Title: A Time to Live

Authouress: Sing to Angels

Date: 12th November, 2001

Spoilers: All the Way and Once More, With Feeling never happened...unfortunately. That was the most awesome thing I have witnessed in the Buffyverse, especially B/S wise... But don't worry, it is all B/S shippery here too, I promise. :D

Disclaimers: I don't own them, I don't own anything so don't sue me please. All belongs to JossGod, Grr Argh, and a bunch of other people that I don't know.

Big Thanks: Corey McCann did a swift beta on this, so thanks guy. :)

Feedback: I need it, I want it, I want some more of it! (Also, constructive criticism is a nice thing too.) Flamers can go to... well, that place where there are other flames; which is either a coffeeshop or the place where that red guy with the pointy stick thing lives. :)

In a lab, somewhere in the bowels of Council Headquarters, there is a boy waiting on a cold table made of stainless steel. He is young, only two years old and he is very tired. Tired of waiting for the bad men to come and take him back to his room. Tired of all the sharp things they poke him with. Tired of all the cold words they say to him.

The boy doesn't understand how he knows that these men are bad, that these men who feed, clothe, and bathe him are mean people. They have never actually hit him, and they never say anything that on the surface would make a small child feel bad. But he did feel bad; he felt that they didn't like him, that they didn't really want to take care of him. They, the nameless, faceless men and women who watched his every move as if he was a dangerous animal at the zoo.

So he waits, for them to take him to his room, where he can play with the few colourless playthings that they provided for him. Where he can be with Nana Grace, who loves him and whispers secrets to him, and mends up his troubled heart.

*****

Buffy was pissed. Spike was supposed to come and watch Dawn but he was nowhere to be found. After waiting for well over an hour, she called Giles to come and watch Dawn so that she could go out and find Spike.

As Buffy walked the streets, she couldn't help but to dwell on what had happened the night before. Poor Dawnie, Buffy thought, her first kiss and it was with a vampire that wanted to make her his personal juice box.

Dawn was like her daughter now. Even before their mom had died, it had seemed to Buffy as if she was the strong, protective mother and Joyce and Dawn were the children. But now, Dawn was more like Buffy's daughter than ever before. And it made her smile somewhat sadly to herself. Life as a Slayer didn't leave room for children. No one would ever call her mommy; she would never feel a little heart beat under her own, she would never have a child to carry on her memory. Buffy would die again and would be unable to stake her claim in the gene pool, unable to have that slice of a mortal's immortality. Children.

That had seemed fine to her only a few months ago, but now she wasn't sure. Slaying was in her; it was her blood, her fire, her life. But it was becoming more and more difficult to get up everyday and go out, kill a few vampires, and go home. To an empty bed, and an empty heart. It didn't feel the same.

Buffy sighed and trudged on, wondering when her life had become so complicated. But she knew that it was when she came back from the dead. Once she became used to being alive again she started to think of how she would never be able to give life to someone, only to take it.

Buffy's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle ahead. Without thinking, her feet sped up and she hurried toward the fight. Spike was holding off two vampires with a firebrand while he tried to lift up a wounded woman with a small child clutching her fiercely.

Spike saw Buffy coming towards him and he let out a shout.

"Slayer, come help me, quickly."

Buffy ran to where he was and stayed behind him, out of reach of the firebrand he was swinging wildly at the two vamps.

"Get them out of here so I can finish off these two!" Spike shouted behind him.

Buffy nodded, lifting the two bodies up, she ran about 30 yards away. Setting them on the ground, she turned to look back at Spike who had thrown down the firebrand and was taking the vampires on in hand to hand combat.

He was playing with them, the two vampires were young, no more than a few years old and they were still unskilled. As Spike waltzed around them, obviously enjoying the fight, Buffy felt a pang of envy. She hadn't enjoyed combat with a vampire or demon for a long time. She just staked them perfunctorily and went home most nights.

After Spike had dusted them, he wiped off the front of his shirt and turned around; strutting towards Buffy with confidence.

"Are they all right, Slayer?"

