BtVS || Spuffy || BtVS || Spuffy || Keeping Up With the Scoobies || Spuffy || BtVS || Spuffy || BtVS

Title: Keeping Up With the Scoobies – The Long Way Home

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Joss Whedon. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/f, f/f, hurt/comfort, survivor's guilt, fluff, found family

Main Pairing: Spike/Buffy

Side Pairings: Tara/Willow, Xander/Renee, Robin/Faith, Connor/Dawn, Dowling/Dylan, Angel/Cordelia, Wesley/Fred, Gunn/Anne, Oz/Bay, Buffy/Satsu (briefly), Willow/Kennedy (briefly)

Buffy Characters: William 'Spike' Pratt, Buffy Summers, Dawn Summers, Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, Alexander 'Xander' Harris, Andrew Wells, Tara Maclay, Renee, Faith Lehane, Robin Wood, Robert Dowling, Dylan Turner, Satsu, Kennedy, Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne, Bayarmaa 'Bay'

Angel Characters: Angel, Cordelia Chase, Connor Angel, Harmony Kendall, Winifred 'Fred' Burkle, Wesley Wyndam Pryce, Charles Gunn, Lorne, Anne Steele

Summary: Buffy shared her powers with all potential Slayers. But that was only the beginning. Now, she has to deal with all the new Slayers, with the aftermath of LA going to hell – and coming back. The world knows about the supernatural, there's no going back.

Keeping Up With the Scoobies

The Long Way Home

16. Artemis the Vampire Slayer (1)

Spike loved the garden. Now that he could sit in the sun again, he loved the garden. They had a Hollywood swing in their large garden – the garden of two properties since they had torn down the fence between their two houses, so the Scoobies and the Squad shared a garden. Breathing deeply, Spike gave it a little swing, enjoying the sun on his face and the noise of Slayers sparring in the background. Strangely a calming sound. So rhythmic, kind of reassuring.

"What are you... not reading there?"

Spike looked up to see Tara walk up to him, her head tilted. Ah, right. He had taken a book with him that he had meant to read before the sun had distracted him. Frowning, he turned it over to check. Romeo and Juliet. Where had that even come from...?

"I think you took Ann-Marie's homework assignment by mistake," Tara chuckled.

She sat down with him, giving the swing another little bounce. Spike flipped the book open to scan through it. Lot of notes at the sides. Fancy that. Slayer with a major in literature. Made him think about Buffy back in college, trying to get a normal life but ultimately being denied that. Buffy flipping burgers, on top of being the Slayer. A 'normal' life was just not meant to be the Slayer's. Yet here they were, new generation of Slayers, who could have that. Ann-Marie got to go to college, financing it with her income as Slayer and being able to take shifts as a Slayer when she didn't have class. Slayers who got to think about their future, Slayers who had the option... not to be Slayers. If being a Slayer wasn't what Ann-Marie, or any of the other girls, wanted, she could pursue a career after college. Because the burden was not solely resting on her shoulders.

"What are you thinking about?" Tara's voice tore him out of his thoughts. "You're smiling."

Was he? Huh. Shaking his head, Spike closed the book again and turned toward the witch instead.

"Been thinking about how these Slayers are changing the game. Their lives."

"Mhmh," Tara smiled knowingly. "Thinking about one Slayer in particular?"

Spike knew what she was getting at and opted to play the fool. "Yeah, I think Ann-Marie's got a great career as a literature professor in her future. Would be a shame to trade that for a stake."

Tara didn't press it. There was something about her, something he had always valued. She saw things others didn't, but she didn't judge or push. She allowed people their own pace.

"Hello? He—ello? Is anybody here?"

Both Tara and Spike turned toward the loud voice. Around the corner came a teenager, long red hair in a braid over her shoulder, freckles sprayed all over her face. Spike dug her style, black jeans and a faded band shirt also black, studded belt and boots. Adorable. Baby's first punk.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Alisha had a sword pointed at the girl right away.

Well, the Slayers were currently training with swords, so it had only taken Alisha one whirl around to be threatening the kid. Still, no threatening kids in this house. Tara and Spike quickly got up.

"Stand down, Slayerette," ordered Spike, pushing her sword down.

"She broke into the Slayer Den," argued Alisha with a glare.

"Slayer Den?" the redhead snickered. "That's super dorky."

"Hey," Aiko stepped up to them and glared. "It's not dorky!"

"It is and you all know it," Spike rolled his eyes. "Back to your training before the big boss checks in, or you want to explain why you dropped in the middle of exercise and instead decided to threaten some kid? C'mon, don't make me go get the missus."

"Spike's right. Your attention is with me. Spike and Tara can take care of her," Renee spoke up.

The girls glared at him in betrayal but returned to their training, leaving Spike alone with the kid and with a smiling Tara. Why was she smiling at him like that again?

