The Rest of our Lives by Ariel Dawn

Chapter #1 - What do we do now?

Disclaimer: Joss, he is god, not God god, but a lesser, benevolent god with powers us mere mortals can only imagine. Author’s note: This one of those post Chosen fics. My cousin told me Spike wouldn’t, couldn’t come back, so I started this fic. Does not follow ATS cannon. denotes thought __________________________________________ Chapter 1: What do we do now? Buffy sat alone in the bus, surrounded by the survivors. Willow and Kennedy ahead of her comfort each other as best they can. Behind her Dawn was curled up in Xander’s arms. Giles was at the wheel. Even Faith and Robin, though he was wounded seemed comforted by the presence of the other. I suppose I have Giles, she thought to herself. Every so often Buffy was compelled to look back at the crater that once was her home. Everything she left back there was gone; her house, her mother’s grave. The only things she had left were in the bus with her. The people who had survived, her friends. The bus careened over a pot hole causing the occupants to lurch forward. The wounded in the bus groaned in agony. Buffy was a little tossled and landed back in her seat unharmed but now very aware of the object in her back pocket. She reached in to her jeans and found herself holding Spike’s lighter. She looked around the bus once more. Spike should be here with them. She looked back at the crater again. Focusing on the shrinking point on the horizon Buffy couldn’t help but wish that things in the hell mouth had gone radically different. She thought out a dozen scenarios in her head, what she could have done instead, to make everything alright, so that they could go on as they had been. “Buffy?” said Dawn’s voice behind her. “Hmm?” responded the tired slayer absently. She was still fixated on the object in her hand. “Is that Spike’s?” said Dawn, “Oh Buffy is he really dead?” “Vampire, dead long time” said Xander. The two girls looked at him hard. “Clearly not ready for comedy, ok, mistake” said Xander backing away. “He was a good friend” said Dawn, giving her sister a hug, “I’ll miss him” “Me too” said Buffy sadly. __________________________________________ But it was more than that. She realised that now. Needed him. He made her life liveable. Wanted him every moment of every day. Missed him so much it hurt. All those clichés that your heard in movies, except it wasn’t a movie, and it was happening in full surround sound cruelty vision. She would let her friends see it though, she thought she was hiding. Sure Dawn had noticed the Navel ring, and another set of holes in her ears, but those were decisions that any normal person would make. It just so happened that Buffy needed pain. Patrolling in LA wasn’t enough. He had ruined her to love anyone else. After you’ve had Spike there was no going back. He was permanently engraved on her soul. So she made it permanent on her body too. Her body was a testament to what he had done to her. She suspected the tattoo artist she went to was a little put out by her wanting him to tattoo a rail road spike just inside her bikini line, or “Spike’s girl” around her ankle, written in cursive script. And as for the rail road spike, most people thought it was a stake. __________________________________________ Buffy sat alone at an unfamiliar table drinking tea. The kitchen was small, smaller than she remembered it. She hadn’t been here for a long time. Her father’s house had not the comfortable familiarity she had hoped. “Buffy?” said Willow tentatively in the doorway. “Willow, How is everything? Is my step thing giving you a hard time?” “No, she’s nice. It’s awfully nice of your dad to give us all a place to crash.” “It is. I expect they really don’t know how to deal with trauma in others.” “Most likely. Xander and Giles are settled with his parents. Xander nearly punched out his dad when Mr Harris asked about Anya.” “Dad has started talking about putting Dawn in school here. I think he means to keep her.” “What does Dawn have to say about that?” “I think it would be good for her to be in a regular school” “What does Dawn say?” Willow repeated. Buffy shrugged her shoulders. “Does she even know?” “No, and I don’t have the heart to tell her.” “Oh Buffy” “She’s been in her room since we got here, has hardly left. She’s been crying almost constantly.” “It’s understandable,” said Willow, “Why aren’t you?” Buffy stared at Willow. “You may think I’m butting in. Buffy, Spike is gone. He was a very big part of your life, you have to grieve.” “I don’t want to grieve. I don’t want to get over it. Can we not talk about it?” Buffy’s hand flew to her Spike tattoo for an instant. “Ok, you’re not ready yet.” “I don’t want to be ever ready for it. “I know.” Buffy returned to her own room. Willow was right of course, she often was. She had to start grieving. It was hard. She still felt that she was responsible for all the girls in her care. Those that weren’t in the hospital were camping out in the backyard. Faith had continued on her way not staying long in any one place, the law on her tail. She felt responsible for the fact that her friends no longer had homes in Sunnydale. She felt responsible for the deaths, for the pain, for it all. But she couldn’t think about that now, she had to figure out what they were all going to do. They certainly couldn’t stay there at her father’s house. Giles had mentioned that there was another Hellmouth outside of Cleveland, perhaps they could go there. Buffy pulled back the covers to her bed. She had so much to think about it would be hard to go to sleep. In the next room she could hear Dawn crying. Had Dawn cried like that when she had died? Buffy’s thoughts turned to Spike. How he had been there for her when Dawn needed to be protected from Glory, how he had been like a big brother to her little sister. He had put himself in danger for Dawn’s safety. Spike, who had fought so valiantly at her side, who had helped her right until the end, who had given his existence so that she would live. Spike who had loved her. It was a comfort to know that Spike loved her. Even though she hadn’t returned his affection, it was still a comfort. __________________________________________ Buffy found herself back in her own house in Sunnydale. She was sitting at her kitchen table. Dawn was making pancakes. “So what are going to do today? on this bright sunny Saturday?” asked Dawn. “How about a Picnic?” said Willow as she breezed into the kitchen. “I say that we go see a movie, something with car chases and masculine undertones” said Xander as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Has anyone seen my fuzzy pink scrunchie?” asked Anya as she walked in to the kitchen and started looking in drawers and lifting things up. “ It goes just so perfectly with my skirt.” “There’s a Sci Fi convention at the conference centre” offered Andrew who was coming from the backyard. Everyone looked at Andrew with suspicion “The window is open” “We got a new shipment of spell books at the Magic box last night,” said Anya, “Giles was going to spend the night going over every detail. Such a riveting life he leads.” “New spell books, sounds exciting” said Willow. The group looked at Willow. “Drooling: I’m not. I’ll just go back to my room.” said Willow “This is nice, all of us together, getting with the normal.” Said Xander “I would hardly call it normal. Do you call it normal when witches, ex demons, slayers and vampires share a house? or how about when an ex demon shares a house with her ex fiance?” spouted Anya. Their was a long pause as everyone tried to think of something to say. “Well that killed the conversation. Maybe I’ll try to keep some things to myself. I’m just saying we aren’t normal. Ok I’m off to the magic box.” said Anya. Anya walked out the door. Buffy smiled. Everything stayed the same. “Did you patrol last night?” asked Dawn. “How was it? Anything big and bad and new out there?” “Nope, same old same old.” “Does anyone know how long blood keeps in the fridge?” asked Xander looking into the fridge with disgust. “Cause: gross in the extreme” Xander lifted a mug of blood out of the fridge. “Does it smell bad?” asked Dawn “It’s blood, what do you think I’m going to say to that?” replied Xander. Buffy took the mug from Xander, heated it in the microwave and headed down stairs into the basement, where Spike was sleeping on his cot. Buffy put the mug down on a table and sat on the edge of the cot. “Did you think I was hungry?” asked a sleepy Spike “Not really, maybe I was looking for an excuse to come down and see you.” “Well I’m always here” “No you aren’t, really.” “Pet?” “This is all an illusion, the normalness, the bickering. This house is even an illusion. Anya’s dead, you are gone. Sunnydale is destroyed.” “You don’t seem very broken up about it all.” “I can’t grieve, I told Willow that today you know. I have too much responsibility. I can’t have people see me grieve.” “Everyone? Even me?” The house faded away and the two of them were now sitting in the middle of the Sunnydale crater. Before them was Anya’s sliced body, and a pile of dust. “Is that me?” asked Spike nodding towards the pile of dust. “Yep” “Never thought I’d see my own pile of dust.” “You aren’t really.” “I suppose I’m not,” said Spike, “but then this isn’t my dream” Buffy pulled Spike to her and kissed him. “I don’t want you to be a dream. I’ve wasted so much time. And now you are gone and I’ve lost my chance.” Spike fell away into a pile of dust, his black leather jacket falling to the side. Buffy fell to her knees and began to weep. __________________________________________ Buffy woke up in her room crying. She woke up crying nearly everyday. She looked around the piles of boxes in her room, illuminated by the street lights outside. It was very early in the morning. Certainly things had changed since they had arrived in LA. And now she was about to leave. She had been fooling herself that she could stay in LA. __________________________________________ He felt hot. He opened his eyes into the blinding sun. Instinctively he turned over and covered himself with his coat, trying to get our of the blinding and burning sun. He sat hunched over under his long black leather duster. He straightened his back cautiously. “Hold on a minute” he said to himself as he hesitantly stuck his hand out from the protection of his leather coat. Nothing happened. His shock was very apparent. He flexed his fingers in the sun. There was no burning sensation, no steam coming off of his pale skin. He pulled back his coat from over his head and looked into the blue cloudless sky. He looked down at the massive jewel that hung from his neck. “Healing powers, right,” he said remembering what Angel had said about the pendant. Spike looked around him to get his bearings. He was standing in the middle of a huge crater in the desert. “Sunnydale, you’ve looked better,” he said as he started walking to the edge. He didn’t really know what exactly happened to him but that was hardly foremost in his mind. He needed to find her, all else was secondary. __________________________________________ She was back in Sunnydale, in the Hellmouth. Spike stood before her, enveloped in the light, the cave crashing around them. “I love you” she said. “No you don’t, but it’s nice to hear , just the same,” he replied “Why don’t you believe me?” she cried. The cavern and Spike faded away. She was staring into the basement, his basement really. There was movement on the cot. She was watching a memory. The night before...when they had made love, when it was making love for the first time. They thought they were going to die. Why hadn’t she told him then? She heard herself moan. She knew what she had been thinking then. She wanted to say it, those three little words that he had wanted to hear for god knows how long. “Why didn’t you say it!” she screamed at herself on the cot. The figures on the cot did not stop. “Why didn’t you say it!” she sobbed. __________________________________________ Buffy woke up crying. Again. She clutched her pillow and then pulled something out from under it. Looking at it in the dawn light she opened it and made it spring to life. Spike’s lighter. The one thing she had left of his. She had grabbed it the morning of, as she headed up to her room to get clean clothes . Doubt he had noticed it. He wasn’t allowed smoking in the house. She closed it and ran her fingers over it. “I‘m not ready for you not to be here” she whispered into her dark room. __________________________________________ Buffy packed away a sweater into her back pack. All around her boxes of the few things she had managed to accumulate in her three months in LA stood motionless awaiting transport to the bus station. Dawn stood motionless in the doorway. “Please tell me you aren’t actually going to do this” asked Dawn hurt. “I am, Dawn” “Why?” “I’ve told you” “Explain it to me again, obviously I’ve missed why this is such a good idea.” “Dawnie,” said Buffy sadly, “There’s nothing for me here. LA clearly doesn’t need me. I have to go be where I am needed. I have to be the slayer, it’s who I am.” “How can you say that? You are needed, every week Angel is battling some new demon or other.” “Please, don’t go down that road.” “I need you. If you’ve made up your mind to leave, let me come with you.” “Dawn you need to finish high school, live a normal type life.” “I don’t want a normal life, I want a life with you in it. I want to spend as much time as I can with you before...” “Before I die again. Finish high school Dawn, that is more important than following your crazy, violent, death wish-y sister. After high school you can do whatever you want. High School. You only have one year left.” “If I don’t fail anything, 10 months of torture.” “You know I only want what is best for you.” “I’m still mad at you.” “I get it” “I’ll miss you tonnes, and you had better phone like everyday,” said Dawn, “or else” “Consider me warned.” “Will you come back for Thanksgiving?” “Dawn...” “Christmas?” “I’ll try” Buffy finished packing and clipped closed her pack. “Can I come with you to the station?” “I hate good byes” “So do I. Think of this as see you later.” “Take care of yourself Dawn. Don’t let evil step mom get you down.” “I’ll try. I love you Buffy.” “I know, I love you tonnes too. Willow will be here to protect you. She’s just a blood curdling scream away.” The two girls hugged and Buffy scurried down the stairs and out the door without another word to anyone else in the house. Buffy hadn’t enjoyed staying with her father and step mother these three months. They had expected her to bounce back from the “Earthquake“, faster that she did. They couldn’t figure out why she didn’t want to get a job or move out, and they really didn’t like her coming home at all hours of the night. In fact less than a month ago they had told her either to get a job or move out. Buffy chose option two. Buffy didn’t need money really. She had the insurance money from the Sunnydale house. It was enough to live on for a while. Willow and Xander had been supportive of her decision to leave LA. Willow was back at UCLA, still with Kennedy and eagerly awaiting the start of the fall semester. Xander had found himself a construction job, hated being made fun of because of his eye patch and was seriously considering the glass eye route. No one could say that they last three months hadn’t been hard on Xander. He felt Anya’s loss more than he would ever admit to. Buffy walked to the bus station in the dark. She liked the dark, it was her realm. Spike had once told her that she was a creature of the darkness, just like him. She believed it now. The dark was comforting, but LA dark wasn’t Sunnydale dark. There was too much life going on that wasn’t demonic or undead. There was too many humans to get in the way. Buffy had tried to patrol cemeteries after coming to LA. One too many times she stumbled onto druggies getting their hit or couples getting it on. The vamps she found were hardly a challenge. She left them up to Kennedy and Rona. “Cleveland,” she sighed as she picked up her ticket at the station. A Hellmouth was somewhere to start. Buffy sat in the brightly illuminated station waiting for her bus to start boarding. She looked at the estimated time of arrival in Cleveland, a day and a half later. How was she going to sit still for that long? She looked up and saw him. Of course how could she have doubted that he would follow her here. “Angel,” she said putting her ticket in her jacket pocket and standing up to meet him. “I heard you were leaving LA.” “Ya heard right.” “Why?” “I don’t know, need to find purpose, find my own little hell hole to defend again. The last one is a crater right now.” “Ok, that’s a reason.” “I thought it was a pretty good reason.” “Running away.” He said it more like a fact than a question. “From what Angel?” “Memories, me.” “Yes and no...” “Buffy...” “Angel, we went through this two months ago. We can’t have it all back. Things have changed, I’ve changed. I can’t start hoping for something that will never happen. I don’t love you like that anymore, and you don’t love me like that either,” she breathed, “I’m not seventeen anymore.” He looked away hurt. “I’m sorry,” she said tearfully, “I need someone who’s love is permanent, soul or not.” There she had said it. It had been on her mind for weeks now, the truth why she could never be with him again. “Buffy that’s not possible.” “Oh, but it is. It was,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Buffy...” he said reaching for her. “Please don’t,” she said backing away from him. “Let me wallow in my own misery. I’ve lived with some form or other for seven years now. Why not a little more? Being a slayer means I’m alone, I’ll always be alone, everyone leaves me or dies. I should be used to it now, don’t you think?” “Buffy, I won’t leave you, not again.” “No? Your soul might, and I’ve seen you with out it, Angelus, it’s not pretty. People die.” Buffy exhaled. “I’m sorry that was vindictive. I shouldn’t have said it.” “It’s all true. It was the reason I left Sunnydale. I always knew I was wrong for you. I guess I just didn’t want to believe it.” He walked away into the shadows. “I’ll be here if you need me.” Buffy wiped a tear away from her nose and walked back to her bench where she had been sitting. She took a look at the station clock. The bus would be boarding soon. She had known in her heart that is was over, truly over, between Angel and her after they had first arrived in LA. She didn’t know why it had occurred to her at all. Perhaps seeing him with a smile on his face happy to have her in his home, alive and needing him, his soul aching for her made her think about it. His soul. Angel had never, ever wanted a soul. He had proved that when he lost his and started to hurt her in everyway imaginable. Angel hadn’t loved her without the soul. Spike had. That was the difference. Spike had loved her for months before she died. Spike had mourned her death, and he continued to love her after she was brought back, even though she didn’t love him and told him frequently. Spike had even won his soul back, for her. Because he loved her. Angel hadn’t done anything of the sort. It was in that instant, looking at Angel, him smiling at her, firm in the knowledge that his competition was gone, that she knew for certain. Spike’s love had ruined her for anyone else. She knew it. So she would remain alone, like Slayers were supposed to, until she died...again. The bus was boarding. Buffy picked up her pack and headed for the bus. As she turned wrench her pack on her back she saw something that made her catch her breath. There standing in the bus station squinting against the harsh florescent lights she saw the one person she never expected to see again. Spike. Dressed just has he had been when he burnt before her. Buffy blinked a few times and shook her head, refusing to look back at the same spot. It wasn’t real. It was her imagination playing tricks on her. It was the wrenching conversation with Angel that had made her think about him and now her mind was seeing people who weren’t there. She headed for the bus once more, then she turned back to check. He had gone. *Silly Buffy,* she thought to herself as she headed outside the station to where the buses were parked. She turned around the corner and saw him again. *Not real,* she thought, *not real.* She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds hope for the image to go away. She opened her eyes once more only to find him standing directly in front of her. “You aren’t real,” she said matter of factly, “ You aren’t him, you think that because I see him in my mind every day that it would be fun to play with my feelings this way. I bet you woke up this morning and thought, Gee I haven’t picked on the slayer for a while what can I do to screw with her brain?” “Buffy...” he said tenderly, “I’m not the first.” There was pain in his eyes. “No? I saw you burn. Explain that!” “I can’t, pet...” he said reaching for her. Buffy backed away “Please, why can’t you just leave me alone?” “For god’s sake, Buffy... I am real. I don’t know why I’m back on god’s green earth again or how long I was gone. Please...” he said reaching for her again. Buffy braced herself for his hand to slide through her face, but it made contact. As he touched her, her face lightened. Her hand went to his and held it to her cheek. Her eyes watered. “I want to believe,” she whispered, “Don’t toy with me, I beg you.” “I wouldn’t do that, pet,” he said tenderly. “Toying with you will get me staked good and proper.” “Spike?....” she whispered. “Big bad evil vampire at your service.” he said, his hand still caressing her face. A tear edged it’s way down her cheek. With one movement Buffy stepped into his arms and hugged him. The tears came in a torrent down her cheeks. This is a dream she thought, a horrible nightmarish dream that will end up with her crying hysterically. “If this is a trick,” she said between sobs, “Not only will you die, but it will be a long painful and slow death.” He smiled. It was something in the smile that did it. She knew he was real, or that she was just too desperate to fight it. If it was a trick, She hoped that whatever it was killed her. “I...missed you,” she said resting her head on his chest. She wrapped her arms under this duster and was holding him so tightly it made her arms hurt. She didn’t let go. She didn’t want to let go. She just wanted to hold him, for all eternity. She could feel his arms around her, caressing her in a very familiar way. Her tears made wet marks on his black t shirt. He smelt the same, his body felt the same. Still she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all too good to be true, that somehow this was not real. And she wanted it to be real, with every fibre of her being. She wanted him. She needed him. “Um, pet, how’s about we sit or something?” he asked. Buffy did a mental assessment of where they were. Standing on the curb out side the bus station, people trying to get past them. He detached himself from her, but kept her hand in his as they walked across the street to a park bench. Buffy tried to pull herself together. She was shaking inside, she couldn’t help it. She resisted the urge to hug him again as she looked up into his eyes. “How long was I gone?” he asked looking deep into her eyes. “97 and a half days.” “You counted?” “You did, when I was gone. 147 days wasn’t it?” “Yes it was, a long time.” Buffy looked down at their intertwined fingers. He relaxed his grip under her scrutiny, but she wouldn’t let his hand go. “How long have you been...back” she whispered. “Today. Woke up in the middle of the crater.” “But how...?” she looked at him questioningly “How did you get here so soon? How did you know I’d be in LA?” “I stole a car, and I didn’t know you’d be here, I hoped to heaven that you were. Couldn’t think of anywhere else you would be. Angel’s here, figured he’d put you all up.” Buffy got angry. “You just assumed I would turn to Angel?” “Didn’t you?” “Ug jealous vampires. Predictable,” said Buffy looking away. “Nothing happened Spike. Nothing ever will again. I was living with Dawn at my father’s house, not that it is any of your business. You were dead...er. You’ve always been in competition with him, getting tired of it.” “I think that after you kissing him,” continued Spike, “that one naturally assumes when one is dead...” “I thought we talked about that Spike, it was just Hello,” countered Buffy. Spike made a sound of disbelief. “And for your information there was no similar hello when we got to LA. By the time we got here, Dawn had finally realised that you weren’t coming back. She was hysterical. I took her to Dad’s right away.” They sat in silence for a beat or two, before Buffy realised that she hadn’t said hello to him. He face softened and Buffy leaned in towards him, her free hand touching the outline of his face. Slowly and gently she let her lips meet his. She pressed forward opening her mouth slightly letting her tongue probe, finally finding it’s way into his cool mouth. She breathed into him, slightly warming his mouth up, then pulled away gently. She smiled. “Hello Spike,” she said tenderly, “ Please don’t leave me again.” “Never pet,” Buffy smiled again and let go of his hand. Her fingers had begun to lose feeling anyway. Spike started looking through his coat. He found a slightly squashed pack of cigarettes, took one out, and was still searching for his zippo. Buffy smiled as he frantically searched for his lighter. Slowly she took it out of her pants pocket, and lit his cigarette for him. “Now where did you get that?” he asked taking it from her. “Picked my pocket while you had your way with me?” “No, I mean yes, I mean... I wanted something of yours, in case you died, or I died. I wanted something of you with me,” she said her eyes on the grass. “I was with you.” “I know. Right up until the end. Then you burned,” she said her eyes watering, daring not to meet his. “And now here I am.” Buffy looked up once more. She couldn’t stand it, she needed to touch him. She put her hand on his thigh, leaning in. Before she could get any closer he leaned back on his hands and puffed his cigarette. “How is the bit?” he asked. “She took your going pretty hard, but she’s ok now. Starts school again soon,” told Buffy, “She hates our step mom, frequently is looking up curses, but Willow refuses to cast them.” “Your step mum can’t be that bad.” “Oh she can. It’s why I’m leaving.” said Buffy sadly. “Leaving?” “Was supposed to get on a bus to Cleveland, it’s long gone now though.” “What’s in Cleveland?” “Hellmouth.” “Naturally.” “Wanna come with?” “I’d follow you anywhere, Slayer.” tbc...

Chapter #2 - Hell wasn’t in Sunnydale, it’s in this bus.

Disclaimer: Ya, I know, not mine. __________________________________________ Chapter 2: Hell wasn’t in Sunnydale, it’s in this bus. Dawn adjusted her picture of Buffy in her room. Buffy would be in Nevada or Utah or something by now. It had only been half a day really since Buffy left but already Dawn felt alone. Dad and Valery were no help. Already Valery had suggested that Dawn find a part time job. Dawn refused. She held the trump card. Dawn was only sixteen but legally Buffy held her guardianship. Dawn wasn’t going to put up with crap from the evil step mom. It had been clear from the beginning that Hank Summers was grateful that his two daughters were safe from the Sunnydale earthquake and wanted to have them live with him, it was Valery who was pushy. Xander and Willow stopped by today to check up on her, probably according to Buffy’s instructions. This was Dawn’s time to prove that she could be responsible and adult like, to Buffy, to Willow and everyone else. They had made a sort of bargain. Ten months, to fast track and graduate high school and then she could do whatever else she wanted with her life. That’s what she planned to do. She was pretty sure Buffy’s version of do whatever you want with your life did not mean being turned into a vampire or opening the gates of hell, but surely a respectable position as a watcher would be a good idea. Giles was in England even now trying to rebuild the watcher’s council, with all those watchers dead they would need recruits and who better than one personally trained by the master watcher himself? The high school thing was probably a good idea. Dawn wanted to study ancient languages in England, she wanted to go there, a year after training with Buffy. Dawn planned to spend her spare time working on her translations reading up on demons and other big baddies that could possibly help in some future fight. She was also going to get help from Willow about herbs and other magical things that she needed to know about. Oh, and get a boyfriend who wasn’t a demon/ vampire. Seemed like a lot on her plate. And cheer up Xander. He was still sad about Anya. She could tell every time she saw him. Dawn wished that she could help him though his pain. Willow had said to give him time, give him space, but it was hard. It seemed that all Dawn wanted to do when he was near was hug him, as if that would make it all better. He was her friend, the only one who truly understood her, and it hurt her to see him in pain. The only people who seemed at ease with everything was Willow and Kennedy, happy and majorly stuck on each other. Kennedy was nice and all, but Dawn felt that they weren’t right together. Tara seemed the only girl for Willow, even after all this time. Dawn took a look in the hallway mirror before bounding down the stairs. “I’m going out,” she called. “Where are you going and with whom?” asked Valery from the kitchen. “Out, with my friends,” replied Dawn. “Back by 10 pm,” instructed Valery. “Fine,” Dawn grumbled as she slammed the door. Nasty cow, Dawn thought. Willow was at the corner with Xander, Kennedy and Andrew. She smiled as they came into view. This was her real family. All she was missing was Buffy, Giles, Anya and Spike. “Dawn, you look pissed,” said Xander, “Evil step mom?” “I know Buffy’s been gone only a day and I know I agreed to stay at Dad’s but I can’t stand that woman. I wish I knew a vengeance demon.” Dawn caught herself as she said the words. “I’m sorry Xander.” “Movie,” said Willow clearly trying to change the subject, “I’ve heard good things about Chicago.” “Musicals...not my cup of tea,” said Kennedy. “How about a nice action flick.” “I’ve had just about enough action for a while now thanks,” said Xander. “Lord of the Rings?” suggested Andrew. The group all shrugged and walk on. “I’ve had a letter from Giles,” said Willow, “He’s arrived safely in England and wants to know all the news.” “Is he still going to set up a school for Slayers?” asked Kennedy. “Yes, so he says, but its a big undertaking. He’ll need major help what with the rebuilding from scratch and all of the watchers council.” “Makes me feel bad that we are going to see a movie,” said Dawn. “I wouldn’t know where to start.” “I wonder what Buffy is doing right now,” said Xander. “Probably getting off the bus in Cleveland making her way to the Hellmouth,” said Kennedy, “Itching to fight another demon.” “Naa, she’s still on the bus. She told me she would phone me on my cell as soon as she’s there,” said Dawn. __________________________________________ Buffy opened her eyes and watched the wheat fields flash by her through the bus window. It was morning. The windows were tinted, but she didn’t know how tinted they needed to be for him. She closed the curtains and looked over at the sleeping vampire beside her. She leaned over and kissed his forehead before pulling his leather jacket over his head. She looked through a tiny crack in the curtains coverage out into the fields. Before her lay Cleveland , a Hellmouth and new ways to kill and be killed. She wondered if she had done the right thing by leaving Dawn. There would have been schools in Cleveland too. Maybe she should have gone to England with Giles to set up a slayers school. Maybe she just should have started her own life. All she knew now was that it didn’t matter as long as she had him by her side, fighting with her. The person ahead of her started squirming in his seat. A rest stop was coming up soon. She hoped that there would be a butchers shop or grocery store nearby, Spike was going to need to eat soon. He couldn’t live on the rare hamburgers he had been eating at the last 3 stops. But if this guy doesn’t stop squirming I will let Spike eat him. But he won‘t do that now, he has a soul. She should have never taken Spike on a bus full of annoying people for over 24 hours. The rest stop came and went, no butcher, no source of non human blood. Just a Mickey D’s in the middle of no where. Buffy returned to the bus disappointed that should couldn’t even get him a tiny bit of blood. As she walked back down the aisle she caught a glimpse of the guy in the seat in front of her. He looked familiar, but his beard and moustache were wildly out of place. It wasn’t until he looked into her eyes that she recognized him: it was Oz. Buffy raised a hand to her mouth. “Oz?” she whispered. “Buffy.” “Oh my god, how are you?” she said as she slipped into the empty seat beside him. “Surviving,” he said, “You”? “Same.” “I heard about Sunnydale. Nasty. Did everyone make it?” “Everyone being Willow? We lost a few really good people. Xander lost an eye, got the whole pirate thing going on.” “How is Willow?” “Good, She’s at UCLA, still very Wicca-y” “Glad to hear it.” “So how about you? What’s new?” “It goes the same, not so good three nights a month, but I haven’t managed to kill anyone in years, so I think that’s progress.” “I thought you were in Nepal.” “Was for a while, decided to come back to the good old US of A, there’s only so many yeti jokes I can handle.” “You should have said hello while you were in LA. I know Willow would have liked it.” “I didn’t want to interfere. She made her feelings know a long time ago. If she is happy then I am happy for her.” “So...Cleveland?” “Cleveland, thought I’d check it out, see if there’s a place for a hairy guy like me. You?” “Hellmouth.” “You aren’t going to do to Cleveland what you did to Sunnydale are you?” “Hey, I didn’t do anything to Sunnydale, really. It was the First Evil.” “Ok, just let me know if you do. K? So I can get out of town.” “Deal” Buffy could hear movement from the seat behind her. “Excuse me for a sec,” she said. Buffy kneeled up on her seat and leaned over the back. She lifted Spike’s jacket. “Good Morning!” she said pleasantly. “It’s a bright and sunny day outside, so you should probably stay under there.” “I’ve been crammed into this seat for an unbearable amount of time Slayer,” said Spike annoyed. “It’s just a little while longer.” “Buffy sat down in the seat with a sigh, “Only Eight hours to go.” “Angel?” asked Oz. “Huh?” “Angel. Under the coat.” “No, not Angel,” responded Buffy, “Spike.” “Spike?” “Yep” “Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.” “Yep, change is good.” __________________________________________ “You weren’t serious about that vengeance demon comment, were you?” asked Willow the next day during a shopping excursion. “No, no really, though sometimes...” Dawn trailed off. “Dawn, is it really that bad?” “No I suppose not, she’s not Buffy. She’s not you, she’s not Tara. You guys were my family. It’s like I’ve been abandoned to two people who know nothing about me. They talk about the Earthquake and I have to think about what they mean. Last night Dad joked to me that I was acting like Buffy had died. For someone who wasn’t ever really part of my like, he really pisses me off by trying to be all dad like.” “He’s just trying.” “Sure he is” “Dawnie, promise me that you will tell me if ever you are having problems at home.” “Ok” Dawn’s bag started to chime to the tune of Scooby-Doo. “Hello?” said Dawn into the phone. “Dawn it’s Buffy.” “Buffy!” said Dawn happily, “It’s Buffy,” she told Willow. “Are you in Cleveland?” “No, I’m at a rest stop in, good lord, somewhere in Kansas. It’s been a long ride.” “How much longer to go?” “Twelve hours.” “Wow,” “Ya, except try having a grumpy vampire complaining beside you the whole way.” “Grumpy Vampire? You didn’t take Angel with you did you?” “No Dawn, not Angel. Spike. He’s alive, undead, whatever. He showed up at the bus station.” “Spike’s alive!” screamed Dawn jumping up and down. “He says hi, he would have like to say it himself, but it’s daylight, he’s on the bus.” “So I guess everything is ok with you too then?” “Everything is good, I think. I have more news, Oz is on the bus too.” “Oz?” said Dawn like she didn’t remember who he was. Willow grabbed the phone away from Dawn. “Buffy, it’s Willow, what about Oz?” “Will, he’s on the bus, to Cleveland.” “Is he there? Can I talk to him?” “Will he’s on the bus, he doesn’t know I’m phoning you.” “Right, he’s probably not ready, call me when you get to Cleveland. And tell him, well tell him hi for me.” “I will.” Willow handed the phone to Dawn. “Buffy?” said Dawn “Dawn, I have to get on the bus. I’ll call you when I get there ok?” “K” “Dawn I love you.” “I love you too” Buffy hung up the phone and walked back to the bus. Spike was still hidden under his jacket and the blanket Buffy had brought with her on the bus, but now he and Oz were trying to play cards in the cramped space. Buffy sat down in Oz’s empty seat “Dawn and Willow say hi,” said Buffy looking through the crack between the seats. “How did the nib take the news that I’m back?” asked Spike. “She was ecstatic, I think she jumped around for a bit.” She smiled. “ Willow especially wanted me to say hi to you too, Oz” “That’s nice,” said Oz absently. Buffy smiled knowingly, “So who’s winning?” “I am,” they both said together. “Careful Oz, he cheats,” said Buffy, reaching for her copy of Cosmo, “Three more hours until sundown, Twelve more hours until we get off this bus. __________________________________________ They stopped in a small town in Missouri just after 8 pm. At last Spike would get off the bus. The moment they stopped Buffy could see the look in his eye. Safely off the bus he pulled her aside “I need to eat Buffy, it’s weak of me I know but either I feed or I might do something nasty on the bus.” “I know. I should have tried harder during the day .” “No, don’t blame yourself, this is my problem.” “No, it’s our problem,” she said looking into his eyes. She saw it there in his eyes, like she could read his mind for a brief second. He would have said it if he hadn’t been afraid of the consequences. She wanted him to say it. “So what’s your fancy, cat? dog? cow?” she continued. “Except I don’t see any of those just wandering about town.” “I’m up for breaking into the local butcher shop.” He smiled. __________________________________________ Back on the bus they found Oz fast asleep, snoring quietly. Alone in the dark corner of the bus Spike took Buffy’s hand to help her into the seat. She didn’t let go. They sat there in the dark for a long time before one of them broke the silence. “Tell me what happened, after you left me in the cave,” he asked. He didn’t want to talk about what happened in the cave. Buffy couldn’t help but let a pained expression catch her face. She took a deep breath and started the cold grim facts. “I ran. Everything was falling. I ran on to the roof, and kept running. Jumped on to the roof of the bus. Watched as Sunnydale collapsed. The whole town sinking into the ground. When the bus stopped and I slid down from the roof I couldn’t look away. Dawn hugged me, they asked why the town was a crater. You did it, Spike, you closed the Hellmouth. I was so proud of you.” she squeezed his hand. “They kept asking me what we were going to do now. Live, that’s all I could think, because you wanted me to live. And I wanted to. We drove to LA. Angel put everyone up, the wounded went to the hospital. Dawn I think had the hardest time not knowing when you were going to show up. Willow said “He deserves to be in Heaven,” and Dawn lost it. Took her to Dad’s house. I couldn’t have stayed there. When you were gone, I counted everyday. Ninety Seven days. I thought at first I could just move on, be strong for the rest, get us all to LA. But once we were safe I started to shut down.” “Did the same when you were gone. 147 days. Except I didn’t have to make sure that people were safe, you did that.” Buffy rested her head on Spike’s chest. “You had my back, right until the end” she whispered. She was proud of him. Him, evil vampire, him. He deserves to be in heaven, the witch had said. If that wasn’t praise... In death, a second time around, perhaps the scooby prats had accepted his little contribution to the group, to the saving of the earth. Little? No not little, and she was proud of him for it. Spike couldn’t help but smile. tbc...

Chapter #3 - Shadows and Ashes

Disclaimer: So I was walking along one day and was viciously attacked by a demon for the right to own BTVS. Sadly I had to tell the thing that I didn’t own Buffy and Spike. Author’s note: Thanks to all my reviewers! __________________________________________ Chapter 3: Shadows and Ashes Buffy took a look at her new apartment. It was barely furnished, just a bed a set of drawers, stove, fridge, no curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room. It needed work. Buffy threw down her back pack and started looking in cupboards, the fridge and closets. There was no phone, nothing. She had left a message on Dawn’s phone. Obviously she was at school. The same happened at Willow’s and Xander’s. It was 10 am on a Wednesday morning after all. Only hours ago she Spike and Oz got off the bus. Oz had gone on to wherever he was going. Spike was in a crypt for the day, leaving Buffy alone to get things set up in her new place. She looked into her empty fridge. She needed to go grocery shopping. Buffy sat down on her new bed and rested her head on her hands and started to cry. __________________________________________ Dawn walked home from school happier than she had been for months. School was ok. It was good to be with kids who weren’t superheroes, like her. She had made 2 new friends, the most normal people she had ever met and there was a boy, Rick, possibly the dreamiest guy she had seen in a good long time, next to Spike of course. She was still cautious- the last guy she went our on a date with turned out to be have a weird hypnotic jacket. Dawn turned on to her street, preparing herself for another encounter with Valery. As the house came into view, Dawn could see the outline of the house, the frames smoking, the house and empty shell of what it had been. “Oh my god!” said Dawn as she ran to her house. Her step mother was distraught outside on the lawn as police were trying to get a statement from the wailing woman. Valery caught a glimpse of Dawn running towards the house. “Dawn!” shouted Valery, “Stop!” Dawn halted in her tracks, 3 houses away. “Don’t come any closer! Go to Willow’s,” shouted Valery. Dawn stood puzzled for a moment before taking off in the direction of Willow’s campus dorm room. Willow met her at the door. “Oh my goddess, Dawn. Valery called me an hour ago. I’m so glad you are safe.” “Willow, what’s going on?” “There’s been some, nastiness at your Dad’s house.” “No kidding” “Valery doesn’t know what happened. She says that she saw a bright green light, weird voices and then the house was on fire.” “What do the police think it was?” “Arson, but I don’t think pyromaniacs are our problem, think this has demon written all over it.” “Really?” said Dawn happily “You didn’t make a wish to a vengeance demon did you?” “Willow!” said Dawn shocked, “To burn down my house? Like I’d really do that.” “Just checking, Feel like doing some research?” “Feels like a distraction if you ask me.” “Distraction yes, but also useful.” “ We need to tell Buffy” “When she calls next.” said Willow, “ I promise.” __________________________________________ But Buffy didn’t call at all that day. Dawn thought it pretty strange that Dad or Valery hadn’t called her to see if she was alright. The first few days of her 10 months was turning out weirder than ever. Both Xander and Andrew showed up to play scrabble that night, to keep Dawn’s mind off her house burnt up. “So got any demon-y leads on what burnt down your house?” asked Andrew during a pause in the scrabble action. Willow and Xander shot him looks of death but he failed to pay attention. He just wanted to talk to Dawn. “No, Giles took all the relevant books with him to England. I might try on the web tomorrow at school.” “How was school?” asked Xander obviously trying to change the subject. “Good made a couple of new friends, my teachers are ok. It’s very normal.” “Normal is good,” said Willow “Normal is boring,” said Dawn, “I miss Buffy.” “I’m sure she will call tomorrow.” Dawn slept on Willow’s floor that night. She was awakened by a phone ringing early in the morning. Immediately Dawn thought it was Buffy. As she sat up Willow hung up the phone. “Was that Buffy?” asked Dawn. “It was Valery. She says it would probably be best if you went to school as normal.” “She must feel very concerned for me” said Dawn sarcastically as she rolled over and put her head on her pillow. “Dawn...” “I’ll go.... 9 months and 27 days.” __________________________________________ Dawn was safely at school. Willow returned to the site of the Summer’s burnt house. Valery was already there. “Willow,” said Valery in semi greeting, with her back turned to the witch. “Valery,” “It’s all ruined, there’s nothing here to salvage,” said Valery distraught. “Can the bullshit Valery, you need to tell me everything you know.” “Are you sure you want that kind of responsibility?” “Are you loony? I just want to know who’s responsible for the fire and why you are acting all creepy.” “I just want to protect him.” “Hank. You saw this coming, didn’t you?” Valery nodded. “I have visions, every once in a while. About my life, a glimpse in the future, nothing concrete. Dabbled in witch craft when I was your age. Suspect it’s a consequence. Since the hellmouth was closed I’ve had them nearly everyday. Something wants to kill the Summers. To make sure they are no more. I don’t know why. I want to protect him. It’s why I wanted Buffy to leave. If she’s here, he’s in danger. He doesn’t even know how dangerous she is. I know that Dawn must not come back here. He’s not safe with them around.” “If you’ve seen the future then tell me who’s behind it.” “I can’t. I do know that whatever it is will keep coming after them, Hank, Dawn and Buffy. Until the slayers line is ended and the legacy can go on.” “Whoa, be kind, rewind, please... the slayers line?” “That’s what the voices in my head said, Before...” “You had warning? That’s why you survived. But why were you the target if what ever this is, is after the Summers, you aren’t a Summers Valery.” “No but my baby is,” said Valery putting a hand protectively against her stomach. “Congratulations then,” said Willow awkwardly. “Thanks,” said Valery smiling, “ wait a minute,” she said nudging something with her shoe, “I’ve never seen this before.” Valery picked up a wooden box from the ashes of the house. “I wonder how it didn’t get burnt?” Willow let her mouth open in astonishment. She knew exactly what that was. She thought it had been lost in Sunnydale. Willow reached out with her hands. “Do you know what it is Willow?” asked Valery. “Ya...” __________________________________________ Later that night Willow, Xander, Kennedy and Andrew waited for Dawn to come home from School. Dawn walked into Willow’s dorm room happy and chipper from the bright sunshiny day. The moment she saw the dark faces of her friend she knew right away that things were not all rainbows and puppies. “No need to ask how your day went,” said Dawn. “Kennedy, you had better go,” said Willow. Kennedy rose from the table, kissed Willow and went out the door giving Dawn a ‘cheer up’ smile as she went. “Ok now you are freaking me out” said Dawn. “We need to talk,” said Willow seriously, “I know what burnt down your house.” “Is something trying to kill me again? Cause that’s what you all look like you are going to tell me.” “It’s worse than that Dawn, if you could sit...” said Xander. “No I won’t sit, tell me now. Has something happened to Buffy?” “Not that we know of,” said Willow. “Please let me finish.” Dawn crossed her arms angrily. They never stopped thinking she was just a child. “Do you remember the shadow caster box that sent Buffy into another dimension and gave us a demon? The one that came from Principal Wood’s mother?” Said Willow. “Ya..” “It was in the ashes of your house.” “But how...It would have gone down with all of the rest of our stuff in Sunnydale.” “Valery also told me that she heard voices before the fire, men’s voices. They said something about ending the slayers line and making the legacy go on. I think that something, those men Buffy talked to in that other dimension are trying to kill everyone with Summers blood, so that the legacy of the slayer can go back to the way it was before I cast that spell.” “Why do they need to kill us?” asked Dawn, sitting finally in a chair. “I don’t know, I need to do some research on the spell I cast how it can be reversed.” “So my Dad is in danger, is that where Kennedy went? to protect him?” “Yes and Valery.” “What has Valery got to do with it?” “She’s pregnant Dawn.” __________________________________________ Buffy sat on a tomb stone in one of the local cemeteries. The sun had only just done down, it had been a busy day. She now had food in her fridge, curtains on the windows, sheets on her bed and weapons unpacked. She wanted some dusty action. After sitting on that bus for so long she needed to make sure that she could still slay. “Hey, what are you doing here?” a male voice asked her from behind. Buffy could tell it wasn’t a vampire, just from the way her insides didn’t flip-flop. “Paying my respects,” said Buffy turning to the voice. The man was mid 30 ish, brown hair, dark eyes. He commanded attention. “To...Mark Bellamy, 1901-1986?” “Sure.” “Ok, You know you really shouldn’t be in here after dark.” “Don’t you worry. I can take care of myself.” “I don’t think you realise what you are getting yourself into.” “You’d be surprised. Who are you anyway?” Buffy asked. “David Gable, Caretaker of this place.” “Makes sense, I didn’t expect any other people wandering around cemeteries at night, well except dumb kids.” “Like you?” “Harsh much? I wouldn’t exactly call myself a dumb kid,” said Buffy “What would you call yourself?” asked Gable Just then two vampires shot out of graves to the left of Buffy. “You need to leave,” said Gable “And miss all the fun?” said Buffy, “ hardly.” Buffy watched as Gable actually took on one of the vamps himself. Having staked one of the vamps she stood back and watched Gable fight against the other. He was having some trouble against the vamp. “Need some help?” asked Buffy “No, I’m fine.” “Are you sure, cause you look a little clobbered,” Gable punched the vamp in the nose and got back on to his feet, then staked the vamp. “So you are just a caretaker?” said Buffy “Those were vampires.” “Ya...I know” “Maybe you should tell me just exactly who you are,” he said breathing deeply “I asked first” “I am the caretaker of this cemetery. I’ve been hunting vampires since I was 16 when my father was killed by one.” “Fair enough,” said Buffy, “Buffy Summers, Chosen One, Vampire Slayer.” “Nice title, had it long?” “Since I was 15 or so.” “Get paid with that title?” he said sneering. “You really have no clue, do you?” “I think your aren’t what you say you are” “Look, I’m not trying to move in on your territory.” “No, I think you are trying to get close then go in for the kill.” “Do you really think you are that important mate?” said Spike’s voice from behind Buffy. Buffy turned around and smiled. He had snuck up behind her while she was in the heat of the argument. “I’m sure the vampires would love to get rid of me,” said Gable. “I’m sure they’d like to eat you actually. Frankly I’m surprised you’ve lived this long,” said Buffy. “I’m good at what I do,” said Gable. “Then how come we’ve never heard of you mate? The mighty Vampire Hunter of Cleveland in all his glory?” said Spike. Buffy laughed. She had been missing Spike’s cocky sense of humour. She let herself be taken in by his eyes. Buffy blinked returning herself to her environment. “Look maybe you’ve been doing this for a while, but there is not need for us to argue, obviously you have this place under control. I was just looking for a work out.” “A work out? You call that a work out! This is life and death little girl.” shouted Gable. Buffy laughed. “Actually, no I don’t call it a work out, I haven’t had a decent work out with a vampire since I last saved the world. It was nice meeting you, I’ll try to stay our of your cemetery from now on.” Buffy turned away and walked towards the exit of the cemetery. Spike followed obediently behind. “Has an inflated sense of self that one.” he commented. “His arrogance probably keeps him alive.” said Buffy, “I’m afraid you will have to move.” “I gathered that much. No problem not the roomiest crypt I’ve ever stayed in.” “Sorry about the inconvenience.” “Heard from Dawn lately?” “No, my phone will be hooked up tomorrow.” “What were you really doing in there anyway?” “Hoping to recapture a purpose.” “And?” “It was familiar, slaying ordinary vampires again. I haven’t really done that for a while,” said Buffy, “I’d like to feel in the game. That guy really pissed me off though.” “Want to go back and teach him a lesson?” “Maybe some other time” “How’s the new place working out?” “It’s a work in progress, what we really need to do now is to find the Hellmouth and make certain that it is still very buried. Got any ideas?” “Well I’d suggest asking Mr Vampire Hunter but he seems pretty out of the loop, doesn’t even know about the Slayer... Probably doesn’t know much.” “Doubt he gets out of the cemetery much.” “Well I’ll see if any old acquaintances are in town.” “Want me to come with?” asked Buffy, “ I’m feeling a bit useless right now.” “Call Dawn, pep talk from her will do you good.” “Thanks” said Buffy trying to smile. “I’ll check on you later.” __________________________________________ Willow looked over the box she had taken from Valery. “This has something to do with you doesn’t it?” she said turning the box around on the table. “I wonder what secrets you haven’t yet told us?” __________________________________________ Dawn answered her cell phone on the second ring. “Buffy?” said Dawn eagerly. “Dawn is everything ok there?” “Oh Buffy. I’m so glad you called. Dad’s house is burnt down. Willow thinks those men from the shadow caster box is trying to kill our family so that the slayer legacy will go back to the way it was.” said Dawn at the speed of a train. “Huh? Who’s trying to kill you now?” “It’s not just me Buffy, they are trying to kill Valery, and Dad and probably you too.” “Where are you staying right now?” “At Willow’s.” “Good stay there. Get Willow to put a protection spell on you.” “Here?” “Yes, you are safer with Willow, she won’t let anything happen to you until we figure out how to stop this.” “But I want to be with you, and Spike. I’m safest with you two.” “Dawn how do you think you are going to be able to get here? Plane, train or bus you will be vulnerable and alone on the journey.” “Buffy...” “Dawn, I’ll get you to me, but I want you safe. I love you.” “I wish Spike was here.” “You will see him soon. I promise. Can I talk to Willow? Is she there?” Dawn passed the phone to Willow, who had been keeping one ear to the conversation, while still trying to read the large and dusty volume before her. “Buffy?” said Willow. “Who’s protecting my dad?” “I’ve put Kennedy on it,” “Good. Keep Dawn safe. Does Giles know?” “Yes I've called him. He’s sending me the book that came with the shadow caster box. I need to do a little reconnaissance, to figure out how to stop it,” “Ok, what can I do?” “Nothing right now, unless you want Dawn to come to you.” “No too dangerous.” “Ya, ok. Don’t worry. We are on it on this end.” “Good K, keep me in the loop ok? I’ll get my new phone number tomorrow. I’ll call you and Dawn tomorrow.” “How’s Oz?” “I haven’t seen him since getting off the bus Willow.” “Oh,” “I’m sure I’ll see him soon.” “How goes the decorating?” “Good, I think. I’ve got a sorta bohemian dungeon thing going on.” “Sounds beautiful.” __________________________________________ Buffy hung up the phone in despair. Why had she left Dawn alone? And now her Dad was a target too. She should have never left LA. Buffy punched the phone booth in frustration. “Did the thing eat your quarter?” asked Spike, “Things aren’t going well in LA,” he said a statement rather than a question. “Do you know something?” Buffy asked, “or is my pleasant phone booth manner giving me away?” “Both” “Spill” “The word is out that you and your loved ones have become targets. The spell the witch cast has made you all very unpopular with the powers that be and virtually every demon in the world. It used to be that to avoid the slayer you just had to stay out of Sunnyhell. Now you lot are everywhere.” “What do you know about what’s happening in LA?” “No one knows for sure, but they know that the natural order will be restored soon.” “Great, cryptic prophecy.” “We don’t exactly work in a realm of clear cut facts now do we?” “Dawn’s in trouble Spike, so is my Dad and here I am hanging out in a city thousands of miles away. I can’t do anything to help them.” “You need to do something to take your mind off it, pet,” he said walking closer to her and putting his hand on her hip. “I need to sleep.” “So you can stew in your own misery. Ya good plan.” “I didn’t ask for your opinion” “No you didn’t, but I’m giving it to you anyway. You are scared, this is the first time that you haven’t been there to call the shots. The witch won’t let anything happen to the nibblet. You need to protect yourself. Whatever this thing is, it will come after you too.” “You are right, but Dawn’s life is far more important than mine. She can have a future. She needs to live, to have a normal life.” “The life that you never had? Are you protecting Dawn because she’s your sister or because she’s you in the life you can’t have?” “Huh?” “Face it slayer, you aren’t exactly the most normal girl in the world. Most girls your age have careers, education, boyfriends and are starting to think about families. You aren’t exactly clammering to get those things are you? But you’ve accepted that, because Dawn was your way out. You could live vicariously through her. Has it ever occurred to you that she may not want to have a normal life?” Buffy stared blankly at him. He could always read her like a book. It was a shame really that since they had gotten on that bus, there had been no declaration of love. Here he was laying her psyche out for her to inspect, again. But he hadn’t said “I love you” since Sunnydale. He couldn’t take it anymore. “Bloody hell, say something, punch me, do something,” he begged. A tear trickled down Buffy’s cheek. “Oh god, I’m sorry,” he said moving closer to her. “No, no, it’s not your fault. Well probably it is. Am I just so easy to read?” And why don’t you say you love me anymore? “Only to me,” he said taking her hand for a moment. “I’ll let you get some sleep.” He wanted to get drunk. To be this close and no further was painful. He started to walk away. She grabbed his hand again. Queen of the mixed messages she is. “No,” said Buffy quietly. “No you don’t want to sleep?” “I don’t want you to go.” She led him through the lobby of the building. Spike climbed the stairs to the second floor apartment paused at the door way for the magic words. “Come in Spike” she said still holding his hand. Hesitantly he followed her into the apartment. Buffy kicked off her shoes and threw her jacket at a box before pushing the duster off the confused Vampire. She didn’t have a come hither look in her eyes, they were far away and sad. Her eyes and her actions didn’t seem to mesh. She led him to her bedroom. She fished around in her back pack for some PJ bottoms. In a flash her jeans were off and the PJ bottoms were on. Buffy curled up on her bed, under the covers. Spike stood there intensely confused. She had just changed there in front of him. “Spike?” she said still curled up on the bed. “Slayer?” “Hold me until I fall asleep?” Spike knew he was helpless against her demands. He climbed into bed with her and wrapped his arms around her petit frame. He had done this before... seemed such a long time ago, another lifetime ago. He couldn’t believe that he was in this position again. He swore at himself for being such a ponce. She had him wrapped around her baby finger again. He was her whipping boy. He knew it, just couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. She believed in him. That was what had drove him to get a soul, forced himself to work for her, training those blasted potentials, made him afraid to touch her once he got back. Until the prats kicked her out of her own house. That’s where he saw himself right now, reliving that moment. He didn’t want to think of anything else except that moment. “I’m not ready for you not to be here,” she whispered into the darkness of the bedroom. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #4 - Through the looking glass

