~*~
Chapter 28
~*~

There was a crowd of young slayers and watchers gathered around the training room. A well fed Spike was surrounded by an impressive team of "opponents" consisting of Illyria, Angel, Faith, Kennedy, Vi and Caridad. Spike was not seriously challenged by any of them except perhaps Illyria. The extra strength his special diet infused him with made it far too simple to shrug off the attacks of the slayers. Vi and Caridad weren’t really doing anything to really harm him anyway; they liked him too much to see him as anything but a friend.

Kennedy let her temper get the best of her as usual and so her attacks were wild and off the mark more often than not. She had never liked Spike, felt he had no place on the "good guy" team and was secretly disgusted that a slayer of Buffy’s caliber had taken him as a lover. She had recently learned that the other vampire in the room had also been a lover of Buffy’s. Seems that Ms. Summers had some confusion as to what a slayer was supposed to do with vampires. Of course, Faith seemed to like the two of them as well, but at least she wasn’t sleeping with them.

Kennedy was particularly pissed at Spike for another reason altogether. When she had sought out Willow the night before, she had been informed that her girlfriend had gone out with the vampire for the evening. Kennedy didn’t think there was anything romantic involved, but she resented it nonetheless.

Kennedy had been seeing a dancer, a civilian in the supernatural wars, back in Cleveland. Gia was strong and beautiful and had been really impressed with Kennedy’s fighting skills, their having met when Kennedy intervened as she was being mugged after a performance. One of the reasons Kennedy had sought out Willow was to let her know of this change in their relationship. It wasn’t as if she and Willow were really still together, but they had never formally broken up either.

She wanted nothing more than to pound the vampire into the ground. It was bad enough that the uppity monster slept with Buffy and obviously commanded the respect and affection of most of her friends and the slayers in residence, but he had been feeding on slayer blood! They were giving it to him as if making offerings to some pagan god . It was obscene and unnatural. Even the other vampire, Angel, seemed to resent it and see it as the perversion it was. It made her sick.

She attempted a spin kick at the bastard only to have him neatly dodge the move, landing Kennedy on her ass once again.

Spike smirked at her and asked if she needed a hand up. "You want to rest that ass of yours a spell, luv? You’ve landed on it enough times, must be a trifle sore." The other slayers dared to laugh with him.

"I could take you, vampire, but they tell me they want you undusty for now. It’s not easy pulling my punches." Kennedy had retorted as a cover to hurt pride.

Spike stopped the training for a moment and looked at the girl with narrowed eyes. "You know, this might be a good time for a little lesson, what with all the little slayers about and all. Buffy once asked me about those slayers I killed back in the day. Wanted to know how I beat them. I tried to explain that it wasn’t so much about me as it was about them. Now you, you have the same problem that got number one killed. You’re arrogant. That slayer, she thought there was no way some vamp was going to take her down. The arrogance made her sloppy. That’s all it took for me to have that good day and get a new slayer called. You keep it up, girly, and you’ll meet the same end from some lucky vamp out there. Listen up, ladies, the reason new slayers used to get called, and
called often, was because the previous one died. I had two to my score, but every dead slayer met something nasty in battle and lost. Remember what I just told this one here, don’t ever get thinking you can’t be taken, because you can. I think we all need a break about now."

Spike strode out of the training room, anger pouring off of him in waves. The stupid bint was going to get herself killed, and maybe some others with her, if she didn’t come off her high horse and face reality. He may not like her, but that didn’t mean he wanted her dead.

"That how you bested my mom? I don’t remember her being arrogant. Good, yeah, but not arrogant." Robin Wood had fixed Spike with a steady gaze as he asked.

