Sunnydale, 2000


Tessa stood one hundred feet away from Spike’s crypt, watching as he walked out and headed towards the main entrance of the cemetery. She smiled to herself as she began to follow him, staying about fifty feet behind him to ensure he wouldn’t catch on to the fact someone was watching him closely.

It was as he reached Revello Drive that she began to realize where his intended destination was. She stopped in the shadows of a tree across the street from the Slayer’s house, recognizing it from the description Harmony had given her before.

“Well, why am I not surprised?” she asked. “Still love’s fool, aren’t you, William?”

She retrieved her cell phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed a number, watching as a middle-aged woman opened the door of the house and invited Spike inside.

“He’s got an all-access pass,” she mumbled, scowling as she waited for someone to answer the phone. “That’s just wonderful.”

“Hello?” a cheerful voice asked on the other line.

“He’s at Buffy’s house,” Tessa said. “You should have enough time to get rid of the body now.”

“Are you sure about this?” the other person asked. “I mean, don’t you think it’s risky?”

“We’re vampires – every night out is a risk,” Tessa answered. “Besides, there is no point in us keeping her – no one sired her. I expect the Slayer’s sister to be out of our home by the time I return.”

“Fine,” the vampire said. “I’ll get it done.”

Tessa hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket.

“Enjoy your surprise, William.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Buffy, I’m so sorry,” Joyce said, embracing her daughter.

“It’s not your fault,” Buffy replied despondently. “It’s mine. If I had done something differently-”

“Don’t blame yourself for Riley going to vampires.” Joyce ran her hand over her daughter’s hair, trying to comfort her.

“I know I should be focused on finding Dawn, but this is…” Buffy trailed off, shaking her head. “You know what? It’s not worth it. I knew Riley and I weren’t on the path to greatness – this is a good thing.”

“Buffy,” Joyce said, frowning.

“No,” Buffy said, taking a deep breath. “It really is okay – I don’t have to worry about him anymore. I’ve got more important things to pay attention to, things that really matter to me.”

They heard a knock on their door, and Joyce went to find out who it was while Buffy went into the living room and sat on the couch, covering her face with her hands and sighing. She heard her mother greet whoever it was before recognizing Spike’s voice as he replied to a question Joyce asked.

“Spike?” Buffy asked, watching as he walked into the room, giving her a small smile. “What are you doing here? It’s getting close to sunrise.”

“I wanted to see how you were,” he answered, putting his hands in his pockets. “Your mum told me that you broke up with Riley.”

“I didn’t really give him a choice,” Buffy said. “I told him to leave town, that I couldn’t stomach seeing him again after he had done something so stupid.”

“He’s gone for good?” he asked, surprised. “Can’t say I expected to hear that.”

“Well, it was necessary,” she muttered, looking down. “I don’t want him near the Hellmouth – he could end up going to a vampire who isn’t only out for blood and wants him dead.”

“Well, that’s typically what we like,” Spike replied. “Death appeals to us.”

“You came here just to find out what happened after I left before?” she asked. “You don’t have any new news on Dawn?”

“Afraid not,” he answered quietly. “Nothing from the Batcave?”

“Alfred doesn’t seem to have any leads,” she said in a light tone despite the sadness she was feeling. “No one does.”

“Don’t give up,” he replied. “Having hope is one of the best things you can do.”

Joyce leaned against the doorframe of the room, watching them for a moment before asking, “Anyone else want some hot chocolate? It might make things a bit better… for the moment, at least.”

“I should probably head out,” Spike answered. “The Slayer was right – I don’t have much time before the sun starts coming up.”

“Be careful, then,” Joyce said.

“That’s becoming a common phrase in this house,” he replied.

“Well, it’s good advice,” Buffy said. “I’ll see you after dark, Spike.”

“Goodnight, ladies,” he said, letting himself out of the house and beginning to walk back to the cemetery, taking as many shortcuts as possible to get back to his crypt as he began to feel the sunrise approaching quickly.

He opened the door and instantly tensed in place as the scent of death overwhelmed him. He looked around the interior and froze when he saw the body lying on top of one of the tombs. “Dawn?”

~~~~~~~~~~


London, 1880


“Would you like to walk around the city with me and feed?” William asked Tessa one evening, about a week after they had met Darla.

“You do not wish to have me accompany you?” Drusilla asked, pouting.

“You said a moment ago that you are not hungry, pet,” he replied. “Darla and Angelus offered to bring you back a toddler – I’m sure they will return soon.”

“Fine,” Drusilla said, annoyed. “Take the little girl out into the night. I shall wait here.”

Tessa sensed the tension between Drusilla and William and tugged on his shirtsleeve to get his attention. “Let’s leave – I can feel hunger pains.”

William looked at Drusilla for a long moment before nodding and opening the door of the suite, motioning for Tessa to leave first.

“We will be back within the hour,” he said.

“You love her more than you love me,” Drusilla said, looking outside.

“Drusilla,” he replied, frowning.

“William, let’s go,” Tessa said, grabbing his hand.

He nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him, ignoring the sound of something hitting the door behind him.

“She is angry with us,” Tessa whispered as they walked down the hallway.

“She is angry with me, not you,” he replied, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. “But everything will be fine once we come back.”

Darla and Angelus walked into the building a minute after William and Tessa left, noticing them walk down the street in the opposite direction as they had went. They walked to the room, and Darla opened the door to find shards of glass covering the floor, crunching under her shoes as she walked in.

“I liked that decanter,” Angelus said. “The liquor in it was nice as well.”

“What is wrong?” Darla asked, taking off the gloves she was wearing.

“We need to lose the girl,” Drusilla answered. “She is a bad dolly.”

“But she has so much potential,” Darla replied.

“I wish for her to leave,” Drusilla said, shaking with anger as she spoke.

“What do you have in mind?” Angelus asked curiously.

~~~~~~~~~~


Sunnydale, 2000


Spike stared at Dawn’s lifeless body, his eyes riveted to every set of puncture marks on her pale skin and the bruises and cuts that covered her. Dried blood was on the remaining pieces of clothing on her body, and as he walked around the tomb, surveying the damage with both his jaw and fists clenched, he noticed that her eyes were wide open, the fear and agony still apparent in them even in death.

It was as he picked her up that he caught a familiar scent and quickly put Dawn’s body back down, fury blinding him as he realized who had killed her and that he wouldn’t be able to hunt her down until after dark.

“Harmony.”