Disclaimer: Joss ended the series...He dropped the ball, I’m just picking it up and playing with it. Author’s note: Thanks to my reviewers! __________________________________________ Chapter 4: Through the looking glass Buffy woke with a start. It was far too early in the morning to be awake. She couldn’t help but think that something terrible had happened. She slid out of Spike’s arms and trod down to the phone booth in front of her building. “Buffy?” said Dawn as soon as she picked up the phone. “Dawn is everything alright?” “Hardly. The motel that Dad and Valery were staying at is gone.” “Gone?” “Destroyed.” “Are they ok?’ “Ya but they’ve been detained for questioning. The police think that Dad’s been setting the fires. They want to put me in foster care. Willow did this cool magic thing and convinced them that I will be safer with you. They even offered a police escort to Cleveland.” “Good cause the police will protect you,” said Buffy sarcastically. “Willow hasn’t left me alone for two days, except to go to school.” “Good. Can I talk to Willow?” “Um now probably wouldn’t be a good time. Willow and Kennedy are sorta having a fight. It’s the first one I’ve ever heard them have.” __________________________________________ “What do you mean you fell asleep?” said Willow. “Hey I’ve been on the mission for a full 24 hours now, don’t you think I deserve to sleep?” balked Kennedy. “Not when people’s lives are at stake.” “I think I deserve back up,” said Kennedy, “ I don’t understand why Buffy isn’t here, protecting her family.” “Buffy isn’t here,” “That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’m not Buffy. I’ll never be the goddess she is, she’s perfect. You should hear yourself talk about her. It’s like she’s the god damn Virgin Mary or something.” “Kennedy!” “Don’t you even try to deny it. You are all in love with her! She can do no wrong, now that the hellmouth is closed. I don’t know even why you are still in LA, You don’t want to be here. You want to be with her. You are afraid of yourself with out her.” “No, baby that’s not true.” “It’s not? I’m not blind Willow. She can do no wrong, even when it means leaving her family to the wolves. Excuse me but I gotta get back to the Summers. Someone has gotta give a flying fuck whether they live or die. Obviously you don’t.” __________________________________________ Buffy returned to bed but could not fall asleep. Her Dad was going to die because she wasn’t there to protect him. Dawn was in danger too. Buffy moaned. She shouldn’t have left LA. She had to see Dawn safely away from harm, but where was that? The only thing that Buffy would thing of was with Spike. Buffy looked over at the sleeping Vampire. He had fought Glory for her, he had regained his soul for her, so many stupid thing because he had loved her. And she hadn’t clued in until it was way too late that she loved him. God she was stupid. Now something else was after her and her family and he would probably do something stupid sentimentalist crazy thing just to protect her. She might lose him again. She hugged him tight. No, she wouldn’t lose him again. She needed him. *When he wakes up I’ll tell him,* she decided, *and this time he will believe me.* “Mmm” he moaned as he rolled to face her. He opened his eyes. “You were awake?” she said with incredulity. “Creature of the night, Slayer, it’s what I do. Also it’s hard to sleep when you are getting in and out of bed. You really need to invest in a better quality mattress.” Buffy laughed, then the smile disappeared from her face. “My Dad has been attacked again. Valery and he are fine but the LAPD are holding them for questioning. It looks like Dawn will be coming here a lot sooner than I thought” Spike got up out of bed and started putting on his boots. “Where are you going?” asked Buffy. “To LA, to get Dawn. You were going to ask me anyway. I’ll be back before you know it, pet,” he said putting a brave smile on his face. “You are too good for me, you know,” said Buffy. “No, mass murderer remember? Liked to kill people with rail road spikes?” “I have a vague recollection...” she smiled, putting her hand to her tattoo lightly. “Don’t ponder it too hard. You might not want me back. Mind yourself while I’m gone. Whatever it is that is after Dawn is also after you.” “Spike...” She said reaching for him and laying her hand on his bicep. “Take care of yourself too. I...I need you here with me. Don’t take too long or I’ll kick your butt.” __________________________________________ Willow opened the Fed Ex box with eagerness. Inside lay the book that she hoped would end this whole mess. She flipped through the pages trying to find a relevant passage. Her ancient Sumerian was rusty, but she knew someone else whose translating skills were just a little better. __________________________________________ Willow found Dawn outside her school at lunch time. She was surrounded by friends laughing and having a good time. It reminded Willow of her high school days, except without the monsters. And Oz. She had been thinking about him a lot lately and she had an idea why. Her fight with Kennedy opened her eyes, Kennedy was a brat. Hell, Kennedy had said it herself once. She wasn’t a Scooby, could never be one even if she tried. Kennedy wanted to be the slayer, deserved to have her chance at least. But Buffy was in the way. There was something in Kennedy that couldn’t forgive Buffy for being the chosen one. Willow loved Buffy, she was ‘best friend’ and no matter what Kennedy was to Willow there was no way she would ever be disloyal to Buffy. Not again anyway. That’s what the fight had seemed to be, Kennedy was trying to make her choose. Dawn looked up and saw Willow. They waved at each other. “Checking up on me?” said Dawn pleasantly as Willow came into hearing distance. “No, not so much, really. I just came by cause I need your expertise on the translating,” said Willow placing the book on the table. “Whoa, man, what smells?” said one of the boys at the table. “It’s the book,” said Dawn calmly reaching for it, “It’s several thousand years old.” “I spoke to Buffy this morning after you left. Spike’s on his way to get you.” said Willow. “Cool, so I guess that means I’m Cleveland bound,” said Dawn. “So you are good for the translating?” “So totally good, I’ve got a spare this afternoon, to the library with me.” Said Dawn happily “It’s like back to normal for me, this whole sitting with friends thing was just far too weird,” said Dawn smiling at her new friends. Willow could tell that they understood, obviously Dawn had told them some things about herself. Especially since Willow couldn’t help but over hear as she walked away one of the girls ask about Spike. “Oh he’s so totally gorgeous, but he’s my sisters, so no touchy for me, besides he’s kinda like an older brother,” said Dawn. __________________________________________ “So it’s a bust, there’s nothing in here that says anything about killing the Slayer’s family. There is a passage about the interminable knowledge of the Shadow men, the first watchers, but that’s all,” said Dawn dropping the book on the table. “I guess then we will have to go with Plan B” said Willow. “What’s plan B?” “We send a Slayer in.” There was a knock at the door. Dawn opened it to show Spike and Oz standing in the doorway. “Spike!” said Dawn happily jumping up to hug him. “Hey Nibblet, Big sis says hello.” said Spike, detangling himself from Dawn’s arms. “Oz...” said Willow. “Hey Will...” responded Oz. They both were acting far too shy in Spike’s opinion. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Oz was still crazy about the witch. “How are you?” Willow asked. “Cramped, sitting in a car for 12 hours straight will do that to you,” Oz said throwing a bag down on the ground. “Needed someone to drive during the daylight,” replied Spike. “Makes sense to me,” said Dawn Kennedy appeared in the doorway of the dorm room in a panicked state. She regained her cool when she found there was an audience. “Willow the police station has been on fire. Valery is in the hospital,” said Kennedy. “My Dad?” asked Dawn. “He’s fine, It was like he wasn’t the target at all,” said Kennedy. “Who the hell are you?” she asked Oz. “Did the grand almighty Buffy send her Cleveland Scoobies to do the job she should have been doing herself?” “I’m not a Scooby,” said Oz, “I’m a... friendly non human who helps when help is needed.” He winked at Willow. “Good grief, not another vampire...” Oz shook his head. “Demon?” “Kennedy, this is Oz, He’s a werewolf and my ex boyfriend,” said Willow. “Whoa hold on, ex. boy. friend?” said Kennedy. “Hey, the clock is ticking, I’d much rather be on the road stuck in the car than listen to a jealous girlfriend row.” said Spike. “Spike’s right, we need to find out what’s going on here.” said Dawn. “Willow what was plan B again.” __________________________________________ The group moved to an empty room on campus. The doors were barricaded. The shadow casting box was set up, the flame burned. “So I’m going in there?” said Kennedy when the portal opened. “And a big demon comes out,” said Dawn. “And what happens inside?” asked Kennedy. “Hopefully the shadow men the first watchers will be there to tell you, why they are killing the slayer and her family. Try to convince them to stop,” said Willow. “Try to find out fast cause will we’d like to keep the nastiness here as short as possible.” “K” said Kennedy. __________________________________________ Kennedy looked around her and the desert landscape. There was nothing here but rock and bugs. “Hello, old guys! Slayer here seeking wisdom and all that, Hello!” “You are not she,” said a voice from behind her, “You are false.” Kennedy spun around to see 3 men dressed in colourful robes sitting around a fire. “Oh ya well I am a Slayer and you can’t do anything about it.” “Oh but we can, and will. It was us that made the first slayer the legacy must be retuned to what it once was. The blood of the slayer must be spilt and the relic must be returned to what it once was. This is our affair and you are as yet a false slayer, you have not been chosen.” “Wait a minute, I don’t get it if the slayers blood must be spilt why is her family being attacked?” “It is our affair, we created the first slayer and so this must be. To return the legacy the cycle must start a new. We have the blood of one” “Weird much, so what exactly is wrong with having move than one slayer? More demons killed, less hassle.” “The legacy must be returned.” Kennedy felt something pull her back to LA and the empty classroom. Kennedy looked around at the people in the room. Willow was collapsed on the floor. Spike had nasty cut above his eye. Oz was bleeding from his lip. Dawn was hiding in a corner. “Hope you didn’t enjoy yourselves too much while I was gone?” said Kennedy as she regained a standing position. “Good times had by all,” said Oz. “What did you find out?” asked Dawn “They were weird, very cryptic. Kept talking about returning the legacy. They said they had to start the legacy from the beginning. The blood of the slayer must be spilt and the relic must be bathed, whatever that means.” said Kennedy “The relic? What relic?” asked Dawn. “Ooh, the scythe? That we took the essence of to create the spell. We have to bathe the scythe in the Slayer’s blood,” said Willow. “Obviously not just her blood but the blood of her family too,” said Dawn. “Otherwise why would they be attacking Dad and Valery?” “They said they had to start the legacy anew,” said Kennedy. “Do you suppose that whatever they did to create the first slayer will happen again?” asked Oz “Did they kill the first slayer’s family?” asked Dawn “I don’t know I don’t know enough about this. We need Giles,” said Willow __________________________________________ Buffy walked along a dark and empty Cleveland street. To her left lay a cemetery. She couldn’t bring herself to go in. Her mind was not focused on what she had set out to do that night, to slay. She was focused on Dawn, where she was and how she getting to Cleveland. Buffy hadn’t asked Spike how he was going to get to LA. She was worried that it was illegal. Spike could take care of himself, but with Dawn with him. She didn’t want them getting arrested by the police. Buffy shook her head to clear it and headed into the cemetery. She immediately heard the sounds of fighting. She kept walking until she saw a tussle between a vampire and her favourite caretaker of cemeteries, Cleveland’s own vampire hunter, David what’shisname. Buffy rolled her eyes then watched him fight off the vamp. He was doing pretty well. It was clear that he could hold his own with one vamp, clearly not with two. Buffy chuckled to herself. “Are you following me?” Gable asked once he had dusted his opponent. “No, this isn’t your cemetery, I thought I would do my job in peace,” said Buffy. “Maybe you should go back to wherever it was that you came from and leave. Clearly you aren’t needed here.” “Thanks for the advice. I can’t go back and I think I can make up my own mind about when I need to leave. What is your problem anyway. I would think that you would be happy to have some help or are you still convinced that I’m a vampire too?” “I’ve seen a lot of strangeness in my time, I’ve survived by not trusting anyone or anything, it’s kept me alive.” “It’s also kept you alone, Don’t you have any friends?” “No, they would get hurt if they knew. I don’t need to put anyone else in danger.” “You are right,” said Buffy thinking about Xander, Dawn, her dad, and Anya. “People do get hurt in this line of work. People die when you fight evil. Anyway thanks for the lovely talk David, Maybe I’ll bump into you again someday.” “Just leave me alone,” he said leaving the cemetery. Buffy shrugged and kept walking through the cemetery hoping to find her own distraction to the miserable feelings that were bubbling inside her. __________________________________________ Dawn, Spike and Oz sat in Mr Summer’s Sedan, enroute to Cleveland. Spike drove. “We will know more once Giles arrives from England,” said Dawn trying to be cheerful. “Willow and Giles will find out what’s the weakness of all these shadow men and everything will be hugs and puppies again.” “Sure it will, until the next big bad threatens you and yours again,” said Spike bitterly. “It’s unfair.” said Dawn “It’s incredibly unfair. You all deserve to have a somewhat normal life, don’t you think? But it never lets up. She’ll die, again saving some poor soul from death or trying to save the world from apocalypse once more,” said Spike passionately. “Hey, I hear ya man, saving the world, it’s a thankless and never ending job,” said oz from the back seat. “So how is Cleveland? Lot’s of demons and vamps to slay?” asked Dawn eagerly. “Not so much” said Spike “I heard from this guy I know that there’s this rogue vampire hunter in the central cemeteries, this human who fights vamps cause his dad was eaten like a decade ago or something,” said oz. “Ya, what’s he like? is he cute? fun to hang out with? Do you think he’d be a scooby?” asked Dawn. “No,” said Spike right off the bat. “’Just no?” asked Dawn. “He thinks your sister is vamp. He’s an ass. Better off without him,” said Spike. “Protective much? Don’t want anyone moving in on your territory?” asked Oz. Spike shot him an evil look in the rear view mirror “‘Moving in on your territory? Wouldn’t it be you moving in on his territory?” asked Dawn as she swung around to look at Oz. She caught Spike’s look. “Oh, you mean Buffy” There was silence for a while until Dawn could hear the gentle snores of the werewolf in the back seat. “Spike, I wouldn’t worry about Buffy and the vampire hunter guy. You didn’t see her when you were gone. It was like after she came back from the dead. She couldn’t grieve for you, she wouldn't let you go. She avoided everyone for a long time. Willow said that she’s lost her coping mechanism to deal with tragedy. You, you were there when mom died you were there when she died. Angel tried to comfort her, god knows he tried but she couldn’t let him get close to her. I think she felt she would be betraying you. I know you love her. You’ve loved her for a long time. Just trust her,” said Dawn,” and hey I'm glad you are with Buffy, cause that Angel guy creeps me out, what is up with his hair?” Spike smiled “You are alright bit.” __________________________________________ Buffy tossed and turned in her bed. She had been unable to sleep restfully since she left LA but now it was worse for some reason. She couldn’t help but feel that she shouldn’t have left LA at all. Buffy heard someone try to get into her apartment. Instinctively she grabbed one of the stakes that was hidden under her bed. Then she heard the key in the door. It was Spike, he was back with Dawn. Buffy glanced at the alarm clock, 4 am. Buffy herself had only returned home a few hours ago from patrolling. “Bloody lock,” Buffy heard Spike swear from the other side of the door. Buffy lay back against her pillows, pretending to sleep. She heard the door open, two people walk in. “Just put her down on the couch mate,” said Spike. “Thanks mate,” said Spike after Buffy heard some struggle to put Dawn on the newly purchased couch comfortably. “No problem man,” said Oz’s voice, “See you around” Buffy heard one set of footsteps leave and close the door. There was quiet in the apartment except for the deep breathing of Dawn in the living room. “I know you aren’t asleep,” said Spike whispering in Buffy’s ear. Buffy opened her eyes and smiled, “I missed you,” she said wrapping her arms and him and pulling him into bed with her. She cuddled up with him like his was her teddy bear and drifted off to sleep again. __________________________________________ “It’s only a theory of course,” said Giles as he looked at Willow’s research, “It’s all very hit and miss. We cannot be sure this will do anything.” “But how about we try. It won’t hurt anyone. The shadow men already have killed Valery’s unborn child.” said Willow. “Yes, the doctor’s report was gruesome.” “We need to try something to make this stop Giles.” “But what will happen if it does work? Will all the new slayers cease to be slayers and go back to being potentials or something worse? And what about Buffy? Will she be put through the ordeal of the first slayer?” “Shouldn’t she be given all the info and make her own choice?” said Willow. “This affects her most of all. After all, what if after I do this thing, the Shadow men don’t want her to be the slayer anymore? Huh? Did you think of that?” “No, that had never crossed my mind. I suppose it could happen. I have no watcher’s council Willow it’s not exactly easy to know what’s supposed to happen.” “Look, I’m sorry about the yelling, but we are wasting time. Valery is lucky to be alive, it could be Mr Summers next or even Dawn. We need to hurry Giles.” __________________________________________ “Can’t I just stay home today? Get my bearings? Come on, Buffy, just one day?” asked Dawn. “No, I will register you for school this morning, then I’ve got to go apartment hunting and buy you a bed. Dawn it will be easier for me today if you were at school.” “But how safe am I at school?” asked Dawn. “She’s got a point, pet” came Spike’s voice from the single bedroom of the apartment. “I knew it! The two of you would gang up on me. Ok but just today and you’ve got to stay with Spike. Which means you can’t leave the apartment,” said Buffy. “I’ll register you for school this afternoon once we know where we are going to live next month.” “A month?” said Dawn “ You mean I have to sleep on the couch for a month?” “No, you will be sleeping in the living room for a month. First task, Dawn needs a bed. Maybe you and Spike can pin some sheets to the ceiling and make a sort of sheet walled room or something.” “Can I come? It is my bed after all. And Spike needs his sleep after driving and stuff,” said Dawn, “I’ve never been to Cleveland before. I’d like to see the sights.” “Neither have I, and I’ve been here a total of 5 days!” said Buffy, “Get your coat. Let’s go.” “Yay!” clapped Dawn. “Goodie” said Buffy rolling her eyes. She smiled at Spike before she closed the door behind her. __________________________________________ Buffy arrived home with Dawn several hours later. A bed had been purchased and would be delivered. Dawn had been registered for school and they had stopped by to pick up dinner. They had be been gone nearly all day. The sun was just setting. Spike should be itching to get out of the apartment by now. Buffy was itching to do pretty much anything else but shop. They had bought clothes for Dawn, a punching bag for Buffy and a new red shirt for Spike. It was Dawn’s idea for a welcome back to ‘this dimension of hell’ present. Buffy opened the door with a sigh with bags of stuff, a pizza and a bag of blood in her arms. She nearly dropped it all as she saw Giles, Willow, Xander Andrew and Oz all standing in her living room with Spike. “It’s not my birthday... Intervention? You are all my against my free spirited shopping nature?” said Buffy joking. “No, no, like the happy shopping Buffy,” said Xander. “Ooh, What did you buy?” asked Andrew heading towards the bags.. “I think we need more pizza, Buffy” said Dawn. “Ya just a bit, and you!” she said pointing to Andrew “stay out of my business.” “I’m sorry to crash in on you like this,” said Willow,” I think I’ve had to a breakthrough and we need to test it out, and we need you and Dawn to do that.” “Cool, great, just like me get the blood into the fridge and we can get going.” Buffy stepped over the bags and headed to the kitchen. “Buffy...” said Willow in a sort of warning. Buffy had already opened the fridge and saw a container labelled ‘Hank’ on it. “What’s this?” asked Buffy lifting the container. “We didn’t know when you were going to be back. We didn’t want it to go funky and we didn’t want Spike to drink it,” said Willow. “Maybe you guys had better tell me what’s going on.” __________________________________________ “So you want to pour my father’s blood, Dawn’s blood and my blood on the scythe thing and see what happens?” asked Buffy, “Don’t you know what will happen?” “No really,” said Willow. “There are a number of things that we think could happen. They spell that Willow performed over the Sunnydale hellmouth will be reversed and the slayer legacy will be restored... which will make you the only slayer again or...” said Giles “Or nothing will happen,” said Willow, “either way no one dies which is good in my books.” “I’ll go with that one, dying very much of the bad,” said Buffy. “There is another caution though. From all we have both found out about that the shadow men are doing it appears that they are trying to start the legacy over again. Killing your family is synonymous with that process. They First Slayer was an orphan. Also it is by no means certain that they will not put you through what ever it was that they did to create the first Slayer and there is also the chance that you will not be chosen as the slayer this time,” said Giles. The room was silent. “Wow,” said Buffy at last. “Ya,” said Willow, “craziness.” “Well let’s get this party started,” said Buffy. She disappeared into her bedroom, taking her shopping bags with her, leaving the others to prepare. Spike followed. “Buffy?” he asked. “I’m ok,” she said, “I went shopping today and came home to find out that the freedom that I've had, not being the only slayer in the world could be taken away. That’s not so bad you know. I’ve been the slayer for a long time now. I should be dead you know. Hey I was a few times. I guess I liked the idea of retirement someday. There should be someone to take my place and I could go live in the Bahamas or something. Now I’ve got to die again or I could not be chosen at all. I could live a normal like. Finish school, have a job, get married, die with fat grandbabies around my bed, who knows,” she said at break neck speed. “You could still do all that you know,” said Spike. “You know I don’t want a normal life... I’ve accepted it and I’ve moved past it. What if I’m not the slayer anymore? It’s all I know how to do. I guess I’ll have to wait and see what the Powers that Be have in store for me this time,” said Buffy pulling the scythe out of her weapons chest. “Hey before I forget, what with the ‘is Buffy the slayer or not’ debate, I bought you a present while we were shopping today.” Buffy pulled the red shirt out from the bags and held it up to him. “Buffy, thanks for the present, but you are changing the subject,” said Spike. “It’s what I do, Spike, I’m avoid-o girl, always have been.” Buffy walked out of the bedroom leaving Spike behind her. __________________________________________ Willow had used her time effectively. Candles were lit in a circle around her. Buffy placed the scythe in Willow’s hands. Willow poured the jar of Hank Summer’s blood on the scythe. Dawn stepped forward and let herself be cut by the scythe and dripped her blood on it. Willow stood and handed the scythe to Buffy and exited the circle. Buffy entered and cut herself with the weapon. “Nothing is happening” said Andrew. All of a sudden there was a great vortex pulling intangible fields of energy towards the scythe from all corners of the earth. Slayers everywhere lost their powers. On a greyhound bus Faith woke from her slumber as her slayer powers were drained from her. In LA Kennedy found herself with out powers in the middle of her sociology class. In Cleveland, Buffy felt the drain of her powers too. As the vortex stopped, Buffy collapsed in the middle of the circle holing the scythe. Spike leapt into the circle to help her up. “I feel terrible,” said Buffy as she stood up with Spike’s help. “I feel so weak.” Buffy and Spike exited the circle and Buffy was helped on to the couch. “There are no more Slayers,” said Willow. “I can’t feel any of them. What have I done?” “The only thing you could do,” said Oz tenderly going to her side. Willow was touched by his concern and smiled up at him from her prone position on the floor. “What happens now?” asked Dawn. “Indeed, I don’t even feel potential energy from Buffy,” said Giles. “Maybe someone else has been called,” suggested Dawn. “No, I would feel it,” responded Willow. Spike offered to get Buffy some water. He had left her side for only moment before a bright light started shining from the circle. “You have stopped the legacy,” said a voice from the green light. “It must be restored,” “It is not our legacy now, it is yours, watch them well.” The green light struck Giles, Xander and Andrew. As if robotic they held Buffy as a demonic presence filled the room. “Buffy!” shouted Spike lunging from the kitchen. “No!” shouted Dawn, holding him back, “She has to do this.” Spike and the others watched as Xander, Giles and Andrew dragged Buffy back into the circle and held her there. The Demon floated around mesmerizing everyone in the room until it settled above the circle. Dawn, Spike, Willow and Oz watch helplessly as the demon entered Buffy’s nose and mouth. Willow covered her ears as Buffy started to scream. Spike broke free of Dawn and pushed the three men away from Buffy. But he could do nothing. The demon was already inside her. Suddenly her screams stopped and Buffy lay panting on the ground. Spike held her as she opened her eyes. She smiled. “Hello,” she said, “I’m Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” tbc...

Chapter #5 - Restoration

Disclaimer: Joss owns the Characters of BTVS, but Valery and Gable are mine (and don’t you just want to hurt them?) Author’s note: Thanks to all my reviewers! __________________________________________ “Did we set everything back to the way it was supposed to be?” asked Willow eagerly. “Looks like,” said Buffy standing up. “I feel strong again, a little more powerful actually, must have been all that demon I inhaled.” “Ha ha,” said Xander, “I’m just glad this is over. No more...whatever that was. At least this time I wasn’t the only butt monkey in the troupe. Whose butt monkeys were we anyway?” “I’m afraid that it is worse than you’ve ever imagined,” said Giles, taking off his glasses and cleaning them. “The green light hit the three of us. You, Andrew and myself.” “Meaning what?” asked Xander. “Meaning that we are or have been selected to be the new watchers council.” “Cool” said Andrew, “ I shall endeavour to excel.” “Hold on, is that why you said we had to come?” asked Xander. “Well there always was the possibility that a new council would be chosen from her ‘tribe’ as it were. I had hoped that they would choose Dawn instead of Andrew but that point is moot now,” said Giles as he cleaned his glasses. “I still get to be a watcher though, right?” asked Dawn. “Oh yes, we will definitely train you to be a watcher, you just won’t be inside that box for all of eternity,” said Giles. “What box?” asked Andrew. “The Shadow casting box,” said Willow, “Whenever a new slayer is chosen your spirit will guide her to...” “Demonic possession,” filled in Buffy. “Cool,” said Andrew, “very other worldly.” “What if I don’t want to be in a box?” said Xander. “I don’t see that you have much of a choice in the matter,” said Giles. “So, you all are watchers then.. . congrats” said Buffy standing up and blowing out the candles. “Can we eat now?” whined Dawn “Starving here.” “I second that motion,” added Andrew. Willow pulled Buffy aside. “Buffy are you ok with all this, being the slayer still? I know you were looking forward to no being the only chosen one.” “Ya, I’m ok with it. Nothing’s changed. I’ve had a couple of months vacation is all. And some day I’ll die for the third time. I just hope that I’ll get to see my fat grandbabies before that happens.” “Buffy...” “No it’s fine Willow, everything’s back to normal now.” “That’s what you think,” said Willow as she watched Andrew swing the scythe around. “Hey it’s all fun and games until I lose my other eye. Cut it out moron,” said Xander. “My Hero,” said Dawn shoving pizza in her mouth. Turning her attention back to Willow Buffy continued. “So what are Kennedy and Faith going to think about not being the slayer anymore?” “Kennedy!” gasped Willow, “She’ll be furious.” “I can’t imagine Faith would be extremely happy about the change either,” said Buffy. The phone rang. “Three guesses who that is,” stated Xander. Willow picked up the phone. “Hello?” she answered. “Kennedy. Please don’t yell. We did what we had to do. Yes, Buffy is still the slayer. No, baby please stop yelling. It was the only way. No, please, I’ll be back soon.” Willow hung up the phone then smiled a very forced smile. “Willow, you ok?” asked Dawn. “Ya, everything is hunky dory. Pizza,” stated Willow. The pizza was passed around. More was ordered. “So what happens now?” asked Andrew, “ Now that you have a fantabulous watcher’s council are we going to England? Do we have to go through rigorous training? Cause I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t do heavy lifting.” “So why wasn’t I chosen to be watcher then?” asked Dawn. “Honestly...come on, it’s super sci fi geek.” “I think our most pressing needs right now are to rebuild, recruit and to find potential slayers,” said Giles. “Major fun had by all, I’m sure, as long as there is no more butt monkeying I’m cool,” said Xander between bites of pizza. Buffy pulled a bag of blood out of the fridge and filled up a mug. After the microwave beeped she waded through the living room into her bedroom, where Spike was lying on her bed in a bored fashion. “Hey,” she said offering him the blood. “What?” he said annoyed. “I brought you something to eat,” said Buffy sadly. “Thanks,” he said reaching for the mug. “You don’t seem so happy with all the happy bonding in the living room.” “Not my cuppa tea pet; you know that.” “Ya, I do,” Spike finished his mug of blood in silence and set it on the floor. “I’m gone,” he said simply grabbing his coat. “Gotta find me a new place.” “When will I see you?” “Don’t know, pet. When the Scooby fest is over. I’ll find you,” he said cupping her face with his hand tenderly. “Don’t be away too long,” she said trying to smile. Spike crossed through the living room and exited the apartment in his usual surly manner. “Where’s he going?” asked Dawn. “Guess we aren’t so exciting,” added Willow. __________________________________________ Buffy rolled out of bed, trying not to wake Dawn, sleeping soundly beside her. Buffy dressed quickly and was out the door before she could change her mind. She headed straight for the closest cemetery. She wanted to test herself out. See if she was different since the demon had entered her body. She had been offered the demon’s power before, but had rejected it, that time when they had first found the box. She wanted to know what it did to her. The first two vampires were easy, fledglings, no experience what so ever, hardly a challenge. She did feel more powerful. She reflected on the evening. She had experienced a full range of emotions and expectations. She had been so close to being normal again but it was ripped away from her, again. In the briefest of seconds she had imagined a job, a family, with little blond children playing around her feet. She also knew that in her fantasy the father of said children was a vampire, a snarky leather wearing vampire, and therefore said little children would not exist. But it was a nice fantasy, fantasy children were the only ones she would ever have. Whoa... Buffy stopped her train of thought for a moment, since when is Spike the father of my fantasy children? When did this happen? For the longest time Buffy only ever imagined that Angel was the father of Joyce Anne and Trevor Rupert (Yes like a lot of girls Buffy had named her kids already). Even when she had been with Riley, Angel was still the father. Maybe it was the whole LA sitch, Buffy thought. And Spike’s back so why not? Maybe cause he hasn’t shown any real interest for you since he got back, said the pessimistic voice in Buffy’s head. Sure he came with you to Cleveland, sure went and got Dawn for you, sure he’s all protect-y and all that, But has he said that he loves you? NO! Resounding nos all around. And it’s not like he doesn’t know that I love him, I mean I told him! Stupid Vampire. Buffy shook off the depressing reflective thoughts and trudged into the cemetery, unaware that she was being followed. “Oof!” grunted Buffy as she hit a gravestone. She turned and looked to see who it was. “Oh it’s you!” said Buffy very annoyed. Looking back at her was David Gable. “Why are you here again?” he asked tired. “Hmm, no stake. Gone soft on the vamps since I last saw you?” countered Buffy. David crossed his arms and stared. “No talky today? I gather that since you are no longer trying to stake me that you don’t think I’m a vamp anymore?” “Nope, just an idiot girl with a creepy boyfriend.” “Huh, well improvement I guess.” “You should leave. Now.” “But I don’t want to,” she said in a little girl voice. “Can’t I just tag along and learn from you?” Gable softened. “It’s dangerous out here for ladies like yourself to be out here in the dark.” “Please, look I know I’ve been all thorns and stings, but I’d like for us to be friends,” she said as she got up off the tombstone batting her eye lashes. “Apology accepted, but you should go before the vampires smell fresh blood.” “No fun,” stated Buffy with emphasis, “boo hoo. Look, I’m only just trying to have a truce with you here. Me no fight you, you no fight me. Evil soulless vampires bad, Buffy good.” “Buffy dumb,” “That’s where you are wrong, mate,” said Spike as he lit a cigarette. “She may be impulsive, stubborn, moody, but she is not dumb.” “Thanks, I think,” said Buffy. “It was a good show, were you trying to make me jealous, pet or was it just a side effect of the light show earlier?” “You were jealous?” she asked hopefully at the same time Gable said: “A show?” “Well I was having fun, as much fun as I could have without you on patrol,” she said walking closer to him. “Having fun?” shouted Gable, who was being ignored by the vampire and his slayer. “A little too much fun, pet, if you want my opinion,” Spike said as he slid off the tombstone he was sitting on. “All I wanted was a little slaying, to, you know, test out my new inner demon,” she said all flirty, her fingers walking up the arm of his leather jacket. “Demon?” questioned Gable. “I knew there was something evil about you!” Gable dug a stake out of his pocket and made to stake her. “Whoa, hey buddy, stakes are for vampires, not demons,” said Buffy as she kicked the stake out his hand easily. “And secondly, we are having a moment here!” “I thought you had had enough of this Pansy,” said Spike to Buffy. “I told you, I just wanted a little action and he spoils my fun.” “You two are crazy,” shouted David. “Nice come back,” taunted Buffy. “I knew fledglings with better come backs.” “You know, you are starting to get on my nerves, so why don’t you scamper on home like a good undertaker,” said Spike trying to make himself seem impressing and scary. “You see over the course of my long existence, most of the peop0le who have annoyed me found themselves dead mate.” “Spike...” said Buffy reproachfully. “Look this is my cemetery, I will do what I want in it. If you have any problems with that, bring it on. I’ve killed a lot of vampires, means I could wipe the grass with you man.” “Hey!” yelled Buffy, stepping more between them and holding out her arms. “Chillax already. God, men!” Buffy took two calming breaths. “Ok, clearly this just isn’t going to work for us. You...” she said looking at Gable, “have possessive cemetery issues, a death wish and a male chauvinist thing going on. And you...” she said looking at Spike, “ have a temper, bloodlust and are stunningly good looking.” Spike smiled. “Obviously,” she continued, “issues to be resolved. It’s late and we could catch our deaths out here.” “Don’t come back,” said Gable meanly as he walked away. When Gable was safely out of hearing Buffy picked up the stake he had left and started walking. Spike followed at her side. “Wanker.” “Spike, please...You were gonna eat him weren’t you?” said Buffy. “No of course not pet, made my stomach growl thinking about it though.” “You’re sick.” “Nope, just a tender soul in an evil body, which you happen to find stunningly good looking.” “I should have tried harder to think of nasty things about you or hit you or something.” Spike noticed that they were heading back to Buffy’s apartment. “I thought you wanted to test out your inner demon?” “I wanted to. It’s 4:30am Spike. It will be dawn not too long from now. I need to sleep. I’m having a bed delivered. Dawn needs to go to school and the apartment hunt continues. Did you find a new place to crash? I mean, a new crypt?” “Ya, Pine Creek cemetery, north of here.” “Show me?” __________________________________________ Buffy walked into the crypt and wrinkled her nose. “Crypt sweet crypt? Like the air freshener scent, Ode to rotting corpses?” “I’ll clean it up a bit, it’ll be just like Sunnydale when I’m through with it.” “Right, Sunnydale,” said Buffy suddenly losing all happy thoughts. There was a long pause. “What are you thinking pet?” he asked moving closer to her. “I don’t know, Sunnydale, all the things that happened there, the people that I lost there. I destroyed it all.” “No, you didn’t, pet.” “I’ll never see my mother’s grave, lay flowers on it, pray beside it, Tara’s grave, Miss Calendar. It was my home. My family, we’re all broken apart now. Willow will go back to LA, Giles to England, Dawn may have to go back to LA too. Nothing is familiar here. All those things in my apartment aren’t mine. I have no memories with them.” “Make new memories pet.” “I want Sunnydale back, living with Willow and Dawn. Having a life, doing something with it, other than fighting undertaker boy and worrying about Dawn. Barging into your crypt to get information out of you, fighting beside you,” she looked into his eyes, “this isn’t your crypt Spike, it’s not the same.” “I know. You were, relatively speaking, happy in Sunnydale, but things change pet, we move on. Do you think I don’t dream of being in my home again in London with my mum waiting to fuss about me? Even after I was turned I sometimes dreamt of home, but I moved on, otherwise I’d still be there in that house, scouring the neighbourhood for fresh blood. I’d be a tired old man, stunningly good looking, but not the clever chap I am today.” “Thanks Spike, that oh so cheered me up.” “Glad I could oblige pet. Now what do you say to properly christening this place?” Buffy gave him a look. “Please don’t mean what I think you mean!” “Why not? If it is be home. A ship can’t set sail with a little champagne getting spilt.” “Metaphors abound, just what are we comparing the champagne to?...Wait. No. I don’t need that mental picture.” “No need for mental pictures pet. I’m offering the real thing,” he said softly running his finger down her arm. “It smells gross in here.” Spike sighed. “Right then, I’ll walk you home,” he said resigned. __________________________________________ “I can’t believe you gave up so easily.” “You know you confuse the hell out of me,” said Spike as he reached for a cigarette. “One minute you are all touchy feely, the next your the ice queen, and too bloody cryptic. Picked up some tips from Peaches while I was away?” Buffy decided to let the Angel comment pass. She really didn’t want to get into a fight with him right now. “Are you really going to live in there?” asked Buffy after a good 5 minutes of silence. “It’s skanky.” “Yep, and I’m a vampire. Are you telling me, I’m too good for that place?” “You are too good for me,” she whispered. “Again, no, Vampire, bad.” “Buffy stupid, tells Spike, I love you while dying, which you didn't believe and pissed me off.” “I believed you.” “Then why did you say ‘No you don’t but thanks for saying it?’” “Um...The ceiling was collapsing. Wanted you to leave pet.” “Oh,” said Buffy disappointed. “Isn’t that what you expected to hear? You can’t honestly think that I wanted you to stay there and die again while we had a heart to heart about your impeccable timing.” “Kinda, no, actually, I imagined that we’d have a fight about it. How I never mean what I say, say what I mean, that my words don’t mesh with my actions.” “They don’t.” “Then...Huh?” “I’ve been trying to figure you out for a good long time Slayer, you confuse the hell out of me. You made it very clear for a very long time that you didn’t love me, you said it often enough to my face for me to start believing it. I know you, you would never say that to some one without meaning it.” “I should have told you before that.” “Would it have made any difference?” “Probably not,” said Buffy. “Might have made me feel better in some small infinitesimal way.” “I’m all for that.” Buffy smiled. “Are you really going to live there?” “It’ll clean up nice, just hope gravedigger boy leaves me alone there.” “Me too, but if you find him hovering over your tomb with a stake, defend yourself.” “Don’t worry about me luv.” Buffy kissed Spike on the cheek and left him to go up stairs, Her apartment was still a den of sleeping scoobies. Giles, Andrew and Xander were sleeping all over the living room, Dawn in her bed, Willow on the floor in her bedroom. Buffy tip toed into the bathroom for an extremely early shower; the smell of that crypt was in her hair. It was terrible to think of Spike living in that skanky crypt. No matter how much it cleans up nice, it’s still going to smell. __________________________________________ Buffy trudged Dawn to school in the next day, and spent forty minutes with the principal showing her the facilities at the school. The cafeteria was clean, the library full of new-ish looking books and computers. “Giles would have hated this,” whispered Dawn. The science lab was science-y and their guidance team top notch. Buffy agreed that Dawn would be fine at such a well kept school. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’s the student mortality rate her at J. F. Kennedy High School?” Buffy asked near the end of the tour. “Why Miss Summers, what an odd question,” said the principal. Buffy looked like she wanted an answer. “We have a few suicides every year, the occasional accident of course. But J. F. K. is a very safe school. Your sister will be safe here.” “I was wondering if you have any courses on ancient languages, Greek, Latin, some Native American languages,” asked Dawn, “I didn’t see any on the course list.” “We offer Latin every other year, sadly this year we aren’t offering it.” “Does this mean I’ll have to take French?” “Yes,” said Buffy. I endured French, you will endure French.” “Ick French bad.” “And Latin is funner?” “Latin is useful.” said Dawn “And French isn’t?” “Latin is more prolific.” Dawn noticed the puzzled look on the principal's face. “Uh, I want to study ancient languages at University.” The principal gave a lot of trying to understand. The bell rang. “Well I guess I’d better get to my first class,” said Dawn, “ Chemistry.” “Good luck!” said Buffy. “And Miss Summers what do you do?” asked Principal. “I am currently between jobs actually. I was a high school guidance counsellor, before our town was swallowed by an earthquake. I’m hoping to go back to school actually.” “You are from Sunnydale then. Terrible tragedy. I should tell you that our school works very closely with social services. Dawn’s state of California records show her as frequently absent from Sunnydale high and low test scores. She was at school for 2 days in LA before coming here. May I ask why she was moved so early in the school year? Obviously it wasn’t work related.” Buffy bit her tongue, choking down what she really wanted to say to this nosy woman. “My father is under suspicion of arson in California.” “And your mother?” “Died of a brain aneurysm two years ago. I have legal custody of Dawn. Look I know you want to help and I'm very grateful this has been rough for her. I thought leaving her in LA with our Dad was better for her. But with what happened, I just want her to have a normal life and graduate high school with out any problems.” “I’m very glad to hear it Miss Summers. I hope you find a job soon,” said the Principal. “Good luck.” __________________________________________ Buffy spent the day phoning places for rent, had a bed delivered and tired to entertain her friends and Andrew. Willow was to catch a plane to LA that night. Giles and Xander had conspired to fly to England in a day and Andrew had volunteered to stay in Cleveland and be Buffy’s watcher. “I think he’s crushing on Dawn a bit,” warned Xander. That much was obvious. Now with another bed in the living room the apartment was way too cramped. Seriously expediting the reasons to locate another place to live. “What you want to do is buy, not rent,” said Xander. “I’m thinking condo or small house.” “I’m sure the condo board will enjoy the clash of weapons, the pounding from the punching bad, the strange hours and weird people I bring home,” said Buffy trying to move Dawn’s bed in a better location. “Right, house it is,” said Xander. “I need to get a job, I can't afford a house outright, I’d need to make payments.” “How about law enforcement? You did test well for that at career day in high school,” said Xander. “Career day,” sighed Willow. “I met Oz at career day. Goddess that was long ago. I’m old.” “Some of us are older than others,” said Giles wiping his glasses. “Where is Oz anyway?” asked Buffy. “I don’t know, he took off last night,” answered Willow. “Did you guys talk?” asked Buffy. “There was talking. I don’t think it went well. He still has girlfriend issues.” “Oz has a girlfriend?” asked Xander. “No, my girlfriend issue, that I have one,” stated Willow. “I just wish I could reach him. I want to be friends again. I miss talking to him.” “Uh huh,” said Buffy totally not believing the talking part. Willow wanted smoochies with Oz. “Buffy...” “I’m not saying anything,” she said raising her hands in the air. “How is Spike?” asked Willow mischievously “Moving in to a smelly old crypt as we speak.” “Does it really smell?” asked Willow. “And how, gross. I just hope that the mad vampire hunter of Cleveland leaves him alone.” “The who?” asked Xander. “David Gable, caretaker of one of the local cemeteries I believe, fanatical, loaner, very unpredictable.” said Giles brewing himself a spot of tea. “You know him?” asked Buffy shocked. “Yes, he’s been operating for 15 years or so, killed his share of vampires, been in the hospital quite often.” “I’d like to put him in a hospital,” said Buffy, “arrogant jerk, thinks that little girls like me aren’t fit for vampire slaying.” “His father was a watcher, his slayer was killed in an automobile accident in the 1970’s. He hunted vampires himself before being killed 15 years ago. I doubt David knows anything about slayers or the watcher’s council. Gable was an old eccentric man,” said Giles. “The son is just as freaky. He didn’t know anything about the slayer, seemed out of the loop. He kills vampires, that is all. Thought I was a vampire, last night he finally clued in, but now he thinks I’m just an idiot girl.” “I hope Spike’s ok,” said Andrew. “Me too,” agreed Buffy. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #6 - Dead animals.

