CH.38

Back in the basement of Buffy's house. When everyone came to, Willow asked." What about Warren? Was he apart of this as well?"

Ryan nodded." Yes, though you really did kill him. Don't worry though, he'll be back. He works for Wolfram and Hart after all and their contracts reach beyond death. He met with them not long after I told him to piss off because Tara could see he was a sociopath with narcissistic personality. And if your feeling bad just remember he did kill his ex-girlfriend. Lyndsey wanted to do something about him but I saw a chance to minimize bloodshed. He can't really die unless I or another the senior partners kill him. Those flames you used weren't anywhere near strong enough."

Everyone left the basement and headed into the living room except Willow, Tara, and Ryan. Looking at the girls he sighed." I screwed up somewhere I'm sure of it. I'll leave it up to the both of you as to what we do next."

Both of them looked at each other and smiled. Willow opened up a portal to her room and Tara shoved him through. They followed after him.

He was surprised but not angry when he heard Tara's words." Willow needs to be balanced, the Magic's she took in are like a storm in a bottle right now. We were hoping you would ask again."

Ryan didn't speak for a while, but instead, he knelt down and looked at the possible future ahead." Willow Rosenberg, Tara Maclay, would you do me the honor of being my wives, mates, partners, and friends for the rest of my immortal life?"

He reached into his personal realm and pulled out two diamond engagement rings.

After the longest wait he's ever truly felt they both said." Yes."

Smiling he placed them on each of their hands and stood, kissing each one in turn. They celebrated by doing something they haven't done in almost a year. He had to put several barriers up to ensure not to disturb the downstairs guests.

Now that he was back to full power he took advantage of his clone spells and the results were unprecedented. They wore him out as much as he them. The clones joined back and all of the feelings and senses hit him at once.

When they took a shower afterward, they could barely stand. All four of them were walking with a pronounced limp the next day. He woke up in a pile of female bodies, that were laying on him like he was the bed.

When they each limped downstairs in the morning, they were greeted by the full Scooby gang. Ryan cooked a huge breakfast and the girls spent that time showing off their rings.

He sat down next to Buffy and Dawn as everyone dug into the food. Turning to Dawn he told her." If you ever want to know what Semeria was like, all you gotta do is ask. I'll share my memories with you and you can draw your own conclusions."

Dawn smiled." I may take you up on that some time."

Smiling he returned to his meal. When everyone finished they, gathered in the living room." I've decided to take Willow and Tara to Giles's friends in Devon. They both need to experience the magic that isn't tainted by the Hellmouth before Beltaine. On the eve of Beltaine, I'll open a portal to here so that everyone can come to the wedding. It'll also give everyone a short break from the Hellmouth. I'm going to put a temporary wide-area effect spell down so that anyone causing trouble here will calm."

Willow told them." We're going to be leaving the day after tomorrow, so that we can have a chance to say our goodbyes and do any last-minute changes. Buffy, me and Tara were hoping you and Dawn would be our bridesmaids."

Buffy told them." Of course, I'd be more than happy to Will."

Tara spoke." Dawn, what about you? Will you be my bridesmaid?"

Dawn leaped forward and hugged her." I'd be honored."

Ryan sighed and turned to both Giles and Xander." Would you both be willing to give them away. Willows parents are to affected mentally by the Hellmouth to be truly happy for her and I'd kill any of Tara's family that showed up. I heard about them and let's just say I'm borderline homicidal when it comes to them."

Giles smiled." I'd be more than happy to. They've been like daughters to me for a long time now."

Willow and Tara blushed." Aww thanks, Giles, we feel the same."

Xander wondered." Got a best man in mind?"

Ryan smiled sadly." I do but I'm sorry I choose someone else Xander, while I'd choose you for the girls, I can't. To be honest, I chose Lyndsey, I had a few reasons for this, but the most important right this second is our bond. Even though he doesn't fight with our day to day. He is my apprentice and like a son to me, in my culture, he is my kin. And while I feel you are my family as well, I mean literally. Our bond literally sacred to my people. It's why my reaction to Adrian's betrayal was so severe. To do what he did was a violation of that bond."

