Chapter 21

 

  Thank you to Oracleholly for the beta'ing!!
 
Buffy stared at the ghostly form of her mother before nodding and turning on her heel. “Do you need anything?”
 
“No darling we have everything in hand."  Joyce smiled widely at the others as she and her companion wafted past them on their way to the basement.  The stunned Scoobies simply followed quietly, each wondering what the ghostly figures could do.
 
Buffy stopped in the doorway as she watched Spike. He was lying awkwardly on the bed with his eyes pressed shut, his ear pressed against Rebecca’s rounded stomach. 
 
“Spike,” she whispered softly. 
 
He gave no indication of having heard her. “Spike...” Buffy moved closer to his side, her hand gently touching his shoulder.
 
Spike started slightly before he turned his face to look at her.  Buffy could see the pain that clouded them; the same pain that she knew was mirrored in her own.  “Spike, I’ve brought help. ” She motioned towards the entrance of the room where the two ghostly figures stood.
 
Spike stared at the figures in the door in confusion. “Joyce?” he questioned before he finally noticed the second figure, “Mum?”
 
“Hello William dear.” Anne moved into the room and stood before the bed.
 
“How...?” Spike stood up, bringing a hand forward to caress the face from his past.  A quizzical look flashed across his features as his hand passed through his beloved mother's face, having met little resistance as if being dragged through water.
 
Anne simply smiled. “There is much to explain and very little time.”  She turned towards Joyce, “Lets see about delivering this baby.”
 
Buffy gently drew Spike back as Joyce and Anne moved to either side of the bed, arms outstretched, palms facing downwards.  A soft light began to pulse and envelope the pair and the motionless figure on the bed. 
 
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Xander wandered in the door of the Summers' house happily munching on a bag of Cheetos.  He had been trying to decide what everyone would like to eat, when he realised that he was probably going to miss the moment that Buffy was restored as well as the grand tossing out of Spike, so he had hurriedly grabbed a few snack foods and rushed back.  After all, there was nothing better the munchies and a show.
 
His jubilant mood had increased with every step towards Revello Drive, so by the time he arrived he was practically bouncing.  Guessing that the spell was most likely being performed in the basement he practically ran downstairs, eager to have a front row seat.
 
As he made his way through the doorway to Spike and Rebecca’s room, he jostled his way through the others and stood surveying the scene.
 
Two white figures stood over the bed where Rebecca lay - a light enveloping them.  Reaching into his bag of Cheetos once more he noisily stuffed his mouth full before speaking, “So are they doing the spell to make Buffy better now?” 
 
Scowling he noticed that Buffy was standing beside Spike, well actually more like molded to his side.  “Hey Deadboy!  Don’t get too used to that.”   Xander began to move forward to pull Buffy away from the bleached vampire’s side.  He didn’t want her to be too grossed out when the spell was completed and she was back to her old self, after all HE remembered what it was like after Willow’s will be done spell.
 
Tara had been frowning ever since Xander had arrived, an air or ‘wrongness’ seemed to cling to him, and she could almost taste it clogging her throat.  She had gasped when she had heard his comments, and her eyes had flown to the blond couple, who had thankfully remained oblivious to all but the each other and the figures at the bedside.  When Xander had started to move forward she reacted without thinking, her hand flying up to grab him by the ear. 
 
Tara watched as Xander’s expression changed to one of surprise and then anger. Realizing that he would most likely ignore her non-too subtle warning, she pressed the tip of her fingernail into the tender flesh of his earlobe.  She tried to suppress the small smile that twitched at her lips as his face registered that fact that being pulled by the ear in this manner was in fact quiet painful. ‘No wonder Spike likes his violence.  It can feel very… satisfying.’ Giving another sharp tug, she pulled Xander out of the room and over to the laundry area, ignoring his protests as they went.  Roughly she shoved him against the dryer, crossing her arms as she waited for him to explain himself.
 
“Geez Tara what is wrong with you?” Xander whined like a petulant child. “All I wanted to do was help Buffy.”
 
“Help her?” Tara was incredulous. “How? By being rude and obnoxious?”
 
