Chapter Two -- Buffy is a bit ditzy, yes?
(Beta by Spikeslovebite; final touches by Oracleholly)
Giles tapped the Magic Box's number into the phone. It was odd, but he had never really trusted these new fangled punch phones. The old rotary phones suited him much better. He waited patiently for someone to pick up at the shop.
There was something entirely wrong about Spike being the one to think of this. After all, it had been Giles himself that the golden-haired healer had put back together so many years ago after the Eyghon incident. It rankled that Spike had been the one to locate her. Of course, the fact that she had accepted the vampire's plea for help actually made Spike the good guy in this scenario.
"Hello, Anya? What? Yes, I'm sure you're working very hard. I'd like to speak with Buffy, please," he said when his garrulous employee answered the phone.
"Buffy? I've located an old friend of mine. She's a healer, and I thought that we might ask her to have a look at your mother." He listened to Buffy for a few minutes before interrupting her frantic queries. "No there isn't anything wrong that I'm aware of. I just think that having a true healer look her over couldn't hurt. Since Aerifinn can be here later today, I have taken the liberty of asking her to look in on Joyce." Giles waited as Buffy thanked him, and after making the necessary arrangements, he hung up.
It was strange, but he felt a deep sense of guilt at lying about who had contacted Aerifinn. The vampire might be sincere in his efforts to help, but he had proven too often that he couldn't be trusted for Giles not to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. If she knew the truth, then Buffy would feel indebted to the bleached blonde menace, and that was wholly unacceptable.
He thought about the stake hole in Spike's chest again, and he was sure that Riley had done it. He knew the young man was twisted. He had seen the bigotry and hatred in Finn's eyes as he talked to the Scoobies about the creatures he once hunted. Until Buffy had caught him with vampire whores, Giles had been content to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. But now… now he would actively seek to unveil the depths of Riley's perfidy.
Giles picked up the phone again and dialed Trans-Atlantic. "Yes, Quentin Travers, please. Tell him Rupert Giles is calling about Aerifinn."
Sunnydale Memorial Hospital
Spike entered the building at a leisurely pace. For the first time in years, he actually felt in control of his own fate. He had the world by the balls and nothing could bring him down. Tomorrow - the next day at the latest - the chip would be a footnote in history. No chip, no Angelus, and not even his insane sire controlling him. Just him doing it his way. Of course, he would have to get a....
Not even bloody going there. Today was too good to ruin by thinking about THAT.
He stayed well away from the sunlight from the many windows and walked straight up to the nurse's station. The woman on duty was a plump, happy looking woman. One of those that he was sure her blood tasted like sunshine. Normally, she would have annoyed him - bloody happy shiny people - but today it just made him happier. "Luv, m' lookin' for a bloke named William Kenticott and his daughter, Joyce. Could you tell me where I might find 'em?"
"You must be her uncle. So, you've heard already?" the woman barely pausing long enough for him to answer. "Young Joy pulled through her surgery with no lasting internal damage. She should be good as new within a few weeks."
"Glad to hear that. Where did they move her to?" His gentle smile was genuine. As bad as it sounded, Spike hadn't had anyone close enough since his mother had 'died' to truly be considered as visiting family. True, it was the hospital, but still; the idea of dropping by to visit people that actually wanted to see him was another reason for him to feel better, and the bit being on her way to a full recovery had him ready to fight a pack of Chirago demons. He felt on top of the world.
"Fourth floor, room 412."
On his way down the hall, he decided he would send the sweet nurse some flowers or something. Hell, he might even pay for them.
As he exited the elevator, he found himself actually whistling along with the tinny-sounding version of 'My Way' being piped from the speakers. He actually felt guilty for not bringing flowers, and for wearing all black and his duster. A young woman in recovery should see people in bright colors and get flowers and chocolate from her family when they visited.
"They're still getting her settled in," a voice from behind him stated.
"Well, at least we know she'll be alright," Spike told his older counterpart.
"Bloody hell, mate, it's just scary to see her like that. All that blood, and knowing she could die at any second." The elder obviously hadn't slept or eaten since the younger had left.
Spike reached in his pocket and pulled out something for the worried father. "Here, we can't smoke in here but this is better than regular gum."
William took the gum offered him and read the label. "Nicorette? Never thought of that."
"And here I was thinking you were the all knowing one," he smirked evilly.
"Aerifinn coming today?" William asked as he started chewing.
"Yeah the crazy bint thanked ME at least a dozen times; said I wouldn't be sorry about the change." He looked over at William, the question obvious in his eyes.
"After a few months of hell? Oh yeah, it puts things in perspective, makes things easier. And .…" He took Spike's hand and put it on his wrist.
"You have a...?"
"Yeah, but still Immortal." William watched the nurses as they finished up setting up his daughter's room.
Spike seemed to want to ask more questions but instead changed the subject. "And the Tanitkd that we gave Finn?"
William smirked nastily. "First dose brings out his inner demons, you might say. You and I know Finn is a sadistic bastard, only now he won't see the reason to hide it anymore. Second dose turns his fears into reality, to him at least. For example, if he fears being a demon, then he will be convinced that he is one. Third shot locks him inside his own mind, makes the bloody useless git comatose."
"So it doesn't make him do anything he doesn't already want to do?" Spike asked, surprising himself with guilt at the thought of possibly hurting Buffy even indirectly.
"Not with the first dose, but after that, Tanitkd is a nasty bugger." William began thinking of other matters. "That Glory bint has already started busting the Slayer's chops, hasn't she?"
"Like the Slayer ever tells me anything," Spike answered with more than a trace of bitterness.
"Even Better. You got a pen?" William began checking his own pockets while Spike delved into his own.