"Okay, strawberry shortcake, why did you break into the Slayer Den?"

"Straw-" the redhead made a squeaky noise. "I'm not short! And I didn't break in. I rang the doorbell for like five minutes straight but nobody answered and I heard noises so I walked around the house to check the garden and look, there is like everybody. It's not breaking in, I'm not inside."

Spike snorted softly. Nitpicky. Technically true though, he supposed.

"What can we do for you?" asked Tara with a kind smile.

"I'm here to sign up for the club," declared the kid. "I'm Artemis and I'm a Slayer."

"Oh!" Tara perked up some. "Come on upstairs to the office, so you can leave your contacts and we will sign you up for the weekend training classes, okay?"

On the weekends, they trained the teenage Slayers, mostly control and some self-defense for now only. Spike trailed after them as Tara led the girl upstairs. Honestly, Spike liked the way the base of operation had turned out, by tearing down the wall between their houses and creating one large attic, pulling up some walls for an office and a more private meeting room. Looked all professional and Spike even had to admit that Xander ruled the place quite professionally too.

"Spike?" Xander turned away from his screen after Spike cleared his throat. "Tara? What's up?"

"Junior Slayer here wants to sign up for weekend classes," offered Spike.

Renee was training the girls outside, Willow was at work (had her fancy little business now. Spike was mildly impressed), Giles had been out for days because a lady friend of his was in San Francisco and he was staying with her (Spike couldn't entirely grasp that Giles had a lady friend), while Andrew had been sent to Scotland on request from Rowena to help out because their Watcher was out injured right now. Leaving Buffy and Xander up here, at work. Spike liked that look on her. After her meeting with the major, Buffy had gone out and bought some suits for herself to look all professional and it suited her. He smiled at her with all the fondness in the world.

"I'm Artemis, I'm a Slayer. I want to become a part of the squad."

"Artemis, huh?" Buffy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, Buffy," Artemis puffed out her chest, trying to look taller.

Spike chuckled to himself. "Heh, she got you on that, Slayer."

"Oh, you don't get a word in there, Spike," Buffy wagged a finger at him.

"Right," Xander rubbed his forehead. "I got a meeting with Tokyo in five. You got this, Buff?"

"Yeah," Buffy patted his shoulder. "I'd rather sit Tokyo out anyway..."

The ex. Spike was still curious to meet that girl in person though. Buffy went to fetch their membership book where they signed everyone up old-fashioned on paper first, though they did have a digital database of Slayers too. Buffy just liked to keep a notebook, where she could also take notes on progress and personal preference like their weapon of choice.

"So, Artemis," Buffy pulled out a sheet. "Here's the form. We need your contact info and you need to have your parents sign this. Because we can't train you without your parents' permission. And once you got that, we have classes every Saturday and Sunday here."

"No," Artemis' face screwed up. "I'm not here for some classes. I wanna move in here. With you guys. Like the other Slayers."

"Yeah, kid, this is an adults-only club," Spike chuckled. "Graduate high school and come back to us and we can talk, but this is official business now, can't support child labor."

"But I don't-" she stopped, looking frustrated. "I don't have parents!"

"Oh, sweetie," Tara's maternal instincts kicked in and she rested a hand on Artemis' shoulder. "But... you must be living somewhere, with someone. A guardian of sorts."

Spike was reminded of the way Tara and Willow had raised Dawn together, while Buffy had been... He shook that thought off, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded the teen too.

"They don't believe in the whole... Slayer thing. They think this is some kind of brainwashing sect. They've been trying to keep me from coming here. Please. You have to let me stay."

Buffy rubbed the bridge of her nose at that. What in the world was she supposed to do here? She felt for the girl, she really did. But she couldn't put herself over the law, especially when it concerned an underage kid. She looked at Tara pleadingly, hoping the witch would have an answer.

"I'll... I'll look into what we can do," offered Tara when she noticed the look.

"So I can stay?" Artemis' eyes sparkled with hope. "Please? At least until then?"

"For now," Buffy's voice was a sharp warning. "Until we figure this out, I'm not going to throw you out on the streets, yes. But you better not cause any trouble."

/break\

Spike was in the middle of eating breakfast with Willow, Renee and Xander. Tara was still asleep after spending too many hours trying to find out anything about Artemis or about how they could help the girl. She deserved the rest, especially after how fruitless her search had been. His own lady was still asleep too, Buffy having had the night-shift last night, patrolling with Rox and Priya.

The doorbell rang just as Willow was recounting a story about Xander and a mummy. Spike grumbled as he had to get up to get the door. He lived for embarrassing Xander stories.

"Dowling," Spike raised his eyebrows. "What, did I miss a shift? Swear I don't recall-"

"No," Dowling shook his head, looking serious. "This isn't... I'm here on official business."

"Where is he?!" a redheaded woman screeched, trying to push past Dowling. "Where's our son?!"

