The Tie That Binds Chapter 1, a buffy: the vampire slayer fanfic

The Tie That Binds...

Theme "Mum-in-Law from Hell" (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly")

Introduction...

For those who missed Sunnydalopolis 1-XXVIII and In for a Penny... I-XXIII...

Spike has met, loved, been redeemed by, and lost the love of his life...and unlife, a robotic copy of Buffy...Buffy Rebecca, created by Warren the cybergenius with an artificial human brain as a perfect copy of Buffy Summers...

With the slight twist that she was the potential Buffy capable of giving Spike aka Dr. William Walthrop "cybergenius" the chance to prove himself...

Which he did by his growing love for her and his willingness to accept her sacrificing herself in the final battle with the Goddess of Glory and Victory...Despite his terror of losing her...

But she was not lost forever...He felt it and planned to search for her soul forever...While doing his best to maintain his newwon humanity and protect his human "sisters-in-law" the Summers' girls...

His services were called on quickly...Darla sought revenge on the Slayer and thanks to Drusilla's ESP detected the presence of the feckless, long-delayed Hank Summers in LA...At last on his way to meet Buffy and Dawn...And "help" them unload their "unnecessary" home...

At the same time, Spike turned to Willow for help in reaching Buffy Rebecca's spirit...Which they did...Fortunately the same night Hank and his "West Coast girl" (Darla in disguise, her vampire nature masked by a magic pendant, courtesy Wolfram-Hart) paid a visit on Dawn and Buffy...

Trapped by Darla and vampire Hank, Buffy could not kill her own father when his soul briefly made an attempt to save her...As Darla had hoped it would...

Buffy was killed and transformed...Dawn survived...Barely...Due to the power of her Key life-force...

Despite the disaster Buffy had an ally...The spirit of Buffy Rebecca called that night by Spike and Willow, who helped her contain the vampire demon within and kept her soul in the fight to hold on to her body...But it was not enough and Buffy, already having killed once, weakened

steadily...Slipping into the darkness...While Dawn faced death and transformation...

But neither her robot sister or her "brother-in-law" or her friends were willing to give up...Not as long as there was the Wolfram-Hart resurrection ceremony which had revived Darla as human...And not as long as they had a doctor friend who made house calls, Glory's counterpart god, Ben...

While Benedictus, powerless God of Healing and Mercy, struggled to save Dawn from death and transformation with the aid of Warren's synthetic blood...Willow helped to contain Buffy's demon and they brought her to LA...Where Cordelia and Wesley helped them in the fight against

Darla and Drusilla...Angel being on a quest for knowledge in Tibet...

A reluctant Willow assisted Spike in putting Lilah Morgan, star of Wolfram-Hart, in thrall, and with her now eager help, they retrieved the resurrection ceremony...And flattened W-H, Inc...at least temporarily.. by having Lilah dispense her knowledge of the firm's activities to the proper

authorities...

Buffy was restored by the resurrection ceremony...A sad and shattered Buffy despite her relief at rejoining family and friends...Spike had accepted that this would mean the loss of his contact with his beloved BR...To whom Buffy had offered her body, feeling her sister had more to live for...A offer which had been declined...

But Buffy was desperate to do something for BR and Spike...So with Willow's help she merged BR's memories with her own just before the resurrection when BR's soul left her...

So that Warren, now a dear friend of the gang, who had assisted them in the current fight by reactivating BR's body, the Greatest Slayer of All Time, using April's reprogrammed brain as a stop-gap...could make a new neural recording of her brain...And with luck, separate Buffy Rebecca's memories from her own...And

Now you're up to speed...

Part I...

Spike found little to do...Thanks to Buffy Rebecca's enhanced abilities the past month had been a disaster for Sunnydale's vampires...

So much so that a large number had joined in offering a peace proposal, cemented by the offering of Drusilla to the Slayer just before Darla had killed and transformed Buffy...

And, as they had not known that Buffy had nearly lost her fight for survival...They were still striving to prove themselves to the Slayer...And her minions...

Giles had received notice through the vampire network that those who accepted peace would feed solely on animals and purchased blood, and would identify themselves to the Slayer by a special emblem...

Neither he nor Spike believed the killer demon could be suppressed in them for long but if their fear of the Slayer was performing the function of a chip...And since Buffy was likely to be out of action for a couple of weeks...Why not try it?...

Warren had even offered to place more of his blood synthesizers, developed as a component of Buffy Rebecca for Spike's "special nutritional needs" at their disposal...

Anything to promote the cause of peace...

But it left Spike with little to do in his temporary role as Slayer on Patrol...

However, as always...Harris was available as a source of amusement...

And, since Willow had been occupied and unable to attend tonight's rounds...There was no reason not to have a little fun...

With a dear old friend...

Buffy had had a rough night...

Three hours of neural recording under the care of Warren and Tara...Accompanied by some terrifying dreams...

But all in the cause of restoring her robotic sister...Buffy Rebecca...

Whose memories had been merged with Buffy's during the resurrection ceremony that had saved the human sister...

Courtesy of a certain red-haired wiccan...

Who was at hand...And anxiously awaiting the final result...

As was Dawn...waiting anxiously at home...

And Giles...likewise waiting...at his apartment...

Not to mention Cordelia and Wesley back in LA...Who had met the spirit of Buffy Rebecca while she shared consciousness with Buffy during the fight for Buffy's soul against Darla and Wolfram-Hart...And planned to head out the moment there was news...

Not that Buffy's own resurrection had not been received as a true miracle...But...

They were all...long, long overdue for a little extra happiness...

And all wished to see a certain blond reformed vampire and assistant "cybergenius" receive the greatest surprise of his existence...

"Quick..." Spike hissed at Xander and Anya, his assistants for the evening... "There's something coming...Over there..."

He pointed in the vague direction of the decrepit McGarvey cemetery...One of the last places remaining in Sunnydale where vampires might still feel somewhat secure...

He put just the right edge of concern and tension in his voice...

"Down.." he waved them flat...Into the muck of a soaked dirt road...

"Ok..up..." they rose, somewhat the worse for wear...

The fearless vampire vampire-hunter and his minions advanced toward whatever lay in the dark ahead...

"Down, quick...roll, toward those bushes..." he pointed to the side of the road...

Hmmn...Xander had not as yet seen anything "coming"...But...

If the temp Slayer on Duty tells you to drop and roll...

Buffy was nervous...and confided in Willow...

Buffy Rebecca's memories had of necessity been kept at the surface of her mind...And they were having a powerful effect on her...

After all, Buffy Rebecca was Buffy...A perfect neural copy...And her additional memories were what Buffy might well have experienced...Had she for some reason been forced to spend three weeks living with Spike in his crypt...

Spike, aka "Dr." William Walthrop, British "cybergenius", his cover story since his partnership with Warren...had been a surprisingly devoted and gentle companion...

Buffy Rebecca had felt his loneliness...And desperation...And recognized that a human soul was still there...lost in the mix of demon and man that was William the Bloody...

Just as Buffy had...If less consciously, she now realized...

The love that had developed between BR and Walthrop had been a gradual and beautiful process... Including Spike's moment of redemption when BR risked her existence to save her human sisters...And, trusted by her, he had come through, despite his terror of losing her...

Expressed to date...by a simple hand squeeze and a single "I love you"...

Capped by his faith that, if he retained his rewon humanity, he would find Buffy Rebecca again...If it took all eternity...

And for a lonely, vulnerable Buffy these were hard memories to carry...

Willow was sympathetic...As always...

"Buffy..." she said... "This is only natural...Heck, I'm half in love with the guy myself after all he did to save you..."

Tara was fortunately not in earshot...

"Willow...These memories...these feelings...They're not mine...But..."

"Warren says these memories will fade...Now that the recording has been made..." Willow tried to reassure...

Buffy smiled faintly at her...

"I'm not so sure I want to lose them at that..."

'Dad' Warren, father of Buffy Rebecca and her artificial human brain, friend and partner of the distinguished "Dr. Walthrop" decides it's show time...

"We're ready as we'll ever be..." Warren nods to Buffy and Tara...

Tara thumbs up to Willow...Who was hopeful...After all...

If she could resurrect the human Buffy...

The new neural recording was perfect...

Now they just had to create the world's second artificial human brain...And see if the memories contained within would recall BR's spirit...

She'll have to go back in the glop tank to fully regenerate her biologic tissues, thought Warren...God, how Buffy Rebecca had hated that biotank...

By now, after several drops into the muddy road, accompanied by rolls into the bushes, Xander has become a leetle suspicious of Spike the temp Slayer's "sensing something out there"...

Anya is still uncertain...She prefers muddy road on the blouse to Xander's bloody gore on the blouse...

Xander didn't even have the pleasure of holding the news of the attempt to revive BR from Spike...

It wasn't that Willow and Buffy didn't trust him...or Anya...to keep the secret...Oh no...

It just...might have distracted them...from their life-threatening work...

Unfortunately...something was actually out there...

Spike practically stumbled over it...Just as Xander was reaching the limit of his gullibility...

Terrifying and hideous...Only one creature could have created such a horror and left it...No, Spike realized...Left it, deliberately...For them...

For him and Buffy in particular...A little calling card...A warning...

He motioned to Xander to come up...So that he could see and keep Anya away...

But Xander has had just about enough of Spike's games for one evening...And Anya is plowing through the muck at top speed...

So it was poor Anya who saw it after Spike...

And screamed in horror and sorrow...

At a vampire...less than a year old...

With a note tucked in its blanket...a Dickensian touch, sure to appeal to William Walthrop, fellow Brit and Dickens' lover...

"Dearest Buffy and William,

Please take care of my poor little baby..."

It only took a few minutes for Xander to determine by phone that an infant had disappeared and that its parents were dead...

Brutally murdered...and their baby gone...

Spike looked at Anya...And Xander...

Anya was desperate...

"Willow...Willow could resurrect it...Like Buffy?...Oh, please...Xander?..."

Spike stares at Xander...Who embraces Anya...

"You know there's only one way we can help it, honey...Its parents are gone, there's only a demon in there now..."

"Anya, I'm sure its soul will be born again...Once it's free of this thing..." Spike tells her...

She insisted on holding it until the last moment, even though it snarled and clawed at her...

They called Buffy...only Dawn at home...and casually asked that she remain in the house to man the phones...Oh, just a little more activity...Not even a return to normal...But...

Giles was at home...And promised to be on guard...Yes, he thought he could get hold of Buffy and the others...

To alert them that Dru was in the neighborhood...And aware of Spike's intention to free her human soul...

"She won't stay long..." Spike notes to Xander, as they returned to the Summers'..."She's not bitter...obsessed with revenge like Darla...She's all demon...And a vampire demonsimply wants survival...and the hunt...She's sensed that I mean to find her..."

"So...this was what?...A warning to back-off?..." Xander looks at Spike...

Harris' small brain sometimes works wonders...Spike thinks...

"She's warning us to let her go without any fuss..."

Spike strolled into the Summers' home...Where he was now a welcome guest...

Within limits...

Xander followed with Anya...still shaken...

They had decided not to mention Dru's little bundle of joy...It was enough that everyone knew she was in the vicinity...

"Sis...Nibs?" Spike called out, a trifle nervous...It's been a very bad week in a terrible month...And one never knows...

Buffy came out and smiled at him...In a dress no less...She looked much better...As did the grinning Niblett who trailed her...

"All's well on patrol?..." Buffy asks him...

"Sunnydale sleeps peacefully tonight, Slayer..." he grins back...

"Harris...however..." Xander glares at him...

She glares at him...Picking on Xander again...

"Spike...What did I say to you about picking on Xander?..."

What did she say?...Nothing...Of course he could guess what she would have said...

"Harris can take care of himself... And I didn't pick on him...Besides...You never gave specific orders as to his care and treatment..."

"You don't remember what I told you eight days ago?..." Buffy is glaring but he senses she's pulling his leg...The grinning Niblett is a dead giveaway...

"Eight days ago?...You never said anything to me about Harris eight days ago..."

"That night, William?..."

That night?...One night he would never forget...We were at the crypt that night for the seance...The night her dad came home...The night Buffy Summers died and transformed...And Buffy Rebecca spoke to me...

Wait...William?...She never calls me William...Well, except right after her resurrection...But Red was there...

Well, Buffy died eight days ago...A little confusion is understandable...Still, no need to make a big deal out of it...

"Buffy...You're a little mistaken..."

Dawn attempts a look of deep concern...Is her sister losing it?...Understandable under the circumstances...

Buffy looks concerned as well...

She frowns...I could have sworn...

"Are you sure?...I was sure when I spoke to you at the crypt...I remember distinctly telling you to lay off Xander..."

At the crypt?...Ah, Buffy Rebecca must have mentioned that to her when they were together...She's just confused?...

"Maybe Warren ought to look me over..." she looks at him...

"Yes, just the thing..." Spike agrees...Though...Perhaps a doctor, say good old Benedictus...

"Still, my diagnostic subroutine says I'm fine..."

"That's fine, but you should really..."

He remembers which Buffy had a "diagnostic subroutine"...

That's the dress she wore the night I took her to that restaurant...Spike suddenly realizes...Our first time out together...

As he collapsed in a faint he couldn't help thinking that it was nice of Buffy Rebecca to remember the dress...

But then she has a back-up, supplemental memory...

The sound of Spike's fall, plus BR's cry brought Buffy and Willow, followed by the rest...Tara, Warren, Giles, and a newly arrived Wesley and Cordelia...from their concealment...

Spike looking so dazed... even Xander couldn't bring himself to enjoy the picture of the vampire...falling in a perfect swan dive...onto the floor...

Buffy Rebecca was a little worried for him...She lifted his head and stroked his hair...Looking around frightened...She never meant to do this to him...She should have done it more gradually...

He really has to get that Cat-Scan Willow joked about...

A brain well over 100 could only be expected to take so many shocks...

But she couldn't help noticing that Buffy had rushed to him, grabbed his hand, and was patting it with deep concern..

And perhaps something else...Which Willow noticed as well...

Uh-oh...

While Spike gradually came to, BR suggested she, Dawn, and Buffy step outside for a bit...to give him a chance to absorb the new situation...

And so the sisters could finally have a moment to themselves...

The sisters went out and the two Buffies sat on the grass...With exactly the same motion, Dawn noted...

She was especially glad to have them together...Being artificial herself...at least...in creation...it was nice to see Buffy welcoming BR as a sister...a twin...

Which she always had been...

"Rebby?..." Dawn offers, trying it out...Nah...

BR had suggested it was hopeless for them to both use Buffy as a short name...

By unconscious mutual agreement..."Becky" was not even considered...

"I'll stick with Buffy Rebecca for now..." she smiles at Dawn...

Warren comes out...A little reluctant...Not wanting to disturb...

"Hey, 'Dad'..." BR calls to him...

"Buffy Rebecca...I hate to tell you this...But you'll be needing the biotank again...for a few days..."

She grimaces...Back to the glop tank...

Buffy has an inspired idea...Spike's new place is nowhere to drag the tank...And no way is BR spending her first nights back sleeping in a crypt...

There won't even have to be a polite argument over who refuses to take her bed...

They were called back inside...

To an anxious William Walthrop...still uncertain that this could be true...

And terrified that somehow, someway...This could still slip from him...

But just as he had known instinctively...He'd found her...And as he'd known...

And all of them deserved...

Oh, the joy...

After a bit, without discussing it, they asked the gang to spare them for a few minutes and went alone to the Greenwood crypt...

