"Walk me home," Jewel said softly as they left the restaurant they’d been dining in.
"Let’s go to the mansion," Spike said, shaking his head. "It’s closer." Jewel frowned.
"How do you know?" she demanded. "You’ve never been there!" He stopped. She stopped too, giving him an odd look. "Have you?"
"Once, actually," he breathed. Her eyes lit and she took a step toward him.
"You were there! I thought it was a dream," she whispered. He shook his head.
"I was there. I couldn’t stay away, even though you left me…I needed to be near you and somehow I found you anyway. I know I shouldn’t have just come in but I–" Jewel stopped him with a hand to his lips.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?" he asked faintly, then kissed her fingers. She laughed and pulled them away.
"For coming. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that night without you. Thank you for needing me even though I walked away."
"Always," he breathed and leaned forward to kiss her. She kissed him back enthusiastically, then pulled away breathless.
"It’s not fair, you don’t need oxygen," she complained. He grinned wickedly, then stopped and glanced at his watch.
"Come on, just for a minute," he said. Jewel frowned.
"I want to go home!" she exclaimed, but he obviously wouldn’t take no for an answer. "How did you get in anyway? That night? I thought you had to be invited."
"I do," he said. "There was a sign on the front door. Something about vacancies." She laughed and tried pulling on his hand. There was something she wanted to ask him, and she wanted to ask him at her apartment. Besides, she was exhausted.
"Please?" she asked. He grinned at her and kept pulling.
*******************************
"I’m tired William!" Jewel complained.
"Just for a bit," he replied. "I want to show you something." She sighed, but followed him up to the mansion willingly enough. She’d come this far already, and she could never tear herself away from him if she didn’t absolutely have to. And that night she was planning to try and make sure she never had to. But she wanted him to take her home first.
"What is it that’s so very important?" she demanded, not for the first time, pushing her purse higher up on her shoulder and hurrying after him.
"You’ll see," he replied. He stopped suddenly and kissed her before she had a chance to react. She stopped and then a second later relaxed into it, slipping her arms around his neck and leaning into him. He broke away and grinned, running a hand through his bleached hair. "Come on then," he murmured with a smile, taking her hand again and continuing inside. Jewel rolled her eyes and followed him, muttering something about the vagrancies of men.
"Come on," he said. It was dark inside the mansion and as Spike reached over to turn on a lamp, suddenly the entire room filled with–with everyone, shouting "Surprise!" at the top of their lungs. Jewel blinked.
"What’s this?" she asked.
"Your birthday silly," Buffy told her with a smile. Jewel blinked again and then laughed.
"You are all much to sweet!" she informed them.
"Too sweet?" Spike asked, bringing her hand up to his mouth.
"Oh definitely," she assured him. He growled slightly.
"Then I shall endeavor to change," he assured her, his dark eyes gleaming.
"Get a room!" Xander exclaimed and Jewel laughed, turning back to her new friends.
"You guys are so sweet! Thank you!" she exclaimed.
"We have cake and punch and luckily, no hands in boxes," Buffy said. Jewel frowned at the reference as everyone else laughed.
"Buffy has a problem with birthdays," Willow informed her.
"One year we threw her a surprise party and she got a hand in a box as a nice present from Spike here," Xander said.
"It wasn’t for her," Spike mock-growled. There was another general laugh and Jewel walked over to Buffy.
"Thank you," she said, kissing her cheek. The Slayer grinned back.
"We’re almost…related now. Cause Angel is Spike’s sire, and I’m technically married to Angel, kinda, and you guys are dating so it’s like…I could almost be your step mother in law!" Buffy exclaimed, and then made a face. "Never mind, that wasn’t actually very good!" Jewel laughed.
"Well it was very sweet of you to throw me a party anyway," she assured her. "Now what was that you said about cake?"
****************************
"I adore them!" Jewel cried, examining the small jeweled hair clips Willow had given her. "Help me put them in." Willow grinned and did. Buffy handed her a small hand mirror from her purse and Jewel smiled at her reflection. It was a perfect party. She couldn't believe they bought her presents.
"Are there any left?" Oz asked, looking around.
"One," Spike said. Jewel glanced up, realizing he was across the room. Their eyes met and then…and then he started to sing.
There is this hunger
This restlessness inside of me
And it knows that you're no stranger
You're my gravity
My hands will adore you through all darkness and
They will lay you out in moonlight
And reinvent your name
Jewel stood, slowly and walked towards him, tears filling her eyes at the beauty of his voice. It was just as gorgeous singing as speaking, his elegant British accent shaping the words into more, his pure love making them all true, making them all speak to her, sing to her. He walked toward her as he sang, his eyes suspiciously bright. They met in the middle of the room, and totally alone in their love, sang together.
For I am wanting you
Oh I am needing you here
I need you near
Inside the absence of fear
Their voices rose together, the purest harmony imaginable, blending and complementing each other. Their hands met and twined, their eyes locked together. Spike drew her close and she rested her head against his chest as she sang, as she joined him, the tears of joy spilling over onto her cheeks, sliding down to soak his shirt. She’d never known anything so beautiful, never been a part of anything so perfect. Never loved anything so much. They pulled apart as the last note faded away and she saw the trace of tears on his cheek as well.
"For you," he whispered, holding out a hand. She picked up the ring that lay there, saw the glint of silver and the words carved there. Love banishes fear. I love you. She looked up at him, and her lips trembled in the sweetest smile he’d ever known.
"Here," she whispered, slipping off her Claddaugh ring. "Wear mine." He took it and put it on, the heart facing in, toward him and then slipped her ring onto her ring finger, onto the finger her wedding band would lie and she could see the moment now, feel it, someday he would slip the wedding band onto this same finger, but now this was enough. Now this was perfect. Almost perfect.
"Come live with me," she asked him, told him, something.
"You want me?" he asked, his eyes filled with hope.
"Of course!" she exclaimed.
"Of course then," he replied, and their left hands twined together, rings touching as they kissed. "No fear, only love, always," he murmured into her mouth.
"And you my beautiful William," she murmured back and though she felt his tears falling on her face, mixing sweet sadness into their kiss, she knew the tears were for the soul he had lost and found again, and for the love he had never imagined he would have, and never, never again, for fear.