Xander told him." That's alright, giving Will away is more than enough for me. Besides, I'm just glad she didn't ask me to be a maid of honor!"

Everyone chuckled a little from Xander's comment.

Willow grabbed Ryan and Tara's hands firmly and announced to the scoobies." There is a ceremony during the wedding that we've decided to do. It will combine our life force with Ryan's and make us like him in some ways. We wanted you to know that there would be some changes before you start to discover them yourselves."

Giles took off his glasses. "What are these particular changes you might experience?"

Tara explained." Well for one, we will live as long as he does. If one of us died we'd all die. But the big one is that we won't be entirely human anymore."

Buffy asked." What do you mean not entirely human?"

Willow spoke." We are essentially becoming part titans ourselves in the process. We'd be as strong as him in some areas and stronger or weaker in others. It all depends on the person really. We would probably be better at magic than him but he would be better at physical activities like fighting, though we'd be just as strong it's like with humans. Some are more talented than other indifferent things. It will also help balance my Magic's."

Xander asked." Are you sure about this Will? That's a big change, and kinda permanent if I understand it right."

Willow smiled." We've talked and known about all this when he explained it to us years ago. I said not entirely because it's never been done with a different species before. While he looks human, biologically he's is as different to us as we are to monkeys. There are some things close but otherwise, it's a big difference. And we don't exactly know how much we'll change because humans weren't around when his people were. So there's no real knowing until we do it. Don't worry too much, it's a light ceremony that can only help."

Buffy turned to Ryan." Why do the ceremony at all? I mean if it's risky then why risk it?"

Ryan sighed." It can only be done on our wedding day. Otherwise, I'd give them more time. As for why at all, they are mortal. If we don't do it, then any child we had would probably be stillborn. And besides that, they would die long before me and I would kill myself or go mad. If it was the latter, could you stop me? Would you be strong enough? I'd probably go as evil as one of your big bads or worse."

Everyone gulped. He continued." At least with this, they would be far less likely to die, and it would be a virtual impossibility for any of us to go evil."

No one came up with any arguments against it. Though they did ask a lot of questions. Ryan and the girls did their best to explain and alive any worries. They talked into the afternoon about plans and the wedding.

While the girls went over the plans with his occasional input, he made a mental line to Lyndsey.

-My friend, come back to Sunnydale when you have time. I need to explain some things and see you again.-

Moments later he received a reply. -You're alive! Oh god, this is great news! It's great to hear from you! I'll head that way now! I'm bringing the gang. I'll open a portal just a sec.-

Giles was in the middle of saying." We should be ready for the next thing that pops -"

A portal formed in the living room cutting him off. Ryan spoke." Don't worry, it's Lyndsey and Angel's crew. Their coming for a visit."

A moment later a group of people stepped through. Angel, Gunn, Cordelia, Wesley, Faith, Lyndsey and a new nerdy looking woman stepped through. She looked a little scared.

Ryan waved a hand as the portal closed, making new furniture for everyone to sit. Lyndsey ignored everyone and walked forward and hugged Ryan. " It's good to see you again, the last time I saw you, you were about to die! What happened?"

After a long an erratic conversation about the past few months, everyone was caught up. Ryan asked them." Are you ready for your memories back?"

Faith and Lyndsey said." Yes!"

He passed them a flask apiece and told them to breathe it in. While they were doing that Buffy and Angel wandered off together. Gunn and Wesley introduced the new girl. "This is Winifred Burkle or better known as Fred. She a brilliant mathematician and great at portal magic theory!"

Willow and Tara took her away to talk about portal theories leaving Cordelia with Anya to talk to. They hit it off with their literal minds and opinions. Dawn was conversing with them occasionally.

