Disclaimer: I own nothing in Buffyverse, Joss owns all
Spoilers: All of season 7, including rumors for upcoming eps.
Feedback: appreciated
A/N: I am assuming that at some point Buffy has explained that she has died, and come back, twice. Also, my translation of the Chinese Slayers words is probably a little off. I don't remember the exact translation and my only tape of Fool for Love is from FX and has a Spanish translation of the Chinese words. So I had to try to translate the Spanish to English.
Chapter 5
Buffy and Spike walked into the basement holding hands. The girls were participating in various warm-up activities around the room. Buffy sat down on the bottom step. Spike sat on the step behind her with his hands on her shoulders. They were unwilling to be out of contact with each other for any length of time.
The girls noticed their presence and stopped what they were doing.
"So, you two finally worked out your issues, huh?" Asked Rona.
"Looks like." Kennedy smirked.
"But, I thought...you said...that night, after Chloe..." Molly stuttered, then gave up.
"I-is he 'dangerous Spike'?" Asked Vi, somewhat nervously.
Buffy smiled and settled back into Spike's embrace.
"Yeah, pet. We worked out our issues, and as for 'dangerous Spike'," he leered at the frightened girl, "What do you think?"
Buffy smacked his arm, "Spike, we don't want them scared of you. Just the baddies."
She looked around the basement. "Spike and I have dealt with our issues, and we had alot of them. But I've told you what's coming. And I realize that I am going to have to fight to the end, and I may not make it. So, I decided not to put off having something good in my life, because I may not be here to enjoy if I wait."
She looked at the potentials intently. "You know that some of you aren't going to make it. I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to be prepared.
"I know this seems so unfair. Some of you aren't even sixteen. I know how you feel. The first time that I died I was only sixteen. My death was foretold, so I knew even before I walked into the Master's lair that I was not walking out. I was terrified. And I was angry. It was so unfair.
"I didn't ask to be called. I didn't choose to be the Slayer. Why did I have to die? But I've realized something. Life, whether you're a Slayer, or a potential Slayer, or a normal teenage girl is not fair.
"A few months ago I tried to help a girl your age. She had some psychic abilities and knew that she was going to die. I tried to help her, to stop it. But I couldn't. She wasn't killed by a vampire or demon, or even an evil human. She died because her heart didn't work right.
"Not one of us has a guarantee in life. Many of you are from countries where the average life expectancy is fifty. You've probably several friends and family members die already. Then again some of you are from places where famine and disease are almost non-existent, but...Kennedy?"
The dark haired potential looked at Buffy questioningly.
"You grew up in a good home; no worries about food, medical care, basic survival needs, right?"
Kennedy nodded, wondering where Buffy was going with this.
"Did anyone you know, any kids from your school, or neighborhood, die?"
"Yeah, actually. A couple that I knew. They were in a car wreck. Icy roads."
"Okay, so none of us are immune. Death comes to all of us.
"But it doesn't have to be random or meaningless. Your death can mean something. It can be for a greater good. Now that doesn't mean you should go looking for it, or surrender to it without a fight. But you don't have to be just another statistic. You can be different."
She looked at Spike. "I think it's story time, babe."
Spike raised his eyebrow in surprise, both at the endearment and the statement. She looked at him, then looked pointedly at his duster then back at the girls. He finally understood. She wanted him to talk about the Slayers.
"Right. Gather round girls. Time for Uncle Spike to tell you about the Slayers I've fought. Now, I'm not going to go into the gruesome details, but I will tell you some things you need to know."
He tightened his grip on Buffy. He might have gotten back in touch with his inner demon, but the soul still made this a difficult task.
"I was turned over a hundred and twenty years ago by an insane, ruthless, and extremely vicious vampire named Drusilla. Her sire was... is, one of the most vicious monsters I've ever met, capable of acts of atrocity that even made me a bit uneasy. His sire was a nasty, sarcastic bitch that delighted in the appalling exploits of her favorite Childe. This was my vampire family. They made me, they taught me how to be a vampire.