Buffy started, she had been so engrossed in watching Spike fight that she hadn't thought to look the two people over for injuries. Glancing down, she quickly assessed their condition. The woman was unconscious, probably from the wound to her temple that was slowly leaking blood into her curly auburn hair. The child seemed fine, if not a little frightened, still clutching the woman desperately.

"She has a head wound, but he seems to be all right."

Looking around her, Buffy saw that they were much closer to her house than to Spike's crypt.

"Let's take them to my house, I'll patch her up and if she needs it, we can take her to the hospital."

Spike nodded and picked up the woman, leaving the child for Buffy. Together, the two blondes slowly made their way to Rivello Drive.

*****

"Good God, what happened here?" Giles exclaimed as he saw Buffy and Spike bringing the woman and child into the house.

Spike set the woman on the couch and then went into the bathroom to get a washcloth and some water. Buffy tried, but failed to get the young boy to stop clinging to her so she could set him down. Seeing that he wasn't going to budge, Buffy turned him around so that she could sit down in the recliner.

"I went to go find Spike so we could patrol and..."

"Oh God, it's Grace!" Giles cut Buffy off as he rushed to the couch and started trying to revive the woman.

Buffy looked at him oddly. "Who's Grace?"

Giles stopped patting the young woman's face and plopped down on the couch beside her. Running his fingers through his hair, he raised a shaky hand up to pull off his glasses.

"Grace Hathaway... s-she is a good friend of mine, from the Watcher Council. The last I heard, she h-had stolen a secret project that the Council was working on and jumped the country. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, so I have no idea what it was that she was working on."

Giles sighed and looked down, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"So why would she come to a Hellmouth if she were trying to escape notice?" Buffy wondered, looking down at the little boy in her arms who had finally fallen into a troubled sleep.

"Especially with her son. If I had a kid, I would keep them as far away from this place as possible."

Giles nodded. "As would I. Apparently there was a reason she came here, but I don't know what it might be. I'll call Wesley, perhaps he knows what she was working on."

As he got up off the couch to go make his call, he stopped and looked at the boy in Buffy's arms.

"I had no idea that she had a child. From what I remember, she was barren." Giles shrugged. "Perhaps she was wrong."

Giles made his way into the kitchen to use the phone. Spike stepped out of the shadows where he had been standing and kneeled down next to the couch. Placing the cool, damp cloth on Grace's forehead, Spike looked up at Buffy. She was staring raptly down at the little boy in her arms, humming and rocking the child back and forth.

" You fancy havin' one o' those some day?"

Startled, Buffy looked up at him. "No, they are just nice to hold sometimes; babies are too much work for me to want one."

Staring sharply at her, he let the lie go; there was no use in making her feel badly about wanting children, even though he knew that she would probably never have any. Letting his gaze drift down, Spike saw that the boy had relaxed in his sleep finally, and was having a pleasant dream apparently because a slight smile was tucking up one corner of his small, bow-shaped mouth.

"Well, at least he is being quiet."

Spike said finally, before turning back to Grace and continuing to patch her up. "I'm..."

Spike was unable to finish because at that moment, Giles came rushing into the room. He was at the door, putting on his coat before he stopped to address Buffy.

"Buffy, I-I have to go meet Wesley somewhere. Apparently, the project Grace was a part of is something he didn't feel safe telling me over the phone. I'm going to stay the night at a motel somewhere, so I'll be back in Sunnydale sometime tomorrow. I'm sorry that I can't watch Dawn for you, but this is important."

Buffy just smiled and waved, holding the boy to her with one hand. "That's ok Giles, I don't really feel like patrolling tonight anyway. I deserve a vacation."

Giles nodded somewhat hastily. "That's good, just...," He stopped and looked at the boy in her arms strangely. "Just keep that child safe, Wesley said that he is somehow a part of all this."

Buffy looked down at the child and smiled. "No problem, Giles." She looked up as Giles was going out the door. "Hey! Did Wesley tell you what his name is?"

"Liam, his name is Liam."

*****

"Did you get it?"

