*****Chapter 16*****

Willow jumped when she heard front door slam. She’d been dozing against Oz on the sofa. She was really tired lately; well, ever since she went all bitca on the vampires at the Mansion. The nosebleeds had stopped, so that was a plus, but she was still incredibly nervous about what she’d done. She was just Willow. Willow the nerd. Willow the mousy little geek. Where had all of that come from?

She’d practiced magic for a while now, but nothing she’d done had ever come close to that. Magic meant concentrating really hard and practicing the words over and over so they sounded right, then still managing to fail or mess up anyway. For the very first time Willow had just known what to do. The words came pouring out on instinct. It wasn’t like she lost control of her body; she’d read that possessed people felt that way. It was more like a wall dissolved in the back of her mind. Part of her that was hidden came out and she used that piece of her mind to cast the spell.

Which was still high on the spookiness meter.

Willow tried explaining the idea to Giles. He said she had crossed her threshold and would see her magical abilities grow from here on out. She was feeling the source of her magic. It was her connection to the collective consciousness and the magic sink of the world. Giles believed she had an unusually strong connection, so if she was careful not to let the magic overwhelm her, she could do powerful things some day.

Oz had been her rock, as usual. But where he normally just gave her a hug or held her hand, this time he’d talked to her about being a werewolf. Willow had always figured that it was just split personalities, Oz and the wolf. The wolf came out and Oz went away, then Oz came back and the wolf was gone. Oz told her that he had a connection to his wolfy half. Sometimes, when he was angry or frightened for her, he could feel the wolf-parts trying to come forward. It didn’t happen often, but he was afraid that someday he might lose it and let the wolf take over. Just like she lost it in the Mansion and the magic took over.

He had never told anyone that. Willow didn’t feel that she and Oz ever lacked common topics for conversation. But this past week it felt like they were being more open with each other. Ever since that conversation about what Giles called ‘their potential for darkness.’ Willow suspected that it was a comfort to both of them to know that they weren’t alone in the fight. Maybe they could keep each other pointed in the right direction. That was eventually the goal, but right now they were sitting on the sofa in the Summers’s living room taking a break from disturbing thoughts like black magicks and werewolves while waiting for Joyce and Giles.

Willow had been working with Oz on his math at the dining room table when they heard Giles drop his tea glass. Joyce had rushed past them to see what the problem was. About two minutes later, the two adults had come into the dining room and sat down with Willow, Oz, and Cordelia, who had been resting upstairs. All the three of them were told was that Buffy had called. That Buffy and Spike wanted to meet Buffy’s watcher and her mother at the mall. Joyce and Giles had left immediately afterward.

The three teenagers had sat in stunned silence for a while. They tried to talk decide what this new development meant. Cordelia suspected a trap. Oz just shrugged. Willow had no idea what to believe anymore. Over the past week they’d exhausted the theories about why Spike would have kidnapped Buffy, so she had nothing to add. They just sat silently wondering what would happen next. After a while they moved to the living room to wait in comfort.

The long silence ended when Joyce threw open the front door. Willow had only seen Buffy’s mom this angry once: when they told her that Buffy had died. Willow’s heart sank when she saw Giles come in. He had a massive bruise on one side of his face and he looked tired. Chagrined. So it was a trap. Willow knew that Buffy wasn’t responsible. Her friend would never endanger people she loved as much as Giles and her mom, even if she was now a vampire.

Joyce set her purse on the entryway table and rubbed her temples. It had been a long ride back from the meeting. The moment they entered the car, Giles accused her of enabling Buffy’s vampiric traits by supporting her relationship with Spike. Joyce refused to let him rant at her. She was Buffy’s mother damn it, not him. Her daughter had just been through a terrible ordeal and had come out with someone who could understand and care for her. Spike. She told the watcher as much. And there was plenty more along the way.

Did Rupert really think that if they got Buffy back, things would be the same as they had been? Her daughter was a vampire. There was no return to normalcy from there. Buffy needed to be with her sire so that she could learn and grow as a vampire. The Watchers’ Diaries said as much. Giles grunted and mumbled something about the difficulty of sending his charge off with a mass murderer.

The arrogance of the man! How could that possibly compare to the fact that he sent her off to die in the first place? That she would never get to walk in the sunshine again because he and his Council of Watchers handed her a stake and told her to go kill demons? Rupert paled at that accusation. Joyce was not about to be easy on him. He deserved to be slapped for insinuating that the only reason Spike saved Buffy was to use her as a…a whore. Any fool could see that they were falling in love with each other.

Finally, Joyce gave him an ultimatum. He could either stop protesting the living arrangements between Buffy and Spike, or he could leave Joyce’s house. She would not tolerate his presence there tonight if he was going to continue behaving like a supercilious bigot. He could go back to his apartment while she, Buffy, Spike, and the children dealt with Angelus. Rupert grew quiet and murmured that he didn’t want to leave her alone at a time like this. He apologized for his comments and Joyce accepted.

Joyce didn’t press the matter, but she was believed that Rupert was growing attached to her. She sighed. While she wasn’t adverse to the idea, that was something that could be discussed later. Right now she had to talk with the children and prepare them for the coming visit. They were staring at her nervously from the living room. She took a deep breath and walked in to join them.

Giles watched Joyce move into the living room to enlighten Buffy’s friends. He debated about whether or not to join them. They might be interested in his input. Then again, he’d made enough of an ass of himself already this afternoon. He would have untold opportunities to do it again tonight, so he’d stay out of Joyce’s way at present. He had no doubt that she would be willing to make good on her threat to expel him from the house. He went instead to the kitchen to find some ice for his jaw.
________________________________________________________________________

Willow stared at the ground after Joyce finished her story. It was hard to believe that Spike saved Buffy. It was even more difficult to wrap her mind around the idea that Spike and Buffy were a couple now. They’d only known each other for a couple months, and most of that time they were fighting. As in, to the death. Except neither of them had died yet. Well, technically both of them had died, but that wasn’t the point.

Cordelia had been shocked by the revelation about Buffy, Spike, and hand-holding. She couldn’t believe it, and kept asking Joyce to say that part again. Then she said something about the creepy-crawly bug-man that Spike hired to assassinate Buffy, and being scarred for life. But five minutes afterward, she was calm and resigned. When did they move to Bizarro!world? Because that’s the only place where Cordelia Chase could be open-minded about Buffy and Spike.

Willow cast a glance at Oz. He looked undisturbed by the news that Buffy was not just dating, but living with a vampire. Willow didn’t think that Buffy planned on coming home to her mom anytime soon, either. Some part of her had been hanging on to the idea that if they got Buffy home, things would be the same as they had been, except no sunny days at the beach. But that wasn’t going to happen. Buffy was a vamp, Xander was practically a mummy with all the bandages, and she was a witch.

And what were they going to tell Xander? Buffy and Spike being together wasn’t going to be high on his list of all time great couples. Willow wasn’t even sure yet what she thought of the two of them.

She felt Oz rub her arm, trying to comfort her. Well, she supposed, vampire and vampire made as much sense at witch and werewolf. Who was she to judge?
________________________________________________________________________

Spike felt Buffy shiver as they stepped onto her mum’s front porch. He patted her arm to reassure her. He knew that she was terribly frightened about her mates’ reception of her after the way her wanker of a watcher treated her this afternoon.

Spike was angry about the disrespect paid to his childe. But he was so proud of the way she’d handled it. She wasn’t ashamed of what she was or who she was with. Her regard for him didn’t mean love, as she’d said before, but it still meant so much to him. Childer were obligated not to cross their Sire when they were first created, but usually they were too timid to defend their Sire. It was the Sire that looked after the Childer. Buffy had turned that tradition upside down this afternoon. It reinforced Spike’s belief that someday, after she got a little experience under her belt, they’d be together as equals.

That is, if they got through tonight. Spike had his doubts. He had stationed the minions and Morrie around the perimeter of the house, in case of trouble. If it came from the direction of Buffy’s friends, they would run outside and disappear into the suburban landscape. If it came from Angelus, well, Spike’s servant were armed with crossbows and stakes. Morrie even had some holy water.

Of their demon family, that left just Spike and Buffy to enter the house on Revello. They stood directly in front of the door. Buffy stared at it uncertainly. It was a portal that led to the remnants of her old life. She lifted her hand to knock, but it trembled so violently that she had to put it back down. Spike put his arms around her waist and hugged her tight to him. She returned the hug with enough strength to crush a human. Spike murmured in her ear, “Luv, whatever happens, I’ll always be here.”

She looked up at him with teary eyes. “I know. I trust you Spike.”

The hug ended all too soon. Spike let go first, trying to give her a gentle nudge in the right direction. Buffy sucked in a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened instantly to reveal Joyce and the watcher, both of whom stepped out on the porch. The watcher had a giant purple bruise on the side of his face. Buffy gasped when she spotted it. “Giles, I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would be that bad-”

The watcher held up his hand to stop her apology. “I think perhaps it’s best for all concerned if we try to ignore what was done at our meeting this afternoon. And what was said,” he added with a downward glance. “Your mother maintains that this is what I deserve for sticking my chin out too far.” He paused for a few instants, then met Buffy’s eyes without hesitation. “And I must say that, upon reflection, I was rather crass in my observations. I’m sorry Buffy.”