"No. You’re right, she was good, best I ever fought ‘til Buffy. Had grace and skill; used her imagination, too. Not easy to beat. Some of the best fights I ever had were against Nikki. Hated the dance endin’ that soon. I was headed home from the Village that night. Went to see a new act in a club down there. Could see your mum was tired. Hell, I even offered her a rain check so the fight would be more interestin’. Lot more fun when she was on top her game, you know. But no, she had to do that duty, take me on. I was full of spit and vinegar that night. The music had been good and I was juiced, pumped up and fed. Your mum wasn’t arrogant, she was just ready to end the dance, that’s all. I don’t know why. Maybe she missed your daddy, maybe she was tired of the mission takin’ over her life…whatever the reason, she was ready to pack it in. Shame, too, ‘cause she was poetry."

"You trying to say my mother committed suicide?" Wood looked furious. "She had ME, a son to raise, a son who needed her. She did love me. I’ve thought about what you said and you’re wrong. She did love me; she just had her duty to perform and was dedicated."

"Never said she didn’t love you. Probably did. Just not more than the mission, not enough to tell the bloody Council of Wankers to sod off and get themselves another girl somehow. That’s not a bad thing. Nothin’ wrong with dedication. I don’t think she committed suicide by vampire, at least not on purpose. She was tired’s all, off her game and not willing to admit it. A fledge could’ve taken her that night. Maybe it was just a bad day. We gonna go another round, Educator?"

"Not at this point. Like Faith told you, we’re here to help get Buffy back. We’re never going to be amigos, Spike, but I was there at the Hellmouth. Even I can’t say you’re the same creature that destroyed my world when you killed my mom. I don’t know what to think of you, to tell you the truth. Actually, I try NOT to think of you at all. Anyway, you don’t have to wonder if I’m here to kill you. That’s not the plan anyway. Spike, I can’t say I’ll ever want to spend
any time in your company. I’ll never get past the ‘you killed my mother’ issues, but you don’t have to wonder about a repeat of that last time we worked together."

"Glad to hear it. Last time you put revenge ahead of the mission and nearly blew it for everybody. I won’t let you put Buffy in jeopardy and if I’m her hope of getting back safe and sound, I’ll take you out if I have to. Told you that back then, still holds true. You don’t come after me or mine and we’ll deal." Spike had the feeling that he and Wood had finally achieved a peace of sorts.

I’m here strictly to help out, and to back up Faith." Robin looked Spike straight in the eye and the vampire could tell he was being honest.

"Yeah, well, Faith’s a good ‘un. Lotta hurt hidin’ under that tough exterior. Doesn’t value herself like she should. Nice to see her treated right. She needs to feel like she matters and I’m glad you’re there to do the job," Spike offered.

Wood laughed and shook his head. "They said you’re pretty insightful. I thought they were nuts, but you nailed Faith, that’s for sure."

"No special talent for that. That attitude of hers just screams ‘inadequate’. For what it’s worth, seems a bit better of late. Reckon that must be ‘cause of you. Remember what I said about slayers though, it’s still true. When it comes down to it, they’re always alone. Don’t let it make you into an ass." Spike didn’t know why, but he sincerely hoped Wood listened to him and was able to be Faith’s long haul guy.

"Think I’d better get back in there before Kennedy convinces herself she tired me out." Spike headed back towards the training room.

"Good lesson you gave to the girls back there. I’ve tried to get Kennedy to listen for quite a while. She’s headstrong though, and thinks she knows it all." Robin shook his head with worry.