Buffy Rebecca feeling over every brick...Every part...In wonder...

Spike still dazed...Following her every move...

She climbs down to the lower section...Her private room...

"I kept some of your things...Buffy took the rest..." Spike calls to her as she stares at the walls...

Buffy took them...Yes, she told me...when I was with her...So we're forgiven, Spike and I...

And Buffy, Dawn, and I...sisters at last...

"I'm glad, William..." she pauses... "Of course I'll want some of them back..."

She climbs up and faces him...

He's still shaken by all that's happened...In one month...one little month...

"Well, Buffy Rebecca..."

He's still so anxious to get this right, she thinks...My sweet Will...reformed vampire...Victorian gentleman...

I never thought Spike would need encouragement...

Well, we have waited long enough...

And this is the right place...Our first home...

She embraces him and pulls him down to his old slab...

Spike and Buffy Rebecca love theme

Spike realizes the tears are streaming down his face...And Buffy Rebecca's tears are falling on his...

"Let Buffy kiss all the tears away..." she says gently, kissing his face...

A century of sorrow...kissed away in a moment...

The Tie That Binds...Part II...

On their way back, Buffy Rebecca requested that Spike...speak with Buffy...When an opportunity allows...

She gave him the full Buffy stare...Wide-eyed, open-hearted...Totally trusting and completely loving...

She had absolute faith in her human sister...And in her beloved William...

But...

After three disasterous relationships in as many years...Angel, slimy Parker, Riley...

She wasn't about to let anything jeopardize the one that might be permanent...

Buffy Rebecca Summers...already Summers-Walthrop unofficially...No fool, she...

Willow was worried...

Buffy was still showing entirely too much interest for comfort in a certain blond and spoken for vampire and "cybergenius"...The memories she had received from her robotic sister had had a powerful effect on her...Especially given the past month of sorrow and horror...

And as happy as she was to have her "twin" back...joyous as it was that Buffy Rebecca and Spike were reunited...And sincere as her desire for their happiness was...

Willow could see...The "potential" for "trouble"...

Buffy needed distraction...

"Ok...everyone's here, do it..." BR looks at Spike...

They are back from the crypt...And whatever they were doing there... Which Willow and Xander especially prefer not to think about...Which Buffy has guessed...She is Buffy Rebecca after all...

Not that it would have been difficult to guess...

Do...what?...he wonders...Looking at the group standing around...The gang, Dawn, Buffy...

"You asked me once before..." she smiles at him... "I even said yes then...Well, actually I said.."This is all so sudden'..." She eye-bats at him...

He gulps...Oh...

Willow now fidgets a little, embarassed...Oh...yeah...Does she have to remember that time in particular?...It was just a little mistake...Her will spell gone wrong...

"Well, if you'd prefer..." Buffy Rebecca gets down on one knee...

He nervously tries to raise her up...No self-respecting 19th century Brit lets his girl propose...

Well, actually...in reality...And contrary to what some social histories of the era would claim...

But "Dr. Walthrop" prefers the old-fashioned way...And with a little nervous persuading gets her permission to proceed...

Which pleases the Niblett no end...

Spike discussed his "Mother" problem with the gang and the Buffies...

"It's best to let Dru have her head start...She just wants to survive...If we leave her for a few days...she'll be on her way to Europe...And you fellows will be that much safer when we take up after her..."

Which left time for a wedding...

After considerable struggle, the gentlemen of the group had manuevered BR's biotank into the Summers' storage room...

BR could have done it easily alone...But why deprive the boys of their chance to show off?...

The Summers women were at last alone...Hanging in their living room...

"Child Psychologist?..." Buffy grinned at BR... The career choice BR'd left in her journal, given to Buffy by Spike after her death...

"I thought it would be useful...In understanding Spike..." BR grinned back...God, it was nice to be home...

I mean the crypt was a dear little place but...

She has a question for Buffy...

"Did you ask Giles yet?... Has he checked with the Council?..."

Buffy nods...

Giles?...Council?...Dawn wonders...

Are they going to start speaking in some kind of crazy twinspeak now?...

"We're thinking there may be another Slayer coming..." Buffy explains, seeing Dawn's frustrated look...

Another one?...Oh, right...Buffy died...again...

"But Giles had no word from the Council as yet..." Buffy tells them...

Not another Faith...Dawn thinks...

Still Kendra was nice...Hey, wait...

"Maybe it'll be me..." she says happily...After all, Slayer's sister...Key...I should be a Prime Candidate...she thinks...

"Doubt it, Dawn..." "Not likely, Dawn..." the Buffies are quick to say...

Like hell...they both think...Not if the members of the Council hope to see their next birthday...

The Tie That Binds...Part III

Willow discussed the "situation" with Xander...in private...

She had no doubt Buffy would do her utmost to repress her new feelings for the distinguished "Dr. Walthrop"...

And that BR would completely understand...

But...Buffy needed some distraction...

And the upcoming wedding...Wedding?...Xander gulped...He still had...Concerns...On that one...Would definitely not be that needed distraction...

Nor would Angel's promised presence be likely to do much except deepen Buffy's despair...

And with no immediate prospect of Riley's return...

Buffy needed someone "nice"...

If something was not done soon, Willow thought...

There was after all only one dependable man left in her life...

The one who always came through for her...

Who had known her longer than anyone but her father...

Giles...

Giles?...thought Xander...

Willow could picture it...And described it, to Xander's mounting horror...

Buffy...hanging around the Magic Shop...with cow's eyes for her dear Watcher...

Giles, pleased no end with Buffy's eagerness to train...To improve her research skills...To spend nearly every moment away from college, patrol, or Dawn with him...

Until he caught on...And suddenly discovered he had to make a brief trip to England...

A Council emergency only he could deal with...

From where, Willow had no doubt, he would inform them that the Council had insisted on a new Watcher for Buffy...And that he reluctantly had accepted their decision...

Yes, a distraction had to be found...

And not simply that caused by the preparations for the upcoming nuptials...

Nor the usual fight against evil...

Xander was still trying to get his mind past the image of Buffy pursuing Giles...

Willow continued with her idea...

Fortunately...there was one alternative on hand...

A certain young "cybergenius"...currently still minus his fiancee...

A bit nerdy...But...

Recently proven in battle...To be all in all a first-rate fellow...

And bearing the sterling recommendation of his "daughter" Buffy Rebecca...

And, for once, someone with enough income to take Buffy out to a few decent places...

Warren...

Warren?...thought Xander...

"Of course, Xander...I would say you...But..." Willow smiles at him...

"Warren...definitely Warren..." calls Anya from where she had been listening...

Dawn remained fascinated with BR's biotank...Although she had seen it in operation at the

Greenwood crypt...

Buffy had memories of it, courtesy of BR...Ugh...

But it at least had kept Spike polite...Until William Walthrop came triumphantly to the surface...

At that Buffy wouldn't have minded "regenerating" some of her tissues...

Both Buffies were exhausted...

After all, both fresh back from the dead...

The next day they all met at The Magic Shop...

Willow had the Walthrops' first gift ready in advance...With help from Wesley and his contacts in LA...

And to help with the wedding plans, it was given early...

Spike, brought in under heavy swathing, was dumbfounded...He'd mentioned it once to Willow after BR's death...As a useful thing to have... Someday...Something to aid him in his role as "Protective Brother-in-Law"...

She and Wesley must have gone crazy searching for it...

And Red was giving it to him at just the perfect moment...

Buffy Rebecca smiled...A little frozen smile...

Oh, she was just delighted with the gift...Delighted...So deliriously happy...

A crystal...Mounted as a ring...To allow Spike to go out in the daylight...Just in time to allow a daylight wedding...

Nightmare scenario...

Dr. William Walthrop, reclaimed semi-human and "cybergenius", strolls happily out of his and Buffy Rebecca's honeymoon hotel for his first quiet walk in a garden in daylight in over a century...

An English country garden, no less...

Minus his dear wife...Sleeping in...Unaware of her spouse's early morn excursion...

A pile of slippery debris...Carelessly left behind...

The eminent "cybergenius" goes for a tumble...Oops...where did that new ring go?...

Roast Walthrop...on the grass...

Yes, Buffy Rebecca was delighted with the present...Which she planned to keep under her permanent lock and key...

Drusilla had fled...First from LA...After the disastrous fight with Buffy's friends...

Then from Sunnydale...After leaving a warning for Spike and Buffy...

To let things be...

Spike was quite right...Dru had no great interest in revenge...Although she would have dearly enjoyed slowly torturing the gang to death in front of a chained Buffy...Then Buffy, with her silly little boy watching, likewise chained...

However, fun must wait...survival came first...And Buffy and co had proved themselves a deadly enemy...

But she also knew...That now that Spike had seen her human soul in more than those briefest of flashes which he had experienced in their time together...

He would not rest until he had given that Drusilla the peace she deserved...

Even Europe would not be far enough to hide from him...

But it would provide a suitable battleground...

The Tie That Binds...Part IV

[Suggested theme..."Going to the Chapel"]

Angel, on his way home from his trek to Tibet and Nepal, was still trying to recover from the shock caused by the various news bulletins passed to him by Wesley...Most received in one lump...due to broken connections and lost mails...

Buffy dead?...Transformed?...Saved?...By Willow?...And Spike?...And by her robotic sister's spirit?...

Robotic sister?...Victorious over the Goddess of Glory and Victory as well?...

Spike redeemed?...By the same robot "sister"?...Who had just been brought back to life?...

And his old nemeses...Darla...and Wolfram-Hart...knocked flat?...

And all accomplished...

Without him?...

In a brief phone call he had passed on an assurance to Wesley that he would return asap...

Uh, yes...Certainly...Of course he'd be there for Buffy's robotic "sister's" wedding to Spike...

Wouldn't miss it for the world...

Obviously an evil force is at work, driving them all insane...

No doubt, Spike is involved...

But Angel is on his way...

After Buffy Rebecca secured Willow and Wesley's gift...away from Spike...the gang waited...for a prearranged peace meeting with the spokesperson of those Sunnydale vampires who had accepted the agreement...

While waiting, Xander was still troubled...

Not only by the image Willow had placed in his mind...A hapless Giles pursued by a lonesome, vulnerable Buffy desperate to repress the feelings for Spike she'd inherited from Buffy Rebecca...and perhaps which had simply been waiting to surface...

No, he could deal with that...

And not by the idea of using old Warren, Spike's fellow "cybergenius", creator of Buffy Rebecca, as a "stop-gap" nice guy to give Buffy a little distraction until the Walthrops were safely away in pursuit of Drusilla and Riley or some other alternative showed up...

He could deal with that as well...If he had to...But...

Spike...That was the trouble...

Spike...aka William Walthrop...aka "Dr." Walthrop, "cybergenius"...Soon to be husband of a perfect neural copy of Buffy...

To let Spike off like this...Xander could acknowledge his heroic efforts to save Buffy, his help in the fight with Glory...all that...

And the new feeling all of them felt toward him as a result...

That was all well and good... But...

He was still a vampire...Still held back only by the chip the Initiative had placed in his head...

Still a creature with murders on his hands...Hundreds...Perhaps thousands?...

Not to mention...Two Slayers...

Now...The object of affection for both Buffies...human as well as robotic?...

Quite soon to marry...a perfect copy of Xander's practically sister Buffy?...

He would have to speak up...Make his doubts known plainly and firmly...

At least to Willow...

Giles also had some reservations...but after all...

He had been willing to sacrifice Buffy Rebecca...even Dawn...To save Buffy...

And felt a little "morally compromised" here...

He had to admit that anyone could see both Buffies were now...close to Spike...

Besides, vampire redemption was possible...Buffy herself was living proof...

Spike had performed like a true hero...

Had proven ready to die for the Summers' girls...

And there was no doubting his love for Buffy Rebecca...

If anyone could redeem Spike and maintain that redemption...She could...

Sometimes one just had to trust in love, hope for the best...

And let in a little happiness for however long it might last...

[Suggested Leto's Theme (The Godfather)]

Leto, father of the Sunnydale vampire peace movement, arrived at the Magic Shop as he had promised...Wrapped into mummy form, escorted by two burly human "friends"...Who looked quite experienced in the use of weapons...Though currently disarmed in the interests of peace...

His former self, George Letos, Sunnydale politician and businessman, had had a lot of "friends" like these two...

And, vampire or not, he still knew where the bodies were buried...in a figurative sense as well as the literal one...

Therefore...he still had human "friends"...And Giles had only insisted on no additional vampires...

Buffy and Buffy Rebecca remembered him...the little waiter from Darla's "restaurant" who had spoken for the Sunnydale vampires when they offered the Slayer peace...and a trussed-up Drusilla...Too bad there'd been no time then to properly accept their gift...

He was looking quite prosperous now...And seemed to have reacquired some of his old politician's style...

He knew Willow...And to her horror she remembered him...

"You're Al Rosenberg's little grand-daughter, aren't you?...It's Georgie Letos, honey...remember?..."

Remember?...the nice man who always came to Grandpa's and bounced me on his knees?...Grandpa's old friend and crony?...

A vampire?...Well, a nicer vampire...A peace-seeking vampire...but...

"Mr. Letos?..." What do you say to a vampire who used to bounce you on his knees?...And called me Firehead... "How you doing?..."

"Can't complain, Firehead, can't complain...Say how's the family...How's old Al?..."

"Good...living far away now...very far away...But good...really good..."

"That's terrific...Tell him Georgie says hi..."

Um...Something nice...A little friendly concern, maybe...

"Umm...Sorry to hear about your...problem..." she smiles nervously at him...

"Ah, well, things happen...But it's good to see my little Firehead again..."

He turns to Buffy and is a little taken aback to see two Slayers, identical...

No wonder the past month has been a vampire's nightmare...

In Salt Lake City...

The gentle Englishwoman smiled gratefully at the flight attendant...She had mislaid her baggage tickets and had completely forgotten just how many bags she brought to the terminal...

She was so out of sorts she was ready to forget her own name...Thank heavens for id...

Dru's mind always worked best when motivated by fear...

And she had not completely forgotten Grandmother Darla's lessons...On passing for human when necessary...

After a dull drive across the desert in a "borrowed" car, Dru had decided to go home by plane...She would have preferred ship, a leisurely cruise...

But humans didn't cruise to Europe so much anymore...And in any case she needed time to prepare for Spike and she was certain, Buffy's, arrival...

A strange Buffy, who had carried two human souls during her brief vampire days...

Two Bad Ones...

A Buffy who had won out over her own demon...Defeated Grandmother Darla...

And whose powerful friends had made contact with her own Bad One, hidden for so long...

No, America was no longer a jolly place...

It was a simple matter to find a woman bound for New York on an evening flight... And would be equally easy to find one headed for England from there...

Willow wanted to go home...And pull the covers over her head...

Her Grampa's best friend...Her knee bouncer from childhood...A vampire peace negotiator...

Sometimes she really hated the Slayer business...Just hated it...

Tara was on the other side of the table, but sent a comforting look...

Leto continued his discussion with the Buffies and Giles...

He had accepted the story of them being twins...One trained in a distant locale...Now both on the scene and ready to Slay...

This would certainly settle the hash of any of his people who doubted in Slayer-Vampire peace negotiations...They were ready to crumble with one...Two?...Forget about it...

"We will see that those who follows the Slayer's instructions will be supplied with ample blood...At the designated locations..." Giles declared...

Thank goodness for Warren's blood synthesizers...

