PART 4
Spike was sitting in his easy chair watching tv when he heard his crypt door crash open. He knew who it was. He stood up and shrugged into his duster as Buffy descended into the lower living level of the crypt. "Ready for patrol then, luv?" "Yeah, hey, have you seen Anne? I mean, since earlier when you left the shop."
"No, I haven't. Should I have?"
"No, I suppose not, I just thought that after what I saw in the training room, that she would seek you out." Spike shook his head as he lit up a cigarette. "Luv, what do you think you saw?"
"Well, you just seemed a little too friendly for someone who just met" At this she sat down on the edge of his bed and brought her knees up to her chest hugging them close. After taking a deep breathe and letting it out, Spike stomped out his fag and sat on the bed next to Buffy.
"Are you jealous?" His question was quite serious and this startled Buffy. If he had put any sort of snide or sarcastic tone into it then she would have known how to react. But, before she could even think, "Yes". Hearing her own voice, her eyes flew open and her head came up. "I mean,..."
"Hey, it's ok. Don't feel that you have to explain yourself......At least not yet."
"Spike, what did you two talk about?"
Spike was surprised that Buffy had just left that last bit slide by without retaliation. He didn't know whether it was a good sign or if she was just too pre-occupied to notice. Their relationship had been progressing but he still had no idea where he really stood with her. But after finding out that Anne was the daughter of a slayer, he had lost some hope. If she was in fact from the future then there was a very slim, all-be-it minuscule, chance that Faith was her mother. But even as that thought crossed his mind, he knew that he had to discard it. So that left Buffy. If Anne was in fact from the future, the future she claimed to be from, then it could be that Buffy was her mum. That would explain how Anne had known all of them and seemed to know the different roles they all played. It would also explain why she seemed to recognize him that first night in the cemetery. If she was Buffy's daughter.....it hurt him to think of his love running to the bed of a mortal. He knew he didn't have her heart but he had felt that he was gaining ground with her. Buffy had even told him, just last week, that she valued his friendship. But...Anne. His Slayer was going to have the child of another man. How soon? How old did Anne say she was? What year did she say she was from? Soon. It's going to be soon. He nearly wept when he realized that he would be losing Buffy so soon. Who would it be?
"Spike?"
****
Buffy had been waiting for a response when she looked at his face. He was lost deep in thought and seemed to have forgotten that she was still there. She took the opportunity to study his features. She mentally traced each curve admiring his good looks. Damn, he's sexy. It almost startled her to see so many different emotions flicker across those same features. When they turned to sadness, sorrow, and grief she needed to know why. What had Anne and Spike talked about that caused these emotions in Spike and also caused Spike to need to hug Anne, a perfect stranger, earlier in the day.
"Spike?"
"What did you two talk about?"
Her tone was more worried and a little more anxious then when she asked him the first time. Should he tell her? He didn't know what would be the right thing to do. After all, he had no proof, just conjecture. Just a girl who had held onto him as if there was no tomorrow. That same girl, just with her presence, had wrenched his Slayer away from him and was in the process of breaking his heart.
Spike reached for Buffy and pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, clinging to her. "I love you, Buffy."
She was stunned at his bold gesture but did not resist. In fact she welcomed this obviously possessive gesture on his part. But what caused it? What did this have to do with Anne? When she heard him swearing his love to her she relaxed into his arms even more and gently stroked one of his cheeks with the back of her hand. It was wet. Spike was crying. Buffy's mind could not comprehend what could have happened to cause this type of reaction from him. Her hand went to settle on his shoulder as she enjoyed the feel of the black leather against her skin. Black leather. Buffy's forehead creased in thought. "Spike, why was Anne wearing your coat?"
****
"Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The brunette's screams started to subside and some pain pills were put in her mouth and a glass of water raised to her lips. After taking a few breathes, she opened her eyes and looked straight into a pair of dark eyes filled with concern. "What did you see, Cordy?"
****
Anne was laying on grass up on the hill. She was outside the mansion, out in the yard. Flat on her back with her hands tucked up behind her head and her ankles crossed. She was totally relaxed. This was the same spot on which Angel had tried to greet the sun the Christmas before he had left for L.A. She knew that Buffy had stopped him, but she had never been privy as to how.
It was probably sometime around 12 or 1 but she didn't really care about that. All that mattered was that she was sleeping out under the stars. Her stars. They had been her comfort for 5 years now, but she had been watching them for 7 years. She was 12 when he had pointed them out to her.
