Author: Shroomie
Title: Family Links
Spoilers: Set after Tabula Rosa
Disclaimer: They are not mine, but I wouldn't mind borrowing Spike.
Reviewers: I started using paragraphs and intend to keep it that way. Sorry about the first few chapters-I will go back and fix those later. Thanks for all the awesome feedback! Happy writer! (
*** Spike looked around the Magic Box while Buffy and Giles talked. He noticed them glancing at him every few moments, but he pretended otherwise.
The shop didn't look like it had changed that much over the years. They must have gotten new tables and chairs at some point, but other then that, it looked pretty much the same. *Slayer must of broken the last set. Figures.* Spike thought.
He walked behind the counter, idly examining the supplies on the shelves (typical things-candles, incense, spell books). He picked up a set of candles, smelling them. *Ugh, sage! Who would ever want a sage scented candle?* Spike wondered. He put the candles back on the shelf, knocking over a book as he did.
Picking the book up, Spike almost put it back on the shelf, before he noticed it was a photo album. On the front cover was a picture of the entire Scooby gang: Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Anya, Tara, and Giles. They were all smiling, especially Buffy, who looked very happy. Spike felt a twinge of pain because he wasn't included in the picture.
He opened the album carefully. The first few pages had pictures of Buffy, Xander, and Willow in high school, along with Giles in the library. Continuing further, Anya, Dawn, and Tara started appearing.
Spike almost laughed out loud at a picture of Buffy trying to cook something. Dawn and Tara were laughing in the background, so Willow had most likely taken the picture. The Slayer was covered in flour and stood looking in amazement at the mess around her.
Spike flipped towards the back of the book, glancing at pictures of Xander and Anya's wedding, Dawn's graduation, Willow and Tara's handfasting ceremony. He stopped abruptly on a page that included him. His mouth fell open as he saw a picture of him holding a tiny infant asleep in his arms. He was staring down at the baby with a look of pure love, oblivious to anything else. Spike traced the outline of the baby slowly with his finger.
"Spike?" "Spike?" Giles and Buffy had finished their conversation and the former Watcher was trying to get the vampire's attention.
"What? Huh?" Spike finally realized someone was talking to him. He glanced over at the others, grinning sheepishly, embarrassed at being caught gawking at a picture. He slammed the book shut, quickly setting it back in its place.
"Well, as I was trying to say," Giles smiled slightly at the vampire's obvious discomfort, "Maybe we should briefly explain to you why you're here then head back to Buffy's for the night."
As Spike nodded, Giles continued. "Buffy's told me how you got here, but not why you're here. Buffy?"
The Slayer took a deep breath and began. "We've been having problems with the demon population here lately. There has been a large increase in, well, demons. Spike, uh, that is, my Spike, and I have been patrolling a lot recently, 'cause of," "The demons?" Spike interjected.
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. We went out on a routine patrol six days ago and ran into a big group. We took out about half of them, but the rest divided. Spike and I split up, planning to meet back at our house, like always. Only he didn't come back." Buffy's eyes started to water.
Spike felt horrible, knowing that once again he was the one causing his love pain. He saw the tears in her eyes and desperately wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how.
Buffy took a few deep breaths and continued, shaking her head to regain her composure. "He left no trace. Xander and I searched all over town for him. Willow and Tara even did a locator spell, but it can't find him anywhere." She fell silent as she finished.
Giles was the first to break the silence. "Don't worry Buffy, we'll find him." He glanced meaningfully at Spike, motioning him towards the door. "Come on now, we'd better get you home, so we can figure out what we know. Now, what kind of demons were they?"
Spike smiled as the Watcher continued asking questions about his future kidnappers-if he was still alive, well undead at least. *Looks like a lot of things haven't changed around here. Same old Watcher* Spike thought. Noticing Buffy still holding her head high and proud, he smiled again. *Same old Slayer, too*
Title: Family Links
Spoilers: Set after Tabula Rosa
Disclaimer: They are not mine, but I wouldn't mind borrowing Spike.
Reviewers: I started using paragraphs and intend to keep it that way. Sorry about the first few chapters-I will go back and fix those later. Thanks for all the awesome feedback! Happy writer! (
*** Spike looked around the Magic Box while Buffy and Giles talked. He noticed them glancing at him every few moments, but he pretended otherwise.
The shop didn't look like it had changed that much over the years. They must have gotten new tables and chairs at some point, but other then that, it looked pretty much the same. *Slayer must of broken the last set. Figures.* Spike thought.
He walked behind the counter, idly examining the supplies on the shelves (typical things-candles, incense, spell books). He picked up a set of candles, smelling them. *Ugh, sage! Who would ever want a sage scented candle?* Spike wondered. He put the candles back on the shelf, knocking over a book as he did.
Picking the book up, Spike almost put it back on the shelf, before he noticed it was a photo album. On the front cover was a picture of the entire Scooby gang: Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Anya, Tara, and Giles. They were all smiling, especially Buffy, who looked very happy. Spike felt a twinge of pain because he wasn't included in the picture.
He opened the album carefully. The first few pages had pictures of Buffy, Xander, and Willow in high school, along with Giles in the library. Continuing further, Anya, Dawn, and Tara started appearing.
Spike almost laughed out loud at a picture of Buffy trying to cook something. Dawn and Tara were laughing in the background, so Willow had most likely taken the picture. The Slayer was covered in flour and stood looking in amazement at the mess around her.
Spike flipped towards the back of the book, glancing at pictures of Xander and Anya's wedding, Dawn's graduation, Willow and Tara's handfasting ceremony. He stopped abruptly on a page that included him. His mouth fell open as he saw a picture of him holding a tiny infant asleep in his arms. He was staring down at the baby with a look of pure love, oblivious to anything else. Spike traced the outline of the baby slowly with his finger.
"Spike?" "Spike?" Giles and Buffy had finished their conversation and the former Watcher was trying to get the vampire's attention.
"What? Huh?" Spike finally realized someone was talking to him. He glanced over at the others, grinning sheepishly, embarrassed at being caught gawking at a picture. He slammed the book shut, quickly setting it back in its place.
"Well, as I was trying to say," Giles smiled slightly at the vampire's obvious discomfort, "Maybe we should briefly explain to you why you're here then head back to Buffy's for the night."
As Spike nodded, Giles continued. "Buffy's told me how you got here, but not why you're here. Buffy?"
The Slayer took a deep breath and began. "We've been having problems with the demon population here lately. There has been a large increase in, well, demons. Spike, uh, that is, my Spike, and I have been patrolling a lot recently, 'cause of," "The demons?" Spike interjected.
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. We went out on a routine patrol six days ago and ran into a big group. We took out about half of them, but the rest divided. Spike and I split up, planning to meet back at our house, like always. Only he didn't come back." Buffy's eyes started to water.
Spike felt horrible, knowing that once again he was the one causing his love pain. He saw the tears in her eyes and desperately wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how.
Buffy took a few deep breaths and continued, shaking her head to regain her composure. "He left no trace. Xander and I searched all over town for him. Willow and Tara even did a locator spell, but it can't find him anywhere." She fell silent as she finished.
Giles was the first to break the silence. "Don't worry Buffy, we'll find him." He glanced meaningfully at Spike, motioning him towards the door. "Come on now, we'd better get you home, so we can figure out what we know. Now, what kind of demons were they?"
Spike smiled as the Watcher continued asking questions about his future kidnappers-if he was still alive, well undead at least. *Looks like a lot of things haven't changed around here. Same old Watcher* Spike thought. Noticing Buffy still holding her head high and proud, he smiled again. *Same old Slayer, too*