"Excellent, Mr. Giles...And we will do all we can to maintain the peace between us...You have my word on it..." Leto smiled...Teeth carefully hidden...

"And we'll call you on it, if necessary..." Buffy told him.

"Alas, some will not heed the call of reason...I fear..." he looked at her...

"We'll deal with them..." Buffy Rebecca told him...In the same voice and manner as Buffy...

"Just keep your friends in line..." Buffy finished...Both Buffies giving him the full Slayer stare...

An offer the Godfather of Sunnydale vampires cannot refuse...

Xander decided to let his feelings be known...to Willow and to the best alternative to Buffy Rebecca herself...Buffy...

They were continuing with Giles to discuss the "peace" situation in Sunnydale as well as what they could learn on Drusilla's movements... Except for Spike and Buffy Rebecca...

She wanted him to rest at his place for awhile...She was still worried about him...And she'd been consumed with curiosity to actually see his apartment...Buffy's memories of it had been sketchy...

Too bad she couldn't find that ring...He was anxious to try it out...But as long as he was still properly mummified...She was sure it would turn up later...

"Bye guys..." she waved, pushing the slow-moving vampire through the store...Good thing Giles had closed for today...

Xander turns to Buffy and Willow...At last a chance...

"Should we let Spike do this?..." Xander asks...

"He feels Drusilla's suffering..." Buffy begins...But he interrupts her...

"No, I mean...Spike-vampire, Buffy Rebecca-Slayer...ok robotic Slayer..."

"Meaning...what?..." Buffy looks at him...Somewhat coldly...

"Buf...Whatever you...all of us...feel for him now..." Xander starts...

"He's a monster...Right?..." she stares at him...Arrogant...little...human...

Buffy rages at Xander...

"What do you know about it?"

Anya jumps in her seat, startled...

Xander looks at Willow and Tara...Giles watches Buffy...

She pauses...

"Oh, that's right...You did kill people, didn't you 'jackal boy'?...How many was it now?...Don't think we ever asked?..."

Anya's hand on Xander becomes a vise grip...

He stares at her...

Buffy trembles...

"Now, me...I only have one kill to my credit..."

"Buffy, we love you..." Xander says quietly... "You haven't done anything to blame yourself for..."

Then he and Anya got up and left...for Spike's...

Anya had relearned enough about human behavior...And learned enough about Xander...Not to say much on the ride over...

Whatever blow Buffy had dealt him, he was still determined to settle this...If not with her, then with BR...

And the distinguished Dr. Walthrop...

And she had told Buffy Rebecca the night of the battle with Glory that Xander wasn't superhuman...

The Tie That Binds...Part V

Terror gripped Xander's heart...Buffy Rebecca...in Spike's new studio apartment...

Humming..."quite pleasantly" as Giles had once put it...Wearing a scarf around her head...

Scrubbing Spike's bathroom tile...

"We never stop, we Stepford wives..." she grinned at Xander and Anya...likewise horrified...

But she was a leetle embarrassed to be caught so unprepared for guests...

And just a little nervous about her absent "cybergenius" who she had reluctantly allowed to use his new daylight ring...to unload some trash...

After all...well over 100 years and only one real time out in the sun...Mostly spent fighting her...

And it was getting on toward sunset...

But she wished he was back...

Anya offered to check on him...

Which Buffy Rebecca could see was to give Xander a few minutes with her...

She had a fair idea of what he wanted to talk about...And was only surprised no one else had yet brought it up...

Anya headed out in search of Dr. Walthrop...It was not unlikely the distinguished "cybergenius" had gotten lost on the way to the dumpster...

Buffy Rebecca took Xander over to the balcony...

He looked at her...And told her of his concerns and Buffy's reaction...Much as he did not want to anger both Buffies, he had to get this off his chest...

"How can she think that way?" he asks her... "She is not a monster...I would never think that way..."

Buffy Rebecca was pensive...She had all of Buffy's memories of those days plus her own...but she had a "dad", a love...happiness in her life and could distance herself better...

"We've killed Xander...An innocent woman...Nothing can ever change that..."

"But that does not make you...her...like Spike..."

"Xander, I don't want to hurt you...But you realize I...she would have killed you all...Tortured you if possible..."

"You would not have been capable of that, Buf...Never..."

"Xander...When you were possessed and ready to kill Willow...Could you stop it?..."

"I didn't know what I was doing...Neither did you..." he was pacing...

"I knew what I was doing...I...we couldn't stop it...But we knew..."

He stopped...

"I believe you if you say that Spike couldn't control what he did...But how I can just accept that he's fine now...Let you go off with him..."

"Better me than Buffy...I can't be turned...I'm more or less immortal...And I can throw him much farther than she can..." she grinned at him...

It was inevitable she explained to him...Inevitable that Buffy would grow to care for Spike...

It was her nature to love...Hadn't the first slayer told her...Buffy that the day of her vision quest...The day she...Buffy Rebecca...Had been born out of the glop tank...

She...both...now knew they Slayed not from hate...but from love... To save, not to destroy those trapped in vampire bodies...

And no one knew better now the joy and relief that escape offered...

But she had more to give than even that...And desperately desired some chance to reach out to the lost souls...

She had always fallen for vampires with any humanity...Look at Angel...

And when Spike had shown in flashes that there was still a human soul trapped and suffering within...More lost than Angel...Throwing himself in her way...Running to her for salvation...

And showing more humanity with each encounter...

It was inevitable...As natural as breathing, Warren had once told Spike...

But it was dangerous...Too dangerous for the human Buffy...So...Somehow...Pity had been taken on William Walthrop...

And she was here...The one Buffy who could love William Walthrop safely...

But as for Spike's worthiness...his redemption...She was as firm as Buffy...If he could continue in his new life...No one had the right to judge...Besides...

"See, Xander...You think it's over...That he's free and has been given

happiness with a ticket to immortality in the bargain...But it's not...He and

we both know it's not...And he is willing to accept it...not just to be with me...

To have the chance to do what good he can while he can...Like saving poor

Dru...Protecting Buffy and Dawn..."

Buffy Rebecca looked quietly at him...

"And, one day...tomorrow...a hundred years from now...ten thousand...the chip will fail or some enemy...maybe Dru...maybe another...will succeed...somehow...his demon will be released again...And he won't be able to control it...No matter how hard he tries..."

"Any more than I...Buffy and I...could..."

She paused...

"When that happens...When nothing more can be done..."

She looked down...

"I'll give him peace...And then it will be my turn...to wait for him... However long it takes..."

"And he knows this?..." Xander looked at her...

"Yeah..." She grinned at him... "Well, it sure beats waiting for a Slayer strong enough to stake him..."

They heard Anya and Spike from below...Spike full of his first moments in the sun...Anya a sympathetic and naturally, understanding audience...

Buffy Rebecca smiled at Xander...

"But today...Xander, let's be happy today...For as long as we can be..."

Back at the store, Buffy had tearfully explained her behavior to the others along similar lines...

After all...

Giles counseled her not to worry...Xander would understand...They all did...And he had faith in Buffy Rebecca's love for Spike...As he would have even if it were she, the human Buffy...

She nodded...As always her Watcher was there for her...Dear Giles, she would have to show him a little more of her affection and respect...Train harder, help him in his research...

These Englishmen...when you get right down to it...

Willow who had gotten over her initial anger over Xander, noticed the cow's eyes forming...

Uh-oh...

"How's Dawn doing back at school?..." she asked Buffy brightly...

Distraction, distraction...

Two communications reached the store just before they broke up...Willow and Tara to take Buffy to Spike's to hopefully catch Xander and Anya and...Willow hoped...Warren...

One, a telegram...from Angel...

"Giles...Am on my way...Meet me at your store...Try to keep things under control until I get there. Angel..."

"He seems a little worried...I wonder if Wesley reached him with all the news..." Giles hoped Angel would not be making any scenes about Spike just now...

"Wesley said he called and he told him about things including the wedding...But I'll explain the situation when he gets here..." Buffy smiled at them... "It'll be nice to have him back..."

He wants "things kept under control until He gets back..."? she wondered to herself...God, Spike is right...he is bloody stupid sometimes...she thought...

The other missive was a priority mail envelope...Addressed to Giles...

Which read...

"Hold the fort...I'm coming fast as I can..."

Signed, Basey Granger...

Basey Granger?...

"I believe she is the next Slayer, following on Buffy's...temporary death..." Giles noted...

Next Slayer?...thought Willow and Tara...It hadn't even occurred to them...

"Giles?...You have anything?..." Buffy asked

"Well, I only know that Ms. Granger was under observation...She did have a questionable report made on her by a former Observer...several years ago...But...That Observer being Ms. Post..."

The Ms. Post?...Faith's evil Watcher?...Hmmn, a black mark from her...

"The Council decided to review her case after she appealed Ms. Post's review...Since then Max Creave has been her Observer...A fine fellow Max...Had great faith in her abilities should she ever be called on...Especially after she overcame the vampire who had put her in thrall..."

In thrall?...Buffy wondered...She was in thrall to a vampire and they're bring her in as a Slayer?...

Well, Dracula and me...But I wasn't really in thrall...Not really...Whatever Riley and Giles thought...

"How long was she controlled by a vampire?...Willow asked...

"Apparently the better part of a year until Max met up with her and helped her escape and destroy the creature...But the Council had her throughly tested and pronounced her free...Ms. Post may had played a role in her being revealed to her captor..."

Giles is so on the ball...Buffy noted, pleased...You can always depend on my Giles...

She was starting to feel a little better...A little competition might be good for the soul right now...

"Hmmn...she's from...Craftville, Indiana...the Midwest..." Tara noted...

"Umm, Giles...This Max?...He will be her Watcher now, right?..." Buffy asked, just a little anxious...

"I'm afraid not...Max was killed in helping her defeat the vampire...But I'm sure I can help you both until her new Watcher is assigned..."

Oh...great...thought Buffy...

Phew...thought Willow...

The Tie That Binds...Part VI

Willow, Tara, and Buffy with a home-collected Dawn had caught up to Xander and Anya at Spike's...

Buffy had apologized profusely to Xander...

Who told her in private, on the balcony, that he now accepted the idea of the Walthrops as a permanent thing...And would trust Buffy Rebecca to keep Spike in line...

And hoped that she, Buffy would find her own fair share of happiness...In fact he planned to do what he could to make the upcoming celebrations happy...They all deserved it...

Which was good...As she and Willow had had a great idea...And hoped that he would help them to carry it out...

Bachelor party?...thought Xander...

The thought...flashed through his mind...of Giles, Wesley, Warren, Angel, himself, and Spike...the new Walthropian Spike...Whom Buffy Rebecca teasingly noted was showing an increasingly Victorian attitude...

Partying on down...Giles, Wesley...Warren...Angel...Spike...Xander...

Without the female members of the gang...

No...Oh, dear God...No...

But the ladies wanted a night out...

Willow and Buffy also informed them of the new Slayer's imminent arrival...

Dawn liked the name..."Basey Granger"...Definitely Midwestern...

Although she was disappointed to be dropped from the running...

Xander was intrigued to learn that Ms. Post had been her Observer for a time...Before she'd been assigned as Watcher to Faith... It did not surprise him that she was implicated in betraying her charge to a vampire...

"She couldn't have been more than 14 when Ms. Post left her

and she was captured by that one..." Buffy noted...

Imagine, a pre-Slayer enslaved to a vampire for nearly a year... Most of

her family murdered by him at the same time, according to Giles'

information...

Of course, a Midwestern vampire...but still...

"You'd better be careful before you go and after you come back..." Xander noted to Spike...

"She'll probably be out for vamp blood...Big time..."

Hmmn...thought Buffy Rebecca...I must have a talk with Ms. Granger first thing...

Willow was still enjoying the thought...We are here at William the Bloody's bachelor pad, helping Buffy and her robotic sister plan his wedding to the said robot sister...And having the nicest time we've all had in weeks...

If anyone had told me this a month ago...

'Dr.' Walthrop was conscientiously headed for his office...If he was to take a combination "business" trip and honeymoon to Europe with his new Missus...He'd better have some idea of what his company was manufacturing...

Besides Buffy Rebecca would be heading back with Dawn and Buffy for another night in her glop tank... After some planning...and dinner...A large one, please...

That still surprised Xander and Willow...she needs to eat?...

She grinned at their question...

"Needs to...Well, only to keep Spike's blood supply flowing...Loves to... Definitely..."

Buffy didn't need to be told that...And Dawn was not surprised...Why if Xander had ever seen the way Buffy chows at home...

And Walthrop would send Warren along to them...after a much needed consultation...

Which Willow was glad to hear...Tara also...She wanted to go over some possible courses she might take in cybernetics with him...

Hmmn...Willow thought...Yes, Operation Distraction should be commenced as soon as possible...

She would have been pleased to learn that the thought of Warren had in fact crossed Buffy's mind in a favorable way as well...

She had felt herself acting a wee bit foolish toward Giles today...And she was deeply embarrassed at losing it with Xander...over Spike...

She was lonely...And Warren was the ultimate in lonely guys...Building a robot girlfriend to keep him company...

But redeemed by his recent activities in Buffy's and Buffy Rebecca's resurrections unquestionably...And of course his fiancee...Who seemed to have left, with little hope of return...

Unfortunate but convenient...

Spike's good buddy...Who'd recognized the genuiness of his affection for Buffy Rebecca before anyone else...

Buffy Rebecca's dear second dad...

And he'd been true blue during their little escapade at Xortox Labs with the sinister Dr. Severn...When Buffy had posed as BR to learn what the nutty employer of Spike and Warren was up to...

Not that she expected anything serious to come of it...A new friendship at best...But it would be nice to have him around to fill out the set of couples...in the next few, likely to be hectic days...And she wouldn't mind making him feel welcome...appreciated...

If she could ever get him to stop calling her "Ms. Summers"...

Not exactly a dream catch...But she had had her fill for the moment of hunkily dark and brooding types...

A nice "stop-gap" guy...

The other problem with planes as opposed to ships Drusilla noted was the difficulty in obtaining a meal...On board ship, there was plenty of leisure time to stroll around...a vast ocean to dump unwanted corpses in...

Here she would either have to be very clever or make an immediate transformation...And it might be difficult to have a hungry newborn vampire killing its way around a plane in mid-air...

Drusilla dearly loved a massacre, but she was not a fool when it came to survival...

Still, her last meal in New York had left her feeling...unsatisfied... However, much as she disliked animals...there were dogs and cats in the cargo hold...And it offered the best chance of catching a wayward human and disposing of them out of sight...

She settled on a Great Dane...And sat down to a leisurely meal...During which her thoughts ran to her little boy...Her naughty little boy...Who was not content to hound his "mother" out of America but would soon be following her home...To destroy her...

And she sensed the tie binding him to Buffy strengthening...even as hers weakened...

Becoming...permanent?...Her silly little boy?...

And she wasn't even welcome at the upcoming wedding...

Well, she'd deal with him...And her new "daughter-in-law" as well...When the time came...

Kids...they sure keep you hopping...

The Tie That Binds...Part VII

After settling "Dr. Walthrop" in at the lab with enough review material to keep him busy all night, Warren dropped by Spike's to find the gang bustling with plans and news...

A new Slayer on the way...

All evidence pointing to Drusilla's being headed as far away as possible...

The peace agreement holding for now...

Buffy Rebecca positively glowing with happiness...With Dawn, Anya, and Tara scanning through wedding catalogues...For dress plans...

