Today’s post is the Epilogue to my last story in the I Would Still Have Loved You Series. The cereal scene is an Easter egg for a small group and a discussion on the EF FB page some time ago. They know who they are….
I hope to have a new fic finished in time to post on one of the Free-For-All days, but we’ll see…. Meanwhile, here’s a little wrap-up for And I Still Do (Love You).
Title: Epilogue to AISD(LY)
Author: Slaymesoftly
Form: Ficc
Rating: strong R
A few years later….
“Are you going to sleep all day?”
Buffy poked Spike, who, pillow over his head, was doing his best to ignore her. When she continued to poke him in the ribs, he growled and grabbed her wrist, rolling over and pulling her down on top of him.
“Obviously not,” he said, holding her in place. “Are you going to make it worth my while to be awake? Hmmmm?”
She wriggled against him, smiling when he canted his hips up, then laughed and pushed herself off his body and onto the floor, landing on her feet.
“Nope. You’re going to do it because I want you to, and your friend Xander Harris is expecting you there.”
“Is that today?” He eyed Buffy’s dressier-than-normal appearance and groaned. “It is today, isn’t it? I forgot.”
“And now I’ve reminded you, so up and at ‘em. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
True to her word, she walked out of the much-expanded bedroom, and into the sunny kitchen area. To their surprise, when the apartment behind theirs had become available, rather than lease it to another tenant, Max had contracted someone Xander recommended to knock down the wall between the two small apartments and create one larger one. With the appliances torn out of their original apartment, its small kitchen area had been made an expanded part of their living room, and the added space in the bedroom had given them room for more furniture in there as well as a remodeled and larger bathroom. The kitchen in the new space was also much larger and nicer than their former kitchenette, and it had a large window high in the outside wall. Max assured them that the window was completely opaque on the outside, so no curtains were necessary unless they wanted them, and that it was unbreakable. The result was a much larger space that was every bit as safe and vampire-friendly as it always had been, but with more room for them to spread out and make it their own.
When Spike, still naked from his shower, emerged from the bedroom, Buffy was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal while talking to Dawn on the laptop just beside the bowl. Grinning to himself, he dropped to his hands and knees and crawled under the table.
“Wha—? Where are you going? What are you—Eep!”
“What’s wrong Buffy? Where is who going?” Dawn frowned from the screen.
“No… nobody. Nothing…. Spike just startled me. It’s all fine.” Buffy hastily shoved another spoonful of crunchy cereal into her mouth, chewing vigorously, as she nodded to Dawn to go on. She could feel Spike pushing her skirt up her thighs, and chewed harder.
Under the table, Spike was walking his fingers up to tease at the edge of her thong. He slid a finger inside the silky fabric just as Dawn tried to put the conversation back on track.
“Okaaay… Well, like I was saying, I’ll be there for the grand opening, but I don’t know how many other—Are you choking?”
Buffy shook her head, even as she spit cereal all over the table. She tried to concentrate on what Dawn was saying, as she fought the urge to sink down in the chair to give Spike’s mouth better access to the body part that had become much more her focus than her own mouth’s need to chew. “Mmmmph, uh huh,” she managed to get out.
Dawn’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Buffy, where is Spike now?”
Buffy waved a vague hand around without responding verbally. Trying to appear casual, she aimed another spoonful of cereal at her mouth, only to have it miss completely when she jumped and gave a little shriek, causing milk and cereal to fly up into the air. She gave up on the conversation, slamming the top down on the computer and her sister’s rolling eyes.
Succumbing to what Spike was doing, she spread her legs for him and allowed him to pull her forward, no longer trying to hide the sounds of her appreciation and pleasure. Between Spike’s trying to avoid bumping his head on the table, and Buffy not having anything to cling to except the edge of said furniture, they soon found themselves both on the kitchen floor and under the table from which milk was still dripping. Buffy just had time to notice that Spike was still naked, when he turned over, pulling her with him. Her attempt to straddle his hips had her bumping her own head, as well as getting milk in her hair.
“You moron!” she gasped, falling flat against his body. “I’m all dressed to go out!”
“Not anymore you aren’t,” he mumbled against her neck, ripping her thong off and dangled it in front of her. “And you have milk in your hair.”
“I hate you,” she said, as she bumped her head on the table again, unable to sit up far enough to push herself away.
