Their Soul

By Kallysten

Chapter 1 - Mate and Sire

Spike’s fangs sinking into her shoulder woke Buffy, but she didn’t stir, didn’t move in his embrace. Feeling this, sharing it with him again felt so right. She hadn’t missed the bites and everything that came with them during the few delicious days they had been human, but now that they were back to fanginess it just felt normal to feel his mouth pulling on her blood. It felt very nice, too. Especially with the promise of more delights to come, as he rubbed his hardness against the small of her back. However, it was quickly over, and he pulled away from her skin with an uncharacteristic abruptness, as if scorched by her blood. Before she could summon the will to open her eyes or to ask him what was going on, he had moved her so that she was lying flat on her back, and blood seeped past her lips and onto her tongue. She suppressed the moan that was rising in her throat at the unexpected treat, and started suckling softly on his offered wrist, not taking a lot, just enjoying the unique and so satisfying taste of her Sire. She opened her eyes slightly, barely enough to see him, and found his stunned face hovering over hers.

“Buffy?” he asked quietly.

With a long and slow lick, she cleaned the slash on his wrist, stopping the bleeding. Then she ran her tongue over her lips, grinning lazily, and looked up into his eyes.

“Hey there,” she said with a deep purr. “Thanks for breakfast in bed. Was hungry. You’re yummy.”

Murmuring soft words of love, she laid herself on top of his body, purring a little more as he wrapped her tightly in his arms. It was strange how the simple fact of being right there in this protective circle made her feel warm, even if no real warmth came from either of them. She realized he was still quiet, and guessed it was surprise that had silenced him. He had obviously not expected her to be a vampire with him, for him, again.

“You didn’t think I was going to let you have immortality while I got old and wrinkly, did you?” she asked teasingly.

“You’re a vampire again,” he simply said, and there was an edge of wonder in his voice.

She lifted her cheek from his chest and moved her face up so that she could get a good look at him. There was the same puzzlement in his eyes, as if he didn’t dare believe still.

“Not just a vampire. Your Childe. And your Mate.”

Very lightly, she caressed the sharp features she knew so well and which at this instant showed so clearly his confusion. How to make him understand…

“If you are to stay in the shadows, I want to be there with you” she declared softly, putting all her love in her words. “If you have to drink blood, I want you to take mine. If you get to live forever, I won’t let you do it alone.”

Long ago, he had followed her into this hallucination world of hers where she wasn’t a vampire, wasn’t a Slayer. He had been ready to stay there with her, and had told her something she hadn’t forgotten. He had said that immortality was worse than death if you were alone. And he would have ended alone, sooner or later, if she hadn’t decided to be like him again. She had understood long before the human Spike had admitted it out loud that the one thing her Sire needed was to be loved, and to feel like he belonged.

“But you were human again”, he protested weakly. “You were so happy…”

“I was happy because you were by my side”, she interrupted. “You’re still here, so I’m still happy.”

And it was true. Yes, of course, it had been great to walk in the sun again, to go on picnics, to truly enjoy the taste of food, to do these little things, seemingly so insignificant, that humans could do, but vampires could not. Yes, she had dreamed, for the first time in her life, of starting a family, of having children with the man she loved. Yes, she would miss some of it. But she wouldn’t regret her choice. The decision hadn’t been hard to make at all, and she had not doubted for one instant that she was right. Years before, she would have hesitated. Hell, maybe even weeks before. But being human for those few days had allowed her to meet a part of Spike he had rarely ever revealed before, the part that was so clearly William. If at all possible, she loved him even more now that she knew all of him. The strong part he had always shown and that she needed so much in her life. The less secure one, the poet, whom she felt like protecting, like he was protecting her. If she hadn’t known any better, she could have thought that this last aspect of him was his soul. But after the last few days, she knew that it was there all the time, simply well hidden, and repressed by the demon. Maybe she would have to tell him it was alright for him to show that side, that she loved it just as she loved the rest of him.

She was still touching his face with light fingers when his eyes filled with tears, and she placed soft kisses on them, chasing the tears away.

“You’re not gonna get all broody on me again, are you?” she asked, and not all the worry in her voice was fake.

He grinned at her but did not say a word. She let out a surprised yelp when he rolled his body over her, switching their positions. His hands pinned hers above her head at the same time his lips sought her mouth. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, nibbling on it gently for a while, before letting go and pushing his tongue past her parted lips. He explored her mouth methodically, stroking every surface, before lingering over that overly sensitive spot where her right fang hid. When he repeated the attention on the left side, she couldn’t stop her game face from emerging, and her descending fang nicked Spike’s tongue. She moaned as the rich nectar slid down her throat, rubbing her tongue against his to try and get as much of it as she could. She felt him change against her. Without thought, she pushed her tongue into his mouth and ran it against his fangs, caressing teasingly until he groaned. Only then did she allow the so sharp tip to slice and bring forth her own blood, and the groan turned into a deep purr.

Her hands were still immobilized by his, but now she ached to touch him, so she tried to free herself. She would have managed to, had she tried her best, but it wasn’t the time or place for a fight. He didn’t let go of her hands, but managed to secure both of them in one of his. His mouth glided down her throat until it was over the light scars that marked her as his Mate. They were even more sensitive than the first ones he had given her, and as his tongue flicked over them she lost all conscious thoughts. Her mind was consumed by this flame, which had been tiny so far but which was now roaring, that had been burning in her right after they had claimed each other and now again since she had awoken a vampire. Entranced, she didn’t notice what his free hand was doing until he pulled away from her, hands and mouth, and she found herself bound to the headboard by that long length of black silk he always kept under his pillow.

She could have howled in frustration as he slipped back into his human features and intently stared at her, baby blue eyes sliding over her exposed body but with no physical contact between them. She was about to give in, and either beg him or free her hands from their restraints, when he asked suddenly, his voice barely over a whisper:

“Up or down?”

She frowned at him, signifying she didn’t get his question, and he grinned wickedly. He lowered his face to the valley of her breasts and licked a path up one soft mound, circling the areola without touching it until she was squirming under him. He placed one quick lick on her hardening nipple, before repeating his actions with the other breast. She tried to remain still under his care, for when she moved the pressure he applied on her sensitive skin became less. Finally, as the sweet torture was becoming unbearable, he looked to her face.

“That was up”, he said, grinning again.

He scooted down the bed, nudging her legs apart until he was between her thighs, and she knew what was coming before he spoke.

“And this is down.”

She quivered in anticipation as his mouth descended on her. His tongue flicked her clit, just once, and she unconsciously raised her hips to force the contact. He chuckled softly, and glanced up at her.

“Was that your answer, luv?”

She nodded quickly, as talking was beyond her at the moment. She needed more, and she needed it now! Something on her face must have told him, for he returned to his ministrations. Again, her hips rose, and he pushed her back down gently with a hand on her stomach. She didn’t protest, though, because his tongue ran over her cleft, parting her lips, sending delicious shivers down her spine. He lapped a few times at the wetness that was flowing from her, purring like a big cat, before finally fastening his mouth to her clit. When he sucked on the engorged nub, she shut her eyes tight, and bit down on her lower lip, trying, and failing, to stifle a whimper. Next, he was nibbling on the flesh with blunt teeth. At the same time, his free hand found its way to her entrance, and one finger slipped in, soon joined by two more. Long digits pumped in and out of her, stroking her needy flesh in all the right places, while he continued alternating on sucking and nibbling. Too quickly, she was panting and urging him on with senseless words. Too quickly, she reached her climax and drowned in successive waves that had her arching under his unceasing touch until the pleasure became too much and started bordering on pain.

She almost managed to protest when he stopped and crawled up her body, but then he entered her still quivering core in one forceful thrust and the waves crashed down on her all over again. He remained immobile inside her until the sensations had calmed down slightly. As she finally was able to focus enough to look at him, he started gliding in her, slowly increasing his pace, his gaze locked to hers. The wave was threatening to take her once more, but this time she wanted him to ride it with her. Never breaking contact with his eyes, she angled her neck just a little, but the offer was unmistakable. In a second, he had vamped out and his mouth was on her, his fangs sinking in her flesh just as he pierced her one last time, filling her and drinking from her in the same instant. As the world exploded around her, a soft cry escaped Buffy’s lips. A single moaned word:

“Sire.”

Chapter 2 - Couples

The sun had been up for quite a while, and still they were on the roof of the hospital, talking as they had done for most of the night. Even if he had watched every single one since he had been turned human, sunrises would always be very special to Angel, and he doubted he would ever get tired of seeing them. But feeling the growing warmth on his skin wasn’t what was making him feel good this time. Having Cordelia by his side, talking to her about everything that had happened since she had disappeared three years before, that was the truly miraculous thing. He had missed her, missed her friendship, her humor, her way of giving frank, if sometimes unsolicited, advice. And now, he owed even more to her, since she had made him human again.

“Well, that’s one way to see it”, she said with a soft smile as he voiced the thought. “But you would have been human again eventually, you know. It was just a question of time. I just hurried the process a little.”

“And I can never thank you enough for it”, he insisted. “You have no idea what it means to me.”

She leaned against the safety rail, cocking her head ever so slightly as she watched him.

“I have a pretty good idea,” she murmured softly.

She had admitted earlier that during the time she wasn’t allowed to talk to her friends she had kept an eye on them anyway, present even if invisible and silent. And he could guess from a few comments she had made that she had access to his thoughts, there was just no other way she could know some things. He didn’t mind that much, though. He trusted her not to abuse whatever powers she had.

“You have to know, however, that you’re not a ‘normal’ human,” she added after a few seconds of comfortable silence.

“How so?”

“You still have your strength and rapid healing,” she explained slowly. “And somewhat of a sixth sense to pinpoint at demons and unnatural things.”