Xander huffed looking at Tara as if she’d grown another head, “When they finish the spell to make Buffy herself again, she’ll realise that it’s Bleach Boy that she’s been hanging onto, and it’ll gross her out, just like after Willow’s spell.”
 
Tara concentrated on Xander trying to find the source of the ‘wrongness’ that was emanating from him.  “Xander is that what you think is going on right now?”  Tara’s eyes widened slightly as she managed to glimpse a dark shadow surrounding him before it faded once again.  “That’s not what’s happening.”
 
Confusion settled itself upon Xander. “Huh? Why not? What are they doing then?”
 
Tara placed a settling hand on his arm, “Spike discovered that the baby was still alive. The spell is to deliver the baby.”
 
A dark anger rose up to cloud Xander's face, “Why would we want that?”
 
Tara tightened her grip slightly before answering. “Because we can’t just let an innocent baby die Xander. Plus if the baby dies, we lose our familial claim.”
 
“And that would be bad because...?” Xander's whole body went rigid. “If we stop this freak show then everything will go back to normal.”  He made to rush back in the room when he felt Tara’s hand gripping his arm tightly. “Let me go!” Xander ground out turning deadly eyes on the gentle Wicca.
 
Tara gasped lightly as the dark shadow seemed to envelope Xander once again. “I can’t let you do that.” Tightening her grip on him even more she forced herself to meet his eyes without flinching away “Quiesco.”  As the command was whispered out, Tara moved forward to awkwardly maneuver him to the ground as a spell induced sleep hit him.
 
Stepping back Tara watched him for a moment before she was satisfied that Xander would remain under the effects of her spell until she chose to awaken him.  Smoothing her clothing lightly she moved back towards the room where the others watched and waited.
 
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Tara entered the room in time to witness as the light emanating from the two ghostly women seem to get brighter until it suddenly flared brilliantly.
 
As the group’s eyes began to adjust, they could just make out a figure floating in the air between the two specters, a small baby shaped figure.
 
Spike stared in awe the wriggling child seemingly suspended in midair; Anne appeared to gather the child in her arms as she moved towards him, “William would you like to meet your daughter?”
 
Spike gently ran a finger down the baby’s downy cheek, awed at the fragile creature before him.  He could feel his heart constrict in his chest as his eyes flicked from one person to the next.  This wasn’t right, he was an evil creature, and this beautiful innocent little child couldn’t possibly be his. “She’s so little.”
 
“She’s also very weak William; she’ll need her daddy to look after her.” Anne watched the awe spread across her beloved child’s face as he gentle lifted the precious bundle into his arms.
 
Buffy moved forward to study the baby, “She looks like her mother.” Turning back she watched as Willow and Tara moved forward to draw the sheets across Rebecca’s prone form, she felt grief and joy warring inside her as she once again turned her attention back to Spike. “Why don’t we take her upstairs where there’s more room?”
 
Spike nodded as the others began to make their way upstairs. Moving forward he stood over the bed that held his first love, the mother of his child, his beloved wife.  Bending he placed his tiny daughter on Rebecca’s chest, leaving one hand on the babies baby’s back he used the other to smooth Rebecca’s hair before placing a soft kiss on her cold lips, “Thank you my love.”  Gathering the baby into his arms once more he moved towards the door where Buffy waited for him.
 
Buffy waited until Spike reached her side before wrapping an arm around his waist offering her silent support before they moved back upstairs.
 
As they entered into the kitchen Spike stepped into the sunlight pouring through the still open door, starting as his exposed flesh began to smoke.  Hurriedly Buffy pushed him backwards as the others rushed to sun proof the room.  “Where’s your ring?”
 
“Oh its here!” Anya plucked the ring from the top of the refrigerator and moved over to the pair.  “It was lying outside on the grass, so I bought brought it in and cleaned it for you.” She handed the ring to Spike a pleased _expression lighting her face. “You can use it to play fatherly games in the sun with your daughter when she becomes less small and is able to move without assistance.”
 
Spike watched absently as Buffy took the ring from him and slid it back on his finger. “Thank you Anya.” Buffy felt a rush of gratitude for the ex-demons practicality.
 
