're having a secret affair."

"A Princess and a stable boy," Spike commented quietly, leaning closer to Buffy. "It's Cinderfella."

"And that's when you supposedly saw the kidnapping?" Angel continued his questioning.

"Supposedly my foot!" Nester exclaimed. "She was kidnapped right before my very eyes! There were two of them, one human and one ogre. I recognized them from the Duke of Tarsahk's court. She fought like a little she-wolf, but the ogre conked her over the head and she fell like a sack of potatoes."

"And no one heard this or saw this but you?" Angel said.

"If they did, they're smart enough not to go after the Duke themselves," Nester said. "He's one cruel elf. Why, he threw his own mother to the hell hounds. Now what kind of man kills his own mother?"

"Not a very nice one, mate," Spike said, exchanging a look with his Sire.

Willow put her hand on Angel's arm and squeezed gently. The dark-haired vampire gave her a small smile at her comforting touch at an uncomfortable subject, then continued. "If the Duke did have the Princess kidnapped, would there be anything in particular we'd need to worry about if we were to try and rescue her?"

"It is rumored that the Duke has a gorgon that keeps his prisoners from escaping," Nester said in a hushed voice. "She is said to have the power of invisibility, enabling her to appear right before she strikes. Only he who wears the Bands of Kimara are able to see her at all times."

The four exchanged glances at the mention of the Bands of Kimara. They knew from the instructions prior to even beginning the game that the Bands were of great importance in winning. And now they knew why.

"Where are these Bands?" Spike asked.

"If they exist, they are said to be hidden in the seventh level of the Tower of Seven Woes." Nester said the name with an ominous fervor. "But no one who has gone into the Tower has ever returned."

He struck a loud chord on his lyre, making Willow and Buffy jump at its suddenness. The old minstrel chuckled. "So, what shall it be, lads and ladies? Would you like to exchange information?"

"Do you know any more about the Tower?" Willow said.

"No, but Ellie over at The Poisoned Quill knows about it. She studies the Tower lore to depict accurate art of the creatures said to be hidden within," Nestor told her.

Angel dug a couple of gold pieces out of the small pouch in his sleeve and passed them to Nester, who paused in playing to accept them. "How late is The Poisoned Quill open?"

"Until the beginning of the third watch," Nester replied, smiling happily at the gold coins. He stuck them in his pocket, then continued strumming the lyre. "If you have any problems, just tell her old Nester sent you." With that, the minstrel stood and maneuvered through the tables, still playing his melancholy tune.

"That was easy," Buffy said with a frown. "Too easy."

"It's the game," Willow said. "Remember we're in a game. The beginning is suppose to be easier than the middle or the end."

"So we have to-" Buffy began.

"You have to," Spike corrected.

She glared at him. "We have to-"

"You." Spike glared back, leaning closer to her.

"We." Buffy leaned a smidgen closer to him.

"You." Closer.

"We." Closer.

"You." Closer.

"We." Closer.

"You." Spike's and Buffy's faces were less than an inch away from each other.

"We."

"Y-"

Angel yanked on Spike's ponytail hard.

"-eow!" Spike finished, getting pulled back in his chair away from Buffy. He reached up and grabbed Angel's wrist, squeezing it tightly. "Let me go, you stupid bloody pillock!"

"Guys, we're attracting attention," Willow hissed.

Angel released Spike's hair and the younger vampire let go of Angel's wrist. Both men folded their arms and glared at each other, Angel warningly and Spike petulantly.

"We are going to rescue the Princess," Angel said in a low, hard tone, not breaking eye contact with his Childe. "Tomorrow we'll go see Ellie and find out what we can about the Tower. Then we get the Bands, go to the Duke's castle and win this game so we can go home. Understand?"

Spike pressed his lips together defiantly.

Angel's eyes flashed gold and he growled deeply, "Understand?"

"Yes." The word was clipped and said between clenched teeth, but it was an agreement.

"Good," Angel said. "Now, it's been a long day and night. I suggest we try and get some sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep in the same soddin' bed as you," Spike stated.

"Then you can sleep on the floor," Angel told him.

"Hey guys, that's enough fighting," Willow said when it seemed like they were about to start again. She shared a look with Buffy, who nodded in silent agreement.

"Spike, you're with me," Buffy said. "But if you steal the covers this time, you'll find yourself on the floor faster than you can say 'bloody hell.'"

"But I hate sharing with you, Slayer," Spike whined. "You snore."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do-"

"Wait, you two have shared a bed before?" Angel interrupted, his eyebrows going up with incredulity.

Spike leered. "Oh yeah, mate. I've given the Slayer a good seeing to just the other night."

"In my nightmares," Buffy said. She met her ex's eyes without hesitation. "We've gotten stuck together before and since Mister Jerk does not even come close to being a gentleman, we shared the bed."

"Why should I sleep on the floor when the bed is big enough for two?" Spike asked her.

"Because that's what a real man would do," Buffy replied. She smiled sweetly at him. "But I keep forgetting, you're not a man."

Part Four

Willow looked nervously at Angel, then at the bed, then back at Angel before repeating. "It's kind of...small. And you're kind of...not."

"I can take the floor, Willow," Angel said, pulling all the blankets off the bed. "It's no problem."

"No, that's okay. If Buffy and Spike..." She paused and frowned at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Angel gave each of the blankets good, hard shakes. "Getting rid of bugs. I remember doing this every night way back when." He gave her a small grin. "And I walked ten miles to school, uphill both ways, too."

Willow giggled. "You're just getting to be an old man. Which is why you can share the bed with me. I mean, you don't snore, right?"

He chuckled. "No, I don't snore. Buffy asked me that same question once."

"Well, she would know, seeing as how you guys...uh...I'll shake this blanket." She quickly grabbed one and shook it hard, then sneezed when the dust and dirt came out of it.

"Bless you," Angel said.

"Did you know that's an old superstition?" Willow said, making a great show of putting the blankets back on the bed to cover her nervousness. "If you sneeze and no one says 'bless you' or something like that, it's said that you can be possessed by an evil spirit, because when you sneeze, your soul leaves for a brief instant."

"I guess that's why vampires don't sneeze," Angel said wryly. She giggled again. "Now, the question of the hour is -- do you snore?"

"Nope," Willow replied. "I'm as silent as a mouse. Although mice aren't really that silent. You can always hear them scurrying about in the walls if you listen really carefully. One time, I thought they were building a skyscraper on my head because of all the noise the mice were making in my ceiling above my bed. Then I did an anti-mouse spell and they packed up their little bags and got on their motorcycles and left."

"Mice ride motorcycles?"

"Well, if their name is Ralph."

"Of course."

*****

"Take it off, baby," Spike purred, watching Buffy from his side of the bed, sans shirt-tunic and boots.

Buffy turned and threw her jerkin at him, still clothed in her shirt and hose. "You so need a new line."

"Like what?" Spike asked, rolling onto his back and putting his hands behind his head. "I'm all for suggestions from women that don't involve pain...well, most pain."

"You could say something simple like 'beautiful.'"

"I don't want to lie."

Buffy jumped on the bed and punched him in the stomach.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Spike stared at her incredulously.

"Oh, let me think," Buffy replied sarcastically.

"I didn't mean you, Slayer," Spike said after he figured it out. "I was speaking metaphorically."

"You're going to be speaking in soprano if you say something like that again," Buffy grumbled, laying down on her side of the bed and pulling the blankets up to her chin.

Spike sighed, raised up on his arm and blew out the candle inside the glass lamp on the night-stand.

*****

Angel woke up to find himself practically curled around Willow, his face buried in her short, red hair, his arm possessively around her waist. His first instinct was to pull her even further into his embrace, which he started to do until he realized what he was doing. Then he went to move away, but the soft sigh and wiggle back against him that came from her put all rational thinking out of his mind.

So he pulled her further into his embrace, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.

*****

Buffy sat bolt upright in bed, sucking in a large breath of air as she came out of nightmare. Spike was awake the second she moved, already standing on the floor beside the bed in a defensive manner, looking for an attack. When he saw nothing, he focused on Buffy.

"Slayer? You okay?" he asked.

"Nightmare," Buffy replied, taking deep, shaky breaths. "At least, I hope."

Spike relaxed and climbed back into the bed, sitting so he was facing her. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Angelus."

Spike stiffened. "What about him?"

Buffy looked at Spike with wide, scared eyes. "He came back."

"But you and the poof aren't-"

"Willow," Buffy interrupted. "Not me, Willow."

"Angel's going to shag Willow and lose his soul?" Spike asked for clarification.

"Yes...no...I'm not sure," Buffy answered. She shook her head. "The dream wasn't very clear. It just involved her and him and then...him." She took another shaky breath and met Spike's eyes. "I can't go through that again, Spike."

"I know you can't, luv," Spike said, moving so that he was leaning back against the wall above the bed with Buffy in his half-embrace. "And neither can I."

*****

Willow awoke, found herself enfolded in Angel's embrace, smiled drowsily and went right back to sleep.

*****

"...We got separated from them," Buffy was telling Spike. "Then we found Angel, but he wasn't...he didn't..." She took a ragged breath. "His soul was gone."

Spike ran his fingers over her still bound hair, her cheek still pressed against his bare chest, his other arm around her waist. "But you didn't specifically see Willow and the ponce...?"

"No," Buffy replied. "I saw only that part where Angel jumped through the wall after her. After that, Angel was soulless, so I just assumed that they..."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure they don't become separated from us then, luv," Spike said. "But if worse comes to worse, I will stake him. You can bloody well count on that."

"Thanks." Buffy yawned, the sunlight peeking through the shuttered, tiny window comforting to her. The comfortable silence was soothing, as was Spike's gentle stroking of her hair. Soon, her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell back into sleep.

Part Five

Spike stayed awake for the majority of the day, listening to Buffy's soft snores, her breath warm on his bare chest, as he thought of possible ways to keep Willow and Angel apart. He wasn't worried that Buffy would wake up and ream him a new one for their position. They'd slept like this before, although he normally had his shirt on, when they stayed up too late watching videos or British Comedy at Buffy's apartment. She only had one television, and it was in the bedroom, so after fighting over the remote for a good twenty minutes, they would settle back against the pillows and "veg out," as Buffy called it. Halfway through whatever they were watching, he'd get the snacks, then she'd curl up against him so they could share whatever ice cream carton he'd snagged from her freezer.

He'd never admit it aloud that he enjoyed holding her and her letting him. It made him feel wanted, even if it was just for a comfy pillow for a few hours. Drusilla had been the last person who had sat with him like that, and she'd been gone for over six years. Sure, he'd had other meaningless flings -- he was male, and therefore perpetually horny -- but he didn't have anyone just to hold. And if that made him sound like a wuss...well, that's why he never said it aloud.

Buffy sighed and snuggled against him further, causing a smile to tug at the corner of his lips. Who would ever had thought one of the best friends he'd ever had would be the woman who started out as his mortal enemy? One thing was for sure, Spike would never claim that his unlife was boring.

*****

By the time everyone had cleaned up, was fed and ready to go to The Poisoned Quill, it was already well-past sunset. The days were divided up into three watches, which Willow and Angel translated to be eight a.m., four p.m. and midnight Sunnydale time. A bell located at the Town Hall in the center of Elaisias would ring at each of the changes of the towns' guards.

Buffy and Spike by mutual agreement had decided upon a plan to keep Willow and Angel apart. On the way to see Ellie, Buffy walked with Angel, engaging the ensouled-vampire in conversation, and Spike walked with Willow, trying to pry information he could use to blackmail Angel out of her.

The Poisoned Quill was located in the business section of Elaisias, not too far from the Guts and Garters Inn. What the foursome had thought to be a bookseller or magick shop turned out to be a tattoo parlor. Run by Drakn Inkpeddler, the artisans who worked at the parlor could create any skin art design the paying customer desired. For a little extra, the tattoos could be interwoven with magick to be used one time in the future.

Willow's mouth hung open slightly as she moved from picture to picture on the walls of the parlor. The artwork was exquisite. Creatures she'd never seen before came to life right in front of her eyes because of the detail. "These are...wow."

"Ditto," Buffy said, making her own perusal of the room, as were Spike and Angel.

"Did you find one you like?" The proprietor asked, stepping into the main room of his shop. Drakn was a human, finely dressed in breeches, black shirt and a rich burgundy jerkin. His face was narrow, but kind, with a short, pointy beard and long brown hair left loose around his shoulders. Half glasses perched on the edge of his nose, and his slender fingers were permanently stained with colors. "I'm having a special today. Two for the price of one on the smaller artworks."

"Actually, we've come to see Ellie," Angel said.

Drakn arched a brow. "Ellie, you say? I'm afraid I don't know any lass by that name."

"But Nester Podgin said-," Willow began, but Angel cut her off.

"And I thought maybe you'd might like to copy of a tattoo design that I see you don't have," the dark-haired vampire said.

"One I don't have?" Drakn said, obviously interested. "Impossible."

"Well, why don't I show you," Angel said, gesturing towards the back room.

"By all means," Drakn replied, stepping back to allow Angel to pass him. Buffy watched as the artisan kept a wary hand on the knife strapped to his waist as he followed Angel.

"Willow, can you explain these magickal symbols?" Spike asked, pointing to a grouping of pictures on the wall.

Willow walked over to where the blond vampire was standing and studied the pictures. "Each one represents a different spell. Like this one opens locked doors. This one protects you from fire. This is a healing one."

"How do they work?" Buffy asked.

"The symbol is inked onto the body and you put your hand over it to activate the magick while saying a certain spell word tailored to your desires."

The trio turned at the feminine voice to see a young, tall, slender woman who's entire body was silver in color. Even her eyes were silver. She wore no clothing and had no hair, which only seemed to make her seem more ethereal than titillating. "Hello, my name is Ellie," she introduced herself. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Um, yeah," Willow said. "Nester Podgin said you could tell us about the Tower of Seven Woes."

Ellie smiled, a flash of white against the silver of her lips. "Ah, dear old Nester. And how much did he charge you for my name?"

"I think Angel gave him a few gold coins," Buffy answered. "But he told us before naming a price. Angel just gave him money because he's nice like that."

"The poof," Spike muttered. Buffy elbowed him in the side.

"Well, I shall be happy to tell you what I know of the Tower of Seven Woes," Ellie said. "I take it you are after the bounty?"

"Ye-" Spike began.

"No," Buffy spoke over him, giving him a glare that read 'don't even think about contradicting me.' "We just want to help."

"A noble quest," Ellie said. "Your companion in the other room said as much the same."

"So, can you help us?" Willow asked.

"Yes," Ellie said. "But first, please, choose," she gestured at the walls of the room, "I am interested in seeing what draws each of you, and if it matches what I have read."

"Read?" Buffy asked, her feet automatically carrying her to her favorite one she'd seen.

"Each person has a unique sense of what makes you who you are," Ellie said. "I've seen Giants with poetry tattooed on their chests, and Gnomes with bears tattooed on their arms."

She walked over to Buffy's side and smiled. "You have chosen as I have read. You are a woman of great strength and confidence, yet you let your emotions run free, stopping you from becoming hard and uncaring of those around you. The warrior woman, in her tarnished chainmail and breastplate looks off into the distance searching for the next foe to vanquish. The sword in her left hand is relaxed, the tip touching the ground, but it is covered in the blood of her fallen enemy. The silver shield in her right hand, with the red heart etched onto the shield, means that she is a protector of all that is good." She winked. "Even if they don't deserve to be protected."

"What about me?" Willow asked, standing by her choice.

"Ah, you, my dear Sorceress, are intelligent, have an open and forgiving heart, and are brave in the face of unspeakable danger," Ellie said, moving to the redhead's side. "As matches your choice of the knotted symbol of terra-mother, care-giver to all."

Ellie turned to Spike, who was standing with his arms folded over his chest on the opposite side of the room from the girls. The silver woman almost glided across the room with a dancer's grace, coming to a stop beside him. "And you, sir. What have you chosen?"

Spike's eyes flicked over to Buffy and Willow, who were both watching with unabashed interest. He turned and pointed to a random one on the wall. "That one."

Ellie laughed lightly. "A man who doesn't want to play my little game. That is alright, sir, for I know which you have chosen." She walked partway down the wall and pointed to one at knee level.

Spike's eyes widened slightly. She had picked the exact one that was his favorite. Her mouth curved up in a smile and she returned to his side. "You, dear sir, have led a long, colorful life," she whispered to him so the girls wouldn't hear. "You are a man of extremes. You hate with your entire being, yet love with equal fervor. You do not like to be alone, but you refuse to use people to stave off your loneliness. You're not book smart, yet you have the wisdom of the ancients. You have chosen the fierce sapphire dragon, with one, distrustful, blue eye cracked open to keep watch for enemies. However, your dragon comes with a tender side, as the country mouse is curled up on his snout, sleeping peacefully."

The blond vampire stared at the silver woman with something akin to awe on his face. She leaned closer to him and said, "Return later and I shall tell you more."

Ellie then turned and smiled at Buffy and Willow. "Come, let us adjourn to a more private room. Your other companion will join us there when he is through with Drakn."

*****

Ellie poured them all tea and sat down at the small, round table in the back rooms of The Poisoned Quill. She had set out some snacks of which the misplaced Sunnydalians had no clue what they were, but they tasted delicious. Conversation was light at first, with the two girls asking questions about the different tattoos they'd seen, but they eventually got around to the subject that brought the four friends to the parlor.

"What specifically would you like to know about the Tower of Seven Woes?" Ellie asked.

"Nester said that you knew all the folklore of the Tower," Willow said. "And of the types of creatures that live there."

"That is true," Ellie said. "I have studied the Tower since I was a girl. My father left one day to prove that the Tower was harmless, and he never returned. Since then, I have learned all that I can about the place so perhaps one day I might go in and find him."

"Is there really seven levels?" Buffy asked.

Ellie nodded, sipping her tea. "Yes, there are seven levels. However, the entrance to the Tower is at the top, therefore the top-most floor is level one. With each level you descend, so do the numbers."

"Nester said that the Bands of Kimara are rumored to be in the seventh level somewhere," Spike said. "Why can't we just blast through the ground level and find them?"

"The Tower is made of black obsidian and is impenetrable by blasting," Ellie replied. "It is protected by the magick of the Mage who designed the Tower."

"So we have to start from the top and work our way down," Buffy said. "I'm going to guess and say with each level we go down, the bigger and badder the monsters are."

"That would be a correct assumption," Ellie said. "Each level is protected by a certain creature or creatures. There is also said to be traps of all sorts throughout the Tower."

"Another dumb question," Spike said. "Why can't we just run down the steps to the bottom floor instead of stopping off at each level?"

"The stairs are not connected all together. They are supposedly at opposite ends of each level, so you must pass through the level in order to get to the next set of stairs," Ellie said.

"Then do we have to go back through all the levels to get out again?" Willow asked.

Ellie shrugged. "That I do not know. The information I have been able to piece together has taken years for me to gather. I know Nester has said no one has ever come back from the Tower, but he is a minstrel, thus he takes creative liberty with everything."

"So you talked to people who've actually been in the Tower?" Buffy said.

"Yes," Ellie replied. "Though many were insane or on their deathbed when I spoke with them."

Willow gave Buffy a scared look. "Sounds like its not such a happy place," the redhead commented.

"No, it is not," Ellie said. "And it is a very dangerous place. You must have a strong heart, mind and will to be able to pass through the levels, for not just physical strength will get you through."

"It's not too late to change our minds and just stay plastered until we go home," Spike whispered to Buffy.

Buffy ignored him. "Well, we've been up against unbeatable odds before, and we had nothing better to do this week anyway..."

Part Six

"What took you so long with Drakn?" Willow asked Angel later that night as the four sat around a table at the tavern again, planning to tackle the Tower the following night. "I've been patiently waiting for hours now for you to spill, but my patience is now gone. So spill."

"It took him awhile to sketch my tattoo," Angel said with a shrug. "That's all."

"Right, mate," Spike said. "And I'm a ballerina."

"Well, you got the tights..." Buffy smiled mischievously at Spike.

"Sod off," Spike grumbled at her.

"And you're sort of fairy-like," Buffy continued to tease.

"Didn't I just tell you to sod off?" Spike asked.

"Do I look like I care?" Buffy retorted.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Whore."

"Asshole."

"Twat."

"Ball-sniffer."

"Alright, potty-mouths," Willow interrupted, blushing faintly. "Do I have to wash them out with soap?"

"Sorry," Buffy apologized to Willow.

"Yeah, what the cow said." Spike gestured with his thumb towards Buffy.

"Cow?" Buffy growled at him. Spike smiled innocently at her. She hit his leg with her knuckles, giving him a charley horse.

"Ow," Spike snapped, grabbing her fist and twisting her arm. "That hurt."

"Wimp," Buffy said, trying to pull her hand free.

"Guys-" Willow said.

Angel reached across the small table and easily covered both Buffy and Spike's hands with his own larger one. "If you two don't cut it out, Willow and I are going to lock you up together until one of you is dead." He squeezed tightly. "Got it?"

"Yes," the two bottle-blonds replied simultaneously.

Angel released their hands and Spike stood. He gave everyone a curt, false half-bow. "If you'll excuse me, I have a date to keep." He met Buffy's eyes, and the animosity had already vanished to be replaced with hidden messages. She nodded imperceptibly. "Slayer, I'd find yourself a new bunkmate, or you'll find yourself on the floor. Your snoring kept me awake all day."

With that, Spike turned and headed out of the tavern.

"I do not snore!" Buffy yelled after him, then blushed when patrons at the other table looked at her. "Well, I don't."

"Don't worry, Buffy," Willow said. "We were roommates for four years. I think I could survive another night or two with your snoring."

"Thanks, Will," Buffy said. She took a sip of her mucky water and grimaced. Then she glared at Willow. "I don't snore!"

*****

"Wills," Buffy said much later after the girls had adjourned to the room they were sharing that night. "Do you like Angel?"

Willow, who was sitting beside the blond Slayer on the double bed, spellbook open in her lap, gave Buffy a confused look. "Of course I like Angel," she answered. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I meant like like," Buffy clarified. "As in lusty, tingly, wouldn't mind seeing him naked and in your bed like."

Willow blushed bright red. "Um...," she hedged. "Well...I like Angel a lot. As a friend. A good friend. And I...may have had...naked thoughts about him..." She got a far-off look in her eyes. "And me...and chocolate."

Buffy giggled and Willow ducked her head in embarrassment. "Oh boy, I said that last part out loud, didn't I?"

Buffy couldn't help but grin. "You sure did. Chocolate and Angel together? Sounds kinky."

"You're not upset?" Willow asked.

Buffy frowned. "Why would I be?"

"Because it's, you know, Angel. Your ex-main snuggle-vampire."

"Oh, no," Buffy replied immediately. "Angel and I haven't been...Angel and I for a very long time now. My chocolate fantasies no longer involve him. Well, every once in a while they do..."

Willow smiled in relief. "Good," she said. "Oh, but not good, if you don't want me to have chocolate Angel fantasies..."

"Will, you can have all the chocolate Angel fantasies you want, free of guilt," Buffy said. She gave her redheaded friend a serious look. "But they have to stay fantasies. No trying out the chocolate on Angel in real life."

"I would never...," Willow began to deny, then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. "Okay, maybe I would if Angel showed up naked holding a half-gallon of chocolate fudge ice cream-"

"Willow," Buffy interrupted, getting the other girl's attention back. "This is serious. Angel plus chocolate plus real life equals bye-bye soul."

Willow's eyes widened as what Buffy was saying sank in. "You think I could make his soul go away?"

Buffy nodded. "Faster than you can say Angelus."

"Wow," Willow said faintly. "I don't know whether to be flattered or scared to death."

"Just promise me you won't do naked things with Angel," Buffy begged quietly.

"I won't," Willow promised. "I don't want to see Angel soulless again. Once was definitely more than enough."

*****

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you?" Angel commented as Spike entered the room they were to share for the day.

"Is it my fault women don't want me to leave them?" Spike replied, unbelting his sword sheath and dropping it to the floor as he rounded the bed.

Angel shook his head and went back to the book he'd found to read. He was stretched out on the bed, dressed only in his breeches, the rest of his clothing folded neatly in a pile beside the bed.

"Did you all decide anything else I should know about before we go tonight?" Spike asked, pulling his shirt-tunic off and letting it drop carelessly to the floor.

"Willow and Buffy are going to load up on supplies later this afternoon while the majority of the shops are open," Angel said. He smirked at the blond vampire. "I gave them your share of the money from the amount I pinched from your purse earlier."

Spike scowled at his Sire. "That's just swell," he said sarcastically.

"We're going to leave as soon as the sun sets," Angel said.

"Duh."

The dark-haired vampire rolled his eyes and went back to his book as Spike stretched out on the bed beside him. After a few minutes of silence, the younger man sighed loudly. Angel repressed the knowing grin that threatened.

When Spike sighed again, Angel gave in. "What is it, Spike?" he asked with fake disgruntlement.

"I'm bored," Spike said.

Angel gave him a skeptical look. "How can you be bored? You just got here."

"Well, the Slayer at least snores. You're too quiet. It's unnerving," Spike said. He turned onto his side and snatched the book from Angel's hand. "Stop reading, you poof, and entertain me."

Angel saw something on Spike's skin when the blond took his book, and he quickly grabbed Spike's wrist. Pulling his Childe's arm closer, he studied the colorfully-inked mark on the back of Spike's wrist above his hand. Because of the quick-healing that came with being a vampire, the small, perfectly-etched tattoo of the sapphire dragon with a mouse on his snout was already set. "This is what you've been doing all night?"

"Bugger off," Spike said, trying to yank his arm back.

Angel raised his eyes and saw that his Childe was blushing slightly. His mouth curled up into a smile and he released Spike's wrist. "It's very good," he commented. "Who did it?"

"Ellie," Spike answered reluctantly. The blond looked at the upside-down-to-him, blue dragon on the back of his wrist. It really was well-done. Even the tiny mouse's whiskers were curled because of the way she laid on the dragon's snout. He rolled onto his back and gently ran his finger over the marking, feeling a light tingling through the pad of his fingertip from the ensorcellment within the tattoo. "I had to listen to her blather on for hours as she did it."

"And was that such a hardship?" Angel asked with amusement.

Spike grinned. "Not exceptionally so, no."

Angel shook his head, then scooted down so he was laying on his back as well. "Question-"

"Answer," Spike said immediately.

The dark-haired vampire smacked his Childe purposely on the forehead as Angel brought his hands up to put behind his head. "Why are you and Buffy always at each other's throats?"

"Why shouldn't we be?" Spike replied.

"Spike, you've been working with her for six years now. I would think that any animosity between you two would be gone. It's not like you can feed from the living anymore, so that can't be the reason," Angel said.

"Maybe I like fighting with her," Spike said.

"One day things may go too far and one of you could end up dead," Angel said bluntly.

"I'm already dead."

"Spike-"

"Angel-" Spike mimicked in the same exasperated voice of his Sire. He turned his head and saw Angel glaring at him. He sighed. "'You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star,' mate."

"You don't have a soul," Angel said. Then he frowned as he placed the quote. "Nietzsche? You're quoting Nietzsche?"

"Read it in a fortune cookie," Spike said with a smirk.

"Why I ever made you is beyond comprehension," Angel commented.

"You thought I was a handsome git with a sexy arse," Spike answered to the rhetorical question. "An' you certainly did love to bugger me sexy arse, too."

"Don't remind me," Angel said.

"You're in love with the Witch, aren't you?"

The dark-haired vampire blinked in surprise. "Where did the question come from?"

"You asked me about the Slayer without any emotion in your voice," Spike replied. "Like you were asking about the time or weather. Means you aren't in love with the chit anymore. So I'm wondering if you're hard up for someone else."

"Very crass," Angel said.

"Well, are you?"

"I do love Willow," Angel answered. "As a friend, nothing more."

"Right then," Spike said. He looked back up at the ceiling and tried not to show his concerns. His Sire sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of the last part of his answer, rather than his Childe. Which meant he and Buffy needed to keep Willow and Angel in their sights at all times, or hell would return to their lives.

Part Seven

Spike took one look at the obsidian Tower of Seven Woes and started to hum the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme. Angel snorted in amusement, having thought the same thing. Willow gave the dark-haired vampire a grin, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Do you think if we said 'Open the bombay doors, Hal,' we could get in easily?" the redhead asked.

"What do you mean? Who's Hal?" Buffy said. She looked at her three companions in confusion when they burst out laughing. "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?"

"That's because you are, ducks," Spike replied. "But don't worry about it. You were never too bright to begin with."

"You're right," Buffy agreed, much to the blond vampire's surprise. She smirked at him. "I keep hanging around with you, don't I?"

"Oh, I'm just so wounded, Slayer," Spike said. He pretended to wipe at fake tears. "How could you say such a horrible thing?"

"Spike, get dusted," Buffy told him before returning her gaze to the enormous Tower before her.

"I think the question of the late, late hour is: how do we get in?" Willow said after a few moments of the group's quiet study of the stone building.

"Well, Ellie said the first level is the top level," Spike said. "That means we have to go up somehow."

"Just whip out your super-cape, Spike," Buffy said to him. "I mean, you're already wearing the tights." She giggled. "I can just picture you wearing your tidy-whities over them..."

Spike gave her a slow seductive smile. "It wouldn't work, luv," he said in a low voice. "Seein' as how I don't wear knickers."

Buffy responded in a purr of her own, reaching over to run her fingers along the material of his shirt-tunic. "Mmm, baby," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper as she leaned closer to him. "That must...chafe."

His blue eyes sparkled with humor. "If it does, will you make me feel better?"

"I think that could be arranged," she replied. She winked. "I promise to keep your ashes in a nice place. Like, say, my garbage can?"

Spike chuckled. "I'd be overjoyed that my final resting place was in your rubbish bin."

Willow shook her head when Angel gestured to the two blonds, an amused smile on her lips. She looked back up at the Tower, trying to once again see if there was a way up. It had taken them half the night to walk over to Cable Island from the Inn, which left them the other half for them to get into the infamous place before the sun came up.

Between the four of them, they carried the additional supplies Willow and Buffy had purchased late that afternoon. Spike and Angel each had a leather bag slung across their chests, the Witch had her saddle bag and Buffy had her waist pouches. There was food and water for girls, blood for the vampires, some magickal supplies and some practical ones, such as rope, candles, flint and steel in case Willow's magick didn't work, and several bandages for first aid usage. Each of them were armed with the weapons they'd appeared in the game with, along with Buffy creating a few stakes to hide on her person. "They're what I use best," she'd said when Willow raised a questioning brow.