Spike saw the shimmer of a few tears in Buffy’s eyes as she leaped forward and hugged her watcher. “I missed you so much Giles.” He hugged her back.

“I missed you too, Buffy. I see you’re still incredibly strong.” The watcher winced, and Buffy let go of him, smiling softly. She moved back to stand beside her sire. Giles continued, “I’m sorry I was acting like a fool earlier. You’re right, I have no right to criticize.”

Spike sighed. “Acted like an arse, if you ask me.”

Buffy giggled in spite of herself. “Spike, he apologized.”

“Doesn’t excuse it.”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t.” Giles reluctantly extended his hand to the male vampire. “I’m sorry for offending you and your childe, Spike.”

The watcher certainly knew something about the proper way to appease a demon. The wording was precise, the kind of thing Spike would have looked for from another master vampire. That didn’t mean that he was all that inclined to accept, but he couldn’t reject an offer of friendship from Buffy’s surrogate father. With equal reluctance, he shook the watcher’s hand.

Joyce smiled. That hurdle, at least, was past. “Well, there are some other people inside who’d like to see you Buffy.” She gestured toward the door.

Buffy move to enter, but Spike stopped her with a hand on her arm. She looked at him quizzically. Spike turned to Joyce. “Best invite us in Joyce.” Buffy’s eyes widened. Spike hadn’t expected her to remember. In her short tenure as a vampire, she’d never been inside a human house.

Joyce fought to keep the emotion out of her voice at the immediacy of this reminder of her daughter’s vampirism, but only partially succeeded. “Why yes,” she replied. “Come in, both of you, please.” She looked to Spike to see if that was satisfactory. He responded with a small smile, then he nodded to Buffy and they entered, followed by Giles and finally Joyce.

Buffy paused in the entryway, looking around at her old house. It didn’t look any different than Buffy remembered. But it seemed like a memory from so very long ago. She felt Spike beside her, also checking out the home. A glance told her that he was focusing on the pictures of herself and her mother. He seemed lost in his own memories. Buffy supposed this reminded him of his human family, who were long since gone. She would ask him about them someday. She suspected that he had a few mementos of them locked away in one of his suitcases.

She was pulled out of her reverie when she heard the heart beats in the living room. Fast heartbeats. Nervous heartbeats. Slowly, she moved into the living room where Willow, Oz, and Cordelia were sitting. Odd that Xander wasn’t there. Spike followed behind her, but he was ignored. They were watching her, not him, obviously waiting to see what her first move would be. Buffy could see a crossbow sticking out from behind Cordelia’s chair.

Willow couldn’t wait anymore. She had to know if this was still her friend. Buffy looked thinner. She looked older. But she still looked like Buffy. She stood timidly and walked toward the blonde girl. “B-buffy? How are you?” She winced. “That was a stupid question, wasn’t it.”

Buffy smiled. She was trying hard not to cry, but it wasn’t working. “Hey Wills. I’m good. You?” Willow nodded and beamed at her. They moved toward each other, slowly closing the distance between them until all of a sudden they were hugging.

Spike didn’t want to crowd in on the reunion scene, but he stayed close enough to get to Buffy if there was trouble. Now that the Watcher was subdued for the moment (Spike wasn’t any where near ready to take him off the threat list yet), these three were the current threat to Buffy. Red obviously believed that Buffy wasn’t going to start a killing spree. He watched to see what the other reactions were. The cheerleader wasn’t leaping for joy, but she seemed satisfied too. That left the werewolf. Spike looked his way.

The boy had stood when his bird and Buffy started hugging. He was calm but alert, ready to take care of anything that threatened his witch. He sensed that Spike was watching him and turned his head to meet the gaze. Spike locked eyes with him for several seconds while each one measured the other. It was a silent discussion between predators that established a truce. Neither of them was looking for a fight, just to defend their ladies. They smirked at each other in a moment of solidarity. Spike decided that he could like this werewolf.

Buffy spotted Oz over Willow’s shoulder. “Hey, Oz.”

Oz broke eye contact with Spike to look at Buffy. “Hey.”

Buffy smiled. It was a very ‘Oz’ response. She turned toward Cordelia. “Hi Cordy. Where’s Xander?”

Cordelia had been about to smile and say hello. Then Buffy brought up Xander. Her face fell. It wasn’t as if Buffy could have known. And she didn’t blame Buffy for what happened. They’d all gone willingly to try and rescue her; nothing could have stopped Xander from going in there with flame-thrower blazing. He had been so brave. He was still being brave, but it hurt to think of him injured. The only thing she could do for him was hold his hand on her daily visits.

Everyone at school thought Queen C was too shallow to feel deeply for someone, especially Xander. This past week, it had been all she could go not to scratch out Harmony’s eyes. That bimbo just couldn’t get it through her idiot head that Cordelia could love Xander. That Cordelia had almost lost him for good, before they’d even had six-months together. She had never been more frightened in her life than that moment she’d seen the tank explode and hadn’t been able to go to him.

Buffy knew instantly that something was wrong. Cordelia wasn’t the type to be silent about anything. Something was wrong with Xander. That was why he wasn’t here. “What happened?” she asked Cordelia earnestly.

Cordelia calmed herself. He was going to get better. That was the important thing. “Well, since you’ve been…gone, we’ve been training to get rid of Angelus. About a week after he took you, we raided the Mansion to kill him and see if you were still alive. Undead. Whatever.” She moved her hair away from her face nervously. “They rushed us when we were trying to get out. You remember Soldier Xander from Halloween?” Buffy nodded. “Well he managed to get a flame-thrower for the battle. He killed almost all the vamps single-handed, but then…one of them got a shot at the tank…and…it exploded…” Cordelia couldn’t speak as she fought back tears.

Willow took over, unwilling to let Buffy draw the wrong conclusions. “He’s alive, Buffy. And he’s going to be fine. All the doctors say so. Xander says so to.”

“Yes,” Cordy agreed forcefully. “He’s doing fine now, and he’ll make almost a full recovery. Just a few burn scars.”

Buffy stared at the girl across from her in shock. “Oh Cordy. I’m so sorry.” The rest of the tears she hadn’t shed while hugging Willow gushed out and Cordy came forward and hugged her.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Cordy pulled out of the hug, sniffling. “I’m so glad you got away from Angelus, Buffy.”

Buffy nodded. “I didn’t do it alone though.” She looked behind her and caught Spike’s eyes. She motioned him forward with a tilt of her head. He came up beside her and she took his hand in hers. She immediately started rambling in his defense. After all, last they knew she and Spike were trying to kill each other. “Guys, or gals and guy, this is Spike. I know it probably looks kinda funny me standing here with my former mortal enemy, but he’s my sire now, and I need you to believe me when I say he’s on our side in this and he’s not gonna hurt any of you-”

Cordelia held up her hands to stop the rant. “Slow down Buffy. Your mom explained everything to us already.”

Buffy chewed nervously on her bottom lip. “Everything?”

Cordy nodded. “Yeah. You and Bleach-boy, together in the big ‘We’re Together’ way.”

Buffy heard Spike snort at the nickname, but he said nothing. He’d been unusually quiet, and she was beginning to think that something was bothering him. Even when he wasn’t dominating a conversation he was always more vocal than this. She was surprised that her mom had come out and said that Spike was her boyfriend. But then her mom never lived in the land of denial as much as Buffy. “So. You all know that Spike and I are…um…”

Willow blushed slightly and nodded. “Yep. We’re knowledgeable.”

Buffy’s brows furrowed. “So no attempted interventions?”

All three teens laughed. Willow laughed. “Well, we haven’t tried breaking the news to Xander yet, but no, not planning an intervention and I don’t think…” she looked at Oz and Cordelia who shook their heads to the idea of interfering. “Yeah. See? All with the tolerance.”

Buffy found herself grinning like a Barbie at the acceptance. She was happy this had gone well for her peace of mind and for theirs. “Thank you guys so much!”

Cordelia raised her hand. “Not completely ‘with the tolerance’ here.”

“Oh.” Buffy frowned.

Cordelia addressed herself to Spike. “Listen Spike, I know you’re your own master vampire and all that, but don’t you think it might be time to leave punk behind? I mean, that outfit is probably older than your girlfriend.”

Buffy watched Spike’s jaw drop in shock. She giggled at the sight of Spike, speechless before the fashion critique of Cordelia Chase. “I think I like him just the way he is,” she said. He looked at her with surprise and then broke out in a big, goofy smile. Buffy could have heard she swore Willow sigh at Spike’s happy expression. Vampy hearing, so maybe she had.

Spike leveled his eyes at the cheerleader. “Thanks for the advice ducks, but I like to stick with the classics.”

