Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews & sticking by this story!

**hugs** Opal

Thanks to Meli for doing a superb job as the Beta!

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*Banner By Ariel Dawn*
Thanks AD! Hugs~Opal

Story Dedicated to Meli!
Thanks for being a great Beta. Hugs~Opal



Chapter 26 - An Eye Opening Realization



*Single Quotes = thoughts to oneself or between Buffy & Spike

Angel sat in the pedicure chair next to Drusilla. He thought he was in heaven with the relaxation he was getting, but he knew if anyone ever saw him like this, he would never hear the end of it. Dru said they would have to kill time and asked if he was willing to try something new with her. He figured, maybe a sane conversation would be good to start with. So when she dragged him up to the hotel spa for some massages and pampering, he could not say no.

After all his guilt for her previously insane condition would kill him if he let it. Yet, she was not throwing it in his face; instead, she was using it to get her way.

“Oh my god! This picture is perfect,” Cordelia squealed.

“Tell me you did not just take a picture.”

“No, I didn’t, but hey, that doesn’t mean that word of mouth isn’t going to get out about this.”

Both Drusilla and Cordelia laughed at Angel’s expense.

“Not funny,” Angel said as he started to go into full brood mode.

“Naughty Angel, don’t get all pissy. It’s not like Spike wouldn’t find another reason to justify calling you a poofter anyways,” Drusilla replied.

“Well, when you two are done and changed, we should go upstairs and see what is going on.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Angel said.

“Great,” Cordelia replied, “By the way, pink is definitely your color!”

“What!” Angel exclaimed as he looked at his nails.

“God, you’re so gullible sometimes Angel.”

Angel shook his head at Cordelia as she walked out of the pedicure room. He double-checked his fingernails just to make sure that they were bare.

**********

Luckily, for Giles, Xander had showed up at the Magic Box shortly after he hung the phone up with Spike. Over tea and donuts, Giles filled Xander in on his conversation with the blonde vampire.

“So, can we be sure that Buffy’s okay? I mean really, I know he has the chip and all, but he could always get someone else to hurt her?”

“Xander, I’m confident Spike wouldn’t hurt the mother of his child.”

“I know, I know. But, I just can’t seem to trust him. He is a vampire.”

“Albeit a master vampire that is in love with a Slayer; trust me Xander when I say this, but it is just as hard for me to put my faith in him as well. Spike has always been a different kind of vampire though. He’s straightforward and he showed he could love and devote himself to another. After all, he stayed with Drusilla despite her insanity all those years.”

Xander took in Giles thoughts as he munched on another jelly donut.

“Well, I guess so. Doesn’t mean I like it though. I mean, what if she doesn’t want to be with him?”

“Buffy knows what she wants. If she didn’t want to be with him right now, I trust she would have called herself.”

“But, what if he has her tied up and she can’t?”

“Xander, you’ll need to get over this schoolboy crush you have on her. It wouldn’t matter if it were Spike or a normal human boy she was with. You’ve always been jealous of Buffy’s paramours and it is starting to become an unflattering trait of yours.”

“It’s that obvious, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. However, I suppose we should move on to something more important, like going to check on Buffy’s mum,” Giles said as he put his jacket on and then opened up the apartment door.

“Let’s go.”

*************************

Spike had hoped not to worry Buffy about this yet. It seemed as if the poor girl never got a break from the shit hitting the fan.

“Deal with the consequences of using magicks, love. Your watcher is going to help Red here train properly.”

“Yep, that’s me,” Willow piped in, “Need to be taught to do things the right way.”

Buffy looked suspiciously at them both.

“Ok. That’s great that Giles is willing to help you Wills. There is one thing I know that he won’t be able to help you with.”

“What’s that Buffy?” Willow asked.

“The fact that I know you so well, that I know that isn’t what you both were referring to,” Buffy said sternly.

Willow looked to Spike to help her out.

“Ok Spike,” Buffy said, “Spill. Now.”

“Well love, it did start out as a discussion about the consequences of magicks. Then we had a bit of a realization.”

“Ok Spike. Get to the point.”

“No need to get all shirty about it love.”

“Sorry Spike,” Buffy said as she walked over to the bed to sit next to him. Spike placed his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

“Well love, it seemed that William was so eager to fix things that had gone wrong with our family that he forgot about what the consequences would be.”

“Well duh, everything is going to be great.”

“Or maybe not,” Spike pointed out. “Love, this wasn’t a simple spell he did. It was an interruption in the time space continuum. Those types of things almost always have negative consequences.”

Before Buffy could digest Spike’s words, the door to the suite opened up. Angel, Cordelia and Drusilla walked through the door. Dru noticed the glum faces in the bedroom.

“What’s a matter? We should be happy and relaxing,” she said.

Cordelia followed Drusilla into the room, and Angel tagged behind her.

“I don’t like those looks. What’s wrong?” Angel asked.

“We had a revelation,” Spike replied, “Which is responsible for cutting off our short lived happiness.”

“Never thought I’d be saying this to you Spike,” Dru said, “But let’s not speak in riddles please.”

“Magic. It has consequences.” Spike said.

“Always,” Dru finished. “Well it seems like we have to think about what those consequences might be and how to handle them.”

“How?” Buffy asked.

“We could all hide out in LA, at Angel Investigations?” Angel offered.

“No way. That’s no way to live a life,” Spike said.

“Obtaining a new identity may not be a bad idea Spike,” Dru said. “But you are right, hiding out is no kind of life. Not for a family. All I’m saying is that we need to outline the possibilities and be prepared.”

“I can help by putting up some wards and doing a few protection spells.” Willow piped in.

“No Red, you must go get trained.”

“I’m afraid Spike’s right,” Drusilla said. “Unharnessed magic can easily be turned against you, even if you have only the best of intentions. You need a few years of training. However, I don’t see why you must be kept out of things. I believe she whose light is intertwined with your aura can help us with the wards and spells for now.”

Relieved that she would not be left out of Buffy’s life, she nodded in agreement.

“So where do we start?” Buffy asked.

“We drive you and the sprog home love, and think about things along the way.”

Dru quietly walked out of the bedroom to fix a cup of tea. ‘Little do they know what unexpected changes they will find when they do return home,’ she thought to herself.

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Oops… Opal did it again. More Angst to come? Looks like it. After all Magic has its consequences. Always!!

And I really truly appreciate everyone who left a review last chappie! Wow you all left alot.