"Well?" Angel asked Willow. "Any ideas? I'm drawing a blank."

"Do you think Buffy could shoot an arrow up there?" Willow said. "We've got rope."

"We don't know if there's anything for it to latch onto," Angel pointed out. "And I wouldn't want the person who climbed the rope first to fall."

"Maybe there's a secret entrance," Buffy said, as she and Spike rejoined the conversation.

"Push a rock and a door swings open," Spike said. "It's possible."

"Or you could just use the steps."

The four turned at the voice and saw a grizzled, old dwarf standing behind them, leaning heavily on a cane. His grey beard was fully and bushy, coming down to mid-pot-belly on him. He was dressed in a well-worn, leather jerkin and breeches, his deerskin boots laced halfway up his legs. Bright violet eyes peered up at them in the semi-darkness, the half-moon providing enough light for them to see.

"Steps?" Willow said first, giving the dwarf a friendly smile.

He lifted his cane and pointed to the side of the Tower. "They're on the back side, running up the cliff. You have to go down to go up, but I wouldn't recommend either."

"Well, we don't have a choice," Buffy said. "But thank you."

He nodded, then turned and slowly shuffled away. Buffy looked at Willow. "Another game helper?" Angel and Spike both looked at the redhead in askance, too.

Willow shrugged. "Must be. We probably were suppose to ask him more, like what is going to attack us climbing the steps, but it's too late now," she said, pointing in the direction the dwarf went. "He's gone."

The other three looked to where she pointed and saw that the dwarf had vanished. The nearest buildings were too far away for him to have ran behind with them not seeing.

"I'm going to say this can't be a good sign," Spike said. He glanced at Buffy. "This is all your fault."

"My fault?" Buffy said in confusion. "How in the world can this be my fault?"

"Your B.O. chased him away," Spike replied as he walked towards the side of the Tower.

"I do not stink!" Buffy yelled, chasing after him when he broke into a run.

"You reek!"

"Take that back!"

"Worse than that bloody Ramora!"

"I'm so going to hurt you!"

Angel sighed. "Do you feel old?" he asked Willow. "I feel old."

"Ancient," Willow replied with a smile.

The dark-haired vampire offered his arm. "Shall we catch up to the kids?"

"Can we give them a time-out when we do?" Willow asked in response, putting her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"I was thinking more along the lines of throwing them off the cliff," Angel said with a grin.

"That's a good plan, too."

The two of them met up with Buffy and Spike at the top of a set of stairs carved into the side of the cliff. The rough waters that surrounded Cable Island caused waves to crash along the rock way down below, sending up a symphony of sound to the four at the top. The Tower of Seven Woes looked as though the cliff had been whittled away by the creator around the Tower, leaving discerning edge between the black obsidian and the rock face of the cliff itself. They could see a set of stone steps winding back and forth on the sheer face of the Tower, from several hundred feet below it to the very top.

"At least the moon's on this side," Willow commented as they fathomed the daunting climb before them.

The wind blown up from the water caused their clothing to be buffeted against their bodies. Buffy was glad her hair was braided tightly and she smirked at Spike when he checked the tightness of the band that held his hair pulled back. Willow's pixie-style cut made caused her hair to blow around with the heavy breeze, and the redhead had to shout to be heard over the roar of both the wind and the waves.

"We'd better get going," Willow said.

"Peaches, you take the lead," Spike said. "Then Willow, the Slayer and I'll take up the rear," he leered at Buffy, "so I can watch the Slayer's arse."

"No, you lead," Angel said. He wanted to be behind Willow in order to assist her more easily. "Then Buffy, Willow and me."

Spike and Buffy exchanged looks. The Slayer leaned closer to Spike, who ducked his head so she could speak in his ear. "I made Willow promise not to screw Angel soulless, so it should be okay. So long as we all stay together."

He nodded. "Right," he said, then raised his voice. "I'll lead."

The peroxide-blond vampire studied the steps heading down the cliff towards the water below. As the dwarf said, they had to go down in order to go up. He shifted into game face and the increased night vision allowed him to see that the stone steps were glistening with moisture. He glanced back at Buffy, who was standing right behind him, and said, "Be careful. It's slippery."

"You, too," Buffy said, then turned and passed the message along.

They began their decent slowly, testing out the strength of the wind, the slipperiness of the steps, and their own balance before they became more sure of themselves. With one hand on the rock face, they made their way down two hundred stone steps to a large, natural platform with relative ease. The steps started up from that point, winding back and forth up the cliff face and the Tower in what seemed like a never ending zig-zag pattern.

All four of them looked straight up at the obsidian Tower of Seven Woes and then exchanged nervous glances.

"Cor, that's high," Spike commented loudly to be heard over the waves crashing against the rocks a few hundred feet below.

"I hope no one has acrophobia," Willow said, equally as loud.

"Or is afraid of heights," Buffy added.

"Um, Buffy...," Angel started to say. She looked over at him in question and he shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just go. I'd prefer not to be halfway up when the sun decides to crest that horizon behind us."

Spike led the way again. Going up was even slower than going down, but the four of them were more steady, and the higher they went, the drier the steps became. The wind kept blowing against them, but it was in a way that pressed them closer to the cliff face and then the Tower, rather than trying to knock them off.

It was Angel who noticed the strange disparities in the obsidian wall as they climbed. At first, he thought it was just his imagination. However, at one point, he let his gaze slide behind them along the wall without being obvious, and he knew that their relatively safe climb may soon come to an end.

Not wanting to cause a panic, he used the pretense of steadying Willow in order to stop her on the step above him. He bent his head to whisper in her ear that was further from the wall. "We're being watched," he told her softly.

He immediately felt her stiffen under his hands and he slid his arms around her smaller waist in a parody of a lover's embrace. Gently, he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, ignoring the immediate tingle of his lips from his action, and spoke again. "Keep your eyes on the wall ahead of you as we walk."

She nodded imperceptively and squeezed his hands. He released her and she continued walking, her eyes scanning the wall in front of them as they climbed. When she saw it move, she thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Then it happened again and she had to hold back her gasp.

The obsidian wall of the Tower had eyes!

Willow looked back at Angel, who nodded in silent communication with her. She tried to think of a way to let Buffy know of the possible danger, but couldn't. Instead, she concentrated on keeping her own eyes open for danger, a bright light spell half-formed in her mind in order to blind the eyes if need be.

However, Buffy and Spike were aware of the eyes watching them, and Buffy'd had the similar disquiet of not knowing how to tell Willow or Angel. Spike had noticed a set of eyes ahead of them closing quickly, making them disappear into the obsidian wall face. When he saw them a second time, he had made a gesture with his hand several times, allowing Buffy a chance to see his signal.

Buffy and Spike had worked long enough together so that words were not always necessary. A certain look, hand gesture, or even a slight tilt of the head spoke volumes. Buffy caught Spike's hand signal and she went instantly on alert, searching for the danger. It took her a few minutes to find the hidden eyes watching them as they ascended the stone steps, but when she did, she silently drew a stake she had hidden in her billowy sleeve earlier that day. Sharp wood worked just as well against non-vampires as it did her normal foe.

They were on the last switchback to the top of the Tower, far, far above the crashing waves below. Spike's legs were starting to ache from the constant stepping, and he wondered how Willow was managing with her normal, human body. He glanced at the wall ahead of them and saw another pair of eyes close quickly, blending into the obsidian. He really wished whatever the eyes belonged to would attack already. He was getting sick of them watchi-

Pale, skinny arms shot out of the obsidian at Spike's side, clawed hands wrapped around his waist and he was yanked through the wall. Buffy yelled out Spike's name, running up the steps that had separated them, and banged on the Tower where he disappeared into. She looked down at her friends in time to see Willow vanish into the wall, too, pulled by the same pale, skinny arms and clawed hands.

"Willow!" Angel yelled, mimicking Buffy's actions where the redhead disappeared. His fist banged on the hard stone, trying to find a hidden door. He heard a yelp and looked up the steps to see Buffy struggling against the clawed hands that were pulling on her. She went into the wall before he could reach her side, and he repeated his pounding on the wall. "Buffy! Willow!"

When the clawed hands shot out and wrapped around his waist, the vampire quickly found he was no match for the strength behind whatever had him, and he vanished through the obsidian wall of the Tower.

Down below, the waves continued to roar.

Part Eight

"Who's this?"

"That's me, you oaf. Get off."

"Not now, Slayer."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

"Buffy? Spike?"

"Willow?"

"Angel?"

"Dopey? Doc?"

"Wheezy?"

"Wheezy? Isn't that the woman from The Jeffersons?"

"'I'm movin' on up. To the East Side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky...'"

"Spike, you're strange."

A lightball formed in Willow's hand and she smiled at her three friends. "Hi, guys."

"Thank you, Willow," Buffy said, shoving Spike further away from her. They were sitting on the hard floor practically on top of one another in what looked to be a featureless cell approximately the size of a twin bed.

"Everyone okay?" Angel asked, looking specifically at Willow.

"Yes," Willow replied.

"Will you get away," Buffy growled at Spike, who leaned across her to put his face near the floor and the wall beside her where he saw a thin crack of light.

He turned his head to look up at her. "You're just afraid I'm going to smell that you want me," he said with a leer.

"As much as I want herpes."

"Slayer, that's disgusting."

"So is the thought of having sex with you."

"Buffy, do you have a stake on you?" Angel asked the Slayer.

Buffy looked over at him. "Yeah, why?"

"Because if I have to listen to you two for too much longer, I may need it," Angel said, straight-faced. Willow giggled.

Buffy looked back down at Spike, and the two both rolled their eyes before the peroxide-blond vampire turned his attention back to the crack. "Straighten your legs a minute, pet," he said to Buffy. She did and he readjusted himself across them, his chest pressing against her thighs so he could use his hands.

Carefully, he put his fingers near the crack, feeling along the juncture between the floor and the wall. Air came through it, and he could smell the telltale odor of the long dead, old blood and mustiness. He found the corner of the non-visible door and dragged his finger along the edge as he slowly rose to his feet, stepping over Buffy as she quickly moved to give him room.

"Willow, give us a light up here," Spike said.

Willow stood and brought the lightball closer to him. They could both see the crack between the door and the wall with the closeness of the light. "Any doorknob?" she asked.

Spike moved his finger off of the crack in order to run his palms over the entire door. He found a small hole where a doorknob would normally be and crouched down to look. It was a key hole that did not extend all the way through the door, but he could discern the locking mechanism. "Looks like a job for the coiffed one," he said.

"Don't you know how to pick a lock?" Angel asked, switching places with Spike.

"We usually just break down the door," Spike said. He offered his hand to Buffy. "Don't we, luv?"

"Or we get Giles," Buffy said, accepting his help up. She stood and the two watched Angel as he inserted lockpick tools into the key hole. Willow held the lightball closer to the dark-haired vampire to give him more light.

"Got it," Angel said, giving the door a push.

The four carefully filtered out of the cell, wary and hands on their weapons. They found themselves in a long hallway with doors running down both sides. Torches were suspended high on the obsidian walls, their flames providing enough light Willow could stop her spell. Cobwebs hung from the corners of the stone beams that split the ceiling and a fine layer of dust coated the stone floor.

"Well, which way do we go?" Buffy asked, looking down the hall towards the left. "Left or right?"

"Don't you think we ought to figure out where we are first?" Willow said.

"I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say we're in the Tower," Spike said. Angel smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow," the blond vampire glared at his Sire, "prick."

"We were almost to the top of the steps," Angel said, giving Spike a warning look. His Childe sneered at him, then turned and walked over to another cell door, examining it. "So I would hazard a guess we were on level one somewhere."

"And we have to get to level seven," Buffy said. "Which means we have to find the stairs and takes us back to my original question. Left or right?"

"Left," Spike said.

"Okay," Buffy said. She turned right and started heading up the hall. Willow and Angel both shrugged when they looked at each other at Buffy's action, then followed the Slayer.

Spike turned the stone handle on the door he was examining and pulled it open. He looked into the cell, the torches from the hall providing enough light for him to see. A rat the size of his arm looked up at him with its beady red eyes from its perch on a half-eaten human head. The vampire quickly closed the door, turned right as he knew Buffy would choose when he said left, and hurried to catch up with the others.

Angel gave Spike a questioning lift of his brow when his Childe joined them, and the blond shook his head. They traversed down the long hallway without seeing anything other than black obsidian stone and torches. There was no other sounds beside that of their footsteps and the girls' breathing.

"Do you think we'll find anyone else here?" Buffy asked.

"Alive or dead?" Spike said, earning another swat from Angel.

"Maybe," Willow answered. "There's a bounty on the Princess, and we know that anyone who's after that needs the Bands of Kimara..." The redhead paused, then shook her head. "What am I saying? Of course we'll meet others. This is a game. We're in the game. So we'll meet everyone and everything a person playing the game is suppose to meet. And fight."

"Does that mean the game hasn't been altered because we're in it?" Buffy said.

"Um...I don't think so," Willow replied. "Because it's an online game, it's kind of like MUDing, where we can separate and do different things, but still all play together. And the goal is still the same -- get the Bands and rescue the Princess."

"The wonders of modern technology," Spike commented. "And I thought the telly was a bloody exciting invention."

"That's right, you're old," Buffy said. "I keep forgetting."

"Because I'm still dashing?"

"Because you act like you're five."

"Do not," Spike growled at her.

"Okay, you don't act like you're five," Buffy said.

"That's better."

"Make that three."

"Hey!"

"What about you, Angel?" Willow asked. "What was your favorite invention so far?"

"I liked the phonograph," Angel replied. "Being able to listen to symphonies-"

Spike snorted. "Nancyboy."

"Some of us have class, Spike," Angel said.

"Some of us have an unlife," Spike retorted.

"Oh look, stairs," Willow said overly loud. "And they go down, too."

The four came to a halt at the top of the stone steps that curved downwards. Torches continued to line the obsidian walls, set at intervals in the small stairwell. No handrails were evident, just like the steps outside of the Tower.

"You mean, we're through the first level already?" Buffy said. "That was too easy."

"The challenge was probably getting out of the cell," Willow said. "And we didn't examine any of the other cells, which hardcore gamers would have done. And they probably would have been attacked or found treasure or something."

"Treasure?" Spike's ears perked up.

"We just want to concentrate on reaching the seventh level," Angel said. "We'll fight if we have to, but we're not here to go treasure hunting." He looked pointedly at Spike. The blond vampire pouted.

"Down?" Buffy said.

"Down," Willow agreed.

"I'll lead this time," Angel said. "Buffy, why don't you take up the rear and keep your short bow handy. You can shoot over everyone's heads that way if need be."

"Got it," Buffy said.

Angel checked to make sure everyone was ready, then he headed down the winding stairwell. Willow followed behind him, then Spike with Buffy at the end, keeping an eye out behind them, just in case. The curved stairs wound around two full turns of the clock before they ended at the second level. There was only one direction which the foursome could go, right, for to the left was a blocked-off passage.

Quietly, they followed the hall lit with torches for a short distance before the hallway turned to the left. "I think this is the outer wall of the tower," Angel said, his voice unnaturally loud in the silence of the passageway. He touched the obsidian wall to his right, the smoothness of the rock like glass.

"Ellie said the stairs would be on the opposite end," Buffy said. "So we should stay with the outer wall until we find them."

"If we're allowed," Spike said. He gestured up towards the ceiling with his head. "By our companions."

Angel, Willow and Buffy looked up. Sitting, laying and standing on the stone beams that criss-crossed the hallway near the ceiling were hundreds of cats. Big ones, small ones, in all different colors and coats. The cats' greenish-yellow eyes all watched them as they walked, their tails flicking slowly back and forth.

The hall turned left again and they came to a halt when they found their way blocked by a large, stone statue of a cat. It was a deep green in color, perfectly chiseled to look as though she was sitting tall, her paws primly placed, her tail curled around in front of her. The slanted eyes of the statue glittered with gold flecks, the marquis irises black as night within their centers.

"'Mem-'"

Buffy clamped her hand over Spike's mouth before he could start singing Memories from the musical CATS. "Now what?" she asked the others quietly.

"I don't know," Willow said. "Did anyone see a door or something on our way?"

"No," Angel said. "Just our feline friends."

"And the big pussy blocking the hallway," Spike added after he pulled Buffy's hand away from his mouth.

"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Buffy said to him.

"Oh come on, pet," Spike said. He gestured to the statue. "Who could?"

"All of us did," she replied. "Then again, we're mature adults."

"Speak for yourself," Angel whispered to Willow. The redhead covered her mouth as she laughed. He smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly, then spoke up. "If you two are done...?"

"We're done," Buffy said, giving a final glare to Spike. "Right?"

"Mum's the word, ducks," Spike said. "I won't even make the comment about wanting to lick the pussy's sweet milk..." He quickly pressed his lips together and gave the Slayer an innocent look when she raised her fist to deck him.

The purring that started stopped Buffy from hitting Spike. The four companions looked up at the cats, as they began to jump from beam to beam, trying to gather on the one directly above their heads. The hallway behind them began to fill with the felines, the purring becoming louder with the increase in the number of cats in the small area.

"Hello, my precious kitties," a throaty, female voice cooed from near the statue.

Angel, Buffy, Willow and Spike turned as one towards the voice. An extremely curvaceous female with waist-length midnight hair was sitting on the stone statue's shoulder, her long legs crossed at the knee. Her human features were of oriental origin, with slanting green eyes outlined heavily in black, making them more cat-like. The black shirt she wore tucked into black hose was open to her navel, exposing a pendant of deep red that hung suspended right above her cleavage, drawing eyes to her rounded breasts.

"Stop drooling," Buffy hissed at Spike, as she passed behind him to stand at his other side nearer to the wall.

The woman gazed down upon them, a small smile curving her lips. "Humans," she said in that same throaty purr. "Welcome to my lair. I am Ysele the Cat. And you are...?"

"Angel," Angel replied, nodding his head in a formal greeting. He turned on the charm that had wooed countless women to his bed many years before, knowing immediately that was how to deal with the female before them.

"My...," he paused, a slow smirk appearing, letting Ysele think the others were only his bedmates but he wasn't going to call them that. "...Companions are Lady Willow, Lady Slayer, and William."

"I know the poof thinks he's Batman and all, but this is ridiculous," Spike muttered to Buffy. She gave him a puzzled look. "You know, Batman, Catwoman -- Julie Newmar, not Michelle Pfeiffer. But not Adam West's Batman. Michael Keaton."

"Spike, you're babbling," Buffy told him. "Do beautiful women turn you more into an idiot than you already are?"

"No, because you haven't," Spike answered, then turned his attention back to what Ysele and his Sire were speaking about.

Buffy's eyes widened. It couldn't have been, she thought. She didn't just get a compliment other than the normal "good fighting, pet," from Spike...did she?

"We are seeking to reach the stairs to the third level," Angel was saying to Ysele when Buffy tuned back in after convincing herself Spike did not just call her beautiful.

"Rrrreally," Ysele purred with a long roll of her 'R.' "I know this level like the back of my," she held out her gloved hand, "hand."

"Then perhaps you would be willing to escort us," Angel suggested, walking over to the statue and raising his own hand, palm up, to hers.

Ysele put her hand in Angel's and slid down the front of the statue. The dark-haired vampire put his other hand around her waist to assist her, and they ended up standing very close together when her feet were on the ground. "And just what would you be willing to exchange?" Ysele asked.

Angel's lips curled and he gave the woman a smouldering look. "I think we could come to some sort of...arrangement," he said silkily.

"I bet you could," Willow growled under her breath. "Vampires. Psh. Always thinking with their parts."

Angel caught Willow's glare and he knew he had to move the charade along before she turned him into a toad. He ignored the strange idea that popped into his head that she was jealous. He reached into a hidden pocket and extracted the black, onyx statuette of a cat that the halfling had shoved at him two nights prior. He held it up between himself and Ysele and saw the woman's eyes gleam with greedy delight.

"Do we have a deal?"

Part Nine

With the help of Ysele, the foursome reached the stairs heading down to the third level without a problem. They saw several traps that would possibly befallen them had they attempted to traverse the second level alone. Willow reminded them that the further down they got in the tower, the more traps and harder the levels would become unless they played smart.

"Why don't we just bribe each person we come by to take us across the level?" Buffy asked, as the group made their way slowly from the stairwell on the third level into the torch-lit hall.

"Because not everyone will be trustworthy," Willow said. "They could take our bribe and lead us to our death, then come back and steal the rest of our stuff. Plus, there probably won't be a cat in heat on every level."

Angel cocked his brow at the redhead. "'Cat in heat?'"

"I'm too polite to use the 'B' word," Willow said loftily, her nose in the air.

"Ysele wasn't that bad," Angel said. Willow gave him a look and his lips curled up. "Okay, she was."

"Darn tootin'," Willow said.

"Willow sounds jealous," Spike said in a low voice to Buffy as the two bottle-blonds walked behind the other two.

"Threatened, not jealous," Buffy corrected. Spike gave her a questioning glance. "Beautiful seductress versus plain old us, who's going to win when it comes to men's attentions?"

Spike didn't get to answer because something odd caught his eye. Turning, he frowned at the pile of rags that he could have sworn was moving a moment ago. He faced Buffy again and he glanced back with his eyes before returning them to hers, telling her without speaking that he thought something was following them.

Buffy's eyes flicked to the area behind them in time to see a bunch of rags fall into a pile on the ground. Her brows netted together slightly, as she pondered where the rags had come from. They weren't there when they passed that point in the hallway a few seconds ago.

"Angel, do you have the food?" Willow asked the dark-haired vampire walking beside her.

"I think so," Angel answered, lifting the flap to his bag. "Feeding time at the zoo?"

"Oh, ha, ha," Willow replied dryly. "Just give me an apple."

"Here you are, M'lady," Angel said dramatically, producing an apple from the bag.

"Thanks," Willow said, accepting the apple from him. She opened her mouth, about to sink her teeth into the juicy fruit, when Buffy's yell caused her to drop the apple to the stone floor.

"Look out!" Buffy exclaimed, running up to the redhead and yanking her boldly back from a pile of rags on the floor near Willow's feet.

"Buffy, what-" Willow cut her question off when she saw the rags start to move on their own in front of her eyes.

Angel had turned at Buffy's yell, and he saw Spike further back down the hall fighting what looked to be a person dressed in rags. Except, he immediately realized, the person had no face, just an empty hole where the head would be under the rag-hood.

Willow squeaked as the rags in front of her formed into the shape of a person with no face. "Raggamoffyns!" the redhead exclaimed, recognizing them from the creature index in the instruction booklet she'd read before attempting to play the computer game back in her office.

Buffy stepped in front of her and kicked at the thing, causing it to fly back against the obsidian wall of the hallway. It collapsed into a disassembled pile, but it immediately began to reform. Buffy exchanged a worried look with the redhead, then latched onto the other girl's arm and started running up the hallway away from the rags.

Angel darted back down the hall to Spike's side as the blond vampire sliced with his short sword through the head area of the animated rags. Just like the one Buffy kicked, the rags fell harmlessly to the floor and laid still. Then they began to reform.

Spike looked up at his Sire with wide eyes, and the two vampires turned and ran up the hall after the girls, bypassing a second animated raggamoffyn. They skid to a halt at the entryway to a large, circular room near what they thought was the center of the third level. In the very middle of the room was Buffy and Willow, surrounded by raggamoffyns of various shapes and sizes.

Buffy continuously kicked raggamoffyn after raggamoffyn, sending them flying back to land in a disassembled heap on the floor. However, when one was pushed back, another would take its place, making the Slayer's work never-ending. But she kept circling the seated Willow, fighting them off back as the redhead searched her spell book.

Angel exchanged a nod with Spike, and the two vampires leapt into battle from behind. The dark-haired vampire grabbed one of the raggamoffyn's heads and twisted. The rags came off in his hands and the pile fell to the floor, then immediately began to reassemble. He kicked his foot out to the side, knocking a second one apart. Soon he was opposite Buffy in the center, helping her.

Spike went after the raggamoffyns with a violent abandon. He swung his short sword at neck after neck of the animated rag creatures, sending them falling into a heap onto the floor before beginning to re-shape. He also worked his way to the center of the circle where Buffy and Willow were. Once there, he gave the Slayer a cocky grin. "Having fun, ducks?"

"Tons," Buffy answered, kicking yet another raggamoffyn backwards. "This reminds me that I have to do my laundry when we get back." Spike chuckled.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on," Willow mumbled to herself as she flipped through the pages of her book. "Aha!" Rapidly, the redhead scanned the spell, then began to recite it, her hands tracing magickal symbols in the air.

All the raggamoffyns in the room became engulfed in flames at the same time.

But they kept coming.

"Oh, this is nice," Spike growled, beating out a spark of fire that hit his shirt-tunic after he'd swung at a flaming-raggamoffyn.

"Why aren't they disintegrating?" Buffy felt the heat of the flames through her boot as she kicked one.

Angel swore fluently when he burned his hands twisting off the neck of another raggamoffyn that had suddenly burst into flames due to Willow's spell. He fell into a fighting stance and began to kick them like Buffy, sending bits of flaming rags up in the air and onto his clothing. As did Spike, he had to smack the burning particles before his own clothing caught on fire.

"Oops," Willow said, her eyes wide as she witnessed what her spell had done. She quickly bent her head again and started to turn pages even more rapidly. She found a spell to put out the flames and started to cast it, making sure to make the correct adjustment for the size of the area they were in.

An invisible cloud opened up above them, and a sudden downpour of rain drenched the entire room.

An extremely soaked Buffy, Spike and Angel all looked at Willow when the rain stopped. The redhead smiled up at them. "Well, they're not on fire anymore," she said in her defense.

Willow was correct, the raggamoffyns were no longer flaming. The water-soaked rags seemed to slow down, not forming themselves fully when they reassembled after being drenched. Buffy kicked one and it flew apart, the rags landing on the stone floor with loud plops.

"I think we should use this opportunity to leave," Buffy suggested. "Before they wring themselves out."

"Good idea," Angel said, pulling Willow up to her feet. The redhead gave him her wet spell book and gathered her sopping skirts up in her hands. She nodded to him. "Let's go."

With the dark-haired vampire leading the way, the four crossed to the opposite side of the circular room from whence they came, and entered another hallway. Their feet squished with each step they took, their clothing heavier because of the wetness. The torches flickered, but they did not run into any more raggamoffyns.

Angel came to a halt when they entered another room that was filled with old armor, rusty weapons and the gnawed bones of the fallen who'd tried to traverse the third level and did not make it. His eyes scanned the dimness, searching for whatever killed them. The door out of the large room was directly opposite them on the far side.

"Keep your eyes open," the older vampire warned before he started across the room.

Buffy heard the squeak of rusty metal first, her head turning rapidly to pinpoint the source. She grabbed Spike's arm to alert him of the sound. Spike nodded, indicating that he heard it, too, when the subtle sound of metal rubbing against metal reached their ears. He fanned away from her and she took a few steps to her left, forming a slight vee with Willow and Angel in front.

Angel cocked his head when he heard the sound and dropped his eyes to Willow. The redhead's own eyes widened perceptively as she met his, then she glanced around nervously. He passed her back her spell book in order to free both of his hands.

The foursome were silent, tense, waiting for something to happen. The wet trail of footprints and the drag-mark from the back of Willow's dress marked their progress across the large room. The squeak of metal seemed to echo in the obsidian room, making it hard for them to pinpoint from where it originated.

The redhead darted a glance behind them and froze mid-step, gulping in a big breath of air. She turned around completely and her eyes slowly went from the stone ground, up over the broadsword feet, the armor leg-braces, the metal codpiece, the giant-sized breast plate, the pike arms with short sword hands, and the plumed helmet with the faceplate up showing an empty hole where the face should have been.

"Oh boy," she breathed, watching as a second one assembled beside its brother. "Shrapnyl."

"Do we fight...," Spike began, getting a good look at the shrapnyl. A third was assembling as he spoke.

"...Or do we run?" Buffy finished, her eyes on the animated metal as well. She turned her eyes to Spike the same time he turned his to meet hers.

"Run," they both said simultaneously, having learned long ago which fights were necessary and which were not. The shrapnyl fell in the 'not' category.

Prompting Willow and Angel forward, the four broke out in a run for the door. Angel saw a shrapnyl assembling directly in the doorway and he pulled ahead of his friends. When he was close enough, he launched himself with a double-side kick at the breastplate of the fully-formed shrapnyl. It shattered apart, the metal armor and armaments clattering noisily onto the obsidian floor.

They ducked through the doorway and continued down the torch-lit hall. Behind them, scraping and clacking was heard as the shrapnyl came in pursuit. The four skid when they ran around a sharp corner, Willow hitting her shoulder on the wall as she went around it. She gasped in pain, almost dropping the spellbook, but continued on.

"Trouble," Angel called back to the others as he spotted another shrapnyl blocking the hallway. Past it he could see several more, lined up like dominoes. With a snarl, he hunched forward like a linebacker and charged, plowing into the first shrapnyl with his shoulder. It fell to pieces under his hit, the metal echoing in the hallway off the obsidian, as did the second and the third.

The dark-haired vampire stopped short of plowing into the fourth one, who had lowered a sharp blade right at neck level. Angel ducked the swing and shot his fist out. It connected with the breastplate of the shrapnyl, and the hollow echo of his hit rang loudly, but the animated armor did not fall.

"Protect Willow!" Buffy told Spike before sprinting ahead of the redhead towards the shrapnyls that were reassembling themselves behind Angel. She flipped over a partially formed one and slammed her clasped fists down one the next in line, scattering the metal pieces again. She spun and kicked the one she jumped over, knocking it apart.

Angel shot his foot back and hit the one that had started to reform behind him. As it fell back apart, he reached up and grabbed the fourth shrapnyl's armor plated arm as it swung again. He yanked the animated arm out and used it like a bat to bust apart the rest of the shrapnyl. He sprinted forward over the collapsing armor to a fifth one.

Spike stayed behind Willow, watching their backs, as the redhead started paging through her spellbook again. He could see several of the shrapnyls heading up the hallway from the way they had come, and he clenched his teeth togther. "Come on, luv," he ground out. "Find us a bloody spell before we become a permanent part of this game."