No enormous to do in the works...A simple ceremony...but definitely a wedding gown...

And definitely a party...

And planning her honeymoon in Europe...Which would combine a crusade against evil with pleasure and business...

A true Slayer's honeymoon...

Xander nervously trying to come up with the least disastrous potential venue for the "boys night out"...Which he had decided to expand to include Dr. Ben, Glory's brother, the immortal but powerless God of Mercy and Healing whose efforts had been instrumental in saving Dawn from death and transformation after Darla's little scheme had nearly destroyed her...

Buffy looking much happier herself...And with Willow was planning a wild time for the ladies...and traveling among the various planners to lend an ear or offer a suggestion...

Quite a pleasant commotion to come into...

Buffy Rebecca and Buffy greeted him warmly and urged him to come with them on their patrol before they headed home...

Along with Xander and Anya...Willow and Tara taking Dawn home...

They expected a peaceful night and he deserved to see the fruits of his labors with the blood synthesizers...

Leto had kept his word...Sunnydale was quite peaceful and the few vampires spotted made clear their peaceful intentions...

Warren noted the Buffies seemed a little uncertain with the success of the

peace process...Which Buffy explained to him when Buffy Rebecca made a fast extended circuit ahead of them...

After all, she was three times faster and more powerful...And had spoken with Willow about "Operation Distraction"...

"We can't help wondering...Is it right to let these creatures live as they

are?...Suppose we're just prolonging their suffering?..." Buffy said, looking

at him...

"Well, you did say Leto seemed more human when you saw him last...Maybe they are becoming more human as they hold off killing humans..."

"I hope so...It's hard to know what to do..."

"Well...Ms. Summers...I'm sure you'll make the right decision..." he smiled at her...

Nice eyes she thought...

And definitely a generous heart...To take on Spike as a permanent business

partner...

And for once, a guy with a documentable income...

"Warren, after all we've been through you really should call me Buffy..."

Angel arrived at the Magic Shop the next evening...Ready to face whatever evil had overwhelmed the gang...

To find Giles in fact a bit overwhelmed...

The bustle from the night before had transferred itself from Spike's to his

store...

The Buffies...Yes, there was indeed a second Buffy...were working on BR's wedding dress with Dawn in enthusiastic support...

Willow was doing what research she could on potential threats as well as Dru's movements but there was little to go on...She was happy to see Angel...Could he tell her anything about Dru's past history that Spike might not know?...Had his Tibet trip generated any prophetic information?...

Tara was helping both camps as well as discussing cybernetics with Warren...And Spike who was hoping to get in a few of the new terms he'd learned...Warren was pleased to make the famous Angel's acquaintance...As for Spike...

A Spike distinctly different from the one Angel had known...Friendly, rather tweedy, and clearly an essential fixture of the gang...But still a little of the old...Enough to be wry about his new status...And enjoy Angel's obvious shock at the turn of events...

No sign of evil afoot...In fact they were about as happy as he'd ever seen

them...Including Buffy...Who was enjoying the bustle as much as her sister...

Buffy and the new Buffy made him as welcome as they could...Buffy feeling a bit guilty about her heretical thought about him the other day...

After all, he'd come running to do battle for her...as always...

Even if the trip to Tibet in search of knowledge idea sounded bloody

stupid...And well, he might have been a leetle more efficient in disposing of Dru and Darla when he'd had the chance...

Still, that was unfair...And here he was...Her dear Angel...Her first vampire love...

Not exactly the relationship she needed right now...

He was astonished by Buffy Rebecca...A perfect match of his Buffy...And was slightly disturbed to see both Buffies obvious affection for "Dr. Walthrop"...

But everyone was glad to him...The Buffies made a point of taking him aside...

Brought him up to speed on all the latest, including the news that a new Slayer was on her way...

And showed great interest in his trip to Tibet...

Leto was likewise pleased with the fruits of his labors...The majority of

surviving Sunnydale vamps were happy to grab at anything that would provide relief from the Slayer's unrelenting, increasing pressure...

And none were surprised to hear that a second Buffy was in part responsible...

It figured...

Warren's artificial blood supply was a welcome boon...Definitely superior

to rats...And most were quite ready to admit, there was something to be said

for having your meals delivered without a long and tedious hunt...

And all the credit went to their new leader...

Yes, Leto had regained a measure of his old status...And old memories were surfacing...The pleasures of power, the joys of contact with his fellow men...

But with them came a measure of loneliness...He missed his old gang, his

family...No one...human that is...seemed around Sunnydale anymore...Except...

Except his little Firehead, Al's little grand-daughter...Dear Willow...

Not that he had ever thought of her in life as anything but a sweet little

kid...But now, with time on his side...He could see her in a different light...

She reminded him of his dear wife, so gentle and sweet and concerned for

him...In fact...He couldn't help thinking she would make an excellent

wife...for some lucky fellow...

And his vampire senses hinted that she had unusual abilities...just as he had no trouble confirming the power of both Buffies...

George Letos had not been an evil man in any sense of the word...But he never had had a chip installed...And his sire had been a "professional" in every vampiral sense of the word...Not a young, immature, psychotic like Dru... In addition he had been an older fellow when transformed, not a young romantic wearing his soul on his sleeve so to speak...

And he was, in vampire terms, still rather young...Without Spike's long period of suffering...

In short he was not a William Walthrop...And although he was determined to

maintain the new agreement with the Slayer, he felt his noble efforts in

peacemaking deserved...some reward...

Yet he could not risk violating the peace by transforming the Slayer's friend openly...In fact he could see a way to cement the Slayer's faith in him...

If poor Willow's transformation process were to be begun by another, some renegade?...And noble Leto, peacemaker, were to attempt to prevent such a terrible thing?...But sadly, fail?...

And later Willow were to succumb to the effects?...

Surely the Slayer's love for her friend would dissuade her from destroying the new Willow...And who better to be entrusted with her care then the noble Leto, old family friend, who had tried valiantly to save her?...Who would keep her secure and able to continue contact with her old friends...

Everybody wins...

Yes, thought Leto...Not too much to ask for one who'd done so much for the cause of peace...

The Tie That Binds...Part VIII

Spike got quite a kick out of inviting Angel to stay at his new digs...

Any former boyfriend of his "sister-in-law"...

Xander who had arrived late with Anya...after picking up good old Ben at

Sunnydale Hospital...rather enjoyed the scene himself...

Dawn was extremely pleased to see Ben...Who was glad to see his recent patient so well and happy...

And brought greetings from the Byzantines as well as Dreg...Who wished to pass on his profuse thanks to the Slayers for sparing his beloved goddess...

"How's Glory doing?..." asked Willow...

"I should have tried electro-shock therapy for her years ago..." Ben

grinned...

Buffy and naturally Buffy Rebecca couldn't help noticing that Dawn had

developed a serious crush on a certain young doctor and god...

Who fortunately would be around for the upcoming festivities...And equally fortunately they thought, would be leaving for Greece shortly afterward...To resume his duties at the Byzantines' monastery and hospital...And help his now powerless and amnesiac sister with her rehabilitation...

Rats...Dawn thought...Still Greece wasn't all that far away...And school trips abroad would be coming up next summer...

A yearly check-up by the physician who had handled her case might be a wise preventative step...

As the evening came to a close, Xander floated various party ideas to the

gentlemen...

Wesley and Cordelia would be able to come up in two days...With Angel now in to complete the guest list, festivities would therefore commence at that time...

The ladies had claimed the Bronze for their party turf...

So...how about...

"So...you're the Best Man..." Angel grinned at him...

Best Man?...Xander wondered...Spike's "Best Man"?...It hadn't even occurred to him...

Walthrop grinned at him...

"We wouldn't have it any other way..."

"I won't have to give you away?..." Angel grinned at Spike...He was beginning to enjoy this...

Seeing Buffy Rebecca so happy...Spike offering living proof that redemption could be achieved...

And especially if one Buffy would still be "unattached"...

Xander explained the "vampire family tree" to a confused Warren and Ben...

Later, after another quiet patrol Buffy and Buffy Rebecca decided to check in with Giles before heading home...

Who was by now at his apartment...Recovering from an exhausting if joyful evening...

They couldn't resist giving him a taste of their new and disconcerting twin

trick...

"Giles..." they called out...In stereo...

Giles...looking extremely sheepish...came to the door...

And, attached firmly to his head, a small boy...About five...

"Olivia's little boy?..." they asked...Still in stereo, but now

unconsciously...

Giles?...they nervously wondered...No...it couldn't be...They hadn't been

together that long...Then, again?...

He was close-mouthed about his past...

"No, no...This is Leroy...Leroy Granger...Ms. Granger's younger brother..." he detached the small boy from his head and set him down...

The new Slayer's little brother?...

"Ms. Granger's here?..." Buffy asked...

"BASEY!..." Leroy screamed at Giles's upper floor...Yes, it was reasonable to assume she was here...

"Umm...Yes, she came here first looking for me...She naturally thought it the best place to start..." Giles began...

"Hey!..." called a tall slender young woman from the top of the

stairs...Wearing Giles' bathrobe...

She was down in a second...And hugged the first Buffy in range, Buffy Rebecca fervently...While holding Buffy's hand...

"I knew you'd make it...I knew it...Those idiots on the Council couldn't

prophesize their way out of a paper bag..." she smiled at Giles...

"No offence, Rupert..."

Rupert?...the Buffies wondered...

"So...don't tell me...Ok, you'll have to tell me...Which one?..." she released

BR and looked at the two Buffies...

"Robot..." BR grinned...

"Human..." Buffy smiled...

"Well, I meant which one is the blushing bride..." she hugged BR again...

Then, asking for a moment with Buffy, she led her into Giles' den where she kissed the startled Buffy gently and held her hands, smiling...

"I guess we know what it's all about...don't we?..." she told her...And showed her the scar of the vampire's bite...

Home, sweet home...

Drusilla was on her home ground at last...Dear old England...London as bright and gay by night as ever...People looking prosperous...and fat...

She swept through long-forgotten streets and by-ways, hardly killing at all at first...So anxious was she to retrace the steps to old haunts and habitations...

But nostalgia aside, she had a purpose in familiarizing herself with the new London...Her boy, still bound to her by his own self-imposed obligation, would be coming...With his new wife, the Slayer...more powerful than ever...

She intended to be ready and waiting...With plenty of jolly surprises...

But...Willow's brief release of her Bad One had unnerved her...She intended to take precautions and above all, to have allies...

Therefore, for once...Dru was playing it safe and taking her time...Limiting

her kills to the absolutely necessary until she had made contacts...

Amazing the effect of fear on Dru's psychosis...Nearly as effective a treatment as Glory's electro-shock...

The Tie That Binds...Part IX

Basey told them the story...

Ms. Post had violated the Council's rules on Observation of a potential Slayer candidate and revealed herself to Basey when she was 14...Naturally with an ulterior motive...When Basey became suspicious of her interest in acquiring powerful items and sought to reach the Council on her own, Ms. Post had declared her unfit while secretly contacting the most powerful local vamp, one Sentenus, revealing Basey's identity...Who had been only too happy to have a potential Slayer in his grip...While she was still lacking the strength that came with the choice of Slayer, untrained, vulnerable...

He'd killed her parents and left her alive...in thrall and with her brother, though in the care of a grandparent, a potential hostage...Hoping to use her as a tool to learn more about the Council and the power they could access...

Max, Giles' old friend, had been sent to review her case after Ms. Post had been assigned elsewhere...Even then some were suspicious of her...

Wish they'd let us know...the Buffies thought...

He'd gradually realized she was under control and helped her free herself, and appeal for the Council's reinstatement...Which despite their misgivings over a potential Slayer who had prematurely learned of her possible destiny had allowed Max to Observe her...

But Sentinus had not been happy to lose his pet...And came after them... Killing Max even as she destroyed him...

Since then, learning that other Slayers had been chosen ahead of her, she'd waited, keeping in contact with the Council...And following the career of the Greatest Slayer of All Time...

Trust the Council to keep a line of Slayers in reserve...both Buffies thought...

Leto had found his "renegade"...One Theodore, an outspoken type, given to sneers at the "peaceniks" and vainglorious boasts of what he would do to the Slayer and her friends when he caught up with them...

It was quite easy to have comrades drop a few hints...The love the Slayer bore her dear and vulnerable friend...The gentle heart of that dear friend who would find it so difficult to harm even the most fiendish of vamps...Her routes to and from her dorm...And her daily schedule...

Information which Leto had acquired with the skill of a master of Sunnydale politics...

The same comrades were quite willing to offer to let Theodore know when the best time to strike would be...Encourage him in his hopes of winning glory against the Greatest Slayer of All Time...By taking her best friend...An act worthy of the great Angelis himself...

He had Theodore kept under careful watch...As well as Willow...

Now it was just a matter of timing and proper positioning...

With a little reluctance, Basey accepted Buffy's invitation to move in...until her plans were settled...Buffy Rebecca having deferred to her human sister...

After all, while neither sister had any intention of using their mother's room themselves...She'd have been the first to want to take the new Slayer in...

Neither sister liked the idea of the Grangers staying with Giles...Especially as Basey

seemed quite taken with their Watcher...

And discussed his merits all the way to the house...Such a charming accent...So gentle and yet distinguished...Just like her Max...

Giles was very popular with Slayers this week...

Normally, Drusilla did not care for thrall and hypnosis games...Oh, she was excellent at it and it served her well in certain kills...like Buffy's friend and replacement Slayer, Kendra...

But she did not go in for it for long-term actions...A little...well, creepy...Especially with female humans...

She'd always been pleased that neither Spike nor Angelis went in for that sort of thing...much...

Still she was alone now and the situation required that she have a safe home and 24/7 protection...So she bit the bullet and a couple of human females...Who lived in a building which catered to young single professional women...With rather quaint rules of conduct...Even for London...

Just the place for a shy young thing like Dru...

And it was rather nice to have attentive "friends" devoted to fulfilling her needs...

She would have to try this with the Slayer...At least for a jolly week or so...

If things worked out, she might even get her to properly punish her silly little boy...Permanently...

Maybe even send her back to America to carry Dru's greetings to her friends...

While a very pleased and mature Dawn took young Leroy on the grand tour of the Summers home...

The Buffies went over the peace agreement with their new partner...

She was pleasantly skeptical but no more so than they...And agreed it was worth a shot, if only for the breathing space it would allow them...

An "exhausted" Buffy Rebecca decided it was time for her glop tank...And retired...

"She gets tired?..." Basey asked Buffy...

"I get tired...so she gets tired...I can't explain it better than that..." Buffy smiled at her...

"I've got to talk to your Warren sometime...I'm kind of a tech-head myself..." Basey grinned...

Hmmn...My Warren...Buffy thought...I wonder how much cybernetics I could learn quick if I set my mind to it...

I may have some competition in fields other than Slaying...Still...

If Spike could become "Dr. Walthrop" in two weeks...

Warren and Xander were rather disappointed...They had ferried Angel and Spike to Spike's place after dropping Anya, Tara, and Willow...

They'd been half-expecting a rather interesting night...Hanging with the vamp boys...

But Angel was just in from a long flight home...And very glad not to have been called on to fight the forces of darkness in Sunnydale the first night back...At least not yet...

While Dr. Walthrop had homework to do...Family man here...

Both were quite content to head home and stay there...

Does not bode well for boys' party night thought Xander...Even the vamp members of the team are crushingly dull...As for the humans...