Dawn took this opportunity to speak up, “What happens now?  I mean with…?” she waved her hand in the direction of the basement door unable to complete the sentence.
 
“Midian,” Spike whispered hoarsely, “Magic can’t touch her there can it?” He directed his question towards the two Wiccas.
 
“No.” Willow shook her head, “Midian is shielded from dark magic.”  She moved to Spike’s side and absently cooed at the baby. “No one will be able to bring her back.  I promise!”
 
Spike nodded his understanding. “Can we go now?”
 
Giles spoke up, his eyes misting as he took in the defeated grief stricken posture the vampire exuded.  He had only seen Spike like this once before, when Buffy had died. 
Giles knew then, deep down inside his very soul he knew.  Spike had truly loved Buffy; he had never truly believed it before.  Now, it was a simple truth revealed by the death of another woman that Spike had loved just as deeply. 
 
At that moment Giles truly accepted that Spike was more then just William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, leashed vampire, soulless killer, sometimes ally.  He was William Duncan, beloved son, devoted husband, new father, loyal friend and the man who would stand unfaltering beside his slayer until the end.
 
“Spike.  Perhaps you and Buffy should take the baby through to Midian.  I’m sure Hoston and Sarah would love to meet her.” Giles saw Spikes eyes dart towards the basement “We’ll bring her along shortly.” he clasped Spikes shoulder in an attempt to convey his sympathy, “She’ll be well cared for.”
 
Buffy felt a tear escape and coarse down her face as she watched the last barrier between the two men fall, “Thank you Giles.” Reaching up she kissed his cheek lightly before once again wrapping an arm around Spikes waist and leading him upstairs towards the entrance to Midian.
 
Giles waited until the blonde pair had left before taking charge of the arrangements. “Does anyone know if Xander has returned yet?  We could perhaps make a stretcher of some description, but I’ll need his assistance to carry Rebecca.”
 
“Ummm Giles,” Tara took this opportunity to speak up, “Xander arrived during the spell to deliver the baby.” She inhaled deeply, bracing herself before continuing. “I had to place him under a sleep spell, there’s something very wrong with him.”
 
The others waited for her to continue. “He started to interfere with the ceremony, so I removed him from the room.”
 
Giles frowned, “I vaguely recall something.”
 
“He started saying something about a spell to make Buffy whole again, and getting rid of Spike and the baby.” Tara shivered lightly as she rubbed absently at her arms “I could sense something wrong about him Giles, and just for a moment I saw….” Willow wrapped her arms around Tara’s shoulders, offering comfort. “I saw a darkness surrounding him Giles.”
 
“Oh dear,”
 
“I think something is affecting him…a spell maybe,” Tara caught Willow’s eyes, “Whatever it was, it was dark, old.”
 
“Perhaps.” the group startled as Anne spoke, having forgotten about the specters in their midst. “Joyce and I are Rebecca’s guardian spirits, perhaps we can tend to her while you tend to Xander.” 
 
Joyce smiled at Giles’s confused expression. “We’re supernatural beings Rupert, we can deal with this task easily.”
 
Giles sighed suddenly feeling weary, “Very well. If you two ladies could that, we will deal with getting Xander to Midian and into care until we can discern the source of this…wrongness.”
 
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Spike stood staring at the ring that flashed as the last rays of the sun dance on its surface.  He moved his hand slightly from side to side watching the patterns flaring within the gems surface; he looked to where the light reflected onto the nearby trees.  Anything to stop himself from looking down, to where she lay, once again covered in dirt, resting. 
 
They had all stood here a few hours ago, speaking words he didn’t quite hear and offering comfort he couldn’t feel.  He remembered clutching the tiny form of his newborn daughter to his chest until gentle hands had lifted her from his arms and voices had murmured about feeding and bathing.
 
He remembered standing at a grave much like this before, the first time the soft hands and concerned voices of his mother and Hoston had drawn him from his beloved’s side.  An echo sounded in his mind, a masculine voice, ‘your mother needs you;’ he had gone on then devoting himself to her care until she urged him to move on. 
 
