FAMILY TIES 9

It had been an interesting scene when Spike joined the four women in the living room. Tara and Willow were curled up together on the couch. The former gave him a knowing wink and whispered something to Willow and they laughed in unison. He smiled sheepishly at the couple and turned his eyes toward Buffy. She was curled up in the recliner, her eyes intensely studying a woman's magazine. He smirked and drifted over to the Slayer. Dawn sat on the floor next to Buffy, her long legs stretched out, crossed at the ankle. He gave her what was supposed to be a fleeting glance before turning his attention back towards his prey. That was, until he got a good look into the teenager's eyes. Her lust-filled eyes at that.

"Nibblet," he said as casually as he could. Willow and Tara were lost into one another's eyes, trading lovers' whispers and Buffy was still engrossed in her article. It was obvious that the other three occupants hadn't picked up on Dawn's lecherous glares at the vampire's bare chest. What to do? He thought, drawing closer to the transfixed girl. Hey, I'm evil. The Big Bad. Might as well have some fun with it. Without any more of a hesitation, he bent down to look at Dawn and pulled from his repertoire the most seductive smile he could muster. He knew it was wrong, considering the girl was almost like a surrogate sister to him. Of course, 'almost' wasn't exactly blood-ties, thus he allowed himself this luxury.

"Enjoy what you see?" he asked, loud enough for both her and Buffy to hear. He had cocked his head so that the slayer thought he was talking to her and she quickly buried her eyes further into the magazine.

"I…uhhh…" Dawn stammered as her face glowed ten shades of red. He could see her throat working overtime to generate a twinge of moisture to no avail.

"I…I'm thirsty. Anyone else thirsty? I'm gonna get something to drink. Anyone else thirsty?" she repeated, mortified that she was caught in the act. She hustled out the room, receiving curious glares from the three remaining women.

"What was that about?" Buffy asked, averting her eyes from the pale skin of her sometimes lover hovering below her.

"Don't know," Spike replied innocently. But his look was anything but. Buffy could feel his eyes on her, dissecting every inch of her body, remembering every curve, every touch, every scream…She buried her face even further into the magazine's pages.

"Whatcha readin', luv?" he asked casually, purposely brushing his hand against her bare foot. She shivered noticeably at the touch.

"Cosmo," she said, as noncommittally as possible.

"Hmmm," he said thoughtfully.

"What now?" she asked, finally looking up.

"I'm all about the experimentation," he gave her a lascivious look, "but readin' a magazine upside-down seems kinda…I don't know, kinky." Buffy furrowed her brow for a moment before it dawned on her what he was talking about. She looked up fearfully at the couple on the couch to see if they had noticed the exchanged.

They did.

Spike actually laughed aloud. He had thought Dawn's blush had been bright but this…this was utterly nuclear in comparison. He thought to let it go, but it was so hard. Why not! He thought wryly.

"You seem tense, luv," he said, maneuvering behind. Before she could move, his placed his hands on her shoulders and started to massage her.

Any words Buffy intended were caught in her throat. My God, a part of her said, as his strong yet delicate hands danced and kneaded her tight muscles. She knew the magic that he possessed in those hands but not like this. His deft fingers worked the base of her neck and Buffy was lost in the moment. She closed her eyes her head drooped forward and the magazine slipped from her hands. She had forgotten about the two witches in the room, staring curiously at her. And she didn't notice the low moans that escaped her lips nor her hand that had crept up between her breasts and stroked her own skin seductively.

"Gee, why don't you two just get a room," Dawn said sardonically. She leaned against the way, arms crossed with a big glass of juice held casually in one hand. She looked at the two secret lovers with the mock indignation only a teenager could muster.

When Buffy had heard Dawn's voice, it took all that she was not to scream in surprise. She whipped her neck around in Dawn's direction, simultaneously slapping Spike's hands away. Aside from a "bloody hell", he said nothing else. Buffy looked at her sister, ready to say something when she felt two extra pair of eyes zeroing in on her. Mortified, Buffy turned to Tara and Willow on the couch. The blond witch smiled at her knowingly while the red head's mouth was plastered in an 'O' expression. Though she had wanted to reprimand Dawn for her implications, Buffy figured that silence would give the least away. She didn't know how wrong she was.