No, it did not bode well...

Maybe there was still time to beg the ladies to let them come along...

The Tie That Binds...Part X

One of Dru's new human minions had made contact with the London head of Wolfram-Hart, Europe...Sir Harold Milliken...aka Ernest Gruber-Schemm, long-sought Nazi war criminal, once a youthful star of Hitler's People's Court...

Having heard the full details of the massacre of the LA office's Special Projects Division by Darla and Dru...Sir Harold much preferred this sort of "contact" to the direct approach employed by Darla...

Although he had significantly benefitted from the clearing of American "deadwood" as a result of the Slayers' friends recent exploits ...Sir Harold realized the need to better support efforts against the Slayer and her friends in the future and was willing to offer Dru what assist he could...

In the morning Spike suggested they head over to Buffy's...Besides wanting to see the future Missus and co, he had decided it was time to fulfill his pledge to BR to "speak" to Buffy...

He had felt it was best to let her have a little time and see how she recovered from the after-effects of her recent traumas...

But with her showing increasingly high spirits, he deemed it the proper time...

Besides he had managed to persuade an extremely nervous BR to let him keep the daylight ring with the pledge that he would use it only in the presence of company...and the chance to drive to the Summers' in freedom while Angel...his roomie...was swathed in cloth wrappings beside him was simply to good to pass up...

Angel was reluctant to be mummified but it beat hanging around with Spike in a dark room all day...

Spike loaded the gift-wrapped Angel into his car...

"Granddad?...You ok in there?..." Spike called to the bandaged Angel...

I am going to kill Wesley first...Angel reflected...Then Spike...

Spike realized immediately that the young black woman answering Buffy's door was the awaited new Slayer whose arrival had not yet been passed on to the vamp boys...

Her little brother was fascinated by Angel, standing on the doorstep...A package of mammoth proportions...to be unwrapped as quickly as possible...

"William and...Angel?...I presume..." she asked...

Spike entered with a smile and headed for BR's tank...Angel found himself blocked by Willow's latest barrier...And in eminent danger of spontaneous combustion with Leroy picking at his bandages...

Ms. Granger regarded him with amusement...pulled off her brother, and called Buffy to the door...

"Buf...One of your undead in-laws needs some help..."

"He's a dear old thing..." Spike called back to her... "But mind you don't get Granddad started on his stories..."

No...thought Angel...Spike first...then Wesley...

BR begged through the tank for another hour's sleep...And would Spike please not bang on the tank like that...It wasn't made of wood, you know...Sound carries quite well...

However she allowed him a brief glimpse and kiss...

"You're thinking I look just like Drusilla in her coffin, aren't you?..." she glared at him before closing the lid again...

Well, Dru never wore teddy-bear pjs...

Buffy drew the curtains in the living room and got Angel unwrapped and settled...Leroy watched fascinated...

"If I shine a flashlight on you...Would you burn up?..." he asked pleasantly...

Angel sensed Basey was a little skittish around vampires...even friendly, soulful ones... And worked to put her at her ease...Buffy having been called away by Spike, he was equally anxious to have Basey stick around and prevent her brother from opening the window blinds...

In the other room, Buffy was a little nervous to see Spike using the ring...She didn't have any more faith in his caution with it than BR...

"Nibs at school?..." he asked, looking for a way to begin...How to tell Sis he loved her dearly...but...

In the past he'd dreamed frequently of being in a situation like this with the Slayer...But it usually involved her being in his thrall...Or at least at his mercy...

And implements of torture had generally been prominent...

She grinned at him...she knew what this was about...And if anyone had told her a month ago...

That Spike would be attempting to "let her down easy"...

"I love you, William...I can't help it..." she said frankly.. "But...I know this is for the best...Safest for both of us..."

She took his hand and patted it...

"And after all, we will be together...she is me...The me who could help you..."

He kissed her solemnly on the forehead and grinned back...The Slayer...His "sis"...His blonde nemesis, his salvation, and his redemption, looking into his eyes...

God bless the day I came to Sunnydale... And that little brat, that Annointed One...Who introduced us...May his soul be at peace...

"Of course..." she said, looking at him... "I wish Warren might have considered a Spike-bot for me before he shut down that part of the business..."

Wesley and Cordelia reached Sunnydale as promised the next day...After they had secured the office for the next few days...

Plus picked up the second ring made up from the same crystal used in Spike's...for the boss...

Who decided therefore to spare Wesley...for now...

It was now the decisive moment...Ready to do and die...

Time to party...

The ladies couldn't wait...and zipped off asap...

Xander had a vague idea of where they might go...

There was this "place" in town...

Spike and Angel knew the "place"...But Spike suggested a brief stop-off...

He was concerned for the Nibs...All by her lonesome in the house...Well, with the new Slayer's little brother... But that was hardly likely to be a fun evening for her...Seemed unfair...

Angel was in agreement... Nothing worse than being cooped up at home by oneself...He and his "grandson" ought to know...

Warren and Ben both thought it was a fine idea...Stop by and see Dawny for a mo, then...Out we go, the "wild" boys of Sunnydale...

Xander agreed...Just for a mo...Then let the wild times roll...

"Why don't we order out..." Angel suggested after they'd spent a happy hour with Dawn and Leroy...

The "wild" boys were in complete agreement...

Dawn wasn't all that surprised...Well, she had expected a little more from Spike...

Nor was Buffy all that surprised when she checked on Dawn from the Bronze...And got Ben..

It figured...

However, as to the female members of the team...

Buffy Rebecca was very carefully explaining to Basey that if Buffy could get pl-pl-plast...drunk, well...she could get such a way...

Buffy was in semi-Mom mode...but throughly enjoying herself...

Willow had already taken Cordelia to the stage and "borrowed" the players' equipment, courtesy of a very mild and harmless spell...And about a half-dozen "Bronze blasters"...

This one is for Oz, she had announced solemnly at the start of each of the three pieces they'd attempted to play...

It would have been, she had corrected each time, if she had not been gay...

Tara hoped Dawn was not too lonely...Buffy reassured her...

Basey noted that none of the guys present seemed to match the Slayers' band of fellers...

Buffy and her sis knew how to pick 'em...

Buffy and her increasingly plastered sis exchanged smiles...Xander, Giles, Angel...And good old Wesley...And Spike, well Walthrop at least, and even old Warren...And gentle Ben...

Yeah...

"It's a Shayer...ummn...Slayer's instinct..." Buffy Rebecca solemnly noted...

It was quite early...in the morning...when they left and Buffy decided to drop Willow and Tara at their dorm before taking Cordelia, BR, and Basey home ...

She didn't like the idea of them walking so far...As they were...

Even with the peace agreement's ongoing success...

She parked and she and the others walked them towards their dorm...

Theodore was waiting in the bushes with a couple of his pals...

They'd gotten info from a "reliable" source that the Slayer and friends were out for a party and likely to return quite late...and plastered...

Unknown to Theodore, his pals had alerted Leto who waited nearby as well...

Fortunately for Willow and Tara, Theodore did not see the others just heading back for their car...

Unfortunate for him and his pals...

One must give him credit... After his initial attack on Willow and Tara, he faced the combined forces of not less than three Slayers, with one, the Greatest Slayer of All Time, the easy equivalent of three...

Even their slight drunkenness did not diminish their prowess...much...

Leto barely had time to show himself to them...After helping Willow to her feet from the corner where she had been shoved by Theodore...

Apologizing profusely for the reprobate...He had learned of the fool's boasts and set out to ensure that the agreement was not violated.

He hoped the evening had not been spoiled for them...And felt the two staked fools had received their just desserts...

He vowed that the last one would be captured...Presented to the Slayer at the first opportunity...

And he was pleased to see that his gentle friend Willow and her friend were more or less unscathed...If somewhat shaken...

Buffy agreed that he'd laid it on a little thick...Still...

Basey insisted on examining Willow and Tara...Standard procedure by the Council...

Really?...Buffy thought...They might have mentioned it to me and Giles...

Newly implemented at her suggestion, Basey explained...After her year with Sentinus, she felt it was a wise precaution...

Really?...Buffy thought...The Council has never once asked me for a suggestion...

Buffy Rebecca, blushing bride, was still a leetle dizzy...

Both Will and Tara were bite-free...Though Willow especially was shaken...

"No, fine...It's ok...It's just nerves..." she grinned at them...

It was only later that night when Tara was asleep, that in the bathroom she carefully rolled up her pant leg and examined the scar Leto had left...In a large vein of her thigh...deep...She traced it almost lovingly...

They'd never think to look there...And with so little time to work...

He was much too smart for them...she thought...Her Leto...

But after all, it was her business if she chose to spend time with a dear old family friend...

But...she tried to shake away the confusion...she was afraid...This wasn't her...She should tell them...

But she knew she would not...

The shadow of evil had fallen over Willow...

The Tie That Binds...Part XI

Anya, who had been dropped first by Buffy and so missed the excitement, was out like a light by the time Xander reached their apartment...After a delightful evening at the Summers',

featuring a reading some of Walthrop's new poems, Giles' essay on Buffy's recent vision quest, Angel's Tibet stories, and an intense discussion of the nature of the soul which

naturally fascinated the reformed vampire members... during which Dawn and Leroy had begged to be allowed to go to bed...

Capped by an allnight marathon of Hammer vamp films on Channel 9...Which Warren especially found fascinating...

Yes, a great party...Xander never thought it would go off so well...

Too bad the ladies had missed it...

Spike had hung around to see his blushing bride and sis...And was horrified to find BR staggering in...

Another neural problem?...Maybe Warren's new brain was on the blink?...

Had she accidently stuck her finger into an electric socket?...

"Oh sheetheart..." she grabbed and hugged him...He was always waiting for her...Her little Spikey...Oops...Didn't mean to nearly strangle him...

"She's ok, Spike..." Buffy assured him... "But if I don't miss my guess she's going to have one robotic hangover tomorrow..."

And if I hadn't had to be "Mom" tonight...she thought...Well, someday BR could cover for her...

Too bad Warren wasn't around to see the fruits of his obsession with accuracy...

At the Magic Shop the next afternoon...

Giles, Basey, Willow, Tara, Anya, Wesley, and a somewhat hyper Leroy...reviewed the events of the past few days...

Giles agreed with Basey that the peace agreement was unreliable...Though Willow felt Leto could be trusted to maintain quiet for now...

They agreed that normal Patrols should be maintained with both Buffy and Basey working together once the Walthrops were off to Europe...

Giles noted that Willow seemed distracted, although she made a valiant attempt with Wesley to continue researches on Drusilla's possible movements...And to prime Basey on the current state of Hellmouth activities...

Long day in class on top of a busy night, no doubt...

He was a bit preoccupied in any case...

Anya was battling a raging hangover headache and those annoying customers who insisted on being dealt with in spite of her obvious aliment...

Basey left with her brother to look at possible future apartments...Her current plan was to stay in Sunnydale at least until Spike and Buffy Rebecca would return and the Council let its wishes be known...

She was anxious to check on the possibilities for taking at least some college courses as well...And intrigued to hear that Buffy Rebecca had found a unique way to avoid residency requirements using the underground network run by demon and vampire "references"...

If she stayed in Sunnydale, she might speak to Spike about his vampire network connections...

She'd no desire to lose another year of school if it could be avoided...

And a Slayer deserves some breaks...

Willow was called away by Tara to look at gowns... Seeming quite relieved to get away from the computer and books...

They wouldn't be going for anything too elaborate but the robotic copy of one's best friend doesn't marry her vampire nemesis everyday...

Still she felt she had forgotten to mention something to Giles...But her head was throbbing...She'd think about it later...

As they all left, in came a new batch...

The vamp boys had delightedly strolled Sunnydale in daylight, under the terrified supervision of the Buffies and Cordelia...

Wesley couldn't help smiling at them...It was nice to see the boss in non-brood mode...He and Cordy had worried about Angel's reaction to the marriage news but he seemed genuinely glad for Spike...

Although of course his happiness needed to have some limits...Perhaps he should show him the books for last month...

Spike was planning to show "Granddad" his lab and office next...With Buffy Rebecca proudly in tow...

He'd never seen the place himself in daylight...

Angel was still trying to get past the idea of "Dr." Walthrop the "cybergenius"...

I mean it's nice that Spike is at last gainfully employed...But somehow he had never seen his "grandson" as a scientist...

Dawn brought a package over to the store after school...Addressed to Spike care of Buffy of all things...

Spike looked at Giles and Angel...And quietly suggested they open it outside...

He and Angel carefully took the box outside...Buffy Rebecca insisted on coming as well...

The others waited...Dawn suddenly realized why they were making such a fuss...

There couldn't be much doubt about who had sent it...

Angel, Spike, and Buffy Rebecca re-entered the store quietly...

Angel was trembling...Spike put his hand on his shoulder...

Giles looked at them...Buffy Rebecca handed him the package without a word...And hugged Spike gently...

The others came over to see...

Dru had decided to send a gift...Addressed to William Walthrop c/o Buffy Summers...Inside quite a lovely card, which Dru had headed "Dearest children..."

With an appropriate poem...

"A mother's love knows no bounds...

And the tie that binds is unbreakable..."

She had signed at the bottom...

"All my love on your wedding day...Mother..."

It actually was quite a lovely gift...A beautiful old necklace...

Which Angel recognized only too well...

The only piece of jewelry the human Drusilla had kept when she entered the convent where Angelis had murdered her...

The Tie That Binds...Part XII

Angel was troubled...Drusilla was after all his responsibility...

A feeling that Buffy secretly shared...And she did not doubt that BR felt likewise...

As much as they loved Angel...

Both she and Buffy Rebecca had realized who was in danger from Dru now...

Whatever hopes she might still have of destroying the Slayer...It was her "boy" who was the primary focus of her attention...

And who would be the more vulnerable of the Walthrops in facing her...

But Spike was determined to deal with Dru himself...And they all could see he felt it was a part of his redemption...Full circle to close the arc begun with a bad love poem and a chance meeting with a lost soul and psychotic vampiress...

He'd felt human Drusilla's agony down through the years in flashes...And never so much as when Willow had freed her for an instant...

Besides he wanted to see the old home ground...At last in daylight...And show his soon-to-be wife around...

And after all Walthrop wanted to earn his keep at his company...And Europe was a burgeoning market for bionetics..With BR at his side to cover the nuts and bolts...And his "instinctive persuasive abilities"...

Angel would have enough to do chasing Darla down... A Darla still hemmed in by Willow's restraint on attacking humans but sure to be deadly when cornered...

And Spike would have the assistance of the Greatest Slayer of All Time...

Buffy guiltily agreed... Poor Angel, he still had not fully realized what the merging of the two sisters' memories had done to her feelings for him...Still strong, but not what they had been...

She'd noticed a couple of nights ago he'd asked about Willow's resurrection spell with considerable interest...

Had he been...Considering it?...

Willow had warned him there was no way to guarantee which would control the resurrected body...soul or demon...At least in the case of such an old and experienced demon as Angelis...

As opposed to Buffy's newborn demon which had fearfully fled the death of the vampire body...

Another faint hope shattered...At least he hadn't counted on it...And he did not know her feelings for him had faded...

There was no reason to put this burden on him as well...She did her best to indicate that she fully agreed with Spike's view...Angel had enough to do...

But Angel had seen that she feared for Spike...

There were only two items to be settled...One fairly minor...

Buffy Rebecca wanted to see Giles alone...Just for a moment...