~~ "We won't always be here, you know that don't you? You've got to be your own person. No one else owns you, not the Powers, not the Council, no one. We love you so much. You are us. All of our strengths are in you. Everything we are is you. But always remember that the greatest of all your strengths is love. It will keep you strong and it will keep you vulnerable. Never turn your back on love."
"Are you going to leave me?" Tears slid down the young girls cheeks.
"Not if I can help it. But if something were to happen then you need to remember that we will always be with you."
"But I'd never see you."
"Baby, look up. Do you see those two stars right there?" She nodded unable to speak. "When you miss us, just look at those stars."
"But I won't be able to see them during the day. They only come out at night." He chuckled softly at the irony behind her statement. "Well then that works out nicely then, doesn't it, luv? They're creatures of the night, just like me, just like your mum."~~
****
"Luv, Anne has her own coat. Why would...........Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
Silence surrounded them as they sat in each others arms and stared at each other. Both trying to sort out what they had just realized.
"Maybe we should just ask her instead of coming to the wrong conclusions." The different thoughts scurrying around in Buffy's head were not pleasant. She wanted to trust Anne. Besides if Anne had killed Spike then........she didn't even want to think about the possibilities. But then, Anne had been clinging to Spike and she had not wanted to let him go.
"Yeah, we should. But if it is my coat she has then that only proves she really is from the future." "I guess it does. Spike, please tell me what you guys talked about. What was so bad that causes you pain to think about it?" Buffy brought her hand back up to his cheek. "What did she say that made you cry?"
"Buffy, I.....I can't lose you again. I love you so much. I just can't lose you, not when I've just found you again."
"Am I going to die AGAIN?!? Is that it?"
"No! God no, Buffy. Worse than that."
Buffy was getting scared. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. He returned her embrace not wanting to let her go. "Spike, I don't know what you would possibly consider to be worse." Her words were whispers close to his ear. He wasn't showing any signs of releasing his grip on her. "Spike, I love you. I would never want to hurt you this much. Not ever, not now."
He started to shudder and shake and her neck was getting damp. Buffy knew that he was crying again. At length they had laid back on the bed and just held each other. Spike thinking he was losing her and Buffy dreading what could be worse than death.
****
Even in sleep Anne was always aware of the air around her. She didn't know how long she had been asleep but there was no dew in the air so it was still fairly early. She had been roused from slumber by her spider-sense. Vampire. Without opening her eyes, she stretched out her senses to see if she could identify it. It stopped about twenty feet behind her. She appeared to still be asleep. She had kept her breathing and heart rate relaxed so she knew that vamp thought she was asleep. After a few seconds of silence, a smile graced her lips and she barely breathed out a name.
"Angel."
****
Cordy's vision had perked his interest. He had never heard of anything like what she had seen. Sunnydale was always facing the unknown, but Cordy had said that thing had fought Spike and appeared to have won. The she- demon was holding a stake to Spike's chest. Spike may be a pain in the ass but he is still Angel's childe. Cordelia described the demon to him. Human form, dark hair, female, black leather coat. Not sure yet what to say to Buffy, Angel had decided to just head to the mansion and see everyone the next evening. He knew Spike was still around because he could feel him, just like he could feel Dru. But something was off, had been for a couple of days now. It was almost as if he had another childe but not. He couldn't place it, but the closer he got to Sunnydale, the stronger the feeling. Whoever he was sensing was at the mansion. Searching the house turned up nothing so he had gone outside. That's when he saw her. Laying on the grass sleeping. Dark hair, black leather coat and he could feel her presence. This is who he had been feeling for the past couple of days. He hadn't turned anyone, Spike couldn't, maybe Dru?.....but no. This girl on the grass has a heartbeat. She's human.....or not. But why could he feel her?
"Angel."
He started in surprise at the sound of his name. Angel could have sworn that she was still asleep. "Why don't you just sit down. I don't really feel like getting up." Her eyes were still closed as she said this.
"I prefer standing." Angel moved forward until he was about 5 feet away from her. She didn't respond, just laid there.
"Who are you?"
"And why can you feel me?" How did she know that? He wasn't going to ask that but it was foremost on his mind. Angel eyed her warily as she slowly sat up. She had yet to look at him. "My name in Anne. I'm not a vampire. I have been to see the scoobies and Buffy and Spike. I am not from this time. Whistler sent me here."
After finishing her soliloquy, Anne turned to look at him for the first time. "Did Cordy have a vision? Is that why you're here?"
"How do you know Cordy?"
"I told you, I'm not from this time. I'm from the future. Say, you didn't happen to bring that prophecy scroll with you, did you?"