"What?" Dawn exasperated, "It's not like I don't know…"

"Know what?" Buffy interjected defensively. To his credit, Spike stood quietly, his face a picture of naivete.

Let's see her get out of this pinch, he thought to himself. Finally, it was going to be out in the open. No more taking crap from Xander about playing up on Buffy. Now, he had something to rub in the whelp's face. At that thought, a part of him was ashamed because he had already anticipated Xander's reaction to the news and it wasn't going to be pretty…

"C'mon, Buff," Dawn replied in her overly annoyed tone, "everyone knows something is going on between you two. I mean the late nights, the bug eyes you get anytime his name comes up…" but she never finished as Buffy snaked her arm around her sister's waist and 'escorted' her into the kitchen. "Hey," was all the younger Summers managed before disappearing across the kitchen's threshold once more.

Thoroughly entertained for the evening, the vampire plopped himself in the recently vacated recliner, his long legs thrown haphazardly across the side. His right arm dangled off the side while his left hand was comfortably tucked behind his head. Wonder what Buffy's sayin to the bit. It's not like she's stupid. Probably the smartest 'o the lot. Just tell her Buff, get it over with. Clear your conscience.

He chuckled to himself at the last thought but was broken out of his reverie by a soft voice calling his name. He turned to see a rather distraught Willow leaning forward.

"Yeah, Red?" he asked, a lopsided grin on his face.

"What…I was wondering. I mean, Dawn…and…and you. I mean Buffy. Not that it's any of my business but…are you…I mean you and Buffy," she motioned with her head obscurely, "you know. You know what I mean by 'you know'?" She paused. "You know?"

"Know what?" came a familiar voice from the foyer. Willow and Tara turned their heads toward the sound while Spike only groaned.

"Well if it isn't my favorite friend. The Billy Idol wannabe," Xander said as he took a seat on the edge of the couch.

Spike rolled his eyes and sighed unnecessarily. "You're one to talk, Brick Boy." He righted himself in the chair and stared at Xander intently. "So, tell again; what's it like to be the Count's sweet little trollop?" He leaned back, displaying his most arrogant airs, "Dyin' to hear it, really. Course you may wanna wait til the women are put to rest, mate. Wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself with all the sordid details. From what I hear, the Count engages in all sorts of nasties with his minions." He chuckled softly and ran a hand through his hair.

The tension in the room was palpable and for the third time in the span of ten minutes, a beet-red face stared up at the vampire. Rather down at him, as Xander stood, fists clenched at his sides. He ignored Willow's hand as she tried to usher her oldest friend back to his seat.

"You know, dead-boy, you really talk a lot for someone who couldn't hurt me even if I laid out in front of that dumpster that you call a car and begged you to make me a permanent part of the concrete." Xander's fury was barely contained that further added to the deliciousness of the situation.

"Touchy, Harris? Guess I hit a sore spot with you, no? Or was that Dracula that hit…" Spike didn't finish his sentence as Xander grabbed the half-nude vampire by the shoulders and hoisted him up.

"You know, blonde bombshell, one of these days, someone is gonna be carrying a stake and trip and fall with it right into your chest," he spat. Spike only smirked before slapping Xander's hands away effortlessly. He received an uncomfortable shock for his efforts. Xander rubbed his forearm where Spike had struck him but laughed nonetheless.

"Awww, the widdle biddy vampire get a nasty shock to his peroxide-filled head?"

