Chapter 14 – Family Reunions


Sunnydale, 2000


Spike impatiently knocked on Buffy’s door, waiting for her to open it. When she finally did, he pushed past her and walked into her house, barely greeting her on his way in.

“Call Angel,” he said in a low tone. “We have a problem.”

“Besides the fact that my mom is missing?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she followed him into the kitchen. “What’s going on?”

“Call the wanker and tell him to take a trip down here,” Spike said, picking up the phone and handing it to her.

“Why?” she asked, confused. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I think I know who killed Dawn and who’s got your mum,” he answered.

“Who?” she asked, her eyes widening and her grip on the phone tightening.

“A vampire I sired soon after Drusilla turned me,” he said. “A vampire that I was told died a very long time ago, but it would seem that I was lied to… by Angel and Darla… and maybe even Drusilla.”

“Who is it?” she asked sternly.

“Her name is Tessa.” He averted his eyes as he saw hers tearing up.

“Do you know where she is?” she asked.

He shook his head and frowned. “I don’t know, but I want to go out again and see what I can find.” He raised his eyes to hers. “Call Angel and tell him that he needs to be here, along with everything I just told you.”

Before she could respond, he walked out the back door of her house, leaving her alone in her kitchen. “You could’ve told me more,” she mumbled as she quickly dialed Angel’s phone number, hoping maybe he could tell her more about the situation before she left to either find Spike or track down Tessa.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tessa stormed into the house she had claimed and walked into the living room area, where all of her minions were sitting and waiting for her.

“We need to suit up,” she announced, running a hand over her face in frustration. “I think the battle is going to be coming a lot sooner than I had expected.”

“Why do you think that?” one of the male vampires asked.

“Because our boss fucked up and was spotted by the enemy,” the vampire who had accompanied her in town answered, shooting her a look.

“Spike saw me,” she said, frowning. “It was only for a brief moment, but he’s not dumb – I wouldn’t doubt that he’s going to the Slayer right now and telling her.”

“So what are we going to do?” a female vampire asked. “Leave town?”

“Cowards can leave,” Tessa said. “But I’m staying, and I’d advise the rest of you to remain here, too, unless you want me to stake you. I don’t fancy keeping around deserters, but if you try to leave without me approving it, I’ll personally dust you myself.”

“So we’re going to fight against the Slayer?” another male vampire asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “And her little friends, too.”

“What about Spike?”

“He’s mine,” she said, beginning to walk towards Joyce’s room. “Everyone else is fair game.”

She let herself into the bedroom Joyce was occupying and was pleased to see that she was awake.

“I was hoping you’d come back soon,” Joyce said. “I’m very hungry.”

“Well, you can make yourself something at home,” Tessa replied, taking off the shackles around Joyce’s wrists. “I’m letting you go.”

Joyce stared at her, wondering if it was a trap. “What did you say?”

“I’m letting you go,” Tessa repeated. “I’ll escort you out of here and follow you until you’re close to your home to make sure that none of my minions harm you in the meantime.”

“But why would you let me go?” Joyce asked, weakly sitting up and getting off of the bed. “Not that I’m against the idea, but-”

“Because I don’t need you anymore,” she answered. “I think Spike saw me, and even if he didn’t, I want him to know I’m here. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, and I don’t want to wait much longer.”

“Much longer for what?” Joyce asked.

“To pay him back for letting me be assaulted by Drusilla, Angelus, and Darla,” Tessa said. “Let’s go before it gets any later – I still have some plans to figure out before I see Spike again.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours after Buffy phoned Angel, he arrived at her home, and Buffy was stunned when she saw the blonde woman at his side.

“Darla?” she asked quietly, staring at her.

“Hello, Buffy,” Darla replied, managing a meek smile.

Before Buffy could ask what was going on, Angel said, “It’s a long story.”

“It always is,” she said, crossing her arms. “Are you a vampire?”

“I’m as much of a human as you are,” Darla answered, walking into the house.

Buffy looked at Angel with a confused expression. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I figured the Tessa situation was more important,” he answered. “The gist of the story is that Wolfram and Hart, a law firm in L.A., brought her back to life in human form, mainly in an attempt to screw with me.”

“How’s that working out?” she asked, motioning for him to come inside and closing the door behind him.

“They know how to do their jobs well,” he muttered, going into the living room and watching as Darla walked around, looking at photographs. “Is Spike here?”

