Thine Own Self

By Gidgetgirl

Chapter Seven

Anni frowned. She was rather confused as to why Spike was glaring at her like he was about to give her a very British setting down. She was also confused as to why Jordy was looking at her with a look of complete awe on his face.

Spike cleared his throat. “Annabella,” he said. Somehow, it sounded odd coming off of his lips. She looked at him and raised one eyebrow questioningly.

“Uh, yes Spike?” she said. Spike groaned inwardly. The little chit was really something.

“I won’t tell nancy Watcher Boy about tonight,” Spike said, smirking, desperately trying to get the fatherly expression off of his face. He was a vampire, for crying out loud, not Mary Poppins with a sunlight aversion and pointy teeth.

“Okay…” Anni said slowly, completely confused by Spike’s words. “Thanks. I think.” Anni leaned over to Jordy.

“What is he talking about?” she asked him.

Jordy gave Anni an incredulous look, meaning that his eyes opened, almost imperceptibly, wider than usual.

“Kiss,” Jordy said, making use of the one word answer.

Anni thought it sounded like a command. “You want me to kiss you with Spike standing right there?” she asked. A small smile crept onto her face. The idea was very tempting.

“You did kiss me with Spike standing right there,” Jordy said, his voice flat, but a bit amused sounding.

“I did?” Anni asked.

Jordy nodded. Anni looked at Spike, who was muttering to himself.

“Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down…” Spike trailed off when he saw Anni looking at him.

“This is all your bloody fault,” he said, a cross expression settling over his face.

Anni suppressed a smile, and her lips tingled just a bit, as some part of her remembered the passionate kiss she’d shared with Jordy.

Just then, Spike sneezed.

“Bless you,” Anni said.

“Not with Holy water,” Spike replied blithely.

He sneezed again.

“Geshundheit,” Anni said.

“Sounds like a German Dictator,” Jordy commented.

Spike sneezed again and looked around, seeing small, dust-like particles in the air. “Sodding vamp dust,” he said, sniffling a bit. “You’d think it would have settled by now.”

None of the three of them noticed the light, amethyst tint of the vamp dust as it slammed into Anni’s body, and a changed expression again came over her face.

Looking at Joss, Chance felt a small pull of guilt in her stomach. Sure, the older girl had been nasty, but that was just the way Joss was, and long before they’d met the Sunnydale gang, all of the Potentials had come to accept that. Joss’s betrayal of them to Travers was a harder thing to except, but Chance couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they should ease up on Joss a bit. Willow seemed to think so.

Feeling pity, Chance reached up and undid the tape over Joss’s mouth.

“It’s about time,” Joss grumbled. Kendall groaned. A silent Joss was a far superior Joss, as far as she was concerned.

“Hey,” Kendall said, “if I were you, I wouldn’t be complaining. You got the first pedicure and there was no whip cream involved whatsoever. As far as flouncings go, this wasn’t too terribly bad.”

Joss glared at her. “You duct taped me to a door, Kendall. When Buffy finds out what you did…” Joss trailed off, hating herself for pulling the tattletale card.

“Buffy’s not going to find out,” Kendall said. “She’s really busy with this baby vampire thing, and the frigid blonde chick. Do you really think she wants to hear about our petty squabbles?”

“You. Duct. Taped. Me. To. The. Door,” Joss gritted out.

“I still maintained you did it to yourself,” Kendall maintained. Chance suppressed a giggle.

“Would you let me down already?” Joss said, wiggling her freshly painted purple toes a little.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Chance asked, her eyes going wide.

“It’s me,” Buffy replied.

Kendall quickly grabbed the tape out of Chance’s hand and slapped it back on Joss’s mouth.

“Sorry,” she mouthed, a grin on her face.

“Come in,” Dawn said, trying to get the ridiculous smile off of her own face. Joss had taken great pains to let Dawn know day after day that since Dawn wasn’t a Potential, she’d never really understand Buffy like the rest of them did.

Buffy opened the door, and Joss was again hidden from view.

“Is Anni back yet?” Buffy asked.

All three girls shook their heads.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at them. “You have guilt face,” she told them. Dawn batted her eyelashes innocently, and Kendall quickly wiped the smirk off of her own face.