Spike massaged his palm against the light migraine thumping between his temples and smiled. "Truth hurts, doesn't it," a single step and the man and vampire were practically nose to nose. Any trace of amusement on Spike's face had vanished. "And about the stake thing, you're bloody well right. One of these days, one'll have my name on it. Either that or a good old fashion sun bath. But," he lowered his voice menacingly, "I'd wager that before that happens this sodding chip will be history. And if you are still around then, I might take it upon myself to visit you a little payback." Neither moved nor dared break eye contact and the two women on the couch only looked at one another. All throughout the barb they had unsuccessfully attempted cooling the tempers. And the demeanor of the two men didn't quite hint at a jovial reconciliation.

Just as the room felt as if it were going to overflow with hostility and angst, Buffy returned, followed by a glowing Dawn. Taking in the scene, she rushed over to the standoff and placed her hands on her hips. The weight of her gaze was enough for both men to immediately crane their necks in the slayer's direction. There she was, in all her glory, anger and frustration. She was hot and it was enough for both men to know it was time to back down.

"Hey, luv," Spike cajoled, attempting to get back into her good graces. Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"If I see you two one more time tonight attempting to see who has the biggest…" she paused and had the graciousness to look embarrassed, but it lasted only a moment. "Trust me boys. You do not want to annoy me anymore tonight." She hurled razors at the two men before sitting back in the recliner in a huff. Spike only smiled at her, his own tension melting away. He walked over to the recliner and, though knowing he was pressing his luck, sat on the chair arm. He was surprised when Buffy did not push him away or slam him with a few dishearteningly choice words.

"So, where's Buffy-bot 2.0?" Xander questioned. Though he had received the short version of the story, his first instinct was that Spike had made another toy to play with and it was broken. He sat next to the Wiccas all his energies focused on Spike. He looked mighty comfortable snuggled close to Buffy like that. Xander smiled inwardly, waiting for his former crush to hoist the vampire and his haughty 'tude right out the door of casa Summers.

Buffy stared forlornly at the coffee table that separated her from her two oldest friends. Her and Spike, that was. She sighed, dejectedly. Xander and Willow were two of the most important people in her life and she cherished their friendship. But even that wasn't enough to make her happy. And though she loathed admitting it, the undead figure sitting inches from her was responsible for sparking a flicker of life within her. She had told Spike being with him made it all simpler. And in a way it did. But it was more than that. The way he made her feel inside, both physically and emotionally, were left out of the breakup speech. How could she tell him if she couldn't admit to herself how terrifying it was to long for him like she did? She had tried to contain it to just the physical realm, unsuccessfully. He had gotten to her, injected himself into her and now…now she couldn't get rid of the loneliness that shadowed her when he was not around. He had been right all along on many occasions. Through his eyes, she was as transparent as a window without glass. Boy, was he right. She wanted and craved him. What scared her most was the fact that she was beginning to see that she needed him.

"Can we get this show on the road?" Dawn said, trying her best to convey her boredom. Spike cast an eye toward him and she smiled. No, smiled wasn't a strong enough word. She was beaming! Did the slayer…? No, she wouldn't have told Nibblet. Would she? Would she be happy about that?

He shook the questions from his head. Right now, there were more important things to discuss.

"Right, then," he said and began pacing the room. "Well, I don't know too much about her. Found her at the top of the bluff, naked as a jay bird, in pretty bad shape," he hesitated. "Bloody weird though."

"What?" Xander asked in contempt.

"Well, here I am, my duster draped to the ground and everything and still I get soaked. This little bit though," he pointed to the ceiling, "was dryer than the Sahara." They looked at him, not grasping the meaning. Spike sighed, irritated. "Bloody hell, people, work with me. What happens when it rains? You get wet." He paused, searching for a proper metaphor that even Harris could grasp. "Okay, now think about when you boil water. What happens to it?"

"It converts to its gas state," Willow chimed after a momentary silence.

"Now, what happens when a surface is already at the boiling point and water is introduced?" He eyed Willow.

"Well, if the surface is that hot, then the liquid will turn to steam almost as soon as it hits."

"Right. And that's how I found the bint. She…"

"That's impossible," Xander chirped eagerly, getting the gist of Spike's analogy. He was looking for a way to demean Spike and the vampire's obvious lack of knowledge of the ins and outs of human endurance. "Even you dea…" he caught Buffy's warning glare, "…Spike, even you know that someone's body temperature couldn't get that high without them turning into barbecue mess."