It took nearly twenty pages of the cheap hospital stationary, and almost two solid hours of question and answers, but when they were done, Spike had details that he knew Giles would kill for. For now, though, he needed to find an apartment that William and his daughter could stay in while they were here.
The Magic Box
Buffy couldn't believe it.
Yet another man doing her wrong. First, it was her dad, then Angel, then Parker, the poophead, and now Riley. What was wrong with her that she drove men away, or in Riley's case, into the arms of a vampire hooker? Was she that bad in bed, or maybe, was she too whiny and self centered?
She should have known better than to follow Spike. She wouldn't put it past the bleached pest to have set the whole thing up. Guys like Riley just didn't do things like that. He was everything all-American. Hot dog and apple pie American. Sure he was a lousy lay with a three-inch pecker, but a girl couldn't have everything. Riley was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Just ask any of her friends. Okay, so her mom didn't like him much, but mom had hated Angel, and everyone knew Angel was a great man. And her mom liked Spike, so there was no accounting for taste. God, she just bet Spike had put some kind of Spell on Riley. Poor innocent Riley.
She was pacing back and forth in front of the table Xander had made for them to do their research on when she heard the phone ring. She knew one thing for sure; it wasn't Riley. The poor guy. True, she didn't love him, but if she tried hard enough, one day she could. Just ask her friends. They all knew what was best for her.
"Buffy, phone! " Anya yelled to get her attention. "And don't be all day, because that phone is for paying customers."
"Hello?" She knew it! It was Riley. He had recovered from the evil spell Spike had cast upon him and had probably been out stalking the evil vamp.
Okay, maybe not Riley, then. "But Giles, I asked you about this kind of thing. Are you sure we should try this? My mom is getting better." See that was how much her friends loved her. Giles hadn't quit looking even after her mom's surgery. Now they had a healer to look after Joyce and make sure she was alright.
"Thanks Giles, I don't know what I would do without you guys always looking out for me." She was actually crying. God, her friends were so great.
After she hung up, she turned to Anya. "Have you ever heard of Aerifinn?"
"Oh my, who hasn't?" And Anya started telling the incredible stories.
An Alleyway somewhere in Sunnydale
"Listen you half wit, " Riley yelled into the phone. "I know what needs to be done. Buffy and her friends are freaks and demons. If I'm not there to watch them, they might start a demon rebellion. Yeah, at first I thought I could pull out and let some other asshole keep an eye on her and her friends, but I have better idea. Buffy is scared to death of being alone, of being different. I intend to play on that, push her into admitting that she is nothing more than a demon and a whore. Then, I'm going to give her an ultimatum; either she's MY whore, or the Initiative gets her friends and family."
(Fade to black.)
Magic Box
The woman that entered the Magic Box looked nothing like the powerful healer Buffy had expected. She was maybe a few years younger than Joyce and obviously very athletic. At just a bit under six feet tall, the woman looked more like a female body builder than someone who regularly practiced magic. She had long golden hair, turquoise eyes, and a very attractive body. As she wandered over to the table where Buffy and Dawn were sitting, she moved almost jerkily - like someone who was too often sore from over use of her muscles. Neither sister seemed to notice her until she spoke.
"Buffy, you be?" the woman asked looking the Slayer over.
"Yes, " Buffy replied, surprised to have been snuck up on. "And you are?"
"Aerifinn. Healer, I am," Aerifinn answered.
"Oh, yeah. You're Giles' friend." Buffy smiled happily at her. Something told her that she could trust this woman that her father figure had sent for.
"Rupert's slayer, you are?" the woman asked with genuine interest. "But was William who called me."
"William?" Buffy asked, somewhat confused. Perhaps this William was another friend of Giles' that had finally found the mysterious healer. "Oh, yeah William."
"We go now. See mother?" the well-built healer asked.
"Sure. Dawn and I will take you there."
Meanwhile back at the Hospital
Spike entered his 'nieces' room dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a gray silk shirt and dress shoes. His normally slicked back hair was left a bit curlier. All in all, he had left his 'Big Bad' persona at home. He was carrying a box of chocolates (Slayer loved chocolate and this was her daughter) and a small bouquet of flowers that he had actually paid for. He had even found a condo he could rent while investigating Doc. Spike was feeling like he was the king.
He heard the enraged shouting before he reached her room and paused outside to listen.
"You will never do this again, Joyce Caroline Summers Kenticott. I want your promise right now." William argued with his daughter.
"Are you bloody insane? " the young woman screeched at her papa. "What part of 'they had my brother' do you NOT understand?" Not only was she the spitting image of Buffy, but she had her mother's attitude as well!
"You WILL give me your word, young woman, " William told her. "I can not, WILL NOT, lose you."
The young woman's eyes softened. "Papa, I promise," she began in a sweet voice and finished with a roar, "that I'll bloody do my job, and if you can't accept that then piss off."
Spike snorted at that, and William whirled on him. "I didn't ask for your opinion."
"Yeah, and I can tell you don't need it," Spike stated sarcastically. "You ever try putting yourself in her place?"
Joy smirked at Spike, thinking he was helping her.
"And you missy," Spike turned on her, "imagine how he feels. He thought he saw you bloody die. You could at least turn down the bitch factor a few notches and think about how that made him feel."
Both Kenticott's were speechless for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry, Papa," Joy said contritely. "But you can't expect me not to try to save my twin."
"You two use that excuse every time one of you gets in trouble, " William answered. "But yeah luv, I get it. Just next time work with the group."
Joy smiled at her father and never even mentioned that it was him that excluded
her and Erin from the mission.
Outside the room
Marie Danvers was surprised. Not only did the young girl look exactly like Joyce's daughter, Buffy, but her name was Joy Summers. How very odd! She was sure that Joyce would want to know.
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