“Like Buffy’s Slayer sense?” he proposed.

She nodded. “Exactly like it, actually,” she confirmed. “For all purposes, you’re basically a male Slayer. As is Steven, though he was born with it all. As Spike would have been, too.”

For a brief instant, she frowned, and Angel couldn’t help wondering again about how well, or rather how little, he knew his Childe. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Spike had been ready to die for someone he loved, but he wouldn’t have believed him capable of it for someone he barely knew. Another cause of surprise was that he still thought of him as of his Childe, and he probably always would. He could only hope Spike wouldn’t shun him now that they were on opposite sides of life.

“I wonder how Buffy took it,” he commented out loud, having this sense that she would be rather shocked by Spike’s return to being undead.

“Not so bad considering what was at stake,” Cordelia replied with a secretive smile.

He stared at her for a moment. She hadn’t left him all night, how could she know? She laughed quietly at his surprised look.

“When I zoned out earlier,” she explained, “I was with her. Little dream chat.”

He nodded slowly. The question was burning his lips as to what they had talked about, but he didn’t ask. It was none of his business.

“You should go home and rest a little,” Cordy said gently as he tried to stifle a yawn. “There will be a Scooby meeting at the end of the afternoon at the Magic Box. And after that, you should go back to LA; your help will be needed there.”

Again, questions were crowding his mind, but he kept them to himself. He realized if she had wanted to tell him more, she would have done so already. They said their goodbyes, and she promised to come to the Magic Box later instead of simply fading away. He made his way to the mansion, his step light despite his fatigue.

* * * * *

Giles and Andrea had remained by Manon’s side for the greatest part of the night, but when morning came, the hospital personnel gently but firmly sent them out. The girl’s life wasn’t considered in danger anymore, she had been moved from intensive care to a resting room, and her supposed parents could go home to rest and come back during normal visiting hours. They took a taxi to the motel where Andrea and Manon lived. Giles followed Andrea in, continuing their conversations about being Watchers and caring for their Slayers more than they were supposed to. Over cups of strong tea, they discussed for a couple of hours about all the things that were wrong with the Council, starting with the top and Quentin Travers. Giles easily agreed to accompany Andrea to London, with the quiet and delightful certitude that they would be shaking the Council to its roots before they were done. Finally exhausted, Giles was preparing to make his way back to Revello when Andrea suggested that he could sleep in Manon’s room, which he accepted gratefully. He was grateful also, though immensely puzzled, for the soft kiss she placed on his cheek before retreating to her room.

* * * * *

By Spike’s internal clock, it was already mid-afternoon, and yet there still weren’t any noises in the house. Not that he minded. Staying in bed was just fine with him, and if everybody else was still resting, that meant his Slayer didn’t feel like she needed to get up to check on them. Just perfect.

He still felt humbled by the choice she had made for him. His own choice had been pretty easy. He hadn’t wanted to be human to begin with, and his soul had been an almost constant torture. The only thing that had made him hesitate had been the thought of his fiancée, who obviously had enjoyed so much having a pulse again. But even if that was what she wanted, even if her own soul was no problem, she had joined him back in the world of the night. And this time, deliberately.

They were now lying on their sides, chest to chest, resting after their last round of naughty games. Stamina did have limits…though thankfully temporary ones. Her head was tucked under his chin, their arms and legs tangled, her thumb drawing lazy circles in the small of his back. Awake, but quiet, both of them, for too long, and Spike was wondering what she was thinking about. He finally broke the silence to ask her.

“Just random things,” she replied, her words a soft tickle on his skin. “Like, I got rid of all the blood. Not sure how the Scoobies will react. Wondering if you’ll still write poetry. And if you still want to marry me.”

The hold of his arms around her tightened for a second.

“Don’t you dare doubt it,” he rumbled.

She rubbed her face against his chest.

“OK, I won’t doubt again that you’re a poet.”

He frowned and pulled away just a little, until she tilted her face up.

“I was talking about marrying you,” he said. “Not about bloody…”

He saw that little glint in her eyes, and realized she was just teasing him. Growling softly, he captured her mouth in a voracious kiss. When he let go of her lips, she returned to her place against his chest.

“Wedding still on, check,” she mumbled, a bit breathless. “Poetry?”

“Very doubtful.”

“It would be too bad if you stopped,” she protested. “I liked the ones you let me read. I think they were good.”

He couldn’t help laughing quietly at that. There had been a time when this had been a very touchy subject, and he would have taken her words as mockery or insults. Things changed.

“We will see,” he said noncommittally, though he knew his writing days were behind him. She could say what she wanted, he knew she was just trying to be nice, and his compositions were still bloody awful.

“Blood, we can get as soon as the sun sets,” he suggested, returning to her list of thoughts. “As for the Scoobies, I doubt they will cheer at your return to being undead.”

“Our return”, she corrected gently.

He pressed his lips to the top of her head, her golden tresses like silk on his skin. He had the feeling that if the gang expressed any feeling about his change, it would be relief that he wouldn’t be acting like a pitiful wanker answering to the name of William anymore. And if he could, he would erase that image from their collective memories. And his as well.

With a sigh, she rolled out of his embrace, and he protested wordlessly.

“I’ll call everyone,” she explained. “Tell them to meet us at the shop by sunset, so we can announce it to all of them.”

He nodded and just settled there, cheek resting against his closed fist, watching her as she made one call after the other, not saying much except for checking that her chums were alright and assuring them that the meeting wasn’t about anything dire falling on them all again. As soon as she put down the phone, he pounced on her.

Chapter 3 - Debriefing

It was the delicious scent of coffee that woke Faith. Eyes still half closed, wearing only sweat pants and a t-shirt, muscles aching at each careful step she took, she treaded to the kitchen, following her nose. She grunted something that might have been a morning greeting, though morning was long past, and sat down on one of the stools, elbows on the table, chin in her palm.

For a little while, she watched Spike and Buffy move around the kitchen and prepare various foods, wondering how they could do all this while she herself had so much trouble just moving. Then she realized. She had asked for it. She had wanted to be nothing but a normal girl, and now she was. A look at the exposed skin of her arms confirmed her theory. All the shallow cuts, scratches, and bruises should have disappeared, healed during the night. But they were still there. What was gone was her accelerated healing.

All normal now… Some people might have felt it was stupid to give up what she had had as a Slayer, but for her it was truly a relief. No more responsibilities. No more temptations. No more constant reminders of where some of her choices had led her. Just a normal life to live the best she could.

Buffy placing a mug full of coffee in front of her pulled Faith out of her thoughts.

“Hey sleepyhead,” the blonde said with a grin. “Meeting at the Magic Box in two hours, so that leaves you some time to wake up completely.”

Faith drained half her mug, grateful for the warmth and the strength of the beverage, before she answered.

“I’m not coming. Whatever you have to talk about, it’s not my business anymore.”

Buffy arched an eyebrow at her above her own mug, but her boyfriend didn’t seem concerned by the declaration as he left the kitchen. Slayer and ex-Slayer gauged each other for a minute, and Buffy finally said:

“It’s not your business. OK. I get that. But you could come say goodbye to everyone.”

Faith finished her coffee in one long gulp, then shook her head.

“They’re your friends, Buff. Not mine. I sincerely doubt they will be upset if I just leave.”

She had come back to this cursed town for one reason only, which had been to help avert the apocalypse. And she had. On the same ground where the closest thing to a parent she had ever known had been killed. Her job was done, and she wouldn’t spend one more night on the Hellmouth.

“At least say goodbye to Angel,” Buffy insisted. “You can’t deny he is your friend.”

Getting to her feet, Faith walked around the counter and placed her empty cup in the sink.

“I was never good at goodbyes anyway,” she said as she was leaving the kitchen. “It’s better this way. I’m going to take a quick shower and I’ll be out of your hair.”

And with that, she walked away, grabbing her bag in the living room before going upstairs to the bathroom, cringing as she pulled on still painful limbs. Half an hour later, she had left.

* * * * *

Sitting on the counter next to Spike, Buffy let her eyes roam over the assembled Scoobies. There were still some tired looks, and the conversations were rather subdued, but they were all safe and sound, thankfully. They had started the meeting a minute before, with the arrival of Giles and Andrea. The two Watchers had come in laughing quietly together, which had brought a puzzled frown to Buffy’s face. Giles hadn’t come back to Revello the night before, and he was wearing the same clothes as the previous day. She doubted he had been allowed to stay at the hospital all night and all day, so it left the possibility that he had slept at Andrea’s motel. Not her business, of course, but he was like her father and of course she couldn’t help feeling interested. They hadn’t waited for Angel to start the meeting, since they hadn’t been able to contact him and had no idea where he could be. A quick stop by the mansion earlier had proved fruitless.

“The official story is that there was a gas explosion,” Xander was saying. “And of course, no one questions how it could have destroyed the school so thoroughly, or why no one heard or saw the explosion.”

Despite herself, Buffy snorted, which earned her an amused look from her Sire.

“Typical Sunnydale,” she commented. “No one will question anything. Convenient”.

Xander nodded as he continued. “They didn’t say a word about any remains found. But when I drove by there were a bunch of military guys, and others in white coats going over the ruins. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the Initiative was back in town.”

Buffy felt Spike stiffen by her side as Xander mentioned the Initiative, and she inconspicuously slipped an arm around his waist, leaning slightly against him. He didn’t say a word, but relaxed a little in her embrace. Now that she knew the bloodlust, knew the need for violence, knew the tyranny of the demon, she understood better what the chip had meant to Spike. But at the same time, without it, he might never have started working with them, and all that had followed. A hard price to pay, certainly, but she had no doubt if she asked him he would say it had been worth it.

