_________________________
Chapter 40: Cake and Answers

Anya, Buffy and Spike walked down a back alley, their steps not doing much to disturb the quiet street.

“So you’re thinking that maybe I should take off the amulet to train these moronic potentials?“ asked Buffy, kicking a can.

“I object, Liz was way out of line. No one should tell you when and where to take off your amulet. Well, except me, cause well, hey, I’m the boss of you! Why in the name of almighty Grothnar would you let yourself become human again?”

“You're really asking the wrong crowd,” piped up Spike.

“I mean, sure, the vengeance demon gig has some downsides...” continued Anya.

“All jobs do,” added Spike.

“But being human? Ugh! You're always icky on the inside, disgusting on the outside,” said Anya.

The trio stopped in the street.

“Your outside's not so bad,” Spike complimented.

“Um, can I interject here? No flirting with Anya,” interrupted Buffy with a scowl.

“You know, the only thing worse than being human is being trapped inside a house full of humans,” Anya said, ignoring Buffy.

“Preaching to the choir, luv.”

“I mean, it's like we live in slayer central. I swear, if Liz rooms or boards one more of the potential girls, I'm gonna call a - I'm gonna call a health inspector,” threatened Anya.

“You don’t have to live there though. In fact, you don’t live there,” noted Buffy.

“I like my plan better. Get up, get out, get drunk. Repeat as needed. It's just more elegant,” Spike said starting to walk again.

“Am I even here?” asked Buffy. “Have I turned invisible? Why do you need to get drunk?”

Suddenly a demon popped out of the shadows.

“Mistress Anyanka,” it said, bowing low before Anya. He held out a piece of parchment.

Anya took it from the demon and read it over, nodding several times.

“Good, thank you. You can go.”

As the demon headed for the shadows again, Buffy turned her head to look at her friend and boss again.

“Weekly report,” she explained continuing to walk on.

“I was wondering about that whole hanging out at Liz’s house and keeping Arashamahar running smoothly, thing.”

“I’m keeping an eye out on Xander. I hate to admit it, but I really don’t want him dead. Shh! Don’t tell anyone. But now, you know, I’ve got every vengeance demon wanting to make me happy, cause I’ve got the power and the glory, yadda yadda yadda. Xander’s in danger, twenty-four, seven.”

“I think you are being too easy on him,” piped up Buffy. “He deserves to suffer for what he did.”

“But not to die,” noted Anya sadly.
_________________________
Buffy sat in Liz’s living room impatiently waiting for the sun to set. Spike was asleep downstairs, dead to the world. It had been the pounding feet of the dozens of potentials that had woken her up from her semi peaceful sleep. Liz’s request, to be amulet free when she helped out with the training of the potentials, was on her mind.

The last time she’d taken off her amulet, bad, bad things had happened. Ok, one good thing had happened, but she didn’t want to be vulnerable again.

The door opened and Liz and the principal walked in. Buffy attempted to pay attention to her copy of Pride and Prejudice that she held in her hands.

“So, all the potential slayers...who seem to keep popping up from, like, every corner of the earth ... were getting killed,” said Liz, ushering in the principal and shutting the door.

“By the First?’ added the principal.

“Agents of. We thought the Council could protect them, but, unfortunately, no one was protecting the Council, and all their watchers were killed. Word got out, and they've all been coming here since.”

“Well, there's nothing like the end of the world to bring people together,” quipped the principal with a wry smile.

“It's heart warming. Anyway, this is, uh, it,” Liz said, giving her hand a wave around. “Command central.”

Over the top of her book Buffy watched Andrew storm into the room wearing a white apron and oven mitts. The little nerdy boy had been holed up in the kitchen since she woke up.

“Where the hell have you been? This funnel cake is kicking my ass,” whined Andrew.

“Yeah, I hear they're tricky,” observed the principal.

“Robin Wood, this is...Andrew,” introduced Liz.

They shook hands.

“Andrew is our...actually, he's our hostage,” explained Liz.

“I like to think of myself more as a guestage.”

Robin Wood, thought Buffy. Why is that name familiar?

“So, you... you hold him here against his will?” Robin asked.

“Well, he was evil, and people got killed, and now he...bakes. It's a thing,” shrugged off Liz.

“Could we try to just keep our secret headquarters a little bit secret? Keep bringing people in, they're gonna see everything. They'll see the big board,” whined Andrew.

“Andrew, we don't have a big board,” Liz countered back, shaking her head in disbelief.

Andrew turned to fetch something from behind the chair in which Buffy was sitting, bringing out a large white board covered in drawings and writing.

“I, uh, made it myself.”

Buffy rolled her eyes as Andrew explained the ’Big Board.’ She put down her book and shook her head at Andrew’s antics.