He couldn't resist teasing her about the hole in his wall...That she had made the day the gang had learned of her existence...When he "trapped" her in his storeroom...Which had weighed on her mind for weeks afterward...

She was still embarrassed about it...But much more nervous about her current request...

"Giles...I would love for you to give me away...But that's a privilege Buffy deserves..."

However they had decided it was best not to have a minister given the circumstances...Instead...if Giles would possibly consent to read the Anglican service...

At least to have an Englishman read the Church of England service would make Spike feel better...The next best thing...

Giles would be very pleased to do so...

And Warren, although a little startled, was for his part glad to oblige when she asked him to give her away...

The other was to be done the next day...but would be a strictly Summers' affair...Kept more or less in the background...

Only to spare the others more grief...

They'd had enough sorrow to last a lifetime...

However Spike and Angel had guessed what might be up and the Buffies found themselves rather anxious to have them come when they quietly asked about it...

Hank Summers deserved a decent memorial service...

Tara and Willow were continuing a gown hunt...

It was wending its way towards sunset and Willow was feeling increasingly restive...She couldn't find anything that suited...Let Tara decide, she was tired and ready to go home...

Tara noticed both her irritability and her lethargy...Willow decided it was best to show a happier face, found one gown and tried it in the dressing room...She wanted some privacy for what she needed to do...

Tara was sensing something wrong...And with her sensitivity...She wouldn't hurt Tara for the world...But she didn't want to be interfered with...Just something to dull her senses...

Just a mild, slightly sedative spell...

She might want to go for a walk alone tonight...In the cool fresh air...And Tara might get all...

So just something to keep her off her back...

Basey returned a bit grim from her apartment search...

Well, yes, prices were high...she told BR...But it was more the attitude of certain types towards a young black woman with a small child in tow...

She didn't expect rewards any more than any other Slayer...But..

Somehow, coming from a rather dully middle-class stable family in a quiet place like Craftsville she hadn't expected to be seen as just off the "mean streets of the ghetto"...

Oh, well...Still...Even if she had been...Well...

Buffy and Dawn wanted her to stay in any case...Besides they could use help with the mortgage and it would be more efficient for coordinating activities...

Which would likewise please BR...Knowing her sisters had extra help at close hand...While she was off with the hubs...

Willow and Tara returned with reasonable success from their hunt...Willow seemed much more animated, Giles noted...

She set to work with Wesley who thought he had a track on Dru...to Salt Lake City and a flight to New York...

Tara was a bit exhausted and even quieter than usual...

Though both were concerned to hear about Dru's little joke...

" 'The tie that binds is unbreakable'..." Willow read... And looked at Spike...

"She knows you're coming for her..."

"And is prepared to take me with her..." he finished for her...

"Not while I'm around..." Buffy Rebecca said grimly, joining them...

"Looks like it's become a daughter-in-law, mother-in-law thing..." Spike grinned at Willow...

"Where have my quiet bachelor days gone?..." he smiled at BR...

But he was worried...

Would he lose his new happiness before it had barely begun?...And yet...

William Walthrop had a duty to perform...To a lost and trapped young woman he'd never even met...Alive, at least...

Basey sat with Angel and Cordy for a bit...Although she was understandably nervous around vampires, he was after all, a little more of an outsider to the group...A common bond there...Although she was settling in quickly...

Besides she was fascinated by his story...And not a little by him...

Seeing that Basey had settled in with Angel, Buffy decided to spend a moment with her "stop-gap", Warren, who was still recovering from BR's request...

"So 'Dad'..." she teased... "Any advice you give to BR you should be sharing with me, you know..."

He smiled back...Nice to see her so much happier...

Really quite a lovely and sweet young woman underneath the implacable Slayer who'd once tortured him in order to find and destroy her robot double...

Basey's brother Leroy was not happy however...He kept staring at Willow...Who underneath a pose of contentment and interest in the goings-on was increasingly nervous...

She wanted a breath of fresh air...A long walk in the clear night outside...Why was the boy staring at her so?...

Basey and Angel noticed Leroy giving Willow the willies and Basey called to him...

He did not want to leave his post...And Willow now began to glare at him...

Basey went over to him...But Angel, watching from the table saw Willow's strange glare...

It was rather out of character...But she had been through a lot recently...

Willow wiped the anger away with an effort and was back to her usual self...

However, Tara being clearly exhausted...she felt it was time to head home...

From the table where Angel, Cordy, and Basey sat, Leroy quietly watched them leave...

"She's sick..." he turned to his sister... "Like you Basey..."

She apologized to Angel and Cordelia for her brother...He seen her at her worst during her time under Sentinus' thumb and was still frightened when he met new people, especially women...

"It must have been rough..." Cordelia started...

She nodded...

"I honestly believed I loved him for a while...But it was only his dream..."

"It took everything I had to destroy him... But the worst was...I think he actually came to care for me...He could have killed me at the end, but he hesitated..." she smiled a little at Angel...

"So I apologize if we both seem nervous around humanish vampires..."

Angel nodded...And smiled...

But his eyes were on the trail Willow and Tara had made in leaving...

Leto, vampire peacemaker and new leader of Sunnydale's undead, was sorely tried...

He desperately wanted to complete what he had begun with his old pal's granddaughter...He longed for companionship, especially that of one as sweet as gentle Willow...Someone fit to be at his side in the new era of peace and prosperity he had created...

But there was the rub...If he rushed, if the Slayers learned what he was up to...The peace and his new position of leadership would crumble into dust...And more than likely he himself along with it when they caught up with him...

He must proceed cautiously...He could see the night before they were very suspicious of him, although he and Willow had kept them from guessing the truth...

He decided to seek the advice of the most learned vampire he knew...His own sire, a "professional" in every sense of the word...With vast experience in dealing with humans and their world...

Phil, aka "The Voice" famed for his ability to acquire both knowledge and implements...And for his business acumen...

Who had forged numerous stable and profitable business relationships with humans, thanks to his legendary self-control...

Who had been one of the strongest initial boosters of the peace...

After all, violence is bad for business...

Phil was quite pleased to be consulted by his "son"...And proud of his boy's success...Although he himself preferred to operate in the shadows as befitted "the Voice"...

He agreed that caution was imperative...But he also agreed that to win the Slayer's dearest friend would be a major plus...In terms of information alone...Not to mention the additional leverage on the Slayer's emotions...If it could be done in a way that would not arouse her suspicions and wrath...

Leto had made an excellent start...Now he must be patient...Simply keep the young lady under his influence by the barest minimum...Never see her without heavily feeding first...And know the Slayer's (Slayers', Leto corrected, much to Phil's shock...Three Slayers? in Sunnydale?...)

movements at all times...

And when the time was perfect...a quick transformation...done without any suspicion falling on him...

Followed by a hunt, a quest of noble proportions...Carried out by the peacemaker Leto anxious to assist the Slayers' dear friend, a poor girl trapped in a terrible predicament...Finding her, lost in a new and dark world...Saving her from performing what might have been unspeakable

acts...Winning new credit with the Slayers as their friend's protector...and restrainer...

A very profitable scenario...

Phil gave him some pointers on improving self-control...Deep breathing, heavy blood drinking beforehand, a good and vigorous work-out...leads to a cool head and a focused mind...

And promised him any assistance he might need...

Willow had been vaguely disappointed to reach home without a visit from...someone...Who?...

She couldn't quite put her finger on a name or face...But someone...

But as Tara was still groggy from her mild spell and went to sleep quickly, she decided to take a stroll in the night air...

With the hope of a meeting...

Which after a time was granted...

Leto was restrained and courteous...Taking and giving just enough to keep Willow "interested"...

Despite her strongly urging him on to complete the task...He comforted her with the assurance that they would be together...forever...quite soon enough...And pointed out the benefits of a slow process which she reluctantly accepted...

A meeting she had soon forgotten on returning home...Almost completely...

The Tie That Binds...Part XIII

It was a meeting held under "unusual" conditions...A room filled with guards bearing crossbows...and standing ready by blind-closed windows...

Dru had sought a "face-to-face" meeting with Sir Harold of Wolfram-Hart, Europe...

She wanted to discuss her maternal difficulties as well as the possibilities of her employment...

Sir Harold reluctantly agreed...If it were done in daylight...Dru alone...With Wolfram-Hart, America flat on its back, a powerful vampire like Drusilla could be a vital ally...And they had common enemies..Angelis, the Slayer,...and now William the Bloody...

Whom Sir Harold had encountered once...sixty years ago at Leningrad, when as liaison to Hitler's Death's Head SS Legion/Vampiral he had accompanied the force in an attack...Which had been shattered by the efforts of William the Bloody, posing as a newsman and a Soviet Slayer...

Even then William the Bloody had been an occasional renegade to the cause of true evil...Now he was likely to become as great a threat as the reformed Angelis...

Sir Harold had weighed the options of an alliance with Dru...One that would offer an opportunity for personal as well as corporate revenge...

Time and a long role as a mild-mannered English barrister had not mellowed him...

Sir Harold was indeed in magnificent shape for a man of over eighty...One of the fringe benefits of working for WH, access to all sorts of life-prolonging secrets...

To crown his career with the destruction of the Greatest Slayer of All Time and William the Bloody, famed vampire traitor...Yes, it was worth risking Dru's more unique forms of "memo"...

And in fact she seemed quite chastened by her recent defeats...Quite anxious to win his support and aid...

Hardly the psycho he'd been warned about...Still...

He sensed it was best to keep any meetings on a strictly professional basis...

Angel sought out Giles...And described what he had seen of Willow's and Leroy's behaviors...

And his own sensations...After all, no one better to sense a vampire's touch...

Willow had proven after all to be perhaps the most formidable member of the gang...In her own way

possibly more powerful than any of the Slayers themselves... If some enemy

had learned the full extent of Willow's abilities...

It seemed unlikely that it would be Darla...She was almost certainly still battling Willow's and Giles' restraints...Besides she would not wait in transforming Willow and would not hesitate to let them know exactly who had destroyed her...

Some new enemy or perhaps...a forgotten older one...

It made sense, Giles agreed...He seen more than ever in their last battle how dangerously powerful Willow's abilities had grown...And yet she remained so vulnerable...Yes, it might very well be...

And if it was true, they had to proceed with the utmost caution...As an enemy, with her knowledge of their weaknesses and her ever-increasing powers, Willow might prove the most formidable they'd ever encountered...

And if Buffy found out...In her present fragile condition...Even poor Buffy Rebecca would be shattered...

Buffy would be destroyed...

He sighed...Too soon, too soon back to the old fight...All of them were so exhausted...If only it would turn out to be a mistake, overcaution on Angel's part...But he was not going to take any chances...

And there was help at hand...A new Slayer who understood all about thrall and its forms...Who could assist Angel in watching Willow...Until they were sure and could learn the source of the evil threatening her...

Ms. Granger had her first assignment...

Before they all left the store, Cordelia had a vision...

Buffy Rebecca...unconscious?...dead?.. on a vast field of grasses, near a high cliff looking out to sea...

Spike standing beside her...throwing his daylight ring off into a nearby field...And collapsing...

The Walthrops...Defeated...At Dru's hands, perhaps?...

She told Wesley in private...

He begged her to keep silent about it for now...Yes, they should tell Giles and later, after the wedding, both the Walthrops if necessary...But after this terrible yet joyous month surely everyone deserved one bright, happy day...

Before the clouds closed in on them all again...

The Tie That Binds...Part XIV

There were no clouds on Buffy Rebecca's wedding day...

The brief service for Hank the day before had been a trial but the Summers' were comforted to know they had done something for Dad...

And comforted by the thought that he had proved himself, at the end, a true Summers...Even if his last effort to save them had failed...

Dawn was sure he was with Mom...wherever...

And while her sisters were not so sure they would be together...They were sure Mom would look after him...

And, thanks to BR's spirit time they could be sure...Both parents were out there...

Spike noted BR's and Buffy's faces...As haggard as the night he and BR had watched over Joyce's grave together...But both happy to have done what they could to let their Dad know he was not forgotten...

On the wedding morn, Angel was relieved to learn that Basey had confirmed his observations of the past two nights that Willow had not been further approached...by anything...

And now was at last a time for a little joy...

BR marched from the house in her gown to the tune Walthrop's mum had loved and that he had given to her..."I Know Where I'm Going..."

Actually, an Irish tune, an amused Angel pointed out to his "grandson"...

Always knew the lad had a touch of the blarney...

With her sisters at hand and Tara, Willow, Anya, and Basey in support...

And 'Dad' Warren on her arm...

Giles performed the reading of the ceremony in the Summers' back yard...

While both the Buffies watched over Angel and Spike like hawks...

Decked out in tuxes for the first time in...Well, ever...

Fortunately Spike's best man had been available to assist them in dressing...

But the Buffies would be happier when they were safely inside...

Spike gave BR a ring fashioned on the one his mother had worn...Walthrop's mother, Amelia, not Drusilla...as best as he could remember it to the jeweler...

A little Victorian but lovely...The second gift BR had received from her mother-in-law...Third if you counted the blushing groom...

Warren, as stand-in dad had arranged for the small hall where the reception was held...

Xander was on...

He'd discussed his speech at length with Anya...And briefly with Giles...

Both thought it was a good one...Still...

"Nobody had more doubts about this thing..." he nods to Spike and BR...who smiles at him...

"...than yours truly...After all,..." he indicates Spike who grins back... "This guy has been trying to kill us for the past few years...Though with pretty poor marksmanship..."

"But...I now think it will all work out...In fact, I know it will..."

He pauses...

"A certain lady we all know...sent us a message recently...And told us that her hold on William Walthrop was unbreakable..."

"Tough luck, Dru..." he smiles... "That tie is broken..."

"But there is an unbreakable tie that still does bind our friend Will and poor Drusilla, the human soul...Not the one her demon wanted to gloat about...Not one based on hate and suffering..."

"The tie that we all share...That comes to us through our three Slayers..." he nods at them and they nervously smile back...Why, Alexander Harris...

"The tie based on their love and compassion...Even for the most cursed...The reason we love them and will always be here for them..."

"That's the tie that will never be broken..."

"No matter what may happen to us in the future..."

"And that tie is the basis for the love our two friends share...And why I know that love will triumph..."

"So, God bless our two friends...And may they see the endless happy days they both have earned...The hard way..." he grins at Spike...

"To the tie that binds us..." he raises his glass...Angel and Wesley on their feet to cheer...

"Hear, hear..." calls Giles...Banging on his glass...

The two elder members of the group proved to be most proficient at dancing...Especially considering they were each over 100...

Although Giles was by no means far behind...Particularly with Basey as his partner...

Who was still fascinated by his charming accent...

Willow was in better spirits though more tired...But she enjoyed the fruits of "Operation Distraction" as she watched Buffy and Warren dancing...

Amazingly enough the "cybergenius" could do a mean waltz...

Courtesy of his eminent partner...who had thought it was high time to return some of his friend's favors...

While Dawn attempted to deal with the many dance requests thrown her way...

Buffy Rebecca taking a brief break, discussed the future with her sister and the rest of the gang periodically dropping in from the dance floor...

The Walthrops would of course return to Sunnydale...She and Spike thought the Crestwood-McGarvey area would be good for them...A little run-down, but with some fine old homes...And somewhat in need of the Slayer's attention...At least if the current peace broke down...

But she was a little down about...one thing... Not that she had anything to complain about... After being resurrected and all...Twice if you counted Buffy's as hers as well...