Ryan smiled then waved his hand and summoned an ice chest from the kitchen. He pulled out some beer for everyone and passed it around while asking Lyndsey. "Would you be my best man? I'm to be married this coming Beltane!"

Lyndsey smiled." I'd be honored. Are you doing your ceremony as well."

Ryan nodded and passed him a Coors light. Grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels for himself he sat back and summoned a guitar. He began to sing. " This time, this place misused, mistakes

Too long, too late, who was I to make you wait?

Just one chance, just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know you know, you know

That I love you I have loved you all along and I miss you

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask Last chance for one last dance

'Cause with you, I'd withstand

All of hell to hold your hand

I'd give it all I'd give for us

Give anything, but I won't give up

'Cause you know you know, you know

That I love you I have loved you all along and I miss you

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

So far away, so far away

Been far away for far too long

So far away, so far away

Been far away for far too long

But you know, you know, you know

I wanted, I wanted you to stay

'Cause I needed, I need to hear you say

That I love you, I have loved you all along

And I forgive you, for being away for far too long

So keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving

Hold on to me and never let me go

Keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it, hold on to me and

Never let me go, keep breathing

Hold on to me and never let me go (Keep breathing)

Hold on to me and never let me go."

By the time he finished everyone had gathered back in the living room. Tara and Willow had sat beside him and when he was done, they kissed him. Willow asked the room." Isn't he great? He used to sing for us all the time before. He even did so on our first date."

Ryan smiled and handed Giles and asked. " Would you show them what real greatness is? They seem to think something of my songs and I want to prove to them that I'm at best average. I've heard you play so I know the difference."

Giles tried to decline." I don't play as often anymore. I'm not even sure I can even hold a note anymore."

Jenny told him." Bull! Rupert show these kids what talent and experience gets you."

Giles took the guitar and whispered something to Ryan who nodded and waved his hand making the room dark except by candle lights.

Giles sang." This Romeo is bleeding, but you can't see his blood

It's nothing but some feelings

That this old dog kicked up

It's been raining since you left me

Now I'm drowning in the flood

You see I've always been a fighter

But without you I give up

Now I can't sing a love song

Like the way it's meant to be

Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore

But baby, that's just me

Yeah I, will love you, baby

Always and I'll be there

Forever and a day, always

I'll be there, till the stars don't shine

'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme

I know when I die you'll be on my mind

And I'll love you, always

Now your picture's that you left behind

Are just memories of a different life

Some that made us laugh

Some that made us cry

One that made you have to say goodbye

What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair

Touch your lips, to hold you near,

When you say your prayers, try to understand

I've made mistakes, I'm just a man

When he holds you close, when he pulls you near

When he says the words

You've been needing to hear, I'll wish I was him

'Cause these words are mine, to say to you

'Til the end of time

Yeah I, will love you, baby

Always and I'll be there

Forever and a day, always

If you told me to cry for you, I could

If you told me to die for you, I would

Take a look at my face

There's no price I won't pay

To say these words to you

Well, there ain't no luck in these loaded dice

But baby, if you give me just one more try

We can pack up our old dreams, and our old lives,

We'll find a place, where the sun still shines

Yeah I, will love you, baby

Always and I'll be there

Forever and a day, always

I'll be there, till the stars don't shine

'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme

I know when I die you'll be on my mind

And I'll love you, always

Always."

Ryan clapped saying aloud." See this is an expert."

Willow turned to him." Maybe it's because when you sing we know it's for us, but I like yours better."

Tara nodded." Yeah, I agree."

Smiling Ryan pulled them in for kisses, then said." Well if it helps, when I sing it is for you both, so I guess it's a matter of who you sing for that really matters. Besides I can tell that all the other girls had a reaction to his more but both of you reacted more to me. This at least confirms one thing."

Willow asked." Oh yeah, what's that?"

Ryan whispered." All the other guys are going to learn to play real quick. Especially if what my senses are telling me."

Tara asked." What are they say?"

Smiling he whispered." Nearly every woman here Is in the mood from the songs."

