"Immortal Beloved XXXVI..."

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's

Spoilers for Angel to the last week...Flee at once!...

Summary: Aw, just one more...Can't resist it...

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LA...William's new basement apartment...About one week after the defeat of the Wolfram-Hart Senior Partners...

Will in his most comfy new chair staring for a moment at a resigned Dawn sitting across from him...Then returning to the happily beaming, fervently kissing Buffy in his lap...Ummn...

"Is anything wrong, William?..." she stopped momentarily to stare at his perturbed face anxiously...

Shall I stop?...A crestfallen look...She turned to Dawn... "Dawn?...Am I doing it right?..."

Just fine, Buffy...Dawn sighed...

"Yeah...Fine...But Botty...Er...Buffy..." William pulled a little from her embrace... "Could we stop for just a bit, girl?...I'd like a few more words with Dawn..."

"Oh...Certainly, Will..." 'Buffy' nodded and releasing him, rose... "Would anyone like tea?...You like tea, right, William?...I can make tea very well...Willow prob...Ummn...Taught me..."

"Fine, dear heart...Tea sounds great...Dawn?..." Sure...Dawn sighed...

Great...

'Buffy' happily went to the kitchenette...

William eyed Dawn... "Look, Nibs..." She shook her head... "I didn't want to do this, Spike..."

"William!..." 'Buffy' called from the kitchenette where she was happily locating cups, saucers, etc...A bit sternly, Will noted to his surprise... "We call him William always now...Buffy said to...Spike was Evil and is gone...William is a hero..."

We call him William always now, Dawn...she repeated...

"Yeah...Sure..." Dawn nodded... Sorry, William...she returned to him...

"Like I tole you...This was Buffy's idea...She felt bad about you being alone..."

"Not bad enough to remedy it herself, I take it..."

"She's with the Immortal now, sorry but that's the way it is...And Giles and the guys would never have let her risk coming to LA with Angel working for Wolfram-Hart..."...Dawn insisted firmly...

Yeah, remind us to thank dear ole Rupert for the faith in us...And the generous help he gave Ms. Burkle...Will glared...

"While you're at it, thank Summers as well..." A crash from the kitchenette...They looked over...

"Dropped a cup... William, I'm so sorry..." 'Buffy' called... "No problem, pet..." he called back...

"Buffy believes in you..." she continued... "She wanted to come..."

"Thanks, dear heart...It's fine..." he called to her... "Always the kind lamb, my Botty..." he smiled briefly at Dawn...

"So...Buffy decided to ease her guilt over the thing in the cavern by sending me a new Botty, eh?...What?...Did you two see 'Stepford Wives' this week or something and Buf had a bolt of inspiration...?"

Actually...Dawn thought, blinking...We did...

"No, Buffy just felt bad for you...After hearing about your coming to Rome for her and the fight in LA...She wanted to do something nice for you..."

"A call or letter would have done quite well..."

"Yes!..." 'Buffy' called from the kitchenette... "Buffy was waiting for you to call or write William...Are you going to, now?...And where is the diet sugar?..."

"No, lamb...Dawn will bear my greetings back...I don't use the stuff it causes cancer in lab rats over the long term...Sugar's on the upper cabinet shelf..."

"Tell Buffy I am sorry I didn't...I just felt..."

"Doesn't matter..." Dawn waved a hand...Giles and Willow wouldn't have let anything reach her from you...

"Look, Sp...Will...Buffy had a hard time getting over you...She was a wreck for a long time...Only the need to train the new Slayers and keep the fight on, kept her going...But she's better now and while I appreciate...We all appreciate...What you did..."

"You'd prefer I not take up with your sis again...Hardly likely in any case, Dawn..." he replied...

Though I do have a soul...Have had it for a good time now...he eyed her... And my record's been rather nice in the past year...

"You were my friend once, even when Spike ran the show...You could cut me a break, Ms. Summers the Younger..."

"You let me down, Spike...That day...I'll never Forg..."

"William!..." 'Buffy' called...Pleasantly but a stern edge... "Don't call him Spike!..."

"I didn't have a soul, Dawn...I'm not excusing my behavior but you did let souled-while-mass-murdering Anya off...And while I know ...Or at least my false memories of you say...You always kept aloof from Angel...You did excuse his little soulless faults..."

"Will is very good now, Dawn..." 'Buffy' called in... "Tea should be ready soon..."

"I expected better from you..." Dawn noted coolly... "I guess I was being a romantic kid but I thought you'd won your heart back for her...I couldn't believe you'd...Even soulless...Let yourself try and do...What you tried to do..."

"What Spike tried to do..." 'Buffy interrupted, entering the living room with tea things on a chopping block...Sorry, no trays...she apologetically noted...Setting the things out with a pleasant beam...Oh...She looked at the table...No napkins...

"What a dunce!..." she merrily slapped her forehead... "I should have Willow open my head up again, right Dawn?..." You're fine Buffy...Dawn hastily replied...

"I'll get them now..." 'Buffy' turned back... "William, I saw cookies...Do you want me to bring them, too?..."

Fine, pet...he nodded...

"Anyway...It's over and done..." Dawn noted... "And I said I...We...Are grateful...And going along with this thing is our way of showing it..."

"But Buffy wants to say she loves you!..." 'Buffy' called... "Not just...The other thing..."

"I understand, girl...Thanks..." Good!...she called again...

"Buffy would've brought her and all...But..." a hesitant pause... "We...Encouraged her not to go...And she was feeling better with the Immortal hanging round and all...So..."

Sounds of contented humming from the kitchenette... "Got the cookies...Oh!..I forgot the cream...Wait a minute..."

"But she does care, William...She cared enough to be the template for this one...Hoping you'd find some contentment at last..." Dawn continued...