Chance tried to hide her guilty expression, but it was no use.

“You can’t hide your guilt face from me,” Buffy said. “That’s my guilt face, and I’m pretty sure I recognize my own guilt face.”

Chance rolled her eyes out of reflex.

“So it is genetic,” Buffy commented, noticing the eye rolling. “Don’t give me that eye-rolly look. I invented that look.”

Chance grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

Buffy stared at each of the three girls, and she asked the magic question. “Where’s Joss?” she asked.

“She must be hanging around here somewhere,” Kendall replied with a completely straight face.

Chance struggled not to burst into giggles, and she hoped Joss was doing all right behind the door.

Joss made a mental note to flounce Kendall some time in the near future.

“She’s just hanging around here somewhere?” Buffy asked skeptically. Kendall nodded innocently.

“I’m just sure she is,” she said earnestly.

“Mmffphtm,” Joss mumbled from behind the door. Buffy didn’t hear her.

Faith looked at Dakota, not even sure if the girl was really hearing her. “Get in the house,” Faith said again.

Dakota stared at her, and Faith found herself in the other girl’s eyes.

“Listen, Fido,” Dakota said, “I have no intention of doing anything you say. I’m not going to slay demons for you, though it’s nice to know I come by my ass-kicking tendencies naturally. You can say what you want to say, but in the end, I do what I want to do.”

“Want. Take. Have,” Faith murmured. The girl looked at her.

“Yeah,” she said lazily. “That pretty much sums it up.”

Faith took a step closer to Dakota. “You don’t want to go there,” she said. “Trust me, kid, I’ve been there. It’s not a happy place.”

Dakota shrugged. “Hey man,” she said. “I’m five by five.”

Faith took in a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at Dakota. Dakota turned to leave.

“You get your little false confident ass into that house,” Faith said, trying to speak a language that Kody would understand, “or I drag you in there. You wanna fight? We can fight, Muffin.” Faith’s voice was low, but Dakota recognized the danger. She smiled at the thought of a fight. Fighting was something she was good at, something she understood, something that always put Daddy Dearest in the most awkward social positions.

“Well, Sprocket,” Dakota said. “Let’s see you bring it, cause if you think I’m going to let you come in here and tell me what to do, then you don’t know me at all.”

Without giving any physical indication, Dakota lashed out at Faith, her arm going for the older girl’s face.

Faith caught it in the air, and twisted it behind Dakota’s back, effectively pinning the girl in place again.

“See,” Faith said conversationally. “I know you perfectly well.”

The two of them glared at each other, with identical I-don’t-care glares. Suddenly, Faith let go of Kody’s arm and bent over, heaving violently.

Dakota looked at her, an awkward expression coming over her face. Confrontation, she could take. She was an expert at defying authority, but she couldn’t handle sick people.

After a moment, Faith stood up straight again. Dakota stared at Faith’s stomach, and Faith followed her gaze. Shocked, Faith set her hand on her stomach, her now noticeably pregnant stomach. A slayer pregnancy, she thought, her heart beating hard against her rib cage at the thought of a baby. It must go faster than a normal pregnancy.

“I didn’t know you were knocked up,” Kody commented, trying to keep her voice casual.

Faith laughed a little. “Neither did I,” she said.

“Guess I’m not the only one who sleeps around,” Kody said.

Faith glared at her, even though she knew that this was the only way Kody could relate to her. “Lindsey is my husband and the father,” Faith said coarsely.

“Lucky you,” Kody commented. “Now I’ll just leave you and baby and daddy alone for a while,” Kody said, her voice dripping with challenge. “I’m sure you could use some alone time.”

Instantly, the girl was again pinned to a wall.

“Muffin,” Faith said, a smile on her face. “Pregnant or not, I can kick your ass.”

“Maybe,” Dakota said. “Maybe not. And stop calling me Muffin, Bowzer.”

“Not a chance, Muffin,” Faith said, looking the girl directly in the eye. Kody’s spirit was still there, and Faith rolled her eyes, thinking of all of the trouble this girl was going to give everyone back in L.A. In a twisted kind of way, Faith was looking forward to it.