A severe yet beautiful dark-haired woman in a maroon business suit set down her headset and nodded sharply. "It's affirmed, she is at the home of the Slayer. Her watcher just called Wesley, he is en route now to meet him."

"Good, Wesley can take care of him and we should be in California before his absence is noticed."

The man speaking stopped and looked at his watch. "Our flight leaves in one hour, brief the recon team of where we are going. Map out the surrounding area and give them each a diagram of the Slayer's home. Have them memorize it thoroughly, there is no room for failure on this mission."

Stamping out his cigar, he turned abruptly and headed for the door.

*****

Liam had woken up and started to explore his new surroundings. Jumping off of Buffy's lap, he made his way over to the couch.

"Nana Grace, get up. Please get up, they are coming. We have to go!" Liam started pulling on her hand, trying to get the woman to open her eyes.

Buffy watched all this from a few feet away. She was about to get up, but Spike stopped her. Sitting on his haunches, he turned the tear stained face around and started to wipe off Liam's cheeks.

"She's asleep, kid. She isn't going to get up anytime soon."

Liam looked at Spike angrily and pushed his hands away. "She isn't asleep, she is unconscious. That man hit her on the head and she is hurt. But we have to go, they are coming right now."

Spike lost his balance and sat down hard on the floor, staring at the child before him, at a complete and utter loss for words. "How...h-how." He stopped to run shaky hands through his slick hair. "How old are you, boy?"

Liam looked down at Spike, seemingly unconcerned by the man's reaction. "I'm 2 and a half, why do you care?"

Spike stuttered for a moment.

"It's just that I-I've never seen a ch-child your age speak so..." He paused, looking for a word. "Well." He finished lamely.

Liam was rather shocked by this, finally taking in the expression of fear? Was that it? Was this man fearful of him? "What does he mean?" Liam asked softly, glancing towards Buffy, who wore an expression similar to that of Spike.

"I think what he means, Liam, is that most kids your age are having problems with walking, much less speaking. They say things like 'cookie' and 'I want now'. They don't say, 'she's unconscious'."

"They don't?"

"No, they don't."

Liam looked down at his shoes, shuffling his feet, and then he looked back at Grace. Lisping with a child's voice in a soft, British accent, he said. "We have to go she has to get up. They are coming to get us, they will kill her and they will take me back. Please," He stopped to look at Buffy out of pleading eyes. "Help me get her up so that we can go."

Buffy looked at him for really the first time; he had soft honey blonde curls which fell against very pale, white cheeks, and his eyes! They were such a clear, piercing shade of blue; accented by brows of a darker blonde, pointed and arched in such a way that it contrasted sharply with his cherubic face.

"Who are 'they', Liam? And how do you know that they are coming?"

Liam shrugged. "I don't know, they are... just...them. And I can see them here." He put a finger against his temple. "I can close my eyes, and concentrate really hard, and I can see things." He shut his eyes tightly. "And I see them, I know that they are on a plane and coming here to get us."

Buffy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean to say that you are psychic?"

Liam shrugged again. "I guess, I don't know. I just see things when they are about to happen and they come true."

Buffy looked at Spike. "Stay with him for a minute, I have to call the gang."

*****

Giles face blanched white as he took in the information Wesley was giving him. Removing his glasses, he set them down on the table in front of him and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"My God, why did they do this, Wesley?"

Wesley shrugged and took another sip of his tea. "Who knows, Rupert. The Council has never been strictly on the up and up, so to speak; they have never bothered to stop and listen to their morals if they feel that something is for the 'greater good', as it were."

Giles slumped further back into his seat, and covered his face. "Wesley, this isn't a case of moral dilemma, this is the Council trying to play God!"

Realizing that he had spoken too loudly, Giles lowered his voice. "And that poor boy, God knows what type of monster they would turn him into if they find him again."

Wesley nodded and set down his teacup. "Which is why you have to leave, tonight. Drive as fast as you can and get them the hell out of that town."

Giles leaned forward. "Do you mind if I bring them to LA and stay with you for a few days, until I can think of a safer place? It may be harder for them to find us in a large city."

