Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and related entities.

(A/N I'm an unabashed fan of Spuffy stories, but Chosen gave me the impression that Joss has a different outcome in mind. Rather than be depressed by the possibility that Buffy will end up with Angel, I wrote this story. Because Spike deserves to be happy, even if it's not exactly the way we hoped for. This takes place roughly September 2008, five years after Chosen. Spoilers for Chosen.)

Buffy paced across the family room, glancing at the grandfather clock. 2:13 a.m. Her eyes flicked to the silent phone, willing it to ring. Damn it, they knew she would be worried--

The faint groan of the garage door sliding open disturbed the stillness of the house, and she sagged against the wall. Thank God. Straightening, she peered at herself in the mirror. Did she have time to put makeup on, cover the dark circles under her eyes? Before she could decide, the door from the garage banged open, spilling two giggling people into the room.

"God, that felt so fuckin' fantastic, babe. Hey, I've got energy to burn. Let's go--"

"Not until I look at that slice in your side, pet. And keep your voice down. Don't want to wake the Angel spawn or Buffy if we can help--"

"Too late," Buffy said. She rubbed at her eyes as if she'd just gotten out of bed and pretended she hadn't heard what her ex-lover had just called her children. "Where's Angel?"

"Handling the press. Well, tryin' to chase off the camera crew out at the gate. He'll be in shortly, soon as he realizes they're not goin' anywhere until we leave. I hate to impose, but do you have a first aid kit handy? Faith was hurt-"

"Hey! It's nothing. A scratch. Back off, bleach boy. If you wanna get your cold hands on my hot body, you're gonna have to take me dancin'. We can--"

"--stay here until you let me look at that cut." He pushed her toward a chair. "Buffy, the first aid kit?"

Buffy turned to get it as Faith shimmied out of her top and thrust one hip forward provocatively. "If you can pry your eyes off my boobs, buddy, you'll see it's just a scratch and it's already stopped bleeding."

Not that the top covered anything anyway. Still, Buffy could see where blood had trickled down the younger Slayer's side. She pulled the first aid kit out from behind the toy box and went to fetch clean rags before Spike could ask.

Faith cursed as Spike wiped the blood away, but stood still under his hands. He touched her with casual familiarity. Buffy bit her lip, remembering times years ago when he had tended her wounds that way. Back in the bad old days. Before he had died to save the world from the First Evil. Before the Powers That Be had weighed his soul and given him the choice of going to heaven or returning to earth as their new champion, taking Angel's place in the fight against evil so that the older vampire could shanshu.

He hadn't hesitated, even after they had let him see why they wanted Angel human sooner rather than later. Buffy had always pictured him rolling his eyes at finding out that she and Angel were back together and playing with fire. "Send me back," he had said. "Yeah, I'll take the job. Let him retire. As long as he makes Buffy happy."

Or so the supercilious representative of TPTB had told Angel and Buffy three months after the destruction of Sunnydale. Angel was now human, his soul permanent. "Spike said to tell you that it's his wedding present to the two of you."

After that, what could they do but invite him? He had come, danced with the bride, and kissed her on the forehead. "Have a long life, lots of kidlets, and a grand time with the ponce. Promise me."

She'd looked up at him uncertainly, seeing only fondness in his eyes. "You--you're all right with this? I don't want you to be hurt." Because he was and always would be in her heart.

He'd laughed and shook his head, brushing her cheek gently with his knuckles. "Got a lot burned out of me those last few minutes in the Hellmouth. The light... I think it burned away some of the dark parts. Hurt like hell, too. The Powers say it had to. Lots of dark things inside me to burn. Sins and...bad things."

"Like me?"

"No! You were a very good thing. Hell, I'm talking Scooby-speak."

She giggled. "At least I understand it." She took a deep breath. "No regrets?"

"Only for the harm I did. The rest--not at all. Loving you made me what I am." He tilted his head as he looked down at her, uncertainty touching him for the first time. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes."

"Good." Pleased, he waltzed her back to her new husband as the song ended. Then he sauntered away.

Happy, she realized. Happy for her. Content. Certain he'd done the right thing. And that made him happy. Like she was. And it really had been the happiest day of her life. Angel and the big wedding and Dawn and all her friends and even her father, and at the end of the evening, no fear. Because her soulmate was human, and Angelus was gone forever.

The door banged open again, jolting her back to the present. Buffy smiled and took a step toward Angel, but his head was turned toward the man crowding behind him. "I said No, and I meant it. No cameras in the house tonight. And keep your voice down! My kids are asleep."

"But Angel! It's a perfect wrap-up for the show. Threat, confrontation, injury, victory, and then the quiet post-battle camaraderie. If I can-- Whoa. Great pose, guys." Andrew swung his hand-held camera up and moved in, switching to his narrator's voice. "You were hurt tonight, Faith. How are you feeling?"

She grinned at him, twisting so he got a better shot of her lacy black bra. "Pretty good. We won. That's the best feeling in the world." She craned her neck to see what Spike was doing. "And it makes little things like this worthwhile. Ouch! Spike, you bastard!"

He grinned up at her as she rubbed her ass where he'd pinched her. "Vampire, remember? And never talk about 'little things' when you're looking at me."

"Hey, B, you should never have gotten his chip out. And Andrew, that little move of his better end up on the cutting room floor."

"Maybe. So, Spike, some of our viewers have written in and asked if, after the battle, when you're cleaning up the blood, some of it from your fellow warriors, does that ever make you hungry?"