“If the Initiative is truly back”, Giles said with a quick glance at the counter and the two blondes perched there, “then we can be happy our residents vampires are back to their human selves. I wouldn’t…”

The rest of his words were lost on Buffy as her eyes moved once more on the Scoobies, before settling on Dawn. She had tried to tell her sister earlier about being a vamp again, but had quite frankly chickened out and decided to tell her at the same time as everyone else. And now, she didn’t know how to tell them at all. She knew they were going to freak out, she was just sure of it, but she didn’t know to what degree, and she only hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. They had gotten used to it rather quickly when she had first been turned, after all. They would just have to get used to it again. But Dawn… Dawn had been the happiest of them all, talking about her future nieces and nephews with enthusiasm and planning a very sunny wedding for Buffy and Spike. Buffy was truly afraid Dawn wouldn’t understand, and to tell the truth it might be hard to explain. Spike didn’t want anyone to know why he had given up on his humanity, and without that little bit of information, their return to vamphood just seemed to have no reason.

Shaking her head slightly, she tried to focus back on the conversation. Andrea and Giles were telling about their plans to go to London and apparently create chaos in the Council. That sounded fun.

“We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon”, Giles was finishing explaining. “The Council expects Andrea; they think she’s coming to tell them about the battle. They’re in for a nasty surprise.”

A small grin, very Ripper-like, appeared on his lips. Buffy would have given an awful lot to be there when these two confronted Travers.

“A new Slayer was called when Manon’s heart stopped,” he added thoughtfully after a second. “She had been training for a few years already; she’s in London right now. And talking about Slayers, where is Faith?”

Buffy explained laconically about Faith having left earlier, and as the brunette had predicted, there weren’t any protests at the lack of goodbyes. Maybe some things were hard to forget.

“Manon will be out of the hospital tomorrow,” Andrea said with a bright smile. “We’re thinking about leaving her here, if that’s OK with you.”

She looked at Buffy as she said so, and Buffy nodded her consent. She liked the kid and didn’t mind having her as a houseguest for a while.

“I’m not saying all of this isn’t very interesting,” Willow said with a stifled yawn, “but did we really have to meet to hear all of this today? I for one could have used some more rest.”

Buffy was about to answer, since it seemed that this time she couldn’t push back the moment again, when the door bell rang, and Cordelia strode in, followed by Angel. There was an instant of confusion, while the ex-cheerleader was on the receiving end of many curious questions, which gave Buffy some more time to stall and think about how to announce her piece of news. She felt Angel’s eyes on her, and returned his gaze, wondering whether he knew about her, since Spike had told her he knew about him already.

“Luv, we’ll have to tell then sooner or later,” Spike whispered just against her ear, and she shivered at the light touch.

She nodded, and clearing her voice, she asked for everybody’s attention. Once the eyes were all on her, she froze, unable to force the words out of her throat. Spike seemed to understand, and spoke for her.

“I suppose it’ll be a shock for you all,” he said with the ghost of a smirk in his voice, “but despite the common belief there are still vampires among you”.

There was a deep silence in the shop for a minute, until Buffy added, very quietly:

“We are vampires again.”

Chapter 4- The Reason Why

“We are vampires again.”

Buffy’s voice was almost a whisper, but Spike had no doubts that everybody had heard her. For a few seconds, blank looks were the only response to the quiet announcement. Then Dawn broke the silence.

“It’s a joke, right?” she asked with a hesitant smile. “It’s a really bad joke, but it’s just a joke.”

Both he and Buffy shook their heads, and the Bit’s smile faded. By her side, Steven frowned, though not at the blonde couple. His eyes were on his father as he asked:

“You too?”

“No, I’m still human,” Angel replied in a carefully neutral voice.

Still, the Scoobies were processing the information, and apparently it was a really nasty shock. Spike held Buffy a little tighter; he had the feeling things were going to turn ugly as soon as they all woke up from the surprise.

“Cordelia, I thought they were to remain humans,” Giles said suddenly. “This is certainly a cruel trick you are…”

“Hey, no trick,” the girl interrupted him, crossing her arms in front of her in a defensive posture. “It was their choice.”

That did it. All eyes were back to Buffy and him, the surprise even greater than before, but this time not as silent.

“Choice?” Dawn mumbled.

At the same time, Xander asked: “Why in hell would you want to be vamps?”

“But you were so happy”, Willow stated softly, half questioning.

All of them looked incredulous that someone, let alone a Slayer, their Buffy, would decide to give up humanity and be a vampire. Or maybe not all of them. Tara seemed surprised, but not reproachfully so. Anya, a hand cradled on her belly and a soft smile on her lips, obviously wasn’t paying any attention to what was going on. Angel’s expression was completely blank, and Spike wondered whether he knew about Buffy before she announced it. As for Steven, he looked puzzled, nothing more. Giles and Dawn however were not only incredulous; they shared the same pained look.

“We are still happy,” Buffy said in a painfully quiet tone. “And yes it was our choice.”

“But why?” Dawn asked, the tears clear in her voice. “You weren’t dying this time. It wasn’t the only solution. So why…”

She broke into sobs and Steven pulled her against him, running a soothing hand on her back. Buffy slid off the counter, and Spike thought she was going to comfort her sister, but instead she walked out of the store, turning briefly tear filled eyes toward him and shaking her head as she closed the door behind her. He got the message loud and clear. She wanted a little time by herself. That was just fine with him actually; he had a few things to tell the assembled crowd.

“Why do I have this feeling it was your idea, dead boy?” Xander accused suddenly, glaring at Spike.

The vampire shook his head lightly, as much at the words as for having believed that the human had become his friend. Apparently, that friendship was paper thin, and it hadn’t taken much to destroy it.

“I made my choice”, Spike answered coldly. “She made her own. Didn’t ask for my opinion. She didn’t need to, just as she didn’t need to ask yours.”

“Why?” the Nibblet repeated again, still crying noiselessly.

He saw Cordelia shift slightly, saw her get ready to speak, and threw her a glance that silenced her. He also wordlessly warned Angel not to say a word. The brunette was staying strangely out of the way, apart from the rest of the Scoobies, as if he didn’t quite belong in here.

“Our reasons are our own,” Spike said grimly, "and no one else’s business.”

Again, his eyes traveled over the people in front of him. His friends, or so he had thought. Her friends, or so they pretended to be. People with whom they had survived more than anyone should ever have to fight, their last battle only a few hours before. But all he could see now was the utter incomprehension, tinted with disapproval. And it made him angry, angrier than he had been with any of them in a long time. He didn’t care about their approval; he was who he was, had been so before they were born, would still be when they were long gone. But for his Slayer, they were more than friends, they were family, she still needed their support. And they were denying it to her.

“Such a nice gang of mates”, he spat. “You’d think after all the girl has gone through, you’d grow a bit tolerant and accept her choices if they bring her happiness. But no. Why show the smallest bit of support when you can make her feel bad and guilty. The only time you lot ever supported her was when she dated Captain Cardboard. And he was such a good choice, wasn’t he? Made her so happy, too. It’s a wonder she doesn’t run away from that smothering love of yours. Oh wait, she did.”

Scowling, he jumped off the counter and strode out, banging the door shut behind him. Inhaling sharply, he picked up his Slayer’s lingering scent and followed the trail, unsurprised that it led him toward the closest cemetery. She probably needed to relieve some tension, and to tell the truth, so did he. Nothing like a few kills to forget the poor reaction of that sad bunch of humans. As much as he liked them, after this cold reception he and Buffy would be out of town before morning if it only were up to him. Of course, she’d never agree to that, he had no illusions about it.

* * * * *

The loud noise of the door closing behind Spike seemed to echo in the silent store. Absently cleaning his glasses, Giles reflected on the blonde’s words. Of course, Buffy’s choices were her own and he had admitted long ago that being her Watcher didn’t entitle him to judge them or her. But with the shock of the news, he might have not shown this to her tonight, when she obviously needed reassurance. None of them had, all she had received were questions that closely resembled accusations.

“As much as it pains me to admit it,” he said loud enough for all to hear, “I think Spike is right. Our reaction to the… announcement… lacked on the support part.”

“Just trying to understand, G-man,” Xander said, calmer now than when he had confronted Spike. “One day, our friends are vamps, next they become humans, then poof, they’re back to being undead. And they say they chose it. Confused here.”

“You weren’t exactly friendly two minutes ago when you accused him without knowing half of it,” Angel said harshly.

Curious eyes settled on the ex-vampire. He seemed rather angry, just as Spike had been.

“What do you know that we don’t?” Dawn asked him suspiciously, her eyes narrowing as she gauged him.

The brunette ran a hand through his hair, throwing a quick glance at Cordelia, who returned the gaze impassively.

“I don’t think I can tell you,” he replied, almost apologetically.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Cordelia exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “Enough with the secrets already. Spike traded his life for Manon’s, that’s his reason. Anyone have a problem with that?”

A chill ran down Giles’ spine. He remembered thinking, the night before, that Manon’s sudden recovery was truly too miraculous to be attributed to Slayer healing. Apparently, he had been right. But he would never have imagined this.

“What about Buffy?” Dawn asked weakly. “She didn’t have to be a vamp again.”

“Didn’t she?” Tara said softly. “She loves him. Could she have remained human and live a normal life while he was stuck indoors during the day? Knowing that Slayers die young and that sooner rather than later she would leave him to be alone forever? I know I wouldn’t have hesitated.”

As she said so, she reached for Willow’s hand on the table, and the two women shared a tender smile.

“So, maybe we overreacted,” Xander admitted, grimacing. “How do we fix it?”

“By showing her we’re still here for her, for them, as before, and nothing’s changed.”