Wesley folded his arms across his chest and laughed mirthlessly. "No, that wouldn't be such a good idea. I'm leaving myself you see."

Giles looked up from the tea he was about to take a sip from. "You? Where the devil are you going?"

"I have to go, I can't be here when the Council members arrive. As it is, if they find me I will be lucky to escape with my life, Rupert."

"But why would they--" Giles stopped and his eyes widened in understanding. "You mean to say that... that you were sent to kill me tonight?"

Wesley nodded and picked up his cup, looking out the window at the traffic on the street. "They think that even though I am an...outlaw...I am so loyal to their cause that I would murder you, in cold blood no less. I've no problem killing someone, Rupert, I've done it before as have you. But the men I've killed have been.... evil I guess you could say. Then again," He paused to take a sip of his tea, still not looking at Giles. "Who am I to judge the measure of a man's worth?"

*****

After two hours, every Scooby was at Buffy's house and ready to listen. Spike lounged casually on the couch, throwing popcorn in the air and trying to catch it in his mouth. Missing mostly, he littered the pillows and even the floor with little white puffs.

"I thought vampires were supposed to have better aim than that." Willow said. Moving faster than could be seen, Spike nailed her between the eyes with an unpopped kernel.

"Ow!"

"Shows what you know, Red."

Spike offered Willow a toothy grin as she rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Chanting a few words softly, Willow pointed her finger at the bowl of popcorn in Spike's lap. The metal bowl wobbled as it rose up and dumped itself on top of his head.

" Hey! Whad'ya do that for?"

Xander spoke up. "You don't look like a big bad now that you are covered in popcorn."

Spike growled deeply, which made them all laugh more. Sighing to himself, Spike started to pick up the pieces of popcorn and put them back in the bowl, which had tumbled into his lap once again.

Buffy walked down the stairs and into the living room where everyone was gathered around, waiting for her.

"Ok, guys. I got him to go to sleep in my room, so we can start now."

Sighing, Buffy plopped herself down next to Spike's feet. Picking at the lacing of one of his boots, she stalled, hoping that someone else would start for her.

Surprisingly, Tara piped up first. "I sense that he is very powerful, he h- has strong abilities."

Willow nodded her head. "I agree, he is a clairvoyant. If he was properly trained, who knows where his talents can take him."

Buffy's front door slammed closed and Giles came in, looking rather dishevelled.

"Buffy, you need to get..." He stopped and looked around the living room.

"Well, I couldn't have planned this better myself."

"Planned what Giles?"

He looked at Buffy, and then at Spike. Shaking his head to clear it, he took off his glasses and started to polish them. "I... never mind, I don't have time to explain it, but we are all in serious danger. All of you, go home and pack up a bag. Meet back here in one hour, and then we are leaving."

Everyone started to talk at once, but Xander was able to make himself heard above the racket.

"But I can't go anywhere, I have to go to work tomorrow!"

"And I have to run the shop, and make money tomorrow," Anya pitched in.

Giles held up his hand to quiet everyone. "Xander, you will just have to tell them that something came up and you have to take a leave of absence. Tell them someone died, I don't care, but go pack up a bag and come back here. Anya," Giles turned his head to look at her. "the store will have to be closed for a while. Don't argue, just go pack. Only bring those things that are necessary for your survival."

Everyone looked at him, and then quietly went in different directions, each going to pack their bags without complaint. Spike was still sitting on the couch, wondering what was going on.

Giles pointed at him. "I need you to come and help me, and then we'll stop by your crypt to so you can get some clothes and nourishment for yourself on the trip."

"What? Why do I have to go?"

"I don't have time to explain, Spike. Just trust me, you are in danger as well."

Sighing, Spike jumped up from the couch and walked over to Giles, who was busy putting weapons in a large duffel bag.

"What do you want me to do?"

*****

Giles little red car was packed full of bags, as was Xander's car. Spike had somewhere acquired a double cab pick up truck and was busy putting more bags into the bed.

"I thought I said to bring only that which is necessary for your survival."