Disclaimer: Joss made the wonderfulness that was Buffy...sigh Author’s note: Thanks to my reviewers! As I’m going camping this weekend and won’t be able to post until at least Tuesday, I’ve decided to post again tonight...Enjoy! Happy mother’s day! __________________________________________ Chapter 6: Dead animals. Buffy barged into the crypt in the Pinehill cemetery. “Spike?” she called out. There was no response. The crypt still smelled. Gross. He was probably asleep in one of the tombs. Buffy looked to the left and right. There only 2 tombs to choose from, one had a decomposing body, the other Spike. 50/50 chance. Just as she was about to push back the slab on the right tomb, she heard a noise from below between the wall and that tomb, at the very back was an opening large enough for a person to crawl down a very narrow set of steps. Cautiously Buffy descended. Underneath the tomb the smell was much more pleasant, The stairs led to a small tunnel and then opened out into a moderately sized cave, that had been hung with fabric and lighted with candles. At the back of the room, there was a large four poster bed. Spike was sleeping upon it. Buffy watched him sleep. He drew no breath. He was perfectly still, like the corpse he was. Except for his eyes, which moved while he dreamt. He was naked under that sheet, He must have been up the rest of the night and half the day just doing this. All he was missing really was a fridge and a TV. Buffy checked her watch. It was 1 pm. She had wanted to check on him to make sure David Gable wasn’t stalking him. Dawn would be back from school in an hour and a half. She wanted to take Dawn to see a few places before they had to take Willow to the airport. Buffy slipped off her jacket and shoes and climbed into bed beside him, not touching but close. She watched his face with intensity. He was gorgeous, no doubt, it seemed that no matter what pain he suffered his face would still heal itself to what she saw before her. Except that scar in his eye brow, given to him by the Chinese slayer he killed. She liked the idea that she alone had been about to tame his heart, this killer of slayers. No doubt Robin Wood would jump at the chance of being here right now to stake Spike for killing his mother. She wondered if Willow and Xander would really have a problem with her if she started sleeping with Spike again. Probably, after all, sure he had saved the world, but Xander could never see past the Vampire thing and Willow, well Buffy wasn’t really sure exactly what Willow’s objections were, just that she would have them. Dawn probably thought that something was up, its a tad hard to keep that from your sister when she sees the guy in her bed. Not like anything had happened that night anyway. They were both just so tired. There was nothing more Buffy wanted that to allow herself to be with his man. He was her equal. She knew it and had accepted it long ago, it was just that for the longest time she thought he was her equal opposite, his darkness compared to her light. She knew now that there was no such thing. Spike was her true equal. Buffy felt herself sigh. She didn’t care if Xander got angry, or Willow made faces or Giles disapproved. Spike was it. she wasn’t going to let him slip away again. “Slayer, are you going to stare at me all afternoon?” he said without a hint of sleepiness. “Have you been awake this whole time?” she sounded indignant. Spike opened his eyes and rolled towards her propping himself on his elbow. “How do you like it now?” he asked, “You never stuck around last night to have a proper look around.” “I thought you wanted to have sex up there in the stink. God, it’s awful, What is that?” “Dead rat. I left it to keep away unwanted visitors.” “I think it works. Am I gonna have to plug my nose every time I through there?” “Na, there’s another passage to the surface down here. Think I enjoy the rat smell?” “Well, you are dead...” “So what’s so important that you choose to wake me up from by death like sleep in the middle of the afternoon? Anything other than a Randy Buffy and I’ll be terribly disappointed,” he said moving closer towards her. “Spike...” she moved away from him. “Right then, get out of my bed, let me rest in peace,” Spike rolled away from her and pulled the sheet over his shoulders. This was not the reaction Buffy was expecting. She resisted poking him sharply in the ribs but instead cuddled up behind him spooning him from behind. She reached with her topmost arm and began tracing his skin from his thigh to his chest gently sliding her fingers over his tepid skin. “Do they know you are here pet?” “Yes, I told them I needed to check on you to make sure that Vampire Hunter Guy hadn’t found you.” “Touching concern,” he said still with his back to her. “Aren’t you moody today.” There was an exasperated sigh from the vampire. Spike propped himself up on his elbows again and gave her a hard look. “Please don’t look at me like that,” asked Buffy sadly. Spike softened and gathered her up in his arms. They lay together, him holding her while she let tears roll down her face. She didn’t know why she was crying, It was as if a whole flood of emotions were suddenly released, pent up anxieties she didn’t know where to begin. She’d kept it in for so long. All she knew was that she and her delicate emotional state were safe with him. The sobs lasted for about 15mins. She finally sniffled, and wiped away her tears. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “No problem pet” “Sorry about waking you up.” “Anytime,” he said planting a kiss on her forehead. Buffy looked at him intensely. “Sometimes I wish I understood you, like you understand me.” “Been studying you for a good long time now Slayer. You can learn a lot about a person when you spend all your time watching them for weakness. I think I have the Slayer figured out, it’s Buffy that sometimes throws me for a loop.” “I’d like to be able to say the same thing. To understand what‘s going on in that bleached head of yours.” “I hope you never figure it out pet, its not nice inside my head. Too many dead people.” “Just like me,” she added quietly. “Don’t you go comparing yourself to be now. You are a shining angel, compared to me. How could you ever be in my bed is miracle enough for me.” “Spike...” she said slowly tracing the outline of his face with her hand. “I need you, you make this dimension of hell worth living in. You make me feel like I'm living.” Spike kissed her. She kissed back, her lips moving with his, his lips so soft and cool. She felt his tongue force it’s self past her lips, god he was a fantastic kisser, she thought. She pulled back from him. “Spike can we pretend something?” she asked, “Can we pretend its the night before, when we both thought we were going to die? Could we just relive it, pretend we are in the basement on Revello dr?” There was no need for him to say anything . She saw the assent in his eyes. Both of them stood up. He carefully put back on his black jeans and t shirt. This was the first time he noticed that she was wearing very close to the same outfit she had had on that night. They stood staring at each other from across the room. Slowly they walked towards each other. Reaching for each other. There hadn’t been the need for words. She reached out and touched his scar on his eyebrow, she had wondered what scar would be left behind from this battle. Tomorrow they closed the hellmouth, cost what it will. Spike took her hands and kissed them tenderly then gathered her up and laid her on the bed, all the while kissing her mother with passion. She pulled his head towards her. One of his hands gently made its way down to her crotch, stroked it a few times before starting to unzip her pants. Buffy gasped as he slid his hand down into her jeans and began to rub against her clit. Buffy tugged his shirt off and continued kissing his now warm mouth. Buffy’s hands set to work on his pants. She felt her own pants pulled away from her. Then she felt something warm and slippery enter her. She looked down to see Spike down on her, his tongue licking and probing her pink demenses with careful accuracy. She felt herself move in time with his actions. Buffy quickly removed her top and bra. Then she grabbed him by his bleached locks, to get his attention. “I want you inside of me,” she whispered. It’ll be the last time, she thought. Spike pushed up her knees, spread her legs and positioned himself above her. Far too slowly he entered her, like he was savouring the moment. She gasped as he penetrated her. They moved in time with one another gently rocking back and forth, taking their time. This was after all the last time they would do this. One of them would be dead the next day. Buffy ran her fingers over his smooth back. It felt so right, she thought, to have him inside her making the hollow place full. He was what she needed and she wanted to stay that way forever. “Buffy...” he whispered in her ear, just as he had before. She moaned, her conversation between her and Angel the night before flashed in her head, ‘Do you love him?’ Angel had asked. ‘He is in my heart’ she had said. All very true. But as she lay there, her legs spread, him kissing her face and neck she felt that she did love him. She wrapped her legs about him and squeezed him tightly into her. He was getting close. “Oh god, Buffy, I love you,” he said between thrusts. He had said that then too. “Spike...” she whispered because she had then too, Then she moaned again. Her legs were quivering, her clit throbbed,. A tear rolled down her cheek. All as before but this time would be different. “...I love you.” His hands that had been fondling her breasts stopped only for a moment, as he registered this new information. There was one more thrust and she felt herself give way, the sensation was overpowering, it rippled up her body, her muscles clenched involuntarily. He pressed into her one final time before spending. Buffy, panting and shaking found his lips once more. “Thank you,” she breathed. He rolled off of her, his body slick with her sweat. He looked into her eyes and smiled. “Bloody Beautiful, you are,” he said, “Spike...”She said trying to sound displeased but couldn’t. The charade was over. “It wouldn’t have made a difference you know.” he said, “Wouldn’t have made you feel I didn’t believe you though.” “I’d have died with you. I think I wanted to.” “Don’t say that.” “I wanted to,” she repeated more firmly, “And someday I will.” Buffy rolled off the bed to retrieve her clothes. __________________________________________ Dawn made her way back to her house. Her day at school had been weird. She’d met many more people she knew from Sunnydale there than she thought she would. Now that she thought about it they had been the weirder kids at school. Dawn stumbled back into the apartment to find Xander and Andrew watching movies on Buffy’s new TV (a house warming gift from Xander), Giles was drinking tea and reading, probably something fascinating about demons and Willow was making cookies- which meant in Willow speak that something was very wrong in Willow Land. She was worried about Kennedy. Buffy was no where to be seen. Her new bed had arrived and was sitting all made up to sleep on in the living room. Dawn dropped her bag on it with a thud. “Dawn, how was school?” asked Willow extra cheery. “Have a cookie!” Dawn helped herself. “School was ok, it was school, I have to take French, ick,” she munched on a cookie, “Hey, where’s Buffy?” “She said was checking up on Spike to make sure Mr David Gable doesn’t make with the stake while Spike slept.” “Oh,” said Dawn knowingly. Willow glanced up from her cookies, “Dawn do you know more? I need details” said Willow grabbing the girl’s hands. “What I don’t know anything, really,” she said smiling, “I’ve only been here a day longer than you have.” “Dawn...” “K, so when I woke up my first day, they were sleeping in Buffy’s bed, But I’m pretty sure nothing happened cause he was still dressed in the same clothes, when we were in the car, the next morning and asleep,” said Dawn. “Is that all?” asked Willow disappointed. “Is that all! Please god may it be all,” pleased Xander. “Hey, I think its cute, they were majorly tight before. Why not now, now that the apocalypse has been averted. If they love another why not?” offered Dawn. “Whoa, hold the boat, love one another, no way. Not possible,” said Xander, “Don’t care what the evil undead thinks he feels, no way does Buffy love him,” protested Xander. “You don’t know Xander, they’ve been giving out the weird signals, lots of sexual tension in the air,” observed Andrew. “Tension yes. Love no,” declared Xander. “Could we please move on to a more sane conversation,” asked Giles removing his glasses and rubbing his temples. “She bought him a shirt, a present, and look at all the blood in the fridge!” said Dawn excitedly, “She brought him here to Cleveland with her.” “There are definitely signs...” said Willow. “And you are ok with that Will, cause you weren't formally of the Spike fan club,” said Xander. “Xander you should have heard her this summer, her pain, she needed him. She was like...like Captain Picard with counsellor Troi... like sixteen year old Buffy without her Mr Gordo. She was miserable. I just want her to be happy.” said Willow, trying to use analogies that would make sense to Xander. “But Captain Picard never had sex with Counsellor Troi,” said Andrew trying to make sense of the analogy. Thankfully he was ignored. “Do you think they’re making with the smoochies right now?” asked Dawn. “Ug, mental picture stuck in brain,” said Xander disgusted. “Hopefully she’s kicking his ass into the next state.” “Na, smoochies it is,” said Willow. “I also vote smoochies,” said Andrew, “Giles?” “Huh?” said Giles suddenly startled out of his reading by hearing his name. “I’m sorry you pursued quite an unappetizing topic of conversation, I’m afraid I tuned you all out.” The door opened. “Anyone care to rental shop with me before we have to take Willow to airport?” asked Buffy pleasantly. __________________________________________ They drove, five of them, Giles preferred to read his book rather be cramped illegally into a car, to one of the rental homes Buffy had made inquiries about. Buffy hadn’t told her friends but she wanted this house. It was a three story, four floor house, brick, small front yard, larger backyard, six bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and it looked out onto Spike’s cemetery, Pinehill, but she didn’t tell that to her friends that tid bit of news either. Dawn was enchanted with the house and already picked out her bedroom on the 2nd floor, facing the back yard. “The owner is renting the place, but thinks he might be willing to sell in a few years,” said Buffy. Xander inspected and pronounced it sound. “Which bedroom is mine?” Andrew asked when they got back in the car.” The four others gave him looks of death. “Well if I am to be your watcher, won’t I need to live with you?” “Giles said you’d be more like a record keeper, didn’t he?” said Dawn. “My question is what are you going to do with all those bedrooms?” asked Xander. “One could be a workout room,” offered Dawn. “Ooooh! Library!....or an office” said Willow. “One could be Spike’s,” said Buffy. There was silence in the car. “Come you guys, how long do you think its going to be until this David guy finds Spike? He’ll be tracked and hunted. He won’t be safe until he is living under the same roof as I am.” “I don’t think Spike needs all this consideration, Buffy. Are we forgetting the rape? The killing? The trigger?” said Xander. “No, but I think you are forgetting the soul and the saving the world bit. He isn’t a monster and I think he deserves a little more respect,” said Buffy. Dawn poked Willow and smiled. “So house good?” continued Buffy. “I’ll sign the lease papers tomorrow. We can move in next month.” __________________________________________ Spike sat on his bed, reading a large volume of poetry he’d nicked from a street vender the day before. Buffy had asked him to wait until after she’d taken Willow to the airport so that they could patrol. Spike knew it wasn’t even sundown yet, Buffy would be even now driving to the airport. He smiled, she hated driving. His memory went back to when he had first seem her at the bus station. Of course he hadn’t just seen her, he smelled her, lovely smell. When he say her though, if he had a living heart it would have stopped beating, She had looked so sad, so miserable it was everything he could do but hold her in this arms and whisper to her that everything would be alright. And then she hadn’t believed that it was him. A natural reaction he supposed, she didn’t have a vampire’s sense of smell. It turned him on to think of her smell. And she loved him! Well she said that she loved him and she didn’t lie to him as a rule. Lost in his own thoughts he almost missed the door of his crypt open and close. Buffy? he thought. No it couldn’t be her not yet. For once he cursed the fact that the upstairs of the crypt smelled so rank. He put down the book and stood up from his bed and backed away until he was hidden behind his fabric wall hangings. Into the room stepped Gable. Stake in hand. Bloody hell, thought Spike gritting his teeth. He watched as Gable poked around his things, picked up his duster from the bed and started inspecting the pockets. Gable pulled out Spike’s Zippo and Buffy’s pink silk undies that she had left there that afternoon. Spike could feel his anger come up. He kept his game face at bay though. When Gable started moving back towards the stairs with his things. Spike immerged from the walls. “Now that you’ve had a right snoop around mate, I’d appreciate it if you left me things,” said Spike. Gable jumped. “I knew these were yours and hers. The moment I saw them thought I’d take them as a warning to get out.” “Na, not going to work, cause I really like that coat, I’d have tracked you down and taken it from you,” said Spike as he swaggered towards the human, “Give it back before bad things happen.” “Make me,” said Gable with a stoic face. “All right,” said Spike. Spike punched Gable directly in the face, causing the man to stagger back and drop the coat. With one slick move Spike grabbed the coast and put it on. Gable wiped away the blood trickling down his nose. “Now you’ve done it, I was going to take it easy on you, but now,” Gable moved towards Spike, fists raised. He punched feinted punched kicked and positioned himself to throw Spike. Not one blow landed on the vamp. “Come on, you can do better than that, after all your the vampire hunter of Cleveland for Christ's sake,” said Spike mouthing off. Gable got in a lucky blow, finally, landing squarely on Spike’s cheek. Without meaning to, Spike vamped out and roared. “I knew one of you had to a vampire,” said Gable pleased with himself and raised a cross to keep Spike away. “I’m gonna have fun with you mate. Bet it’s a long time since you had a challenge, beating someone to a pulp has always given me an appetite.” Gable raised the cross higher. Spike ignored it as long as he didn’t touch it he was ok. Spike knocked the cross out of Gable’s hand and made a rush for him. Then out of no where a splash of water met Spike’s face. Holy water. Spike screamed in pain. He couldn’t see. Crouched on the floor in pain Spike knew that Gable would stake him next. Spike flung out his arm and knocked Gable’s legs out from under him. Spike took off out the secret exit not wanting for Gable to regain his equilibrium. Spike stood outside for a moment. He couldn’t see and he wasn’t burning, so the sun must have gone down. He needed to find her. Spike sniffed the air and began walking. __________________________________________ Buffy stood in the middle of Spike’s crypt. It was smouldering. The fire couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes. Buffy had dropped off Xander, Dawn and Andrew at he apartment before walking here on foot. “Spike?” she called. She really hopped that he wasn’t here when it happened that he hadn’t been staked, How could she find out if that were true. The whole place was ash. Where would he have gone? To find her. He hadn’t been at her apartment when she had dropped off the others. Buffy bolted out of the crypt. What if he were injured? Buffy took off her jacket and wrapped it around her waist. It was too cold for the tank she wore but the more skin she showed the more scent he could smell. Buffy walked in the direction of her apartment not stopping even for traffic lights. She had to find him. He couldn’t be gone, not again, she wouldn’t lose him again. __________________________________________ This wouldn’t have happened if he had been wearing his bauble, he thought. He had hidden it in Buffy’s weapon’s chest the first time he had spent the night there, he figured it would be safer there. Now here he was blind, walking towards her smell. He couldn’t even be sure that he was walking in a straight line. He stumbled over something every few feet, usually a curb or an uneven paving stone. “Spike?” he heard her voice. “Buffy?” he answered, relieved. He felt her rush up to him. “Oh my god, Spike what’s happened to your face?” she asked. He could sense her disgust looking at it. “Gable did this to you didn’t he?” Spike felt his arm being wrapped around her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go home,” she said sweetly. __________________________________________ “Oh my god, Spike what happened?” cried Dawn as soon as they were in the apartment. “Gable splashed Holy water in his face, he’s blind,” said Buffy leading Spike to her room. “He burnt up Spike’s crypt.” “Wow,” said Andrew. They all followed her into her room. Xander and Giles with token concern on their faces. “Dawn find me the first aid box, Xander heat up some blood. Giles there’s some whiskey under the sink and Andrew, get out of my room,” said the General. Everyone left the room. Buffy started to truly assess the damage. His face looked like acid had burned him, his eyes were swollen shut. On his legs and hands were hundreds of gashes, cuts, scrapes probably from trying to find his way to her blind. Carefully she removed his duster trying not to move him too much. His jeans were ruined, cut up in so many places. Dawn arrived with the first aid kit and the blood Xander was supposed to heat up. Giles came in with the whiskey. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Dawn asked. “Not right now, but I’ll call for you if I need help K?” said Buffy trying to smile. Giles and Dawn left her to her task. Shutting the door behind them. Buffy planted a kiss on Spike’s head. she carefully wrapped gauze around his eyes and set to work on his hands, carefully wrapping every cut. Buffy loosened his belt and pulled his pants off. He grunted in pain. Along with the gashes and wounds, Spike’s right leg was broken. “Must have been when I was hit by that car,” he said gritting his teeth. Buffy handed him the blood then the bottle of whiskey. “Drink up, this is going to hurt.” He screamed a bit when he set the bone. Then she dressed his other wounds. She curled up in bed beside him under the covers and held him gently. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you,” she whispered. “He will never hurt you again.” __________________________________________ Buffy left her room quietly a few hours later. “How is he?” asked Dawn. “He’s sleeping, possibly passed out from the whiskey. His face is burnt, his hands are badly cut up and his right leg is broken. He was hit by a car while he was trying to get away from that monster,” said Buffy hurt and angry. Buffy walked to her weapons chest and took out a small dagger. “Buffster, what are you thinking?” asked Xander. “Vengeance,” replied Buffy. “Buffy, you can’t be serious, he’s a human being. You can’t kill him.” “Why not? He tried to kill Spike. I’m not going to kill him, rough him up, put the fear of Buffy in him.” “You’ll be put in jail Buffy!” pleaded Dawn. “I’ll have to go into foster care!” “I’m sure Spike would much rather take his revenge out personally,” said Andrew. “I’m going. Dawn look after Spike,” said Buffy as she slammed the door closed. Buffy head straight for Gable’s cemetery. The caretaker’s house in fact and pounded on the door. It was only 8pm, he was probably watching Friends or something. Gable cautiously answered his door. “Dumb Buffy,” he said with a smirk. “How’s your vampire boyfriend?” Buffy tightened her grip on her dagger in her jacket pocket. “You have made the biggest mistake of your life and you are going to pay for it.” “What? You are going to beat me up? That’s rich. Scared of you little girl.” “Oh you better be scared,” she said walking towards him. “You are the first human in a long time that I would happily let him drain.” With a flick of the wrist he flung Holy water at her. Buffy smiled. “I’m not a vampire, remember? I’m a demon!” She lunged forward and grabbed his neck hoisting him up in the air. “Stay away from us. If you see us coming run away little man or you will end up in the ground a lot sooner than you think.” Buffy threw him across the porch and walked off kicking over a tombstone as she went. __________________________________________ When she returned to her apartment several hours later she refused to speak to anyone she kicked her new punched bag which sat in the corner of the living room and trudged into her room, closing the door behind her. One look at Spike’s bandaged face sent her into tears. __________________________________________ Dawn had looked up from her homework when Buffy stormed back in. Guess she wasn’t sleeping in Buffy’s room tonight. It was the floor for her. “Do you think he’s dead?” asked Andrew. “No, Buffy wouldn’t be still angry if he was among the living,” said Xander. “She’s gonna be like that for a few days,” said Dawn. “I mean I’d be furious if someone beat up my boyfriend, and look what happened to the last guy who messed with Buffy’s boyfriend.” “That was Spike,” observed Xander. “And he spent months in a wheelchair for it too. No one messes with Buffy’s boyfriends.” “Also, NOT her boyfriend.” “Whatever Xander” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #7 - The invalid Vampire

__________________________________________ Buffy woke up with Spike’s arms wrapped around her. Her eyes were crusty from crying. “Good morning” Spike said into the dark room. “How do you feel?” she asked propping herself up on her elbow. “Better, hands seemed to have healed well enough. Leg still hurts like a bitch. Face too, though doesn’t hurt to talk. Hungry mainly.” “Ok, blood. Must pee,” she said lifting herself up off the bed. Buffy stumbled out into her living room. It had to be 6 am. Giles and Dawn were asleep in Dawn’s bed. Xander and Andrew were on the floor. Must Pee, Buffy thought. The small bathroom was a mess. It was worse than her bathroom in Sunnydale when the potentials lived there. Various male bathroom products littered the sink and tub. She stared into the toilet, someone hadn’t flushed, yuck. She was glad that her new house would have more than one bathroom. Things to do today: sign lease on house, take Giles and Xander to Airport, take care of Spike... Buffy felt another tear fall down her face. Buffy padded out into the kitchen for blood. They were getting low on the stuff again. She shhhhhed the microwave as it beeped. Need to buy Spike new pants and a washing machine and a dryer. Buffy hadn’t found time to do any laundry since she arrived. Laundry room was in the basement. Buffy made a mental note to do laundry today. Back in her room with the door closed she slid in beside Spike and put his hands around the mug. “It was my fault you know,” he said between sips. “Bloody not used to going in for the kill. Waited too long. Wanted to make him pay. Taking my things. Taunted him. Could have been over in a flash, neck snapped, could’ve had a quick drink too.” “Spike...” “I know you don’t like to be reminded of Spike the Big Bad, just cause I got this soul now doesn’t mean I can’t think nasty things.” “Spike, I went to kill him, for you, last night...” “Buffy...” “I didn’t, oh but I wanted to, in the worst way. I wanted to hurt him, like he hurt you. I couldn’t” “Because he’s human?” “Because I won’t let the demon control me. I saw it in my head you know, like I was watching myself. He still thought I was a vampire too. I got Holy water in my face. Then I remember a sick smile coming over my face, the kind you used to get before the soul, when you were gonna kill something. It scared me.” “Think he should be the one who should be scared. Four or five days to heal up and I’ll be back out there seeking my own vengeance.” “Spike,” “Don’t deny me payback, luv” “I won’t, I just don’t want you to get hurt again. I need you at my back, make sure this demon inside me doesn’t get the upper hand.” “Never you mind about that Luv, I’ll not be leaving you of my own accord.” She kissed his burnt face. The alarm sounded. 7 am. Sounds of the latest N’Sync song filled the apartment. Buffy heard sounds of people waking in the next room. Buffy looked down at her clothes, the same ones that she had worn the night before. Buffy started looking around in boxes for clothes to wear. “Tell me what you’re doing luv, it gets awful dull just sitting here.” “I’m looking for clothes to wear, clothes that aren’t dirty. Hmm,” she said as she found a pair of black pants and a red v-neck sweater. “Hmm?” “I’ve found what I’m going to wear,” she said. Buffy knelt on the bed beside him, took his hands and put them on her hips. “I want you to undress me,” she whispered in his ear. Spike slid his hands up under her shirt and let his fingers worked their way up to her shoulder touching her skin. Buffy raised her arms and let Spike pull off her top. Next she took his hand and placed them on her hips once more. He found the waist of her pants and started undoing the buttons on her fly. Buffy lay back and let him slide the pants over her butt and down her thighs. Buffy kicked the pants off and faced him again. His hands instinctively rose to her breasts and then around to her back to undo her bra. The silky garment fell away, but his hand lingered. His hands slid down her body until he felt silk again. Buffy raised herself up to let him remove her underwear. Flinging them aside he moved his hands up and down her body trying to touch every part. “Buffy!” called Dawn through the door, “Are you awake?” “Hold on, I’m getting dressed!” replied the slayer rolling her eyes. “You’re getting dressed with Spike in there!!!?” exploded Xander. “He can’t see Xander, relax,” said Dawn. Buffy kissed Spike on the cheek and hastily on her clothes. Buffy couldn’t help but notice Spike’s particular delight from his part in Buffy’s undressing. Buffy spread a blanket over him. “Little excited?” she whispered. “Cock tease” Buffy laughed. She opened the door to find Dawn smiling and Xander furious. “Good morning Buffy,” said Dawn with a wink. “I’m off to school, unless you want to drive me?” she said hopefully. “Not really. Don’t want to leave Spike alone too long,” said Buffy. “Hey, it’s ok. I’ll see you when I get home. Maybe we can order in Chinese?” “Sure Dawn.” Dawn turned and gave big hugs to Xander and Giles, their plane left that afternoon. “Have fun in England. Send me cheap chocolate, ok?” she asked Xander. Dawn was out the door with hardly a tear. “Buffy,” said Xander, after Dawn had left. “I was thinking maybe I should stay here with you. Instead of the big nerd here, I’m not great with the recording but I’m good with the protecting and the taking care of Dawn.” “Xander, I don’t need you here to look after us, we will be fine. I don’t even know why Andrew’s staying. I think he’s crushing on Dawn, which creeps me out a bit.” “Its not Andrew I’m worried about.” “Spike.” “Captain Peroxide” “Xander, I get the protecting me bit, I get that you can’t stand him, he’s proven himself over and over to us all, he deserves your respect.” “I respect him, I do, as a scooby, ya he’s fought along side us, not eaten anyone recently. I get that, what I don’t get is why he’s in your bed right now, after all he’s done to you.” “It’s called forgiveness Xander. I forgave him, because he forgives me. Just like we forgave Willow for trying to end the world after Tara died, or we forgive Angel for the nasty stuff he did without his soul. I forgave him Xander, a long time ago.” “But, it’s Spike.” “Yes, Spike, Big Bad with a soul, who loves me Xander, loves me and I love him,” she whispered. “No,” “Yes, please Xander, I need your friendship, I don’t want to...It’s important to me that we are friends Xander.” “He’s wrong for you Buffy, he’ll leave you like the others.” “No he won’t Xander and isn’t it my own choice to risk my heart again? Please Xander tell me you are ok with this.” “No...I’m not ok with this...but if this is what you want to do, who am I to try to change your mind , just some poor sap with no magic or other worldly talents, who has loved you since the first day I saw you.” “I know, you’ve been the most wonderful friend a girl could ask for.” Buffy planted a kiss on Xander’s cheek and pranced off to the kitchen, where Andrew was making himself breakfast. One down, three to go, she thought, or is it four? Should she tell Angel too? Giles was just getting out of the shower four hours until they had to be at the airport. “Buffy!” said Giles in greeting, “How is Spike this morning?” “Better, his face is still burnt and he’s leg is still broken but otherwise he’s a happy vampire,” she said far too cheerfully. “Buffy about last night...” he started to say. “Ya, I know, I went all protective mama bear, I’m over it, ok? I was just madder than...well I was very mad.” “Which is understandable. I just hope that nothing happened last night that you will come to regret.” “Like what? I don’t think Mr Grumpy Gable will look at me the wrong way again.” “I was referring to the law, he could charge you with assault.” “It’d be his word against mine Giles.” “That didn’t work so well with Ted,” interjected Xander coming out of the bathroom himself. “Until they found the bodies...” replied Buffy. “I’m just saying that you should watch your step with him, he’s not really in the same...” “What? reality?” “I was going to say world view. He knows nothing about Slayers and watchers, to him it is all very likely that he believes the law works in our line of business.” “Speaking of business, who do I start to see a pay check now that I’m a watcher, doomed to be held in a box for all eternity?” asked Andrew. “Once you have done something constructive for the council, pray let it be soon.” “Pay check? Why does Luke Skywalker get a pay check?” asked Buffy. “Watcher’s have always been paid by the council,” said Giles. “Why not me? Huh? Haven’t I saved the world enough? Don’t you think that I deserve to be on the payroll too?” “No Slayer has ever lived long enough, in an era when it was acceptable for girls to live on their own. Most slayers have lived with their watchers until their deaths. They never needed an income.” “Times change, Buffy need money, or I’m gonna have to get me a job, again. I need to furnish my new house and I’m badly in need of training again, look, flabby everywhere,” said Buffy lifting her shirt to expose her tummy rock hard that it was. “Right, I’ll look into it.” “Look into it?” asked Buffy. “I thought we were the council? asked Andrew, “Can’t we just vote and give her the money?” “Yes, I suppose...” “All in favour of Buffy getting paid for slayage and saving the world?” asked Andrew. The three men raised their hands and said “Aye” “Motion carried” said Xander, “let’s eat.” __________________________________________ “You bitch! How could you do that to me? Its all I ever wanted! You took it away from me!” screamed Kennedy. “I had to make the killing stop. The spell that I did, was wrong. I know that now, the powers wouldn’t let it continue. People were dying,” countered Willow. “People? What about all the people that are going to die now, because there aren’t slayers to protect them, in LA, in Washington, London, Paris, all over the world? How can you decide to let them face demons and vampires alone?” “I didn’t decide Kennedy. The original watcher’s council decided, not me. Even if I hadn’t done it some how the legacy would have been put back, the way it was. Buffy would have died, again.” “You didn’t even try to stop it Willow. You found out what they were doing and you went right along with it. You didn’t even try.” Willow was silent. Kennedy was right, she hadn’t tried. “You are right, I didn’t,” she said quietly, “I took the safe route, I didn’t even bother to fix it with magic, I helped them and now everything is back the way it was.” It was what Tara would have done, she thought. “You knew how important being a slayer was to me and you didn’t even try Willow!” Willow got angry. “You know what? I’m sick of this being all about you Kennedy. People were dying. I took the only path I had at the moment. There was no possible way I was going to let anyone hurt Dawn or Buffy again. So you aren’t a slayer anymore, boo fucking hoo. You can live Kennedy, unlike Amanda or any of the other potentials who died. Maybe there was a reason there had to be only one slayer, who am I to tamper with the legacy Kennedy, who am I? Just a powerful witch with a knack for doing some weird shit. If you don’t like it, there’s the door,” said Willow opening the door by magic. Kennedy walked out and slammed the door behind her. “Tara would have understood,” cried Willow. __________________________________________ It was a few days later that Willow ran into Valery at the open air market. The slender brunette was even more thin than Willow remembered her. There was anger in her face until she caught Willow in her eye. “Willow!” said Valery, “It’s good to see you” “Valery, hi! How are you?” “Ok, healing slowly, got out of the hospital yesterday would have stayed home, but there’s no food in our new place. Hanks been very busy with his job and dealing with the police. They still think he might had done it. How are Buffy and Dawn?” “Good, Dawn’s in school, Buffy’s leased a very nice house, the apartment was far too small for them both.” “A house, goodness, won’t she be lonely when Dawn comes back to LA. I mean once Hank’s police problems are over?” “Dawn isn’t coming back, Valery, Buffy has custody.” “Buffy decided that Dawn should stay in LA,” declared Valery, “Buffy decided Dawn needed to have a stable environment Willow. How can Buffy possibly provide a stable environment for her sixteen year old sister? Buffy’s a child herself. She could die at any time.” “Dawn is sixteen Valery, she knows what she wants to do and right now she wants to stay with Buffy. You are just going to have to accept that.” “No, I don’t and neither does my husband. I know what Buffy is now, and Dawn will be much better far, far away from her sister’s influence.” “No Valery, you are wrong” said Willow walking away from the woman. __________________________________________ Buffy looked through the mail with hope. Bill, Bill, Junk, Bill. She frowned, no letter from Xander about her money. She’d spent far too much on new things since she got the insurance money from the Sunnydale house. “Bloody Hell,” came a cry from her bedroom. He’s awake. Buffy padded into her room to find Spike and her bed covered in blood. She would have gasped at the sight, but she knew better. Spike had been getting restless just sitting in her bed all day. Buffy had done everything she could think of to make him comfortable, brought him blood, signed out books on tape from the library for him to listen to, but he was clearly unhappy about being cooped up. Buffy hoped that he would be up and about in a few more days, he was healing a lot slower than she thought he would. “Buffy?” said Spike, “ I know you are here, I can smell you.” “I’m here, Spike, she answered walking towards him, “How do you get yourself into these messes?” Buffy started pulling off his clothes, his black t-shirt was soaked in blood, his new black tear away pants she had bought him (cause they were easier to get on and off with the broken leg) had splashes down both legs. “Up you get,” she said hoisting him from the bed and onto a chair in the corner of the room, which until moments ago, held a neatly stacked pile of clothes. Buffy set to work to gather up the blood coated sheets. She took a peek at her naked vampire. His leg was till in a splint, his face had healed from the burns but he still couldn’t see. She wanted to hold him in her arms forever. He didn’t deserve to be like this. Buffy put new sheets on the bed and helped him back to his side of the bed. They had slept together in this bed for almost a week, just touching he hadn’t wanted to do anymore than that. Buffy covered him up with the sheet and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Buffy...” he said apologetically. “Don’t worry about it Spike, accidents happen, sheets needed to be washed anyway.” He groped for her hand and held it. “I don’t want to be a burden. I should go.” “No! You shouldn’t. Spike, he still could be looking for you.” “You haven’t been patrolling, you haven’t been training, because of me. I will not be a burden.” “You aren’t a burden Spike. I need you to be safe.” “I can’t help you the way I am,” “You won’t always be like this Spike.” “The leg will heal up fine, I don’t doubt that, but what if I can’t see again?” “Spike, of course you will see again. Give it time. Rest and blood are all you need. Would you like for me to get you another mug full?” He didn’t answer but turned away from her. Buffy padded out into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Way at the back was something she had been saving for a day like today. She opened the bag and poured some into a new mug. She slipped it into the microwave. She recalled the weird look on the nurse’s face at the blood clinic, when she asked if she could have blood taken and then keep it herself. Surely other people did this too? Buffy thought. Buffy presented the mug to Spike. “Don’t want anymore bloody pig blood,” he whined. “Spike!” she said angrily, “ Drink” Reluctantly he took the mug. He inhaled and a smile crept over his face. “Where did you get this pet?” he asked. Buffy smiled, “Drink up, I’ll tell you when I get back from putting the sheets in the wash.” __________________________________________ Giles surveyed the assembled watchers. These were all that remained in all the world, a mere hundred when there had been 5 times as many. Xander stood to his left, his one eye taking in the weird faces before him. “So the legacy has been started afresh?” asked a curious sandy haired blonde in the centre of the room. “Yes, so it appears,” said Giles. “Will the consequences be the same? as it was with the first slayer?” asked another watcher, a man this time. “All indications are that indeed consequences will be the same for Buffy as was for the First Slayer, which should give us time to recruit new watchers train them and return our numbers before the need becomes necessary to send watchers out to observe and train potentials.” “Giles do you really think it is wise to go so long without training potentials? What if the legends is not true? There could be a mad panic to find the next chosen one should the slayer die.” “Perhaps a school for potentials, where our resources would not be as stretched, as they would if we were all assigned potentials,” offered another. “I concur” Xander felt Giles sigh. __________________________________________ Buffy returned from laundry duty to find Spike standing up on his own. “Spike!” she said happily, “You can walk!” “I guess that spot of human blood did the trick. Are you going to tell me where you got it?” Buffy put her laundry basket down and walked up to him. She put her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear. “It was mine.” Pressed up against him as she was she couldn’t fail to notice his reaction to her words. She led him by the hand back to her room. Closing the door behind her she led him to the bed and sat him down. “Undress me,” she purred in his ear, taking his hands and placing them on her hips. Spike slid his hands up under her shirt, taking the garment with him. Buffy raised her arms up to help him. Once the shirt was clear she planted a kiss to the top of his head. Spike had started to pepper her tummy with light kisses. He dipped his tongue into her navel and slid his hands lower, to take off her pants. Spike made short work of the button and fly on her pants and was pushing them down, while letting his tongue trail down her thigh. Buffy kicked off her pants and moaned as his attention returned to her undergarments. Spike had hooked his thumbs into her panties and was sliding them down now too. This time though, his attention was caught not by her soft skin but by the smell of her arousal. Spike picked her up and tossed her on to the bed. He spread her legs and began to kiss up her thighs, only stopping once he made to her moist centre. It was only after her orgasm shook her body that Buffy thought about how she could take his blindness to her advantage. Buffy flipped her lover so that he was spread eagled on her bed, facing the ceiling. Buffy tore off his tearaway pants, earning a smile and a secret prayer to the powers thanking them for whoever invented the things. Buffy began her torture, kissing her lover in random places on his body, sometimes, they were harsh pecks, sometimes moist and open mouthed. Spike moaned when she gave a long languorous lick to the underside of his cock, standing at attention. Buffy grabbed his hands as they attempted to give himself some relief from her teasing. “Bloody hell woman! What are you doing to me?” he whined. “Tsk tsk, Spike. You should know better than not let me have my way.” Buffy resumed her merciless teasing. Buffy let her tongue bathe his cock, before taking him in full into her mouth and deep throating him a few times, before pulling him out and blowing on his moist cock. Spike shivered. “God, please Buffy...” “Please what?” she asked. “Fuck me Goldilocks, please,” he begged. Buffy smiled and placed his restrained hands on her breasts. Slowly she straddled him and lowered herself so that her entrance was poised only a hair’s width from his cock. Spike tried to buck against her to achieve contact. Buffy giggled. “Ah luv, I‘m gonna dust if I can’t be inside you soon.” “Well we can’t have that.” Buffy sank ever so slowly onto his hard prick, earning a grateful groan from the vampire. Even more slowly Buffy started sliding herself up and down on him, while he massaged her breasts. Finally Spike couldn’t take it anymore more and overpowered the Slayer for a moment and flipped her over and began to pound into her. Buffy screamed her orgasm to be followed shortly by Spike, who collapsed next to her on the bed. “Cock tease,” he whispered. “Next time I’ll tie you up, cheater.” __________________________________________ Buffy was roused from her exhausted and spent state by the ringing of the telephone. Weakly she picked up the phone. “Hello?” “Buffy, it’s Willow” “Willow, hey, how’s Willowland?” “I bumped into Valery today, she more or less threatened to take Dawn back. She says as soon as your Dad is cleared of suspicion they will be taking her back.” Buffy snapped to her senses. “They can’t do that. Dawn’s mine. I have papers.” “She doesn’t care, she’s angry. I just thought I would warn you what she’s up to.” “Thanks Will.” “So anything other than Evil Stepmom...How’s Buffy?” “Good.” “Just good? As in ‘I’ve had a great piece of cheesecake’ good or good like ‘fantasizing about sex’ good?” “Willow!” “Just asking, want to know what’s up with the Buff.” “Buffy good, in the ‘I don’t have to fantasize about sex cause just had some’ kinda way.” “Buffy! Spike?” “No Andrew, of course Spike.” “Good job Buffy, oh wait I didn’t interrupt did I?” “No Willow, I wouldn’t have picked up the phone if you had” “How is he? I mean in the non sex way, injuries.” “He’s walking, broken leg, healed, face, no scars. He can’t see yet though,” “That’s too bad, you want me to do a spell?” “No Willow, everything will heal with time. Heard from Giles or Xander lately?” “Xander called yesterday. I think he’s overwhelmed boy. Watcherness is ‘daunting’ I think he said.” “Sounds Giles-y” “Our dear Xander, he hasn’t a chance.” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #8 - Unexpected News

Disclaimer: Ya, I know, not mine. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing this story! __________________________________________ Chapter 8: Unexpected News Buffy put down the phone with a thump. Valery wants Dawn back, probably to hurt me, cause I didn’t protect her. Grrr, Buffy thought to herself. Buffy rolled over to hug Spike, to make her demon go away. Inadvertently she noticed the clock. 2:30 pm. Dawn would be home from school soon followed by Andrew who had gotten himself a job at an electronics store. Buffy bolted out of bed, threw on some clothes and tore around the room, gathering laundry. “Crap, crap, crap,” said Buffy under her breath. “The niblet’s not going to mind if the place is a bit mussed, luv.” Buffy found him some clean clothes and threw them at him. “Spike, get dressed. No way am I going to let you parade around here in the nude. And while you are at it make the bed.” Buffy hurried out of the apartment with laundry. Her laundry had been sitting in the washing machines now for ages, probably someone had tossed the whole wet pile on the floor by now. All was quiet in the laundry room, no piles of wet clothes. Buffy took wet clothes and put them in the dryer, and added her new basket of clothes to the washing machine. Buffy took two steps at a time to get back up to her second floor apartment. She had reached the lobby and was facing the apartment’s main door when someone entered. Faith. Buffy stood with her mouth open for a moment. “F..Faith,” Buffy stammered. “B” __________________________________________ “So were ya gonna tell me B? Were ya gonna tell any of us?” Faith said, hands on her hips in the middle of Buffy’s cramped apartment. “Look, I didn’t know what was going to happen, I just did like I was told, my family was being stalked, Faith. They were gonna be killed.” “Not the way I heard it” “What did you hear?” “That everyone’s favourite witch decided to put this back the way it was in the beginning, so you could live for centuries.” “Excuse me, that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard today, wait no, second most ridiculous thing. But it’s right up there. Again with the Huh? Willow did nothing, just helped the watcher shadow caster guys along so they wouldn't kill anyone. It was gonna happen anyway, Giles and her...they thought it’d be better if my dad and sister didn’t die.” “So you don’t care at all about the semi immortal part?” “Again...large helping of Huh? Immortal?” “That’s right, you’ve started the whole slayer legacy thing again. One girl chosen in all the world crap...remember? Like it or not you have started this thing again. From what I hear you’re gonna do everything the first slayer did, live for centuries. I just hope you are ok with that cause damn I wouldn’t be.” “Hold on, back up. I’m so totally not with you on the live for centuries bit. How do you know all this?” “Pillow talk. Wood’s been telling me all sorts of slayer stuff. Things the watcher who raised him told him. About the first slayer. He knew what was happening when I...when my powers were taken. Told me what would happen.” “What did he say about the first slayer?” “A demon possessed her, she was primitive and violent. Used sex as a weapon, abandoned her bastards, lived for centuries, never aging until one of her descendants killed her.” Buffy sat on Dawn’s bed staring at the floor. “It’s nasty, but I might as well let you know, seems fitting, taking our powers away from us, look what you have to live with, not that I’m not grateful. It’s you and not me.” “Huh?” “Don’t think they would have considered me potential material anymore. I’m knocked up.” “Congratulations,” said Buffy dimly. “Don’t get too excited and all.” “Considering I’ve just been told life as I know it is over for me, that’s all you’re going to get Faith. Did you expect instant baby shower?” “Na, it’s cool, totally get it. I mean if it was me, I’d be wigged for sure.” “Faith...” “Ya B?” “Why are you in Cleveland?” “Visiting my grandmother’s grave,” said Faith seriously. “Don’t think it’s all because of you that I'm here. I’m not mad B, can’t be mad at you anymore, mostly I pity you. Look me up if you are ever in the big apple.” Faith walked out of the apartment. Buffy tried to stand up but ended up collapsing on the floor in a heap. “Spike?” she cried. __________________________________________ When Dawn arrived home she could tell that Buffy had done not one thing all day. She heard sobbing from her sister’s room and went to investigate. The door was open. Spike lay on the bed holding Buffy as she sobbed. Dawn knelt beside her sister next to the bed. “Buffy? What’s wrong?” “Sis just got some unexpected news from the Faith bint,” said Spike. Here Buffy started sobbing louder. “Nib, need you to ring the watcher. Need all the info you can get on the First Slayer, Pronto.” Dawn stood up and smiled. Yes, this was going to help Buffy. Never any good at the mushy stuff. Family trait I suppose. Whatever was bothering her, glad she wasn’t keeping it in. Dawn did get on the phone to England, but only after she helped herself to food. It was only after she had hung up the phone that Spike left Buffy’s side and felt his way out into the kitchen. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? or am I going to have to guess,” asked Dawn. Spike was feeling around in the fridge for something. “Let me do that,” said Dawn grabbing the nearest bag of blood and putting some in a mug. “Are you going to tell me or not?” Spike relented. Buffy had safely cried herself to sleep. He could tell the story in peace. He imagined Dawn’s eyes grow wider and wider as he told the facts, that Faith had been there, that she believed Buffy would become exactly like the first slayer, that she was a demon and that she would live for centuries. “It’s not the living for centuries that she’s afraid of pet, its the demon you know about the first slayer, she’d afraid it will take her over. She’s had dreams, you know, about her, how wild she was, how crazy. Buffy’s just afraid of that happening to her too.” “That’s why we need the info about the first slayer, right? Was Faith mad, like Kennedy was? About not being a slayer anymore?” “No, got a bun in the oven that one.” __________________________________________ Buffy awoke with a start. Everything was dark around her. She was alone in her bed. She had to move, had to fidget. She padded out into the living room. Dawn was asleep, Andrew was curled in a ball on the floor at the other end of the room. Quietly she grabbed a stake from her weapons trunk, found her shoes and was out the door. Something, someone caught her hand as she left the building. “Out for a patrol Slayer?” he asked, a cigarette hanging from his lip. “Felt fidget-y, gotta move.” “Don’t go near Gable Slayer, he’s mine.” “Is that an order? Since when do you order me around?” “Since he hurt me, I get to hurt him.” “What makes you think I’ll go after him now?” “That gleam in your eye that says I want to stake something.” “Stake something, Spike, not kill someone. Besides when did you get to see again?” she looked up at him for the first time. He wasn’t wearing the bandages over his eyes. “Since Dawn fixed me the last of the bag of slayer blood. Can see out of my left eye now.” Buffy looked up into his face. The left side was not as noticeably scarred and that eye was Blue and piercing as ever, but his right side of his face was still very scarred and his eye was still swollen shut. “I’m just all medicine-y” she said sitting down on the step. “With none of the after taste,” he joked. “Did you tell Dawn?” “Uh huh, couldn’t help but notice her big sis sobbing like a baby when she got home from school.” “Spike...What’s going to happen to me?” she asked looking at him, tears in her eyes. “Not a thing pet,” he said sitting down and gathering her in his arms. “Not a bloody thing.” “How can you say that? You heard what Faith said to me.” “Makes no difference either way. You are still beautiful shining walk in the light Buffy, you will still fight demons and vampires, save the earth from apocalypse, just like you did before.” “But now I’ll have to fight the demon inside of me too. What if I can’t? What if I’m not strong enough?” “Bull shit! Not strong enough? You are the strongest being I know. You’ll fight that demon and deal with it everyday cause you have to, because you have people you care about, like Dawn, who need you. The demon can be fought pet.” “You do it everyday, fight the demon inside you. I guess I’ve become a lot more like you than I had thought I would. What with the dead and now the demon. Maybe I should get me a cool leather coat and bleach my hair, take up smoking and start wearing black all the time.” He laughed. “Leather you pull off quite nicely, hair looks fine the way it is.” “Thought you said my hair was stupid?” “Smoking, bad habit, costly too. Wearing black, very slimming, but you are too damn skinny to begin with.” “Funny Spike.” Spike flicked his cigarette out on to the sidewalk. “Spike, I’m scared,” said Buffy timidly, “The first slayer was crazy, psycho, demon gal. I don’t want to be like that.” “You aren’t now, the demon went inside you days ago. What makes you think you’ll start actin’ like she did?” “What if it takes a while? New house and all, time to redecorate, before the crazy starts seeping through. What if I start hurting people?” “You won’t luv, It’s not in you.” “I hurt you.” “I let you hurt me. Sucker for punishment I am.” “Not not true. I was cruel, no one deserves that.” “You needed time to work things out after you came back.” “I was cruel before I died.” “It’s in the past luv” “Do you forgive me?” “Ya, I do, have done, long time ago.” Spike stood up and offered her his hand to help her up. “Patrol?” Buffy nodded. They walked in silence to a cemetery north of her apartment. He held her hand. “Tell me about you, before you met Drusilla,” she asked, keeping her eyes on the ground. “You don’t want to hear that luv, Boring. Dull. Born, lived a bit, died. Not much to tell.” “What was it like? Was it like that book we listened to together a couple of days ago? Pride and Prejudice? Were the girls witty and talented? Did you ever meet the King? Did you hunt birds on your manor?” she giggled. Spike laughed. “I was no freakin’ Mr Darcy if that’s what you are after. Was a stupid git, did stupid things and was unhappy for a good long time. It’s best not to think on it too long love.” “No fair,” she stomped her foot, “Why are you so afraid to tell me?” “Not afraid luv, don’t want you to be disappointed.” “I wouldn’t be.” “No, you’ve got a bit of a romantic notion about he past, fancy dresses and chivalrous men. Jane Austen didn’t write about me love. Dead long before I was born.” “When were you born?” “Nope, not important. William is dead, no use celebrating his birthday” “When were you turned then?” “Why is it important?” “Just want to know Spike. You know a hell of a lot about me.” “I bloody don’t need to have William the Bloody: the official biography published for all to hear. Once the questions start there’s no end to them. William is dead, RIP. Anything you need to know abut me you already know, from those bloody council diaries and from what you’ve seen me do.” “Spike...” “Leave it. Past is past. All we have is the present.” “No,” she said stopping. “Not true,” she looked up at his blue eyes. “I live in the present Spike, but I’ve been told I may live for a good long time. I have a future now, I’m gonna get paid by the council, you are going to be in my future Spike.” Buffy leaned in and kissed him. “I love you Spike, someday you’ll tell me all the dirty details. I won’t runaway from it you know.” Her lips inched forward and they kissed again, his hands moving over her back and shoulders. “Buffy...” he whispered between kisses. He pushed her up against a mail box, running his hands over her body, inching up her legs. Buffy linked her hands around his neck using him as leverage to wrap her legs around him. All of a sudden the mail box gave way. The pair fell hard against the metal with a thud. “Oof,” said Buffy. “I guess we had better do this somewhere else.” Buffy rose and tugged his hand, pulling him into the cemetery and into the nearest crypt. Buffy and Spike fell into each other’s embrace. Buffy let her lips pepper Spike’s face with tiny kisses as he kissed her neck. His hands worked down her body until they reached her waist. With a flick of his fingers Spike undid the top bottom of her jeans and slid down the zipper slowly and carefully. He wanted it slow, she wanted it fast. Buffy bit down on his lip, not enough to draw blood, but enough to let him know she wanted his hard. Buffy’s hands pulled open the vampire’s jeans and pushed them down hard. Spike's cock sprang forth indicating his eagerness for her. She clasped her hand around his cock and pulled it towards her violently. Spike gave an involuntary grunt. He yanked her hands away from his more sensitive parts and pushed down her jeans to the floor. He plunged two fingers into her wet recesses and began to stoke her clit with his thumb. Buffy grabbed his hair and pulled him to the floor. “Fuck me, you Big Bad Vampire,” she growled. He smirked at her. “God I love you Buffy.” He position himself over and thrust inside her all at once. Buffy gasped then started rocking against him hard and fast. She raked her nails along his back, leaving red marks on his pale skin. Her teeth attacked his shoulders and neck. “Bite me Spike,” she said suddenly. He stopped and she was unprepared for it. She looked deep into his questioning eyes and repeated, “I want you to bite me.” “No“ he said, but his body lied. He was not disgusted by the idea, he was still hard and possibly even closer than before at the suggestion. “Please,” she begged. “No,” he shook his head and pulled out. He sat down on the floor a little ways away from her. Buffy looked down at his erect cock to make sure that her body hadn't deceived her. “I want you too,” she whispered. This hadn‘t gone like she had planned. “You don‘t know what you want“ “I don‘t? I want you Spike,” she said crawling towards him. “I want every part of you, man and demon. William and Spike.” He smiled at that, but the smile was short lived. “And you think that another scar on your neck will pull that off?” “No, not a scar, Spike a reminder“ Buffy pulled off her sweater, exposing a pink lace bra. “See this?” she said pointing to the car on her neck, “All my slayer healing powers and I have this scar bitten my the master, then by Angel, then Dracula, all of whom mean nothing to me, next to you. I need this to be your scar Spike. I need you to bite me.” “Fine, whatever, just can‘t do it like this, not during sex.” “Why not?” “It‘s not right, yet.” “’Splainy?” “Later.” “No, now“ Spike sighed and pulled his pants on and stood up. “Vampires only bit to feed, to kill, to mark or claim, Buffy.” “Huh?” “Don’t pretend you don’t know what a claim is,” He said bitterly reaching for his cigarettes. “I’m not a complete moron, but Dracula didn’t claim me.” “No, didn’t do it during sex, did he? He marked you pet, means you belong to him. ‘Sides you fought him, the tosser probably thought you were too much bother to try to turn.” “I fought him,” she smiled, “I don’t want to fight you.” “That’s why we can’t do this now. Sex, it’s just too bloody intimate. I’d claim you and you’d resent it and me while you’re at it. Not bloody giving you another reason to do that if I can help it.” He sighed again, “ You aren’t ready for that.” “Again with the huh? Confusing much Spike.” Suddenly he was in a bad mood. “Let me put this in a way that your Valley girl brain will understand, ya? Do you want me floating around in your head? Slipping into your dreams? I’d be with you all the bloody time and you won’t ever be able to tell me to bugger off.” “Oh,” she said quietly, pulling her sweater on and fixing her pants. “Sorry.” “No, pet, nothing to be bloody sorry for?” “I need to go kill something,” she said absently. “Fine, I’m going to be dead for a while, sleep.” He pulled back the stone on one of the sarcophagi in the crypt, chucked out the bones of ‘Walter Madison 1820-1850’ on to the floor and settled in. Buffy rolled her eyes. “Goodnight Spike,” she said solemnly as she exited the crypt. __________________________________________ Buffy’s patrol proved fruitless. No vamps to slay, no demons to fight. The lack of activity proved to Buffy that she had far too much on her mind, Spike in particular. Why wouldn’t he bite her? Sure there was the claim thing, but wouldn’t he want to claim her. He’d probably just say he has too much bloody respect for her to claim her when she wasn’t ready. Or maybe he’s not ready? Spike loved her. She knew that much. But Spike was different, like he was a punk with Victorian morals sorta. He’d probably want to ask Giles’ permission before claiming her or some stupid thing. God, that was it! The Victorian thing, product of his childhood and all that crap. No matter what he’s done, who he’s killed he’s still William what ever his last name was. Victorian momma’s boy, the soul made it worse. or I’m completely out to lunch. I love him. Why should I want him to claim me? If I’m going to live forever, should I find someone who will stay with until, what did Faith say? ‘Her descendants killed her?’ Guess I won't be dying if I can’t have descendants. Two demons roaming the earth killing other demons. Good times. Buffy padded her way back to her apartment contemplating what it was like for Spike to be raised in the 1800’s. Always covered from head to toe, no shorts, no peroxide. Buffy prepared herself an herbal tea that Willow had left behind and wondered what his real hair colour was. Wondered if he had job or was a gentleman like Mr Darcy. Buffy silently showered and made her way into her bed, wondering if he used chamber pots and had to take baths instead of showers, if he had brothers and sisters. Her last thoughts before slipping off to sleep was a wish to have been able to see what he was like when he was human. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #9 - Weird Weird Dreams