"Yeah, it's impossible. And this is a Hellmouth," Buffy interjected. "Impossible and Hellmouth don't quite fit in the same sentence. Plus, how do we know if she's human?"

"We..well, she really did look the part," Tara said softly.

"And so does Spike," Buffy countered. The vampire looked at her indignantly. Buffy smiled affectionately at him and his features softened. She had never looked at him like that, let alone with people actually around. He didn't comment but stored the feeling coursing through him for a later date.

"The point is," she continued, "that we don't know anything about her. Well, aside from the fact that she has an obvious fixation with Spike," Xander was about to comment before Buffy raised her voice, "and an obvious dislike for Sunnydale's residential slayer. I mean we don't know what she is, where she's from. We don't even know her name."

"Faith," said a small yet strong voice from the steps. All eyes turned to the source. She stood in the open, arms crossed. She wore a black tank top and gray sweatpants, obviously swiped from Buffy's closet. A bare foot tapped impatiently on the hardwood floor while everyone, including Spike, looked in awe. He had been around her the longest but she didn't carry any type of fire within her. But she sure as hell did now, and it was eerie. Not because they were afraid, rather that everything about her bore an uncanny resemblance to their own Buffy.

"What?" Buffy asked, the first to recover.

"Faith. That's my name," she walked into the middle of the room, not hiding her aggravation in the least. "Did you or did you not ask me my name?" Her eyes bore through Buffy. But the rustled slayer regained her resolve and stood, her patience gone.

"What is your problem?" Buffy demanded, her anger clouding the fact that this girl, for all intents and purposes, was the spitting image of her.

"You, you nit," she retorted, taking a step toward the slayer.

"Look, girl. My aching jaw has already told me that much. But my question is why." For a moment, the girl's anger seethed as though she was about to lose herself in it. But just as quickly as it had appeared, it dissipated and was replaced by an infinite sadness that was difficult to take. For no apparent reason, a wave of guilt inundated Buffy.

"What did you say?" Buffy asked the girl who had put her head down. She had spoken in a whisper that only Spike could have heard. Buffy put a hand on the girl's shoulder and had to fight to pull it away. The girl's despair was evident through the intimate skin contact. Buffy forced herself to continue and raised the girl's chin up to see into her eyes. When Buffy looked into the blue-green embers, her mind screamed to turn away. They were filled with love, hate and longing. And fear.

Tears raced down the girl's tanned face and Buffy held her gaze. She didn't realize that she too was crying. "What did you say?" She asked the girl, this time her voice gentle and comforting.

"You promised," she choked out. Only Buffy and Spike were close enough to hear her. The vampire had waved the others off before they had a chance to smother the girl. Even a very reluctant Xander complied.

"Promised what, baby bit?" Spike asked. She looked timidly over at him and smiled nervously.

"Sh…she promised. But she didn't…she," the girl turned back to Buffy, "you left me." The girl immediately turned away as Buffy's hands dropped. You left me. Those three words hit Buffy in a spot that was all too familiar. She understood the grief and pain going through the girl's head. Angel. Riley. Her dad. Giles. Thanks to them, the slayer was intimately familiar with the ache inside of being left by those that supposedly loved you.

"Family's not supposed to leave," she whispered. "Especially…"

"Especially what?" Buffy asked desperately. She knew that whatever the answer was, she wasn't going to like it.

The girl turned around, her face stained with tears. The sadness was there but was coupled with something else as well. It wasn't hate but a resigned anger…and disappointment.

"Especially you."

"Why me?" Buffy pled. "Why me? Who am I to you? Who are you?"

The girl laughed bitterly.

"I already told you who I am. Faith. Faith Joyce Summers. Your beloved daughter."

***Am I cruel? Well, several things will be answered in the next chapter, Revelations. It should be up in a week.***