And of course...Being more or less immortal...it might have been difficult to face...the inevitable loss...

And who knew how Spike would have handled...Fatherhood?...

Of course, they could adopt... If he would agree and if well, they could adjust to the idea of outliving their children...

Spike...A father?...Buffy, Willow, Anya...somewhat shocked...It hadn't occurred...Well, ok it had occurred to Buffy...After all...

Still...to actually talk about it...

Wow...

But the "cybergeniuses" had a little surprise for their favorite girl...

Which Spike had been sitting on for a week...Nervous that BR would be utterly against any thought of children...raised by a vampire father...even a reformed vampire father able to go out in the daylight on occasion...

A new product, courtesy of their breakthroughs in bionetics...Which he had learned about while reviewing the company's line for his European excursion...

He'd only once seen BR shocked...When he told her he had his first job interview in over a century...At her birthplace, Xortox Labs...

And even then she'd been somewhat prepared...He had been working there as Warren's assistant already...Supposedly on his own grant...

This...she was definitely not prepared for...

All the gang gathered...

"It would only take a minor installation..." Warren explains... "You already have a blood synthesizer and bio-mass utilization unit..."

"And I...well...left room..." he adds, a little embarassed...

Of course they'd have to review the occult side of things with Giles... Spike told her...Make sure no demon could be passed on...But as for his...biology...All systems go...

And there was one small additional thing...One thing Warren couldn't generate...

Oh...right...Buffy thought...Oh!...

"Oh...you need an egg donor..." Anya says happily... "Buffy, isn't that great...You could be the donor..."

"Hey, what a great idea..." Dawn chimes in...No one had noticed her slipping into the conversation...

Dawn was quickly removed to the far corner of the hall by Xander...

Geesh, as if we weren't taught biology at school...she thought...

Egg donor?...me?...thinks Buffy...Me, the biological mother of Spike's?...

Sis?...thinks BR...The biological mother of our?...

"It doesn't have to be you..." Spike nervously puts in...

Oh, really...

"I'll have to think this one out..." both Buffies in stereo...

Still...

The Tie That Binds...Part XV

After the Buffies recovered from the shock of the "cybergeniuses" breakthrough news...The Walthrops left for Spike's...Now Spike's and BR's...

Although she would still occasionally need the biotank...Possibly once a month...Warren had told her...

Great...she thought...What if...

"I can break down the main components and ship them with you...Spike can set up a new one in Europe...Shouldn't be a major problem..." he reassured her...

Great...dragging that thing with me...forever...

Well...existence, happiness, love, resurrection, possibly motherhood...I can't ask too much of "Dad"...In fact...

"You know, Buffy will really need some companionship while we're away..." she looked at Warren...with an open-hearted wide-eyed Buffy stare...

Buffy asked Angel to take her back to the house...

She was feeling guilty...She'd been avoiding him a bit...

"So...that's what you look like in a tux...In the daylight..." she smiles at him...

"I couldn't have looked worse than Spike...Did you see him tremble all through the service?..." Angel grins back at her...

She laughs...Full and heartily...

First time in so long...At least I can still make her a little happier...he thinks...

"We hit him with that all afternoon...He got us back good though...When Buffy Rebecca and I heard the 'cyberboys' start talking about their 'breakthrough'.."

"Is there no limit to what Science can do?..." Angel laughs...

"Your grandson...the Doctor..." she takes his hand...And turns a little serious... "Well...I guess it's been a little hard on you...Everything at once..."

"Nothing compared to what it's been like for you, Buffy..." he looks at her...

"It's been hell...Well now I know a little of what you go through every day..." she nods...And pauses...

"I've acquired...Some of BR's memories...During our merged time..." she looks sheepishly at him... "They've screwed me up...Just a little...So if I've seemed...distant..."

"It doesn't surprise me that you'd grow to feel something for old Spike...My grandson is a promising lad, after all..." he smiles again... "And you have a heart that can embrace any creature capable of returning affection... I should know..."

He always makes it easy for me...she thinks...And I give him so little...

"I won't let them...Crowd out what we've had..." she pauses...

"What matters to me is that you're happy, Buffy..." he looks at her... "If I could give you that...I wouldn't hesitate to fight...But...for now at least...I can't..."

"Besides...from what Warren told me about BR's nature...There must be a potential Buffy out there

for me too..." he grins again...

"There'll always be a Buffy right here who loves you..." she says, taking his hand... "Always..."

"That's why I keep coming back..." he nods... "But this is sounding like good-bye...And I've no intention of heading out just yet..."

"So...I can finally show you the Sunnydale sights..."

"It's what I live for...But..." he pauses...

"I'm thinking of sending Wes and Cordy back early...To cover for me..." he grins...

"Slavedriver..." Buffy teases...And kisses him... "I'm glad you came...And glad you'll be here for a while..."

"Well, Spike is not the only fellow ready to wait for a Buffy for all eternity..."

"Someday..." she smiles sadly at him...

"Someday..." he nods...

He left for Giles'...

He was more determined than ever to save Willow...

Basey had gone back with Giles to the store after sending her brother home with Dawn via Xander...

They had to discuss the Willow situation in private...She felt rather guilty...Her exam of Willow the night of what must have been her attack had turned up nothing...

But Giles reassured her...If not for her brother, even Angel would not have guessed...At least not until it was too late...Whoever was involved was obviously proceeding slowly and cautiously...

Angel joined them a few minutes later...He was now a guest of Giles in any case so there would be no suspicion aroused on Buffy's or BR's part by his coming over...

It was likely Willow's transformation pace would be moved up with the departure of the Walthrops...One less Slayer to worry about...

She would have to be watched 24/7 from now on...But it was also imperative that she not catch on...At least until Giles could prepare some powerful restraints on her...Possibly Tara could assist there but that also would call for caution...Her behavior the previous night suggested that Willow was already watching her and might learn what was up through her if they brought her in...

Giles could however give them a very general protective spell against witchcraft, supported by some amulets to ward off negative spells...

That might afford some protection if she caught on to their surveillance...

This...is ridiculous...thought Spike...

I've been with her before...There is no reason on Earth to be nervous...And yet...

The only other time was in a crypt...After her resurrection...

She wasn't exactly in a normal frame of mind...Now...This time...

The start of everyday life with Buffy Rebecca...

She burst in on his reverie...In her nightgown...Looking...utterly...

"Are you as nervous as I am?..." she grins at him...And takes his hand...

"Shattered with terror..." he admits...

"We'll be fine...in the end...I'm sure of it..." she laughs... "My first night in a real bed...I just realized it..."

"I...haven't done anything...to deserve this..." he chokes a little...

She looks at him calmly and clearly...And takes his hand again...

"William Walthrop has done nothing not to deserve this...As for his demon...It's never going to be here...Between us..."

He was crying...just a little...

"Poor Angel..." he says to her... "Poor fellow, he's the one...who really..."

"He has Buffy..." she looks at him... "He does... Even if he has to wait ...And he has his own road to take...You and I have each other..."

She grins... And hugs him...

"After all, I personally prefer blondes...and good immortal ones are hard to come by..."

Oh...the indescribable and absolute joy...

The Tie That Binds...Part XVI

Buffy Rebecca was up early the next morning...Her new hubs, not yet quite used to a day schedule was sleeping in...

She had plans anyway...To meet for breakfast with her sis...Just a quiet chance for them to be alone together before things got insane again...

Besides...Buffy wanted details...and Buffy Rebecca, being Buffy...wanted to share them...With the one person who would understand her completely...

Plus, she wanted to know Buffy's plans and the details of her talk with Angel...

She was, of course, careful to secure Spike's daylight ring before she left...And to double check the apartment windows...

No way was she taking any chances with her "cybergenius"...

Spike awoke a little while after she left...And was briefly terrified...

It was much too likely to have been a beautiful dream...

Fortunately, BR had anticipated his reaction and left a note reminding him of her plan to rendevous with her sis...

He was a little irritated for a moment to find she had hidden or taken his ring...Surely after more than a century of surviving countless foes...

Still, what a joy to know someone cared...Even if she viewed him as a somewhat incompetent clod...

Giles called...He knew the Buffies were meeting and thought Spike might like some breakfast company...Could he and Cordelia stop by?...They'd bring bagels...

They would be very welcome...

Cordelia told him of her vision, reluctantly...

He nodded...It made sense...And he knew Dru would make a powerful foe...

"It could be from the distant future, Spike..." Giles reassured him... "And in any case...I've learned, ever since the Master's little game not to trust completely in prophecy..." he nods to Cordy... "With all due respect to the accuracy Cordelia's visions have always shown..."

"And remember I saw Buffy's attack on Willow...And she survived it..." Cordy put in hopefully...

Spike couldn't help noticing Giles flinch a little when Cordelia mentioned Willow...He looked at Giles...Something else wrong?...

"But we want you to be as prepared as possible...And forewarned is forearmed..." Giles finished...

Spike thanked them...

"We know it will be dangerous...We'll take every precaution we can..."

"But thanks, Cordelia...An ounce of prevention, you know..."

Cordelia needed to use the facilities...And wanted to peek around Spike's place...

Spike took advantage of the moment alone...

"Giles...Is there something else?..."

Giles nodded and mouthed Willow's name...

No...thought Spike...Not so soon, and not poor Red...Powerful and dangerous poor Red...he corrected...

Cordy came back...Spike had a request...BR had meant for him to get a few things in case guests dropped by...But she'd forgotten to leave his ring...Would she possibly drop by the little store around the corner...Just a very short list...

She was happy to...But...

"You know guys, I'm not quite as brain dead as I may appear...If you need to talk you just have to ask..." she grinned as she went out...

"Our team is always full of surprises and unsuspected talents..." Giles smiled at him...

"Amen to that..." Spike grinned...

Now as to Willow's "situation"...

BR was very pleased to hear that Buffy was putting some distance between herself and the Spike memories she acquired from BR...And that she had gone a long way toward restoring her relationship with Angel...At least to the extent it could be a relationship...

And Buffy was sincerely happy to see BR's joy...And amused to hear of the newlyweds' nervousness...

Just like any other couple...

They would be diverging a little from now on, BR pointed out...She had the fixed relationship, a firm pattern to her life from now on...Just as she'd always known...

Of course, a firm pattern likely to have some incredible ups-and-downs...

Just one of the potential paths for Buffy...A wonderful one, but...

But...And she smiled at her sis...Buffy had the unfixed route...Wide open to all potentials...And as tough as it might seem now...There was something wonderful to be said for that, too...

Buffy nodded...

"But it will be good to know I will always have you to count on, sis..." she grinned...Taking BR's hand... "A little fixed reliability in this universe is a pretty valuable thing...And even Giles, Willow, and Xander can't be there for me forever..."

And to think I was out to destroy her without mercy only a few weeks ago...

Spike agreed that their plan was the right way to go...Nothing should be done to arouse Willow's reaction, sure to be a dangerous one...

And with Angel around he was sure Willow would be saved...But, perhaps he and BR should delay their departure?...

Giles thought not...To change plans now would almost certainly arouse Willow's suspicions...And Basey and Angel could keep her covered with a little help from himself and Xander if necessary...

Hmmn...Much as he loved and respected his "best man"...Still Giles was right...

But as to the nature of their enemy...

He agreed that Darla was unlikely for now...Dru, almost certainly not...

But what about the actual vampires who attacked Willow and Tara the night of the party?...One of the three had escaped?...And Leto had appeared out of nowhere...Supposedly to "help"?...

"Leto is a possibility of course..." Giles noted... "He knows Willow from his human days...But...his status as peacemaker would collapse if he were to have done anything like this...And he clearly enjoys his position..."

"And the third one...The one who escaped...Has Leto come up with anything on him?..."

"He gave us a possible name the other day, via the network...One Theodore...Who has seemed to be opposed to the peace from the start..." Giles was thoughtful...

"Then it sounds like he's a good place to start..."

"Yes, if we can catch up with him...And take him alive..." Giles looked at Spike...

"Well, BR and I have two days before we leave...Maybe Angel and I should make the rounds of Sunnydale haunts..." Spike grinned... Reviving the old days already...Wait until the Missus finds out...

"It might be worth a try...But Spike, remember...Both you and Angel are very well known here...You can't hope to pass as ordinary vampires...And I for one do not want to see Buffy Rebecca a widow before her honeymoon..." Giles regarded him carefully...

"We'll be on guard...With BR in close support I have no doubt..." Spike grinned at Giles...

"Don't worry...she can deal with this...Even if Buffy can't right now...Besides..."

"She'd kill me if I did it any other way..."

Theodore was indeed in hiding...Leto having stage managed his escape during the fight with the three Slayers while, much to their own surprise, Theodore's "pals", agents of Leto, had been sacrificed...

Theodore was the essential ingredient in Leto's plan after all...The vampire renegade who was subjecting poor gentle Willow to a fate worse than death...From which the noble Leto would attempt to rescue her...Alas, without success...

That is, if his scenario worked out...So far, so good...

Theodore, grateful for Leto's protection, had no idea of his status as a pawn and was quite willing now to follow his instructions...for his own safety, naturally...

Now it was merely necessary to bring Theodore and Willow together one last time...under the appropriate conditions...Once the Slayers had been reduced by one, plus the famed vampire traitor William the Bloody, now almost a Slayer himself...Off to their honeymoon, according to

what Willow had told him...

To make things that much easier...

And Willow was increasingly willing to cooperate...

Even anxious...For the beginning of her new...existence...

The gang had a full meeting at the airport to see Benedictus off on his way to Greece...

Good old Ben...They would miss him...Particularly a certain young Ms. Summers...Deep in the throes of hero-worship...

He grinned at Buffy Rebecca...Victor over his maniacal sister...Who was in fact well on her way to becoming a much happier person as a result of her efforts...If somewhat less glorious...

"I don't know if Glory would thank you if she could...But I sure do..." he said to her...

"You saved Dawn for us, Ben...More than thanks enough..." she took his hand...As did Buffy, coming over...

"I still can't quite get used to the two of you...But then...I guess both our families are 'interesting'..."

"Give me best to Dreg..." BR grinned... "A brave little guy even if he was on the wrong side..."

"He's happy...Has all he ever really wanted..." Ben smiled...

Dawn clung close by...And followed him down to the boarding area...With her sisters in close...

"Goodbye...Ms. Summers..." Ben said formally... With a twinkle... "Hope that trip to Greece comes off for you..."

Trip to Greece?...The Buffies wondered...

"Goodbye Ben...Please write..." Dawn hugged him...

These Summers girls...he thought...Well, he was after all immortal...And who knew but that someday... He looked at the nervous Buffies who were clearly thinking the same...

Well, we'll see...

He waved to them as he headed out to the plane...

All in all, the Buffies couldn't help thinking...Not the worst possible match-up for Dawn...Especially if she turns out to be an immortal herself...

Still...Glory...as a sister-in-law?...

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it...

Anyway...unless Warren makes up a Xander-bot...you really couldn't do much better than a benevolent god of mercy and healing...With a medical practice...

And Warren is emphatically out of that line of the business...

Unless of course an emergency ever requires...A little extra help...

The Tie That Binds...Part XVII

Buffy Rebecca was heart-broken to hear from Spike of Willow's danger...

But...grateful that the still recovering Buffy had been spared the terrible news...And even more grateful that he trusted her to handle the truth...

Even though he knew she would insist on playing at least a supporting role in the hunt for Theodore...