“No you don’t,” he smirked. “You love me. And you love what I can do to you….”
Buffy’s attempt to pull free only resulted in them rolling over so that Spike was on top. Somehow, in spite of Buffy’s muttered threats to dust him as soon as they had more room, her legs fell apart and she found herself raising her hips to meet the thrusting he’d begun as soon as he slid in to her.
Within a relatively short amount of time—for them—they had reached a level of activity that brought each of them to a gasping conclusion, and the table, that now had a broken leg, to a tilted position that sent the remains of Buffy’s breakfast to the floor. Where the remaining milk and cereal splashed all over them.
“Argh!”
Spike gave her a quick kiss and eased his way off her now relaxed body and out from under the table. He held it steady as she crawled out into the kitchen and stared at the broken table and the mess on the floor.
“That was my breakfast,” she said mournfully. “And now I’m wearing it on the outside instead of the inside.”
“I’ll buy you a nice breakfast on the way home from the ceremony. Which we’re going to miss if you don’t hurry and rinse your hair off and change your clothes.”
As Spike spoke, he was propping the table up with a chair and rescuing Buffy’s laptop that had slid precariously close to the broken end. He set the laptop on the counter and hurried to get dressed as Buffy’s expression went from hungry, but satisfied, wife to very angry Slayer.
She stomped into the bedroom after him, pulling off her milk-splashed blouse and shaking soggy cereal out of her hair.
“I’ll just be outside, warming the car up.”
“It’s southern California. The car is already warm,” she shouted as he disappeared out the back door. “Stupid, horny, sex-mad, vampire,” she grumbled as she quickly did her best to rinse the milk out of her hair and off her face without completely undoing her earlier grooming. She was soon dressed again, and on her way outside. She avoided looking at the mess on floor, as she went out the same door to get into the waiting car.
“If we had a cat, I’ll wager all that milk would be completely gone by the time we get home.”
“We do not have a cat, and that’s your mess to clean up,” she growled. “Now hurry up. We’re going to be late.”
XXX
They managed to arrive just in time for the ceremony to dedicate the newly-completed building that now dwarfed the original building in which they’d begun the slayer school only a few years ago. Xander waved them to their reserved seats in the front row, close to the stage, where Dawn rolled her eyes at Buffy’s somewhat stiff hair.
“I don’t even want to know,” she whispered. “But can’t you two act your age once in a while?”
“He started it,” Buffy said.
“Shhh, you’ll miss the speeches,” Spike said, wearing his most innocent look. When they both glared at him, blew kisses at each Summers woman, and settled back in his chair.
Quentin Travers had not deigned to come to the dedication, but he had sent one of his top aides to give a short speech about how proud he was of Buffy and Giles and their very successful Slayer School. The message was less enthusiastic when it came to acknowledging that the new facility would allow them to include prospective watchers and guardians in the student body. Guardians, of course, were still quite rare, and Sara had been doing the training herself at the house, but she smiled and nodded when it was mentioned that they would be integrated into the school.
The representative from the old Council of Watchers turned the microphone over to Giles, who first recognized Xander and thanked him for the hard work he and his construction company had put into making Buffy’s vision come to pass. Xander stood up to receive a polite round of applause from the audience of slayer/students and faculty members. He waved in acknowledgment, then sat down quickly.
“I believe we all know who is actually responsible for both the new and improved Council of Slayers and Watchers, as well as making their training grounds and headquarters a reality.” Giles beamed at Buffy, who did her best to appear embarrassed by his words. “So, without further ado, please give an appropriate welcome to Head Slayer Buffy Summers.” He led the applause as Buffy blushed and stood up to join him on the stage.
I hate making speeches. This is embarrassing.
Spike’s snicker was audible only to her, but she glared anyway.
You know you deserve every kind word, love. Just give them a few minutes of your time, thank them for appreciating your brilliance, and let’s go home and finish what we started this morning.
You mean, you finish cleaning up the mess we left in the kitchen.
As she joined Giles on stage, smiling her thanks at him, Buffy sent Spike a mental vision of the milk and cereal strewn kitchen floor. His hearty laugh, which he made no attempt to smother, had most people staring at him and wondering what he found amusing about the recognition his wife was getting. Xander understood immediately that there’d been some sort of mental exchange, and he nudged Spike with his elbow.