There had been no graveside for him to stand at when his mother had died, when he had killed her in his misguided attempt to save her.  She had disappeared into ashes by his own hands, but she was here now, a guardian for the powers, not damned to hell as he had long feared.
 
He had stood beside another grave though, and grieved for the woman he loved.  That time it had been Tara’s gentle hands that had drawn him from her side, and it had been Dawn’s tearful words that had kept him going. ‘I need you Spike.’
 
He started slightly as a gentle hand touched his arms; he turned to look into Buffy’s sorrow filled eyes.  No trite words of sympathy fell from her lips, no words of need, just a soft sad smile before she rested her head against her shoulder.
 
Spike stood for a few minutes before closing his eyes and inhaling deeply; he caught the scents of those who had paid their respects to Rebecca.  He could smell the soft innocent scent of his daughter and the intermingling of vanilla and wildflowers and freshly turned earth.  He heard a small gasp escape from Buffy, and he opened his eyes once more and followed startled gaze.  Spike watched in amazement as wildflowers sprang from the newly covered grave, blanketing it in a riot of color.
 
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The Scoobies sat around the large table where they had meet the elders months ago.  They had dealt with Rebecca’s burial and then seen to Xander’s ‘condition’.  Jayala had suggested that Xander remain in Midian under constant supervision until the source of the malevolent presence could be determined.
 
After they had managed to settle Xander in a secure room, Tara had brought him out of his spell-induced sleep.  They had all been shocked by Xander’s violent reaction to being contained.  Thankfully Jayala had placed a cloaking spell around his room, which prevented him from hurting himself as well as muting the sounds of his rage.
 
Now that they had nothing more to busy themselves with, the events of the day settled heavily upon them. The only source of relief was the baby who held all the females present enthralled.
 
Buffy and Spike entered the room quietly, taking a moment to watch the scene before them before making their presence known.  Buffy looked up at Spike, “You need to give her a name; we can’t keep calling her bubby or little one.”
 
Spike gave her a half smile as he made his way over to the women and gathered up his daughter, “Stacy, her name’s Stacy Rebecca Anne.”
 
“Ohhh pretty.” Dawn cooed as she once again started to play with the baby, “Hello Stacy, I’m your Aunty Dawn.”
 
Anya moved forward to stare at the baby for a moment. “It’s a very appropriate name;” she patted Spike awkwardly on the shoulder “It holds the correct amount of family names to satisfy traditional hereditary requirements as well as a unique contemporary name relevant to her birth.”
 
“Thank you Anya,”
 
“Huh?” Dawn stared at Anya in confusion, “What did that just mean?”
 
Anya sighed, ‘really sometimes these humans were just clueless,’ she sat down beside Dawn. “Well the names, Rebecca and Anne, belong to Stacy’s mother and grandmother, so therefore they are hereditary names.  The name Stacy isn’t a family name; however it is relevant because of its meaning.”
 
“What does it mean?”
 
Spike cleared his throat to get their attention, “Resurrection, Stacy means resurrection.  Becca thought it was appropriate.”
 
“It’s a lovely name William,” Anne drifted towards them, “And I’m sorry, but our time here is short, and we have much to tell you.”  She turned to address the others, “Joyce and I have had a message from the powers.”
 
Waiting until the others were seated Joyce joined Anne at the head of the table. “The powers have managed to trace the source of the spell surrounding Xander.”
 
Spike frowned as he realised for the first time that Xander was missing.
 
“The spell not only allowed the powers to trace it back to its source, but also enabled them to track other spells from the same source over thousands of years.”  Anne and Joyce moved closer to Spike and Buffy. “They lead back to Quentin Travers.”
 
Giles gave a deep sigh, “I had suspected that.”
 
“Unfortunately there’s more, the powers believe that he is responsible for Glory.  They have managed to track a spell to a dimension that we believe once held her prisoner as well as ones leading from that dimension to ours both in 1875 and 2001.” Joyce paused for a moment giving the others time to process this information.
 
“So you’re saying…….” Willow couldn’t finish the reality of it too much.
 
“Travers had Rebecca and Buffy murdered.” Steel crept into Spike’s voice as he contemplated the ways he would make Travers pay for hurting the women he loved.
 