The basis for their lasting relationship...

Fortunately those not yet in the know about Willow would assume the Walthrops were "occupied"...And that Angel was assisting Basey on patrol to give Buffy a few more evenings solid rest...

There were two basic possibilities...Either Theodore was the cause of the problem, a relatively basic vamp attack, to be dealt with in the traditional manner...Or, he was a pawn in someone else's game...

In either case, the fact that they were known might actually help Spike and Angel in their efforts...By bringing the enemy openly out after them...Theodore or whoever...

BR promised to be "discreet" in backing them up...

"Discreet"...thought Spike...Yes, the Slayer wandering through every vamp den in Sunnydale...Nervously watching out for her new hubs and her old boyfriend...That ought to be "discreet"...

Still...to have somebody care...And not in a well-meaning "Sorry you got staked, Spike...We'll miss your rapid-fire repartee..." kind of way...

But he was equally nervous for her...She was a little too inclined to view herself as indestructible...And he could not get Cordelia's vision out of his mind...

Still, there should be no grassy fields or cliffs where they would be going...Tonight...

Sir Harold, head of Wolfram-Hart, Europe sent good tidings to his new partner, Drusilla...

Arrangements were in place to keep surveillance on the Walthrops from the moment they left Sunnydale...

They would never be out of sight of an agent of Wolfram-Hart... Even better he had secured the Montir pendant from what remained of WH, America for her use...

Allowing her the chance to approach the Slayer and her vampire undetected by their heightened sensibilities...But...

He was not entirely happy with Dru's rather vague plan...To capture the Slayer when she was alone, put her in thrall, and use her as an appropriate instrument against her boy...It smacked of the failures of the past, particularly Darla's...

Surely the situation called for a quick and neat assassination...Why take chances?...

But Dru had her heart set on having a close relationship with her new daughter-in-law...Not by any means a permanent one, like that which Darla had envisioned... in fact quite temporary...But close nonetheless...

Buffy would be on Dru's home ground now...Without the support of her friends...Save one...

Who would be kept suitably occupied until Buffy was properly prepared...

Drusilla had always set great store by her powers in hypnosis and thrall...At least for short periods...

And once Buffy was in her power, all she would need would be a few minutes, an hour...at most part of a day...

However the new, fear-shaken Dru was willing to be reasonable...Sir Harold's practical approach was a excellent back-up plan...

And for his part, Sir Harold did appreciate the beauty of Dru's scheme...William the Bloody destroyed by the source of his redemption...The Slayer dying with the agonizing knowledge she

had killed him...

Dru's mind had an exquisite beauty all its own...

Spike and Angel were discussing their plans for the evening at Spike's when Buffy and Xander dropped by...Bearing gifts...

Old photos, some keepsakes, a few extra furniture bits...which Buffy knew BR would appreciate having...

"Hi guys...Will, I've brought some stuff for BR and you from the house..." she greeted them...And kissed Angel, looking at them both...

Xander was struggling manfully with several boxes...But also watching them...

Spike was pleased to see Buffy looking so well...A little more rest and she would be back in form...And I'm back to Will again...A little less tension in our relationship won't hurt a bit...

He was also pleased to have to put off the current conversation for a bit and concentrate on happier matters...

They briefly discussed the pleasanter aspects of the upcoming honeymoon...But Spike noticed Xander watching him...and Angel for that matter...

A sudden burst of caution on Harris' part?...Commendable of course, but hardly...

Buffy noticed him looking at Xander...watching him...

She chuckled and kissed him...gently...

Wait a minute...

"Well?..." Buffy Rebecca says... "Human or robot?...Could you tell?..."

Angel was startled...But then he'd never thought about it...He actually couldn't tell...

"I've told Xander about Willow..." she explains... "Basey will need help watching Willow...And if Willow does realize she's there...Well, she loves Xander...It might restrain her..."

Xander nods...

She had thought about tonight's excursion as well...And there was a reason behind her little play-acting...Just give her a mo in the bathroom...

Both Angel and Spike were beginning to see...Ok, she could pass for human well enough to even fool a vampire...

But...

Rebecca Walthrop, brunette college student emerged from the bathroom...With a few more years added to her face, courtesy of a little practice and some manipulation of her facial musculature...A little advice from "Dad" had helped...

"What do you think?..."

Not bad...Great actually...A stranger could be fooled...But...

A human woman wandering around the local vamp dens...Who vaguely resembled the famed Slayer?...

"I just need one additional touch...If you would do the honors, sweetie..." she turns to Spike...

What?...

"A bite scar...I need a bite scar...You know, helpless human in thrall...Waiting in the den for her soon-to-be-sire...Happens all the time..." she smiles...

A perfect cover story...Well, a good enough one at least...

Even in this current peace-time there were bound to be a few hapless humans happily waiting to be finished off...And very few vampires would play with another fellow's food...

"Wait...I won't...Break anything?..." Spike was nervous...

"Only your teeth if you're not careful...And mind your chip...You've been frying your brain enough recently..." she glares a little at him...And turns to Angel...

"I would ask you, Angel...But this is kind of a couple's personal thing..." she grins...

She dragged Walthrop in tow to the bathroom...A little privacy for an intimate moment...

Xander looked at Angel...Angel looked at Xander...

Ummn...Anything to take their minds off what was going on...

A slight moan from...Spike...in the bathroom...

"Arghh!...Bloody Christ!..." they hear...

"Spike!...Watch it..." BR's voice drifts in to them...

"Sorry..." Spike again...

A slight moan...Now from Buffy Rebecca...

"Nice girl that Basey..." Xander says brightly...And loudly...

"Yes, indeed...First-rate Slayer..." Angel nods...

BR came out...Looking...A little dazed?...

They looked at each other again...

She grins at them...Clear-eyed again...And shows her new scar...

Masterful job...notes Angel...Spike always had a neat touch...

"Thrall enough for you?..." she grins...

Spike was a little worse for wear...Not so much the chip as feeling guilty...

She patted him gently...No harm done...And...

"I'm afraid I have no inclination to kneel at your feet, honey..." she smiles...

Fortunately for their upcoming battle with Dru...Warren's passion for accuracy had not extended quite that far...

But then he had never had much vamp experience before his friendship with Spike...

Consider it a trial run...Buffy Rebecca had comforted her hubs...

A chance for them to retest their mutual skills in the field before the major effort...

With Angel around, and the peace agreement in force as yet...there would be little danger...For either of them...

And after all, they were the Walthrops...the Summers-Walthrops now...The defeaters of the Goddess of Glory and Victory and the mighty Darla...

Facing a passel of frightened, cowed little vamps...

No problem...Willow was practically saved already...

He knew she was lying of course...And would be watching him every second, terrified...

Likewise the basis of their lasting relationship...

The Tie That Binds...Part XVIII

Angel, Xander, and Buffy Rebecca decided to give Walthrop a chance to recover from his efforts...They needed to collect a few things from Giles for Basey's and Xander's Willow surveillance anyway.

Impressed as he was by BR's ability to disguise herself and pleased that her robotic nature could indeed protect her against thrall, Angel, like her "Dr." Walthrop, was worried about her...

And took the opportunity to let her know his concerns...Which Xander was glad to reinforce...

She had after all been killed once...And anyone with a human soul, even a robot, was potentially in jeopardy of losing it...

"Don't underestimate whoever we're up against..." he cautions... "Not to mention Dru..."

No one knew Dru's potential like Angel...

She nods... "I'm not forgetting Dru has abilities I can't imagine...And, well... 'Dad' reminded me that even if I can't be turned...or be put in thrall...I can be hurt...killed...I could even be hypnotized..."

Now Xander was getting nervous...That was how Kendra died...

"And believe me, I don't want any of the above...For any of us...So..." she grins at them...Her dear fellas...So great to have them back with her...And to know they'd be around for Buf...If only Riley would get a move on...

"We're all going to be careful...And frankly I think we need to bring in more help..."

She looks at them...

"But guys...we don't have to make William any more nervous than he already is...Right?..."

They nod...

She is Buffy...thought Angel...No doubt about it...

Amazing what Science can accomplish...Shaking his head...These humans...

Xander left to take up his watch over Willow with Ms. Granger...Provided with extra protection by Giles' amulets...

The rest, Angel, Giles, and BR, were still uncertain about discussing things with Tara...Too dangerous if she was already being manipulated by Willow...And difficult to get her safely alone in any case...

But they agreed it was time to bring in Wesley and Cordelia...Who could provide backup for the Walthrops and Angel, particularly in the form of getaway transport...In case things suddenly got hairy...

And, since Buffy would need some company to keep her occupied...Warren and Anya were likewise included...

Willow threw a slight wrench into the works by heading over to Buffy's with Tara...

She thought Buf might be lonely with BR at Spike's and Basey and Angel on patrol...

And she was worried about Tara...Who still seemed lethargic at times...Delayed after effects of her exposure to Glory, perhaps?...

She wanted to discuss it with Buffy...Let her see and judge...Without upsetting her sweetie unnecessarily...

As for herself, she was feeling better, if a little run down... Though she had the odd feeling she had something to tell Buffy...Something important she couldn't quite remember...

"Where's Xander?..." she asked Anya, pleased to see she and Warren had come out as well to keep Buffy company...

"Oh...doing carpenter things...Sawing and nailing and...carpenter things...He may be by later..."

"Dedicated man..." Willow grinned...

Tara was a little pooped but began a conversation with Warren on his "breakthrough" in maternal cybernetics...Which was of considerable interest to Buffy...

There was no better place in Sunnydale to start than Willie's...

Where much to their surprise, Angel and Spike found themselves tolerably welcome...A few patrons turned their backs, most simply ignored them, while Willie the Snitch was all congeniality...

Peace had been very good for Willie...

And Leto, now the vampire power in town, had requested that the Slayer or any of her friends be treated with the greatest courtesy when visiting any haunts...

Which was enough for Willie to display his full charm...And to keep his "underground" clients in line...

But he had "nothing" for them when they requested any information on Theodore...Just that he was a loudmouth, the usual self-appointed Slayer-destroyer...

The twenty dropped causally on the table caught Willie's eye for a moment...Two more brought up a "friend", one Max who had known Theodore in happier days...

They made it clear that Theodore would be offered an amnesty...If he turned himself over at once...Information was all they wanted...At present...

Max agreed to let the word be spread...Not that he knew anything specific...But as a friend of the peace...

No one recognized the dazed-eyed brunette, of about thirty or so, who entered while Angel and Spike were quizzing Willie and his informant...

Just another happy meal, looking for her would-be sire...A little embarrassing, perhaps, given the peace and all...

"Well?..." Spike asked Angel on leaving...

They'd considered a call on Leto...But wanted to hold such a meeting in reserve...

"Let's wait a bit...See what Max does..."

Walthrop was happy enough to wait for his Missus to emerge in any case...

They took up a position in the nearest shadowy corner...

"Just like old times, eh boy..." Angel grinned at Spike...Who for his part could have foregone the good old days, thanks... He rather preferred the present...Or would when the Missus showed herself in one piece...

To Spike's intense relief, BR emerged a few moments later unscathed...

She kept up her dazed act, standing near the entrance...

Max emerged a bit later...looking distinctly nervous...

They followed discreetly...

Willow had begun the evening at Buffy's in good spirits but was growing tense and nervous as time wore on...

She had described Tara's symptoms to Buffy...Who agreed there might be good cause to have her checked out...

After all, it was several days before BR had shown the aftereffects of the electroshock that had shattered Glory...

But somehow Willow herself worried Buffy more...She seemed unusually irritable, especially around young Leroy and Dawn...And was rather curt with Anya...

Who for that matter did seem to be hovering a lot over Willow...

Xander and Basey reluctantly stayed near the house...Not much they could do with Willow in the Summers'...But at least she was inside and safe...

So far no signs of anything lurking around, trying to make contact...

Basey tried out her English accent on Xander... She had developed it watching the movie "Chicken Run"...

English accents were so classy...How'd hers compare with Giles'?...

Fascinating guy that Giles...By the way, did Xander happen to know if he was presently...

Hmmn...Xander thought...Brits are definitely in with Slayers this week...

Leto had almost instantly received word of Angel's and Spike's sleuthing...He was not especially disturbed...He had in fact counted on the Slayers or their friends becoming suspicious of Willow...And trying to locate good old Ted...

He just had to make sure events put Theodore and Willow together at the right moment...And allowed for his heroic rescue attempt...

Just a matter of stage-management and proper timing...With the Slayers' nearests and dearests in position as suitable eyewitnesses...

Max had headed for a relatively new vamp hangout, The Raven's Hair...

Rather easily catching up to her vamp boys, BR suggested they let her go in alone...She would be just the April equivalent of a poor soul in thrall, searching everywhere for her dear sire...Safer than letting Max and others see them inside...At least for the moment...

Spike reluctantly agreed...But only for a few minutes...Then...

"My Victorian gentleman..." she grinned at Angel... And promised to head back out in fifteen...

Angel wryly suggested they each cover an exit...If he knew Buffy and he did...BR would follow Max wherever he went...Without waiting a second for them...

Spike nodded...

The bartender, semi-demon, was nervous on seeing BR at the bar...A human woman wandering around...In thrall...Not good for promoting the peace process...Not likely to appeal to the boss' taste...

After all the boss was the founder of the peace movement...

He suggested the lady might like a cab...to the nearest hospital...

She was looking for a "friend"...BR told him...Someone she'd met a few towns over just a couple of nights ago...Who said he'd meet her again...in Sunnydale...Couldn't really remember his name...But his piercing eyes and...

The barkeep got the picture...Her "friend" was not likely to be here...Respectable, peace-loving place this...Really, the lady should rethink that cab...Maybe try a little nourishment...

She smiled wanly at him...And asked for a soda...

She'd wait...Just a bit, thank you...Maybe he'd show...

She noticed Max at a table...Cradling a glass...into which he surreptitiously poured the contents of one of Warren's blood packets...As befitting a staunch supporter of peace...

Speaking to someone, who was keeping rather to the darker side of the table...

The missing Theodore whom her supplemental memory identified despite the fact that she had only glimpsed him for a moment the night of Willow's attack...And had been seriously intoxicated at the time...

Too bad the damned thing wasn't allowed to kick in during her exams...

Willow had decided to call it a night...Rather early...But then, Tara was clearly pooped and she was worried about her...

Besides Anya and Warren could be trusted to keep Buffy company...

And she couldn't stay indoors any longer...With them all dropping by to look at her, asking her how she felt...Was she ok?...Enough already...

She just needed some air...

Max passed on Leto's good wishes to Theodore...All his problems with the Slayers would be ironed out...In fact, Leto was sure a simple apology at the right time would settle things...Not a thing to worry about...

He was called away by a phone call...

BR realized her "fifteen" was up...But she couldn't let Theodore just pass right through her fingers...

It might be the only chance for Willow...

Buffy expressed her concern about Willow to Anya and Warren...Didn't she seem?...

"Willow seems fine to me...For someone in her condition..." Anya helpfully replied...

Condition?...

"Oh...Powerful, dead-raising witch...She must be getting dozens of calling from the dead...And their relatives..." Anya quickly recovered the ball...

"Tara seems to be the one in trouble..." Warren tried his hand at "calming" Buffy's fears...

Trouble?...Ok, now what is going on?...

Buffy went into glare mode...Anya and Warren did their best to find other topics of conversation...

Never send a "cybergenius" and a recently rehumanized former demon to do a diplomat's work...