"But we did, if we are going to be fighting nasties, then Tara and I need our magical supplies, and then there are weapons, and Dawn packed a few coolers of food," Willow was ticking off items on her fingers. "Oh! And of course we all needed clothes and stuff. Anya has a lot of shoes, but maybe they will come in handy."

Giles' eyebrows shot up.

Willow looked somewhat abashed. "Well, you know, she has a lot of spike heels and all that. Oooh! And she has wooden platforms from last year! We could whittle them into stakes if we get desperate!"

Giles shook his head and sighed. "Willow, we aren't fighting supernatural forces here."

Willow looked perplexed. "We aren't?"

"No, we aren't. These are just regular humans with extraordinary resources."

"Oh." Willow looked down, then looked back up and wrinkled her nose. "Then who are these guys?"

Giles scratched his head. "I'll inform you all later, right now, I need you to perform that shield ritual which will prevent them from doing a locator spell on us. It will give us a little more time."

Willow nodded and went to find Tara.

Spike came up to Giles and stood, rocking on his heels with both hands shoved deep into his back pockets, for once not wearing his trademark duster.

"It's the Watcher Council isn't it?" Spike whispered softly.

Giles looked at him, sadness in his eyes, and nodded. Spike shrugged a shoulder. "Thought as much, what is it they want from us?"

Giles said nothing, but Spike followed his eyes over to where Buffy was strapping Liam into the back seat of the truck.

"Why do they want him? Because of his abilities?"

"It is a little more complicated than that, Spike. But yes, that is one of the reasons."

Spike took his hands out of his pockets and turned to face Giles. "What's the whole story, mate? I want to know why it is I am protecting this kid."

Sighing, Giles just shook his head. "I can't tell you Spike... especially you. If you are looking to sooth your artificial conscious, just know that the boy is not evil, he just fell into the wrong hands."

Spike looked down for a moment and shuffled his feet, when he looked back up at Giles, his eyes were rimmed with pain and barely subdued anger. "After all I have done for you people, after I helped you all summer, and protected you, and devoted my entire being to becoming a good man, you still don't trust me."

Giles sighed deeply and looked Spike in the eye. "Spike, it isn't that I don't trust you. Well... I-I don't really... however... There is a reason I am guarding this secret so closely. I can't tell Buffy either, it w- would..." He stopped to clear his throat. "After all she has gone through in the past few months, it would tear out her heart."

He stopped to look over at Buffy, seeing her talking quietly with Liam, and his heart broke at the sight. Keeping a check on his emotions, Giles continued. "If you love Buffy, as you say you do, as you have shown us that you do, then don't pursue this further. Just let it rest. If the time ever comes, then I will tell all of you, but until then, we must keep a lid on this."

Spike nodded, and started to walk away, but he stopped and half turned his head to look at Giles over his shoulder. "You'll have to tell them somethin', mate. But I'll try to keep her from getting too suspicious of any lies you have to make up."

Giles stared at Spike in dumbfounded gratitude, and murmured his thanks.

"No problem, I just hope I don't regret having to lie to her."

Spike walked over to the truck and hopped in the driver's seat. Cranking the engine, he yelled out to the other drivers, and steered the blue truck slowly down the street.

*****

"Spike, we need to stop. I really have to go."

Spike looked over at Buffy, who was squirming in her seat. It had been well over 3 hours since they had left Sunnydale, the sun would be up soon.

"Yeah, we need to find a place to stay for the day anyway. I'll find somewhere to stop at first though."

Buffy shot him a grateful look and then turned to gaze at the sleeping boy in the back cab.

"I wonder why they want him....I mean, he is really gifted and stuff, but...I don't know, he is just a baby still."

Buffy looked over at Dawn, who was also sleeping in the back. "But then again, so is she, and Glory wanted to kill her for what she really is." Buffy sighed. "Looks can be deceiving I guess."

She didn't see the pain on Spike's face as he drove along, but he was thinking the same thing, and wishing that the Slayer would look beyond his appearance, beyond his monstrosity, and see the man inside struggling to come out.