"So, she's Buffy the matchmaker now?...Ex-lover vampires a specialty...?"

"And how..." 'Buffy' cried contentedly, emerging with a plate of cookies and a cup filled with cream... "You should write her a thank-you note, William...Or should I?...Say..." she interrupted herself... "Your fridge needs cleaning out...Ok if I do it now?..." she set the cookies and cream down and whirling, headed back before he could tell her to sit...

More sounds of contented humming as she pulled the fridge door and began pulling things out

"Maybe later as to the note..." he replied dryly... "Ok!..." she called...Sounds of water filling a bucket now coming from the kitchenette...

He leaned to Dawn...

"Look...Dawn...Tell your sis...Thanks...But no thanks..." Dawn eyed him..

"It's a gift, William...Accept it in the spirit..." He waved an annoyed hand at her...

"I don't need Buffy Summers' charity...Or yours...Thanks...Tell her thanks for the kick in the groin that got me to Africa and the chance to be her champion...And for letting me hang round those last two years..."

"Look..." Dawn began...

"I'll find my own companions..." A sound of a bucket being hastily set down... 'Buffy' emerged from the kitchenette, hands wet, looking anxious...

"William?...Don't you want me?..." she stared at him, biting a lip...

You aren't back with Drusilla?...Some other vamp?...Souled, maybe?...she asked, a nervous look...

"No, pet...This isn't personal..." he told her kindly... "I just..." he paused and grinned at Dawn...

I have fond memories of your predecessor, Warren's bot...I wouldn't want to hurt her by taking another...

"I hope you understand, love..." he smiled at her...No...she shook her head... "My programming doesn't cover that...William...Please...Buffy wants me to make you happy..."

She came to him...Hands clenched a bit...Dawn staring...

"Let me make you happy...Please, Will..." she pleaded... "I love you..."

I was made to...she noted...Taking his hand...

"Buffy..." Dawn looked at her... "You better go back to the fridge...I'll talk to William...It'll be fine..."

'Buffy' looked back at her a moment...And smiling pleasantly, nodded, and returned to her cleaning...

"Will...I don't want to leave a copy of my sis with you..." Dawn frowned at him... "We did everything we could to stop her from trying anything till she calmed down and..."

"Trying...?" he stared... "Yeah, Will..." 'Buffy' called, interrupting her work... "Buffy tried to use magics to reach you...But Willow stopped her and then they all...Restrained her...When she was gonna go to LA..."

"We did what we thought was right..." Dawn noted firmly... "Buffy was irrational...Talking about letting the next vamp have her to be with you...Out of her head with guilt over letting you die there...Willow and Giles did what they had to to keep her safe...We all agreed it was the right thing to do..."

"What did you do?..." he asked coldly...Rising out of his chair...

"Willow prevented her from using the resurrection spell...And from contacting you by seance...Then, when she threatened us and tried to leave, Giles had Willow tranquillize her...I mean as in provide magical tranquility..."

"You used mind control...On Buffy...Your own sister..."

"It had to be done...And it was only temporary...When she recovered, she understood...Then the Immortal came into the picture...And that...Was that..."

"You seem able to deal with another vamp lover for your sis quite well, Ms. Summers..."

"He's not the staying type..." Dawn noted... "And to be honest, he wasn't...But it was good for Buffy and got her over you...It was the best thing for you, too, William..."

Thanks...he glared...

"She's not Immortal, Will...What would you do when she ages?...Transform her and hope her demon's the sweet type?...Abandon her?..."

"Get out of my apartment...No offense, dear heart..." he turned to 'Buffy' now again emerged from where she'd been hard at it...Her security/defense programs being activated by the tone, she explained... "Please don't fight, guys..." she asked, a slight plea in her voice...

"Please don't William..." she turned to him...Taking a hand...Which she then released...

"Ok..." Dawn waved a hand... "I've done my duty...You don't want our help...Fine...Give my best to Angel...Come on, Buffy...Time to head home..."

'Buffy' looked at William... "But...I want to stay with William...Please..."

William stared at his hand a mo...Hmmn...

"The hell with it...Let her stay..." he told Dawn... "If only to make Buffy's skin crawl every now and then thinking of me with her..."

But you get out...And don't ever come back...he finished coldly...

"I won't...We're even now..." she nodded...And rose...

She paused at the door... "I'm sorry...I wish things had been different...I know I've acted badly, you being souled and all...But...I loved you, Spike...Before Buffy did...And when you turned on her...I was glad...Because I could pretend you were mine again..."

And I can't ever forgive myself...Or you...For that...

"Bye, Dawn..." 'Buffy waved...

She left, closing the door quietly...

"Well?..." he eyed her...Raising his concealed hand to show where her blood from a cut she'd given herself in the kitchenette was smeared...

"Tell me you knew it was me before..." Buffy smiled at him...

"I felt something...But that was a powerful glam you were using..."

Had to be...she nodded, a slight glare... "Those bastards were ready to do anything to hold me there..."

William...she raced to him, embracing him... "You believe me?...You know I tried...They even used magics on me to keep me from you...Let the Immortal get close to me..."

Even Dawn agreed to it...she shook her head...Then covered her face with a hand, sobbing...

"If you knew what I've been going through all these months...And then, having to pretend I didn't care so they wouldn't send me off to lotus-land again...I couldn't even risk slippin' away to help you last week...Couldn't do a thing until my copy was ready and I'd had a crack at her alone..."

Buffy...he patted her...She raised her face to his, a grin through tears... "Wait till the glam I used on Botty II wears thin...But they'll probably prefer her anyway...Giles at least...His model Slayer girl at last..."

"Will?...That thing about Dru?..." she paused... "There's nobody I'll have to kill, right?...Cause I'd hate to hafta make you feel bad but after what I been through I'd have to kill any competition..."

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