"I'm looking, I'm looking," Willow said, her eyes flying over the pages. She tried to remember more of the instruction booklet for the game, trying to deduce whether it had said anything pertinent to destroying the shrapnyls. She knew fire didn't work, nor did water. If she manipulated the stone around the animated armor, she'd run the risk of harming herself and her friends, too.

Then it came to her. The shrapnyls, like the raggamoffyns, were animated objects that normally didn't move on their own. And if they were animated, they could be de-animated. Her fingers flew furiously as she turned the pages of the spellbook, searching for the spell. She heard Spike growl loudly behind her and him run back down the hallway, then the clank of metal as he attacked the shrapnyls approaching them from behind.

Willow took a deep breath, then started her spell, praying to the Goddess that it would work. Her hand wove the symbols in the air above her head, her lips moving as she chanted quietly.

Spike grunted in pain when he was cut across the hand by one of the shrapnyls. He tried to use his short sword to disassemble his opponent, but the clash of metal on the armor only created sparks and noise. Angry, the blond vampire spun and kicked out his foot in hard back-kick at the shrapnyl's breastplate, sending it flying back into the one behind it. They went down with a clatter of metal on stone.

Angel kept pressing forward, knocking apart shrapnyl after shrapnyl to get to the end of the line. He wanted to know how many there were to get through before they reached relative safety. He continued to use the plate armor from the shrapnyl's arm as a bat, alternating swinging it into his opponents and kicking them.

Buffy grabbed a fallen codpiece and chucked it at a shrapnyl with all her strength. As the one she hit fell over and shattered apart, she snatched another piece of armor from the slowly reassembling animated objects and pitched it at a second foe. She was starting to get tired, and very pissed off. Things that refused to stay down or dead really irked her.

"Aaah!" Buffy yelled. She snatched a broadsword foot from one of the fallen piles and began to beat on a breast plate. "Will," clang, "you," clang, "stay," clang, "down!"

Suddenly she, Angel and Spike all covered their ears as metal began to crash down around them. The shrapnyls who were still standing fell to the stone floor as one, the armor bouncing and clattering on the obsidian. Because of the narrowness of the hallway, the sound rang loudly and clearly against the smooth rock, as if hundreds of pots and pans in a kitchen all fell from an overhanging rack.

When it stopped, the silence in the hall seemed louder than the falling metal had sounded. Angel looked down the hall and saw Buffy, then Willow, then Spike spaced out along it, surrounded by armor and weapons that littered the floor. The redhead was smiling in happiness, her wet hair plastered flat against her skull. She gave him a thumbs up and he couldn't help but smile broadly in return.

Buffy slumped in relief, her eyes going past Willow to find her usual comrade-in-arms looking in her direction. Spike cocked his head to one side and arched his scarred brow, and the Slayer nodded in return, answering his silent question if she was alright. He nodded once, as well, indicating that he was fine, too.

"I don't know about you guys," Buffy said, breaking the strangely loud silence. "But I think we should take a break before moving on."

"It is well past sunrise," Willow said. She gestured to the obsidian walls. "Even though we can't see it."

"Do you want to stay right here, or try and find the stairs first and stop by them?" Angel asked, his voice easily carrying the distance between everyone.

"Here," Spike called back.

"Here," Buffy agreed.

"I say here, too," Willow added.

"Then here we'll stay," Angel said. "But keep the spell you used handy, Willow, just in case."

Part Ten

"Giles is probably freaking because I'm missing," Buffy commented, wiping the juice from her apple off her chin. The four had taken turns keeping watch as the others had slept, and were now eating before they continued on. "I mean, I've vanished out of Sunnydale without a peep."

"What about me, Slayer?" Spike said. "I'm not there, either."

"But no one cares about you," Buffy said with an evil smirk.

"Ouch," Angel said, smirking at Spike as well.

"Bite me," Spike growled.

"I'd bet you'd like that," Angel commented, his smirk growing when Spike glared at him.

"Alright, children," Willow said. "We should probably get going again. The longer I'm gone from home, the less money I make."

"How very shallow of you, Will," Buffy joked. Willow grinned at her.

The four stood, leaving their garbage among the piles of armor and weaponry, and continued down the hallway towards where they hoped the stairs down to the fourth level would be found. Willow and Buffy led the way, carefully stepping over the unanimated shrapnyls. Spike followed the girls, with Angel taking up the rear.

The trip to the stairs was uneventful. They found several more piles of rags and armor, but when they didn't move, they figured Willow's spell was all encompassing. Buffy paused at the top of the stone steps leading down, a frown on her face. "What's that smell?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Willow said. "It almost smells like-"

"Sulfur." Angel completed, his voice flat.

"Yeah, sulfur," Willow said. She glanced at the tall vampire and saw his face was devoid of any emotion.

"And here I thought it was the Slayer's perfume," Spike said.

"More like your stinky cologne," Buffy said.

"I don't wear cologne."

"Then I guess it's you that stinks."

"Buffy, you lead," Willow said, interrupting the beginning verbal battle.

"Okay," Buffy agreed. She started down the steps, treading slowly and wary of a trap.

The fourth level opened up immediately from the stairs into a hallway that led in three directions, straight, left or right. The Slayer looked to her companions. "Well?"

"I guess straight," Willow said. "The stairs are always on opposite ends, and the closest between two points is a straight line, so..."

"Onward and ever-pressing forward," Buffy said, leading the way again down the torch lit hall. The foursome passed several intersections, which seemed to be every ten feet, but they continued going straight, watching and wary.

The moaning was faint at first. Each of the friends dismissed the sound as part of their imagination. But it slowly increased in volume, sliding through the obsidian hallways to their ears. The moaning was a hollow, empty sound, like wind rushing over a conch shell.

Then, beneath the moaning, they began to hear voices and screams and cries.

"Noooooooooo..."

"Not real, not real, not real, not real..."

"Aaaaaahhh!"

"Hahahahahahahaha..."

"I want my mommy, I want my mommy, I want my mommy..."

"Yesssssssss..."

The repetitive crack of a whip echoed against the obsidian. Chains clanked and rattled. A scream pierced the air and cut off abruptly. Deep, evil laughter rolled down the halls. A wail of agony made the torches flicker violently. The smell of sulfur was heavy and cloying. The continual sounds of utter despair beneath it all chilled the air.

And Angel was not with them.

Spike, Buffy and Willow exchanged wide-eyed glances at the dark-haired vampire's sudden disappearance. The moved closer together in the center of an intersection, having to lean nearer to each other in order to hear.

"Did either of you see him get taken or attacked or something?" Willow asked worriedly.

"No, the ponce was right behind me just a bloody intersection ago," Spike replied.

"So we backtrack," Buffy said. "Stick close together."

Spike nodded and turned to head back the way they came, the two girls on his heels. He paused at each intersection they came to, looking both left and right, before continuing straight. Eight intersections back, they found Angel sitting on the ground a short way down the right hallway, his back against the obsidian wall, his knees bent with his feet flat on the floor. His elbows were on his knees, the heels of his palms against his eyes.

"Angel," Willow called to the dark-haired vampire, breaking away from Buffy and Spike to walk hurry over to Angel's side. "Angel, are you okay?"

She touched Angel's shoulder, then flinched back with a gasp when the vampire's head shot up and he snarled at her, his dark eyes cloudy. "A-Angel?" Willow said with a shaky voice.

Angel snarled at her again, and the redhead backed away quickly. She turned to Buffy with tears in her eyes as Spike stepped forward in front of his Sire. The dark-haired vampire growled at Spike, his blunt teeth bared in the torchlight. Undaunted, Spike crouched in front of Angel and put his hand on the older man's knee. "Hey, mate, you-"

Spike's head snapped to the side when Angel's hand shot out and clawed the blond across the cheek. The younger vampire struck back immediately, his fist flying forward to punch Angel in the face. Angel's head hit the wall behind him, and he yelped like an animal. Brown eyes met ice blue for a moment as Spike snarled, "Angel! Snap out of it!"

The blond vampire hit Angel again when his Sire snapped at him, teeth clacking together. The dark-haired vampire yelped a second time and shrunk in on himself, pulling his knees close to his chest and dropping his head. Spike stared at his Sire's dark head for a moment, mind whirling.

"Angel," Spike finally said, his voice low under the moaning and other noises. He reached out and put his finger under Angel's chin, tilting the older man's face up. He found the brown eyes filled with tears and fright, but not recognition. After a moment's deliberation, Spike shifted into his true face and sliced his palm with his canine. He then held his bleeding hand out in front of Angel's mouth, moving himself slightly to his Sire's side.

Angel's nostrils twitched as the scent of Spike's blood invaded his senses. His brown eyes still held the now-golden ones of the younger vampire, and Angel didn't move for several long seconds. Then, lowering his eyes, he licked the blood-covered palm in front of his mouth.

Angel's eyes shot up again to meet Spike's when the old, familiar taste filled his mouth. Blinking rapidly against the tears that started to fall, he whispered harshly, "Spike?"

"Yeah, mate," Spike said, slipping back into his human mask and pulling his hand back. "It's me."

The dark-haired vampire let out a choked sob and dropped his head again. Spike frowned at his Sire, then sat down beside the older man, his back against the obsidian wall. He saw Angel stiffen when a particularly loud wail under the constant moaning reached their ears.

Comprehension finally dawned on Spike, and he was unsure of himself. What could he do to help his Sire who was reliving the hell he'd been to personally? It wasn't as if he was that saddened by the fact that the old man got sent there after trying to bring hell to earth in the first place. Spike had a strong dislike for the git with his soul and absolutely hated the unsouled version, post-curse.

Then why was he feeling like he was being stabbed in the gut as he watched his Sire try to stop crying?

"Hey now, you big poof," Spike said, placing his hand on Angel's upraised thigh. "Stop your nancy-act before I go out and get you your own bloody pair of hose."

Angel glanced over at the blond, and Spike silently hissed at the torment he saw in his Sire's eyes. He squeezed the older man's thigh once, then turned his hand over, palm up, the cut he'd made with his canine still slightly bleeding. Angel looked away again, his face turned down towards Spike's hand.

After several moments, the dark-haired vampire raised his right hand and slit his own palm with brief flicker to his vampiric countenance. He dropped his hand on top of Spike's, intertwining their fingers, their cut palms pressing together. "Stronger than love, stronger than hatred, stronger than lust, stronger than need," Angel whispered, turning his eyes to his Childe again.

"Stronger than sex, stronger than anger, stronger than want, stronger than greed," Spike continued, his whisper carrying strongly under the moaning and screams. "The blood of my Sire-"

"-Is the blood of my Childe." Angel tightened his hold on Spike's hand, and the younger vampire did the same. "And as our blood mingles, let it be shown, as I claim you, my Childe..."

Spike met Angel's pain-filled eyes steadily, unhesitatingly. "...I claim you, Sire, as my own."

Angel took a deep, purposeful breath and let it out slowly. The ancient vampiric ritual that had been translated from language to language throughout time was well-known, but rarely performed. Only the most favored childer of a bloodline ever partook of the ritual, which renewed their blood-ties to their Sires.

Angel had performed the ritual twice before, once with Spike and once with another Childe who had been become dust long ago. He had also been on the Childe end of the ritual with Darla, and with the Master himself. Blood was the most powerful tie between vampires, and any blood oath or blood ritual was not entered into lightly, for it bound the vampires together and could be called upon in time of want or need. If Darla had called upon his blood-tie to her when she was firing upon Buffy long ago, he might not have staked his Sire.

The dark-haired vampire had needed Spike, had needed to have a strong tie with reality and someone who was a firm part of his long life. Spike had reciprocated the renewal without hesitation, which went to show the strength of the blood that bound them together. Angel only hoped that this rebinding never got tested in a way that led to ruin.

Still holding Spike's hand, Angel wiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve of his other arm, and gave the younger vampire a small, grateful smile. He then looked over to where the girls were standing, watching them with worried expressions on their faces. "Can we get off this level, like now?" he said loudly in order to be heard.

Willow rushed over to him and crouched down at his other side, giving him a quick hug around his shoulders. "Are you okay?" she whispered near his ear.

"Bad memories," Angel said. He saw Buffy watching him with a guilt and pain-filled expression, and shook his head. "It's okay, Buffy."

Buffy nodded, tears filling her own eyes. She turned away from her friends and the dark-haired vampire squeezed Spike's hand a final time before releasing it. He gave Willow a small smile, and the redhead gave her own brief nod. He stood and walked over to Buffy, engulfing the tiny Slayer in his arms.

"It's okay, Buffy," Angel said, feeling her shoulders shaking as she cried. He brushed his hand over her bound hair. "This is my nightmare, not yours."

"I'm so sorry, Angel," Buffy said.

"You did what you had to do," Angel said. "Don't ever feel guilty about that. I don't want you to."

"Telling me not to and my actually not feeling guilty are two different things," Buffy sniffed. Another scream ripped through the hallways and Angel stiffened. Buffy pressed her lips together at the new flood of tears.

"You know what, people?" Spike said loudly. "What say we save the brood-fest until we get home, eh? I'll even feed you tubs of chocolate ice cream until you bloody burst."

Spike's statement caused the stormy emotions to calm with light laughter. Angel pressed a kiss to the top of Buffy's head, then released her. He took another purposeful breath and set his face in a stony, determined mask as the moaning and cries continued around them, and said firmly, "Let's get out of here."

Part Eleven

Two strange creatures attacked as the foursome made their way to the stairs, but they were quickly dispatched by Buffy and Spike. By unspoken agreement, Buffy took the lead as they walked up the obsidian, torch-lit hallway, holding her head high as she fought back her own long-buried feelings about sending Angel to hell. Spike took up the rear, putting his Sire in front of him in order to give the older man a sense of security. Willow walked almost next to the dark-haired vampire, touching his arm or hand often in comfort.

The group breathed a collective sigh of relief when they reached the steps heading down to the fifth level. As they descended, the moaning and other sounds of the fourth level dissipated, leaving them in blessed silence save for the soft crackling of the torches on the walls. Buffy was the first to speak.

"That was fun of the not variety," the Slayer commented, stepping out onto the fifth level.

"Ellie did warn us that it wasn't going to be all blood and guts," Spike said.

"That's right," Willow said. "She told us that we'd also need a strong heart, mind and will to get through." She glanced up at Angel. "I think that level was meant to scare us into trying to leave."

"Well, it didn't work," Angel stated. He turned around and yelled up the stone steps, "It didn't work!" He gave his friends a small smile. "I feel better. Like a moron, but better."

"I hate to tell you this, mate," Spike said, clapping his Sire on the shoulder. "You are a moron, so there's no surprise there."

"Takes one to know one," Buffy commented in a stage whisper.

Spike shot her a glare and she smiled with fake innocence. "Was that suppose to be funny, pet?"

"Funnier than your lame attempt at humor," Buffy replied.

"You're not going to be laughing when I tear your head off, Slayer," Spike said, taking a step closer to her.

"But I will be laughing when you turn to dust," Buffy retorted, taking a step closer to him.

"Is that a threat?" Closer.

"It's a fact." Closer.

"Oh, I'm scared." Closer.

"You should be." Closer.

A soft, swirling, blue glow slowly grew on the wall across from the stairs.

"I could rip your throat out before you even got close enough to stake me, Slayer," Spike said, now standing toe-to-toe with Buffy.

A stake appeared in Buffy's hand. "Want to try that theory out?"

Angel plucked the stake from Buffy's hand and glared at the two blonds. "Enough is enough," he growled, his pain from the memories the fourth level channeling into anger. "The next one of you two to start a fight is going to be taken over my knee and spanked like the child you're acting as."

"He started it." "She started it." Buffy and Spike said simultaneously. They glared at each other.

"You started it," Buffy said.

"You started it," Spike countered.

"I think not," Buffy said.

"Oh, I think so," Spike retorted.

"Liar."

"Look who's talking."

"GUYS!" Willow exclaimed loudly. "Can we just move on already?!" The redhead turned to the hallway on the left and stormed away.

"Bloody twit," Spike growled at Buffy, then pushed passed her to follow Willow.

"Stupid vampire," Buffy muttered, stomping off after Spike.

Angel ground his teeth together, tucked the stake into his sleeve, and headed after the trio.

The swirling blue glow began to shrink again until it vanished completely.

"Willow wait," Buffy called, jogging to catch up with the angry redhead. She was about to bypass Spike when the peroxide-blond vampire stuck out his foot and tripped her. Buffy fell forward onto her knees, scraping her hands when she hit the ground.

"Walk much, Slayer?" Spike sneered.

Buffy's head whipped up as her eyes narrowed into deadly slits. "You are so going to die."

Spike laughed and continued walking up the hall.

The blond Slayer rose to her feet, her body coiled to launch herself at Spike from behind. Angel forestalled her, however, by stalking past her at a fast clip, his long stride easily eating up the distance. She watched as the dark-haired vampire grabbed Spike by the back of the neck and propelled him into a side hallway. Buffy then saw that Willow had not stopped and ran after her friend before the redhead became accidentally separated.

"Willow, stop!" Buffy called loudly, catching up to her. "We have to wait for Spike and Angel."

"Sigh," Willow said, stopping. She glanced back the way they came, then gave Buffy an upset look. "I wish you would stop fighting with Spike. You could get hurt. Or dead. Or worse."

"We always fight," Buffy said in her defense. "It's normal. And we have yet to kill each other in six years..."

"But you had a stake," Willow said.

"He would have knocked it out of my hand because I would let him," Buffy told her. "Then we would have beat on each other for a few minutes, traded insults, then moved on. We do it almost every day."

Willow frowned at Buffy, then her eyes grew wide as something dawned on her. "You have UST!" the redhead exclaimed.

"I do not," Buffy said. "I got my shots for that just last month."

Willow giggled. "No, silly. UST isn't a virus. You want to..." She thought a moment, then finished her sentence with a grin. "...Do naked things involving chocolate and him."

Buffy began to sputter. "I do not. He's...he's...Spike! The peroxide bane of my existence! Even if he does have the sexiest arms I've ever seen does not mean I want to see him covered in chocolate..."

The Slayer's eyes grew bigger as a picture of a quite naked, chocolate-drizzled Spike popped in her head. "No. Spike. Bad. Evil. Annoying. Naked. Aah!" she half-screamed, hitting her hands on her forehead, as if she could beat the image away. "I don't want him!"

Willow smiled.

*****

Angel smiled.

It was just perfect that there was what looked to be a fallen, stone crossbeam sitting end up a short way down the side hall. He shoved Spike ahead of him, his grip tight on the back of the blond's neck, over Spike's ponytail.

"Ow, you git!" Spike snapped, his longish hair getting pulled painfully. "Let go!"

"I warned you," Angel said in a low tone. He released Spike the same time he sat down on the stone crossbeam. When his Childe whipped around as Angel knew he was going to do, the dark-haired vampire boldly grabbed Spike's arm and yanked the younger man down across his lap.

"What the bloody hell-"

Angel's hand cracked down on Spike's ass, causing the blond vampire to stop speaking abruptly from shock. His Sire was spanking him, Spike thought unbelievably, as a second hard smack came down on his behind. He snapped out of his stupefied surprise and tried to get away.

"Let go of me, pillock!" Spike exclaimed.

The dark-haired vampire tightened his hold on Spike's waist, pulling the younger man more firmly against his stomach, so Spike's hip bone pressed hard into Angel's body. His other hand rained down with as much force as he could put behind the hits. The feelings invoked from the fourth level had fully transmuted into anger.

"I don't care what happened upstairs," Angel growled as he spanked the blond. "I told you-"

"She-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses!" Angel snapped at Spike. "I," smack, "told," smack, "you," smack, "what," smack, "would," smack, "happen!"

Angel didn't stop until his hand throbbed, and then he added a few more hits for good measure. Spike had ceased struggling against Angel partway through the spanking, and just hung over his Sire's lap, a part-scowl, part-pout on his face. His ass stung and was more than likely bright red under his hose.

Neither one of them had noticed the swirling, blue glow that slowly appeared on the wall a little further down the obsidian hallway from them.

*****

"It's okay, Buffy," Willow comforted the distraught blond Slayer. The two girls were sitting on the floor in the middle of the hallway. "You're allowed to lust after Spike."

"Nooo," Buffy whined, her face in her hands. "Vampire bad. Spike very bad."

"I bet that Spike would be very good," Willow countered, tongue in cheek. Buffy flicked the redhead off. Willow laughed. "Oh, come on, Buffy. You've seen Spike naked before. Don't tell me you didn't look and fantasize."

"I'll have you know that I never looked," Buffy said, dropping her hands to scowl at Willow. "I was too busy patching the idiot up to look."

Willow arched her brow in skepticism. "Six years, Buffy. Six years of working side-by-side, very close together, playing doctor on each other..."

"Shut. Up." Buffy felt her face starting to flame. "I don't even like like him."

"Yeah, but you want to jump his British undead body," Willow said with a wink. "You vampire-wanting slut you."

Buffy smacked Willow on the arm. "Willow!"

"...Stupid, bloody Slayer. This is all her soddin fault. I should have killed the little chit when I had the chance..."

Both girls looked up as Spike came walking stiffly down the hallway, a scowl on his face, muttering to himself. He shot Buffy an evil glare, then continued past them.

"...Slowly torture her for years until she begs me to kill her. Then I'll torture her more..."

Willow glanced at Buffy and saw that the Slayer had blushed scarlet. She burst out laughing. Buffy growled an obscenity at the redhead, stood, and with her head down, walked after Spike. The redhead rolled onto her back, clutching her stomach, her laughter echoing off the obsidian.

Angel stopped by her prone body and looked down at her in question. She pressed her lips together, trying to stifle her mirth.

"Care to share the funny?" Angel asked, offering her a hand up.

"UST," Willow answered.

Angel looked down the hall at the two blonds walking with angry steps. A smirk tugged up his lips. "You're right. I don't know why I didn't see it before. With the amount of fighting those two do..."

"It's Moonlighting, only with a little more violence," Willow said, still giggling. They started walking up the hall after the other two. "Gotta love that unresolved sexual tension."

"So, what should we do about it?" Angel asked, devilish mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Well, I told Buffy that she wants to do the horizontal hokey-pokey with him all naked and chocolate-covered," Willow said. "Now she won't be able to look at Spike without thinking about that."

"You're evil," Angel said. "Maybe I should have had Buffy spank Spike instead of me."

Willow stopped walking and turned to look up at Angel, her mouth dropping open. "You did what to Spike?"

"I said I was going to spank whichever one of them started the next fight," Angel said. "So I did."

Willow started to laugh again, leaning against the obsidian wall. "Oh goddess, I wish I could have seen that!"

"Next time, I'll video it," Angel said with a grin.

"Spike must be so--Angel!" Willow squeaked, her arms flailed out in front of her as she started falling backwards, the wall behind her disappearing into a blue, swirling glow.

"Willow!" Angel exclaimed, catching the attention of Buffy and Spike, who were over a hundred feet up the hall from them.

"Angel!" Buffy yelled upon seeing what was happening. "No!"

The blond Slayer started to run back down the hallway, but she felt as though she were running in slow motion. She witnessed Willow completely falling back through the wall, then heard Angel yell Willow's name again before he jumped into the wall after the redhead.

"Nooooooooo!" Buffy screamed, as the swirling blue started to shrink. "ANGEL!!"

Buffy reached the wall just as the blue glow vanished.

Part Twelve

"No, no, no, no, no!!" Buffy yelled, pounding on the obsidian wall in front of her. "Come back! Angel, no!"

Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy from behind, pulling her away from the wall. "Slayer, they're gone."

"No!" Buffy fought against him. "We have to get them back!"

"Stop it!" Spike growled loudly, squeezing her even tighter. "Beating on the bloody wall won't get them back!"

The fight suddenly left Buffy as the first batch of tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh god," she whispered in horror. "Oh please god no."

Spike released Buffy only to turn her to face him. He pulled her back into an embrace as she started to cry, whispering for what just occurred not to have happened. His own heart had dropped and a slow, chilling feeling crept up his spine, as he stared at the black obsidian his Sire had gone through moments ago after Willow.

For the first time in forever, he prayed.

*****

Flowers. Everywhere there were flowers. Their perfumed scent was strong, floating up from the ground to Willow's nose. When she had fallen back through the wall, she landed in the soft field of them, looking up into a lightly clouded, blue sky.

Upon standing, she found that she wasn't outside, but that the ceiling of what looked to be a never-ending room was painted to resemble the sky. White petals clung to her dress and her hair, and when she shook it, instead of the petals falling to the ground, they became little white butterflies and fluttered away.

She took a deep breath of the sweet fragrance and smiled. Picking up the hem of her skirt, she lightly danced around in a circle, giddy for no particular reason.

"Willow?"

Willow stopped and turned to see Angel standing there among the field of flowers, looking perplexed. She smiled broadly at him. "Hi Angel!"

"Are you okay?" Angel asked, walking over to her. He frowned when she swayed, her actions reminding him of a certain brunette vampiress he knew.

"I'm fine," Willow replied. She gestured with her hand to the flowers. "Isn't this beautiful?"

"It is," Angel agreed. "But we need to get back to Buffy and Spike."

"Maybe we should leave them alone for a little while," Willow said, grinning mischievously. "See if they can get something resolved."

"That was bad, Willow," Angel told her, shaking his head.

Willow giggled and lifted her skirts, dancing around in the flowers again. As her feet kicked at the petals, little butterflies appeared and flew away.

Angel frowned again at the redhead. "Willow. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Angel," Willow repeated. "In fact, I'm wonderful." She took a deep breath and smiled. "It's been a long time since I've stopped to smell the flowers. They smell great, don't they?"

Angel inhaled, the perfumed scent tickling his nose, and after a moment he smiled at her in return. He inhaled again and let it out quickly. "That they do."

He bent and picked a flower, sniffed it, then held it out to Willow. "For you, M'Lady," he said with a small bow.

"For me?" Willow took the flower and curtseyed at the same time. "Thank you, Sir." She held the flower to her nose and sniffed. "Mmm, pretty."

"Not as pretty as you," Angel told her. He took the flower back from her and tucked the soft, green stem behind her ear. He brushed backs of his fingers down the side of her cheek. "Nothing is as pretty as you."

Willow colored faintly, ducking her head. She looked up at him under her lashes. "You're making me all blushy."

Angel lifted his hand again and touched her forehead near her hair. He slowly ran it down her nose, over her lips and her chin, then down the column of her throat to the neckline of her bliaut. Her breath hitched and a seductive smile pulled up his lips.

"I wonder how much of your body your blush covers," he said in a silky voice, lightly tracing along the top of the bodice. He leaned closer to her and inhaled the perfumed scent of the flowers before purring, "I'd really like to find out."

Willow raised her head, the green in her eyes deepening to a dark emerald color. Without a word, she reached behind her with one hand and pulled the tie that held the bodice of her dress to her. She then shrugged her shoulders slightly and the soft material slid down and off her arms.

Angel's own eyes darkened and he growled deep in his chest as he drank in the sight of the partially naked woman before him. His gaze roved over her faintly flushed skin, her small breasts with berry-colored areolas, her nipples pebbled, and down over her toned abdomen. He saw her tongue dart out to moisten her lips, and he had her in his arms in a single move.

His mouth came down upon hers without hesitation. They both inhaled sharply at the first touch of their lips, the flowery scent filling their senses. His hands spanned the warm, bare skin of her back, pulling her up against him. Her arms wove up around his neck, holding his head down to hers as the kiss deepened, their tongues twining together in an erotic dance.

Willow rubbed her hips forward against him, and she felt the hard evidence of his arousal. She mewled in the back of her throat when she reacted in a purely feminine manner, her inner muscles tightening and tingling. His hand dropped down to cup her buttocks over the material of her bliaut, pulling her up against him purposely, his own hips shifting forward to rub against her covered mound.

Angel broke the kiss with a protested whimper from Willow. He released her with a lust-filled expression on his face, promise in his eyes to continue in a moment. Under her desirous gaze, he stripped out of his clothing completely, until he was standing naked before her.

The redhead inhaled the sweet air slowly, her eyes traveling up and down Angel's hard, muscular form, pausing for a long look at his shaft jutting proudly from his body. Her fingers reached behind her again, and she loosed the rest of her dress to allow it to fall down around her feet. She quickly divested herself of the reminder of her garments, then stepped to him.

Angel recaptured Willow up in his arms, his lips finding hers again. Their tongues tangled together, fueling their desire. His cool skin warmed where hers was pressed against him, and his cock jumped at the thought of being buried inside the heat of her core.

He broke away again only to lower her to the soft bed of flowers, their scent surrounding them. As his mouth re-sought hers, his fingers traced down her body, cupping her breast. His thumb brushed over the hard peak and she inhaled sharply, arching slightly towards his touch. He played with her nipple for several moments, tugging on it and rolling the nub between his thumb and forefinger before he continued on down her body.

Willow felt Angel's fingers comb through her russet curls before delving beneath. She moaned into his mouth when his digits slid into her already wet opening, her hips rising to meet his slow thrusts. When his fingers stopped, she pulled away from his lips with a murmured protest, "Don't stop."

"I won't," Angel replied huskily, moving between her thighs. She opened for him and he positioned himself at her entry, the tip of his aching shaft pushing lightly against her soft folds.

Then he sunk into her and they both inhaled the flowery air sharply, their eyelids fluttering as pleasure flew through their systems. Slowly, he pulled his hips back until he was almost entirely out of her core before thrusting back in. A low groan erupted from him, and he bent his head to claim Willow's mouth anew.

Willow was falling and soaring at the same time. Her body accepted Angel's without pause, and a delicious burning was growing as he slid in and out of her. Harder and faster he thrust, his pelvis hitting hers with a bruising passion. And then his fingers teased her sensitive pearl of flesh, and she tore her mouth from his to scream out his name as she skyrocketed into orgasm. Her body tensed, her vaginal walls grasping him as she came.

Angel hissed as white-heat coursed up his shaft, and he buried himself as far as he could in Willow's hot depths. His cock pulsed as he spilled his seed within her, shuddering. Then he collapsed down atop of her, panting heavily, spent.

Light fingertips danced along his shoulders, pulling Angel out of his post-orgasmic daze. He raised himself up on his forearms and looked at Willow's sated face. Her lips curled up into a feminine smile before she pulled his head down for another kiss.

*****

Buffy and Spike walked side-by-side in silence, identical feelings of dread hovering over them. They had stayed in the same spot where Willow and Angel had disappeared for several hours before deciding to leave a note saying they went on. Neither one wanted to think of the fact that an unsouled Angelus could be the one to find it.