“I am now,” Spike answered as he walked into the room after coming into the house. “Hello, Peaches.” He saw Darla and raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Darla?”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t know she’s back,” Buffy said. “She’s a human now.”

“Is that right?” Spike asked, tilting his head. “How does that work?”

“It’s a long story,” Angel said, repeating his words from before.

“A law firm brought her back as a human,” Buffy said, sitting down on the couch.

“It’s a lot more complicated than that,” Angel replied.

“I’m sure it is,” Spike said before looking at Darla again. “Hello, luv. Been a long time.”

“Hello, William,” she said, smiling at him.

“You know, pet, I’m glad you’re here,” Spike said, walking towards her. “You can tell me why you lied to me about Tessa being killed.”

“We thought she had been,” Angel lied, ignoring the guilt he felt as he remembered the night many decades ago when Darla informed him that Tessa had run away and that she was going to tell William that she had been staked.

“How could you not be exactly sure?” Spike asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

“We didn’t know better,” Darla murmured. “It was a chaotic time.”

Buffy sensed the tension in the room and coughed as she tried to get everyone’s attention. “Did you find out anything new about Tessa?”

“No one seems to know anything,” Spike answered. “Nobody has any information on where she’s hiding out or why she took Dawn and your mum.”

“How do we know she’s involved with the kidnappings in the first place?” Angel asked.

“Because I caught her scent a couple of times recently, especially in places that seemed suspicious,” Spike answered. “I’m not completely sure, but I’d bet my unlife that it’s her. I can’t imagine who else would be behind it, especially since I’ve had nagging thoughts in my head that Harmony had a partner in crime. It seems like I wasn’t wrong.”

“You think Harmony and Tessa banded together?” Buffy asked.

“Harmony was as dumb as a doornail,” Spike said. “I couldn’t believe she was stupid enough to take Dawn before, but knowing how intelligent Tessa is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the mastermind behind all of this.”

“But why would she do this?” Buffy asked.

“Maybe because she wants to set up a trap for you,” Spike said.

Angel and Darla shared a look, both thinking the same thing and wondering if Tessa’s intent was based on something completely different. Spike noticed their expressions and frowned. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” Angel said, waving it off. “So, what do we do now?”

“Pair off and see if we can find her,” Buffy said. “I’ll call my friends and have them do the same thing. I’m going to need a description of her to give them, too.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Spike said. “Are you two staying in town for a bit, Angel?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “Is it alright if we stay here?”

“Go right ahead,” Buffy said. “Having some company might help a little.”

“Why haven’t you ever mentioned that before?” Spike mumbled as he walked into the kitchen, but Angel heard it anyways and it caught his attention.

“Buffy, are you and Spike…”

“Friends?” she asked. “Yes.”

“Since when?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Since he started helping,” she answered. “Bring in your stuff and unpack if you want to. Spike and I are going to patrol and see if we can scrounge up any information.”

Angel watched her go into the kitchen and listen to Spike’s phone conversation before they left the house through the back door.

“He didn’t need an invitation,” Darla said as she came to stand beside Angel. “They must be good friends.”

“You’re not helping my mood,” Angel replied as he glared at her.

“Didn’t intend to,” she said, smiling as she walked upstairs to claim a room for herself.

~~~~~~~~~~

As Tessa and Joyce neared the Summers home, Tessa froze in her tracks when she saw Angel and Darla walking into the house, holding bags of luggage. Joyce saw them, too, and raised an eyebrow.

“It looks like I have guests,” she said, surprised. “I haven’t seen Angel in a long time, and that girl with him… She looks familiar.”

“Darla,” Tessa whispered.

“Yes, that’s her name,” Joyce replied. “I couldn’t remember it.”

“Go on inside,” Tessa said, staring at the home. “It was nice to meet you, Joyce.”

She instantly turned and ran, disappearing from sight as she headed in the direction of her house.

Joyce crossed the street and walked up the front porch’s stairs before letting herself in the house. She saw Buffy walking down the stairs, holding a stack of pillows and blankets.

“Hello, Buffy,” Joyce said, her eyes becoming watery as her emotions overwhelmed her.

Buffy’s eyes widened as she saw her mother, instantly dropping what she was holding and descending the stairs, wrapping her arms around Joyce in a hug as she began to cry, both women sobbing in relief as they stayed embraced for a long while.