"Well, let’s just hope she’ll learn a little somethin’ out of all this and stay alive, eh?" Spike said over his shoulder.

~~~


"So? What do you think of our little organization, or what I’m allowed to show you anyway? The old Council would never have even let either of us in the door, but Giles is trying to be a little more open." Willow had shown Ciara around the areas deemed accessible to the public. She had introduced the young grad student to several of the slayers as they came upon them.

"I knew that story about the super strong young girls bein’ the result of all the fast food in their diets was a load of horse shite. I mean really, fast food, and only the girls? That whole song and dance about how the chemicals mixed with the female hormones in some girls? Nonsense! McMiracle, my rosy red arse! I think the scariest part is how many people just swallowed that lie whole. But then it does make it so you don’t have to pay attention to the truth, eh? Didn’t hurt the stock exchange for those fast food chains either. They were needin’ a boost after all the commotion about the dangers of high fat diets. Makes you wonder about a conspiracy, not that those ever happen." Ciara snorted in disgust.

"I grew up living over a Hellmouth where every demon in our dimension had a vacation at one time or another. We had more cemeteries than we had mall stores! Vampires were so common that neck injuries didn’t even make the papers. No one noticed a thing. High school principal turns into giant snake food? Must be gangs high on PCP! People believe what they want to believe. I stopped being amazed a couple of years ago when the whole world silently agreed that an
isolated earthquake--one that never showed up on any of the detection devices --caused a giant sink hole that ate an entire Southern California town. No one even questioned why the town was mostly deserted by the time the thing hit." Willow shook her head in sadness over the human desire to live in denial.

"Come on, Spike is probably training right about now. That would explain where most of the girls are. Between movie-worthy fighting skills and that hot, compact body of our favorite vampire, we’ll be lucky to get close to the training room." Willow led the way to the gym.

"I may like girls, but I have to say that Spike is a lovely specimen of the male gender. Not as big a jackass as most of them either," Ciara remarked.

"So this old girlfriend of yours…she one of the ones gonna be sparrin’ with Spike? I hope you aren’t after someone too butch, ‘cause I’m not much of a fighter, you know." Ciara wondered just why Willow seemed interested in her if a slayer was more her type.

"Actually, my first love was a guy. He was a musician and a werewolf, but that’s a long story. The first girl I ever loved was sweet and kind and gentle. Tara fought the good fight but was more about the peace, love and tolerance. I don’t think she’d have ever hurt a soul except in self defense. She was special in every way. Kennedy kinda pursued me. She’s … um… ", Willow struggled to find the right words to describe her last lover.

"Bit of a steamroller? Rather like those footballers in the straight world not takin ‘no’ for an answer and bowlin’ a lass down. That what you’re tryin to say, love?" Ciara tried to help.

"Kinda. Yes, I can see Ken as a soccer hooligan." Willow laughed at the picture that presented. "I was vulnerable and lonely. I’m not sure what it was about me that she was attracted to. Maybe it was my reputation for the magic. She wanted a show, I guess. Well, she got one, more than one. Everything was fine as long as I was the big bad powerful witch. When I was plain old Willow, not so much." Willow looked sad and a bit self-conscious.

"Well then, that goes to show she’s a right amadan, heh? That’s a fool, by the way. You’re beautiful and smart and have a kindness about you. If that’s not good enough for Miss Kennedy, then the loss is hers alone." Ciara sought to reassure Willow. "Come on then, let’s let her see what she gave up."

The two women linked arms and headed to the gym, looking to all the world like long-time lovers. Some days were better than others, Willow thought.

~~~

Nina was patching up Angel after the training session had ended. He had been tossed about more than usual, thanks to the extra power in Spike’s punch. All those years of Angel coming out on top were at an end, at least as long as Spike continued to be pumped full of premium.

"Angel, honey, do I need to be worried? I know we haven’t been together a long time, but I though we had really connected and might have a future together. You seem awfully jealous of Spike being the one to go in after Buffy. I know everyone says you and Buffy were these star-crossed tragic lovers pulled apart by fate, but I never really believed it. I mean, if you really wanted to be with her, why didn’t you see about getting your soul anchored or something like that? I know you love her, always will, but you’re acting like she’s your girlfriend. What does that make me? Should I just move on here?"

Angel felt a shiver of fear at the thought of losing the relationship with Nina. The girl was bright, beautiful and talented. She had just seemed to ‘get’ him without any effort. He hadn’t really thought too far into the future, but he could always see Nina there when he did. "No, baby! I left Buffy because I wanted her to have the life she deserved…you know, a nice and normal guy who’d give her the white picket fence and PTO meetings. I guess having her pick Spike as a replacement is the problem. Damn, that boy always irritates me to no end! It just makes me a little crazy to think of him being the hero, him getting the cookies."

