Disclaimer: My characters are Alasdair, Emily, Grianne and maybe some others. I'm afraid Spike, Buffy and Giles belong to someone else. All praise for them is due to Joss Wheddon, Mutant Enemy and anyone else who can make a case for ownership. I can't. The story has no commercial purpose.

This is the sequel to Gifts, Given and Received. That story amounted to 27 chapters and started from a very AU premise and then it went even further off canon. It would be very much better to read that before starting this one.

I know it's a character flaw, but I really get despondent if I don't get any feedback. I'm not going to say I'll update faster if I get it, because that's not strictly true, but it is true that when I'm feeling good about the story, it's easier to see how things should go. If you do have a comment, good or bad, review or email me at cryptic6464@yahoo.co.uk

A Unique Specimen

By Josephine Martin

Chapter 1 - Coming of Age

Emily Stevenson woke up and stretched. The sun was setting, and for once, it sounded quiet outside, no wind or rain was audible. She got up and headed for the bathroom. Her evening shower was over quickly, and she dried her long, dark hair in a towel before returning to her room to dress. Black leather trousers and a red halter top, she decided for today. She smiled as she remembered Alasdair's comment a few days ago. He had said that she modelled her taste in clothes on Buffy. Well, that was hardly surprising. She was the closest she had to a real friend. No, she was a real friend. It was just a pity she was so much older. Not that she looked older, well, not by much, but she was twenty-seven. "And I'm eighteen tomorrow," she thought. Still, she could do worse than model herself on Buffy. I mean, she keeps Spike interested, so, with any luck I'll be able to get Alasdair interested.

She knew Alasdair would be outside. There wasn't a lot of land that went with the croft, but Alasdair kept himself busy growing whatever vegetables would grow on the thin soil. He would be in soon, as the light faded he wouldn't be able to work any more, and he would know she was up. When she first arrived in Scotland, she had tried to keep to human hours, but it didn't work. She felt so sleepy during daylight, and only really felt alive after the sunset. Alasdair needed to be up during the day to see to the outside chores. In the end they compromised. The time between sunset and Alasdair going to bed was their time. They often spent it talking, listening to music, or playing one of the computer games Alasdair had bought. Some evenings they would go over to Buffy's, and other evenings the other two vampires would come here. It was a very small circle to belong to, but it was more like family than anything else.

There were other members of this strange family, but they didn't see them so often. She had hoped that Giles, Jenny and the children would visit for her birthday, but it wasn't possible. Even Grianne had sent apologies. Still, as of midnight, she was an adult. Then she'd show Alasdair what she thought of his silly ideas on how young she was.

She warmed herself a mug of blood, and sat drinking it. Alasdair hadn't come in. That surprised her, so, when she had finished drinking, she put the mug in the sink and went outside. It was May, and the days were stretching towards summer. If truth be told, this was a wonderful place for a vampire in winter. The days were short, and the long, dark nights gave her so much time to explore. Summer was much less fun. Already she was starting to feel the walls of the croft closing in on her, and she was really dreading June and the days that stretched until 10 or 11 at night. Not that she would say a word to Alasdair. He was so good to her. She knew he loved her. He tried to pretend she was like a sister to him, but she knew better. Despite his feelings on the matter, she was not a shy innocent. David, her Sire, had taken her virginity, and Angelus had stripped her of any remaining innocence.

She heard a car engine, and looked along the road for the car. When Alasdair got out, he seemed rather preoccupied.

"Where've you been?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. It was, well, nearly, her birthday, and she expected him to make some sort of comment.

"Oh, just had to get some supplies for the garden, and some food. We're out of Weetiebisks again. I can't keep up with Spike and his Weetiebisks. He's taken to adding them to blood on a regular basis, not just at breakfast."

"Oh," she said, her face falling in disappointment. "So, what are plans for tonight?"