“Hey,” greeted Buffy on her way passed Liz and Robin. “How was work?” Buffy interrupted Andrew’s explanation, earning her a whine.

“Fine,” answered Liz.

“What do you do?” asked Robin, who was looking at her with keen suspicion.

“Uh, she’s a Slayer,” rushed Liz, forcing a smile on her face.

“I thought there was only one. The Chosen One?” asked Robin.

“I died,” interrupted Liz, rushing along with her explanation. “For a minute, but it was enough to activate the next slayer, so two slayers now.”

Buffy smiled at Robin who was now eyeing her pendant.

“Nice necklace, family heirloom?” he asked.

“Kinda,” Buffy said, before excusing herself and heading down stairs to her lover’s side. The principal made her feel weird, like she knew him, sorta.

Buffy snuggled into Spike’s side, her lover wrapping his arm around her.

“The name Robin Wood, does it mean anything to you?” asked Buffy. “It’s floating around in my brain and I can’t place it.”

“Nope,” he stated, placing a kiss on her head.

“Gah, you are no help,“ she muttered. “Mmm, you smell good.“

Spike smirked as he covered her body with his. “Can we do this without too much screamin’?“ he asked. “Don’t want to bring the principal down here, find me shaggin my girl.“

“Don’t want an audience?“ Buffy pouted.

Spike whipped the sheet off his body and pressed his hard cock into Buffy’s thigh, growling against her neck.

“Mmm,” she moaned, her lips seeking out his.

Unfortunately the basement door opened, forcing the two demons to get vertical and Spike covered up.

Liz and Robin walked down the stairs in silence just as Spike sat down on the bed, now wearing his jeans. Buffy watched Robin’s face, still wondering just why his name was familiar in some way.

“I hope we're not intruding,” stated Robin not even looking at either of them but the walls of the unfinished basement that surrounded them.

“Ya, you could say that. Just what brings our good principal to this neck of the gloom?” Spike asked, leaning a little behind Buffy on the bed.

“I'm showing him our operation. Us,” explained Liz

“Fine by me,” Spike said, nodding. “Big fight against evil coming up. The more good guys we've got, the longer we'll all live.”

“Is that what you are? A good guy?” Robin asked, still not looking at Spike or Buffy.

“I haven't heard any complaints,” Spike said smugly. “Well, I have heard a few complaints over the years, but then I just killed whoever spoke up, and that was pretty much that.”

Buffy laughed.

“He's joking,” excused Liz.

“No, he's not,” stated the principal, glaring at Spike.

“No, I'm not. But...that's the old me I'm talking about.”

“Why don't you tell me about that?” asked Robin.

“Not much to tell. I've changed,” Spike answered, wrapping an arm around Buffy.

“Oh, now that you have a chip.”

“Yeah. That was a big deal. Been with me a while now,” stated Spike.

“And how's that working out for you?” asked Robin.

“Ugh!“ muttered Buffy, annoyed. “Enough. I want this to end. Just say it!“ ordered Buffy.

“Huh?“ articulated Liz.

“Robin Wood, familiar name. Yes, you, why are you so interested in Spike and his chip? Why do you keep looking at us strangely?“ asked Buffy.

“I think we'd better get back upstairs,” suggested Liz.

“No, I’d like the answer to Buffy’s question too,” added Spike.

“Or how about a formal introduction of your twin?” asked Robin.

“Buffy,“ said Buffy sticking out her hand to be shaken or kissed or something.

Since Liz had said she was a slayer, Buffy thought it best to go with her real name, and not her demon name. Can never be too safe, right?

Spike looked at her curiously.

“Buffy?” asked Robin. “Isn’t that short for Elizabeth?” he asked curiously, looking from Liz to Buffy and back again. “Were your parents on something when they named you two?”

Spike laughed.

“Oh...uh...” stammered Liz.

“No,” laughed Buffy, suspecting that Liz wanted to keep up this facade. “Elizabeth are our middle names, but our first names are so dull that...”

“Right,” acknowledged Robin.

“Anne,” supplied Liz.

“Cecily,” echoed Buffy. “You can see why we’d want to use a different name.”

“Absolutely,” agreed Robin still baffled but his face seemed only half believing.

“Rixy!” came Anya’s voice from the top of the stairs. “Get your ass up here! The nerd boy made funnel cake!”

At Robin’s continued weird look, Buffy continued. “I also go by Rixy. It’s a nickname that only Anya seems to call me,” she said covering.

She could tell that the principal wasn’t entirely believing the story. After all, she wouldn’t believe the story if it was told to her either. Sure, he was in on the whole slayer thing, but was he ready for the truth? So few people are when you come right down to it.

Buffy turned to Spike and smiled. “Mmm, funnel cake.”
_________________________
tbc...