A/N: So I've never done a Buffy fic before and I've never had the interest, but for some reason this idea popped into my head and now my minions are running away with this idea. A couple of story line changes, that whole bathroom scene in Season 6 didn't happen, because it seems like really out of character for how Spike loves Buffy. He still goes and gets his soul to better himself and get more control of the demon inside of him. Caleb never came and Xander still has both eyes and Spike never killed his mother. Aside from that all past story line has been included and this will take place after Wood tries to kill Spike. Faith is there after being in L.A helping Angel get his soul back.
Summary: Not much is known about William Pratt or Spike. With the fate of the world in the Scoobies' hands they have to try and find a way to survive each day. Buffy soon finds out that they had a more powerful weapon then they ever knew about right in the house.
Chapter 1
The months had been long this year and quick at the same time. Buffy was getting used to being tired. She was used to having a house full of young girls all taking refuge in her house. They had been collecting potentials for the last five months. Training them and preparing them for war, but they didn't seem to be getting better. They were able to kill a vampire, but it took five of them to be able to do it. They weren't going to be ready for this war, whenever it was going to come. Everyone had just been waiting, waiting to fight, waiting to die and waiting for the war. The only comfort Buffy has had in the last five months was Spike, the vampire who spent his days in the basement avoiding all of the potentials. Buffy could understand why he was down there, Spike wasn't one for crowds and being upstairs with that many young girls was a lot to handle. She found herself down there often as well as Faith. Spike and Faith had been getting along and Buffy couldn't help, but feel a little jealousy at their new found friendship. They would go on patrols together, spar together and go for smokes together. They had the same type of personality and that had helped to make them friends. Buffy knew they were only friends, but she still couldn't help the jealousy at seeing them together and getting along.
Spike had been a constant in her life. She had come to depend on him and he depended on her. They both knew that no matter what the other would be there for the other. It had caused a rift between her and Giles. The man that had filled the void of a father figure in her life. He had tried to help Wood kill Spike. Wood had his own reasons for wanting Spike dead, but the demon that Wood sought vengeance against no longer existed. Buffy knew that deep down that demon was inside of Spike, but with the help of his soul and his control of the demon, the demon was in his compete control. The demon was only going to come out to play if Spike allowed it. Buffy wasn't sure when it happened, but she had grown to care deeply for Spike, he was in her heart. It scared her to fall for yet another vampire, but Buffy figured that her chance at a normal life would never happen. She also didn't picture a big house with a white picket fence and children in her future. She couldn't picture herself as a mother. She loved Dawn, but the thought of being a mother with a baby in her arms, she just couldn't see it. She couldn't picture wanting to bring a child into this world knowing of all the evil that wanders around this world.
To say that the last five months have been stressful would be an understatement of the year. She was constantly patrolling, finding potentials and trying to keep everyone alive. Buffy was grateful for her friends being there for her. It had helped having Willow and Xander there for her. They had been friends since high school and they were still best friends even to this day. It made her feel better knowing that her friends are going to be fighting beside her once again. Buffy was extremely thankful for having Spike with her once again for this great fight. Spike was a warrior and one of the best fighters she had ever gone up against. He had killed two slayers and he might have been able to kill her should he ever have gotten serious in their fights. Buffy knew that her and Spike had only danced with each other and that was it. He had toyed with her, wanting to play with her before he killed her. If it hadn't been for the chip she didn't know what would have happened between them. Now here they were so many years later, he didn't have a chip anymore, he had a soul and she knew he loved her. What scared her was how she felt about him. It just came out of nowhere her feelings for him and she didn't even know what to label it as, but she knew that Spike was in her heart and she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to get passed him. She didn't even feel this way for Angel and that scared Buffy, because she always thought it would be Angel that she ended up with and now it was looking like Angel would always be her first love. Spike was looking to be her last and when Buffy thought about it, that didn't scare her as much as it should.
Buffy walked into the living room to see Faith, Dawn, Willow, Xander, Giles, Andrew, Wood, Kennedy, Amanda and three other potentials. Dawn, Kennedy, Amanda and the other potentials were on the floor in a group reading different books. Faith, Willow and Xander were sitting on the sofa, Andrew was standing off the entrance of the kitchen and Wood and Giles were standing in the living room. Buffy looked at Wood and could see that he had healed from what Spike had done to him. Buffy couldn't find herself to feel bad for him. He had tried to kill Spike a mistake Wood would never make again. Buffy was still on edge around Wood and Giles for what they tried to do to Spike. She didn't trust their loyalty anymore and she found that had hurt more than she wanted to admit. They had tried to kill one of their best fighters when she was going to be fighting in a war for her life. She needed Spike in this war, they all did.
"Hey B. How are the girls upstairs?" Faith asked.
"Some are sleeping. It's only eight but with the time difference, some aren't used to it yet." Buffy answered. "What are you guys reading?" Buffy asked Dawn and the potentials.
"Demons mostly. Kennedy and me are reading up on Vampires so we know more about them and we can tell the other potentials about them." Dawn answered.
"Huh, did you know vampires have a mating ceremony?" Kennedy said as she looked up from her book.
"What?" Amanda asked confused.
"It says here that vampires have a way to be married I guess." Kennedy said with confusion to her voice.
"What's it say?" Dawn asked.
"A vampire can be mated for life. It happens when the vampire is with either another vampire, human or demon. During sex a vampire can bite his or her mate and if both parties are in love and destined to be together until death takes one or both of them. A mark will appear on both of their necks binding them until death. Both parties will only want to be with the other until death. If one of the parties dies the bond will be broken and the vampire or demon will go back to old mating ways until his or her death. There is only one destined love for each vampire and demon. Who that party is, is unknown and some vampires bite a new partner during sex to see if that is their destined love. If the other party is human and the vampire dies the bond is released allowing the human to find love once again." Kennedy finished.
"I didn't know that." Giles said.
"Looks like some of those Twilight books are based on true facts after all." Amanda said.
"That's kinda romantic." Willow said.
"How is that romantic?" Xander said.