They reached the stairs without a single problem or encounter. Buffy gave Spike a pained smile before starting down them. At the bottom, she looked out over the vast, open room, then sat down heavily on the bottom stone step, dropping her short bow and closed quiver of arrows on the floor in front of her. She pulled the bag she carried off over her head and let it join the bow and quiver.

"I can't do this, Spike," Buffy said when the blond vampire sat down beside her. "I can't take not knowing if the rest of my dream is going to come true or not. If Angel..." She stopped and took a shaky breath. "If Angel is going to lose his soul."

"I won't let him hurt you, luv," Spike said softly, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to him. "If the sod even looks at you wrong, I'll stake the bloody bastard."

Buffy turned her head, her face inches from his, and met his blue eyes. "Promise?"

"I promise, Buffy," Spike told her. "I'll never let anyone else hurt you. That's my job."

He gave her a slight, devilish grin and she laughed lightly. Then, without warning, he leaned towards her and gave her a brief, soft kiss on the lips.

Buffy stared at him in shock. Never in all the six years they'd laughed and cried and beat each other up had Spike kissed her on the lips. He'd kissed her forehead, the top of her head, her cheek and one time her ass when she mooned him; but never, ever on the mouth.

Then he went and did it again.

Spike's lips were soft as he brushed them lightly back and forth across hers. He asked, rather than demanded, for her to return the kiss. Her stomach fluttered when his tongue ran lightly against her lower lip, seeking entry. In return, her own tongue darted out to caress his bottom lip.

The blond vampire inhaled quickly at her action, then tilted his head to deepen the kiss. His hand raised off of her shoulder to cup the back of her head, increasing the pressure of his mouth on hers. Their tongues met halfway, silently speaking in a whole new language.

Buffy's hand came up to touch Spike's cheek, turning her body more towards his on the step. He did the same, and their knees pressed together as they leaned closer to each other. All her thoughts were focused on the feel of his lips upon hers, his tongue sweeping the inside her mouth, sending tendrils of electricity through her.

Spike pulled away first, slowly, almost reluctantly, his lips lingering on hers. He heard her take a shaky breath, and opened his eyes to meet her large, luminous ones. He searched her gaze for anger or disgust, but all he saw was amazement and surprise.

Her hand moved from his cheek to his mouth, her fingertips covering his lips, and his tongue darted out to give them a small lick. She inhaled sharply, her eyes dropping to focus on her hand and his mouth. He lifted his left hand and captured the back of her right, moving her hand only to press a kiss in the center of her palm, the tip of his tongue brushing against her skin.

A shiver ran through Buffy's body, and her eyes met Spike's blue ones again. With flecks of silver and rimmed with gold, his eyes spoke of desire, of the promise of pleasure, and of something more. Her heart sped up and her mouth went dry as images of their nude bodies moving together flitted through her mind.

Spike saw her eyes darken, and when her tongue came out to moisten her lips, he slowly hissed through his teeth. The budding erection beneath his coarse hose became rock hard and wanting. However, there was something he wanted more than to feel her body surround him.

"Turn around," he instructed gruffly, his jaw clenched to try and keep control.

Buffy looked at him in confusion, her face tinged pink from what she saw in her mind, but when he dropped his hands, she turned on the step so her back was to him. Then she felt his hands freeing her waist-length hair from its ever-present braid, his fingers combing through the long locks. It fell in waves down her back because of it drying from Willow's water spell while braided.

Spike left the bands that were holding Buffy's hair on the step. He stood and removed his sword belt, it and his bag joining Buffy's things on the floor. She had looked down when she heard the soft thud his bag made on the hard floor, and when she turned and raised her head to meet his eyes, he growled softly in the back of his throat. Her hair had slid around her shoulder, and the long strands rested against the dark brown of her jerkin.

He held out his hand and Buffy took it after a moment's hesitation. Spike pulled her to her feet, his eyes steadily holding hers. He dropped her hand and lifted his own to run his fingers through the sides of her blond hair, pulling it over her shoulders to frame her face. Then he cupped her cheeks and looked down into her upturned face.

"I've wanted to do that for so bloody long," he admitted quietly.

"Oh," Buffy breathed, unable to make her brain come up with a better response.

Spike's lips tilted up into a smile. "Yeah, 'oh.'"

And he kissed her again.

*****

Willow rolled up to her knees beside Angel, and as the tiny white butterflies took flight around her, the dark-haired vampire smiled. "You look like a faerie," he said. "A beautiful, naked faerie."

She raised her arms above her head, her small breasts rising high with the action, and tilted her head back to look at the false sky. She inhaled the perfumed scent of the flowers and let it out with a sigh. She dropped her arms back down and lowered her eyes to his, a impish smile pulling at her lips. "A beautiful, naked, satisfied faerie," she corrected.

"Oh, my apologies, M'Lady," Angel said, sitting up. "Please, do for-"

The dark-haired vampire inhaled sharply as something ripped through him, cutting off his sentence, the scent of the flowers filling his senses. He reached blindly for Willow, his eyes squeezed shut against the horrible pain wracking his body. His arms wrapped tightly around her as she climbed onto his lap, her legs around his waist. He felt her hands on the backs of his shoulders, holding him tightly.

"Angel, what's wrong? What is it?" Willow asked.

Angel shook as he realized what was happening to him. He let go of Willow with one arm, reaching back behind him awkwardly to grasp her fingers with his right hand, the heel of his palm pressed against his shoulder blade over his tattoo. He took a ragged breath, his body shaking, and said, "My soul."

Part Thirteen

Spike shivered at the chill that ran down his spine. He broke away from Buffy's mouth, his eyes half-lidded with desire. Her lips were swollen and red, her cheeks flushed, and she was breathing heavily. He ran his thumb along her jawline, then lightly over her full, lower lip.

"Spike?" Buffy asked, wondering why he pulled away.

"You're so beautiful," Spike said softly, watching his thumb. Then he dropped both his hands and stepped back from her, taking a shaky breath. "We should move on."

Buffy clasped her hands together in front of her, hurt. "You don't...," she started, then dropped her head so her hair covered the tears building in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess we should."

Spike ground his teeth together to get his raging hormones under control before he did something stupid, like take her right there on the stone stairs. "Right," he said, moving to pick up his stuff.

"Spike, do you like me?"

The blond vampire straightened and turned, staring at the cascade of her wavy, blond hair that hid her face. "What kind of ridiculous question is that, Slayer?"

"Never mind," Buffy said quickly. "Let's just go."

"Now hold on a minute," Spike said. "What makes you think that I don't like you?"

"It's just...nothing," Buffy replied. She turned so her back was to him, but his hand on her shoulder spun her back around to face him, her hair flying out around her body as he did so.

"No, I want an answer," Spike said angrily. "Why the bloody hell do you think that I don't worship the soddin' ground you walk on?"

Buffy's mouth dropped slightly open at his snapped question. "What?" she finally managed to squeak out in confusion.

"Oh, sod it all," Spike said abruptly. He dropped his things to the floor and swept her up in his arms. He crushed her surprised mouth under his, his tongue plunging inside to stroke hers with a passion. He held her tightly against him, his obvious erection pressed snug against her abdomen.

Buffy gasped into his kiss when she felt his hardness. Her breasts tightened, her nipples pebbling, as arousal flared again within her. The roughened material of her shirt rubbed against them in an almost painful manner. Her mind flashed to him soothing them with his lips and tongue and she moaned deep in her throat, her hips rubbing forward against the bulge beneath his clothing.

Spike released her only to drag the jerkin roughly over her head, and without undoing the ties, her shirt followed. Her long hair dropped down around her half-naked form in disarray, and Spike shuddered in desire. His shirt-tunic came off with a violent tug, then he yanked her to him again, bending his head to capture a rosy nipple that peeked out between the long strands of her wavy hair.

She gasped as his cool lips closed around her nipple, her hands flying up to the back of his head. Her fingers pulled out the cord that held his hair back, and it fell to the ground unheeded, as she dug her hands into the soft peroxide locks. He sucked the hardened nipple into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue and biting lightly with his blunt teeth. Her vaginal muscles clenched and she felt a flood of wetness between her thighs as he repeated his ministrations on her other breast.

He straightened suddenly and captured her mouth again, his hands sliding under her hair to caress the warm skin of her back. He felt her short nails scratch his shoulders as her hands tightened on them. She met his assault with equal passion, her tongue dueling with his in a war of want and need.

They broke apart, both of them panting raggedly, and Spike looked into her glittering eyes. "I need you," he growled, not mistaken in his thick-voiced words. He needed to see her fully unclothed, covered only by her long hair, like Venus herself rising from the sea. He needed to feel her arms and legs wrapped around him, his aching cock buried in her soft body. He needed to hear her gasps and cries of pleasure as he brought her to orgasm.

He had needed her for three years, ever since the first time he saw her hair unbound and falling around her in soft waves.

A tingle started at the bottom of Buffy's feet and quickly washed up her body, engulfing her, at his rough words. His eyes were like ice blue diamonds, hard and intense. His blond hair fell in a jagged part down in the middle, the strands brushing his sculpted cheekbones, the ends hanging below his shoulders, laying against his pale chest. The muscles of his chest and abdomen on his whipcord body that were visible above the dark brown hose and calf-high boots made her think he stepped off the cover of a historical romance novel...and straight into her arms. All she needed to say was one word.

"Yes."

Time paused for the briefest of instances, then disappeared completely in a haze of pleasure. Discarded clothing made their bed, their quiet moans and gasps their music, the flickering torches bathing them in a soft, romantic light. Cool fingers caressed warm skin, gentle kisses rained down on strong bodies, the musky scent of arousal filled the air.

Buffy was poised above him, her small hand holding his hard shaft, her body aching to be filled by him. She held his eyes as she slowly sunk down upon him, a low groan tearing from her throat. His fingers dug into the sides of her hips as she fully sheathed him inside of her hot core. She didn't move for a moment, allowing the feeling of having him deep within her to consume her every thought.

A rumble of pleasure came from Spike as she began to rock her hips, his cock sliding in and out of her slick entry with ease. Her hair pooled around them, brushing his abdomen and thighs with each gentle thrust. She looked like a goddess to him, her breasts rising and falling rapidly with every breath she took, her face flushed, her eyes half-closed as she whimpered his name.

He lowered his eyes to watch as she rode him, their dark curls mingling when she came down upon him. His slid both his hands to the apex of her thighs to spread apart her feminine lips. The darker pink nub of her clit stood out against the lighter pink of her folds, hard and extended and beautiful to see. He saw his pale shaft glistening as she rose up, the soft skin around her entry grasping at his cock as she did.

He kept his eyes on the erotic sight until she whimpered his name again, her voice pleading. Then he captured her clit between is forefinger and thumb, rolling and tugging on the sensitive bundle repeatedly, the fingers of his other hand holding open her folds for his unheeded view.

He felt his sac tighten, and he grit his teeth together to stave off his orgasm. He raised his eyes to her face, watching as what her body was feeling flashed over features. Her own eyes were closed, her mouth open partially as she breathed in small gasps. He felt her inner walls start to quiver around him, and he was witness to the beauty of her climax.

Buffy felt her orgasm approaching a second before it overwhelmed her. Waves upon waves of pleasure crashed down upon her, sweeping her along for a glorious ride. Her body visibly shook, her vaginal muscles clenching around Spike's shaft within her core, her knees and thighs pressing tightly against the sides of his body. Her hands curled on his chest, her fingernails biting into the hard planes of muscle under his pale flesh.

Under her, Spike's pelvis thrust up, his hands leaving her sex to grip her hips. He swore and slammed up into her four times before pulling her down hard onto him. She could feel his cock pulsing inside of her, as he spilled his cool semen into her hot depths. She opened her eyes and met his golden ones. Then she leaned down met his fang-filled mouth with a kiss, her long hair curtaining around them.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap...

"Oh, bravo. What a great exhibition. I'm truly impressed. Really I am."

Buffy's head shot up at the voice and she felt her heart stop. "Angel."

The dark-haired vampire, who was walking towards them from the dimness further in the large room, smirked. "Actually, I prefer Angelus to that cheruby name," Angelus said. His smirk changed into a leer. "But if you ride me like you did my Childe there, I may let you get away with calling me that."

Spike's growl reverberated across the sixth level, and Buffy quickly climbed off of him. He rolled to his feet, his body unfurling as he rose like a primitive animal. Naked, he stood in front of Buffy, leaning slightly forward on the balls of his feet, his muscles tensed to strike. His golden eyes flashed as he stared menacingly at his Sire.

"Well, well, well," Angelus said mockingly. "I see you've got some balls after all, Spike." The older vampire dropped his eye to Spike's genitals. "And very nicely hung, too."

"Buffy, give me a stake," Spike said in a low, hard tone.

Buffy dropped back down to her knees, her hands shaking, as she searched under their clothing for where she'd put a stake. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Angelus walked closer. She forced the tears back at the thought that since Angelus was alone, Willow was dead.

"Now, Spike, do you honestly think you can kill me?" Angelus asked.

Buffy found the stake and scrambled over to Spike, pressing it into his hand. She then stood and backed away a few steps to give the blond vampire room. She was visibly shaking, her long hair the only thing covering her nude form.

Spike's fingers tightened around the rough wood in his hand, both liking and hating the feel of it in his grip. He clenched his jaw and set himself to stake his Sire. He met his Angelus' eyes squarely, and answered, "Yes."

Angelus took another step closer to the blond vampire and dropped his voice to a cold level. "You are of my blood, and I am calling on you to step aside."

Spike began to tremble. The wood of the stake bit into his palm. His mind raged against the call of the blood bond. Angelus' dark eyes held his golden ones unwaveringly and with strong command.

Spike stepped aside.

Buffy gasped as Angelus transferred his eyes to her, an evil smile growing on his face. He licked his lips, taking a step towards. "Well, Buff, it seems that you and I are going to get intimately reacquain-"

Angelus stopped walking abruptly, his face reflecting surprise. Then the dark-haired vampire disintegrated into a pile of dust, exposing Spike standing behind where his Sire had been, a stake raised in his hand.

Spike stared down at the layer of dust on the black obsidian, his vampiric features frozen in shock. The stake fell out of his suddenly nerveless fingers, clattering noisily to the stone ground.

"Spike," Buffy said, her voice tight. She took a step towards the blond vampire, then stopped when Spike raised his golden eyes to hers, gasping at the pain she saw reflecting in them.

Spike's knees went out and he sank to the floor next to the ashes. His body shook as he put his hands down in what was left of his Sire and brushed the ashes together. Tears fell unheeded from his eyes, landing with soft sounds in the small pile of dust between his palms. He choked back a sob as the reality of what he'd done slammed down upon him.

He'd killed his Sire. He'd broken the bond.

He saw two, tiny hands cover his and raised his head to find Buffy kneeling across from him. Tears streamed down her own cheeks, and for a moment he wanted to scream and rage and try to rip her throat out.

Then she whispered in a broken voice, "I'm sorry you had to do that, Spike."

Spike grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him, the ashes scattering under her legs. He sat back onto the floor, holding her close, his face buried in her long hair as he cried. Despite the grief engulfing him over what he'd done, he knew he'd done the right thing, because to him something was stronger than blood.

And he had followed his heart.

Part Fourteen

Buffy watched Spike out of the corner of her eye as she rebraided her hair. His movements were slow as he redressed, stiff and somewhat awkward. His longish hair hung down in his face as he bent to slide his hose back on, covering the hard set to his jaw. She saw a tattoo on the back of his wrist that she hadn't noticed before, but she didn't comment on it. Now was not the time.

She had already redressed, save for her boots, and was once again sitting on the bottom step. She had gone up the stairs to relieve herself and clean up slightly. She was so going to need a bath once they got out of the Tower. She'd bet Willow felt the same...

"Don't," Buffy whispered harshly to herself, her hands jerking her hair, as she looked away from Spike. It wasn't time to think about Willow and Angel. She could grieve once she and Spike were out of the obsidian nightmare. She accidentally yanked on her hair too hard. "Ouch. Damn it!"

Strong fingers brushed her hands out of the way, then began to braid her hair. Buffy closed her eyes and gave herself into the comforting feeling of Spike's hands in her long hair. "Thanks," she said softly when he had finished, turning on the step to face him.

"You're welcome, Slayer," Spike said.

Buffy could still see the tear tracks on his cheeks, dirty ones because of his hands in the dust that was once Angel. She shoved the pain away. "Where's your band? I'll pull your hair back for you. Tit for tat."

Spike leaned forward, grabbed it up off the floor where it had fallen, and gave it to her. He turned on the step so his still-bare back was to her. She set it on the next step up, then began running her fingers through his peroxide locks, combing it back. "So, when are you cutting it all off?" she asked, suddenly needing to hear her voice.

"Not until I win the bet," Spike answered. "I only have an inch to go."

"I'll be getting out my ruler," Buffy said, deciding to be silly and braid the bottom portion of his hair. "If it's even a millimeter short, I win."

"Ain't gonna happen, pet," Spike said.

"We'll see," she said.

"You bet your sweet arse," he said.

Buffy giggled. "Are you changing the bet on me? You want my 'sweet arse' instead of a month of slave duty if you can grow your hair to six inches below your shoulders?"

Spike turned when she patted his hair after she put the band in, and gave her a lusty grin. "I think our definition of 'slave duty' has officially changed."

She blushed and became flustered, causing her to move off the step to gather her things. "Come on, woman. Time to go."

Spike chuckled and finished getting dressed so they could go. His heart lifted slightly at her ability to move on, despite the pain she had to have been feeling. It was probably twice as much as his was, because she had lost two friends, rather than just the man who'd meant everything at one point in time...

The blond vampire took a purposeful breath and blew it out quickly. When he was set to go, he turned to the Slayer and saw she was ready as well. His eyes met hers, and he was to her in an instant, capturing her mouth in a long, hard kiss.

"Ready?" Spike asked gruffly when he broke away. Buffy nodded, her breathing heavy. He stepped back from her, turned and took two steps before stopping.

Buffy, who had been right on his heels, almost bumped into him. "Why'd you stop?" she said, moving to his side.

"Do you think we should have a plan?" Spike asked in reply. He tried to see the far end of the vast, open room but couldn't. The center of the room was close to pitch black because the torches didn't cast light far enough.

"How about we follow the wall until we get to the other side?" Buffy suggested. "And we'll kill anything that gets in our way."

"Sounds good to me," Spike said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. He reached up to pull his hair free from under his shirt-tunic and frowned when he felt it braided. He gave Buffy a scowl. "You braided my hair."

"Yes," Buffy said with a smile. She walked away from him, calling back over her shoulder, "Now you're an official girly-man."

"Watch it, luv," Spike said, quickly catching up to her. "Or you will find yourself braid-less."

"Touch my hair and I'll hurt you," Buffy said.

"Oh, someone's sensitive about their bleached locks," Spike said.

"At least my roots aren't showing."

"I can't see myself in the mirror. What's your excuse?"

"My roots are not showing!"

"Are, too."

"Are not."

"Are, too."

"Are not."

"Are, too."

"Are...a door."

"I'm a door?" Spike said, completely confused.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "No, mush-for-brains. A door." She pointed to a knob waist high to her on the wall. "See doorknob?"

Spike frowned at the doorknob. "So?"

"So?" Buffy said. "So we turn it and see where it goes."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I said so."

"That's not a good reason."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Slayer, I'm going to gag you with your bloody hair if you don't stop that," Spike growled at her.

She gave him an impish smile. "Why?"

"Oh sod off," Spike said. "Just tell me why you want to try the door. I thought we were just going to do the levels as quickly as possible."

"Well, we've never tried any of the doors on any of the other levels," Buffy replied. "And we're almost to the seventh one." She shrugged. "I thought maybe we should try one just once."

"What if some great big soddin' spider or something jumps out at us?" Spike asked.

Buffy moved to him and wrapped her hands around his arm, purposely widening her eyes. "I have you to protect me," she answered in an overly dramatic, breathy voice. She batted her lashes at him.

Spike reached around her, grabbed her braid, and wrapped it quickly around her mouth. She wrinkled her nose at him. "Fine, I'll open the door. But if something tries to eat us, you get to kill it."

"Okay, you big sissy," Buffy said, her braid once again behind her.

He glared at her, reached out and turned the doorknob. They heard a small click of a latch being freed, then the stone wall opened out towards them to reveal steps going upwards. "Well?"

"Well what?" Buffy said. She gestured to the steps. "After you."

Spike sighed, exasperated, and removed the bag from over his shoulder. He used it to prop open the door before heading up the steps. "This is just asking for trouble, I know it," he muttered as he climbed the stone stairs. "I'm going to get stabbed. Or eaten. Or slimed. Or forced to watch American football..."

Buffy giggled, and blatantly ogled his rear as he went up the stairs. Too bad it was covered with his shirt-tunic, she thought. Then she amended her thoughts. Too bad it was covered at all.

"Now this is different."

The blond Slayer looked up from Spike's behind and past him. She could see a cheery light coming from the area of what looked to be the top of the steps. "What's that?"

"Like I know, Slayer," Spike replied. "I'm not at the top of the soddin' steps yet."

"Don't get snippy with me," Buffy said.

"Then don't ask stupid questions."

"There's no such thing as stupid questions," Buffy said. "Only stupid peroxide-blond vampires."

"Very ha ha, pet," Spike said. "You're too hilarious."

"I know," Buffy said. "I bet you Wills and Angel would-"

She stopped speaking abruptly, and Spike pressed his lips together firmly for a moment. Once he was certain he wasn't going to scream, he said, "Slayer?"

"Not now, Spike," Buffy said in a tight voice.

He nodded, although he doubted she saw the action. He wanted more than anything for them to just go home so they could grieve together, then hopefully start a relationship. He'd been waiting to be with Buffy for so long...

The vampire's thoughts trailed off when he reached the top of the steps. He stood in the doorway and stared.

"Get out of the way, you oaf," Buffy snapped, squeezing past him. She took two steps forward, then froze when she saw what lay ahead of her, her mouth dropping open. "Oh my, look at the flowers."

"I see them," Spike said. He closed his eyes a moment, then opened them again. Flowers still there, as far as he could see.

Buffy inhaled the perfumed scent, then giggled. "This is so neat!" she exclaimed, darting out into the field of white. Little butterflies flew up from the ground where she ran.

"Slayer, wait!" Spike yelled, not moving from the doorway. "We don't know if it's safe..."

"Oh come on, you poop!" Buffy called back to him. She threw her arms out and spun in a circle, inhaling deeply. "Stop being such a stodgy old man and smell the flowers with me!"

Spike just looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. A moment ago, she was hurting because of Willow and Angel, and now she was telling him to smell the flowers...

The blond vampire did not smell the flowers. "Slayer, come back here," he called, making sure he didn't inhale through his nose to speak.

"Okay!" Buffy said, charging at him. Only his quick reflexes stopped them from falling backwards down the stairs, as she jumped up onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist.

"Pet, we need to get out of here, alright?" Spike said.

"Don't wanna," Buffy said with a pout. She inhaled deeply and smiled. "Wanna make love to you here in the flowers."

"No, luv, we'll do that somewhere el-Slayer!"

Buffy had jumped back out of his arms and was now running back across the field of flowers. He took off after her, tiny, white butterflies erupting from the ground with each of his steps. "Slayer, stop!" he yelled.

She suddenly did stop and was staring at the ground near her, wide-eyed. His steps somewhat slowed as a strange feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He clamped a hand over his nose, pinching it shut, when he started to inhale sharply as what Buffy was staring at came into view.

Willow was lying on the bed of flowers, her head falling slightly to one side, her mouth open and her eyes looking sightlessly towards the fake sky. Her arms were splayed out to the sides like a mockery of a crucifixion, exposing her nudity. Her legs were spread apart...

...and his Sire's head was between her thighs.

Angel looked up at the intrusion, his lips and chin covered in Willow's juices. He smiled brightly at the newcomers. "Hi guys."

Willow blinked several times at the loss of the exquisite feeling Angel was creating, and focused. She saw Buffy standing there beside her. "Hi Buffy!" she greeted excitedly. "Did you come to play with us?"

"You're dust!" Spike exclaimed loudly, his eyes locked his Sire. "I staked you myself!"

Angel arched a dark brow. "Now why did you go and do something like that?"

"Willow!" Buffy suddenly squealed, throwing herself down next to her naked friend and pulling the redhead up into a hug. "You're not dead! Angel didn't kill you! This is so cool!"

"Buffy, you're squishing me," Willow squeaked.

"Sorry," Buffy apologized, releasing her friend. "But you're not dead! You're of the living! And of the being licked by Angel!"

"Which you interrupted," Willow said, pouting.

Angel pushed himself up to his knees and inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers mixed with the musky scent of Willow. He cocked his head to one side, still watching Spike stare at him with a shocked expression. "Is he broken?" the dark-haired vampire inquired.

"Maybe," Buffy replied, looking over to Spike. "He did just stake you a little while ago." She inhaled, the flowery air filling her senses, and smiled. "But that's of the past, and this is now. Can Spike and I join you two?"

Angel rose to his feet, quite naked and fully aroused, and walked towards Spike. He stopped a few inches away and looked down at the younger vampire. "Why did you stake me?"

"No soul," Spike whispered, his hand falling to his side. His eyes searched Angel's, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. Or if the flowers infected him in a different way. "You had no soul, and I staked you. You called on the blood bond, and I staked you. I staked you."

The last sentence was barely audible. Spike raised a shaky hand and put it on the center of his Sire's chest. The man was solid beneath his touch. "I staked you," Spike whispered again.

Angel put his hand over Spike's. "No, you didn't. I'm right here. I've been right here with Willow since we got separated."

Spike suddenly yanked his hand out from beneath Angel's, a red anger coming over him. He snarled loudly, drew his fist back, and punched his Sire as hard as he could in the face. "You bloody bastard!"

Angel stumbled backwards, little butterflies fluttering upwards around him. Spike stomped around him, grabbed Buffy by her braid, and yanked her up from between Willow's legs.

"Ow!" Buffy yelled, having to jog to keep up with Spike's quick stride across the flowery field, as he had held onto her braid. "Let go, you jerk!"

Angel looked down at Willow for a second, then the two grabbed their things and rushed after the two blonds. They ended up going down a set of stone stairs and exiting through a door they hadn't known was there. Of course, they'd been occupied with other, more stimulating activities than looking for a way out of the flowers.

Spike was pacing back and forth when they entered the room, his movements jerky. Buffy was leaning against the obsidian wall, her arms folded over her chest, glaring at the blond vampire. Willow immediately started to put her bliaut back on, but Angel just held his clothes in front of him as he asked, "What was that about?"

"I hate this soddin' place!" Spike growled, rounding on Angel. "I hate that Willow's game brought us here, I hate that we have to help someone who doesn't even exist, I hate that I staked you even after the blood bond was called upon, and I hate that you aren't really even dust!"

"Spike, you don't-"

"Shut up, Slayer," Spike snapped. "I'm not in the mood to fight with you."

"Fine, asshole," Buffy snapped back. She picked up her bow and quiver, then stormed away.

"Why'd you do that?" Willow glared at Spike, her hands holding her dress together behind her. "You're a jerk!" She turned and rushed after the blond Slayer.

"Now look what you did," Angel growled at Spike.

"What I did?!" Spike exclaimed. "You're the prick who was between the redhead's legs where you could have...did...could have...aaah! You lost your fucking soul!"

"No I didn't!" Angel exclaimed louder. "Drakn Inkpeddler put an enchantment on my tattoo so I won't ever lose it! They have vampires here in Elaisias, too, you bleached dick!"

"STOP SHOUTING!!" Willow and Buffy screamed back at the two vampires from the darkness.

"I'm not shouting!" Spike shouted back. Angel looked at him pointedly. "'Alright, I am! I'm shouting! I'm shouting! I'm shout-'"

And just like in the movie he was quoting, Spike was cut off abruptly by something falling on top of his head, knocking him out.

Part Fifteen

"What did you do to him!?" Buffy yelled, as she and Willow ran over to join Angel beside the prone blond vampire on the floor.

"I didn't do anything!" Angel yelled back.

"Angel, you're naked!" Willow exclaimed, pointing at him.

Angel glanced down and frowned at his state of nudity. He grabbed the breeches from the pile of clothing he'd set down when he'd crouched to check out Spike, then stood and stepped into him.

"You hit him with a rock?!" Buffy said, pointing to a large, broken piece of obsidian resting near Spike's head.

"I didn't hit him!" Angel exclaimed. "It fell from the ceiling!"

"I don't believe you!"

"It's the truth!"

"Stop yelling!" Willow yelled. She looked back and forth between her two friends. "We shouldn't be yelling! Just a few minutes ago we were naked and...and..."

The redhead's eyes grew huge as exactly what they'd been doing a few minutes ago hit her. Her face flamed as her gaze shot to meet Angel's equally stunned one. "Oh my goddess, we had...we did...you...tongue...parts...skin...eep!" Willow squeaked, burying her face in her hands.

"We did," Angel said, his voice soft and full of shock. "Why did we do that?"

"I don't know," Willow said, not raising her eyes. "I just wanted you really, really, really lots. The flowers smelled so good..." Her head shot up, her eyes filled with horror. "Oh goddess! If you didn't have your tattoo bespelled...I would have...you might have..."

"Ow!" Buffy exclaimed, as she was hit in the head by a small piece of obsidian. She picked up the small piece resting on Spike's chest and looked at it with a frown, then looked up.

"We'll talk about this latter," Angel told Willow, who nodded. The dark-haired vampire looked at Buffy. "What happened?"

"I got hit by this," she said, holding the piece of rock up. "It came from up there."

Willow and Angel both looked up, but they couldn't see very much. "Willow, can you cast a lightball up there?" Angel asked.

"Sure," Willow said. A magickal ball of light formed in her hand, then she gave it a slight toss upwards. It floated up towards the dark ceiling.

And it illuminated a crumbling obsidian crossbeam lined with frogs.

"Frogs!" Willow exclaimed, rising to her feet from beside Spike. "Those are frogs!"

"Frogs dropping rocks on us?" Buffy said, frowning. "That's weird."

"No, I think frogs dropping on us!" Angel said, bending to grab Spike's legs. "Move!"

Angel dragged Spike roughly across the ground, and Buffy and Willow sprang apart as frogs of all sizes rained down from above. Willow screamed as several hit her, their soft, stickyish skin brushing against her face. She turned and ran towards the darkness of the center of the sixth level, the lightball bouncing wildly as it chased after her, magick linking the two until Willow ended the spell.