Disclaimer: I don’t own Buffy and Spike...sad but true. Author’s note: Thanks for the wonderful reviews! __________________________________________ Chapter 9: Weird Weird Dreams Her last thoughts before slipping off to sleep was a wish to have been able to see what he was like when he was human. __________________________________________ Miss Elizabeth Sumner, of Vale Manor, Kent, is to be presented into society this season. Buffy read the card with astonishment. Some how she knew this to be her. She looked around at her surroundings. The lavish house, the ornate grounds she could see our the window were all familiar to her, somehow. Buffy put down the invitation to her coming out ball and left the drawing room, taking a moment to discern what she was wearing. She looked like she had stepped into Gone with the wind, he skirt was huge! She walked down the gallery of her house, yes this was her house. On the gallery walls were all the portraits of her family, past and present. There were pictures of her father, mother and sister all she ever remembered them. “Beth!” called Dawn from behind her, “Cook wants a word about the menu for tomorrow when you have a moment.” “Thank you,” said Buffy stiffly. Buffy tried to add more, but she couldn’t force her mouth to move. “I don’t know how you do it Beth, all the responsibilities that accompany the role of mistress of Vale Manor. I am glad that you were born first,” said Dawn. “Responsibilities indeed,” said Buffy. Damn it! I wasn’t going to say that! She was talking like the decor. “Are you excited for your ball? It is a shame that I cannot go. I am sure that you will meet dashing young men there though. Perhaps you will fall madly in love with a Colonel, who will take you to far off and exotic places.” “Please...” said Buffy trying to make her sister stop. Dawn rolled her eyes and breezed by her. Buffy walked to her room. Somehow she knew the way, like she had lived there all her life. Her room was filled with trinkets and embroidery. There was a portrait of her mother, and a jewellery box on her armoire. She opened the box to reveal a small collection of crosses on chains. Buffy rolled her eyes. What exactly was there to do here? Buffy flopped down on the bed. If only she could figure out how she got here in the first place. A weird had happened. “Miss Sumner?” asked a voice in the doorway. An older woman stood hands folded waiting to be asked in. “Yes,” said Buffy with a forced smile. “I have two sample menus from the cook for your ball. Perhaps you would be so good as to give your opinion of them?” said the woman stretching her arm out with two slips of paper. Buffy read the two menus. “This one is acceptable,” came the words from Buffy’s mouth. In fact normally, wouldn’t she have said something like Yummy or something? “Is there anything else?” asked Buffy, unaware that anything needed to be said. “Yes, Miss Sumner. I am aware that you are lately without a lady’s maid. Could I be so bold as to present my niece for the post?” “Your niece?” said Buffy thinking, “Very well I will meet her.” “Thank you Miss Sumner. Is now a good time or are you engaged?” “No, I’m not engaged,” said Buffy smiling. This woman had planned this. The woman stepped aside and into the doorway stepped Willow. “Allow me to introduce my niece, Willamina Rose, Miss Sumner,” said the woman. Willamina bobbed a curtsey looking down, her red hair creeping out from under her puritan cap. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. I am delighted. We shall become very great friends indeed, I would be honoured if you would become my ladies maid.” said Buffy happily, wondering why her tongue managed all those words. Too many words for ’you’re hired,” Buffy thought. “I’ve never worked as a ladies maid before Miss Sumner, but I will endeavour to improve myself.” “Good, no doubt your aunt will tell you just what duties you are to perform.” It was then that Buffy noticed that she was speaking in a British accent. And she had been unconsciously doing it too. “I am away to London after my ball, you shall come with me of course.” “Yes, Miss Sumner,” said Willamina. Willamina Rose, Beth Sumner, strange how everyone was the same but different. Whenever they were, it was clear that they had to conform to the time and place. Or maybe it was just her. Perhaps she was trapped in this Beth Sumner’s body. And maybe Beth Sumner was trapped in her body. Scary thought. She just hoped that Spike realized who was who before he freaked out Beth. Spike. Maybe he was still human then, now, whatever. she must find him. God what was his last name? She was going to London, but how was she to find him? Certainly she couldn't look for every random William in the phone book. God there wasn’t a phone book! “Mrs Rose, I will have my tea in the garden,” said Buffy all at once and walked out of the room. Angel would be a vampire at this point, no doubt Anya a vengeance demon. Perhaps Anya could...no it was probably best to keep the vengeance demon away from Beth. If only she could find a way back to her own body. __________________________________________ Buffy stood motionless in the middle of the ball room, waiting fro the music to start. She had been asked to dance by an extremely handsome Colonel named Clearwater, while she had been scanning the room for people she recognized. Colonel Clearwater was nice enough, but she didn’t really think that Beth and he had a future together. The look on her father’s face when she had accepted his hand was priceless, like she had stepped in something bad. The dance was complicated. Buffy was very glad that the body she was inhabiting was good at this kind of thing. Dawn of course was upstairs watching from a balcony. She wasn’t permitted at the ball. Willow...uh...Willamina was there too. A ladies maid could not be expected to attend society functions. As she danced she caught sight of Xander. Her loyal Xander. But this guy, had both eyes and a bit more of a mean look to him. Her dance partner must have noticed. “Mr Alexander Harrison is a scoundrel. I should pity anyone who does business with that man.” said Colonel Clearwater. “He lives not far from here,. He is a frequent guest of my father,” said Buffy with a smile. “Pity,” said the colonel as they danced on. Buffy rolled her eyes. How much longer could this night last. No wonder so many people she knew became vampires, there was nothing to do. __________________________________________ When at last that dance was over, Buffy headed for some chairs near the back of the room. She wasn’t tired, bored was more like. She was only steps away when she was accosted for yet another dance. Politely she begged to be allowed to rest for one set. Buffy settled into a chair with a sigh for relief. No one would bother her now for two dances. But how did she know that? Observing her surroundings Buffy made the discovery that she was seated fairly near a young man with brown hair, facing away from her. He was ready from a volume of poetry. “I sincerely hope that the words you read give you greater enjoyment than this ball gives me,” said Buffy in his direction. “Sorry?” he said looking up from his book. As his eyes met hers she drew in a breath. The face was so familiar. Spike. Buffy smiled. “I’m afraid we’ve not been properly introduced, Mr...?” Buffy heard her voice say. “Mr. William Graves, Miss Sumner, at your command.” “Mr Graves, you may regret placing yourself at my command,” said Buffy in a flirty way, “And what brings you here to by coming out ball Mr Graves. I trust it was not poetry?” “Oh, no, Miss Sumner. I am a junior partner in your father’s business in London. I came on errand this afternoon, and was persuaded to stay the evening.” “How very inviting of my father.” “I hope you do not think ill of your father for the invitation, Miss Sumner.” “Oh indeed no, for now I have met you Mr Graves and am delighted by the acquaintance. But you must tell me of yourself Mr Graves I am intensely interested,” said Buffy. It was true she was. She wanted with all her being to kiss him, but her body held her back. She listened how he told her that he had worked for her father for over a year now and how his mother was very sick. “I sadly know the pain of losing a mother to illness,” said Buffy reaching out to place her hand on his. His hand was warm. He was human. She smiled. “I am to escort you to town tomorrow,“ he said looking down at her hand. “That would please me very much indeed Mr Graves. Perhaps you could share with me some of that poetry that so enchants you this night. Goodness know I should like o leave the monotony of this ball as well.” He smiled. God she loved him. Buffy’s insides screamed to take his hand and run outside and tell him everything. That she was from the future and his girlfriend, then she could warn him about all the things that would happen to him. But then history would change and things would turn out differently. No, she couldn’t do that, but what was she here? The dance changed and Buffy’s time with her Spike had gone. Instantly she had three gentlemen begging for her hand to dance,. She wished Spike had asked her instead. __________________________________________ She met him again that morning in the carriage that was to take Buffy, Willamina and William to London. Buffy was going to stay at the house of her cousin, Mr John Sumner to get out in society more. Buffy had a sneaky suspicion that all this dancing was supposed to get her married post haste. Buffy really had no idea exactly how old Beth Sumner was supposed to be but clearly it was time for her to move out. Buffy smiled as she entered the carriage. “Mr Graves, a delight to see you as always. This charming young lady is my maid, Willamina,” said Buffy. “Hello, Miss Willamina,” said William. “And what rather large text are you entranced by today Mr Graves?” asked Buffy. “Shakespeare’s sonnets,” he said shyly. “I trust that there is some young woman in town that will benefit from all your study.” William did not reply. Clearly there was though. Buffy was slightly startled by the fact. She knew that he had been sired by Drusilla, but not much else. Buffy resolved to learn as much about him as possible. She tried to draw him out during the carriage ride. Clearly he wasn’t the same Spike she knew, He was too shy. Obviously years of being a vampire had changed him,. All she knew was that he was not her Spike. This man loved another woman. __________________________________________ “I’ve planned a dinner party for your arrival cousin,” said Jane her cousin, sister of John. “Some very fashionable people, of course no one who will be presented at court you know but fashionable just the same.” “Will Mr Graves be there?” asked Buffy. “Of course, though he is an odd fellow. Off in his own little world. No wonder he hadn’t found himself a wife yet.” Jane Laughed. “Who else will be there?” “Oh the Underwoods, the Paghams, Colonel Clearwater. Miss Chase, the actress, unfortunately could not attend, she has the funeral of her uncle to attend in New Castle as is enroute. So disappointing.” “Mr. Giles?” asked Buffy hesitantly. Buffy was startled that her own voice had asked the question. “Goodness no. Mr Giles and I are through. I have decided at last that I shall not marry any man who studies the occult. Imagine what kind of questions one would have from our dinner guests.” Obviously this Giles was a watcher too. It was a family thing. Perhaps he could help her find a way back into her own body in the future. Problem was that she wasn’t in control of this body. How could she get a message to him? “You must tell me how your sister Danielle does. Has she grown much since the spring?” Danielle? Buffy wondered. Dawn’s name was Danielle? “I have noticed no growth in anything but the ability to irritate,” said Buffy. “I suppose that is the trying age, thirteen,” said Jane. “Indeed,” said Buffy with a sigh. Would that make Beth eighteen? “It is a pity that your father waited so long to put you out into society. It should have been done two years ago. But I suppose he just wanted to keep you a little girl. All fathers do,” said Jane. Stake me now, thought Buffy. __________________________________________ The dinner party was a success according to Jane anyway. Buffy had another thought: boring. Buffy did have the opportunity to meet Mr Grave’s love interest, Cecily Underwood. She was pretty, but she was sickly sweet and clearly trying to gain Colonel Clearwater’s affections. Poor William, Buffy thought. Buffy hid from view as he tired to get up the courage to speak to Miss Underwood. “You know Mr Graves, a girl would begin to think you did not care at all if you continue to talk to that plant,” said Cecily coming out from the opposite doorway. “Miss Underwood” stammered William. “Miss Sumner,” said Colonel Clearwater’s voice to Buffy. Buffy smiled sweetly. “Colonel Clearwater, I trust you are enjoying yourself this evening.” “I would be enjoying the evening more if you were on my arm Miss Sumner.” Buffy felt her face blush. “It is a terrible loss to the party when you are not there for all to see and converse with my dear Miss Sumner.” This last part Colonel Clearwater said with resonant clarity. Cecily took a glaring look at Buffy. Beth Sumner was competition and it was clear to Buffy that William Graves was just going to be strung along for the ride. “My dear Colonel Clearwater,” said Cecily, ignoring William. “Perhaps you will delight the party with your latest tale of heroism. I myself have heard it already, but I would love to hear it again from your own lips,” Cecily smiled. As Colonel Clearwater and Buffy headed towards a seat nearer to Cecily, the Colonel whispered in her ear, “She seems determined to catch me, but I am determined to catch you.” Buffy blushed again. At the same time she couldn’t help but notice William’s pained expression as Cecily paid more attention to Colonel Clearwater than him. Oh how she wanted her own Spike back. This was so incredibly boring. She’d much rather be fighting vampires than listen to a wind bag twice her age tell about his heroic exploits of ordering soldiers to their deaths. Later that evening she found William outside the house clearly disappointed in love. “Mr Graves, I trust you have enjoyed some of your company this evening. I dare say some of the guests are dull in their conversation. Mr Pagham speaks of nothing but his horses and Colonel Clearwater his less than heroic exploits,” said Buffy. “I agree with you Miss Sumner.” “Thank you Mr Graves. I trust that you are coming to firmer conclusions about Miss Underwood? She is a nice girl, fortune too. You would be extremely fortunate to secure her hand. We should all meet very often.” “I should like to keep up your acquaintance Miss Sumner.” “How kind of you Mr Graves. I cannot wait to hear of your approaching nuptials. I have already decided on your wedding gift.” “You speak as if you know already what she would say.” “I do not pretend to know Miss Underwood’s inner thought Mr Graves. However, I do know that should I have been so fortunate to capture your affections, I should not turn them down at any cost,” said Buffy turning to leave. How could she say such a thing? Did Beth not see how Cecily used him, how she cared nothing for him at all. It would end by breaking his heart, she knew it and he would turn to Drusilla. __________________________________________ The next party was at the Adams’ home. Buffy was firmly entrenched with Colonel Clearwater as much as she hated it. Buffy secretly knew that at some point this evening William would declare his feeling for Cecily. She had to listen in. She stole away from the Colonel during one of his long recitations of his heroic dead and into a back parlour where she suspected that William and Cecily were sequestered. She heard Cecily’s voice come clearly through the doorway. “You are beneath me.” Buffy’s hand flew to her mouth. She had once said that to Spike. She regretted it now of course, but she had said it. William flew out of the room in her direction. “Mr. Graves!” said Buffy shocked, “What haste!” He breezed by her. It took her several minutes of wondering and waiting before Beth’s body followed William out into the street and to the stable. She hid behind some straw. He cried. Buffy felt herself cry. A tear trickled down her cheek for his pain. She took a step forward but stopped when she saw another woman in the barn with him. Drusilla. Buffy screamed to her body to get out of there. Drusilla was trouble, but she could not make herself move. Intently she listened to their conversation. He had been monumentally hurt by Cecily. Buffy knew what was about to happen, as William moved closer and closer to Dru. Buffy averted her eyes then ran out of the stables and into the Adams’ home. Buffy hid herself in a closet and cried. Buffy herself wasn’t sad. She knew this was going to happen. Beth didn’t though. It slowly dawned on Buffy that Beth was in love with William. Weird love triangle thing, thought Buffy actually a square really. Buffy wondered what would have happened had Dru not been there. Would Beth and William have gotten together? What was going to happen now? Now that William was dead. Who would Beth marry? She really hoped it wasn’t that Clearwater guy. What was clear to Buffy was that she might be in Beth’s body, but Beth was still here too. __________________________________________ Now with William Graves being William the Bloody, Buffy/Beth moped around Cousin John’s house. There had been no mention of William Graves’ death in the stables, perhaps no one had found him yet. Or maybe Dru took the body. John mentioned that he had not been at the offices for days. It was clear however to Buffy that Beth still thought about him. She watched as Beth poured out her feelings into her diary and talked with Willamina about him and his disappearance. “I must speak with him,” Beth told Willamina one day. “I will go to his house perhaps talk with his mother.” Bad news, thought Buffy, Very Bad news. Beth set out on foot the next morning to see him, the house was not far. Beth knocked to see him, and at last was allowed in. The servants at the door looked terrified. Beth was shown into the parlour. The curtains were drawn and there was hardly a stream of light in the room. Buffy/Beth seated herself on a sofa and examined a few books and some embroidery lying on a table. At last he came in. Yep, he was vamped all right, thought Buffy. Still had brown hair, but his face looked dead. Beth smiled as she saw him. “Mr Graves, it is good of you to see me, I trust I have not interrupted anything?” asked Beth. Probably interrupted him and Dru doing the nasty, Buffy cringed. “Miss Sumner, what can I do for you this morning?” he said circling her. “I come to inquire after you. I had heard that you have not been to the offices of Sumner and Graves in days. I am thankful that I find you well,” said Beth. “Your kindness has always brought a smile to my face, Miss Sumner,” he responded sickly. “A pleasure Mr Graves. I am also come to issue an invitation to another dinner party at my cousins’ house. Miss Underwood will not be invited I assure you. Anyone who treats my friends so contemptibly shall not have my company. Do say you will come. I fear that the whole affair will be deadly dull if you are not there.” “I fear Miss Sumner, that I shall not be able to attend.” “A great pity. I shall be extremely sad for I must confess that I find every day I do not see you deadly dull. I trust I have not offended you.” “Oh no, Miss Sumner,” he said walking towards her. “Never once did you offend me. You were always kind and sweet. If only there was something I could do to repay your kindness.” “Oh Mr Graves,” said Beth. William was so close now. He would be going in for the kill soon. “Perhaps someday you could recite one of your poems to me, by the pale moonlight. I now I should appreciate it more than she did.” “Miss Sumner...” said William stroking her hair, “Beth...” “William...” What the hell is going on here! Buffy inwardly screamed, He’s going to kill you! don’t make moon eyes at him! William began to kiss her and Beth kissed back. William started down her throat then. Yes here it comes. A stabbing pain as William bit her and started sucking the blood out of the wound. Buffy recalled hitting the floor in Beth’s blue taffeta gown her high collar now stained with blood. __________________________________________ Buffy/Beth woke to an incredible feeling of hunger. Opening her eyes Buffy noted that she was in a room she had never seen before. “This must be Victoria’s room,” said Beth to the room. Buffy had no idea who Victoria was. Beth got up and stood by the closet, inspecting the gowns that resided inside. Maybe Victoria was Spike’s sister? Did he have a sister? Beth pulled a lilac dress out of the wardrobe and pressed it up against her body, then turned her head looking for something. Beth rushed to a mirror to see...Beth gasped. You are a vampire you ninny! thought Buffy. You don’t have a reflection! Beth backed up from the mirror in fear. Turning, she grabbed the door handle and flung the door open, to reveal William. “William! There is something wrong with the mirror!” “No, pet, there is nothing wrong with the mirror. I’ve made you like me, a vampire.” “No!” she gasped. “It is true. We can revenge ourselves now on all those that made us feel inferior.” “I’d like that” she grinned. “But right now, I’m hungry.” “Of course you are pet.” William exited the room for a few moments and came back dragging one of the servants. “Your dinner, pet,” Buffy felt Beth change into game face and dreaded what was going to happen next. Beth plunged her fangs into the pour servant girl’s neck. __________________________________________ “So, you are my Sire, then?” Beth asked cautiously. They were lounging on a bed, bodies littered the floor. “Yes, pet,” “Where is your Sire then? You were made only a few days before I came to you.” “Drusilla has gone out hunting with her Sire.” “I see. William? Why did you make me a vampire? Please don’t think I am ungrateful at all. I love this feeling of power. I cannot wait to kill that windbag, Clearwater. And Cecily! You should make her pay for what she did to you.” “All in good time.” William began to run his hands up and down the arms of her dress. Beth turned in for a kiss. Beth raised her hand to caress his cheek. William started to kiss down to her neck, as he had done the night he sired her. “Oh William!” she whispered, as he licked his mark on her neck. Suddenly he rolled on top of her and ripped her dress from her body, corset and all. Beth gave a giggle as she saw her taffeta dress ripped to shreds join the bodies that littered the floor. William smiled and then set about attacking her exposed breasts with his lips. Beth let her head fall back and moaned. William worked his way down her torso with his lips and settled down between her thighs. He pushed her legs back and sunk his tongue into her moist recesses. Slowly he dragged his tongue across her opening and flicked her clit a few times before closing his lips over it. He removed one of his hands from her thigh and slowly penetrated her with two fingers. He stroked her slick passage, adding another finger. “William...oh goodness!” responded Beth, breathless. William broke off what he was doing and bite into her thigh, drinking in her blood. She moaned in pleasure. William raised himself up and undid his trousers. Buffy groaned as Beth watched William strip. This was like voyeurism to the second power. It was way wigging her out. William crawled up the length of Beth’s body, positioning himself at her slick entrance. “Please, William..” she begged. Slowly, William entered her, penetrating her barrier and causing Beth to scream. Wililam smirked at her pain. Beth wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him deeper into her. “Beth, darling. I want you to belong to me,” he said thrusting in and out of her passage. “Oh yes William,” William growled, increasing the pace of his thrusts. Beth started clawing at his back, as she neared her climax. The room was filled with dual roars as the vampires came together, each sinking their fangs into the other’s shoulder. “Mine,” growled William. “Yours,” she agreed. __________________________________________ Beth had put on the beautiful lilac dress she had been coveting earlier and started putting pins back into her hair. William reached around and planted a kiss on her neck, where he had bitten her. Beth’s face broke into a smile. “Oh William, let’s go and make some fun.” “Of course pet.” From down stairs the pair heard the someone enter the house. “Mummy’s home!” came a female voice. Buffy knew at once that it was Drusilla. Buffy cringed to think what Dru would do if she knew that William had taken a mate. William took Beth’s hand led her down stairs to present her to Drusilla. “Sweet William’s been naughty and turned one of his little friends,” was the first thing out of Drusilla’s mouth. Drusilla approached Beth. Suddenly she pointed to Beth’s bite wound. “She’s been claimed! William, naughty! Bad dog! Mummy wants you all to herself.” Beth didn’t take her eyes off of Drusilla until she had moved away from her. “William you aren’t going to let this, poor insane woman dictate with whom you are going to spend eternity, are you?” pleaded Beth, turning to William with tears in her eyes. It appeared to Buffy that Beth had realised what Drusilla had meant. Drusilla was going to dust Beth. William stood motionless. Beth grabbed his hand once more. “Please, William!” Drusilla moved towards the couple, now holding a stake in her hand. Beth dropped William’s hand and looked around the room, looking for a way out, but Drusilla had backed her into a corner. “William!” begged Beth, as Dru positioned herself directly in front of the now sobbing vamp. Buffy felt the stake enter Beth’s heart and the curious sensation of crumbling to dust. __________________________________________ Buffy opened her eyes. She was home, in her own bed in Cleveland staring at the ceiling in her darkened room. Her hand flew to her neck. Yes this was her own body she could move it freely. Buffy leapt out of bed and threw back the curtains. She must have slept the whole day, but it was just one day. “Buffy are you up yet?” asked Dawn from the kitchen, “You’ve slept the day away. Man you must have been crazy busy last night...I mean with the patrolling.” “Ya, feels like I’ve been asleep for days.” “Well, I have supper for you in the fridge. It’s spaghetti, please read the label, cause in your sleepy state I can just imagine the nastiness of finding out your just heated up blood.” Buffy grabbed herself a muffin and changed her clothes before heading out to Spike’s crypt. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #10 - Demon Buffy

Disclaimer: Not mine ok? You don’t have to rub it in. Author’s note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! __________________________________________ Chapter 10: Demon Buffy She found him just getting up himself. He was just closing up his newly acquired coffin, wearing the red shirt she had bought for him. “God, how can you sleep in that thing?” she asked. “Well until I get myself a bed, it’s decent. Beats the floor. Sooner or later our favourite vampire hunter will find me and I’ll have to move on again.” “Ya sorry about that.” “Sorry enough to let me eat him? Joking, pet” “I know. Hey totally off topic, what do you remember about Beth Sumner, daughter of a tradesman, died in 1880?” Spike’s eyes went wide. “How do you know about Beth Sumner?” “I kinda had a freaky dream, that I was trapped in her body and lived inside her for the last few weeks of her life.” “You were in her body the last few weeks of her life?” he repeated. “She was murdered.” “Look are you going to accuse me of something here pet? I killed her alright, I turned her. First person I regretted killing.” “Before or after the soul?” “Before the soul. Regretted taking her precious life.” Spike sat down on the stone tomb and cradled his head in his hands. “She loved you.” “Yeah, found that out too late, didn’t I? Look, Slayer I have so many things that my soul plagues me about, without you having to remind me about them.” “I know. I just wanted to let you know that I understand.” “Understand what?” “You. You were a poet and a good man. And though I’m pretty sure you still dabble in the poetry, I know for certain that you are a good man today. And I love you. I love Spike. I love William the Bloody, and I love William Graves.” Buffy smiled and planted a kiss on his lips. “Hey, the mushy doesn’t happen often, so live with it,” she smiled. “I’m not going anywhere you know. Even Drusilla won’t be able to keep me away from you. I won’t ask you to bite me again, Spike. But when you are ready, I want you to claim me. I want to spend the rest of my eternity with you.” He smiled. “If you insist luv. When the time is right.” “Whenever you are ready Mr Graves.” “Bloody Hell, Slayer! Keep that little tidbit to yourself luv. If the watcher were to find out I’m sure I’ll have wannabe watchers following me again, just like that Lydia bird.” “I read her thesis you know, funny stuff, got too much wrong though.” “You read her bloody thing? Whatever for?” “Curious” “Of what, how many people I’ve killed?” “No, just exactly how evil you think you are.” “And your conclusions?” “Very evil, oh so very evil,” she purred, “But you are my Big Bad.” “Better believe it luv.” Spike wrapped his arms around his slayer and pulled her close. Buffy smiled down at her vampire and leaned in to kiss him. “Vampire” she whispered. “Slayer” he countered. Suddenly Buffy stopped, pulled back and shifted her eyes like she was fighting something. “Buffy?” “Vampire.” Buffy clutched her head. “Demon,” she breathed. Spike could feel her tense up and relax several times before she pushed him away, standing several feet away from him. Spike could see her eyes flashing something he had never seen before. “Buffy?” “Vampire,” she breathed. Spike was eternally grateful at that moment that Buffy had come to him that day without a stake in hand, otherwise he would have been dust. Buffy flew at him fists and fury. Spike deflected her blows with skill until he pinned her, holding her arms down and straddling her legs. “Buffy, luv, I know you are in there.” “Gone,” she said. “No, not gone, here, with me. Need to fight this. Dawn needs you. I need you. Don’t you dare give into it Buffy.” “Strong” “You are stronger” “Wants to kill you.” “Only you, Buffy, not the demon, will ever kill me luv.” “Spike, let me go,” said Buffy who had stopped struggling. “Got the upper hand, do you?” “For now,” she smiled sweetly. Spike let go of her arms and leaned forward. A tear rolled down Buffy’s cheek. “Spike, go back to the apartment. Take care of Dawn.” “Buffy?” Spike didn’t like how this sounded. “Please Spike. If the demon wants to stake you, what will happen if it wants to stake Dawn? She can’t fight me. I need you to stay with her, with us, make sure I can’t do her harm.” “I promised to take care of her a long time ago luv.” Buffy smiled. “I love you,” she whispered. “I know luv,” Spike made to kiss her but she pulled away. “Vampire,” spat Buffy’s demon. “And it’s back.” Buffy threw him off into a wall and took off out of the crypt. Spike lay shaking his head for a moment before grabbing his coat and heading out himself. Spike headed straight to Buffy’s apartment. Dawn was there, doing homework diligently, books spread out over her bed. Andrew had plopped himself in front of the TV, watching Star Trek or some such thing. Neither knew anything was wrong, neither acknowledged his presence until he had closed the door behind him. “Spike you speak French right?” asked Dawn, not looking up from her books. “Ya nibblet, I do,” Spike walked over to help Dawn with her homework. Hours later Dawn was asleep in her bed, Andrew was curled up in his nest and Spike sat watching his charge. Dawn had no idea that her sister was hovering on the brink of insanity. Buffy was patrolling, that was all. When Buffy still hadn’t returned by the next night Dawn did start to worry. “What if she’s hurt, Spike? You can’t just leave her in some ditch. We have to find her. Ditches are bad.” “She’s fine nibblet,” he said trying to sound confident. “If she doesn’t come back today I’ll look for her.” He poured himself a mug of blood and set it in the microwave. “She will come back, she has to.” Just the there was the sound of a key in a lock and in stepped the girl in question. “Buffy!” exclaimed Dawn, “Where have you been?” “Patrolling, crashed at Oz’s,” said Buffy. “Tired now.” She headed to her room. “Oz, wolf boy Oz?” said Spike surprised. “It’s under control Spike,” said Buffy as she closed her bedroom door, shutting him out. “I’m going out!” Dawn called to her sister through the door. “Andrew and I are going to the mall for interior decorating window shopping.” It was only after Dawn and Andrew left that Spike entered Buffy’s room. He didn’t knock. “Are you going to tell me the truth about where you crashed last night or not?” he asked. “Not,” said Buffy rolled away from him on the bed. “Did Dawn say anything?” “Thought you were in a ditch somewhere.” Spike saw a tear roll down Buffy’s cheek. She curled up into a ball on the bed. He sat down on Buffy’s bed close to the ball of shaking Slayer. “Buffy...” Spike reached out to touch her. “Please don’t touch me,” she whispered. “I don’t want to hurt you.” “You won’t hurt me luv.” “But I will, you know what this is like!” she said forcefully, sitting up. “It wants me to kill, it doesn’t care if who I kill is innocent or if I care about them. What if I’m not strong enough Spike?” Buffy collapsed into a ball again, sobbing. “You will beat it down luv, I know you, you are the strongest person I know.” “What if that isn’t enough?” __________________________________________ Spike woke up the next morning to the sound of vigorous cleaning, but he couldn’t see. After pondering his blindness in his sleepy haze he realised that he had a quilt on top of him. “Spike if I were you, I’d stay under that thing and go back to sleep,” whispered Dawn. “The demon is making her clean and we are all her slaves.” Suddenly the vacuum shut off. “Nice try Dawnie,” came Buffy’s voice. Spike peered from under the quilt. Before him stood Buffy in her work out/cleaning clothes. “I’m glad you could join us in the land of the awake. There are no windows in the bathroom, off you go.” Buffy handed him a bottle of Mr Clean and a sponge. “I’m not bloody cleaning your soddin’ bathroom Slayer,” he started. “I don’t bloody live here.” “You clean or you leave,” she said hands on hips, “But I should point out that it is a beautiful sunny September morning.” Spike groaned. “Slayer!” “Clean or leave, Spike, you are just in the way here. I’ve been vacuuming around you forever.” “Fine, I’m off,” he grabbed the quilt that was still on his head and took off. “Nibblet, come see me when the cleaning nazi demon lets you out.” “K Spike. Lucky Bastard,” muttered Dawn. Spike shut the door behind him. “How come he gets to leave?” whined Andrew. “He doesn’t live here,” responded Buffy as she wiped a counter. __________________________________________ Spike sulked down to the laundry room. It was bloody ten in the soddin’ morning! There was no way he was going to attempt to find his way to his newest lodging place with a blanket over his head in a town he could barely remember. Spike sat down on top of an empty washing machine wondering just how long Buffy’s mad cleaning binge would last. He lit up a cigarette and took a drag. Her knew that she had been holding back last night, there was a whole lot more wrong than she let on. Slept at Oz’s, right, bet she doesn’t even knew where the wolf lives. Lost in thought atop a washing machine, Spike's revelry was interrupted by the entrance of a slight brunette with wide eyes and short cropped hair. She stood in front of him waiting to get his attention. When at last he opened his eyes she stared at him. “Hi, I’m Julia, I’m 3D, wait no, not 3D, but I suppose I am just that I’m in apartment 3D and you are new to the building, right? I notice lots of things like that. Anyway just wanted to say hello and check if the washers were free. They are free aren’t they? Cause they sound quieter than usual if they were running not that I'm a washer know it all. I’m gonna shut up now.” Spike flicked the ash off of the end of his fag and got up off the washer. “It’s free.” “I hope you don’t think that I blather on like this all the time cause I don’t, not really anyway just a little nervous. I’ve never thought anyone in this building was hot before, oh crap, I said that out loud didn’t I? Oh well, too late to take it back now. I think you are hot. Want to get coffee sometime?” Finally her talking ceased. “Thanks for the offer pet, but I’ll have to turn you down...” “His girlfriend would disapprove,” came Buffy’s voice from the doorway, a load of laundry on one hip. Julia turned around stunned. “Geez, I’m sorry you could have told me you had a girlfriend,” she said as she stomped off. “Let a mate get a word in edgewise...” muttered Spike. “I thought you were leaving?” asked Buffy. “Changed my mind, just didn’t want to clean the bathroom.” “No big. Andrew’s doing it,” Buffy set down the with a thump and started to fill the machine that Spike had just been sitting on. “Buffy...” “Spike, I don’t want to talk about it, talking will make me not concentrate on the cleaning. I have a social worker coming to check up on Dawn and I. Everything must be perfect. Especially since Valery wants Dawn back in LA. I can’t lose Dawn Spike. Not now. I need her.” “Even if you hurt her? That what you were afraid of, why you didn't come home. Afraid you were gonna hurt Dawn and me. How can that have changed so soon?” “I’m stronger than the demon. You told me that,” said Buffy closing the lid to the machine and starting it. “I know you are luv,” he said gathering her in his arms. “No time for huggage, must clean.” Buffy raced back up stairs leaving Spike bewildered. Spike sat there in the laundry room for a good half hour before venturing back into the apartment. Andrew was scrubbing the floor in the kitchen on his hands and knees. Dawn was trying to look busy dusting. As soon as she saw him she was in his face. “You have got to do something. She's nuts. This place is already spotless. Freaky clean Buffy is going to kill me.” “Do you have any idea why she’d doing thins?” “I have some theories Mr Spike,” said Andrew eagerly. “First there is the important interview with the Social worker. Second, less likely but also plausible, she is preparing for the move to her new house.” “Two weeks away numbskull,” said Dawn. “Third, pent up energy, either sexual frustration or lack of slayage.” “Oy!” protested Spike at the sexual frustration comment. “Or fourth, unknown mystical, perhaps evil forces at work.” “Great Andrew, that really makes me feel better,” said Dawn. Buffy barged through the door only to see her ‘minions’ not hard at their tasks. “Less talking more cleaning!” Buffy ordered, as she walked into her bedroom with the hamper of now clean clothes. Spike followed her into her room and shut the door. “You are running them ragged out there luv,” said Spike as she flopped down on the nicely made bad. “Don’t you thinks it’s clean enough out there?” “I’m running out of things to do Spike,” said Buffy as she folded . “I should have let them go, so I could clean it all. I need to clean.” “No you don’t.” “Need to keep busy.” “Why?” “Only way I’ll beat it.” “Ya, I’ll buy that,” with that Spike got up off the bed and went to the door. He opened it and threw at twenty dollar bill out into the room. “Nibblet take the guestage here and flee, before she makes you clean.” Dawn ran into his arms. “You are a god! Not God god, a lesser but benevolent god. Thank you!” she took the twenty and fled out the apartment door, dragging Andrew behind her. Shutting the bedroom door again, Spike walked up behind Buffy and wrapped his arms around her. “I know another way to keep you busy luv,” her purred. “Show me,“ she whispered. Spike growled and pushed her on the bed. Buffy looked a bit shocked at his rough handling, but smiled as he started to crawl towards her on the bed. Spike attacked the button on her pants and pulled them from her body. Starting at her feet, Spike started kissing and lightly biting his way up her legs. Reaching the apex of her thighs, Spike tested her dampness through her panties. They weren’t quite as soaked as he would have liked. In one fell swoop, he ripped her underwear from her body and dove his tongue into her pink recesses. Spike passed his tongue over her clit and across her labia. Buffy moaned in response and ground her herself down on to him to get better friction. Spike dug his fingers into the fleshy part of her hips. Buffy let herself be taken over by the ecstasy that was being created by his tongue and lips. Buffy fisted her hands into the bed sheets and arched her back as the feeling overcame her. Recovering from her orgasm, Buffy threaded her fingers through Spike’s hair and pulled the vampire up from his place between her legs so that she could claim his lips. The taste of herself on his mouth merely added to her eagerness to have him completely inside her. Buffy flipped them over so that she was straddling him, still kissing his lips frantically. Buffy ripped his shirt down the middle and attacked his chest with kisses and nibbles. Spike moaned as the feeling of her lips and teeth and the silky feeling of her hair on his chest, tickled in very pleasant ways. “Slayer, Buffy...” “No talking,” she said suddenly. “Have to concentrate.” Buffy’s little fingers set about removing his pants. She pulled them from his body, to find herself pinned to the bed, by her lover. She felt his teeth at her neck and she closed her eyes hoping, waiting for a bite. But it didn’t come. She reached down between her legs and gave his member a few strokes, just to make sure that he was ready for her next move. Spike let out a feral growl and thrust his pelvis into hers. Buffy positioned him at her entrance and he slid home easily. Buffy braced herself for what she thought was going to be rough coupling. She was right. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist, and clung for dear life as Spike slid in and out of her channel, with a ferocity she had forgotten he had. The intensity could only be sustained for so long and the couple dropped, spent on the bed, Buffy panting and Spike licking his partner’s neck. _________________________________________ Being the vampire that he was, he felt that it was quite natural to fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon after such a vigorous work out. However when he found himself alone in Buffy’s bed, just after sunset he wished that he hadn’t. Buffy was not in the apartment. “She went out to patrol,” said Dawn when he asked. “She left you a note.” There on the fridge was an envelope labelled ‘Spike.’ Notes in envelopes are never good, he thought. Hesitantly he opened his letter. Spike, Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up. This is something I have to work out for myself. I think you already knew that. It’s my demon, I gotta learn to fight it, but I can’t be around you to do it. It just wants to kill you too much. I can't do it, so it’s better for all if I took some Buffy time for a bit. I’ll be back when I’m back. But I won’t come back until it is beaten down. Don’t worry about me. I don’t have any descendants so I won’t be dead anytime soon. Take care of Dawn for me, you always have. I love you. Please remember that, even with all these stupid things I do. Forever eternally yours, Buffy. Spike was gonna hit something. He mumbled something but all Dawn heard was patrol. She shrugged her shoulders as he slammed the door on his way out of the apartment. “Geez those two have issues,” she said to no one in particular. __________________________________________ It had taken him two days, two nights rather, to track Buffy down. He had found her beating the shit out of some demon. Taking her by surprise he knocked her down long enough so he could bind her hands with duct tape and take her home. After manacling her to her own bed, trying not to wake the nibblet or whelp jr. He set about washing the blood off of Buffy’s body. She was covered in it. “Looks like you’ve been seeing the inside of quite a few nasties, my girl,” he said as he took a cloth to her arms. “Spike?” she whispered. “Ya, luv,” “What happened?” “Brought you home.” “Why?” “Cause you are needed here luv, no matter what the demon things you need to do, Dawn needs you here.” “Green and scary.” “Come again luv?” “Dawn, she’s green and scary.” “She’s the key, luv. The demon is scared of her, is all.” “Let me go Spike.” “No. You have to deal with this, but not in the way you think you have to. Running away rarely solves anything. You would think you knew that by now.” Buffy laughed. “Takes one to know one Buster.” “The only way you can learn to deal with it is to make sure that you spend time with demons without killing them.” “No fun.” “You can kill some of them pet.” “But not you, Dawn, Oz or Clem.” “That’s a good start to the list but there are a few others that I would rather you didn’t kill either.” “Angel.” “No you can kill the poofter if you want,” he said with a chuckle. “Now you get yourself some rest and tomorrow night you and I will go to town,” he said with a clap of his hands. “You can’t leave me chained up like this!” “Oh but I can luv, and I will, especially since I’ll be sleeping here until sunrise, got to get the nib off to school and all, since Big Sis is slightly indisposed.” “Spike! Unchain me!” “Tsk, tsk, that tone of voice won’t get you anywhere, just go to sleep.” Spike regularly found it hard to sleep at night, but even more so with bitchy Slayer chained up beside him. At one point he had even had to gag her to keep her from waking Dawn. When dawn came, Spike undid the manacles and tucked his sleeping slayer into bed. Sounds of waking people began to fill the apartment. Dawn took the shower and the whelp jr started to make breakfast. Spike emerged from Buffy’s room and jury rigged the door so that it couldn’t be opened from the inside. “So when did she finally come home?” Dawn asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. “Two in the morning, or so,” said Spike looking for blood in the fridge. “Stupid head, doesn’t, she know that she needs to be here in case social services decides to pay a visit?” “Its not her fault pint size.” “Sure it’s the demon’s fault. If I don’t take that excuse from you Spike I sure as hell won’t take it from her.” “Hasn’t learned to control hers yet.” Dawn grabbed some of the pancakes Andrew had made and helped herself to some OJ. “Is this something that I should be recording for posterity?” Andrew asked very seriously. “I don’t really give a flying rats ass watcher boy.” “Buffy wouldn’t like it if you recorded her weakness for all to see.” “No, I can see that.” The phone rang. “That should be Xander,” said Dawn, rushing to the phone. Spike helped himself to some blood while Dawn chatted away with Xander, he really couldn’t care less about the mundane life of the one eyed whelp. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #11 - Vengeance demons: Not just girls anymore.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am the creator of all things Buffy...sadly only in dreams. Author’s note: Thanks to all my reviewers! __________________________________________ Chapter 11: Vengeance demons: Not just girls anymore. Buffy was running fast, so fast she couldn’t see exactly where she was all, she knew was she had to catch up to the demon in front of her before it killed someone. Suddenly it stopped in front of a large crypt. “Show me who you are!” shouted Buffy. The demon started to turn... __________________________________________ “WHAT!!!” screamed Dawn at Xander. The shriek was glass shattering. “Bit! Please...” began Spike. The door to Buffy’s room was ripped from its hinges and Buffy bolted out of the room and ran to Dawn. “Dawn, what’s wrong?” asked Buffy. Dawn placed the handset back onto the base of the phone and set it for speaker phone. With a calm rigidity that formally she did not possess, clearly not happy news. “Xander you are on speaker phone, tell them what you told me,” said Dawn coldly. “Dawn are you sure?” asked Xander. “Do it” “Fine, well we’ve been researching everything we can about your sitch Buffster, there’s not a lot let in the archives but not only that it doesn’t look like there was anything about this originally anyway, so I was sleep, ya, I dozed off in the library, drooling all over some musty tomb of apocalypse or something, cause that’s all they have here really, not what you would all fun for the whole family entertainment...” “Xander, the point?” said Buffy. “K, so I’m sleeping and who pops into my dream, Cordy! And here I thought she was in coma, so...” “Xander!” “Anyways, so Queen C tells me that prophecy in completion was never fully written down or some cryptic thing like that and that I’m looking in the wrong place, and I was not happy camper man. SO we get into a fight, you know Cordelia Chase, always ragging on me for something...” “Whelp! Get on with it.” “It’s blood, ok? It’s always blood, Buffy you will die, truly die, when your blood is spilt to cover you own blood’s evil, that the only way you can die.” “Huh?” sounded Buffy. “I found the prophecy with Cordy’s help and Giles and some of the other watchers think it had something to do with Dawn or maybe if you have kids, I have the prophecy here, I’ll send you a copy.” “Faith said the only way I’d die is if I was killed by one of my own descendants.” “Sound like it goes with the story at this end, unless Dawn kills you.” “So not going to happen!” shouted Dawn. “So I guess if I want to die I have to do it before Dawn dies,” Buffy tired to laugh, “Cause me not so much with the motherly ness.” “I’m not killing you Buffy!” screamed Dawn as she fled out of the apartment. “Dawn!” Buffy made to do after her but was stopped by Spike. “Give her a mo’ luv,” he said softly. “Whelp you sure now how to kill the fun atmosphere here” “Ya, hey just the council’s butt monkey here.” “It’s not your fault Xander,” said Buffy. “Thanks for the info though, say hi to Giles for me.” “Hey no problem, I need to speak with Andrew though is he there?” Andrew picked of the receiver. “What?” he whined. Buffy looked at Spike, “Is there something you know that I don’t?” “Bit blames herself for you dying luv, like I did, except for her I think it never got addressed when you got back. Kinda ignored her for a good long time,” Spike said softly. “Guess she doesn’t want to kill you again.” Buffy kissed his cheek and ran out after Dawn. __________________________________________ Dawn was sitting on the front steps of the apartment. “Dawn?” “Leave me alone.” “I can’t do that Dawn, I love you.” “Can you love something that will kill you?” “Yes. I have a knack for finding just those people to love actually,” Buffy sighed. “Dawn I don’t think you would ever hurt me intentionally, in the dead and dying sense, I already have many emotional scars from annoying little sisterhood, like when you blurted out to Todd Ryerson that I kissed my New Kids on the Block poster every night, very cruel.” Dawn laughed. “The point is, I don’t believe you can kill me. You are a pure and innocent person, you could never kill anyone, especially me. Am I making any sense.” Dawn nodded. “And for the record it’s not your fault I died last time. It was what I had to do and in no way shape or form your fault, ok?” “Ok,” Dawn said meekly. “I’m not quite getting that you believe me here, but I’ll accept it for now. I love you Dawn.” “I know you do Buffy.” Dawn played with her hair for a moment. “So exactly what have you been up to lately?” “Oh, god!” Buffy put her head in her lap. “What did I do!” Buffy started to cry. She’d been so concerned with stuff since she woke up that it had completely skipped her mind. “I'm a monster!” “No you aren’t,” said Dawn giving her sister a hug. “No, you don’t understand, I killed a family last night, oh my god.” “A family Buffy? Like a mom and dad and kids?” Dawn gulped. “They were demons, but a demon family. They weren’t doing anything bad. And I just killed them. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” “Buffy!” shouted Dawn, “ Snap out of it already! It’s the Slayer demon, you have to get control and not let this happen again ok? Let’s go inside.” __________________________________________ Kennedy was moving out. It’s not like Willow hadn’t seen it coming, after the whole, ‘take away Kennedy’s powers,’ thing, Kennedy and she never talked again. They yelled, they screamed. Kennedy hasn’t really even stayed since that night. It was good to have closure, sorta. Kennedy was going to work with Angel and crew at Wolfram and Hart. Once again this sucked. The suckiness was everywhere. Kennedy genuinely hated her. How had this happened? Ok, she knew it was her fault. Oz left, cause she kissed Xander, and then cause she didn’t understand his werewolf sitch. Tara left because she messed up with magic. Now Kennedy left. Other than Kennedy and Fred, Willow really didn’t have any friends in LA. When Willow had started school earlier in the month, everyone had been here, well except Giles. But now she was alone. LA, not so fun anymore. Maybe she could transfer to Ohio State when the semester was over, help with the slaying again. Angel and crew really hadn’t asked for her help at all yet since she had let them know she was available for magic consultation. She had to go where she felt needed and that was not LA anymore. __________________________________________ When Dawn and Buffy returned to the apartment no much had changed, Spike had settled himself in front of the TV but now Andrew had started sniffling, like he was sad and wanted attention. “Bloody hell, boy, stop your sniffling. I don’t care what the whelp yelled at you for, it’s not going to change a thing.” “Not fair! You aren’t the one being told you aren’t doing your job properly.” Spike’s attention shifted back to Buffy who looked distraught. Instantly he was up out of his chair. “Slayer, What’s wrong?” he inquired. “I killed a family! Last night! I’m a monster!” wailed Buffy. “Oooh! This sounds like it needs to be written down,” said Andrew. “Not the time Andrew,” said Dawn pushing Andrew away. The look of sadness returned to the boy’s face. “I can’t do my job, if you don’t let me do my job! Xander’s been yelling at me!” “So much sympathy for you,” said Dawn sarcastically. Spike had taken Buffy back to her room. “No one appreciates me! I can’t be a watcher if no one lets me watch stuff!” “Did it ever occur to you that the reason why they didn’t take you to England was because you whine?” said Dawn as she gathered her school books together. Andrew gasped, then strode out of the apartment haughtily. Dawn rolled her eyes. __________________________________________ In Buffy’s room, Spike had set the slayer down on her bed. “What do you mean you killed a family?” he asked softly. “A family, of demons, like Clem! I slaughtered them. I didn’t care. I’m so horrible.” “Ya that’s right awful pet. Are you sorry you did it?” “Yes!” she wailed. “So at least we knew your soul’s still good.” “Oh yeah, soulfully Buffy, just killing all the demon children now,” Buffy collapsed on the bed wailing. __________________________________________ “Sun’s set pet,” he said casually trying to get any reaction other than sobbing from the slayer. “Chain me up Spike, please,” she whimpered. “No,” “What do you mean, no?” “No, you and I pet, we are going out, get yourself cleaned up.” “Huh?” “Shower. Now,” he said forcefully. “Why?” “Tell you after. Shower. Now.” __________________________________________ Andrew sat at the bar in one of Cleveland’s nicer bars. He wasn’t ready to find himself where demons met yet. He was nursing his rum and coke (cause beer is just plain gross) while he poured out his feelings to the attractive blonde beside him. He didn’t quite remember how exactly he got talking to him, but he didn’t want to stop. He was nice, nicer than Dawn had been that day. “Just how does he expect me to do my job when she is just so unwatchable! He forgets how hard living with her can be you know. I’m sure he had the same problems when Anya was alive.” “Anya?” asked the blonde man sipping his beer. “Yes, she was a rare beauty, blunt, told it like it was. Gave Xander Harris a horrible time. He jilted her at the altar. She was my friend. Made his life miserable. You know sometimes I wish that she was alive again, just so she could make him feel miserable once more. That would be nice. Also I miss her. She died saving me you know. Saved me twice, once when Willow was evil, but she was all powerful then, the teleporting was cool. I’d amend my wish. I’d wish for Anya to be back with her powers, then she could teleport to London and give Xander an earful.” “Wow, tall order,” said the blonde. “Yeah I know, but its my fantasy, isn’t it?” “No, now it’s your reality,” said the blonde. “Wish granted.” Andrew turned shocked at the man he had been pouring out his soul to. “Huh?” “Well it’s been swell,” said the blonde as he got up to leave. “Wait! What did you mean?” The man only smiled before he walked out of the bar. __________________________________________ Willow was immersed in one of her sociology readings when she was roused out of her concentration by a large thud. “Ow!” said a voice. Willow looked up from her text to see a woman lying in the middle of her dorm room floor. “Hey! Not good! Teleporting into my room without permission: not ok!” said Willow, “I don’t even know you...” The woman pushed herself up off the ground. “Anya!” breathed Willow. “Geez. Been dead for four months and I can’t teleport properly anymore.” “Anya!” Willow got herself up off her bed. “Willow! Good to see you. I’m glad you didn’t die when I did. How has everyone been since I died? Did anyone else die?” “How!?” “Oh yes, well it was a shock for me too. Apparently I am the result of a wish made to a vengeance demon. That’s what D’Hoffryn told me anyway. Did you know he’s taking gay men to be vengeance demons? Apparently there was a niche in the market that he hadn’t considered before. So one minute I was being cut in half by a bringer then the next I was in front of D’Hoffryn. Told me I had been dead for four months.” “Wow!” said Willow shocked. “Do you know who made the wish?” “Yes! Andrew!” “Andrew? Guestage Andrew?” “Yes, I have to fulfill his vengeance wish. I must annoy and give a hard time to Xander Harris.” “Wow, k really need to make a phone call or two.” “Are you calling Xander?” “Well yes” “Excellent perhaps we can have some post death sex.” “Well you’d have to teleport to England for that.” “Xander’s in England?” “Yes, he’s all watchery now.” “Xander’s a watcher?” “Yep.” “Anything else I should know? Except that Sunnydale is a crater, I saw that.” “Um Buffy, Spike, Dawn and Andrew are all in Cleveland.” “So what are you waiting for? Call Xander!” __________________________________________ Buffy was dressed and standing outside her building holding Spike’s hand. “Are you sure about this Spike?” Buffy asked with trepidation. “Yes, we are going out, you are going to have a great time.” “But what if...” “No, not going to hear it pet. Think positively.” __________________________________________ Spike led Buffy into a bar, not just any bar, the loudest and most raunchy demon bar in Cleveland, Mercy Bee’s. “Relax Goldilocks,” Spike said as he squeezed her hand. All around her Buffy could see and sense Demons of every shape and size. Spike led her to a booth and ordered 2 shots of tequila. “How’s it going Pet?” “Ok, I still want to scream bloody hell and kill, main and destroy, but I’m better, with you here.” “Thanks, but you know I won’t always be attached at the hip, you know. Gotta live my own unlife.” “You won’t leave me though will you Spike?” “I came back from the dead for you luv. You can’t get much more persistent than that.” “I guess not.” The waitress arrived with their shots, only to have the woman/demon/whatever she was with green arms tell them that there was a rumour that the Slayer was coming there to night and it might be best to clear out. “Really? The Slayer huh?” said Buffy interested. “What’s she like?” “Oh, nuts, heard she’s loonier than Drusilla Childe of Angelus, and that’s saying something.” Buffy couldn’t help but laugh. “I think I could take her, how about you baby, do you think you could take out someone loonier than Drusilla childe of Angelus?” Spike chuckled. “I don’t know luv, I always thought Drusilla a mighty good fighter, but then she’s got thrall, like Dracula that one.” “You couldn’t take out the Slayer, hon, not some waify vamp like yourself. She’s ruthless.” said the waitress. “Ruthless huh?” Buffy was really enjoying this game with the waitress. “This Slayer, what does she look like?” “See that’s the thing, anyone who’s fought her, is dust or dead.” “You mean no one knows what she looks like? No one?” asked Buffy. “Nope.” “Baby you’ve seen her right? I mean you the Slayer of Slayers, surely you’ve seen her?” said Buffy to Spike. “You’re the Slayer of Slayers? William the Bloody? Childe of Drusilla? Wow I’m serving Drinks to a legend!” “You’re a legend Baby,” snickered Buffy. “So tell me what do you know about me?” asked Spike pouring on the charm. “Ooh, that you’ve killed two slayers and helped kill the one in Sunnydale, but she got raised from the dead or something. I guess you’ll have to kill her again huh?” “Oooh that’s too rich!” laughed Buffy, “Who does your PR? We really need to get out of here before your adoring fans get out of hand.” “I think you are right luv,” Spike paid the waitress and headed out the door. __________________________________________ “Anya’s alive!” screamed Dawn as soon as Buffy and Spike got in. “What with the huh?” “Anya, alive, vengeance demony, and in LA with Willow! Willow just phoned.” “How?” “Andrew made a wish to a vengeance demon.” “Figures” “Bloody hell, well that’s half of us what’s gone and been resurrected. Does the Whelp know?” “Yeah, Willow should be on the phone with him now.” “Good grief I’m going to bed,” said Buffy. “Don’t forget you have a social services drop in tomorrow!” shouted Dawn. “Ah crap. Ok, Andrew needs to split for the day. Where is he anyway?” __________________________________________ Andrew stumbled down the street; alcohol and Andrew Wells did not mix. He was trying to make his way back to Buffy’s but seemed lost. He just hoped that someone from the light side of the force found him before some vamp in search of an easy meal. __________________________________________ Andrew woke up to find himself in a comfortable bed in a brightly lit room. “Good you are awake!” said a friendly voice. Andrew looked up to see a tall brunette male appear at the door way of the room. “Yep, I’m awake...Um not to seem rude, but who are you and where am I. I don’t like not knowing.” “Oh right, I’m David Gable, and you are in my house.” “Oh where have I heard that name? It’s nice to meet you Mr David Gable. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality.” “Not a problem. Do you pass out drunk often in dark alleys?” “Um that would be a no. I sorta got yelled at by Xander, he’s well not my boss, but he thinks he is and I decided to drown my sorrows. I don’t know Cleveland that well yet. I think I got lost.” “Right well I’m glad I found you before you got picked up by...” “Vampires,” Andrew finished Gable’s sentence. “I was going to say police” “Right the police, that would have sounded better I wouldn’t want to get picked up by them either.” David Gable sat down on Andrew’s bed. “You know about Vampires?” “Oh yes” answered Andrew knowingly. __________________________________________ “So you see this apartment is only temporary, I’ve recently signed a lease on Pine street, we’re moving in in two weeks,” said Buffy to the social worker. “And who all will be living in this house Miss Summers?” “Dawn and I” “Dawn mentioned that you have a boyfriend Miss Summers. Does he spend a lot of time here?” “Actually, he’s just getting over an injury, he was mugged a week ago. He’s been here, so I can look after him.” “Yes, Dawn said that too. Miss Summers would you allow me to speak with your boyfriend...a Mr. oh I’m sorry the name Dawn’s given me is Spike...” “Spike’s a high school nick name he had. William Graves is his real name. I’ll see if he’s awake.” “He’s asleep at this time of the day?” “He works the late shift.” Buffy walked into her bedroom to find Spike sitting on the bed. “So the bint wants to see me does she?” “You heard what was being said? Just along ok? I can’t have the state of Ohio thinking Dawn deserves to go back to California. I’m her family. You’re her family.” “No problem luv,” Spike said as he got up off the bed. “I can be charming when the occasion calls for it.” Spike was true to form too, impressing the social worker. Told her that he was a bouncer, but had a degree in English literature and languages, moved from Sunnydale with Buffy. He stressed that he had his own place and was quite fond of Dawn. Buffy looked on impressed even though inside her slayer demons was shouting ‘Vampire!’ Buffy thought she had never been so in love with this man. __________________________________________ “So David Gable of Cleveland, perhaps you’d like to make an alliance if you will with the forces of good, against the vampires and the demons,” said Andrew dramatically as he clutched his coffee. Andrew sat at Gable’s kitchen table. The whole house was barren and sparse. Clearly needing Queer eye for the straight guy if ever anyone needed them. “What do you mean? Forces of good. Do you mean there is actually an organized group that fights evil?” “Oh how little of this world...” Andrew trailed off, “No let me start again. Yes there is. We are called the council of watchers.” “The council of watchers...What do you watch?” “The slayer. The one girl chosen in all the world to fight the vampires, the demons.” “The Slayer, that’s a laugh. She doesn’t happen to be blonde 5’2” and have a bleach blonde vampire boyfriend?” “Actually...” “No, this is ridiculous” “No, it’s not. You already know about vampires how hard is it for you to believe that there’s a girl to kill them. I’m a watcher. I record everything that happens to the slayer, demons she fights, enemies she makes. You are in the watcher diaries already. I know a lot more about you and your father than you think I do.” “Excuse me? I never mentioned anything about my father to you!” “That’s right, you haven’t, but I know, because your father was one of us, a watcher assigned to the slayer Marianne Levoy, she was fifteen when she was called, died in 1968 at the age of seventeen. Died in a car crash. Your father was her watcher.” “Now you are just pouting a web of lies. My father was caretaker of this cemetery. Marianne Levoy was a family friend whose parents left her in my father’s care due to mental health issues.” “Believe what you will. I only wish for us to work together for the forces of good against evil.” “You know this is a lot more than I signed up for when I picked your drunk ass off the street.” “You’re right, I’ve outstayed my welcome. Thank you for last night and if you ever need help here’s my number,” Andrew pulled out his brand new very professional looking business cards that he had had made up the week before. Very proud of himself, Andrew made his way back to Buffy’s apartment. True he had not successfully recruited Gable as he had hoped to but then again he had tired been polite, planted the idea. It wouldn’t be long before David Gable was on their side of this. Andrew Wells was confident. __________________________________________ tbc... Review? Please?