From the look on Cordelia’s face, Buffy knew she didn’t think punk equaled classic but had decided not to argue. Spike’s smile disappeared suddenly. Buffy watched his face as he seemed to struggle with a decision. Still staring at Cordelia, he murmured in a low voice. “Listen, ‘bout your boyfriend…Xander, I guess. Did he…” Spike ran a nervous hand through his hair. “Was he the one that…that dusted…Dru?”

Cordelia was taken aback by the question. Spike didn’t sound angry, just sad. Like someone grieving. Duh, he was grieving for his girlfriend of the last century, even if she was a ho. He really must have loved her. She wasn’t sure what to say, but Joyce, who had stayed out of the conversation, stepped forward.

Joyce looked hesitantly at the sorrowful vampire. “No Spike, I’m afraid it was me. She attacked Rupert, so I…” she wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence with delicacy.

Joyce saw the surprise in Spike’s clouded expression. His voice was rough when he spoke, like he was trying to suppress a sob. “She didn’t suffer, did she?”

Joyce shook her head. “No. I was very accurate. I don’t think she felt anything.”

Spike nodded, but couldn’t reply. He felt Buffy’s arms at his waist as she hugged him in support. She was the only person there who could really understand his fears about his sire. He returned the hug, clinging to her for support as she had to him on the porch.

Joyce decided that perhaps they needed a break before they began discussing tactics. “Would anyone like hot choc-”

Joyce was cut off by a scream outside. Spike and Buffy heard the sound of crossbow strings firing.
*****
Please R&R. Thanks to R’ers and the R&R’ers. Thanks Linda.

Thank you to whoever was kind enough to nominate this fic at the Lost in Spike awards for Best Love Story, Best Long Fiction, Hottest Bite, and Best Spike Hero. I really appreciate it!

 

*****Chapter 17*****

Ryan kicked at the ground with the toe of his sneaker. He sighed quietly. He had to face the facts: he was a pretty rotten vampire. Not rotten like Big Bad material, rotten like he’d rather be at home playing video games and drinking blood out of a mug than hunting. It just wasn’t any fun to him. Neither was guard duty. And right now, standing outside the slayer’s house clutching his crossbow, he was frightened of every sound.

The Master and the Mistress had been in the house for only twenty minutes or so and they’d probably be there most of the night. He and the other minions and Morrie were supposed to keep watch to see if Angelus’s servants were around the house. If they came, he didn’t know what he could do to protect his Master against them. He was only a month old, after all, and some of the minions that sided with Angelus had spent years serving the court of the old Master.

He was proud to be trusted enough to be on guard for his Master’s safety. And he was really glad to serve Master Spike. Without Master Spike, Angelus probably would have dusted him some day for doing something stupid. But sometimes Ryan just wished he could have a simpler duty. One where he couldn’t mess up and embarrass his Master.

He heard a scraping noise to one side and froze, searching for the source. It sounded like it came from the back of the house where Chris was watching. Silently, Ryan crept around the house until he was within view of the other minion. Chris was alert and walking slowly toward the small glade behind the house. Ryan saw Jacob in the shadows on the other side of the back porch. All three vampires paused, listening.

The attack came from the trees.

Six vampires in game face leaped forward, closing the distance themselves and Chris before he had time to fire his crossbow. He was knocked to the ground by two of the enemy and screamed for help as they tried to stake him. Jacob and Ryan fired their crossbows at the clutch of four demons running to head them off. Two dusted and a third stumbled as he inhaled the dust from his comrades. Spike’s minions pulled their stakes for hand fighting; there wasn’t time to reload.
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Spike charged for the kitchen door, ripped it open, and ducked out onto the porch. He could see Jacob struggling with another vampire and both Morrie and Alexa running towards him. Thirty feet away, Ryan was on the ground at Chris’s feet, moaning in pain. Spike heard Buffy rush out the door behind him, so he motioned for her to stay low. She reached him and they watched as Alexa, still running, dropped her crossbow and pulled a stake from inside her jacket. She leaped onto the offending vampire and plunged the stake into his chest. He crumbled to dust beneath her boots.

“Any others?” Spike shouted.

“No!” yelled Chris. He bent down to Ryan, whose neck was bleeding from the wound of a badly aimed stake. He licked the edges of the skin to get it to close. Chris helped Ryan stand and led him toward the porch.

Spike looked over the others as they came to stand beside Buffy and himself. No casualties, one superficial injury. He cast a quick glance at Buffy, who was frowning at the ground. “What’s on your mind, luv?”

Buffy raised her eyes to Spike’s. His expression was grim, as she supposed her own was. “He knows.” These could only be Angelus’s minions. Morrie said they had been searching everywhere for her Spike. Trying to find any trace. The first thing they would have done when they found out that she and Spike were here was send someone to tell Angelus. The information was too valuable to chance them dying before it was delivered. She saw Spike nod, slowly.

“Yeah. This tells him three things. One, you’re alive. That’ll make him mad. Two, you’re with me in the non-hostage capacity. That’ll make him madder. Three, we’re teamin’ up against him with your Watcher and the rest. That’ll make him pop: tidy little three-act betrayal.” Spike’s fingers itched to pull out his lighter. Nicotine helped him stay calm and think straight. But Buffy couldn’t stand the smell, so he’d just have to do what he could without. “It was always a risk they’d show up, but I was hoping they’d already left when we got here.”

The minions had formed a semi-circle in front of Spike and Buffy. Spike looked to Alexa. “From the top. What happened?”

“They attacked from the rear. Morrie and I were out front. We heard Chris scream and came running, but there was only one left alive by the time we got here.” She glanced at Chris. “He’d know more than I do.”

Spike turned his stare on Chris. “I heard a rustle in the grove back there and went to see what it was. Six vampires came running full-speed at me. Two knocked me to the ground, I screamed for help, and the other four ran behind me to Jacob and Ryan. Next thing I knew, Ryan dusted the vamp above me that was going for my heart. His friend cut Ryan and while he was distracted I dusted him.”

Jacob spoke next. “Ryan and I heard the noise as well, and came to investigate. We got two of the remaining four with crossbows. I staked a third while Ryan went to help Chris. Alexa got the last one, as you saw.”

Spike nodded. “Good work all around. No point going back on patrol. They won’t send out another scouting party. If Angelus sends anything more tonight it’ll be an army. You five wouldn’t be much against that. Best stay put in the house with us until we get a plan together.”

“And you expect to just bring uninvited vampires into this house?”

Buffy cringed at the accusatory tone of her Watcher’s voice. She turned to see him standing, crossbow in hand, on the porch. Willow, Oz, Cordelia, and her mom had spilled out behind him. His eyes had turned to that same cold tint he displayed when he accused her of being Spike’s ho at the mall. It was enough to make the minions nervous. And for the first time, Buffy felt genuinely afraid of her own Watcher. She was a vampire now. She got the feeling that meant that he wasn’t going to fully trust her ever again. He believed that she could be made to betray him. Her respect for Giles fell a little further.

Spike was unimpressed by the Watcher’s menacing glare. The man had balls, no doubt. He was dangerous, certainly. But Spike had spent years learning to read situations. And right now, the Watcher wasn’t the one in control. With all the contempt he could put into words, he replied, “No. I expect to ask Joyce if my minions could possibly wait in her kitchen while Buffy and I discuss the new position we’re in with you lot.” He turned to Joyce. He softened in speaking to her. Something about her required him to use his good manners. “Would that be alright, Joyce?”

She smiled at his audacity toward Giles and sweetness toward her. Spike was quite the charmer. “Actually, if they’re going to be fighting with us, I think they deserve a chance to be in on the planning. They’re all welcome to come inside.” Joyce saw Giles head whip around toward her. His disapproval stood out in every line of his face, but she ignored it. He pledged to abide by her decisions. It was up to him to remember it.

Giles sighed and lowered his crossbow. This was a battle he wasn’t going to win. He supposed that he and Willow could dis-invite them later.

Joyce suppressed a smile of satisfaction. “Well, I’ll get to work on the hot chocolate. Why don’t you all go inside and get acquainted?”
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Willow watched as one of the minions, Chris, handed Spike a cup of cocoa from the coffee table with a bow. Spike nodded in thanks. Chris then repeated the action to Buffy. Buffy also nodded, and smiled. Then Chris sat back down on the floor and was handed his own cup by the male minion at his side, Ryan. None of the minions drank until both Spike and Buffy had. Cordelia leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Can we get minions? You know, without becoming vampires?” Willow shrugged. She guessed the minions heard them, because they laughed.

Alexa sipped at her mug, watching the nervous teenagers across from the line of demons sitting on the living room floor. It reminded her of parties where all the boys stood on one side of the room and all the girls stood on the other, too nervous to dance together. Right now, the Master and Mistress were not interested in entertaining them, so the duty fell to her. She smiled at them in what she hoped they would perceive as a friendly way. “Well, you could probably hire some.”

Willow blinked. “For, like, everyday things? Laundry, house-keeping…”

“Hmm. I suppose so. You just have to remember that vampires aren’t very patient as a rule, so I wouldn’t ask them to crochet doilies, if I were you.”