"No"
"bugger. Oh, hell, Peaches. Just sit down. I'm not going anywhere and it's going to be a few hours before the sun comes up." The hairs on the back of Angel's neck brisseled when she called him peaches. The only person who ever called him that was Spike. He didn't know her and he didn't trust her. "Why don't we go inside to talk?"
"We could I suppose but I would rather stay under the stars for awhile." Angel crouched down and tried to find a position in which to sit that he would still be able to defend himself if she attacked.
Anne was quite amused and tried desperately not to laugh. Angel was acting so funny. He was trying not to let his defenses down and at the same time, appear to be relaxed.
"Ok, look, I am going to be born sometime before the end of this year. I know all of you because you all helped to raise me. In a way, we are all family, at least from my perspective. If you want some proof, then how about this? How many people know that you tried to greet the sun on this very spot but that Buffy stopped you? I know because it's one of the many things I was told while I was growing up. We've always been friends, Angel. And outside of my parents, you were my biggest supporter. Hell! I even stayed with you in L.A. for a good six months before I moved in with Dawn."
Angel just listened to her. He couldn't really believe what he was hearing. From the future? But, then again, if Whistler was in fact involved then it was possible. But why her? Oh, what was it Cordy had said? She-demon? This girl was no demon. He would have known immediately if she was a demon. She had to be human then, but something was wrong there too. She didn't feel completely human. Different somehow, but he couldn't even begin to think what it was.
"Who are your parents?"
"I don't think it would be fair to tell you before them."
"Then what can you tell me?"
"Well, maybe that I missed you and I'm glad you're here. But right now we both need to realize that, due to my presence, Dru will probably be making an appearance. She can sense me too and who knows what Miss Edith will tell her." "Why can we sense you? You're not a vampire."
"I am the child of a vampire, Angel. In a way, I am in the line of the Master. Oh, Hell. Maybe I should just tell you. But you have to swear to me that you will let me be the one to tell them."
Angel took this chance to actually relax and settled in to hear what she had to say.
**** (tbc)
reviews are good reviews are wonderful more reviews please. :) they give me a happy. Plus reviews help me to push out more chapters.
Alright. Can we say YAH for Spike? An amazing ending for season 6 which quite frankly was lacking in the happys for Spike. His life just sucked. Something tells me it isn't going to get much better. Loves to you b/s shippers out there. I feel not so alone anymore. :)
Spike was sitting in his easy chair watching tv when he heard his crypt door crash open. He knew who it was. He stood up and shrugged into his duster as Buffy descended into the lower living level of the crypt. "Ready for patrol then, luv?" "Yeah, hey, have you seen Anne? I mean, since earlier when you left the shop."
"No, I haven't. Should I have?"
"No, I suppose not, I just thought that after what I saw in the training room, that she would seek you out." Spike shook his head as he lit up a cigarette. "Luv, what do you think you saw?"
"Well, you just seemed a little too friendly for someone who just met" At this she sat down on the edge of his bed and brought her knees up to her chest hugging them close. After taking a deep breathe and letting it out, Spike stomped out his fag and sat on the bed next to Buffy.
"Are you jealous?" His question was quite serious and this startled Buffy. If he had put any sort of snide or sarcastic tone into it then she would have known how to react. But, before she could even think, "Yes". Hearing her own voice, her eyes flew open and her head came up. "I mean,..."
"Hey, it's ok. Don't feel that you have to explain yourself......At least not yet."
"Spike, what did you two talk about?"
Spike was surprised that Buffy had just left that last bit slide by without retaliation. He didn't know whether it was a good sign or if she was just too pre-occupied to notice. Their relationship had been progressing but he still had no idea where he really stood with her. But after finding out that Anne was the daughter of a slayer, he had lost some hope. If she was in fact from the future then there was a very slim, all-be-it minuscule, chance that Faith was her mother. But even as that thought crossed his mind, he knew that he had to discard it. So that left Buffy. If Anne was in fact from the future, the future she claimed to be from, then it could be that Buffy was her mum. That would explain how Anne had known all of them and seemed to know the different roles they all played. It would also explain why she seemed to recognize him that first night in the cemetery. If she was Buffy's daughter.....it hurt him to think of his love running to the bed of a mortal. He knew he didn't have her heart but he had felt that he was gaining ground with her. Buffy had even told him, just last week, that she valued his friendship. But...Anne. His Slayer was going to have the child of another man. How soon? How old did Anne say she was? What year did she say she was from? Soon. It's going to be soon. He nearly wept when he realized that he would be losing Buffy so soon. Who would it be?
"Spike?"