“We have also found several more which directly affect all of you.” Anne continued, “You know about Xander.  There was another which we believe occurred at the precise time Willow was doing her resurrection spell.”
 
Joyce moved to comfort the now guilt-ridden Willow as tears began to well in her eyes, “It wasn’t your fault; Travers deliberately interfered in the spell.”
 
“We believe it was a deliberate attempt on their lives again.”
 
“But how?” Dawn turned fearful eyes towards her sister, the thought of losing her again clutching at her throat, “How could bringing two slayers back instead of one hurt them?”
 
“Travers knew that without the final part of her essence, Buffy would eventually weaken and be easily killed.  I don’t think he had figured on Giles finding Rebecca and bringing her to Sunnydale.  We were able to contact Rebecca before then, and she had been willing to sacrifice herself so that Buffy could become complete once again.” A look of pain crossed Spike’s face. “That was before she knew about you Spike.” Joyce reassured him. “That was one of the reasons it was decided to bring your child back, it allowed for the familial claim which in turn was helping to restore Buffy without harming Rebecca.”
 
Anne caressed Spike’s cheek, “There was one last spell that the powers were able to trace.  It led from several months after Rebecca’s first death in 1875 to today.”
 
Murmurs sprung up from around the room.
 
“We believe that Travers managed to harness the Rebecca’s predestined death and bring it forward in time to kill her now.”  
 
Giles leant forward his eagerness to learn more coming to the fore temporarily, “Her predestined death?”
 
“If Travers had not interfered Rebecca would have been killed by a Lathros Demon when she was eight months pregnant.” Anne explained, “It’s possible he had hoped that Stacy would perish as well, therefore severing the claim and leaving Buffy vulnerable once more.”
 
A low growl sounded from deep within Spike, “So you’re saying that Travers is going to come after Stacy.”  His grip tightened on his daughter to which she gave a soft mewl of protest.
 
Buffy managed to extricate Stacy from Spike’s arms and attempted to soothe her back to sleep. “Ok guys, I’m sick of planning we are going to start our offensive now.”  She propped Stacy against one shoulder as she stood and began to pace, patting the baby absently as she did. 
 
“Giles, you and Anya go to England as planned, but I want you to take Dawn with you.  Pretend you’re taking her on a holiday or something, that way you can show her around and pretend to do touristy things while you’re scoping things out, you shouldn’t raise too much suspicion that way.” 
 
She paused watching Spike for a moment before continuing, “Spike and I are going to stay here with Stacy for a few weeks, and before you ask it will be Sunnydale weeks.  That way Spike will have 4 or 5 months to grieve for Rebecca and devote to Stacy without her being put in danger.  I’ll go back and forth to cover patrol and keep in touch, but I’m only going to do short patrols every couple of days.”
 
“Willow and Tara, can you return to Sunnydale?  I know Anya will need someone to watch the shop, and it will give you the opportunity to research the spell that’s affecting Xander.”  Buffy thought for a moment, “Don’t trust anything that comes from the Council.”
 
“What about Xander?” questioned Willow unsure if she wanted him to return with them.
 
“I think Xander should stay here.  He’s protected from harm in the room Jayala has provided for him, and it will also give her time to try and remove the spell from this end.”
 
The others agreed with Buffy’s plan, moving to say their goodbyes to the two ghostly females before leaving to prepare for the weeks ahead.
 
Spike walked across to stand before Joyce and Anne, “Thank you for saving her.” 
 
Both women smiled; each gracing him with a soft kiss before Joyce moved away leaving Spike alone with his mother. “You have a beautiful family William,” Anne nodded across to where Buffy stood cradling Stacy, while Dawn stood beside them fussing over the sleeping child.  “Don’t grieve long my darling, they need you with them.”
 
Joyce stood before her daughters silently taking note of the small changes in each of them.  “Will we see you again mommy?” Dawn questioned quietly.
 
“Of course pumpkin belly, when the time is right I will see you both again.”  Joyce gave each of them a ghostly hug before moving back to Anne.
 
The small family watched as the two women began to fade, until all that remained were two small balls of light that darted upwards and out of sight.