"Well think about it. There's only one true love out there for each vampire and they spend all their undead life looking for that destined love and they may never find it. But if they do they get to spend the rest of their undead life with that one person. It's kinda romantic." Willow explained.
"Vampires and demons shouldn't be able to feel love. It's a human emotion and they are nothing, but animals." Wood said.
"Wow is that your educated assessment there teach?" Faith said rudely.
"It's true, they are demons. You can't mistake them for being humans when they aren't. They don't think or feel the same. At the end of the day Spike is just an animal just like the rest of them." Wood said.
"Spike has a soul. That makes him different than the rest of the vampires. Even before his soul he was still able to care. He took care of me when Buffy was gone. He cares about me and I know it's true." Dawn said.
"Of course it's true Dawnie. He's got a soft spot for you." Willow said with a smile.
"Do you know why he has a soft spot for you? Don't get me wrong I'm glad he's protected you, but he's always had a soft spot for you." Xander said.
"That's because William had a sister." Anya said as she walked into the living room from the kitchen.
"How do you know that?" Buffy asked.
"I'm way older than he is. I remember when Spike was turned, because then the world got a lot more fun. Him, Angel Darla and Drusilla tore this world up." Anya said.
"So did you know Spike before he was a vampire?" Hannah, a British potential asked.
"No, but I was in England around the same time and I heard things." Anya said.
"So Spike has a sister?" Dawn asked.
"He had a sister. When she was twelve she was attacked by a gang of vampires, eight of them. They beat her, raped her, mutilated her and then killed her. Spike was twenty-two at the time. Rumor has it that he was the one that hunted down those vampires and killed them before he was turned, but there's no proof of that. Only Spike would know. I do know that despite the demon inside of him from being bitten he's never attacked anyone under the age of eighteen and rarely ever attacks women. He's kinda old fashion in that sense." Anya said.
"That makes sense now." Dawn said slightly to herself.
"What does?" Amanda asked.
"When mom died Spike found me walking around and he wouldn't leave me alone. I asked him why he wouldn't just leave me alone and he said that I reminded him of someone from a long time ago. Said that my eyes held pure innocence and that innocence needed to be in the world." Dawn said.
"Not much is known about William Pratt, but I do know that his sister was born when he was ten and he was the one that raised her. I also know she was his half-sister from public records." Anya said.
"Now we know why he cares about Dawn so much. You must remind him of his sister." Willow said with a smile.
"Vampires have been known to care for certain people. Especially if that person reminds them of someone they cared about as a human." Giles said.
"Oh wow. You will never guess what I just found." Amanda said with a smile on her face.
"What?" Kennedy asked as she looked over at the book Amanda was reading. "Oh my God." Kennedy said as she saw what Amanda had found.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"There's like three pages about Spike in here." Amanda said.
"And was he ever bad." Kennedy added.
"There can't be that much on him. He's just a normal vampire." Wood said.
"He did kill two slayers." Faith said.
"Spike was actually one of the most feared vampires in history. He's actually second and the first was Angel. Those two worked beside each other with Darla and Drusilla for many years." Giles said.
"William Pratt was born 1850 and was sired by Drusilla in 1880. In 1898 they were in Romania when Angel was cursed by Gypsies with a soul. They killed the Kalderash Clan after Angel was cursed. Then in 1900 they were in China for the Boxer Rebellion and that was when Spike killed his first slayer. After that Spike was captured with two other vampires by Nazi Agents in 1943. They were held on a submarine. The submarine was carrying the results of an experiment that the Nazi's were doing in World War two about vampires. They were heading for the United States with the results, but those results were burnt by Spike after he and the other two vampires killed almost everyone on the submarine. Oh my god, in 1959 Spike spent time in prison for tax evasion. In 1963 he was employed as muscle for a Fyarl demon clan. He was at Woodstock in 1969 and in 1977he killed his second slayer. Then finally in 1997 him and Drusilla were in Prague and were attacked by a mob. Drusilla was kidnapped and tortured before Spike saved her. Then they came to Sunnydale." Amanda read.
"How does a vampire end up in jail?" Hannah asked.
"It doesn't say. I can't imagine it went over well." Amanda said.
"Spike has definitely made a name for himself. He's one of the very few vampires to ever hold a friendship with a demon. Normally vampires and demons don't get along. However, with Spike he made a habit of making friends with a variety of demons and even learnt some of their languages." Giles said.
Kennedy took the book from Amanda and started to read as well.
"Hm he used to be known as William the Bloody. Apparently, he would leave villages covered in blood from the dead bodies that he left behind. It is also believed that the nickname Spike came from him torturing his victims with railroad spikes."
"And this animal is around all of you girls." Wood said clearly angry.
"He's not the same person he was back then. I did a lot of stupid shit when I was younger. I helped with an apocalypse on the bad guy's side, but I'm here helping you all out. I've changed and so has he." Faith said.
"You're not a vampire. Soul or not that doesn't change what he has done in the past and what he is capable of still to this day. A soul doesn't make him human it just means he can feel bad for what he's done. There are plenty of serial killers out there with souls, but don't feel remorse for their actions. An animal is an animal." Wood argued back.
"We get it you don't like Spike. You're not the only one, but get over it. If I'm going to fight for my life I would feel better knowing Spike is there with me. I don't like him, but he knows how to fight and win battles." Xander said.
"What else does it say about him?" Dawn asked Kennedy who was still reading the book.
"He knows five human languages and fifteen demon languages. Angel is known as Spikes Grandsire. What is that?" Kennedy asked as she looked at Giles.
"Angel sired Drusilla who sired Spike. Drusilla is Spike's sire and that makes Angel Spike's grandsire. It's like a family tree. Drusilla would be the grandsire to anyone that Spike sired and so on and so on." Giles explained.
"So that's why Angel, Spike, Drusilla and Darla were always together?" Kristy, a potential from New York asked.
"Yes. Angel sired Drusilla, who sired Darla and Spike. Darla and Angel were together as a couple for as far back as the history can go. Spike and Drusilla were together for over a hundred years." Giles answered.
"Have any of you read this?" Kennedy asked.
"Nope." Buffy said.
"I haven't read through the whole book yet no." Giles said.
"Why?" Faith asked.