Chapter #12 - What is up with you people and bath tubs?

Disclaimer: Not mine...you know the drill. __________________________________________ Chapter 12: What is up with you people and bath tubs? Anya stomped around Willow’s dorm room. She had nothing to do. She was at a loss for what to do. She had had a stroke of luck and recovered her access to her assets. However she didn’t know where to go or what to do. True she was a vengeance demon again, but D’Hoffryn had made it very clear that because her continued existence was the result of a wish he did not expect her to be fulfilling her vengeance quota. She could consider herself a free lance vengeance demon, but where to go? To live? To set of shop? Shop! That was it. She had to set up the magic box again. She still had contacts, suppliers, clients. She loved commerce and capitalism and money almost as she loved orgasms. Yes, a new magic box shop but then the next question would be where? It certainly wouldn’t be in LA. Anya had met Angel and the rest of them in his Scooby wannabe group, no love for the vengeance demon crowd there. Plus that girl Kennedy was with them now. Never really liked her. Buffy was in Cleveland. Yes a new place, a new Hellmouth of course there were a couple of more Hellmouths on the planet just some were more active than others. A plan formed in Anya’s mind. Willow took that moment to return to her dorm room. One look at Anya made the witch’s face grow happier. At the beginning of the year Kennedy had signed up for a lot of the same classes Willow had, the ones she could get into anyway. Now post break up Willow was feeling that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Kennedy could be really mean when she wanted to be. “Willow!” said Anya pleasantly “I’m moving to Cleveland!” Willow’s smile dropped off her face. “No, this is a happy thing. I’ve decided to relocate the magic box, to the Hellmouth.” “That’s great Anya,” said Willow trying to be happy for the demon. “You don’t sound glad for me.” “It’s just, well Kennedy’s being nasty and I don’t really have any friends here in LA now that Kennedy’s all chumming with Angel’s gang. I thought...I thought we could you know, hang.” “You want to be friends?” “Yeah, cause well you don’t have anything to do after well, Xander’s response to you being back ‘Wow, ok’ You won’t be running off to see him.” “No I won’t be teleporting to England for post resurrection orgasms. You would think, after my brave and selfless death that he would, being my former fiancé, show some sort of happiness at my resurrection.” “So you will stay?” “For now, but I must find something for me to do with all my time, I could go answer the call for vengeance. Your neighbour two doors down has been recently dumped.” “No!” “Alright then, what?” “You could...You could attend classes with here at UCLA?” “University life...Perhaps, I’ve never been in formal post secondary education before, in my day that stuff was only for monks. But it’s been 1120 years. Alright, higher education here I come.” __________________________________________ Buffy patrolled with Spike. It was crazy but since Buffy killing machine exposition 2003 she never let Spike out of sight while on patrol and she was pretty sure that he liked the arrangement too. But patrol wasn’t the same. She always felt that he was waiting for her to freak out. She really hadn’t felt this uncomfortable on patrol since things started to go south with Riley. In truth Buffy never had more respect for Spike. She now knew what it was to control an inner demon. It had been a few days since she had lost control. Everyone had been sympathetic. The demons in Cleveland were scared of her, which would be seen as a good, but she wasn't too sure about that. With all the problems that were imposing themselves in Cleveland, she wondered exactly when they would see an actual big bad. Of course now that she had completely jinxed the whole thing she had only to wonder how bad it was going to be for her and her family. It was while she was contemplating this that Spike pushed her down to the grass. “Spike!” she was pissed, until she saw the cross bow dart that was now sticking out of a tree that had been behind her. Buffy looked ahead of her to try to see who had shot the cross bow but could not see anyone. She had a very good idea who though. “You still looking to exact pay back Spike?” Buffy asked her slaying partner. “Absolutely luv, need a plan though.” “Plan? How about going after him right now. Bastard with a crossbow is trying to kill me and dust you!” “Yes luv, can’t just chase after the git, he’s got the advantage.” “I say you circle to the left, me to the right and we pounce.” Spike nodded. Within five minutes, David Gable was face down on the ground, being held by Buffy. “You know you are really starting to piss me off,” said Buffy. “Luv?” Buffy looked up to see Spike holding a roll of duct tape. “I’ve always wondered what all you carried in that coat of yours.” Spike smiled as bent down to wrap up Gable’s hands. “Why don’t you just get it over with, you foul soulless demons,” spat Gable. “Hey!” said Buffy offended, “We have souls.” “Oh really? Prove it.” “Uh well, you see that’s a little hard to prove,” said Buffy seriously, “But we aren’t going to kill you.” “Sure, you are champions sent by the gods to protect the world from the vampires and demons.” “As a matter of fact...” said Buffy. “They like to be called the Powers that be, mate.” “Whatever.” “Look buddy,” said Buffy getting mad and turning him to face her. “I want you to leave us alone. We are on the same side here.” “Come on luv, let me have a go at him, pay back for what he did to me.” Buffy gave him a look. “Buffy,” he whined, “Can I hit him at least?” “Sure,” she shrugged her shoulders, “Go ahead.” “Hey,“ protested Gable. “I thought you said we were on the same side here.” “That’s true, but you hurt my vampire, people who hurt my boyfriends tend to end up in the hospital.” “It’s true mate, I tried using her first boy toy in a ritual and I ended up in a wheel chair for months,” Spike turned to Buffy. “I never did pay you back for that.” “Oh I think you did...can we say kidnapping Willow and Xander? Or how about the whole Gem or Amara incident?” “Chaining me up in the watcher’s tub?” “Selling us out to Adam” “Beating me for info.” “Trying to get the chip out.” “Ruining my rep” “Showing me Riley and the vamp hos” “Telling me I’m beneath you.” “Making the Buffy bot.” “Dying.” “Oh Spike...” Buffy left her prisoner on the ground and rushed into Spike’s arms. “I’m so sorry.” “Not as much as I am luv.” They kissed. “You two are insane!” Buffy turned to look at her prisoner. “Not so much actually,” observed Buffy. “So what are we going to do with him?” “I’m thinking subject him to Andrew?” Spike laughed. “Maybe he can talk some sense into him,” continued Buffy. “Andrew?” Spike spat during his chuckle. “Ok,” Buffy sighed. “I’ll call Giles.” __________________________________________ With Gable safely confined to the bathroom and Giles on a plane, Andrew had the arduous task of telling Gable that he was mistaken about Buffy. Buffy herself was just grateful that soon this whole Gable mess would be over. “The watcher’s plane gets in, in three hours pet.” “Right, Apartment clean, check. Weird Vamp hunter guy in bathroom, check Fridge stocked, complete with tea and crumpets, check.” “Kinda interesting seeing the captive in the bathroom from this side,” observed Spike. “Oh please, you liked it. You had a warm place to stay and we fed you.” “And I got to look down your shirt when you did it too,” he smirked. “You did not.” “I did” __________________________________________ Giles arrived with volumes of texts in his hands. Buffy looked at him sceptically. “If you expect me to read all that you’ve got another thing coming.” “Oh...” Giles looked at the books. “No, not in fact for you.” Giles dug around in his pickets for a moment. “This is for you.” Giles thrust a piece of paper at her. “A cheque?” “Yes, your pay retro active to the time when you were of legal age. In British pounds sterling.” Buffy looked harder at he cheque with disbelief. “Also you will be getting a monthly cheque for carrying out your Slayer duties. As well the council will be purchasing your house. We may need to send potentials to you to train until we are up and running at full capacity.” “Giles this is too much!” “I don’t think so Buffy considering all you’ve been through.” Buffy smiled and hugged her watcher. “You uh, better get in there, Andrew may have caused Gable to gnaw his own ears off by now.” __________________________________________ Buffy returned from the grocery store with boxes for the move only to hear Giles yelling. “You stupid prat! Have you learned nothing?” “I thought it would be an educational tool...For future watchers.” “Video taping Gable is not useful in anyway!” Giles held Andrew’s video camera in his hand. Buffy had to laugh; she had threatened to break the device innumerable time this past week. Buffy laughed and headed into her room. Lying on the bed, Spike was reading. “Look what I have!” Buffy sing-songed. Buffy dangled keys in his face. “Keys?” “House keys, picked them up when I went for boxes. You wanna go take a look?” “Middle of the day pet.” “Blanket...car.” “You know, I wonder if your father is ever going to want his car back.” “He’s coming for Christmas and driving back.” “Oh.” “But now I have money I can buy a car.” “Do you have an Ohio driver’s licence?” “Do you?” “Maybe you should let me worry about the car pet.” “Oh I see, you’ll get to drive it, pick it out, but I have to pay for it?” “Sounds about right.” “I’m just your sugar daddy aren’t I? Or...what ever the female equivalent is. Sugar Mommy?” __________________________________________ Spike stood in the large room in the basement of Buffy's new house. “And this will be my training room/laundry room.” “Sounds like you’ve got all the rooms assigned. Even the whelp and red have rooms.” “And you are wondering where you are going to sleep? “I admit that was the direction my brain was progressing.” “Well, down the hall,” Buffy pointed, “are two bedrooms, one could be yours if you wanted, or...” “Or?” “You could share with me,” she said in a little voice. Spike swept her up in his arms. “Are you asking me to move in with you?” “Yes, sounds like anyway. What do you say?” __________________________________________ Buffy and Spike returned to the apartment to find Giles drinking tea and Andrew watching TV. “How did the Gable-ing go?” asked Buffy. “Oh far better than I expected. He has agreed to leave you alone, in exchange for all information we have about his parents.” “Sounds like a good deal.” “Indeed. I believe that Andrew should remove with me to England. Despite his protests I believe it will do a tremendous amount of good for him, however as his job is so bloody important to him, he has agreed to come after he’s given notice, four weeks at most.” Buffy breathed a sigh of relief, she had lived too long with Andrew as it was. “I’ll send Xander here to take over his duties as watcher. I’m sure Xander will find Andrew’s task a refreshing change from his current assignment.” __________________________________________ tbc

Chapter #13 - Mother-ish

Disclaimer: So many other people own Buffy, I really can’t compete with them. __________________________________________ Chapter 13: Mother-ish On moving day, the unpacking was going well. Everyone had agreed to their share of the cleaning and unpacking. Buffy was carefully unwrapping the dishes. They had one set per person and really she didn’t want to break anymore dishes. “Buffy!” yelled Dawn from her bedroom. “The box marked weapons got put here by mistake, come take it to the basement!” “Get Spike to do it!” Buffy shouted back. “Did I hear my name?” said Spike as he came up from the basement. Spike wrapped his arms around the blonde slayer and ground his pelvis into her backside. “Our room is all set up and just waiting to be christened luv,” he purred into her ear. “Mmm,” responded Buffy, “Too many people in the house, I wanna be loud.” She turned to face him. “Dawn needs you to move the box of weapons from her room to the basement.” “Did she open the box to make sure there are actually weapons in there? I’m not carting boxes around so you Summers women can ogle my goodies.” “But they’re so yummy,” Buffy smiled. “Never mind Buffy! It’s my text books!” shouted Dawn from the second floor. “When did you get so smart?” chuckled Buffy. “Must have been all those years as a Master Vampire, must have been good for something.” Spike leaned in for a kiss only to be interrupted by the doorbell. Buffy rolled her eyes and headed to the front door. “Better not be neighbours bearing casseroles,” she muttered. The neighbour across the street had already introduced herself and given them a cake and had promptly fallen in love with Giles. Mrs. Morganson, widow, approximately 45 years old, had flirted relentlessly with her watcher, resulting in Giles’ attempts to be away from the house a great deal today, making trips with the rented van, helping Oz and Spike carry things, doing spontaneous shopping for things that he felt she needed in her house and leaving to have coffee or tea or something with Gable at one point. Right now Giles and Oz were packing up Oz’s stuff to bring to the house. When Buffy had offered Oz a room to stay in he had happily accepted. He had been living, in a less than nice apartment in the bad side of town. She had more than enough rooms in her house and it was kind of nice to have lots of friends around. Oz was taking one of the rooms in the basement and they were planning on adding a secure metal cage down there for emergencies in a few days. Oz was not completely werewolf free, but he could control it now. He just wanted to be safe. Buffy opened the door to reveal two young girls, one preteen-ish, holding the other, a sleeping toddler, standing on her front porch. “You aren’t here to sell me Girl Scout cookies are you?” Buffy asked. Without muttering a word the elder, sandy blond girl, who looked eleven or twelve, handed Buffy a piece of paper and stood there waiting for her to read it. “Ok, well why don’t you come in, it’s cold outside,” said Buffy not wanting to heat all of Cleveland. The girls entered the house and the elder girl dropped the bag she was carrying and headed to the living room without even being shown where to go. She put the little one down on the couch and sat beside her, a scowl apparent on her face. “Please make with the reading before she wakes up or you will have a two year old you don’t know what to do with on your hands,” said the girl. Buffy took a long hard look at the children. The elder one was speaking what Dawn would call ‘Buffy speak’ and clearly was exhibiting the most pronounced pout she had ever seen. Her green eyes were angry and scared. The little one was curled up around a teddy bear. She had cute curly brown hair and was just the cutest little person Buffy had ever seen. Buffy opened up the piece of paper and started to read, vaguely aware of Spike behind her. Dear Buffy, I’ve never written a letter to myself like this before, it’s kinda weird. Anyway, to the point. The two children before you are your own, our own, whatever. They are mine, which makes them yours. Time paradoxes are muchly confusing. We are fighting the First Evil, again *groan* and I need them safe. I know from hindsight that all is quiet in Cleveland right then, so I hope you won’t think I’m imposing on myself (you) too much. A is 12, feel free to put her in school. She didn’t want me to tell you her name cause she thinks if you know it you won’t name her that when she’s born (I think she’s nuts). As for D (that’s what A calls her, seems fixated on her middle name for some reason, and FYI don’t flip out when you find out what it is, please) she’s two you can’t really explain time travel to her. In her case I recommend day care. As D will probably let you know, Spike is their father. I can’t tell you how I conceived them but you don’t have to worry about it happening anytime soon. I don’t know how long A and D will be with you, but I do know that when this is over and the Cleveland hellmouth is closed either Spike or I or one of their sisters will come and get them personally (if we survive). I can just think of all the questions floating in your head right now, just for your info, you live a crap long time and you an indecent number of kids (although Spike keeps wanting more, I think he just wants a boy, or maybe he’s still Victorian big family boy). So I really have to get these kids gone. I’m sure A will fill you in on anything I’ve missed. Take care of them for me, for us. Buffy Anne Summers-Graves Buffy looked from the letter to the kids and back again before handing the letter to Spike. “I hope you won’t be too offended if I ask you a skill testing question?” asked Buffy as Spike read the letter. “No,” said A. “Could, you name your grandparents? All of them?” A sighed. “Joyce and Hank Summers, William and Anne Graves, Drusilla childe of Angelus and Rupert Giles. All people you consider to be my grandparents. Happy?” “Let’s just say this is very hard to believe, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for now.” “Thanks, I think,” sniped A. “Hey, don’t get all snippy with your mother pet, it’s not exactly something she was expecting today, to have two of her kids show up on the door step from the future,” said Spike folding the letter back up. “Yes, Da,” said A with her head bowed. “So what are we to call you? Or is “A” good for you?” asked Buffy. “You can call me Amy, it’s not my name but it’s ok.” “Alright then, Amy lets get you settled. I only have 3 rooms currently not assigned.” “No worries, Mum said you had our rooms still available, though one of them is earmarked for uncle Xander. Mum said that you also don’t have any furniture in our rooms yet, so she wished you happy shopping.” “Ah crap, one other thing to do today. You might have to sleep on the couch or bunk with Dawn.” “Dawn?” “My sister?” “Oh, Auntie Dawn, yeah, ok I remember her, Vicky used to tell me stories about crusty old Auntie Dawn.” “Crusty?” “Well I’m sure she was at the time, I mean Vicky’s been around forever. Vicky said she was way old and smelled like medicine all the time.” Buffy started to laugh. “Dawn is Seventeen here. Exactly how far in the future are you from?” “Nope, Mum said I couldn’t tell you that.” “Wonderful. You want something to eat?” offered Buffy. “I think Dawn was going to make grilled Cheese or something.” “Ok.” “Great,” said Buffy. “Dawn!” Buffy shouted up the stairs. “Come and make lunch, we have guests.” “Slayer! Did you want to wake up the littler bit?” said Spike. “Actually yes,” said Buffy. “Amy why don’t you take your bag upstairs to your room?” “Ok,” Amy trudged out of the room. Buffy pulled Spike into the kitchen. “Oh my god Spike, what the hell am I going to do with a 12 year old and a 2 year old? I don’t know anything about kids.” “Raised Dawn alright, and I’ll help you, they are mine too you know,” he said proudly. “I’m not ready to be a mom so soon. I need, like 9 months to get used to the idea!” “Ok, I’m here!” said Dawn as she entered the kitchen, “Who is this company?” Buffy handed Dawn the letter and watched as Dawn’s eyes bugged out of her head. “I’m an aunt!” Dawn whispered. “ An indecent number of kids? One word, birth control. Hey, I thought Vampires couldn’t, you know, get anyone pregnant?” “That’s what we thought too,” said Buffy. “But right now we need lunch, then we have to go shopping for furniture, and clothes for Amy and D.” The two year old ran into the kitchen. “Mummy! Up!” said the toddler with a smiled on her face. Buffy picked up the little girl. For the first time, Buffy saw D’s eyes, they were crystal blue, just like Spike’s. “D, this is your Auntie Dawn.” Dawn waved to the little girl. “Dawn, lunch. I am going to spend time with my kid. You are just the most precious little girl,” cooed Buffy as she took the toddler back into the living room. “I don’t think I’m ready to hear baby talk coming from your mouth quite yet,” muttered Dawn. Buffy returned to the living room and sat on the couch, D happily on her lap. “You are just the prettiest little toddler I have ever set my eyes on,” cooed Buffy. Buffy looked up to see Amy return to the living room. “Geez, its so bloody primitive here, its what 2003? This is completely noidal.” “Noidal?” “It’s slang, you’re old you aren’t meant to comprehend,” said Amy. “Hey!” “Well at least you aren’t as old as Da.” “I guess.” Buffy looked down at D then at Amy. “Look I realize that this is way weird for you but it’s weird for me too. So if you could give me some slack on the mother front. If I’ve had the indecent number of children, I must be a better mom then rather than now.” “Mummy! Cat!” called D, drawing Buffy’s attention back to the toddler. “We don’t have a cat, sweety,” said Buffy. “Cat, Cat, Cat.” “Does she have a cat at home?” “No, she’s just yelling out things she shouldn’t. She’s two. She doesn't know any better.” “Aweel? Play Cat?” “No, D.” “Aweel?” D’s lip started to tremble, but broke into a smile when Spike entered the room. “Da!” Buffy hoisted her daughter up into his arms. “Da!” Spike smiled proudly. “Cat-rin Dusilly Gaves” Amy groaned. Buffy and Spike froze. “Is...is that her name?” stammered Buffy. Amy nodded. “You’ve done it now D.” D just clapped her hands. “Why the hell would I name my kid after your ho of an ex?” Buffy seethed. “Hey, she’s my sire, I’m sure we named one of our kids after Joyce,” defended Spike. “Whoa...guys...” “My mom wasn’t a raving lunatic,” countered Buffy. “Parentals...” “I’ve just as much right to name my kids after Dru as you have to name her after your mum. Amy, what’s your middle name?” asked Spike. “Oh good grief,” said Amy. “I knew this wasn’t going to last. Vicky warned me about this, Grace too. Please will you just calm down.” Amy exhaled. “Da is right, my sisters have been named after Grandma Joyce, and Grandma Anne and Drusilla. You decided a long time ago that we would each have a middle name of someone in the family.” Dawn walked in on the discussion. “D here is Catherine Drusilla. And I’m Ariel Dawn.” “You named your kid after me?” exclaimed Dawn, “You guys are so great.” Buffy smiled. “Thanks crusty old Aunt Dawn.” “You have to promise to name us that when we are born though,” continued Ariel. “And Vicky and Grace are two of your other sisters?” asked Buffy. “Yes,” “See we named a kid after your sister, Spike,” offered Buffy, trying to placate the vampire. “Spike had a sister?” asked Dawn. “Two actually and no I didn’t kill them. They died of natural causes,” said Spike, bouncing Cat up and down “Is lunch ready yet Dawn?” asked Buffy. __________________________________________ Lunch was consumed in relative peace, with Andrew joining them from his attic room shortly after he smelled food. He took the news that Ariel and Cat were Buffy and Spike’s kids in stride. He didn’t particularly like kids, but he could see that Dawn adored them. Shortly after the dishes were cleared away, Oz and Giles arrived at the kitchen door with Oz’s stuff. Buffy had sent Ariel to write down all the things she thought she needed for her room and for Cat’s room. Cat was playing with Dawn in her room. Spike took a box from Giles and trudged down into the basement and Oz’s room, leaving the other two men to bring in stuff from the van. “Andrew! Get your butt down here and help the guys out!” shouted Buffy. “You know you could help too luv,” said Spike as he came back up the stairs. “Slayer strength and all.” “Nope, I was raised to believe that the women had the babies and the men did the heavy lifting. And hey, now I have the babies!” she smiled. “That you do luv,” he said. “I’m feeling very motherly right now, I wonder if I could learn to make cookies.” “Gah! I refuse to let you burn down the house on the first day we live here!” said Dawn coming into the kitchen, carrying Cat. “Ya, ya, rub it in that I can’t cook.” “It doesn’t get better” came Ariel’s voice from the dining room entrance to the kitchen. “Great,” pouted Buffy. Cat saw the pout and reached towards her mother. “Mummy? Hug?” Buffy scooped up Cat and held her tight. Giles and Oz, returned with Oz’s mattress. “Hey, there are kids in the kitchen,” observed Oz. “Did they come with the house?” Buffy laughed. Giles did a double take, as Spike took his end of the mattress and helped Oz down the stairs. Off came the glasses and the watcher whipped out a handkerchief. “Buffy? Dare I ask whose children these are?” “Who’s he?” asked Ariel. “Giles, meet Ariel and Catherine, I have kids!” Buffy beamed. Dawn handed Giles the letter from future Buffy. The whole group waited in silence for Giles to peruse the letter. “And have you verified the identity of the children? Forgive me but this seems highly suspicious. Vampire’s can’t father children.” “Well I beg to differ Giles, look at them! You cannot possibly deny that they are my kids Giles. Catherine has Spike’s eyes.” “I’ll need to research this.” “Why? Look the letter said that Buffy couldn’t tell us how they were conceived, why can’t we just remain in blissful ignorance until it happens?” said Dawn “You’ll spoil all the fun for when she is actually pregnant.” “I suppose. It is all rather peculiar.” Ariel walked up to Giles and scrutinized him carefully. “So you are grandpa Giles. Huh...I thought you’d be, I don’t know, more posh.” “Dear Lord...” “Ariel...” warned Buffy. “Can we go shopping now?” asked Ariel. “I need to find out what is cool here. Before you enrol me into an ancient education system where they probably still rely on paper.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Ok, ok, clothes shopping, bed shopping, again.” Spike and Oz came up the stairs. “Ya, I see it. Cute kids,” said Oz, reaching the top of the stairs. “Thanks,” Buffy beamed. “So who’s this then?” asked Ariel. “Manners pet,” warned Spike. “Oh, right. Hi, I’m Ariel Dawn Graves, but you can call me Ariel, and you are?” Ariel extended her hand to be shaken. Oz returned the gesture. “Daniel Seth Osborn, but you can call me Oz.” “Pleasure. So now that we are all acquainted, can we go shopping now?” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #14 - The Name Game

Disclaimer: Joss owns Buffy, I just own the entire series on DVD. __________________________________________ Chapter 14: The Name Game Buffy lay back against Spike reliving the days events. She had kids, kids that could potentially kill her. One kid that was named after Drusilla. Buffy had also purchased two more beds and some other furniture and a whole new wardrobe for Ariel and Cat. Frankly she was shopped out. Buffy had begun to doze when suddenly a high pitched scream came from Cat’s room. Buffy jumped out of the bed and dashed next door. Cat was crying and holding her head. Buffy gathered the toddler in her arms and rocked back and forth. “Oh Kitty Cat it will be ok,” soothed Buffy. “Mummy, head.” “Oh Sweety...” “What’s wrong?” yawned Dawn from the doorway. “I don’t know Dawn,” said Buffy worried. “She says her head hurts.” “Maybe we should take her to the hospital.” “No!” said Ariel coming into the room. “You can’t take her to the hospital!” All eyes turned to the doorway. “Why not?” asked Dawn. “We can’t go to the hospital, we are half vampire!” “Oh ya,” said Dawn like she was thinking hard about something. “How about tylenol?” asked Buffy. “Won’t work. She needs blood.” “Excuse me?” balked Buffy. “Oh bloody hell...” said Ariel rushing towards her mother and sister. Buffy watched intently and with suspicion as Ariel grabbed her wrist and brought it to her sister’s mouth. Suddenly Buffy felt small teeth pierce her skin. She turned wide eyed at Cat who was happily sucking her blood. “Yeesh!” Buffy freaked out and pulled herself away from her daughter. “Holy Crap!” exclaimed Dawn. Buffy held her bleeding wrist and backed away. “Great now you’ve scared her!” said Ariel hugging her sister. “Spike!” Buffy yelled. When Spike didn’t respond right away, Buffy charged into her bedroom. “Spike!” Buffy yelled. Spike did not stir. “William Graves you get your undead ass out of that bed!” Buffy chucked a stuffed toy at her lover’s head. “Wha?” “Spike did you not hear Cat scream?” “Was that Cat? I was dreaming about this girl Darla tortured when I was a fledge.” “God, I so don’t ever want to see your dreams.” “So why are you waking me up then?” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Why are you bleeding?” “Your daughter bit me.” “Ain’t that interesting.” “What, aren’t you shocked?” “She’s my daughter pet, remember vampire. Did she vamp?” “Not really, but she grew fangs.” “Bloody brilliant that is.” “Spike! So not helping.” “What do you expect me to do then luv.” “Bloody hell Da do you ever wear clothes?” came Ariel’s voice from the doorway. Spike nearly jumped and covered himself with a blanket. ”Oh please all the important boy parts were covered,“ said Buffy. “I’m traumatized for life!” wailed Ariel. “Whatever, would you care to explain why a toddler just sucked my blood?” asked Buffy. Ariel rolled her eyes. “You know I shouldn’t tell you this, you should find out about it the natural way.” Buffy put her hands on her hips. Ariel sighed. “My sisters and I, we aren’t Damphyrs or anything else the watcher’s council has ever seen before. There’s never been children born to a vampire and the first slayer before. We drink blood, when we are born, mixed with breast milk.” Buffy’s arms went to cover her chest. “Ouch” “We’re strong, not as strong as Slayers but stronger than normal kids, our fangs come down when we need iron, we don’t have game face, just fangs, and we sunburn easily. Look, D’s just a little kid that doesn't realize that anything is different, we still live in this house, the room she ‘s in, that’s her room. I know that this is weird fro you, but do you realise that this is weird for us? Our parents are fighting the first evil, they may die, we might be stuck here in the ancient past for the rest of our lives.” “Ariel I’m sorry for freaking out,” said Buffy rushing to hug her daughter. “I promise no more wigging.” __________________________________________ “Willow! I have kids!” gushed Buffy on the phone the next morning. “What no hello from the Buffster?” said Willow. “What do you mean you have kids?” “Kids, Willow! and I’m freaking out here. They just showed up on my doorstep with their teddy bears from the future Willow.” “Do you think their real, I mean, of course they’re real, right? They are real?” “I can touch them and everything.” “Oh good, but what I meant was as you sure they’re your kids?” “If you saw them you wouldn’t ask the question.” “It just seems odd. You know, that they would just show up. I wonder which spell was used? I wonder if I was the one who cast it?” “I don’t know Willow and I won’t be asking. It’s to easy for Ariel to just give us information. She means well but if we press her too hard she might tell us something that will screw up the future.” “Ok...” “I don’t want to screw up that future Will. I sounds good. I’ve got kids, with Spike! and I’m married to Spike! I’m Mrs William Graves!” Willow laughed. “Not yet you aren’t.” “So how’s everything with you?” “Good, Anya and I submitted our forms for transfer for next semester. Hopefully in a few months we’ll be just two more bodies in the Summer’s home for wayward Scoobies.” “That’s great Wills. So what is Anya taking, course wise?” “Well, first year courses and plus she’s a later admission, so the courses she’s in are pretty blah. She’s got 20th century history, which she’s calling the course of American propaganda and lies. Intro to Psych, she thinks it will be useful if she ever gets back into vengeance. Umm, what else... She’s taking an art course and Intro to Marketing.” “Sounds fun” “Ever thought of returning to school yourself Buff? You could come with us and we could be study buddies.” “You know that’s not a bad idea. I don’t have to work anymore, I’ve got a vampire to look after the kids during the day and Dawn and Andrew at night. I could do back to school, finished my degree.” __________________________________________ Buffy was infinitely glad that Cat was potty trained and that she had three bathrooms in her house. Andrew was secluded in his attic bedroom, which had its own bathroom, no longer would she have to put up with all of his male products. The basement had a bathroom which serviced the two occupants of the basement bedrooms, Oz and Giles (who wasn’t staying but liked the fact that he had his own bedroom while he was here.) Buffy’s second floor bathroom had a beautiful Victorian Style tub in which she had promised herself a relaxing bath as soon as they were satisfactorily moved in. Unfortunately that idea went out the window when Cat discovered the garden in the back yard and decided to plant her own seeds (which Buffy found out were raisins) and now looked like she had plunged head first into the dirt. So the first person to get to use the tub was Cat, with Buffy hanging over the edge to wash her two year old. Buffy had to admit that it was cute, seeing Cat splash playfully in the water, only slightly marred by the fact that she would have to mop the bathroom floor after she was done. Looking into her daughter’s face Buffy couldn’t help but wonder about the future that this child came from and whether or not these children would be returning to their home at all. The idea that she would have children, with Spike of all people was mind boggling. She had all but resigned herself to the fact that she would never have kids. Now she had hope. Like most little girls, Buffy had planned her wedding when she was young, and picked out her kids names. She wondered exactly what and ‘indecent’ number of kids actually was. “Oh I’m not telling you,” said Ariel, standing in the doorway. Buffy smiled, she must have said that last part out loud. “You will flip out just like when you found out what D’s name was.” “Can you at least tell me if I name any more of my kids after blood sucking vampires?” “Yes, you do. Family names.” “Wonderful,” said Buffy hoisting Cat out of the tub, and wrapping her in a towel. “So that’s what, Darla then?” “I don’t get why you are so fixated on the names, I mean they don’t mean anything right?” “Names mean things Ariel. I’m sure I debated quite heavily on your name before you came into this world.” “And here I thought you decided to name me after an animated mermaid.” “Funny, ha, ha. You’ve never wondered what your name means?” “It’s like ‘lion of god’ or something.” “See, there you go.” “I guess, The lion of god, Sunrise, Summer, Grave. Ya that’s an inspiring collection of meanings.” “You’re the lion of god at sunrise in summer at a grave?” “Well what does your name mean then?” “Ummm, Consecrated to God, Gracious, Summer.” “See that sounds like a chosen one’s name.” “Thanks Ariel.” Buffy had finished drying off Cat and had dressed the toddler in her new pjs covered in Bunnies. “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?” Ariel asked tentatively. “Yes, you do, don’t try to get out of it.” “I’m scared.” “Of what?” “Of the other kids, of not being smart enough.” “Nonsense, I’m sure you inherited all your smart genes from your father, or sideways from your name sake...” Buffy wrinkled her brow as she contemplated that idea. “And even if you did get my defunct smartness, well, I did ok on my SATs, that’s got to count for something right?” Buffy walked to Cat’s room and laid the now sleeping toddler down. Closing the door, so that there was only a crack open, Buffy turned back to her other daughter. “You will do fine.” __________________________________________ The house was quiet. It had better be, thought Buffy. It’s 3 am Spike and Buffy walked hand in hand back towards their house. They had just finished possibly the most extensive patrol that they had ever done in Cleveland, turning up a couple of vamps, a few demons and a really confused pledge from a fraternity. Really quite boring actually. But Buffy enjoyed her alone time with Spike. “You haven’t said what you think about suddenly being a father,” she said standing on the front porch. “What is there to say, pet? There’s no denying that they are related.” Buffy laughed. “Cat’s like a female you, but with your natural hair colour.” “Felt like I’d lost the plot for a bit there though. I’m a bloody vampire, what am I going to do with children pet?” “I don’t know? Love them? Raise them? Threaten to eat their boyfriends?” A happy smile passed over Spike’s face. “I thought you’d like that...” she laughed. Suddenly she got serious again. “I love them though.” “They could kill you...The prophecy...” “Screw the prophecy. I was never meant to live forever.” “Bloody hell Buffy. I don’t want to lose you again.” Spike took her into his arms and held her tight. “Thought it was a bloody brilliant thing that you and I could have a long time together.” Buffy smiled up at her lover. “I love you, you know...” she whispered. “I know,” he said softly. Spike leaned down and captured his lips with his own. “Mmm,” she moaned breaking for air. Spike didn’t give her much time to recover from the pant worthy kiss, before assaulting her mouth with another followed by yet another. Buffy found her body pressed up against the porch railing. Her brain briefly flickered to whether or not the railing could actually withstand the punishment that it was about to face. But the thought was cut short as she suddenly found herself without pants. Buffy looked down to see Spike’s platinum head kissing up her now bear thighs. She leaned back further on the railing to grant him better access. Buffy gasped as she felt his cool tongue pass between her nether lips and begin stroking her clit with determination. A car passed down the road, briefly illuminating their activities. Buffy struggled to free one of her feet from her boot and jeans, to wrap her leg around Spike’s neck as he ate her out. Buffy tried valiantly to restrain her moaning, but she failed and the whole neighbourhood could hear just how much she liked what Spike was doing to her. Buffy bit her lip when her orgasm took her. Holding on to the railing for dear life and panting from her exertions, Buffy was unaware that Spike was suddenly fascinated by the bloody lip that she was now sporting. Standing up, Spike leaned in and licked the blood from her lip, cleaning the wound like a big cat. Buffy smiled at his actions, she had an urge to ruffle his hair. Her hands other ideas though, good ideas. Buffy unzipped his pants and pushed them down exposing his hard on. He was kissing her now, mingling her juices and her blood between them. With a grunt Spike hoisted Buffy up, wrapping her legs around him and lifting her up off the railing. Making a small turn, Buffy found herself up against the house, Spike poised at her moist entrance, hovering. “Fuck me Spike,” she whispered. “I’m yours.” That was all he was waiting for apparently. Her thrust harshly into her moist recesses, only waiting a moment for her to adjust to his size within her. She only hoped that they didn’t wake the kids. And Dawn. Spike’s eyes were almost feral with the intensity of what he was doing to her. She half expected him to vamp out. The wonderful sensation of his thrusting against her inner muscles made her start babbling incoherently. “Oh Spike, so...fuck me Spike...” Spike was beyond words it seemed. Another car passed down the road, slower than the last one, illuminating the couple to catch Spike’s final roar as he spent his load. Remaining there, pressed between her lover and her house Buffy leaned her head on his shoulder. She could feel his spendings trickling down her leg. “Mmm, like porch sex,” she muttered. Spike smiled a sleepy smile. “You aren’t tired are you? Mr Vampire Stamina?” she asked. “No, Miss Summers, care to have another go?” he asked politely. “Why yes, Mr Graves,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Race you upstairs?” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #15 - Difficult Questions