"Willow!" Angel shouted after her, but she didn't stop. Fear encompassed the redhead, fueling her headlong flight away from the others. The lightball caught up to her, and she let out another blood-curdling scream when it cast light upon a large green and black spotted frog, its black eyes even with Willow's knees.

Willow altered her course, her breaths coming in harsh gasps. She dared a glance behind her, causing her to crash into a solid figure and fall backwards onto the ground. She looked up, her heart pounding in her chest.

The lightball illuminated a figure dressed in robes, what looked to be a pink octopus where a normal human head would be. The creature looked as startled to see Willow as she was to see it.

It threw up its arms, long pink fingers exposed by the robe's sleeves riding up, and exclaimed something in gibberish. Suddenly, Willow found herself surrounded by frogs, and she screamed, "HELP!!"

Angel appeared out of the darkness and attacked the octopus-like creature. He'd seen it cast whatever spell to make the frogs appear and knew that it, not the amphibians, was the threat.

The creature let out a bubbling screech when Angel kicked it in the face. The dark-haired vampire grabbed its arms when the creature raised them to cast another spell, and Angel head-butted it. Its forehead squished in, then reformed immediately after the attack.

Cursing, Angel dropped the creature's wrists, reached up and grabbed the octopus-like head. With a violent twist, the head came right off the body, black blood splattering the vampire.

The frogs disappeared.

Angel dropped the head and went over to Willow, crouching down beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Ask me again after I finish having a heart attack," Willow replied, pressing a hand to her chest.

He reached out and ran a finger along the side of her cheek. She looked at him with questioning eyes, and he quickly dropped his hand. "Sorry," he apologized, looking away.

"Don't be," Willow said. "Unless you regret doing it. But if you do, I don't think I want to know-"

Angel shushed her by placing the same finger over her lips. Then he replaced his finger with his own lips, giving Willow a soft, gentle kiss. "I'm not sorry then," he told her when he ended the kiss, the double meaning evident. "Because, in control or not, I don't regret doing something I've wanted to do with you for close to a year now."

"Well, that's okay then," Willow said, blushing. "I've had...thoughts like that about you, too."

"What did you tell Buffy? Naked and chocolate-covered?" Angel asked mischievously.

Willow's face turned even redder. "Angel!"

Angel chuckled and rose, then helped Willow to her feet. He kicked the head of the creature out of their path back to Buffy and Spike. "For a spell, those frogs were certainly realistic. Buffy was squashing them beneath her boot left and right, trying to keep them off Spike."

"Oh!" Willow said, dropping the hand Angel still held and rushing over to the octopus-like head. She motioned to the lightball and it came closer to her. "Ah-ha! A mind flayer!"

"A what?" Angel asked.

"A mind flayer," Willow repeated. "I recognize it from the creature index from the instructions. You know, I still don't understand why people don't take the time to read them. It makes the games that much more fun to know the names of the creatures they're meeting."

"What does it do?" Angel said, pulling her back to the creature at hand.

"Oh, a mind flayer pulls a fear out of its victim's mind, then creates that fear in the physical realm. Like frogs."

"Or maybe me without my soul?" Angel said thoughtfully.

"Yes!" Willow exclaimed. "Which means Spike really did stake you, but it wasn't really you, it was a you that was physically created by the mind flayer. And because the mind flayer can read minds, the you that wasn't you acted just like you without your soul!"

Angel couldn't help the smile that tugged up his mouth at her explanation. "I don't know if that will relieve Buffy and Spike, or make them mad."

*****

"So the Angelus Spike staked wasn't real?" Buffy said, exchanging a look with the peroxide-blond vampire sitting beside her, his hand pressed to his head where the rock hit.

"He was real," Willow said. "As in you could touch him, hear him, see him, and he knew whatever you two knew about how he would act and what he would say, but he wasn't the real Angel."

Spike looked at Willow blankly. "Say that again?"

"It wasn't really me," Angel said. "That's all that's important."

"Tell that to my blood pressure," Spike muttered to Buffy. The Slayer giggled.

"Now all we have left to figure out is why Angelus almost did become a reality," Willow said. She darted a glance at the dark-haired vampire seated beside her on the obsidian floor near the stone steps Buffy and Spike had found, then looked away, her face rosy.

"The flowers," Spike said. He wound his finger in a circle near his temple. "Made you gits all looney. And horny."

"They did not," Buffy said.

"Slayer, you were in between Willow's legs, about to indulge in every male's fantasy to watch," Spike said.

Buffy blushed scarlet and covered her face with her hands. "Um...oh god."

"I think it's time to move on," Angel said firmly, rising to his feet. "The bands are on the next level, and the sooner we start, the sooner we can get the hell out of this Tower."

Spike glanced at Buffy, and the blond Slayer nodded. She grabbed her things and stood, quickly linking arms with Willow. "Come on, Wills. Girl talk," she said, leading the redhead away from the two vampires, while staying close to the torch-lit wall of the sixth level.

Spike rose to his feet and put his hand on Angel's arm briefly, preventing the dark-haired vampire from following immediately. Angel looked at the younger man in question.

"I want to talk to you a second," Spike said. Angel nodded, and the blond dropped his eyes.

When he didn't continue, Angel prompted quietly, "I'm listening."

"I'm not okay with this, Angel," Spike said truthfully, not raising his eyes. He ran a hand over the top of his blond hair, pulling loose several long strands, which fell down over his face. "I went against the very last true thing that separates me from being a soddin' human. Cor, you might as well give me a bloody soul, I'm more saintly than you are, pillock."

"What do you want me to say, Spike?" Angel asked. "Do you want me to apologize for my doppleganger calling on the blood bond? Do you want me to thank you for being able to kill the soulless me despite that call? Or do you want me to be angry because of that?"

"I don't...I just..." Spike growled and raised his head, his gold eyes filled with confusion and anger. "I don't bloody know! All I do know is that I want to beat the crap out of you for doing this to me!"

Angel took a step back from Spike and held his hands out slightly to his sides, palms flat. "Go ahead."

Spike looked at his Sire as if he'd lost his mind. "Do what?"

"If it will make you feel better, go ahead," Angel repeated.

"You're joking."

Angel sighed, dropping his hands. "Then what do you-"

Spike's fist connecting with his jaw cut him off. A back fist hit him in the same spot less than a half-second later. Angel blocked the third punch, but the fourth struck its mark in his stomach.

Spike took out his anger, grief and confusion on Angel with punches and kicks. The dark-haired vampire only blocked, he didn't strike back. When the younger man swept Angel's feet out from under him, Spike dropped down to his knees to continue to strike blows on his Sire.

Eventually his hits slowed, became less powerful, until Spike stopped altogether and sat on his knees beside Angel, head bowed, his eyes squeezed shut against the burning sensation of tears that pricked them. He heard his Sire shift on the floor in front of him, then felt strong fingers brush against the ridges on his brow.

"Spike," Angel said softly. "You did nothing wrong. The demon inside of me didn't renew the blood bond with you earlier."

Spike opened his eyes to meet Angel's, his human mask sliding back over his features. "Yes, you did. I was there."

"No, Spike. Not the demon," Angel said. He moved up on his knees directly in front of Spike, so their knees were touching, and cupped both sides of Spike's face. "It was me -- with my soul."

What Angel was telling him sunk into Spike's brain, and a profound sense of relief that he hadn't broken the bond filled him. Then he realized that Angel was still holding either side of his face, staring intently into his eyes. "You're not going to kiss me, are you, mate?"

Angel's lips quirked up into a smile. "I sure am."

"What about the Witch?" Spike said quickly, his eyes growing wider as his Sire leaned forward.

"I'll kiss her later," Angel murmured, then pressed his lips to his Childe's.

Slowly, Angel coaxed Spike into returning the kiss by moving his lips lightly back and forth across the younger man's, then dipping his tongue inside the blond's mouth when he opened it. Angel felt Spike relax, then the other vampire's tongue brushing against his own. Gently, their tongues twined together, the kiss deepening, but unhurriedly.

Neither one of them realized they had an audience.

"They're kissing," Willow whispered with awe from where she and Buffy were standing, a good distance away from the vampires, but still able to see the two clearly.

"Uh-huh," Buffy said, nodding her head. She had thought she'd given Spike enough time to talk privately to Angel, but she guessed wrong. "Shouldn't we be icking?"

"We should," Willow agreed. Yet neither of them moved or made a disgusted sound.

"I think I'm jealous," Buffy whispered a few minutes later, her eyes glued to the scene unfolding before them. Spike was lying back on the floor, both men's shirts underneath his bare back. Angel was partially over the blond vampire, kissing him deeply, one of his hands caressing down Spike's skin.

"I think it's beautiful," Willow whispered back.

"But just a short while ago, me and Spike, and you and Angel were doing..." Buffy's eyes widened as she saw Angel cup Spike through the younger vampire's hose. "Well, not that."

"Vampires don't talk, they act. At least, that's what Angel once told me about vampires and highly emotional...look what he's doing!" Willow hissed.

"I'm looking," Buffy whispered.

They saw Angel kiss down Spike's chest, pulling down the blond's hose as he moved down his Childe's body. Both girls gasped when Angel nuzzled the dark hair surrounding Spike's erection, then his tongue flick out over the tip of the pale, hard length. Spike's low growl rolled across the floor to them, and they saw his hips arch up as Angel sucked the blond's member into his mouth.

"I think we should go now," Buffy said, her voice little more than a squeak. "And give them some privacy."

"Oh, yeah," Willow agreed. They still didn't move.

Spike pushed Angel away and sat up, capturing the older vampire's mouth in a passionate kiss as Angel moved up on his knees beside him. The blond's fingers worked the ties on Angel's breeches, then pushed the black material down, freeing his Sire's erection. They saw Spike's strong, pale hand encircle Angel's shaft, stroking it, as he continued to kiss the dark-haired vampire.

"Spike was really, really upset about staking the fake Angel," Buffy said out of the blue.

"I think Angel's making up for that," Willow replied wryly.

Buffy smacked her friend lightly on the arm. The redhead looked at the Slayer. "Okay, sorry, but Angel and Spike are just about to-ow," she hissed, when Buffy squeezed her arm too tight. "Watch it."

"Exactly," Buffy hissed back, gesturing with her chin, her eyes not having left the two vampires.

Willow turned and flushed when she saw Angel on his hands and knees, with Spike kneeling behind him. Spike's hips moved forward, and the two girls winced as Angel's fingernails scraped against the obsidian floor, his slight snarl reaching their ears. They saw Spike put his hand on the center of Angel's back, kneeling still, and then the dark-haired vampires head nod.

"Oh my god," Buffy breathed, as Spike began thrusting slowly. She brought her hand up to cover her eyes, only to peek through her fingers at the men. "Spike and Angel are having sex."

"Yes," Willow said. "The coupling of two males usually comes with a stigmata attached to the act, known as machismo. Thus the 'bottom' is always viewed as the lesser of the roles, complete with negative connotations-"

"Willow, shh," Buffy admonished. "I don't want to watch Scientific America, I want to watch porn."

Falling silent, the two girls watched until Spike climaxed with a whimper, his arm wrapped tightly around Angel's waist, his chest pressed to the older man's back. They saw Spike sit back on his heels, then Angel turn around to face his Childe. With soft gasps, Buffy and Willow saw Angel guide Spike's face to his neck, and caught a glimpse of Angel's own fangs.

Willow and Buffy glanced at each other, then turned and walked away, leaving the two men sharing each other's blood through a vampire's kiss.

*****

Spike pulled back from Angel, his fangs leaving his Sire's neck the same time Angel withdrew his own fangs from Spike. The blond vampire's golden eyes met Angel's golden ones, their mouths slightly smeared with the other's blood. Angel leaned his head forward and touched his ridged brow to Spike's ridged one.

"This doesn't mean that I like you," Spike said quietly through his fangs.

"I know," Angel said, equally as quiet. "I'm not sure if I like you or not, either."

"But..." Spike prompted, moving back from the dark-haired vampire, his face returning to its smooth, human planes.

"But I'll be there for you, Childe," Angel said, his own human mask sliding into place. His brown eyes met Spike's blue one's squarely. "My blood is your blood. Always."

Spike nodded once, then broke eye contact. He rose to his feet and began redressing as Angel did the same. He was buckling his sword belt back on when he abruptly said, "I'm in love with the Slayer, you know."

"I already knew that," Angel said, smiling.

"Right," Spike said. He frowned. "Wait, how did you know that? Last time you asked me about her, you asked why we fight all the time."

"You staked the doppleganger despite the blood bond," Angel gave Spike a pointed look, "because of her."

"Oh, right," Spike said. He slid the bag over his shoulder, then smirked at his Sire. "Bet you didn't know I've been in love with the chit for three years now."

Angel arched a dark brow as he adjusted the strap of his own bag. "Then why aren't you two together?" he asked.

"I don't fancy living in your shadow, peaches," Spike replied. "Did it once before, and I bloody well hated it. I'd rather be her best friend than second best love."

"Even though she's your lover?" Angel said. Spike frowned and Angel tapped his nose. "I know her scent intimately, remember?"

"Right, well, we'll just be mates who shag like bunnies," Spike answered with a shrug.

"And if she wants more?" Angel asked.

"Then I'll be the happiest soddin' vampire on the Hellmouth," Spike said. "But I won't be holding my breath."

"Spike, you don't breathe."

"Makes it easier then, don't it?"

Part Sixteen

"What are we going to say to them?" Willow asked Buffy, as the two girls waited for the vampires quite a distance from where the men had been. "I don't think 'hi guys, thanks for the show' is appropriate."

"Don't know," Buffy replied. "Maybe we just should pretend we didn't see them."

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to look at Angel without seeing what we saw," Willow said. "And secrets. Angel and I don't keep secrets from each other. Bad things happen when you keep secrets."

"If I say something to Spike, I'll probably get mad at him," Buffy told Willow truthfully.

"Why?" Willow asked.

"Because how could he have great, wonderful, lots of other adjectives sex with me, then turn around and have sex with Angel a few hours later?" Buffy replied.

"Haven't you ever talked to him about vampire things?" Willow said.

Buffy shrugged. "What's there to know? They drink blood, they can't sunbathe, they really hate it when they can't kill anymore, and they have bad taste in clothes."

"I think you need a lesson in Vampires 101," Willow said. She held up one finger. "Fact number one, blood is everything."

"Well, duh. They can't live without the stuff," Buffy said.

"Hey, don't talk with the teacher is lecturing," Willow scolded.

Buffy gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, go on."

Willow cleared her throat dramatically. "Like I said, blood is everything. It's like...boy, there's not even a comparison that I can't think of. It's just really, really important. It's everything to them."

"Even though Angel has his soul?" Buffy asked, curious.

"Yes," Willow replied. "In fact, that probably makes it a bigger deal, because he isn't part of the vampire community anymore. Well, not really. He doesn't participate in the whole mini-structure of families and stuff like that. So anything to do with exchanging blood or blood bonds or whatever would be big."

"So that thingy that he did with Spike up on the fourth floor is the hugeness?" Buffy said.

"I think so," Willow said. "I don't know all the vampire rituals and customs, just what Angel's told me about during my Anne Rice-channeling months."

Buffy giggled. "And I bet Angel was such the talkative one."

"Like prying a Twinkie from Xander," Willow joked. "Okay, lesson number two," she held up two fingers, "vampires don't do that talking thing when they get all emotional. Instead, they either beat each other up or have sex, depending on if they're angry or-"

"Horny?"

"No," Willow said, scowling at Buffy. "I'm talking about what we just saw, not hormones. And don't interrupt."

Buffy pretended to zip her lip.

"The sort of sex we saw is a vampire way of reassurance and sort-of caring, but not really caring," Willow said. She frowned as she tried to think of an appropriate analogy. The vampire world had more differences than similarities to the human one. She'd been surprised how numerous they were when she'd grilled Angel, and she'd learned how hard it really was for her vampire friend to have a soul and have to suppress his differentness.

"I guess the closest it's like is your Mom or Dad giving you a hug. It's comforting, you feel better, and you know that they still want to have you around, even if you just lit the bed on fire when you used magick to change and ice cube to a flame." Willow grinned wryly.

"Them having sex is like Mom hugging me?" Buffy said. "Now why does that sound really disgusting if I think about it too much?"

"Because you're a sick pervert who's been hanging around Spike too long," Willow replied. She heard footsteps approaching and held up her hand before Buffy could speak again. "Here they come."

Buffy nodded and rose to her feet as the redhead did the same. The torchlight above their heads on the wall cast enough illumination for them to easily see the two vampires when they joined the girls. The Slayer's eyes immediately sought out Spike's, and she felt a flutter in her stomach at the private smile he gave her. It shouldn't have effected her so, because he'd given her the exact same smile many times before and she knew it meant that everything was right in his world, but for some reason...

"Earth to Slayer. Come in, wench."

Spike broke into Buffy's thoughts with his words, and she shook her head slightly before narrowing her eyes at him. "Wench?" she inquired in a deadly tone.

"Hey," Willow said to Angel, ignoring the two blond's as they started to insult one another. She felt her face flaming when she looked up at him and pictured what she and Buffy had seen earlier. "Um, is-is everything, uh, okay now?"

"Everything's fine," Angel replied. On impulse, he put his finger under her chin and bent his head to brush a quick kiss across her lips.

If anything, Willow's blush became darker. "Wh-what was that for?" she asked in a breathy voice.

Angel bent his head to whisper in her ear, "Just because," and to place another soft kiss right below it.

"Oh." Willow was wide-eyed as he stepped back from her. She pressed her hand to her abdomen to calm the jumping beans inside. "I think we should, um, go now. Only one more level left. The sooner we start, the sooner we are done and can leave. Leaving is good. We've been here long enough. So we should go. Now."

The dark-haired vampire chuckled at her slight babbling. "Okay, we'll go."

"Good," Willow said quickly. She turned, picked up her bag and put it over her shoulder, then started walking.

Angel blatantly watched her hips sashay from side-to-side as she walked, and a sly smile curved up his lips. She was right. The sooner they started, the sooner they got out of there.

And the sooner he could get her to a bed to pick up where they were interrupted.

Angel blinked in surprise at his thoughts, his head jerking slightly. Buffy and Spike, still insulting one another, had already started after Willow, and he had to take quick steps to catch up.

He couldn't believe that he'd just thought about getting Willow naked and ravishing her again. Taste her again. Feel her heat surround him again. Her tightness. Her wetness. Hear her cry out his name-

He groaned softly as he once again became rock hard underneath the breeches. He'd had more sex in the past however many hours than he'd had in six years. Several times with Willow and once with his Childe. And although with Spike it had been about letting his boy know that everything would be fine; with Willow it had been more than just being under the influence of the scent of the flowers.

He'd wanted her for close to a year, just like he'd told her, ever since the night they had been sitting in front of her computer, testing a game, and the robe she'd been wearing slid down to expose her leg all the way up to the light pink panties she'd had on. That night had been the first time he'd really noticed her in a sexual way. He'd always been attracted to her intelligence, humor and good heart, but he had compartmentalized her into his 'friend' category and he suppressed any physical attraction he could have had for her.

The light pink panties had little white flowers on them.

Angel brought his fingers up and pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind flashed back to that night and her undergarments, then rapidly started replaying what happened in the field of flowers. It was getting painful for him to walk because of the tightness of his breeches. He knew that he really needed to talk to Willow about what happened, but it was becoming a distinct possibility that the moment he got her alone she'd be on her back with him buried deep inside of her silken core-

He silently groaned again. It was a good thing he'd taken the suggestion and his tattoo bespelled by Drakn Inkpeddler. He had spoken with the artist at great length once Drakn learned he was a vampire and still had his soul. As he told Spike, Elaisias had vampires, too.

At the time he'd gotten it, he had thought that the ensorcellment was worth the try, even if it didn't work. Once they found a way home, he had thought he could convince Willow to 'experiment' with him, considering he had wanted to see her in her light pink panties again and, even more so, what was under them. If the spell didn't work, Willow would be able to recurse him with ease while he remained locked up, and prior to that, he'd get his current fantasy to become a reality.

But, the spell had worked. He was in permanent possession of his soul, as was proven by the several times he'd found himself to be ridiculously happy. He'd also found himself sliding in and out of Willow's sweet body, listening to her soft mewls of pleasure-

Angel swore quietly to himself. Distraction. He needed a distraction...

*****

"Well, who first?" Buffy asked when they came to the steps leading down to the last level.

"I'll go," Spike volunteered. He gave Buffy a lewd grin. "As long as you cover me."

Buffy blushed. "Do I look like a blanket to you?"

"No," Spike replied. He eyed her up and down. "You're much more...lush."

"Shut up and go down," Buffy growled at him.

He stuck his tongue between his teeth and waggled his brows. "Sounds delicious, but I didn't know you were an exhibitionist."

The Slayer turned to a brighter shade of red and shoved Spike towards the steps. The blond vampire chuckled and started down them, with Buffy right behind him. Willow glanced back at Angel, blushed, and quickly followed without saying anything. Angel followed her, continuing to do math equations in Gaelic and translating the answers into Greek in his head to distract him from the petite hacker and what he really wanted to being doing.

Which was why, when the dark-haired vampire reached the bottom of the steps, he almost walked right into Willow, who had stopped abruptly. He quickly put his hands on her shoulders to steady both her and himself, and was about to ask what was up when his eyes caught hold of the sight spread before the four misplaced friends.

A veritable treasure filled the vast level. Gold, silver, copper, jewels, armor, weapons, books, silks, furs, everything that could be considered valuable made mountainous piles in the room. The flames from the torches caught the gold, silver and copper, causing it to glow. The jewels sparkled, the weapons and armor gleamed in the torchlight, all causing soft gasps of amazement and awe.

But scattered within, the small group began to notice things that did not belong with the treasure. Bones and skulls, both human and non, littered the piles. Some were broken pieces and fragments, others formed complete figures with empty eye-sockets and jaws gaping in terror. Skinned horns and tusks, wings and tails lay interwoven with the furs and jewelry.

"Why am I very worried?" Willow said quietly. Angel squeezed her shoulders.

"I see your worried and raise you a ho-boy," Buffy said. She raised her hand and pointed. "Look."

One of the copper piles was moving on its own.

Spike took a step to his left, away from Buffy, the obsidian wall at his back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her take a step in the opposite direction, notching an arrow as she did so. He instinctively knew that she was going to shift her stance in order to easily let an arrow fly if need be. His own hands were lose and at his sides as his muscles tensed in the anticipation of an upcoming attack.

The copper pile slowly unfurled into an enormous Copper Dragon. Twice the size of an elephant, the dragon's scales gleamed in the torchlight. The wickedly hooked claws eerily making no sound as the great beast came towards the foursome. Black, reptilian eyes set back from a long snout with sharp, pointed teeth watched them with a coldness that chilled the two humans, and reminded the two demons of their evil nature.

The Copper Dragon stopped approximately fifteen feet away from the four standing near the stairs and slowly looked at each of them. "Who daresss to enter my lair?" the dragon asked in a deep, steely voice.

"I do," Spike stated, taking a step forward, surprising the other three.

"Spike, what are you doing?" Buffy hissed at him. Spike held up his hand slightly at her, indicating for her to let him proceed.

"I come for the Bands of Kimara," Spike told the great, copper beast.

The dragon's eyes narrowed into deadly slits. "Indeed?"

Spike nodded once.

"And what makesss you asssssume I shhhall give them to you?"

"I challenge you for them."

"You? A puny vammmpire." The Copper Dragon's deep laugh echoed against the stone walls. "How could you possssibly bessst me?"

"A riddle. You can't answer it, I get the Bands," Spike said.

The dragon tilted its majestic head slightly in interest. "A riddle, hmmmm? And if I know the ansssswer?"

Spike lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "You can eat me for all I bloody care."

"Spike," Buffy hissed at the blond vampire again.

"And the otherssss?"

"They each get a chance at a riddle, too," Spike replied. "Same deal."

The Copper Dragon met Spike's steady blue eyes. "Prossseeed."

"'Name me and you destroy me,'" Spike said, then folded his arms and casually leaned back against the obsidian wall behind him.

Part Seventeen

"Time's up," Spike announced after he'd counted to three hundred. He did not back down when the dragon pinned him with an annoyed glare. "What's your answer?"

"The anssswer isss sssimple," the Copper Dragon said. "It'sss childssss play."

"Well, then open your gob and spit out the answer," Spike said. "We've got a soddin' Princess to rescue, if the little chit is still alive after all this bloody time."

The great beast tilted his massive head slightly. "A Princessss?"

"Not only do you lisp, you're hard of hearing, too," Spike commented.

"Spike," Buffy hissed at him. "Don't taunt the great, big creature that can eat you in a single bite." Spike brushed her off with a wave of his hand, which peeved the Slayer immensely.

"Tell me about thisss Princessss," the dragon said.

"Um, can-can I speak?" Willow said tentatively. The Copper Dragon looked at her and she took a step back into Angel, who slid his hands partially down her shoulders so the tips of his forefingers rested lightly near the hollow of her throat. The large, cool hands on her skin made her tingle and gave her confidence a boost.

"We need the Bands of Kimara to defeat a-a Gorgon," Willow explained. She pulled on her memory and began to quote part of the back of the box to the computer game. "'Princess Kalika was kidnapped by the evil Duke of Tarsahk. Only by working together can a mismatched band of would-be rescuers'-- which is us -- 'save the Princess from the Duke's clutches.'"

"Why did you not sssay ssso to begin withhh?" the Copper Dragon questioned, turning his great bulk around to move back into the piles of treasure. "Your quesssst isss honorable. Mossst foolsss are only after gold and jewelssss."

A few moments later, the copper beast returned carrying a purple silk bundle from his massive jaws. The dragon set the bundle down on the obsidian floor in front of the group, then backed away. "The Bandsss of Kimara," he announced.

"Thanks, mate," Spike said, moving forward to retrieve the bundle. He passed it to Willow, who quickly unwrapped the purple silk to reveal two silver coils inlaid with amethyst stones. She nodded, recognizing them from the instruction booklet as the Bands they needed.

"Follow the sssssenter pathhh and it will lead you from the tower back up to the ssssurfasssss," the Copper Dragon instructed. "But if you dare to ssssteal any of my tressssure, I ssshall be mossst dissspleasssed."

"Thank you," Willow repeated. She folded the bundle back up and passed it to Buffy, who put it in her more empty bag.

"You are welcommme," the dragon said. He moved away, the copper scales on his body glinting in the torchlight, until he blended into the vast amounts of treasure.

It was then that his deep, booming voice carried back to them. "And the anssswer isss 'Ssssilenssss.'"

Buffy stalked over to Spike and punched him across the jaw without warning. "You stupid jerk!"

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Spike growled, bringing a hand up to rub his face.

"You could have been eaten!" Buffy drew her fist back and punched him again. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

The Slayer stormed off up the center path, leaving one confused vampire and two knowing friends behind.

"Buffy, wait up!" Willow called to her friend after flashing a quick grin up at Angel. The redhead hurried to follow the Slayer.

Angel looked at his befuddled Childe after Willow's sexy ass disappeared from his sight, and he shook his head. "Gods, how the son degenerates from the Sire," he sighed.

"What?" Spike asked, frowning up at the older man in complete confusion.

"Buffy's right, you are a moron," Angel told Spike. Then he started up the center path after the girls.

"I am not!" Spike hurried to catch up with his Sire. "Ellie told me about the possibility of meeting a bleedin' dragon, and she told me the best way to not get eaten was to challenge him with a riddle."

"That's not why you're a moron," Angel said.

"Care to clue me in then, you ponce?" Spike said.

"Not a chance," Angel replied with a smirk.

*****

Spike slammed the door shut behind him and glared at Buffy with yellow-tinged eyes. "What the hell is your problem?" he snapped at the blond sitting on the edge of the room's double bed.

The tunnel had surfaced in the middle of the Cable Island, bringing the four out of the Tower and back to Elaisias within several hours. They had once again taken two rooms at the Guts and Garters Inn, and Spike had followed Buffy into one of them, intent on finding out why she'd given him the cold shoulder the entire trip back into the town.

"My problem is you!" Buffy snapped back, rising to her feet.

"What did I do?!" Spike exclaimed.

"Boy, I wonder," Buffy replied sarcastically. "Could it have been confronting the huge dragon without giving me any warning and almost turning yourself into kibble?"

"We got the Bands, didn't we?" he pointed out.

"No thanks to you," she said. "Even I knew the answer to your stupid riddle. Silence. Ha, real hard there, mush for brains."

"I didn't see you do anything," Spike said.

"That's because you didn't give me a chance!" Buffy exclaimed. "You just went off, half-cocked like you always do, leaving me to get you out of the mess you made!"

"That's a soddin' lie and you know it, Slayer," Spike growled at her. "We're a bloody team, you an' I, and I knew you had already come up with at least a half-dozen ways for us to attack the dragon within moments of seeing the big bastard. I just wanted to try what Ellie suggested before we took him out, because it would have been a bitch to try and sort through all that friggin' treasure to find the Bands to rescue an effin' Princess that I don't even give a flying rats arse about!"

"But you could have gotten eaten!" Buffy insisted.

"No, I wouldn't have." Spike met her eyes with unwavering certainty. "Because I have you."

Blinking in shock, his words and the implied faith he had in her washed over Buffy like a wave, cooling the anger that had engulfed her without warning. "Oh," she said. "I, uh...that is..."

Buffy never finished her sentence. Her mouth was too involved in the devastating kiss Spike was giving her.

*****

Willow's eyes were huge as she backed away from the tall, dark-haired vampire slowly stalking her. His head was slightly lowered, causing the lamplight to cast deep shadows over his features, making him look extremely predatory. She had been about to remove her dress to clean herself using the wash basin and pitcher of water when Angel had entered the room after a single knock, shutting the door firmly behind him, the lock echoing in her ears.

"A-Angel?" she stammered, holding her dress closed behind her with one hand. She gulped when his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. "What a-are you doing?"

His lips slowly curled up, making her knees weak and her heart hammer. The look he gave her was one of pure heat, and she was surprised she wasn't a puddle on the floor. She continued to back up until she hit the wall, then she had to look up when he finally stopped right in front of her.

"Angel?" she whispered in nervousness, arousal and a hint of fear.

"We do need to talk," Angel said silkily. He lifted one finger and traced it along the tops of her breasts above the material of her bliaut. "But if I don't have you right now, I'm going to die...again."