"Well I kinda thought Spike was just your normal run of the mile vampire, but according to this book he's classified as a rare vampire. The only one of his kind." Kennedy said.
Kennedy looked around the room and could see the confused faces on everyone, even Buffy and Giles.
"What makes him so rare?" Willow asked.
"Well for starters he's able to actually eat food without it turning to dust in his mouth or making him sick." Kennedy said.
"That I knew, but I thought a lot of vampires could do that." Buffy said.
"No, no vampire can. It's part of the curse. When have you seen him eat?" Giles asked Buffy.
"A lot. We used to patrol and I would get hungry and we would go grab a burger or something." Buffy said.
"He also knows how to cook. He used to do it all the time for me when Buffy was gone." Dawn said.
"So the fact that he can eat makes him rare?" Heather, a potential from Rome asked.
"Ya, but that's not the only reason. It's his skills that make him rare. He's been able to kill two slayers which he is the only vampire or demon in history to do. Spike's senses are ten times stronger than a normal vampire's. He's able to sense every emotion coming from a human, vampire or demon. He's also able to sense body heat and heart rate in someone. He's also able to sense evil and when an apocalypse is coming down to the day, which has been proven multiple times throughout his existence. Spike is in the top five of all time fighters in history of any demon and vampire. He has a complete understanding of magic and dimensions. It goes on to say that even though Spike isn't even two hundred yet he has the power of a vampire ten times his age. The writer goes on the say that there isn't much known about William Pratt, but it stands to reason that a vampire this strong at such a young age must have been more than just human before he was sired. There is no record of him ever being more or anything standing out amongst the family tree, but it stands to reason that William, Spike, the Bloody has more strength and skills than he has been letting on. I would hate to see the day when his full strength is released onto this world. There's only one person who knows what he was like as a human and that question may never be answered. It's in my opinion that something besides human was running through his DNA before the demon was mixed into it." Kennedy said.
Everyone was shocked to hear what was written about Spike that they didn't know. They all knew he was strong he had killed two slayers, but they didn't know he had that strong of senses or the questionable history. Giles turned to look at Buffy.
"What has he told you about his past?" Giles asked in a demanding voice.
Buffy could hear the accusing tone to his voice like she had been keeping something from him.
"Nothing, he doesn't talk about his past. He told me how he killed the two slayers and that's it. He's never talked to me about being human." Buffy said with a strong voice back.
"So you know nothing about this vampire that you are risking everyone's life to protect." Wood said with annoyance and anger to his voice.
"I'm not protecting him. He's the one doing the protecting. How many times do I need to tell you to leave him alone? He almost killed you the last time; he's not going to let you get away with that crap a second time." Buffy said with her arms crossed over her chest.
"You are letting your emotions get the better of you. You won't even listen to your Watcher. Even Giles doesn't think Spike being here is a good idea. Your judgement is clouded with him. He's using you Buffy and it's only a matter of time before that animal comes out again." Wood said.
"Hey the dude is not an animal. He's a fighter and we need his help if we don't want the world to end. What the hell is your deal with him anyways?" Faith asked as she was getting angry at this conversation. She knew Spike was evil in the past, but so was she. She had made the change and so did Spike. She wouldn't like it if people only judged her based on her past so she wasn't going to do it to Spike.
"Spike killed his mother. She was the second slayer that he killed. So Robin here thought it would be a good idea to try and kill Spike and Giles agreed to help. He kept me away from Spike in hopes that Robin would be strong enough to kill him." Buffy explained.
"You did what?" Dawn asked with anger in her voice as she looked at Giles.
"You thought that you would be strong enough to kill a vampire that killed two slayers. You lookin' to get killed?" Faith asked.
"It was the right choice to make. The First has an interest in Spike. With his trigger having him here is just dangerous to everyone." Giles said.
"But the trigger is gone now. So what's the problem?" Dawn asked.
"The problem is the First still wants Spike on its side. He's too much of a risk to have around." Giles said.
"The animal needs to be put down." Wood said with anger.
"Stop calling him that!" Dawn yelled with anger to her voice.
"Okay I think everyone just needs to calm down. No one is going to kill Spike." Willow said gently.
"Could anyone even be able to kill him? I mean he killed two slayers." Hannah said.
"Spike might be strong, but if you get him in chains he won't survive." Wood said.
"Oh so you want to kill him by making sure he can't defend himself. What you figured out that you can't fight him one on one so you thought you would do it the cowardly way by chaining him up." Buffy said in anger.
"Who are we chaining up?" Spike asked as he walked up behind Buffy, Wood and Giles.
Spike leaned against the door frame of the living room looking at Buffy then at Dawn.
"You alright little Bit?" Spike asked gently.
"Ya I'm fine." Dawn said with a smile.
"I thought you were sleeping? You haven't slept in six days except for the last two hours." Buffy said as she looked at Spike.
They could all see by the way he was leaning against the door frame that he was tired. They could also see it in his eyes. He had been spending the day helping everyone with the girls and with the house. Even when he could be alone it was too loud to sleep. At night he was out patrolling with Buffy and a few potentials. So he hadn't actually slept in the past six days.
"I felt your anger and then I felt the little Bit get angry. Figured I'd come up and see what the hell was making you both so angry." Spike said with a tired voice, but the deadly tone to it didn't go unnoticed.
"I thought vampires could go months without sleep before getting tired?" Wood said with a smug look on his face.
"They can." Spike said as he looked at Wood through the corner of his eyes.
"So then why are you so tired after only six days of no sleep?" Wood asked in a stern voice as he turned to look at Spike with crossed arms.
"Why are you here? Are you looking to get your ass kicked again?" Spike asked as he stood up straight.
Buffy could tell by the way Spike said it and the look on his face that he wasn't going to hurt Wood, but he wasn't backing down either.
"You worried about answering my question? I didn't think it would be so hard to answer after all it's not like you're hiding something." Wood said in an accusatory tone.
Spike smirked and looked at Buffy.
"I'm starting to think you aren't taking what I told you seriously Luv."
"Back down Robin, because I won't stop him." Buffy said as she looked right at Wood and then to Giles.