"Huh?" Spike blinked a couple times, looking at Dowling in confusion.

The woman was held back by a stern looking man. "Our son. We know he is here."

"Mister and Missus Kingsley came to report their child missing," offered Dowling at Spike's confused look. "They claim that Buffy and you guys are... hiding their son. Kidnapped, is what they said. I have a hard time believing that, knowing you and Buffy, but it's about a child, so... we have to follow up on these concerns, you know?"

"Yeah, no," Spike stepped aside, unsure what else to do. "Feel free to come in and have a look around. No teenage boys hiding away anywhere here."

Dowling nodded and, followed by his officers and the distressed parents, entered the house. The ruckus from the police and the still screaming mother quickly summoned the Slayers still asleep. Buffy looked so cute when she was sleepy, with her hair messy, wearing her pink bunny slippers and the matching pajamas. Her eyes darted between Dowling and Spike, so Spike went over to explain the situation to Buffy, which only made her look even more confused.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Kingsley screamed. "Arthur, where are you, sweetie?!"

Artemis appeared at the top of the stairs, looking shocked and upset. "M... Mom."

"Arthur," Mr. Kingsley sounded exasperated. "Get down here, you're going to come home with your mother and me, son. And... And... get changed, for the love of God."

"I'm not your son! Stop calling me that!" Artemis was shaking with tears and anger. "And don't call me Arthur, that's not my name, my name is Artemis! I told you!"

"You're just... You're just confused," Mrs. Kingsley looked at her child pleadingly. "Come home with us and calm down. These... These Slayers put this nonsense in your head. You're not a Slayer, you're not a girl. This is all just... confusion."

"Artemis?" Buffy turned toward the teen, voice gentle. "What's... What's going on?"

"I'd like to know that too," Dowling's eyes darted between the Kingsleys. "Buffy? Care to step aside with me and with..."

Dowling trailed off, a bit too confused to know what to say, so he simply motioned at Artemis. Buffy nodded her confirmation and lead Artemis and Dowling upstairs to the offices. Spike was quick to follow too, last thing he saw before walking up the stairs was how officers held back the parents on Dowling's orders. For now, Dowling needed to get the whole story.

"Okay, kid," Dowling sighed as he sat down on a chair. "Let's start at the top. What's your name?"

"Artemis," Artemis' hands were shaking as they clawed into her skirt. "I'm Artemis. I keep telling them, but they ignore me, they don't... They don't respect me, at all. They keep patronizing me, acting like just because I'm fifteen, I don't know who I am. What I am."

Dowling frowned, looking up at her. "And what... is it you are...?"

"I'm a Slayer," Artemis said it with her whole chest, with so much pride. "I know that. I... I knew I'm a girl even before that, okay? It's not true, what they say, that being a Slayer confused me or messed me up or whatever they're saying. I have been telling them that I'm a girl for years. But when I... When I started getting these visions... and I became stronger, like, it totally freaked me out, right? And I just... Then the news, with vampires and Slayers, and... and I must be a Slayer, right? I must be, right, Buffy?"

There was despair in her face as she looked at Buffy, and confused curiosity on Dowling's as he also looked at her. "I... Yes. I mean, we did a first assessment yesterday, after she came to us and she could hold her own against the other Slayers. She's a Slayer."

"Okay, okay, so... You're..." Dowling motioned vaguely. "You were born a boy, though? Did I get that right? That's why your parents are so... loud."

"...Yeah," Artemis turned away from him a bit. "They don't... get me. And I'm... I'm suffocating in that house. I want to live here. With others like me, other Slayers. People who'll respect me."

Dowling looked like he was having digestive issues at this point. "Listen, kid... You... You're a minor. You can't just up and leave home. I... can't just let you stay here, with strangers, after your parents reported you missing. I... I'm sorry. I can't do anything, unless you can give me something on your parents that will allow me to remove you from their care. Like abuse."

"They never hit me, if that's what you're asking," Artemis glared at him, crossing her arms. "But how's this not abuse? They don't call me by my name, they don't listen to who I am."

Artemis turned, looking at Buffy with pleading eyes. "You have to do something. Please."

Heaving a deep breath, Buffy looked at Artemis. "I'll do everything I can, okay? We're... good at finding solutions. But you gotta... you gotta work with us on that. For now, you have to listen to Detective Dowling, okay? And then we'll get this all sorted out."

Artemis' lower lip was quivering, like she thought Buffy was just saying something to get her out of Buffy's hair. Spike stepped up to Artemis, resting a hand on the kid's head, gaining her attention.

"Listen, little red, if Buffy says we'll sort this out, we will sort this out, okay?" Spike offered a crooked grin. "She stared the apocalypse down, repeatedly, and got that sorted out. Look at the world, still going. This? Piece of cake compared to all of that, right?"