Buffy smiled. She knew what Alexa was talking about. Buffy was sitting on the arm of the chair Spike had taken in the living room. Not taken exactly, more like the one she asked him to sit down in. He’d been agitated after the fight and started pacing around the living room. Every time he came near Willow’s end of the sofa her eyes threatened to pop out. Buffy supposed it was one thing to make a truce with a vampire and another to have him stalk toward you every thirty seconds.

He was still tense. He sat stiffly in the chair and didn’t blink, his senses on high alert. He’d calmed down a little bit when her mom brought in the hot chocolate tray. He watched the little marshmallow’s swirl around on the surface and smiled, thanking Joyce for her hospitality for himself and his minions. Now, after about five minutes, the hot chocolate had ceased to distract him from the problems at hand.

Buffy knew what Spike was feeling; she felt it herself. It was a need to do something. Anything, rather than just sitting here. They weren’t big on patience, Spike especially. But they could do it when necessary. Like now. So while Alexa made small talk with Willow and Cordelia, they sat waiting for Giles and her mother to join them in the living room.

From the doorway of the kitchen, Giles glowered at the scene in the living room. It went against everything he knew to let vampires this near to his loved ones. But then he kept overlooking the fact that one of his loved ones was a vampire. He sighed. It was much simpler in those days when vampires were demons to be staked, not visitors to which one catered.

“Stop it.” Joyce’s voice from behind him was commanding, but not unkind. “You’re thinking too much. And you’re being selfish.” Giles turned to look at her. “You agreed with me earlier that you’d been too judgmental, and now you’ve gone ahead and done it again. You weren’t winning anyone to your viewpoint by acting like some watcher Rambo out there.”

Giles frowned. “It isn’t easy to just throw aside everything I’ve every known about vampires and trust them.”

Joyce crossed her arms. “Spike’s doing fine throwing aside his instincts to rip our throats out one by one.”

Giles shook his head. “It could still be a ruse-”

“No. Where’s your faith, Rupert?”

He snorted. “Gone. Angelus took what little was left.”

Joyce put a hand on his shoulder. “Trust me. Trust Buffy. Please.” She could practically hear his teeth grinding. “Listen to what they have in mind.”

He acquiesced with a sigh.

Joyce removed her hand and they walked into the living room. Rupert sat down opposite Spike in the unoccupied armchair. Joyce remained standing - with eleven pairs of eyes fastened on her. She wasn’t much of a speaker, but she decided that someone needed to bring the situation back into focus. “It’s time we got down to business. First, let’s congratulate ourselves that we have made it this far. The last two weeks have been taxing for everyone, but we’re here. That has to count for something.” She cast a look at Buffy. Her daughter still existed and she was grateful. “We need to decide what to do so that we’re still around next week.”

She walked to the sofa and sat down on one of the arms. “We don’t all know each other well and that has led to several unfortunate misunderstandings tonight. There have been some harsh words said, but we need to look beyond that.” She glanced at Rupert, but he remained silent. “We’re all together for the same reason. We want to remove Angelus from this town, our lives, and if possible, the earth. Spike,” she turned her attention to the seated vampire. “you’ve known him longest. I believe you should begin by giving us your thoughts on the matter.”

Spike nodded. “Thanks Joyce. First thing to know is that he outnumbers us. Morrie here,” he gestured to his servant, “has done some lookin’. Angelus has twenty to thirty minions…or had, seein’ as my minions took out six of ‘em a little while ago. So let’s figure twenty-five. More ‘n two to one. He’s holed up in an old wreck of a hotel on the outside of town. Second thing to know is that if we don’t get him tonight, we’ll never get him at all.”

“What?” Cordelia looked at him in surprise. “You want us to attack now?”

He shook his head. “No, pet. Believe me, I’d rather wait, but we’re outta time. By tomorrow the bastard’ll be ready for us. Hell, I wouldn’t put it passed him to come straight for us before morning.”

“If we’re assuming he knows we’re against him, he may be on his way now,” Giles said with some alarm.

“Doubt it.” Everyone looked at Oz in surprise. “When Xander and I were doing surveillance, he never once went back to his lair before midnight. It’s only 9:30 right now. He never goes with his minions either, so they won’t know where he is.”

“And minions won’t start that kind of attack without their Master,” Alexa added.

Willow frowned. “But we don’t even have a plan! What are we supposed to do?”

“Burn their shelter to the ground.” Buffy returned the stares of the shocked faces around her. “We go and watch for when he gets back. Take out a few minions on the outside if we can do it quietly. We wait until he goes inside, then we throw Molo…Molo…um, cocktail thingies in the windows and shoot whoever runs out.”

Ripper couldn’t help but be impressed by the ruthlessness in the plan. Joyce was right, he’d been too doubting of Buffy’s strength in her vampire incarnation. “Workable, but a bit crude. There are a lot of random things that could go wrong.”

“Yeah, Watcher, but it’s the best chance we’ve got. We’ll be armed and ready.”

Buffy stood up. “We’ll vote. All in favor raise your hands.” Spike’s went up immediately. Oz followed him, then Morrie, then Willow, her mom, and Cordelia. Giles raised his as well. Buffy smiled at him. She looked at the minions, who hadn’t moved. “What about you guys?”

They exchanged looks. Alexa spoke, “We stand by the decision of our Master and Mistress.”

“Okay. Everybody grab your weapons. Stakes, crossbows, lots a darts, all the humans get crosses.” Buffy looked to Oz. “I saw your van out front. Can we use it?” He nodded. “Good. We need to go by a gas station. Giles, what haven’t I thought of?”

Momentarily startled by Buffy’s question, Giles stood and straightened his shirt. He hadn’t been expecting her to ask his advice after his earlier behavior. “Right. Cordelia, take the minions and get weapons for all of us. Joyce, I suggest that you and I find some empty bottles to use. Willow, we’ll need rags. Oz, I suggest you clear out the rear of your van. Also, if you can find any gas cans, they’d be useful.” Giles didn’t presume to assign a task to Buffy or Spike.

Buffy watched as her friends left the living room to get supplies. Her mom and Giles, too. The minions went outside to help load the van, leaving Buffy and Spike alone. She sat back down on the chair arm. She felt a hand creep up along her arm to her shoulder. Another hand came to rest on the other side. Spike began a gentle massage along the top of her back. She sighed. “So did I do okay? I’m not really liking the idea of sending them into mortal danger. I wish I could just take him out myself, so nobody else would be in danger.”

“You did great Goldilocks. And as for Angelus. They all have somethin’ to hate him for, like your mum said. You couldn’t keep them out of this if you tried. ‘Specially your mum. She wants her shot at him.” Spike could see her smile in his mind, even if she was facing away from him. He let his hands stray to her hips and lifted her off the side of the chair, then settled her on his lap. He pulled her torso back against his. Spike pulled a lock of hair back behind her ear and whispered to her. “Listen, luv. You be careful tonight. You’re a lot more flammable than you used to be. Stay back from the building.”

She moved a hand to the side of his face and stroked it gently. “You too. You’re doing better but you’re still not all the way healed. I’ll be worried about you.”

He gave a soft growl. He nuzzled the back of her head. “I can take care of myself.”

She nodded. “I know. Can’t a girl worry about her guy?” She played with the edge of his duster.

“Suppose.” He slowly smirked into her hair. “You could always give me a kiss for good luck. Unless you want to sneak upstairs for a little something more.”

She huffed and turned to look at him. “Eww, Spike, my mom’s in the house. And my friends and my watcher.”

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Can’t blame a bloke for trying. Guess I’ll have to settle for that kiss.”

She gave him a loving smile. “Just until we finish this.” She leaned over and pressed her lips to his.
*****
Please R&R. Thanks Linda!
a/n: On reading this again, I notice some similarities to Spikeschilde’s latest chapter of the demon in many. I just wanted to comment that I wrote this before reading her excellent update, and that I would never knowingly take someone else’s idea.

*****Chapter 18*****

Angelus strode into the hotel around one o’clock. He’d been shopping tonight, trying to find the perfect present for his errant childer. A local hardware store clerk had been very helpful. Angelus had given him vague needs, like portability and power, and the boy had delivered a perfect solution. He’d even bagged Angelus’s ‘purchase’ before his throat was ripped out. Angelus loved that unsuspecting quality in humans. They always assumed that something which would walk out under the light was not a danger. That the dark creatures keep to the shadows.

It had been a good night, as far as nights went these days. In addition to acquiring the parcel he carried loosely under his arm, he’d been able to trick a foolish little girl away from her job as a waitress. She was an excellent server, providing just the kind of meal he loved: warm, feisty, fearful, and tight. He hated to return from a pleasant evening to the disappointing sight of his minions still searching Sunnydale for two runaway vampires.

But the atmosphere in the hotel felt different tonight from the moment he stepped inside. Anticipatory. He could hear the minions chattering in the conference room down the hall. Had some discovery been made? Angelus walked down the corridor of peeling wall paper and forty watt bulbs through the double doors where just over half his minions were sitting. They all stood and bowed the instant that they sensed him. Several younger vampires in the corner cowered, desperately avoiding eye contact with their superior.

Angelus surveyed group. The older ones were smiling. “Well? What have you found?”