Nods answered Giles words, even though Dawn seemed a little unenthusiastic still.

There was a moment of quiet, the good mood and relaxed atmosphere from the beginning of the meeting completely gone. They had hurt Buffy, and Spike, unintentionally, but the result was just the same as if they had tried on purpose. Angel clearing his throat broke the uncomfortable silence.

“Not that the Hellmouth isn’t a lot of fun,” he said with the faintest trace of sarcasm in his voice, "but I need to get back to LA. Steven?”

A quick and silent exchange passed between father and son, until the latter nodded and shifted his gaze to Dawn. She, in turn, looked at Angel.

“Can I come?” she asked, almost pleading.

“Dawn,” Giles felt compelled to intervene, “fleeing from Buffy isn’t going to help anything”.

“I’m not fleeing”, she defended herself. “I just want to be with Steven. School starts soon, I’ll be back by then.”

Shaking his head, the ex-Watcher gave up. It wasn’t like he had any authority on the girl anyway. Ignoring the talk between Angel and Dawn, he looked at Andrea beside him. She hadn’t said a word since Buffy told them about being a vamp.

“You’re awfully quiet,” he said softly.

She seemed startled by his words, as if she had been lost in her thoughts.

“It’s just… strange,” she commented. “A Slayer who decides to be a vampire. A vampire who gives up his second chance at life to save a Slayer. Remember the time when all you knew about vampires was what you had read in the Council’s books?”

She gave him a halfhearted smile, and he understood exactly how she felt. Yes, he remembered a time, long gone, when he thought the matter of vampires was simple. That was before he became Buffy’s Watcher. Black and white had disappeared, replaced by nuances of gray. And this was only one of the many things they would need to have the Council understand.

Chapter 5 - Hello Iowa

Hands thrust deep into her duster’s pockets, head hanging low, Buffy was walking silently through the graveyard, wishing something, anything, preferably large and nasty, would think she was an easy prey and try to take a bite out of her. That thing would be in for a big surprise, pissed off as she was she didn’t need the stake she was clutching in the recess of the leather. If a vamp showed its bumpies, she would try and see how much time she could take tearing its head off. Or maybe pulling its heart out. Gross, certainly, but she had a suspicion, born from watching Spike do these sorts of things, that it would be very satisfying too.

Heart ripped out, that was just about how she felt. She had known the gang would be surprised, but she hadn’t expected it to be so bad. Dawn’s reaction, especially, was hard to accept. She hadn’t cried the first time, when Spike had turned her sister without her consent. But she had cried today, when Buffy had made it clear it had been what she wanted.

Angrily, she passed a hand over her face, drying her cheeks and willing herself not to shed any more tears. She had been glad at first that Spike hadn’t followed her, she needed some time to herself, but now she was beginning to miss him. She missed her Mate and the comfort only he could bring. The tiny flame in her mind was nice, but not enough right now to warm the chill her friends’ and sister’s reaction had brought on her.

Whether the Scoobies accepted it or not, she was a vamp again and nothing was going to change that. And talking about vamps… one was coming toward her, from behind, almost perfectly silent, and if not for her Slayer senses she might not have noticed she was being followed. Stupid thing, if it only paid attention it would realize her heart wasn’t beating. She pretended to be oblivious, while all her senses were focused on the approaching creature, which might be why she didn’t notice the human until he had fired his crossbow and reduced her prey to ashes just as it was reaching her. Annoyed that her kill had been taken from her, she turned to the steady heartbeat and its owner standing in the shadows of a tree.

“What the hell do you think…?”

She paused as the human took a few steps toward her, smiling a bit cautiously. Dressed in dark military garb, crossbow in hand, taser by his side, a pure product of that secret branch of the army she had been sure had left her town for good.

“Hello Buffy.”

“Riley”.

His smiled widened just a little as he asked: “Care for some company for patrol?”

Yes, she wanted company, but he wasn’t whom she had been expecting. Of course, telling him Spike would probably join her pretty soon didn’t sound like a very good idea at the moment.

“I was kinda done, actually”, she lied. “What are you doing in town?”

She winced at the abruptness of her own words, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“My unit was called in, some nasty business at the high school.”

By the way he was scrutinizing her; she realized this wasn’t a chance encounter. He was trying to see if she knew something about what had happened at the school, and more than likely had been looking for her tonight just for that. She wasn’t in a giving mood though.

“So, what happened?” she asked innocently. “I heard on the news it blew up.”

“Not just that,” he said slowly. “There were all sorts of demons remains there. On last count, about three hundred corpses.”

She couldn’t repress a smile. Three hundred. Wow. They had really done a nice job.

“So, you’re gonna tell me what happened?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “By the look on your face, you were there.”

She shrugged. “Hellmouth opened. Slaying. Hellmouth closed. End of story.”

He laughed, a rich laugh, tinted with a hint of surprise.

“You say it like it’s nothing,” he commented, shaking his head slightly. “Just seeing these things made some my men sick, and you just shrug it off. You’re amazing, you know?”

“I wasn’t alone,” she said as if it explained everything.

“Yeah, I guess not”, he murmured, all traces all laughter gone. “I wish I had been there to see that. And help.”

There was something in his eyes that made Buffy very self-aware. He was looking at her a little like he used to when they were a couple, like he had looked at his wife during his brief return to Sunnydale three years before, a few weeks before she had been turned.

“So,” she asked, looking around uncomfortably. “Where’s Sam? Not hunting together tonight?”

Something flashed through his face and he looked older suddenly, much older than he really was. He walked around Buffy and leaned against a tombstone, his posture now very unmilitary.

“Sam and I…separated,” he said, and his voice held some pain. “Two years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Buffy offered sincerely.

He nodded, and for a few seconds they were quiet. Awkward couldn’t begin to describe how the situation felt to Buffy.

* * * * *

Even after all this time, the conversation with Buffy felt oddly comfortable to Riley, maybe more so than when they were dating. And it was very nice to see her, too. It was probably why he had volunteered his unit as soon as the word had been out that something big had happened in Sunnydale. He had guessed that whatever had happened was linked to the Slayer, and as she had admitted, he had been right.

He hadn’t lied when he said he wished he had been there for that fight. After a while, running the world to destroy demons’ nests had become annoying, and he longed for some settling down. Caring for a single town as she did sounded appealing. And if all went as he thought, they would soon meet on patrol pretty often…

“So, how is the gang?” he asked with a warm smile.

“Just fine”, she answered after a slight pause. “Xander and Anya are married, and she’s pregnant. Tara and Willow just came back from Europe. Giles lives in England now, but he’s visiting.”

“How about Dawn?”

A strange look flickered across Buffy’s face, and for a second he feared the worst about her kid sister, but she said just the opposite.

“She’s great. All grown up. Boyfriend, university, normal life.”

Was it regret in her voice as she talked about Dawn? What could she regret? The normality? School? Or a boyfriend?

He had regrets too. Things with Sam had gone steadily down since they had been in Sunnydale, until she left, making it clear that she was tired of competing with the memory of the Slayer. Only then had he realized. And now he was back in her town, and maybe, who could tell, he would soon be back in her life.

“What about you?” he asked softly. “Anything new for you?”

He hesitated just a second, and added quietly: “Anyone?”

A look of deer caught in headlights crossed her features, and she pulled her left hand out of her coat pocket – and why did that coat look so familiar anyway? He was sure it was the first time he saw her wearing it, but…

His thoughts were interrupted as he caught the glint of gold on the hand she was showing him.

“I’m engaged,” she said a bit shyly.

He blinked, then frowned slightly, as for a second he had been brought back to the time just before they dated, when he had caught her looking at wedding dresses, while she was under what he had later learned was a badly turned spell.

“Congratulations,” he said, trying to sound sincere. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

Buffy didn’t answer his question, but instead she turned her eyes to the shadows to their side. Suspecting she was sensing a demon’s presence, Riley straightened and held his weapon ready, his eyes scrutinizing the dark where he could see a form moving toward them. At first, he refused to believe what he was seeing. He had gone by the creature’s lair earlier with a few of his men, and they had found it cleared out, obviously vacant for a long time. He had believed, had hoped, that Buffy had finally staked the thing. But apparently she hadn’t, since Spike was striding toward them, looking very much like a predator on the hunt. Buffy’s hand came up, signaling to Riley not to fire and to his amazement he obeyed her silent wish. Of course, it helped that her wish coincided with his orders. The vampire was now behind her, and he slipped his arms around her waist in a disturbingly possessive gesture.

“I am the lucky bloke,” he stated, smirking for all he was worth.

Not believing what he was hearing, Riley’s eyes left the vamp and settled on Buffy, looking for her denial, expecting her to say it was a joke, another spell, anything but the truth. All she did was smile.

Chapter 6 - Comfort

For a little while, Spike remained in the shadows, out of sight of the human, but close enough that Buffy must have known he was there. He wasn’t afraid of the damn man, but he had a hunch that things would be much smoother if the guy never heard about him and Buffy. If he was in town for the high school business, then he would be gone soon, and that would be the end of it. Not that it was easy to leave his lady talking with her ex. It wasn’t pleasant at all, more like slow torture. The last time the wanker had been in town, half of Spike’s crypt had been blown up, and Buffy had decided to break up their relationship. He strongly suspected that seeing him had played a large role in the break up part, though they had never talked about it. Repeating to himself that it would just be easier for everybody if he remained out of the talk, Spike paced silently, not one of their words escaping his acute hearing. But when the wanker asked her if she had anyone in her life, it sounded way too much like he was scouting the field before trying to win her back. He decided the game had lasted long enough, and walked out of the shadows.

