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Chapter 6

“I don’t like it,” Spike grumbled. 

“I know you don’t.  I don’t either, if you want to know the truth.  But, Buffy… she’s got to reconcile her past to make way for her future.” 

“And she can’t do that with us there?” 

Angel rolled his eyes at his childe’s impatience.  

“She didn’t say we couldn’t be there…only to give her a few minutes alone with her mother first.” 

“Still don’t like it.  What if she attacks her own mum?” 

“She won’t attack….shit!” 

His hand was on the knob and he was out the door the next instant, Spike right behind him and cursing at their stupidity.  The pair raced around the corner and up the cement walkway.  The front door stood open, a hindrance to Spike, but not Angel – unless Joyce was already dead. 

The lack of the scent of blood on the air and someone’s heartfelt sobs didn’t register with either vampire as they gained the front porch.  Angel, still thinking he had open access to the Slayer’s place, had actually bounced off the invisible barrier and would have fallen to the ground if Spike hadn’t steadied him.  

‘When the hell had she had a disinvite spell done?’ the elder vampire wondered, rubbing his jaw as he stepped back up to the door’s threshold. 

What greeted them was something neither vampire would have expected.  

Buffy was sitting with her back against the wall in the front entryway near the kitchen.  Joyce was clinging to her daughter, her arms about Buffy’s middle, sobbing hysterically.  Buffy was in full game face, stroking her mom’s hair, a low soothing growl emanating from her throat.  She looked up at their approach, her amber eyes unable to conceal her helplessness. 

“Sire?” she whimpered. 

“It’s alright, luv.  You just sit there an’ hold her.  She’ll wind down soon enough, yeah?” 

She nodded at his reassuring tone, relieved to have the two males near.  She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, her mother clinging to her with a death grip, that, had she been human, would have probably cracked a few of her ribs.  Her hands never stopped their ceaseless petting as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.  Finally, her mother began to calm, and Buffy’s anxiety abated, enabling her to subdue her demon. Ridges and fangs faded away until anyone looking at her would think nothing amiss. 

“Buffy?” Angel’s voice called out from the entryway.  “Your mother is starting to drift off.  See if you can rouse her to let us in.” 

She nodded, indicating that she’d heard him and gently nudged her mother’s shoulder. 

“Mom?  Mom?  I’ve got some friends I want you to meet…well, more like family, I guess you could say.” 

“Hmmm?  Huh….? Buffy?”  Joyce sat up abruptly and looked upon her daughter’s face.  Her hand lifted, almost afraid to believe.  That her little girl might disappear any second.  “I wasn’t dreaming….” 

“No…I’m still here.  Well, sorta anyway.”  

Her eyes shifted to the open front door and the two males waiting patiently on the other side, drawing her mother’s gaze as well.  The elder woman gasped upon seeing them, embarrassed at having been caught clinging to her daughter on the floor. 

“It’s ok, mom.  They’re ahh… they’re with me.” 

“With you?  Buffy?  I don’t understand.” 

“Spike…the one on the left…he’s my sire.  Angel…he’s Spike’s sire.” 

“Spike?  Angel?  What kind of names are those?  Buffy who…what—?” 

Buffy stiffened in defense of her sire, the ridges on her brow becoming prominent, her fangs elongating. 

Joyce gasped at the same time both Spike and Angel yelled for Buffy to stop.  

Buffy looked from them to her mother as Joyce back-pedaled away from her until her back was against the opposite wall.  She glared at her mom and struggled to bring her rising rage under control, a difficult feat given her age and a childe’s inborn tendencies to defend their sire. 

“Joyce, be a luv and invite us in,” Spike called out from the open doorway.  “Buffy may be your daughter, but she’s a bit young to be dealing with her demon’s need to defend me.” 

Joyce stared at the eighties fashion reject and the brooding dark-haired man by his side and shook her head in disbelief.  She couldn’t believe she was actually considering— 

“Come in…both of you.” 

There really hadn’t been a choice.  She was desperate to learn why her daughter was still….alive.  And the two just now stepping across her threshold seemed to be the only ones that could supply her with answers. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

An hour later, Joyce was still staring in disbelief at her daughter, how she sat curled between the two males, a smile upon her face.  Not since before that incident in Los Angeles – the fire at the school gymnasium – had she seen her daughter so happy…and carefree.  And the two males seemed to care about her, and each other, if the smoldering looks cast between the two – when they thought she wasn’t looking – was any indication. 

