FAMILY TIES II
Chapter 9Always Got Your Back
Two hours after Buffy had returned with Giles and Spike with Faith, the Scoobies had a tentative outline for a plan. During that time, the slayer and vampire had made a trip down to Willie's Tavern; bullying what little information he had on Seth. One hour after that, the plan was complete. All they had to do now was to clarify everyone's responsibilities.
"Okay," Buffy said, her back straight and eyes focused, "everybody knows what they have to do." Instead of nods, the seven warriors issued resolute stares.
"Good," she replied, crossing her arms below her breasts. "Now, we go over this one more time and get as much rest as we can in the next," she glanced at the clock, "Three hours." Running her hands through her hair, Buffy addressed the person nearest to her.
"Okay, guys. Here we go. Giles?"
"Stay with Willow and Tara to help them reinforce the protection spell as well as preparing the binding spell on Rack."
"Willow, Tara?"
"We follow five minutes after you. Then I anchor Tara when she performs the protection spell," the redhead chirped.
"Perform protection spell around the Bronze--so people can get out but not in, then support Giles with the binding spell," Tara replied.
"Good. Anya, Xander?"
"Help everyone get out when you give the signal," the ex-demon responded.
"Help Anya with the evacuation and back you, Spike and Faith up in case minions show."
"Spike, Faith?"
"Case the place for any baddies," the vampire drawled, "and watch the back exit."
"I go in first, take a position on the scaffolding. Once I spot Seth, I'll pinpoint him for you when you walk in. Scan the club for any other hostiles, including Rack."
"Hostiles, luv?" Spike asked, somewhat bemused, "you been takin' lessons from those gits at the Initiative?" Her only response was a familiar smirk.
"Good," Buffy said. "As for me, like Faith said, I trail behind her by five minutes. That should give her enough time to spot Seth and make him. Same goes with Rack. We can't move too early," the slayer warned, "but I don't want to cut it too close--like we did with Glory. We have to give ourselves at least some margin for error."
"I agree with Buffy," Giles supported and he was met with several nods. "Even if charging in at the last minute gives this Seth and whomever he is working with to perform the ritual less time, we cannot take the chance that they will hold us off long enough to complete it."
"But we don't know if it's time sensitive or not," Faith pointed out, "so all this may be moot. It just may be an untimed battle royal or something."
"That's true, pet, but we can't take that chance, either. This Seth bloke said midnight, so I suggest we hit him hard fifteen minutes beforehand. We can hit the club twenty minutes before that."
"We better hit 'em twenty-five minutes before," Buffy said. "We don't know how many minions he's gonna have with him."
"But if there are enough to hold us in a fight for fifteen minutes, luv, chances aren't gonna be good for us white hats."
"Now don't think I'm feverish," Xander chimed in, "but I'm leaning toward agreeing with Peroxide Boy. Buff, there's, what, eight of us? If we can't get through that in fifteen, then we are in some serious trouble."
"We're in serious trouble, Xander, no matter how we look at it. Aside from Faith, we know next to nothing about this Seth guy. And we sure as hell don't know how many new recruits he's picked up for this little project of his. Willow and Spike know a little about Rack, but, as far as his abilities go…" Buffy sighed loudly and took her seat at the head of the table. She opened her eyes when she felt a cool hand stroke her arm.
"Hey, none of that, Slayer," Spike's voice was hard but she could see his concern and love for her in the shimmering depths of his eyes. "We are gonna do right by the Nibblet, I promise you. I won't fail you this time."
Buffy smiled wearily at her lover. Never would she have believed that a soulless vampire would be her rock, her strength in her times of weakness and uncertainty. She had told them what she and Giles had decided about allowing the ritual to take place. They had all been opposed to it, especially Spike and it wasn't until Giles offered his suggestion of a cohesion spell that would keep Dawn's consciousness in tact while allowing the First to merge with her that he had calmed. In theory, Dawn would not be infected by the influence of the First, though their powers would be enjoined, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Though the spell itself would not hurt Dawn, there was only a fifty-fifty chance of it being effective. Not great odds to say the least, but it was better than nothing.
"You didn't fail me last time, Spike," Buffy said and he smiled warmly. Her hand cupped his statuesque cheek and he leaned into her touch, emitting a cat-like purr. "Dawn's gonna be alright." His eyes fell and she knew he didn't like the idea of standing back and doing nothing while the ritual was initiated. He did, however, have confidence in Giles and his plan. The Watcher's belief that storming the Bronze and eliminating whatever opposition would cause the performer of the ritual to rush, thus giving them the possibility that the First's entire essence would not transfer completely, thus upping the chance of success of Giles' cohesion spell.