Both blushed. Around the room, all the supernaturally gifted heard and either blushed or if your Faith spoke up."Damn right we're horny now! That's some sick music you people are spitting out. Lyndsey, sing me a song."

Lyndsey went to grab the guitar but she stopped him." I ain't talking about that."

She grabbed him and turned to Buffy." I'm borrowing your room B."

Before Buffy could say anything, they disappeared in a blur. "You had better not make a mess on my bed!"

She turned to the group." Who thought it was a good idea to give her super-speed?"

Ryan told her." That wasn't her, that was Lyndsey. I'd expect you're going to need a new bed soon. Don't worry he will replace it."

Hearing loud moans shaking the house, he yelled a second later." Put up a barrier you lassy ass!"

It went quite a moment later, signaling the barriers use. Willow stood up with Tara saying." Our barrier is waiting."

A moment later all three of them vanished. The room went back to its calm fun atmosphere. While Ryan was enjoying time with his fiancés, the rest of the group were talking. Giles asked." So, Angel, I hear you're going to have a kid. How do you feel about it?"

Angel answered." I wouldn't know yet. Darla hasn't come back yet and I can't look for her. Lorne says she'll return before she gives birth. I'm trying to stay objective in case something happens."

Cordelia butted in." Objective my ass! You spend more time brooding and agitated in the past few months then you have been in the past few years. And that includes the time you took drugs and temporarily lost your soul."

Buffy asked." What when did that happen?"

Xander smirked." So dead boy's perfect happiness comes per-scribed now? Someone hide the medicine cabinet."

Cordelia laughed and explained how Angel was once a bodyguard for the rich and famous and one of them slipped him a roofie.

An hour later the house shook as the barrier around Willows room failed and moaning and loud screams of passion were heard throughout the house. Everyone downstairs was forced to hear as Willow came to a vary loud climax. When she went quite twenty minutes later they were stunned.

Gunn told them."Damn it must change a lot when there's a third person involved."

Xander spoke automatically." No that's all Ryan's fault."

Everyone turned to him, he blushed and tried to explain it away." We used to stay in the same frat house. And he screwed Willow in my living room once. Thank god we were all outside before they started!"

Giles and Buffy nodded. Buffy told them." His people weren't very shy, and when they all died off he had to spend most of the time wandering around in old one skins he retrieved from their corpses."

Fred asked." How old is he? Are you saying he was around when the old ones were?"

Giles pulled out a book he had been written from all the notes he took of what Ryan told him. "As far as we can tell, everything he's told is in here. As for his age, he hasn't really told us because he was around before our concept of time came to be. I don't think he himself really knows, he meditated for a really long time after his people died off. And that was before the old ones came to be."

Gunn asked." What is he, other than really old and strong."

Buffy answered the question." He's a Titan or The Titan, I'm still not sure if it's a title or his races name."

Fred said excitedly." I read about him! He was in some of the old books Wesley has. He supposedly beat a lot of old ones to death and protected early man! Wait I thought his name was Prometheus?"

Giles explained. "Early man called him that probably because he didn't really speak much then. From what I understand he was their protector but he was still grieving for his people's death. Which is probably where the tale of his torture by having his organs ripped out came from. Tales back then were spread by word of mouth, so they exaggerated it from heart grief to organ removal. He also went by Cain from the catholic/Christian beliefs, because he killed his brother-"

Willow spoke making their presence known. "That was long ago and it should stay in the past!"

Giles looked overseeing the trio. Ryan had a grimace. " Indeed, I was just giving an example of how time changed his story because of word of mouth storytelling."

Ryan told him."It's fine. That was a long time ago and I've gotten past it."

Willow and Tara looked at him with pity and comforting expressions. He walked over to the couch with them and sat down. Everyone noticed Willow and Tara were walking funny.

Gunn spoke up." Damn! Was the sex that good? My man!"