Disclaimer: Joss owns them, I play. Thanks to all the people who are still reading and reviewing. __________________________________________ Chapter 15: Difficult Questions Armed with Ariel’s modified school records and birth certificate (which Ariel had had stashed away in the bag she had brought with her), and a reluctant 12 year old decked out in what Dawn said was the coolest outfit, Buffy entered the local junior high school. Buffy infinitely wished she could have passed this job onto someone else, Principals gave her the willies. Buffy and Ariel were introduced to Ariel’s grade 7 teacher before the bell rang. She seemed nice enough, but Buffy had a strange feeling about her. “We are currently working on a science unit on sound, and in math we just started geometry.” Buffy looked down at Ariel, who looked infinitely bored. “Sounds very educational,” said Buffy trying to sound like the informed parent she very clearly wasn’t. “Right, I’m sure you don’t want the parental to be hanging around. Someone will come and get you after school.” “You don’t know who?” asked the teacher concerned. “Well, we have seven adults living in our house and only one car, who ever has it at 3:30 will come and get her.” “Mrs Graves, I don’t mean to sound sceptical, but the school becomes concerned when children are picked up by people we are unfamiliar with,” said the teacher. “First of all, if you want a list of all the people who could pick her up, I’ll be more than glad to provide the school with one, secondly I’m not Mrs Graves. I’m not married. Ms Summers will be fine.” “Oh, forgive me, I assumed... Her father lives with you though? I wasn’t mistaken about that?” “Oh no, he’s a permanent fixture, just not married.” __________________________________________ What the teacher said bothered her. She had kids and she wasn’t married. She had never thought it would have been such a big deal, especially in this day and age. But it mattered to her. Never once in her life had she ever imagined being an unwed mother, and now here she was, unwed and motherish. Buffy returned home sans Ariel, to find Spike and Cat curled up on the couch, the curtains drawn, watching sesame street. She wished she had a camera. One more thing to put on the shopping list. Today’s list of things to do was growing quite long. “Where’s Giles?” Buffy asked. “Out with that Gable prick, again. Gotten quite chummy.” “I guess that’s what happens when you chain someone up in a bathtub,” she said planting a kiss on Spike’s bleached head. “How’s mommy’s baby?” Buffy asked the two year old. “She had another headache, when you were gone with Ariel,” “What did you do to make it stop?” “Let her bite me, not just slayer’s blood that heals her up nice.” “You’re all medicine-y too. I really wish we could find out if something is wrong with her.” “Well we can’t send her to daycare if she keeps having these headaches, they’ll send her to the hospital, and I shudder to think what the doctors will say about her fangs.” Both the Vampire and the Slayer cocked their heads as they heard noises coming from the kitchen. “Good morning Oz!” called Buffy. Oz stumbled into the dinning room with a bowl of cereal and a glass of OJ. He nodded in the family’s direction and sat down at the recently purchased table. Buffy turned her attention to the Vampire on the other side of Cat. “You can go get some sleep if you want,” she offered. She knew that Spike hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep last night, he had lay awake, listening for anything wrong with Cat. After the first night and the scream of pain that he thought was part of his dreams, Spike wasn’t willing to fall asleep and not be there for his Kitty Cat. “Don’t mind if I do pet.” Spike gave kiss to the toddler and rose from the couch. Spike passed in front of Buffy to exit the room, but held back, back tracked and yanked Buffy off the couch and into a passionate embrace. Buffy sighed as sank into his kiss. Buffy giggled, returning the kiss. “Spike, not in front of Cat! or Oz!” “Oh don’t mind me,” came Oz’s voice from the dining room. “Mummy! Potty!” shouted Cat, hands in inappropriate places. “Up you go then,” said Spike, indicating the stairs. “Gotta go, bad.” Buffy groaned and picked up the kid, and hustled up the stairs, depositing her into the bathroom. “Next time, a little more warning ok? Mommy likes smoochies from your daddy.” Cat just giggled. __________________________________________ Giles returned from yet another meeting with Gable to find Buffy and Cat playing dolls in the living room, listening to the sounds of Oz practicing his guitar in the basement. Spike was sleeping in the master bedroom, complete with ear plugs, (cause it’s your own fault that you have to sleep in the afternoon.) Cat had slept for an hour after lunch, but now, at 2:30, it was play time, and daddy was still asleep. “Gampa Giz!” clapped Cat. “Hello Catherine.” “We’re playing dolls,” said Buffy with a huge smile on her face. “Excellent, good for you, Buffy. I was wondering if you would like me to do a trace spell on the spell on the children? To be sure that they were in fact sent here by yourself?” “Do you really think that’s necessary Giles? I mean it’s not like I’m in any danger from Cat and Ariel, they are just kids.” “You were in danger from the anointed one and he was a child.” “He was a child with an e Giles.” “Yes, ha, very amusing. The fact remains, Buffy, that it is possible that someone with a dark purpose has sent these children to you. They may in fact be genuine, but the purpose behind them...” “Ok, I get it, someone is trying to take me out with my children from the future. God, is nothing just a happy day for you? You aren’t having a good time unless ‘evil is afoot,’ are you? Go ahead, do your spell, Cat and I have to dress up Barbie for her wedding to Ken.” __________________________________________ Being the gentleman of tact as he was, Giles waited until Ariel and Cat were safely tucked into their beds before starting his tracer spell on the children. Buffy sat on the stairs watching the watcher in the living room prepare. She had done this spell herself before, but it was a different matter watching someone do it. When Giles rose from his spot on the living room floor, Buffy jumped out of the way. She knew he would have to look at Ariel and Cat. Giles stopped directly in front of his slayer for a moment, not saying a word. Buffy waited quizzically for Giles to continue up the stairs, when he did, she was following close behind. At the top of the stairs, blocking the way to the children’s bedrooms, Spike stood on guard. Buffy could see the conflict on his face as he paused before allowing the watcher to pass by him and into Ariel’s room. Giles pushed open the door of the twelve year old’s room and stood for moment then turned and walked across the hallway to Cat’s room. As Giles walked back down the stairs to the living room, Dawn joined them. Buffy shut the French door to the living room and sat down on the couch next to her watcher. “Well?” she finally asked. “The number of spells subjected to this family is quite astonishing. The spell on all of us regarding Dawn remains still very powerful. What I saw around Ariel and Catherine, the spell was performed or controlled by an older woman, I should say an elderly woman. I have no idea as to her identity. Further research into the identity of this woman would give us a better clue as to the purpose of the children in this time. Spike it seems still bears the imprint of the amulet on this chest, I should like to research that as well, this all will keep me very busy for a considerable amount of time.” Buffy fidgeted in her seat. “I believe the note Giles. When you think about it who would you trust with the lives of your own children but yourself? If you want to confront Ariel about who ever put the spell on them, go ahead, but I won’t do it, Giles.” __________________________________________ Buffy watched Ariel pick at her fruit loops. She had a sense that Ariel already knew what Giles was going to ask her. Buffy had begged him not to bother her about it before school. She didn’t need an angry and bitter preteen getting called to the principal’s office, because her surrogate grandfather upset her. “I was awake when Grandpa Giles came into my room last night,” Ariel mumbled. “And I heard what you said to him after wards. Thanks for believing us.” Ariel tried to smile. “Giles looks for demons when there is none. Sometimes he can’t see past the end of his nose.” “Mary Poppins.” “Huh?” “Disney movie, with that Sound of music chick in it? Mary Poppins, that’s a line from the movie.” “Oh.” “Oh ya, versed in the classics. I remember the screaming match between you and Da when he said I should read the book first, instead of watching the movie. I think I was five.” “Who won?” “You did, as usual. Da read me bits of it as my bed time story for a month. Until he couldn’t stand me singing ‘Supercalafragilisticexpyaladocious’ anymore.” Ariel smiled at the memory. “Grace wanted to strangle me.” “You don’t have to answer Giles’ questions if you don’t want to.” “Ya I do,” At that moment Giles walked into the kitchen via the basement stairs. Ariel stared at her grandfather for a moment before returning her attention to her Fruit Loops. “Ariel...” began Giles. “Her name is Rowan, she’s a witch.” “How long have you known her?” “All my life.” “How long have your parents known her?” “All her life.” “What spell did she use?” “I don’t know...I’m twelve.” “Giles...” warned Buffy. “Let him ask his questions Mum, so I can get on with the rest of my life.” “I’d like to know more about this Rowan person, how was she trained? Who were her teachers? In witchcraft,” asked Giles, getting out a note pad. Ariel rolled her eyes. “Rowan was trained by the most powerful witch that Mum and Da know. She studied at the coven in Bath, you know the one.” Giles waited for more info, while Ariel finished off her OJ. “Can you provide me with names?” Giles asked after Ariel failed to continue. “Rowan is my sister. Rowan Tara Summers- Graves, trained by Willow Rosenburg and Rupert Giles. Happy now?” Ariel stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. “I seem to have stepped in it haven’t I?” stated Giles. “Yep, in a big pile of crap,” agreed Buffy. __________________________________________ Anya was sitting in her history class, diligently taking notes, trying desperately to pay attention to the professor, and not the girl in the row in front of her who had been dumped the night before. “I just wish...” the girl started, “I wish that he would get penis fungus, is there even such a thing?” the girl giggled. “There is now,” said Anya still typing, “Wish granted.” It was a few moments before Anya even realised what she had done. She had typed the whole conversation between that girl and her friend, including Anya’s own contribution. Anya shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sure penis fungus can be cured.” __________________________________________ Ariel and Dawn were at school, Cat was napping, all her children accounted for, Buffy slipped into her room to write her in diary. Buffy silently pulled the secret book from between the mattress and the box spring, while her Vampire lover slept on. Buffy padded back down stairs and sat on the couch for some privacy. Buffy opened the book only to pull a piece of paper out of it. Buffy unfolded the paper and read the contents: Ariel Dawn Catherine Drusilla Grace Vicky Buffy took a pen and wrote another name down. Rowan Tara It had become an obsession. She wanted to know all about her children, they hadn’t been born yet, but deep down she had to know. The fact that Ariel knew so much about her children, more so than Buffy herself, it irked her. Shouldn’t a mother know? __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #16 - Granny Anya

Disclaimer: Not mine...ya I know __________________________________________ Chapter 16: Granny Anya “You want to do what?” Buffy nearly screamed. “You can’t honestly be serious! He’s tried to kill us! He nearly murdered Spike!” It wasn’t lost on Buffy that Giles had once tried to kill Spike too, but inviting Gable to dinner? “Spike still can‘t see well out of one of his eyes. Do you really want me to invite the man that tried to blind my lover to dinner?” “I would like him to meet all of the group, those who help the slayer, to get a better idea of what we do,” responded Giles. “By having a dinner party?” “A Columbus day dinner party?” “Fine,” Buffy growled, “I’ll have to get another chair. That makes eleven for dinner then. I cringe to think what Christmas is going to be like.” “Eleven?” “Anya and Willow are teleporting in for the weekend. Teleporting still takes a lot out of Willow. Willow said that they had invites to spend the weekend with Angel and company. She’s willing to put up with a migraine and bloody nose to escape Kennedy, so I have to make pie.” “Can you make pie?” Buffy glared at Giles. “Dinner’s at 6.” __________________________________________ Dawn had taken Ariel and Cat to the park, Spike was setting up the futon in the guest room for Willow and one in Cat’s room, for Ariel, as Anya would stay in the pre teen’s room. When Buffy had told them that Willow and Anya were coming to stay, Ariel and Cat’s eyes lit up. She didn’t know why, but she was eager to find out. Willow and Anya arrived an hour after the kids where sent to the park. Willow instantly collapsed, Oz catching her before she hit the ground and placing her on the couch. Willow murmured her thanks and fell asleep. “So where are these children of yours?” asked Anya eagerly. “They are at the park with Dawn.” “Oh.” “Don’t worry Anya, they will be back soon,” Buffy laughed. “Anya? I’m glad you are alive again.” Anya smiled. “Me too.” Anya gave Buffy a hug. “What can I do?” Buffy smiled. “How are you at making jello?” __________________________________________ When Willow woke up, she found herself staring into Oz’s eyes. “Better?” he asked. “A little. I’m really not so good with the teleporting. It’s either in pain Willow, or Willow three towns over.” “I’d prefer not in pain Willow right here.” Willow smiled, then suddenly frowned. “You were in LA and you never came to see me, you non see-er!” “It was easier.” “But not better. I’d like to see you, I like seeing you.” “I like seeing you too.” __________________________________________ Anya had just pulled the pan out of the fridge to start cutting out shapes for the ‘jigglers’ that Buffy had asked her to make, when the front door opened and in ran a screaming two year old. “Cat!, quiet!” shushed Buffy, scooping the little person into her arms. “Your aunty Willow is sleeping!” “I’m up!” came Willow’s voice from the living room. Willow stumbled out of the room and into the kitchen, to see Buffy holding Cat. “Oh Buffy she’s so beautiful, and she has Spike’s eyes!” Buffy beamed. “Willow Rosenburg, meet Catherine Graves,” said Buffy proudly. “Graves?” “So you’re telling everyone what my blasted last name was now?” came Spike’s voice as he rose from the basement steps. “No, I’m introducing your daughter to my witch friend,” defended Buffy. “Besides what’s the big deal? It’s not a bad last name.” Spike huffed. There wasn’t a point of arguing about this, especially in front of the rest of the scoobies. “It’s a nice last name for a pretty girl like you isn’t it Kitty Cat,” cooed Buffy. “Oh please, enough with the baby talk already, god you’ll be horrible when your kids are actually babies.” Dawn had just come through the door with Ariel. “Can I hold her?” asked Anya, uncharacteristically timid. “Oh sure.” Buffy handed her toddler over to the vengeance demon. “Gwanny An-ya!” said Cat. Ariel groaned. Everyone stared at Ariel. “No! I’m not answering this one. It’ll just get me in trouble. Mum was very clear about that.” “I’m ok with being called granny, by this little one, only her,” said Anya as she looked down lovingly at the toddler now sucking her thumb. “Well I am old enough to be her granny.” “Yes, but why aren’t you Auntie Anya?” asked Buffy. “Who knows maybe I marry one of her grandfathers?” Giles, who had developed a habit of coming into rooms at the wrong time appeared from the basement. All eyes turned towards him. “Why is everyone staring at me?” asked the watcher. “It doesn’t have to be Giles!” cautioned Anya, “Perhaps I end up with Mr Summers...” “Ewwwwwwwww,” came Dawn’s response. “What? Your father has divorced before, and though I’ve never met this Valery person, she sounds very nasty.” “Or it could be the poofter,” offered Spike. “See,” nodded Anya, “there are many possibilities.” Buffy cringed. The thought of Anya and her dad made her skin crawl. “I’m not telling!” shouted Ariel and she rushed upstairs. “That went well,” observed Spike as he turned to follow Ariel up the stairs. __________________________________________ Spike found Ariel pacing around her room. “You and Mummy told me not to tell about Anya, Granny Anya told me not to tell either.” Ariel gestured wildly into the room, knowing full well that Spike was in the doorway. “That’s good enough for me, sweet bit, but you know humans, they question everything. Especially your Mum. Look, pet, you don’t have to tell anything you don’t want to. And if your mum or anyone else asks too many questions, just tell them to sod off.” “Can I use the word sod?” “You most certainly cannot!” Ariel laughed. “I didn’t think so.” __________________________________________ Buffy had left her children in the tender care of their !Grandmother! Anya to patrol, with Spike. It seemed that she hadn’t been doing her job for since the kids arrived and she was feeling guilty. Also this was good Spike and Buffy time. “What are we?” he asked completely out of the blue. It had to be out of the blue, because they had been walking in silence. “Huh?” “What are we? Is there a title I should be referring to you as?” “Girlfriend?” “Girlfriend?” he sounded sceptical. “You don’t like girlfriend?” “Just seems a tad inappropriate is all.” “Inappropriate how?” Spike lit a cigarette. “I don’t know, just is.” “Fine, what else is there? Lover, sure, that’s appropriate isn’t it? Or soul mate, I like that one too. Significant other?...” “Mother of my children.” “Ahhh....” Buffy understood. “Mr Victorian morals is having problems with fathering children with some one to whom he is not married too.” Spike huffed, “I do not.” “Spike, they haven’t been born yet, you know how I signed my name on that note, Buffy Summers-GRAVES, seems to me you make an honest woman out of me eventually.” Buffy smiled. “But you still have issues with it. I understand that, hey I even lived a little of that time when I was Beth, but I don’t want you proposing, just to make yourself feel better about it.” “I heard you, you know, when you were on the phone with Willow, and gushing about how you are Mrs William Graves, pet. I know you want the dream.” “Of course I do, I mean I’m not going to pretend it’s not true. It’s what my mom wanted for me, it’s what I wanted for me. I once told Angel that I didn’t see fat grandkids in the offing with you, but you know what, I do now, not because of the soul, or because I love you more or less, it’s because of who you are, and how much I’ve changed because of you. I know that you will never grow old, but I’d like to grow old with you and have those fat grand babies, so we can spoil them rotten. I’m just sorry that my mom wasn’t around to see that I finally fell in love with you. I think she was pulling for you.” “Joyce was a right fine lady.” “Ya, she was. I miss her. So did that define our relationship enough for you Mr Graves?” Buffy teased. “For now” Buffy looked at Spike wearily, was this the end of said conversation? She thought not. Unfortunately she had no choice , their têtê-à-têtê was interrupted by the appearance of Gable, their erstwhile dinner guest. “Hello” greeted Buffy tersely. Sure she had agreed to dinner but she didn’t know how to act around him. The last time she saw him he was tied up in her bathtub. “Hello,” he replied. Spike just shrugged him shoulders. “Not much vamp activity in this cemetery,” noted Buffy completely seriously. “I’ve noticed that too,” said Gable. “Well, we’ll move on,” said the Slayer. “Ok.” And they parted. “Dinner’s at six,” said Buffy over her shoulder. As Buffy and Spike exited the cemetery Spike noted, “Great conversationalist that one.” “Ya cause most people have so much to say to the people who tied them up in bathtubs.” “I get on famously with you.” “Geez Spike. I’m sorry I chained you up in the tub already.” “I know, luv, I just like makin’ ya squirm.” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #17 - Dinner party from Hell

Disclaimer: The pixies tell me that I don’t own the BTVS and ATS characters. However I had a nice little shouting match with them about who owned Ariel and Cat. Anyone notice how Ariel’s name is the same as my pen name? Huh? Coincidence? I think not. __________________________________________ Chapter 17: Dinner party from Hell The assembled congregation around Buffy’s new dinning room table was a mixed bag. Buffy was pretty sure that although Gable knew about Spike being a vampire and Buffy being the slayer, the fact that he was sitting at a table with a vengeance demon, a witch, a werewolf and two children from the future would completely drive him mad. Wouldn’t that be fun? Cat had attached herself to Anya and Anya was looking very motherly (grandmotherly) with Buffy’s youngest. “I’m sure you are my favourite of all my grandchildren,” said Anya lovingly. “Not really,” came Ariel. “You liked Lizzy best, and then of course your real grandkids and great grandkids and great great grandkids.” “Lizzy?” asked Buffy, through a mouthful of potatoes. “Granny Anya always said she couldn’t help but have favourites of those who were named after her. But she had a lot of love to give so don’t go and feel neglected.” “That sounds like something that Anya would say,” said Willow “Lizzy was named after Anya?” asked Buffy. “Elizabeth Anya,” said Ariel as she poured gravy on her turkey. “How many kids did you have Buffy?” asked Andrew. “I don’t know, I keep hearing names. I’m up to six now.” “You don’t know how many kids you had?” asked Gable incredulously. “How can you not know how many kids you gave birth to?” “Well it’s a funny story cause...” “You leave her alone!” said Ariel angrily. “Her kids aren’t born yet! I’m not born yet. It’s not your business!” Their was not a sound in the dining room. “Could someone pass the broccoli?” asked Oz. “We got the cage parts today,” said Spike, sipping his blood today, “I’ll give you a hand setting the thing up when you want.” “Sure,” replied the werewolf. “Cage?” asked Gable. Ariel gave him a look. “Why do you need a cage?” “Not your business!” said Ariel again. “Ariel Dawn! Enough!” said Spike. Ariel looked down at her plate sheepishly. “You have to forgive the child, Gable,” said Giles hospitably. “She’s had her life so disrupted that she most likely fears your intrusion to break up her family again.” Spike heard an almost inaudible snort come from his daughter. Oz and Anya heard it too. “I just wanted to know if you had plans for me in that cage, I wondered if I’d graduated from the bathtub of captivity,” said Gable bitterly. “You put him in the bathtub? Like Spike?” asked Anya. “I’d consider that a mark of honour actually. I didn’t get chained up in the bathtub.” “You were already of the not when you came started hanging out with us,” replied Buffy. “There was no need for bathtub time.” “Can we not talk about the bathtub? It was a very traumatic experience for me,” said Spike. Buffy giggled. “I agree, I want to hear more about my various offspring,” said Anya. “It will distract me from the fact that I am once more eating the carcass of a bird.” “Anya’s flirting with vegetarianism,” explained Willow. Anya looked at Ariel eager for more information. Ariel refused to budge. She kept her mouth shut. “The bit’s not going to give up any more information than she wants to. Lay off demon girl,” said Spike. Anya pouted. “Demon girl?” asked Gable. “Oh Spike just comes up with nick names for us all,” said Dawn. “Willow is Red, I’m demon girl,” said Anya proudly. “Dawn is Platelet, or nibblit, or bit,” said Willow. “But it seems that Ariel is getting to be called bit now,” whined Dawn. “Don’t worry platelet, you will always have a place in this old soul’s dead unbeating heart,” said Spike with a smile. Dawn smiled. “Right, and Oz is wolf boy, Xander is whelp or the boy, Giles is the watcher, and Buffy...” said Willow. “Buffy is Goldilocks, Slayer, pet and love,” beamed Buffy. “Now we just have to find out what he’s going to call you.” Buffy smiled evilly. “And you are all ok with the fact that you are sitting at a table with a vampire?” asked Gable. “That Vampire is my da!” said Ariel. “Huh?” “We are all comfortable with Spike. He saved the world you know,” said Anya, feeding Cat a spoonful of potato. “He’s a vampire.” “So?” asked Anya, “I’ve known a lot of vampires, and frankly he’s the nicest one I’ve ever had sex with. Buffy is certainly a lucky woman.” “Anya!” gasped Willow. “What? It’s true.” “There are children at the table!” Ariel cringed. “Ewwwwww! You and Da! Ewwwww!” “Oh I see you are still at the age where the idea of your parents participating in that kind of activity is nauseating.” “I want to believe that my parents only did... that... eleven times thank you very much,” Ariel cringed again. “Eleven times!” screamed Buffy. “Bloody Hell!” agreed Spike. “Did you ever stop woman?” “Me? It takes two to tango buster!” “Dear Lord,” said Giles as he reached for his handkerchief. “Two words, Birth control,” said Dawn. “It won’t help,” said Ariel. “Can we talk about something else, I beg you,” said Giles. “I agree,” said Buffy. There was silence. “This is excellent turkey Buffy,” said Oz. __________________________________________ Buffy was eternally grateful when Gable finally left her house, and the discussion of her prolific sex life and spawning of children was at an end. She couldn’t believe it, eleven kids. What the hell was she thinking? Buffy could only shake her head in continued disbelief. Buffy groaned, only to see Willow return to the dining room, having finished the dishes with Anya’s help. “It’s time I headed back,” said Willow reluctantly. “I’m going to be bloody nose girl for the rest of the night.” Buffy nodded. “I’m glad you came Willow. I’m sure Oz liked seeing you too,” she grinned. Willow smiled. “I liked seeing him too.” “Now that you don’t have a girlfriend issue, do you think, maybe Oz will want to see you more?” “I don’t know, I don’t know what to think or do, it’s strange, being confronted with possibilities again. All I know is that I don’t want to be in a Kennedy type relationship again.” “Kennedy girl relationship or...” “Kennedy bitch relationship.” Willow smiled evilly. “Where is Oz anyway?” asked Buffy. “He had a rehearsal with his new band.” “Ah yes, Wolves on a Merry-go-round.” “I like the name.” Anya took that moment to enter the room with a sleeping Cat on her hip. “Can I take her home with me?” asked Anya, “I just love her to pieces.” “Some day you will have your own, Anya,” said Buffy taking Cat from her, “This one is mine. Number eleven of mine actually.” “Eleven kids Buffy...” marvelled Willow. “I want two, that is all,” said Anya, “A boy, and a girl.” “You don’t always get what you want Anya,” said Willow. “Sterling William Rupert and Christina Cecily Aud,” continued Anya. Earning a few looks from her friends she continued. “My children’s names, Sterling William Rupert, and Christina Cecily Aud. What you have never thought about this?” “Trevor Rupert and Joyce Anne,” said Buffy. “But apparently I had the opportunity to explore other names, cause I have eleven of them.” “What about you Willow?” “Jesse Alexander, and Jennifer Tara.” “Mummy!” squealed Cat, who had just woken up. “Bed time for you little one,” said Buffy, “You’ve had a long and exciting day.” “Well we must go,” said Anya, “But I will see you again Kitty Cat!” Anya planted a kiss on Cat’s nose. “I want one just like her.” “Come on Anya,” said Willow. Buffy bade Cat to wave good bye and Anya and Willow disappeared in a flash of light. __________________________________________ The mid October weather was starting to get to Buffy. She was a California girl. She didn’t enjoy the cold. This particular night she was patrolling, with Spike, on the far side of town that she hardly ever patrolled. The truth was that Cleveland was dull. Vamp activity wise. There didn’t seem to be any demons or others trying to end the world. Just the run of the mill vamps catching their happy meals. Giles had assured her that the Cleveland hellmouth was the most active on the planet. If this was active...Well it just seemed to her that this was extremely boring. Buffy spent her days being the stay at home mom. She guessed her kids were lucky in that they had a stay at home dad too. Ariel had come home from school the other day to say that it was bring your kid to work day soon. She had had to explain just what her parents did for a living. Buffy was just glad that her daughter could think on her feet. How do you explain to the rest of grade 7 that your parents were champions of the powers that be and fight things that everyone knows to be make believe? Cat had been getting her headaches regularly, about once a week. It worried Buffy to no end, but there was nothing she could do. Ariel seemed adamant that Cat not go to the hospital. She only wished she knew what was causing the pain. Buffy looked over at her lover. He was so much more than that now. It was different now that she knew what was going to happen, that she was going to marry this man and have his eleven kids. Eleven kids! Buffy reached over and held his hand. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked. Spike exhaled loudly. “It seems too good to be true, you know, that everything is all going to work out and ...them, Ariel and Cat. I know that I told Ariel that we wouldn’t push about the hows and whys but bloody hell Buffy, How? Why?” Buffy smiled. “I know how you feel. I’m just surprised that it took you this long to tell me. Doesn’t it bother you that if we do any little thing to screw up the future, they won’t exist?” “It’s right troubling it is.” “I’m not supposed to have kids Spike, I’m supposed to die sometime in the next two years. No slayer has ever lived past 25, and here I am immortal, except for the fact that potentially my kids can kill me, or Dawn, and in our house right now is proof that Vampires and Slayers can procreate.” Spike only smiled. “I love them Spike, I don’t know how it happened. I just know that they are mine and that I love them. I’ve only known them for a couple of weeks and I love them. They’ve turned our lives upside down and yet...I look at Cat and I know that she’s mine and yours and ours.” They walked in silence for a few more feet. “And here’s what I don’t get; the First told me that the reason that it was making a move was because of the imbalance with the Slayers, that there were two. The First is back in what ever year that Ariel and Cat are from, does that mean that I died again? And brought back again? Arg, it’s so frustrating not knowing!” “We aren’t meant to know pet, Ariel isn’t supposed to tell us.” “I know. I just want answers.” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #18 - Dirty Old Man

Disclaimer: Joss said to write fan fic...so that’s what I’m doing. __________________________________________ Chapter 18: Dirty Old Man Buffy stepped back from the mirror and nodded appreciatively. She took out her earrings, only to feel hands wrap around her waist. Buffy looked into the mirror and smiled at the empty space next to her. “Beautiful,” purred Spike. Buffy smiled and turned to face him. “I’m glad you like the outfit Spike,” said Buffy as she pressed herself closer to him. Buffy stepped back and stooped to put on her boots. Buffy had dressed up as Peter Pan, to complement Cat’s Tinkerbell. Cat was getting ready in her room, with Dawn to help. “What I don’t understand is why you won’t dress up and come out with us.” “It’s my day off love.” “Your day off?” “Ya Big Bad’s like me stay in on Halloween. Nothing happens on Halloween.” “Oh I beg to differ Mr Big Bad. I happen to remember a number of Halloween’s where stuff happened. I was turned into my costume and almost killed by a certain bleached menace...” “And your choice of attire this year is going to help you if that happens again...Maybe you’ll fly?” “I was trapped in a frat house with Grak’Nar the tiny, Dawn decided to experience her first Vampire kiss...need I go on?” “I’m just saying that nothing is supposed to happen on Halloween. It’s not my fault that you and your group of super friends decide to look for trouble.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Well tonight I’m going to take our daughter to get candy. Dawn’s having some friends from school over, Oz is spending the night in his cage, wolfy or not, Andrew is packing and Giles has gone to visit Gable...again. You can stay here and hand out candy.” “I bloody will not!” “Oh yes you will!” she said with her hands on her hips. “No one else is going to be available to do it!” Spike huffed. “Your children are going to be taking candy from the rest of the neighbourhood, it’s only fair that we give some back....You can scare the small children if you want?” Spike smirked at that. “Alright then.” “But wouldn’t it be fun if I could fly?” “Bet I can make you feel like your flying,” he said seductively. “Mmm,” Buffy smiled. “Later, I promise.” __________________________________________ Cat was the cutest Tinkerbell. Her golden brown locks were tied up, her wings sparkled and she waved her pom pom-ed toes in the air, as her aunt Dawn carried her down the stairs. “Ok,” said Buffy, to her sister. “I know you are having friends over, but try to make sure that Spike hands out at least some of the candy.” Dawn laughed. “He’s gonna eat it all isn’t he?” “Probably.” Buffy and Cat roamed the neighbourhood in search of good candy. It didn’t take long before the toddler was dead to the world. On her way home Buffy ran into Ariel, dressed as the bride of Dracula or something. Buffy couldn’t wait until she got home to hear about her costume decision from Spike. Buffy bade her daughter good luck and told her to be home by 9 pm. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell arrived home in time to see Dawn, dressed as a cheerleader and her friends get out Twister. Luckily the two year old was out for the count, or she would be wanting to play too. Buffy de-fairy-ed the toddler and put her down to sleep, then headed next door to her own room, to de- Peter Pan. “Oh don’t you dare take off that costume, Goldilocks. You and I are going to have some fun with you as a lost boy,” came his voice from the doorway. Buffy turned in place to look at her lover. “I thought you were supposed to be handing out candy?” “The whelp junior is on it. I think he wanted to watch Dawn twister.” Buffy rolled her eyes. Spike walked into the room and closed the door behind him. “So you wanted to have fun with Buffy as Peter Pan?” she asked. Spike smirked. “God yes.” “Are you going to be playing the part of Wendy or Tiger Lily in this scenario?” “I was thinking more of Captain Hook.” “Really? Well aren’t you the dirty old man then.” “That I am Pet.” “It’s Peter, Come on Hook, Got to catch me first.” Buffy jumped away from him and scurried out of his reach. “You do know pet that the part of Peter Pan was usually played by a woman. Not that I’m not tempted by the thought of giving you a right buggering.” “Still makes you a dirty old man, Spike.” “You get off on Vamps.” “Ya, I do,” said Buffy. Buffy pounced, pushing Spike down on the bed. “Mmmm, Spike,” Buffy said between kisses. “I thought I was going to be Hook?” “Screw the role play Spike.” “I’d much rather screw you,” Buffy moaned as Spike’s fingers had made their way between her tight clad legs and was fingering her moist centre through her clothes. Buffy writhed on the bed, letting Spike touch her where ever he wanted. Suddenly he pulled his hand away. Buffy whimpered at the loss of his touch. “Spike I need you,” she whined. Spike just smiled and flipped her over onto her back and started to unzip the green costume she was wearing. Finally getting her unzipped he slid his hands under the garment and ran his hands over her soft skin. Buffy’s breath hitched as she let herself give in to the sensation of his cool hands against her warm skin. Buffy raised herself up so that he could slide the outfit off her shoulders. She giggled as he flipped her over again, so that he could have access to her now exposed breasts. “I see Peter Pan doesn’t wear a bra.” “Not this Peter Pan...” Spike lowered his mouth to her left breast, swirling his tongue around the nipple. Buffy moaned, and tried to divest herself of her costume, only to stopped by the constricting tights she was wearing under the green costume. Her frantic motions were ended by Spike reaching down and with one swift motion had ripped the tights and the entire costume off her body. Buffy just hoped that Cat didn’t ask what happened to Mummy’s costume the next day. Buffy felt two fingers work their way over her clit and test her wetness. Buffy moaned as Spike pushed past her nether lips and began stroking her sopping channel. Spike flipped her again, and forced her up on her hands and knees. From behind her she heard his zipper descend. Buffy looked behind her to see her lover completely enraptured by her nether end. Spike positioned himself at her entrance and thrust in, causing an audible squeal of delight and surprise from the Slayer. His thrusts were slow and steady. Buffy tried to quicken the pace only to be startled when she felt a slick finger enter her other puckered passage. Buffy wanted to say something about this invasion, but between the sensations from his continued thrusting and the stretching of her other passage, Buffy’s mind began to blank. She registered another finger being added, stretching her even more, but she was more occupied with the cascading feeling of the impending orgasm. Buffy smothered her scream into a pillow as she came violently over his hard cock. Spike didn’t give her an opportunity to recover, before pulling out, still hard and positioning himself at her other entrance. Getting her second wind, Buffy slowly backed up taking him in. She gasped as her insides adjusted to his presence. Slowly he began moving behind her, careful not to hurt her. He reached around and began to pinch and flick her clit, sending her rocketing towards another orgasm. He wasn’t far behind. Spike smothered his roar as he came buried up her ass. They fell back onto the bed. “Do you think the teenagers heard us?” asked Buffy. __________________________________________ Buffy supervised the packing of the bags into the car. Her father’s car. She really had to get another car. Especially since her father would be taking his car back at Christmas. Giles and Andrew were leaving today. Leaving for London. Buffy was only a little apprehensive that her buffer between her family and Gable (Giles) was leaving. Gable hadn’t been giving them any trouble lately but there was always tomorrow. They were all going to the airport. Well everyone except Spike and Oz. Spike had the Sunlight issue, and Oz was previously made plans. Buffy was slightly curious about what exactly the werewolf did all day, and night. She knew that he had a band. But other than that Oz was a mystery. But he had always been a mystery. Ariel and Cat wanted to say goodbye to Grandpa Giz at the airport. Buffy had a sneaking suspicion that Ariel just wanted to see an old airport, and Cat to get out of the house. Cat’s headaches were becoming a regular thing. It worried Buffy to no end and for this reason, and because the pain could only be relieved by ingesting parental blood, Buffy was loathe to put Cat into any kind of daycare. Too many questions would be raised. Buffy wanted to make the most of Cat and Ariel’s time with Giles. Chances are they would never see him again. Then again she really didn’t know how long they were staying. Or if they were ever going to be taken back. Truthfully she didn’t want them to leave at all. She loved her children and right now she couldn’t imagine her life without them. Piling into the car, Cat in her car seat, Ariel, Dawn and Andrew buckled up a tad bit illegally, Giles driving and Buffy in the passenger seat, they set off. To say that the car ride was fun was a gross misinterpretation. The back seat of Hank Summers’ sedan was not meant to seat a toddler in a car seat and three other people. “I want to thank you Buffy, for exposing me to such a ruckus, before I get on the plane. Nothing during the flight will phase me at all now,” said Giles as they parked. “I aim to please,” she smiled, getting out of the car. The group entered the airport and waited while Giles and Andrew checked in. Ariel spent the time trying to entertain the fussy toddler. The goodbye was tearful, Buffy liked Giles here with her, but on the other hand she was extremely grateful that Andrew was leaving. “It was nice to meet my Grandpa Giles,” said Ariel, as she gave Giles a hug. “Now I have a face to go with all the stories that Mum, Da and Grannie Anya have to tell. “It was nice to meet you too Ariel,” said Giles, a little teary. “Be good to you parents.” Ariel rolled her eyes. At which point Andrew started to hug Dawn. “Eww, get off!” squealed the teen. __________________________________________ Buffy spent the next few days cleaning up Andrew’s mess. He had left his attic bedroom in such a state that at first Buffy refused to go up there. Of course when she couldn’t get anyone else to go up there either...someone had to clean the room. Giles’ room in the basement was cleaned and prepared for Xander’s arrival within the week. In an uncharacteristic expression of, well anything, Oz actually started to get excited to see his old friend. __________________________________________ Buffy let Dawn and Spike pick up Xander from the airport, as the teen had just gotten her learner’s permit, and Spike was the better driver. Ya it was after sunset, but that was the only time Spike could get in the car to teach his nibblet. “Uncle Xander isn’t going to be like Grandpa Giles is he? I mean he won’t put me through the third degree right?” asked Ariel while they were waiting for the arrival of Xander. “Let’s hope not,” laughed Buffy. There was a squeal of tires and a thump outside. Buffy waited for the slam of car doors before opening the front door. Spike was the first to enter the house and Buffy could tell that he was fuming. “Ariel, please tell me that the ability to drive was something that I passed down to my offspring.” Ariel laughed. “Vicky is a very good driver Da, Grace and Alex too. Rowan’s too old to drive, she prefers to teleport.” “Alex?” Buffy perked up at the name of yet another child. “Oh yeah, Alexandra, she’s a fashion designer.” “Very cool,” said Dawn coming in from outside. Following closely behind Dawn was a frazzled Xander. “Buff, I apologise for any comments I ever made about your driving skills. It seems impossible but there is someone whose driving skills give even you a run for your money.” Buffy smiled. “So Dawn and cars? Unmixy you say?” Dawn huffed. “It’s only cause I can never drive during the day to practice. Spike can’t go out in the sun and Buffy’s always busy with Cat.” “Ah yes, lets see these children of which I’ve heard...nothing,” said Xander. Cat toddled over to her uncle Xander and stared at him. “Who you?” Xander crouched down and took her little hand. “I’m your uncle Xander. Who you?” “Cat!” giggled the two year old. “Cat-rin Dusilly Gaves” “Alexander Lavelle Harris, a pleasure to meet you little lady.” “Your middle name is Lavelle?” snickered Dawn. “Cast not stones Eleanor,” said Buffy. “At least it’s a normal sounding name. What’s your middle name Spike?” “None of your bleedin’ business.” Spike picked up Cat. “Come on Drusilla, let’s leave these nasty people.” “Tea party?” “If that’s what you want Button.” Spike and Cat left the group in the hallway. “Is he really gonna have a tea party with her?” asked Xander. “Hey man,” said Oz, coming from the kitchen. “Oz! Long time no hear from. How’s the wolfman?” “Nothing significant. Unfortunately I have an appointment. If you will excuse me?” Oz walked past them and up the stairs. “Where’s he going?” asked Xander. “There is something you have to learn about Cat Xander, she has all the men in this house wrapped around her baby finger,” said Buffy. “So you mean...” “Yep, it’s Mistress Catherine’s weekly tea party,” said Dawn. “You’ll be a regular attendee by next week.” __________________________________________ Buffy helped Xander bring his bags down to his room, and gave him a quick tour of the house before wishing him sweet dreams. He was seriously jet lagged. Buffy padded back up to her own room. Getting out her journal she took out that piece of paper on which she had typed all her children’s names. Ariel Dawn Catherine Drusilla Grace Vicky Rowan Tara Buffy took out her pen and wrote down Alexandra. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #19 - Toddlers soothe the savage beast

Disclaimer: The characters of BTVS and ATS are Joss’s, Ariel and Cat are mine. __________________________________________ Chapter 19 : Toddlers soothe the savage beast. Buffy woke up that night around 3 am to Cat’s crying again. Her headaches were coming roughly every couple of days now. Buffy brought the crying child down stairs to get away from Dawn, who had a Chemistry test the next day and Ariel, who had a history presentation. Buffy seated herself on the couch in the darkened living room and rocked the whimpering child, who was sucking from her arm. This was the only time of day that the house was ever quiet, what with all the people what were coming and going on a daily basis. Dawn had been right, Cat had gotten Xander wrapped around her little finger right away. She was quite the charmer. Buffy worried about what would happen when she got into high school. Buffy heard a noise outside like a car door slamming and turned to look out side. Buffy exhaled. Her house was about to get even more crowded. Buffy rushed up the stairs to put Cat back to bed and then rushed back down stairs to answer the door before anyone could knock or ring the door bell. Swinging the door open Buffy took in the five individuals standing on her porch. “Angel,” she greeted. “We have a problem,” he said harshly. “Drusilla is in Cleveland.” “And you felt the need to bring your brigade of demon hunters to my house in the middle of the night?” asked Buffy. “I thought you’d want help?” Buffy rolled her eyes. Buffy moved back to let the group in. “If you don’t come in, Mrs Morganson from across the road will start telling tales. Keep your voices down I’ve got teenagers who have academic achievement to do in the morning.” Wesley, Gunn, Fred and Kennedy walked past Angel and into the house. Buffy guided them to the living room. “Uh? Buffy?” asked Angel still at the doorway. “Can you go around to the side door. I need to do something before I let you in...” said Buffy. “What could you possibly need to do?” “Wake up Spike.” __________________________________________ A very sleepy Spike walked into the kitchen. Buffy had woken him up with the most unpleasant words he could think of: “Angel’s here, get up or I’m inviting him in.” Spike stared at his grandsire who was leaning against the barrier on the kitchen door. “Oh come in already ya big poof,” said Spike getting himself a mug of blood. “You’re letting all the heat out. This isn’t soddin’ California.” Buffy chuckled as Angel fell to the ground. “You did that on purpose,” spat Angel. Spike just snickered. “So what brings your over gelled hair to Cleveland’s fair shores?” “Drusilla is in town. I’m here to contain her.” “Oh isn’t that sweet. You didn’t think that the Slayer could take care of my loony sire?” “I don’t want Dru dust Spike.” “Of course not, compassionate fellow like yourself.” “Can we go into the living room and talk about this?” asked Buffy. “I don’t want people waking up.” “That’s right...Got Bits that need their rest.” Buffy led Angel to the living room, where she announced that the kettle was on. “If I never see the inside of that car again, I’ll die a happy woman,” said Kennedy. Buffy glared at the former potential. She didn’t want her in her house. She had caused Willow pain. “Let us get directly to the point,” said Wesley. “We’ve been tracking Drusilla for about 2 weeks now. She is responsible for the massacre at three day cares in LA, one in Las Vegas and one in Denver. We believe that she is now in Cleveland and will strike again. The victims have all been toddlers.” “We don’t know why she’s going after children, toddlers specifically.” Buffy’s hand flew to her mouth and gasped. Buffy flew up the stairs. “What was that about?” asked Gunn. “We know why she’s gone after the lil’uns,” said Spike sadly. __________________________________________ When Buffy didn’t come down stairs after half an hour, Spike went up in search of Buffy. He had spent the past half hour deflecting questions about how they knew about Drusilla’s targets and why Buffy ran up stairs. He wasn’t about to tell the magnificent poof that he had fathered Buffy’s children from the future. Especially not without Buffy in the room to defend him. Spike found Buffy curled around Cat, lying on their bed. Buffy looked so peaceful, asleep. Shaking his head, he left them asleep and closed the door to the room. “She’s asleep,” said Spike simply. “And I won’t have the rest of you waking her up. We’ll talk about this in the afternoon. We’ve got 2 bedrooms free and there’s the training room, the office and the couch here, divide yourself accordingly.” After some debate, Spike found the extra linens and made up beds for the impromptu guests. Angel in the training room, Kennedy in the Guest room, Fred on the couch and Gunn in the office and Wesley made do with Andrew’s bedroom in the attic. Spike briefly apologized for the mess of the attic and made his way back into his own bed, and his lover and child curled up on it. __________________________________________ The first thing Buffy heard the next morning was Dawn’s scream from the basement. By the time she got there herself, Oz and Xander were already there and equally perplexed as to Angel’s presence in the house. “Buffy I came down to do some laundry and Angel was all sleeping on the mats!“ exclaimed Dawn. “Spike had to put him somewhere,“ muttered Buffy, “He’s here cause he think we need help with Drusilla. Fred, Wesley, Gunn and Kennedy are here too.“ Buffy said the last name with a sneer. Sleepily Buffy trudged up the stairs and back to her bedroom. __________________________________________ Spike was in the kitchen making breakfast for his Bits, so they could get a good start on their day. It was the smell of cooking that brought up Xander and Oz from their subterranean rooms. Eventually all the chairs of the dinning room were filled with Scoobies or wannabe scoobies. Dawn was having a discussion with Fred about her chemistry test, Wesley was discussing the new council with Xander and Oz and Kennedy were giving each other the cold shoulder. The problem was that Ariel hadn’t come down stairs yet. Angel made his way up into the kitchen and helped himself to blood after looking disgustingly at Spike who was eating scrambled eggs that had blood poured over them. Most of the others just thought it was really runny ketchup. When finally Ariel entered the dinning room for breakfast she had the whole population of the house, except her mother and sister to witness the entrance. Oz vacated his seat for her and she sat down with a thump, everyone looking directly at her. “Hi!” said Fred pleasantly. “I got here last night, you may not know me. I’m Fred. Winifred Burkel.” Ariel tried to smile. “Hi,” she grunted. “Ooh introduction time!” said Xander far too perky for early morning. He was eagerly waiting for the reaction on Angel’s face when Ariel introduced herself. “Wesley Wyndem-Price,” said Wesley nodding. “Charles Gunn,” said Gunn. “Kennedy,” “Stuck in the 80’s?” came Buffy’s voice from the doorway to the living room. “Hornhouse,” muttered the former slayer. Snickers erupted from around the table. “Did you say Pornhouse?” asked Spike, entirely seriously. The laughter got worse. “HORNhouse” repeated Kennedy, her face red. “Angel,” said the elder vampire, sticking his hand out to shake the preteen’s. “Oh I know who you are,” said Ariel sullenly. “Manners,” cautioned Buffy. Spike took the opportunity to whisper in his daughter’s ear that he didn’t care if she was polite to the great poofter. So Buffy mock swatted him. “I guess Buffy must talk about me all the time,” continued Angel. “Not so much,” said Ariel. The rest of the people at the table, and Oz standing to the side were silent. The Cleveland crew was waiting for the revelation that Ariel was Buffy and Spike’s kid and the AI group just wanted to find out why everyone else was silent. “Then how’d you find out about me then? You a potential Slayer? Done your vamp research?” “I don’t know if I’m a potential. Potentials are only identified at age 15, I’m 12. And no I didn’t do any research on you, didn’t have to. I got the first hand accounts when my Da wanted to scare me.” Spike snickered. “Don’t you think you should tell them your name?” asked Buffy, trying to keep from laughing herself. “Do you really think that’s wise? Peaches won’t like it,” said Spike. “What won’t I like?” asked the broody vampire. “Can we just get it over with. Someone has to drive us to school in 20mins,” said Dawn. Ariel exhaled. “I know you because I’ve met you before Angel. You are my great grandfather. I’m Ariel Dawn Summers-Graves, the daughter of Buffy and Spike. I’m from the future.” At which point Cat came running into the dinning room, clad in yellow ducky pjs calling “Mummy! Mummy!” Buffy scooped up the toddler. “Do you want breakfast Cat?” asked Buffy. “And that’s my two year old sister Catherine Drusilla.” Buffy cringed as she waited for Angel to hit the roof. Angel’s forehead was moving of it’s own accord, indicating that the vampire was holding in quite the pocket of rage. “Dawn, Ariel, get in the car we are going now,” said Xander, practically leaping out of his chair. Buffy made an exit into the kitchen to get Cat set up with her breakfast. “What do you mean you are Spike and Buffy’s daughter?” roared Angel. Ariel rose from her chair. “Just that, great grandpa.” “She does look like Buffy,” said Wesley. Buffy came back in with Cat and set her up in her high chair, with her plate of scrambled eggs. “And Catherine looks like Spike,” said Fred. Cat looked wide eyed at all the people in her dinning room. “Hi!” she beamed. “Hello Catherine,” said Wesley pleasantly. Cat turned her head to look at Angel who was still in the doorway to the kitchen. “Pretty,” she said looking directly at him. Buffy snickered. “Aww,” said Fred, “She likes you.” Angel calmed down at the presence of the toddler. “Cat always had a thing for Angel,” said Ariel coming into the room with her book bag. “Is she the reason why Drusilla’s eating toddlers?” asked Gunn. “Grandma Dru would NEVER hurt us,” said Ariel defiantly. “The fact remains Ariel, that Drusilla is in Cleveland and has been feasting on toddlers for months,” said Wesley. The Summer’s car honked from outside. “Drusilla would never hurt us,” muttered Ariel as she walked out of the room and towards the front door of the house. __________________________________________ “You are cookies aren’t you?” asked Angel while Buffy was washing up after breakfast. “Huh?” “Cookies, you’re baked and you’ve decided who gets to enjoy cookie you...” Buffy laughed. “I thought you hated the cookie analogy.” “I do.” “Yes Angel, I’m cookies. I was cookies even before I finished the cookie analogy. I just didn’t know it yet.” “And it’s Spike.” “It’s Spike, Angel. I thought I explained this to you in LA before I left.” “You did, but that was before he miraculously reappeared. He is still a vamp right?” “Yes, he’s all fangy and everything.” “Then how...?” “I don’t know how he gets me pregnant Angel. Ariel wouldn’t say, I don’t think she even knows. She’s from the future, but she won’t say how far into the future.” Buffy pulled a slip of paper out of a junk drawer and handed it to Angel. It was the letter her future self wrote. Angel stood there reading it for a while. “This is ridiculous!” he shouted. “How can you possibly believe that they are actually your children?” “Cause Giles checked it out while he was here. I know they are mine Angel, there’s this feeling that I can’t describe when I hold Cat or when I hug Ariel. They are mine, and they are Spike’s. Please don’t make a bigger deal about this than you already have.” “Angel!” cried Cat as she bounced into the room. “Up!” Reluctantly Angel scooped the little girl up into his arms. Cat cuddled into Angel’s arms. “Looks like you’ve made a new friend.” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #20 - Catherines