"Even then, I was a bit different. I enjoyed scrapping', brawlin'. I didn't care much for the
'artistic kills' Angelus favored, or the defenseless innocents that Dru preferred. I liked to go after the ones who fought back, the ones who might, just possibly, win. That's how I ended up with my interest in Slayers.
"See most vampires run away from the Slayer. If she comes after them, they fight back, and if they win, they pat themselves on the back and brag about killing a Slayer. Not me. I went out and found the Slayer. Not just to kill her. To fight her. To find out if I could kill her.
"The first Slayer I fought was in China during the Boxer Rebellion. She was young. Strong fighter, but textbook. No improvising, no passion, just standard moves. Good, but not good enough." He paused, recalling her last words. 'I wonder', he thought.
He looked at Chao An. Over the years he had pick up a smattering of languages, human and demon. He thought he could remember her exact words and the pronunciation.
"Chao An?" The Chinese potential looked at him. He repeated the phrase as he remembered it. She looked at him in confusion at first, then realization dawned and she spoke to him. Her words were similar but slightly different. He nodded.
"Yeah, that's it. What's it mean, pet?"
She smiled sadly at him and spoke in halting English, "Tell...Mother...forgive...me"
He nodded, his lips pressed together. "Thanks, luv. Wondered about that."
Buffy squeezed his hand slightly, letting him know she understood how painful this storytelling was this time around.
"Anyway," he continued, "didn't meet another Slayer for more than seventy years. The second one was in New York. She was a bit more like Buffy, here. She was cunning, resourceful. And like Buffy, turns out she had ties to the world, a son.
"Now the third Slayer that I fought is sittin' in front of you. Strong, beautiful, resourceful, stubborn, and impossible for me to beat.
"I fought one other Slayer. After the first time Buffy died, another Slayer was called. I fought her and Buffy both once, years ago. She was another that was all textbook. Nothin' different or passionate about her. She was killed less than a year after she was called."
"You said killed, but you didn't say you killed her. If it wasn't you, who killed her?" Asked Rona.
"Actually, it was my sire, Drusilla. I only fought the girl the one time, and that time ended with Buffy puttin' me in a wheelchair."
"Really?" Molly asked
"Yes, really! You think I'd make that up?"
"I, I just meant that you know, you're so strong, and with your vampire healing and all, I thought that wouldn't be possible."
"Well, it was possible. I spent almost six months stuck in that bleedin' chair courtesy of the little chit sittin' in front of me."
Buffy smirked, "What can I say, I'm good."
Spike growled and Buffy shrugged. "Sorry, I can't feel too bad about it. I mean come on, I am good, but me against you, Drusilla, and Angelus. Nobody's that good. If you hadn't been in that wheelchair you never would have had a reason to come to me for help, we never would have had that first truce and I wouldn't be sitting here cuddled up against you. Training potential Slayers together."
Spike softened, when she put it that way, he couldn't be too angry.
"So, exactly how long have you two been...allies?" Rona asked.
"Off and on for five years." Buffy answered.
"Five years?"
"Off and on. Don't make any big assumptions there. I wanted Buffy to help me for my own selfish reasons. Didn't mean I stopped tryin' to kill her after I got what I wanted. Came back later, determined to kill her. I tried to kill her, Red, and Peaches. Then I helped FrankenAdam try to kill her and her mates. And when I did help, it was always for cash."
He looked at the assembled teens. "Don't assume that I was a white hat just because I helped the Slayer a time or two. I always had my own bloody selfish reasons for doing what I did. Don't ever forget that. Don't think that just because I choose to help the Slayer that my reasons are totally unselfish. And never, ever assume that any other vampire you meet might feel the same way.