****
Buffy had been waiting for a response when she looked at his face. He was lost deep in thought and seemed to have forgotten that she was still there. She took the opportunity to study his features. She mentally traced each curve admiring his good looks. Damn, he's sexy. It almost startled her to see so many different emotions flicker across those same features. When they turned to sadness, sorrow, and grief she needed to know why. What had Anne and Spike talked about that caused these emotions in Spike and also caused Spike to need to hug Anne, a perfect stranger, earlier in the day.
"Spike?"
"What did you two talk about?"
Her tone was more worried and a little more anxious then when she asked him the first time. Should he tell her? He didn't know what would be the right thing to do. After all, he had no proof, just conjecture. Just a girl who had held onto him as if there was no tomorrow. That same girl, just with her presence, had wrenched his Slayer away from him and was in the process of breaking his heart.
Spike reached for Buffy and pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, clinging to her. "I love you, Buffy."
She was stunned at his bold gesture but did not resist. In fact she welcomed this obviously possessive gesture on his part. But what caused it? What did this have to do with Anne? When she heard him swearing his love to her she relaxed into his arms even more and gently stroked one of his cheeks with the back of her hand. It was wet. Spike was crying. Buffy's mind could not comprehend what could have happened to cause this type of reaction from him. Her hand went to settle on his shoulder as she enjoyed the feel of the black leather against her skin. Black leather. Buffy's forehead creased in thought. "Spike, why was Anne wearing your coat?"
****
"Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The brunette's screams started to subside and some pain pills were put in her mouth and a glass of water raised to her lips. After taking a few breathes, she opened her eyes and looked straight into a pair of dark eyes filled with concern. "What did you see, Cordy?"
****
Anne was laying on grass up on the hill. She was outside the mansion, out in the yard. Flat on her back with her hands tucked up behind her head and her ankles crossed. She was totally relaxed. This was the same spot on which Angel had tried to greet the sun the Christmas before he had left for L.A. She knew that Buffy had stopped him, but she had never been privy as to how.
It was probably sometime around 12 or 1 but she didn't really care about that. All that mattered was that she was sleeping out under the stars. Her stars. They had been her comfort for 5 years now, but she had been watching them for 7 years. She was 12 when he had pointed them out to her.
~~ "We won't always be here, you know that don't you? You've got to be your own person. No one else owns you, not the Powers, not the Council, no one. We love you so much. You are us. All of our strengths are in you. Everything we are is you. But always remember that the greatest of all your strengths is love. It will keep you strong and it will keep you vulnerable. Never turn your back on love."
"Are you going to leave me?" Tears slid down the young girls cheeks.
"Not if I can help it. But if something were to happen then you need to remember that we will always be with you."
"But I'd never see you."
"Baby, look up. Do you see those two stars right there?" She nodded unable to speak. "When you miss us, just look at those stars."
"But I won't be able to see them during the day. They only come out at night." He chuckled softly at the irony behind her statement. "Well then that works out nicely then, doesn't it, luv? They're creatures of the night, just like me, just like your mum."~~
****
"Luv, Anne has her own coat. Why would...........Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
Silence surrounded them as they sat in each others arms and stared at each other. Both trying to sort out what they had just realized.
"Maybe we should just ask her instead of coming to the wrong conclusions." The different thoughts scurrying around in Buffy's head were not pleasant. She wanted to trust Anne. Besides if Anne had killed Spike then........she didn't even want to think about the possibilities. But then, Anne had been clinging to Spike and she had not wanted to let him go.
"Yeah, we should. But if it is my coat she has then that only proves she really is from the future." "I guess it does. Spike, please tell me what you guys talked about. What was so bad that causes you pain to think about it?" Buffy brought her hand back up to his cheek. "What did she say that made you cry?"
"Buffy, I.....I can't lose you again. I love you so much. I just can't lose you, not when I've just found you again."
"Am I going to die AGAIN?!? Is that it?"
"No! God no, Buffy. Worse than that."
Buffy was getting scared. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. He returned her embrace not wanting to let her go. "Spike, I don't know what you would possibly consider to be worse." Her words were whispers close to his ear. He wasn't showing any signs of releasing his grip on her. "Spike, I love you. I would never want to hurt you this much. Not ever, not now."
He started to shudder and shake and her neck was getting damp. Buffy knew that he was crying again. At length they had laid back on the bed and just held each other. Spike thinking he was losing her and Buffy dreading what could be worse than death.