"It is a valid question Buffy and you are avoiding the question Spike. You shouldn't be so tired after only six days. Most vampires can go four months before they even start to get tired. You can only go a week before you need to sleep. That's abnormal, just like your senses and the ability to eat food." Giles said as he turned to face Spike.
"What are you reading Kennedy?" Spike asked as he looked right at Kennedy.
"We were doing research on vampires and other demons and we came across a few pages about you." Kennedy answered.
"I hope you have all your homework done Niblet." Spike said as he looked right at Dawn.
"I finished it." Dawn said with a small smile. Spike was always on her about school. He wanted her to have a good future and she always felt like Spike was a big brother she never had.
"You aren't curious as to what else we found?" Wood asked.
"Nope." Spike said.
"Spike, the writer said that you were a rare vampire, one of a kind. You are stronger than a vampire ten times your age." Faith said.
"Flattery will get you nowhere Luv." Spike said with a smirk.
"Enough of the bull Spike. It's time you started to answer some questions. Starting with what your life was like before you were sired." Giles said in a serious voice.
"What my life was like before is none of your business." Spike said.
"It is our business if it's going to affect everyone." Wood said.
"It's none of your bloody business." Spike said the last word softly and got a serious look on his face.
Buffy looked at Spike with confusion on her face. She could tell that something was going on with Spike for him to get quiet like that. Spike had felt a dark evil vibe and he knew this feeling all too well. The First was getting ready and they were nearing the end. They had a hundred and eighty days before he would be ready and they would be fighting for their lives.
"Spike?" Buffy asked with concern to her voice.
"I think his Spidy senses are tingling." Anya joked.
Spike finally spoke and when he did he was no longer exhausted and his voice was pure seriousness.
"Kennedy, get upstairs and wake the girls up and get them dressed and down here. I want you lot as well ready. Have everyone grab a sword and get in the backyard."
"Why?" Kennedy asked as she stood up.
"Go now." Spike said in a no argument tone.
Kennedy headed up the stairs to get the other girls up and ready.
"Spike?" Buffy asked once again with a serious tone.
Spike looked at Buffy as he spoke. "It's time to get serious. We have six months."
"And then what?" Hannah asked.
"War. Get ready and get outside with a sword now. You too Dawn. You need to learn how to fight."
Dawn and the other potentials got up off the floor and headed outside once they grabbed their jackets and a sword. The other potentials started to come down the stairs.
Spike turned to leave, but Giles spoke and Spike stopped.
"This conversation isn't over Spike. You have powers and senses that a vampire is not supposed to have. You are too different and you not willing to answer questions just makes you more suspicious. You are not going near those potentials alone." Giles said as he got closer to Spike.
Spike went right over to Giles and got right in his face.
"You listen here old man. I am going to go outside and train those girls. I'm going to push them to their limits so they know what they are capable of. So they are ready for whatever the First throws at them. I'm going to do all of that with them, because I want them to live. I want them ready. I'm going to take those little girls and turn them into soldiers. If you don't like it then stay the bloody well hell out of my way." Spike said with a growl before he turned and walked out.
"Are you really going to let Spike train those girls? He can't be trusted Buffy. He doesn't have a trigger anymore, but that doesn't change that the First wants him on his side. He's obviously hiding something important from us, from you." Giles said.
"I have no problem with Spike training the girls. Faith, you got a problem with it?" Buffy asked with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Nope I got no problem with it. Shit, I might grab a sword myself you never knew I might learn something new." Faith said with a smirk.
"You both can't be this naïve and foolish. Spike is still an evil vampire. You can't control him. It doesn't matter if he has a soul or not the First was still able to use him even with the soul. We don't know if he has other triggers in that brain of his. He shouldn't be in this house, but especially alone with any of them. It's only a matter of time before he kills them all." Wood said.
"Okay you know what you don't get an opinion. Yes Spike is a vampire and yes I would agree that there are some questions that he needs to answer. But you know what Spike was here when he didn't need to be. When Buffy died, Spike could have left he didn't have to stay. Even you left Giles. You left us all on our own when Buffy died. We were the ones that had to pick up the pieces and look after Dawn. Spike had no reason to stay, but he did. I was working trying to help out with bills around here. Willow and Tara were going to school and so was Dawn. For five months Spike was here helping. He was the one going out each and every night killing vampires and demons. When Willow and Tara had to be in class before Dawn was up; Spike would come back here before the sun came up so Dawn wouldn't be alone. He would wake her up; make her breakfast and a lunch for school. Then he would keep the house clean. He would be there for when Dawn came home from school and she would sit in the kitchen doing her homework while Spike made dinner for everyone, even me. Then he would go back out and patrol and do it all over again the next day. Spike was the main caregiver of Dawn five days a week. He didn't have to do any of that, but he did and he did it without any of us thanking him for it. When Buffy came back we just went right back to treating him like crap, but he never complained about it. He was there all over again when we needed him. He did all of that without a soul, so I know there is no way in hell he would hurt any of those girls." Xander said.
"I didn't know that." Buffy said gently.
"He wasn't looking for a thank-you. He just did it without anyone asking him. Honestly, I don't know what we would have done if he didn't help." Willow said sincerely.
"That doesn't change that this is war and Spike is a dangerous threat. The First wants him for a reason, a reason we don't know. He's avoiding answering personal questions. He's hiding something. Spike is a dangerous weapon and we can't risk him being alone with the girls." Giles said.
"That's my decision. Yes Spike is dangerous, but he's on our side and not the First's side. When he first started killing again with the trigger. He was chained up in the basement and he told me to kill him. He was willing to die to protect innocent people. Spike is alive because I want him alive. We need him here in this fight. It's just that simple." Buffy said before she walked away.
Faith went with her and they went outside and stood on the back porch. They watched as Spike helped the girls get the right sword for their own height and weight. Once he got everyone holding the right sword he made his way to the front of the group speaking as he walked.