"Don't know. I think Buffy and Spike're expecting us. Spike wants me to look over his new contract. I'm not sure what I'm going to see that he can't, but he still wants my opinion."

"Is this with the new publisher?"

"Yes, he says it's a much better deal than he had before. He's going to get a bigger percentage, and there's talk of making his books available on the net. He's very excited about it."

"He should be. I mean, I've seen his books when we've gone to Inverness. There was this big display and everything. It just seems funny that they're written by 'William Stevas'. Oh, and no photos of him on the back cover."

"Have you read one of those books, Emily? You know I said you shouldn't. They're fiction, but they are based on Spike's life with Angelus, so they're not suitable for …"

"Alasdair, I'm not a child. And, in case you've forgotten, I've experienced life with Angelus first hand. No, I haven't read any of them yet, but I'll be eighteen at midnight, and if I want to read the whole series, I will."

Alasdair sighed. He loved Emily so much, but his efforts to let her have the rest of her 'childhood' often backfired. She was very mature for her age, and she had seen too much sadness, but his efforts to shield her from things led to arguments, and the only signs of childishness he ever saw.

Still, he only had himself to blame. Buffy told him, the last time they had a chance to chat, that Emily wasn't a child, despite her years. And he knew his own feelings weren't the feelings you had for a child. Living in close proximity with her for the past year had been difficult. It took every ounce of control he could muster not to put his arms around her and kiss her as he wanted to. But, so far, all they had shared were hugs and some chaste kisses on the cheek. Still, he was getting his own back now. He was pretending he didn't remember it was her birthday, and in reality, there was a party at Buffy and Spike's tonight. The stuff about the contract was just a cover. Even better, Giles, Jenny, Lizzie and little Stephen, and Grianne were all at the other croft getting things ready. His job was to bring her over in a couple of hours.

There was one thing he needed to do before they went out. He headed for his own room, and started to strip off the sheets. Grianne was going to have his bed tonight, and he was planning to sleep on the sofa. He wanted to have everything fresh for her. He ignored the confused and slightly hurt look Emily gave him as he took his bundle of bed linen to the washer. He took the spare sheets and duvet cover from the cupboard and made up the bed again. He had brought in some fresh flowers, and he put them in a vase on the drawer unit. It was a strictly masculine room, and he wanted something to soften the effect. That done, he settled down to watch the television. He had something else on his mind, but he was doing his best not to let it spoil Emily's party. The letter lay in the drawer of his bedside cabinet where he had left it that morning.

The drive to Loch Maree was beautiful. The roads left a lot to be desired, but they stayed close to the coast the whole way, and the views, particularly to someone with vampiric vision were spectacular. Emily often wondered what a girl from Southern California was doing in the far north of Scotland. Everything about the place and the lifestyle was different from what she had grown up with, yet she loved it. She saw it through the eyes of someone who appreciates it as a stranger, but has seen the best of it as known only by a local. Despite this, Emily had begun to wonder whether she could do anything with her life living here. Of course, technically, she was dead, but she preferred not to think about that particular aspect of things.

When they arrived, the house appeared to be in darkness. When she remarked about that, Alasdair dismissed it as a power cut. He opened the door, and immediately lights went on. These weren't the normal room lights, but the room was decked with fairy lights. She looked around in amazement at the multicoloured display. She was so mesmerised by that, that for a few seconds, she didn't notice the extra people in the room. When she spotted the others, she squealed in delight, and ran to greet Grianne. Giles was next, then Lizzie pushed her way forwards.

"Emily," she shouted. "Happy Birthday. Mummy has your present, she wouldn't let me look after it, she said I might lose it." This last was emphasised by a pout that made Emily smile. The pout immediately went as she added, "I've got a brother. Did you know that? He's asleep in the bedroom just now, but Mummy says he'll waken later for a feed."

"Yes, sweetheart, I know you've got a brother. I'm really looking forward to holding him."