“Master,” one walked forward and bowed. Angelus recognized him as the leader of the spies he’d sent to Revello Drive. “The fugitives have been seen at the home of the slayer’s mother.”

Angelus gritted his teeth in irritation. So, Will thought he could defeat his grandsire by teaming with the watcher and Joyce. “Finally. Go rejoin your team and continue the watch. When they leave, I want to know where they go and how many are with them.”

The minion smiled. “When I left, there were eight in William the Bloody’s party. Of course, there are fewer now.”

Angelus tilted his head back, staring at the minion through hooded eyes. His voice was dangerously calm when he spoke. “What do you mean ‘fewer’? I know that you weren’t foolish enough to attack and give away our position.”

The minion faltered. He looked around nervously. None of the other minions were coming forward in his support. “I…we thought it was best to lessen their numbers immediately so that - ”

Angelus grabbed the idiot by the throat and twisted his head off. The dust hadn’t settled yet when he heard the crash of glass breaking. A moment later, he smelled smoke.
________________________________________________________________________

Spike closed his lighter as the cotton caught fire. With ease he lobbed the missile at the front door of the hotel. It broke just as a minion was trying to run out and escape the Molotov cocktails previously thrown through the windows of the structure by the werewolf and the watcher. The minion caught fire as he jumped the threshold. An instant later his ash decorated the lawn.

The building wasn’t fairing much better. The old curtains and paint went first, but the wood around the windows soon glowed as the gasoline driven flames blossomed. Spike could see ash bursting out of the windows periodically, as the vampires inside attempted to jump out and combusted in the process. Stupid wankers should have broken through the thin walls. But they couldn’t think that far ahead.

Arson was fun, Spike decided. The flames danced beautifully. Brought out the urge to write more daft poetry. The way they licked at the building, consuming it as if it were a lover…damn, too late. Already got a love sonnet in mind. Bugger. Well, it wasn’t like he’d ever really stopped writing poetry. He just made sure that no one could ever find it after he wrote it.

Spike would’ve liked to have been closer to the blaze. But Buffy looked at him with those sweet green eyes and pouted, while she very gently suggested that maybe with his legs still weak, it might be best for him to guard the front door with a crossbow. From across the street. Behind a van. With Chris standing on the opposite side of the van from him. Spike would never have believed it possible for a chit to be that bossy without bruising his ego. Buffy managed somehow.

He supposed that it was her continued concern for him took the sting out of being treated like a convalescent. If he were honest with himself, he’d have to admit that he was getting tired. All that walking around at the mall and running around tonight was draining. Which was why he wasn’t being the slightest bit truthful. He continued to stand beside the van he could just as easily have been sitting in. Spike wasn’t stubborn. He was just performing the task at hand.

That damn smoke was getting thicker. It blocked out every other smell and it was making his eyes water. He hoped Buffy was doing as she’d been told and staying back from that mess. The smoke had to be almost overwhelming up close. Every once in a while Spike could catch sight of her hair off to the left of the building, so he assumed that all was well. Much as he disliked magic, he was glad the little red witch was around to act as an extinguisher if something went wrong. The girl had been telling Buffy a little more about her actions during the Mansion raid while they were in the van. Pretty impressive mojo for a kid. Maybe she could do something about the bloody ozone layer.
________________________________________________________________________

He was surrounded by imbeciles. That was the only possible explanation for the loss of three lairs and three quarters of his minions in two months. Angelus did not make mistakes when he traveled alone, or with his own chosen companions. He controlled everything. These minions were turned by Spike. Naturally they were inferior in skills to those Angelus would have made. And traitors too, he supposed. He doubted that those that were out hunting right now would come looking for him once they discovered that the hotel had been burned.

Angelus had seen no successful escapes from within the hotel save his own. He’d had the sense to get out onto the roof, then leap to a nearby tree. He thereby avoided the armed enemies that waited outside the fire. The entire area was lightly wooded. There were sufficient trees for him to get far away from Buffy and her hunters. The little girl was being brave, still playing at being a slayer. Well, he’d finish what he’d started with her before an hour was passed. He just had to capture the proper hostage.

He clutched his present tighter. Good thing he’d charged it at the store.
________________________________________________________________________

Spike thought for a moment that he heard a noise over the crackling of the fire across the way. A snapped twig maybe. This far out of the center of town, they’d hoped to avoid witnesses. He turned to look behind him, crossbow leveled at the lightly wooded area behind Chris and himself. He didn’t see anything unusual, but he was growing more certain that he’d heard something nearby.

He heard the sound of clothing fluttering against the breeze above him. He tried to duck away but it was too late. An arm locked around his torso and a knee hit him sharply in the spine, near the point at which it had previously broken. He howled in pain as a shockwave from the impact ran through nerves in his legs. He would have collapsed if not for the thick arm that had knocked his crossbow away as he was overcome by the pain.

Spike could smell charred flesh and fury, and underneath it all Angelus. Spike struggled trying to loosen the larger vampire’s grasp on him. Nothing worked. His legs tried to help him run but they lacked the coordination. He couldn’t even reach Angelus’s arm with his teeth. Then he felt the stake pressed against his heart.

Spike saw Chris come running from the other side of the van. The minion stopped a few feet away, afraid to do anything that might cause his Master’s dusting. He kept his crossbow up, but he couldn’t fire with Master Spike in the way.

Angelus growled at the unworthy creature that dared to threaten him. “Drop it boy, or I’ll dust your Master here.”

“No!” Spike shouted and began to struggle again. Angelus smacked Spike’s ear with his free hand. It began to bleed from the force of the blow. “Now, now Will my boy, unless you want to be dust this instant we’ll hear no more from you. Drop it!” He finished with a bark.

Chris stared at Master Spike. Slowly, he lowered his weapon. He hoped the Powers that Be were as merciful as they were said to be.

Angelus dashed Spike’s head against the van’s side, then leaped forward and dusted the minion. He was back at his grandchilde’s side in an instant. Spike was trying to reach his dropped crossbow. Angelus couldn’t have that. His first kick broke some of Spike’s ribs. The second bruised his stomach. The third to the head rendered him unconscious. Boy always was a weakling. Angelus found the brown-paper wrapped package that he’d dropped when he tackled Spike. He took a moment to admire it as he stripped off the wrapper. His new nail gun was a beautiful invention.
________________________________________________________________________

Buffy was watching the flames when she felt it. A sudden, inexplicable feeling that something was wrong.

Things had been going smoothly since they’d left the house. They went by a gas station and filled up some gas cans. Buffy and Oz went in to pay. Buying several gallons of gasoline, a funnel, and half-a-dozen cigarette lighters got them an odd look from the cashier, but no one questioned them. By the time the van arrived at the hotel, they’d filled fifteen old bottles with gas and stuffed rags in the top. There was a debate about who was going to light and throw the bottles.

The minions were strong and accurate enough to get the cocktails through the window every time, but they weren’t to keen on the whole fire thing. In the end, Buffy divided her troops into pairs, human and nonhuman. Buffy and Giles, her mom and Ryan, Cordelia and Jacob, Willow and Alexa, Oz and Morrie. Each of those pairs would take two bottles. They’d spread out around the building and start the fires, then wait to make sure nothing got out.

She deliberately left Spike and Chris to guard the front with the remaining bottles. Spike was angry about that. He didn’t say so while they were with her friends and the minions in the van, but Buffy could tell. She knew his moods so well. He wanted to be closer to the carnage. He didn’t want to be treated like a weakling. Buffy pulled out all the stops in pleading with him. The eyes, the touching, the pout. She sighed in relief when he gave in at last. She knew she wasn’t going to win all their arguments that way, but it wouldn’t matter so much when he was in top shape.

Buffy couldn’t help worrying. In a week Spike had managed to get so far under her skin that she couldn’t think straight without knowing where he was. The first few days had been about needing her sire, but now…she just needed Spike.

They’d stood beside each other, hands liked, until they saw Angelus marching down the street. It surprised her how little she felt in seeing him again. What he’d done still hurt, but Angelus wasn’t worth the tears. And the pile of dust he was about to be wasn’t either. She’d given Spike a sweet but teasing kiss as she left him to take up her post. Fifteen hits of gasoline and fire later, not one single vampire had come her way. Well, there was that one guy that jumped out the window and tripped over a burning beam. He was gone before she could even raise her stake.

So why did she feel so frightened?

Nothing was happening here. She could leave Giles for a few moments to check on Spike. She didn’t doubt her sudden insight that it was Spike that would be in danger, and not the others. She just knew. She excused herself from Giles with a mumbled apology, not even looking at him as she began to jog toward the van. She didn’t see Spike on this side of it. She slowed her pace, going quietly forward.

The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise as she reached the van. She lifted her stake to the ideal angle. She extended her senses. Two vampires were behind the van. One was her sire, but the other felt different than Chris. Older. Powerful. Slowly, dreading what she would see, Buffy rounded the van. She gasped when she caught sight of Spike.