"Remember what sword you have. You need to train with that sword it's the best for your size. For the past five months you have all been training. Some of you have been here from the start and some of you have only just gotten here less than a week ago. It doesn't matter how long you have been here. You were picked by the powers that be before you were born that one day you would be a chosen one. You didn't ask for it, you didn't want it to happen and it's not fair. Tough. If you didn't know it before you're gonna know now, life isn't fair. You are all between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. You should be worried about school and hanging out with your friends, but you're not. You're here having to fear for your life. Not knowing if today will be your last day on Earth. Take a good look around because this is your family. You are all sisters and the girl standing beside you could be the reason you die.
You are a team and you are only as strong as your weakest member. You are no longer teenage girls, you are soldiers. You are the front line in this war a war that will end this world if you fail. There will be days when you are tired and you just don't want to do this anymore. There will be days where you wish you could just go back home and go back to your old life. There will be days where you are sore and hurt and you just want to give up. So take a good look around, because if you give up your sisters will be the ones to pay for it. I'm going to push you, I'm going to get you to your breaking point and then push you harder so you are prepared. So you know what you are capable of. I'm going to make you all soldiers and ready for this fight. I can't guarantee that any of you will live, but I will do everything I can to make sure you are ready to fight for your life with confidence.
There is no pain, there is no tiredness; there is no quitting. You have no choice, but to fight. If you don't not only will you die, but you will take some of your sisters with you. Get to know each other, become a family, because then you will fight harder and longer to protect each other. It's time to be serious. The clock is ticking. You are going to be going hard and long for the next six months. You want to live through this war then you'll push yourself and you'll work harder than you have in your life. So if you are not willing to put in the work, walk away right now and don't waste my time."
Spike was quiet and everyone took a look at everyone around them. No one said anything and Spike could see the determination in their faces.
"Now that's a speech." Faith whispered to Buffy.
"No kidding." Buffy whispered back.
"Very well then. Amanda and Niblet you have school in the morning so come midnight you both need to go to bed. The rest of you are mine until that sun comes up. The Turok-Han are the first vampires. Just like humans vampires have evolved. Before they were clearly noticeable and clearly demons. Inside each vampire there is a part of a Turok-Han, because we evolved from them. However, unlike humans being stronger than Neanderthals the Turok-Han stayed stronger than your average vampire. Vampires don't fight them, because they are truly nothing but a demon. They feel nothing, no emotions and no pain. They don't talk and they have only primal instincts. The First is the only thing that they will listen to, because the First created them. Over the years vampires have evolved and vampires figured out that we can sire people. The ability to turn a human into a vampire changed the vampire line completely. Now vampires can walk right behind you at night and you would never know it. Now they can feel pain, they feel anger and a variety of other emotions to some level. Those are the emotions from the human DNA, but the demon DNA makes it so that vampires don't feel guilt, regret and they don't care for right or wrong. That human DNA has made the vampires weaker. The Turok-Han's DNA is mudded with human DNA. Vampires are faster and stronger than humans, but their strength is not as strong as it would be should they just have pure demon DNA. Any questions on that?"
"So how do you get vampires that are stronger than others?" Rona asked.
"There's a variety of reasons. A newly turned vampire is weaker than others, because it doesn't know of its strength and how to use it. It's the sire's job to teach new vampires how to use the demon. Aside from that it varies. The older you are the stronger you are, because you have survived more causing the demon to get stronger, making you stronger. Some vampires have a stronger sire and that makes the demon inside of that vampire stronger. Some are stronger because they were tortured. It's not an exact science. It's not black and white. You could go up against a vampire two thousand years old weighing five hundred pounds of muscle and kill him easily. One the other side of it you could go up against a vampire barely a hundred and weighs ninety pounds and he could kill you. You can't make assumptions based on what you see."
"So how do we kill them? We're just teenage girls." Hannah said.
"Vampires will always be stronger and faster than you. However, strength and speed can be built up. You can learn skills that will help you be able to kill them. Weapons will be your best friend in this war, especially a sword."
"Why a sword?" Kennedy asked.
"An axe is good against a vampire. You can cut their head off, but an axe is limited in its movements. A sword is the only weapon that will extend the reach of a fighter's arm. A sword takes a close combat fight to a safer distance. A sword has more movements that a fighter can use with it. It also lets you injure your enemy faster and more accurately. For you lot a sword is the best weapon to have perfected. It will keep the vampires further away from you, keeping you alive longer."
Spike went over and picked up a sword he had brought outside. He grabbed it and went back over to the group.
"The proper way to use a sword is simple and basic. If you can perfect the basics then you can build up on that skill to the point where you can use a sword without even thinking. You want a high stance. You have the sword over your head and make sure the blade is straight. This will allow you to strike down on your opponent. The movement is natural compared to a stabbing motion. It also allows you to cut through more of your opponent and hit more arteries." Spike said as he demonstrated how to stand with the sword and how to strike with it.
The girls all put the swords over their heads and tried to get them straight. Spike walked around doing some adjustments. Spike had them practicing with striking and getting use to the high stance. He needed them to get used to the movements like they were natural to them. Once this was perfected then they could build up on it and start to get somewhere. The girls also needed to work on speed, strength and endurance. When it was midnight Spike had Dawn and Amanda call it quits for the night. They were the only ones that had school in the morning and Spike knew he couldn't keep them up all night. Spike saw that Faith and Buffy were still outside watching and he went over to them.
"You should get some sleep. I promise I won't eat them." Spike said with a smirk.
"I'm not worried about you hurting them. If I was I wouldn't let you near Dawn." Buffy said.
"I know Buffy." Spike said.
"Do you think we'll get them there in six months?" Faith asked.
"Don't have a choice. These girls are going to die if we don't." Spike said.
"We'll get them there. You're right though, we need to teach them the basics and build up from that. We have to work them harder and longer. We don't have time to play around with them. We've been going too easy on them." Buffy said.
"We'll get them ready B." Faith said.
"You should both get some sleep. Come morning they are your problem." Spike said.
"Are you sure? You're looking a little tired there big bad." Faith said with a smirk.
"I'm fine." Spike said, but they could see the tiredness in his eyes.
"Alright. We'll go and get a few hours of sleep and then in the morning you can sleep while they sleep." Buffy said.
"Good night then." Spike said.