“But what about Giles? Surely—” 

“He can’t know.  No one can, Mrs. Summers.  If the Council caught one whiff that your daughter had been turned, they wouldn’t rest until she’d been hunted down and staked,” Angel told her. 

“But that’s barbaric!  She’s…she’s…” 

“A vampire, luv.  And Buffy was once the Slayer.  The ‘one girl in all the world’ and all that rot.  You don’t think it would get their knickers in a twist to see their shining example of all that was good and light being corrupted?” 

“That’s enough, Will,” Angel cut in.  Spike growled at being chastised, but held his tongue.  Angel ignored him and tried to explain their situation to the woman. 

“Since the first Slayer, only about a handful of instances where a Slayer was turned have been documented.  Of those, all of them…every single last one of them…had been staked inside a year.  Most were…uh…dealt with before they’d even risen.” 

“Dealt with?” Joyce asked, confused. 

Angel just shook his head, indicating that it was bad, and for once Spike didn’t jump in to clarify for his sire.  Beheading a vampire before they’d risen was not a pretty sight.  For one thing, they don’t dust, like normal vamps.  Second, there was no sense of closure for the sire – the unsevered bond was something that ate at the siring vampire until it drove it crazy. 

Joyce took the hint and dropped it. 

“So, what will you do?” 

“We’re leaving Sunnydale,” the elder vampire answered.  “We’re already packed, as a matter of fact.  Giles thinks Buffy’s been killed, so do her friends.  We’ll disappear before anyone’s the wiser.” 

“Leave?”  Joyce tried to mask the quaver in her voice, but wasn’t completely successful. 

“We can’t stay here.  To do so would mean Buffy’s instant death sentence.  We just couldn’t leave without your daughter…well, Spike saw what the news did to you.  At least this way you’ll know she’ll be looked after.” 

“Yeah…and if you ever decide to leave Sunnyhell behind, we might be inclined to visit,” Spike added. 

Angel stood, indicating it was time for them to leave.  

Joyce stood as well, bravely fighting back tears as her daughter prepared to disappear from her life forever.  “Y-you…you’ll be able to find me…if…if I ever do leave?” 

“Of course…just…stay away from Cleveland.  I hear Paris is nice.  Great place to set up a gallery,” Angel hinted. 

“Paris…” Joyce murmured, pondering the French city.  She nodded at the male vampire. 

“Say goodbye to your mum, luv.  Angelus and I’ll be in the car.  Don’t be long, yeah?”  Spike pulled Buffy close and gave her a quick kiss to her brow. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

The teary goodbye had been unexpected for Buffy.  She’d been subjected to another round of rib-bruising hugs.  Tears that had fallen without remorse from her mother’s eyes as she’d gazed upon Buffy one last time had been mimicked in the watery eyes of her daughter.  Where the emotional response cropped up from was a mystery to the former Slayer – perhaps a lingering human characteristic of hers.  She felt something for her mother, but it was nothing like what she felt for Spike and Angel.   The special bond she shared with Spike; she’d have to ask him once she got back to the car. 

With her mind wandering, Buffy failed to notice the dark-haired vampiress until she’d practically bumped into her.  She jumped back, her body automatically going into a defensive pose reminiscent of her Slayer days – an action which caused the woman to laugh delightedly. 

“Oh... my Spike has been a naughty, naughty boy,” she sing-songed as she danced around the girl. 

Buffy stiffened at her sire’s name being spoken by the obviously crazed vampiress twirling about her, but when the woman did nothing more than that, she relaxed her stance.  

Which was just what the other had been waiting for. 

Drusilla struck Buffy’s face with a sharp claw, causing a red line to appear.  The crazed vampiress’ eyes narrowed at the evidence of the fledgling’s lineage, and she hissed as she caught scent of another…older vampire…in their line.  Angelus.  Daddy. 

“Naughty Spike…turning the Slayer to keep for his own,” she growled.  “He promised me I could have you.” Drusilla danced closer to the blonde girl.  “Don’t you want to…come with me…be with me…?” 