“She can’t take you anywhere,” he said with insincere disapproval.
Spike just snickered again, but more quietly, as Buffy stepped to the microphone that Giles lowered for her. The heartfelt applause that accompanied Buffy’s appearance on the stage was just dying down as Spike elbowed Xander back.
“Shut your disrespectful gob, Harris,” he growled. “My wife is talking now.”
Buffy sent them both a quick frown, before beginning her speech.
“As almost everyone knows by now, Spike and I, a good ten years ago, were fortunate to have come in to knowledge that allowed us to get through some potentially rough times a little easier than we might have without that information. One of those things that went well, was our financial situation, which was much better than it could have been. So, while this beautiful new school and the training that will happen here is a result of my ideas, and Giles’….” She paused to beam at Giles, giving him credit, not just for what the Giles in her time had been doing, but for what he’d done in this one to make it happen. “…. it’s important for you to know that the financing for it initially was a result of the money Spike had, and the way he has invested it for the School. With luck, and good management, the School should be self-supporting from now on.”
She glanced at the representative of the old Council. “We may never have the resources the old Council of Watchers had… or has… but we also will never have to depend upon them for financial support.”
There was scattered applause, which faded when Buffy didn’t join in. “That’s not to suggest that we don’t appreciate what they have done for us, in the way of providing trained watchers, as well as instructors for our school. Or that we won’t continue to have a close relationship with them, and access to their vast library resources. But, with proper investment management, we should be able to remain financially independent of the Council, and therefore able to make our own decisions regarding the school’s mission.”
She smiled down at Spike. “And for that, we need to thank my husband, William “Spike” Pratt, not only for finding the initial nest egg, but making it grow to the point that he could give the school an endowment that will last without any more financial input from us.”
This time the applause was louder and included a few whistles from the slayer ranks. Spike half-rose out of his seat, waved, winked at a couple of the slayers, and sat back down with a smile on his face. He blew a kiss to Buffy, and she beamed at him before going on.
“I need to thank Xander Harris for being my friend and supporter all these years, as well as making this building a reality; I want to thank my other old friend Willow, who is now both a Guardian and a member of a very powerful coven, and whose leadership will be so important as we add watchers, guardians, and witches to our student body.
Of course, Giles, my own watcher for so many years, deserves all my thanks for accepting my ideas and making them work. And Sara, the Head Guardian; Anya, our very able administrator; Winston, our fellow warrior for good, as well as the head of our Magic department; and all the staff and students who have worked so hard to keep this training facility going while we worked out the financial and logistical issues.”
She took a deep breath and stared at Spike as she said, “And Spike, who has been by my side for longer than anyone knows, and who has been my support system from the beginning. Without him, this would never have happened.”
Buffy looked away from the adoration in his gaze to finish her speech with, “And, now I’m told there is a party going on inside the new gym.”
She smiled her appreciation at the applause, but didn’t hesitate to jump off the stage and into Spike’s waiting arms. Only Dawn’s appearance at his side, preventing them from indulging in inappropriate demonstrations of their relationship.
“Okay, you two. Just behave for a while. One scrub-my-brain sight was enough for one day.” In spite of her words, she smiled at them, muttering as they included her in an embrace, “It’s a wonder I managed to grow up normally.”
“You can thank me for that,” Joyce said as she walked up with Winston to add her congratulations.
“Think ‘normal’ might be a bit of a stretch for any of us,” Spike said with a grin. “Would be borin’ anyway, wouldn’t it, love?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Buffy snorted. “And neither would you, Dawn. Miss glowing green thing-human girl-Key-future portal opener.”
“Pfft!” Dawn said, moving off with her mother and Winston as they walked toward the refreshments waiting inside the building. “You’re just jealous because I’m special and you aren’t.”
Buffy remained with Spike, who now was holding her back against his chest and nuzzling her ear.
“Nobody is more special than you are, Mrs. Pratt. Know that, don’t you?”
“I know you make me feel very special,” she murmured back, tilting her head so he could lick his mark. “Because you love me.”
“Don’t think I had a choice, sweetheart. I would always have loved you… no matter who or what we were.”
The End
(for all those who wanted to know if and how it was going to work out)
Originally posted at: https://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/729015.html