Disclaimer: Ya, I know, not mine. __________________________________________ Chapter 20: Catherines When Ariel arrived home from school that day, she was greeted by a virtually empty house. Fred was typing away on a computer in the office, Cat was taking her afternoon nap. “They left us with you?” asked Ariel. “Uh, the others are out searching for Drusilla,” “Even my Da and Angel? In the middle of the afternoon?” “They are strange vampires.” “A hardy nodding of the head to that statement.” A loud piercing scream filled the hallway. Cat was having another headache. Fred and Ariel rushed towards Cat’s room. “What’s wrong?” asked Fred looking a little overwhelmed. “She’s having a headache, she needs Mum or Da.” “I’ll call them on the cell phone.” Ariel shook her head at Fred. Sure she was nice and all, but was she really the right person to leave to protect her sister? She didn’t seem like she knew a lot about kids. Especially not Cat. “Aweel? Head hurts,” whimpered Cat. “Mummy?” “Mummy’s not here D, I’m sorry.” Cat launched into another fit a wailing. Ariel scooped up her sister and took her down stairs, hoping against hope that maybe there was some slayer blood in the fridge. There probably wasn’t, but she could hope. “They are on their way back,” said Fred, coming in from the living room. “Maybe we could give her some children’s Tylenol for her head?” “It won’t work,” said Ariel peering into the fridge. “She needs a sire.” “Huh?” “Blood, she needs blood from Mum, or Da, or Angel or someone related directly to her by blood.” “Would Drusilla work?” asked Fred. “Yes, why?” “Cause she’s on the front lawn.” The sun had just set, and sure enough, Drusilla was dancing on the front lawn, clad in a white regency style dress. “Thank God.” Ariel, still carrying a crying Cat rushed towards the front door, only to be stopped by Fred. “You can’t go out there. Drusilla’s a vampire!” “Duh!” “It’s not safe for you!” Ariel yanked her arm free of Fred’s grip and whipped open the front door. “Don’t do it, Ariel, your parents will be back soon.” “She’s in pain Fred, don’t tell me to keep her in pain.” Ariel strode out of the house and directly at Drusilla, who had now stopped dancing and was looking at Ariel and Cat with a delicious smile on her face. “Ariel!” screamed Fred from the safety of the house. Ariel looked back at Fred and smiled. “I know what I am doing Fred.” “Hello pets,” purred Drusilla. “Hello grand mummy,” said Ariel. “Grannie Du!” whimpered Cat as she reached towards the vampire. Ariel gave up her little sister to Drusilla. “Give me the child,” said Fred forcefully, holding a stake at Drusilla’s back. Ariel did a double take, she hadn’t noticed Fred moving into that position. Equally as fast, Ariel knocked the stake out of Fred’s hand and pushed the woman down on to the ground. “Don’t hurt her!” shouted Ariel. Fred looked up at the trio of girls. Cat was happily sucking away from Drusilla’s wrist. Ariel was in a fighting stance, protecting Dru and Cat from Fred. __________________________________________ Buffy arrived in front of her house to see Fred passed out on the lawn, and the front door wide open. Not of the good. Wesley and Gunn were at her side before anyone else could react and were carrying her into the house. Buffy wasn’t concerned for Fred. She wanted to know where her kids were. Screaming at the top of her lungs and searching every room in the house, every nook and cranny, Buffy failed to find Ariel or Cat in the house. It was just too much for her. She collapsed, sobbing, at the bottom of the stairs to the second floor. Instantly Spike was at her side. “We will find them, love. I swear to you.” “I should have stayed. I should have protected them,” she wailed. “She’s awake,” came Wesley’s voice from the living room. Buffy flew at Fred. “Where are my children!?” screamed Buffy. “Buffy! Calm down, let her talk!” said Angel, holding the girl’s hand. “Fine. Talk.” “Catherine had a headache,” began Fred. “I didn’t know what to do. Ariel said she needed Sire’s blood, that she needed you.” “Oh god Spike, I really shouldn’t have left. Our baby is out there in pain.” “Or she could be dead,” said Kennedy. Spike growled at the former potential and backhanded her. “You keep your bloody comments to yourself.” Remarkably no one chastised Spike for hitting Kennedy. Xander even giggled. “She’s not in pain anymore,” said Fred. “Drusilla came, and Ariel took Cat to her. I never saw a two year old drink blood before.” “Thank god,” murmured Buffy. “Then what happened?” asked Spike. “I ran outside after them, tried to get them away from Drusilla. But...” “But?” asked Spike. “Ariel hit me.” “She what!” yelled Buffy. “Knocked me down. The last thing I remember is Drusilla looking at me all weird like.” “Thrall,” said Wesley. “You didn’t see where they went?” said Buffy frantically. Fred shook her head. “It was strange. Ariel defended Drusilla. I had a stake and everything.” “You threatened to stake her grandmother, how did you think she was going to react?” said Spike annoyed. “Drusilla is a vampire!” protested Kennedy. “So is her father and great grand father!” protested Buffy. “And two of her sisters,” said Ariel’s voice from the front door. “But I probably shouldn’t tell you that.” “Ariel!” screamed Buffy as she rushed to hug her daughter. “I’m so glad you are ok! Where’s Cat?” “I left her with Dru.” “Why would you do that!” said Xander “Cause Dru won’t hurt us!” “You don’t know that!” protested Gunn. “Yes, I do. Where do you think I’ve been for the last 45mins? Do you see me all dead?” “Can you take us to Dru, Ariel?” asked Angel. “Not if you are going to hurt her,” said the 12 year old. “I promise I won’t.” “Fine. I only came back cause I had to go pee, you can come with me, Da too. Maybe Mum, but that’s it.” Ariel turned and headed towards the bathroom. “I don’t believe you people,” muttered Kennedy, as she turned to go into the guest room. “Can I bite her love?” Spike asked Buffy Buffy smiled. “Be my guest, just don’t get blood on the carpet.” __________________________________________ Buffy, Spike and Angel followed Ariel back through the sewers to an abandoned maintenance room. Sitting on a makeshift bed, it looked like Dru was telling Cat a story. “My mummy and I were all happy because sister had made the cake instead. It all fell to pieces and the pixies came. The pixies talk to you too. I see them floating around your head. “Cat?” whispered Buffy as she drew nearer to the pair. “Mummy! Look Dusilly!” Cat pointed to Drusilla happily. “Baby you gave Mommy a scare.” “Had to get away from the nasty girl with all the numbers.” “Huh?” said Buffy confused. “Fred,” offered Angel. “Oh.” “Wanted to hurt Catherine. Did you know that my name was Catherine once? Hmm? Named me after a saint me Mum did. Me Mum’s dead now...My Angel made sure of that. Didn’t he my precious girl. You’ll be like me, are like me. Another sad Drusilla, another sad Catherine.” “Dru, pet what do you see?” asked Spike, realising that Dru had seen the future of this child. “Not to tell. The pixies tell me. Must listen to Miss Edith or there will be no cake and tea. You’ve come to take me away from them haven’t you?” Angel nodded. “Why?” It was such a simple question. Buffy felt a little bit sorry for Dru. She was a vampire, she was just doing what she did to survive, granted, eating little kids was bad. It seemed wrong that Dru was destined to be tied up and caged by Angel for the rest of her unlife. “Gonna get you a soul, pet,” said Spike. Angel and Buffy looked shocked at Spike. Dru started to whimper. Then a smile crossed her face. “It won’t work,” she sing songed. “Little one has my soul.” “Cat has your soul?” asked Buffy. “Must protect Little Me, so she can be me.” “Huh?” Buffy was confused again. “Can we get out of the sewer at least?” “Will the nasty girl be there?” “Fred? Yes.” “I won’t let her hurt you grand mummy,” said Ariel sweetly. “And don’t think we aren’t having a conversation about that young lady,” said Buffy. __________________________________________ No one except Ariel, Cat, Angel and Spike wanted to be anywhere near Drusilla. Kennedy had nearly been kicked out of the house when Buffy invited Dru inside, she raised such a loud fuss. Buffy almost wished she could just let Dru eat her. The problem was that even though Buffy knew that Dru would be contained, with the chains that Angel and Spike had set up in the training room, she couldn’t help but agree with Kennedy on a slayer demon level. There were 3 vampires in her house now, and one without a soul. Her inner demon was screaming at her to dust Drusilla, and to dust Angel. What it was screaming at her to do with Spike on the other hand... She knew that she had promised him that she would let him decide when he was ready for the mating thing, but she wanted it, she needed it so badly, or at least her demon did. Sneaking down to the training room to relieve Angel from his watch post at sunrise Buffy wondered how hard it would be to have a coherent conversation about Spike with Dru. “Slayer all covered in my William,” said Dru. Buffy guessed it was a greeting. “Dru. Do you remember Beth Sumner?” “Nasty blonde to take away my William.” So yes then. “If Spike were to take a mate again...would you let him?” “Ahhh. Mummy doesn’t like it when her boy does things she doesn’t like. You make my William do nasty things. Betrayed Daddy, tried to stake Mummy. Miss Edith was very cross with William for ages and ages.” Dru started swinging back and forth on her chains. “But Miss Edith has changed her mind. She’s thrown out the cookies and wants only muffins now. Where’s Miss Edith?” Honestly Buffy had no idea what to say about the doll. She assumed that it was lost somewhere. “Will you make him happy? Take care of him like I never did?” Dru asked, quite seriously. “Yes,” answered Buffy. “You took him away from me a long time ago you know. His head was always full of you, even when he thought he still hated you. He’s not my William anymore.” “You are wrong Drusilla,” said Buffy. “He’ll always be your William. It’s just that now...He’s my Spike.” Dru smiled. “Then Miss Edith will dance with the pixies. Mrs Graves.” Dru refused to leave Ariel and Cat for the time being, and strangely Buffy was ok with that. Though she knew that if anyone other than Angel, Spike or the kids came down into the training room, Dru would probably try to eat them. Buffy was relieved by Xander in mid morning, so that she could get some sleep. Buffy had thought Dru was asleep until a whispered ‘Sweet dreams Mrs Darlington’ was murmured across the room. “Huh?” asked a sleepy Xander. “Don’t ask.” Buffy went upstairs to cuddle with her Spike, strangely comforted that Dru saw her as Spike’s wife. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #21 - The ‘We hate Kennedy Club’

Disclaimer: Joss never let Oz meet Kennedy... I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing... __________________________________________ Chapter 21: The ‘We hate Kennedy Club’ “So can we go now?” asked Kennedy the next afternoon. Everyone except Dawn, Ariel and Oz slept in. Oz had driven them to school, in Angel’s convertible. Angel didn’t know that yet, but would find out the moment he got into his car again and found the radio stations changed. “Driving through the Thanksgiving migration?” said Gunn, “I am not looking forward to that.” Buffy looked anxiously at Xander and Spike. She knew it was polite to ask them to stay. But she really hated Kennedy. And Willow was coming for Thanksgiving too. Only bad things were going to happen if she let Kennedy stay. The LA crew looked back at Buffy, half expecting her to provide a solution to their problem. If they stayed, that meant that Dru had more time to talk to Spike, it meant that Ariel and Cat would get to spend time with the crazy vampire. On the other side of the coin, there was Kennedy, Angel’s disapproving stares, and well Kennedy. Buffy knew that Angel had been told by either Willow or Kennedy that Spike was back. At first she had been glad that when he had shown up that he didn’t make a big deal about it, but it irked her that he was staring or glaring at her and Spike all the time. Buffy bit the bullet. “I guess you can stay here for Thanksgiving. But you are going to have to squish more, Anya and Willow are teleporting in.” Buffy glared at Kennedy as she said Willow’s name. Say something bad about Willow, thought Buffy. I dare you __________________________________________ They were packed in like sardines. Ariel had moved into Cat’s room, Fred with Dawn, Angel in the training room with Dru, Wes in Ariel’s room, Gunn in the office, Kennedy on the couch, cause Buffy didn’t like Kennedy, leaving the attic free for Willow and the guest room for Anya. “Why do I have to sleep on the couch?” whined Kennedy. “Willow and Anya aren’t even gonna be using their rooms, they’ll be in the basement shacking up with their fuck buddies.” “I’d put you in a room with someone else Kennedy,” said Buffy sickly sweet, “But then I’d probably find your dead body in the morning.” __________________________________________ When Willow arrived Oz was there to catch her and carry her up to her room. Anya took one look at Xander and started yelling. “Was that all I merited? Huh? You couldn’t be a little more excited about the fact that the woman you almost married was not dead? Did you even cry? Am I not worth mourning? I died Xander, I think that deserves something more than: Wow, that’s great, and then the hanging up of the phone.” “I...I was in shock,” replied the stunned wannabe watcher. “For two months? When does the shock wear off enough for you to talk to me?” “Uh...” “Grannie Anya!” Xander made a small prayer to the powers that be for two year olds. “Kitty Cat!” said Anya, immediately changing her tone of voice and demeanour, because Cat walked into the room. “Did you miss me?” Cat nodded emphatically. “I missed you too sweetie. But guess what? The next time I come back, I’ll be staying!” “Huh?” said Xander. “Willow and I are transferring here to complete our higher education,” said Anya matter of factly. “Why?” “To get away from Kennedy.” Kennedy walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. “And look, Kennedy’s here. Well isn’t that just wonderful. Did you note the sarcasm? Willow tells me I’m getting very good at it.” __________________________________________ “I invited Gable for dinner,” said Xander coming into the kitchen. “Ya, kinda expected that,” said Buffy as she stuffed the turkey. “I just hope we can find enough chairs to seat everyone around the table.” There was something inherently gross about stuffing the inside of a dead bird with bread. The fact that this particular cook regularly had her hands covered in dead demon slime, made no difference to that statement. “We might have to have a kiddies table,” said Dawn as she peeled potatoes. “Of course now that I’ve said that, I’m gonna be at the kiddies table...aren’t I?” “Most likely. So will Ariel, Cat and Kennedy. Don’t envy you there,” snickered Buffy. “We could have a demons table and a humans table,” offered Xander. Buffy looked harshly at her friend. “Kidding?” he backtracked. “Would I be with the demons or the humans?” asked Dawn, “As a point of reference...” “Would you want to be at the same table as Kennedy?” asked Buffy. “As a point of reference...” “Are we considering Kennedy a human or a demon?” asked Xander. “I think she’s in a category all by herself,” said Anya coming into the kitchen. “I’d much rather be seated at an all demons table,” continued the vengeance demon, “They are much more interesting people. Don’t you agree Buffy?” “I’m so staying out of that argument right now,” said Buffy. “But Buffy you’d be at the demon table,” said Dawn. “Ya, and so would you...and Anya, and Spike, and Angel, and Willow, and Oz, and Ariel, and Cat, and Drusilla...” “Please tell me we aren’t having the crazy vampire at the table,” said Xander. “You try telling the two year old that her Grannie Dru can’t come to dinner,” explained Buffy. “Relax Xander, she’ll be tied up.” “A tied up vamp at the table for thanksgiving...So strange, yet so familiar,” supplied Xander. “At least this time you don’t have the funny syphilis,” said Anya happily. “Thank you for pointing that out Ahn.” __________________________________________ Sixteen people around the dinning room table was something that Buffy simply couldn’t accommodate, so a smaller table was set up in the living room, at the end of the dinning room table. Truth be told Buffy just wanted to get the holiday over and done with. She wanted the LA crew to be gone. Especially Kennedy, who was currently in the back yard, practicing her slayer moves. She had been the only one who hadn’t offered to help with dinner and had been making a point of saying that she wanted to be anywhere but there. Spike situated Dru, tied to a chair with one arm free at the end of the mammoth table. “Are we going to have tea and takes?” asked Dru innocently. “Maybe after dinner Dru,” said Spike. “Has Mrs Graves made crumpets?” In the kitchen, listening to the exchange, Buffy held her breath. “Dru, I don’t know what you are bloody talking about.” “You do! Mrs Graves knows too. Scared little Slayer, scared you’ll leave her.” “Prattling on about Buffy as Mrs Graves isn’t gonna get you cut loose Dru.” “Daddy’s taking me, Miss Edith and I, belong to Daddy. You don’t belong to me anymore. Mrs Darlington owns your heart.” Spike sighed and crouched down beside his sire. “Why don’t you just tell me what you are no doubt are going to be blathering on about the whole evening. Why are you calling the Slayer Mrs Graves?” Dru giggled. “My boy’s not ready.” “Not ready for what, Dru?” “Nasty Pixies, Little Dru needs a Daddy and a Mummy. Pretty families in a row.” “Gannie Dusilly!” cried a distraught Cat from upstairs. Dru tried desperately to get out of her bindings, but merely upset her seat and ended up lying on her side. Unfortunately for her, Spike had run off to fetch his daughter. Buffy had heard the thump, and knowing that Spike went after Cat, Buffy walk into the dining room to upright Dru. “My boy’s not ready,” said Dru forlornly. “You tried Dru,” said Buffy hoisting the vampire up from the floor. “Bloody buggering poofter,” muttered Spike as he came into the room with his crying toddler cradled in his arms. “What’s wrong?” asked Buffy. “Stupid bloody poofter telling Kitty Cat that her Grannie Dru was a bad bad vampire who killed little girls like her,” said Spike. “It was true,” said Drusilla sadly. “But Daddy won’t allow it now. Nasty Daddy.” “Dry your tears, Pumpkin,” cooed Buffy, and wiping the tears from the toddler’s face. “Angel won’t let Dru hurt anyone else, ok?” Cat nodded. “I think Anya was waiting to get you all dressed up pretty for dinner...Where is Anya?” asked Buffy. “Oh she’s fulfilling her vengeance duty on Xander,” came Willow’s voice from the kitchen. __________________________________________ The look on Gable’s face when he was introduced to two more vampires with whom he was about to share dinner was priceless. “So do they have souls too?” the vampire hunter asked. “Angel does, but Dru, not so much with the soul having,” answered Buffy, passing the stuffing. “So what’s stopping her from eating us all?” “She’s tied to the chair, mate,” offered Spike. It did little to allay Gable’s fears. There was a look of panic on the man’s face as he watched Dru feed Cat some peas. Dru turned to face the vampire hunter and gave him a sickly sweet smile. “Don’t worry dear hunter,” said Dru. “I’m not destined to eat you, probably get stuck in my teeth.” Spike and Angel chuckled. “God, I wish I was in the Hamptons with my parents,” muttered Kennedy. “Wish granted,” said Anya, between bites of mashed potatoes. There was a flash of light and suddenly Kennedy’s chair was empty. “Holy Shit!” screamed Gable. “Anya...” sighed Buffy. “You’ve scared Gable.” “Sorry, I just wanted her gone so much,” shrugged Anya. Ariel started clapping. Oz joined her. Followed by Cat, cause she didn’t understand. “You are going to bring her back, correct?” asked Wesley. “Do I have to?” asked Anya. “She is a member of our team,” continued the ex watcher. Anya rolled her eyes. “Ok, but only after dinner. She was giving me a sour stomach.” __________________________________________ Anya teleported to where she had sent Kennedy. Standing in an immense hallway, that echoed, Anya looked around for Kennedy. “About time,” muttered the ex Slayer. “My parents aren’t here, they went to the Riviera for the Holiday.” “I only came back because the scruffy watcher guy...” “Wesley.” “Yes, Wesley, he wants you back.” “So teleport me back.” “It doesn’t work that way. You have to make a wish.” “Well I certainly don’t wish to go back to that house, ever.” “You can find your own way back to LA then,” said Anya turning. “I certainly don’t relish giving you what you want. I’m just glad that it works up your vengeance credits.” “Excuse me?” “You feel wronged because your slayer powers were taken from you, that equals one vengeance wish. You feel wronged because Willow chose Buffy’s family over you, that equals another vengeance wish. Sending back will use up you vengeance credits.” “You mean I actually had a vengeance demon coming to me to grant me wishes?” “Perhaps, although, most vengeance demons have a well developed sense of self preservation, so maybe they were just going to ignore your desire for vengeance...” “So I could wish anything? And you’d have to grant it? Fine, I wish I was the Slayer, Chosen one, the one girl in all the world...” Anya started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” “You think I have that kind of power?” “You grant wishes!” “I’m not a genie! Vengeance demon. I grant wishes that make people feel bad. I’m evil.” “You sent me here!” “Yes, but you didn’t see the look on Willow’s face when you left. It caused her pain, granted she’s getting over it.” “Won’t making me the Slayer cause Buffy pain?” “God no! Do you think she wants to live for like ever? She’d be ecstatic that she wasn’t the slayer anymore.” “Oh, so how will me being back in Cleveland bring pain to any one?” “Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy. Do you not realise that they all despise you?” __________________________________________ Kennedy arrived back in the Pinehill street house seconds before Anya, only to have a dish towel thrust into her hand. “We’ve decided that you need to help do the dishes,” said Wesley. “Why?” protested Kennedy. “I didn’t get to eat dinner.” “No, but you did the most moronic thing I have ever seen you do. You made a wish in front of a person you knew was a vengeance demon.” Kennedy rolled her eyes. __________________________________________ “I can’t believe you did that!“ shouted Xander. He was pacing her basement bedroom, waving his hands at his ex fiancée. “I can’t believe you are yelling at me about it,“ said Anya. “You granted a vengeance wish at the dinner table.” “I’m a vengeance demon Xander Harris.” “That’s no excuse to popping people away.” “Why not, I have these powers, shouldn’t I use them?” “No.” “Oh, because you are all watcher boy now, you have the right to tell me what to do with my time? The righteous Xander Harris, telling everyone how to live their lives?” “That’s not how it is and you know it!” “You know what Xander, I’m glad that I don’t have to listen to your righteous humans are better talk anymore. I’m not engaged to you anymore. I’m my own demon now.” “Demon...Anya” “Yes, I’m demon. I’ve been a demon for a millennia. I don’t have to pretend that I’m human anymore. It’s quite liberating. And I don’t have to listen to you patronise me for not getting the whole human thing.” “Anya...” “Nope, not going to listen to you., she said sticking her fingers in her ears. Anya thundered up the basement stairs. __________________________________________ “Anya told me something fun, while we were at my parents place,” Kennedy said to Willow after she had finished drying the dishes. “Is that right?” asked Willow. “She said it caused you pain to see me teleported away,” whispered Kennedy, reaching out to touch Willow’s arm. Willow flinched as Kennedy made contact with her skin. “What are you talking about?” “You know...” “I know that I want you to leave me alone.” “Oh you don’t want me to leave you alone. You didn’t want us to break up.” “You were the one that did the breaking Kennedy.” “Ya, I did. I had to make a stand. I wasn’t being appreciated enough.” “Not everything is about you Kennedy.” “And the fact that I was always the last person you thought about? It was always save Buffy, remember Tara, nothing for Kennedy.” “That’s enough Kennedy!” shouted Willow. “I don’t think it is.” “I do,” said Oz, punching Kennedy in the jaw. Oz shook his hand. “Ow,” “I think it’s time you left, Kennedy,” said Buffy, with her arms crossed, coming from the kitchen, Angel right behind her. “You can wait in the car,” said Angel. Kennedy grabbed her bag from behind the couch and trudged outside. “The problem with this house, is that you can’t have an argument without everyone knowing about it,” said Anya, “Buffy, didn’t you take that into consideration when you signed the lease?” “Well the thing was Anya, I didn’t know I’d have this many people living with me.“ __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #22 - Academia

Disclaimer: The pixies tell me that I don’t own the BTVS and ATS characters. However I had a nice little shouting match with them about who owned Ariel and Cat. __________________________________________ Chapter 22: Academia Buffy waved happily as a convertible, loaded up with Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Kennedy and Dru pulled away from her house. Wesley had spent the last hour apologizing for Kennedy. Which Buffy decided that was time that could have been better spent driving Miss Kennedy Hornhouser away from Cleveland. Buffy turned from the front door and headed upstairs to collect linen to be washed and prepared for the next time she had an army descend upon her house. It was only a month away. Christmas. Except the next time Anya and Willow came to visit, they were coming to stay. All the scoobies, except Giles were going to be housed at her house. Some how she expected an intervention on that alone. __________________________________________ “Anya Christina Emanuella Jenkins?” called the professor from the front of the lecture hall. “Please see me after class.” Anya nodded and returned to her lap top and her notes. Whatever could he want? Anya asked herself. Her history paper had been returned last class, the final exam was next week. She was at a loss. Anya shrugged her shoulders and waited for the end of the class. Anya had found that these university courses of hers had been a true test of her ability to contain her need to do vengeance. There was always some poor girl in one of her classes that just had been dumped or cheated on. At the end of the class, Anya headed down to meet the professor. “Ah, Miss Jenkins.” “Mr. Slattery.” “I understand that you’ll be transferring to Ohio state next semester. Can I ask why?” “My friend was recently separated from her partner. Let’s just say that this girl, is a vile, disrespectful brat and is making my friend feel every uncomfortable. We have other friends who live in Ohio and it will take my friend far far away from the nasty bitch,” explained Anya. The professor had a dumbfounded look on his face. “You could have just said, personal reasons,” he said finally. “Right, personal reasons,” agreed Anya. “I only asked is because you bring a refreshing view to the material. Your paper on the New Deal, pure genius, something that I would expect from a graduate student.” “Why thank you Mr Slattery. That’s very nice of you to say. Could you write that down? So I can show my ex fiancé?” “Huh?” __________________________________________ Anya skipped with delight towards her home, or the dorm room that had served as her home since she returned from the dead. She had never been praised for her academic achievements before and was feeling very bouncy. Her bouncing stopped, however, when she saw her roommate from 2 doors down in tears before her ex boyfriend. The boyfriend looked directly at Anya or rather Anya’s breasts, before leering. So she gave him the evil eye. The boyfriend walked off, leaving his distraught ex standing hunched over sobbing in the middle of the hallway. “What did he do now?” Anya asked before she could stop herself. “He...*hic*killed my fish.” “What?” “My goldfish, that were living at his house, he killed them, on purpose.” “That’s terrible!” said a shocked demon. “He said his new girlfriend hated them. I didn’t even know he had a new girl friend.” “He’s a stupid man, deserves to have bad bad things happen to him.” The girl nodded. “Don’t you wish something terrible would happen to his pets?” asked Anya. “Yes!” said the girl angry. “I wish...” “Anya!” yelled Willow. “What are you doing?” “Nothing...” said Anya innocently. __________________________________________ Buffy walked into her kitchen and stared at her fridge door. Some enterprising person had put up Buffy from the future’s letter about the kids and a piece of scrap paper on which was written: Blood of light, Blood of dark, Blood of Blood, Blood spilt to cover up the evils of blood’s evil, Undercover of darkness blood is hidden, Three times blood is split, three times evil rises, Blood of light, Blood of dark, Cycle begins anew. The prophecy that Xander had found about her and her descendants. Buffy only wished she knew what it meant. __________________________________________ The shipments of all the various bits of Willow and Anya’s lives started showing up at the Pinehill street house mid December. Willow’s room was to be the attic, and Buffy had no problem enlisting Oz, Xander and Spike to carrying Willow’s stuff up to her new room. Anya was to be housed in what was being referred to as the guest room but Buffy really wanted it to be a TV room. It wasn’t looking like it was going to be a TV room for a long time. Besides no one wanted to have bedroom on a floor where there was no bathroom. Buffy cringed to think that she was going to have to squish even more people into her house. Ok, so, Andrew in the office, Giles on the couch. Catherine and Ariel in Cat’s room, Dad and Valery can have Ariel’s room. Buffy pushed the vacuum cleaner around her living room. She laughed as the scene that she was making made it’s presence on her brain. The chosen one, she who hangs out in cemeteries, was a stay at home mom at 22. Of course she still spent three hours in cemeteries every night. It certainly wasn’t how she had expected her life to be, not at 22 anyway. And what was Spike doing right now? Well seeing as it was 2 pm? He probably was just getting out of bed. Buffy shut off the vacuum and sat heavily on the couch. What am I doing? “Mummy?” came Cat’s voice from the hallway. Buffy exhaled and turned to look at her daughter and smiled. “Hey kitty Cat, what’s up?” “Sad Mummy?” “Little bit.” “Why?” Buffy reached out and Cat walked towards her. Buffy gathered Cat up in her arms. “Mummy’s unhappy staying at home all the time.” “Go out!” she said happily. “Ya I wish it could be as easy as that Kitty Cat.” “Love you Mummy,” “Love you too baby.” While Cat was napping Buffy stole into the office and to the computer that Oz had set up for the household. With little difficulty Buffy found herself perusing the sites for the local colleges and universities. __________________________________________ On December 20th Buffy rolled over in bed and held Spike tighter than usual. She didn’t want this day to start. Today her father was coming. Today the step thing was coming. Spike could tell she was nervous. She had had the threat of her father and Valery taking Dawn away for months now. Now they were on their way and the day that Buffy and Dawn had dreaded was upon them. “Is it wrong to just wish that Christmas was over and that I didn’t have to see my Dad and the step thing again?” Buffy asked clinging tight to him. “No, just don’t be wishin’ that in front of demon girl when she gets here.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “And pull a Kennedy? Never!” Oz had been delegated to retrieve Giles and Andrew from the airport early that morning. In fact Buffy thought she had already heard them arrive. Andrew was probably snoring away in the office as she lay there. She had to go to the airport to retrieve her dad and Valery at 2:24pm. Buffy snuggled closer to Spike and planted little kisses along his collar bone. “Keep me in bed as long as possible?” she whined. Spike smiled. Spike’s hand travelled down Buffy’s arm and along her naked hip. “I think that can be arranged pet,” he said in a deep tone. Buffy smiled and rolled on to her back, giving him more access. “Mmm, show me,” she whispered. Spike whipped off the covers, revealing her naked form. It seemed regardless of what she decided to wear to bed, she always ended up naked in the morning. Not that he minded at all. Spike leaned over and began planting whisper kisses along her chin, neck, collarbone, down her shoulders and over her pert breasts. Spike’s tongue crept out of this cool mouth and began to circle her nipple on her right breast. At the same time his right hand crept further down her body, tracing a path down her chest, between her breasts, circling her navel and still lower. Buffy bent her head to graze her teeth against Spike’s neck, the stuck out her tongue to lick a slick trail up his neck to just behind his ear. Spike turned his head to look at her and smiled. “You know what that will do to me.” “You bet I do,” said Buffy with a smile. “I was hoping you’d take the hint.” Buffy clasped his head in her hands and titled his neck a little giving her better access to his neck Deliberately she bit down on his neck with blunt human teeth. “Mine,” she whispered. Spike stiffened beside her. “Mine,” she said again more forcefully. He disengaged from her hands and rolled to the side of the bed. “I thought you said you weren’t going to ask me to do that, that you would let me decide when and where.” Buffy exhaled a loud sigh. “I didn’t ask you to do anything Spike. I didn’t ask you to claim me Spike. I wanted to claim you. Very different things.” “No it’s not Buffy.” “I don’t understand Spike! Why are you not happy about this? I want to be yours. And for all intents and purposes, I just made you mine. True there’s supposed to be a little bit of an acceptance thing, and ...” “Just leave it alone pet.” “No. I won’t leave it alone Spike. I know Dru told you it was ok to claim me. She told me herself.” “What did you do?” “Trying to make things easier for us Spike.” Spike sat up and looked hard at the woman who just tried to make him her mate. “It’s not supposed to be easy for us Buffy!” “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” yelled Buffy bitterly sitting up to face him. Spike jumped out of the bed and threw on his clothes. “Where are you going?” she asked. “Away.” Buffy gulped, clutching the sheets to her naked body. “Will you be back?” she said in a very small voice. “Don’t know.” “No.” Buffy leapt out of the bed and blocked his path to the door. Spike threw his duster over his shoulders and stepped towards the naked Slayer blocking his path. “Out of the way Slayer.” “Not until you promise me that you are coming back.” Spike stared at her for a moment. “Promise me!” she cried. Spike watched a lone tear trickle down her left cheek. Before he knew what he was doing, Spike reached out and wiped the tear away. Stepping towards her, Spike gathered her into his arms. “Don’t leave me,” she sobbed into his tee shirt clad chest. “I need you.” Spike planted a kiss on the slayer’s blond tresses. “I love you,” she whimpered. “I know pet,” he mumbled. He took a step back from her and raised her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I love you too, but I can’t stay here right now.” A loud sob echoed through the room as the door closed behind him. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #23 - Being Bad

Disclaimer: Yes, I am the creator of all things Buffy...sadly only in dreams. __________________________________________ Chapter 23: Being Bad Spike walked down the stairs and out the door without a look to any of the people loitering in Buffy’s house. He didn’t stop when Ariel called out “Da!” to him. Holding his coat up over his head, Spike ran to the nearest sewer entrance and hopped down. Down in the sewer, Spike started to let out his frustration on the sewer wall. Each blow to the wall brought forth it’s own string of curses and expletives. The problem was he didn’t know why he was so angry anymore. Shouldn’t I feel happy that she wants to be my mate? he thought. Still there was that niggling feeling in the back of his head. Only bad things could happen if he took a mate, like last time. But Buffy said that Dru had told her it was ok. Spike shook his head to clear it. Could he trust Dru? Should Buffy trust Dru? Spike let his hand trail up wards to the imprint of Buffy’s bite mark. She hadn’t broken the skin, it wasn’t a real claim, but her intent... He knew that she wanted commitment, wasn‘t living in her house and sleeping in her bed day after day enough? Spike gave one last kick to the cement and took off down the tunnel. __________________________________________ “What did you do!?“ screamed Ariel flinging open her parent’s bedroom door. “He left! You made him leave!“ Buffy looked up from her place on the bed, her face red and splotchy. Sometime between Spike leaving and Ariel opening the door she had managed to put on a bathrobe and fling herself onto the bed. Buffy took a look at her daughter and started to cry again. “If you make him leave us I’ll hate you forever!” screamed Ariel, slamming the door again. Dawn peered out of her bedroom to see and hear Ariel scream and slam Buffy’s door. The words Ariel spoke instantly reminded her of something that she had said to Buffy during their parent’s divorce. Dawn crept into Buffy’s room and lay down beside her. “He *sob* left, Dawn,” cried Buffy. “It’s all my fault.” Dawn hugged her sister. “I just wanted *sob* him to be *hic* mine.” “He is yours Buffy,” soothed Dawn. “No, he won’t let me,” Buffy wailed. “He’ll be back Buffy. He can never stay away from you for long.” “He’ll be back, Dawn. But he won’t be mine.” __________________________________________ Dawn managed to get Buffy into the shower and headed for Ariel’s room. Ariel was supposed to have cleaned up her room so that Hank and Valery could stay in it. When Dawn entered the tween’s room, to find that Ariel had thrown a classic Dawn temper tantrum. There were clothes strewn all over the room, books and papers decorated the bed and desk. Ariel was lying on her bed stomach down. “Go away,” mumbled Ariel. “Looks like you inherited the Dawn temper tantrum,” said Dawn crossing her arms. “Your parents named you right.” “Whatever, go away.” “Nuh uh, I need to tell you something first. And you are going to listen to your crusty old Aunt Dawn.” There was no response from the prone figure on the bed. “What you said to Buffy, I said that to her when our parents got divorced. I thought that her being the Slayer and staying out all night was making our parents fight.” “Are you saying that my parents are going to get a divorce when they aren’t even married yet? Thanks Aunt Dawn.” “No! Grr, I’m not saying that at all. What you said to Buffy was mean. That’s what I’m trying to say!” Dawn was getting angry now. “So? She made him leave! He’s my Da!” “And he’ll be back Ariel!” “How do you know that?” “Cause he’s Spike, Ariel, he always comes back.” “He didn’t even look at me when I called him.” “They had a fight, you’ve lived with them for twelve years and you don’t know how they fight?” “It’s never been that bad before.” “I’ve seen worse. Don’t worry about it.” “Do you know what they were fighting about? It was something she did wasn’t it?” “I don’t really know Ariel.” __________________________________________ Wet hair and clad in denim shorts and a tank top, Buffy sniffled a few times before putting on her own personal resolve face. Her dad was arriving in a few hours and she had to clean. General Buffy arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Dawn was drafted for vacuuming. Oz for Cat duty. Ariel was still not talking to her, but Buffy barked through the door for her to clean up her room. Andrew made the mistake of showing his face and was delegated to dish duty. Xander was made to dust and Buffy cleaned the bathroom. From her location in the Bathroom Buffy couldn’t help but hear every single crash and bang from Ariel’s room. “Maybe we could put Cat in with me and put Dad and Valery in Cat’s room?” muttered Buffy to Giles, who had just come down from Willow’s room, having had a morning nap. “What happened?” asked the Watcher. Buffy exhaled. “Spike and I had a fight. He left. She blames me.” “She doesn’t seem to know Spike very well then does she?” said Giles wiping his glasses. “Spike always comes back.” “He told me he’d come back Giles, I just don’t think we’ll be the same when he does,” she said sadly. __________________________________________ Buffy was helping Willow up to her room to lie down, after the witch’s spectacular teleportation into the house, ending up upside down over the couch, when she heard the back door open and shut. Her heart started to flutter thinking it was Spike, back just like he said he would be. She continued up the stairs with Willow, and set her friend down to rest, promising to send Oz up, once he was finished with Cat and the toddler’s garden that she was constructing in the back yard, in the snow. Buffy raced down the stairs and nearly ran right into Spike who was coming up. “Hey,” she started, putting her hands in her pockets and looking down at the floor. “Hey,” he responded. There was a pause. “You came back,” she said finally. “Told you I would.” “So did Dawn.... and Giles.” “Guess the whole lot of ‘em know I’ll never be able to leave you alone then.” “I like it that way,” she said softly. They stood silently for a few seconds. “I’m sorry Spike,” whispered Buffy. Spike stepped forward and wrapped her up in his arms. “There’s nothing to be sorry about Buffy. You didn’t do anything wrong.” “Didn’t I?” she sniffed. “I told you I wouldn’t push. I pushed. I’m a pusher.” Spike bit back a laugh and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her up the stairs and into their room. He set her down on the bed and turned to close the door. Standing in the hallway was Ariel looking quite angry at the pair in the room. Spike locked eyes with her for a moment before the tween turned with a huff and took off down the stairs. Spike closed the door. “She was really angry. Guess she still is,” said Buffy. “Angry about what?” “That you’d leave us, her really. You didn’t talk to her when you left.” “Oh.” “Ya.” The room filled with silence. “I don’t want to be another Drusilla for you,” she said bringing her fears to the forefront. “I don’t want to be the girl who brings you out of what you think is a bad phase of your life. I don‘t want to be someone you have to leave a hundred years down the road because you fall for someone else. You once told me that I was the one, for you. Isn’t it fair that you should be the one to me?” Buffy scooted off the bed and walked towards the statuesque vampire. “I don’t want to be your second ’insert adjective here’ princess, Spike. What I want what you didn’t have with her.” “What do you want pet?” he finally asked. “I want you, as my lover, my partner, my friend, my mate, the father of my children, the one I turn to when life gets sucky. What I want is to spend the rest of my days on this earth with the vampire who knows me inside and out, who gets me hot and who believes in me like I believe in him.” Spike stared in silence processing her words. “Seventy-six trombones led the big parade,” she started to sing. “With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand.” He laughed. “It’s about bloody time.” “That I sussed out what I wanted? Ya, I think so too.” She smiled. “It’s good to hear pet.” “Then why aren’t you kissing me?” Spike smiled and leaned down to capture his lips with his own. Buffy let her fingers walk up his arms and pushed his duster off of his shoulders, letting the leather slide to the floor. She slid her hands up under his black shirt feeling ever indentation of his abs, then raking her finger nails down the unblemished skin. Spike hissed as she scratched hard and she giggled into his mouth. Grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards the bed, Spike noticed an evil smile on the face of his lover. She crawled onto the bed, still pulling him closer. “I want you, all of you,” she murmured. “And I want you inside of me.” Spike moaned happily, following her onto the bed and covering her with his body. Buffy pressed her hands to his ass, and ground her pelvis into his. Buffy pushed Spike off of her and began to undress him, first pulling off his pants, then his tee shirt. Starting at his neck, Buffy licked a slick, slow trail with her tongue down his smooth chest, past his abs, stopping at his navel and heading on to lick down his semi erect shaft, causing the appendage to twitch. “Slayer...” Spike moaned. “Not the Slayer, Spike,” she said taking time between laps of her tongue to his cock. “Love...” “Better.” Buffy ran her tongue up Spike’s now hard cock slowly, then, reaching the top, enveloped the tip with her hot mouth. Spike groaned in delight, burying his hands in her hair and holding her head fast. “So hot, love, yes, love your hot little mouth,” he grunted. Buffy pulled away, and smiled up at her lover. Spike whimpered at the loss. “You didn’t think I was gonna let you cum this soon did you?” she said with an evil glint in her eye. “Evil, pet,” he said reaching out to bring her closer. “What can I say, baby, I’ve always been bad,” she giggled. “Show me,” he said. Buffy straddled his thighs, avoiding his cock which was at attention, begging for contact. Buffy let her hands cup her breasts and then trail down her front and into her jeans. Spike watched mouth open, as Buffy started to get herself off with her tiny hand, deep in her jeans where he couldn’t see. Her moans started to get louder and louder as he watched. Finally he couldn’t take not being an active participant and he grabbed her upper arms and flipped her onto the bed, tearing her jean shorts off her frame. Spike gazed at her uncovered wet and ready centre. He pushed her nimble fingers away and dove in tongue first. Buffy smiled as Spike licked and nibbled like he was a hungry animal between her legs. She wrapped her legs around his head as she got closer and closer to orgasm. Buffy fisted her hands into the comforter on the bed, and let out a primal scream as she came hard against his mouth. Panting and spent, Buffy had no opportunity to recover before she felt Spike mounting her. “Want in, Buffy,” said Spike, positioned at her entrance. “Come in, William.” Buffy gasped as his girth was slammed into her. Spike held her hips and started thrusting with a slow rhythm into her core. “Not William,” he grunted. “Yes, and Spike, both.” Spike slammed harder into her, causing the head board of the bed to bang loudly into the wall. “Who’s fucking you Buffy?” he grunted. “You, love you,” she gasped. “Oh Spike, my Spike.” “My Buffy.” “Yes, god, harder Spike,” she begged. Buffy forced herself up off the bed and captured his lips with hers. Playfully biting his lip, she moved down to his neck and started sucking on the marks she had made earlier that morning. Holding herself up by wrapping her arms about his neck, to steady herself against his powerful thrusts, she began to nibble the marks. Without warning she felt Spike slip into his demonic face and slide his fangs into her neck. Buffy smiled and sighed with relief as she heard the words she had longed to hear for months. “Mine,” he barked. “Yours,” she answered. The moment his fangs were out of her neck Buffy bit him back, this time hard enough to draw blood. “Mine,” she said forcefully. “Yours,” he answered. Pulling back from each other’s neck, they looked into their mate’s eyes. “Forever,” they murmured simultaneously. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #24 - Moody Teens

Disclaimer: Alas, Spike is not mine. __________________________________________ Chapter 24: Moody Teens Buffy trotted down stairs and into the kitchen, hungry, due to her earlier exploits. You are supposed to eat something after you’ve given blood right? As she closed the fridge door she was confronted by the dour expression on her sister’s face. Buffy smiled. “Dawn! What can I do for you?” “How about not screaming bloody murder when you are getting boned by Spike?” Buffy’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh god, I’m so sorry!” “Sure you are. I had to send the kids outside, Willow’s trying to sleep. Giles left to visit Gable. I had to listen to Andrew go on and on about the beauty of love.” “And Oz and Xander?” “Who called?” asked the one eyed watcher, coming up from the basement. “That’s one basement dweller accounted for,” muttered Dawn. In the silence that followed, while Buffy gulped down her juice, the trio were suddenly aware of a new set of moans and banging from above. “You aren’t....” Dawn trailed off looking at Buffy. “Not the Buffster this time Dawnie,” supplied Xander. They all turned to look at Spike who was coming down the stairs and into the kitchen. He smiled at Buffy and kissed her head as he passed the trio on his way to the fridge. “But if you are both here....” began Dawn again. “Sounds like wolf boy and the witch have finally resolved their differences,” said Spike helping himself to left over egg rolls. The trio standing in the doorway to the kitchen looked up at the ceiling. __________________________________________ They were all in the living room, well the adults who were still in the house anyway, when Willow came down stairs, Oz following close behind, holding her hand. Buffy raised an eyebrow, unknowingly mimicking Spike’s expression. “Oh goddess, they know!” whispered Willow. “Duh!” said Dawn. “Willow, I need you to do a little spell for me,” said Buffy. “Soundproofing.” Willow blushed. “Hey!” she said suddenly. “Not entirely the only guilty ones here! Guilty ones!” Willow pointed at Spike and Buffy. “I think it is entirely unfair that Buffy and Spike and now Willow and Oz are getting orgasms, and not me. And don’t you dare think that is a come on Xander Harris!” said Anya, her arms crossed. “I have had no luck finding a fuck buddy here in Cleveland.” “Dawn the kids are still outside right?” asked Buffy worried that impressionable young ears had heard the word Fuck buddy. “In the back yard, away from Anya’s foul mouth,” agreed Dawn. “Hey!” “I tell it like I see it,” explained Dawn. “Buffy don’t you have to go pick up Dad and the step thing?” Buffy snapped her head to look at the clock on the mantel piece. “Oh god, I do. I have to get dressed!” Buffy ran up stairs. __________________________________________ Buffy arrived at the airport with time to spare, She had changed her tee and jean cut offs for a smart pair of pants and a long sleeved blouse. She hadn’t really talked much to her Dad or Valery for a month or more, certainly not since Ariel and Cat showed up. She predicted badness once they got back to the house. A week of badness. Just until they left. “Buffy!” gushed Valery, enveloping her step daughter into a hug. Buffy stood stiff as a board waiting for the unasked for hug to subside. “Valery. How was your flight?” “Lovely.” Is it just me or is the step thing overly cheerful? Buffy asked herself. Her dad reached over and patted her back. “Buffy. Where’s Dawn?” her Dad said looking around for the youngest Summers. “She’s at home.” “She didn’t come to greet us?” “No. Let’s get your bags.” The truth was that Dawn had refused on the principal that Valery wanted her to come back with them to LA. Dawn was bitter. Bitter Dawn just made the impending week of doom even more fun to look forward to. __________________________________________ Mr Summers’ white sedan pulled into the drive way of the Pinehill street house and Buffy leapt out of the back seat wanting to be the first into the house. Her dad had insisted that he drive, despite his unfamiliarity with the city. Buffy grabbed her dad’s bags and headed in through the front door. “Oh you are back,” said Dawn sardonically. “What are we having for dinner?” “It’s Oz’s turn to cook, ask him.” “He’s all mushy with Willow, you think I want to get in the middle of wolfy love? Think again.” “Is Giles back?” Buffy asked, as she moved out of the doorway to let in her father. “Ya, they are in the office.” “They?” “He brought Gable back with him, and Anya is being all flirty.” “With Gable?” “No, Giles.” “Dawn!” said her father happily. “Dad, Valery.” Dawn nodded in their direction. “Dawn can you assemble the troops? So we can have introduction time?” Dawn shrugged and headed up the stairs. Turning to her father and Valery Buffy sighed. “Um, sorry about her? Anyway we are putting you in a bedroom up stairs...” Down the stairs came a line of people. Dawn, Giles, Gable, Anya, Willow, Oz, Spike, Ariel, Cat, all headed past the three in the hallway and into the living room. It was all very Brady bunch. “Xander! Andrew! get your butts up here!” shouted Dawn into the kitchen as she passed. “There are more of them?” asked Valery in awe. Andrew and Xander scrambled up from the basement. “Sorry we were playing play station,” mumbled Andrew. Looking into the living room Buffy noted two things, first that she had way too many people in her house, second, that she needed another couch. “K, introductions,” said Buffy moving past the French doors to the living room and making room for Valery and her dad to follow. “Starting on the couch...Anya, Vengeance Demon, don’t say ‘I wish’ while you are in the house, k?” “I’m free lance, so I don’t have to grant your vengeance wish, but I could!” said Anya happily. “She’s in the room off the dinning room. Next to her,” continued Buffy, “You know Willow, Witch. Lives in the attic.” Willow waved. “Then Oz, Werewolf, musician, bedroom down stairs.” “Hey,” said the stoic wolf. “Then, standing, Gable, he doesn’t live here, Demon Hunter. Giles, my watcher, head of watcher’s council, lives in England, sleeping in the office for the duration. Xander, I think you met him in LA, he’s a watcher now too, lives in the basement. Andrew, another watcher, kinda, lives in England, on the couch for the duration. You know Dawn of course, mystical green key person. And Spike, he drove Dawn here. He’s my mate.” Buffy waited for the words to sink in. “Oh!” said Anya happily, “Is that what you two were doing this morning? Then I forgive you the loud sex.” Buffy’s eyes went wide and Spike covered Cat’s ears. Ariel’s face went bright red. “Traumatised for life now Granny Anya! Thanks ever so much!” said Ariel. “Oh, please, you aren’t even born yet!” said Anya. “They still have to have sex to conceive you!” Buffy turned to her father and Valery who were taking this all in. “So your mate, is that like what, engaged?” asked Valery. “It’s marriage for vampires,” supplied Anya. “Vampires?” asked Mr Summers. “Spike is a Vampire,” stated Dawn. “A Vampire?” gulped Valery. “Cause the werewolf and the vengeance demon didn’t scare her....” muttered Dawn to Anya. “And then we have Ariel, with the trauma and Catherine,” said Buffy ruffling Cat’s curly locks. “And they are what? Pixies?” said Valery regaining her sense of sarcasm. “No, they are my children, from the future, Spike’s their father.” Buffy watched as her father’s mouth hung open. “Congrats Dad, you are a grandpa.” “Is introduction time over?” asked Dawn rudely. “Dawn...” warned Buffy. “So, who’s up for Chinese for supper?” asked Oz. “We had Chinese for dinner three days ago,” moaned Ariel. Ariel walked up closer to her grandfather. “Mum told me once that I had your ears, I don’t see it.” “Ariel!” hissed Buffy. “Don’t be rude.” “Crusty old Aunt Dawn can be rude but I can’t?” asked Ariel. “Yes, she has gripes, you have never met these people before!” Buffy began to raise her voice. “I am so out of here,” said Xander darting for the kitchen and the basement. “Wait for me, nuclear meltdowns don’t agree with me,” added Andrew, following. “Please continue with the family turmoil,” said Anya happily. “Gah!” Ariel threw her hands up in frustration. “I don’t understand, how is she, what is she, twelve? When were you pregnant?” asked Mr Summers. “Not were, Dad, going to be. Gah!” Buffy raised her hands in confusion. Dawn snickered. “No they aren’t alike at all...” “What joy is mine,” said Spike whimsically. “Eleven of them Spike, you have eleven of them to look forward to...” said Willow. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #25 - The Demon House