"You won't like him if he's sick on you. He's always being sick. It's only a little bit, and it's white like the milk he drinks, but it gets smelly if you don't clean it up."

Emily giggled at the frankness of the child, and eventually stood up to hug Jenny. She was still rather in awe of Giles' wife. She had only met her once before, and was still rather unsure of her welcome. Despite Emily's misgivings, Jenny's hug was warm and her smile seemed genuine. Emily turned at last to Buffy and Spike who were standing as she always imagined them. Their arms were around one another, and they were standing as close as they could. She hugged each of them, and thanked them for arranging everything.

"Not us, Bit," Spike told her. "The party's all Alasdair's doing. All we're doing is hosting it, so he could keep it a surprise."

Buffy led Emily to one of the armchairs, and gave her a present. She opened it, and pulled out a dress. It was one she had admired on her last shopping trip with Buffy, but she knew she had no occasions to wear such a thing. It was a deep crimson, a colour Emily knew suited her dark-haired and fair skinned colouring. It was low cut and had fine straps. It was quite short too, and she fully expected Alasdair to disapprove. She put it to one side as Giles presented her with their gift. It was a tiny box, and inside was a simple bracelet. It was white gold, and had links like tiny flowers. She mumbled her thanks, embarrassed at the attention, and Grianne presented her with another small box. Inside this one were earrings to match the bracelet. Emily got up to hug the donors again, determined to go and put her gifts on. She just wished she had shoes to go with the dress. Before she could leave the room, Alasdair gave her his gift. This proved to be a necklace which matched the other jewellery. She was delighted. Reading her mind, Buffy led Emily into their bedroom to change.

"The shoes are here," Buffy told her. "I was going to wrap them, but I ran out of paper!"

The shoes were perfect for the dress. Exactly the right shade of red, and beautifully delicate. Emily hugged Buffy again, and was left alone to change. She was just wishing she had brought some make up with her, when she noticed her own make up bag on Buffy's dressing table. She had wondered why she couldn't find it earlier. She didn't wear a lot of make up, but a bit of eye shadow, mascara, blusher and lipstick later, she was happier with her appearance. She walked back to the living room, and as she entered, all conversation stopped. She was pleased with the reaction, especially when she saw all the eyes on her move towards Alasdair. He alone hadn't taken his eyes off her. The others were all watching for his reaction. His jaw had dropped, and he seemed incapable of speech.

To fill the gap, the others gathered around her, complimenting her genuinely. While she was distracted, Spike changed the music that was playing. Then, he approached Alasdair, pulling him out of his stupor.

"Listen, mate, go and dance with her. She's not a child any more. Hasn't been since my grandsire got his hands on her. She loves you, and not as a big brother, and I know you don't think of her as a sister."

Alasdair looked at the vampire, hope giving way to resignation.

"No, it's not fair. She doesn't want to be tied to me. I'm too old for her."

"Don't be a bloody pillock. It wouldn't matter if you were twelve years old, you're still going to end up getting older while she stays just as she is. She's already tied to you, whatever you say. She's had her heart broken too many times already, don't you do it to her too. She loves you, and you love her. Do something about it."

The room was small, and despite the small number of people present, it seemed full. A path magically appeared between Emily and Alasdair as he approached.

"Would you like to dance, Emily?" he asked.

She nodded and shyly whispered, "Yes," as he took her in his arms. His idea of dancing close didn't seem to match hers, as she pulled him closer. As she did, the others present cheered. Buffy watched the dancing couple for a few seconds. She didn't think Alasdair actually noticed the cheer. Still, she didn't see any reason to waste the music. Buffy pulled Spike into her arms, and soon they were dancing too. It didn't take Giles and Jenny too long to join in, and even Lizzie was doing her best to prance around the room.

Emily was happy. She was part of a family, a family that loved her. But best of all, she had Alasdair in her arms, and she was not going to let him go. She had realised what was going on with the bed changing earlier, and knew he was planning on sleeping on the sofa. She was planning something else altogether.