"...I guess..." Artemis whispered unsure.

"Look at me," Spike spoke more insistently. "There's one thing I know about Slayers and it's that you types don't hang your heads. You fight. So don't look at me like that, okay?"

This time, Artemis looked more reassured as she nodded. "I'll... But you'll call, right?"

"Yes. As soon as we make any progress, we'll call you," Buffy smiled at her. "I promise."

Still, Buffy's stomach turned as she watched Dowling escort Artemis out. She sighed, leaning against Spike's side as soon as the door closed. This was quite the mess, wasn't it?

"What... do we do?" Buffy frowned, looking at Spike. "I want to help her. I know how awful I felt having to hide being a Slayer, having my mother tell me to 'stop' being a Slayer, like it was some choice I made and not inherently part of who I am. Broke me a little on the inside. I can't..." Buffy took a shaky breath. "I can't imagine how much more it must hurt to be... to be invalidated by your parents like that. Know you're a girl but they keep denying it. I mean, I don't really understand what it'd feel like to be trans, I've always... been the way I am? But..."

Buffy trailed off, letting the point she made before stand implied as repeated. Spike wrapped an arm around her shoulders, humming softly. Reluctant. Something was on his mind. She waited.

"I can," offered Spike after a few moments. "I mean, not... entirely the same, probably. I guess. Never really put enough thought into it to look for a... label or anything. But I remember, being the soft-spoken poet boy back in the day. Been called a pansy and not man enough for it often enough. Becoming a vampire, it allowed me to embrace... being different."

Buffy looked at him, half surprised. "Yeah?"

He offered her a crooked grin. "C'mon, Slayer. You know I don't dress like your picture boy of masculinity. I never minded wearing women's clothes, never thought there should be a gender attached to that, long as it looked good. Nail polish and make-up. And who was gonna call me a pansy for it now, as a big-shot vampire? The power allowed me to express myself the way I wanted to, without fear. Allowed me to pick my own name, make my own path, nobody could judge me. Not that I cared, anyway. Not the way I did, had to, when I was a kid, living at home..."

"Huh," Buffy blinked a couple of times. "I'm unsure what's the right thing to say?"

Spike rolled his eyes, nudging her a little. "Nothing. I'm Spike. The same Spike still. You just now know more about my... internal things, I guess. But like I said, I never really, I never looked into modern labels. Same for my preferences. You told me before, that you're bisexual. I guess you could say I'm that too, but... words, terms in the human world, they change so often. I never looked into them, it just... it felt like another form of conforming with human norms? When the whole point, for me anyway, was to break those norms. I didn't want to find a new mold to fit into and be all neat and tidy for others, easy to understand. I'm me and that's all that mattered to me."

"Mh..." Buffy smiled at him softly now, nodding a little. "I guess I kind of... get that. That being who you are and understanding that for yourself is what matters the most. Even if others don't."

She'd never really looked at it that way. That being a Slayer did make her different from other girls, that she knew. Had always been painfully aware of. But she'd never thought more on that, because she had always been the only one. And then there had been Kendra, and then Faith. Yes, there had been a strange eagerness in Buffy to see someone like her, trying desperately to seek that sisterhood, that sense the new Slayers all got. And now? With so many Slayers? Things were different.

"Okay," Buffy took a deep breath. "We got a lot of work ahead of us. Gather the troops."

"The troops?" Spike raised one eyebrow in amusement.

"We will need as many as we can get, to call around, do research, find someone willing to help us one way or another," declared Buffy with a frown. "We have to find some way to help Artemis. Being a teenage girl is already hard enough without your parents denying who you are."

"Being a teenage Slayer, at that..."

Spike huffed softly and followed her outside to get everyone grouped together and explain the situation. Artemis had fit right in yesterday already. Joking and laughing with Lilah and Mei over spaghetti dinner, enjoying movie night with some of the girls, even when she'd been sparring with Ann-Marie. The excitement radiating off of her as she got to fight and didn't have to hold back for once. It must have been so exciting for her, to realize that she belonged to something bigger. Spike had seen as much in her eyes, the sparkle of a Slayer.

/break\

Artemis was laying curled together on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. She was facing her wall, away from her door. Had been ignoring her parents since she got home. Buffy and Spike had said they would fix it, they would help her somehow. And even though she'd barely known them for a day, something inside her told her that she could trust them.

In her hands, she was clutching her phone. She'd had exchanged numbers with Buffy yesterday already and she had gotten two texts from that number earlier, clinging onto them now.

Hang in there, kid. We reached out to some people, have them look into it. - Spike

We'll talk soon and we'll find a way, okay? - Buffy


Author's note: I have been thinking about Spike and gender a lot lately and it brought me to "okay but... trans Slayer?", and I really liked that so here she is, Artemis! Also, I am always a sucker for "characters take in kid/teen and keep them" ;D