"I'm the only vampire to ever seek out the return of his soul. I'm not braggin'; I just don't want any of you chits to ever second-guess your job. There are not a bunch of vampires out there thinkin' about gettin' their souls back and fightin' the good fight. They want to kill you, so they can brag. The next best thing to baggin' a Slayer is baggin' a Slayer-in-waiting.
"If you want to stay alive, remember that. Also, remember what I told you about the Slayers I fought. The best ones had their own individual style, no bloody textbook, 'this is how my Watcher says I should do it' moves. They had grace, fire, passion, and most importantly, ties to this world.
"The Slayer in New York may have lost to me, but she was no novice. She was pretty old for a Slayer. Just like Buffy. Twenty-two may not seem that old, but for a Slayer, it is."
"That's part of the reason I wanted Spike to tell you about the Slayers he's fought. He told me that story two years ago. He made a good point, my family and my friends tie me to this world. I fight harder because I want to make the world safer for them. But they are also the reason that I died two years ago. I couldn't let my sister be sacrificed to save the world, but I also knew that only her blood, the blood we share, would close it. I knew that I was dying to save the world, but more importantly, I was dying so that my sister, my Watcher, my friends, and the man who loved me could live."
She looked around. "I want all of you to think about whom, or what you love. Is it a parent, sibling, friend, a pet? Is it music or art? Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream or mocha lattes?"
She smiled softly as the girls giggled.
"Whoever, or whatever you love, ties you to this world. Is it worth fighting for? Would you fight just a little harder just to know that that little extra effort could give you more time to devote to it?"
Her eyes saddened a little. "That's also your reason for dying. Would you be willing to sacrifice your life to ensure that what you love would be safe?"
"I know it sounds hard, but when it all comes down to your life or the life of someone you love, someone who ties you to the world, the choice is actually very simple. Don't think of this fight as a big, abstract, 'noble' fight to save mankind, unless that's what motivates you. This fight is personal. It's about you protecting who or what is most precious to you.
"And I promise that if you have to make the choice to die to protect your love, your destination is going to be worth it. I know. I've been there.
"I died to save the people I love, and for the world, and my reward was to be in a place where I was safe and warm and loved. I was happy and at peace. Someday, I hope to go back there. And I'm ready, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to fight with everything in me to stay here.
"I don't want to leave my friends or my sister again. I don't want to leave you without a trainer. The council is gone and only a handful of Watchers are left. And, I don't want to leave you to them. But mostly, I don't want to leave the man I love. I've finally found the happiness that I've been looking for and I don't want to leave it behind.
"Like Spike said, part of the reason I've been so successful is that I do everything wrong. I have friends. I fight on my own terms. I argue with my Watcher when I think he's wrong. I turned my back on the council when I felt like they'd let me down too many times. I fell in love with not one, but two vampires. I have friends who are demons.
" I do everything wrong. I have never done anything the way the Slayer's Manual says to do it. In fact, Giles never even gave me a copy of the manual. He said he realized that it would do no good with me. And he's right; I would've ignored everything in there.
"Now, I'm not saying you should do everything the way I have. And I strongly advise against ever taking a vampire lover. I've been lucky but even so, the first one lost his soul and tried to kill me, my mother, and all of my friends. Then even after he got it back he nearly killed me when I had to get him to take some of my blood to cure him of a poison he'd been injected with. And Spike hurt me, physically and emotionally, even after he fell in love with me, before he got his soul back."
"I agree with you completely." Said Kennedy. "I know that you are pretty old for a Slayer, and I've seen you fight. You're incredible. And look at this place. I mean your house has become Slayer Central and friends who help you fight, do research, protect you, and help out with the day to day stuff surround you.
"You also say and do things that completely contradict what my Watcher taught me, but he's gone and you're here.
"And even though I have to agree on the whole 'vampire lover' issue, it's obvious that Spike would sooner get a suntan than let anyone, or anything, get past him to hurt you, or the ones you love. And with his strength, and what I've finally seen is an amazing talent for fighting. I have to say, I think you are onto something. And I am behind you 100%. Especially with the whole finding something to tie you here theory."