Ignoring the idiot and his crossbow, Spike went straight to his Slayer, encircling her with both arms. He voiced his claim, and his smirk became a little less forced at the look on Riley’s face. He seemed ready to have a heart attack. It became even better when his Mate, instead of throwing him the half amused, half scolding glare she always gave him when he pulled that move in front of Angel, relaxed ever so slightly against him, declaring softly to her wide-eyed ex:

“Spike and I are getting married.”

But then, the boy did something completely unexpected that put an end to Spike’s fun. He laughed. And a sudden desire to rip out his entrails sneaked into the vampire’s mind.

“I heard that one before”, Riley managed to say. “Did Willow play with magic again? She really should…”

Spike’s menacing growl interrupted him, and if not for Buffy’s hands holding his arms in place the vampire would have taught this pathetic excuse for a man a good lesson.

“It’s not a spell,” Buffy said coolly. “We’ve been together for three years.”

Oh, Iowa wasn’t laughing anymore. Scowling was more like it, now. And something much too close to disgust for the boy’s own good.

“Sleeping with a neutered vampire, that was pitiful enough”, he spat. “But actually thinking about spending…”

“The neutered vampire is going to show a thing or two to the impotent kid,” Spike hissed, getting very close to shifting to game face and lunging at the arrogant piece of military garbage.

The idiot actually took a step forward, as if daring Spike to make a move. It was easy for him to be bold when he thought his opponent couldn’t lay a hand on him. But he might quickly have a nasty surprise…

“Unless you want a taste of Slayer strength,” Buffy interrupted him, “I suggest you stop right there. Since obviously you can’t show the barest politeness, I think you’d better leave, Riley. As in, leave Sunnydale. And take all your boys with you. The last thing we need is another Initiative.”

With a last defiant look at Spike, and an almost pitying one at Buffy that renewed Spike’s anger, the boy walked away. Until he was out of sight, Buffy’s hands kept their tight grip on her Mate’s arms, as if afraid he would let go of her to run after the other. Finally, she turned into his embrace and gave him a hug and a quick kiss.

“Thank you,” she said with a soft smile.

“What for?” he growled, a bit annoyed that the boy had left without receiving what he deserved for talking to Buffy like that.

“For controlling yourself. You wanted to show him the chip is gone, uh?”

Spike forced out a quiet chuckle and held her tighter. For a moment, they just clung to each other. The day had started very well, but things had been getting worse ever since the sun had set. The thought came to him that all they needed now was Harmony to come whining and they would have confronted all their exes. Shivering, he winced internally. Thinking of Drusilla still hurt somewhat. At least Iowa hadn’t really tried to kill either of them. Though he might have tried to off Spike if Buffy hadn’t been there. That could have been an interesting long due fight.

“Up for patrol, luv?” he murmured against her ear. “I could use a spot of violence, how about you?”

She let out a small, sad laugh and they were soon walking side by side, quiet as they listened for any unnatural noises. Sometimes, most of the time, they bantered as they patrolled, made bets as to who would dust a vamp first, who would dust the most in the night, who could run fastest to a certain point. But tonight, they were silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Without thinking, Spike pulled out the pack of cigarettes and the cheap lighter he had bought on his way to the cemetery, earning a glare from Buffy as he lit one.

“I thought you had quit smoking,” she said, disapprovingly.

“You taking my fags isn’t exactly what I’d call quitting”, he pointed out.

He took a long drag on the cigarette, his first since… Let’s see. If he concentrated, he was sure he could remember when his last nicotine fix had been. Patrol. The night they had been made human. Was it only eleven days ago? It seemed like forever.

“You didn’t complain that I had taken them,” Buffy protested. “You didn’t even mention cigarettes at all while you were human.”

He almost felt like chuckling. Almost.

“’Was too busy brooding to think about fags. And I’m not bloody idiot, luv. If these things could kill vampires as they do humans, I wouldn’t smoke. But as it is, they’re harmless to me, so what’s the point of quitting?”

They bickered about it for a little while, a habitual argument between them, and it was comforting to fall back on old patterns. In the end, she won, as she always did, by proving to him there were much nicer things to do with his mouth. Kissing her, for one.

* * * * *

They patrolled until late in the night, despite the blatant lack of nasties to slay. At some point, Spike started commenting about how Europe was nice at this time of the year. With the end of summer, he was saying, tourists were going back home, which made it the perfect time to appreciate the big cities as well as the smallish towns. She listened as he described some of the places he wanted to show her, not pointing out that whenever he had last been there he had probably been more interested by the local food than by the scenery.

It was tempting, really, to just leave this cursed town, its Hellmouth and demons, and to tour the world like they didn’t have a care. Of course, they would be short on money pretty quick. But that wasn’t why Buffy couldn’t let herself agree. However hellish Sunnydale was, it was still her home. Her responsibility. She knew she’d never be able to enjoy a trip if it meant leaving her turf unattended, and her worry would ruin Spike’s fun too. He argued to her that Manon was there, that she could take care of it all for a little while with the gang’s help, but even he didn’t sound very convinced as he said that. After all, a few hours before, the kid had almost died. She had just been called, and needed more training. And she was so young, too young for such a heavy burden to be imposed to her.

It was a little after three in the morning that they arrived home. Buffy was surprised, and grateful, to find bagged blood in the fridge as she was putting there what she and Spike had bought on their way back at a butcher that catered to ‘special needs’ citizens. She wondered briefly who had had the idea to stock them up, and decided it must have been Giles. She made a mental note to thank him the next day, which might give her the occasion to see if he had really accepted the news as the thoughtful gesture led her to believe.

She found something else in the kitchen. Taped to the microwave’s door, where Dawn had been sure she would see it, was a note in the teen’s untidy handwriting.

“I’m going to LA with Steven for a few days until school begins. I’ll call you when I need a ride back. We waited for you until midnight, but Angel wouldn’t wait any longer.”

Pretty short and to the point. Dawn had fled. At least she wasn’t far, nor was she alone. Buffy wondered for a while what she had waited for. To give another round of tears? To let it sink it just a little better what a bad sister Buffy was?

She stared at the few lines as she sipped on her warmed blood, until Spike took the paper from her, tucking it into his jeans pocket.

“She would have gone even without our little change,” he said softly. “You know that. Bit and Steven are just inseparable now.”

Buffy nodded, though she doubted he was right. Her sister was upset, and she had decided that avoidance was the best way to go. She could run all she wanted, she’d need to come back eventually, and Buffy and Spike would still be vamps then.

As she finished her snack, Spike threaded his fingers with hers and led her upstairs. He paused for the slightest second by the guestroom’s door; his head tilted, and mouthed the word ‘Watcher’ to her. Giles, at least, hadn’t fled. Though he would be departing for England pretty soon with Andrea. Would they still leave Manon with her and Spike when they left? The woman Watcher had always shown more than a bit of reluctance bordering on suspicion whenever she was around Spike, until he became human. She would probably be back to her old manners now.

By the flames of a few hastily lit candles, she let Spike undress her, with slow and caressing moves, like they had all the time in the world, which they did after all. Then he made her lie on the bed on her stomach, and, settling by her side, began rubbing, kneading and massaging her back and shoulders. His strong but soft hands, as well as the quiet words that fell from his lips, soothed away the tension that the meeting at the Magic Box, the encounter with Riley and Dawn’s departure had created. After a while, she fell asleep, aware of nothing save the comforting touch of her Mate.


Chapter 7 - Itches

As was usual for him, Spike woke up early. For a long time however, he remained in bed, his body molded to Buffy’s, listening to the irregular breaths she took, thinking. He had been as disappointed, as hurt, as her by the Scoobies’ reaction. Then, meeting the other poof and not giving him the beating Spike had been saving for him for so long had been unnerving, to say the least. The only good part had been to hear his Slayer announce to her ex that they were getting married. That had been truly priceless. But as a whole, this town and its inhabitants were getting on his nerves, and he was truly itching to leave, at least for a while. Never before in his unlife had he stayed in the same place for so long. He tried to list the reasons why he was staying, and there was frankly only one. Buffy. Even the Bit was a woman now, and she didn’t need him or her sister. But as he had had a confirmation just the night before, his Slayer’s ties to Sunnyhell were much stronger than his. She didn’t want to leave, and he wouldn’t, couldn’t leave without her.

He couldn’t live without his Childe and Mate. Couldn’t bear being away from the woman who was his kind’s greatest fear, and who was now his fiancée and soon to be wife. He didn’t know if he would ever have proposed to her if they hadn’t turned to their human selves for a while. He probably would have, some day, but not so soon. Not that he had any doubts about marrying her; he just had never given much thought to it all. It simply was not something vampires did. Of course, vampires didn’t fight the good fight either. Normal vampires didn’t live in cozy, sunlight-proofed houses, they didn’t have day jobs, they didn’t take college classes, didn’t care for a teenage kid, didn’t patrol at night to dust their fellow vamps. But then, he had always been anything but a normal vamp, even when he was on the other side of the fight. And Buffy, the vamped vampire Slayer with a soul, wasn’t the epitome of normality either. Which was just fine as far as he was concerned.

With a quiet and content smile, he placed the softest kiss on the shoulder of his sleeping Buffy, and eased out of the bed. As he walked into the bathroom, he surprised himself by throwing a glance at the mirror above the sink. The mirror that he had broken a few days before because he couldn’t stand the sight of himself, and that they had replaced since. He almost expected to see his reflection, but of course the glass remained blank. She had taken such good care of him, he mused, thinking back on how she had reached to him through the voices and pain. In a hundred lifetimes he didn’t think he would ever be able to repay her for it. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

He took a quick shower, scrubbing the gel out of his hair and leaving it in soft curls as he dried it. Buffy had commented she liked it that way. And there was no denying it; he was completely, utterly, and hopelessly whipped.