Buffy saw Spike roll his eyes as he applied antibiotic cream, but by the time the camera was focused on him, his face showed only his familiar smirk. The smirk that regularly adorned "People" and "TV Guide" and half the tabloid papers on the newsstands. "I think I'll take the fifth on that."

Angel reached out and snatched the camera.

"Hey!" Andrew jumped for it, but it was out of his reach, held over Angel's head.

"What part of No didn't you understand? This is a private home."

"But Spike and Faith are public figures, which makes them fair game, and they've got a contract. Since we started featuring them on every show, the ratings for 'Demon-Hunters' have gone through the roof. You're infringing on the network's right-"

"And I have a law firm that says you have no right to film in my house without my permission. Especially if you still want that interview from me. I might just decide that appearing on 'Demon Hunters, with Andrew Wells' isn't good for my professional reputation."

Andrew pouted. "All right. But we can still use those shots of you beheading the demon who was about to take out the cameraman, right?"

Buffy's eyes flew to her husband, who was deliberately not looking at her. He'd promised! No more demon hunting.

"I get to see them first."

Andrew hesitated, then nodded. "Deal. I have more release forms in my bag. This'll be great publicity for you, Angel. Interrupting your dinner with your old friends the Demon Hunters to go help them take out a nest of--"

Faith snorted and tried to look apologetic when everybody turned to glare at her. "Sorry. Fangy here has cold lips. Which he damn well better keep to himself."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Andrew said, fingers twitching as he looked at the camera Angel still held. "Kissing her owie to make it--"

"That's enough, Andrew!" Buffy was clenching the fabric of her robe. "Can you be more infantile? And what are you even doing here? I didn't invite you! How did you know they were going after demons tonight, when even they didn't?"

"Our news desk calls me as soon as they call Spike. I meet them on site with the crew. And the viewers like me, cuz they can identify with me. Not that I'm all sexy like him and Faith, but--"

Faith blew him a kiss. "Wanna be my next boy toy, Andy?"

"Sure. That'll be good for the November ratings. You gonna dump Baron von what's-his-face for me?"

"Not 'gonna', boychik. Gustav's ass has already been dumped."

Spike raised one eyebrow as he packed the supplies back into Buffy's first aid kit. "Does Gustav know?"

"Not yet. Take me to the premiere tonight?"

Faith's lovers generally found out they were history when she showed up at some celebrity hot spot on either Spike's arm or Wesley's instead of theirs. She was such a ho. Buffy almost opened her mouth to say so, then controlled herself. No. She'd be polite if it killed her. She'd invited them for dinner. It was, after all, the fifth anniversary of Spike's return to life, the fourth anniversary of the demon-hunting partnership he and Faith had founded as the public began to acknowledge the existence of demons around them. The public had lapped it up. The beautiful young Slayer and the heroic vampire with a soul. Buffy sneered.

"Not to criticize your romance management skills, luv, but don't you think it would be nice to have a one month anniversary one of these years?"

"Look who's talking, Mr. If-it's-Tuesday-where's-my-next-supermodel."

Spike smirked at her. "Have to. It's--"

"--good for the ratings," Andrew chimed in. "Hey, guys? Have you ever thought about getting together?"

They looked at each other. Spike smiled. Faith snickered. "Andy sweetie, it would be like Luke and Leia."

"Eww. Well..." Andrew blushed.

"Spit it out, whelp. You're up to something."

"Well, I was just thinking, maybe you and Faith could pretend to get together for May sweeps."

"Andy, you jerk! You promised us 'Demon-Hunters: Monte Carlo' for May."

"And we will, Faith, really. I have a line on vampires infiltrating the casinos, very hot concept. It's just--"

"Enough!" Buffy screamed, then froze, turning toward the baby monitor.

Everybody held their breath, even those who needed it.

When it was obvious that they were safe, that both the kids were still asleep, Buffy said with iron control, "It's three a.m. If you want to talk some more, quietly, I'll put on coffee and you can have the dessert you all-" she glared at Angel "-ran out without finishing. But I'm going to bed."

"Sorry, B. Old habits. Your house was always command central, y'know? And we could hang and wind down after a hot patrol. Guess I kinda forgot you're retired. Must be nice, not to have to spend every night running around graveyards and jumping into vamp nests."

Spike tugged gently on one of her curls, the gesture that set the female viewers of 'Demon-Hunters' swooning. "Not how you spend every night, pet. 'Sides, it's a paying gig these days. Very well paying."

"Yeah, thank God for reality TV. Too bad the Watchers didn't think of that one years ago." She laughed. "Imagine dragging camera crews along on patrol. But we're really sorry about running out on you, B, especially after you were nice enough to invite us for dinner. Making us part of your normal life and all."

"Ooh, that reminds me," Andrew said. "Buffy, can I interview you for one of our retrospectives? You know, great demon hunters of the past? You saved the world, and you even died twice and came back, just like Spike. Except of course you did it first, but people don't know that. We can focus on how you managed to retire and settle down and have a family with your soulmate. It would be a super human interest piece."

Buffy hesitated, then smiled. "Does happily ever after get good ratings?"

"Oh, sure. It's great to know it's possible, even if it almost never happens, what with dying young and all. It'll give the viewers perspective." Then, as Angel, frowning, opened his mouth, he added hastily, "And great PR for your firm, Angel. How your wife used to be a hero, fighting by your side."

Angel beamed at Buffy proudly. "And now she's a wife and mother."

Buffy smiled back at him and turned toward the kitchen, ignoring the looks Spike and Faith gave each other. So they felt sorry for her. So what? This was what she had always wanted. A normal life and a husband who loved her. She'd earned it. She could live with it.

After all, she used to be a hero.

End