Everyone smiled at that, knowing whom she was referring to. The other girls looked around at each other, then at the Slayer and vampire sitting on the stairs.
Vi raised her hand tentatively.
"Yes, Vi?"
"Okay, I get the whole ties that bind thing, but I'm still thinking about the whole 'I want the Spike who tried to kill me' speech. Spike said that he got the soul for you, that he did what you wanted, so if what you want is 'dangerous Spike', is that who we have? I mean he killed two Slayers. Can we trust him?"
"That's a good question, Vi. You're right. I did tell him that I couldn't love him without a soul, so he got his soul back. I also told him that I wanted the Spike who tried to kill me back. So, he's trying to be that Spike, also. But, he still has his soul. He's still on our side, and he still loves me. The main difference is the one you've seen on patrol. He's much more aggressive, violent. He's a warrior, a killer. And, he's got alot of his sarcasm and verbal bite back. He is definitely Big Bad Spike again in alot of ways.
"But he's not coming after you, in your sleep or on patrol, or any other time. He loves me and I love him. But more importantly, I trust him. I trust him with my friends, my family, my own life, and your lives. He can't be controlled by the First anymore. His soul keeps him from harming you, or even wanting to harm you. He is a good man, which hasn't changed. All that's changed is that he is once more a good fighter, too."
The girls seemed fairly satisfied with this. Many of them were still a little nervous, and didn't really understand how a vampire and a Slayer could fall in love, but Spike had been helpful, so they would give him the benefit of the doubt.
************************************
After Buffy's night of true confessions things settled into a regular routine again.
Xander showed up the next morning with partitions to create a separate room in the basement for Buffy and Spike. They moved Spike's cot upstairs so the girls could take turns sleeping on it. Buffy and Spike moved her bed downstairs to their new room, and they settled in together.
But despite the acceptance of the relationship, the Scoobies still felt the absence of Giles and wondered if he and Buffy would ever be able to work together again.
TBC
Spoilers: All of season 7, including rumors for upcoming eps.
Feedback: appreciated
A/N: I am assuming that at some point Buffy has explained that she has died, and come back, twice. Also, my translation of the Chinese Slayers words is probably a little off. I don't remember the exact translation and my only tape of Fool for Love is from FX and has a Spanish translation of the Chinese words. So I had to try to translate the Spanish to English.
Chapter 5
Buffy and Spike walked into the basement holding hands. The girls were participating in various warm-up activities around the room. Buffy sat down on the bottom step. Spike sat on the step behind her with his hands on her shoulders. They were unwilling to be out of contact with each other for any length of time.
The girls noticed their presence and stopped what they were doing.
"So, you two finally worked out your issues, huh?" Asked Rona.
"Looks like." Kennedy smirked.
"But, I thought...you said...that night, after Chloe..." Molly stuttered, then gave up.
"I-is he 'dangerous Spike'?" Asked Vi, somewhat nervously.
Buffy smiled and settled back into Spike's embrace.
"Yeah, pet. We worked out our issues, and as for 'dangerous Spike'," he leered at the frightened girl, "What do you think?"
Buffy smacked his arm, "Spike, we don't want them scared of you. Just the baddies."
She looked around the basement. "Spike and I have dealt with our issues, and we had alot of them. But I've told you what's coming. And I realize that I am going to have to fight to the end, and I may not make it. So, I decided not to put off having something good in my life, because I may not be here to enjoy if I wait."
She looked at the potentials intently. "You know that some of you aren't going to make it. I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to be prepared.
"I know this seems so unfair. Some of you aren't even sixteen. I know how you feel. The first time that I died I was only sixteen. My death was foretold, so I knew even before I walked into the Master's lair that I was not walking out. I was terrified. And I was angry. It was so unfair.
"I didn't ask to be called. I didn't choose to be the Slayer. Why did I have to die? But I've realized something. Life, whether you're a Slayer, or a potential Slayer, or a normal teenage girl is not fair.
