Chapter 15
“What have I become, my sweetest friend
Everyone I love goes away in the end”
-Nine Inch Nails
Spike stuffed the last of their clothes into a suitcase before heading down to the living room. It had taken him a while to convince Buffy that he was capable of leaving her sight without disappearing. He had wanted-no, he had needed to do the packing alone. Needed to feel Buffy’s devastation in their bedroom as he packed their belongings, but he didn’t want her to have to relive it.
“’T’s the last of it, luv,” he said, setting the suitcase down next to the two others. “You ready to go?”
She nodded, “What are you going to do with the house?”
“Gonna torch it. Burn the memories out of our minds. Sound good?”
She nodded again, “We don’t…we don’t have a transport anymore.”
“We’ll walk a ways and then call ourselves a driver. Can tell ‘im that ours broke down somewhere. Bloke won’t care so long as we tip ‘im.”
Buffy picked up one of the suitcases and followed Spike out the door. She waited patiently on the lawn while he poured the gasoline through their home and set it on fire. It wasn’t the first home they had burned together and she doubted that it would be the last, sometimes they had to set fake fires when neighbors got too nosy about their lives or when a demon fight had destroyed the interior, but it was the only house she felt right about burning. It was the only house that she would not miss.
Spike picked up the remaining suitcases and offered his arm to Buffy. She accepted and the two walked down the street and disappeared over the hill just as the first neighbor’s bedroom light went on and the first yell of “fire” echoed after them.
XXX
Spike poked the turkey with his finger, “Uh, luv, I don’t think that’s cooked yet.”
Buffy peered over his shoulder, “What do you mean? I followed the instructions. It said cook at 350 degrees at one hour per pound.”
“Yeah, but it’s still cold, pet.”
“What would you know? It’s not like you eat food anyway,” Buffy huffed.
“Oi! You know I love a good chicken wing as much as the next fellow, so don’t be blaming me for the turkey being cold,” Spike protested.
Buffy grabbed the turkey pan, shoved it back into the oven, and slammed the door shut with a scowl on her face. She grabbed the cucumber that she had been peeling and began flicking bits of the peel all over the counter. “Stupid vampire, telling me how to cook a turkey,” she muttered to herself.
“Mommy, I finished setting the table. Wanna come see?” Madison hopped on the balls of her feet.
“’Fraid Mum’s a bit busy. Can I come see instead?” Spike asked.
“’Tay, but you gotta do what mom does,” Madison replied, taking Spike’s hand and pulling his into the dining room. “Is it pretty?”
“It’s bloody gorgeous, princess, just like you are,” Spike replied, picking his daughter up and tossing her in the air.
Madison giggled, “You swore, daddy. You’re not suppose to say bloody around me, ‘member? Mommy said so.”
“You are certainly correct and I am a bad, bad daddy. Let’s have this be our little secret, right pet?”
Madison looked thoughtful for a minute and then smiled,”’Tay, but only if I get to have two cookies after dinner tonight.” She held up two fingers to emphasize her point.
Spike shook his head. “You drive a right hard bargain there, pet, but…alright, two cookies for not telling yer mum that I swore,” he promised, knowing perfectly well that Buffy would let the girl eat as much as she wanted on a holiday.
Madison wrapped her arms around Spike’s neck and tucked her head under his chin. “Do I have to sit by Taylor?” she asked. “He always pokes me when no one is looking, and-and he opens his mouth with food in it. That’s rude, right daddy? He shouldn’t do that.”
“Oh, he does, does he? Tell you what? Next time he does that I give you permission to throw mashed potato at ‘im. Just don’t let yer mum or Auntie Dawn catch you, kay?”
“Can I sit by Aunt Tara instead? She always lets me play with her hair.”
“If you like, pet. Now, what say we go help mum in the kitchen, yeah?”
“’Tay.”
XXX
“Xander, you are paying way more attention to that musty, old book then you are to me,” Anya huffed.
“Sorry, Ahn, it’s just that this book is really fascinating. I can’t believe how much we didn’t know about this ring…or about Dawn. Did you know that she could read tarot cards? I don’t remember her ever doing that.”
Anya set her bag down in the field. “I don’t even know where we’re going? How am I supposed to teleport us somewhere if I don’t know where?”
“Listen to this, ‘The ring possesses the power to speak to the wearer through their mind. After wearing the ring for two months, I began to hear voices in my head telling me that I could rule the world and that I must raise the master’s army. At first I ignored them, but little by little I found myself following the commands without realizing it. When I found myself researching incantations to raise the army of darkness, I removed the ring from my finger and stored it safely away.’ How weird is that?” Xander asked, still walking as he read. He looked up and noticed that Anya was several feet behind him. “Hey, when did we stop walking?”
“Alexander Harris, were you even listening to me?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Um…we need to find Buffy? Can you teleport us to where ever she is?”
Anya stood with her hands on her hips. “What do I look like, some sort of Buffy homing device?” She tapped her foot for emphasis, then sighed, “Fine…fine, I’ll see what I can do. Hold on, this won’t be fun.”
Xander gulped and grabbed his wife’s hand, “God, I hate teleporting.”
XXX
“So what’s my fortune?” Buffy asked, taking a sip of her tea.
“Not doing your fortune yet, still doing mine, just like I was two minutes ago.” Dawn rolled her eyes and set another card on the table.
“Oh, well, when’s my turn?”
“When I finish with me,” Dawn answered.
“Isn’t it bad luck to be reading your own fortune?” Buffy asked.
“That’s a superstition. Now are you going to tell me what you’re doing here anyway? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but you don’t randomly drop by here much even if you do just live down the street now.”
“I need a favor,” Buffy said.
“I figured.” Dawn glanced at another card and put it down. “What’s up?”
“Well, Madison wants to go to the football game on Friday night, and I promised Giles that Spike and I would help him research some stupid ritual demony thing that supposed to be happening. Anyway, Taylor’s on the team and I thought that you might be going and-“
“You need me to drive her there and home? Yeah, not a problem.”
“And, you know, keep an eye on her.”
Dawn stared at her sister, “Buffy, Madison is in high school now. You need to tell Spike to lay off the overprotective vibe.” She set down another card. “It’s creepy.”
“I know, it’s just…he just-he worries, you know. He’s her dad, that’s what they do.” Buffy frowned, “Okay, that’s what they’re supposed to do, not that our dad ever did but…good fathers do.” She finished righteously.
Dawn flipped another card on the table without looking at it. “Yeah, it’s no problem, like I said.”
“Thanks, sis. You’re the greatest. I’ll catch you later.” Buffy hugged her sister and turned to leave. “Yuck, that’s an ugly card. Anyway, have fun.” She was out the door a minute later.
Dawn glanced at the table and frowned. Death was looking back at her.
XXX
“Are you sure this is where we’re supposed to be? Looks like a stupid hole in the ground to me.” Angelus crossed his arms and looked down into the black hole that took up most of the clearing.
“Sssh, pretty ring. Daddy doesn’t understand, but he will,” Drusilla petted the ring on her finger.
“Dru, it’s a ring. Knock it off.”
Drusilla circled him. “The ring has power. If we raise the master’s army, he will give US power, and we will rule the world.”
“I don’t like this master crap. I’M the only master needed around here, got it?”
Drusilla leaned forward and kissed him harshly. “I can see the light around you. So pretty, it is. The ring will make you glow.”
“Great, so what do we need to do this?” Angelus asked.
“Need a sacrifice, blood of a virgin, blood of a whore, blood of an immortal…blood of family,” she whispered.
Angelus smirked, “Guess we need to pay Buffy and Spike another visit. Come on Dru, let’s go.”
XXX
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