He appeared at first glance to be standing in front of a tree with his arms over his head. His head lolled to the side, his eyes closed. Buffy could see blood on both sides of his face. There was also some running down his arms from punctures through his wrists. She looked closer at the battered flesh between his hands and forearms. Nails. Many of them in each wrist. He’d been nailed to a tree.

She let her eyes follow the line of his body down. Spike was on tip-toe, trying to keep the pressure off his arms, which had been nailed too high on the tree for him to stand properly. His arms were tensed under his duster, trying to free themselves, but unable. An abandoned nail gun was at his feet. Spike stirred, sensing her. His eyes opened and caught hers for a moment. Then his head tilted, gesturing to the side. Buffy braced herself and gripped her stake tighter.

“Not quite the Crucifixion, but it was the best re-creation I could make with the materials available.” Buffy whipped her head around to see Angelus standing on her right. Arms crossed and holding a crossbow, he was leaning comfortably against another tree. “I’d love to wait until sunrise to see him dust. Perfect eastern exposure and all, but I don’t want to join him.”

He uncrossed his arms and aimed the bow at her. “You know, a lot of people don’t understand how artists like me can bear to part with work we took great pains to create. The reason we don’t get all teary is that we know the value of what we’re parting with. Spikey here is pretty near worthless, though he does make a pretty martyr. You Buffy had the chance to be my crowning artistic achievement: a turned and broken slayer. You gave that up and now you have to stick to being a prelude to Spike’s dusting. Actually the first to go was that hopeless minion.” Angelus gestured to the pile of ash on the ground. “Hope you weren’t too attached to him. But hey, it won’t matter soon, ‘cause you’ll be dead.”

Buffy felt the air vibrate as the crossbow fired. She dove to the ground and the bolt zinged past her ear. Then Angelus was on her. While she was still on the ground he grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her back at the van. The metal side resonated with the force of her impact. Angelus grabbed her right leg but she kicked him away with her left. She leaped to a fighting stance, searching for the stake she’d dropped. She was going to stake his smile off.

Angelus gave her an appraising look. “So, did you entertain Spike the way you entertained me? Bet he refused you at first. He never did like taking my leavings. And when he finally did give in he told you it was good, ‘cause he’s too much of a pansy to be honest.”

Buffy tried to keep her anger in check, remembering the lessons of her watchers. She kicked Angelus in the knee, forcing him to stumble, then aimed a punch at his chest. He caught her arm and flipped her over his shoulder. She landed hard at Spike’s feet. She lay looking up into his down turned face. He wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at something on the ground beside her. Spike caught her eyes, willing her to realize. The nail gun. Buffy nodded slightly, then lay still, pretending to be stunned.

Angelus took a moment to wipe the dirt of his pants before reaching under the van for his former childe’s stake. He tossed it loosely back and forth between his hands as he approached her. He kneeled beside her, so that he could look into her eyes as he dusted her. “You’ve gone downhill, Buff. Didn’t take long for you to forget all that fancy slayer training. I was hoping for more of a fight. Oh, well, this’ll give me time to get out of here before your watcher and your little friends arrive. I think I’ll take a page from Ol’ Rupert’s book. Burn down your mom’s house. How does that sound?” He raised the stake above her chest.

“Angelus?”

He smiled at her. “Yes Buffy?”

“You talk too much.” Buffy grabbed the nail gun with her left hand and blocked the descent of the stake with her right. She whipped the head of the gun up to his throat and fired it. The nail pierced the flesh between the bones of his jaw, then slid through his tongue and into his palette. She heard his pained, instintive attempt to breathe and felt his grip loosen on the stake. She grabbed it out of his hand. She aimed it at his chest. He clumsily attempted to block her, but it was too late. Buffy rammed it home into his chest.

He crumbled around her. Inside her she could feel his death, as a member of the same Order. She knew instinctively what it was, though she’d been too exhausted to feel Drusilla dust before him. For Dru, she felt some sympathy. For Angelus, she would not mourn.

“You okay, pet?” Spike whispered in a ragged voice.

Buffy looked up at him with a tired smile. “I’m not the one nailed to a tree.”

Spike chuckled. “Yeah. Well, can’t a guy worry about his girl?”

Buffy stood and smoothed out her clothing, ridding it of the remaining residue of Angelus. She leaned in and kissed Spike, gently stroking his face. “I love that about you. You’re always thinking about the people you love before yourself. It’s one of the reasons I think I’m falling for you.”

His face lit up as he smiled back at her. He looked awed at her confession. Buffy kissed him again, this time deeper. After a few moments he pulled back reluctantly. “Luv, not that I’m not enjoying this, but I think I’d enjoy it more if I wasn’t still hanging from this sodding tree.”

Buffy looked sheepishly at the ground with a small smile at her absentmindedness. She stopped smiling as she examined his wrists. “It’s gonna hurt when I pull you free. I think I’ll have to remove the nails separately; they’re riding on the bone.”

“No worries, luv. We’ll take it one step at a time, yeah? Ready?”
________________________________________________________________________

Fifteen minutes later Buffy had managed to get Spike into the back of the van. She’d pulled the nails out and bandaged his wrists with some of the torn fabric that hadn’t been used for wicks. She’d wiped most of the blood off his face; she could clean him up better when they got home.

The fire was dying down and her friends and servants were returning. She supposed that they hadn’t heard the battle on the opposite side of the street over the din of the blaze. When Giles arrived he was cleaning the soot from his glasses. He looked at her curiously. “Buffy, why didn’t you return to our position?”

She sighed. “Because Angelus was here.” She heard the intake of breath of both the living and unliving. “He escaped the building, somehow.”

Giles cleared his throat. “Has he been dispatched?”

“Yes.” Buffy looked over at the minions and Morrie. “But not before he dusted Chris.” Morrie bowed his head and murmured some kind of prayer. Buffy saw Jacob put an arm around Alexa’s shoulder. Alexa put a hand on Ryan’s back. The youngest minion was staring open mouthed at the ground. He’d idolized Chris. They’d been very close.

Jacob looked up. “The Master?”

“Master Spike is injured, but he’ll be alright.” Buffy turned to Oz. “I’d like to stop by the hospital to get him some human blood, so he can heal more quickly. Would you drive us there, then drop us off at home?”

Oz nodded. “Sure.”
________________________________________________________________________

Buffy stared at the window of the ICU ward. She didn’t remember who’d first suggested that they should visit Xander while they were here. It was a good idea. They could prove that Buffy was okay, that Buffy was good, and that Angelus was dead. Xander’d appreciate hearing it directly from her. But Buffy was more afraid of going into his room than she had been of facing down her nemesis. She’d tried to make excuses: somebody needed to stay in the van with Spike, somebody needed to get the blood. But there had been other people to perform each task.

Xander hated vampires so much. More than Giles, even. And after Jesse…what would he think of her? She was already at odds with her watcher. She didn’t want another person she cared about to be suspicious of her.

Cordelia and Willow had gone in first to make things easier. To make sure Xander knew about Spike. And Buffy. And Spike and Buffy. They’d done the hard part. They’d gone five minutes ago, but Buffy still hadn’t managed to go inside. ‘This is stupid.’ Her inner voice insisted. ‘Just go in. Better now than later. The sooner you finish this, the sooner you can get back to Spike.’ Buffy’s demon parts seemed to agree; they wanted to get back to her sire. Before she could question the impulse again Buffy strode to the room’s door and entered.

Xander was lying on the bed facing the entrance. He was covered in bandages. Even his hands were wrapped. Buffy couldn’t help the little intake of breath as she got her first look at her friend. He’d suffered so much trying to help her.

Xander smiled. He couldn’t help it. On some level he knew Buffy was a vampire. That Buffy was living with Spike. That they were doing naughty non-evil things together. When Willow and Cordelia had told him about it, Xander didn’t want to believe it. Well, he still didn’t. He wanted to believe that Buffy was alive and that Angelus, Spike, and Dru had never come to Sunnydale. But denial wasn’t possible when he was in a hospital covered in burns.

Xander hadn’t wanted to see Buffy after he’d heard. He didn’t want to sully his memory of her by seeing what she was now. A vampire willingly living with Spike. No matter how much Spike had done for her, it just wasn’t right. He couldn’t believe that Buffy would ever belong with them. For an instant, he’d been ashamed of her.

Cordelia had asked Willow to leave them for a moment so that they could discuss in private. After Willow left, Cordy’d refused to give him a moment’s peace until he at least spoke with Buffy. That was one of the reasons he and Cordy were so good together. They kept each other’s impulse to do stupid things in check. Now, seeing Buffy for the first time since that horrible night when they’d found her blood in the cemetery, he could see that Cordy was right. While her vampire tendencies might bother him, what mattered was that Buffy was alive. Or undead. At least, not in the ground. He couldn’t wish her otherwise. “Hey, Buff.”

She smiled. “Hey Xander.”

He sighed. “So. I talked with Willow and Cordy. I’m glad you got Angelus.”

“Me too. I’m sorry you got hurt trying to come to the rescue.”

“That’s not your fault.” He paused, considering. “A bunch of stuff like that’s happened lately that we can’t really change. Just move on from.”