"A few months ago I tried to help a girl your age. She had some psychic abilities and knew that she was going to die. I tried to help her, to stop it. But I couldn't. She wasn't killed by a vampire or demon, or even an evil human. She died because her heart didn't work right.
"Not one of us has a guarantee in life. Many of you are from countries where the average life expectancy is fifty. You've probably several friends and family members die already. Then again some of you are from places where famine and disease are almost non-existent, but...Kennedy?"
The dark haired potential looked at Buffy questioningly.
"You grew up in a good home; no worries about food, medical care, basic survival needs, right?"
Kennedy nodded, wondering where Buffy was going with this.
"Did anyone you know, any kids from your school, or neighborhood, die?"
"Yeah, actually. A couple that I knew. They were in a car wreck. Icy roads."
"Okay, so none of us are immune. Death comes to all of us.
"But it doesn't have to be random or meaningless. Your death can mean something. It can be for a greater good. Now that doesn't mean you should go looking for it, or surrender to it without a fight. But you don't have to be just another statistic. You can be different."
She looked at Spike. "I think it's story time, babe."
Spike raised his eyebrow in surprise, both at the endearment and the statement. She looked at him, then looked pointedly at his duster then back at the girls. He finally understood. She wanted him to talk about the Slayers.
"Right. Gather round girls. Time for Uncle Spike to tell you about the Slayers I've fought. Now, I'm not going to go into the gruesome details, but I will tell you some things you need to know."
He tightened his grip on Buffy. He might have gotten back in touch with his inner demon, but the soul still made this a difficult task.
"I was turned over a hundred and twenty years ago by an insane, ruthless, and extremely vicious vampire named Drusilla. Her sire was... is, one of the most vicious monsters I've ever met, capable of acts of atrocity that even made me a bit uneasy. His sire was a nasty, sarcastic bitch that delighted in the appalling exploits of her favorite Childe. This was my vampire family. They made me, they taught me how to be a vampire.
"Even then, I was a bit different. I enjoyed scrapping', brawlin'. I didn't care much for the
'artistic kills' Angelus favored, or the defenseless innocents that Dru preferred. I liked to go after the ones who fought back, the ones who might, just possibly, win. That's how I ended up with my interest in Slayers.
"See most vampires run away from the Slayer. If she comes after them, they fight back, and if they win, they pat themselves on the back and brag about killing a Slayer. Not me. I went out and found the Slayer. Not just to kill her. To fight her. To find out if I could kill her.
"The first Slayer I fought was in China during the Boxer Rebellion. She was young. Strong fighter, but textbook. No improvising, no passion, just standard moves. Good, but not good enough." He paused, recalling her last words. 'I wonder', he thought.
He looked at Chao An. Over the years he had pick up a smattering of languages, human and demon. He thought he could remember her exact words and the pronunciation.
"Chao An?" The Chinese potential looked at him. He repeated the phrase as he remembered it. She looked at him in confusion at first, then realization dawned and she spoke to him. Her words were similar but slightly different. He nodded.
"Yeah, that's it. What's it mean, pet?"
She smiled sadly at him and spoke in halting English, "Tell...Mother...forgive...me"
He nodded, his lips pressed together. "Thanks, luv. Wondered about that."
Buffy squeezed his hand slightly, letting him know she understood how painful this storytelling was this time around.
"Anyway," he continued, "didn't meet another Slayer for more than seventy years. The second one was in New York. She was a bit more like Buffy, here. She was cunning, resourceful. And like Buffy, turns out she had ties to the world, a son.
"Now the third Slayer that I fought is sittin' in front of you. Strong, beautiful, resourceful, stubborn, and impossible for me to beat.
"I fought one other Slayer. After the first time Buffy died, another Slayer was called. I fought her and Buffy both once, years ago. She was another that was all textbook. Nothin' different or passionate about her. She was killed less than a year after she was called."