"Night." Faith said as she headed inside.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Buffy asked.
"I'm fine Luv. It's not the first time I've been tired and it won't be the last."
"It's interesting that you get tired after a week when normally it would take months for a vampire to get tired." Buffy said cautiously as she looked at Spike.
"I didn't hear a question in that sentence." Spike said with a slight annoyance.
"No question just thought it was interesting. I've never noticed it before."
"Are you questioning my honesty Slayer?" Spike said with a tight smile.
"No, but I've never heard you mention it before. The only thing you've talked about from back in the day was about killing the two slayers. It's a little weird that you got so defensive when Giles and Robin mentioned it."
Spike formed a tight smile and nodded his head and Buffy knew he was pissed.
"It's bad enough that I have to deal with the shit that your Watcher and your boss gives me every time I see them. I'm not taking it from you. You didn't give a damn about my life before I showed up in Sunnydale. Now that Giles and Wood are snooping around my past you give a bloody damn. If you really want to know about my past then you can figure out how to open your bloody mouth and ask me."
Spike walked down the steps and back over to the girls.
"Spike" Buffy said.
"Good night Slayer." Spike half snapped before he turned his attention back to the potentials.
Buffy let out a sigh and headed back inside. She knew that she had made Spike mad and upset. She wasn't trying to, she was actually curious about what he was like as a human. She just didn't do it in the right way. She should have just asked him. She knew he wouldn't be happy if she tip toed around the conversation. She also knew he would be a little one guard after the conversation in the living room. It only made sense that he would think that she was trying to get information out of him because of Giles and Wood. Buffy did want to know about his past. She was curious about what he was like as a human. Spike was really different with a soul and Buffy knew he had to of been a very gentle man when he was human. Even Angel wasn't like Spike was. Angel was still tough and mean at times. Spike was more gentle and calm, unless he was mad. Buffy didn't know why, but since Spike got his soul she had been interested in what he was like as a human. She didn't know why, maybe it had to do with the way he was with a soul that peaked her interest. Now she was worried that she ruined that chance to know more about him before he was sired. Buffy headed upstairs to her room that she was currently sharing with Faith. Buffy wasn't a fan of sharing her room, but if she had to share it with someone she was glad it was Faith and not a bunch of potentials like Dawn and Willow. Buffy walked into her room to see Faith was changed and getting in the bed on her side. Buffy went over to her dresser and grabbed some sweats and a tank top to change into.
"You alright B?" Faith asked as she could tell something was bothering Buffy.
Buffy started to get change as she spoke.
"I pissed Spike off."
"Are you sure?"
"He called me Slayer; he only does that when he's mad at me."
"What did you do to make him mad? He was fine when I left."
Buffy walked over to her side of the bed and got in. She crossed her legs and looked at Faith.
"I asked him why he was more tired than a normal vampire."
"And that made him mad?"
"More like the way I asked made him mad."
"You did that thing where you tip toe around a question and make it sound like you're accusing him of something didn't you?"
"I didn't mean to, it just came out that way. I said it was interesting that he tired more easily than a normal vampire and that he got defensive when Giles and Wood questioned him about it."
"And you're surprised that upset him?" Faith said with a look on her face saying 'really?'
"No, I get that it did. I just didn't mean for it to come out that way. I should have just waited and asked him about it later. Now I don't know if he'll ever tell me. He completely called me out on it and said that if I wanted to know something I should learn to open my mouth and ask. It's been a while since he's been mad at me."
"Can't really blame him. I mean after what happened in the living room and the way you asked him. It makes sense that he would think Giles or Wood was putting you up to it."
"They aren't and you know that."
"I know that, but I was in the living room. Spike was outside. You can't blame him for being on guard a little bit here. Giles and Wood tried to kill him and now they are getting in his face asking about things from growing up. It's a hard topic for a human; I can't imagine for a vampire it would be any easier."
"It's probably harder. I mean Angel is older than Spike and he doesn't talk about what he was like human. There's a good chance that Spike doesn't have many memories from being human. I don't even know if vampires can even remember being human."
"Does it really matter what he was like though? Don't get me wrong it's interesting that he can eat and he can't go as long without sleeping, but does it matter?"
"No…ya… I don't know. I didn't know he had that strong of senses. There are these like little things about his abilities that I didn't know. He's never told me, but I've never asked either. He does make a good point; I've never had any interest in his abilities or his past before. He has a soul now though and for some reason that makes me curious. He's always been calm, but now he's just gentle."
"He's kinda a gentleman. He's different than Angel. Angel is still dominate and uptight all the time. Spike is more laid back and easy going, but at the same time he can be in charge and get the job done when it needs to be. Two vampires with a soul in this world and they are kinda opposite."
"Angel is strong and powerful. When I look at Angel I think of someone willingly becoming a vampire. With Spike though, he's strong and powerful, but he's got this soft side to him. When I look at him I see a victim to a vampire."
"He was twenty-seven when he was killed by Drusilla. I've never met her, but I'm sure he wasn't a willing party."
"Drusilla had Spike wrapped around her finger. He was in love with her for over a hundred years. I'm sure she did a lot of damage to him in that time. Spike's loyal and if he loves you he'll stand by you, right or wrong."
"That loyalty didn't come from being a vampire. That's left over from when he was human."
"I know. It used to be so much easier before he had a soul. I could see him as just a vampire and whatever I did to him, it didn't bother me, because he was a vampire. Seeing him with a soul though, I feel bad for everything I did, because without the demon he's a good man. If he had never been sired he would have had a wife and a family. He would have been a good man until the day he died. It's crazy to think that one thing happening in your life could change everything."
"How does he feel about it? I mean maybe it doesn't bother him or vampires, but wouldn't you be pissed or hurt that you were made into this demon?"
"I would be. I don't know how he feels about it. It never seemed to bother him, but that was before the soul. He hasn't seen or mentioned Drusilla to me in years. I know so much about the vampire in him, but who he is underneath that I don't really know him."
"Well give it a few days and then ask him. Just give him a few days to chill out."
"Ya" Buffy said softly.