"Not to interrupt your tender displays of affection, "Anya declared, "but aren't we forgetting something? Like the fact that this Seth guy can't be killed. I mean, if Faith is so strong and she can't even touch him, what chance do we have? And that's not even mentioning the fact that the First is going to be there with her ability to corrupt us."
"Well," Faith spoke up, "even though Seth can't be killed, he can be injured. Mum and Dad'll be able to handle him, I'm sure. As for the potential influence from the First," she dug into her shirt and pulled out the silver locket. "With this, I can create a sort of magical ward over everyone. It should greatly weaken her persuasive powers although it won't completely nullify them. If she concentrates long enough on one person, I'm not sure if it'll hold. It should also limit the potential influence that Rack may hold over Willow, too."
"But to do that," Giles offered, getting back to the First "her concentration would have to be divided, thus allowing more time for the cohesion spell to take hold."
"And like Faith said," Buffy supplied, "as far as Seth goes, he may be immortal, but he sure as hell isn't invulnerable. Especially when he's gonna have two slayers and a pissed off vampire to deal with." Every grunted their affirmations and Buffy smiled. This was her family. It had only been her, Giles, Willow and Xander in the beginning but, like all families, they had expanded. First there was Anya who was quickly followed by Tara. They offered the emotional support for Xander and Willow, respectively and that only strengthened the already powerful nucleus. Now, there were two more additions--Spike and Faith. Though the latter would not be born technically for another twenty years, she still was the beacon of hope that Buffy had always dreamt of but never expected to have; a family of her own.
I have a daughter, Buffy thought in amazement at the beautiful young woman that sat next to Spike. Not only that, but the father is a soulless vampire that loves us both with his entire being. What did I do to deserve such a complete love? She asked herself. Buffy had done a lot of soul-searching in the past twenty-four hours and, although she knew herself to be important in the grand scheme of things, she knew that did not alleviate her from her day-to-day responsibilities. Ever since her return, she had been less than pleasant to be around and, while some of it was justified as shock from being ripped from Heaven, she had to move on. Spike had told her that she couldn't pity herself anymore and he was right. For the last six months she lived with a singular thought of wishing to be back in that peace but what she didn't realize is that all those around her wished for the same thing. True, they hadn't experienced it like she had, but that didn't make their desires any less real. How long had they had peace since living on the Hellmouth? Maybe the snippets of childhood long since gone. As for the last six years? No, they had none for their fight, like hers, was a constant in their lives, as evil would always be lurking in the shadows. She had always lamented that she never had a choice while they did. As she thought about that, two revelations came to her. They fought by her side, not because they were chosen to do so, but because it was the right thing to do. They owed nothing to the fates except to live their lives how they saw fit. Evidently, fighting the forces of darkness was how they had chosen to spend that life and, in that, they had given up more than Buffy could ever realize.
Her second revelation came upon the words of Faith earlier. Buffy had for so long wailed about not having a choice. She was wrong. She always had a choice. Though she was destined to be the slayer, that destiny did not hold her to one course alone. Looking back on all the prophecies they had averted was proof that destiny was something that not even the Powers could control. Why? The simplicity of it was that single word—choice. No, she did not have to use her powers for the good of the world. She could have used them for her own selfish needs or for other nefarious purposes. Hell, she had spurned Giles (and Merrick) when they had first approached her though she relented in the end. Even at their insistence, she could have still held out on their pleas about her 'destiny', but she didn't. Why? Because deep down, in the core of her soul, she knew that fighting against the darkness was, indeed the right thing to do. She had made a choice even before she realized she had had one to make and now, looking back on her decision, she knew she had made the right one.
And nothing, not even the call of Heaven's eternal peace, could deaden the fire in her soul that now burned knowing that, at this moment, she was right where she wanted--no, needed--to be.
***
"Whatcha doin'?" Buffy asked as she strolled into the alley behind the Magic Box. Spike sat pensively, his body a wire of tension as a lit fag hung loosely from his lips. Buffy took in his drifter-like pose and smiled warmly. She watched as the wisps of smoke caught in the current of the twilight winds and mingled with the cooling air.
She imitated his pose and tilted her head against his shoulder. Spike instinctively wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. He inhaled one last puff of the cigarette before tossing it to the ground, extinguishing it with a twist of his foot. He leaned his head on top of hers and breathed in the scent that was all Buffy. It was a combination of vanilla, danger, passion and love not to mention several other distinctive smells that belonged only to her.