Buffy nodded. “That’s life in Sunnydale. Or death in Sunnydale, in my case.”

“Oh, yeah, and not to speak ill of the dead, but about Spike…” Xander was surprised to see a resolve face appear on Buffy. She looked ready to pounce on him if he finished that sentence. He decided to choose wisely and go in another direction. “Do you love the guy?”

Buffy thought for a moment. “He’s my sire, so yes. He’s my boyfriend, too. I’ll love him that way before much longer.”

Xander frowned, but said nothing. “Does he love you?”

“Very much.”

Xander attempted to shrug, but he wasn’t sure how well it went over with the bandages. “Then I’ll try to be happy for you.”

Buffy felt a few tears threatening to be released. “Thanks, Xand.”
*****
Please R&R. One more chapter to go. Thanks to the Readers, Reviewers, and Linda.

Epilogue

Buffy awoke with a smile. She didn't dream often. She never had, unless it was a slayer vision. Sometimes she dreamed about Angelus's dusting weeks earlier. Sometimes she had nightmares – er, daymares - about the Mansion. Rarely did her life prior to becoming a slayer appear in her sleep as it had today.

She'd been dreaming about being a little girl. That was so long ago...but then time didn't mean quite the same thing to her anymore. In her dream she'd felt safe and loved. She turned her head to look at the man lying on his stomach beside her. The dream was gone, but she still felt safe and loved. Buffy took a moment to sense for the sun. It was almost five in the afternoon. They'd slept late today. She smiled. Considering what they'd been doing earlier, it was a wonder she wasn't still out cold.

Strange that she could tell the time of day to the half-hour – more precise near sunrise – but she couldn't seem to remember the date. She didn't live on a schedule that required an appointment book anymore; it was easy to forget. Every twenty-four hours a vampire's life basically started over. Sleep, eat, do something with your time. It would have been easy to just stay in bed all day. What didn't get done today could be done tomorrow. Or the next day...or the next century.

She rolled over, stretching her arms and legs. The best way Buffy could find to gauge the passage of days was by the changes she'd witnessed. But where to begin, since there had been so many. Taking in their room, Buffy couldn't help but marvel at the alterations to it in the weeks since the final battle. The walls were no longer white, but a honey color that Spike complained was too girly. But it was the only one they'd been able to agree on, since Buffy refused to paint the entire room black. Or blood red. She'd let him choose the pictures on the walls and the linens though, so she figured it balanced out.

Spike really was good at interior design. He said it came from having once eaten a decorator. He'd gotten them a gorgeous embroidered burgundy bed spread and satin sheets to match. While he joked about hanging up his Sex Pistols posters, Spike actually selected two impressionist pieces from her mom's gallery. One was a young woman looking out a window and the other was a weird wavy countryside; they weren't Buffy's usual taste but they matched the room well. She knew Spike had an ulterior motive for buying from Joyce. Buffy'd cried when she realized how much of a commission Spike had managed to give her mom.

A Persian rug for the floor and they were at home. The downstairs rooms were decked out too, but Morrie had done most of that. Buffy and Alexa had gone shopping with him occasionally though. All in all, the house was perfect for the beings living there.

Or course, there had been someone missing since her slaying of Angelus. Chris. The day after his death had been filled with tears and quiet remembrance. For a long while Ryan refused to move into his new seat at the table. He even slept in Jacob and Alexa's room for the first day so that he wouldn't be alone in the room he had shared with Chris. Ryan could barely stand the loss of his best friend. Yes, Ryan was the most affected, but they all mourned for their own reasons. To Buffy, Chris had been a kind and constant companion. They weren't especially close, but she missed his funny comments and conversation.

To Spike, Chris was part servant, part savior. One of the few that had stood by him from beginning to end. It grieved him to lose someone so intelligent and devoted. But there was more affection from Spike toward his minions than just an appreciation of their skills. A few days after he'd healed from Angelus's attack, Spike held a small memorial for the fallen minion in the backyard of their house. Morrie's mother even stopped by to pay her respects to both Spike and his permanently deceased servant. That was interesting: meeting local royalty. Especially when the local royalty had violent orange fur/hair on her head and really sharp looking teeth.

Buffy had invited her friends and Giles and her mom to the funeral. It was easy at the funeral. It was a funeral. Everybody knew how to act at a funeral. Quiet, conversational, sympathetic. Duh. Willow said a prayer and Buffy's mom promised to make dinner for everybody later on. It was in the time after the funeral that things started to change.

With Giles it got easier. He wasn't so distrustful of her anymore. They'd had a few father/daughter moments that made her feel better about their relationship. He was even mildly trusting of Spike. Buffy was sure it was her mom's influence on Giles more than anything else. They hadn't said anything, but Buffy was pretty sure the two of them had started dating. Kinda eww to be able to smell them on each other, but at least they weren't lonely.

For her friends it was a bit different. They had their own lives to get on with and Buffy had less of a part in them than she used to. The newness of having a friend that was a vampire began to wear off. They still tended to think of her as the same old Buffy, just with fangs. When Angelus worked with them he was always so careful to keep his vampire characteristics hidden that it was easy to pretend he was human. Buffy refused to make it that simple to ignore her changes.

There was the first time she vamped out in front of them. She got a lot of, 'oh, that's nice looks', but Buffy could tell they were disturbed by actually seeing that she had a demon. The first time she drank blood in front of them. The first time she smooched Spike. It was adding up against her in their minds. Well, maybe not against, but certainly not for. They still thought of her as the slayer. That just wasn't how Buffy saw herself.

Sure, she still patrolled a few times a week. With her friends or with Spike. She felt a need to be out there, fighting. Could be slayerness, could be vamp territorial stuff. Spike was in it for the rush of the battle; that appealed to her too. But the demon body count wasn't nearly as high as it had been when she was human. She couldn't bring herself to discriminate against every demon she saw when she was one herself. Unless one of them was actively hurting an innocent, Buffy let them be.

Spike had spoken with her about the possibility of fighting the humans they saw doing wrong. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he still enjoyed the pleasure of human blood. For now, Buffy had said no. They saw mostly muggings, so killing really wasn't a fitting punishment. Spike went with her rulings. But for a moment, however short, Buffy had considered his request. They didn't have to kill them, just bite and frighten. She said no. But she'd considered it. No, even with her soul, she wasn't a slayer anymore.

There were two slayers in the world who were genuine. Kendra and a girl named Faith. The Watcher's Council was happy to rely on them, now that Buffy was something of a sticking point. They were too grateful to her for her service to kill her outright, or so they said. Buffy was pretty sure Giles had said something to the council. She bet Ripper had plenty of dirt on Quentin Travers, who would want to protect the watcher image and all that. The watchers had agreed to let her and the vamps under her protection live, provided they didn't make massacres like the Scourge of Europe. Buffy wondered at the phrasing of that sentence. It was almost like permission. But it didn't phase her.

There was talk in the Watcher's Council of sending the other slayers to the Hellmouth for further training and equipping. Buffy had endorsed the idea. She wasn't going to be here forever. It was only summer and already she felt freer of her ties to Sunnydale. She'd suggested that the girls come to stay with her mother.

Her mom had been the most consistent of her family and friends. Her mom loved her, regardless, and always would. That was a great comfort. But it made the possibility of leaving more difficult. If these two newer girls came to stay with Joyce and be taught by Giles, it would mean both company and surrogate daughters. Her mom would be provided for in all the ways Buffy could manage.

Buffy didn't regret the slight estrangement of her friends and family. They needed to move on from what they had been together. They couldn't hold on to the past and grow into healthy adults. Boy she was starting to sound like a psych textbook. But it was true. They needed humans before they needed vampires. And Buffy needed vampires before she needed humans. No, not true. She needed a certain vampire. And with him, she could honestly say that she'd never been happier.

Speaking of Spike. She rolled onto her stomach to get up on all fours. Slowly, she approached her prey. Buffy leaned down and blew a thin stream of air across his neck. Spike twitched, then burrowed deeper into his pillow. Buffy draped herself lightly across his back. She moved a hand to his hair to play with the little curls she'd been teasing early this morning. The other trailed down along his side, traveling down to worm its way beneath him.

Buffy tickled his stomach briefly, just to watch him squirm in his sleep, but that wasn't her primary goal. Her hand drifted down farther, finding the coarse hair that led to her hand's destination. Oh, there it was. Buffy ran her fingers along Spike's limp cock, then gripped it loosely. He turned on his side while he dozed, giving her better access. She stroked him with slow, even motions. She brushed the tip at the end of every up stroke.

He began to harden beneath her touch. Buffy giggled. Miracles of vampire stamina. She reached down farther, cupping his balls in her hand. About that time Spike let out a put upon groan. "Fuck, woman, you are insatiable. Bloody good thing you didn't end up with a human, 'cause you would've ridden him into the soddin' ground. Only so much a bloke can take, you know?" He rolled onto his back cautiously, so that Buffy slid over onto his front.

She tweaked his nose playfully. "Good afternoon to you, too." Her hand wandered back between his legs.