"Look it's not my business what your situation is, but if there is one thing I have learnt is that life is too short. You clearly like him and he clearly likes you, so what's the problem?"
Buffy let out a sigh. "I don't know. Before the soul we were doing the deed with each other and it was great. Like best I've ever had. There's still that sexual tension between us, but I don't know. I haven't been the nicest to him in the past. I've hurt him a lot and he's hurt me before. I just… I know I care about him. He's in my heart I'm just worried that we'll destroy each other. Plus right now not the best time to be starting some relationship with the whole world coming to an end thing."
"Might be the reason why now is the best time. One of you could die in this war B. We might only have six months left. Wouldn't you rather spend the next six months with him then on your own?"
"Being together wouldn't be horrible. I know it's something we both want, but what if one of us does die? Wouldn't it be better if we didn't grow even closer only to lose it?"
"You're gonna grow closer regardless of if you are sleeping together or not. Just by being around each other you grow closer. You live in the same house right now B. You can't get much closer than that. Look it's up to you, but isn't that stupid saying 'it's better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all'"
"I don't even know if he wants to have anything more than what we have now. I don't know if I want to. It's all still confusing right now and with everything that is going on my mind has been too busy focusing on that than anything else."
"He's great with the girls though. Kinda only been back a week, but you can tell they really like him, especially the little squirt."
"He's great with her. I had no idea that he was doing so much for her when I died. Before we went to fight Glory I had asked him to protect her no matter what that night and he said he would till the end of the world. I didn't think he would actually up hold his end if I wasn't around. He stayed for her. I always thought the worst in him, but he was showing me he could be a good man the whole time I was just too blind to see it."
"You see it now though, so don't beat yourself up over the past. We've all made mistakes B, the point is not to make them again. You don't have to decide now just see what happens. I'm just saying that if something does start to happen, that maybe you shouldn't be pushing it away is all."
"I guess if that time ever comes I'll find out what I'll do then. Right now I just want to try and get some sleep. If Spike is right and we do only have six months then we're not gonna be getting a lot of chances to sleep." Buffy said as she laid down on her bed.
Faith did the same as she spoke. "That was freaky though right? I mean he just senses the evil of the First and knows when it's going to attack."
"That is kinda freaky, but at least now we have something to count down towards. Assuming Spike is right about the clock."
"Six months is better than nothing. Now all we have to do is try and find a way to beat this thing."
"According to Giles you can't kill it. We need to come up with something though or it won't matter how long we have."
"We'll figure it out B. Let's just get some sleep before we have to deal with the wannabes again."
"Oh thank God they don't just annoy me." Buffy said with a smile.
"Oh man there is no way we were like that. I swear Spike is a saint for dealing with them so much. I would have killed them all by now." Faith said with a smile.
"I think he has a bottle of whiskey hidden downstairs somewhere. Either way those girls all have a school girl crush on him, even Andrew."
"Andrew is way passed girl crush. He's in full blown bro love. He's starting to dress all in black. I swear he's thinking about bleaching his hair."
"He bought a black duster like Spike's before. He said that Spike was the evilest master mind he could think of. Kinda makes the fact that Spike almost killed him a little ironic."
"Well at least Andrew doesn't hold grudges. Doesn't hurt that Spike is good to look at. I mean damn if you two didn't have this weird thing going on I would have been all over him. Bad boy, bad girl, you know the sex would be off the charts."
"Ya it really is. Vampires also have longer stamina, so he can go for hours. We once had sex and a building collapsed around us and I didn't notice until the morning."
"Damn, ok now I'm jealous." Faith said with a smile.
Buffy let out a chuckle to that.
"Hopefully in the morning he won't be so mad with me."
"He'll get over it B. Like you said you've both been through a lot together. He's not gonna let this be what stops him."
"That was before he had a soul. A soul makes you feel differently. He truly can be hurt by words now. Things are shaky as it is. After that date with Wood and then he tried to kill Spike. Spike saw that I was trying to move on. I mean I liked Wood until he tried to kill Spike. Now I'm always on guard with him around, because I don't know if he's going to try something again and Giles is not helping any." Buffy ranted.
"You know a guy like Wood; he's clearly all about black and white. He can't move on from Spike killing his mother and I get that, but at the same damn time Spike's a different person since then. Wood, though it's all demons are bad and humans are good. With Giles though I kinda feel bad for him. He was doing what he believed was for everyone's best interest. The problem is it's not often you both disagree with each other."
"Spike is the strongest warrior we have. I get that he had a trigger, but we could have deactivated it. He didn't need to keep me away so Wood could kill him. And even now, Spike's trigger is gone he worked it out and now the song doesn't bother him. There's no reason not to trust him."
"No and I totally agree with you. Spike is tough as hell. I'd feel a lot better with him beside me then not being there. I'm just saying I can see where you both are coming from. Giles doesn't trust Spike like you do. Me I don't care, if he's willing to help with the wannabes and fight beside us then I'm all for it. The others I don't think really care. They trust your judgement. I think Giles is just stuck in his Watcher ways and wants to make sure you still follow his judgements."
"It's not that simple though. I know Spike was dangerous, but he wasn't alone with the girls with the trigger. I took the risk in keeping him around, because of what an asset he is in this war. I had to take that chance, plus I knew he would be a good man. I believed in him and I still do."
"Hey I get it. He's powerful and he's a great fighter. We're gonna need him in this fight. I just think it sucks that you and Giles are falling out right now. That's all."
"It does suck, but I can't trust him right now. How will I know he won't try something again?"
"You don't. Just keep Spike and those two from each other and everything should be fine."
"Ya because we didn't have enough to worry about, now we have to worry about drama inside the house." Buffy said annoyed.
"Hell you get this many girls inside one house I'm surprised no one has killed anyone yet." Faith said with a smile.
"Believe me we've been close with just one bathroom." Buffy said with a tired voice.
"We better sleep before the wannabes invade the house."
"Definitely."
Buffy and Faith both turned over so their backs were to each other and they both closed their eyes and tried to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was seven in the morning when Buffy and Faith were woken up by the girls coming through the house. Buffy wanted to fall back asleep, but she knew she should get up and help Dawn get ready for school. She was also hoping to see how Spike was this morning and see if he was still upset with her. Buffy rolled over onto her back and looked over to see Faith starting to sit up in bed.