"Thinkin'," he finally answered her. To his reply, she snorted lightly, snaking her arms around his waist. This close to him, Buffy could finally admit to herself, that she was drawn to everything that was Spike. His touch. His smell. His taste. The way his arms were a promise of sanctuary where she didn't always have to be strong. It was only here, in his arms that she could lay down--if only for a moment--the mantle of 'slayer' and just be Buffy. Not even with Angel had she ever felt so at peace. Unlike his grandsire, Spike did not hold her upon a pedestal. He didn't ask her to be someone she wasn't, just who she already was. He accepted her faults just as he did her strengths--unconditionally--and she never felt like she was being judged in his company. She was grateful for his accurate, albeit blunt, analysis of her, giving her the truth even when it was the last thing she wanted to hear. But he was also nurturing (when she allowed him to be) without smothering her. He knew her strength and her independence, though he knew when to step in without her saying a word. It was as if he could read her thoughts, gauge her moods, sometimes without even seeing her. That, above all things, scared her the most because intuition like that denoted a link that was more than physical and emotional. It was more along the lines of conjoined spirits, intertwined in the most intimate of ways. But how could that be? --Spike had no soul. At the same time, Buffy couldn't explain the reason she gravitated towards him so easily. Although he did make her feel, there had been something else that drew her into him. It was something beyond words, beyond thoughts and, in ways, beyond comprehension. She only knew it was there, chanting to her endlessly, whispering to her in the darkness to release herself once and for all. She had resisted for so long, believing it to be the call of the demon, bating her into a trap to finally lower her guard so it could destroy her. But now she understood that that was not the case.
"Spike," Buffy asked timidly.
"Yeah, luv?"
"Do you ever…wonder why you love me?" Spike lifted his head and looked down on Buffy who, in turn, buried her head further into him. He smiled brightly though she didn't see. He had always been amazed at how such a strong and willful woman whose everyday companion was death could, in one moment, transform into a young girl full of innocence. It was something he never got tired of.
"Is that a trick question, luv, or weren't you payin' attention to me last night?" he joked.
Buffy stiffened upon hearing his words but she immediately relaxed when she discerned the mirth of his tone. "No. I mean, yes I was paying attention." She paused, searching for the right word. "I don't mean 'why' as in what you see in me…but 'why' as in 'how' can you love me so much."
Spike's body went rigid at her comment and he knew what she was going to bring up, so he decided to beat her to it.
"Is this about the soddin' soul again?" His words were clipped, though he staved the anger and hurt that welled up within him as best he could. "I thought you said…"
"No, Spike," Buffy interrupted and removed herself from his embrace. She moved in front of him, his legs angled between hers and he could feel the command within Buffy surface. He wanted to apologize for his harsh tones but, damn it; he was tired of the soul issue. He had thought it had already been put to rest with her little spiel on his 'humanity' but obviously it hadn't.
"Spike," she said and he met her with defiant eyes, expecting the same from her hazel jewels. He was thrown off when he saw compassion and determination radiate from her pupils and he was powerless to look away.
"Listen to me very carefully, Spike, cuz I'm only gonna say this once. I don't care that you don't have a soul. Not one bit. I like you just the way you are and I wouldn't want to change a thing about you."
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "But you just said you wondered how I could love you so much."
Her smile was gentle and Spike swore that his body warmed at her simple gesture. She gently cupped his face into her delicate hands and adorned his lips with the sweetest of kisses. Pulling back slowly, she gazed into his now stormy eyes and spoke to him, her words touching his very core.
"Spike, there is nothing about you that I don't want. It took me awhile before I realized this but a soul doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is the person you are--yes, the person. There may be a demon inside of you but you are no monster, William. You are a good man who must understand that he is beneath no one. I am not going to leave you for someone who has a soul, so you can get that silly thought out of your head. Even if Angel came down to sweep me off my feet, he'd find the ground where I stand empty. You know why?"
"Why?" he asked, his voice overcome with emotion.
"Because I'll already be in your arms." Spike couldn't hold the tears at bay and he wrapped Buffy in his arms, wishing that the moment would last forever.
"There are better moments than this," she whispered in his ear. He cocked his head in surprise, unaware that he had spoken his last thoughts aloud.
"Better moments, luv? Such as?"
She dropped her eyes before glancing at him coyly. "Such as me telling you how I really feel…" Buffy let her words trail off as her finger danced lightly against his chest.
All movement from Spike ceased at her words and his mind refused to process a single thought. Only the sensation of being in a dream cut through the clouded haze of his mind and Spike shook his head in an attempt to force his brain to function.