"Cookies? I don’t understand?" Nina looked puzzled.

"Never mind. They were never baking for me anyway. That was never our problem. I don’t know why she even said it. It wasn’t like it was her not being able to commit, it was the damned curse. She was committed from the start, overbaked even." Angel had said that mostly to himself, further confusing Nina.

"Nina, baby, I moved on long before Buffy sent word that I should. Maybe I didn’t realize it at the time, but I did. I fell in love with Cordy even. I never got to tell her, but I think she knew. Then there’s you. Something about us just hits all the right notes, you know what I mean? I don’t have to be the
perfect hero for you. I don’t have to cover up my faults out of fear that I won’t be good enough for you. You accept me as I am and I love that about you."

"I think all this stuff is more about Spike and me than about Buffy. Not Spike and me as in a couple! We’ve got issues that go back to the 1800s for heaven’s sake! We were just starting to deal with them when I got sucked into Montezuma’s revenge. I still see him as the same guy I knew back then and it’s hard to see that as hero material. I kinda got used to being the one and only good vampire, I guess. Maybe I just never learned how to share. Whatever’s really going on with us though, it’s not about you, Nina. I hope you don’t give up on me, on us. I think I’d really hate losing you." Angel turned his best pleasing eyes on his girlfriend and smiled as he saw her crumble before the power of The Look.

"I’m not going anywhere, Ernie. Where else am I going to find a boyfriend who knows when to cage me up every month, after all?" Nina smiled as she tried to lighten the mood. "Well, I could probably find one, but I mean one I trust to know what I mean when I hold out the manacles."

"Not to change the subject or anything, but do you think that Connor might be a better choice in the training ring than Kennedy? That girl has some real aggression issues. I’m afraid Spike’s going to have to really hurt her before it’s all over." Angel had been thinking about this idea all day.

"I don’t know this girl that well, but it sure looks like she’s wound pretty tight. It might be worth bringing up in the meeting tomorrow. I don’t know if Spike’s the one you need to worry about though. Illyria was ready to disembowel her today, judging from the looks she was giving Kennedy. That girl just doesn’t know when to follow, does she?! Imagine trying to give orders to Illyria! She’s lucky Spike stepped in when he did or we’d be down one slayer." Nina had been
terrified when the argument had begun between the two warriors, sure blood would be spilled.

"Good point. Yeah, I think Kennedy needs serious time out for everyone’s sake. She should have just stayed at the Cleveland Hellmouth instead of coming over here and trying to give orders. She even tries to push Giles around! I can’t see what Willow ever had in common with her." Angel was baffled.

"Aside from the whole gay thing? Not much I can see. Say, I like that new girl Willow’s seeing! Nice and smart, too. I noticed that Kennedy’s mood really went south when she saw them there at the session. Funny, I didn’t get the feeling that Kennedy still had any real attachment to Willow anymore. Some people are like a dog with a bone; they don’t want it but won’t give it up." Nina opined.

Angel wondered if that was his problem where Buffy was concerned. He realized over the years that the Buffy he thought he knew had long since grown into a
woman he didn’t know at all. He knew that there were things he had done, choices he had made, that Buffy would never accept, never forgive. He wasn’t even sure if he would still want the Buffy he did know. He’d grown too. Maybe it was time to let go of the bone and just be grateful that Buffy had shown him how to love again. Maybe that’s what she had done for Spike, too. It had certainly led to real changes in the younger vampire. Angel couldn’t keep denying what was right in front of him. Maybe Buffy wouldn’t want Spike either, but it no longer was anything that involved Angel.

"You know, maybe I should have a talk with Willow about that soul anchoring thing you mentioned." Angel noted the flash of hurt on Nina’s face and quickly set about to reassure her of his meaning. "Buffy’s not the only one who could make a fella perfectly happy, after all."

Nina smiled at Angel and moved into his arms. From the way her kisses felt, Angel wanted to have that talk with Willow pretty soon. He could only brood during sex for so long before slipping up.