Back in L.A., Maddy was starting to get extremely tired of Connor ignoring her pleas for him to please put her down.

She stared at his back grumpily. “Put me down, Connor,” she said.

“So you can go make out with the first person who comes walking by?” Connor asked. “I don’t think so.”

“I’m more of a biker person than a walker person,” Maddy said.

Connor gritted her teeth.

“Maddy, hush,” Nicolaa said, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Maddy twisted around a bit, trying to look at Nicolaa. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked.

“That wasn’t smart,” Nic said seriously. “You could have been hurt.”

Maddy frowned. She’d just been having a little fun.

“Well, if Connor and Clay would let me kiss regular guys,” Maddy said reasonably, “I wouldn’t have to go kissing vamps.” To her, the logic was extremely sound.

Hopie, in Angel’s arms, frowned suddenly.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Angel asked her. A pained look came over his face. “You aren’t thinking of kissing any vampires, are you?”

“Would that make my teeth fall out?” Hopie asked.

“No,” Colette replied, completely sure of herself. The others stared at her.

“How would you know?” Gunn asked her, curiously.

“No comment,” Colette said, remembering why she typically made every effort to go unnoticed.

“Hopie,” she said changing the subject. “Your teeth will fall out when they’re ready to.”

“Maybe I should let one of the vamps punch me next time,” Hopie said.

“No!” Everyone said at once.

“It’s not my fault my teeth are mean,” Hopie grumbled, laying her head down on Angel’s chest.

“I’m brooding,” she announced. “Does anyone want to brood with me please?”

“I will,” Maddy offered.

“What about you, Daddy?” Hopie asked, yawning.

“I never brood,” Angel said, completely serious.

All of the others stared at him.

“They’re going to her,” Hopie mumbled as she fell asleep. “Cause she’s their princess.”

Connor, Gunn, and Angel all winced at the word ‘princess.’ They’d played a few too many pretend games with Hopie, and hearing her say the word, they could only think of that sparkly hot pink tiara and the matching feather boa they’d all worn before.

“All going to her. She’s special and purple,” Hopie murmured. “Never stopped being special.”

From her spot flung over Connor’s shoulder, Maddy gave him a good kick.

“If you don’t let me down,” she said. “I’m going to have an orgy. I don’t really know what an orgy is, but trust me, I can find out.”

Connor wrinkled his forehead. Did orgy mean what he thought it meant?

“Or maybe I’ll go streaking,” Maddy said. “Yup, I’ll just run around naked if you don’t put me down, Connor.”

In a flash, Connor reluctantly sat Maddy down. Maddy grinned, completely satisfied with herself. In the past day, she’d kissed her first boy, her second boy, and her first vampire. It had been a very productive day.

Oz shifted Cale slightly in his arms, and the little boy snuggled closer to the werewolf.

“He does that,” Kate said, her smile softening her face greatly. “He wiggles in his sleep and snuggles like crazy. He likes to be near someone. I was thinking about getting him a dog when he was a little older.” Kate realized she was babbling and that Oz wasn’t saying a word, but somehow, she didn’t feel awkward.

“I think he’d like a dog,” Oz said with a completely straight face.

Kate looked at her watch.

“We can go,” Oz offered. “Spike can walk Jordy home when they get back.”

Kate nodded. She was tired too, and what she really wanted, what she needed, was a hot shower.

“My house is just a couple of blocks away,” Oz said. “We can walk.” Kate nodded, and after saying their goodbyes, the two of them left.

“Bye bye, flire-fy,” Cale murmured in his sleep. He wiggled again, and Oz managed to keep from dropping the squirming, sleeping child.

“Good reflexes,” Kate commented.

“I try,” Oz said.

Kate glanced away from him, and wondered why, given that Oz wasn’t really smiling, she felt like he was.

“I can see that,” Kate said. The funny thing was, she could.

“Well,” Mr. Kincaide said, smiling at Lindsey. “Everything seems to be in order here. I’ll just write you a check for tuition, and I’ll have someone pack Dakota’s bags for her.”