Disclaimer: The Characters of BTVS and ATS are the property of Joss Whedon and various other people/entities. I am only using them for fun and entertainment only. This is the sad reality that hits me when I wake up from my naked Spike filled dreams. __________________________________________ Chapter 24: The Demon House “This is Ariel’s room, she’s in with Cat,” said Buffy hoisting her dad’s bags on to the bed. Hank Summers dropped on to the bed, looking very perplexed. “I don’t understand Buffy. When you left us you had nothing, where did you get the money for the house? All the furniture? Why are all these people living with you? Who is this man you’ve been living with? When did you get kids?” Buffy smiled. “I know it seems strange dad, but really everything is fine and dandy. I don’t own the house, The Watcher’s Council does.” “The Watcher’s Council? What that Giles man is head of?” “Yep. They pay me for the world save-age and the slaying.” “The slaying?” “I thought Willow explained it to you when all the weirdness was happening in LA?” asked Buffy a tad bit perplexed. “She did,” said Valery, unzipping her own suitcase “And frankly it was very unbelievable, I just thought that she was telling us a fanciful tale. But what I see is that you are all under the same delusions.” “Delusions?” said Buffy stunned. “I’m glad we came when we did. Poor Dawn and the other two children. It breaks my heart to think that they have been forced to live with people who clearly have mental problems.” The hurtful words were just flowing out of the step thing’s mouth. Buffy clenched her fists and bit her tongue. Valery was a guest in her home. It wouldn’t be good to throw her out the window on her first day here. Though Buffy very much wanted to. “We don’t have mental problems Valery. But you might if you don’t clue in. There’s some stuff that goes on in this house that might just blow your mind,” said Buffy as she left the room. Buffy smiled to herself, all bets were off. The goal for this Christmas, to scare the shit out of Valery. __________________________________________ Buffy’s instructions were simple really. Just be your normal demony self, just don’t hurt anyone. Ariel loved the idea. “You are the best mum ever!” the twelve year old exclaimed as she jumped up to kiss Buffy’s cheek. “Buffy do you really think that this is a wise course of action,” asked Giles. “What’s wrong with being free to express that part of ourselves that we keep hidden from the normal people? Just for a week. My Christmas present to everyone.” “I think it’s a fabulous idea Buffy,” agreed Anya, shifting into her demon face. “The human face takes so much maintenance.” Cat clapped her hands and let her fangs down. “A week where I don’t to do any work?” said Willow. “Bring it on. And just for the record, Valery is pulling your leg Buffy. She has visions, she knows all about you being a Slayer.” Buffy smiled. “There will blood play, there will be teleporting and spells. There will be fangs and fur. And we will have fun.” “I get to video tape it!” squealed Andrew. “Dawn?” Dawn was pouting. “I don’t have powers or weirdness, except being the Key...She’ll still want to take me away.” There was silence in the living room. “I can make you glow green...” offered Willow. “Really?” “Oh ya, simple glamour.” __________________________________________ It was decided on KFC for supper. Oz placed the buckets and bags of sides on the dining room table to see Valery enter the room. With a smile on his face Oz greeted the woman. “Was about to call the others for dinner,” explained Oz. There was a flash of light and Anya appeared before them, veiny demon face and everything. “Oooh food! I thought I smelled something,” said the Vengeance Demon sitting down and digging in. Valery turned her head as she heard footsteps on the stairs. “Oz, if I got a cat, would you eat it? I mean I know Spike would try, but I’m lacking a familiar. Also a broom,” noted Willow walking into the dining room with a cup of tea. “Brooms? I thought that look went out with the Salem trials?” said Anyanka. “They did, ooooh, magic carpet! Or is that too Arabian nights?” “I wouldn’t eat your cat,” said Oz. “Who’s getting a cat?” asked Buffy who entered the room carrying Cat. “I’m Cat!” protested Cat. “Me,” explained Willow. “Familiar and everything.” “We think Spike will eat it. Or play poker with it,” said Anyanka. “Oooh, ya, that might not be good. Let’s not give the vampire temptation,” said Buffy, “Let’s get Catherine set up with some KFC.” “What am I being accused of now?” asked Spike walking in through the living room, in full game face. “Eating Kitties,” said Cat sadly, now in her chair and being served neon green coldslaw. She was running her tongue across her fangs. “Cat, if you can’t leave your fangs alone, pull them up,” whispered Buffy. “Pull up a chair Spike, you like chicken,” said Anya. “Thanks pet, but I’m right stuffed,” said the Vampire with a smirk walking to his mate‘s side. Spike flipped back Buffy’s long blond hair to reveal fresh puncture wounds. With a smile he gave the marks a lick causing Buffy to shudder and moan pleasantly. “If you want to fornicate on the table, please give us warning so we can save the food,” observed Anya. “No fornicating on the table!” ordered Dawn, her green glow softly announcing her presence. “And was someone going to tell the rest of us who don’t have the enhanced senses that the food was here?” Xander, Andrew, Hank, Giles and Ariel followed her. “It’s KFC Dawn, we could smell it as soon as Oz was out of the car,” said Willow through her chicken leg. “Why is Dawn glowing?” asked Valery, still refusing to sit down at the table. “Does this mean that your attempt to become vegetarian has terminated?” asked Giles of Anya. “I‘m the key Valery, sometimes I glow,” said Dawn sitting down. “I just can’t get enough of the chicken. It’s yummy. I could give up cow though, and all the weird meat. Like Bunnies,” Anya shuddered. “Perhaps I should just not eat the cute animals?” “The cute animals?” asked Buffy. “Cows are cute, they have beautiful brown eyes, and cats, I don’t think I should continue to eat cats.” “You eat cats!” said a shocked Dawn. “The baby has fangs!” said a shocked Valery. Buffy rolled her eyes. “No, but I could have. I don’t have the same values and morals as you humans. Spike, cats are tasty right?” “The blood is,” observed Spike, cutting up chicken for Cat to eat. The green pallor of her father’s face brought a smile to Dawn’s face. “I’m going grocery shopping tomorrow, does anyone need anything?” asked Buffy. “Spike needs more blood, is Pig still ok or do you want to see if I can get you something more special than what I have on tap?” Spike and Buffy locked eyes for a moment and smiled. “Pig is fine love.” Oz, swallowed his gulp of Coke and wiped his mouth before speaking. “I have an order for an actual Pig, dead, but whole, I‘ll come with.” “I’m out of sage,” said Willow. “There’s this spell I wanna try, to see if I can heal faster after a teleport...” “Anything else?” “I don’t like pig blood,” said Ariel, “Can I get chicken?” “Yep,” agreed Buffy. “Valery are you going to eat or are you going to sit there?” asked Hank, sitting to Dawn’s right. “Oh I get it you all decided to dress up, like for Halloween to freak me out, that’s it right?” Valery tried to rationalize. “Come off of it Vision girl, this is us,” said Anya. “Are you going to go by some place that actually sells shortbread?” asked Giles. “It’s not Christmas without shortbread.” “Who wants to start the Christmas movie marathon tonight?” asked Xander. “First up Charlie Brown Christmas!” “I got shortbread for you before you arrived Giles it’s in a safe place,” said Buffy. “We are going to look at Christmas lights tomorrow night,” said Oz. “Oooh we have to decorate the house!” exclaimed Willow. “We don’t have Christmas lights...” observed Xander. “And when is that a problem for me? I can do lights,” noted Willow. “I’m good at lights.” __________________________________________ The Christmas movie marathon was in full swing. And with thirteen people munching on popcorn, Buffy found herself getting up to make popcorn on a frequent basis. On one of her many trips she found her dad in the kitchen helping him self to juice. “You don’t have plans for this tomato juice do you?” he asked. “Valery’s been trying to get me to eat healthier.” “No, I don’t have plans for the tomato juice, but that’s not tomato juice, Dad, that’s blood,” answered Buffy. “Oh,” said Hank replacing the pitcher back into the fridge. Buffy walked around him and took the Tomato juice out of the door. “I’ve been trying to get Cat to drink something other than blood and green kool aid. So I’m experimenting with Tomato juice and Orange Juice with food colouring in it.” “You did the same thing,” said Hank with a smile. “You latched on to something you liked and wouldn’t have anything else.” “So...you seem less shocked since earlier, are you ok with this? How we live?” “Dawn and I had a little heart to heart upstairs. She likes it here. Though I still don’t know about this living with monsters deal. What would your mother say?” “Mom liked Spike. They had hot chocolate at night some times. He brought flowers when he died...” “I was out of the country Buffy. I didn’t know it happened.” “Ya, well, mom liked him.” “Then I guess I’ll learn to like him too.” “If he doesn’t eat you first,” she joked. When her father’s look of shock didn’t subside, she said, “Kidding Dad. He has a soul, he doesn’t eat people any more. Well except for me....You really didn’t want to hear that did you?” __________________________________________ Weary and feeling that she was actually running a hotel instead of a house, Buffy padded the stairs up to her bedroom. On the bed, his hands behind his head, Spike lay, looking straight at the door. “Hey,” she whispered. “Everyone tucked into their little beds then?” “Ya.” Buffy proceeded to the dresser, picked up her hair brush and started attending to her long golden locks. “What made you change your mind?” she asked softly. “Beg pardon pet?” “The claim.” Spike was silent for a while, considering his thoughts. Buffy set down her brush and got out what she was going to wear to bed that night, a silk nightie that Spike had bought for her as spur of the moment gift last month. Buffy laid out her nightie next to Spike, whipped off her top and turned to throw the item into the laundry hamper when she was grabbed from behind by the vampire on the bed. Buffy let out a girly shriek before snuggling in close. “Are you gonna answer my question?” she asked. Spike gave his claim marks on her neck a long languorous lick. “You are still avoiding, you avoider.” “Not avoiding pet, enjoying what’s mine,” he said with a smile. “Yes, I am yours, have been for a while now, I still want my question answered.” Spike sighed. “I did some thinking is all.” “Some thinking? That’s all it took?” she looked at him seriously. “Ya, some thinking. Dru staked Beth, cause I claimed her, I always thought that she’d do the same to anyone else I claimed, though she never wanted to claim me back. Beth was my friend, ya, the demon was attracted to her, but I wasn’t in love with her, think that’s why I didn’t save her.” “And you’d want to save me?” “Bloody hell Buffy, course I would, you are my world.” Buffy smiled and snuggled closer. “Better be.” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #26 - Screaming Matches

Disclaimer: The pixies tell me that I don’t own the BTVS and ATS characters. However I had a nice little shouting match with them about who owned Ariel and Cat. Author’s note: Thanks to everyone who is leaving the great feedback! *hugs* __________________________________________ Chapter 26: Screaming Matches The holiday festivities continued the following day. Willow was floating baking ingredients around the kitchen while she and Cat baked Christmas/Hanukah/Winter solstice cookies. In the living room Ariel and Oz were puzzling over how to put together the tree that was recently purchased from Wal-Mart. The debate in the house between the pro real tree and the pro fake tree camps were heated. Spike and Anya, the pro fake tree camp expressed the financial benefits of not having to spend every year for a tree. Buffy and Dawn, the pro real tree camp wanted the authenticity, the tradition. In the end it was the loud declaration by Ariel that she thought she was allergic to the sappy stuff that inevitably came with the tree that decided the argument. That was why Ariel was now trying to put this monstrosity together. It was Buffy’s thinly veiled retribution for losing the argument. Buffy watched on while filling out Christmas cards which admittedly were a bit on the late side. “Here, sign this,” said Buffy more ordered than requested of her mate, who was sitting at her feet attempting to untangle a set of Christmas lights that had been out of the box for less than a day. “What is it?” he asked casually, looking up at her smiling face. “Christmas card.” “To whom?” “Your Grandsire,” she said finally. She knew he didn’t want to be signing anything that was addressed to Angel, but she really thought he should sign the card, he lived with them now. “No,” he said defiantly. “Spike...” “No.” “Please?” she begged sweetly. “Not bloody doing it!” he protested, breaking a bulb on the string of lights in the process. “Spike! Dawn and I send him a card every year, you are part of our family now, and you always were his family...” “No.” “Fine!” she said in a huff, “I’ll sign it for you.” Buffy got up out of her seat and walked up the stairs to her office, leaving Spike gaping on the living room floor. “Slayer!” protested Spike, setting down the tangle of lights and making to follow her up. “You won’t win Da,” said Ariel from the half put together tree. “You two have this same argument every year. No matter what you do, Angel will still get a Christmas card with all our names on it.” Spike pouted. If you had asked him if he was pouting, of course he was pouting, but the big bad would have denied it. But the pouting Big Bad, fangs and bumpies, pouting in the living room was what Valery walked in on. Dressed like a Holt Renfrew model, the step thing strode into the living room like she owned it. “Where is Dawn?” she asked, no hint of politeness in her voice. “The Bit’s going thought Red’s spell books. The witch agreed to teach her a glamour,” said Spike brushing past Valery in the doorway, smiling a fangy smile in her direction. “And...and where would she be doing this thing?” asked the step thing nervously. “In the witch’s room, third floor,” said Spike over his shoulder, on his way into the kitchen. __________________________________________ Up in Willow’s room, Dawn was indeed looking through books. When Valery approached, Dawn visibly flinched. Valery sat down on the bed beside the teen. “So I thought that you and I should talk. I have this feeling that you think we abandoned you when the mess with the green fire happened.” “Excuse me?” asked Dawn looking up from a spell book. The green fire? Oh that’s rich, thought Dawn. Clearly she’s repressing. “The green fire, the voices, the men,” Valery tried to explain. “When your father was being questioned by the police.” Dawn finally nodded. “We didn’t want to send you away, it was just safer when you were away from us. Now that its over, you can come home, with us to California. I want you to feel like you belong there.” “I belong to Buffy,” exclaimed Dawn, slamming her glowy green hands down on the book she had in her lap. “I don’t belong in LA or anywhere else. I am not your step daughter, I am a bundle of green energy made to open gates between dimensions. I was made from Buffy’s blood and this human form was given to Buffy to protect. There is no way I’m going back to LA when I can stay with my protector, my sister.” “Dawn, that’s nonsense, these people who live in this house, they’ve corrupted your mind!” “Oh really, well you know what Valery, I like how they’ve corrupted my mind, I wish...” Dawn paused as Anya suddenly appeared at the door, demon face and all. “Are you seeking vengeance?” asked Anya. “I know you are, cause I was in the office, with Giles and I could feel it.” “Anya!” screamed Dawn. “Well vengeance? Yes or no, cause I think I’m making progress with Rupert.” “You are calling him Rupert now?” asked Dawn. “Of course! You don’t expect me to call him Giles when we are intimate, do you? I wonder if he likes to be called anything else while in bed with a woman?” she asked no one in particular. “Anya!” “Well if you don’t want vengeance,” Anya flounced away. “You don’t know just how lucky you are Valery,” said Dawn snidely, getting up off of Willow’s bed, taking the spell book she had and carrying it in her crossed arms. “Dawn!” said a shocked Valery, that Dawn was leaving, not truly understanding what was going on. Dawn pushed past the woman and headed down the stairs to the second floor. “You will not ignore me like that young lady,” shouted Valery. Dawn turned to face her step mother. The yelling had begun to draw a crowd on the second floor landing. “And what are you going to do to me Valery?” asked Dawn. “Are you going to take me away from Buffy? Are you going to lock me up in my room in LA and not let me out for year. News flash... Child Abuse!” “Of course not Dawn, you respect me and I’ll respect you. I think I’ve earned the right to be respected.” “How? My marrying my father? Ooh good one there, Val.” “You deserve to be in a loving home, where you can grown up in a normal way away from your freak sister and her friends.” “Cause this glowy thing...That’s not freakish at all,” said Dawn forcefully. “That’s not real, Dawn, even I can see that.” Valery rolled her eyes in a very Dawn like way. Dawn looked over to the various people standing in doorways. Buffy in hers, Giles and Anya in the office, Hank from Ariel’s room. “It’s real. I’m the key. And...and I’m gonna be a watcher. I’m going to Oxford, I’m studying languages. I'm useful. Buffy needs me.” “Buffy doesn’t need you. She’s gonna want her own family, not to be saddled with her kid sister,” explained Valery in calm manner, countering Dawn rising hysteria. “Buffy needs me,” said Dawn again. “You need me, right?” Dawn turned to look at her sister in the master bedroom doorway “I need you Dawnie. I need you as much as I need Ariel and Cat. You are a little part of me. I died to save you. I’m not ever giving you up.” Buffy smiled. Spike came up the stairs at that moment, his hand clutching his still warm mug of blood, game face on. “Bit?” asked Spike. “Valery wants to take me away,” whined Dawn. Of course she knew that Buffy and Spike would never let that happen, even if they had to spend all their money, and fight their way through hell itself to get her back. “Over my dead body,” declared the vampire. Dawn rolled her eyes. “Spike you are already dead,” said Dawn. “Buffy, the prophecy!” she whined again. Giles’ voice cut through the silence. “Blood of light, Blood of dark, Blood of Blood, Blood spilt to cover up the evils of blood’s evil, Undercover of darkness blood is hidden, Three times blood is split, three times evil rises, Blood of light, Blood of dark, Cycle begins anew.” Ariel and Oz thumped up the stairs, followed by Willow, carrying Cat, adding to the large congregation of audience members for the Dawn versus Valery stand off. “The prophecy doesn’t matter Dawn,” declared Buffy. “You died before, because of a prophecy. Only someone who caries your blood, Buffy!” “Dawn you aren’t going to kill me!” “Mum’s right” said Ariel suddenly, breaking the back and forth exchange between the sisters. “I will, I have.” Ariel turned and ran down the stairs pushing past Willow and Cat. “What do you mean, you have?” asked Buffy following her daughter down the stairs, Spike following closely behind. The others left up on the second floor decided it was best to leave them alone. Down in the living room Ariel was sitting beside the now assembled but bare Christmas tree. “Ariel?” Buffy queried. “I did it, two years ago. I was ten...” “What happened?” asked Buffy soothingly crouching beside her. “Mum told me not to tell.” “Bit size, you can’t just tell you mum that kind of thing and then not tell all,” said Spike. “You said you weren’t going to push!” Ariel screamed, standing up and rushing out the front door. “Ariel!“ shouted Buffy, following out after her. “Spike!“ Buffy motioned for him to follow as well. Unfortunately he was stopped by the sun beating down on the snowy Cleveland afternoon. Buffy followed Ariel across the street into the cemetery. “Ariel!” Buffy chased after her daughter. She found her standing in a bare patch of ground, not in use, the cemetery hadn’t grown to capacity yet. “She’s not here...” said Ariel sadly. “Who?” asked Buffy coming to rest by Ariel. “I want to be a Potential you know just like her.” “Her?” “Niki.” “Huh?” “I never met her, died way before I was born but she was a Potential, the daughter of a Slayer and the granddaughter of a Slayer.” “Who?” “Niki Wood.” “Robin Wood’s mom?” “No, Robin Wood’s daughter.” “Faith’s kid?” “Ya, she’s buried here, or will be. She was kinda like an inspiration for me.” “I can see that. Ariel?” Buffy questioned, still wanting answers. “Please don’t ask,” said Ariel. “Mum, told me not to tell. You hate me. I kill you, I start the prophecy.” “No! Ariel you...The prophecy, it doesn't mean anything!” “I started it, before I killed you, there was only you, my mum, the First Slayer. Then there were two, and the First Evil came back. I caused it.” “No, baby. It was the First, not you.” “That’s why I want to be a Potential, to fight the First. Cause I started it. But now the First came before I could grow up enough to find out.” “Ariel, I don’t want to you be a Potential. I don’t want to lose you before you get to grow up and have a family.” “I wanna make a difference though.” “And you will, in your own special way. Whether you are all slayery or not.” “I’m not like Aunt Dawn, you know. I don’t want to be a Watcher.” “And that’s fine. It really is.” “I wanna be like Aunt Faith.” Buffy’s eye went wide for a second. “I wanna fight evil.” “Oh,” Buffy relaxed. There was a pause. “I feel like cookies, you want cookies?” Ariel shrugged her shoulders. “Sure.” __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #27 - Kissmas

Disclaimer: The pixies tell me that I don’t own the BTVS and ATS characters. However I had a nice little shouting match with them about who owned Ariel and Cat. __________________________________________ Chapter 27: Kissmas By the time Buffy was able to coax Ariel back to the house, another shouting match was on in the upstairs hallway. Valery and Hank were having a spat. And Spike was livid. “You can bloody take your soddin’ bickering elsewhere!” steamed Spike. “Oh excuse me if I don’t get all flustered by a man who thinks he’s a vampire, living with a little girl who has delusions of being a super hero,” taunted Valery. “Valery,” warned Hank. “No! I’ve had it! She lets them get away with murder! They need discipline, they need a mother’s love, not some teenager who can’t take care of herself!” Dawn snorted loudly. “That is such a crock!” muttered the teenager. “For one, Buffy’s not a teenager, she’s all discipline, and Buffy loves us to death, and I mean literally,” countered Dawn. Willow hitched Cat further up her hip, and moved to Dawn’s side. “You can’t blame her for thinking this Dawnie, Valery’s not a Scooby and for all her visions, and the fact that she once told me she knew about Slayers and Vampires, she’s a big faker.” “Harsh!” said Dawn with a smile. “Valery?” asked Hank. “Is it true, you knew about all this and you didn’t tell me?” Valery looked slightly revolted. “Of course not Hank! You’d believe these crazy people or your wife, whom you love?” she said with puppy dog eyes. “A couple of those crazy people are his daughters and granddaughters, Val,” said Buffy coming up the stairs with Ariel in tow. She and Ariel had been listening downstairs for a few moments. “You let my baby die!” screamed Valery, sinking to the floor. The house and all the occupants in it stood still and silent. After a moment Buffy crouched down on the floor beside her step mother. “And so your revenge is to take my babies away from me?” asked Buffy. “It’s been done before of course,” said Anya knowingly, “I’ve done it myself once or twice, the desired results never come though, the children resent you, you don’t love them, it’s a vicious circle really.” Everyone stared at the Vengeance Demon for a moment. “What?” begged Anya. “Perhaps, Anya, we should take a walk,” said Giles, taking Anya’s hand behind him, and leading her down the stairs. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief when the Vengeance Demon she called a friend left the house. Hank gathered up his wife and brought her back to their assigned room. And with some pause, the rest of the house hold resumed their holiday activities. Willow and Cat went back to cookie making, Ariel and Oz decorated the tree, Xander and Andrew had never left the basement or the Playstation, but Buffy found herself locked in an embrace by Spike’s strong arms, his soft lips kissing away the tears that she didn’t know had fallen. __________________________________________ Hank and Valery took a hotel room for the rest of the holiday. Ariel was delighted to get her room back. Valery couldn’t bear to be back in the house again. Her embarrassment was too great. It was Hank alone that returned for Holiday festivities. And Buffy was just fine with that. She didn’t want anything or anyone to ruin her Christmas with her family. They were happy and healthy, no one was dead, and there was no imminent apocalypse looming. Plus, Buffy had the dread, that soon, and much sooner than she actually thought, Ariel and Cat were going to have to return to the future. She didn’t want them to go, but if she could just have a Christmas with them, take lots of pictures, maybe the parting would be a little more bearable. The house smelled like Willow’s cookies, it was decorated with magic lights and mistletoe, leading to much smooching in hallways and doorframes. Buffy had even caught Anya and Giles going at it in the upstairs hallway. It was what Buffy dreamed for her first Christmas away from Sunnydale. Not Giles and Anya smooching, but the closeness of family. Cleveland was home now, and would be for a long time, according to Ariel. Buffy woke up on Christmas morning to see Spike smiling down at her. “Happy Christmas, Love.” Buffy moaned happily. “Do I get my Christmas present now?” she asked coyly. “You didn’t get enough Christmas presents last night?” he asked with a grin. “Well....” Buffy shifted in bed, and pressed herself up against the naked torso of her lover and mate. “I want you to bite me,” she whispered against his skin. With a smile Spike leaned down towards her neck and nuzzled his marks there. Buffy let her eyes roll back into her head as she gave in to the pleasant sensations coming from her neck. Yes, she wanted him to bite her, she wanted him to mark her, like she had marked herself that he was hers and she his when he was gone. The thing was that even after all this time, of them sleeping together, sharing the same bed, exploring each other’s bodies, he had never mentioned her tattoos. Earlier that morning, just as the sun was coming up, she had woken up with her tattoos on her mind. Why hadn’t he said anything? She had pulled back the covers from her nude form and convinced herself that, yes, they were still there. The railroad spike was still prominently adorning her bikini line, and around her ankle was still written “Spike’s Girl.” “Spike?” she moaned as his hands spread out over her breasts, pinching just in the right spots. “Ya, love?” he asked between kisses. “I love you,” she whispered. She could feel her tears edging over her lashes. “I know, pet.” Spike stopped his attentions to her lips. “But how do you know?” she asked very seriously. “I do know pet, I can feel it through the claim.” Spike looked into her eyes, which were glistening with tears. “Buffy, I know that you love me, I‘ve known since you those words that I thought I’d never hear in the hellmouth. I know because I’m not getting punched in the nose on a regular basis.” Spike grabbed her wrists and pressed them to the mattress. “I know because of the way you look at me, the way you defend me to your friends and father, I know because you are you, Buffy.” “But then... Why aren’t you all observey? You can’t honestly say you haven’t...I mean they are right there...” Spike smiled smugly. “You mean your tats?” he asked. Buffy nodded. “You didn’t say anything.” “The spike? It’s inspired love, and the fact that you’ve got ‘Spike’s Girl’ on your body. Was honoured when I first saw it love.” “But you didn’t say anything!” Spike flopped back on the bed. “Didn’t know I was expected to.” “Well I expected you to, at some point.” Spike pounced back onto Buffy’s prone form on the bed. “You belong to me, Buffy, Slayer. Long after I’m dust and trapped in some hell dimension for all my crimes, I’ll still have your body memorized to distract my tortured mind.” Buffy tried to smile. “Cause that makes me feel so much better,” she said. “Kiss me,” she begged. Spike leaned down and pressed his cool lips to her hot ones, only to interrupted from going any further by a screaming toddler in the next room. “Kissmas!” screamed Cat, her clapping could be heard as well. Buffy sighed. “Rain check?” she asked. “You know it,” responded her mate. __________________________________________ It wasn’t a bad ‘Kissmas’ after all, despite the serious twinge of guilt Buffy felt for Valery who was sadly spending Christmas morning by herself in a hotel room. Ariel and Cat were spoiled beyond all expectations. Buffy had come to the conclusion that she was old now, and couldn’t really expect spectacular things from gift giving occasions. Clothes and appliances seemed to be the theme of the holiday. But the present that she got from Giles was freaking her out. It was a small box, didn’t make any noise when she shook it, and Xander, who had been donning the Santa cap and passing out the presents refused to give her that one until the very end. Sitting on the floor of her living room, with her fifth appliance, a juicer, piled at her side, at last Xander passed her the illusive present. The card was slightly cryptic too. Buffy, This little gift is really from the Watcher’s Council, of course being the head of the Council, and honoured as I am to be considered your surrogate father, I’m, pleased to be able to buy my Slayer this particular gift. I’m just glad that you’ll have professional instruction on how to use it. Buffy raised an eyebrow at Giles who was looking on from Spike’s lazy boy. After a moment Buffy ripped into the package, drawing out a cleverly wrapped set of keys. “Keys?” asked Buffy curiously. The whole room looked at her waiting for her to clue in. “Car keys!” she finally said bouncing up off the floor and whipping open the front door. There in her driveway was a black convertible. “I love it!” Buffy gushed, running to hug her watcher. __________________________________________ Buffy was truly sad when Christmas was over. Hank and Valery left, Valery without any intention of coming back and Hank with a promise of frequent phone calls and invites for the summer holidays. Buffy just smiled sadly. She had a feeling that Hank would never see his grandchildren again. They left the city taking with them their white sedan, heading for California, but it didn’t seem to phase Buffy, or anyone living at the Pinehill street house much. Buffy had a fun new car to drive around, well as soon as Spike taught her how to drive without taking the side view mirrors off the car. She didn’t want this car to meet an untimely fate. Giles and Andrew left for England just before New Year’s. Apparently the Watcher’s Council had a big formal to do every New Year’s Eve. Anya was in a big huff that she couldn’t go, she had become quite attached to Giles since he had come back to the States. Sure, it had started because she was mad at Xander, and a little because of the Grannie Anya thing, but now it seemed that Anya was in definite ‘like’ with Giles, as Dawn so charmingly put it. So Anya pouted, until Willow reminded her that she was a Vengeance Demon and could teleport anywhere she wanted. Without Anya, New Year’s was dull. Buffy, Spike, Oz and Willow went out to a posh club, leaving Xander at home to baby sit. Dawn went to a party with some friends from school. Xander intended to use this alone time with Ariel to find out exactly what it was that Ariel was keeping from him. Like all the others in the house Xander had asked her not so subtle questions about who he ended up with in the end, how many kids he had, how he died, etc. But every time that he had asked her, she had simply responded that she wasn’t going to tell him, and that he wouldn’t believe her even if she did. Xander had already surmised that Anya ended up with Giles, and he was ok about it. He was convinced that somewhere out there, there was the perfect woman out there for him, and he would find her eventually, it was just that he wanted to find her first, so that he could make a good impression instead of subjecting her to the spazmoidal first impression that he knew he was going to make. In the end though, the evening was a bust. Ariel kissed Uncle Xander on the cheek at midnight and headed off to bed, without telling her secret. __________________________________________ Walking home, little bit drunk, Buffy and Spike held hands in the biting cold wind. “I miss California,” Buffy complained. Spike sighed. “We can take the bits and go back, Goldilocks, if that’s what you want.” Buffy shook her head. “No, Cleveland is home now. I just don’t like the cold.” “From what it sounds like, love, we are going to be here for a long time.” “A long time and a lot of children from now.” Spike nodded. “Eleven little half slayer half vampires,” continued Buffy with a smile. “Two of which get turned.” Buffy’s smile disappeared. “I was hoping that I hadn’t actually heard that,” she said defeated. Spike sighed and wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulder. “Love we have to let our lives be our lives. If we start second guessing everything, we’ll end up keeping the lot of them at home.” “I know, it’s just that, I don’t want my children to be vamps.” Spike frowned. “I mean it’s not like I’ve even had these children we are talking about but, I don’t want them to die Spike. I want to be able to have my children and grandchildren around me went I die.” “Right now it seems that the only what that’s going to happy, Slayer, is if your children achieve immortality like yourself. Being vamped isn’t so bad, if you got the right Sire.” “Oh like you had the best siring. Drusilla’s a loon and you know it. I’m sure that Angelus wasn’t the caring Grandpa that Giles is looking forward to being. Do you honestly want what you had for our kids Spike?” Spike knew when he was defeated. “No, I suppose not, Love.” Buffy smiled. She squeezed his arm. “I know what you mean, all vampires aren’t evil, but what if they end up like Angelus? Or Dru? Or Darla? I don’t think I could dust my kid Spike. Do you?” Spike shook his head. “I didn’t think so.” __________________________________________ tbc... Only 2 more Chapters left!

Chapter #28 - Goodbyes

Disclaimer: Joss owns the lot, well except for Ariel, Cat, and Victoria. Author’s note: Just a bit of clarification. There will be only one more chapter of The Rest of Our Lives after this instalment. This does not mean that the story will not be continued. The story will be continued in a sequel. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. __________________________________________ Chapter 28: Goodbyes New Year’s day, complete with fancy dinner and resolutions was interrupted just after sunset, by a knock on the door. Great Mrs Morganson from down the street still thinks Giles is here, thought Buffy. Buffy opened the door to reveal what she could only describe as her sixteen year old self looking at her. “Holy crap,” muttered Buffy. “Spike!” she yelled, causing the girl at the door to cringe. “Ouch,” said the girl at the door, “Could you tone down the decibels? Buffy looked hard at the girl. She was getting vamp tinglies from her. “Bloody Hell! It’s another one,” said Spike from behind her. “This one’s a vamp,” said Buffy. The girl at the door rolled her eyes. “I guess it’s comforting that you two never change. I’m here to pick up Ariel and Cat.” “And you would be?” asked Buffy. “Oh right, sorry. I’m Victoria Jennifer Graves.” “Vicky!” squealed Ariel coming down the stairs. Ariel rushed past Buffy and Spike and flew into Vicky’s arms. “Hey Ari,” said Vicky with a smile. “It’s all over right? We can go home home now?” asked Ariel tearfully. “Ya Ari, it’s over. We can’t go home though. You remember seeing the Sunnydale crater?” Ariel nodded. “Well there’s a Cleveland crater now. We’re going to go to England, that’s where the next hellmouth is.” “What about all my stuff?” Vicky smiled. “We shipped it to the new house. Mum’s done this before.” Vicky looked into the face of her mother’s younger self. “You need to pack up the stuff you want to take back with you. The gateway is only going to stay open for a short time.” Ariel nodded and rushed back upstairs. “Come in,” said Buffy at last. “Thanks,” said Vicky. “And thanks for taking Ariel and Cat for us.” “No problem at all,” murmured Buffy. Vicky entered the house, making sure to not lock eyes with Spike. Buffy thought it a bit odd that Vicky wouldn’t look at him at all. Buffy closed the door. “He burnt again didn’t he?” asked Buffy suddenly, her voice wavering. “That’s why you won’t look at him.” Vicky sniffed. “Ya, happened a lot like last time you closed the hellmouth, potentials died, Da saved the world, again.” “He’ll come back thought right?” asked Buffy, grabbing Spike’s hand. “That’s what Mum says.” “97 days,” murmured Buffy. “Ok, I’m ready,” said Ariel, carrying what seemed like half her room. “Where’s Catherine?” asked Vicky. “She’s off with Anya,” said Buffy. Anya had come back from her New Year’s party at the Watcher’s Council mad at Giles, and full of tales about how a girl watcher in England had the hots for Andrew. From what Anya had told Buffy, Giles had done the unthinkable and had only danced with her once during the course of the evening. “It’s prejudice,” Anya had said in a huff. “He’s all ‘I’m the leader of a secret organization that protects the world from demons’ and he’s refusing to be seen with a demon, that he has known and previously kissed I might add too, in public.” Buffy had just rolled her eyes at the whole tirade. “She has to come too,” said Victoria of Cat. “I think Mum would have a conniption if I didn’t bring Cat back. Or maybe not, but then Bianca wouldn’t be able to lord it over all us underlings that she was first born,” said Vicky. Ariel laughed. “Which reminds me,” Vicky pulled a stack of envelopes from her inside jacket pocket and handed them to Buffy. “Each envelope holds the name of your kids, you aren’t allowed to open them until that kid is born. Rowan put spells on all of them. See this one?” said Vicky holding up an envelope, “This one is me, but you won’t be able to open it until I’m born, go ahead, try to rip it...” “I’ll take your word for it,” said Buffy. “Mum said that you’d probably name us kids the names in the envelopes anyway, but she didn’t want Ariel to have a fit.” “Hey!” protested Ariel. “Buffy! Do you know where Andrew’s video camera is?” yelled Dawn from the second floor. “Andrew?” asked Vicky. “Don’t ask, he is strange,” said Ariel. Vicky nodded. “But the person yelling? That’s crusty old Auntie Dawn.” “No, way!” said Vicky, rushing up to go see her aunt. Buffy let her eyes follow the mysterious third daughter. There was a scream. “Help! I’m being hugged!” shouted Dawn. “Ya, Vicky’s like oh so old, but she still acts 17,” said Ariel wisely. “She was turned at 17?” asked Spike “Ya,” “She’s Aurelian,” said Spike. “Yes...” “And I’m not telling you who turns me Da,” said Vicky as she came back down the stairs. “I won’t have you hunting down my sire.” “Did you take care of your sire when you were turned?” “No, she’s still out there somewhere. She wasn’t too pleased when I went and got myself a soul.” Spike chuckled. “They never are pet.” Vicky smiled. In the silence that followed, Ariel, Buffy and Spike all looking at Vicky with curiosity, the back door opened. “I have a toddler that really needs to pee back here,” said Anya from the back door. The family at the door turned and looked toward Anya’s voice. Buffy rushed a little to make sure that Cat got to the bathroom in time. Standing covered in snow and her pink snowsuit that Buffy had purchased for her after the first snow, Cat clapped happily. “Is that another one?” asked Anya, tugging at the zipper to Cat’s coat. “I’m Vicky, Grannie Anya,” said Victoria shyly. “Hello,” said Anya removing Cat’s hat and scarf. “Vicky!” said Cat happily. “Hey short stuff.” “Gacie too?” asked Cat expectantly. “No, honey, Grace couldn’t come. We are going back through the swirly vortex again.” “She was asleep for the last one,” said Ariel. “Oh,” said Vicky. “Potty?” “Potty,” agreed Cat. Vicky scooped up her sister and headed to the bathroom on the second floor. Ariel hitched her bag up over her shoulder and stared at her parents, or their younger versions of themselves. “Thanks, for you know, stuff,” said Ariel finally looking at the floor. Buffy smiled. “No problem, Ariel.” “Oh, could I ask you a favour?” asked the tween. “Sure,” said Buffy with a smile. “When I take the scythe for show and tell when I’m 6, can you not be so harsh next time? Cause, I don’t think that a six year old should have to polish weapons.” “Clearly you were very traumatised by the incident,” observed Anya. Ariel nodded. Vicky and Cat interrupted the confessions by coming down the stairs, the toddler all packed up and carrying her Hello Kitty back pack. “Don’t let her guilt trip you Mum,” said Vicky with a smile. “Ariel has a talent for getting into trouble.” “I do not!” protested Ariel. “Whatever Ari, we have to get back. I promised Mum, we’d be quick,” said Vicky. “I don’t want you to go,” said Buffy quietly. “You will see us again Mum, course it will be a while, but we will see you again,” said Ariel with a smile. “You won’t tell us, just exactly when I get to be a grandma?” asked Anya. Vicky laughed. “Course not. It’s fun having a secret or two from you, Grannie Anya, it’s hard to find something that you actually don’t know. I mean you are ancient. More so than Da or Grandpa Angel.” Anya nodded. “I could make you tell me you know, you are just a vampire.” “And you are just a Vengeance Demon,” said Vicky with a glint in her eye. “And when the posturing is over, can I hug you?” asked Buffy. The idea that she wouldn’t see Ariel and Cat for a long long time was causing the Slayer to tear up. She wanted to hug them, she wanted to not let go. Dawn and Xander appeared just as Buffy was pulling away from her hug with Ariel. Ariel waved at her Uncle and Aunt. “Bye Uncle Xander!” said Ariel with a smile. It was a forced smile. “She’s gonna love you forever, even when she becomes someone else,” offered Ariel. “Ariel Dawn!” barked Vicky. “What I’m not giving anything away!” whined Ariel. “Chrissy wouldn’t want you to announce that, she’s getting married next month!” “She doesn’t love him!” said Ariel. “She loves Uncle Xander!” Xander watched the exchange with interest. Too much interest Vicky decided. “Look, you don’t marry someone called Chrissy. It’s a thing, a reincarnation thing. I still won’t tell you who you marry,” said Vicky resolutely. “The idea that he marries anyone at all boggles my mind,” sniped Anya. “You get married before he does Grannie Anya,” said Ariel, putting a smile on Anya’s face. Before they could get into yet another side bar conversation, Vicky picked up Cat and grabbed Ariel’s hand. She exited the hallway and the house producing a flash of light. Buffy stared out onto the front porch, where Victoria had disappeared with Ariel and Cat, dumb founded. “They’re gone,” she said sadly. “Yes,” said Anya. “Does that mean I can have Ariel’s room?” __________________________________________ Buffy looked longingly at the front door of her house. It had been 2 days since Ariel and Cat had just walked out of that door and out of her life. She was left with more questions than she had answers for and a stack of envelopes that she couldn’t open. Anya moved her stuff into Ariel’s room the same day the tween had left the house. Buffy hadn’t the energy to protest, she merely flopped down on the couch in the living room and sobbed at the loss of her children. They all had tried to console her. Willow with cookies, Anya and Xander with spontaneous hugs. In the end nothing worked, because the one person they all knew would be able to stop her crying was himself just coping with the situation. Dawn tried to diffuse questions from Ariel’s school about her absence from classes once the school year resumed. January continued along, without realizing that the house on Pinehill street was in a sort of mourning. Giles and Andrew were informed of the change of population in the house. Buffy even received a sympathy card from Drusilla, who was still in Angel’s custody in LA. Mrs Graves, Our little Drusilla will arrive again, the pixies foretell it. You must believe the pixies, and Miss Edith, she rarely lies, and when she does I punish her. My Angel broods, and is angry at the sunshine. He doesn’t know what will comes, as I do. Fairy dust is coating the world, making all the tea magic. You have to wait for the tea to be magic and our little Catherine will return. Give Mr Graves my best regards. Yours etc, Catherine Mary St John Drusilla, childe of Angelus Magic Tea? thought Buffy upon reading this cryptic note. __________________________________________ tbc...

Chapter #29 - Changes

Disclaimer: Joss is god. I am a lowly plebe in the world of Spuffy. __________________________________________ Chapter 29: Changes January also saw the return to classes of Willow and Anya, providing Xander with Anya free time between the hours of 10 am and 5pm Monday thru Thursday. The Watcher’s Council had even set Xander up with a job as Dawn’s high school librarian. Buffy just figured it was Giles’ revenge for all the jabs Xander sent his way over the years. Buffy herself, though she had started to look into it, had never actually signed up for courses for the winter semester. In someway, her subconscious wanted to continue to be exactly what she had been doing with her life since October. Buffy Anne Summers wanted to be a stay at home mom, she wanted to have her children, all eleven of them. She wanted to have that family that she had always thought she’d never have. Now she didn’t have the kids anymore. There was a way to fix that though. Buffy cast a furtive look at her lover. He was trying to convince Oz that he should ditch the other Werewolves on a Merry-go-round and join up with him and a demon named Armus and form a band. Buffy rolled her eyes. Armus she had met; he had 4 arms and was blue. No way would this new potential band be able to play any venue other than demon based. “Buffy!” screamed Anya from her new room. The screaming was accompanied by the thundering footsteps of a demon on the run. Sure enough, Anya ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where Buffy was sipping milk and watching her lover debate the points of demon bands with Oz. “Buffy!” panted the demon. “I found...She left...Here.” Anya thrust something into Buffy’s hand. It was from Ariel. Anya had been clearing out most of Ariel’s stuff and depositing it in the attic until such time as Ariel was born. Carefully Buffy opened the sealed envelope, as the rest of the household gathered in the kitchen waiting to hear what Ariel wrote to her mother. Mum and Da, I know that I’ve been way cryptic with all the stuff I’ve been telling you two about the future, and really that’s the way it has to be. When I go home, to the future, I know I’m going to leave a lot of questions unanswered for you. I know that the thing that’s gonna bother you the most is that Vampires can’t have kids. I know Mum jokes a lot about cold dead seed, I’ve had the sex talk, and lets just say ewww to the extreme. What I can tell you is that you won’t get pregnant until 2 years after you get married. Does that help? I don’t know if it will. Makes me wish that I’d stick around to be a bride’s maid at my parents wedding. Odd isn’t it? With all the craziness that’s been going on, holidays and such (and bollocks I just sounded like Da) I know it’s hard to realise the big picture sometimes, especially when there is the demon versus human war going on in the dinning room. Here’s the big picture as I, a twelve year old see it. Uncle Xander needs us, he’d be lost without the mess that is the Scooby Gang. Auntie Dawn needs to prove to herself and the rest of the Scooby Gang that she is a Scooby. And she will do it, and do it well. You’ll be proud of her Mum. Grandpa Giles, he’s impressive, but he’s lonely as of right now...that changes soon. I’ve heard so many stories about Grandpa Giles my whole life that it’s hard to believe that the man I met was in fact Rupert Giles, restorer of the Watcher’s council, Warlock and mentor. I can certainly see how a woman could be devoted to him so many years after his death. Grandma Anya, I don’t know what she’s like as a human, I’ve heard she was one for a while. She gets over the vengeance thing eventually, which is good, cause I remember making a few wishes against my sisters that I got spanked for that I regret saying now. Auntie Willow is the most powerful creature living in that house. You all know it, and yet you hide from it. I’m glad I met her. Uncle Oz can’t really be understood, by me anyway. Do not let Da form a band with the werewolves, this leads to badness of massive proportions. Grandma Dru is a pure soul trapped in a villain's body. Yes she’s done bad things, and she will continue to do bad things. Please don’t hurt her, or dust her, she plays a larger part in our family’s history than anyone but D can know. What Drusilla said was true. D and Dru are connected somehow, but you have years to figure that out. I’m sure you will, cause there are things that you won’t tell me in the future. Mum, and Da, you need each other, no matter how hard you fight each other or nasties in graveyards, you are each other’s strength. Some kids say that their world ends when their parents divorce. I know for a fact that if mine ever did, it honest to god would. And that’s what scares me. The future is rough, even before I showed up. It’s not going to be easy knowing that you outlive your children, or that two of them are turned into full fledged vampires. But I think you should be proud that along with the vampires and the bratty kids, my sisters are a remarkable group of women who from time to time get up off their lazy rears and save the world, cause that’s what this family does. We save the world. We should have a coat of arms or something. Your loving daughter, Ariel Dawn Summers-Graves. Buffy looked up from the letter with tears in her eyes. That a twelve year old could see them so clearly was amazing. __________________________________________ Spike threw open the front door of the Pinehill Street house. He’d been stuck all day in the cemetery hiding from the sun. Bloody Wanker Sithol Demons. He’d stumbled on a nest of them while he was alone. It had taken practically all the dark hours to kill them and track down the ones that ran. Would have been nice to have help. Buffy had been acting all strange for a week. At first he had thought that she was having issues with her demon again, but wouldn’t that make her want to fight and be violent? No, he reasoned. Another though flitted through his mind. His birthday was today. He couldn’t believe he had actually given that info up when she wanted to know. Ok, she was teasing him without mercy, got him hard and then refused to follow through until he told her. Fuck, he could deny her nothing. Pain of death by tickling, he warned if she ever told anyone else especially a Watcher. Spike cringed as he walked into the living room half expecting a surprise party. What he found was the room lighted by candles and Bryan Adams playing the background. Buffy was standing in the middle of the room dressed in a silk slip dress of a wine colour. Her hair down about her shoulders. A fire cackled in the fireplace. “Buffy luv, what’s all this?” he asked before Buffy could shush him. “Spike, please just let me say what I have to say before I muck it up.” Buffy took his hands. “You have been my enemy, my unwanted ally, my lover, my friend and my counsellor. You’ve protected Dawn and I, through terrible torture and emotional torment. You’ve saved the world, you’ve saved my life. I’ve hated you, feared you, failed you. I love you Spike, I don’t deserve you, yet I know you love me too, I need you, forever in my life. I never want to be without you again.” Buffy got down on one knee. “William John Graves, will you marry me?” Buffy was smiling so big looking so hopefully up at him it crushed him. In a flash he was down on his knees too. “Yes, Buffy I’ll marry you, if that is what you want.” Buffy caught him up in her arms. “Yay!” she said weakly. They kissed, holding each other tightly. Spike could hear the thumping of feet on the stairs as Dawn came running out of her room. The teenager flew to the couple and gave them both a hug. “That was beautiful,” she sniffed. She turned to the fireplace. “And we can watch and re-watch all we like.” Dawn turned around to reveal a video camera hidden on the mantle. “Just one of the annoying habits of Andrew that rubbed off on our Dawnie,” said Xander coming down the stairs in a quicker fashion. “Congratulations you two,” he continued offering a hand to Spike who took it looking surprised. “Come on Xander, you loved it, all teary eyed just like me,” said Buffy. “And the emasculating continues,” said Xander. “Please just tell me that I’ll wear a tux at your wedding, rather than a dress.” “Absolutely Xan, no frilly dresses for you,” said Buffy. __________________________________________ The wedding was planned for the summer, the day that Sunnydale sank into the crater to be exact. Buffy wanted new memories for that day. She still had nightmares, about Spike burning and now, knowing that it would happen again, it was bringing the old fears to the surface once more. The invitation list was extensive, demons, former potentials, AI crew, Scoobies, Watchers and distant Summers family were all invited to what Dawn dubbed as the wedding of the century. The ceremony itself was held in the Pinehill street cemetery, at dusk. Willow had put up wards so that anyone not on the invitation list would be bounced back from a barrier. Buffy knew that times were changing. Despite the fact that the Scoobies had all moved themselves back into her house didn’t change that. Nothing was going to stay the same forever. Dawn had graduated high school and was going off to Oxford in the fall. Anya was giving up higher education, her new Magic Box store was taking up so much of her time now. Xander was being cycled back to England, Andrew was coming back to stay. Willow had finally earned herself some letters after her name. Willow Rosenburg, B.A. Willow was off to England too, to earn some more letters at Cambridge. Buffy looked sadly at the emptiness of her house as she prepared for her walk across the street and down an aisle decorated with night blooming flowers. Her white Victorian style dress made swhooshing noises behind her as she travelled down the stairs of her home. “Are you ready for this?” asked Dawn who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a burgundy dress, her brown hair in ringlets. Buffy nodded with a smile. Her sister had grown up in the past year. A year that had seen an apocalypse but little else. The powers that be had decided to give Buffy some well deserved time off. Dawn fiddled with Buffy’s veil and handed the bride her bouquet. “Damn, you look fine B,” said Faith, also a bride’s maid, who was standing behind a decorated stroller, in which slept Richard Nicholas Wood, her son, and the ring bearer for the occasion. Buffy had been a little disappointed that Faith hadn’t had a girl, like Ariel said she would, but then Faith and Robin still were together. Robin was somewhere being an usher in the cemetery right now. The three month old baby had no idea what was going on. There was a flash of light. Anya appeared in their midst. “Ok, they are ready for you Buffy,” said Anya with a smile. “Xander has Spike shackled in place so he doesn’t run off.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Mrs. Graves?” inquired the last remaining person in the hallway. “Yes Dru?” asked Buffy. “Miss Edith is angry she didn’t get a dress,” whined the vampire. “Then Miss Edith should have remembered that it’s not nice to play with my swords,” said Buffy sternly. Dru had broken into the training room and scared the living daylights out of Giles the night before. As punishment, Buffy refused to let the doll come to the ceremony. Dru nodded and headed out the door, taking her place behind Faith and Richard. “I don’t get why she calls you Mrs Graves..” muttered Dawn. Buffy smiled. “You aren’t Mrs Graves, at least you won’t be for another half hour” “Yep,” said the Slayer with a smile. “Mrs William John Graves.” “And here I thought that Mrs the Bloody was going to be your married name.” __________________________________________ The end, for now. Author’s note: There will be a sequel, how could I not? Thanks to everyone who has been following this story and the very encouraging reviews you have written. *hugs*