There was champagne at midnight, and birthday cake after that. There was a lot of conversation, but most of that escaped Emily and Alasdair. Once they started to dance, neither seemed inclined to stop, and Spike found himself delving into their CD collection for anything suitable. Truth be told, most of the music he chose was actually Buffy's. The Ramones somehow didn't match the mood of the night. And, he had to admit, dancing close to Buffy was the best he could manage given current company.

Stephen surprised them all by sleeping until about one. When he did waken, he made his presence well and truly known.

"Quite a pair of lungs he's got," Spike commented as Jenny brought the squalling baby through.

"I need to feed him, is that ok here?" she asked unsurely.

Buffy put an arm around Jenny. "Of course. Where would you like to sit? Would the arm chair be best or would you prefer something else.?"

"The arm chair's fine," Jenny reassured her, sitting down and pulling her blouse out of her waistband.

"He likes his food," Giles mumbled, looking slightly embarrassed. Spike clapped Giles on the back. "Not much sense in keeping quiet when he's hungry, now is there?"

Once he was fed and changed, Stephen Giles was passed around the women present. They all cooed and made appropriate noises. When Buffy's turn came, she carried him over to where Spike was standing. "Isn't he beautiful?" she asked.

"Yes, Pet, he's lovely." Spike's hand hovered hesitantly over the baby's face. "He won't bite," Giles reassured him when he saw Spike's reluctance. Spike looked up in surprise. "I .. I know. It's just, I'm not used to being trusted with … I mean, it's not so long ago, when I'd have been the one likely to bite."

Giles' nod expressed his understanding. Spike's hand stroked the soft skin of Stephen's face and the silky fuzz on his head. The next thing he knew, Buffy had put the baby into his arms, and he stood, looking bewildered.

"Just a minute, I don't know anything about babies. What if I hurt him?"

"And what makes you think I know anything about babies?" Buffy retorted. "Not exactly experienced either, you know."

It wasn't much later that Grianne made a performance of yawning and saying what a long day it had been. Alasdair immediately jumped out of Emily's arms, offering to take her home.

"I might as well come too," Emily stated determinedly.

Buffy smiled. That was one young lady who knew what she wanted. And, she might even get it.

Goodnights were brief, and they all agreed to meet the following evening to continue catching up. Soon after the others left, Giles picked up a sleeping Lizzie and carried her to bed. The little girl had kept going longer than anyone had imagined, but had eventually sat down to have some birthday cake, and promptly fallen asleep. It was crowded in the second bedroom. There was the double bed that usually stayed there, Emily had a blow-up bed on the floor and there was a carrycot on the chest of drawers for Stephen. Once the children were settled, the adults gathered to clear up the worst of the debris.

"Well, what do you think?" Buffy asked Spike.

"About?"

"Emily and Alasdair. Do you think she'll have her wicked way with him tonight?"

"I hope so. That poor bloke's been in permanent pain for the past year. He's so in love with the chit, and his misplaced need to protect her has caused too much tension between them."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "I've had Emily in tears a few times because he refused to see she was grown up. It hasn't been easy for her either. She told me what happened with Angelus. Not right away, it's only recently she felt able to talk about it. I know she's a vampire, but she has a soul, and she was only a child then. She grew up quickly."

"So," Jenny joined in. "Was the dress planned? Did she know about it?"

"No," Buffy replied. "She saw it when we went shopping a few weeks ago. She tried it on for a laugh, but didn't buy it. I went back later and got it. Alasdair needed a kick in the pants to realise she really is a woman now. And, he could hardly doubt it in that dress."

"Indeed not," Giles agreed.

Later, in bed, Spike and Buffy lay together in a post-coital haze. Next door they heard the rather subdued sounds of another couple making love. Buffy started to giggle. "Do you think they heard us?" she asked.

"Sure of it, Pet." Spike told her. "Wonder if they'll notice the next time?"