"Wannabes are done training for the night." Faith said.
"Well no one came in here last night with an arm cut off so sword training must have gone well."
"Spike has got to be exhausted man. He was tired before last night."
"I wonder if he's in a better mood."
"Don't go pushing this morning B. He's been up for like six days straight now."
"I know I'm not gonna push. I should get up and make breakfast for Dawn and make sure she's up for school."
"I'll put the coffee on." Faith said with a smile.
"Lots of coffee." Buffy said with a small nod.
Buffy and Faith got out of bed and they both grabbed a change of clothes. They got changed and then each took a turn in the bathroom before Buffy went to Dawn's room to see that her and Amanda were already awake and getting ready for school.
"Oh hey, you're up good." Buffy said.
Dawn's room was full of girls all over the place. Amanda and Dawn were getting dressed for school, while six other potentials were getting ready for bed.
"Ya Spike woke us up about ten minutes ago." Dawn said.
"Good. How was training girls?" Buffy asked the potentials.
"It was awesome. We learned how to fight with a sword and we even got to fight against each other." Vi answered.
"Spike said tonight he's going to teach us how to do basic defense attacks." Molly said with a smile.
"Good. So everything was fine last night?" Buffy asked.
"It was great. Spike's awesome." Hannah said with a smile.
"We're exhausted, but it was really great." Vi answered.
"Good. Get some sleep we'll come around later to wake you guys up for some day light training." Buffy said.
"We'll be down once we're ready." Dawn said to Buffy before Buffy left and headed downstairs.
Once down there she saw that Willow was awake and at the computer. Buffy went over to her and gave a smile.
"Hey Buff. How did you sleep?"
"Fine, you?"
"Good. The girls all look exhausted, but happy. Training must have gone over well."
"Ya the couple I spoke to in Dawn's room said they had fun. They looked tired, but they seemed happy with it. He's probably sleeping right?"
"No he's in the kitchen making Dawn and Amanda breakfast. I was just going to go in there and help him out." Willow said as she closed her laptop and got up off the couch.
They both headed into the kitchen to see Spike was cooking pancakes. Buffy could see the exhaustion on his face. Willow went over to the fridge to get some things out to make for Dawn and Amanda's lunch as well as fruit for breakfast.
"Morning." Buffy said carefully to Spike.
Spike knew that Buffy and Willow were in the kitchen, but he just wasn't in the mood to deal with Buffy right now. He was exhausted from being up for six days straight and all he wanted to do was make sure Dawn got off to school okay and then sleep.
"Morning." Spike said in a tight smile.
"The um the girls that I spoke to this morning in Dawn's room said they had a great time last night."
"They're slow." Spike said.
"What?" Buffy asked with confusion.
"Their speed is too slow. They need to get faster so they stand a chance against a vampire's speed." Spike explained as he placed a couple pancakes that were good on a platter before he made more.
"How do you make someone faster?" Willow asked as she sensed the tension in the room. She didn't know why there was tension between Spike and Buffy, but she made a mental note to ask later.
"You make them run a lot. It builds up endurance and stamina. You run enough times you'll get faster each time." Spike answered.
"Well the school has a track we can get them to run on it." Buffy suggested.
"Oh and you can put obstacles in their path so they get used to jumping over things." Willow added.
"Good idea, I'll let Wood know when I go into work." Buffy said.
"Let Wood know what?" Faith asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"The girls need to gain speed so we can have them run around the track at the high school and put obstacles in their way to help them train." Buffy explained.
"Sounds good. Smells good Big Bad, please tell me there's coffee though." Faith asked with a smile.
"Yes there's coffee. You without your morning coffee, you'd probably kill us all." Spike said lightly.
Faith went over to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup.
"Ya, but you would be last. I kinda need ya to help clean up the mess and bury the bodies. You want a cup B?"
"God yes." Buffy said.
Faith poured Buffy a cup of coffee as Dawn and Amanda came into the kitchen.
"Morning Spike."
"Good morning Niblet. You ready for school?" Spike asked nicely.
'Well at least he's only mad at me.' Buffy thought.
"Yup. Training last night must have gone well. The girls won't shut up about it." Dawn said with a smile.
"No one got stabbed so I'm going to say it went well." Spike said with a smirk as he placed a plate with a couple pancakes in front of Dawn and Amanda.
"Sweet pancakes." Amanda said as she grabbed the syrup and Dawn grabbed the butter.
"I say this with love, but you look like death, like the un-living kind." Dawn said with a smile to Spike.
"Ouch and here I made you pancakes." Spike said with fake hurt.
"And they taste amazing. Doesn't change that you look like you could use a week's worth of sleep." Dawn said.
"She's right you do look dead on your feet." Faith said.
"I'll finish breakfast; you go and get some sleep." Willow said as she moved over to the stove.
"Alright. Have fun at school and be safe the both of you." Spike said to Dawn and Amanda.
"We will. I'll see you tonight." Dawn said with a smile as Spike gave her a lose hug from where she was sitting and kissed the top of her head. Dawn hugged back with a smile.
"See ya tonight Niblet." Spike said as he went down to the basement.
Buffy smiled at seeing the two of them so close. It was really nice to know that Spike loved Dawn like a sister and would do anything to protect her. He had been beaten by a hell Goddess just to keep Dawn safe and that was way before he got a soul. Buffy was truly starting to see the man that was Spike and not just the demon in him. Buffy knew that this man had been underneath the demon all along and she couldn't help, but think that if she had just given Spike a real chance she might have seen this side of him before. Faith looked at Buffy and Buffy just shook her head for Faith not to say anything. Buffy didn't want the potentials and more importantly Dawn knowing that her and Spike are having a small little fight. Buffy knew that tonight she would speak to Spike and try and get things worked out between them. She just needed to explain herself to Spike and everything would be fine.
Once Buffy ate some breakfast she went upstairs to finish getting ready for work. Faith would take care of the potentials later when they started to wake up. Once she was ready she left for work with Dawn and Amanda