Sauntering down to the kitchen, he found a tired looking Giles sipping on a cup of tea. The silence in the room was heavy as Spike warmed up some blood in the microwave.

“I apologize about yesterday,” the Watcher said finally. “Neither I nor the others wanted to be unsupportive. We were just… surprised. We didn’t expect…”

“Save it for Buffy”, Spike interrupted him. “She’s the one who needs to hear it. I don’t care what you bleeding lot think.”

The human seemed ready to add something, but he busied himself with his cup instead. For a few minutes, Spike observed him from the corner of his eye, wondering, despite his denial, whether the apology had been sincere or only a reply to his tirade after Buffy’s departure the night before.

“Still leaving the kid here while you go to merry olde England?” Spike asked after he had finished his blood.

Giles raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “Well, yes. Unless there’s a problem?”

“I thought the problem was on your side,” Spike replied, shrugging. “Watcher-girl isn’t very fond of vamps, and least of all of yours truly. Kind of surprised she wants to leave her precious baby Slayer in my home.”

“After what you did for Manon,” Giles said with a small smile, “I believe Andrea changed her mind about you.”

“After what I did for Manon?” Spike repeated, dumbfounded.

“Cordelia told us you traded your life…”

The Watcher’s voice trailed off as Spike’s expression grew sour with his words.

“I am going to kill that bloody girl,” he growled angrily.

Which brought the question, how does one kill an angel? In another time, he might have had fun searching for the answer to that question, experimenting. Now, of course, the threat was empty, he knew it just as well as the Watcher.

“Why are you upset?” Giles asked, obviously surprised. “Because she told us? At least now we understand why…”

“It was my business!” Spike interrupted him. “She had no right blabbering about it in front of… Who knows exactly?”

By the sharp intake of breath Giles took, Spike guessed that his eyes must have been flashing gold. The man was used to the vampire by now, he trusted him enough to have found a way for him to get rid of the chip, but the glaring proof of his anger still managed to unsettle him. For some weird reason, it was reassuring and disappointing all at once.

“Everybody. We were all there. Right after you left the shop.”

A familiar curse escaped Spike’s lips and he pressed them tightly together to stop the rant he could feel coming up. He wasn’t going to kill Cordelia, but he would have a few chosen words with her at the first occasion.

“Don’t tell the kid,” he said after a few seconds, catching Giles’ gaze.

The Watcher looked like he was about to question the request, but in the end he just nodded.

“Talking about Manon,” Giles said as he got to his feet, “it’s time for me to go get her. Do you mind if I… uh, borrow your car?”

As he threw the keys to the human, Spike was about to warn him about damaging it, when he remembered that Dawn had scrapped all the black paint off the windows a few days ago, making the vehicle safer by human standards, but not so much for vampires. He grunted his warning anyway when the Watcher left, just on principle, and thought about making his way to the basement. He was sure he had some paint stored away somewhere down there. Then a better idea came to him. Call the stupid bint, like he had done on the roof of that damn hospital, and let her know exactly what he thought of her opening her big mouth about stuff that concerned no one but him.

He was about to do just that when Buffy appeared in the doorway, hair delightfully mussed, eyes sleepy, wearing nothing but one of his shirts. Cordelia, her indiscretion, Giles, his car and Manon instantly disappeared from his thoughts. In three steps, he had her in his arms, the next second their lips met, and his mind was all Buffy’s for quite a while after that.

* * * * *

Manon was literally bouncing up and down as she got out of the car and followed the two Watchers toward the house. She had been stuck a day and half in a bed, with the doctors refusing her any visits apart from her unlikely ‘parents’. They had been so astonished by her rapid recovery that they had done an incredible number of tests on her, each result leaving them more baffled than before. They had stopped when Andrea had pointed out she had not agreed to any tests being done on her ‘daughter’, which had left Manon with absolutely nothing to distract herself. She was sure she could have left he hospital the day before, but both the Watchers and doctors and insisted that she stay there a little more, just in case. In case of what, she had no clue. Slayer healing had kicked in, that was the end of the story as far as she was concerned.

The entrance door opened just as they reached it, and two blondes smiled at them, at her, inviting the visitors to come in. She was pretty happy she was going to stay with Buffy and Spike; she had a suspicion that they were far less nagging about rules than Andrea was.

Now familiar tingles down her spine had her take a second look at the couple. They noticed her questioning look immediately.

“Nothing escapes you,” Buffy said with a forced smile.

“I thought you were going to stay human?” she asked, puzzled.

“They decided to be vampires again,” Giles said quietly.

Manon noticed the weird look that passed between the man and his Slayer, and wondered what she had missed while stuck at the hospital. What surprised her most wasn’t so much that they were vampires, but rather that Andrea, who, judging by her calm, had known about that little detail beforehand, was agreeing to her staying with them.

“Any problem with that, kid?” Spike questioned, a scared eyebrow rising just a little.

“No problem,” she said with a small shrug, trying to avoid looking directly at the too blue eyes. “If that’s what you wanted, good for you.”

Again, there seemed to be electricity in the air, and the tension was almost palpable between Giles and the vampires.

“Spike, would you show Manon to her room?” Buffy asked suddenly. “I’ll fix her a snack. I seem to remember the hospital food is depressingly bad.”

The male vampire took Manon’s suitcase from Giles and started up the steps, throwing a quick glance back at Manon when she didn’t immediately follow. Blushing slightly, she caught up with him. She had been wondering what was wrong between Buffy and her Watcher, and would have given a lot to be able to hear what was going to take place downstairs.

She followed Spike into what he called the guestroom, and as he placed her suitcase on the obviously freshly made bed he suggested that she put her things away immediately.

“So that they can have some time to talk?” she commented with a grin as she started pulling out her clothes.

He chuckled softly. “That’s the idea, yeah.”

He was leaning against the doorframe, watching her as she moved around the room. She could feel her cheeks start to burn under his gaze, and every now and then she looked at him from the corner of her eye. Did he have any idea at all how adorable he looked with the platinum curls falling free instead of gelled back? She needed to find something to say, quickly, before he noticed how nervous being alone with him was making her.

“So, hmmm, Dawn’s room is next door?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

“Yes,” he replied absently. “She’s not here, though. She went to LA for a few days.”

He paused just a second, then added: “I’ll go see if your snack is ready, OK?”

She nodded, and already he was gone. She frowned at her suitcase, more than half empty already, and decided that the rest could wait for later. There were potentially much more exciting things going on downstairs. As silently as she could, she went down the steps, wincing when one creaked lightly, and sat on the bottom one. She could hear them talking in the kitchen, but they couldn’t see her. As she had thought, things quickly became very interesting.

Chapter 8 - Old Friends?

With a quick glance at the retreating backs of Manon and Spike, Buffy walked into the kitchen. It was only the middle of morning, so she decided that breakfast food would be appropriate for the young Slayer. She was soon joined by Giles and Andrea.

“Did you get the blood for us?” she asked with a carefully inexpressive voice.

Giles sat on a stool at the kitchen island and watched her gather various things from the fridge and cupboards. Not knowing what Manon liked, she was betting on variety to satisfy her. Andrea was by the entrance, arms crossed, her expression peaceful.

“Yes,” he replied quietly. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t find any place still open after your patrol.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely, catching his gaze for a brief instant.

The kitchen was silent during a few seconds, until they both started talking at the same time.

“Buffy, I wanted to…”

“Does it mean…”

They both stopped and shared a small smile.

“You go first,” Buffy suggested, hoping that he would answer her question before she even had to ask it.

He nodded and motioned for her to sit down across from him, waiting until she did to speak.

“I wanted to say I am truly sorry about yesterday,” he said as he rested his hand on top of one of hers on the table. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. None of us did. We were really surprised, and our reaction certainly wasn’t what it should have been. Your choices are your own, Buffy. All that matters to me, to us, is that they make you happy.”

There was the slightest questioning in his voice, and she nodded imperceptibly.

“I am happy.”

He smiled at her, a real, sincere smile. “Then it is all I need to know. Please believe that I’ll always be there for you no matter what. As will your friends.”

Fighting the tears of relief that were clouding her eyes, Buffy placed her hand on Giles, squeezing it softly.

“I would tell you two to hug now that you’ve made up,” Spike said lightly as he entered the kitchen, “but I think I prefer doing that myself”.

True to his words, he walked around the island and hugged Buffy from behind, nuzzling her neck briefly, and she instinctively leaned back against him.

“So, when are you leaving for the mother country?” Spike asked Giles, his chin resting on Buffy’s shoulder.

“We’ll be leaving for the airport soon. We’ll take a cab to get there.”

And once again, Buffy thought to herself, Giles is leaving. It was really becoming a habit with him. Of course, his life was in England now, but it was nice to have him around.

“What will you tell the Council?” Buffy questioned quietly.

Andrea stepped closer to them, leaning against the counter by Giles’ side.

“We’ll do what should have been done a while ago,” she said with a fierce glint in her eyes“, and get my father removed from his position.”

Buffy’s esteem score for the woman suddenly grew exponentially and she couldn’t help grinning. Maybe if she asked nicely they could take pictures of Quentin Travers’ face when they destroyed his comfortable empire…

“That’s one thing”, Giles acquiesced. “They will ask about the near-apocalypse, of course. And then there’s the matter of Manon and the new Slayer that was called. We have a lot to discuss.”

“One thing you’d better not discuss is why we are vampires again,” Spike warned with a soft growl. “The Council of wankers doesn’t need to know anything about that.”

Slightly puzzled, Buffy tilted her head to look at Spike. He had said before the meeting he didn’t want to tell the Scoobies about his reason, but from his words it sounded like he had.

“You told them?” she asked him.

“I bloody well did not.”