"You said killed, but you didn't say you killed her. If it wasn't you, who killed her?" Asked Rona.
"Actually, it was my sire, Drusilla. I only fought the girl the one time, and that time ended with Buffy puttin' me in a wheelchair."
"Really?" Molly asked
"Yes, really! You think I'd make that up?"
"I, I just meant that you know, you're so strong, and with your vampire healing and all, I thought that wouldn't be possible."
"Well, it was possible. I spent almost six months stuck in that bleedin' chair courtesy of the little chit sittin' in front of me."
Buffy smirked, "What can I say, I'm good."
Spike growled and Buffy shrugged. "Sorry, I can't feel too bad about it. I mean come on, I am good, but me against you, Drusilla, and Angelus. Nobody's that good. If you hadn't been in that wheelchair you never would have had a reason to come to me for help, we never would have had that first truce and I wouldn't be sitting here cuddled up against you. Training potential Slayers together."
Spike softened, when she put it that way, he couldn't be too angry.
"So, exactly how long have you two been...allies?" Rona asked.
"Off and on for five years." Buffy answered.
"Five years?"
"Off and on. Don't make any big assumptions there. I wanted Buffy to help me for my own selfish reasons. Didn't mean I stopped tryin' to kill her after I got what I wanted. Came back later, determined to kill her. I tried to kill her, Red, and Peaches. Then I helped FrankenAdam try to kill her and her mates. And when I did help, it was always for cash."
He looked at the assembled teens. "Don't assume that I was a white hat just because I helped the Slayer a time or two. I always had my own bloody selfish reasons for doing what I did. Don't ever forget that. Don't think that just because I choose to help the Slayer that my reasons are totally unselfish. And never, ever assume that any other vampire you meet might feel the same way.
"I'm the only vampire to ever seek out the return of his soul. I'm not braggin'; I just don't want any of you chits to ever second-guess your job. There are not a bunch of vampires out there thinkin' about gettin' their souls back and fightin' the good fight. They want to kill you, so they can brag. The next best thing to baggin' a Slayer is baggin' a Slayer-in-waiting.
"If you want to stay alive, remember that. Also, remember what I told you about the Slayers I fought. The best ones had their own individual style, no bloody textbook, 'this is how my Watcher says I should do it' moves. They had grace, fire, passion, and most importantly, ties to this world.
"The Slayer in New York may have lost to me, but she was no novice. She was pretty old for a Slayer. Just like Buffy. Twenty-two may not seem that old, but for a Slayer, it is."
"That's part of the reason I wanted Spike to tell you about the Slayers he's fought. He told me that story two years ago. He made a good point, my family and my friends tie me to this world. I fight harder because I want to make the world safer for them. But they are also the reason that I died two years ago. I couldn't let my sister be sacrificed to save the world, but I also knew that only her blood, the blood we share, would close it. I knew that I was dying to save the world, but more importantly, I was dying so that my sister, my Watcher, my friends, and the man who loved me could live."
She looked around. "I want all of you to think about whom, or what you love. Is it a parent, sibling, friend, a pet? Is it music or art? Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream or mocha lattes?"
She smiled softly as the girls giggled.
"Whoever, or whatever you love, ties you to this world. Is it worth fighting for? Would you fight just a little harder just to know that that little extra effort could give you more time to devote to it?"
Her eyes saddened a little. "That's also your reason for dying. Would you be willing to sacrifice your life to ensure that what you love would be safe?"
"I know it sounds hard, but when it all comes down to your life or the life of someone you love, someone who ties you to the world, the choice is actually very simple. Don't think of this fight as a big, abstract, 'noble' fight to save mankind, unless that's what motivates you. This fight is personal. It's about you protecting who or what is most precious to you.
"And I promise that if you have to make the choice to die to protect your love, your destination is going to be worth it. I know. I've been there.