Willow smirked." He has this rod we got a few years ago that let him split us into two separate individuals. He's also managed to control how he separates our personalities. When we come back together, we experience all of the pain and pleasure we felt while separated all at once. While it feels orgasmic to the point of lasting forever, it also means we don't last as long."

Fred pointed out." I think we heard the ending."

Willow blushed."That was my fault, the power I have lashed out when it happened."

Tara went on teasingly." He spent the first hour driving up the pleasure than the last half an hour holding us through the pleasure. I'm still not sure we should be down here yet."

Ryan told them." That's my fault actually, I know you guys won't be able to stay long, so I wanted to make you an offer. I'll talk to Wolfram and Hart to call a truce on our wedding day so that you can come for it."

Angel told him." While I'd appreciate that, why would they ever listen to you?

Ryan smirked."They don't want to piss me off. They'll agree if you want to come." Angel raised an eyebrow at that.

Cordelia asked." How is that going to go? You're having your wedding outside in the sun! Angel would be dust before you say I do!"

Willow told her." We're going to make something for that. It shouldn't be a problem to make some jewelry to repel sunlight. It will be a lot simpler than the ring of Amara but it'll only stop sunlight from killing him."

Angel made the decision." If you do what you said then sure I'm in."

Gunn asked." If you're strong enough to scare them into a truce, why haven't you destroyed them by now?"

Ryan sighed and explained." Like Willow felt not long ago and Giles can confirm this, everything in nature has a balance. Everything is connected, if I shift the balance, war breaks out. It would create a power vacuum that I really don't want to fill and so others will fight for the opportunity to take their place. And besides, if I destroyed them here I'd have to go to every dimension that they exist and destroy them there or risk their retaliation later when I don't expect it. And each place I went to would have their own power vacuums to fill. Chaos would run rampant throughout the dimensions. Not something I really want to do. I used to have an alliance with an old one who filled those voids but it's asleep right now."

Giles agreed." Everything is connected, even on the largest of scales and unless your prepared, chaos is inevitable if you break it."

Willow nodded." I felt the same when I took in all that magic from Giles. It's all connected, even magic."

Gunn asked them." Then in the end, what's the point?"

Angel answered." The fight is the point because, without it, we give up all hope. So long as we fight we're making a conscious decision to never give in to evil."

Wesley told them." We can save the philosophical debates for later. We'll be happy to come to the wedding, I assume it's a Wiccan one?"

Ryan nodded. "Yes, though there will be elements of my people's traditions in it as well."

Wesley asked him. "Have you decided on who is going to officiate it?"

Ryan smiled."Actually, I have an idea, but I'd like to talk to Willow and Tara first. So We'll let you know when we do."

Sometime later Faith and Lyndsey came down to the group. "Wow, red you have a pair of lungs on you!"

Willow blushed and turned away. Lyndsey told them." When you broke your barriers, I thought there was an attack at first."

Xander asked something that had been on his mind for a while."How can Angel come in if the place is warded against evil?"

Everyone adapted to the change of topic. Lyndsey answered." It's warded against soulless evil, like most demon species, otherwise, even humans wouldn't be able to enter. There's good and evil in us all, but it's the soulless ones that are stopped and if they persist, they're destroyed by the wards. Up to a point anyway, it's not strong enough to matter against someone like Glory or the first evil. Not to mention Buffy's a slayer so there had to be exceptions or it wouldn't turn out well."

Ryan asked."How's the reinforcements and changes we made holding up?"

Wesley told him. "It's been easy going so far. Everyone that comes to the motel are forced to behave. The help from Lyndsey and Faith have been invaluable. The beat an army of Pylean warriors and got us back from that dimension."

Ryan turned to Lyndsey." You didn't happen to steal the Crown Jewels did you?"

Lyndsey answered." I had to stop Faith several times."

Faith smirked." What? Girls gotta look good, besides, I earned them when I killed their high priest."

Ryan smiled and shook his head."Lorne would've blown a gasket, because his bar is one of their main entry points into this world."