"That's the flowers talking," Willow said quickly. "Yeah, the flowers. Smelly stuff that made us do the wacky. You don't want me. I'm Willow. You're friend. Not you're- you're-"

"Lover?" Angel purred. He bent his head, his mouth near her ear, and whispered, "Oh, my little witch, how wrong you are..."

Then Angel ran his tongue along the side of her neck, and Willow was unable to speak anymore.

*****

Buffy sighed happily and snuggled against Spike's bare chest. His fingers ran lightly through her unbound hair, and he was purring quietly, the soft sound rumbling under her ear. It was a pleasant, soothing sound, one she hadn't heard since her seventeenth birthday, and she knew from Angel that it meant extreme contentment. Luckily, she needn't worry about Spike losing his soul and going psychotic on her because of it.

In all actuality, she never thought she'd hear the vampiric purr again, and especially not coming from Spike as she laid beside him, her naked body pressed intimately up against his equally naked one. Spike was her friend, her partner, her punching bag, her playmate. He wasn't someone she'd ever really thought of in sexual terms, other than the occasional appreciative glance when she bandaged him up. After all, he was a vampire, and although he couldn't truly harm the living anymore, he was still soulless.

It had really frightened her when he had challenged the Copper Dragon without warning. Normally they were so in tuned with each other she could almost read his thoughts when they were going into a fight. He was the distraction, she was the slayer, unless they were fighting the non-living. They worked in tandem, with Spike waving the metaphorical red cape so she was able to dart in with the killing blow. Of course, with that system, the blond vampire was the one who was injured more often, but he didn't seem to mind. He had told her he was just happy to be able to fight, even in a limited manner, and she was happy to let him, knowing he could take care of himself.

But now...boy oh boy was she in trouble. The second she realized that he could have easily been eaten by the dragon, her heart had stopped. She'd felt a fear that she hadn't felt since Angel had been shot by Faith's poisoned arrow all those years ago.

The fear of losing the man she loved.

Lightly, she traced a random pattern with her finger over his silent heart. He was so cool against her warmth, hard against her softness. He matched her strength and passion when they'd made love, but was also tender and gentle.

So many contradictions in one man, she thought. He was like an uncut diamond -- rough on the outside, but the most precious jewel on the face of the earth. And he'd been under her nose the entire time, just waiting for her to snatch up and treasure.

Why hadn't she ever noticed him before? Maybe it was because they fought all the time, she thought. Or perhaps she hadn't been ready to notice. Or maybe she was just a blind fool.

Her blinders were off now -- and she really liked what she found. She'd seen every single inch of his alabaster skin and had kissed the same, much to his pleasure. The throaty groan he'd made when she captured his hard shaft with her mouth had caused a tingle of exquisite torment between her thighs. And the glowing look in his eyes when he slid into her core had told her he loved the physical feeling of her surrounding him.

But could he love her? Well, there was only one way to find out, she thought. What had Willow once told her? Carpe frenulum? "Wait, no, that means 'seize the dick,'" she muttered.

"What's that, luv?" Spike murmured, brushing a kiss on the top of her head.

Buffy raised herself up and looked into eyes. She opened her mouth to ask, but couldn't get the words she wanted to come out. So instead, she moved her hand down beneath the coarse sheets and encircled his semi-flaccid penis. "I said 'carpe frenulum,'" she whispered, stroking him lightly.

"Seize all you want, Slayer," Spike said with a small groan, hardening beneath her hand. "I don't bloody mind at all."

*****

"You know that talking thing we were suppose to do?" Willow said, her eyes twinkling as she grinned at the man she was laying on top of, her chin resting on the back of her hands, which were folded over his bare chest.

"Yes," Angel replied, an amused smirk tugging up his lips.

"Can we pretend we had it already?" she asked. "And it turned out for the good, and we're happily together? In a together couple-like sense, I mean, not just together in the your part deep inside my part, making me feel all ooey-gooey-good all over together sense."

"How about we do both?" he said, rolling them over so he was on top. He moved his hips back, his already achingly hard cock sliding out of her silken passage. She mewled in the back of her throat as he thrust back in swiftly. "Because I think I'm going to be falling in love with you in the near future."

"Really?" Willow said brightly, then her eyes fluttered as he thrust again. She moaned. "Keep that up, and I'll love you just so I can get this over and over again."

"It'd be my pleasure," Angel murmured a moment before he captured her mouth for the umpteenth time -- and he had no intent on ever stopping.

Part Eighteen

Willow was still beyond giddy. She was currently floating on cloud fourteen, having long since passed cloud nine. She would have been on fifteen if Spike hadn't banged on the door, whining to Angel that he was hungry.

The two vampires had gone off together after Angel had redressed and kissed her with lots of tongue action, promising to meet her at the bathhouse. It had taken her until Buffy had shown up at her door to figure out that Spike had told them at Morgan's Spa and the idea of getting clean. She'd been too flustered by Angel at the time that a whole herd of buffalo could have run through the Inn and she wouldn't have noticed.

"Oh, this feels nice," Buffy moaned from beside the redhead. They were lounging in a steaming pool of water, relaxing after having washed themselves of the dirt and grime from the Tower.

"Big time," Willow agreed. She lifted her feet and wiggled her toes above the surface of the water. Her body ached pleasantly in some places, and those that weren't pleasant had been relaxed away by the heat.

She sighed happily. "I don't want to leave."

"Here or Elaisias?" Buffy asked, rolling her head on the bunched towel beneath her neck to look at the witch.

"That's a good question,' Willow replied. "Right now, everything's perfect. But what if we get home and Angel's cursed again? Or I was just a convenience while we were here, cause back home he's got all sorts of women-choices...beautiful women...not-me women..."

"Wills, if it's one thing I know about Angel, he doesn't have casual flings," Buffy said. "Now Spike on the other fang would have sex with a cactus if he got pleasure from it."

"A cactus?" Willow giggled at the image that flashed through her mind.

Buffy grinned. "Well, maybe not, but you get the idea. Which really bites, because I've gone and fallen for the peroxide dork."

"You're in love with him?!" Willow squealed.

"Loud much?" the Slayer said, pretending to rub her ear.

"Sorry," Willow apologized. "But you're in love with Spike the vampire!"

"No, Spike, Snoopy's brother," Buffy said.

Willow splashed the blond, who scowled in return. "When did this happen?" the hacker asked. "I thought you didn't even like like him. Or were you lying back in the Tower?"

"I didn't lie," Buffy replied. "I didn't know until the idiot went and challenged the dragon and I realized he could have been taken from me."

"This is so cool!" Willow turned on her seat so she was facing Buffy, the tops of her bent knees peeking above the water. "Does he love you too?"

"I don't know." Buffy sat up and mimicked Willow's position, resting her chin on one of her upraised knees.

"Why not?" Willow asked.

"What do you mean why not?" Buffy replied.

"Didn't he say something before or after or during...you know?" Willow said.

"No," Buffy answered. "Then again, even if he did, I wouldn't believe him. Cactus-boy remember? He'd say anything to get laid. I've seen him in action. It's not pretty."

"Well, personally, I think if he doesn't love you, he's a...a...a goober!" Willow nodded once in emphasis.

"A goober, huh?"

"Darn tootin'."

Buffy grinned wickedly. "I don't know, I think I might like the taste of chocolate-covered nuts."

"Buffy!"

*****

"Well?"

"Well what?" Spike asked his Sire.

"Did you tell her?" Angel clarified.

Spike scoffed. "Right."

Angel stopped walking down the street on the way back from the butcher's and grabbed Spike's arm. "You spent all night and day with her in bed and you DIDN'T TELL HER?!"

"Stop shouting, you nonce," Spike growled, yanking his arm away from Angel. "It's none of your bloody business anyway."

"Of course it's my business,"Angel snapped. "I love Buffy-"

Spike's eyes flashed gold in the dark as he grabbed Angel by the front of his vest and shoved the dark-haired vampire back against a building wall. "You keep the hell away from her. She's mine."

"Don't you think you'd better let her know that?" Angel asked calmly, trying not to smirk at his Childe's reaction. "I think she'll be pretty ticked-off if you don't."

Spike shoved himself away from Angel, his face sliding back to its human mask. "I told you, I'm not going to play second fiddle. I did that once and it almost killed me. As it was, if Giles hadn't pitied me way back when, I would've starved to death."

"It's been six years, Spike. I think she's over me by now," Angel told him.

"Are you over her?" Spike asked bluntly in response.

A slow smile spread across Angel's lips. "You might say that."

"Stop being cryptic and just answer the soddin' question," Spike growled irritably.

"Spike, I'm in love with Willow," Angel replied. "I knew it the second the frogs started raining down from the ceiling in the Tower and she ran. I was scared to death that something was going to happen to her."

"You're already dead," Spike muttered, kicking a stone.

The dark-haired vampire rolled his eyes. "Scared back to life then."

Spike chewed on his lower lip a moment, not looking up from the ground. "And you told the chit you love her?"

"Yes, I did," Angel said.

"She say it back?"

Angel grinned lasciviously. "In so many words, yes."

Spike was silent for a few moments. "You really think I should tell the Slayer I love her?" he finally asked seriously.

"Yes," Angel simply replied.

"Right then." Spike started walking again, a frown marring his brow.

"Um, Spike?"

The blond vampire stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

"You're going the wrong way."

*****

"...So we storm the castle after sunset tomorrow," Buffy summed up.

"I was thinking 'sneak in,' but yeah," Willow said. She picked a grape from the bowl and popped it in her mouth. Nicely pruned, the two girls were sitting in an ornate parlor at Morgan's, wrapped in surprisingly soft, large sheets. The men hadn't arrived yet, but neither of them minded the wait. Not with all the wonderful pampering they were getting at the spa.

"Do you know anything about the castle layout? How many floors? Where the dungeon is?" Buffy asked.

"Not really, although I'd bet the dungeon is in the basement," Willow answered. "That's usually where they keep the dungeons."

"Very funny," Buffy said dryly.

"Well, we know there's a gorgon," Willow said. "We'll have to fight her in order to rescue the Princess. We may have to fight the Duke, too, but I'm not sure."

"'Well, what did the Douge do?'"

"The Douge do?" Willow frowned.

"'When the Douge did his duty and the Duke didn't, that's when the Duchess did the deed to the Duke with the Douge.'"

The redhead arched her brow at Buffy. "You've lost it."

"Sorry." Buffy smiled sheepishly. "That's from one of Spike's favorite movies. I've seen it with him a million times."

"What's that, pet?" Spike asked, coming into the parlor with Angel, both of them with wet hair from their own baths, similarly attired in sheets like the girls.

"I was quoting The Court Jester," Buffy replied.

"Ah," Spike said. He gave her a wink. "'I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?'"

"'Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace,'" Buffy continued quoting.

Spike gave her a false-dreaded look. "'They broke the chalice from the palace?'"

Buffy nodded. "'And replaced it with a flagon.'"

"'A flagon...?'" Spike quoted.

"'With the figure of a dragon,'" Buffy said.

"'Flagon with a dragon.'"

"'Right.'"

Spike frowned comically at the blond Slayer. "'But did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?'"

"'No!!'" Buffy exclaimed. "'The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!'"

"'The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true,'" Spike repeated.

Buffy nodded and finished up the quote. "'Just remember that.'"

Angel sat down beside Willow and shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't quote from movies."

"That's because you only watch boring foreign crap," Spike said.

"It's called taste, Spike," Angel said.

"More like sleep-inducing," Spike countered.

"Spike, don't you have something more important to say than commenting on my choice of films?" Angel asked pointedly.

Spike glared at his Sire as Willow and Buffy both look at him expectantly. "Yeah. What's the plan for getting us out of this bloody game?"

Angel sighed and shook his head as Willow began to outline what they were going to do to rescue the Princess.

Part Nineteen

"Well, this is dark and gloomy," Buffy commented as the four looked up at the dark grey castle looming ahead of them.

"A perfect place for the poof to live," Spike said. Angel smacked him across the back of the head, but the blond only grinned in mischief in response.

"Okay, remember, quiet," Willow instructed. "We are trying to sneak in, not run in yelling 'charge!'"

"Ruin my fun," Buffy and Spike chimed simultaneously. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah, this is real quiet," Willow muttered.

Angel turned to the redhead beside him and dropped a kiss on her head. "We can always leave them here," he suggested.

"Oh please?" Willow begged eagerly.

"We heard that," Buffy said, shooting the innocently-smiling duo a glare.

"Come on, luv," Spike said, linking his arm with the Slayer's. "We know when we're not wanted."

Sticking his nose pompously in the air, he led an equally pretending to be offended Buffy off towards the castle. Willow rolled her eyes, then quickly used the front of Angel's vest to pull herself up on her toes in order to kiss him soundly on the lips. The dark-haired vampire gave her an unabashed smile, took her hand in his, and followed after the other two.

The castle continued to grow larger the closer the foursome got to it. They fell into silence more because of the foreboding feeling that crept over then rather than because of the plan. No moon hung in the sky to light their way, adding to the eerie atmosphere that stole around them.

The dark grey castle rose out of a thick white fog, almost blending into the night sky behind it. Two circular towers stood at opposite points, the iron spikes on the turrets standing like imposing guards. No vegetation grew up the sides of the stone walls, broken only by the thin cut windows of the outer walls, where archers would make their stands. A giant wooden portcullis with metal fitting blocked the passage into the castle itself.

"Slayer, you're a skinny, flat-chested, little chit," Spike said quietly to the blond at his side. He gestured at the portcullis. "Squeeze through there and let us in."

"I'm not that flat-chested!" Buffy hissed at him, crossing her arms over her jerkin and shirt-covered breasts.

"I've seen 'em first-hand, pet." Spike looked pointedly at her chest area.

She blushed and punched him on the arm. "Jerk!"

Then Buffy went and squeezed through the bars.

"Thanks, ducks," Spike said after he, Willow and Angel joined the Slayer on the other side of the portcullis.

"Thanks for calling me flat-chested?" Buffy scowled at him.

"I'll suck on your cute little titties until you squeal in pleasure later, will that make it up to you?" Spike asked.

"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed in a loud state whisper. "Will you stop talking about my breasts! You don't see Angel talking about Willow's."

"Doesn't mean he's not thinking about 'em," Spike said.

"Angel's a lot more mature-" Buffy caught Angel's deer-in-the-headlights expression. "Or not."

"This isn't what I meant by 'quiet,'" Willow said, folding her arms over her chest and blushing faintly.

"Comment on my breasts again, and you won't get a repeat viewing of them, ever," Buffy growled at Spike, then turned and stalked further into the castle.

"Just because they're on the small side doesn't mean I don't like them, Slayer," Spike grumbled as he quickly caught up to her.

Angel gave Willow a sheepish smile. "You have beautiful breasts."

Willow's blush grew deeper. "Th-thanks."

"I think we'd better catch up to them before they get us lost," Angel said. He gestured for her to proceed him.

Ten minutes later, the misplaced group still had yet to meet a single person, either crossing the grounds or once they'd entered the castle itself. The foreboding feeling that had come upon them with their approach to the castle was magnified and a tenseness was added. Everything was too quiet and still.

"I don't like this," Buffy whispered. "It screams big bad is going to attack us."

Willow nodded. "Or multiple big bads," she agreed. She was half right.

They came out of the partial darkness of the faintly lit castle hallways suddenly and swiftly. No more than twelve inches in height, with miniature wings rapidly flapping, they darted in with small, sharp spears held in clawed hands at the foursome. The tiny creatures had a stick-like slenderness that was clothed in strips of old material wrapped around their bodies multiple times. Tufts of black hair sprung from between sharply pointed ears on top of their heads, their needle-like noses jutting from their elongated faces over wide mouths with rows of sharp, jagged teeth.

"Bloody hell," Spike cursed, swatting at the ones flying around his head. He hit one and felt pain explode in his head, indicating the creatures definitely fell under the living clause of his implant. But that did not, by any means, stop him from fighting.

"Slayer, double up," he ordered before dashing further up the hallway.

"Got it," Buffy said, dropping forward into a roll to put distance between herself, Angel and Willow. She rose to her feet and snatched the short sword that was thrown at her without warning by Spike out of the air in one fluid motion. She gripped the hilt with both hands and held it over her shoulder like a baseball bat. "Let 'er rip!"

Angel clapped his hands together, then grimaced as one of the creatures was flattened between his large palms, blood squirting out of its body. Two others poked him in the back of the neck with their sharp spikes, and he quickly dropped the squashed creature to the floor to attack another.

"Willow, what are these things?" he growled, sweeping his hand at the two that were behind him, knocking them down the hallway the way he and the others had entered the castle.

"Atomies--ow!" Willow replied as she was stabbed. She pulled her bag off from over her shoulder and swung it at her attackers. "They're not smart, but they don't stop, either."

Spike grabbed one of the Atomies near him by the spear and flung the creature down the hall at Buffy. The Slayer swung her borrowed sword like a bat, cleaving the miniature terror in half.

She quickly wound up again and repeated her action as another then another were thrown down the hall to her by the blond vampire.

"And it's a swing and a hit for the Slayer once again," Buffy said in a bad announcer's voice. "The crowd gawks in awe at the distance she hit that puppy."

"But will she hit this wicked curve ball the pitcher throws next?" Spike continued. He latched onto one of the Atomies by the nose and shot him down the hallway. One side of his mouth quirked up when he saw Buffy's tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth and her eyes narrow as she concentrated on the thrown Atomie. The ones that had been flying around her head chose to avoid her sword by going after Willow, Angel or Spike.

"I feel like I'm swatting mosquitos," Angel grumbled as he clapped a fourth Atomie between his palms. Blood and innards coated his hands and oozed through his fingers, disgusting him. He smacked his hand down on the head of one of the creatures, sending it to the floor, where he squashed it under his boot.

The blond vampire yelped and spun when he was stuck in the rear by one of the Atomies' sharp spears. He heard Buffy snicker at him and flicked her off before snatching the creature around the middle and launching it down the hallway at her. He was manhandling the Atomies in a way that did not cause them pain and was so brief that his implant didn't react. After having the thing in his head for years he knew how to get around the living clause, as he and Buffy dubbed it, of the implant. He even knew how to give the Slayer a right good kickin' without screaming in pain...except from her hits.

"Eep!" Willow squealed as she was similarly accosted as Spike. She grabbed her skirt and jumped up and down, trying to dislodge the Atomie that had flown up under it. "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Hey!" Angel snarled, rapidly wrapping an arm around Willow's waist. He hoisted her up off the ground and spun her once. The Atomie flew out from under her skirt and, still holding the redhead, the vampire's hand shot out to grab the creature and squash it in his powerful grip. "No one goes up Willow's dress but me."

Willow blushed bright red.

"Hey badda, badda, badda, badda, badda," Buffy mimicked the old saying, wiggling her butt as she wound up. "Sa-wing badda."

Spike grinned at her, purposely adjusted himself in a crude manner, grabbed another Atomie and pitched it down the hall to her. It wasn't often they got to have this much fun while fighting, although they did try. They'd learned long ago that sometimes violence could be as enjoyable as sex, although they hadn't done the latter together until recently. And if Spike had his way, they'd make up for all the time they'd not been shagging, plus some.

Spinning, the blond vampire's eyes quickly searched for another Atomie to lob at Buffy, but to his dismay, found none. "Oh bugger, we're out of balls," Spike grumbled.

"No more?" Buffy called to him, dropping the sword in her hand to her side. "Oh poop." She stuck out her lower lip in a pout.

Angel squashed the last one flying by him and looked over at where he'd set Willow on her feet, checking to make certain there were truly none left. He grimaced at his blood-coated hands.

Then the floor disappeared from under him, and he plunged into darkness, unable to see his hands anymore.

Part Twenty

"I know we wanted to get to the dungeon quickly, but not this quickly," Buffy said, wincing as she stood.

She looked at the area Willow's spell lit up. The stone walls, the same distance apart as the hallway they had just been in, were moist, indicating they had fallen underground. The floor beneath them was packed dirt and there didn't seem to be any doors.

"Any ideas on how we get out of here?" Spike asked, feeling along the walls for a trigger mechanism.

"I don't think we're suppose to," Angel said without inflection. He kicked at a pile of bones that looked as though they'd been gnawed on.

"Shudder," Willow said. She rubbed her arms with her hands.

"Listen," Buffy said sharply, holding up one hand. She cocked her head slightly and concentrated. "Hear that?"

She could detect two distinct sets of footsteps and what sounded like chattering coming towards them out of the darkness. Instantly on guard, she moved counter to Spike.

When two, slightly shorter than her, pale-skinned humanoids walked into the light, she did not relax her posture. If anything she became more on guard. Something about them just didn't seem right. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spike adjust his footing in preparation of an attack, and she knew he felt it, too.

The two newcomers stopped walking and studied them. "Well, well, what do we have here, Smallfry?" the taller one said.

"Looks like dinner to me, Spider," the shorter one, Smallfry, replied.

"Just what I was thinking," Spider said. He looked at his companion and nodded.

Buffy's eyes grew larger when on the two faces appeared ridges, fangs and yellow eyes. Then she burst into laughter.

"V-V-Vampires!" she gasped out between uncontrollable giggles, pointing at Spider and Smallfry. "Oh n-no, what are we going to-to-to do?"

She heard Spike chuckling and Willow's light laughter from behind her. Buffy couldn't believe it. After all they'd fought so far in Elaisias, with the creatures supposedly getting tougher the closer they got to the end of the game, that last thing she expected to face was a pair of vampires. And they were short vampires, too!

Spider and Smallfry exchanged confused glances, which only served to fuel her laughter more. She leaned heavily against the wall, trying not to fall to the floor. She heard Willow clear her throat and the Slayer pressed her lips together, trying to suppress her giggles to allow her friend to speak.

"Um, Spider and Smallfry, correct?" Willow said. The two confused, game-faced vampires nodded. "I have a proposition for you. If you take us to where the Princess is being held, we'll let you live...er, keep unliving."

"And if we don't want to?" Spider asked.

"Oh, I think you'll do it," Willow said. "Because our vampires are bigger than the both of you."

Buffy saw Spike shift into his true face and glanced behind her to see Angel do the same. When she looked back at the two vampires in front of them, the laughter she was suppressing burst from between her lips again. The expressions on Smallfry's and Spider's faces were priceless. The Slayer wished she had a camera.

"I-I, er, that is...uh...th-that...," Smallfry stuttered. Buffy bit on her knuckles as she continued to laugh, wondering if the vampire was going to hyperventilate. She watched as he took a purposeful breath and said in a rush, "Wecandoitnoproblem."

"Good," Willow said regally. Buffy glanced back and saw her nod to Angel, who's face immediately slid back into its handsome planes. She saw that Spike did the same and smiled goofily back at the twisted grin he gave her.

"Lead on, but no tricks," the redhead warned, sweeping by Buffy as if she was a queen, with Angel less than a step behind her to one side, so as not to trample on the witch's dress.

The Slayer shook her head in amusement, her laughter finally under control. She was about to start after her friends when she found herself pressed between a stone wall and a peroxide-blond vampire. "Wha-," she went to ask, but it was cut off by Spike's tongue plundering her mouth.

He kissed her breathless, then raised his head to look at her with dancing blue eyes. "You're beautiful when you laugh," he murmured.

Buffy felt her face heat up. "Uh, thanks," she said, embarrassed and pleased all at once.

"Are you guys coming?" Willow called back to them.

The smile that spread across Spike's lips made Buffy's vaginal muscles tighten and her sex tingle. "Not yet," he said quietly. "But very, very soon. And that's a promise."

Buffy was surprised she didn't melt into a puddle at his feet.

*****

"She's in that cell," Smallfry whispered, pointing across the enormous, surprisingly well lit, open room below them.

They were looking through a window-like cut in the stone a floor above the dungeon. A multitude of identical, wooden doors lined the room, with small, barred windows set in each one. The floor of the dungeon was made of the same stone of the walls, and they could see deep scratches marring the surface.

"The stairs at the end of the hall lead down into the dungeon," Spider said, gesturing with his hand to his right. "And now that we've showed you, goodbye."

Spider grabbed Smallfry's arm and the two darted back up the hallway the way they had come, disappearing before Willow could ask about the Gorgon. The redhead mentally cursed. She would have liked to find out what they knew about the creature she knew they had to fight to rescue the Princess.

"So, what now?" Buffy asked. "We know rescuing the Princess can't be this easy."

"It won't be," Willow replied. "Gorgon, remember? Giant, invisible creature that probably made those big scratches on the floor, who's ready to eat us like we're people-sized pork chops, except that we're not pigs...well, maybe Spike is...but the rest of us-"

"Willow," Angel interrupted. "We have the Bands, right?"

"I have them," Buffy said, opening her bag.

"According to Nester, whomever is wearing the Bands should be able to see the Gorgon," Angel said, taking the silver coils from Buffy. "Which means to the rest of us she'll be invisible."

"I have an idea," Spike said. "Let's forget the soddin' Princess, go back to the Inn, and shag non-stop until we're zapped home."

"And just who do you think you're going to 'shag?'" Buffy inquired with an arch of her brow.

"Ioana," Spike replied without missing a beat, smirk on his face.

"You touch that wench and you're going to find out personally if vampires can regenerate certain limbs or not," Buffy told him.

"Fine, fine," Spike said with a dramatic sigh. "How 'bout this? While the poof and Willow free the chit, we double up and keep the Gorgon occupied. You remember how to fight an invisible opponent, right?"

"Yes, Obi-Wanna-Be," Buffy replied, giving Spike a short, mocking bow. "I am strong in the ways of the force."

"No, no, pet, it's 'yes master,'" Spike corrected. "Better fix it before I have to punish you."

"Turn around," Buffy said.

Spike frowned. "Why?"

"Because I am a little too polite to laugh in your face," she replied with a saccharine smile.

"Alright, Alice and Ralph," Angel interrupted Spike before the blond could continue bickering with Buffy. "Save it for after we rescue the Princess."

"Angel, you made a funny," Willow said, a grin on her face.

"No, he didn't," Spike disagreed, glaring at his Sire.

"Who are Alice and Ralph?" Buffy asked.

*****

Spike looked out into the empty room from the stairwell that had led to the dungeon. His and Buffy's bags were on the steps off to one side, as were Buffy's bow and quiver. She held his short sword in her hand, waiting for him to proceed. Angel and Willow were a few steps above them, ready to do their part to free the Princess.

The blond vampire glanced over at his partner of six years. Her face was alight with anticipation, her breathing slow and calm in opposition to her muscles, which were tensed in readiness. He'd told her just a short while ago she was beautiful when she laughed.

When she fought, she was breathtaking. And he didn't even need to breathe.

"Ready, Slayer?" he asked quietly, feeling the buzz of excitement under his skin, a feeling he always got when they were about to fight.

"Oh yeah," Buffy replied, her eyes blazing with fire. "Let's kick this puppy."

One side of his mouth curled up and he looked back at his Sire. Nodding once, he licked his lips then strolled out of the stairwell into the open.

Buffy turned away from the opening and tore a strip from the hem of her shirt under her tunic. Her short bow was resting on her foot, the top of her quiver of arrows was open, slung across her back. She gave Angel and Willow a cocky grin that equaled one of Spike's, then tied the strip over her eyes.

"Be safe, guys," she said in their direction.

"You too, Buffy," Willow said.

When Spike reached the center of the large room, he slowly turned in a complete circle, his eyes searching for the purportedly huge creature that he wasn't supposed to be able to miss. The two bands pushed up around his forearms glinted in the vast amounts of torchlight, the rubies sparkling.

His eyes ran over the stone walls, the multiple cell doors and the gouges he saw in both, until he was facing the same direction that the stairwell was located. There, cut into the wall, was an enormous entry that ran up to window he'd been standing at a short time earlier.

And standing in that entry was the gorgon.

Spike summed up its size, threat factor and what he felt about the upcoming fight in one single word.

"Bugger."

Willow exchanged a worried glance with Angel when she saw Spike's eyes grow round and he took a few steps backwards. "That can't be good."

"Don't focus on him," Angel instructed quietly. "Focus on our part of this plan."

"Right. Focus," Willow said with a nod. She looked back out into the large room and saw Spike take off running. Loud clip-clops and snorts reached her ears, and she gulped. "Easier said than done."

Angel turned his eyes to Buffy, who was standing perfectly still, facing away from the open room. He saw that she was completely focused as opposed to the redhead he was rapidly falling in love with. When he looked back towards Spike, he saw that his Childe was to the far left side of the room, waving his hands in the air.

"Ready?" Angel asked Willow.

Willow gathered up her skirts. "Ready."

Spike's arms dropped to his sides.

"Go!"

Angel and Willow dashed out of the stairwell entryway, running straight across the room. The witch forcefully made herself ignore the sounds of the invisible gorgon that seemed to have grown louder now that she was out in the open. She pushed back the thoughts of what would happen if Spike and Buffy couldn't keep the gorgon distracted and tried to focus on her and Angel's goal -- the Princess's cell door.

The moment Willow and Angel left the stairwell, Buffy's entire body tingled from the adrenaline coursing through her. Her calf muscled tightened as she prepared to join in the fight. All she had to wait for was her signal from the vampire she was so in tuned with when it came to fighting, it was as if they shared the same mind.

The instant she heard the clap under the hoofbeats on the stone floor, Buffy kicked her foot up. The short bow sprang into the air and she caught it deftly. In one smooth motion, she spun, cocked an arrow and let it fly, all the while blindfolded.

The gorgon bellowed. Direct hit behind the ear she could literally see in her mind's eye. Her other senses were going haywire, overcompensating for the loss of her sight. She fired arrow after arrow at her unseen target, keeping the gorgon's attention away from the opposite side of the room where the Princess's cell door was located.

Spike watched as every arrow the Slayer shot sunk into the gorgon's body. The fifteen-foot high, bull-like beast roared in anger with every hit to its bluish-black hide. Its red eyes blazed in anger, the sharp black hooves scraping the floor in front of him. Two sharp, curved horns of pure silver gleamed in the torch lit dungeon, rising from the gorgon's massive head.

The vampire would hate to see what the male gorgon looked like if this was the female.

Willow and Angel skid to a halt outside of their objective. The dark-haired vampire peered between the iron bars over the small window and saw a young woman sitting on a far bench. "Princess?"

The Princess raised her head, her long, midnight hair falling away from her oval face. Two vibrant blue eyes defiantly met his. "Who are you?"