"I died to save the people I love, and for the world, and my reward was to be in a place where I was safe and warm and loved. I was happy and at peace. Someday, I hope to go back there. And I'm ready, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to fight with everything in me to stay here.
"I don't want to leave my friends or my sister again. I don't want to leave you without a trainer. The council is gone and only a handful of Watchers are left. And, I don't want to leave you to them. But mostly, I don't want to leave the man I love. I've finally found the happiness that I've been looking for and I don't want to leave it behind.
"Like Spike said, part of the reason I've been so successful is that I do everything wrong. I have friends. I fight on my own terms. I argue with my Watcher when I think he's wrong. I turned my back on the council when I felt like they'd let me down too many times. I fell in love with not one, but two vampires. I have friends who are demons.
" I do everything wrong. I have never done anything the way the Slayer's Manual says to do it. In fact, Giles never even gave me a copy of the manual. He said he realized that it would do no good with me. And he's right; I would've ignored everything in there.
"Now, I'm not saying you should do everything the way I have. And I strongly advise against ever taking a vampire lover. I've been lucky but even so, the first one lost his soul and tried to kill me, my mother, and all of my friends. Then even after he got it back he nearly killed me when I had to get him to take some of my blood to cure him of a poison he'd been injected with. And Spike hurt me, physically and emotionally, even after he fell in love with me, before he got his soul back."
"I agree with you completely." Said Kennedy. "I know that you are pretty old for a Slayer, and I've seen you fight. You're incredible. And look at this place. I mean your house has become Slayer Central and friends who help you fight, do research, protect you, and help out with the day to day stuff surround you.
"You also say and do things that completely contradict what my Watcher taught me, but he's gone and you're here.
"And even though I have to agree on the whole 'vampire lover' issue, it's obvious that Spike would sooner get a suntan than let anyone, or anything, get past him to hurt you, or the ones you love. And with his strength, and what I've finally seen is an amazing talent for fighting. I have to say, I think you are onto something. And I am behind you 100%. Especially with the whole finding something to tie you here theory."
Everyone smiled at that, knowing whom she was referring to. The other girls looked around at each other, then at the Slayer and vampire sitting on the stairs.
Vi raised her hand tentatively.
"Yes, Vi?"
"Okay, I get the whole ties that bind thing, but I'm still thinking about the whole 'I want the Spike who tried to kill me' speech. Spike said that he got the soul for you, that he did what you wanted, so if what you want is 'dangerous Spike', is that who we have? I mean he killed two Slayers. Can we trust him?"
"That's a good question, Vi. You're right. I did tell him that I couldn't love him without a soul, so he got his soul back. I also told him that I wanted the Spike who tried to kill me back. So, he's trying to be that Spike, also. But, he still has his soul. He's still on our side, and he still loves me. The main difference is the one you've seen on patrol. He's much more aggressive, violent. He's a warrior, a killer. And, he's got alot of his sarcasm and verbal bite back. He is definitely Big Bad Spike again in alot of ways.
"But he's not coming after you, in your sleep or on patrol, or any other time. He loves me and I love him. But more importantly, I trust him. I trust him with my friends, my family, my own life, and your lives. He can't be controlled by the First anymore. His soul keeps him from harming you, or even wanting to harm you. He is a good man, which hasn't changed. All that's changed is that he is once more a good fighter, too."
The girls seemed fairly satisfied with this. Many of them were still a little nervous, and didn't really understand how a vampire and a Slayer could fall in love, but Spike had been helpful, so they would give him the benefit of the doubt.
************************************
After Buffy's night of true confessions things settled into a regular routine again.
Xander showed up the next morning with partitions to create a separate room in the basement for Buffy and Spike. They moved Spike's cot upstairs so the girls could take turns sleeping on it. Buffy and Spike moved her bed downstairs to their new room, and they settled in together.
But despite the acceptance of the relationship, the Scoobies still felt the absence of Giles and wondered if he and Buffy would ever be able to work together again.
TBC