“Cordelia did”, Giles intervened. “She explained to us how Spike’s sacrifice saved Manon’s life. And we guessed that you decided to do the same thing so that you could be together without aging coming between the two of you. Were we right?”

The softness of Giles’ words made up for the indiscretion of his question. But it slightly bothered Buffy.

“Something like that,” she replied, unwilling to discuss the fine points of being a Mate and Childe with him. “Is that why you finally accepted my decision? Because it all started from saving Manon?”

Giles shook his head. “No, dear. Knowing the reason is certainly nice, but, as I told you, all that matters is that it’s your choice and it brings you happiness. The details of how or why are not important.”

The knot in her stomach that had formed an instant earlier disappeared, as Buffy understood that Giles was being truthful. He would be there for her, as he had always been every time she had needed him.

There were footfalls from the hall and Manon walked in the kitchen. She had a pensive look on her face, and Buffy almost asked her if everything was alright. Instead, she motioned for her to take a seat and help herself from the food gathered on the table. She sat down with a quiet ‘merci’, not looking up at her.

“I suppose Manon could resume her training in a few days,” Andrea said thoughtfully. “After a little more rest.”

“I’m fine now,” Manon protested halfheartedly. “Slayer healing is just a wonderful thing, isn’t it?”

There were vague murmurs of assent around the table. Buffy realized she had been staring at the teenager as she munched on some toasted bread, and made herself look at Giles instead.

“Remember what Xander said about the military having a party over the high school grounds? We met Riley on patrol last night. He questioned me about what happened there.”

“Did you tell him?” her Watcher asked, a small frown creasing his foreead.

“Not in detail. I just told him there was a battle, nothing more.”

“Who is this person?” Andrea inquired curiously.

“A military group was experimenting on Sunnydale’s demon population a few years back,” Giles explained, briefly glancing at Spike as he did so. “Riley Finn was one of them. He joined the Scoobies for a while, before returning to regular duty. He knows about Slayers.”

“You forgot to mention he is a perfect wanker who deserves to have his white bread ass kicked all the way back to his bleeding Iowa,” Spike added, deadpan.

Buffy threw an amused glance at him over her shoulder, and was surprised by the cold anger in the blue depths of his gaze. She realized that Giles’ brief explanation must have made Spike think of how the Initiative had been experimenting on him. Covering the arms around her waist with her own, she caressed him lightly, soothingly, wishing they were alone so that she could calm him better.

“Does he know you’re a vampire?” Giles questioned suddenly, ignoring Spike’s intervention.

“No, I don’t think so”, Buffy said with a brief frown. She hadn’t even thought of that until now. She supposed he would have said something if he had known.

“And he won’t find out if we can help it”, Spike completed, his voice fiercely determined.

Buffy wondered how likely it was that they would keep this a secret forever. It was sheer luck only that they had hidden it successfully from the demon world so far. All it would take for Riley to know would be a look through these nifty binoculars that told about body temperature, and it would be quickly clear that she was not one degree warmer than the ambient air. Hopefully, he would leave town as soon as the high school was cleared out, which shouldn’t take long at all. She felt strangely reluctant at having him know of her vampire status. Not that she was ashamed, or even afraid for her own security. She was simply anxious that he might try to hurt Spike if he discovered that he was her Sire.

After a few more caution recommendations, Giles called for a cab, and it was time for goodbyes. With the certitude that her Watcher accepted her decision and had promised her his support, it wasn’t too hard to let him go this time. He assured her he would call and let them know how things were going with the Council, and soon he and Andrea were gone, leaving Buffy with her vampire love and Slayer sister. Spike looked at her and Manon with a wolfish grin.

“Now that fun-spoiler Watchers are gone,” he said, “who’s up for a bit of sparring?”

* * * * *

The video relay had just been installed and tested, and his superiors would be calling soon. Through the large bay window that constituted a whole wall of his office, Riley watched the activity beyond the sound proof, one-way mirror, aware that no one on the other side could see in. The base was practically operational, with a few last minutes adjustments being made. On a much smaller scale than the Initiative. Much more discreet too, hopefully. All they had to do was catch HST’s, and send them off to the mother base where the studies were being conducted. Nothing very hard, really, as long as they didn’t repeat the mistakes of the Initiative. And he was there to make sure of that. It was the first time he was in charge of a complete operation, and he was determined that nothing would go wrong.

The familiar face of his boss finally appeared on the video monitors, and he gave a salute as perfect as if the man had been in front of him.

“I am listening, Agent Finn.”

“As we thought, what happened at the high school was linked to the Hellmouth and the Slayer.”

“Did you interrogate the girl? What’s her name again…? Betty Summers?”

“Buffy, Sir. I initiated contact with her, but she wasn’t very forthcoming. It appears she is under vampire thrall. From the same hostile we were looking for, actually.”

“Interesting. That would mean the chip allows him to enthrall people. We will need to study that, too. When do you plan his removal?”

“In a few days, Sir. I want to study their habits and schedules to make it as safe as possible. I believe as soon as the subject is removed and the thrall dissipates, the Slayer will be more cooperative.”

“Well, that would be good, but not necessary. Your priority right now is to make sure she doesn’t meddle with our business. And if that means removing her, too, then you know what to do.”

“Yes Sir. But with all due respect, I am sure we won’t need to get to that.”

“I’ll leave you sole judge to decide of it for now, Agent Finn. But I expect regular reports about the situation.”

Chapter 9 - Back to the Box

The kid made a face when they told her that their usual way to go to the Magic Box was through the sewers, but in the end she was spared that experience as Buffy consented to let her walk there through the sunny streets of Sunnyhell. Spike was ready to go train as soon as the Watchers left, but his Slayer had other plans, which involved exciting things such as laundry and cleaning the house. He had managed to escape the battle against dust bunnies by arguing that he had to check and update the online Magic Box, and it wasn’t until the middle of the afternoon that they left for the shop.

Spike was concerned about his Slayer, and the nervousness that came from her in almost palpable waves. First confrontation with the Scoobies after the grand revelation of the night before. For her peace of mind, and their sake, he hoped they would be as sensible as the Watcher had been that morning.

They arrived in the shop basement and got upstairs only seconds before Manon walked in through the front door, which was just perfect timing. Spike barely left enough time to the girl to say hi to everyone before he dragged her after him into the back room, leaving Buffy to deal with the Scoobies alone, as she had asked him. Conveniently, they were all there, so she would be able to warn them about not telling Manon what they knew about her miraculous healing.

“So, what did I miss that has Buffy talking to everyone in big secret?” Manon asked him after he had closed the door.

He watched her for a few seconds as she started stretching, wondering what to tell her. He noticed the rising flush in her cheeks, and made a mental note not to push her too hard as they sparred. If simple warming up exercises had her heart beating so fast already, she might not be as well as they thought she was. As for her question, he decided that the truth was best.

“Not everyone took the news that we’re vamps again as well as you did,” he said casually, shrugging off his duster and laying it on the couch. “Actually, I was kind of surprised that you, of all people, took it so well. You’re a Slayer, after all.”

“I just supposed you had a good reason,” she mumbled, almost too low for him to catch her words.

“Damn right about that, kid. The best reason of all. Just wanted to be vamps again.”

And it hadn’t hurt that it had saved her in the process, but she didn’t need to know that.

Manon had a strange look in her eyes as he came closer and assumed a fighting stance just a few feet from her. It almost seemed like she was changing her mind about being OK with their vamphood. But before he could say anything, she gave him a tiny smile and said:

“I’m glad you got what you wanted.”

He returned her smile, and launched his first attack.

* * * * *

Buffy was a bit surprised as they entered the shop to see that the whole gang was there. Or rather, all the members of the gang who were currently in town. Better that way, certainly. She would quickly see how they all acted toward her now, and know what to expect. Biting her lower lip nervously, she watched Spike and Manon disappear into the back room. Next thing she knew, she was being attacked and smothered by four humans. She couldn’t suppress the giggle that rose to her lips at the unexpected group hug.

“What was that?” she asked as they let go of her and ushered her to sit at the table.

She looked at the people around her, Willow and Tara on either side of her, each holding one of her hands on top of the table, Anya and Xander sitting opposite her.

“That was us saying we’re sorry,” Willow said with a hesitant smile. “We’ve had time to get over the initial shock. And we realize you’re still you, and you’re still our friend, and did I say we’re sorry?”

“The thing is,” Xander continued softly, “we thought you wanted to be human, we thought you enjoyed it, so we never even imagined you might actually want to be a vamp. Ergo, the surprise.”

Buffy’s eyes traveled over her friends. The shock and disapproval from the night before had indeed disappeared. Now all she could see on their faces was how much they cared for her. And it felt really nice.

“I did enjoy being human,” she tried to explain. “But I enjoy being a vamp too, if for different reasons. As long as I still have the people I love around me, it doesn’t really matter if I need to breathe or not.”

“And we’re still there for you,” Xander assured her, “don’t doubt it for a second.”

Trying to get a hold on her emotions, Buffy gave all of them a warm smile.

“Your friendship means a lot to me”, she said when she trusted herself to speak again. “And it means a lot to Spike too, even if he wouldn’t admit it under torture. Which reminds me, he doesn’t want Manon to know about his deal with Cordy, so if you guys could avoid talking about that in front of her…”

They all nodded, and for a few minutes they chatted quietly about everything that had happened in the past few days, and what would happen now that the immediate danger was gone. It felt just like old times, really, except that they were older now, presumably wiser, all of them different in their own ways. But the one thing that remained the same was their friendship.