"'I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you,'" Angel said dryly.

Willow looked up at the man she'd fallen fast and heavy for in shock. "Luke Skywalker?!"

Angel glanced down at her and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Spike quickly found out that the gorgon was indeed a living, breathing, pissed-off creature. That meant it was up to Buffy to make the killing blow -- and made him the vampire-flavored bait.

He darted forward towards the gorgon, who had turned in Buffy's direction after the third arrow, and he leapt into the air when he was close enough. His hands grasped the coarse hair on the angrily flicking tail and he held on tightly as his weight yanked the tail downwards.

The gorgon spun amazingly quick for such a large creature, sending Spike flying across the room when the beast's tail flicked like a whip. He crashed into the wall next to the entryway from which the gorgon entered. Pain lanced his skull as he cracked his head on a sharp piece of stone jutting from the wall.

Buffy practically flew from the stairwell when she heard the unmistakable sound of Spike hitting a wall. She'd heard his grunts of pain often enough to know that this time he wasn't serious hurt, but that didn't stop the indescribable anger that screamed through her system.

She launched herself at the creature she was blind to, instinctively sensing how high she had to go. She used her entire body like a battering ram, one arm extended forward, her hand clenched in a fist. It felt as though she'd punched a steel wall when she hit, but the gorgon made a satisfactory bellow of pain.

Angel heard the tiny click of the tumbler under the loud sounds of the fight and he straightened. He pulled the door open and Willow cast a quick detection spell to find out if there were any protective wards. When she hurried inside, he figured it was safe.

"Princess Kalika," Willow said, approaching the raven-haired young woman. "I'm Willow. We'll get you out of here in a jiffy."

"Thank goodness," the Princess sighed. She lifted the hem of her dirty pink skirt and set her foot on the only bench in the room. A rusty-looking manacle was around her trim ankle. "I've been here for what seems like an eternity."

Angel entered the cell at Willow's beckoning and quickly went to work picking the lock on the manacle. "When you're free, we're going to run really, really fast across the room to the stairs, okay?" Willow said.

"I understand," Princess Kalika replied. "But what of the gorgon who guards the dungeon?"

"Our friends are taking care of her," Willow said. She winced at a roar from the gorgon that shook the cell door and added a whispered, "I hope."

Buffy rolled directly under the raging beast and slammed her fist up into the gorgon's belly. Then, she quickly dove into another roll, coming up onto her feet on the opposite side of the large creature.

"Slayer catch!" she heard Spike shout. Her hand opened up and she caught the hilt of the short sword Spike tossed to her, all the while still blindfolded. She was going to kiss Giles when they got home for all his instances that she train sightless.

Spike darted in front of the gorgon after throwing the Slayer his short sword. He flicked his wrist and a handful of broken stones from the wall landed directly in the massive creature's left eye. She roared in anger and pain, swinging her head wildly.

Angel, Willow and Princess Kalika ran from the cell towards the stairwell, their hard footsteps almost silent compared to the gorgon's bellowing. Angel kept himself between where the creature had to be and the two women, wishing he could see the threat to his friends' lives. But all he saw was Buffy standing at the ready, blindfold on and sword in hand, while Spike dashed from one direction to another.

The three of them made it to the safety of the stairwell, the two girls panting heavily. Angel hovered in the entryway, watching the on-going events unfold.

"Thank you," the Princess said between gasps of breath.

"We're not free yet," Angel practically growled.

"He doesn't mean to sound so...mean," Willow apologized to the Princess. "It's just that his two old loves are out there fighting the very loud and scary-sounding gorgon."

"Old loves?" Princess Kalika said.

"Yeah," Willow said. "Angel once loved them both...not at the same time, though, at different times. But he loved them, only now he loves them like friends and they love each other...but I don't know if they told each other yet...and Angel now loves me...at least, I think he does..."

"You are all very lucky to have known such emotion, for it is rare in Elaisias," Princess Kalika said. "There is an old proverb that my mother once told me about love."

"Really? What is it?" Willow asked. She darted a glance at Angel. She knew he wanted to go and help, just as she did, but their job was to free and protect the Princess and leave the fighting to Buffy and Spike.

Buffy felt the air move around her and she shifted her stance. She heard a quiet swish that grew louder then dissipated in a small rhythm under the gorgon's roars. On the fifth swish, she struck, the short sword in her hand cracking against something hard.

"'Love is the most powerful spell in the world.'"

Spike saw Buffy's sword fly out of her hands. He started to run towards the beast again as the large creature shook her head another time.

He knew instantly that he was too slow.

"'And it's only enemy is not the fire...'"

Buffy felt something whiz toward her after the sword was knocked from her hands. She ducked and she knew she'd just avoided by being hit by whatever disarmed her.

But she straightened too soon.

"'...Not the water, not the earth...'"

"SLAYER!!!" Spike screamed as he witness the gorgon swing her lowered head back towards him. He saw the sharp tip of the beast's silver horn pierce Buffy's skull, lift her off the ground and toss her body over his head. Buffy hit the stone wall of the dungeon in almost the exact spot he'd first been thrown with a sickeningly hard smack.

"'...It's time.'"

Part Twenty-one

"Buffy!" Angel yelled, running from the stairwell towards the lifeless young woman. He barely caught the Bands of Kimara that were hurled violently at him by Spike before he saw the blond vampire drop down to his knees at Buffy's side. Angel quickly slipped them on over his forearms and the gorgon appeared before his eyes. With a vicious roar, he leapt at the creature, his yellow eyes blazing with an unholy fury.

"Oh baby, don't you dare leave me," Spike said hoarsely. He reached out and carefully turned Buffy's twisted head. He lost control of his human mask when he saw all the blood, and he let out a low cry of pain.

Everything grew silent around him, the sounds of Angel fighting the gorgon fading away. Gently, he brushed Buffy's red-stained hair back from her face. Her features were soft and peaceful, as if she were sleeping.

Spike's fingers moved back over her head until his palm covered the punctured part of her skull. Blood flowed freely beneath his palm, coming up between his fingers to make patterns on the back of his hand. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips, his heart screaming out in pain because of her lack of heartbeat.

"This had better work," he mumbled, putting his other hand over the tattoo on his wrist. Spike looked at Buffy's serene face and said the words he'd longed to tell her for years. "I love you, Buffy."

Under his hand, his tattooed wrist began to tingle. He watched with fear and hope as a pale green light slowly spread over Buffy's entire body.

Angel slid across the hard floor, scooping up the short sword that had been knocked from Buffy's hands. He jumped up to his feet and spun to face the charging gorgon. When she was almost upon him, Angel leapt upwards, using the creature's muzzle as a springboard to vault onto her back.

Raising the sword high above his head, the raging, game-faced vampire plunged the steel tip first into the back of the massive beasts's neck. The gorgon roared as Angel jumped off the back of the creature. He watched as she bucked once, twice, then collapsed onto the stone floor. It let out one final bellow of pain, then went still. The gorgon was dead.

Spike felt tears slip from his eyes and his heart grew more and more pain-filled as the seconds continued to go past. "Come on, baby," he whispered roughly, his gaze never leaving Buffy's face. "You can't leave me. I'm going to win our bet and you have to be here to pay up. Please, Slayer..."

He trailed off when the pale green glow brightened for a moment. Then, it suddenly disappeared.

"No," he protested, bending forward to press his ear to Buffy's chest.

He heard nothing.

"Oh god, Slayer, no," Spike cried softly. He shut his eyes tightly as the first sob wracked his body. He continued to speak raspingly between each uncontrollable hiccup as he gasped for air as grief consumed him. "No, Buffy, you can't go...," hic, "I can't lose you...," hic, "I love you...," hic, "I love you...," hic, "I love you...," hic, "I love you...," hic, "I love you...," hic, "I love you..."

Angel dropped down to his knees behind Spike, bent over his Childe and wrapped his arms around his grieving boy's body. He shook with each sob, a whimpering-purr emitting from the back of his throat as he tried to soothe Spike's pain despite the tears that enveloped him, too. He pressed his cheek to his Childe's back and saw Willow running towards them through his blurred, golden eyes.

Willow threw herself down onto the floor on the other side of Buffy's prone body, opened the spellbook in her hands and began to rapidly flip the aged pages. "Healing spell, healing spell, healing spell, healing spell, healing spell...," she repeated over and over, tears streaming down her own face.

"Um, hello?"

Willow's eyes shot to Buffy, and Angel and Spike abruptly straightened at the familiar voice. Three mouths were parted in shock as Buffy looked from face to face.

"What's going on here?" Buffy asked, sitting up. She groaned and lifted her hand to her head. "Ugh, headache. Bad headache."

"Buffy?" Angel gasped. "But- but-"

Spike yanked Buffy up against him abruptly and, before he could stop himself, he instinctively buried his fangs in her neck in a show of strong vampiric emotion.

There was no pain in his skull.

"Spike!" Buffy squeaked, her hand clutching at the front of his shirt-tunic.

Angel's golden eyes widened even further as he was hit with a larger shock. He could hear only one heartbeat in front of him -- Willow's.

The dark-haired vampire immediately put his hand on Spike's shoulder and pulled hard. "That's not Buffy!" he growled.

"What?!" Willow exclaimed.

Spike removed his fangs from Buffy's neck and turned his head, blood lining his mouth. "Mine," he snarled at his Sire, as the older vampire continued to try to pull him away from the Slayer.

"Spike, you bit me!" Buffy exclaimed in surprise. "You bit me!"

The blond vampire blinked twice as Buffy's words sunk into his brain. He slowly turned back to look at her stunned face. He moved one of his hands from around her to press his fingertips on the side of her neck. He felt no pulse beating beneath her skin.

"Slayer?" Spike questioned in utter confusion.

"What is it?" Buffy said in alarm. "What wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" She put her hand up over his on her neck. "What's going on?"

Spike moved his hand so his fingers were pressing hers to the side of her neck. He watched as panic gave way to confusion and then to fear.

"I have no pulse!" she exclaimed loudly. She pulled her hand from under Spike's and put it over her chest. "Oh god, what did you do to me?! Am I a vampire?!" Buffy's voice grew more and more shrill with each question. "What did you do?! Why don't I have a heartbeat or a pulse?!"

Willow looked at Angel in horror, who shared her emotions. She quickly stood and backed away from Buffy in case the Slayer was a vampire and decided she would make a tasty first meal. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Princess walking towards them. "Keep back!" she called in warning.

Angel stood and moved to put himself between Willow and Buffy. "Spike, get away from her," he ordered, trying to protect his Childe, too.

"Get away from me?!" Buffy shrilled. "I didn't do anything!"

"Oh bloody hell!" Spike cursed. He looked towards the ceiling and shouted as if his voice would carry to its intended target. "This wasn't what I meant, Ellie!"

All eyes turned to him. He shook his head in disgust and anger, with embarrassment thrown in as well. "My tat," Spike explained. "I had Ellie put a spell on it in case something happened to you, Slayer. I told her to make it so I could never lose you."

Spike brushed Buffy's hair with a shaky hand where her fatal injury had been. There wasn't even a bald spot remaining. "I can't lose you, Buffy," he said in a low-pitched, slightly choked up voice. His gold eyes met her large hazel ones. "I love you so bloody much. I can't lose you. I can't."

Buffy's lower lip started to tremble as tears of joy filled her eyes. "You love me?"

"Every second of every soddin' day," Spike answered. "I'm worse than the poof-"

Buffy cut him off with a kiss. She heard him purr once loudly as her tongue slid between his lips to caress his. His hand entangled in her hair and he angled his head to deepen the kiss. He slowly lowered her back onto the floor and she went willingly, lost in the sensations of his mouth pressed intimately to hers.

"Um, guys?" Willow said, peeking at the two blonds from behind Angel's large form. "Guys?"

Spike moved partially over Buffy, his leg between her thigh, as his tongue twined with hers. The hand not tangled in her hair up the side of her body to covered breast. He growled lightly at the obstruction of the material, both over her breast and between his rigid erection and her soft body. He pushed his hips forward, rubbing the hard bulge beneath his hose against her.

"Buffy? Spike?" Willow tried again. "You're going to make me really blush if you don't stop now."

Buffy slid one of her hands under Spike's arm and around to his back. Her fingertips caressed him through his shirt-tunic as she moved her hand downward. She then cupped his taut, muscular backside, rubbing her hips upward in a circle on his upper thigh.

"Angel! Make them stop!" Willow said, poking the dark-haired vampire in the side.

Angel barely stopped himself from growling at Willow for interrupting his witnessing the tender and erotic moment between his Childe and old love. Instead, he spun around, yanked the redhead to him and crushed his mouth to hers. He kissed her passionately and thoroughly, until she began to tremble in his arms.

Then he raised his head and looked into her beautiful green eyes that were filled with surprise and desire. "I love you, Willow," Angel told her. His highly charged emotions from Buffy's death, amazing resurrection, and the display behind him were driving him to tell Willow how he felt, because the chance could be taken away as his Childe's almost was. "I need you to know that I love you."

Willow's face lit up with happiness at his words. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Angel replied. His face slid back into its handsome human planes, and he smiled softly at her. "I love you."

"This is so great!" Willow exclaimed, throwing herself into his embrace. "I was so worried that you really didn't love me and that it was all one-sided. One-sided love is not fun, believe me, I've been there before. But you love me and I love you and Spike loves Buffy and Buffy... Buffy's dead!"

Angel threw back his head and laughed, breaking into Spike and Buffy's private world and drawing them back to the dungeon. They both frowned in Angel's direction, then met each other's eyes again, small, loving smiles crossing their lips.

"I love you, too, Spike," Buffy said softly. Her eyes roved over his true features without disgust or loathing. "Vampire parts and all."

Spike's ridges vanished and his blue eyes sparkled with happiness. "I have a certain vampire part," he thrust his hips forward against her, "that wouldn't mind some loving."

Buffy smacked him on the ass. "Pig."

"Cow," Spike growled back playfully.

"Jerk."

"Wench."

"Moron."

"Lover," he purred.

Buffy wrinkled her nose at him. "Cheater."

Princess Kalika cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem? I hate to interrupt, but are we going to escape from the castle or should I go back to my cell?"

"A sarcastic computer game," Spike commented. He reluctantly climbed to his feet and held out his hand to help Buffy up. "How very droll."

Angel tucked Willow under his arm and nodded to the Princess. "You're right. We should get going."

"But Buffy's still dead." Willow looked over her shoulder at the Slayer. "You're still dead, right?"

"As a doornail," Buffy replied after checking her lack of pulse again. "But I walk and I talk-"

"Do you make Julienne fries, too?" Spike asked with a wink.

"-And I wonder why I haven't staked Spike yet," Buffy finished.

"Well, I can't help you with the last part," Angel said, smirking at his Childe. Spike scowled at him. "But we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Once we get back into town, we'll figure out what's going on, alright?"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Buffy said. "Let's motor."

Part Twenty-two

"I swear, this is the sixth bloody time we've passed that statue," Spike grumbled as he trudged along beside Buffy. They'd been walking for what seemed like hours through the never-ending, torch lit corridors of the castle and it was really starting to tick him off. "We're walking in circles here, people."

"No, this gargoyle has a tongue," Buffy said, poking the rock as they walked by. "The last one didn't."

"I thought that the end of the game came with killing the gorgon," Spike went on whining.

"We still have to get the Princess back home," Willow said over her shoulder and past Princess Kalika to the blond vampire. "And then we have to figure out how to get ourselves back home, too."

"And figure out why I'm dead," Buffy said.

"And if my soul is really permanent or not," Angel added, speaking softly to the redhead walking beside him. Willow gave him a startled look, which rapidly fell into unhappiness, and he put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed briefly. "We'll figure something out, Willow."

"Yeah," Willow said sadly.

"When I get back to the castle, my father will undoubtedly want to throw a gala due to my return," the Princess spoke up. "We'll have minstrels and the finest foods and pastries from the kitchen, and he will present you all to the court as heroes."

"Or he shall be presenting your body to the court for viewing at your wake, Princess."

The five came to a halt when the deep voice reached their ears. They heard the male chuckle evilly at their search for a body to go with the voice. "Having problems, are we?" he asked.

"The Duke of Tarsahk," Princess Kalika whispered. "I'd recognize his rude voice anywhere."

"You flatter me, your highness," the Duke's voice floated to them again. "So much that I don't wish for you to leave my company...ever."

"It ain't gonna happen, buddy," Buffy said loudly, moving in conjunction with her friends closer to the Princess. "We're taking the Princess home-"

"If we ever get out of here," Spike muttered to himself.

"-even if we have to rip out your spine and beat you with it to do so," Buffy finished.

Spike, Angel and Willow all looked over at the Slayer. Buffy gave them a sheepish look. "Um...I'm a member of the evil dead. Blame Spike," she said quickly.

"You're not a vampire, pet, just a bit corpsy," Spike said, but he gave her a grin. "However, I love the way you're thinking."

"An archer with sass," the unseen Duke, Dalagar the Cold, said. "I shall enjoy threading your short bow with your intestines, my dear."

"Now that sounds like something the poof would do," Spike commented thoughtfully.

"Spike, shut up," Angel growled.

"Enough of this blathering!" Princess Kalika abruptly exclaimed. She stamped her foot. "I am Princess Kalika, daughter of King Waldo-"

"Where's Waldo?" Buffy and Spike chimed quietly at the same time.

"-of Elaisias," the Princess continued without pause. "And I demand that you release us at this instant!"

Silence. Then a loud sigh. "Oh, very well. You all may go."

A section of the stone wall near the gargoyle they'd just passed slid open. The four misplaced friends looked to the opening, then at each other.

"Trap," Buffy said.

"Oh yeah," Willow agreed.

"But it's a new way to go," Spike said. "I'm sick of going round in bloody circles."

"Willow, you and Buffy stay here with the Princess," Angel said, making the decision as to what to do for everyone. "Spike, we're going to find out what's through that hole in the wall."

"Watch yourself," Spike warned Buffy before he followed his Sire.

As soon as the two vampires had left the corridor, Buffy turned to Willow. "We give them five minutes, then are going in."

Willow nodded. "Got it."

*****

Spike and Angel dove apart as the ogre slammed his mace down between them. They both rolled to their feet easily, adopted fighting stances and quickly surveyed their opponents. Two large, hulking ogres, several elves and several humans, all armed, stood in the enormous throne room. A rugged looking man, with tilted black eyes and ears that came to points, sat on a raised dais on an ornate throne, looking out over the floor with a bored expression on his face.

"Tarsahk?" Spike questioned before throwing a punch at an elf. He grinned happily when no pain exploded in his head, then grimaced when he realized that the elf was an animated corpse as rotting skin came off with his hit.

"Ah, I see my reputation has proceeded me," Dalagar said, his deep voice echoing in the throne room. "How lovely."

"Sounds a bit like you again, Angelus," Spike called over to his Sire. He ducked under a staff that was sung at his head by a living human. He quickly grabbed it on the next swing and yanked it out of the human's hands.

"Not the time, William," Angel snarled, spinning in order to back-kick an elf. His fist shot out and cracked a human across the jaw, sending the man falling to the ground.

Buffy, Willow and the Princess came rushing into the room, the Slayer immediately barreling into the fight. "I knew we shouldn't have let you go alone!" she shouted to Spike, double-kicking two elves at the same time. She landed lightly on her feet, grabbed a human's arm and tossed him partway across the throne room. "You never could stay out of trouble!"

"Me?!" Spike shouted back to her. He thrust the staff he'd taken from the human into the dead elf, skewering it.

"Luckily..." Buffy slammed her palm into the chest of another human, sending him flying backwards. "...I happen to love trouble."

"Love you, too, pet," Spike said quietly. Then he gouged another dead elf's eyes out.

Angel sent a hard side-kick into one of the ogres' chest. He jumped aside when the tall, bulky humanoid's mace whizzed past where Angel's head had been. The dark-haired vampire slammed his fist up under the ogre's ribs seconds later, the ogre grunting in pain at the hit.

Willow kept the Princess at her side near the stone wall of the throne room. She alternated looking between the fight, the man sitting on the throne and her spellbook.

"The Duke is a most despicable person," the Princess commented.

"He looks like it," Willow said. She darted her glance to the Duke, who was still sitting casually on the throne, then looked back at her spellbook. Her eyes alighted on a certain spell and she cheered. "Yes!"

Rising here hand, she quickly chose a target that was furthest away from her lover and friends, and began tracing signs in the air as she spoke the spell.

Head count, Spike thought, dodging out of the way of another living human's strike. His gaze roved quickly around the throne room, taking stock of his opponents. He saw one ogre fighting with Angel, the second one on the ground with a mace buried in his skull; Buffy fighting three opponents at the same time; the Duke; several unconscious or dead; one human sunk up to his knees in the rock floor; and the three living humans directly in front of the blond vampire.

Make that two living humans. The third had started to sink into the rock floor. "Thank you, Witch," Spike said gratefully. Sometimes he really hated his implant.

Angel kicked the second ogre in the kneecap, snapping it. As the large humanoid started to fall, the vampire grabbed the top of his head and his chin. With a quick, oft-done twist, the ogre's neck was broken. Angel dropped him to the floor with little thought and went to help his Childe, knowing that Buffy could hold her own in this situation.

He cold-cocked one of the humans, sending him down for the count. Angel flipped up a staff on the floor with his foot, caught it and smacked a second human on the back of the head. The third and final one received a hard blow to the stomach, sending him flying back several feet before landing in a heap on the floor.

The dark-haired vampire kept the pointed staff at ready and looked at Spike. "You okay?"

"Just ducky, peaches," Spike answered with an nod.

Buffy slammed her knee up into an elf's crotch and smiled wickedly. "Oh, did that hurt?" she asked as her final opponent dropped to the floor to writhe in pain.

Willow motioned to the Princess and the two girls hurried over to where Buffy, Angel and Spike had gathered near the center of the throne room. Almost unconsciously, they adjusted their positions so the Princess was protected between all four of the friends.

"We're leaving now," Angel told the Duke.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you leave just like that?" Dalagar asked, lifting his hand to examine his nails.

Angel hefted the staff like a spear and let it fly. It embedded itself in the cushion of the throne directly between the Duke's legs within seconds.

The Duke's startled gaze shot to the group. Angel held out his hand and Spike placed a second staff in it. "Next one, I'll aim just a little higher," the dark-haired vampire said.

The Duke smirked. "Really?" he said, pulling the staff free from the cushion.

Before anyone could blink, the staff was flying through the air, straight at Buffy. The blond Slayer hissed in pain as the pointed end of the staff went straight into her stomach.

"Slayer!" Spike exclaimed, hurrying to her side. He was immediately relieved to find more anger in her eyes than pain.

"Why is it," Buffy grunted, as her lover yanked the wood free. "That I keep getting holes in me?" She looked down at the bleeding wound and gasped as the skin closed up within seconds. "Did you see that?"

"I saw it," Spike replied, gaping at her. "And I don't believe it."

Angel's eyes flashed in anger as he stared at the Duke. "That wasn't very wise," he growled.

"Oh, are you still alive?" the Duke said in a bored tone once again. "Let me fix that problem."

Dalagar made a gesture and Willow and the Princess began to gasp, their hands going to their throats. The redhead looked at Angel in panic. She couldn't breathe!

Angel roared in anger and, instantly, Spike echoed the sound, feeling and following the pull to support his Sire. The two vampires shifted into game face and attacked as one. Over a hundred years disappeared in a second as Sire and Blood-Bonded Childe fell in perfect sync with one another.

The second staff left Angel's hand as he tore across the room towards the throne. The Duke jumped up to his feet on the dias and deflected the staff just as Angel tackled the elf. They both crashed into the throne, sending it and them falling to the floor.

Buffy rushed to the choking Willow's side, her eyes wide with panic. The Princess was kneeling on the floor, clawing at her throat beside the hacker. "Willow, what do I do?"

Willow gestured frantically towards her spellbook, which had fallen to the ground when the redhead's windpipe closed up. The Slayer scooped it up and held it open for the Witch, who began to rapidly flip through the pages, even as her face turned a bluish hue and spots started to dance in front of her eyes.

Dalagar rolled Angel until the elf was on top, but before he could throw a punch, Spike was there. The blond vampire yanked the Duke off his Sire and slammed his fist in the elf's face. When pain didn't sear through his head, he smiled evilly with his mouth full of sharp teeth.

The Duke broke Spike's hold and leapt to his feet. He shot his foot forward in a snap-kick, causing Spike to stager back several steps. Dalagar then spun and blocked Angel's high-kick and retaliated with one of his own, catching the dark-haired vampire across the face.

Angel snarled in rage at the elf. He ducked under a second kick before closing the distance between them. He smashed his fist into the Duke's sternum at the same time Spike kicked Dalagar in the lower back. The elf bent awkwardly at the dual blows and Spike snaked his hand out to grab the elf's dark hair.

Willow was close to passing out from lack of oxygen by the time she found the breaking spell. She jammed her finger down on the page over the spell with a frantic look at Buffy.

"But I'm not a magick user!" Buffy exclaimed. She darted a glance at the blue-faced Princess who was going into convulsions on the throne room floor.

The redhead reached out and took Buffy's left hand in her right, her projective hand to Buffy's receptive one. She allowed some of the magick that was always present in her body to flow to Buffy, linking them together.

Buffy swallowed nervously, nodded, and began to read the spell.

Spike yanked the Duke up against him, wrapping his arm around the elf's throat. Angel punched Dalagar several times in the stomach as the blond vampire held him captive. Dalagar kicked out, but Angel blocked as Spike tightened his hold.

Angel stepped forward and pressed the heels of his palms on either of the Duke's temples. "Release her," the older vampire ordered in a deadly tone. His golden eyes flashed with fire. "Now."

Dalagar the Cold spit in Angel's face in response.

The dark-haired vampire slammed his hands together with all his strength. The Duke's skull caved in with the vicious blow, his eyes bulging almost out of their sockets. Blood spurted from his nose and he made a gurgling sound as his body became limp in Spike's arms.

Buffy's voice shook as the unfamiliar words tumbled from her lips. She could feel the magick running through her and it made her even more nervous. Give her the physical violence any day and leave the spell casting to Giles had always been her motto. As she stumbled over the last words of the spell, she heartily wished she'd allowed her mentor to force her into learning the more mystical aspects of slaying.

But she needn't have worried, for as she finished the last line, Willow and the Princess suddenly gasped in great gulps of air. "Thank god," Buffy said in relief as the redhead began to regain her natural color again.

Spike dropped the Duke's body unceremoniously to the dias as Angel turned and ran back to the center of the throne room. Without stopping, he scooped Willow up in his arms and pressed his ridged face to her neck, listening with thankfulness to her heavy breathing.

"Um, Angel," Willow said after a moment's comfort in her dark-haired love's embrace. "I just started breathing again and I'd like to keep it up."

"Oh," Angel said somewhat sheepishly as he set her back on her feet. "Sorry."

"'S'okay," Willow said. She smiled up at him with exhaustion written on her features. "Just let's not do the not breathing thing again anytime soon."

Spike rejoined the group as Buffy was helping the Princess back to her feet. "You alright?" he asked the raven-headed young woman.

"Yes," Princess Kalika. She looked over to where the Duke lay. "Is he alive?"

"Nope, he's as dead as us," Spike replied.

"Well, most of us," Buffy said with a smile for Willow. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me, too. One death on this adventure is enough...even though you're only kinda dead, cause you're walking and talking and all," Willow said.

Angel noticed that a few of the unconscious humans were starting to come around. "Let's not tempt fate too much," he said, tucking Willow into his half-embrace. "The sooner we leave, the better."

"But which way?" Spike said, gesturing towards the edges of the throne room. "There's five soddin' doorways."

"This way," the Princess said, starting towards one of them.

"How do you know?" Buffy asked.

"My late father's brother was the Duke of Tarsahk before he died and Dalagar the Cold became Duke," Princess Kalika replied. "When I was a girl, I used to play in this throne room."

"Then why'd we spend all that bloody time roaming the hallways, looking for an exit?" Spike said, as the four friends followed Princess Kalika's lead.

"Because I was not allowed out of the throne room except to go to our rooms on the upper floors of the castle," the Princess explained. "And a proper lady did not venture where she was told not to go."

"Guess that means I'm not a proper lady," Buffy said. "Because I always go where I'm told not to."

"And you've given me many an epy over the years, luv," Spike told Buffy. "I can't count the number of times I've wanted to take you over my bloody knee and spank some sense into you."

"Like Angel did to you?" Willow chimed in, winking up at the dark-haired vampire.

Spike's cheeks reddened with embarrassment and he was unable to retort for the first time in decades.

Part Twenty-three

King Waldo of Elaisias looked like Saint Nicholas. That's what Angel thought as the four friends witnessed Princess Kalika rushed into her father's warm embrace on the stone steps leading up to Castle Briglynn. With his rounded belly, full white beard and mustache, teary blue eyes and a head of curled white hair, the King was a Christmas icon come to life.

"Kalika!" the King exclaimed in joy. "You're safe!"

"I'm home, father," Princess Kalika said, hugging her father back. "And I'm so very glad of it."

"And I'm so very glad, as well, my daughter," King Waldo said.

"Anyone else going to heave?" Spike mumbled. Buffy shot him a glare.

"Father," the Princess said, pulling out of the King's embrace and turning to the four friends. "I'd like you to meet my rescuers -- Willow, Angel, Buffy and Spike."

"Sir," Angel said politely, giving the man a cordial half-bow. "It's an honor."

"It's more of an honor to meet the people who rescued my daughter," King Waldo said. "And I thank you profusely for doing so."

"Rescuing damsels in distress is our specialty," Spike said. "Especially when there's a reward involved."

"Spike!" Buffy hissed at the blond. "Shut up!"

"Contrary to what my pig-headed friend says," Angel said to the King after shooting a glare at his Childe. "Returning your daughter to you is reward enough for us."

"Says you," Spike muttered unhappily.

"Nonsense," King Waldo said. "I gave my word there would be a reward for the safe return of Kalika, so a reward I shall grant. Now, come in, come in. I would bet all of you could use a rest and something to fill your bellies."

The King and the Princess turned and started into the castle. Willow and Angel followed silently, both happy that they helped the family reunite. Buffy and Spike, however, were anything but quiet.

"I can't believe that you said that!" Buffy smacked Spike on the arm.

"You don't think I rescued the chit out of the goodness of my soulless heart, did you?" Spike retorted.

"No, but you don't have to act like an IRS agent!" Buffy snapped at him.