Lindsey stared at the man, expertly keeping his true feelings hidden behind his deep eyes.

“Excellent,” he said, wondering how in the world this man with so much was so ready to part with the one thing that should have really mattered to him. As he looked at the man, Lindsey got a feeling in his gut, the kind of feeling that had always told him to dig deeper, to look into the person he was staring at.

Kincaide wasn’t all that he seemed. Lindsey was quite sure of that. He also knew one more thing. If the man tried to mess with Kody or Faith, he’d kill him.

“Well, I’m afraid I have a meeting I’m late for,” Kincaide said. “Please tell Dakota I said goodbye.”

Lindsey quelled the urge to punch the man. The house Faith had grown up in might have been able to fit in Kody’s room alone, but there wasn’t any more love in this house than in Faith’s childhood hellhole.

Faith’s father had been literally absent, her mother abusive. Dakota’s father, while here physically, was no better than Faith’s father.

Lindsey started to wonder exactly how the monks had known that Dakota was the person to give Faith’s genes and slayer essence to. He decided to look into that as well, right after he learned everything he could about Kody’s father.

As soon as Kincaide left, Lindsey loosened his tie and wondered how Faith was faring with Dakota.

Dakota saw her father pull out of the driveway in one of his many sports cars. She looked at Faith.

“Ten to one odds he’s already signed the check,” she said.

Faith said nothing. “Let’s go,” she said. She let Kody loose. “I’m glad we could have this little talk,” she said.

Kody rolled her eyes.

Faith rolled her eyes back.

Dakota thought about leaving, but since her father was gone, she’d honestly lost the urge to stay out all night. He wouldn’t notice anyway, and Faith might just make good on her offer of a free ass-kicking.

Thinking that her father had probably told Lindsey he had a meeting, Dakota snorted. What kind of meeting could a man like her father possibly have at night time? He probably had a new lover.

Watch out, Astro, she thought. Make room for Barkly.

Lilah sighed, very put upon. She stared at her law clerk/minion. “My appointment is late,” she commented, narrowing her eyes. “I fly all the way out to the middle of nowhere, and he’s late.”

“Do you want me to have him killed?” the law clerk asked, brightly. Lilah glared at the girl. She was a recent graduate of Harvard Law, and as far as Lilah was concerned, none too bright.

“No,” Lilah said. “He has money, which is nice. He has connections, which is nicer. And, he has something I want.”

“What’s that?” the woman asked.

“His daughter,” Lilah replied. At that moment, Mr. Kincaide finally showed up, and Lilah greeted him smoothly. She was very good at getting what she wanted, and right now, she wanted two things. She wanted her baby back and she wanted to kill everyone who stood in her way, starting with the Shanshu child. And because she wanted those two things, she wanted Dakota Kincaide.

Anni ran her hand softly down the side of Jordy’s neck, sending chills down his spine. He looked at her. She leaned over and began kissing his neck.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Spike squeaked.

“Don’t worry, lover,” Anni said to him, her voice dark. “You’ll get your share. There’s plenty to go around.”

“Annabella,” Spike said, finally managing to say the full name the way Wes did. Anni didn’t blanche.

“I’m not your Annabella. Not really,” Anni said, smiling wickedly. “Not anymore.”

Spike grabbed her shoulder. “Stop it,” he commanded her.

With one quick move of her hand, she sent him flying. “Go to hell,” she told him. Then she smirked. “Maybe I’ll send you there myself.” She turned back to Jordy.

“Anni, what’s going on?” Jordy asked her, finding his mouth covered with hers. He pulled back.

Spike stood up. “Anni,” Spike tried again, real anger in his voice.

Anni turned to him and quite politely told him to go screw himself in the most colorful and inappropriate way she could come up with.

Spike stared at her. She laughed, and a second later, Anni realized that she had no idea why she was laughing.

She looked hesitantly at Spike. “Is something wrong?” she asked him.

“You ought to be thrashed,” Spike said, angry that thanks to her behavior her was starting to sound like, horror of horrors, Giles.

Anni looked hesitantly from Jordy to Spike. She opened her mouth, and though she thought it probably wasn’t a wise idea, she had to ask.

“Why?”

 

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