She was looking deeply in the girl’s eyes, forcing her mind to bend to her whim. 

“No…Spike is…” Buffy’s voice trailed off as she was sucked into the vampiress’ trance. She stood motionless while the other female leaned in and licked the blood from her cheek. 

“So sweet,” Drusilla murmured. 

“Back off, Dru,” Spike growled. 

Drusilla hissed and leaned away from the girl.  

“Bad puppy!  Not wanting to share your toys.  Miss Edith will be so cross.” 

“Sod Miss Edith!  Get away from Buffy!” 

Spike was caught between rage and fear as Drusilla stood near his childe – the unpredictability of his sire something he’d dealt with often in the past.  His amber eyes watched her every move as she continued to dance around Buffy.  When she stopped suddenly and turned rage-filled eyes on him, he unconsciously swallowed. 

“You think to replace me with her!” she bellowed accusingly. 

“Dru…”  He tried to placate her, well aware of her mercurial temper.  “It’s not like that.” 

She cocked her head to the side, eyes surprisingly clear.  “You would lie to your sire?  William, William, William… now you must be punished.  And, I think your childe will do…those lovies in England—” 

“No!” he raged. 

“Drusilla.”  The voice was low, but the vampiress heard, nonetheless. 

“Daddy!”  Drusilla whirled around, flying towards the elder male that had just stepped into the front yard from the back of the house. She’d almost reached him when she stopped suddenly.  “You’re not my Daddy!” 

“Yes, Dru.  It’s me.  Come give Daddy a kiss.” 

Meanwhile, Spike had reached Buffy’s side and drew her into his protective embrace.  His hands were everywhere, assuring himself of her well-being. 

Angel was continuing his enticement, drawing his childe closer to him and away from the blonde couple. 

“You’re not him.  But I see a bit…” She took another hesitant step forward. 

He affected a leer.  “Wouldn’t deny me a bit of blood, would you, Princess?”  Fangs elongated and his brow erupted with the ridges of his demon.  “Hmmm?” 

Drusilla plastered herself against the length of her sire and she bared her neck to him, giggling crazily as the grip about her back tightened.  She delighted in the strong hold…it had been so long.  And she’d been such a good girl.  Which was why she obediently did like he asked. 

Angel gripped her hair and tugged, something that thrilled the vampiress and caused her to coo in delight.  His head lowered towards the marks he’d given her, and he recollected with sorrow the way she’d been turned – how evil he’d been before William had come into his life.  Darla had done a number on him, taken him to the extreme, nurtured his demon’s sadistic nature as she tried to stomp out every last trace of his humanity. 

It had been William that had brought it back.  One look at his fathomless blue eyes had been enough to know what he’d wanted. 

He growled near her throat, his childe completely unsuspecting as he brought his stake forward and sunk it into her unbeating heart.  His eyes closed momentarily and he mourned the innocent girl she once was – before he’d gotten his fangs in her.  Maybe now she would be at peace.  Something she’d never had the entirety of her vampiric life. 

Angel opened his eyes and started towards the blonde couple.  Both were staring at him with something between shock and awe. 

“It had to be done, Will.  Better it be me.” 

Spike nodded, reconciling what Angelus had done.  As much as he’d come to loathe being with his sire, Spike knew that he would never have been able to stake her.  Even with his own childe at risk… 

He shook his head to will away the disturbing thoughts.  Better for him to not have to choose between sire and childe.  

As Angel reached their side, he gasped as Spike practically threw himself in his arms and hugged him close. 

“Love you, Angelus,” he mumbled into his sire’s neck. 

Angel fought back tears and he hugged the younger male back. 

“Love you too, Will.  Now come on.  It really is past time to go.” 

Spike nodded and pulled away.  He smiled suddenly as it dawned on him. 

He was finally free.  They were finally free.  No more Darla.  No more Dru.  Just him, his sire, and Buffy.  It had only taken a hundred odd years and a lot of heartache, but they’d done it.  He leered at his sire then turned around.  Catching Buffy low about the hips, he slung her over his shoulder – to her squealing delight – and started for his car. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Paris, France
Nine months later