****
Even in sleep Anne was always aware of the air around her. She didn't know how long she had been asleep but there was no dew in the air so it was still fairly early. She had been roused from slumber by her spider-sense. Vampire. Without opening her eyes, she stretched out her senses to see if she could identify it. It stopped about twenty feet behind her. She appeared to still be asleep. She had kept her breathing and heart rate relaxed so she knew that vamp thought she was asleep. After a few seconds of silence, a smile graced her lips and she barely breathed out a name.
"Angel."
****
Cordy's vision had perked his interest. He had never heard of anything like what she had seen. Sunnydale was always facing the unknown, but Cordy had said that thing had fought Spike and appeared to have won. The she- demon was holding a stake to Spike's chest. Spike may be a pain in the ass but he is still Angel's childe. Cordelia described the demon to him. Human form, dark hair, female, black leather coat. Not sure yet what to say to Buffy, Angel had decided to just head to the mansion and see everyone the next evening. He knew Spike was still around because he could feel him, just like he could feel Dru. But something was off, had been for a couple of days now. It was almost as if he had another childe but not. He couldn't place it, but the closer he got to Sunnydale, the stronger the feeling. Whoever he was sensing was at the mansion. Searching the house turned up nothing so he had gone outside. That's when he saw her. Laying on the grass sleeping. Dark hair, black leather coat and he could feel her presence. This is who he had been feeling for the past couple of days. He hadn't turned anyone, Spike couldn't, maybe Dru?.....but no. This girl on the grass has a heartbeat. She's human.....or not. But why could he feel her?
"Angel."
He started in surprise at the sound of his name. Angel could have sworn that she was still asleep. "Why don't you just sit down. I don't really feel like getting up." Her eyes were still closed as she said this.
"I prefer standing." Angel moved forward until he was about 5 feet away from her. She didn't respond, just laid there.
"Who are you?"
"And why can you feel me?" How did she know that? He wasn't going to ask that but it was foremost on his mind. Angel eyed her warily as she slowly sat up. She had yet to look at him. "My name in Anne. I'm not a vampire. I have been to see the scoobies and Buffy and Spike. I am not from this time. Whistler sent me here."
After finishing her soliloquy, Anne turned to look at him for the first time. "Did Cordy have a vision? Is that why you're here?"
"How do you know Cordy?"
"I told you, I'm not from this time. I'm from the future. Say, you didn't happen to bring that prophecy scroll with you, did you?"
"No"
"bugger. Oh, hell, Peaches. Just sit down. I'm not going anywhere and it's going to be a few hours before the sun comes up." The hairs on the back of Angel's neck brisseled when she called him peaches. The only person who ever called him that was Spike. He didn't know her and he didn't trust her. "Why don't we go inside to talk?"
"We could I suppose but I would rather stay under the stars for awhile." Angel crouched down and tried to find a position in which to sit that he would still be able to defend himself if she attacked.
Anne was quite amused and tried desperately not to laugh. Angel was acting so funny. He was trying not to let his defenses down and at the same time, appear to be relaxed.
"Ok, look, I am going to be born sometime before the end of this year. I know all of you because you all helped to raise me. In a way, we are all family, at least from my perspective. If you want some proof, then how about this? How many people know that you tried to greet the sun on this very spot but that Buffy stopped you? I know because it's one of the many things I was told while I was growing up. We've always been friends, Angel. And outside of my parents, you were my biggest supporter. Hell! I even stayed with you in L.A. for a good six months before I moved in with Dawn."
Angel just listened to her. He couldn't really believe what he was hearing. From the future? But, then again, if Whistler was in fact involved then it was possible. But why her? Oh, what was it Cordy had said? She-demon? This girl was no demon. He would have known immediately if she was a demon. She had to be human then, but something was wrong there too. She didn't feel completely human. Different somehow, but he couldn't even begin to think what it was.
"Who are your parents?"
"I don't think it would be fair to tell you before them."
"Then what can you tell me?"
"Well, maybe that I missed you and I'm glad you're here. But right now we both need to realize that, due to my presence, Dru will probably be making an appearance. She can sense me too and who knows what Miss Edith will tell her." "Why can we sense you? You're not a vampire."
"I am the child of a vampire, Angel. In a way, I am in the line of the Master. Oh, Hell. Maybe I should just tell you. But you have to swear to me that you will let me be the one to tell them."
Angel took this chance to actually relax and settled in to hear what she had to say.
**** (tbc)
reviews are good reviews are wonderful more reviews please. :) they give me a happy. Plus reviews help me to push out more chapters.
Alright. Can we say YAH for Spike? An amazing ending for season 6 which quite frankly was lacking in the happys for Spike. His life just sucked. Something tells me it isn't going to get much better. Loves to you b/s shippers out there. I feel not so alone anymore. :)