"What? Buffy…" his tone screamed with hope and it took all the power Buffy could muster not to take him where they stood and show him exactly how she felt. Instead, she offered him a brilliant smile and took his hands in hers, intertwining their fingers together.
"That's the moment I want to last forever," she told him, "because I want to remember the look on your face when I tell you how I really feel."
Spike could think of nothing to say and, instead, responded with a goofy grin. Without a second thought, his lips descended onto hers in a fury of passion and violence and the world around them blinked out of existence as their tongues and essences mingled.
Spike broke the kiss first, sensing Buffy's desperate plea for oxygen. Breathless, she leaned her forehead against his as air rushed into her depleted lungs. The familiar flame within her began to burn anew and she knew they had to get back inside before thought became a lost commodity.
"Guess we'd better get in," he said, echoing her thoughts.
"Yeah."
Reluctantly, Spike moved toward the door, one hand still clasped in his slayer's before he felt a strong tug and was blitzed by the heat of Buffy's lips once again.
It was Spike again who had to be the one to pull away and Buffy sighed at the loss of contact.
"Aren't we the lusty one?" he mused.
"It's the only way I know that can show you what I feel without saying it," she answered truthfully. Spike's amused visage melted into one of endearment at her confession. He knew that she had always been scared to make that full dive off the cliff but that didn't seem to be the case here. No, there was something else she was waiting for.
"I want to tell you when we are making love in my--no--in our bed," she said. "I want to see your face when my words register in your ears and you sink into me. Telling you anytime, Spike would be wonderful, but that is the only situation where I think it would be perfect."
Stunned by her confession, Spike could only stare in amazement at the petite woman before him. She was no longer scared of her feelings. In fact, what she had said may very well have been more difficult to express than the simple I love you. Either way, he knew how she felt and that in itself was enough to make him happy.
"I know it's asking a lot…" she began but he silenced her with a finger on her lips.
"S'not a lot to ask for, luv. To wait, I mean. I've waited for so long to hear you say it, I think I can wait another few hours." He smirked at her in an attempt to hide the overwhelming emotion coiled within him. "Course, with me being so insecure, you may have to repeat it, ad nauseum."
Buffy laughed, playfully swatting him on the arm before her eyes turned serious. "Believe me, Spike, I will say it as many times as I need to for you to understand that I'm not gonna leave you. Now c'mon, before we can't think straight and get down and dirty in this alley."
"I wouldn't complain," he joked before being dragged back into the store.
As they walked into the main room, hand in hand, both were beaming from their last few minutes alone. Buffy had been astonished at how easy the words had come. In fact, it had been harder not to tell him that she loved him than anything else. She had thought that he would have pressed her more, knowing that the words were on the tip of her tongue but he had understood, like he always did. For the countless time that day, Buffy wondered what she had done to deserve this. She had wanted to ask him if he thought that his demon was as in love with her as the man was. She thought back to the whole memory loss snafu. After they had regained their memories, she had stared into his golden eyes as he extended a hand to help her up. What she saw there frightened her more than anything he had ever said or done. She could be honest with herself now and admit that even the demon, as much as it hated the idea, loved her just as much as the man. And it, just like Spike, would love her unconditionally until the end of time. She could be herself and not worry about him leaving--that was something he, nor the demon, would ever do.
Buffy stole a glance at him as they reached the table. Here was a man that would always have her back, no matter the circumstance. He would never let her fall and if, by chance, she did, he would hoist her back to her feet. Though she would never trade the times she spent with Angel and Riley, she was thankful to have reached a new plateau self-discovery with Spike by her side.
Spike would be there, come hell-god or apocalyptic nightmare, and for that she was thankful. She had the love of a soulless vampire and she loved him back. Sure, the others would object to it, call her crazy and she would be inclined to agree with that assessment.
She was crazy, all right. Crazy in love with William the Bloody and she couldn't be happier.
***Well, that was the end of all the good stuff. Next chapter, we get down and dirty with Club Life, the start of the confrontation between the Scoobies and Seth & Jennifer, culminating in the ultimate climax. Only 7-8 chapters to go!
Chapters Left (titles subject to change)
Chapter 10 Club Life
Chapter 11 Battle LinesChapter 12 Secret Weapon
Chapter 13 Mano y Mano
Chapter 14 Reunion: Redux
Chapter 15 A Father's Rage
Chapter 16 Sacrifices
Chapter 17 One Last Breath
**There may or may not be an epilogue.
**Hold on to your hats, folks cuz, as they say, Business is about to pick up.