"Ouch," Spike said. "That's hitting well below the belt, pet."

"You're an ass."

"And you're in love with an ass," Spike countered. "Doesn't that make you even worse?"

"It makes me certifiable, that's what," Buffy said.

"You'd look cute all wrapped up in a straight-jacket."

"And you'd look cuter as a pile of ash."

"Are you two children done yet?" Angel asked over his shoulder. He looked pointedly at Spike. "Or do I need to take you over my knee again?"

"She started it!" Spike exclaimed quickly, pointing at Buffy.

Buffy smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes at the dark-haired vampire. "Who me?"

"Buffy, I can spank you just as easily as I spanked my Childe," Angel warned her.

"Hell no!" Spike growled at his Sire. "You keep your hands away from my Slayer or I'll cut 'em off!"

"Shh!" Willow stopped walking and glared at all three of her friends. "We're guests and we're supposed to be the heros and all we're doing is making a terrible impression. I won't be surprised if we're thrown out on our ears!"

"I thought it was 'our rears,'" Buffy said. Willow shot an evil look at the Slayer, who ducked her head. "Sheesh, sorry."

Willow nodded once. "Now behave."

"Yes, Mom." "Yes, Mum." "Yes, Ma'am," the three chimed at once.

Willow made a sound of distress and put her hands over her face. "Why me?"

"We'd better catch up before we get lost," Angel said, smothering a laugh. He started forward again, putting his arm around Willow's waist.

They caught up easily with King Waldo and Princess Kalika, both of whom had paused to speak with a distinguished-looking gentleman dressed in fine clothing of a deep navy in color. The man looked over the four disheveled friends and sniffed disdainfully.

"I shall have baths drawn up immediately," the dark-haired man said to the King.

"Very good," King Waldo said. He turned to the group. "This is my valet, Rasmin. He shall escort you to your rooms and provide for your needs; and tomorrow eve, we shall have a gala in your honor and celebrate my daughter's return."

"Walk this way," Rasmin instructed, turning and walking stiffly down the hall.

Buffy and Spike exchanged mischievous looks, then pulled themselves up to full height and mimicked Rasmin's walk as they followed him. Willow giggled and Angel just shook his head as they followed as well.

Castle Briglynn was as opposite as the Duke's castle as it could be. Even though it was nighttime, the castle seemed light and airy. Windows were decorated with gauzy off-white curtains, the walls decorated with portraits of rolling hills and pastures separated by torches set in gleaming brass holders. People, both human and non, bustled about, calling out greetings to the newcomers as they passed.

They walked down several corridors and up two flights of stone steps before Rasmin stopped in front of a wooden door. "This shall be the ladies' room," he said.

Rasmin opened the door and stepped inside to hold it. Willow and Buffy gaped at the richly gilded bed chamber. A large canopy bed stood central in the room, dressed with a downy, gold hued coverlet. Two ornate, dark cherry wardrobes guarded either side of a shuttered window draped with pale green curtains. A privacy screen blocked the corner of the bed chamber, with an extra-large, oval washtub hidden behind it.

"A maid shall be up shortly to draw your baths and another shall bring up a late supper for you both," Rasmin told the girls. He gestured for Spike and Angel to precede him. "Gentlemen, if you please, your room is further up the hall."

"See you later, guys," Buffy said without even a glance over her shoulder. She was too busy looking in one of the wardrobe closets.

"Ooh, this even has a heating pan!" Willow squealed, ignoring both men completely at her discovery.

Angel and Spike both shook their heads as Rasmin pulled the ladies' door shut. "Women," Spike scoffed.

"No other way to describe it," Angel agreed as they walked up the hall behind Rasmin.

The valet opened another door and stepped aside to allow them to pass. "Gentlemen, this shall be your bed chamber. Two squires shall be up to draw your baths and bring you both a late supper, as well."

The two vampires walked into the bed chamber even larger than the one Willow and Buffy had been given, with an enormous canopied bed, a fireplace and a writing desk in one of the corners. Two dark wooden wardrobes also stood on either side of a shuttered and white-laced curtained window.

"Cor, mate, look at this," Spike said in amazement, picking up a quill pen on the desk. "I haven't seen one of these in ages."

"Uh-huh," Angel said, not really paying attention to the blond. He was too busy looking through the silk and velvet clothing in one of the wardrobe closets.

"If either of you need anything, ask one of the squires or maids," Rasmin said, an amused smile quirking up the corners of his mouth. "Goodnight, gentlemen."

*****

Forty minutes later, Buffy and Angel met each other in the hallway. Buffy's eyes danced as she looked up at the clean, dark-haired vampire. "Going somewhere?" she asked devilishly.

"What about you?" Angel countered, grinning at the barely dressed, clean Slayer in front of him. Her braided hair was coiled on the top of her head in a way he hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Oh, I thought I'd just go down to your room, see if Spike needs a hand washing his back," Buffy said. She winked. "I know that Will does."

"You don't say," Angel commented. "Well, I guess I really should go offer my services. Just to be nice and all."

"You do that," Buffy said. "Now, point me to your room."

"Three more down on the right," Angel told her.

"Thanks," she said. She started down the hall, then stopped abruptly and turned to see him almost to her door.

"Hey, Angel?" Buffy called. Angel looked back at Buffy with a questioning arch of his brow. "Thank you."

"For what?" Angel asked, surprised by the sincerity of her tone. He didn't think she meant for telling her which door number Spike was hiding behind.

"For loving me," Buffy replied. She laid her hand on the wood separating her from Spike. "For loving him. For bringing him into my life."

"Just be happy, Buffy. That's all I ever wanted for you," Angel said. He gave her a wry smile. "Although I never would have guessed that bleached idiot would be the one to make you happy."

"Since when has my life ever been normal?" Buffy said. With that, she went inside the bed chamber and shut the door behind her.

And was immediately attacked by a half-naked vampire.

"Spi-" was all Buffy managed to squeak in surprise before she was involved in a highly volatile kiss. She was slammed back up against the closed door, her head banging against the worn wood. Her hands clamped onto Spike's shoulders, her fingernails digging into his bare skin, as she was swept away by the furious passion of his kiss.

*****

Angel knocked on the door in front of him, then opened it and stuck his head inside. "Willow?"

"Come in, Angel," Willow said from behind the privacy screen. "I'll be a few more minutes. Buffy hogged the bath and then I had to wait for the maid to empty the tub and bring up fresh water..."

Angel smiled as he shut the bed chamber door behind him. He began to undress right there, pulling off the silk shirt he'd found in one of the wardrobe closets and removing his boots and hose.

"...And did you see what she was wearing?" Willow continued speaking without pause. "I tried to tell her that it was a slip, but then she just laughed and told me it didn't matter because she wouldn't be wearing it for long. Sheesh! Like I want to know about her sordid affairs with Spike. He's...he's...he's Spike!"

Dressed in only a pair of brown satin breeches, Angel headed around the privacy screen to where his redheaded siren was bathing. "I couldn't have summed it up better myself," he commented.

"Angel!" Willow exclaimed when she saw the dark-haired vampire. She pulled her knees up towards her bare breasts and sunk further into the cooling water in the large washtub. "I'm bathing. Go away."

"Not a chance, my sexy little water nymph," Angel said, walking around the tub until he was behind her. He dropped down to his knees and slid his hands onto her shoulders, lightly massaging them. "Buffy told me you needed someone to help you wash your back."

"Oh really?" Willow said in a higher than normal voice.

"Mm-hmm." Angel bent his head and brushed a soft kiss on her shoulder. Then, he slowly slid his hands forward and down the front of her slick body until he cupped both of her breasts. "So, do you?"

"Do I what?" she asked breathlessly

He lightly circled the rosy areolas he could see beneath the surface of the tepid water. "Do you need someone to help you wash your back?"

Willow inhaled sharply when his thumbs brushed over her pebbled nipples. "That's not my back," she gasped.

"Oops," Angel said rakishly. He moved one of his large hands further down her body under the water to her womanhood. "I was never any good at anatomy."

"I bet...oh!...you got...mmm...straight A'sssss...oh goddess that feels good..."

"Straight A's in what?" he asked, his fingers dancing over her most sensitive nub.

"S-s-s-s-sex education."

*****

They didn't even make it to the bed. Buffy and Spike rolled together on the floor in a tangle of limbs -- clawing, scratching, bruising, biting. The slip Buffy'd been wearing had been ripped from her body; Spike's breeches had been torn in two. Anywhere there was bare skin they touched or kissed or licked or nipped.

Moans of excitement mixed with growls of desire echoed against the stone walls in the lavish bed chamber. The lantern on the single table in the room cast a flickering light over their sweat-slicked bodies. Outside the shuttered window, the wind howled, sounding like a woman's scream of ecstacy.

Spike pinned Buffy down to the rough, woven rug on the floor. His eyes flickered back and forth from blue to gold as he loomed over her, his lips drawn back ferally. "I'm going to take you, Slayer," he snarled. "I'm going to take you how I've always wanted to but couldn't because of this soddin' chip in my brain."

"Please," Buffy hissed, rubbing her hips upwards against his steely erection which was pressed against her womanhood.

Spike let out a roar of triumph before he smashed his lips to hers. His tongue plunged inside her mouth, ravaging her with a kiss. His fingernails cut into the skin around her wrists as he tightened his hold on her. His fangs descended as he let go of his control and the sharp points cut at her lips and tongue, the sweet taste of her blood driving him wild.

Buffy cried out in dismay when Spike tore his mouth away from hers. Her entire body was like a live wire, tingling with electricity that ran under her skin that was making her insane with want. The rapacious gleam in Spike's golden eyes made her feel like she was going to be his first meal after years of starvation.

She was on her hands and knees before she could blink. He mounted her swiftly, his hands curling into claws as his nails bit into her hips. Buffy whimpered in pleasure, the rough texture of the rug scratching her skin with each jolt as he pounded into her with a fury borne from years of repressed hunger.

Spike grunted and growled with every smack of his pelvis against her backside. Her inner walls grasped and squeezed him, the heady smell of her arousal and excitement invaded his senses, the sounds she was making propelled him to thrust faster and harder. Any thoughts that skittered across his mind focused around claiming Buffy as his and his alone.

Buffy's mouth opened in a silent, airless scream as an orgasm overtook her without warning. Her whole body shook with the violence behind her climax. She barely heard Spike's thunderous howl as he plunged after her into ecstacy because the blood rushing in her ears was too intense.

Then, she felt his fangs pierce the nape of her neck and everything went fuzzy as a second orgasm slammed into her. Lights, stars, colors and spots danced behind her tightly closed eyelids as if she'd fallen into a kaleidoscope world.

The two collapsed to their sides on the floor as aftershocks made their bodies twitch, Spike still buried deep within his woman. He somehow managed to curl himself around Buffy, pulling his knees up under her thighs, his arm sliding down over the womanly curve of her lower abdomen. He removed his fangs from her and lapped at the twin puncture marks, soothing the already almost fully healed wounds with his tongue.

Buffy's non-beating heart expanded with happiness and contentment when she heard her lover start to purr.

*****

Angel slowly lowered Willow onto the bed, his dark eyes twin pools of melted chocolate. Willow's breath caught at the intensity behind his gaze, her heart pounding an excited rhythm beneath her breast. She watched him as he removed his satin breeches, drinking in the strong planes of his hard body, her face coloring slightly at the sight of his prominent erection jutting towards her.

When he was fully unclothed, she held out her hand to him, inviting him into the bed with her. Angel lightly clasped her hand with his and accepted the invitation, climbing up onto the soft mattress beside her. His mouth captured hers in a gentle kiss, their fingers intertwining as their tongues did the same.

Angel purred in contentment in the back of his throat as Willow's other hand came up to weave into the back of his hair. He angled his head and deepened the kiss, allowing his desire for her to surface. The soft sigh of happiness and pleasure she made was music to his heart.

Willow felt as though she was floating in a sea of exquisite ecstacy when Angel broke away from her mouth and started kissing down her body. His lips trailed a cool path down between the valley of her breasts to her navel. His tongue dipped into it and she jumped slightly with the jolt of fire that coursed straight to her sex.

He lightly bit into the soft swell of her abdomen with his blunt teeth, looking up her body to meet her half-lidded, green eyes. He lifted his head only long enough to give her a lascivious smile, then he delved into her nest of auburn curls with his tongue, positioning his body between her pale thighs.

Angel inhaled her musky scent of arousal as he licked her soft, feminine folds. He dropped his mouth down further to her hidden opening, lapping at the juices that escaped from her hot channel.

He ran his hands back up her body to her breasts, palming the rounded globes of flesh. Her hard nipples poked into his palms as he caressed and fondled her. His lips closed over her clitoris as his fingers drew together to tug and roll her sensitive nipples, and he reveled in her throwing her head back and gasping out his name.

"Angel," Willow breathed, her eyes shut tight against the intense feelings running through her body. His mouth and hands were driving her rapidly towards the brink. Her own hands dropped down to tangle in his dark hair, her thighs pressing against the sides of his head as she held him to her.

Angel sucked down hard on her nubbin and she arched off the bed as he sent her over the edge. His hands left her breasts to grab the backs of her thighs, rolling them up and back as he held fast to her clit. His aching shaft throbbed even harder at her unfettered response to his ministrations.

Willow sobbed out as the pleasure became too intense, her fingers yanking at Angel's hair. He released her over-sensitized pearl of flesh only to thrust his tongue deep inside her molten core. He began to drink from her as if she was ambrosia wine, and she babbled his name over and over again. "AngelAngelAngelAngelAngelAngelAngelAngelAngel..."

Then, he was above her, his mouth swallowing her cries. He speared her with little trouble, burying his shaft to the hilt in a single thrust deep into her hot body. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she held on tight for the ride of her life.

Angel moved in and out of her with long, hard, sure strokes. His tongue thrust and retreated from her mouth in a mimic of his lower body, tickling her upper palate and making her mewl. Her legs were around his waist, her ankles hooked behind his back as she clung to him, and he briefly thought that there was absolutely nothing better than having her wrapped around him like this.

He was panting harshly despite needing the oxygen when he finally tore away from the kiss. He forced his eyes open to stare down at her flushed and pleasure-twisted features. He growled in satisfaction at the sight of her bruised and swollen lips, the heightened color of her cheeks, the sheen of perspiration that made her shine.

Willow burst into another orgasm when Angel pushed his hand between their bodies and pinched her tender clit. She clamped down hard on his shaft, her vaginal walls trembling, and she inhaled sharply through her mouth at the sensations engulfing her. Her eyes opened wide under their own power and she met Angel's dark stare.

The instant Willow's swirling green eyes met his, Angel crashed into the wall of his own climax. A snarl tore from deep inside him as he slammed his pulsating cock into her grasping core. White-heat seared up his shaft as he orgasmed and he thrust into her as far as he could before he spilled his cool semen in her heated depths.

He collapsed down upon her as the strength went out of his arms. Willow moved her hands over the back of his hair as she held him pressed to her. Her warm lips brushed one side of his neck and shoulder as he tried to catch the breath he didn't need.

Finally, he raised his head and met her eyes once more. "I love you, Willow," he declared softly.

Willow's mouth turned up in a tender smile. "I love you, too, Angel. No doubt about that."

Angel chuckled, placed a brief kiss on her lips, then moved off of her. He maneuvered them both so her head was pillowed on his chest, his arm wrapped around her smaller form, and they both slipped off to dreamland accompanied by the dark-haired vampire's quiet purr.

Part Twenty-four

"Can you tie it any tighter, Will?" Buffy said sarcastically as the redhead cinched her dress.

"Oh shush," Willow scolded. "Right now, you don't even breathe...which is still very odd."

"Tell me about it," Buffy said. "I'm not a vampire. I'm not a zombie. I'm not a possessed corpse. I'm just a dead Buffy...with really, really fast healing."

"Well, tomorrow we'll go see Ellie and find out what the exact ensorcellment was," Willow said. "Then we'll figure out a way to bring you back to life."

"What if I don't want to be alive again?"

The redhead gasped and stared at the back of Buffy's head in shock. "What do you mean you don't want to be alive again?"

Buffy shrugged and turned to face her friend. "It's just that, you know, Spike's a vampire and he's very...passionate."

Understanding dawned on Willow. "And with that thing in his head, he can't be 'passionate' with you without serious ouch happening, right?"

"Exactly," Buffy said. "Plus there's that whole he's going to live forever and I was living on a long-expired Slayer's license hoping not to get picked up by the death cops."

"But we don't know what's going to happen when we get back home," Willow pointed out. "You might be alive again and-and Angel's soul mind not be permanent-"

"And we might not find a way home at all," Buffy interrupted.

"That's true," Willow said somewhat sadly.

Buffy shook her head and sighed. "Let's not talk about this anymore. We have a party to go to and I'm hog-tied into this dress, and I'm not going to suffer wearing this without getting some pretty serious compliments."

She smoothed her hand down the front of the butter yellow dress she was wearing. The vee-neckline plunged daringly to just beneath her breasts, a thin piece of sheer white lace sewed to either side of the vee. The dress was off-the-shoulder, with long sleeves that ended in points over the backs of her hands. It was cinched at the waist, and the full skirt went down to the floor, covering her soft boots she'd insisted on wearing "just in case of emergency slayage."

Willow was adorned similarly in pale blue. The heart-shaped neckline was emphasized by a single teardrop sapphire she'd found in a small drawer in one of the wardrobe closets. An intricate pattern of knot-work ran up the back of the bodice, molding the material to her form. The skirt was also floor-length, flaring out in the back slightly like a train. Her feet were encased in simple, pale blue slippers that matched the dress.

"I'm ready when you are," Willow told Buffy.

"Just let me run a final brush through my hair and we're gone," Buffy said. "I can't wait to see the guys' reaction."

Willow shared a purely feminine smile with her friend. "I can't wait, either."

*****

"I feel ridiculous."

"You look ridiculous."

"Oh, thank you so bloody much, mate," Spike said sarcastically.

Angel smirked at his Childe, then rolled his eyes as Spike began fussing with the silk cravat at his throat. "Will you cut that out," the dark-haired vampire sighed, brushing the younger man's hands away to readjust the knot.

"I don't see why I have to wear it," Spike grumbled, tilting his chin up to give Angel better access.

"Because we're going to a party in our honor and I won't have any Childe of mine looking like he just escaped from the zoo," Angel said patiently.

"I never liked getting dressed up like a soddin' toff," Spike continued to complain.

"But you did because I told you to, and I'm telling you to now," Angel said. He lightly patted the cravat and took a step back. "There. You're gorgeous."

"Bugger off."

Angel chuckled as Spike ran his hand through his still-unbound, longish hair. It brushed over the shoulders of the younger vampire's black waistcoat, the white-blond hue contrasting greatly. Two simple gold button-ties held the dress coat together over a bright white, three-buttoned shirt currently done up to the top most button. The black cravat was tied around the high collar of the silk shirt and tucked in beneath the second button. The dress outfit was finished off with a pair of tight, black breeches, white hose and the scuffed boots Spike had worn the entire adventure "just in case the soddin' world goes buggery."

The dark-haired vampire himself was dressed in black as well, but instead of a white shirt, he wore one made of blood-red silk under a long coat that brushed the backs of his knees. The shirt was left untucked over the black breeches he wore with black hose and polished calf-high boots. A black cravat also adorned his neck and his hair was spiked up in its usual disarray from toweling it dry.

"Can we skip this thing, find our women and shag them into unconsciousness instead?" Spike asked hopefully.

"No."

"Bloody hell, you're a real pillock, you know that," Spike muttered.

"Yes," Angel said simply. "Now let's head downstairs. The ladies said they'd meet us at the gala."

"Fine," Spike sighed, trailing behind his Sire out the bed chamber door.

They followed the sounds of a multitude of voices to the main audience chamber on the first floor of the castle. They both paused in one of the doorways and surveyed the vast room crowded with men and women of various races all bedecked in their finest. Tapestries and overly large portraits lined the walls, tall candle holders with long, lit tapers stood scattered about the room. Above their heads, a low-hanging chandelier lit with hundreds of candles cast a pleasant glow on everyone.

In the far corner of the large room, musicians sat playing a lively tune. Couples danced together near them, a space on the stone floor cleared by courtesy rather than design. Along the northern wall, up on a raised dias, sat King Waldo and other members of his intimate court, talking animatedly with one another. The two vampires recognized Princess Kalika sitting up beside her father, and they both noticed she kept darting glances at a certain semi-dressed up youth.

"Aurin the Stableboy," Angel surmised.

"Undoubtably," Spike agreed. He ran his eyes over the people in the room and sighed heavily. "All this prey and I can't eat a single bloody one of 'em."

"I don't feel sorry for you," Angel said.

"I didn't expect you to, you big soulful poof," Spike said. "I was just making an observation."

"What would you do if you could feed from them?" Angel asked him suddenly. "What if you didn't have that implant any more, what would you do?"

Spike frowned at his Sire. "That's easy, I'd...," he trailed off, the furrow between his brows becoming more pronounced. He pulled at the cravat and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. "You know, I don't know what I'd do. I've had this thing so long now, everything in my unlife has changed. Plus, there's the Slayer. If I went off killing those she's supposed to be saving, I can kiss her sweet twat goodbye."

"Very poetic," Angel said dryly. Inside, however, he was smiling. His feelings of responsibility to his past love led him to make certain Spike would not hurt her, and his one worry had been assuaged.

Spike shrugged. "Shagging's more fun than killing anyway. Especially shaggin' that ripe piece of-"

Angel looked at Spike when the blond stopped speaking abruptly and he saw his Childe was standing there with his mouth hanging open, staring across the room. The older vampire turned and followed Spike's gaze, and his own mouth parted as he inhaled sharply at the sight of the two women who were making their way across the floor straight to them.

"You look-" Angel started, focusing solely on Willow.

"-Absolutely amazing," Spike finished, his eyes drinking in the sight of the Slayer in front of him.

"You don't look half-bad yourself," Willow complimented Angel.

"You left your hair down," Spike said to Buffy, his tone filled with awestruck warmth.

Buffy smiled at her lover, suppressing a giggle at his already disheveled appearance. She reached out and fingered a strand of his unfettered hair. "So did you."

"I think this is normally when Spike says: 'I think I'm going to heave,'" Angel joked. Willow giggled as did Buffy, while Spike scowled at his Sire.

"Should we go say hello to the Princess?" Willow asked.

"We should," Angel said. He glanced down at the beauty at his side. "Then I want to dance with you."

"Okay," Willow agreed. "But I have to warn you, I have a right foot and a left one."

Angel chuckled and offered the redhead his arm. "M'Lady."

"Thank you, kind sir," Willow said, curtseying before accepting his arm.

"I guess we'd best follow them," Buffy said to Spike.

"We could just skip the soddin' party and go back to the room," Spike suggested hopefully.

"Huh-uh, loverboy," Buffy said. "It took forever to get strapped into this dress. I'm going to wear it more than the five minutes it took to get down here and see you."

"Bugger," he sighed morosely. Buffy rolled her eyes, looped her arm through his and led them towards the dias.

"Ah, good evening, good evening!" King Waldo greeted the four friends jovially. He motioned for them to approach. "Please, join us."

"How are you this evening?" Angel asked the King politely.

"I am wonderful," the King replied. "I have my daughter back, we're having a celebration and the musicians are actually in tune this night!"

Spike groaned plaintively, wishing he could make his escape, and Buffy stepped on his foot. "Behave," she whispered to him.

"Your dress is beautiful, Princess," Willow told Princess Kalika, smiling at the young woman who obviously wanted to be elsewhere.

"As is yours," the Princess said.

"Well, let us dispense with propriety first, then we can get on with the celebration," King Waldo said. He rose from his seat in the center of the long, wooden table and rapped his goblet with a knife. It took several moments for the musicians to stop playing and the revelers to quiet down.

The King cleared his throat and began to speak, his voice commanding the room, showing what a powerful leader he really was despite his jolly demeanor. "Family and friends, it is my great pleasure to have you all gather here this fine summer's eve to celebrate the return of my daughter," he said, gesturing to the Princess.

Princess Kalika stood and curtseyed to the polite applause. The King held up his hand after a moment and the guests quieted down. "And now, it is my honor to present the four brave souls who have risked life and limb to save my daughter, who had been kidnapped from this very palace three fortnights ago," the King said. He motioned for the four friends to step forward. "Lady Willow, Lady Buffy, Sir Angel and Sir Spike, you have my utmost gratitude and th-"

A flash of blinding white light lit up the room accompanied by a loud clap of thunder, cutting off the King mid-speech. Buffy and Spike fell into fighting stances, their eyes searching for danger. The four friends were startled when a booming, familiar voice filled the room.

"You may have won this round, peasants," Dalagar the Cold said ominously. "But I shall have my revenge!"

The Duke's cackling laughter rolled through the room, causing party guests to shiver in fear. It stopped abruptly with a secondary clap of thunder that shook the dinnerware on the tables.

Willow shook her head and looked at her friends. "If that isn't an advertisement for the sequel, I don't know what is," she said, her voice barely carrying to her friends over the excited and frightened murmurs of the guests. Buffy and Spike relaxed their stances, moving closer to the others in order to hear better.

"Do me a favor?" Angel said to her. "Don't be the person who tests it."

"I prom-"

Willow was cut off in mid-word when she, Angel, Buffy and Spike vanished off the dais.

Epilogue

"Sweetheart, I love that you're on top of me, but your knee is crushing my knackers."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized, moving off of the prone vampire. She rose to her feet, brushed off her butter yellow dress, then gaped when she recognized the carpeting on the floor. She quickly looked around the familiar surroundings and laughed happily. "We're home!"

Spike glanced left and right as he sat up, recognizing the furnishings, beige walls and duster on the hook near the door. "That we are, pet."

The phone rang. "That must be Willow and Angel," Buffy said, lifting her skirt and hurrying into the kitchen. She picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"You're home!" Willow exclaimed on the other end of the line.

"You betcha," Buffy said. "Spike and I are both here, still wearing our dress clothes."

"Us, too," Willow said.

"I'd better call my Mom and Giles and let them know we're okay," Buffy told Willow.

"Okay, Buffy," Willow said. "Talk to you later."

"Bye." Buffy hung up the phone and peeked her head out of the kitchen. Spike was sitting on the couch, eyeing the laptop that he'd moved to the coffee table as if it were a cobra. "Willow and Angel are back, too."

"That's good, luv," Spike said. He glanced up at her. "Hurry up and call your mum. I want to get you out of that dress and slip you onto something much more comfortable."

"Funny." Buffy wrinkled her nose at him, then returned to the phone. She quickly dialed her Mom's house.

"Hello?" Joyce said from the other end of the line, answering on the third ring.

"Hi, Mom," Buffy said.

"Oh, hi, honey," Joyce said. "I was hoping you'd call. I wondered if you were going to be home for dinner tonight."

"Home for dinner?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Yes," Joyce said. "I was debating either making real food or just ordering a pizza."

"Um, this is going to sound weird, but how long have I been gone?" Buffy said into the receiver.

"I don't know, dear," Joyce said. "You'd already left by the time I got home from work."

Buffy's mouth opened and closed a few times as her mind processed what that meant. "When was the last time we ate together?" she finally asked.

"It was just this morning," Joyce replied. "Buffy, are you okay? You sound a bit perplexed."

"No, Mom, I'm fine," Buffy said. "Um, go ahead and order your pizza. I'm staying at Spike's tonight."

"Sounds delicious to me," Joyce said. "Have a good night, honey. Stay safe."

"I will," Buffy said. "Bye."

"Well?" Spike asked. He had moved to the kitchen doorway and was leaning casually against the doorjamb. "Did you get the guards called off?"

"Spike, it's the same day that we vanished into the game," Buffy told him in an amazed voice. "No time has passed at all."

Spike stared at her in shock and confusion. "But how can that be? We were gone for six weeks!"

"I have no idea," Buffy replied. "It's like what happened to us never really happened."

"Does this mean you're alive again?"

Buffy focused on Spike at the odd tone in his voice. He was looking right at her, his face blank, but she could see both hope and fear reflected in his blue eyes. She knew immediately that his feelings were opposite of what anyone else's would be -- he hoped that she wasn't and feared that she was again.

She held out her hand to him and pulled him close when he accepted it. Gently, she slid her hand into his unbound hair and guided his head down to her breast. His ear was pressed against the lace material covering her skin and she lightly ran her fingers through the soft strands of his hair as she waited for the verdict.

Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and closed his eyes as emotions churned through him. When he was certain he wasn't going to cry, he lifted his head from her breast and met her eyes. "I don't hear a soddin' thing, Slayer," he said with happiness.

He bent his head and kissed her hard on the lips, then hoisted her up in his arms with a squeal from Buffy.

"Spike! What are you doing?!" Buffy exclaimed.

"I'm taking you into the bedroom to try and shag you back to life so I can shag you to death again," Spike replied, carrying her out of the kitchen back towards his bedroom. "Then sometime next week when we get out of bed, we're moving you in here with me."

"Who said I was going to move in with you?" Buffy said.

"I said," Spike answered.

"You're not the boss of me," Buffy told him.

"You're mine, Slayer, and if I want you here, here you'll bloody well be."

"I'm not going to be told what to do by a cro-magnum vampire."

"Want Slayer. Have Slayer. Shag Slayer."

"You're pathetic."

"And yet, you still love me."

"Okay, make that 'I'm pathetic.'"

"You won't get any disagreements on this end, luv."

"Spike? Shut up and kiss me."

*****

Willow slowly brushed her bare breasts over Angel's equally bare chest as she moved forward over him. He captured one of her nipples in his mouth and suckled the hard peak, causing her to gasp and freeze for a moment. Then, she took a deep, shuddering breath and continued what she was doing.

The manacle snapped shut around Angel's second wrist.

"Now," she said, sliding back down his body. She wrapped her fingers around his hard shaft and stroked it lightly before lowering herself down onto him. Angel groaned loudly. "Let's find out if your soul is permanent or not."

And, while Willow had Angel tied down, she tested the permanence spell a second time, just to be doubly certain.

And then a third time, because it was fun.

*****

Welcome to Elaisias, a land of enchantment and adventure, magick and violence. Create a character and embark on an interactive quest to rescue the Princess from the evil clutches of the Duke of Tarsahk. Pit your strength and mind against Tower of Seven Woes and battle creatures both mystical and non in this online, multi-player game.

So, gather your friends and venture into a world where fantasy and reality collide....

End

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