Spike moaned. He grabbed her hand and gently pulled it away from his manly bits. "You know we don't have time for this right now."

Buffy frowned as he moved into a sitting position. "What'd do you mean?"

Spike quirked an eyebrow at her. "We're goin' to the hospital to see your mate after he gets his bandaids off."

"But that's not for hours!"

Spike nodded. "Mmm-hmm, but we've got your lessons between now and then too. So up and at 'em."

Buffy huffed. "It's not fair. What's the fun in being a vampire if you have to get up early? I wanna have some fun."

Deciding not to point out that they were already two hours later than usual, Spike stood up to get out of her reach. She pouted at him again, her lower lip stuck out as far as it would go. Unable to resist, he leaned in and nibbled at it, then pressed one last kiss to her cheek. "So do I. That just goes to show that even master vampires with beautiful childer don't get to spend all day in bed. However much they want to. I'm goin' to take a shower, then you can have a turn." Spike made the mistake of turning his back on Buffy to rummage in the dresser for clothing.

Buffy didn't know if it was her demon side kicking in, but this morning she felt very horny. And very not shy about it. She used her slayer stealth and her vampire speed to stalk her sire. As he picked up his clothing she pounced, lacing her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders.

Spike growled in mild irritation, so with a sigh Buffy released her grip. She lowered herself to the ground. Spike turned around. He was looking at her like she was a little girl that needed to be scolded. Then all of a sudden he smirked. That open mouth smirk where he ran his tongue along the bottom of his upper teeth.

"You know Buffy, I think you've grown a bit too cocky." She grinned, looking down at his crotch with hunger. Spike felt his cock swell further under her gaze. He smiled to himself. This wasn't the same shy childe that had timidly given him a blow job just over a month ago. Buffy had grown into her own in a beautiful way. He smiled at her for a moment, then returned to his stance as sire. "As punishment, I think it's time for a pop quiz."

She frowned. "Wha?"

"Now Buffy, I've been giving you lessons for quite a little while now. Don't tell me you haven't been paying attention."

She tilted her head to one side. "I have! I just didn't think I was getting tested on it. Buffy and tests are kind of un-mixy."

"Too-oo bad. Stand over there, back against the wall." Spike gestured to the wall opposite the bathroom and farthest from the door. Buffy turned and walked uncertainly toward it. When she went too slowly he gave her a light swat on the rear. She jumped forward and landed with her back against the wall. Shed been standing starkers before him without hesitation a few moments ago, but now she looked nervous.

Spike sighed. He had yet to try anything too...dark in sex. Bondage was out of the question, even if he was the subject. Not after the Mansion. And Buffy was still very innocent about the possibilities, though she'd taken to the various basic positions without hesitation. She was a fast learner in ever sense of the word. She more than gave him a run for it near the end.

He might have started this with too heavy a hand. "Relax love," he said in a soothing voice. "I'm not like those mean professors you used to have. Now spread your legs." She calmed considerably and with a little smile parted her feet a dozen inches. "Um-mm. Much wider." She put her hands against the wall for balance and spread her feet about four feet apart. "Excellent."

Spike was beginning to salivate. He could smell her enthusiasm. She was always so frank and open, not just in sex, but in manner. She embraced everything he tried to show her. And he loved her for her candor and sweetness. She had yet to say I love you, but he wasn't going to press. It was still hard for her to figure out her relationships with others after the Angelus debacle. She'd come close to saying it the day Angelus dusted. Very close.

Spike was impatient, but hadn't pushed. He hadn't wanted a confession forced out of her. Because he knew she loved him, with or without words. Her eyes told him. Ever day when they went to bed. When they woke up. When they made love.

Right this moment, she loved him. "This is how it works. I'm going to ask you questions. As long as you keep giving me the right answer, I keep giving you your reward. This is your reward." He reached between her parted thighs and tickled her clit with a fingernail. She shivered. "Understand?"

She nodded emphatically and smiled. "I like Spike School quizzes better than high school quizzes."

He smiled again. "Well, I am good at the oral exam." She wrinkled her nose at him but giggled all the same. Spike put his hand back in position. He stared at the ceiling, searching for a good question. "Let's start simply. Name the twelve highest vampire orders."

Okay, this wasn't so hard. Buffy screwed up her face in thought. "Well, um, Aurelius." Spike began stroking slowly. "Caventalis. Sallisic." Stroking speeded up. He was rubbing the sides of her clit. "Banvard. Stemme. Quintan- um, love that -nis." Pressure built slowly. Buffy's skin began to tingle. "Diotrephes. H-heimlane. Santa – ahhhh - skora. Javlais. Gersvandell - ...noo!" Spike stopped stroking abruptly and Buffy moaned. Her eyes flashed at him, gold with lust.

Spike smiled apologetically. "Gersvandois. Keep going. One more."

Her clit throbbed and her mind was stuck between gears. It was a delightful torture but she needed more. "Ughhh...Abijah?" The stroking resumed. "Ohhhh...." Buffy closed her eyes, enjoying the feel.

Spike watched her face tensing and relaxing with his gentle flicks of her clit. She was a pleasure to pleasure. So responsive. Was he supposed to be doing something? Oh, yes, asking questions. "Repeat your line of sires. From the start."

Buffy arched her back as his pace increased again. It was getting harder to think. "Aur- elius the Founder sired ...oh...Septimus sired...some other dead guy." The fingers, wet with her juice stopped. She looked to Spike pitiably. "Spi-ike..."

Spike held back a laugh. Poor kitten was so near. He could feel her thighs trembling with the need to come. "Septimus sired Stonn."

Buffy nodded and thrust her hips down against his hand. "Sired Stonn the Master sired Darla sired Angelus sired Drusilla sired SPIKE!" She shouted his name and came, slumping bonelessly against him. "...my sire," she sighed contentedly.

Spike let out a growl as he supported her against him. Watching her cum was more than he could take. Leaning in he whispered, "Get ready for round two luv." She gave him a dazed smile as she caught his meaning. Spike grabbed her hips and lifted her against the wall. Buffy reached for his cock, leading him into her. He thrust in carefully, then waited for her to steady herself. She wrapped her legs around his waist and met his eyes.

Spike leaned in and kissed her. His sweet girl. She responded eagerly, welcoming his tongue in her mouth. He pulled back and she pouted in protest. Spike grinned broadly. "What are the three duties of an Order's Master?"

"To...um, protect the grandeur of the Order." Spike began thrusting. "To settle disputes of between clans. To speak for the Order in disputes between Orders." Buffy gave a little high pitched growl as she rocked in time with Spike.

If he thought he was too distracted to think up questions while Buffy was wiggling on his fingers he hadn't counted on the feel of her writhing on his cock. "Uhh..."

"Not so easy...is it?" Buffy crowed, squeezing her muscles around him.

Spike groaned. She was smirking back at him. "Cheeky chit. Name the clan...leaders of Order Aurelius...as of the last conclave."

"Simon...ah...Luke...Victoorrrr...Darla...Christof...Moiraaaa...oh, Spike need you so much." Buffy broke off with a whimper. She was going crazy.

"Fuck it." Spike dropped any pretext of quizzing Buffy and began to pound into her against the wall. Release was near and he drove them forward. He felt the tension in his body. He was near and so was she. He surged forward and clamped down on the side of her throat. Buffy screamed her pleasure at the bite and came hard. Spike followed immediately, unable to withstand her.

They slumped to the floor together, unable to hold themselves upright. Spike cushioned Buffy's fall against his body. They lay panting on the floor for long minutes. Spike stroked Buffy's head where it rested against his chest. "Love you so bloody much kitten. My Buffy."

She lifted her head and stared at him, her face clouded. Spike frowned. "What's wrong pet?"

Buffy shifted so that their chests were pressed together. She pushed her head up under his neck. Her hands played nervously along his shoulders. She'd been trying forever to get the words to come out. Spike said it so easily. Every day, at least four times. She'd counted. Time to quit stalling. Spike wasn't Angelus. Spike wasn't her fairytale romance. Spike was real. Spike was...hers. She was his. Before she could loose her nerve, Buffy blurted it out. "Spike...I love you." He stiffened beneath her. She looked up into his wide, hopeful baby blues. "You know that, right?"

Spike nodded slowly. He closed his eyes, fighting tears. God, he was happy. He hugged her close. "Yeah, pet. I know. But it's nice to hear."

"Wanted to make sure you knew," she murmured. Her voice was choked, fighting against tears of her own. A few moments later she raised her head to look up at Spike. She began to smile. Then grin. Then smirk. "Sooo. Can I have another quiz tomorrow?"

Spike's deep rumbling laugh warmed them both. "We'll see. 'S a punishment you know. Depends on how naughty you are."

"Oh I can be very naughty. I'll surprise you." She traced her fingers along his jaw.

"'M counting on it." He kissed her again.

The End? Hmm.

*****

Thanks Linda for beta'ing and making this story better. Thank you to everyone who read this fiction. Thank you to everyone who kindly reviewed and enjoyed. I hope experiencing this fic has been as much fun as it has to me. Best wishes,

Comedy