"We're here, go to the loo. I'm going inside to get a pack a' fags." Buffy and Spike got out of the truck as the two vehicles behind them also pulled into the small, rundown gas station.

Anya jumped from Xander's car. "Thank God! I thought I was going to burst!"

She ran to the ladies' room, grabbed the key from Buffy, and slammed the door in her face.

"And I thought I had to go....geez."

The others climbed out and stretched their sore muscles; some yawning and others jumping up and down to get circulation going again.

Giles opened the passenger side to his vehicle and looked at Grace, who was propped up with pillows in her seat, still unconscious. After taking her pulse, he shook his head.

"We need to take her to a hospital, I think she might be in a coma."

"The nearest town is about 10 miles away, they might have a clinic or something." Willow said.

Giles nodded. "Yes, it would be better for her to be in a small town, where they wouldn't be able to find her as easily. I regret leaving her behind, but we have no choice."

He smoothed back curly strands of hair from her pale, seemingly lifeless face. "She would understand though, she would tell us to go on and..."

Loud banging interrupted Giles as Buffy slammed on the door to the bathroom with her hand.

"Anya! What are you doing in there? I'm about to pee on myself! Hurry up!"

A quiet sniffle echoed against the walls of the bathroom and made it's way to Buffy's ears.

"I did."

"Did what?"

"I peed on myself. I didn't get here on time."

"Anya..." Buffy started to soothe her.

"I ruined my new Donna Karen skirt! Now I have to give someone else my money so I can...*sniff*...get annooooootherrrrr!"

By this point, intense wailing was coming from the bathroom. Buffy just rolled her eyes and muttered softly to herself.

"You have got to be kidding me."

*****

After many debates, the Scoobies had finally decided to get one hotel room in town. This was as much to stand together in a united front as to keep anyone from getting so carried away with hanky panky that they didn't notice any danger to the others.

Buffy was almost asleep on one of the beds, holding Liam close to her, when she heard Spike whispering to her.

"Slayer, are you awake still?"

She looked over to where Spike was sitting up against the wall, under the no smoking sign, inhaling deeply from his cigarette.

"Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?"

"Nothin' really, I just wanted someone to talk with. Guard duty being the boring pain in the arse as it is and what all."

"So what, you want me to get no sleep so I can be just as miserable as you are?"

"Hey now, if that's the way you're going to be, then I don't need your company."

Buffy sighed and propped herself up on one arm. "What's buggin' you?"

"Me? Not a thing, love. I'm just wonderin' what this is all about; and why I have to be a part of it."

"Because we need you, Spike. You're a good fighter, and you..." Buffy wrinkled her forehead. "And you... I don't know. Giles wanted you to come for some reason. We need as many people on our side as we can get."

"Yeah, but what is it we're fightin' for, Slayer?"

Buffy got a blank look. "I don't know. But I know that I trust Giles, he wouldn't have us here if it weren't for a good reason."

Spike glanced over at Giles, who was snoring softly in the corner on the floor, his back turned to them. Taking another puff from his cigarette, he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Yeah, I know you trust 'im."

*****

After many weeks of travelling and zigzagging across the country, the small entourage arrived at their destination; Daytona Beach, Florida.

"Ye Gods, we traded one Sunnyhell for another. Couldn't we have gone somewhere that is vampire friendly? Like the Arctic Circle or something?"

"Shut up, Spike." Buffy said, not looking back at Spike as she surveyed their new home.

"Yes, mistress." Spike sneered.

"Oh you play that game too, Buffy? Xander loves it when I whip him with the...."

"Anya!"

Anya turned and smiled sweetly at Xander. "I'm sorry honey, I shouldn't give away my secrets to Buffy. They might not work on Spike like they do on you. We should let them make up their own sex games."

Xander groaned in embarrassment, Giles took off his glasses to polish them, trying to keep the image of Buffy in leather whipping Spike firmly out of his head. But then a picture of Anya whipping Xander came to mind and he pinched the bridge of his nose until he thought it would snap off in his hand.

"Dear God." Giles sighed wearily from behind his hand. "Are we there yet?"

*****