* * * * *

Ever since she had heard Giles earlier talk about Spike’s sacrifice saving her life, Manon’s mind had been buzzing with confusing thoughts, and even as they sparred she couldn’t stop them. It was a good thing, really, that he wasn’t fighting as hard as he usually did, because, distracted as she was, she would have been unable to keep up with him for a minute.

She just couldn’t understand. Why would Spike have been willing to give his life for her? He had said earlier that he wanted to be a vampire, but then why wasn’t he admitting that his decision had saved her? It didn’t make much sense. If he had done it for Buffy, she could have understood it. Or for Dawn, or Steven, or even Angel, she had noticed how close Spike was to these three. But why for her? He barely knew her. She was just a child to him, and he reminded her of it every time he called her ‘kid’ or ‘gamine’.

Unless…

Maybe he wasn’t reminding her of it, but reminding himself. He had been very kind to her, actually, ever since she first met him. Too kind, really, since she was a Slayer and he was her natural prey. Maybe he liked her more than he should. Maybe that was why he had been ready to die for her.

There was Buffy, of course. But was everything really fine between them? The older Slayer had felt it necessary to become a vampire again to be with him. Was their link so weak that it couldn’t stand one of them being human but not the other? Maybe all there was between them was that Sire / Childe bond that Andrea had mentioned. Maybe… Maybe he didn’t really love Buffy. Maybe he loved someone else more than his life…

His foot swept her right leg and she fell back on her bottom, yelping more in surprise than in pain. There was real concern in his oh so blue eyes when he stepped closer and asked her if she was alright and if she wanted to rest for a while. Swallowing with difficulty, she accepted his help and his offered hand to get up, and felt her heart beat just a trifle faster at the soft touch.

Too many maybes. She needed to know. Needed to ask him exactly why he had saved her. And she would ask him. Soon. Not now, though, because Buffy had just entered the room and was getting ready for a round of sparring with him.

Manon sat on the couch, just next to his duster, her hand lingering lightly on the leather as she watched the two vampires dance, her thoughts more confused than ever.

Chapter 10 - Revolution in London

Nervously running one hand over the fabric of her knee-length skirt, Andrea glanced at the man by her side. It was funny, really, how quickly they had both discarded the relaxed clothes they had been wearing in California to the benefit of tweed and, well, tweed. Old habits died hard, as the saying went. But it wasn’t just a question of habit. They had both slipped in their Watchers’ costumes to leave no doubt in the minds of the persons they would be addressing that they were Watchers, in heart if not in title for Giles, and despite the revolutionary ideas they were going to voice.

The guards at the entrance door hesitated for an instant when they requested access, as Rupert Giles was obviously on their list of personae non gratae. But a quiet reminder from Andrea of what exactly her last name was had convinced them that the ex-Watcher could be admitted as a guest under her responsibility.

The Headquarters of the Council, in the very center of London, was housed in the five stories of what had been, a couple of centuries before, one of the mansions belonging to a true blue-blood British family. This family had been quite grateful for the quiet (and scandal-free) help the Council had provided concerning one of its recently deceased, but more undead than dead members. The building had been a token of thanks – and a bribe to keep silent about this sad matter.

Many rooms, in this old edifice. Many, many books. And a surprisingly high number of Watchers. Well, surprising for anyone but Andrea and Rupert. The first thing they had done, upon arriving in London, had been to contact as many Watchers as possible, inside as well as outside the country. They had only told them that something very, very big was happening, and to show up on this day and time at the HQ for the complete details. Instead of following Andrea straight to the fifth floor, where Quentin Travers’ office, as well as those of the highest ranking Watchers and the conference rooms, were located, Rupert wandered from room to room, alerting everybody he saw that the main event would be taking place soon on the top floor.

Andrea’s hand, closed over a heavy briefcase’s handle, was a bit slippery as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way on the thick carpets toward her father’s office. Rupert had agreed with her to give one chance to the head of the Council to get out of all of this of his own choice, with his reputation intact. They both doubted he would use that opportunity, but it seemed fair to them both.

As she was about to knock, the office door opened abruptly in front of her, and two members of the High Council walked out, glaring at her, and hurried away. Shrugging, she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

“Why did you bring him here?” Quentin Travers asked her immediately, his tone harsh.

He was sitting in that imposing chair that she privately called his throne, hands spread out on the desk in front of him, dark eyes made even darker by irritation.

“It is nice to see you too, father,” she said, a bit sarcastically. “I suppose ‘him’ is Rupert Giles?”

She approached the desk but did not sit down. She knew by experience that the uncomfortable guest chairs were designed to make visitors fidget and to look up at the slightly elevated desk and its owner. She placed her briefcase on the chair she was standing next to, and her now free hand slipped into her jacket’s pocket. As her rhetorical question received no answer, she made her offer, looking at the man squarely, as if he was neither the most powerful man in the building nor her father.

“You have a choice, sir, but not much time to decide, I’m afraid. You can come out of this room and immediately present your resignation, or Mr. Giles and I will convince the Council that you should be replaced with the briefest delay possible. In any case, I can assure you that you will not leave this building as the Head of the Council.”

The eyes of the aging man widened incredulously, and he shook his head slowly.

“I have tolerated many things from you that I wouldn’t have from other Watchers, because you are my blood. But this…”

“It is because we are blood kin that you even have a choice, sir”, she interrupted him. “But knowing that you intended to have a Slayer killed, when our very reason for existence is to help them, I cannot remain silent and sanction your actions.”

“Whoever told you that lied,” he said, too calmly. “I never planned Faith’s death. William the Bloody…”

“William the Bloody,” she interrupted him again, "is a truly fascinating man. Full of surprises. But then, so are you. I’d be curious to know how you knew I was talking about Faith, and not about Buffy, for example. She’s a vampire, after all, so why didn’t we ever try to suppress her?”

The mask of calm slowly disappeared, replaced by cold anger. Anger against Andrea, Buffy, Faith or himself, the woman wasn’t quite sure.

“Buffy Summers may be a vampire,” he said icily, “but getting rid of her is not worth the risk of failing. Faith had been lost to our cause for too long. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with us. We needed a Slayer. She had to die so that a new one could be Chosen. Being in my seat is not always easy, but that particular decision wasn’t the hardest I ever made.”

Nodding slightly, Andrea gave the man in front of her a sad smile.

“And you just proved to me that I am making the right decision, sir. I suppose you won’t be resigning? I thought not. Let’s go on with the show, then.”

Without even a last glance at the puzzled Head Watcher, she walked out of the office and went directly to what had once been a ballroom, but was now the largest conference room of the building. She was aware that her father was behind her, but she ignored the sharp hiss of her name that came from him. Trying to appear confident and serene, she moved through the crowd assembled in the ballroom and toward the podium where Rupert was engaged in an animated discussion with several members of the High Council. She didn’t concern herself with that; she only needed to get the attention of everyone present. Pulling a small digital recorder from her jacket’s pocket, she placed the device in front of a microphone after having made sure it was on. Andrea caught the face of her father in front of the podium as she pressed the play button and could see his surprise and sudden horror as he understood what was happening. His recorded voice filled the room, and everyone became quiet instantly, including the men arguing with Rupert behind her.

“… Summers may be a vampire, but getting rid of her is not worth the risk of failing. Faith had been lost to our cause for too long. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with us. We needed a Slayer. She had to die so that a new one could be Chosen. Being in my seat is not always easy, but that particular decision wasn’t the hardest I ever made.”

Andrea stopped the recording. For a few seconds, the silence in the room was complete. Then Quentin Travers, after throwing a deadly glance at her, turned toward the Watchers behind him.

“We needed a Slayer,” he repeated coolly. “The world needed a Slayer. The war against evil never ceases, and it was a necessity for mankind’s safety that a new Slayer join the battle.”

“The world never needed Faith to be murdered,” Rupert enunciated in a slow but strong voice, walking a few steps to stand at Andrea’s side by the table. “For one thing, whatever mistakes this young lady made, she paid for them. For another, there has always been a fighting Slayer. Buffy Summers may not be the current Slayer, she may not be working for the Council anymore, but she is still fighting that never-ending battle. Three times she died, and still she remains standing between the Hellmouth and the rest of the world.”

There was a slight murmur in the room. Buffy was quickly becoming a legend, one of the longest living Slayers and the only turned one to keep fighting the good fight.

“The world didn’t need a new Slayer, Sir,” Andrea said calmly, her eyes finding her father’s as he turned toward the podium. “You needed one. You wanted a toy to obey your wishes. But Slayers are not toys for us to manipulate. They are precious beings we are sworn to help. And it is time for you, for us all, to remember it.”

Again, Quentin Travers faced the Watchers, as if searching for support on the shocked and reproachful faces in front of him. There was some movement, and four men and three women came out of the crowd and climbed onto the podium, joining the two members of the High Council who were already there. For a few seconds, they talked quietly, their whispers inaudible even in the still quiet ballroom. Then they all came to stand by the table, and the oldest of them, a woman named Maryan McNeely, announced in a trembling voice:

“By unanimous decree of the High Council and as the Code allows it, Quentin Travers is now removed from his functions and banned from the Council of Watchers for the cause of high treason.”

A murmur ran through the room, and all eyes converged on the now ex-Watcher who still stood in front of the podium. The few words of Maryan seemed to have taken away the grace that had always protected the man like a shield, and he suddenly seemed a little older, a little weaker, and a little smaller. His gaze appeared to stray for a few seconds before finally settling on Andrea, and she shivered at how dead those eyes looked.

“Tu quoque”, he quoted in a whisper, before turning away and walking out through the parting crowd.

To her own surprise, Andrea felt a slight pinch to her heart. She had no doubt she had done the right thing, but she also knew with the same certainty that she had just destroyed her father. Another surprise came with Rupert’s hand gently taking hers, and from the comfort that simple touch brought her.

 

Continue